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	seed_n	781	5	8.3208	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96684	God a Christian's choice, compleated by particular covenanting with God Together with an appendix, containing propositions, tending to clear up the lawfulness, and expediency of transacting with God in that way. In pursuit of a design proposed by Mr. R.A. in his book entituled, The vindication of Godliness. And by Mr. Tho. Vincent, in his book, called Words whereby we may be saved. To which is added, a brief discovery of the nearness of such a people unto God, on Psal. 148. 14. By Samuel VVinney, sometimes minister of the gospel at Glaston in Somersetshire.	Winney, Samuel.	1675 (1675)	Wing W3034; ESTC R231145	79,544	241

God is so infinitely good in himself and Satisfactorily good to the souls of his people and therefore eminently to be chosen by them but believe it every one thou art not a Christian indeed thou art not caust not be happy till thou hast chosen God to be thine What is it to be baptized and to have an outward profession if thou art not and will not come up to this to have and chuse God to be thine to take God to be thine own Canst thou be a godly man that hath not chosen God to be thy God It 's an impossible thing that a man should be Godly that hath nothing to do with God Is not a Godly man named from God Here is the essence of Christianity and there is no real Christianity whatsoever the profession be till this be done Do not you be so foolish as to content your selves with the paint of Religion and seeming to be Christians if you have not taken God to be yours you have nothing to do with him and you are not Christians indeed That man that hath not chosen God for his God hath not yet learned the first Commandment in a practical way What is that Why Thou shalt have no other gods before me Exod. 20. and so he is no servant of God this commands thee to chuse God to be thy God and him only and art thou a Christian that art not practically come up to much less taken out the very first rule in the Law of God I dare say thou darest not say it CHAP. V. Exhortation Double First To them that have not yet done this and shewing what we ought to chuse God to be to to us 2. Vse Exhort THe 2. Use of this truth is by way of Exhortation Double 1. To them that have not chosen God 2. To them that have done so Use of Exhortation I. To them that have not chosen God to be their God that are yet to make their choice And alas how many are there yet so to do how many be perswaded all in the name of God to do what is proposed to you to chuse God to be yours Christians are you in good earnest Christians or are you not Will you chuse God are you resolved to have him to be yours Here 3 things briefly opened 1. What we are to chuse God to be to u● 2. How we are to chuse God to be ours 3. Several motives to provoke hereunto 1. Under what notion we are to chuse God to us or what we are to chuse him to be unto us 1. To be in all relations to us 2. To be in stead of all enjoyments to us 1. We are to chuse God to stand in all relations to us What relations I. Generally chuse him to be our friend 't is Good having God to be a friend make in to him therefore and make suit to him to be your friend Whosoever hath chosen God to be his hath chosen the best friend in Heaven and Earth He is the ablest faithfullest freest richest friend that is in this or in another World none so bountiful and ready to help as he and did we believe it we should easily be perswaded to it when the Church had chosen Christ to be her beloved then he was her friend this is my beloved and this is my friend O ye Daughters of Jerusalem Song 5.16 so Abraham when he had chosen God to be his he was his friend and he became the friend of God James 2. the Church of the Jews cal'd the seed of Abraham my Friend Isa 41.8 Be you therefore perswaded let me beseech you to chuse God to be your chief friend II. More particularly chuse God to be to you a Father God is the Father of all by creation but we east off that relation daily by our trausgression and rebel against him though sometimes we say our Father with our mouths yet how vain is this for where is his honour that we give him Mal. 1.6 just as the prodigal cast off and run away from his Father Luk. 4 15. But when we are regenerate and born again of God then we chuse God for our Father again and he adopts us to be his Children The new Divine nature laies a new claim to the old though formerly lost relation As the prodigal did I will go to my Father ver 18. and bespeaks God as the Church Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father We are Commanded to cal● no man Father upon Earth Mat● 23. understand it in a right sense● not as though we were to cast off ou● natural relations as some wickedly do For that we have one to be ou● Father which is in heaven wh● hath promised that he will be a Father to us and we shall be his Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6.17 and therefore well may we and of Dut● ought to chuse him to be so unt● us III. Chuse God to be an Husband to you this God offers himself most willingly to be but we keep him off and will not yield our Consent as a Virgin doth a Suiter a long time that comes to her how hard a matter to get the Soul espoused to God and Christ It is not so hard a matter to get the Lord's Consent to be an Husband as to get ours to become his Spouse How long and painful a work is it for the Ministers of the Gospel to be wooing for Christ and to be beseeching in Christ's name before they can get the consent of one Soul to he married to him Jer. 3.14 Turn O back sliding Chilaren for I am married unto you God saith I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and in Judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness three times together Hos 2.19 20. but we are very loath we will not be betrothed we can't be won to yield to it God is our maker and saith further Thy Maker is thine husband the Lord of Hosts is his name Isa 54.5 What will you not have your Maker for your Husband What better Husband can there be IV. Chuse God to be your Lord and Master so much is implyed as our duty in the Text ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him other Lord's do and have ruled over us and Oh that we were brought to the resolution of the Church but by thee only will we make mention of thy name Isa 26.13 which implies a choice of God and a rejection of others Be perswaded to cast off all other Lords World and Flesh and Devil take his yoke upon you enter into Covenant every one to be his servant as the Eunuch did Isa 56.6 say as David Psal 116.16 Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant our duty is to chuse God and Christ to rule govern and have dominion over us to be our leader and Commander Isa 55.4 let him be our onely Lord to serve him and

nig● unto God also How so Why we were brought nigh unto God by Christ's reconciliation which he made for us to God by his death and sufferings And we shall be wholly and fully brought nigh unto God hereafter when we shall be brought into the Kingdom of God where God Jesus Christ are and we shall be with him for ever Here are we brought nigh in regard of friendship but not in regard of that fulness of fellowship which we shall enjoy in Heaven And therefore are we said to be absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 while at home in the body But there had been no enjoyment of God here nor of the Kingdom of God hereafter if Christ had not suffered but now ther 's both this is the fourth regard in which we are said to be nigh unto God 5. They are said to be a People Near to God in regard of their liberty of free access unto God they have the priviledg of approaching nigh to the throne of grace and thereby draw nigh to God And this the Apostle lays down by way of Encouragement and Counsel in two places of the Hebrews Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in the time of need And all this is still upon the account of Jesus Christ because we have such a great high-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Hence it is that we may come boldly to the Throne of Grace Compare with ver 14. so Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience This is the great priviledg of Christians that they are made Kings and Priests unto God and his Father Now you know the Priests under the law it was their place and office to draw nigh unto God as doth appear by these two places of Scripture Lev. 10.3 where when fire from Heaven had devoured Nadab and Abihu the two Sons of Aaron for offering strange fire Moses uttered these words This is that the Lord spake I will be Sanctified in them that come nigh me It was their Office to draw nigh to God and for them to draw nigh to God with strange fire contrary to the very Command of God! therefore fire from Heaven came down upon them See likewise Numb 16.40 There upon the occasion of the destruction of Korab Dathan and Abiram for oftering Incense unto the Lord which thing belonged only unto the Priest the Censers were laid aside to be a memorial to the Children of Israel That no stranger that is not of the Seed of Aaron come near to offer Incense before the Lord Now Jesus Christ having made us Kings and Priests to God this is the great Priviledg that we have by him that we may draw nigh unto God Heb. 7.19 and offer up our Prayers as Incense to God together with all other our holy Duties as so many Spirltual Sacrifiees acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet 2.5 Being built upon him a Spiritual House and Holy Priesthood to that very end Jesus Christ is the person that doth approach nigh to God in our behalf Jer. 30.21 I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach to me for who is he that engageth his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. Who is he that God will chuse to draw near unto him Literally and primarily it may be understood of the civil Governour but ultimately and consummately of Jesus Christ who undertook not his Office without Gods call who in the behalf of believers hath engaged his heart to approach nigh unto God and we by him do draw nigh to God Heb. 10.19 Boldness we have to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus with Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father so Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with Confidence by the faith of him And what a Priviledg is this that every one of Gods Saints and People may have the liberty as often as they will to approach nigh to God to make their requests in every thing by Prayer and Supplication 6. They are said to be near unto God in regard of the Lord's choice and separation of them from and and above all the People of the World unto himself they are so both from all eternity and also in time and this is spoken of particular persons and a whose People jointly Observe both Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father 1 Pet. 1.2 they are his chosen people Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World thus for persons If you will observe it also for a nation or a people Psal 135.4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure To which join that place Isa 41.89 But thou Israel art my Servant Jacob whom I have chosen the Seed of Abraham my friend thou whom I have taken from the ends of the Earth and sard unto thee thou art my Servant I have chosen thee and not cast thee away Hence are they said to be a separated People so shall we be separated I and my People from all the people that are upon the face of the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Same word as separated Exod. Exod. 33.16 so David Psal 4.3 The Lord hath set apart him that is godly unto himself therefore said to be a people of his inheritance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 same as Saints in Text Deut 4.20 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32.9 and his peculiar treasure Exod. 19.5 peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 and Christ tells the Disciples That he had chosen them out of the World and therefore the World hated them Joh. 15.19 so that not only from eternity but in time not only persons but nations God hath chosen to be his own people above all the World besides And how great is the Priviledg to be God's chosen and peculiar People and so made Near unto him mind this I beseech you What a matter of special observance should this be to us that God doth take here and there one or two or three above others specially when God Casts away all the Wicked of the Earth like dross as Psal 119.119 as a man throws dirt out of doors then to be chosen out of them that are cast away what a special favour is this not to be cast out as dross but made up as Jewels and preserved in Jesus Christ what grace is this 7. And Lastly in regard of their daily chose walking with God are they near to him A Christians Conversation is said to be a walking with God so said of Enoch Gen. 22.24 twice together it was his whole course throughout all his life till God took him Yea more fully a walking together and they that walk together are Near each to other though sin makes a