Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54501
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A dying fathers last legacy to an onely child, or, Mr. Hugh Peter's advice to his daughter written by his own hand, during his late imprisonment in the Tower of London, and given her a little before his death.
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Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing P1697; ESTC R32303
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33,960
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130
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be the Children of Wisdom Judge of all things by this Wisdom which will make you look upon them by Eternity To the only wise God I commend you dear Child 15. There are two very great Turns in mans Life the one is a lawful Calling the other is Marriage and miscarriages in either are almost irrecoverable For the former I must say the lesse because of your sex though your present condition may lead you to the service of others and then know Fidelity and Diligence are your duties your time and parts will then be anothers not your own Eye-service will not be acceptable to God or man much lesse comfortable to your self Many have written upon this subject as Dr. Gouge and others For Marriage though your present estate according to the world renders you many wayes hopeless yet your times are in Gods hands and daily Experience with my own will let you know that as it is the joyning together of one Man and one Woman lawfully in an indissolvable bond either for an help procreation of Children which were before the Fall or a remedy against Sin since that so it hath many Concernments in it where Goodness and Sutableness are the primary ingredients And as the Husbands duty is Love Teaching Providing Honouring c. So the Wifes must be Subjection suitable to that Love in all the parts of it And these dnties need mutual supports And this Conjugateness like a yoke must still be lin'd with more Love to make the draught easie Against this Love the Devil and Temptations will be striving People so engaged need a Standard even the Word to be set up to guide all by They need to observe each others spirits They need to pray out not quarrel out their first brablings They need at first to dwell much in their own duties before they step into each others When Repentance comes too late the best is to be made of the present condition Read Pro. 31. Oh the bitterness of unequal Matches Oh their ruine and misery I ever left you free and do only marry in and for the Lord The sensual part of that condition can never answer the incumbrances may attend it Let Christ be your Husband and he will provide you one to his own liking do nothing herein without Prayer Scripture and Counsel The Lord love you My dear Child 16. For the World I mean the People in it and that part of it the Lord hath set you in I have very much to say because my days in it are not a few as we account Believe our Saviour and the Word Joh. 16. last and you will find that in the World you shall have Tribulation and your passage out of it must be through many Tribulations and Persecutions too if you will live godly The World loves her own You must look upon it as your Enemy and use it so take what you may lawfully from it and imbrace not this present World It will kisse you and kill you like a Sea of Glasse it soon cracks though it glisters and when you have Iron shooes that tread upon it how soon may you drop in The World will give you no more credit than you have of the World to maintain it and therfore whilst you are in the World though you may know many yet be acquainted with few and even trust none Be sure you get nothing unlawfully it hath fire in it to destroy Sweat is our portion here below and whatsoever is gained by your own labour will be sweetest dearest and of longest continuance with you And do not borrow You may wonder why the World is generally imbittered to God's Children and why the way to Canaan was paved with so many difficulties Oh know it is to keep us humble to draw forth the exercise of his Attributes viz. Power Wisdom Mercy and the exercise of our gifts graces Prayer Faith Patience c. he will have the use of what he hath given yea hereby Heaven is made dear and sweet to us the storm commends the haven prison liberty sickness health and sin and sorrow Heaven where the double vail of Corruption and Affliction shall be taken off and we shall be with the Lord for ever Many dying men speak much about the Vanity of the World But truly as I would not die in a pet so I would not quarrel with or leave the World because I could be no greater in it but because I not do nor be better in it and that God is pleased I should leave it for a better I wish I had never been vain in a vain World but I appeal to and plead with Christ for my peace So use the World as if you used it not for the World hath a principle of decay in all the glory of it Dote not on it my poor Child 17. And whilest I am in the World and advising about it there is a great Raritie in the World if you could reach it and that is a Friend which is a Commoditie so very scarce that it will be your wisdom so to look upon a Friend this day as likely to be an Enemy to morrow How manie sad Experiences can I witness to of this kind yea in these times and changes Fair Dove-coats have most Pigeons Lost Estates know no Friends Joh and all the Saints complain David sadly Paul had none to stand by him You see most men now are either upon their own securitie or preferments one cries My Friend betrayed me another My Friend failed me and some cry All flesh is false and much I could say but that other causes are to be attended above instrumental They say Two may keep counsel if one be away So hard it is to get a Friend and if you have many you have hardly any The Friend I commend is a Soul-friend which you will never find among Children Fools or Prophane An Experienced Christian Friend I intend who must have three qualifications he or she must have the art and skill of a Friend few know it must have the bowels and mercie of a Friend which most want and lastly must have Faithfulness the great ingredient if such an one you can find you shall enjoy their Experiences freely you shall constantly be carried to God in their Prayers you shall have sympathie and help in your troubles The Spirit of Christ is a healing saving Spirit and such is theirs To such open your heart clearly who will never upbraid you for Confessions and know when Foundations shake you will need a Master-builder or Workman such is a good Friend and wise To get such an one must be your care and to keep must be your diligence Walk not unworthy of the mercy if you gain it Kinsman will not make it no nor a Brother though born for adversitie Your hopes may be these if the Lord promise When your wayes please him your Enemies shall be at peace with you He can raise a Friend and Himself be your best Friend To whom I