Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	famine_n	joseph_n	pharaoh_n	1,487	5	10.4663	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03479	A discourse of friendship. By E.G. gent.	E. G., gent.	1676 (1676)	Wing G11A; ESTC R177287	95,537	184

as others proportionable to the wisdom of our friend so is our wealth in him that is the greatest treasure because most excellent and useful there are many intricacies a man winds himself into sometimes by impudence othertimes by ignorance the clue is in the heart hand of a judicious friend that may bring him out If my friend be wise I can confide in him in the worst of times many plain-hearted men have been undone for want of this how oft do we hear them complaining all this evil is come upon me because I had no serious wise and faithsul friend to advise me in this or the other affair but now it is too late I am ruined If Ioabs wisdom had not interposed David had been undone in that case concerning Absolon A wise man can see an evil before it comes and extenuate it when it is come A prudent man foresees the evil and hideth himself and his friend both they will be together It was no small advantage to Pharaoh that Ioseph foresaw the evil of famine coming upon the land of Egypt when it came how easy it was made by the wisdom of Ioseph the story will inform us There are many things to be done before we come to an undoing necessity a wise man foresees that and does that now by way of prevention that an imprudent man would wish he had done when the extremity is upon him Wisdom is most desirable in this regard because there is no great want where it is rightly improved it is the ladder by which men climb up to honour and is useful in all conditions in prosperity a wise man will remember that he is in slippery places and therefore will look well to his steps in adversity that he hath many temptations and therefore must be serious and considerate Let a wise man be cast into never so much mire and trampled upon he sparkles like a diamond still nothing can deprive him of his worth and excellency True it is that wise men are not always rich nor rich men are not always wise yet the former may and shall have the preheminency riches and greatness being both subordinate to wisdom the poor wise man delivered the city when the king could not do it by his honour wealth and strength Have we matters of high trust none more fit to commit them to then a wise man In troubles he will support in straights he will direct in most perplexing business and puzling doubts he will advise when to be active when to sit still none fit for sriendship but these many there are that are faithful and affectionate and would be very active if they knew how or in what method but for want of wisdom They conclude all their good desires in a few empty wishes which may satisfy themselves but never serve their friends but wife men are most useful therefore much to be ambitioned this is an indifpensable quali●y for friendship which must be endeavoured with all possible care The Sixth qualification is faithfulnesse this is the cabinet that contains our most precious jewel I mean the secrets of the heart secrecy in a friend is the most precious part of friendship and that because there is assigned to that part the highest trust imaginable a defect here cannot be without the greatest treachery conceivable because it makes a perfect divorce and strikes against the very nature and essence of friendship Solomon observed that a faithful man conceales the matter There are many things between friends that are in no case fit to be revealed nor cannot be done but with the greatest treachery because thereby a man betrays the highest trust which nothing can make a crime more unpardonable The intercourses between friends cannot be revealed without detriment because expressions of kindness though innocent may by an unfaithful repetition prove prejudicial and slaunderous There are these things especially in a faithful man that challenges our respect and value and renders him exceeding precious First he is true you may trust him he doth not wear like Jezabel a painted outside or like the gallants of our times that hath the most endeared expressions in their mouthes their voice is the voice of Jacob but their hands the hands of Esau And this is very much to be admired especially in persons of ingenuity because men naturally love truth and value things according to truth Instance a picture if it be never so curiously drawn shall obtain no reputation if it do not resemble the person it represents No wonder there is no more love in the world men cannot trust one another Joab-like they cry my brother and smite deadly Is not a faithful friend to be valued in such times as these when there is a lye in the right hand of those that in complement pretend the greatest reallity if I cannot believe a man I cannot trust him nor treat him without suspicion nor value him nothing more destructive to friendship than falshood nothing more obliging than faithfulness As a faithful man is true so he is honest and just he is a covenant-keeping man as well as a covenant-making man and this is considerable because in all friendships there must be covenants you see that between David and Jonathan the pattern of friendship the covenant of God was between them it is called the covenant of God by way of eminency for every thing in Scripture that hath the name of God annexed to it as the city of God or the mountain of God or the temple of God this speaks the eminency of those things The covenant between friends is not a trivial thing but weighty and seriously to be heeded we ought not to break promise with an enemy God hath severely fallen upon covenant breakers and good men have been very consciencious in making good their covenants as we may see in the case of the Gibeonites Josh 9. 15. Joshua knew that they were deceivers and that they had sinisterly brought him into league with them yet the league being made Joshua could be no way discharged by any manner of prudence piety or policy Many men make● covenants but few keeps them Covenants are very binding to men of honest and just principles 〈◊〉 bind the conscience as well as the reputation a prudent man will not be brought into covenant when he foresees a breach unavoidable because as a man cannot be wise rashly to promise so he cannot be just if he doth not exactly keep 〈◊〉 There is nothing next to holynesse more valuable than justice next to believe and be saved that golden rule takes place do as you would be done unto A man that is faithful cannot be bribed by profit nor biassed by pleasure to prejudice hi● friend he cannot be uncertain you may know where to finde him he is not a friend to day and an enemy to morrow as he never fixed without deliberation so he can never alter without great provocation The place where our treasure lyes must be certain or else the