Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	answer_n	great_a	letter_n	916	5	6.8005	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68850	A mothers teares ouer hir seduced sonne: or A dissuasiue from idolatry penned in way of a dialogue, by occasion of a late letter from the sonne now at Doway, to his mother: which is also printed vvith the letter, and is fully set downe in the sonnes part, for the substance, though with some addition in forme.; Answere of a mother unto hir seduced sonnes letter.		1627 (1627)	STC 24903.5; ESTC S114250	89,317	193

A MOTHERS TEARES OVER HIR SEDVCED SONNE Or A dissuasiue from Idolatry penned in way of a Dialogue by occasion of a late letter from the sonne now at Doway to his mother Which is also printed with the letter and is fully set downe in the sonnes part for the substance though with some addition in forme Hearken unto mee that the Lord may hearken unto thee Iudges 9. 7. Imprinted 1627. A MOTHERS EPISTLE to hir Child CHILD THere are two bookes that goe under a mothers name A Mothers Blessing A Mothers Legacie now thou see'st a Mothers Teares And this last containes all In this a sorrowfull Mother weepes for her Child laments for her Child and cannot bee comforted because he is not Call it a Mothers Teares In this a sorrowfull Mother pleades for her Child begs for her Child prayes for her Child That the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush would incline his heart to feare the God of his Fathers according to the patterne of wholesome words call it A Mothers Blessing And because thy Mother almost worne out with yeares and teares is now lying downe in sorrow and not likely to see thy face unlesse thou wilt hasten shee bequeathes this unto thee as her last will and Testament Call it a Mothers Legacie Now Child I think fit to satisfie thee in two things both touching the Impression of this booke The first shall giue the reason of it the second shall I hope put away the offence thou mayst take at it To the first I haue this to say that finding most things as I thought coutcht in thy letter which haue and may draw and hold the unstable minds of nouices who haue not laid the first principles right I could not whether for want of witt or too much propensitie to talke both if thou wilt it is no great impeachment to a woman coutch my answer within the scantling of a letter Whence it hapned that a friend desiring a Copy tooke a readier way for 500 then he could with his pen transcribe one and so printed it beyond the seas And before any of them came to my hands diverse were dispersed being first taken at the Custome house then shrifted for Papists after dismist by a large indulgence Whence the bookes came to me just in the very manner as a Papist returnes from his confessour The booke had its pardon It 's true and his outside was as faire as Pilates hands but the inside was in statu quo prius as foule as before The truth is the booke had so many faults as that it was not fit to passe with them That put me upon some second thoughts which made the booke much bigger and now it is free for any hand The white it aymes a● is thy returne which if it hit not yet I hope it will keepe some from going to thee I know not said a wise man whether I shall profitt him I doe admonish but this I know If I warne many one or another will receiue instruction Spread thine hand and let the seed fall some may fall in good ground Sen. Epist 29. Let thy hooke alwayes hang It is a Prouerb that may bite thou look'st not for in a time thou think'st not of Cast thy Nets So is that though thou tak'st not a Salmon thou maist a Trout suppose it bee a lesse fish it will bee welcome If I cannot catch men I can bee contented to catch boyes yea Children I am a debtor to them If any thing come why should I sacrifice to my nett If nothing and so my night labor be lost I know the reason The Lord teach his professed Fishers to cast their netts on the right side of the boate that they may finde Sure this is the time the waters are troubled And so much for the first wherein I desire to giue full satisfaction so doe I in the second which followeth If thou shalt say thy renting from us will be knowne now Alas Child if that could haue beene help't thy mother would haue put to both hir shoulders Yea but this will make it more notorious I cannot tell y● but be it so then also it will make thy returne the more gracious And the more shall take notice of thy departing from us the more will praise God for thy returne unto us so that this will be no more thy disgrace then was that letter of Paul to Philemon a disgrace to Onesimus onely let thy returne be like his who departed for a season that hee might be receiued for euer But say what can be said this is certaine hee that is truly turn'd little esteemes his owne grace so God may haue the glory I find the Saints boasting of their infirmities blazing their faults none more I was a Publican so Matthew I was a Persecutor so Paul But sparing in setting forth their excellencies their abilities if it must be done as sometimes it must that God may haue the glory it shall be done in the third person The Disciple whom Christ loued So Iohn of himselfe Ioh. 13. 23. I knew a man whether in the bodie or out of the bodie I cannot tell c. So Paul of himselfe 2 Cor. 12. 2. And why so God must bee exalted man must be laid low I adde and I conclude with it when it shall please God to reueale his Son unto thee thou wil● not then consult with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16 So much to the Child Something to thee Reader at large the bait is laid for thee too for I go a fishing This book concernes that particular relation thou stand'st in as a parent or as a child or both Thou see'st a Mothers Teares thou see'st also a Child hath caused them Art thou a Child then heare the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother why shouldest thou cause thy Parents Tears Thy Mother hath groan'd for thee already make her not grone againe How canst thou behold A Mothers Teares Art thou a Parent Thy child is a doubtfull commodity There is a peradventure in all things good and evill under the Sunne that may befall him except one It is borne perhaps it may grow up perhaps not and so on perhaps so perhaps not Thou canst not say perhaps it may die perhaps not that is as certaine as other things are uncertaine if it doe grow up like the floure it shall be cut downe like the grasse no peradventure there But in all things else there is nothing thou canst looke on that is subiect to more hazard It may miscarry for want of thy care so may it notwithstanding all thy care See what a barren piece of mould thou hast let unto him It brings forth nothing of it selfe but briars and thornes and doe what thou canst doe they will shut forth That thou maist make it happily fruitfull thou must to planting thou must to watering so much thou art bound to doe for thou art his debtor more thou canst not doe thou art