Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	bind_v	conscience_n	law_n	2,669	5	5.5286	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60194	A learned commentary or exposition: upon the first chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Being the substance of many sermons formerly preached at Grayes-Inne, London, by that reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher to that honourable society. Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ. By Tho. Manton, B.D. and preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington, near London.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1655 (1655)	Wing S3738; ESTC R215702	745,441	567

sincere in the doing that which is good he will have a mind prepared to know all that is good to know the good he stands disposed to to know good and to learn by all good means therefore he hath a heart prepared with diligence to be informed in the use of means So far as a man is carelesse and negligent in coming to the means of knowledge and to be put in mind of good duties so far a man is an hypocrite and insincere Again in regard of good duties a true sincere Christian hath an universal respect to all that is good He desires to know all and when any thing is manifested to him he intends to practise all We are here in the presence of God saith Cornelius to practise all things that shall be taught us by God Act. 10. I will have respect to all thy Commandements Psal. 119. 6. one and another The ground of it is this Sincerity looks at God now God he commands one thing as well as another and therefore if a man do any thing that is good in conscience to God he must do one as well as another As S. James saith excellently to this purpose He that offends in one is guilty of all Because abstaining from one sin and doing one good for conscience he will do all for conscience if he be sincere Therefore it is true in Divinity a man that repents of one sin he repents of all if he repent of any sin as it is a sin because all sins are of one nature We must not single out what pleaseth us and leave what doth not please us this is to make our selves Gods The servant must not choose his work but take that work that his Master commands him therefore sincerity is tried in universal obedience Partial obedience is insincere obedience when a man saith This sin I must keep still Herein God be merciful to me This stands with my profit I must not leave this this sin I am affected to as we see in Saul This is insincerity it is as good as nothing to God-ward It may keep a man from shame in the world c. but to God it is nothing A man must have respect to all Gods Commandements it is not done to God else More particularly he that is sincere he will have regard of the main duties and he will have regard likewise of the lesser duties and especially of the lesser such as are not liable to the censure of men or to the censure and punishment of the Law for there a mans sincerity is most tryed In great duties there are great rewards great encouragements but for lesser duties there are lesser incouragements but if a man do them he must do them for conscience sake Therefore this is sincerity to practise good duties though they be lesser duties and though they be lesse esteemed in the world and lesse countenanced to practise them though they be discountenanced by the Devil and by great ones yet to practise them because they be good And to love good things that the World cares not for because they be good The practice of private prayer morning and evening it is a thing we are not expresly bound to but as conscience binds us therefore if a man be sincere he will make conscience of that as well as any other duty because God bids us pray alway So to fear an oath for conscience sake not to swear common or lighter oathes for I count him not worthy the name of a Christian that is an ordinary swearer but lighter oathes a Christian makes conscience of because he looks to God Now God looks to little sins as well as to great and there is no sin little indeed that toucheth the Majestie of God The practice of all duties therefore is a notable evidence of sincerity Herod did many things but he had a Herodias that spoyled all And so if thou obey in many things and not in all thou hast a Herodias a main sin alas all is to no purpose thou art an hypocrite Again for good things one that is sincere in respect to God he is uniform in his obedience that is he doth all that is good 2nd he doth it in one place as well as another and at one time as well as another he doth it not by starts Therefore there is constancy required in sincerity where sincerity is there is constancy to do it in all times in all places Or else it is but a humour it is not sincerity when a man doth it but in good moods as we say Therefore a man that is sincere he makes conscience of private duties as well as of publick of personal duties between God and his own soul as well as of the duties that the world takes notice of in one place as well as another He is holy not onely in the Church but in his closet not onely in his calling as he is a Christian but when he is about his particular businesse He considers he is in the presence of God in every place at all times Saint Paul every where laboured to have a good conversation when he was at the Bar he remembred where he was and he laboured to convert others in the prison he converted Onesimus when he had his liberty he spread the Gospel every where So in all places he was uniform like himself which shewed that he had a good conscience And therefore he doth not say I doe now and then a good action but my course of life My conversation is in sincerity So there must be sincerity in our walking our whole conversation Thus we see in good actions how to try our sincerity A sincere man in the very performance of good duties he is humble because he doth all things in the eye of God he doth it in sincerity with humility he doth all good with reverence because he doth it to God Humility and reverence it is a qualification of sincerity because whatsoever we do we do it in the eye of God therefore we are reverent in our very secret devotions in our closets We carry our selves reverently because when no eye seeth us the eye of heaven seeth us in one place as well as another A sincere Christian is a reverent and humble Christian and this reverence accompanies all his good actions And when he hath done all a sincere Christian that doth them to God he is humble and then he is thankfull for he knowes that he hath not done it by his owne strength but by God and therefore God hath the glory He is humble because they are mixed with some infirmities of his A sincere Christian is alway humble having an eye to God though to the eye of the world he hath done excellent well yet he knowes that God seeth as he seeth he seeth some defects God seeth more and that humbleth him As we see David 1. Chron. 29. 14. saith he Who am I or who is this people that

me so you will judge of me to the end Why hath S. Paul such a trust of them as of himself Among many reasons this is one He knew that where God had begun a good work he would finish it he saw that he had begun a good work in them and therefore he knew that he would go on with it And then again God planted in him a good hope and trust of them because hope and trust stirre up indeavour to the thing hoped for Desperation doth quell all courage and cool all endeavour Now God because he would have us constant in our carriage and in the expressions of our love to other men he stirres up in us a trust that all shall be well with them Likewise S. Paul sets down his hope that God had put into his heart of them for his own comfort for it is a great comfort to a Minister or to a Christian when he is to deal with such as he trusts are good and will be good it is a heaven upon earth and therefore God doth plant good conceits of other men in us for this end partly to stirre up our endeavour to do all good to them and partly to comfort us For if the finall estate of any man were discovered to us that God had no delight in them concerning their salvation who would do any service of love for them or who would have comfort in conversing with them But when God stirs up in our hearts a good opinion of them partly it is good for them to stirre up our endeavour to do all good for them and it is good for us it is a great comfort And again it was an encouragement to them when they heard of Saint Paul's trust of them to the end that they should continue as they were For to have a good conceit and opinion of another man especially the good conceit of a Pastor it is a great encouragement And the best Christians in the world have need of it oft-times Besides the judgement of themselves which is sometimes shaken by Satan that they give a false witnesse of their own estate Oh it is comfortable that a man have the judgment of a man that looks without passion and temptation on him you have been thus and my trust and confidence is in God and the promise of God looking to your former course that you will be so to the end he gives not a false witnesse Saint Paul speaks thus to stirre up his own endeavour to do good to them and to comfort them that so great an Apostle should have so good an opinion of them Therefore let us labour I say to entertain as good a conceit of them among whom we live as their carriage will bear Two things usually are the object of our hope and trust while men are here before their estate be determined of in hell God may have mercy on them and deliver them out of the snares of Satan that hope should stirre up some endeavour to pray for them seeing their estates are not desperate they are not yet sunk into Hell Or else if we see them in the state of grace we should expresse our love in the services and offices of love because God hath already set his stamp on them There is no man living but we may trust and hope of him one way or other Those that we see no grace in as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2. we may have patience towards them seeing if at any time God will have mercy on them to deliver them out of the snare of the Devil It is not good to cast off all conceit and all hope of any man living the worst sign is when we see men malicious and oppose known truths because it comes near the sin against the Holy Ghost but because we may erre in that it is good to take the safest way But where we see evidences of grace though in never so little a measure let us entertain and cherish a good hope because it will cherish that which we are all bound to to love one another We are bound to love one another and to shew all the offices of love now that which stirres up love and all the offices of love is Hope Faith works by Hope as well as by Love Faith works by Love in all duties and it works by Hope in this duty if we hope that God will have mercy on them that will stirre up our endeavour but we are not much in this errour we are rather ready to conceit over-well then too ill of men I trust you shall acknowledge to the end Saint Paul here besides his good conceit of them to the end doth imply his own resolution and purpose to hold on in good courses to the end My trust in Gods grace is that you shall acknowledge to the end what I have written to you of mine own courses As if he had said I am Paul now and you shall find me Paul hereafter you shall find me alwaies an honest man like my self for as he whom I have trusted is yesterday to day to morrow and the same for ever so likewise by Gods grace I hope to be the same that I have been I hope I shall be like my self The grounds of S. Paul's trust that he should be so is partly the act it self together with the endeavour I trust I shall be so to the end because I trust in God to the end and God is good to them that trust in him how often is it repeated in the Psalmes He is the God of them that trust in him he is a Sun and a shield he is all that is good and he keeps away all evil All the promises are entailed to trusting in God Now because I have confidence in it that God will do so I stirre up my endeavour to shew that it is not a presumptuous trust I trust in him that will perform the conditions of the Covenant which is made to them that honour him by trusting in him Saint Paul knew what God had done he knew that he that had bestowed the first fruits he would make up the harvest he knew that he that had laid the first stone he would set up the roof he knew that God had begun a good work in him by experience and that he would finish his own work that he knew by former experience And then he knew the promises of God the promises of the Covenant Many such grounds Saint Paul had to bear him up that he should continue to the end in a course of simplicity and sincerity and in the grace of God But withall Saint Paul did adde a holy and heavenly course to come to this end together with his trust What course did Saint Paul take Saint Paul that he might hold out constantly in holy resolutions to the end First he did judiciously consider what might hinder him between that and the end of his race and course he balanced all things

When a man is without grace he goes lumpishly and heavily about the service of God he is drawen and forced to prayer and to hearing and to conference and meditation he is dead and dull and frozen to good works but when a man hath received this sweet anointing of the Spirit his heart is enlarged to all duties whatsoever he is prepared to every good work Again oyl makes chearefull so doth grace it makes chearful in adversity chearfull in death chearful in those things that dismay the spirits of other men so much grace so much joy for even as light and heat follow the fire so the spirit of joy doth follow this spiritual anointing Conscience of the interest he hath in the favour of God in Christ and the evidences of grace stamped upon his heart an assurance of a better estate in the world to come wonderfully enlarge the soul with spiritual joy that which makes a man lumpish and heavy and earthly is not the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is a Spirit of joy and it puts a gracious chearfulnesse in the heart of a Christian if there be mourning it is that it may be more chearful for light is sowen to the righteous sometimes in mourning God loves a chearful giver and a chearful thanksgiver all must be sweetened with chearfulnesse now this comes from the Spirit of God and he that is anointed with the Spirit in some measure partakes of spiritual joy and chearfulnesse Againe ointment you know is of a healing nature as Balme and other sweet ointments have a healing power and vertue the Scripture makes mention of the Balme of Gilead so grace hath a healing power repentance that is of a purging spiritual joy of a healing nature there must you know be first a cleansing and then a healing and strengthening so some graces are purgative and cleansing some againe are strengthening and healing repentance is a good purgation it carries away the malignant and evill matter but the Cordial that strengthens the soul is joy The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8. and so the grace of faith and love tend to cherrish and corroborate the soul so that I say these graces this Balme of the Spirit hath a special Soveraign power to heale us to heale us both from the guilt of sin and from the dominion and rule and filthy stain of sin it hath both a purging and a Cordial vertue Thus you see that upon good grounds the graces of Gods Spirit that he communicates to the Elect and only to them that are in Christ they are called anointing and they will have the effect of an ointment in us if we receive this anointing Let us therefore try our selves by these whether we be anointed or no what chearfulnesse is there what joy what strength what nimblenesse to that which is good what soveraignty hath grace in our hearts you have a company that professe Religion but make it serve their owne turne that make heaven to come under earth that make the service of God to stoop to other ends Beloved grace it is a superiour thing and Religion makes all subordinate Grace and Religion wheresoever it is in truth is of a ruling nature and so it is sweet and it is strong wheresoever it is it is curing and purging and cleansing wheresoever it is therefore I beseech you let us not deceive our selves I need say no more of the Point you may enlarge it in your own meditations I come to the persons As this anointing hath reference to the ointment so it hath relation to the persons that were anointed Now the persons anointed were first dedicated by anointing they were consecrated to God and separated from the world And as they were dedicated and separated so they were dignified by this anointing it raised them above the common condition And likewise with this anointing God gave them qualifications suitable You have three eminent persons that were anointed and so raised above the common condition of other men Prophets to teach the people Priests to offer sacrifice Kings to govern them Now Christ is principally all these He is the principal Prophet of his Church the Angel of the Covenant He is Logos the Word because as the inward word the mind of a man is known by the outward word so Christ is called the Word because as a Prophet he discovers his Fathers mind and makes known his Fathers will unto us And he is the great high Priest he makes atonement between God and us he stands between his Father and us And he is the great King of his Church that rescues it from all its enemies to protect and defend it But as Christ hath received this anointing primarily and above his fellows yet as I said before he hath received it for his fellows Every Christian hath his anointing from Christs anointing all our graces and all our oyatment is derived from him He saith the Appostle Rev. 1. hath loved us and washed us in his blood he loved us first which is the cause of all and then he washed us in his blood he did not onely shed his blood for us but he washed us in his blood he hath applied his blood to our souls and by applying that and sprinkling it upon our souls he hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father And indeed the great King of heaven and earth he is and will be attended upon by none but Kings and Priests he hath no servants but such as are anointed he is followed of none but eminent persons such as are separated from the world and dignified above all other people for the glory of his followers tends to his honour therefore those whom God chuseth to be his atendants he qualifies them gives them the hearts of Kings royal qualifications and the hearts of Priests and the hearts of Prophets But this in the general To shew it therefore in particulars A Christian is anointed he is a person severed from the world dedicated to God and dignified above others and that from good reason because God hath given him an inward qualification which is the foundation of all And first he is a true Prophet for he hath received the anointing of the Spirit 1 Joh. 2. whereby he is enabled to discern of things he knowes what is true honour to be the child of God he knowes what is true riches Grace he knowes what is true Nobility to be born of God what is true pleasure Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost he can discern between seeming and reall things and onely he that hath received this anointing of the Spirit And again as a Prophet he knowes not onely the things but the doing of the things he hath with the anointing of the Spirit ability to do that which he knowes the grace of God teacheth him not onely the duty that he should live justly and soberly and godly but teacheth him to do the things for God writes his Lawes in