Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	evil_a	mean_v	speak_n	72	3	16.4172	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17384	A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1623 (1623)	STC 4211; ESTC S107078	497,216	958

to bee built vp without distraction in the main things needfull for his saluation and is not carried to spend his time most about vnnecessary or impertinent cares or studies 1. Tim. 4.2.7.8 Seuenthly when a man is as carefull to serue God in prosperity as well as aduersity Iob 27.9 Eightly when a man delights in the Almighmighty and loues all the means by which he findeth any communion with God Iob 29.9 Ninthly when a man from the hatred of hypocrisie is stirred vp against hypocrites cannot abide them nor will conuerse with them Iob 17. verse 8. Lastly Iob comforts himselfe that hee was no hypocrite by three arguments 1. He would trust in God though hee did slay him 2. Hee would reprooue his waies in Gods sight 3. He sought Gods presence and set himself alwaies before him none of which an hypocrite could doo Iob 13.15.16 Thus much of Hypocrisie Enuy. The fourth sin to be auoided is Enuy. Enuy is nothing else but a vexation or inward displeasure conceiued at the good of another viz. either anothers credit gifts preferment profit successe or the like This sinne though in the world it bee little thought of yet in it self is a most fearfull vice and should be so accounted of by christians for many reasons First if we consider the subiect persons in whom it vsually is It is found most in naturall men Tit. 3.3 yea in silly men Iob 5.2 This was the sinne of Cain Gen. 4 yea of the diuell himself The main sin of the diuell was the enuy of mans happinesse It raigned in the diuelish Gentiles Rom. 1.29 Secondly if we con●ider the cause of it it is for the most part the daughter of pride Galat. 5.26 sometimes of couetousnes Pro. 28.22 and often of some egregious vile transgression such as in Rom. 1.29 but euer it is the filthy fruit of the flesh Gal. 5.25 Thirdly if wee consider the vile effects of it which are many for 1. It hath done many mischiefs for which it is infamous It sould Ioseph into Egypt Genes 37 and which should euer make it abhorred of vs it kild the Son of God Mat. 27.8 2. It deforms our natures it makes a man suspicious malitious contentious it makes vs to prouoke backbite and practise euill against our neighbours It is ill for our sight for the enuious man hath alwaies an euill eye and a cast-down countenance with Cain also many times 3. It begins euen death and hell while a man is aliue It kils the silly one Iob 5.2 It destroieth the contentment of his life and burns him with a kinde of fire vnquenchable It feeds vpon the enuious man like the moth or worm by degrees and it hasteneth mischief in the enuious man because it makes the person enuied more glorious and besides it is a vice that driueth a man from among men in respect of comfortable society for it was long since aduised Eat not the bread of him that hath an euill eye Pro. 23.6 and no man by his good will if he can be free wil conuerse with such as he perceiues to be enuious Fourthly this place manifestly imports that it is a notable hindrance to the profit of the word and so no doubt it is to praier and all piety as euidently it is a let of charity vnlesse it bee that men in hypocrisie to disgrace others will for enuy doo some good as they preacht Christ for enuy in the Apostles time Phil. 1.15 Vses The vse should be threefold First for instruction to teach vs to follow the aduice heer giuen in putting away Enuy and clensing our hearts of it and to this end think much of the reasons against it and withall remember by confession godly sorrow to clense thy heart carefully of it For those things help wonderfully in the putting of it away Secondly this may serue for great reproof of many that professe the fear of God who daily shame themselues by discouering this vice in themselues This was it the Apostle complained of in the Corinthians and shewed that it is a vice which not onely houlds down a Christian from growing but it makes him look like a carnall man 1. Cor. 3.3 Thirdly for consolation if we finde our selues freed from this vice And wee may knowe that we are not enuious 1. If we loue the good things in others and can rejoice in their prosperity and mourn for their miseries 2. If we be vile in our owne eies and lowly minded 3. If wee enjoy contentation in our owne estate and are well pleased to bee that which GOD will haue vs to bee 4. If in giuing honour wee can hartily go one before another Thus much of Enuy. Euill speaking This is the fift sinne to be auoided If we would profit by Gods word wee must look to our owne words c. Euill speaking generally taken comprehends all the faults of the tongue in speaking and so it is true that a man can neuer be soundly profited by the word till he makes conscience of euil words as well as euill works But I think it is taken more restrainedly heer There are many kindes of euill speaking that are to be auoided Lying is euill speaking and it is true that he who is false to man will neuer be true to God But I think Lying is not heer meant Flattering is euill speaking for he that praiseth his friend with a loud voice it shall bee counted to him as a curse It is a curse to be troubled with a flatterer and it is a kinde of cursed speaking To flatter But I think this is not meant heer neither But I think the sinnes heer meant are Backbiting judging slandering and complaining one of another and all bitternesse of speech between man and man These hinder charity and prouoke God and let the growth of piety in the harts and liues of men And therefore these kindes of euill speaking should be detested of Christians and altogether laid aside These sins as they are hatefull in themselues and in the least degree or in any kinde so Euill speaking is made more vile in the aggrauations of it It is euill to speake euill any way or of any But it is much more vile First when we speak euill of the absent that cannot defend them selues Backbiting is a hatefull degree of euill speaking 2. Cor. 12.10 Psal. 140.11 Secondly when wee speake euill of such as God hath humbled or afflicted Leuit. 19.14 Obad. 12. Prou. 26.28 Thirdly when wee shall speake euill of such as are in authoritie Eccles. 10. vlt. Iud. 8. Leuit. 19. Fourthly when we speak euill of the godly especially before the wicked or for things indifferent or without cause Iames 4.9 Rom. 14. Psal. 31.18 or for lesser failings Math. 7 1.2 but especially their good conuersation 1. Pet. 3.16 Fiftly When wee speake euill of our professed friends Psal. 5.6.13 Lament 1.2 Sixtly when wee speak euill of Gods messengers taxing their persons as their cariage especially when they labour

His righteousnes is not intended for the praises of men for his praise is of God Rom. 2.26 Hee doth not his work to bee seen of men Mat. 6.1 c. He had rather be righteous than seem so Secondly in the parts of it The Pharises righteousnes is outward his is inward also The very thoughts of the righteous are right Pro. 12.5 Hee striues to get a clean heart as well as clean hands and is as well grieued for euill thoughts and lusts and desires within as for euill words or works wheras the Pharise is but like a painted sepulchre all full of rottennesse and filth within his soule desires euill when hee dares not practise it in his life Pro. 21.10 Again the Pharise makes conscience of great commandements but not of the least Hee refrains whoredome murder periurie swearing by God sacrilege c. but makes no conscience of filthy-speaking anger swearing by that which is not God or by lesser oaths deceit couetousnes or the like whereas a righteous man indeed makes conscience euen of the least commandements Mat. 5.19 20. Again a Pharise may bee good abroad but is not vsually so at home but he that is truely righteous is so at home as well as abroad hee becomes a good husband master father friend c. as well as a good man Finally the righteous man hath respect to all God's Commandements whereas the Pharise in some one or other of the Commandements liues in the breach of it wilfully and without desire of reformation some in couetousnes and extortion some in lust and filthinesse Thirdly in the degrees or measure of righteousnes The Pharise is carefull of some few works of which hee seeks glory but the righteousnes of the iust man is as the waues of the sea he is industrious to increase in all well-doing and to bee filled with the fruits of righteousnes euery day Esay 48.18 Fourthly in the continuance of righteousnesse The iust man doth righteousnes at all times Psalm 106.2 Luke 1.75 His desire is for euer to bee imployed in good works whereas the Pharises righteousnes is but by fits and as the morning deaw and if trouble come for righteousnes he fals away and forsakes his righteousnes c. And thus of the vse for triall Vse 2. Secondly the excellent liuing of such as liue righteously may greatly reproue such as cannot bee stirred with these things to a conscionable care of forsaking their sinnes and of liuing righteously Quest. What should be the cause that such men as heare so much of the excellent estate of righteous men are not perswaded to conuert and embrace that kinde of life Ans. The cause is diuerse in diuers men as First in some it is long of certain corruptions that discouer themselues about the hearing of the doctrine of righteousnes for either mens hearts are like a beaten path in the high-way that the sound of doctrine cannot enter into their vnderstanding Mat. 13. Or else they vnderstand not with application to themselues but think onely how the doctrine may fit others Luke 13.1 2. Or else they meet with some hard condition that they are not willing to obserue as the rich young Pharise did or some other harsh doctrine as they account it which doth so vex and offend them that they fall clean off from the respect of Christ and holinesse as Iohn 6.59 66. Or else they haue some vile opinions that let them in the time of hearing as to think that one is not bound to doo as the rules of Scripture doo require or that if one bee not a grosse offender God will not impute lesse faults contrary to our Sauiour's doctrine Mat. 5.18 19 20. Or else their hearts break that is they let the doctrine run out and neuer think of it when they are gotten out of the Church Heb. 2.1 Or else they haue resisted the light of the truth so long that God hath now deliuered them ouer to a spirit of slumber lest they should conuert and hee should heale them Math. 13.15 16. Esay 6.10 Secondly in some the world is the cause of it For either they are entangled with the examples of the multitude especially of the wise Ones and great Ones of the world 1. Cor. 1.26 27 28. Or else they are affrighted with the euill reports with which the good way of God is disgraced in the world Acts 28.22 Or else they are insnared with respect of their carnall friends they are loth to displease father or mother or sisters or brothers or any they haue great hopes from or dependance vpon Math. 10.35 37. 1. Pet. 4.2 Or else they haue so much busines to doe and so many cares about their worldly affaires they cannot bee at leisure so long as to think they cannot bring their liues into order Mat. 13.22 Luke 17. Or else they liue at hearts-ease and prosper in their estate and so desire not to alter their course of life so their prosperity destroies them Prou. 1.32 Thirdly in some men the cause is the lust after some particular wickednes of life in which they liue either secretly or openly which sinne is the very Idol of their hearts and hinders a good resolution Fourthly in some the cause is conceitednes they are pure in their owne eies and yet are not clensed they rest in the outward profession of religion and the feare of godlines and regard not the sound power of it in their liues Lastly in all vnregenerate men there are three causes why they are not perswaded to a religious life First the one is the forgetfulnes of their death therfore their filthines is stil in their skirts because they remember not their latter end Lament 1.9 Secondly the other is that they are dead in sinne What should hinder the conuersion of multitudes at once but that wee preach to congregations of dead men Thirdly the diuell works effectually in all the children of disobedience striuing to hide the Gospell from them and the glory of a righteous life that so they might perish 1. Cor. 4.4 And thus of the second vse Vse 3. Thirdly such as consent to obey and feele themselues raised from death to life and are now desirous to spend their daies in a religious and righteous course of life must obserue all such rules as may further them and establish them in an orderly fruitfull conuersation He that would liue in righteousnes must think on these directions following as the very gates of righteousnes First he must giue ouer al needless conuersation with vaine persons and prophane men hee must shun their company as hee would such as haue the plague running vpon them hee must not come neere them as is vrged Prou. 14.15 For what fellowship can bee betweene righteousnes and vnrighteousnes 2. Cor. 6.14 Depart from me ye euil doers saith Dauid for I will keepe the commandements of my God Psal. 119.115 Secondly Hee must redeeme time Hee must buy time from his worldly occasions and settle