Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	call_v	day_n	lord_n	3,188	5	4.3142	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64241	Jacob wrestling with God, and prevailing: or, a treatise concerning the necessity and efficacy of faith in prayer Wherein divers weighty questions and cases of conscience about praying in faith, are stated and resolved. For the comforting and satisfying of weak and scrupulous consciences: the conviction of formal hypocrites, and awakening of all saints, both weak and strong, great and small, to this great duty of prayer. By one who hath obtained mercy to be a minister of, and sufferer for, the gospel of Jesus Christ in this hour of temptation.	Taylor, Thomas, 1624 or 5-1700.	1663 (1663)	Wing T555; ESTC R222503	60,235	214

highest staffe of the Ladder must begin at the first O therefore gratifie not th● Devil and thy own unregene●● will with such cavilling a● shifting but set upon the wo●● in good earnest up and bee d● ing and the Lord shall bee with thee And assure thy self thoug● it may prove difficult and ha●● labour yet it will not prove los● labour John 6.27 Labour 〈◊〉 for the meat which perisheth b●● for that meat which endureth un●● everlasting life Object But perhaps the Sinner will say How shall I come by 〈◊〉 How shall I obtain it What assurance have I that if I labour f● this meat I shall have any fruit of my labour Answ O yes there is a blessed promise joyned to this command hee that bids thee labour doth promise thee thy labor shall not be in vain and therefore it is added Which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed Oh sinner know that God the Father hath sealed i.e. ordained and anointed Jesus Christ and constituted him under the broad Seal of Heaven to be the Mediator of the everlasting Covenant and to dispense and give out all the spiritual and heavenly gifts and blessings therefore unto all such as the Father hath given to him and by virtue of that donation shall come to him Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that hee should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Object But thou wilt say how shall I know whether I bee one of those whom the Father hath given to Jesus Christ And that if I do ●ome unto him I shall be received Oh I am afraid that Jesus Christ will not receive such a sinner as am such a wretch as I am I● so vile and wretched that I 〈◊〉 hee will rather reject and cast 〈◊〉 out as a Reprobate as a vessel 〈◊〉 wrath than receive mee unto gr●●● and favour Answ Thou shalt know th● thou art one of those whom th● Father hath given to Christ 〈◊〉 thy coming to him and clos● with him in the Word of 〈◊〉 Gospel for none but such 〈◊〉 possibly come to him Joh. 6.44 so as to ●●ceive life from him thou ca● not know before-hand that th● art given by the Father to Je●●● Christ but thou must first co●● unto Christ and then th● mayest know that the Fath●● hath given thee to him and 〈◊〉 thou comest unto Jesus Chri●● hee hath assured thee in 〈◊〉 Word that hee will not reje●● thee hee will not cast thee o●● how vile or wretched soever thou beest Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth mee shall come to mee and him that cometh unto mee I will in no wise cast out Oh it is a blessed word In no wise in no wise cast out what-ever thy cause or condition be though never so desperate in thine own eye yet if thou comest unto him he will in no wise cast thee out And thou hast the blessed presidents and experiences of many great sinners who upon repentance and coming unto Jesus Christ by Faith have obtained mercy and are now glorified Saints in Heaven witness Manasseh who used witchcraft and inchantments who shed much innocent blood and filled Jerusalem with blood and made a whole Nation to sin and yet when in his affliction he humbled himself greatly and sought unto the Lord hee obtained mercy and hee that had been before 〈◊〉 wicked Necromancer a Sorcerer a Murderer an abominable Idolater hath now obtained mercy becomes a New Creature old things are passed away with him and all things are beco●● new 2 Chron. 33.1 20. Mar● Magdalen was a very great sinner Mark 16.9 Luke 8.2 out of whom Christ had ca●● seven Devils and yet shee obtained mercy and when she● came unto Jesus Christ hee di● not cast her out So likewis● Paul was a great sinner befor● Conversion a persecutor a bl●sphemer and injurious and ye● hee obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1. ● And wherefore did the Lo●● single out these great and chie● sinners and make them object● of his saving grace and favour 〈◊〉 but that in them hee might exhibit a pattern of his glorio●● grace for the encouragement of other great sinners not to continue in sin with a presumption of finding mercy at the last but to repent and turn and come in to his Son Jesus Christ that they may be saved So 1 Tim. 1.16 Howbeit saith Paul for this cause I obtained mercy that in mee first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting And this know poor sinner that Jesus Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance oh therefore be not discouraged because thou art a sinner but hearken to the call of Christ in the voice of the Gospel and know that thou art called this day by this word of Exhortation to labour for Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that so thou mayest be in a capacity of performing this holy duty of prayer Heb. 11.6 and other holy duties so as to please God in the doing of them which without Faith thou canst not do Obj. But what shall I do in the mean time shall I neglect prayer because I cannot in my natural and unbeleeving estate please God in what I do Answ No oh no thou art commanded to pray to call upon the Name of the Lord prayer is a natural duty written upon every mans conscience the obligation whereof cannot bee dispensed with by any power or under any pretence whatsoever thou must not therefore cast of prayer that so thou mayest continue in thy sin and unbeleef but thou must cast off thy sin and beleeve in Jesus Christ that so thou mayest continue in prayer which if thou neglectest thou art guilty of a three-fold Robbery 1. Thou robbest God of his glory 2. Thy own soul body and family of the mercy 3. Thy Neighbour of the charity of thy prayers Simon Magus was in the gall of bitterness and yet Peter bids him pray Act. 22.23 But withall hee bids him repent also Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray to God Therefore a wicked man a man in the gall of bitterness must pray But withall hee must repent of his wickedness and beleeve that through Christ Jesus remission and forgiveness of his sin may be obtained and upon this ground of Repentance and Faith in Christ the Apostle bids him to pray If peradventure or perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Secondly Unto Saints Oh yee precious Saints of God who have this precious Faith this precious seed of God bestowed upon you in Jesus Christ to whom it is given to beleeve in the name of Jesus unto you doth this word of exhortation speak as unto Sons and Daughters Oh be not faithless but beleeving exert and put forth this Heaven-born principle and seed of Faith into exercise let it not lye by you as a dead

JACOB Wrestling with GOD AND PREVAILING OR A Treatise concerning the Necessity and Efficacy of Faith IN PRAYER Wherein divers weighty Questions and Cases of Conscience about Praying in Faith are stated and resolved For the comforting and satisfying of weak and scrupulous Consciences The Conviction of formal Hypocrites and awakening of all Saints both weak and strong great and small to this great duty of Prayer By one who hath obtained mercy to be a Minister of and Sufferer for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this hour of temptation John 16.24 Ask and yee shall receive that your joy may bee full LONDON Printed in the year 1663. TO THE READER WHoever thou art that takest this Book into thy hand know that as to thy spiritual state thou art either a Sinner or a Saint a Beleever Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.12 or an Unbeleever in Christ or out of Christ for betwixt these there is no Medium or middle state Now if thou beest a sinner an unbeleeving Christless soul Then here is the root of all thy spiritual misery which is great beyond expression and the bar that keeps out all spiritual good and mercy from thy soul that thou art at a distance and estranged from communion the sweet and soul-enriching soul-sanctifying soul-saving and soul-satisfying communion of Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 which is the life of grace the life of glory the life of God! Ephes 4.16 Alienated form the life of God And this is thy Hell upon Earth Eph. 2.12 though thou knowest it not that thou art without God and without Christ in the world i. e. without true spiritual enjoyment of God and Jesus Christ through want of the life and exercise of Faith in thy soul and through a sinful neglect or a mis-performance as of all other holy duties so especially of this great duty of prayer in the constant and right performance whereof such sweet and blessed communion with God may bee enjoyed as Galeatius Caracciolus that famous Italian Convert having tasted the sweetnesse thereof in his own soul and having forsaken all that was dear to him in the world upon that account was wont to say That hee was not worthy the name of a Christian that did not prize one moments communion with God before a thousand worlds Now Reader know that if thou beest such a one as art yet a stranger to communion with God it is one design of this following Treatise to lead thee unto the Father by the Son and to instruct thee into this great duty and mystery of praying in Faith which if the Lord shall give thee rightly to understand and wisely to improve will open such a door for escape out of thy spiritual misery and for the letting in of all spiritual mercies and blessings into thy soul as may make thee happy to all eternity If thou beest a Saint a Beleever a Soul in Christ Psa 37.25 Cant. 1.2 Psal 63.1 2 3.5 then to injoy communion with him is thy life thy glory thy joy thy crown thy heaven upon earth nothing so sweet nothing so precious nothing so desirable to thy soul as communion and fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ through the spirit and in the constant and right use and performance of these heavenly ordinances and holy duties which are the sweet walks of Jesus Christ Rev. 1.13 wherein hee delights to communicate himself to the souls of his people And those spiritual Galleries Cant. 7.5 in which the King is held and retained by his beloved Spouse Cant. 4.9 in most sweet embraces Cant. 2.4 5 6 and soul-endearing converses to the ravishing of the hearts of each other Amongst which spiritual walks and galleries there is none in which Jesus Christ doth more delight and abundantly communicate himself to the souls of his people than in this great ordinance of prayer which is therefore called his delight Prov. 15.8 Now 't is also the design and scope of this Treatise to further thy souls communion with Jesus Christ in this ordinance of prayer by shewing thee 1. The Necessity 2. The Efficacy of Faith in Prayer Resolving divers scruples and Cases of Conscience about it Awakening and stirring up thy soul to it teaching thee to bee spiritual and heavenly in it and revealing unto thee the great and glorious things that may be done and obtained by it Therefore whether thou beest Sinner or Saint in Christ or out of Christ strong or weak in grace read this small Treatise and the Lord give thee to understand what thou readest sincerely to imbrace and faithfully to practice what thou understandest and to reap the spiritual fruit thereof in grace here and glory hereafter And if thou reapest any fruit and benefit to thy soul by this discourse give him the glory who is the Author of Truth not the Instrument And if thou reapest no fruit or beest made worse by it blame neither the Author nor the Instrument but thine own heart as the cause of it To the Reader By a Friend of the Authors THis ensuing treatise was put into my hand by the worthy Author therof whose humility was jealous of the publication of this peece By a cursory view of it I quickly perceived the spirit of it and prest to the publishing of it for the relief quickening and consolation of such as understand praying in the Holy Ghost And do therefore think meet to acquaint you that the Author of this treatise of prayer is well known to be a judicious and faithful Minister of God and servant of Jesus Christ who hath witnessed a good confession and that in bonds for the Commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus In which condition no doubt his soul was conversant in this heavenly exercise and was taken as others of his fellow servants into a more intimate communion with Jesus Christ whose breathings and cryes with others of his brethren are gone up into the ears of the Lord of Hosts Psa 97.11 The Accuser of the Brethren hath great wrath against the Spirit of prayer in this Houre and hath blasphemed it at the highest rate that ever was heard of in any generation being greatly tormented thereat crying out Oh Away with this praying in the spirit Wonderful it is that men pretending Christianity and to have read the Holy Scriptures should decry praying in the Spirit which is perfectly opposed to stinted forms but that the way of the Spirit in the hearts of the called of God is foolishness even to the wise and learned that know it not The Author of this Book as a good witness of Jesus Christ hath given out a holy and experimental Testimony to this Spirit of prayer and hath discovered the abomination of Hypocritical praying in the vain repetitions and saying long prayers for a pretence Mat. 6.7 and 23.14 to justle out the spirit of prayer promised to all Ministers sent by Jesus Christ and all Saints especially in the New Testament daies If

addresses to God by prayer 't is not enough that the person praying be a Beleever but also that the prayer made be a prayer of Faith or a beleeving Prayer hence it is put in the present tense Beleeving And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer beleeving not having beleeved but beleeving in the present tense intimating to us that a present exercise of Faith is required otherwise the prayer may be an unbeleeving and so by consequence a fruitless prayer though the person be a beleever for a godly man may make a carnal prayer a beleeving man may make an unbeleeving prayer As the good man Joshua seems to do Josh 7 7 8 9. The truth is wee are said to have no more Faith than we act And therefore Jesus Christ reproves his Disciples as faithless when as 't is clear they wanted not the habit but the exercise of Faith in that particular case of casting out the dumb spirit Mark 9.19 Those prayers therefore are faithless prayers in which there is not a present exercise of faith though the person or persons praying be in a state of grace and have the habit of Faith in their hearts 3. Quest or Case of Conscience If the exercise and actuality of Faith be necessarily required in all things whatsoever we ask of God in the name of Christ then whether may such an exercise of Faith be accepted as is accompanied with some doubting and wavering of the mind or is such an exercise of Faith only current with God in Prayer as is clear and stedfast without the least doubt or wavering The reason of this scruple or question is that saying of the holy man James in his chap. 1. v. 6 7. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed for let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Now if such an exercise of Faith as is attended with some doubting be not accepted of God and the prayers of such be altogether fruitless and unprofitable as this Scripture seemeth to import then is the hope comfort and experience of the most of Gods Children thereby cut off and denyed And if otherwise then how is this saying of James to bee understood and reconciled with other Scriptures Ans Two kinds of doubting There is a twofold doubting or wavering of the mind spoken of in Scripture The one which doth alwaies exclude and oppose Faith so that where such doubting is● there is not the least acting o● stirring of Faith in the heart The other which doth onely argue weakness of Faith and is consistent with the exercise and actuality thereof at the same time in some degree The saying of the holy man James above-mentioned is to be understood onely of the former 1 Kind explained viz. such doubting or wavering of the mind as doth oppose Faith and is exclusive to it as is clear by the antithesis or opposition of Faith and wavering being set in the Text the one against the other for saith James Let him ask in Faith And then hee opposes thereunto this word wavering nothing wavering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not disputing or cavilling so that 't is manifest the Apostle speaketh of such a doubting or wavering as argues a nullity and privation of Faith where there is no beleeving of the Promise and Word of God but a disputing and cavilling against it and an opposing of it As in the case of that Lord on whose hand the King leaned when the Prophet by the Word of the Lord fore-told so great plenty to be on the morrow in the gate of Samaria who disputing and reasoning against the Promise and Word of God out of an unbeleeving heart answered the man of God Behold if the Lord would make windows in Heaven might this thing bee 2 King 7.1 2. This was such a wavering as James speaks of which argued a nullity of Faith and strength of unbeleef in the heart of that Noble man who thus disputed and cavilled against the Promise giving no credit to the Word of the Lord spoken by the Prophet nor in the least acknowledging or relying upon the power of God for the performance thereof And therefore was made a spectacle of divine vengeance for his disobedience and unbeleef being trodden to death the next day in the gate which verified the Word spoken to him by the Prophet Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eat thereof vers 2. compared with v. 19 20. And of such a doubting as this is that saying of the Apostle Paul to be understood Rom 14.23 And he that doubteth is damned because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin 'T is evident in this place the Apostle speaketh of such a doubting as argues a want of Faith and right understanding of true Christian liberty in that particular action of eating In which hee that eateth without Faith is condemned in his own conscience though the thing in it self be lawful yet to him it is sinful and unlawful for want of Faith in what he doth Otherwise a man is not condemned in that action which he doth with some doubting wherein there is also a real and true exercise of Faith though in a weak and low degree As Simon in letting down the Net at the command of Christ Luke 5.5 The second kind of doubting or wavering spoken of in Scripture 2 Kind explained is such a doubting as is consistent with the present exercise of Faith and argues only weakness of Faith but not the want of it which kind of doubting is found in the true Children of God even in their best duties oft times the consideration whereof doth also much trouble and afflict them Now this kind of doubting Gen. 18.13 Mat. 8.26 Mat. 14.31 though it is sinful and to be reproved yet being a sin of infirmity and weakness not o● wilful rebellion or presumption the Lord doth in mercy cover and pass it by in his people and doth not therefore reject their persons or any their sincere and faithful services but doth graciously accept them in his Son Jesus Christ notwithstanding such infirmities as by the following instances doth appear Instance 1 And thus Sarah was accepted of God in the exercise of her weak Faith when the Lord made a promise of a Son to be given her in her old age though therein she was not without some doubting as appeareth by comparing Gen. 18.12 13 14. with Heb. 11.11 In the former viz. Gen. 18.13 She is reproved for her doubting Wherefore did Sarah laugh is any thing too hard for the Lord But in the latter viz. Heb. 11.11 She is commended and approved for her Faith at the same time and in the same action Through Faith also Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a childe when she was past age because she judged him faithful who