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	think_v	778	5	3.6818	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85207	Hidden manna or, the mystery of saving grace. Wherein the peculiarity of Gods especiall grace to the elect is asserted and proved, and divers objections of Pelagians and Arminians about the power of the will of man to supernatural good, are fully answered and confuted. By that reverend, learned, and faithfull minister of Gods word, William Fenner B.D. late of Rochford in Essex. Perfected many years since by the author whilst he was preacher at VVillingsworth in Staffordshire. Imprimatur Edm. Calamy.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.	1652 (1652)	Wing F692; Thomason E1310_2; ESTC R209026	31,828	115

answer Yea we will be made clean then their wilfulnesse appeares to bee double for they are not onely wilfull but lyingly wilful wee will be made cleane but when shall it once be saith God they doe but dally with him so that he is faine to denounce a woe Woe unto thee O Jerusalem and question againe as being not yet satisfied When shall it once be It is evident then that they were wilful in their impenitency They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walke in his law Psal 78. 10. that is neither did they nor would they The wicked refuse to doe judgement Prov. 21. 7. They would not heare Esa 28. 12. Children that will not heare the law of the Lord Esa 30. 9. And they would not vers 15. They would not walke in Gods wayes neither were they obedient to his word Esa 42. 24. They would not bee ashamed they would not receive correction Jer. 5. 3. They refuse to returne Jer. 8. 5. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Zach. 7. 11. So that here wee see the wicked are wilfull against conversion That they are wilfull may bee gathered 1. From the corrupt nature of their will their heart is desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is deadly wicked saith Buxtorfius Bonorum expectatio Buxtorf nusquam apparet saith Tremellius There is no good to bee expected in it and therefore as it wils sin so it will will sin and will wil not be converted The carnall heart is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can bee Rom. 8. 7. that is it doth not barely not doe good but it is an enemy of God it doth not onely not obey but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it cannot obey and why can it not Quia non vult as Haymo speakes because it wil not for because it can not is not put as a reason of its not obeying but as a parenthesis as if he should say It is not subject to the Law of God because it is an enemy it will not indeed it is true it cannot but that 's not the reason for it rebels against it Rom. 7. 23. it will not bee made clean That they are wilfull may be gathered Secondly from the abominable spawne of hideous conditions in the heart for a wicked heart is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an alseminary of sinnes an universal roe or seed-plot of rebellions Tell it of new obedience it simply wills not They would not consider his wayes Job 34. 27. urge it it perversely wils not The ungodly man scornes judgement Prov. 19. 28. urge it further it strongly wils not A foole rageth and is carelesse Prov. 14. 16. presse yet more not onely outwardly by preaching but also inwardly by the strange motions of Gods Spirit it stubbornely and contumaciously wils not They resisted the Holy Ghost Act. 7. 51. winde into it and excite it it maliciously and desperately wils not He hath done despight unto the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 29. their will is the very tunnel of hell it selfe so that the sinne against the Holy Spirit is in the bottome of the heart and the reason why all doe not breake forth into it is because God doth not follow and presse all the wicked hearts alike with grace That they are wilful may be gathered Thirdly from the Father of their corrupt heart the Devill For the devill worketh and ruleth in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. It is the devil that poysoned the heart and what poyson hath he brought into the heart even like a Serpent the poyson that he hath in himselfe namely willingnesse to disobey and wilfulnesse either actually or radically in disobeying and therefore a wicked heart is wilful upon sinne It is dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. But what death is that that the Apostle tels us a lustful desiring selfe-minded wilful death vers 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Chrysostome this death is an elective death dead the Will is and dead would be My people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. whence I deduce this sure conclusion That the reason why wicked men are not converted and doe not repent is not because they cannot but because they will not The Lord doth not say Canst thou not bee made clean But wilt thou not Indeed a wicked man cannot repent For no man can come unto me except my Father draw him Joh. 6. 44. No man can come unto me except it be given to him of my Father vers 65. that is beleeve in me saith St. Austin Hence it is saith the same Father that the preaching of the Crosse is pereuntibus stultitia to them that perish foolishnesse but unto them that are saved it is virtus Dei every wicked man is like Lazarus dead in the grave fast bound and a stone upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being an Chrysost impossible thing to raise himselfe againe as a foundered horse cannot but limp so a wicked heart cannot but be impenitent there is a necessity though not a violent yet a cruel necessity as Avitor cals it not as fatal yet a willing misfree necessity as Bernard cals it So that Luther gives the free wil of a wicked man in regard of grace a good title Res de solo titulo A naked titular thing no such matter Yet notwithstanding albeit the wickeds will canot but be impenitent the cause why it is impenitent is not because it cannot be otherwise but because it will not be otherwise penitent it doth not repent and it will not Sic volo stat pro ratione voluntas so I will this will is the reason Object Thou wilt say thou wouldest repent although thou bee a wicked man I would if I could but alas I cannot though I would I answer three wayes 1. Hast thou a will in thee to repent many will boast every one of his owne goodnesse Prov. 20. 6. It may be said to thee as Seneca said to his friend of a wicked youngster that said he would bee good I do not say sayes he he lies but put at se cupere he thinkes he wills but he wills not Thou sayest thou hast a will to repent whom may I beleeve saith St. Bernard truly I dare not beleeve thee if thou livest in wicked courses thou hast a will to live in them Thou art a scorner and wilt heare no rebuke Prov. 13. 1. Thou art so and thou wilt bee so thou wilt not be made cleane Secondly I answer thou sayest thou art offended with thine owne iniquities I doe not deny it what damned Devill is not Homines vitam suam amant oderunt wicked men hate their owne lives and love them both at one time their owne conscience gripes them and so they must needs finde fault with themselves but then their corrupt desires transport them Thou dost not will to

perceiveth not so the wicked never so learned they perceive the barke of the mystery of Christ but not the inward sence of the Spirit as Theodoret said of the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. they are like singing Parrots that can imitate mans voyce but they skil not the meaning so the wicked can speake gracious things by rote and understand not what they speake no that is a secret The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and he will shew them his Covenant The second reason is taken a modo intelligendi from the manner of perceiving the secret of grace which is Spirituall the Naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. and he that doth know the minde of the Lord that is the secret he must have the minde of Christ ver 16. Indeed the wicked that have learning may perceive and know these things of the Spirit but they know them in a Carnall manner not in a spirituall wise and howbeit they may reforme their outward courses and cut off many acts of sin and like Grace somewhat in their hearts thus farre and further may the carnall man go being but changed not renewed Now they cannot spiritually discerne Grace for in regard of spirituall discerning they are in the darke even as eyes saith the same Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as eyes if they would see without light the eye-sight and the goodnesse and excellency of the ball wil not avail to make them see so the wicked even the learnedst of them all they cannot see grace because they have the spirit of discerning light their learning and their wit and all their good parts cannot suffice them to descry this secret they see it indeed But seeing see not and hearing heare not and perceiving understand not Matth. 13. 13. Why the knowledge of this secret is not given to them but only to Christs Disciples ver 11. and therefore it is called the Unction of the Holy Ghost yee have an Unction from the Holy one and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. That is you know all the secret it is called eye-salve Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Revel 3 18. This same eye-salve the Physitians tell us is an oyntment to purge away all filth and fluxes and ophthalmies out of the eyes that they may clearly see It s called the opening of the eyes Open thou mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Psal 119. 18. It s called the lighting of the eyes Lighten mine eyes Psal 13. 3. It s called seeing because all the wicked are blinde to this secret And the eyes of the blinde shall see out of darknesse Esa 29. 18. Alas the naturall walkes in the blinde shadow of death and is not acquainted with this gracious light no that is a secret And the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and he will shew them his Covenant The third reason is taken a statu intelligentis from the condition of the party that must perceive the secret of grace he must have another secret thing to be made capable of this secret and that is the new creature Gal. 6. 15. which is called the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. It s called a hidden life Your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. and therefore the word of God is closed up in the godly that the wicked understand it not Dan. 12. 9 10. they are like scrauled blotted papers that cannot receive The Law is sealed up in the godlies heart and the ungodly whether learned or unlearned cannot read it Esa 29. 11 12. Seale my Law amongst my disciples Esa 8. 16. A garden inclosed is my sister my spouse aspring shut up a fountain sealed Cant. 4. 12. That is mysterium the mystery saith Ambrose even the signed and sealed mystery of faith and grace for as a private letter to a friend containes secret matter that no man else may read because it is sealed so is grace sealed up it is under the Privy-seale of heaven that no man can breake open but the faithfull to whom it is sent The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that feare him and he will shew them his Covenant My first use shall be for Instruction Is Gods secret with them that feare him then the godly are the friends of God Yee are my friends if you doe whatsoever I command you Joh. 15. 14. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for I have made all things knowne unto you vers 15. Mysteriis digni facti estis saith Theophy lact I have thought you worthy to bee acquainted with my secrets and Abraham was called the friend of God Jam. 2. 23. What shall I hide from my friend Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I doe Gen. 18. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome Oh how greatly God condescends to the godly hee speakes to them as a man would speake to his friend there is no profitable secret that he will not impart unto them The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew to them his Covenant Secondly Is Gods secret with them that feare him then the godly are all one with God As Orestes and Pylades loved one another so well that they were all one with another Orestes was called Pylades and Pylades was called Orestes so are the godly all one with each other St. Paul calls the godly Christ yea Christ saith as much That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may bee one in us Joh. 17. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Chrysostome so far forth as its possible for man to be one with God so here the honour of the godly they are admitted to Gods secrets to be one with him Tiberius Caesar thought no man fit to know his secrets and yet the Lord vouchsafeth the godly his owne secrets as Elisha could tell the secrets that were spoken in the Kings bed-chamber 2 King 6. 12. so the godly know the secrets of Gods chamber even of the King of Kings Presence-chamber O the honour of the godly saith a sweet Father against the Persians none but Noble-men Lords and Dukes might be made partakers of State-secrets they esteemed secrecie a God-head a divine thing saith Ammianus Marcellinus the godly are heavenly Lords and Nobles and the Privy-states-men of heavens Court Such honour have all his Saints for the Kings secrets are the glory of the subject that is in favour saith Cassiodore and the Lords secrets are the glory of the godly The secrets of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant My second use shall be for Refutation Away