No Knot of Friendship long can hold

Save that which Grace hath ty’d,

For other causes prove but cold

VVhen their effects are try’d;

For God who loveth unity

Doth cause the onely union,

Which makes them of one Family

Of one mind and communion.

Commocions will be in that place,

VVhere are such contraries,

As is inniquity and grace,

The greatest enimies,

Whom sin doth rule shee doth command

To hold stiff opposicion

Gainst grace and all the faithfull band

Which are in her tuision.

This is the cause of home debates,

And much domestick woes,

That one may find his houshold mates

To be his greatest foes,

That with the Wolfe the Lamb may ’bide

As free from molestacion,

As Saints with sinners, who reside

In the same habitacion.

By reason of the Enmity

Between the womans Seed

And mans infernall enimy,

The Serpent and his breed,

The link of consanguinity

Could hold true friendship never,

Neither hath neare affinity

United freinds for ever.

For scoffing Ishmael will scorn

His onely true born brother:

Rebeckahs sonns together born

Contend with one another,

No bond of nature is so strong

To cause their hearts to tarry

In unity, who do belong

To masters so contrary.

The wicked ordinarily

Gods dearest children hate,

And therfore seek (though groundlesly)

Their credits to abate,

And though their words and works do show

No colour of offences

Yet are their hearts most (they trow)

For all their good pretences.

And those that strongest grace attain,

Whereby sin is vanquished,

By Sathan and his cursed train

Are most contraried;

Because by such the Serpent feeles,

His head to be most bruised,

He turnes and catches at their heeles,

By whom he is so used.

His agents he doth instigate,

To vex, oppose, and fret,

To slander and calumniate,

Those that have scap’t his net,

Who servants are so diligent,

That like to Kain their father

They whose works are most excellent

They mischiefe will the rather.

Yet there are of the gracelesse crew

Who for some private ends

Have sided with prefessors tru

As trusty pious friends,

But to the times of worldly peace

Their friendship was confined.

Which when some crosses caus’d to cease

The thred of league untwined.

Such friends unto the Swallow may

Be fitly likened,

Who all the plesant Summer stay

But are in Winter fled:

They cannot ’bide their freind to see,

In any kind of trouble,

So pittyfull (forsooth) they bee

That have the art to double.

Such will be any thing for one

Who hath of nothing need,

Their freindship stands in word alone,

And none at all in deed,

How open mouth’d so e’re they are,

They bee as closely handed,

Who will (they know) their service spare,

They’re his to be commanded.

Therefore let no true hearted one

Reliefe at need expect,

From opposits to vertue known,

Who can him not afect:

For his internall ornaments,

Will ever lovely make him

Though all things pleasing outward sence

Should utterly forsake him.

In choise of Freinds let such therefore

Prefer the godly wise,

To whom he may impart the store

That in his bosome lies:

And let him not perniciously

Communicate his favours,

To all alike indifferently,

Which shewes a mind that wavers.

Gods children to each other should

Most open hearted bee;

Who by the same precepts are rul’d,

And in one Faith agree,

VVho shall in true felicity,

Where nothing shall offend them

Together dwell eternally,

To which I do commend them.