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	faith_n	good_a	1,015	5	3.3065	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15484	Mount Tabor. Or Private exercises of a penitent sinner Serving for a daily practice of the life of faith, reduced to speciall heads comprehending the chiefe comforts and refreshings of true Christians: also certain occasionall observations and meditations profitably applyed. Written in the time of a voluntary retrait from secular affaires. By R.W. Esquire. Published in the yeare of his age 75. Anno Dom. 1639. The contents of the booke are prefixed.	Willis, R., b. 1563 or 4.	1639 (1639)	STC 25752; ESTC S120175	71,738	238

without interruption in the straight paths of grace and vertue unto eternall glory And so much more need have wee to looke well to our way and arme our selves well for it if wee consider how dangerous a companion the soule carrieth with it or rather is carried by in this dangerous race even our owne sinfull and sensuall flesh and withall how many ambushments of thieves murtherers and robbers lye in the way hunting for our soules as wee passe by and offering to the flesh any manner of sensuall delights to betray the precious soule which it should carrie straight to heaven by getting it to turne aside into some other crooked and by-paths of sinne and wickednesse Via vna multa de via How many by-paths crosse the way of grace to draw the soul out of the way of life by the allurements of honour pleasure profit worldly-preferment ease good fellowship and a thousand varieties to make the soule neglect that unum necessarium of walking in Gods feare and keeping constant in the way to heaven wee must not therefore thinke of sitting downe or standing still or frisking out and in up and downe at our owne pleasure or leasure But the pace hee required is running the most violent earnest and speedy pace of all whereby wee are put in mind that as our li e runs away without ceasing so our labour speed and endeavour should be constant and perpetuall after that better life which shall never fade and to contemne this to obtaine that Notwithstanding every speedy or hastie running in the race of this life brings not to heaven but though we must runne yet wee should so run that we bee sure to obtaine There is a speciall manner of running required a singular and precise manner which how contrary soever to flesh and blood must bee undertaken and pursued or els all is amisse For there is a headlong running downe to hell Facilis descensus Averni and this is the way of good-fellowship as it is called wherein a man shall bee sure of companie enough but of such as forget God following the broad way of vanity which brings to destruction And there is a sidelong running of the hypocrite who runnes byas as if hee would keepe out of the broad way of destruction but falls into it at the last But our running should bee upright towards Heaven up the hill in the narrow strict and craggie way which leadeth unto life wee must runne to obtaine what we runne for and minde nothing else but to keepe our selves in that right way which will bring us to that end happie then is the soule that declines the many by-paths of sinne and vanitie and keepes constantly and carefully that one strict way of holinesse righteousnesse and sobrietie which certainly leads to eternall peace O mercifull Lord Jesu who are the way the truth and the life and knowest whereof wee are made and how unable to stand of our selves or to runne the way of thy Commandements assist and strengthen us by thy blessed Spirit of grace to finde out that gracious way of truth which assuredly tendeth unto life and then constantly to keepe in it all the daies of our pilgrimage that living and dying in faith and obedience wee may finally obtaine that crowne of righteousnesse which thine owne blessed selfe hast purchased and prepared for us in thine heavenly kingdome Amen Eamus post Christum quia veritas per Christum quia via ad Christum quia vita Bernard 22. Vpon a worthy Divines Letter resolving me in a case of conscience WHen it had pleased God to prolong my life beyond the great Climactericall yeare as it is called I thought it high time for mee to retyre my selfe from worldly employments that I might the better prepare my selfe for the time of my change and thereupon imparted my minde for ghostly counsell therein to a worthy and reverend Divine of my inward acquaintance who returned me such a gracious and learned answer by Letter for directing the Christian pilgrim into the right and safe way to eternall life amongst the divers opinions of th●se later and worst times as I thought fit to register it amongst the private meditations of mine that so pious a resolution in so weightie a case which in mine opinion might bee of good use to Gods Church might not die with me in a private Letter the words whereof are here faithfully set downe as followeth Sir I sent you in a Letter by my brother c. In meane while to your case of conscience if I understand it aright I thinke thus in few words The Gospell is a doctrine of mercy but not of liberty The Morall law though it cannot save or condemne us who are in Christ yet it still obligeth us no lesse if not more then others to all acts of pietie and justice Our redeemer freed us not from the obedience but from the penaltie of it the rigorous sanction of it is mitigated by the new covenant of grace for to us is no condemnation and if any man sinne we have an Advocate But the new Covenant is so far from dissolving of any commandement that it adds to them the more of faith and repentance And faith it self though it assure us of comfort in Christ yet it is under condition of our allegiance to God not only in some feeble good purposes and desires but in a constant universall actuall obedience For faith in the very nature of it implies obedience Romanes 1.5 and 16.26 1 Peter 1.14 and verse 22. It purifies the heart Acts 15.9 It worketh by love Galatians 5.6 And without doubt the faith which is not thus obedient purging working is but a fancie T is true the most holy Christian may sometimes by his frailtie or negligence be surprised by a suddaine temptation or foiled y a violent Jn that ease his comfort is in the merits of Christ But t is withall his duty speedily to recover himselfe and to walke afterwards more warily with his God Good will or good wishes are not enough where there is no more I feare there is little grace which where it is enables us to overcome the world 1 Ioh. 5.4.5 To resist the Divell Iam. 4.7 nay to overcome him 1 Io. 4.4 Ephes 6.11.13 to doe all actions of pietie in good measure Phil. 4.13 Mar. 9.23 Ephes 3.20 Iud. 24. verse to mortifie the deeds of the flesh Romans 8.5.13 briefly in spirituall conflicts to bee more then conquerors Rom. 8 37. T is true the best of men are but men at the best now and then sinning but then quickly repenting and for the most part carefully and conscionably walking And if you please to view and consider well these passages in Gods book Col. 3.9.10 Eph. 1.18 and 4.21.23.24 2 Cor. 3. ●8 Galat. 2.20 and 15.24.25 and ● 14. Philip. 2.13 Romans 8.2 wherein the truly regenerate is described by his Caracters and properties you will feare that many howsoever they seeme to themselves and others taking little care

hearts of all that professe thy holy name to agree in the truth of thy holy word that wee may all live in Christian unity peace and godly love waiting for the accomplishment of the number of thine elect that these daies of sin and dissension being finished we may bee received into thine everlasting peace through thine owne blessed merits and mediation for us Amen 25. Vpon the reading of a paper casually taken out of an old bundle at my first comming to Stanwick VPon my resolving to make Stanwick the place of my retiring my selfe from the businesse of this world that I might with more freedom prepare my self for a better amongst other necessaries sent thither from Westminster there was certaine bundles of old letters notes and writings sent thither upon my remoove which was in Iune 1632. that I might there peruse them before they were laid aside for wast papers And when I came thither in the first bundle I tooke to looke over I lighted upon a sheet of paper foulded up and endorsed only with the name of a very worthy Preacher of mine old acquaintance and having quite forgotten what it might con●erne I opened it and found it to be an abstract of one of his Sermons taken by my selfe about 40. yeares before upon this Text Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they would understand this and would consider that later end wherein I found the necessity of that Christian duty of preparation for the time of our dissolution so powerfully pressed by that man of God as I was glad to light upon it so seasonably for a gracious introduction to my further meditations of that necessary subject O blessed Lord God what just cause have I to condemne mine owne dulnes and corruption that having so long before by mine owne hand taken an abstract of such a pretious instruction did neglect the comfort and use th●reof more then for the present for many yeares not remembring that J had any such thing But withall how infinitely bounden am I to thy Majestie O most gracious and mercifull Heavenly Father by who●e speciall providence it was preser●●● in my many remooves to remote dwellings and severall alterations of 〈◊〉 fortunes and now so season 〈◊〉 brought to my hands in this last 〈◊〉 of my life when I have most 〈◊〉 of holy preparatio● 〈◊〉 to teach me 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 in speedy and serious practise that lesson which I took out so long a goe O Lord my God bury J belo●● thee this neglect of mine with the re●● of the manifold sinnes of my youth in the bottomlesse seas of thy mercies and by thy holy Spirit sanctifi● and strengthen me now at last whiles it is yet called to day blessed be thy most blessed name for it and apply my selfe wholly to this blessed learning of being wise to salvation that by thy blessing and mercies J may by humble and stedfast faith fruitfull repentance and new obedience be provide● of that Saviour besides whom there is no other against my last ●eed so to cover all my misdoings and sins of all kinds from being imputed unto me and to cloath me with his perfect righteousnesse that when the houre of my change shall come I may be found of thee in peace through his merits and mediation our eternall advocate and most blessed peace-maker Amen And although this paper of mine be but a briefe or abstract of that which was largely delivered by that worthy messenger of God yet as short and imperfect as it is I conceive good use may be made thereof by the humble minded and conscionable reader and therefore being a relique of mine owne hand for so many yeares preserved I have thought fit to annexe the originall it self to this meditation in hope some gracious use may be made thereof for our preparation for our later end which cannot be far from any of us for Jnter breve vitae spatium nihil p●●cul diei potest DEUT. 32.29 O that they were wise that they would understand this and would consider their later end THese words are part of the last song of Moses the man of God which he sung unto the people Swan like at his being readie to leave the world Dying mens words have deepest impression let these as Moses dying words are repuire your attention yea and not as the words of Moses alone but as the words of godly Moses for v. 20 The Lord said I will hide my face from them I will see what their end will be c. and in the first verse Hearken yee heavens and I will speake and let the earth heare the voice of my mouth 2. My doctrine shall dropp as the raine and my speech shall still as the dew and the shower upon the herbes and as the great raine upon the grasse Hearken with your earthly bodies and with your heavenly soules for you have all of you part o● heaven within you that both soule and body as herbs watered with Aprill showers may bring forth fruit unto God that waters them and wisheth here the best things unto you wisdome and understanding to provide for your later end for all flesh is grasse and must have an end a withering as well as a growing a harvest as well as a spring happie is the soule that is so watered with grace here that hee shall reape glorie in the Lords great harvest to come This Text hath two parts the things recommended to them and the inducment or introduction therunto The wish O that The matter that they would be 1. Wise 2. Vnderstand 3. Consider their later end Here when the Lord wisheth that all men would bee saved and come to the knowledge of the truth I presume not to enter into the secret cabinet of Gods eternall counsell and election but humbly content my selfe with what hee hath revealed namely that God offereth his grace to all and would have all men to bee saved desiring not the death but the conversion of a sinner Why will yee lie O house of Israel Perditio tua ex te Now when God recommends any thing unto us we may conclude it to bee absolutely good and absolutely necessary for us and therefore the greater shall our sinne bee if wee neglect the counsell of God The matter recommended unto us is wisdome to be wise to salvation and this extends to poore as well as to rich generally to all for all have soules and all are invited to be wise to save them Doth any man want wisdome let him aske of God Iames 5. who giveth to all men liberally and repr ●●heth no man and it shall be give● unto him As there is a wi●dome●● which me● in the● severall callings doe governe themselves and their worldly occasions so there is a wisdome whereby wee are taught to governe our soules unto eternall life And if wee were as profound in policie as Machiavillians and had all the wisdome of the learned for the managing of earthly things yet all were nothing