Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	covenant_n	lord_n	solicitous_a	24	3	16.0419	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57970	Joshua redivivus, or, Mr. Rutherfoord's letters divided into two parts, the first, containing these which were written from Aberdeen, where he was confined by a sentence of the high commission ... partly on account of his non-conformance : the second, containing some which were written from Anwoth ... / now published for the use of all the people of God ... by a wellwisher to the work & people of God.	Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1664 (1664)	Wing R2381; ESTC R31792	483,441	628

Brother I cannot tell what is become of my labours among that people If all that my Lord builded by me be casten down the bottom fallen out of the profession of that parish none stand by Christ whose love I once preached as clearly plainly as I could though far below it's worth excellency to that people if so how can I bear it If another make a foul harvest where I have made a painfull honest sowing it will not soon digest with me but I know his wayes pass finding out Yet my witness both within me above me knoweth my pained breast upon the Lord's day at night my desire to have had Christ awfull amiable sweet to that people is now my joy it was my desire aime to make Christ them one If I see my hopes die in the bud ere they bloom a little come to no fruit I die with grief O my God seek not an account of the violence done to me by my brethren whose salvation I love desire I pray that they I be not heard as contrary parties in the day of our compearance before our judge in that process led by them against my ministery which I received from Christ I know a little inch less then the third part of this span-length hand-breadth of time which is posting away will put me without the stroke above the reach of either brethren or foes And it is a short-lasting injurie done to me to my pains in that part of my Lord's vineyard O how silly an advantage is my deprivation to men seeing my Lord Jesus hath many wayes to recover his own losses is irresistible to compass his own glorious ends that his lilie may grow amongst thorns his little Kingdom exalt it self even under the swords spears of contrary powers But my dear Brother goe on in the strength of his rich grace whom ye serve Stand fast for Christ Deliver the Gospel off your hand your ministery to your Master with a clean undefiled conscience Loose not a pin of Christ's tabernacle Doe not so much as picke with your naile at one board or border of the ark Have no part or dealing upon any terms in a hoof in a closed window or in a bowing of your ●…nce in casting down of the temple But be a mourning speaking witness again them who now ruine Zion Our Master will be on us all in a clap ere ever we wit That day will discover all our white 's our black 's concerning this controversie of poor oppressed Zion Let us make our part of it good that it may be able to abide the fire when hay and stuble shall be burnt to ashes Nothing nothing I say nothing but sound sanctification can abide the Lord's fan I stand to my testimony that I preached often of Scotland Lamentation mourning woe abideth th●● O Scotland O Scotland the fearfull quarrell of a broken Covenant standeth good with thy Lord. Now remember my love to all friends to all my parishoners as if I named each one of them particularly I recommend you God's people committed by Christ to your trust to the rich grace of our alsufficient Lord. Remember my bonds Praise my Lord who beareth me up in my sufferings As ye sinde occasion accorcording to the wisdom given you shew our acquaintance what the Lord hath done to my soul This I seek not verily to hunt my own praise but that my sweetest dearest Master may be magnified in my sufferings I rest Aberd. June 17. 1637. Your brother in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To MARION MCKNAUGHT 126 Dearly beloved in our Lord Iesus Christ. GRace mercy peace be to you Few know the heart of a stranger prisoner I am in the hands of mine enemies I would honest lawfull means were essayed for bringing me home to my charge now when Mr A. R. Mr H. R. are restored It concerneth you of Galloway most to use supplications and addresses for this purpose and try if by fair means I can be brought back again As for liberty without I be restored to my flock it is little to me for my silence is my greatest prison However it b● I wait for the Lord I hope not to rot in my sufferings Lord give me submission to wait on my heart is sad that my dayes flee away I doe no service to my Lord in his house now when his harvest and the souls of perishing people require it but his ways are not like my wayes neither can I finde him out O that he would shine upon my darkness and bring forth my morning light from under the thick cloud that men have spread over me O that the Almighty would lay my cause in a ballance and weigh me if my soul was not taken up when others were sleeping how to have Christ betrothed with a Bride in that part of the land but that day that my mouth was most unjustly and cruelly closed the bloom fell off my branches and my joy did cast the flower How beit I have been casting my self under Christ's feet and wrestling to beleeve under a hidden and covered Lord yet my fainting cometh before I eat and my faith hath bowed with the sore cast and under this almost insupportable weight O that it break not I dare not say that the Lord hath put out my candle and hath casten water upon my poor coal and broken the stakes of my tabernacle But I have tasted bitterness and eaten gall wormwood since that day my Master laid bonds upon me to speak no more I speak not this because the Lord is uncouth to me but because beholders that stand on dry land see not my sea-storm The witnesses of my cross are but strangers to my sad dayes nights O that Christ would let me alone speak love to me come home to me bring summer with him O that I might preach his beauty glory as once I did before my clay-tent be removed to darkness that I might lift Christ off the ground my branches might be watered with the dew of God my joy in his work might grow green again bud send out a flower But I am but a short sighted creature my candle casteth not light afar off He knoweth all that is done to me how that when I had but one joy no more one green flower that I esteemed to be my garland he came in one hour dried up my flower at the root took away mine onely eye mine onely one crown garland What can I say Surely my guiltiness hath been remembered before him he was seeking to take down my sails to land the flower of my delights and to let it lie on the coast like an old broken ship that is no more for the sea But I praise him for this wailed stroke I welcome this surnace God's

low sail I would I had desires with wings running upon wheels swift active speedy in longing for Christ's honour But I know my Lord is as wise here as I dow be thirsty infinitely more zealous of his honour then I can be hungered for the manifestation of it to men angels But Oh that my Lord would take my desires off my hand adde a thousand-fold more unto them and sowe spiritual inclinations upon them for the coming of Christ's Kingdom to the sons of men that they might be higher and deeper longer broader For my longest measures are too short for Christ my depth is ebbe the breadth of my affections to Christ narrow pinched Oh for an ingine a wit to prescribe wayes to men how Christ might be all in all the world Wit is here behinde affection affection behinde obligation Oh how little dow I give to Christ and how much hath he given me Oh that I could sing grace's praises love's praises Seeing I was like a fool solisting the Law making moyen to the Law 's court for mercy found challenges that way but now I deny that Judge's power for I am Grace's man I hold not worth a drink of water of the Law or of any Lord but Jesus And till I bethought me of this I was slain with doubtings and fears terrours I praise the new court the new Land-lord the new Salvation purchased in Jesus his name at his instance Let the old man if he please goe make his moan to the Law seek acquaintance thereaway because he is condemned in that Court I hope the new man I Christ together shall not be heard and this is the more soft and the more easie way for me for my cross together Seeing Christ singeth my welcome-home and taketh me in maketh short counts short work of reckoning betwixt me my Judge I must be Christ's man his Tennant subject to his Court I am sure suffering for Christ could not be born otherwise But I give my hand my faith to all who would suffer for Christ they shall be well handled fare well in the same way that I have found the cross easie light Grace be with you Aberd. July 8. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To ALEXANDER GORDON Of Garlock 184 Dear Brother GRace mercy peace be to you If Christ were as I am that time could work upon him to alter him or that the morrow could be a new day to him or bring a new minde upon him as it is to me a new day I could not keep a house or a covenant with him But I finde Christ to be Christ that he is far far even infinite heavens height above man And that is all our happiness Sinners can doe nothing but make wounds that Christ may heal them and make debts that he may pay them and make falls that he may raise them make deaths that he may quicken them spin out dig hells to themselves that he may ransom them Now I will bless the Lord that ever there was such a thing as the free Grace of God a free ransom given for sold souls Onely alas guiltiuess maketh me ashamed to apply Christ to think it pride in me to put out my unclean withered hand to such a Saviour but it is neither shame nor pride for a drowning man to swim to a rock nor for a ship-broken soul to run himself a shore upon Christ Suppose once I be guilty need force I cannot I dow not goe by Christ We take in good part that pride that beggers beg from the richer who is so poor as we who is so rich as he who selleth fine gold Rev. 3 18. I see then it is our best let guiltiness plead what it listeth that we have no mean under the covering of heaven but to creep in lowly submissively with our wants to Christ I have also cause to give his cross as good name report O how worthy is Christ of my feckless light suffering how hath he deserved it at my hands that for his honour glory I should lay my back under seven hells pain in one if he call me to that but alas my soul is like a ship run on ground through ebbeness of water I am sanded and and my love is sanded I finde not how to bring it on float again it is so cold and dead that I see not how to bring it to a flame Fy fy upon the meeting that my love hath given Christ woe woe is me I have a lover Christ yet I want love for him I have a lovely desirable Lord who is love-worthy who beggeth my love heart I have nothing to give him Dear Brother come further in on Christ see a new treasure in him come in look down see Angels wonder heaven earth's wonder of love sweetness majesty excellency in him I forget you not pray for me that our Lord would be pleased to send me among you again fraughted full of Christ. Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637. Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To JOHN BELL Elder 185 My very loving friend GRace mercy peace be to you I have very often long expected your letter but if ye be well in soul body I am the less solicitous I beseech you in the Lord Jesus to minde your country above now when old age the twilight going before the darkness of the grave the falling low of your sun before your night is now come upon you advise with Christ ere ye put your foot in the ship turn your back on this life Many are beguiled with this that they are tree of scandalous crying abominations but the tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is for the fire the man that is not born again cannot enter into the kingdom of God common honesty will not take men to heaven Alas that men should think they ever met with Christ who had never a sick night through the terrours of God in their soul or a sore heart for sin I know the Lord hath given you light the knowledge of his will but that is not all neither will that doe your turn I wish you an awakned soul that ye beguile not your self in the matter of your salvation My dear Brother search your self with the candle of God try if the life of God Christ be in you Salvation is not casten to every man's door Many are carried over see land to a far countrey in a ship whileas they sleep much of all the way but men are not landed at heaven sleeping The righteous are scarcily saved and many run as fast as either ye or I who miss the prize and the crown God send me salvation and save me from a disappointment

we list O what difficulty is there in our christian journey how often come we short of many thousand things that are Christ's due and we consider not how far our dear Lord is behinde with us Mistress I cannot render you thanks as I would for your kindness to my Brother ●n oppr●ss●d stranger but I remember you unto the Lord as I am able I entreat you think upon me his prisoner pray that the Lord would be pleased to give me ●oom to speak to 〈◊〉 people in his name Grace grace be with you Aberd. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lor● and Master S. R. To FULWOOD Younger 195 Much honoured Sir GRace mercy peace be to you Upon the report of this worthy bearer concerning you I thought good to spea● a wo●d to you It is enough for acquaintance that we are one in Christ My earnest desire to you is that ye would in the fear of God compare your inch hand-breadth of time with vaste Eternity your thoughts of this now fair blooming and green world with the thoughts ye shall have of it when corruption worms shall make their houses in your eye-holes shall eat your flesh make that body dry bones if ye doe so I know then that your light of this world's vanity shall be more clear then now it is And I am perswaded ye shall then think that mens labours for this clay-idol are to be laughed at Therefore come near and take a view of that transparent beauty that is in Christ which would busie the love of ten thousand millions of world's Angels hold them all at work Surely I am grieved that men will not spend their whole love upon that royal princely Welbeloved that High lofty One For it is cursed love that runneth another way then upon him And for my self if I had ten loves ten souls O how glad would I be if he would break in upon me take possession of them all Woe woe is me that He I are so far asunder I hope we shall be in one countrey one house together truly pain of love-sickness for Jesus maketh me to think it long long long to the dawning of that day Oh that he would cut short years moneths hours overleap Time that we might meet And for this truth Sir that ye profess I avow before the world of men Angels that it is the way onely way to our countrey the rest are by-wayes that what I suffer for is the apple of Christ's eye even his honour as Law-giver King of his Church I think death too little ere I forsook it Doe not Sir I beseech you in the Lord make Christ's court thinner by drawing back from him it is ●oo thin already for I dare pledge my heaven upon it he shall win this plea the fools that plea against him shall lose the wager which is their part of salvation except they take better heed to their wayes Sir free grace that we give no hire for is a jewel our Lord giveth to few Stand fast in the hope ye are called unto Our Master will rend the clouds will be upon us quic●ly clear our cause bring us all out in our black 's white 's Clean clean garments in the Bridegroom's eye are of great worth Step over this hand-breadth of world's glory in to our Lord 's new world of grace ye will laugh at the feathers that children are chasing in the air I ve●●ly judge that this Inne● men are building their nest in is not worth a drink of cold water It is a rainny and smoky house b●st we come out of it lest we be choked with the smoke thereof O that my adversaries knew how sweet my sighs for Christ are what it were for a sinner to lay his head between Christ's breasts to be over head ears in Christ's love Alas I cannot cause paper speak the height breadth depth of it I have not a ballance to weigh my Lord Jesus's worth heaven ten heavens would not be the beam of a ballance to weigh him in I must give over praising of him Angels see but little of him O if that fair one would take off the mask off his fair face that I might see him a kiss of him through his mask is half a heaven O day dawn O time run fast O Bridegroom post post fast that we may meet O hea vens cleave in two that that bright face head may set it self through the clouds O that the corn were ripe this world prepared for his hook Sir be pleased to remember a prisoner's bonds Grace be with you Aberd. July 10. 1637 Yours in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R. To Mr HUGH M C KAILL 196 My very dear Brother YE know that men may take their sweet fill of the sowre Law in Grace's ground betwixt the Mediator's breasts and this is sinners safest way for there is a bed for wearied sinners to rest them in in the new Covenant though no bed of Christ's making to sleep in The Law shall never be my doomster by Christ's grace if I get no more good of it I shall finde a sore enough doom in the Gospel to humble to cast me down It is I grant a good rough friend to follow a traitour to the bar to back him till he come to Christ We may blame our selves who cause the Law to crave well paid debt to scar us away from Jesus dispute about a righteousness of our own a world in the moon a chim●rd a night-dream that pride is Father mother to There cannot be a more humble soul then a beleever it is no pride for a drowning man to catch hold of a rock I rejoyce that the wheels of this confused world are rolled cogged driven according as our Lord will Out of whatever ai●th the wind blow it will blow us on our Lord No wind can blow our sailes over-board because Christ's skill the honour of his wisdom are empawned laid down at the stake for the sea-passengers that he shall put them safe off his hand on the shore in his father's known bounds our native homeground My dear Brother scar not at the cross of Christ It is not seen yet what Christ will doe for you when it cometh to the worst He will keep his grace till ye be at a strait then bring forth the decreed birth for your salvation Ye are an arrow of his own making let him shoot you against a wall of brass your point shall keep whole I cannot for multitude of letters distractions of friends prepare what I would for the times I have not one hour of spare time suppose the day were fourtie hours long Remember me in prayer Grace be with you Aberd. Sept. 5. 1637. Your in his sweet Lord Iesus S. R To his Reverend Dear Brother Mr DAVID DICKSON 197 My Reverend

life 1 Ioh. 1 2 3. hath been declared to you Thousands of thousands walking in that light that good old way have gone to heaven are now before the throne Truth is but one hath no numbers Christ Antichrist are both now in the camp are come to open blowes Christ's poor ship saileth in a sea of blood the passengers are so sea-sick of a high fever that they miscall one another Christ I hope shall bring the broken bark to land I had rather swim for life death on an old plank or a brokē board to land with Christ then enjoy the rotten peace we have hitherto had It is like the Lord will take a severe course with us to cause the children of the family agree together I conceive that Christ hath a great designe of free grace to these Lands but his wheels must move over mountains rocks He never yet wooed a Bride on earth but in blood in fire in the wilderness A cross of our own chusing honeyed sugared with consolations we cannot have I think not much of a cross when all the children of the house weep with me for me to suffer when we enjoy the communion of Saints is not much but it is hard when Saints rejoyce in the suffering of Saints redeemed ones hurt yea even goe nigh to hate redeemed ones I confess I imagined there had no more been such an affliction on earth or in the world then that one elect Angel should fight against another but for contempt of the communion of Saints we have need of new-born crosses scarce ever heard of before the saints are not Christ there is no misjudging in him there is much in us a doubt it is if we shall have fully one heart till we enjoy one heaven our star-light hideth us from our selves hideth us one from another Christ from us all but he will not be hidden from us I shall wish that all the sons of our father in that Land be of one minde that they be not shaken nor moved from the Truth once received Christ was in that Gospel Christ is the same now that he was in the Prelates time That Gospel cannot sink it will make you free bear you out Christ the subject of it is the chosen of God cometh from Bozrah with garments dyed in blood Ireland Scotland both must be his field in which he shall feed gather lilies suppose which yet is impossible that some had an eternity of Christ in Ireland a sweet summer of the Gospel a feast of fat things for evermore in Ireland one should never come to heaven it should be a desirable life the King's spikenard Christ's perfume his apples of love his oyntments even down in this lower house of clay are a choice heaven O what then is the King in his own land where there is such a throne so many Kings palaces ten thousand thousands of crowns of glory that want heads yet to fill them O so much leisure as shall be there to sing O such a tree as groweth there in the midst of that paradise where the inhabitants sing eternally under it's branches To look in at a window see the branches burdened with the apples of life to be the last man that shall come in thither were too much for me I pray you remember me to the Christians there remember our private Covenant Grace be with you London April 17. 1646. Your friend in the Lord Iesus S. R. To EARLESTOWN Elder 54 Sir I Know ye have learned long agoe ere I knew any thing of Christ that if we had the Cross at our own election we would either have law-surety for freedom from it or then we would have it honeyed sugared with comforts so as the sweet should over-master the gall wormwood Christ knoweth how to breed the sons of his house ye will give him leave to take his own way of dispensation with you though it be rough forgive him he defieth you to have as much patience to him as he hath born to you I am sure there cannot a dram-weight of gall be less in your cup ye would not desire he sould both afflict you hurt your soul. When his people cannot have a Providence of silk roses they must be content with such an one as he carveth out for them ye would not goe to heaven but with company ye may perceive that the way of these who went before you was through blood sufferings many afflictions Nay Christ the Captain went in over the door-threshold of Paradise bleeding to death I doe not think but ye have learned to stoop though ye as others be naturally stiff that ye have found that the apples sweet fruits which grow on that crabbed tree of the Cross are as sweet as it is so ●re to bear it especially considering that Christ hath born the whole compleat Cross his Saints bear but bits chipes as the Apostle saith The remnants or leavings of the Cross. I Judge you ten thousand times happy that ever ye was Grace's debter for certainly Christ hath ingaged you over head ears to free Grace take the debt with you to Eternity Immanuel's highest land where ye finde before you a house-full of Christ's everlasting debters the less shame to you Yea this lower Kingdom of Grace is but Christ's Hospital Guest-house of sick folks whom the brave noble Physician Christ hath cured upon a venture of life death And if ye be near the water-side as I know ye are all that I can say is this Sir that I feel by the smell of that land which is before you that it 's a goodly Countrey it is well payed-for to your hand he is before you who will heartily welcome you O to suck these breasts of full consolation above to drink Christ's new wine up in his father's house is some greater matter then is beleeved since it was brewed from eternity for the head of the house so many thousand crowned Kings Rubs in the way where the lodging is so good are not much He that brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal Covenant establish you to the end London May 15. 1646. Your friend and servant in Christ Iesus S. R. To his reverend worthy Brother Mr G. GILLESPIE 55 Reverend dear Brother I Cannot speak to you the way ye know the passage is free not stopped the print of the footsteps of the fore-runner is clear manifest many have gone before you Ye will not sleep long in the dust before the day break it is a far shorter piece of the hinder-end of the night to you then to Abraham Moses beside all the time of their bodies resting under curruption it is as long yet to their day as to your morning light of awaking