Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	david_n	death_n	saul_n	1,009	5	9.4042	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43394	Certaine conceptions, or, Considerations of Sir Percy Herbert, upon the strange change of peoples dispositions and actions in these latter times directed to his sonne.	Herbert, Percy, Sir.	1650 (1650)	Wing H1524A; ESTC R13695	141,161	274

General though he had exasperated and enflamed his enemies by the faithful and profitable Counsel he had given his friends in Rome returned again to Carthage according to his promise and word given there to be used at their discretion which he was certain could produce no other effect then to the taking away of his life in a most cruel manner Wherefore being arrived and a full relation of all the passages made in the open Senate by their Embassadours he was presently not onely seized upon with as much violence as their transported spleens could hasten their Officers to execution but presently put to death with all the exquisite torments could be devised by inraged and mercilesse people that were deceived and cousened in their expectation This act certainly exprest not only a world of magnanimity in his person but an intire noblenesse and truth in his disposition as well concerning that faithful counsel he gave his friends and Country to whom he conceived himself obliged for his birth and employment as in the punctuall observation of his words promise which he had given and made to his enemies who he knew would revenge it to the uttermost of their power In this manner did this brave Roman give a remarkable testimony to all posterity what obligations are due in point of honour to words and promises Now if this part of Morality was accustomed to be so strictly observed amongst the Pagans having little or no Religion to regulate their actions what may we conjecture of the duty of Christians whose Professions are to serve the onely God of Truth that without doubt can never be pleased with any manner of falsifications neverthelesse we see this miserable age is so far corrupted in this nature as I may say without any kind of apprehension of honor that it is almost grown a maxime never to speak what a man thinks or do what he sayes But as I have mentioned this one example of a Heathen I must also remember in this place another of a Christian not onely of a memorable consequence but the more to be regarded for that it was chiefly grounded upon a religious duty Which was that of Lewis King of France surnamed the Saint when he made war in the Holy Land who being in the like manner as the former taken prisoner by the Infidels with most of his Nobility at last by hard labour and with much difficulty he made shift to contract for his Ransome and liberty though at an excessive rate yet esteemed better then to end his dayes in a miserable and horrid captivity But when according to the agreement the mony came to be tendred which was procured with difficulty from the estates and fortunes of his people the Commissioners whom he employed in the service used such dexterity in their office and employment that they over-reached the enemy in the account though by no fraudulent deceit whereby they reserved a considerable sum to the Kings use of capacity perhaps sufficient to have defrayed a great part of the journey homewards which being related to the pious Prince with all the circumstances thereunto belonging However he was upon his departure yet considering it might prove some scandal to his Religion he resolved not to put to Sea until the full of the contract was performed in every particular And to that purpose he not onely sent the residue of the mony to his adversaries but withal commanded his Treasurers in his name to excuse the Act as done without his order and privity Which being exactly effected the Pagans fully satisfied he joyfully took shipping with the rest of his company Now though this pious deed I must confesse was beyond any obligation yet in regard the contrary might have bred some jealousie and suspicion in the thoughts of the Saracens concerning the actions and intentions of this good King whereby his Religion might have been dishonoured certainly it may seem a most pious and laudable resolution and truly cannot be but a worthy and admirable exemple not onely to teach other Princes their duty but also may serve in some sort to instruct all people what considerations ought to be had in performance of promises especially when they are made upon equal and just confidence of both sides For if this tye be not observed after a strict manner there is no possibility left to be assured either in contracts or conversation Which is the reason that in the accidents and chances of war souldiers after they are taken oftentimes are let go upon their words however in prisons the same persons are perhaps kept by strong guards Gamesters who for the most part are men not to be secured by any Bonds and Writings concerning the payment of debts yet when they borrow mony of their companions upon their words onely for the most part will be sure never to break as esteeming it a point of honor belonging to Society and conversation not to be violated by any means Nay very thieves are so punctual in this observation that they will scarse deceive a person whom they had determined to rob if they have made any engagement to that purpose and yet our poor Country that was one famed beyond all other Nations in this particular is now grown to that infamy by reason of this false way of conversation that the people can neither be trusted by others abroad or be at all confident of themselves at home Concerning the breaches of trusts upon special confidence and obligation THe next and last falshood I shall mention is breach of trusts when others put confidence in our truth and integrity which was the crime of Architophel King David's esteemed Counsellour who betrayed his Masters secrets to his unnatural son Absolon in which wickednesse and rebellion they both miserably perished by the just judgement of Almighty God Again we read that as Sampson was deceived by his wife whom the Philistians had craftily put upon him for that effect so themselves were most remarkably punished by reason of their being Authors of the Treason insomuch as he destroyed most of the Nobility in his last end And this was effected no doubt by the meer instigation of Heaven as a just reward for so unnatural a trechery though withal I cannot deny but that they were most pernicious people and enemies to Gods worship King David did so abhor this infidelity and breach of trust that he put to death the young man that brought him word of Saul's destruction only for that he seemed to rejoyce in his Kings fall notwithstanding he himself was to enjoy thereby the Kingdome without obstacle and hinderance Also he slew the two Thieves Buana and Rechab because they had killed trecherously Ishbosheth however he was not alone his mortal enemy but sought the Crown from off his head which justice he rather executed upon them because they had been both Saul's servants These certainly were not only religious demonstrations of a noble disposition but testimonies of his opinion of this duty

so impudent a reprobate that he not onely against the rules of nature and humanity shed the blood of his innocent and vertuous brother but was so unfortunately mistaken that he even thought to have couzened God himselfe by his dissimulation however he was invited to the acknowledgment of his offence Whereupon wee may conclude that scarce can there be any crime of a high nature committed but for the most part something of deceipt must accompany the action and to shew how much God Almighty doth abhor all manner of falsification he would not prosper the Jewes Army or grant them any more Victories against their enemies untill deceiptfull Achan was brought forth before the people to be stoned to death and his goods consumed with fire because he had concealed part of the Riches gotten in the City of Iericho contrary to his commandement We may also remember what desperate impieties Saul contracted to himselfe after he practised those deceipts against David untill at last they brought him to be his own murtherer whilst in the interim he possest his Kingdom whom he most hated and feared of all others The Scribes and Pharisees who were designed instruments for Christs death and passion as we read came to St. Iohns preaching with false and dissembling hearts amongst the rest of the multitude which was the cause why he called them a generation of Vipers Our Saviour himselfe most earnestly warned the people to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees as foreseeing they would prosecute him to the very end in the spirit of dissimulation and hypocrisie not onely by often tempting him with deceiptfull questions but at the last act of his condemnation in professing themselves servants of Caesars to obtaine greater credit and beliefe when as it was well known they hated nothing more in the world then to be under that jurisdiction which was afterwards verified in their many rebellions Iudas also began his wicked purpose in dissembling when he murmured amongst the rest at the losse of the sweet oyntment that was poured upon our Saviours head pretending hypocritically the cost had been better bestowed on the poore though his intention was onely to have had the money at his own dispose being purs-bearer which covetous disposition of his sufficiently appeared by betraying of his Master for so small a summe And yet this man was so transported by the opinion of his own craft and subtilty that when he was told particularly he had resolved in his minde to be the Traytor he had neither wisdom nor grace to repent or be admonished but of the contrary went presently out of the room to execute his determination to which purpose a while after being accompanied with a Troop of Souldiers he bestowed upon his Master a trayterous kisse by way of salutation the chiefe signe agreed between them as a distinction for his more certaine and easie apprehension Which shews that God Almighty in detestation of this manner of sinne is oftentimes pleased to give over such people to their own perdition in the very spirit of ridiculous folly not suffering them in any kind to reflect upon their own misery and impiety as it were being drunke and infatuated by a certain overweening conceit that they are by cunning and dissimmulation able to deceive not onely men but Heaven it selfe Which no doubt was also the opinion of Ananias and Saphira when they concealed part of the money from the Apostles wherein appeared a most remarkable judgement of God upon their persons Yet not because they had no mind to have bestowed so much to charitable uses but for that after they had seemed to have given before the multitude ' they endeavoured again a dissembling way to have couzened the expectation of their gift For it was plainly told them that they might have chosen at the first whether they would have contributed or no but they were undoubtedly punished in that they had lied to the holy Ghost wherein they committed sacriledge by reason of their intentionall deceipt Truly if we reflect but upon the constancy and suffering of old Eleazer in the Machabees we may have by that martyrdome a sufficient example to instruct our beliefe concerning this duty who rather then he would consent to the seeming onely of eating Swines-flesh though in act he should not have been obliged thereunto he chose to die a most cruell and violent death as fearing else the scandall that might have risen thereby to young people of his Nation to whom he desired to be a worthy and memorable testimony of goodnesse and piety Muchlesse certainly ought we to premeditate dissimulation as an introduction to all our actions and designes which is a custome now adaies so much in fashion that I have observed it sometimes affected without any intention at all of compassing benefits but as it were onely to be esteemed wiser then other persons in worldly affaires neverthelesse oftentimes it doth of the contrary destroy what is most coveted and desired since it ingenders so much distrust between parties treating that it is unpossible to have sufficient confidence of one another to conclude almost in any thing to purpose which is the reason generally that there are so few differences of law and contention compremised for each person according to his own secret intention of deceipt believes the same thoughts are in his adversarie and so consequently feares to be couzened O horrid custome as I may say and as much bewitched imagination that thus perverts the institution of common society to the depriving us of the greatest delight of mankind upon earth in regard we cannot conveniently make use of our reason and naturall knowledge but must be forced to live with one another like ravenous beasts alwaies watching either occasions to entrap or seeking out waies to prevent Whilst in the interim sweetnesse affability and security are not to be expected by the good and as little intended by the bad But perhaps it may be thought that notwithstanding these Scripture examples Abraham who was one of God Almighties chiefe servants seemed not onely intentionally but actually to dissemble when he affirmed Sarah to be his sister whereas she was really his wife unto which I answer that as he was not bound to discover himselfe so farre to his enemies whereby an eminent prejudice might have befallen his person so of the other side I am of opinion that if the thing had not been also true which he averred in regard according to the Jewes custome she might be held his sister by reason of the neere kindred and affinity between them he could not have been altogether freed from the sin of dissimulation For if the Text be considered he did not deny her to be his wife onely tacitely concealing it but affirmed her to be his sister because she was so to be esteemed also by his Country lawes which priviledge he was content to make use of to saye his life being in the hands of barbarous Tyrants Besides there appeared no intention