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	great_a	lord_n	828	5	3.5729	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33746	La scala santa, or, A scale of devotions musical and gradual being descants on the fifteen Psalms of Degrees, in metre : with contemplations and collects upon them, in prose, 1670.	Coleraine, Hugh Hare, Baron, 1606?-1667.; Loredano, Giovanni Francesco, 1607-1661. Gradi dell'anima. English.	1681 (1681)	Wing C5063; Wing L3069; ESTC R5066	58,602	103

he did Job's Sons nor from the Wilderness assault us as he did our Saviour to spoil our Labours or our hopes Nor shall the storms of Tribulation be able to beat upon our House so as to make it shake or totter For though our building of Faith be raised high even unto the Heavens yet it is no Babel it is no Jericho but a Fabrick that the Lord will bless and defend and because it stands upright it shall stand fast for ever The strength of our confidence in God shall put to flight the Armies of those Aliens that would enter and destroy its strong holds for there are Mountains of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about the Faithful to secure them so that they cannot be immur'd or shut up when never so closely begirt by Adversaries They can still look up nay go up to the Hill of Sion from whence comes their help even to Jesus the Author and finisher of their Faith who not only pitched the forces of his Word and Miracles but the red Standard of his Cross and the first Camp of his Martyrs and Apostles upon the Hills of Jerusalem to Convoy all Comers to the City of our God and to draw all to him from the Center of the World Oh therefore let neither the Rod nor the Staff of the Wicked be laid or left upon my score or part lest I do or suffer the evil of Sinners but let thy Rod and thy Shepherds Staff both thy Cross and mine dear Jesu comfort and fill up my Cup and make mine Heritage and Lot like thine For then it shall be good and thou that art so ever wilt do good to me making and keeping me upright in Heart clean in my Hands single in mine Eye of Faith and sound in the Feet of mine Affections steady in the ways of thy Commandments Lord if thy hand be not graciously when most heavily upon me how soon may I put forth my hand unto wickedness like Cain Pharaoh Balaam Achan and Jeroboam and like Judas Ananias and Simon Magus This makes me yet pray more earnestly that Christ may still pray for me since he that Christ prays for shall believe aright and he that so believes shall not find upon his lot the Scepter of Unrighteousness the Rule of Satan the Domination of Sin the Rod of the Wicked the Guilt or Punishment of Reprobates Oh then that my lot and last end may be in the Righteousness of Jesus my Lord that I may not fall presumptuously nor fear greatly nor be driven forth with evil doers but be led forth into the Paths of Peace into the straight way that leads to life there to taste of the Brook in the way the quiet and sufficiency thou affordest thy Flock here and to drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures hereafter to lye down like thy Sheep in the green Pastures of Hope in the never fading never failing enclosure of thine Arms and to rise in Glory with thine Inheritance for evermore Amen THE SEVENTH Psalm of Degrees BEING The CXXVI PSALM Is thought to be composed by Esdras or some of that time after the Babylonish Bondage because in the first part of the Psalm it joyfully Celebrates the Return of some as in the second part heartily wishes the Restoration of all the rest of the Captivity from the Land of the North as the Realm of Babylon is called Jer. 13.19 20. Jer. 16.15 in regard of its site to Judea making that apt and excellent resemblance of them to Streams running into the dry and desolate parts of the South which must needs be very welcome there and are said to flow thither as Torrents in great abundance upon the melting of the Snows and producing of Showers by the South Wind So that whether you take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the South Wind or South part of the World the comparison may hold to either acceptation of the Word very full and elegant The Jews flocking Southwards home but not all together as the Spirit of God moved on the Waters in Babylon in the Days of Cyrus Darius and Xerxes stirring up Zerubbabel Ezra Nehemiah and others to bring back the Hebrews restore Religion rebuild the Temple and repair Jerusalem which had been demolished and burnt by Nebuzaradan in the fifth Month 2 Kin. 25.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in that same Month about Harvest time was the Return of the Jews with Ezra c. 7. v. 9. who had been led away Captive at their Sowing time Therefore the Simile of the Husbandman here was rarely apposite both to the occasion of their Joy and season of the Year and their manner of Exaltation This PSALM is very proper for our 23d of April and 29th of May or any such happy Time of recovery from Trouble Danger and Oppression AFTER the long Night of a State so dark as ours so de so late who could so much as Dream that we should wake out of Cap ti vi ty But when God took that Plague a way that E gypt which on Si on lay our Pangs like Dreams a way did fly and we had safe de li ve ry Pleas'd and transported with our Change By a Recovery so strange Acts 3.9 As Cripples cur'd by Wonders we Soon got both Strength and Liberty Soon we got well well home and found Grief did no Soul no Body wound But Hearts and Tongues in Psalms agree And they got Feet as well as we Then both our Chains and Silence broke Then Pagans too the Truth thus spoke The Lord hath done great things for ye The Lord hath done so answer'd we Therefore God's Works with joy we tell Which may convince the Infidel And call up Pray'rs for such as be Not yet return'd from Slavery O! were our Friends our Foes and all Redeem'd from their Egyptian Thrall From Satan and from Sin set free How welcome were their Liberty Welcom as Nilus in the South And sweet as Show'rs in days of Drouth For all with us we long to see Reap Mirth who plough'd in Misery Sure Lord thy Lab'rers 2 Thes 3.7 8 9. in the heat Who take the pains shall tast the Wheat And may with shouts receive from thee A Largess of Prosperity We who dropt little hopes in Tears When driven hence by Foes or Fears Now loaded back with Solace see Rich Incomes from Captivity Endo ibit flendo portans pretium seminis pretiosum ob caritatem Thus the poor Seeds-man sadly goes While on the ground his Wealth he strows But when the Harvest Crowns him he Veniendo veniet cum exuitatione Jogs home with Sheaves and jollity So they who shed a few small Tears I' th' Seed-time of their Hopes and Fears Shall glad Returns from Sadness see And shock up more Felicity Nay he that goes from hence and bears To Earth his Dust to Heav'n his Tears Shall find those precious Grains to be Vast Crops in blest Eternity Gloria Patri c. In the Lord's Praise

pray and hope like a Souldier that God would be his Shade as well as his Shield as near to him as his shadow that the Sun might not hurt him by Day nor the Moon by Night as Absalom and Achitophel the one by Day and the other by Night intended to have done And if we look on David as he went up the Ascent of Mount Olivet This Psalm was very proper for his Condition then as it is for any Person 's now in the interval of War the Phrases being throughout the whole Psalm Military and allusive to Souldiers besieged as in the first Verse relieved as in the second all-arm'd as in the third secured watched and guarded as in the fourth shielded and surrounded as in the fifth and sixth in the seventh and eighth hemm'd in and convoy'd out for Victory and Triumph For the Second of September and October Here shall I seek for aid where shall I set mine Eyes mine Eyes and Pray'rs like Birds afraid up to the Hills would rise But whither would they rise un to some dangerous height O no this Quarry thither flies whence springs our help and light Nor hath our Health and Light From things below their Birth But from the highest Rock of Might Who made both Heav'n and Earth Therefore though false foul Earth Thy Soul with Foes surround Shall it be mov'd from holy Mirth Shall Cares run it on Ground Gen. 8.11 Christ is the Ark to ground Thy Heart on when distrest From head to foot he 'll make thee sound Gen. 28.11 On him did Jacob rest Non dormitabit multo minù● dormiet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quamvis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex impatientiâ lugentis Deus obdormire dicitut Psal 44.24 But he doth never rest From doing good nor sleeps Gen. 32.2 That with such Guards thou may'st be blest As he his Israel keeps Psal 22.1 4. Good Shepherd he doth keep His Flock ev'n in Death's shade See then if thou art of his Sheep How on thy side he 's laid Though Dangers have way-laid Thy going out or in See how thy Husband's Arm 's display'd Isa 54.5 To save thy very Skin Dan. 3.27 Like the three Children's Skin Thine shall be scorch'd by none Whatever Heat thou may'st be in Whatever Star hath shown Nor shall the Moon nor Sun Hurt thee by Night or Day No Mischief seen nor closely done Shall touch thee any way God shall preserve thy Ways And Mind from all that 's ill In Youth And when thy Life decays Blessed thou shalt be still Then trust and bless him still Who endless Safety sends God through this Vale of Sorrows will Guide us to joyful ends The Entrance Progress Ends Public and private Pow'rs Labours and Studies of his Friends God blesses at all hours Then trust and bless him still Who still did us defend God doth and ever will Antistrophe Give Blessings without end Give Blessings without end God doth and ever will He still did us defend Then trust and bless him still The Entrance Progress Ends Public and private Pow'rs And Works of all his Friends God blesses Lord bless Ours Gloria Patri c. To God the Father and the Son And to the Holy-Ghost Be Glory And let ev'ry one Strive who shall praise God most CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Second PSALM of DEGREES BEING The CXXI PSALM I Will lift up my Heart to thee O Lord And though it be cast down with the dangers and diffidence I am in while mine Afflictions and mine Enemies have cast a Mount about me to hinder me from the sight and hope of Succour yet have I God's Hill to fly unto and from thy House I can survey the end of the Wicked the Redemption of thy Captives and the height of thy Power that is higher than the highest But O the depth of thy Love What a pleasant Vale is this under it How doth this smile and sing and stand full of Corn that strengthens Man's Heart So that although I remain in the Valley of the shadow of Death if I can but look up to the Rock that is higher than I to Christ the Shecinah the true Mercy Seat that is placed above the Cherubims all Types and Symbols of his Presence I shall neither lose my Faith nor my Life I shall not be discomfitted nor enslaved like a surprized Zedekiah I shall not be famished nor broken up like a long besieged Jerusalem Though mine Enemies hem me in on every side and carnal Fear cause me to cry out as the Prophet's Servant What shall we do Yet if I can but lift up mine Eyes to thee which indeed are naturally as heavy as Moses his Hand I shall perceive somewhat else besides Perils and Foes on every side I shall find the Mountains full of Chariots of Fire and more for me than can be against me For an Host of Angels shall pitch their Tents about me to secure me and those mighty Ministers of thy good pleasure shall keep me like Daniel from the power of the Lyon So that my most Savage Enemies shall lack and suffer hunger while I want nothing that is good For though my way be hedged up that I cannot pass which way I would nor follow the Lusts of my Heart and the desires of mine Eyes as many do yet I may look up with joy and confidence as I trust I shall at the last day because my Salvation is drawing nigh My Hope my Help cometh from the Lord not from the Angels in his Presence but from the Angel of his Presence and of his Covenant the Blessed JESUS who having taken our Nature that he might be sensible of our Infirmities ever abides with Humanity at thy right Hand making Intercession for us And as he made the Heavens and the Earth for us so he makes a new Heaven and a new Earth of us by justifying and sanctifying both our Souls and Bodies through the mighty Work of his Spirit in his Word and Sacraments For these are the Mountains of the Lord wherein he is apparently seen Glorious in Holiness Fearful in Praises doing Wonders and abounding in Goodness and Truth If we Worship him as our Fathers did in these Mountains in the heights of Sincerity and Devotion we may expect to hear God promising us graciously as he did Abraham that he will be a God to us and to our Seed after us And we may hope to see him as Manoah and his Wife did in the Zealous performances of his holy Worship in the Flame arising from the Altar of our Hearts from whence God would not accept a Service if he desired the Death of Sinners Therefore we may be assured that if we keep in his ways he will keep us in ours as he did his Israel both by the Pillar of Fire and by the Pillar of a Cloud by the flame of Affliction as well as by the light of Prosperity And while we lay hold on these as Sampson did

Fruit of the Womb unto his Friend Abraham whose Children we are if we believe as he Lord we believe help our unbelief that we might not throw away our loved sleep much less our best beloved Souls in carking after the things of this Life whether they be Pleasures Profits Power Posterity Preferments or vain Past-times for what are these in respect of a Soul But giving up our Souls Estates and Concernments into the hands of a faithful Creator who is able to keep them and us to the very uttermost let us be preserved not only in perfect Peace and Prosperity in this Life but also in a happy and safe Repose even in Death it self when we expect to rest from our Labours and to sleep in Jesus Amen THE NINTH Psalm of Degrees BEING The CXXVIII PSALM Is a Description of the Felicities of such Good Men as fear the Lord that is say the Rabbins who cease to do evil and learn to do well who walk in the ways of God and are not only negatively good but positively making their own hands minister to their Necessities as the Apostle did knowing that he who will not labour shall not eat But such as labour honestly either to obtain a lively-hood and subsistance here or a better Life hereafter shall find the fruit of their Pains to be Peace and Plenty Not the Apples of Sodom or Clusters of Gomorrah but those of Mercies Temporal Spiritual Eternal Such as are here enumerated from the 2d Verse to the end far better than by any other Poet. Amongst which Blessings as to this World the greatest are esteemed Vitam quae faciunt Beatiorem c. Martial lib. 10. Epig. 47. 1. A Fruitful Meet Companion neither barren in good Works nor Off-spring And therefore compared to a Vine or because saith Kimchi she can live well and plentifully within Doors and only desires that her Branches may go abroad As a Vine saith he will grow and flourish though rooted within a House so the spreading Limbes be carried into the Air. 2. Then a chearful Table decently replenisht with Legitimate Pious and Healthful Children Likened to Olive Plants either because they are hopeful and flourishing as the Olive Tree is always green or useful and Ornamental as those Trees are to Entertainments in the East or Emblems of unfading Happiness as Olive Branches were to Victors or not a shameful and spurious Off-spring For it is reported of the Olive Stock that it will nourish no Grafts but of its own Kind These Blessings being described by two such admirable sweet Comparisons that strive to chear and refresh the Laborious and Prosperous Man the Author breaks off his Apostrophe by a short Epiphonema in the 5th Ver. but who the Author of this Psalm was appears not and then in the 6th and 7th Ver. goes on to pray for other Joys for the good Man towards the compleating those promis'd in the 2.3.4 Verses Which indced so fed nay feasted my eager Thoughts with that most excellent Scripture Abundance exprest by Corn and Oyl Judg. 9.9 13. that which Chears and Honours God and Man that I could not withhold from enlarging my delight in ruminating thus far upon it Like the fat Olive and the fruitful Vine Chearful to make Man's Heart his Face to shine Are well bred Children and fruitful Wife In this World's Paradise those Trees of Life They wander not afar but still abide By their own lucky Boards or House's fide At Home they Live and Thrive fix and Encrease The Prosperous Signs of Plenty Mirth and Peace Pax feu Pacem super Israel concludes the Psalm as the 125. This seems proper for a Wedding day or any such time of Festivity and therefore used thus Solemnly to be Sung after the Captivity by the Levites among the other Psalm of Degrees And it is intended by me for St. Lucy's day and New-year's Tide BLest is the Man that fears the Lord and walks in ways taught by God's word while such a Joseph Vice refrains to Prison Walls tho bound he be he spreads like Egypt's patient Tree and bears more Fruit by wearing Chains Who e're thou art that fear'st the Lord Fearing to sin in work or word Plenty with Ease shall crown thy Pain Thy Hands shall get Wealth that will last The Sweets of which thy Lips shall tast Doubling by relishing thy Gain Ruth ● 11 1● Thy Wife shall like a fruitful Vine Deck thy House-side as well as thine And see thine Off-spring shade thy Board As pleasant Olive-Plants are set To grace and guard thee at thy Meat Thus art thou Blest that fear'st the Lord In heav'n thrice happy shalt thou be As here below 't is well with thee Thy Joys from Sion still encrease Thine Age to three Descents shall see Thine Issue fair thy Nation free And what is best on Israel Peace As here below 't is well with thee In Heav'n thrice happy shalt thou be From Sion's shall thy Joys encrease Thou shalt out-live one Age to see Good on thy Land and Family And which is best on IsraelPeace Gloria Patri c. Glory be to the Father Son And Holy-Ghost the Three in One Whose Deity we shall adore Since ev'ry Person of the Three For ever was shall ever be And is God Blessed evermore CONTEMPLATIONS and COLLECTS ON THE Ninth PSALM of DEGREES BEING The CXXVIII PSALM O Most glorious and gracious Lord God who art fit to be feared and worthy to be loved grant that I may not only serve thee out of filial Reverence and sense of Duty but also and chiefly out of most passionate Affection and Delight walking in thy ways as well as learning them and doing thy Will as well as knowing it from a principle of entire and true Love and of full and absolute Choice Grant that whether I am born unto Trouble and Care or to eat and reap the Fruit of others Pains both by my own and others Labours my Repose may be afterwards more sweet and nourishing and my Enjoyments more solid as my Endeavours successful while I have Religion though not Riches and that which with Content is great Gain notwithstanding the shortness and loss of worldly Treasures If I partake of the true Vine and of the travel of his Soul who was full as God and made full as Man that of his fulness we might receive and feast for evermore then how well shall it be with me here How much better hereafter Come what can come I shall have comfort enough in this World and a Crown in the next Nay I shall be a Crown to my dear Bridegroom a Glory to my Redeemer as the wise Spouse is to her Husband for in this good and true is the Word of the Lord which he hath spoken not only in the Literal but also in the Spiritual sense and so shall his Work be as to the Head so to the Members He will make the Church Christ's Wife and she shall be a Vine as well as