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	time_n	2,715	5	4.1899	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42350	The Christians labour and reward, or, A sermon, part of which was preached at the funeral of the Right Honourable the Lady Mary Vere, relict of Sir Horace Vere, Baron of Tilbury, on the 10th of January, 1671, at Castle Heviningham in Essex by William Gurnall ...	Gurnall, William, 1617-1679.	1672 (1672)	Wing G2258; ESTC R10932	62,221	185

being to sin what putrifaction is to diseases the more of this in a disease the more dangerous it makes it the more of that in a sin the more abominable it makes it nay further though the aim be not false yet if that which God allows to be our inferiour end be made our ultimate it depraves the action if I aim at the comfort and relief of a poor mans necessity in my alms which I may and ought yet if this be the highest I look and my eye passeth not through this to the glorifying of God it becomes unacceptable a man may lose the prize by shooting short as well as wide of the mark now how hard to keep our eye fixed on this ultimate end truly even as hard as to keep our eye fixt on a single object through an Optick Glass held by a trembling hand Fourthly Every Duty must be timed aright the Christians life is full of duties and those very various now he is called to exercise himself in one then in another now to pray anon to meditate now to be in his Closet then to be in his Shop about his worldly calling now to private then to publick now to reprove then to encourage or comfort his Brother As one that hath a Shop full of divers Tools all necessary for his Calling but this for that purpose and that for this in it now if he should cut with his Axe when he should smooth with his Plain he would soon spoil his work that which is at one time a Duty would if done at another be a Sin Diligence in our worldly Calling on the week day is the work of the Lord but the same on the Lords day would be Satans no doubt as many a fair Child hath been lost by an untimely Birth so many a good Work spoiled by an unseasonable performance and to discern time and judgment for our actions requireth both wisdom and care and these labour and pains Thirdly The difficulty the Christian finds to order his Conversation so that his care for one part of his work may not hinder him in another Now the reason of this difficulty is the seeming contrariety of some duties to others Seeming I say not real indeed it is in Satans service only not in Gods that there is a real contrariety of work Errors have their opposites he that maintains one cannot if he understands himself hold some others so in Practical Lusts some are at such a feud that when one is in the Throne the other is kept under but all Truths agree lovingly together being all but one Faith and so do the Graces of a Christian being all the effect of one and the same Holy Spirit they do no more hinder one another in acting than the several wheels in a well made Clock do one anothers motions or the various members of the body one the others Operations and Functions yet I say there is a seeming contrariety And as it requires Art and care to touch the several strings of an Instrument that have different Sounds so as from all may result one harmonious sound so much more holy skill and care in a Christian to exercise these many various Graces and perform so many divers Duties in such a sweet concurrence and fellowship that from all there may result an uniform Holiness in the course of his life The Christian must be Zealous but leave room for Discretion or else like a Ship that hath all Sail and no Ballast he 'll grow top heavy he must fear to sin and yet hope in the Mercy of God when he hath sinned and repents of it 't is his duty to draw near to the Throne of Grace with an Holy boldness but it is his duty even then to preserve an Holy awe and reverence he must be sensible of the hand of God when afflicted or else he is not a Man but then he must bear it patiently or else he is not a Christian he must be meek and lowly in his carriage to all even the meanest yet must keep an high courage and noble resolution not to be turned out of the path of Duty for the frowns of the greatest he must love his Brother but hate the sin he commits how many such riddles are there in Religion Now is it an easie work for the Christian to drive his Charriot in so narrow a path without justling one duty against another to hold a fair and friendly correspondence with all these duties and not set one at variance with the other Fourthly The great opposition the Christian meets with in doing the Lords work makes his labour still greater Other men can work in their Shops quietly and few or none will molest them much less throw stones at them but the Christian he 's hindred from all hands First The flesh within controuls him lusting against every good motion and holy action which the Spirit of God stirs him up unto so that he is forced to dispute his way before he can come at his work much ado to answer what the flesh objects against every duty he is to perform Would he pray then the flesh begs time and will be putting it off for a more convenient season some other business it starts first to be done would he give an Alms the flesh asks him whether he meaneth to be a beggar and give that to others which himself may want before he dyes would he reprove a sinning Brother then why will he be a busie body in other mens matters and lose a Friend in doing a thankless office would he bear witness to the Name and Gospel of Christ then pity thy self is its counsel no duty but it either keeps from it or disturbs in it so that he needs a Sword as well as a Trowel to lay every stone in his Spiritual building Secondly A body of flesh hangs heavy upon him the body was at the first and shall again be at last in Heaven a wing but now alas 't is a weight to mans Soul and that an heavy one it should indeed be the Souls servant but now the Soul is fain to tend and wait upon that to provide Food to keep and Physick to restore its Health yet when all is done it proves no over meet help to the Soul if it be strong and healthy then like a pamper'd Beast it grows crank and wanton ready to throw its rider which made Saint Paul keep down his body yet if the Soul discipline it but a little too severely then 't is feeble and tyred Thirdly The World this makes no small opposition First The things of the world the Christians worldly calling is ready to filtch the time which should be spent in the Christians general Martha is in the Kitching when she should be in the Chappel the enjoyments of the world how ensnaring are they sensual delights so sweet Wine that when the cup is at our lips we cannot drink little and so heady and intoxicating that we cannot bear much when troubles come

say of this Gracious Lady what Nehemiah said of another Noble Person in his time She was a Faithful Woman and feared God above many Some are so prodigiously wicked that they seem to have wedded the Vices of many others But this good Lady may be said to have collected the Excellencies of many other Christians In her you might have seen these various Graces which grow to an eminency but severally in others met altogether in one knot I shall speak of a few First The fear of the Great God was very great in her wonderful tender she was of offending him She hath been often heard to say and that solemnly Oh I would not sin against my God She professed that she dreaded Hell most as a place where God was Blasphemed Oh pretious Saint to dread Hells sin more than Hells fire Secondly Her Zeal to the Worship of God was eminent First To the Publick this was evidenced many ways First By her Zeal to get able and faithful Ministers for those Livings she had in her dispose and by improving her utmost interest to procure the like for this Parish where she resided in its several vacancies And herein the Noble Patron did most kindly gratifie her with the choice deeply obliging not only her Honour but the whole Town thereby so that you in this place have lived in a Goshen of Gospel light for a long season and are able also to tell how comfortably she spake to those that taught the good Word of the Lord amongst you What countenance and real encouragement she gave them in the Lords Work without sparing her purse to do it Secondly By her constant attendance on the Publick Worship so long as the Lord vouchsafed her any health yea she did not only attend on it her self but was careful that her Family should do the same with her They that would not serve God with her were no Servants for her Thirdly She was no less devout in than constant at the Publick Worship She durst not trifle with Holy things which made one in this respect say of her That this Lady by her Solemn and Reverent Deportment in Divine Worship would make one believe that there is a God indeed As for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is so dismally neglected by many her desires were most Ardent to partake of it frequently saying as the Minister of the place informed me that she durst not neglect no not any one opportunity that was offered for the enjoying this Sacred Ordinance And oh how intent was she in Preparation for it the whole preceding week was taken up by her for that work in which she would always have a private Fast with her Family or a secret one in her Closet Was not this one that meant to go to Heaven in good earnest Secondly The Private Worship of God Let us follow her from the Church to her own House and we shall find that she brought her Religion and Devotion home with her and did not leave them in her Pue behind her till she returned to it again the next Sabbath Some can complement God Almighty before their Neighbours on the Sabbath but care not to acquaint with God at home all the week after But if ever any privite dwelling might be called a Chappel or little Sanctuary her house was such There you might find her and her Family twice every day upon their knees solemnly Worshipping the Great God there you might see them humbly sitting at his feet to hear his most Holy Word read unto them concluding constantly their Evening Service with Singing one of Davids Psalms What Strangers soever were present there was no putting by or adjoyning the Worship of God to a more convenient season On the Lords day you might hear the Sermons Preached in Publick repeated to the Family the Servants called to give an account before her or what they remembred the high Praises of God sounded forth by the whole Family together After Supper again you might hear the Servants in their room exercising themselves in the same Heavenly Duty of Singing Psalms And no sooner did the good Lady hear them strike up but away she would go to joyn with them in that duty Follow her up the stairs there you should be sure to find her twice every day shut up some hours in her Closet which was excellently furnished with Pious Books of Practical Divinity Here she redeemed much pretious time in reading the holy Scriptures and other good Books that might give her further light into them and help to put more heat into that light she had obtained Here she poured out her devout Soul with such fervours of Spirit in Prayer as could not be hid sometimes from those her Maidens whose occasions drew them at any time near her Closet dore and yet are we not at an end of this good Ladies Devotions for every night she would her self pray with her Maidens before she went to bed And now is it any wonder she grew so rich in Grace who drove so great and constant a Trade in the means of Grace and had so many ways to bring her in Spiritual gains Thirdly Her Love to God besides what already hath been said did many ways make it self evident to be of an high degree First The mournful complaints she would make that she could love God no more the reason of which indeed was because she loved him so much Therefore she thought she loved him so little because she knew she could never love him enough The truth is she had such raised apprehensions of Gods Glorious Excellency as caused her to think her highest affections unworthy of him None indeed that have such high apprehensions of the Divine greatness and goodness can love him little or think their love when most to be great Secondly The vehement desires and longings she had to be gone hence that she might be with Christ She was one of those very few Christians which stood in need of old Mr. Dods use of Exhortation which I have heard he would make to the Saints in his Preaching That they would he content and patient though they were not taken up to Heaven so soon as they desired This good man who was one of the most Heavenly Souls that this Age knew finding to do this was something difficult in his own Soul thought it was ordinary for others to do the like whereas God knows most Christians are of a lower form in Christs School prone rather to linger too much here than to be too hasty of going hence so that they need rather Spur than Bridle and Ministers have more reason to take hold of them with the strongest Arguments they can find to draw them out of the love of this world as the Angels did Lot out of Sodom than to make them willing to continue here But this Gracious Lady knew so much of Heaven as made her stay here tedious to her the earnest option of her Soul was Come Lord Jesus come

these two comprehensive duties Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ and are these to be got or exercised when got without labour When the poor Christian hath done his utmost to keep the Law how far short doth he fall of that exact Rule Now these deficiencies and obliquities call for repentance and is it easie for him to comply with this duty is it easie to rifle his conscience and search his own heart so impartially as if he forgot it was his own house he was searching and his own shame he was to discover yet this is a necessary antecedent to the act of repentance how can he correct the Errata's or faults of a book that never read nor examined it and to do it surely will cost some pains I confess this review the Christian is to make is more easily done when he doth it daily and examines his life if I may so say sheet by sheet as it is printed off in every particular days conversation but even this is a labour too heavy for a slothful heart to endure is it easie when the poor creature hath found out his many sins and failings upon this review to get his heart into a melting frame and sorrowful sense of his ingratitude and disingenuity to God in them so as to throw up those sweet morsels with more bitterness of spirit than they were swallowed down with pleasure In a word Is it easie for the poor Christian to get these Inmates out of doors which he hath so unadvisedly let in to clear his affections of that poyson with which these his sins have infected them Is it easie to recover the strength of his resolutions which his sins must needs have much loosned and weakned The second great duty of the Gospel is Faith and this is as hard as the other for indeed the difficulty of believing makes that of repenting so hard Is it easie to assent to the truth of these Mysteries of the Gospel which are contrary to the apprehensions of corrupt reason and beyond the comprehension of the Christians most elevated understanding Is it easie for one of a wounded spirit sunk and dejected as low as Hell under the heavy sense of his guilt to lift up an eye of faith to the promise and to conceive a hope that such a Wretch as he hath been may ever find grace and favour in the eyes of a just and holy God Verily it is a wonder little less than that of the Prophets in making Iron to swim it is easie for a stupid sinner indeed to dream of a pardon while Conscience is asleep but when this is once throughly awake only he that can still the waves and winds in a storm at Sea can pacifie this can give either power to believe or peace in believing Is it easie to repent and bring forth the meet fruits of it good works and not to make them the Idol of our trust not to relye on the first to procure our pardon here nor on the other to purchase our reward hereafafter but to rejoyce only in Christ Jesus as the sole entire object of our trust for both Secondly The curious Sculpture with which every Duty in Religion must be engraved to render it acceptable to God a miscarriage in any of which is like an hair on the writers pen enough to mar and blot his fairest copy for bonum ex integris First every duty in Religion to render it acceptable to God must spring from a supernatural principle It is not labour in the Lord except the labourer himself be in the Lord. Actio sequitur vitam a carnal man can do no other than a carnal action though the matter of it be spiritual A dead state can have no other but dead works a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7.12 Secondly the Christians work must be performed with an holy fervor Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently Psalm 119.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valde vehementer The word is emphatical importing an exerting the utmost force of our Souls Zeal is the religious part of our affections the first-born and strength of a mans spirit and therefore God sets it apart for himself as his peculiar portion fervent in spirit serving the Lord without this he accounts himself slighted not served and accordingly deals with such cold servitours giving them as cold welcom as they do him service cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently If we would repent we must be zealous and repent Rev. 2. v. 2. if hear the word we must be swift to hear if pray it must be an effectual fervent prayer or else it is but thuribulum sine prunis a censure without fire If we would give an alms we must draw out our soul as well as our purse to the hungry Now those imployments are counted most laborious to which most strength and force must be put and those which intend the powers of the soul more than such as strain the limbs of the body the Scholars labour in his study is more spending than the Plow-mans in the field What then is the Christians labour which exerts the zeal and heat of his spirit O how hard is it to kindle or kindled to keep this heavenly fire alive on a hearth so damp and cold as our heart is Thirdly the Christians work must be done from a right motive to a right end First a right motive from obedience to the will of God and that such as springs from the love of God he doth not Gods work that doth not obey him and he doth not obey him that doth not love him that only being true obedience which is hearty obedience Ye have obeyed him from the heart and that only hearty obedience which is loving for love hath the regency of the heart and it goes only whither love carrieth it O how hard is this where there is so much of the slave even in those that are children where Hagar so oft overtops Sarah's servile fear our filial affection Secondly it must be to a right end it is in vain to wind up the watch if it be not set to the right figure or to draw the Arrow though to the head if the Archers eye direct it not to the right mark Zeal winds up and draws forth the powers of the soul it makes the Christian act vigorously and forcibly but if sincerity which is the singleness of the souls eye be not present to direct it ultimately to the glory of God the labour is in vain the faster a man goes when out of his way the worse for the faster he goes the further he hath to come back he that is slothful in the Lords work doth displease him but he that makes a great bustle in Religion and by this his activity calls others eyes to behold his zeal yet secretly intends his own not Gods praise provokes him more because more hypocritical in what he doth hypocrisie