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	law_n	sin_n	1,412	5	5.0269	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41120	Practicall divinitie: or, gospel-light shining forth in severall choyce sermons, on divers texts of scripture Viz. 1. The misery of earthly thoughts, on Isa. 55. 7. 2. A sermon of self-denial, on Luke 9. 23. 3. The efficacie of importunate prayer in two sermons on Collos. 1. 10. 5. A caveat against late repentance, on Luke 23. 24. 6. The soveraign vertue of the Gospel, on Psal. 147. 3 7 A funeral sermon, on Isa. 57. 1. Preached by that laborious and faithfull messenger of Christ, William Fenner, sometimes fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late minister of Rochford in Essex.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.	1647 (1647)	Wing F693; ESTC R222658	119,973	322

other businesse it is not good to trust fits of devotion 't is a base kind of praying when men gallop over their praiers that so they may come to an end quickly Should I accept this at your hands saith God by his Prophet when they brought a sheep it wanted a lim they were loth to give God a whole offering Mal. 1. 13. Many pray a peece of a praier in the morning and then they go after the world he down's on his knees and gives God a rag of a praier a companie of ragged ends And God counts it an indignitie shall I accept this saith he What a lame praier No no the Lord looks for a prayer that hath its full growth it is a shame to speak in the congregation what men do in secret before God which many have confessed after they have been converted how they have gone into Gods presence and have shuffled over their praiers thinking every houre seven untill they had done Fourthly Silent praiers are never importunate I mean by silent praier when a man is silent in that which God looks he should most insist upon David made a praier Psal 32. and the Lord looked that he should stand much upon his adulterie and murther which he had committed to see what shame he took on him for it but he shuffled it over and what saith the text When I kept silence what did the Prophet roare and yet keep silence these are contradictions Yea the Prophet roared and kept silence as if he should say the Lord counted his praier but roaring so long as he laid not open that sinne which the Lord lookt he should have stood on the Lord let him roare and roare he might long enough but saith he I brake my silence I said I will confesse my transgressions and then thou forgavest the wickednes of my sin So many go to God and tell God they must needs have mercie and fain they would have mercie and yet they are silent in confessing the sinne they should I say the Lord will never hear that man he may pray to God all his life and yet go to hel in the end Hast thou been a drunkard and dost thou think that the Lord will forgive thee for crying Lord forgive me c No no thou must insist on it and say Against thy word I have been a drunkard my conscience told me so but I would not heare I haue felt the motions of thy holy spirit stirring against me and I regarded not Now if thou shouldest turn me into hell I were well requited so many Sermons have I neglected I have wronged others in this kind and I have been the cause why many are now in hell if they repented not I have praied for mercie yet with the dog to his vomit have I returned and therefore for all my praiers thou maiest cast me into hell for ever and now I haue praid yet it is a hundred to one but I shall run into my old sin again yet as I expect forgivenesse so I desire to make a covenant to give over all my sinful courses and I am justly damned if I go to them again Such a kind of praier the Lord loves Fifthly Seldome praier is no importunate praier when the soul contents it self with seldome comming before the throne of grace an importunate soul is ever frequenting the way of mercie and the gate of Christ he is often at the threshold before God in all praier and humiliation The reeling'st Drunkard in the world sometimes can do so too the basest Adulterer in the world sometimes can be chaste the Devil is quiet so long as he is pleased and the wicked may sometime have a fit in praier But this is the condition of an importunate heart he is frequent at the throne of grace The Propher David praied seven times in a day and Hannah continued in praier night and day Sixthly Lukewarm praier is not an importunate praier when a man praies but is not fervent when a man labours not to winde up his soul to God in praier That man that praies outwardly only that man teaches God how to denie his praier Though you make many praiers saith God yet I will not hear you why Your hands are full of blood Qui frigidè orat docet negare They are like luke-warme water that never boils out the blood So they have been guiltie of murder and abundance of other sinnes and they did indeed pray against them but they were never but luke-warme they never boiled away the blood of their sins Thou must pray fervently with a seething-hot heart if thou meanest to get pardon for all thy sinnes as securitie and deadnesse of heart c. And as it is Jonah 3. let every man crie mightily unto the Lord. Seventhly and lastly Bie-thoughts in praier keep praier from being importunate as when a man praies and let his heart go a wooll-gathering I remember a storie of an unworthy Oratour who being to make an acclamation O earth O heaven when he said O heaven he looked down to the earth and when he said O earth he looked up to heaven So many when they pray to God in heaven their thoughts are on the earth these praiers can never be importunate When a man praies the Lord looks that his heart should be fixed on his praier for our hearts will leake and the best child of God do what he can shall have bie-thoughts in praier And that First from corrupt nature Secondly from nature curbed Thirdly from Sathan Fourthly from a mans own sluggishnesse For the first The best children of God have corrupt natures and when they have done what they can distractions will fasten on them They would performe good duties better if they were able saying with Paul The good which I would I do not c. Secondly from Nature as it is curbed The more grace binds nature to its good behaviour the more rustling it keeps Even as a Bird being at libertie keeps no stir but being in a cage it flutters about because it is abridged of its libertie so when thou hast curbed thy corrupt flesh it will be skittish in every good dutie thou goest about and hence it is that the Apostle useth this phrase viz. I find another law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind c. When grace curbs the law of sinne then nature rebels Thirdly from Satan as in Job Satan stands at his right hand as a Plaintiffe as Aegidius compares it which puts in all Cases to hinder the Defendant Even so the Devil puts in all bie-thoughts that he can devise to hinder a mans suit for going on before the throne of grace But thou must do as Araham did when he was sacrificing when the birds came he drave them away so must thou do by they bie-thoughts if thou wilt have fruit of thy supplications before God Fourthly they come from spiritual sluggishnesse that creeps on the best if they take not heed And this was

walk worthy of God then we adde humiliation to every dutie we doe to God It is true all our prayers are not accepted unlesse they be worthy our receiving the Sacrament is cursed in Gods sight unlesse it be done worthily but yet not as if there were any inherent righteousnes in man no no. Luk 6. 6. I am not worthy that is I think not my self worthy Here is the worthines of all our wages if we pray in faith and adde humiliation to our prayers we must obey God and adde humiliation thereunto we must adde unto every good duty humiliation so that if we be worthy we are the more humbled This is a dutie as of great moment it is such a dutie as if we walk not worthy of God in humiliation we are not capable of the gospel nor pardon of sinne if we be not content to be ruled by Christ If the house be worthy let your peace abide upon it Mat. 10. 11. The peace of Gods Ministers is peace to the conscience and the conscience is at peace if sinne be pardoned So that if this place this congregation be not worthy that they should have pardon of sin preached they are not capable of it The world must be pulled down self-will and self-lust must be lamed and mortified to do as the Lord will have it that man is not capable of the gospel that will not be ruled by it In the second place let us consider If we walk not worthy of God we walk worthy of somewhat else if not of God then of hell vengeance and condemnation Let us assure our selves of whatsoever we walk worthy that we shall have I speak not of worth of proportion Let a man be ignorant if he be thought worthy of hell then to hell he shall go none shall go to hell but those that are unworthy of heaven and none shall go to heaven but those that have the tokens of heaven about them Fill her with blood saith God Rev. 15. 6. as she was worthy of blood so God would give her blood her belly-full so when men walk on in their sinfull courses as they are worthy so shall they have Secondly You are guilty of Christ if you walk not worthy of Christ It is a damnable thing for a man to be thought or found guilty of perjurie but to be thought or found guilty of Christ this is the greatest of all Beloved you are guilty of Christ if you walk not worthy of Christ see it in one branch of a Christians walk If a man receive the Sacrament unworthily he is guilty of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 27. If a man walk unworthily in any one dutie he is guilty of Christ and the death of Christ shall be laid upon him Oh what then will become of them who walk unworthily in all the duties of Christianitie Judas betrayed Christ and thou art guilty Pilate condemned him and thou art guilty so c. His blood lies on thy soul and thou shalt answer for it if thou get not into Christ Thus you see if we walk not worthy in one dutie we are guilty if all Thirdly If you walk not worthy of Christ you shall be condemned the sentence of condemnation is on you for ever He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh his own damnation and this is but one branch So he that prayes or professeth the name of Christ unworthily what ever duty it be if a man labour not to do it sutable to God it is his damnation That prisoner is unworthy of a pardon that will not stand to the conditions of his pardon and be ruled by the Judge Even so you that will not walk holily according to the conditions of the gospel you are not worthy of pardon and you shall never enjoy it for the Lord knows beforehand who are worthy walkers before him Hath God children here and vvould they be so accounted Let them vvalk worthy of God let their light shine c. let them labour to quit the cost that God hath been at vvalk vvith Christ in all thy vvaies for this is to vvalk vvorthy of God in all pleasing Let this suffice for Exhortation THE NECESSITIE OF GOSPEL OBEDIENCE The second Sermon BY That laborious and faithfull Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex THE NECESSITIE OF Gospel-Obedience COLOSS. 1. 10. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull unto every good work THe Apostle having delivered unto us the sundry duties of walking worthy of God concerning which we have spoken he comes now to amplifie it and that he doth these two wayes First generally unto all pleasing Secondly particularly in the sundry duties wherein we are to please God namely to walk worthy and then to be fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God unto all pleasing as it is in the Original Some would have all pleasing to be meant of pleasing all men but this were a sin for if a man will be a man-pleaser he cannot please God What then doth the Apostle exhort us unto to sin God forbid Would he have us strive to please all men this were but flatterie No no there is no such matter in the Original it is not the adjective in all pleasing that is pleasing to all but in the substantive unto all-pleasing that is unto all manner of pleasing Labour to walk so according to the gospel being directed in all your wayes according to the light thereof that so you may please God in all things It hath reference to the walking worthy of the Lord that is in all manner of pleasing to the Lord. And this is not impossible First because God is not a rigorous God but kind loving and amiable full of compassion and kindnesse a God easie to please There be some men that a man cannot please they are so captious and so ful of exceptions and so humorous that a man can never please them but God is a kinde God full of compassion abundant in goodnesse and truth and therefore 't is possible for a man to please God True it is if God should require obedience in rigour holinesse in rigour c. if he should do thus then it were impossible to please him then he must have othergates servants then we but the Lord deals in easie terms he demands obedience according to the gospel When a mans wayes please the Lord saith the wise man Prov. 16. 7. where we may note that it is possible for a man so to walk as that his wayes may please God Secondly as God is not a rigorous God so there is a way to walk wherein we may please him and that is the way of sincere walking It was Gods advice to Abraham Gen. 17. I. We must be faithfull in our calling see it in David I will magnifie God with thanksgiving and this also shall please the Lord c. Psal 69. 31. To

cannot for shame break out into unsavory speeches and at another time and in another place endure any ungodlinesse this is not to please God but rather the contrary No no it is not limited to time not place we must please God not onely in prayer time but also when prayer is ended not in Sermon time only but when the Sermon is ended also Labour therefore to please God at all times not on Sundayes only but on the week dayes also many will read on the Sabbath but never else but this is a duty to be performed at all times 't is not as hearing that cannot be performed alwayes no it is a generall duty Aristotles Universals and Psal 116. 5. I will walk before the Lord c. Placebo Dominum will please the Lord in the land of the living This contains the summe of all Religion Obj. The largenesse of it appears in this that it is in all things 't is larger then the servants duty to please their masters yet servants must labour to please their masters in all things 2 Tit. 9. 9. But if servants must please their masters in all things then how can the duty of pleasing God be larger Sol. True it is servants must please their masters in all things i.e. in all that are commanded of God otherwise they may not for when the thing is forbidden by God 't is nothing but the privation of the thing Sinnes are privations an Idol is nothing all sinnes are as idols they are nothing 't is not an action bur the privation of the image of God that should be there and of agreeablenesse to the Word in all things that are not contrary to the Word the duty of pleasing man must be bounded within another but we must please God without limitation Fifthly it is large in that it is an everlasting duty it shall be a duty when other duties cease Prayer belief repentance weeping and mourning c. must cease when Gods children come to heaven they must pray no more fast no more no these duties must cease but this is must be a duty when they are dead and gone it is an everlasting duty it is that which we must carry to our graves yea into another world with us It is the fruit of all other duties we are tryed by prayer and hearing c. as by apprentiship that so we may learn this art of well-pleasing God if we have not learned this art we are not capable of entring into life so that in some sense it is above the commandements we will keep the commandements that we may please God this is the crown of all our obedience not as if it could be more but the pleasing of God in these is the upshot of all our obedience to God Sixthly It is large in that it is the whole duty of the new man only new men in Christ can please God unregenerate men cannot please God let them give alms c. yet if they be not new treatures they cannot please God let them do actions though never so good for manner or meaning yet they are worthlesse in the hand of an unregenerate man They that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. He speakes not of such as are married for Zacharie and Elizabeth were married and they pleased God but those that walk after the flesh as unregenerate unsanctified unpurified such as live in sin none of these can ever please God Thus you see it is the whole duty of the new man Fourthly as it is possible fit and large so it is a necessary duty The Apostle sets a must and an ought upon it 1. Thess 4. 2. It must be done there is a necessary laid upon it It must be done For first we have no saving grace unlesse we labour to please God it comes from God good pleasure and it goes to Gods good pleasure God is well pleased in his image and grace is the image of God Now then if a man please not God it is because he hath no grace Thou thinkest Christ did die for thee thou thinkest a lie why thou hast no saving grace Let us have grace saith the Apostle that we may serve God Heb. 12. as if he should say without grace it is impossible to please him therefore you see it is very necessary to please God 't is as necessary as grace and without it we are damned Secondly if we do not please God we may see what a wofull case we are in it God be not pleased to spare us we cannot be saved Now a man will be sure to please that man that can hang him if he please he will not pull his displeasure upon him Acts. 12. when Herod was displeased they laboured to turn away his displeasure and made friends so we depend on God and therefore our souls bodies and everlasting happinesse or destruction depends on God and if he be not pleased what benefit can we wretches expect Wouldest thou have mercy and wilt thou not please God thou shalt be deceived Because Hester pleased the King he shewed her kindnesse and God will never shew us kindnesse unlesse we please him There is no man so mad to heap good turnes upon a mans head that will not please him how can we have the good pleasure of God when we will not seek to please God Before Enoch was translated it was said he pleased God Heb. 11. 5. God would never have brought him to heaven if he had not been pleased with him So before he translates thee from earth to heaven before he delivers thee from damnation thou must be sure to please God Thirdly if we labour not to please God God knowes what infinite dangers we are ever in in the morning he may brain us or wee may die and perish in our sleep or in any action God knowes what mischeif may befall us if we please not God If a man prove a Traitour to the King God knowes what the King will do unto him the wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lion Oh then what is the displeasure of the judge both of quick and dead If God be displeased with us God knowes what will become of us we cannot eat a meales meat safely wee may be choakt for ought we know we cannot be secure one moment It may be this is the moment he meanes to disgrace thee to lay rottennesse on thy heart It may be he will lay the curse of heaven upon thee before thou goe home and be no more seen but if thou please God Eccles 9. 7. come what can come nothing can come amisse to them that pleaseth the Lord but if thy wayes please not the Lord thou livest in a damnable condition Is it so that the duty of pleasing God is so possible fit large and necessary here then three sorts of men are condemned First those that please not God Do you thinke then that this is pleasing to God that there should be so many Ale-houses

sin as a rotten member is broken from the body so that the heart is then said to be broken indeed when it is broken off from sin Secondly a breaking in it selfe so that the heart is said to be broken when it is broken with sorrow and selfe-denyall so that nothing can peice it up againe but the favour of God These two made up a broken heart and therefore they shall be the heads of examination First then doe thy sins goe thick away from thee when the cold is once broken wee use to say now it is going away not in the rhume as before but in thick fleam If thou be broken in heart then thy pride thy earthlinesse thy selfe-love thy deadnesse to good duties and all thy sins go thick from thee It may be thou hast some poares in thy heart and thy sins fall away from thee in the rhume but if they goe not away from thee in thick fleame the cold of thy frozen heart is not yet broken The sins of Zacheus were injustice and oppression c. but as soone as ever he was broken in heart these sins went away thick from him not dropping as if he were loth they should part but in great flakes Zacheus stood sayes the text and said unto the Lord behold half of my goods I given unto the poor c. Luke 19. 8. see how his sins went away every word voids thick fleam First he stood before he clymed and gazed after Christ but being broken in heart he stood ready prest to doe what soever Christ would command him Secondly he said unto Christ before Christ might have said unto him what he would what cared hee but now that he is broken in heart here is hardly a word that Christ said unto him of any such matter yet he said to Christ Thirdly Behold before his behold was carnall hee did what he did to be seen of men if ever he gave ought he loved that men should behold but now all his care was that Christ would behold it Fourthly I give Before hee thought I will give was enough I will give when I dy I will build hospitals when I am dead but now that he is broken in heart he gives it forth-with Fifthly the halfe of my goods before he counted a penny or a farthing to a poore body a great matter a great dole if given now and then but now that he is broken in heart the halfe and not only of the superfluitie but also of Esaus very substance and goods as it is in the originall I give to the poor not as men commonly doe light come light goe it may be they feast their rich neighbours but hee gives halfe his substance to the poor Saints of God Sixthly And if I have taken any thing wrongfully though it were not much If I have taken any thing though not from the rich and great ones but from any rich or poore young or old stranger or not stranger no matter who if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation not only against Law where the Law binds me to restitution but if I have taken any thing by forged cavillation though the Law will boulster me out yet I restore him he did not say I give him as many will do calling that which should properly be called restitution for wrong a gift I give say they he sayes not so but he casteth off the thought of a gift and doth what he doth by way of restitution Seventhly If I have taken any thing before he could swallow down the known wrongs that he did but now that he is broken in heart he makes a mends for the wrongs which peradventure he did not to be sure If I have taken I restore his restitution goes absolute although his wrongs goe upon ifs I restore him saies he and that not nigardly or scantly or no more the needs must but four-fold Thus he reasons now he is broken in heart his sins go thick away from him The text but even now called him little Zacheus before he had seen Christ merito adhuc pusillus quia nondum viderat Christum Iustly might he be said to be little Zacheus because then he had not seen Christ but as soon as ever hee had seen Christ whom he had wronged by these wrongs as soon as ever he was broken in heart he became a great repenter his sins ran thick away from him As soon as the boyle is broken out comes the matter As soon as the vein is broken out comes the blood true it is adrop of blood may come though the veine be not broken if the finger be but rac'd a few drops may come but if the veine be once broken out comes the blood thick and threesold If thou dost but prop off thy sins now and then thy hear was never broken for if thou wast once broken in heart thy reformation would come apace thy repentance and thy amendement would come thick and threefold but if we preach and exhort and yet see but thin reformation in thee as a sight or so thou was never yet broken in heart if thy heart be yet full of thy self-love full of thy pride lusts c. if thy affections bee yet full of earthly desires worldly delights vaine hopes carnall feares if thy backe be yet full of thy garish and humerous apparell thy heart is not yet broken why because the filthy matter runs not out Zacheus when he was broken in heart his corruptions ran out apace both his unreadinesse to good duties and his deadnesse and dulnesse to holy duties Christ need not say much unto him for he said unto Christ his desire of the credit of the world ran out for he gave the halfe of his goods to the poore his backwardnesse and delaying ran out for he made present dispatch I give his very secret and unknowen iniquities ran out if I have taken c. All his sins ran thick away from him why because a broken heart can hold no sin this is the first signe of a broken heart from sin if it be broken from its sinfull course The second is if it be broken from its wildnesse the Hauk is then broken when it is made fit for the Lurk and the colt is broken when made fit for the saddle if he be not broken he will not be willing the rider shall come on his back man is borne like a wild Asse colt Job 11. 12. so thou wast borne and so thou hast been and art thou not as yet broken from it if thou be broken in heart then thy heart is tame to every commandment to every truth and thy affections are tame to every precept It is Calvins similitude thou art not yet saith hee fit for Gods saddle if thou let the Devill the world 〈◊〉 lust ride thee thou must be broken 〈◊〉 thy wildnesse or else thou art not broken in heart it may be thou art a 〈◊〉 bridled from thy lusts alas so thou maiest be yet be