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
A77859	The necessity of agreement with God: opened in a sermon preached to the Right Honourable the noble House of Peers assembled in Parliament, upon the 29th of October, 1645. being the monethly fast. / By C. Burges, D.D. preacher of the Word to the city of London. Published in obedience to an order of their Lordships.	Burges, Cornelius, 1589?-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing B5673; Thomason E307_19; ESTC R200347	36,324	55

study how to promote and carry on Gods work whatever become of our owne Thus Saul afterwards a Paul before he was agreed with God crossed and persecuted Gods designe of spreading the Gospel but once humbled and converted he layes aside all his own project and is wholly for God Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Act. 9.6 He is now no longer for persecution of the Gospel which was his own busines but for the propagation of it which was Gods Trial. Let us then consider whose worke ends and interests we endeavour most to promote Are we for God for Christ for his maine designe in all we doe Can we be content to perish so Gods cause and counsells may prosper Is it our meat and drink to doe his will although his will should thwart our own c. Are we willing to adventure our selves and all we have for Christ not counting estates honours families no nor our very lives deare unto us so we may set forward his Gospel and the power of Godlines then take comfort But if we make use of God as cunning Polititians do one of another pretending a great deale of respect and service meerly to out-wit each other and to drive on their own ends as Tiberius and Sejanus of whom Suetonius reports That Tiberius in favouring Sejanus had one designe and Sejanus in serving Tiberius had another Tiberius meant that his affection to Sejanus should be of use to himself and Sejanus in obeying the Emperour aspired to the Empire Tiberius intended to serve him of the craft and subtilty of Sejanus to ruine the house of Germanicus and to raise his own Sejanus resolved to make his way to the Empire by the ruine of them both If it be with us as with God and Jehu God meant to exalt Jehu for the ruine of Ahabs house for Idolatry and Jehu made use of Gods commission and providence to raise his own family and to keep up Idolatry God will search this out and at length as Tiberius was the ruine of his great Favourite Sejanus so will God be of us how much so ever he make of us at the present Rule 4 4. Where there is an Agreement with God to purpose it is firmed and established by a Covenant I have sworne and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements Psal 119.106 David had two things equally in his heart the entring into a Covenant and the keeping of it and he bindes himself by an Oath unto both alike He will not only vow but pay Nor will he content himself to doe so for a while so long as he is in a distresse and then when his own turne is served study to cast it off by degrees putting new glosses and senses upon it to elude and evade the true meaning of it or laying aside the vigorous execution of it first for a season and then altogether upon politique pretences But he will keep it alwayes even unto the end It is with him an everlasting Covenant that shall never be forgotten r Jer. 50.5 as well knowing that God hath no pleasure in fooles and that it is better not to vow then to vow and not pay Å¿ Eccles 5.4 5. Yea so punctuall was David in keeping Covenant that he would never forget that which once he had made but to a man to Jonathan his friend not only when he had need of Jonathan and Jonathan able to serve him but after Jonathan was in his grave not only when Sauls house was yet strong and David but low and weak and needed the favour and aid of the people but after Sauls house was wholly reduced and broken and David established in the Kingdom and had the remainder of them under his absolute power to save or destroy them 2 Sam. 21.6 7. This will try us indeed For first Trial. it may perhaps be demanded of some Have ye at all taken the National Covenant Have all in power and place done their duty in taking sufficient course that it may be administred unto all according to the resolution and Ordinance of Parliament in that behalf There was great forwardnes and shew of extraordinary zeale in some to enter into that Covenant and to presse it upon others when we were low and needed the assistance of our Brethren of Scotland but when we had once ingaged them and they were come into this Kingdome I know not how it comes to passe but so it is that the pressing of the Covenant have been by degrees laid aside even where there was most need of administring it as if it were not only safe but profitable for honourable I think none do account it to prostitute a solemne sacred Ordinance of God to corrupt ends and to be prosecuted or cast aside as the occasions of state or the private designes of some Projectours shall suggest or require what ever the piety and zeale of both the Honourable Houses of Parliament have ordayned to the contrary But either the National Covenant was evil or good If evil why is it not so declared by Authority that we may all shake it off and be deeply and publikely humbled for our great rashnesse and sinne in entring into it If good why do not all take it or if it be not a duty why should any be bound by it whiles others are at liberty and act contrary to it every day Do you think God will put up such trifling with him in a matter so serious and sacred Be not deceived God will not so be mocked his right hand will find out all those seeming Angels of light who thus promote workes of darknesse and make such use of such a solemne Religious act of Divine worship tendred to the most high God as no honest ingenuous Heathen durst to make of any solemne piece of Idolatrous service tendred to their Idols Will ye say such as these have agreed with God that thus dally with God in the most solemne action that can possible passe between God and man There is no man so impudent as to affirme it so silly as to imagine it But to leave them have they who have taken the Covenant made any conscience to keep it Give me leave to insist upon this for it is a principall duty of the day to consider our breaches and to renue our Covenant for which end it is commanded by Authority that the Nationall Covenant should be publikely read in every Congregation on every Fast day Are there not too many among us who care no more for a Covenant with God after they have taken it then Mahomet the second regarded his Leagues and Confederacies with any neighbour Nation which he would observe strictly while the observation of them would advance his own ends but deride all men as fools and idiots that thought him bound any further Are there none that have strained not only their wits but their consciences too to enervate and anull it by forced glosses and interpretations None that dispute