Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	christian_a	church_n	particular_a	988	5	6.4308	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18036	The conscionable Christian: or, The indeuour of Saint Paul, to haue and discharge a good conscience alwayes towards God, and men laid open and applyed in three sermons. Preached before the honourable judges of the circuit, at their seuerall assises, holden in Chard and Taunton, for the county of Somerset. 1620. By Richard Carpenter, Doctor of Diuinity, and pastor of Sherwell in Deuon.	Carpenter, Richard, 1575-1627.	1623 (1623)	STC 4681; ESTC S107676	65,416	130

so our soules as fields of sincerity being euery day more and more charged with the deeds of iustice and mercy may at length be accomplisht with the Crest and Crowne of eternall glory To this purpose tendeth the precept and charge of the Apostle Be not weary of well doing Gal. 6. 9. Eccl. 11. 6. for in due time yee shall reape if you faint not and that of Chrysostome Sow with a mind to reape Chrysost in opere imperf sight with a desire to ouercome conquer with an expectation to be crowned Wherein Perseuerance which Bernard calleth Sororem patientiae constantiae Bern. filiam pacis amicam virtutuni consummationem And another Talarem tunicam that long white Greg. Robe reaching downe to the feet which euery good Ioseph must put on and another The Empresse Chrysost of vertues which rewardeth him that runneth crowneth him that fighteth bringeth to the hauen him that saileth without which obedience hath no reward a good turne receiues no thankes and fortitude deserues no glory Wherein I say perseuerance in well-doing Note which is euery Christian mans duty in hope and expectation of recompence considering our humane infirmity is commended vnto vs all and that not onely in our generall calling as we are Christians but also in our particular vocations as wee are Magistrates Ministers Iudges Iusticers or any other inferiour beneficiall Officers in Church or Common-wealth So that looking for the reward not of debt but of fauour as Saint Paul speaketh we are to proceed Rom. 4. confidently and constantly in our Christian obedience to the end Yea it is our duty to labour much to liue so to suffer much to dye so as constant conscionable Christians ought yea to dye in despight of death couragiously for the maintenance of equity and truth to raigne so as constant conscionable Christians vndoubtedly shall Thus if we Beloued shall giue all diligence to perseuere in the practice of the generall and particular duties of Christian obedience wee shall then with daily comfort taste the sweetnesse of an vpright conscience and if we desire and indeuour without dissimulation and hypocrisie in respect of others without partiality and defection in regard of our selues to walke in the wayes of Gods Commandements as he hath prescribed wee shall bee sure to inioy the continuall ioy and peace of a good conscience without night of desertion or eclipse of change and variation as he hath promised To conclude this point if we Fathers and brethren according to the dictate and direction of conscience inlightened and awaked shall both in the course of our generall conuersation and in the offices of our particular vocation be carefull and faithfull in louing what God loueth and hating what he hateth in doing what God commandeth and eschewing what he forbiddeth we shall then be both truely holy and happy too So shall we be exempt and free not onely from the crimson-crying sinnes of Iusticewronging Magistrates soule-staruing Ministers face-grinding oppressors truth-betraying witnesses and lurors sacrilegious rob-Gods desperate mocke-Preachers and such like flagitious offenders who with seared and benummed consciences habituati sunt in malo faetent in peccato lie stinking in their sinnes as Lazarus in the graue But also from the common sinnes of wantons gluttons lyers swearers slanderers Sabbath-breakers and the like common sinners whose large cheuerill consciences dispense with all corruptions and transgressions that are not capitall yea we shall be free by the aforesaid godly care from the vniust morosity and causelesse anxiety of scrupulous bird-eyd consciences which make more Commandements then ten and proiect fearefull things where no feare is That so our rightly-informed quietacquitting consciences may passe with Top-saile and Banners displaid with Flags of defiance to the workes and workers of iniquity through the waues of this world to the Harbour of eternall rest ioy and felicity With such a cleering-cheering conscience Note our Apostle Saint Paul the worthy Champion Acts 27. 14. ●● 36. of Iesus Christ sailed couragiously in the angry Adriaticall Sea when the tempestuous Euroclydon raged and meate and light was for many dayes denyed and all that were in the Ship besides despaired telling them confidently that none of them should perish but all bee preserued for his sake With the wings of such a conscience when the Iewes thought spake Acts 23. 24 25. euill of him and plotted mischiefe against him he as an Eagle soared aloft and respecting their forged calumnies no more then the chitting of Sparrowes or chatting of Pyes bare himselfe vp brauely aboue the scourges and razors of their tongues and farre beyond the Sphere of their malignity with this Armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and the left being fitly cladde he passed through good reports and bad through many iniuries indignities dangers and difficulties as bold as a Lyon as valiant as Gideon and Samson A good conscience like the Arke of Noah bare him vp aboue the pride and power of all worldly surges and sorrowes vndaunted vnappalled so that at midnight Acts 16. 25. in the dungeon all manacled and fettered as hee was in a wounded skinne wee find him praying and singing in a whole and merry conscience Saul could not be merry without a Musician 1. Sam. 16. Ahab without Naboths Vineyard proud Haman 1. King 21. Esth 7. without Mordecais courtesie But he that carryeth the true Electuary exhilarans laetificans Galeni of a good conscience about him he hath selfe-sufficiency and without Musicke money lands or honour is happy still and merry alone like to the late inuented Musicall instruments of perpetuall motion c. With this Counseller and Comforter in the bosome to wit a good conscience Iacob can Gen. 28. 11. sleepe sweetly on a pillow of stone Daniel and Dan. 1. 15. his fellowes looke fresh and faire feeding on pulse alone Iob in the midst of his paine and pouerty possessed of this true Diamond which darted many beames of comfort vpon his soule challenged his aduersaries to write against him Iob 31. 35 36. a Booke of slander and hee would take it vpon his shoulder bind it to his head as a Crowne of honour Heereunto Hezekiah neere vnto Isa 38. death hauing recourse for succour confidently thus saith I beseech thee Lord remember how I haue walked before thee in truth By this Anchor-hold all the children of God in the midst of manifold temptations and spirituall conuulsions haue beene euer so mainely sustained that with Saint Paul they haue thus constantly resolued Whether wee liue we liue vnto the Rom. 14. 8. Lord whether we die we die vnto the Lord whether we liue therefore or die wee are the Lords Vse Doe ye then Men Fathers and Brethren desire to haue in your selues an heauen vpon earth and to aspire to an happinesse independant on the creatures without you O then indeuour earnestly and pursue this one thing aboue other things viz.

his part in Paradise exercise themselues wholly and their greatest wit cunning and policy to gaine and retaine good estates good Farmes good fields good friends good houses good horses good clothes good euery thing else but care not for this onely permanent and Paradisaicall good of an vpright conscience let all of vs that would be accounted godly wise prouident for a better world make it our principall care and study to get this choyce Iewell of admirable vertue and operation and to set it in the best and chiefest roome of our holy and hearty affection as a blessing of all blessings sufficient for present maintenance Psalm 84. and future Psal 84. 11. inheritance Luk. 12. 31. With which that wee Luk. 12. may be really possessed and so royally blessed it is generally required of vs all as in part it hath and shal be more fully declared hereafter that we be according to our seuerall callings much exercised in prayer in thankesgiuing in hearing reading and meditating of the Word much in patience temperance repentance obedience Gods mercies and iudgements on our selues and others must be daily considered his Temple on publike solemne assemblies duely frequented his Throne of grace in priuate deuotion often sollicited his distressed seruants pitied and relieued especially wee must be inured to a daily diligent search and examination of our soules by that scrutiny in Seneca Anima Seneca mea quid fecisti hodie O my soule what hast thou Ier. 8. 6. done to day that so comming to a true sight and sorrow of our sinnes and corruptions wee may humbly confesse them feruently craue pardon for them and by faith in Christs blood be assured of the forgiuenesse of them and so with peace of conscience and ioy of heart walke on cheerfully in the religious race of godlinesse and vertue to the iourneys end of endlesse felicity Herein and therein ought we to be exercised if we would inioy the comfort and credit of conscionable Christians And as these generall duties of Christianity are carefully to be performed so the particular offices whereunto we are called for the propagation of Religion and piety or the preseruation of order iustice and equity in Church or Commonwealth are seriously to be attended and executed Hoc agite in the sacrifices of the heathen gods was a precept much vsed and obserued how much more in the seruices of the God of heauen especially in that great businesse of Iustice and Iudgement whereunto by God the King and the Countrey the most of you are now designed should the said precept Doe yee this that is intend and apply all the faculties of your mind to the doing of it be kept inuiolable and that not only of you the chiefe agents and ministers but of all others the instruments and assistants of Iustice whether witnesses who are faithfully to prooue the action or counsellours who are formally to plead the cause or Iurators who are vprightly to censure the allegations These and euery of these for the discharge of a good conscience herein and therein according to Saint Pauls practice must exercise themselues and that ingeniously without sinister affection and that instantly as the occasion is giuen without put-offs to after-times or any tedious protraction Vse 2 So that to come to a second vse of the doctrine proposed me thinkes here come within compasse of iust censure diuers Christians as they esteeme themselues to be sharpely reprooued for their security and grosse stupidity in slighting neglecting and procrastinating necessary duties who thinke and speake much of doing but leaue to doe the effect of their thinking who mention and motion many things fit to be acted and done for the reformation of disorders and matters amisse in themselues and family at home in the Church and Common-wealth abroad but as weaklings and slacke-graces set not their hands to the worke thrust not themselues forth with Dauids resolution Psal 101. tot Psalm 101. to the speedy execution of the same Farre be they from the Prophets and our Apostles spirit and resolution farre from the obedient disposition which was in Father Abraham who according to Gods Commandement forthwith circumcised his family Genes Gen. 17. 17. put away the bond-woman and her sonne Gen. 21. Gen. 21. yea readily and betimes went on his Gen. 22. iourney to sacrifice his onely beloued Sonne Isaac Gen. 22. and not asking a reason for it which he thought to be presumption or opposing any carnall reason against it which hee knew to be rebellion instantly did that hee was called vnto and commanded to doe with all expedition But alas these and are not some of you Fathers many of you Brethren such either in fauour to themselues or for feare of others stand still with the idlers in the market and doe nothing or hauing begun well reuolt Math. 20. 1. Tim. 4. 10. Iudg. 5. with Demas disappoynt with Meroz or follow a farre off as Peter did Christ and doe not put themselues forward to the reforming of any course that is euill or the furtherance of any cause that is good Yea whereas the places and callings of some require that they should as State-Physicians purge themselues of all distempered humours that they might the more effectually worke on the humorous distemperatures of others and that they should bee patrons of peace and piety and patternes of temperance and honesty that so they might the more boldly reproue and soundly represse the lewd and lawlesse irregularities of the sonnes of Belial wherwith these times swarme They on the contrary runne a race of the like excesse of riot with others and as if it were no disparagement but rather an ornament vnto them sweare by authority oppresse and extort by licence drinke that I may not say drab it too without controll without feare care or conscience Such and such with shame and griefe I speak it are more then a good many of our neuter-passiue Magistrates scar-crow Constables and meale-mouthed vnder-officers in Towne and Countrey who resembling Ostritches which Plin. haue great feathers but no flight or Iupiters Blocke cast amongst the Frogs to bee the king whom they feared at first for its greatnesse but despised at length for its stilnesse suffer many hainous and hidious enormities of whoredom blasphemy drunkennesse prophaning of the Sabbath and wilfull recusancy to passe by them vncontrolled and are loth lest they might bee accounted precise and pragmaticall to exercise themselues in this to see these and the like abuses punished or reformed So that as Demosthenes Plut. sometimes complained that by the Athenians slothfulnesse the power of their aduersary Philip King of Macedon was greatly augmented so may we that are Ministers iustly complaine that by the remisnesse of the aforesaid Magistrates and Officers the kingdome of Satan in those his vicious vicegerents is exceedingly inlarged And therefore we doe the more humbly intreat you my Honourable Lords according to the great measure of

there is no true repentance there is no true faith no true faith no true Christ no true Christ no true remission of sinnes no true remission of sinnes no true peace of conscience grounded vpon the assured sense and inward feeling of the same But rather the grace of Christ redeeming the loue of the Father electing and the comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost quieting the conscience is farre off from them which continue in their sinnes and stand out as rebels in their disobedience against God The rule is ancient and true Bona conscientia Aug. non stat cum proposito peccandi a good conscience cannot stand with a purpose of sinning or with irresolution against sinne but is armed thorowout with a resolute determination wittingly and willingly to sinne no more accounting it a mockery to cry Peccaui and mourne for sinnes past with a meaning to sinne againe in the like yea a most ridiculous folly like to the Shipmans continuall labouring at the pumpe without any care to mend the leake Wherefore as we desire to liue in the lawfull peace of an vpright conscience so let it be our chiefest care to inure our selues to the practice of repentance and obedience The practice of which to speake briefly of them ioyntly consists not in pretending as the manner of many is a good heart without fruits of amendment for that is but vanity or in making some outward shew of reformation without purging the heart and affections for that is but hypocrisie or in exchanging of sinnes to wit of prodigality or prophanenesse in youth for couetousnesse and Popery in age for that is but irreligious mockery But in an inward lothing from the heart and an outward leauing in the course of our life of all such knowne sinnes wherein we haue formerly liued and delighted and also in an earnest desire of the heart and constant indeuour in our life and conuersation to practise all duties of piety charity which in our seuerall places and callings are required T is not sufficient to put off the old man to cast away the weapons Eph. 4 22. of darkenesse and to abhorre and remooue Col. 3. 10. what is euill but we must put on the New man Rom. 13. take vnto vs the Armour of light and cleaue to Rom. 12 9. that which is good T is commendable with the repentant Prodigall to forsake our former riotous Luk. 15. luxurious and offensiue liuing and to returne to our Fathers home for this mends the matter but it is much more comfortable and complete after the shaking off of the ragges of sinne to put on the robes of Righteousnesse and Garments of Saluation for this perfecteth the match and accomplisheth the marriage betwixt Christ and vs and heereby shall we giue testimony to others and to our selues and our owne soules that we are penitent and obedient Christians and so bring wonderfull peace and comfort to our consciences For when a Christian inriched with these spirituall graces of true knowledge and faith shall thus proceed in the carefull practice of these holy duties of repentance and obedience then his conscience which otherwise would looke sterne vpon him begins to smile to speak sweetly to him to conuerse amiably with him to clap him on the backe applaud him exceedingly exhilarate and refresh him To which purpose S. Bernard speakes excellently Vis O Bern. homo semper epulari vis nunquam tristis esse benè viue Wilt thou O man neuer be sad wilt thou turne the whole yeere into a merry Christ-tide liue well then Fiat iustitia saith Saint Austin Aug. habebis pacem Eschew euill and doe good Psal 34. 13. and thou needest not seeke peace and ensue it Psal 85. 11. Psal 34. for peace will finde thee and kisse righteousnesse wheresoeuer shee finds it Doe Iustice loue mercy humble thy selfe and walke with thy God as Enoch did Gen. 5. doing all things as in Gods sight For this is the direct Micah 6. 8. way to the obtaining and maintaining of a conscience comfortably good the voyce of ioy and Psal 118. 15. deliuerance shall be in the Tabernacles of the righteous saith the Psalmist and the worke of Esa 32. 17. Iustice shall bring peace and quietnesse Esa 32. and it cannot be otherwise but that Melchisedec the King of righteousnesse which walkes sincerely should also be Prince of Salem and walke confidently peaceably securely Synceritas Serenitatis Isiod mater est sine qua tranquillitas omnis tempestas est Sincerity is the mother of true tranquillity and without it all carnall rest is as a dangerous Lethargie Sincerity as it is of all vertues the girdle and most acceptable to God Eph. 6. 14. whose vnfained obedience it implyeth so it is most profitable in all dangers trials and temptations to man whose peace it worketh and in whom it begetteth a Lyon-like boldnesse as Salomon speaketh The righteous is as bold as a Pro. 28. 1. Lyon This cannot be put out of countenance by the false accusations of slanderous tongues it throweth them off as Paul did the Viper from Act. 28. 5. his hand vnhurt This saith with Saint Paul I passe not for mans iudgement 1. Cor. 4. and 1. Cor. 4. 3. Iob 31. 35. with Iob Though mine aduersary would write a Booke against mee I would take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto mee What made Iob so confident Surely it was the vprightnesse of his heart his sincere obedience and innocency which he saith he will hold fast Iob 27. 6. and not forsake lest his heart should reprooue him and his conscience trouble checke him Vse Wherefore as hee that will saile safely must looke as well to the balast of his Ship as to his sailes So if you will saile safely in the Ship of a good conscience to the Port and Hauen of heauen you must not onely looke that there bee soundnesse in your knowledge and faith which are as sailes hoysted vp to make foorth for the prize but also that there be sincerity in your repentance and obedience which are as the soules balast to moderate her pace lest shee dash against the Rocks of presumption and to this end vse that safe and sauing method by a learned Father prescribed When thou art Aug. tempted to sinne set before thee the weight of sinne the wound of conscience the wrath of God which is as a flaming fire and remember Rom. 2. that tribulation and anguish shall be vpon euery soule that sinneth Rom. 2. And let this be vnto thee a strong bridle and retentiue from vice and againe when thou beginnest to bee weary and drowzy in Gods seruice thinke vpon the blessed recompence of well-doing and consider that to them which by continuance in doing well seeke glory and honour there shall be giuen eternall life and immortality and let this be a sharpe-pointed spurre and motiue