Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A26111
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A true relation of a young man, about seventeen years of age, who was struck dumb for the space of twenty four hours because he would not believe what was said unto him by Thomas Astry.
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Astry, Thomas.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing A4085; ESTC R28310
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8,061
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18
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A True Relation OF A YOUNG MAN About Seventeen Years of Age who was struck Dumb for the space of Twenty Four Hours Because he would not believe what was said unto him By THOMAS ASTRY WITH ALLOWANCE LONDON Printed for the Author living near the great North Door in S. Pauls Church-Yard 1671. A True Relation Of a Young Man about Seventeen years of Age who was struck Dumb for the space of Twenty four Hours because he would not Believe what was said unto him Reader I Have a strange thing to acquaint thee withal concerning my Son which was made known to him the 20th day of September 1671. And and it is as true as it is strange the Lord hath been working so powerfully upon my heart that I am constrained to give the world this True Account and it is likely to be handed out unto thee by an unworthy Servant and also by a very weak hand but it doth come from a very warm and enlarged heart For the Lord hath said that his strength is made perfect in weakness and hath wrought my heart into such a frame which doth encourage me that he will assist me to make known unto thee the truth and nothing but the truth so far a the Lord hath made it known unto me And whosoever thou art that read these lines I earnestly begg it of the Lord that thou mayest believe these truths And that thou mayest not be unbelieving For it was for Vnbelief that my Son was struck Dumb as I shall give thee an account at large hereafter Only I shall desire in the first place to give thee an Account what he wos which may be answered in these words That he was a Disobedient Stubborn and undutiful Child for which my heart was much alienated from him The following Account will satisfie thee Insomuch that I had given him over for lost for ever having any hopes or Comfort from him If Father and Friends cannot prevail we are apt to give such a Child over for lost for ever But blessed be God He did not give him over but meets with him by a strong hand and by an Almighty power And if he shall Work none shall Lett If He speak but the word the most Rebellious shall be made willing to come in and close with the Lord Jesus upon his own Tearms For he saith that he hath Guifts laid up even for the most Rebellious as in the 68. Psalm and the 18. ver Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received guifts for men Yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Let not Truth be slighted although they come to you in a very plain Dress embrace them and the Lord work it powerfully upon thy heart as it hath been upon mine and if thou shalt receive any good by it give God the Praise and Glory of it and I have my end and aim in it And I fearing that I shall neither have time nor strength to give every one a particular account by word of mouth I have thoughts to have it Printed whereby I might give every one satisfaction that may come to make enquiry into the truth of it MY Son going to School to Christ's Hospital there were 10 Boyes sent to the East-India as he told me and ever since he hath had a mind to go beyond-Sea He hath asked when I would put him forth Apprentice and I told as soon as I could provide my self with an Apprentice then you shall go as soon as I can provide a Master for you I cannot tell how to spare you before I have an Apprentice my self He also knew that I had no body to do the least kindness for me He saw that I was sickly and weak so that in my thoughts and in the Opinion of others that I should not recover But the Lord bringeth to the brink of the Grave and raiseth up again blessed be name of the Lord But my condition was not at all considered or minded by him There was a friend of mine that did give him good Councel as he had others that did the like Office of love and saith that he should be a dutiful Child to me and give me content He also telling him that I should be willing to do any thing that might be for his good and if he were more minded to go to Sea than for a Trade here I should be willing to it he replyed to my Friend I should be glad to hear my Father say so I cast my eyes upon him and saw tears run down his Cheeks so I said unto him be a good Child and as soon as I have an Apprentice I shall be willing to place you out for your good and that with speed I being a little better in health now than what I had formerly been so not long after he commits a fault and I thought he did deserve to be corrected for it and I did so and after I gave him the Key of my Lodging-Chamber I being then at my Shop they being distant from each other but he did not go home but went below the Tower and there be crost the water and that night he went as far as the Half-way-house towards Graves-end by the Thames side and going into the House he called for a Pint of Beer or Ale and some Bread and while his stay there to refresh himself he falls into discourse with two Hoy-men as they proved after and in his Discourse enquires what Ships were going out they demanded what Ships did he lack he told them any Ships that were going to Virginia or Jamaica or any place to the Western Plantations for he had a great mind to travail and this was in Septem 1669. So they seeing him in good Apparel and perceiving his design they made a strict enquiry of him what he was supposing him to be an Apprentice and further what Friends he had and where they lived he told them his Father was living but his Mother was latelie dead These two men being bound for Feversham in Kent to fetch Timber they agreed to take him with them and at their return to deliver him to his Father so he went aboard with them their Vessel lying by waiting for the Tide but their Voyage being longer that tune than what was usual it being above a month before their return in which space of time I laid wait all about the Citie for the discoverie of him and went twice to Graves-end to search some Ships that lay there and beyond and all other Ships that were outward bound for Virginia Jamaica or any of the Plantations that were in the River and I being both very wearie and doubtful of hearing of him I was resolved to desist from searching any more at present so after this the Hoy returned and the Man sent his Wife to me according to his first resolution who enquiring if I had not had a Son gone from me I answered I had she repli'd if you