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_v	good_a	see_v	1,023	5	2.8313	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87086	The difficvlty of sions deliverance and reformation: together with the activitie which her friends should manifest during the time that her cause is in agitation. Delivered in a sermon at Margarets Westminster, before the honourable House of Commons on Wednesday morning, the twenty-sixt day of Iune. 1644. / By Humphrey Hardwick, Minister of the Word at Hadam Magna in the County of Hertfard, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Hardwick, Humphrey, b. 1601 or 2.	1644 (1644)	Wing H704; Thomason E2_9; ESTC R2445	22,618	46

it first justifie all those good Zerubbabels of our time who have put themselves forth in our cause beene much and active in faithfull endeavours for the preservation and reformation of this Church and Kingdome It likewise also justifieth all our humiliations publike and private all our dayes of thankfull memoriall Laws Ordinances and Injunctions truly intended to procure the full deliverance and establishment of our religion and just liberties If all the friends of Sion ought in such cases to do as you have heard then our Worthies have done no more then did become them no more then was their dutie to doe Search through the holy Book and tell me whether any men are so precious in the eyes of heaven and the account of God himself as those that have beene zealous for the reformation of his Church the carrying on of his Cause the helpe of his people against the wicked and profane opposers of them How highly were Caleb and Ioshua esteemed of God for being couragious when others flagg'd in the businesse and shrunk at evill tydings Had not Phinih●m the sonne of Eleazar a Covenant of peace made to him and his posteritie for being zealous in Gods Cause among the people Why should I tell you of Gideon and Barak and Samson and the rest In a word men of this spirit are the onely men in Gods Books But one thing which is recorded of a zealous woman I cannot omit Blessed above women shall Jael the wise of Heber the Kenitebe blessed shall she be above women in her tent she put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the work mans hammer she smote Si●era she smote off his head Judg. 5.24 26. Lo my brethren what an high transcendent applause is given to this woman by the mouth of the Spirit of God The like phrase is but in one place more ro be found in Holy Writ and there it 's given to the blessed Virgine here it is iterated of this woman by which with the former instances we may clearly see how much true zeale in such kinde of actions doth please the God of glory And all this I mention not to flatter or proud up any heart but by way of just vindication and approbation of all that have beene forward for God in our just cause for their future encouragement and have not I good reason so to do in these times when men of zeal meet with so many disheartenings and discouragements Truly it 's some unhappinesse to be good amongst us especially to be zealous in it for besides the trouble and many inconveniences which accompanie such undertakings the persons of men truly zealous for Gods Cause among the people are obvious to soule censure oft doe they gaine reproach and finde unthankfull dealing from many of our owne side How apt are we to bedew our best friends and to requite ill to those who strive most for the publike good Did not consciousnesse of dutie to God and the true worth and excellency of the imployment bear up Christian hearts and publike spirits many good instruments in this Cause had long ago been sutors to God and man to have quit them of their imployments I have cause therefore lighting on this subject to speak thus much in season for their justification and incouragement Hereby also our pious actions fore mentioned are to be approved for why there are a generation who mussicate against them whisper and say By what authoritie doe wee these things some are ready to say as Indas of the Alabaster Box of Oyntment Whereto is this waste Now I could quickly say enough to these men but blessed be God experience hath sufficiently taught us that these pious endeavours have not been in wast for in no age I think were fastings prayers and the duties of this kinde so often so visibly answered And this will or may stop such mouthes with shame Moreover the doctrin which I have proved sheweth divine authoritie the Lord requiring expecting and in effect calling for the frequent exercise of these duties in such times being a chiefe part of the precious seed which should be sown Yea more by this we may conclude that it were much sinne and wickednesse to refuse or neglect see how irreconcileably angry the Lord is with his people for neglecting such duties in such times Esa. 22. consult that place and I shall need say no more to justifie our sowing in teares A second Vse of this point doth minister matter of just and sharp reprofe First to neuters a sort of men wise in their own conceit secretly condemning all others and justly to be condemned of all I may truly say that neither God nor man loves them it is onely the devill and themselves that they please And were not these a kinde of unteachable creatures I should speak much to their reproof but I referre them to two places of Scripture one in the old Testament Indg. 5.23 the other Rev. 3.15 16. This truth may discover to us how little those men deserve of the Church and kingdome who stand in their places like ciphers to supply a room and multiply the number but neither act nor in good earnest desire to act any thing to purpose I confesse if men were to make themselves their own end they took a course seemingly wise For publique grievances though easily seen and complained on yet are very hard to be dealt with To search into the true causes of them to finde out the right method of euring them is a work so full of toyle and so beset with difficulties as that selfish and wary men may well judge it better to sit quiet and enjoy their own case then to entangle and trouble themselves to seek the common good Now of this temper I fear me there are many too many who do blesse and applaud themselves in not acting and judging others for their forwardnes But I beseech you to consider earnestly that our Parliament our Kingdome our Cause hath no need of men of Gallio's temper which care for none of these things and what anignoble propertie it is for men called of God and entrusted with so weightie imployment to spend their time in doing nothing or nothing to the purpose and leave Gods Businesse to God himself and others to care for I am not ignorant that men of this make have many excuses to plead but alas they are fig-leaves which will not cover their nakednesse and though the World and themselves were so deluded as not to see their guiltines yet such men will dearely answer it before God for doing nothing or as good as nothing in the Cause of God and the kingdome It remains now onely that I call upon every one that would not be counted an enemy but a friend of Sion to be up and doing to be much and active in pious and precious endeavour for the perfecting our Sions deliverance and the establishing of our Jerusalem in peace and truth Now is time for Nobles and Senatours and

the dust Let then hence the sentence of holy doctrine be All the friends of Sion should be much and active in pious and precious endevours when her cause is in agitation The Scripture doth learn us this truth by a memorable passage Exod. 17. when the brood of profane Esau strove with Iacobs Seed Ioshua being a man of warre must chuse out fit men for battell Moses Aaron and H●● being no sword-men they must to the Mount where Moses hands must be held up all the while and when they were let downe Amalek prevailed but when they were held up Israel prevailed This my brethren signified that every man should act even to intention to the highest degree of his activity when Sions businesse is in hand or otherwise the Cause may be at a losse How are Zebulun and Napthali commended for jeoparding their lives in such a case Iudg. 5.18 Mordecai could tell Est 〈◊〉 If thou holdest thy peace at this time thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed Est 4.14 I might now produce the vow of David Psal 132. the zeal of Vriah 2 Sam. 11.11 Daniels devotions Dan. 9.18 speak of Ezra and Nehemiahs incessant endeavours and the peoples building the wall with swords in their hand all witnessing this truth and leading us to the dutie But see we two speciall injunctions require this when the worship of God and the justice of the Kingdom was carried well on towards the point of establishment in the dayes of David then are all the friends of the Church called upon to be active Psal. 122.6 The prophet Esay likewise foreseeing by faith the deliverande of the Church and flourishing condition of Christs Kingdom ready to ensue doth not onely testifie for himself that he will not hold his peace for Sions sake but also calls upon others yea all that be mindefull of the Lord let him have no rest untill he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the earth Esa. 62.6 7. The first Argument to illustrate this Doctrine is from the high and precious nature of Sions cause It will be easily granted that as all intelligent agents act for some end so they act according to the nature of the thing they are imployed about This cals for more or lesse carefulnesse and regard more or lesse activity and intention as the matter under hand is more or lesse of value Will not the Refiner be ten times so circumspect and industrious when his gold is in the furnace as when lead is on the fire How curious and wary is he that is to cut rich jewels and pearls Now can there be any thing in the world more precious or of such importance as the cause of the Church standing for pure Religion and unstained worship of God and justice Me thinks in these is the very quintessence of all excellencies and substantials The whole world is subordinate to the Church her good that men might know and serve God aright was the very end of Creation Yea more did not the Lord Christ die in the cause of his Church Note then how transcendent and incomparable excellent and precious is that to which in some respect the Creation and Redemption of the world is subordinate great reason then is it that all who would be thought the friends of Sion should be very active when her cause is in agitation Thus it ought to be in regard of the multitude which are concerned in the businesse When there was but one Peter in prison how incessant was the Church on his behalfe If a number of Gods dear ones had their cause transacting it behoved all well willers which knew it to be helping in it if they could How desireable is it to do good to a Citie or a Nation What have not meere morall men done and undertaken for their countrey upon this onely ground that the businesse concerned the whole nation Now the Churches cause concerns not a nation onely but nations Her cause is like her self Catholike Hath not the whole body benefit by the free dome and happinesse which comes to any part Yea posteritie and ages to come are sharers in Sions deliverance Have not we been much the better for Deliverance and Reformation vouchsafed in the dayes of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth Thus many and many are parties concerned yea more God himself his blessed Sonne and holy Spirit are interessed in it or much honoured or dishonoured by it If any will object that if it be Gods businesse he will look to it himself and we need not then be so carefull not active I answer that the Lord hath committed his cause in part to his people to manage For he is that Lord that put forth his vineyard to husband men and so he puts his cause into the hands of Sions friends to solicite and prosecute it And therefore in should not take off but quicken their activitie since God and men nations and people present and after ages are concerned in it In such a time there is much work to be done Many grievous sins to be rased out of the Register against us there are many personall iniquities many nationall offences the sinnes of our fathers to be put out of remembrance Nor is it an easie thing to blow our transgressions cancell the hand-writing which is against ourselves and the land Love indeed is said to cover a multitude of sins and there must be much expression of great zeal and love which will doe this work Second to this the justly provoked ire of the Almightie is to be pacified that is full displeasure fall not upon us his countenance his joyfull countenance is to be sought Many mercies many kinds of great mercies are to be obtained Men are in such times to make the Lord amends as I may so speake with holy reverence for former failings and neglects And to all this consider that Sions friends expect that God in such times should do great things for them make bare his Arme appear in the Mount avenge his Elect make Jerusalem a praise in the earth should not they then be active when so much is to be done and expected The last Reason of this because Sions adversaries are much and active in pestilent attempts to hinder her good and work her ruine Remember how stirring Balaam was to curse Israel when they were ready to enter the land of Canaan Consider likewise how Gebal Ammon and Amalek with the rest did conspire combine complot and consult to cut off Gods people from being any more a nation and to put the name of Israel out of remembrance As thus it ever was so it ever will be with the profane of the world the serpent seed Is it not reason then that the womans seed should be active in their zeal otherwise it might be just with God to permit the instruments of his cause to faile in regard they suffer themselves to be out-done and out acted by the devils instruments This doctine thus cleared doth in the reflex of