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
A96877	A relgious treatise upon Simeons song or, instructions advertising how to live holily, and dye happily. / Composed at first for the use of the truly pious Sir Robert Harley, knight of the honourable order of the Bath but since published by Timothy Woodroffe, B.D. Pastor to the church at Kingsland, in Herefordshire.	Woodroffe, Timothy, 1593 or 4-1677.; Rowe, John, 1626-1677.	1658 (1658)	Wing W3472A; Thomason E2119_1; ESTC R210138	91,617	274

to mourn for old Simeons you owe much honour to them and may well mourn you have lost so good a man or woman from your Christian communion 2 Sam. 3.38 such a Father such a Mother or dear relation or that there is lost such an instrument of Gods glory so serviceable to the Church and state such a light and blessing to the city or country he lived in The memory of the just shall be blessed Prov. 10.7 Psa 112.6 but the name of the wicked shall rot the righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance 2. You may weep a while and add to that sorrow fasting and abstinence as the valiant men of Jabesh to the body of Saul 1 Sam. 31.12.13 2 Sam. 1.12 and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan who came to Jabesh and burnt them there And took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh and fasted seven days And they mourned and wept and fasted until even and David fasted for Abner untill even 3. Friends you may set apart longer or lesse time for mourning and lamentation as David is said to lament with lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son and bad them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow behold it is written in the book of Jasher and so he continues his affectionate lamentation to the end of the chapter But you will ask mee what was the use of the bow the Rabbins say it was a title given to his lamentation others say it was the close of every verse in this lamentation when the children of Israel did sing the mournfull elegies of Saul and Jonathans death but a late writer saith that this mention of the Bow was to intimate unto the Israelites how exceeding necessary it was to discipline their children in the exercise of weapons and especially of the Bow because therewith the dexterous Philistines had mostly prevailed against Saul and his army in this battail for it is said the Archers hit him and hee was sore wounded of the Archers 1 Sam. 31.3 and this I take to bee the most genuine sense But now to return 3. Friends it hath been very laudable to wash the bodies of your noble and worthy progenitors and other your relations so you read Act. 9.37 that they washed the body of Dorcas which I believe was a legall institution yet somthing answerable to it hath still been used among Christians 4. Friends before you bury your dead you may be at cost with them and bury them in sweet odours and rich ointments which is called embalming of them Jer. 34.5 and burning sweet odours for them as for Zedekiah King of Judah thou shalt dye in peace with the burnings of thy Fathers the former Kings which were before thee so shall they burn odours for thee and lament saying ah Lord after Joseph of Arimathea had obtained the body of our Saviour of Pilate he and Nicodemus sent for of myrh and aloes an hundred pound weight Joh. 19.38.39 and were at great cost to enbalm the body of Jesus When Mary was at so great cost with Christ she pouring a box of precious ointment upon his head Christ doth apologize for her Mat. 26.10 saying why trouble ye the woman for she hath wrought a good work upon me 5. Friends you may keep solemnities Eccl. 30.18 and sad mourning feasts and set meat upon the buriall of the just which feast is called the bread of men Ezec. 24.17 and a cup of consolation to comfort those that were sad at heart I could instance many customes of heathens who did cut and wound themselves scratch the face pull off their hair prick and pinch their flesh and lay on plaisters to make it unseemly some threw dust upon their heads went bare-footed rent their cloaths put on sackcloath and some have used minstrels with sad tunes and the Irish loud ululations Some at the funerall of noble men have used a trumpet and for children of the commonalty they used a pipe and the Romans had their skilfull mourning women but let us who have better learned Christ bee wise and sober and not betaken with the vain superstitions of heathens yet let us interre them with due respect had to their rank and dignity wee may provide costly Tombs as Joseph of Arimathea did for Christ and as they did for the Kings of Israel who were buried in the City of David but let none exceed their rank and ability in burying their deceased friends in which some have been so vain as some of the sons of the Kings of Egypt who spent vast treasures in their vain glorious pyramides and in which some of the Romans were so vain that they made a law none should exceed such a cost we must be wise moderate and sober in our mournings As godly Simeons are not unwilling to dy from their nearest relations when God will so neither may Christian friends lanch forth into immoderate sorrows when the Lord hath qualified them for their blessed change and given them to see the salvation of the Lord. To draw to a conclusion take these additionall rules and directions by way of advice and caution Friends it becomes you not to be Stoically insensible nor to grieve over-much Saint Paul would not have his Thessalonians ignorant concerning them that are asleep 1 Thes 4 13. that they may not sorrow even as others which have no hope The rules bee six the first is 1. For moderation 2. For timely pacification 3. For satisfaction 4. For consolation 5. Asweet mixture of joy and sorrow 6. An holy acquiescence 1 Modera To the first The Scriptures bid you mourn but moderately you may bee much affected but manage it wisely the two sisters of Lazarus did mourn but with good mediocrity for they knew he should rise again Joh. 11.24 and our blessed Saviour groaned in Spirit and was sore troubled who yet well foreknew that he should awake out of that dead sleep wherein he had layen so many days Remember then that the Holy Ghost puts on holy rains upon our affections of grief Job 1.21 the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed bee the name of the Lord where Job was moderated by the all-wise-disposing soveraignty of God Again a Saint never dyes but in a sense God wants him and hee whom God gave to be such a friend the same God takes him again because hee needs him you will say you have need he should have lived longer but whoseneed must take place yours or God's yours to whom such a friend was lent so long or God's need whose hee was who must and will have him nearer to himself in a more celestiall imployment and that to all eternity you must suffer this consideration to alter the streams of your grief and to exchange it into a sweet submission unto your gracious Lord God Friend or dear relations suffer not your selves to be transported with swelling

fear death nor to avoid it's snares for death of it self is not good nor is it naturall to us but cruell and horrible but basely to fear death rather then to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings this is a great sin to bee afraid to dye after an evill life and out of Christ to such death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye but when God shall in the way of his good providence call us to dye either by a naturall death or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death then we may welcome death and the instruments of death as Historians say Saint Andrew did Salve crux pretiosa susci pe nunc Discipulum cúm priùs sustinueris Magistrum Thus M. John Philpot embraced the stake in Smithfield who with a gladsome Spirit said I kindly salute thee precious cross be content to bear me the Disciple who hast formerly born my Master every Simeon is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death and hath very grand considerations neither basely nor sinfully to fear death and therefore subscribes unto her with heart and hand Answ 2. The fear of death in the Saints and the fear of death in others are very diverse the one is acted by sinfull-self whom such an one seeks to preserve for fear of greater wrath the other is acted by gracious self who seeks to know the minde of God in his death to subscribe to it and to serve divine providence as in life so in death whom if the Lord shal recover or deliver he gives himself to God again if the Lord hath determined death shall take place hee resigns up soul and body with an holy contentment Mat. 26.39 under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father Let Pagans and Infidels who never believed who never feared God fear to dye or despair in death because they dye without hope Eph. 2.12 Collos 1.20.21 Eph. 1.10 because they have no faith nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls but let Christians rejoice and be glad ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies Col. 1.1.2 who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which inherirance for scituation is the Empyrean heaven far above all heavens where is Christ himself to entertain and glorifie all those who sleep in him where is nothing but glory for all such poor souls dying in the Lord as the King of Glory to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us thrones of glory to sit on an eternal wait of eternal glory 2 Pet. 2.1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An enterance shall be administred to you abundantly or according to the originall richly Phil. 1.23 to put on crowns of glory to wear a kingdō of glory to possess here the soul of the departing one cries out in a blessed ecstasie I have enough blessed Lord I come I come having so abundant an entrance made for me into celestiall triumphs blessed be God who hath made me thus willing desirous rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord where I am assured to find peace without intermission or perturbation health without sickness plenty without want wealth without poverty and everlasting life without death Of which holy City said Austin when shall I come into thy golden streets when shall I see and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls and that glorious Jubilee Fain I would come to fruition but Oh how am I detain'd anon will death come behold she stands at the door and knocks bid her come in that I may bid her welcome to whom I am ready to answer as Rebekah did Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations who were so loath to part with her I will go with the man so say I even withlong-looked-for death my harbinger and friend Oh death I willingly go along with thee whom my Lord hath made so necessary and serviceable to me in my happy translation Acts 10. for me thinks I see Heaven open as Peter in his vision and the son of man like as Stephen did see him standing at the right hand of God Oh my soul thou art in a rapture divine to contemplate the things in heaven which are so unspeakable and ful of glory True I shall in death be taken from my deerest friends but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye for it s not improbable but I may know my gracious friends in heaven since our divine knowledg there shall not be diminished but enlarged hence some conclude we shall joyfully know the Patriachs and Apostles of our Lord and this seems the more rationall because Peter and James Mat. 17.13 and John at the transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they knew not before so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints with the celestiall beams of his transcendent glory The last thing in our submission in the point of death is to shut our own eyes and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words blessing God for that land of promise which like Moses shee sees at a distance Deut. 34.4 Jos 23.6 8 11.14 so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord so did Stephen who calling on the name of the Lord fell asleep so did Simeon gathered up disposed and prepapared himself most sweetly singing Lord now lettest thou c. Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes and bind up his jaws in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying Lu. 23.45 Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resignation of their bodies to the grave for a time of their departing souls into the hands and bosom of Jesus Christ who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin that is Gen. 42.37 of our immortall souls to convey them safely unto our Fathers house Thus of the third Exhortation which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God in every estate in our health in our sickness in the approaches of death and and at the point of death 4. Exhortation 4. Exhort To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful commendable it is just and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob seventy days that with a great sore lamentation Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35 2 Sam. 13.37 2 Chro. 35.24 if Samuell mourned for Saul and David shall not we much more mourn when the Saints are taken from us All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall but it is religious

displeasure or other mutining passion because the main interest of thy friend is laid up in God perhaps thou sayest Oh! it was my dear father my tender mother my sweet brother or sister my son or my daughter whose life and mine seem to be bundled together he or she was my right hand my right eye and will God take such an one from mee I had rather hee should take any one else yea my very self to have spared such an one thus foolishly do some passionate ones rangle with the just determinations of their omnipotent Lord God as churlish Nabal did with well deserving David 1 Sam. 25. Naball refused to part with some of his provisions to relieve David and his hungry souldiers by whom Naball and his flocks had been so preserved Naball answers with expostulations with pleading his propriety in his bread his water and flesh as thou dost thine in thy friends hence he concludes that Davids motion was very unjust and the most unreasonable that could have been made what saith he shal I take my bread my water and my flesh that I have killed and prepared for my sheerers and shall I send it to I know not whom nor whence they be There be many servants now adaies which break away every man from his master What is come upon me saies Naball Who is David who is the son of Jesse See we had need of this moderation when God sends crosse providences to us else we shall murmur against the Lord himself and this murmuring is a great sin The second rule is timely pacification we must not mourn over-much 2 Timely pacification or over-long when God takes away our friends Jer. 31.15 Mat. 2.18 this will be to call Gods wisdome into question it was Rachels fault that she refused to be comforted but it was Jobs high commendation that he was timely quieted and satisfied after the losse of so many friends and such an abounding estate from hence that it was the soveraign Lord God that had done it he composeth his mind and blesseth God not onely when he was full of children and wealth but when he was emptied of both and that by Satans malice and other malignant adversaries even then did Job blesse the Lord Job 12.1 and gave him thanks what for the death of his children what for the losse of his goods and estate what for the loss of his reputation amongst his hollow hearted friends no not simply so but from this consideration it is the great Jehovah the Lord of hosts let God do what he shall please with me with my relations and with all that I call mine yet I stil find abundant cause to thank him what when God shall thunder and lighten against him with storms and tempests from heaven from earth from hell what when hee shal shake the high Cedars as if he meant to pul them up and destroy them root and branch and make the earth to tremble as you may imagine when so many evills crowded in upon him when the grown up children of his own body were slain 1 Pet. 4.14 then to say blessed be the name of the Lord so timely to be content surely the spirit of glory and of God did rest upon humble and holy Job the servant of the Lord. The spirit is out of rest like Noahs dove hove ring about not finding where to rest the soul of her foot till she came to the Ark so the Godly-wise under their soaking afflictions go from place to place till they come to the Lords sanctuary and mercy seat where they find rich materialls of praising and blessing God in their afflictions and for their afflictions suppose it be losse of an eminent father or any other neere or dear relation of children as Jobs was Job 1.13 to the 20. they feasting one another to maintain and enjoy brotherly love and concord then to bee destroyed by a violent tempest beating down the house by the power and malice of the Devill who also but a little before had all his camells taken by plunder and his servants slain by the cruell sword a litttle before that also had his flock of sheep and his servants with them burnt with fire from Heaven and a little before that had his oxen plowing and his Asses feeding by them all violently taken away by the Sabeans which aggravating gradations might have eternized his sorrows but holy Job wel had learned that as God is not always chiding neither must we be always mourning besides he did assure himself that the rod of the wicked Ps 103.9 Ps 125.3 shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous and however it be yet God is good to his Israel Thirdly for satisfaction which respects the goodnesse of God towards thee and towards thy lost friends Friends in Gods name mourn yet cōsider that your friend that is dead did war a good warfare 2 Tim. 4.7 combate with implacable foes did fight the good fight did finish his course did keep the faith and was kept by the mighty power of God to salvation Consider he is now dead in the peace of God and is even now enjoying what was promised in Abraham's bosom is now reaping what he sowed and insulting over all his spirituall adversaries faith is now in fruition thy friends soul is now wearing that Crown of glory which Christ had purchased with his dearest blood And now consider is it any branch of religious reason now to be murmuring and complaining of our losse as if it had been irrepairable to our selves or our friends since our friend is with the Lord Rom. 8.37 is more then a conqueror through him that loved him and is rejoicing praising and magnifying the Lord as for other mercies so for death which came so seasonably and so graciously to deliver Christ's prisoner out of durance to discharge Christ's valiant souldier from fighting with spirituall adversaries who command to triumph for ever over them to live and reign with Christ in heaven and to bee enthroniz'd into a kingdom of glory and to be actually in the great assembly saying Rev. 19.1.3 and singing Hallelujah Hallelujah salvation power and glory bee to our God Hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Well then let us be glad rejoice since living friends are no loosers by thy gracious friends departure and since deceased friends are such gainers put off your sable weeds and rejoice for such as you believe do dye in the Lord imitate their holy foot-steps Phil. 3.17 follow them as they followed Christ put on the milkie white garments of holiness and righteousness all your days till you can say you are gainers by death and shal in God's time be translated to be for ever with your friends Rom. 16.7 who were in Christ before you as Saint Paul spake went to heaven before you to see enjoy that salvation which Simeon spake of in the text where you shall