Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	abraham_n	call_v	lord_n	787	5	3.9743	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92054	The spirits touchstone: or, The teachings of Christs spirit on the hearts of believers. Being a cleare discovery, how a man may certainly know whether he be really taught of the spirit of God, being very useful for these times. / By J.R. late student of Merton Colledge in Oxford.	Roys, Job, 1633-1663.	1657 (1657)	Wing R2161; Thomason E1663_1; ESTC R203429	176,299	389

to deal withall that let them be never so great opposers to the Majesty of it by their contradicting and blaspheming yet all their carnall wisdom and policy could not avail but they must confess it to be the Word of God though the pride of their hearts and the vanity of their corrupt mindes would not suffer them to obey it 11. God hath a time when he will blast upon all other knowledge but the spirituall wisdom which comes from the Spirit shall endure for ever When the man of sinne shall be destroyed what a treasure of vain and fruitless knowledge by the bright shinings forth of the light of the Spirit which hath so so much been idolized in the world shall fall into the dust with him God hath a time to take the wise in their own counsels and to overthrow the devices of the crafty God blasted the counsell of Achitophel against David 2 Sam. 16.23 Though Achitophel was accounted as the Oracle of God for wisdom whose word was usually taken in difficult matters yet God at this time when he sets his wit to plot against his servant David he makes his counsell of none effect The Princes of Zoan are fools Isa 19.11 all their knowledge cannot deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath There is no evasion whereby thou canst shift off God and hide thy sinnes from him for God knows all the plottings and contrivances which have been in thy heart all the time of thy life 1 Cor. 1.27 Hos 5.3 Notitia judicialis non approbationis God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise Saith God in the Prophet Hosea I know Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me I know all their shifts and policies and delusions which they have invented to excuse themselves for their idolatry but when I come to plead with them for the breach of my Covenant I will lay the glory of their policy in the dust and destroy them with the breath of my mouth When once the beams of the Sunne of righteousness shall arise upon thy heart and God shall enlighten thine eyes by his Spirit then thou wilt count all thy former knowledge which thou didst so much pride thy self in but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ But spirituall wisdom endureth for ever it is of an abiding nature It is of an establishing nature it confirms and strengthens the soul against all the temptations and assaults it may meet withall That heart which is filled with this treasure of heavenly wisdom is as impregnable as a Castle with bars and irons Hereby we are instructed with the methods of Satan we can search into the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 Hereby we are furnished with an abiding store of rich grace whereby we may hold out in the fiery triall Wisdom and knowledge is the most durable of any treasure that is But when he was deprived of all his outward comforts riches houses lands friends relations all taken from him could say Omnia mea mecum porto I I carry all things away along with me because that stock of knowledge which he had none could take away from him So likewise a Saint of God hath the stock of knowledge and spirituall wisdom that shall never be taken away from him I have read of some that have lost that knowledge which they have got by study and their own pains taking Corvinus a great Scholar was brought so low by a violent fit of sickness that after he was recovered he forgat his own name but the Spiritual Wisdom which comes from above shall never be taken away from you 2. If thou art taught by the Spirit it is a sign thou art the friend of God John 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst Oh how greatly God condescends to the godly He speaks to them as a man would speak to his friend Abraham is called the friend of God saith God shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I shall do from Abraham my friend from him whom I have called by name to be my servant 'T is one part of friendship to reveal secrets Happy soul if God be thy friend who then shall be thy foe God is a friend that sticketh closer then all relations then Father Mother Brothers c. 3. If thou art taught by the Spirit it is a signe thou art in the Covenant of Grace It is one part of the Covenant that Believers shall be taught of God Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their hearts and they shall all know me It is an exceeding great comfort and a most special spiritual blessing to be in the Covenant of grace 1. Because in the Covenant of Grace God makes himself over to the Believer to be his as the Believer gives himself wholly totally and finally to be Gods My beloved is mine and I am his Hos 2.19 2. If God be thine and thou art the Spouse of Jesus Christ then all things are thine marriage makes all things common 3. If God be in Covenant with thee all the creatures are in league with thee Several signs whereby we may know we are taught of the Spirit 1. He that hath the teachings of the Spirit upon his heart is of an humble Spirit We finde in Scripture that the holy men of God both in the Old and in the New Testament when they have approached near to God to have any revelation from him or after they have had a revelation they have abased themselves and have been of a more submissive frame of Spirit Isa 6. Job 42. Job after God had appeared unto him and shewed him his own weakness and his Justice in proceeding with him such a way saith I abhor my self in dust and ashes Isa 65.5 Is 34.11 He doth not contemne his weak brother and like those in Isaiah say Stand by for I am holier then thou but as David he saith Come unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord and what he hath done for my soul He doth not think the better of himself but the more lowly and doth admire the Free-grace and love of God unto his soul See how Paul magnifies the Free-grace of God in discovering unto him the Mystery of Jesus Christ Vnto me who am less then the least of all the Apostles is this grace given that I should make known to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 So a gracious soul is not proud of the teachings of the Spirit upon his heart but counts meanly of himself and exalts the Grace of God that such a one as he who was formerly serving divers lusts should be admitted into the number of Gods Favorites and to partake of his secrets he