Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	appear_v	great_a	see_v	817	5	2.9242	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88397	Christ's valedictions: or sacred observations on the last words of our savior delivered on the crosse. By Jenkin Lloyd, minister of the gospel, and rector of Llandissil in Cardigan shire	Lloyd, Jenkin, b. 1623 or 4.	1658 (1658)	Wing L2653; Thomason E1895_2; ESTC R209921	53,582	228

were received in a glorious and triumphant manner into the highest heavens where now he reigns King for evermore And the reasons why God sometimes withdrawes his presence from his People and deferres their deliverance from afflictions are to humble them throughly to bring them to an utter denial of themselves to learn patience that they might acknowledg whence their deliverance and all benefits they enjoy do proceed namely not from themselves nor any creature but from the All-merciful God and that accordingly they might learn to value and prize his gifts at their deserved excellency for we find this generally verified that benefits easily obtained are lightly regarded and soon forgotten the children of Israel were in captivity about four hundred and thirty yeares in Egypt but after they had expected the salvation of the Lord they were brought safely through the Red sea Exod. 12. by the conduct of Moses David had a promise to be King of Jerusalem and Judea but the Lord exercised him by many and grievous afflictions before he came to the Crown Psal 119.82 in so much that he saies his eyes failed with waiting upon his God Zachary and Elizabeth desired of God both of them in their youth and many years after for issue but their request was not granted untill they were old Luk. 1.18 the Church Militant for some hundreds of yeares after Christs Resurrection seemed to be forsaken and rejected of him when she was so battered by Tyrants and so undermined by Hereticks that she was like to be crushed and stifled in her very cradle she was tryed ten times in the fire by ten several and distinct persecutions wherein God seemed to equal the ten plagues of Egypt and to lay as much on his people for their probation as he had laid upon others on their behalfe More Christian blood effused then in the Sacrifices of the old Law for so we read many a hundred many a thousand made Martyrs in one day a whole City a whole Army destroyed at one time for the Gospels sake so that as the Israelites formerly went through the red Sea towards the land of Canaan these through an Ocean of blood past to a Kingdom of bliss And when the Church had prayed and fasted and suffered so many years God in the end hearkned to the voice of her lamentation took her in his Armes wiped all teares from her eyes took away all occasion of complaint made Kings and Queens to be her Nurses and so made her Glorious in the eyes of man acceptable in his and cheerful in her own sight This ought to work a confidence in all Gods afflicted servants that he will not quite desert them their deliverance will be seasonable enough if they will wait and depend upon him a cloud on the skie may for a while ecclipse the light of heaven but that will soon be dissipated and the Sun will appear 3. We are further taught by this desertion of our Saviour to fear to sin and to bewail our offences the only cause of his great sufferings What Stoick is so void of motion but will be sensible to see a friend suffer for him what he was himself was justly guilty of what Christian so flint-hearted that will dare commit a sin if he does but cast a serious thought on him who suffered so much not for his own but our sins The Passion of Christ if rightly considered may be stiled a Schoole where all Martyrs and Saints are made who would complain of doing too much of suffering too much of being too much abased or despised if he do but behold his Saviour delivered over and abandoned for him to such horrible confusions such insupportable torments O my God my wounded God! as long as I shall see thy wounds Nolo vive te fine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Bonaventum I will never live without a wound who will be clothed with purple and costly silks and used to softness and delicacy and see his Redeemer crowned with thorns and fixed to the Cross who will not withhold his hands from violences and rapines and see Christ's armes distended on the Cross who will not fetter his feet and hinder them from running after the unbridled desires of his heart if he but viewes Christ's feet pierced through with nailes who will not make bitter his tongue in subduing the pleasures of the taste and see Christ have nothing but gall and vinegar to drink who will not contemn the ayerie honours of the world when he beholds him that is able to walk upon the wings of Cherubims take upon him the forme of a servant and creep among us like a little worm of the Earth who can delight in any sinful joy and behold him so sad so pain'd so dejected this then is a sovereign antidote against the venome of our sins to have our Saviours Image dayly in our hearts and to reflect our thoughts upon him Crucified in all our actions When the forty Martyrs were in the frozen lake Basil or●t in 40 mar thirty nine of them had their mindes wholly bent upon the future Crown and one of them unhappily thought of nothing but of his punishment All of them remained victorious except this wretched creature who soiling the glory of his patience came out of the poole to dye presently after in his infidelity So if our suffering Saviour be before our eyes in all our tribulations and temptations we shall be more then Conquerours Rom. 8. but if pleasure or profit be our objects we turn our backs to Christ and shall have no share in the benefits of his Cross MY God My God! in what an extasie is my soul when it contemplates what thou didst in those three houres silence when horrour and darkness involved the universe when thou wert not in a chair of State but on thy Cross full of sorrowes full of sufferings Thou Lord who only knowest the extremities of thy own Passion teach thy servants how much they owe to thee and in a religious dejection of themselves to give thee only the glory of their salvation We know not Lord whether we shall more admire the greatness of thy love or the greatness of thy Passion both exceed our merits both surpass our apprehensions but since thy goodness hath thus acted for us we should be unthankfull if we did not spend some of those houres which thou hast given us in a sweet recordation of those thy blessings and not only so but imprint them in our actions Thou didst not so expostulate with thy Father for relinquishing of thee as not knowing the Cause for of what canst thou be ignorant who knowest all things and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg but that thou mightest exhort us to seek and learn things necessary and profitable for our soules There was no separation between thee and thy God in matter of Essence or grace or affection but only in the point of present