Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
friend_n	let_v	peter_n	preposterous_a	10	3	16.0993	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64251	Peter his repentance shewing, among other things, these two points for edification I. what weakenes remaines in Gods owne children, especially in times of triall and danger, and to, what little cause they have to trust their hearts, or be confident of themselves, but get to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. II. what is the power of Gods grace and covenant, for renewing His children by repentance, and so, what encouragement they have to return after every fall, and goe on in their course of watchfulnesse, humiliation, prayer, and magnifying of Jesus Christ / by Dr. Thomas Taylor.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1653 (1653)	Wing T569; ESTC R20311	101,739	76

suffer with him nor for him yet forward he will goe 2. Christ had said to his Apprehenders let these go away yet Peter will not goe 3. Christ had commanded them all to watch and pray because temptation was at hand 4. Had particularly told Peter what would be the event if he did follow him for had Peter beene with the other Disciples or hid himselfe from the Tempter he had no more denyed his Lord then they 5. By a speciall providence Peter found the doore of the high Priest shut against him which should have beene a warning to him and not idly passed by for when God casts a stop or bar in every way to hinder us in acting any evill we should apprehend it as a part of his gracious providence and stop our sinnes But Peter will not from the doore till he get in he is hankering about to see what will become of Christ he hath a love to his Master and is unwilling to leave him his zeale is not yet extinct but rash and inconsiderate he was greatly bound to his Master and holdeth it laudable not to leave such a friend in distresse though he could not helpe him yet would shew duty he seemeth mindfull of his promise also though all men forsake him yet would not he and therefore to the high Priests house he will with another Disciple as John 18. 15 16. whom some thinke to be John who useth in his story so to speak of himselfe suppressing his name but it is not likely that John so poore a Fisherman and Disciple of Christ was so well acquainted with the high Priest but whosoever he was he was a friend of Christ and his Apostles and being known to the high Priest was let in but Peter unknown was kept out till his friend pitying his standing in the cold entreated the Maid that kept the door to let in Peter Thus Peter with much adoe and importunity of his friend gets into the thicket of temptation his friend hath besped him into that place which Christ forewarned him to avoid which is another argument I thinke him not to be John who having heard his forewarne to Peter in likelyhood would rather have diswaded him from his purpose then been an Author in it or if it were he and did not he were blameworthy and greatly sinned Vse 1. He that would avoyd sin must carefully avoyd occasions which are the stronger because of our owne naturall inclination to evill Joseph fled from his Mistresses company and so kept himselfe pure Gen. 32. 10. it was his wisdome not onely to avoyd her filthy desire but her uncleane company The Lord himselfe is carefull to remove occasions of sinning from his People Exod. 13. 17. carrying them through the Wildernesse would not let them passe by the Philistines and see War least they should start back and sin against him And our Lord Jesus would have prevented this occasion in Peter by forewarning him of it he that would not be burnt must not touch fire or goe upon coales stand not upon thine own strength where thou seest so great a Cedar to fall as Peter thou canst not avoyd drunkennesse adultery prophannesse if thou runnest into drunken harlotry and prophane Persons and places beware of evill company consider thy weaknesse and their power to seduce Travellers to see fashions in idolatrous Countryes do therein seeke temptations and by the just judgement of God for wantonnesse find Apostacy returning corrupt in Doctrine Manners or both Prov. 21. 27. He that seekes danger shall fall into it Vse 2. He that would avoyd occasion of sinne must hold himselfe to Gods commandement and within the limits of his owne calling which if Peter had done he had not fallen so fouly Christ had expressed his will and pleasure that he should not have so much as deliberated on it much lesse resolved against it but he forgetteth the word and commandement of Christ and so falleth into sin If Eve had remembred the word of God and kept her to the commandement neither the beauty of the Apple nor the subtill perswasion of Satan had allured her away If Saul had kept him to the word of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 3. neither sparing of Agag nor the fat Sheep or Oxen had drawne him into that disobedience which was worse then witchcraft the word teacheth wisdome to avoyd snars of sin but if a man cast away the Word of the Lord what wisdome can be in him keepe to the word and buckle this Sword to thee which onely can cut the Sinewes of sin and temptation Vse 3. Peter should have looked to his Calling he was not now called to suffer the time was not yet John 13. 36. Besides he had not received strength and gifts fit for it if he shall now come to temptation he can do nothing but deny his Lord and shame himselfe seeing Christ had foretold him A Christian cannot doe a more honourable worke then suffer for Jesus Christ which is more then to beleeve in him but if it be not the will of God 1 Pet. 3. 17. or if thou beest not called to suffer if he forewarne thee with Peter that thou art not able to suffer the crosse or fire do not suffer Quest. What must I doe must I yeild to Idolatry Answ. No but step aside as Peter was commanded watch and pray and get strength and then come forth if thou hast tryed thy strength and findest it not sufficient to suffer the brunt this is a sure warning from Heaven thou must not put forth thy selfe to suffer the farther thou goest with more shame shalt thou flye back If we must have a calling to suffer for Christ much more look we have a calling to other inferior duties else running out of thy calling thou runnest into danger thou hast no promise to be kept further then thou art in thy way a good duty not warranted by thy Calling is sin to thee though commended in another every man must abide in his Calling and so maintaine Gods order Note againe nature is an ill guide mans owne wisedome deceives himselfe sometimes with shew of good and runs into infinite errors as Peter must follow his Master and who would thinke him blameworthy in shewing his love and affection to his Lord and in minding his promise that he would not leave him if al men should but all was but carnall wisdom he should have beleeved his Lord and Master and relyed upon his counsell not by too much prefidence thrust himselfe into danger and surely as the pride of humane wisedome is great so Satans cunning more prevailes to carry us away with shewes of good then he can in evill is it not a good thing to become like God and if Eve will eat the Apple she may is it not good to offer thousands of fat Sheepe and Bullocks to God in sacrifice if Saul will spare them alive he may doe it Is it not better and fitter one Vriah be

slaine then so great and godly a King stayned in his honour and reputed an Adulterer seldome can Satan draw on a great sinne without some false glasse or glosse we must therefore attend to the mouth of God walke in the paths of his wisedome and turn not aside for shewes remember Prov. 3. 5. trust to the Lord and leane not to thine owne wisedome and ver 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge the Lord and he will direct thy steps Vse 4. Lastly here is a notable rule to be observed in friendship examine the love thou shewest to thy friend by the love of God 1. Take heed thy love be subordinate to the love of God that if thou canst not please both thy friend be not pleased with Gods displeasure Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father and Mother better then me is not worthy of me nay he that hateth them not Luke 14. 26. so did not Peter he should first have loved Christ as his Lord and then as his friend had he done so he would have kept his word 2. Love the Word better then thy friend Peter should have stucke to the word and not to Christs Person 3. See thy love to thy friend be not preposterous that thy affection destroy him not here Peters friend helpes forward his sin though perhaps unawares The subtilty of Satan creepes into our friendship and fellowships that by our improvidence we instead of helping and loving them hurt them more then the Enemies could doe We must pray for wisedome and judgement that neither willingly nor unawares we either councell or lead them into any sin or uphold any sin in them or hinder in them any good But contrarily become true friends to their Soules it is lamentable that a Father should discourage the Child the Husband the Wife c. from piety and religion or that they should abet evill or counsell or draw one another to ev●l as there is the greatest hatred so ordinarily it ends in most bitter hatred Warming himselfe by the Fire WEE have seene Peter gotten into the Hall of the high Priest What is he doing there she saw Peter warming himselfe Three of the Evangelists make mention of this circumstance John 18. 18. expresseth also his company the high Priests servants and officers stood c. who had made a fire of Coals for it was cold and they warmed themselves and Peter also stood among them and warmed himselfe Luke 22. 56. Peter sat by the fire and warmed himselfe We need take no notice of that small diversity one of the Evangelists says he stood another he sat warming himselfe both are true for in so long time he somtimes stood sometimes sat warming himselfe as they did Concerning the Company of Peter he found a great change instead of Christ and his Apostles teaching hearing conferring praying confirming one another against Temptations and provoking to the love of the Lord he is among a company of Rackshels and prophane Serving-men of the high Priest who are at busie against Christ as their Master and all their tongues and talke bent against Christ which was now the businesse in hand and Peter if he will be safe among them must frame himselfe unto them Had he beene in the Mountaine or in the Temple or in his owne House with his Master his exercise had bin otherwise but now he is in the Pretory of the Jewes and in the House of the high Priest where Christ indeed was but taken and bound and mockt accused and condemned no safe place to confesse the truth and what can he doe there but deny Note How soone even Gods children are corrupted with wicked Company even Peter a great and forward Disciple of Christ full of zeale and courage who will pray professe and immediately before draw the Sword in Christs quarrell within two or three houres afore with Christ and his fellow Disciples now can deny among persecutors Great is the force of wicked Company to pervert even a godly minde how easily was good Abraham brought to make a lye for his owne safety as Peter did here when he was in Gerar where the feare of God was not Gen. 20. 2. How easily a good man may be brought to Sweare through custome and continuance with evill persons see in godly Joseph who dwelt in Egypt and could swear by the life of Pharaoh Reason 1. A pronenesse in godly men to be withdrawne by evill Company as the body to be infected by a Pestilentiall ayre so the minde by the contagion of bad company it appeareth by the phrase Prov. 1. 15. When evill men entice thee c. withdraw thy foot from their path drawing backe the foot argues an inclination and propensity even in the Son of Wisdome to walke with them And Chap. 4. ver 14. advising to keepe the way of Wisdome as life it selfe as a meanes to hold in the right way he counselleth not to enter the way of wicked men nor walke in their way and to acquaint us with our owne inclination that way● marke his vehemency ver 15. Avoid it goe not by it turne from it passe by it What need so many repetitions if we were not prone to the lust of it Reas. 2. There is a bewitching focr● in evill company to draw even a good minde beyond his owne purpose and resolution Doe you thinke Peter had a purpose now to deny his Master whose purpose immediately before was so strong against it but now suddenly in other company he is another man Wherefore else did the Lord so earnestly charge his own People among whom he had done such marvailes as were not done in all the world Exod. 34. 10. to looke diligently to themselves to make no compact with the people of the Land least they should be brought to utter departing from God and to their most grosse Idolatry ver 12. 15. Numb 11. 4. that great sinne of Lusting so fearfully revenged was begun by some Strangers that came out of Egypt who fell a lusting and turned away and the children of Israel also lusted and hence it is as impossible for a man to be still in the Sun and not be ●and or touch Pitch and not be fouled as to be still in evill Company and not be evill Vse 1. For Gods Children to avoyd and separate themselves from sinners society the danger of infection leaves it not a thing indifferent for a man to choose any Company but as necessary to avoyd sinne it selfe so the company of sinners can there be true fellowship with God and his enemies too Motive 1. What agreement between darknesse and light and between righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse 2 Cor. 6. 16. what delight for a Sheep among a herd of Swine 2. Every mans company tels what he is a good man may be cast into evill company by occasion or improvidence as Peter and be none of them but as the company he affecteth and seeketh is so is he Ravens flocke together by companies so doe