Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	david_n	jonathan_n	saul_n	1,059	5	10.1589	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11591	An exposition with notes vpon the first Epistle to the Thessalonians. By William Sclater D.D. and Minister of the Word of God at Pitmister in Sommerset	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.	1619 (1619)	STC 21834; ESTC S116799	377,588	577

First the Brethren Secondly all the Brethren Thirdly the rite or Ceremony with a kisse whose qualification is expressed it must be Holy Greete or salute Not much vnlike is that custome amongst vs to send commendations to those wee wish well vnto thereby signifying our louing remembrance and heartiest well-wishing to those that are deare vnto vs. From Pauls fact desiring by such courtesie to haue his loue manifested to the people of God we learne that In Christian loue it sufficeth not that the heart be kindly affected except we giue due testimonie of our well-wishing to the Saints of God What Iames speakes of faith thinke spoken of loue Shew me thy Faith thy loue by thy Workes SALOMON requires to shew our selues friendly Christians of old time were carefull in this kind whence in Church Primitiue grew their f Iude 12. loue-feasts as well to testifie as to procure loue and hence the ceremonie heere mentioned to salute with a kisse continued till dayes of Iustine Martyr Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. in customarie vse before their approching to the Lords Table thereby to testifie their heartiest and vnfeigned well-wishing and reconcilement each to other Tertullian de oratione Tertullian blames the omission of that rite growne vpon the Church in times of their solemne fastings and Prayers then they withdrew that Osculum pacis when in Tertullians iudgement it was most conuenient and necessary Truth is the Nature of this affection is as of fire it can by no meanes be conceiled but breakes out and will find vent There is a kind of loue which Salomon calls g Prou. 27.5 secret open rebuke he preferres before it When men pretending I know not what feruency of affection to the Saints of God liue yet as strangers each to other And as men ashamed of that Cognisance of Christians content themselues to wish wel pray good to the Church of God society friendly familiarity so euery where commended as auaileable to cherish Grace they purposely decline Consider First how neerely it concernes vs to preserue reputation of Christians to giue testimony of our loue and hearty well-wishing to the Saints Hereby saith our Sauiour h Ioh. 13.35 all men shall know that yee are my Disciples if yee haue loue one to another Meanes hee onely of inward affection How can that manifest vs to the eyes of the world Except there be added visible testimonies of our beneuolent affection Secondly We cannot be ignorant how much discouragement it brings to Nouices in Grace to see themselues slighted by such as professe the faith The i Act. 6.1 Grecians seeing their widowes neglected grew to murmuring Thirdly If none of these mooue yet let the practice of worst men in their carnall affections sway vs. How willing are they the world should notice their brotherhood and consent in euill It is the shame of Christians to secret their loue to the children of God The persons are the Brethren the Saints of God to these he desires the testimonies of his intimous loue limited to these all extended The points are two First Though loue in some offices must bee extended to all yet are there offices to bee limited to the Saints In loue are foure things First Beneuolence Secondly Beneficence Thirdly Complacentia Fourthly Familiaritie From our beneuolence and well-wishing may none be excluded seeme they for the present neuer so vile k 1. Tim. ● 1 Prayers must be made for all euen for enemies of the Church And for Beneficence the charge runnes generally Doe good to all l Gal. 6.10 A Specialtie in these must be reserued to Saints yet may none be simply excluded from them As touching that Complacentia contentment and pleasance taken in men and that which flowes from it Familiaritie they are so peculiar to Saints that they cannot without suspition of vnsoundnes be extended to Aliens Dauids protestation m Psal 16.3 All my delight is in the Saints on earth and in such as excell in vertue And I am n Psal 119.63 a companion of all that feare thee and keepe thy Statutes And I haue not haunted o Psal 26.4 with vaine persons nor sate in the assemblie of mockers The charge is With such eate not p 2. Cor. 6.17 separate your selues c. And that neerest loue and testimonies thereof should thus bee limited to Saints euinceth First our neerest coniunction with them in the body of Christ by the bond of the Spirit There are neighbours in Nature by Cohabitation in Affection in Grace Besides that most of these proximities may haue place in the Saints of God how neerely hath the Lord combined vs in the body of Christ vnder one head and quickned vs by the same Spirit Secondly though enemies may not be excluded from our loue yet who makes question but friends must be preferred in the measure of louing To SAVL an enemie DAVID shewed kindnesse But his soule q 1. Sam. 18.13 claue to the soule of IONATHAN Men in nature are enemies only Saints are friends to Saints Thirdly their merits of vs are far greater then any can be of Aliens By their Prayers and spiritual gifts and holy example they may be furtherances to vs in the way to life Iustifiable therefore against all cauils of gracelesse and malicious men is this prudence in Charity Generally wee see men that most hate societie with the Saints of God are first that finde fault with their strangenesse in matter of familiar conuersation Reason they thinke they haue sufficient to hate their holy faith and profession that they see them so partiall in their affections How could I wish they were such as with whom Gods children might with comfort conuerse But first if that be a precept of Gods Spirit Not r 1. Cor. 5.11 to eate with that brother that is a fornicatour or otherwise scandalous Secondly if Pauls charge be ſ 2. Thes 3.6 to withdraw from euery Brother that walkes inordinately Thirdly If Dauid and Ieremie held it part of their righteousnesse t Iere. 15.17 Not to sit in the assemblie of mockers with what warrant may Gods children make such their familiars Fourthly and alas what may a man expect to heare or see in such societie other then Lot in Sodome Onely what may u 2. Pet. 2.8 vexe a Righteous soule Fiftly it is not for nothing Salomon aduiseth to be so charie of our company Lewd examples are infectious Lewd mens indeuour x Pro. 4.16 to draw Gods people to their owne excesse of riot Lastly Gods precept Saints practice call vs alwayes to y Gal. 6.10 limit the specialtie of our loue the testimonies of our intire affectiō to the houshold of faith Reproueable rather is that promiscuous charitie as it is pretended to be in too frequent vse amongst men professing the feare of God whose friendliest kindnesses run without difference to all as well Aliens as Brethren that know no oddes betwixt the Church of

dung into the face of the Church though the truth is they had their condemnation where they had their first originall And though it bee no strange thing that there should Å¿ Acts 20.30 1. Iohn 2.19 rise in the Church of God peruerse men speaking and doing peruerse things yet this withall is true in experience their fals and faultings are the Churches imputations Wherefore if neyther compassion of the Sinners soule nor feare of Gods wrath nor perill of infection mooue vs yet let the beautie of the Church be precious in our eyes and sway vs to vigilancy against other mens sinnes Taking the other reason of the caueat this is the note First Sinnes to which our propensions are strongest must bee specially watched against I know not any sinne but wee are prone vnto it in Nature yet truth is that as in the state and composition of the bodie though all Elements enter yet still there is some one predominant so in the state of the soule some particulars of sinne there are to which we are stronglyest inclined Hence yee may obserue in sundry passages of Scripture an Emphasis set vpon cautions to auoyd some sinnes t Luke 12.15 Looke vpon Couetousnesse and beware of it Why not as well vpon Pride and Luxurie It may be because those sinnes are more easily discerned more generally detested it may bee also because our Nature is maruellous hauing and much inclined to Couetousnesse u Iam. 5.12 Aboue all things sweare not at all Why aboue all things Is there no sinne comparable to that of Swearing what thinke wee of Idolatry and Superstition no doubt these are in their kinde as haynous if not more But it seemes First This being a sinne of that slippery member the Tongue and Secondly growne now through generall vse familiar Custome that is another Nature had made it habituall The propension thereto was greater therefore is that emphaticall caution giuen Need I adde Reasons that one is me thinkes sufficient x 2 Cor. 2.11 Wee are not ignorant of Satans wiles That old Serpent hath learnd from long experience not to present in temptation sinnes from which hee knowes vs abhorrent but where hee seeth our propensions greatest thither bends hee his temptations What sinnes eyther Naturall constitution or euill custome most inclines vnto there most frequently is euery man tempted Vse As it instructs vs to watch against such inclinations so mee thinkes it disables that vsuall excuse for sinnes that goeth most current amongst the wisest Euery man thinkes himselfe most excusable in the sinne whereto his Nature most bends him And wee doe ill they say to reprooue wrath in a man by Nature Cholerike forsooth his complexion and naturall constitution thither leades him Now how euer I confesse this is something that to the Reproouer should diminish the sinne yet of all others to the Sinner it should lest excuse it except where conscience witnesseth streightest watchfulnesse against it It serues not the turne to say we are thereto naturally inclined For First Corruptions that now are naturall since nature was corrupted are if not against yet beside nature as it was created Secondly The Charge is to be so much the more vigilant against these inclinations by how much more forcible wee know they are in vs when once they are prouoked Herein therefore thou hast more cause of caution and humiliation neuer a whit of more excuse except perhaps wee may thinke sinfull actions are so much the lesse sinfull by how much the more frequently and delightfully they are committed Obser The next thing here obseruable is How prone our Nature is to retailing of wrongs so that except we be exceedingly cautionate against it the best are easily ouer-taken in it That which Pharises taught Jewes is most plausible to Nature Loue friends y Mat. 15.43 hate enemies SAVL a carnall man wonders at DAVID z 1. Sam. 24.19 Who shall finde his enemy at aduantage and let him goe free A thing hee thought is quite against the Principles of Nature and common policie That Lex Talionis yea a Talio without Law carryes with it most plausible equity Insomuch that amongst all the Lords iust proceedings none seemes to haue more pleasing equitie then that wherein he repines euill men in their owne kind As in a Iudges 1.7 case of Adonibezek And our Sauiour Luke 16. where he leades his Disciples to a farther straine acknowledgeth it a matter aboue the course of Nature and such as wherein we approch neerest to the Nature of Gods loue To doe good for good is Naturall good for euill Diuine and supernaturall Vse Bee admonished to watch against it the more by how much stronger thine inclination is thereto And heare not those suggestions of flesh and bloud that it is matter of good Metall to be quicke of touch as forward in returning as others are in offering wrong Thinke him wise that said b Prou. 16.34 Hee that conquereth himselfe is better then he that winneth a Citie Obser The extent followeth None to any The note is this It is not permitted to any to auenge himselfe on any for his personall wrongs Priuate reuenge is interdicted to all in respect of all Neyther may any be his own caruer in retayling of wrong Know we by the way there is a wide difference betwixt that reuenge a Magistrate takes of Malefactors and that which priuate men persecute vpon the iniurious The Magistrate doth it by Authoritie and with warrant from God c Rom. 13.4 whose Minister he is auenger of wrath on them that doe euill For them the Iewes Law runnes thus There shall be eye for eye tooth for tooth the damage done or intended to the innocent must bee turned vpon the iniurious Of priuate persons the case is other of them the precept holds generally d Rom. 12.19 Auenge not your selues Resist not euill rather suffer a double then thinke of returning a single iniury Reasons If any man aske them are these First Vengeance is Gods they intrude vpon Gods Prerogatiue Royall that without warrant from him presume to auenge themselues Secondly His promise is to repay it but hac lege saith Augustine that wee wayte his leasure and preoccupate not his executions To tell how conscionable Gods Saints haue beene this way were long Of Dauid the Story is knowne in the rayling of Shimei And howsoeuer wee read of his vow of vengeance in heat of bloud yet how e 1. Sam. 25.32 blesseth hee the Lord that kept him from shedding bloud f 1. Pet. 2.23 Our Sauiour saith PETER f 1. Pet. 2.23 Being reuiled he reuiled not againe but committed the vengeance to him that iudgeth iustly Anabaptists and men of that fury wrest this and like Scriptures to ouerthrow of Magistracie permitting to none in the dayes of the New Testament to vndertake authority of defending the innocent my purpose is not to be long in confutation Euen now they are g Rom. 13.4 Ministers