Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	bear_v	good_a	know_v	985	5	3.2926	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54042	Many deep considerations have been upon my heart concerning the state of Israel both past, present, and to come, some of which I find drawings to communicate : together with some questions and answers concerning unity.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.	1664 (1664)	Wing P1178; ESTC R25581	11,417	16

authority and guidance of Life in this is somewhat of the nature of division yea the very knowledge of truth and holding of it forth by the man's wisdom and in his will out of the movings and power of the Life brings a damp upon the Life and interrupts the Unity for the Life in others cannot unite with this in spirit though it may own the words to be true Quest 5. How may this Unity be recovered if at any time decaying Answ In the Lord alone is the recovery of Israel from any degree of loss in any kind at any time who alone can teach to retire into and to be found in that wherein the Unity is and stands and into which division cannot enter This is the way of restoring unity to Israel upon the sence of any want thereof even every one through the Lord's help retiring in his own particular and furthering the retirings of others to the Principle of Life that every one there may feel the washing from what hath in any measure corrupted and the new begetting into the power of Life From this the true and lasting unity will spring amain to the gladding of all hearts that know the sweetness of it and who cannot but naturally and most earnestly desire it O mark therefore The way is not by striving to beget into one and the same apprehension concerning things nor by endeavouring to bring into one and the same practices but by alluring and driving into that wherein the Unity consists and which brings it forth in the Vessels which are seasoned therewith and ordered thereby And from this let all wait for the daily-new and living knowledge and for the ordering of their conversations and practises in that Light and drawings thereof and in that simplicity and integrity of heart which the Spirit of Life at present holdeth forth and worketh in them and the Life will be felt and the Name of the Lord praised in all the tents of Jacob through all the habitations of his Israel and there will be but one heart one soul and one spirit and one mind and one way and power of Life and what is already wrought in every heart the Lord will be acknowledged in and his Name praised and the Lord's season contentedly waited for his filling up of what is wanting any where So the living God the God of Israel the God of everlasting tender bowels and compassions to Israel fill the vessels of his heritage with his Life and cause the peace and love of his holy Nature and Spirit to descend upon their dwellings and to spring up powerfully in them towards his living Truth towards one another And let all strive to excel in tenderness and in long-suffering and to be kept out of hard and evil thoughts one of another and from harsh interpretations concerning any thing relating to one another Oh this is unworthy to be sound in an Israelite towards an Egyptian but exceeding shameful and inexcusable to be found in one brother towards another How many weaknesses doth the Lord pass by in us how ready is he to interpret every thing well concerning his Disciples that may bear a good interpretation The Spirit saith he is willing but the Flesh is weak When they had been all scattered from him upon his death he did not afterwards upbraid them but sweetly gathered them again O dear Friends have we received the same Life of sweetness Let us bring forth the same sweet fruits being ready to excuse and to receive what may tend towards the excuse of another in any doubtful case and where there is any evil manifest Wait O wait to overcome it with good O let us not spend the strength of our Spirits in crying out of one another because of evil but watch and wait where the mercy and the healing vertue will please to arise O Lord my God when thou hast shewen the wants of Israel in any kind sufficiently whether in the particular or in the general bring forth the supply thereof from thy fulness so ordering it in thine eternal wisdom that all may be ashamed and abased before thee and thy Name praised in and over all ISAAC PENINGTON THE END

dear Friends who know the pretiousness of Life and desire the preservation of the Lord in your several conditions Let us fear the Lord and his goodness to us remembring what a low ebb we were at when the Lord visited us and how freely he visited and how freely he daily preserveth that we may not be hardened or lifted up against the World or against any sort of Professors but may magnifie the grace which hath made and keepeth up the difference between us and them praying to the Lord for them and watching for the hour of his mercy to them exercising all manner of sweetness and meekness and long-suffering towards them in the mean time also pittying and bearing with all the tempted ones among our selves as such who are sensible that we also may be tempted and that understand the ground why we fall not by the temptation What shall I say more There are three Queries appearing in my view in relation to this thing which the hearts of some may desire satisfaction about to which I find somewhat in way of answer springing up in me Querie 1. How may a man whom the Lord hath exalted by gifts and services to him be preserved from falling Answ 1. There is that which waiteth to preserve is still stretching forth its hand to keep to its self that which it hath gathered which being hearkened and yeelded unto in its discoveries and warnings will not fail to deliver the soul from the danger and snares of every condition 2. There is the free mercy and love of the Covenant wherein the soul may find help and pity although it should be somewhat tainted and entangled with the snares of the enemy 3. There is a proper frame or state of spirit to wit of humility and brokenness which is fit for Israel in every condition but more especially when he is exalted in the dominion and power of Life and honoured with great gifts and services for the Lord. In this Israel is safe and happy is he who is not suffered to abide in any degree of exaltation of spirit but is brought down again through the tender mercy and love of the Lord into this though by the buffetings of Satan Querie 2. How may the little ones if the Lord should suffer one or more of such as have been very eminent in his service to decline and fall how may they be preserved from falling with him or them Answer Keeping to the measure of Life in the particular and not valuing others by an apprehension concerning them but onely knowing and honouring them as they are felt and discerned in the Life this will preserve every particular that is thus ordered from being tainted with any of their snares or deviations O Israel O little Babes Know no man after the flesh but the Lord alone in his living Spirit For man is but a vessel wherein the Life may appear or disappear at pleasure and the Lord is not engaged to make use of man in his service further then he seeth good The Lord may appear where he hath never appeared before and he may not appear where he hath hitherto appeared very frequently and powerfully O know the Life in thine own heart that is to be the Judge in thee concerning the appearances of Life in others If that judge not be still and silent in thy heart waiting for its judgement when that judgeth let all thy thoughts and reasonings be bowed down under it Let man have no more than his due while the Lord pleaseth to make use of him and to such there will accrue no great shaking or dammage when the Lord layeth aside any of his own instruments But if any thing but the Life judge it will still either be setting up or throwing down man whereby there will come loss on either hand in the issue to all such who thus act Querie 3. How may any such as have fallen from an high and glorious state in the power and dominion of Life be again recovered Answ Indeed this is a very difficult thing not because the Mercy and Power of the Lord is at a loss to or concerning man in this state but because this condition sets a man's spirit at so great a distance from the use of that remedy which the Lord hath appointed for man's recovery It is very hard to bring such an one to the sence of his loss whereby the depth of his fall might be prevented until he be gone very far and the farther he goes in his declining from the Life the harder will his recovory be Again It is hard for such an one to become so poor and lye so low and so long at the foot of God's grace as also to be contented to be so laid aside and not made use of as the Spirit of the Lord may judge necessary for him to bring him into a perfect abasement of spirit and to work that perfectly out of him whereby the enemy now entred to betray him yea the judgement of the Lord the righteous and severe judgement of the Lord is hard to be born in this state and it is much if such a Vessel do not break here in its new forming on the wheel Yet that which boweth before the Lord being willing to be smitten and abased by him and to lye under his correction and judgement his season even until he say it is enough the Lord will without doubt restore into his favour if not also into the honour of his service again Object But some tender heart may say which feeleth many weaknesses much unbelief and the danger of falling daily if this be true O what will become of me If such as these be liable to fall and to fall so dangerously how shall I stand I was wounded enough before with the sence of mine own condition but this affrighteth me much more Answ O tender heart the enemy may make use of this to trouble and afflict thee but it was not so intended by the Lord who is very full of unutterable bowels and who hath a day of bowels for thy state yea his day which hath already dawned is so dawning as to reach thee The Lord hath not yet done gathering his scattered sheep nor yet shown the utmost skill he hath either to gather or to preserve and the state of the weakest under the preserving power of the Lord is safe Creat are the diseases of Israel great is yet the loss of scattered souls which as yet know not the call of the shepherd and if at any time they do feel a touch thereof are easily reasoned again out of it and driven back by the thoughts of their own hearts O great great also is the skill of the shepherd and his hand very tender which the Lord is putting forth for the help of th●se blessed be his Name And as the condition of these needs and requires that from the nature and soul of the Lord which the conditions of others do not require So the nature of