Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	light_n	spirit_n	true_a	4,661	5	5.2779	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79933	The deceitful spirit discovered, in its secret and mysterious working; and in the power of God is judged and condemned by one that was once ensnared thereby.	Cleevelye, William.	1667 (1667)	Wing C4625A; ESTC R171386	3,842	5

The Deceitful Spirit discovered in its secret and mysterious working and in the Power of God is Judged and Condemned by one that was once ensnared thereby DEar Friends I am constrained even from the powerful working and sense of Gods Love in me to write these Lines to you and to acquaint you with the merciful dealings and tender Visitations of Gods Love to me Since I was with you at the Meeting the Lord hath had mercy on me even for his Seeds sake and hath enlightned my understanding and hath convinced me of the evil for which I stood and his Light hath clearly shewed me that that Spirit which had led me to keep on my Hat in the time of Friends being in Prayer was not the right spirit but the evil spirit O dear Friends how is my strength broken my confidence spoiled and all dashed which that dark spirit had brought forth and I am weak as water this is the Lords doing he hath done it when no man could he hath had a good regard unto me I am overcome in the sense of his Love to me and your labour and love to mewards is made sensible to me O my Soul praise the Lord for his goodness hath not failed thee his mercies endure for ever O let all the Righteous Seed praise him for ever This in the sense of the Work of the Lord in me have I written who through mercy am your little Brother in the Truth William Cleevelye FRiends since I wrote the former Lines to you which was written and delivered to some Friends the first day of the sixth month 1667 at the Meeting at John Elsons it hath been laid upon me to write something more by way of discovering the subtilty of that spirit which led me to the keeping on my Hat in the time of Friends being in Prayer First It led my mind out to be looking at others and got my mind there looking at the backslidings and haltings of others of which indeed hath been too much Thus this Serpent-like spirit drew my mind out to be looking at the falling and back-sliding of others that by it he might destroy that simplicity and young birth which the Lord brought forth in me for while I was looking out coldness and deadness got over me within and my mind became darkned and the pure Life in me clouded and Meetings unprofitable to me and I found not the sweet refreshments at Meetings as before and then the subtilty of this Enemy of Truth was such that he sought to beget a belief in me that Friends were grown formal and that there was not that powerfulness in them of the Ministry as formerly Thus when this subtile Spirit had darkned my understanding in that dark understanding he would lead me to judge others to be formal and without the Power but whilst I stood gazing at others the Witness of God arose in me and bid me Turn my mind to within and the Light shewed me that I was but formal my self and it judged me and troubled me then the wicked spirit sought to pervert the Righteous Judgement of Truth in me which judged the bad in me and subtilly did infuse into my mind that the putting off the Hat was formal without the Power and a customary thing only by most that did it Thus being under judgment for my formal appearing in the outward being deadned within Now the wicked one got a perswasion in me to keep on my Hat but the Spirit of the Lord strove in me much that I was not brought to it presently yet this dark spirit having gotten some footing in me the pure which once shone in me became so vailed and clouded in me and my mind so full of muddle that I could not discern the good Spirit from that which wrought in the mystery of iniquity so that subtile spirit prevailed with me to keep on my Hat in the time of Prayer But O what a cross it was to the pure Seed of God in me though then I did not so discern it O what pantings was in my heart and brest like as it were an Hammer beating paleness got over my face and I sweat with the strivings that was in me at the time of my standing with my Hat on and thus for many times was I insomuch that a questioning arose in me whether I did wel or no and sometimes put my Hat off again In this bewildered state the wicked one who worketh in the mystery of iniquity begot a perswasion in me that it was in the cross to my own will and that I must stand in the cross and the like Thus when Gods Witness arose in me and troubled me the which was crost in me then this Enemy of Truth who had darkned my understanding through my giving way to his subtile invasions got in me a perswasion that the cross was to my own will so there was a striving in me against the pure in me which strove for my good and I came to keep on my Hat and thought I did well in so doing thus having gone from the Light which gave me a discerning between the good and the evil I took the evil for the good there being a thick cloud got over me and I could keep on my Hat with less trouble and more boldness then was I perswaded that I was at more peace with God when I could stand in the 〈◊〉 with less trouble but the Spirit of the Lord would not leave striving with me but pierc't through the Cloud and judged the deadness hardness of heart and unprofitableness then my peace was broken which the enemy of Truth had begotten in me for the peace which I had was not durable neither had I true satisfaction in it but doubtings and questionings did still arise then I put it off again and sometimes put it off and sometimes on as that spirit of confusion being let in did suggest into my mind thus being off my watch like the fool with my eyes out of my head the enemy soon got in and made spoyl of the good And what did this enemy bring forth but polluted dead things as I have declared and stirred up enmity and strove to beget prejudice in me against Friends But there was a sweet Love sprang up in my heart still towards Friends and the Light brought to my remembrance the abounding goodness of God which flowed forth from the Light through their Vessels by which I was refreshed often and strengtned in the inward man whilst I kept faithful to my measure the remembrance of which was as a bridle to me and did likewise restrain me from breaking forth against Friends when the enemy tempted to it for when the Lord had stirred up his Servants to seek me and in the Light found me in my scattered lost state and reproved me and exhorted me that I might return I did not render railings neither used many words though I had in my reason comprehended much to plead for the thing aforementioned but