Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	adversity_n	bear_v	brother_n	812	5	7.0506	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35438	An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the Book of Job being the substance of XXXV lectures delivered at Magnus near the bridge, London / by Joseph Caryl.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1656 (1656)	Wing C760A; ESTC R23899	726,901	761

friends To be afraid of provoking God to cast us down Deut. 17. 13. they shall hear and fear and do no more presumtuously What shall they hear They shall hear how God hath cast men down or cast down a Nation by his judgements they shall hear of this and fear How shall they fear they shall fear to doe presumtuously fear to provoke that God who can thus cast down men and Kingdoms It is good to be thus afraid but there is a sinful fear when fear disorders or unfits us to put our hands to the help of those who are cast down and to administer comfort to those who are in sorrow such was the casting down and the fear here meant They were so afraid that they could not lend Job a hand or give him advised counsel to support his spirit I shall adde one Observation from the general scope of the similitude That an unfaithfull friend failes us most when we have most need of him That is the summe of all In winter when there is water in every ditch those brooks abound with water but in the summer especially in a dry summer when the rain of the land is dust as Moses speaks these brooks are dust too they vanish and are consumed out of their place they afford no refreshing at all When the man that went down from Hierusalem to Jericho and fell among theeves Luke 10 30. lay in the way stript and wounded even half dead A certain Priest came that way saith the text and when he saw him he passed by on the other side and likewise a Levite when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side but the Samaritan went to him not from him and had compassion on him Job speaks very neer this language but fully this sence of his friend They like the uncharitable Priest and Levite passed by him as the streams of brooks they pass away Whereas they should have been like the good Samaritan a fountain a river of settled springing comfort to him This is the great difference between the love of God and that of most men God is the best friend to us at all times he is best to us in the best times if we had not him to friend it would be very ill with us when we have most friends But God is best of all to us in the worst times a best friend to us when we have no friends he is our spring when the rain falls but he is our surest sweetest spring when there is neither rain nor dew upon the face of the earth Therefore he is compared as Jer. 2. so in other places unto a living fountain where you may be sure to find water in the hottest season This infinitely commends the love of God beyond that of men who at the best are but broken cisterns which leak out the comforts they are trusted with and for the most part are but like Jobs brookes they turn aside and passe away when we have most need of them It is observed of the Samaritans in Josephus that when ever the Jews affairs prosper'd they would be their friends and professe much kindnesse but if the Jews were in trouble and wanted their assistance then they got them far enough off they would not have to do with them or own them The rich man hath many friends saith Solomon Prov. 14. 20. but the poor is hated even of his own neighbour Vbi deficit pecunia labascit amicitia Worldly friendship ends with riches and he that wants mony seldom abounds with friends But consider how farre this is from the very nature of a brother and from the law of friendship Solomon Prov. 17. 17. describes a true friend to be one who loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity As if he had said this is the reason God hath raised up relations and made men neer one to another because himself orders there shall be times of adversity when they shall have need of one another Some render the place A brother is born in adversity as if the meaning were That when a man is in trouble God raises up a brother to help him Or as the Septuagint hath it A brother is born for this end and purpose to help in adversity Therefore a brother loses the very end and purpose why he was born if he refuse to help those who are in adversity Ruth was a true pattern of a faithful friend and brother though a daughter I went out full saith her mother in law but the Lord hath brought me home empty But though she was emptied of the world yet Ruths heart was full of loue to her I will not leave thee God do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me So saith faithfulness in friends especially in Christian friends It is one of the greatest duties and commendations of Christian profession to stick to and stand by one another be it fowl weather or be it fair blow the winds high or low let it be stormy or calme ever to be the same The Heathens wondered in the primitive times at the great love of the Christians to one another Let us take heed we do not put Heathens naturall carnal men to wonder O how little do Christians love one another Let us not give them occasion to say O how the Christians hate one another how like are they at best to streames of brooks who fail when their friends and brethren need the benefit of their assistance Let me only give you this caution God suffereth men to be thus unfaithful unto men yea sometimes a Christian brother to Talia patitur Deus suis accidere ne hominibus nimis fidunt sed omne solatium spem fiduciam in ipso solo vivo vero Deo ponant Lavat fail a Christian brother which is their sin and ought to be their sorrow I say God leaves them to this evil of their own hearts that we may have a greater good out of it then the highest actings of their love and faithfulnesse could estate us in Namely that we may learn to trust upon God alone and may better know what creatures are Trust not in a brother Jer. 9 4. so as to let out your hearts upon him think not you are safe in the love of a brother no not of a godly brother The Apostle 1 Tim. 6 17. to draw off rich men from trusting in their riches useth this argument Charge them that are rich that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God Why should they not trust in riches He giveth the reason in the Epithite uncertain They are uncertain riches therefore trust them not So we may say of men trust not in men no not absolutely in godly men for the best of men are uncertain possibly they may be as these streames of brooks whose waters failed Psal 146. 3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son

and there shall be no herd in the stalls Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation He was feasting upon God while he imagines the world starving he sees all things in God though the world should afford him nothing That soule is well fed and taught which can be rejoycing while it 's own body is starving And in war from the power of the Sword War is the second evill Famine and war goe often together yea they two seldome goe without a third the Pestilence 2 Sam. 24. Jer. 18. 22. And though in the order of the words famine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bellum à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vesci edere per Metaphorà pugnare quia g●adius in bello devora● hominum corpora In bello se mutuò homines devorant obsumunt be set before war yet usually war is the fore-runner of famine The sword cuts off provision and when it selfe hath devoured much flesh it leaves no bread for those who survive It is observable that the originall word for war here used comes from a root signifying to eat or to devoure and so by a Metaphor it signifies to fight or strike with the sword And the reason why the same word which signifies war signifies to eat is because the Sword is such an Eater or rather a Devourer and it eats two ways First the Sword eats up the bodies of men drinks up their bloud dispeoples a Land And then Secondly It eates up and consumes the fruits of the earth and hence War is the mother of Famine Therefore we find that when the great peace and so the plenty of the Church of Christ is prophecied of and described Isa 2. 4. and in Micah it is thus expressed They shall beat their swords into plow shares and their speares into pruning-hookes As if he should say while the sword is abroad in the field the plow shares will do little there For the most part Justice is silent in time of war the sound of the trumpet Inter arma silent leges and drum is too loud for the Law and when the Law stands still the plongh stands still Therefore when the sword is in motion both are at a stand Hence the promise that Swords shall be beaten into plow-shares and speares into pruning-hookes that is with peace you shall have bread and wine which note the abundance of all other things The ancients embleam'd peace by Eares of corne and Concord by a Cornu-copia a horne of plenty riches are the fruit of peace And safety is the priviledge of the Saints in time of war In war they shall be delivered from the power of the sword The Hebrew is They shall be delivred from or out of the hand of the sword Sometime in Scripture we read of the face of the sword which notes the sword coming and approaching to a people And sometimes we read of the mouth of the sword which notes the sword come devouring and eating up a people And here we have the hand of the sword they shall be delivered out of the Gladius manu apprehensus elevatus symbolum est extremi discriminis praesentis hostis Quasi diceret etiam in ipsa pugna vel inter tot manus gladios agitantes contra te vibantes salvaberis hand of the sword which notes as we translate the power of the sword Or that forme of speaking may be understood by an Hypallage From the hand of the sword that is from the sword in the hand which phrase imports present danger when the sword is unsheathed and drawn out when it is in the hand ready to strike then the enemy is ready to charge and then the Lord delivers He shall deliver from the sword in the hand or out of the hand of the sword So Psal 127. 4. Children of the youth are as arrowes in the hand of the mighty that is as arrowes ready to be shot And Psal 149. 6. Let the high praises of God be in their mouthes and a two edged sword in their hands noting actuall revenges taken on the enemies of God and actuall praises given to the name of God at the same time So then the meaning of these words He shall deliver thee from the power of the sword or out of the hand of the sword is this suppose thou art in such a condition that the swords are drawn about thy eares and thou art in the midst of a thousand deaths and dangers in the very heat of a battell yet then the Lord God can and will deliver thee And this likewise is a comfortable promise for us to lay hold on in these times It is a time of war to us all and there are many of our friends and brethren as it were in the very hand of the sword Desires are often sent to the Congregation by one for a husband by another for a brother by a third for a servant by many for their friends gone forth to meet a sword in the hand of an enemy skilfull to destroy Here is a promise to comfort and support such The Lord in time of war can deliver out of the very hand of the sword or when swords are in hand when thousands of swords are drawn together preparing for or smiting in the day of battell know then God is a deliverer In the most present dangers God shews the most present help Psal 23. 5. Thou shalt spread my table and cause my cup to overflow before the face of my enemy even then when my enemy is nearest and looketh on As when the sword is in the hand of the Angel so when it is in the hand of man A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Psal 91. 7. Not nigh thee what when they die on this side and one that side on every hand of a man doth it it not come nigh him Yes nigh him but not so nigh as to hurt him The power of God can bring us nigh to danger and yet keep us far from harme As good may be locally near us and yet vertually far from us so may evill The multitude throng'd Christ in the Gospel and yet but one toucht him so as to receive good so Christ can keep us in a throng of dangers that not one shall touch us to our hurt Yet we are not to take this or the like holy writs of protection as if God would deliver all his people from famine and from the sword we know many precious servants of his have fallen by these common calamities The Lord knows how to distinguish his when sword and famine doe not Neither doth this word fall though they doe If the servants of Christ are not delivered from these troubles they are delivered by them and while they are overcome by one trouble they conquer all Vers 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt