Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	father_n	mother_n	5,111	5	7.8086	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47642	A practical commentary, upon the two first chapters of the first epistle general of St. Peter. By the most reverend Dr. Robert Leighton, some-time arch-bishop of Glasgow. Published after his death, at the request of his friends	Leighton, Robert, 1611-1684.	1693 (1693)	Wing L1028A; ESTC R216658	288,504	508

they mock and despise is that Spirit that seals men to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 If any pretend they have the Spirit and so turn away from the straight rule of the Holy Scriptures they have the Spirit indeed but 't is a fanatical Spirit the Spirit of Delusion and Giddiness but the Spi●it of God that leads his Children in the way of truth and is for that purpose sent them from Heaven to guide them thither squares their thoughtts and wayes to that Rule And that Word whereof it is Author which was inspired by it sanctifies them to Obedience He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.4 Now this Spirit that sanctifieth and sanctifieth to Obedience is within us the Evidence of our Election and Earnest of our salvation and whoso are not sanctified and led by this Spirit the Apostle tells us what is their Condition Rom. 8.9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Let us not delude our selves this is a truth if there be any in Religion they that are not made Saints in the estate of Grace shall never be Saints in Glory The Stones that are appointed for that Glorious Temple above are hewen and polished and prepar'd for it here as the stones were wrought and prepared in the Mountains for building the Temple at Ierusalem This is the Order Psal. 84.12 He gives Grace and Glory as Moralists can tell us that the way to the Temple of Honour is through the Temple of Vertue They that think they are bound for Heaven in the wayes of sin have either found a new way untroden by all that are gone thither or will find themselves deceived in the end We need not then that poor shift for the pressing of Holiness and Obedience upon Men. to represent it to them as the meriting cause of Salvation this is not at all to the purpose seeing without it the Necessity of Holiness to Salvation is pressing enough for holiness is no less necessary to Salvation then if it were the meriting Cause of it it is as insepararably tyed to it as the purpose of God and in the Order of performance Godliness is as certainly before Salvation as if Salvation did wholly and all together depend upon it and were in point of Justice deserved by it Seeing then there is no other way to Happiness but by Holiness no Assurance of the Love of God without it Take the Apostles advice study it seek it follow earnestly after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Grace unto you and peace be mult●plyed It hath always been a civil custom amongst Men to season their intercourse with good wishes one for another this the Apostles use in their Epistles in a spiritual divine way suitable to their holy Writings It well becomes the Messengers of Grace and Peace to wish both and to make their salutation conform to the main scope and subject of their discourse The Hebrew word of salutation we have here Peace and that which is the spring both of this and these good things are all in the other word of Salutation used by the Greeks Grace All right Rejoycing and Prosperity and Happiness flowes from this source and from this alone and is sought elsewhere in vain In general this is the Character of a Christian spirit to have a heart fill'd with Blessing with this sweet good will and good wishing to all especially to those that are their Brethren in the same Profession of Religion And this Charity is a precious Balm diffusing it self in the wise and seasonable expressions of it upon fit occasions and those expressions must be cordial and sincere not like that you call Court Holy-water in which there is nothing else but falshood or vanity at the best This manifests Men to be the Sons of Blessing and of the ever blessed God the Father of all Blessing when in his name they bless one another yea our Saviours Rule goes higher to bless those that curse them and urges it by that Relation to God as their Father that in this they may resemble him That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven But in a more eminent way it s the duty of Pastors to bless their People not only by their publick and Solemn Benediction but by daily and instant Prayers for them in secret And the great Father who seeth in Secret will reward them openly They are to be ever both endeavouring and wishing their increase of knowledge and all Spiritual grace in which they have St. Paul a frequent Pattern They that are Messengers of this Grace if they have Experience of it 't is the Oyl of gladness that will dilate their heart and make it large in Love and spiritual desires for others Especially their own Flocks Let us 1 Consider the matter of the Apostles desire for them Grace and peace 2. The measure of it that it may be multiplyed 1 Grace We need not make a noise with the many School-distinctions of Grace and describe in what sense 't is here to be taken for no doubt 't is all saving Grace to those dispersed Brethren so that in the largest Notion that it can have that way we may safely here take it What is preventing Grace assisting Grace Working and Co-working Grace as we may admit these differences in a sound sense but divers Names of the same effectual saving Grace in relation to our different Estate as the same Sea receives different names from the different parts of the shoar it beats upon First It Prevents and Workes then it Assists and Prosecutes what it hath wrought he worketh in us to will and to do but the whole sense of saving Grace I conceive is comprehended in these two 1 Grace in the Fountain that is the peculiar Love and Favour of God 2. In the Streams the Fruits of this Love for 't is not an empty but a most rich and liberal Love viz. All the Graces and spiritual Blessings of God bestowed upon them whom he hath freely chosen The Love of God in it selfe can neither Diminish nor Increase but it is Multiplied or abounds in the Manifestation and Effects of it so then to desire Grace to be multiplied to them is to Wish to them the living Spring of it that Love that cannot be exhausted but is ever flowing forth and in stead of abateing makes each day richer then another And this is that which should be the top and summe of Christian Desires To have or want any other thing indifferently but to be resolved and resolute in this to seek a share in this Grace the free Love of God and the sure Evidences of it within you the fruit of holiness and the Graces of his Spirit but the most of us are otherwise taken up We will not be convinc'd how basely and foolishly we are busied though in the best and most respected employments

is Gods ordinance and therefore for his sake submit your selves 1. God hath in general instituted Civil government for the good of humane society and still there is good in it tyranny is better than Anarchy 2. 'T is by his providence that Men are advanc'd to places of authority Psa. 75.6 7. Dan. 4.25 Iohn 19 11. 3 ly 'T is his command that obedience be yeelded to them Rom. 13.1 Tit. 3.1 c. And the consideration of this tyes a Christian to all Loyalty and due obedience which being still for the Lords sake cannot hold in any thing that 's against the Lords own command for Then Kings and Rulers leave their station Now the Subjection here is be subject to them as it were in your rank still in subordination to God but if they go out of that even line follow them not They that obey the unlawfull commands of Kings do it in regard to their God no question but that their God is their belly or their ambition or their avarice But not only ought the exercise of authority and submission to it be in things just and lawful in themselves but the very purpose of the heart both in command and obedience should be in the Lord and for his sake this is the only straight and only safe rule both for Rulers and for people to walk by Would Kings and the other powers of the world consider the supremacy and greatness of that King of whom they hold all their Crownes and dignities they would be no less carefull of their submission and homage to him than they are desirous of their Peoples submission unto them I will not speak at all of their civil obligations to their people and the Covenant of justice that with good reason is betwixt them in the fundamentall constitutions of all well ordered Kingdomes nor meddle with that point of the dependance that Humane Authority hath upon the Societies of Men over whom it is according to which it is here call'd Mans ordinance or creature This is a thing that the greatest and most absolute of Princes cannot deny that all their authority is dependent upon the great God both as the Author of it in the generall and the Soveraigne disposer of it to particular Men giving the kingdomes of the earth to whom he will and therefore he may most justly require obedience and fealty of them that they serve the Lord in fear and it they rejoyce in their dignities over Men yet do it with trembling in sense of their duty to God and that they throw down their Crownes at the feet of Christ the Lords anointed And to this they are the more oblig'd considering that Religion and the Gospel of Christ doth so much press the duty of their peoples obedience to them so that they wrong both it and themselves very far in mistaking it as an enemy to their authority when it doth not only not prejudge it but confirms it and pleads for it Sure they do most ingratefuly requite the Lord and his Christ When they say as Psal. 2. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Whereas the Lord binds the cords of Kings and their Authority fast upon their People not the cords of Tyrany indeed to bind the Subjects as Beasts to be Sacrifices to the Passion of their Rulers But the cords of just and due Obedience to their Kings and Governours The Lord doth as you see here bind it upon all that profess his Name and strengthens it by the respect his People carry to himself enjoyning them that for his sake they would obey their Rulers so that Kings need not fear true Religion that it will ever favour any thing that can be call'd Rebellion but on the contrary still urges Loyalty and Obedience so that as they ought in Duty they may in true Policy and Wisdom befriend true Religion as a special friend to their Authority and hate that Religion of Rome which is indeed Rebellion and that Mother of abominations that makes the Kings of the Earth drunk with her cup and makes them dream of increase of Authority while they are truly on the loosing hand But besides that they owe their Power to the advancement of Christs Kingdom so employing themselves by strengthening it and doing themselves good they confirm their own Thrones when they erect his as it was said of Cesar that by setting up Pompey's Statue he setled and fastened his own But it is an evil too natural to Men to forget the true end and use of any good the Lord conferr's on them And thus Kings and Rulers consider not readily for what they are exalted think 't is for themselves to honour and please themseves and not to honour God and benefit their People to encourage and reward the good as here it is and punish the wicked they are set on high for the good of those that are below them that they may be refresh'd with their light and influence as the Lights of Heaven are set there in the highest parts of the World for the use and benefit of the very lowest God set them in the Firmament of Heaven but to what end is added to give light upon the earth and the Mountains are rais'd above the rest of the earth not to be places of prey and robbery as sometimes they are turn'd to be but to send forth streams from their Springs into the Valleys and make them fertile the Mountains and Hills greater and lesser Rulers higher and lower are to send forth to the People the streams of Righteousness and Peace Psal. 72.3 But 't is the corruption and misery of Mans nature that he doth not know and can hardly be persuaded to learn either how to command aright or how to obey and no doubt many of those that can see and blame the Injustice of others in Authority Would be more guilty that way themselves if they had the same power 'T is the Pride and self-love of our Nature that begets disobedience in Inferiours and violence and in●ustice in Superiours That depraved humour that ●ies to every kind of Government a propension to a particular disease that makes Royalty easily degenerate into tyranny and Nobles Government into faction and popular into confusion As civil Authority and subjection to it is the institution of God so the peaceable correspondence of those two just Government and due obedience is the especial gift of Gods own hand and a prime blessing to States and Kingdomes and the troubling and interruption of their Course is one of the highest Publick Judgments by which the Lord punishes oftentimes the other sins both of Rulers and People And whatsoever be the cause and on which side soever be the justice of the cause it cannot be look'd upon but as a heavy Plague and the fruit of many and great provocations when Kings and their People that should be a mutual blessing and honour each to other are turn'd into scourges one to another or into a