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	love_v	time_n	865	5	3.8357	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65276	Autarkeia, or, The art of divine contentment by Thomas Watson.	Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.	1654 (1654)	Wing W1102; ESTC R23954	98,303	304

own lusts how oft hath he made the free grace of God which should have been a bolt to keep out sinne rather a key to open the door to it these wounds hath the Lord received in the house of his friend Look upon the unkindnesse of thy friend and mourne for thy owne unkindnesse against God shall a Christian condemn that in another which he allows too much in himself 3. Hath thy friend proved treacherous perhaps you did repose too much confidence in him If you lay more weight upon an house then the pillars will bear it must needs break God saith Trust ye not in a friend perhaps you did put more trust in him then you did dare to put in God Friends are as Venice-glasses we may use them but if we lean too hard upon them they will break Behold matter of humility but not of sullennesse and discontent 4. You have a friend in Heaven will never faile you There is a friend saith Solomon that sticketh closer then a brother Such a friend is God he is very studious and inquisitive in our behalfe he hath a debating with himselfe a consulting and projecting how he may doe us good he is the best friend which may give contentment in the midst of all discourtesies of friends Consider 1. He is a loving friend God is love hence he is said sometimes to engrave us on the Palmes of his hand Isa. 49. 16. that we may be never out of his eye and to carry us in his bosome Isa. 40. 11. near to his heart There is no stop or stint in his love but as the River Nilus it overflowes all the bankes his love is as far beyond our thoughts as it is above our deserts O the infinite love of God in giving the Son of his love to be made flesh which was more then if all the Angels had been made wormes God in giving Christ to us gave his very heart to us here is love pensil'd out in all its glory and engraven as with the point of a Diamond All other love is hatred in comparison of the love of our friend 2. He is a carefull friend He careth for you 1. He minds and transacts our businesse as his own he accounts his peoples interests and concernments as his interest 2. He provides for us Grace to enrich us Glory to ennoble us It was Davids complaint No man cared for my soul a Christian hath a friend that cares for him 3. He is a Prudent friend A friend may sometimes erre through ignorance or mistake and give his friend poison in stead of sugar but God is wise in heart He is skilfull as well as faithfull he knowes what our disease is and what Physick is most proper to apply he knowes what will doe us good and what winde will be best to carry us to heaven 4. He is a Faithfull friend and he is faithfull 1. In his Promises In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised Gods people are childen that will not lie but God is a God that cannot lie he will not deceive the faith of his people nay he cannot he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth he can as well cease to be God as cease to be true The Lord may sometimes change his Promise as when he converts a temporall Promise into a spirituall but he can never breake his Promise 5. He is a compassionate Friend Hence in Scripture we read of the earnings of his bowels Gods friendship is nothing else but compassion for there is naturally no affection in us to desire his friendship nor no goodness in us to deserve it the load-stone is in himselfe When we were full of blo●d hee was full of bowels When wee were enemies he sent an Embassage of peace When our hearts were turned back from God his heart was turned towards us O the tendernesse and sympathy of our friend in Heaven We our selves have some relentings of heart to those which are in misery but it is God who begets all the mercies and bowels that are in us therefore he is call'd the Father of mercies 6. He is a constant Friend His compassions faile not Friends do often in adversity drop off as leaves in Autumne Amici circa sartaginem as Plutarch saith these are rather flatterers then friends Ioa● was for a time faithful to King Davids house he went not after Absal●ms Treason but within a while proved false to the Crown and went after the treason of Adonijah God is a friend for ever Having loved his own he loved them to the end What though I am despised yet God loves me What though my friends cast me off yet God loves me he loves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end and there is no end of that love This me thinks in case of discourtesies and unkindnesses is enough to charme down discontent SECT V. The fifth Apology answered The next Apology is I am under great reproaches Let not this discontent For 1. It is a sign there is some good in thee Quid mali feci saith Socrates what evil have I done that this bad man commends me The applause of the wicked usually denotes some evil and their censure imports some good David wept and fasted and that was turned to his reproach as we must passe to Heaven through the pikes of suffering so through the clouds of Reproach 2. If your reproach be for God as Davids was For thy sake I have borne reproach then it is rather matter of triumph then dejection Christ doth not say when you are reproached be discontented but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejoyce Weare your Reproach as a Diadem of honour for now a spirit of glory rests upon you Put your reproaches into the inventory of your riches so did Moses It should be a Christians ambition to wear his Saviours livery though it be sprinkled with blood and sullied with disgrace 3. God will doe us good by reproach as David said of Shimei his cursing It may be the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day this puts us upon searching out sinne A child of God labours to read his sin in every stone of reproach that is cast at him besides now we have an opportunity to exercise patience and humility 4. Jesus Christ was content to be reproached for us Hee despised the shame of the Crosse It may amaze us to thinke that he who was God could endure to be spit upon to be crowned with thornes in a kinde of jeere and when he was ready to bow his head upon the Crosse to have the Jewes in scorne wag their head and say He saved others himselfe he cannot save The shame of the Crosse was as much as the blood of the Crosse His Name was crucified before his Body The sharpe arrowes