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	good_a	holy_a	1,105	5	4.0458	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11067	The arte of happines Consisting of three parts, whereof the first searcheth out the happinesse of man. The second, particularly discouers and approues it- The third, sheweth the meanes to attayne and increase it. By Francis Rous.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1619 (1619)	STC 21338; ESTC S116243	106,766	542

thy double miserie There is one that washeth away thy guilt And another that washeth away thy corruption one that washeth away the fruite of the flesh and another that washeth away the flesh it selfe One of these is the bloud of Christ the other is the Spirit of Christ one is Iustification the other is Sanctification And these two CHRIST hath inseparably conioyned because he will haue them inseparable for he importeth his iustifying bloud by a sanctifying Spirit Whome Christ clenseth he will throghly clense not taking away the guilt and leauing the corruption nor taking away the corruption leauing the guilt but at once clearing both corruption and guilt by sanctification and iustification Wherefore when wee come to bee washed by Christ and haue recourse to his waters of Purification whose clensing was applyed mainly and generally to the whole body of sin in Baptisme if accompanied with Regeneration but the vertue thereof is also particularly to be applyed through our whole life to the particular sinnefull fruits of that body of sinne wee must beware of three faults The one that wee begge not the water of Iustification and leaue vnasked the water of Sanctification that we seeke not forgiuenesse onely but also amendment For if we will haue but one we shall haue neither this gift of Christ being alwayes double or not at al but thou must vpon better reason say as that Disciple of Christ said Not my feet only but my head also so say thou Not the defiled feete of the guilt of my sinnes but the polluted head roote of those sinnes so shalt thou bee wholly cleane The healing and closing flesh must bee new ript from the soule by the sword of the Spirit euen by holy Conuersion Repentance and Amendment the face of the soule must bee washed with the Oile of the Spirit to take away the spots blemishes receiued by the pitchy touch of sinne and then the bloud of CHRIST will take from vs the guilt of sinnes being formerly abandoned forsaken and thrust out of doores by the Spirit A second fault is a vehement desire and indeuour and performance of this part and dutie of sanctification without the cōfortable hope confidence of instification This infirmitie is most vsually found in broken afflicted souls who most vehemently desire renewing and reformation yet dare not to lay hold on iustifying and absoluing These are contrarie to the former offenders for they presently lay hold on Christ for mercy but neglect the holinesse without which no man shall see GOD and these striuing mainly for holinesse by doubt goe about to put from them that right in Christs bloud which belongeth chiefly to such as they are euen to the humble and meek to them that hunger and thirst for Righteousnesse A third fault is the misordering and misapplying of these Waters such is the washing away of guilt by the water of Sanctification of corruption by the water of Iustification For though they bee both ioyned together and doe not at all diuide themselues yet being ioyned they are not confounded neither doth the one properly performe the worke of the other Christs Bloud iustifies Christs Spirit sanctifies the Iustification is not without Sanctification neither is the Sanctification without Iustification yet Iustification is not Sanctification neither is Sanctification Iustification the Iustice of God is satisfied with bloud and his holinesse is pleased with purenesse in the inward parts in these two thus distinguished lyeth the Tenor of the new Couenant For thus we finde it described He will take away our sins and hee will giue vs new hearts But after wee haue sinned the renewing of our hearts is not a purgation of our guilt but of our corruption the purgation of our guilt being wrought by the bloud of Christ though imparted and sealed to our spirits by the same Spirit by which we are renewed yea euen the same time now because in this change and renewing of our minds the Spirit entreth into vs with fresh grace by which entrie the vertue of Christs satisfaction entreth also offereth it selfe to comfort and heale vp our consciences with assurance of forgiuenesse all Christs benefits being reached to vs by one onely Spirit therefore many times is Repentance said to be the cause of forgiuenesse not as some otherwise Venerable haue anciently misse-conceiued that the grace of Repentance is a sacrifice for sinne or that Contrition Conuersion by themselues can satisfie for the guilt of sin but because in the grace of Repentance the Spirit entreth bringing also with him the grace of CHRISTS Iustification In summe by the admitting of CHRISTS Spirit renewing we receiue Christ acquitting and renewing vs as the point of the Needle of the Spirit by which the Spirit pierceth it selfe into our hearts bringing the pardon of sinnes repented into our soules and the same sent from God for his Christs sake but imparted sealed and ratified by the Spirit This washing thus fully and duely performed and the Spirit restored to his former dominion he commonly fortifies himselfe by the remembrance of his late losse and hee striues to take deeper roote because his weaker rootes were before so much mooued and shaken He keepes a more carefull watch against the enemie and with a kind of malice especially against that sinne that before had foyled him He sucks harder from hence-foorth by more feruent desires at the great Spirit whose Ocean supplyeth him and filleth the Creekes of all emptie drie and thirstie soules and thus is sinne turned into a medicine against sinne and grace prospereth by her losses To this large and waightie kinde of Meditation which asketh both length and strength of Intention and requires the soule to be at leisure for it wee may adde a lesser and a shorter sort as it were in a portable and manuall forme to carry stil about vs for our continuall vse to which wee may haue continuall recourse amidst the continual distractions of this troublesome and toylesome life This is to be stil in the hand of a Christian as a Leuell in the hand of a Builder that he may square out his actions conuersations rightly thereby The most profitable fashion of this portable Meditation is when in few words it comprehends the summe of our businesse and dutie whereof there are patternes to bee found in the holy Scriptures or if wee list wee may fit the words our selues so wee fetch the matter frō thence A good one shall we find in the Epistle to TITVS The Grace of God hath appeared which teacheth vs to denie vngodly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world And in the second to the Corinthians Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoeuer yee doe doe all to the glorie of God and that of the Royall Preacher Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole of Man If this be practised by vs wee shall finde this double benefite thereby First if we be in the beginning

increase our glorie we must striue to increase our holinesse and by holinesse and other helps aduancing and supporting holinesse to in crease comfort and cherish the Spirit by which both holinesse and glory may be increased Now to know what these helps are we must seeke in the Oracles of God whose office and mayne purpose is to shine as a Light to mankind that standeth in the darke place of a clouded and corrupted soule and to guide their feete into the way of Peace and Rest. This sure Word of GOD was giuen by GOD vnto Man to direct Man vnto God And to effect this it hath a power to make the children of men the sonnes of God Yea it hath a power to nourish this spirituall and heauenly sonship so bestoweth a gift of growth as well as a gift of life for it causeth the sonnes and heires of God to grow vnto their perfect stature of Grace Glory The great Spirit of God which powreth that portion of the Spirit into vs wherein lyes our sanctification and sealing powred also in the Prophets Seers and Apostles the Word and Counsell of God So the Spirit within vs and the Word without vs are neere of kin they haue one Father euen the Spirit which is God and being brethren they must needes cherish loue and strengthen each other Yea the Spirit of GOD which best knowes how the Spirit issuing from him may bee cherished hath by that Word of purpose shewed vs sundry meanes by which that which hee hath giuen vs may be increased And God expects that wee which were dead and are now raised to life by him though in our deadnesse wee could not moue towards him yet being quickned wee should by imployments and exercise stirre vp the life bestowed on vs kindling it by those helps which his Word ministreth vnto vs. So behold O Man a double mercy one that the indeuours of the Saints may increase their glorie another that meanes helps and directions are giuen for the aduancement and execution of such indeuours Wee must not be still like Embrious and children in their first conception to haue the nourishment of life sent in o vs without our knowledge and will but being now at least babes in Christ wee must desire and sucke the sincere Milke of the Word that wee may grow thereby or being strong men we must desire and digest the solid meate by which wee may grow from strength to strength wee must by manly exercises seeke to fortifie the power of Christ in vs and we must worke towards the increase of our spirituall estate by heauenly traffike and marchandize that the talents of grace being increased may increase the talents of glorie But now perchance it wil bee demanded what these helps are by which the Man of GOD may enlarge his stature and grow vp to his head Christ Iesus For satisfaction to which demand I would point him to the Word of God which is the Treasure of the perfect knowledge of this Arte of felicitie but yet to giue some stay to hungrie soules that presently desire the prosperitie of the Spirit will not bee delayed I may name some of the chiefest though likewise I may leaue others vnnamed to stirre them vp somewhat to seeke for their owne prouision And here as the first means of increasing the Spirit I will name the increasing of those meanes by which the Spirit was first receiued we must striue to increase that faith and affiance by which wee cleauing vnto Christ Christ claue vnto vs. For the more wee cleaue vnto Christ the more Christ cleaueth vnto vs the more we comprehend him the more he doth comprehend vs by a larger and fuller possession of vs. Faith increased increaseth our capacitie of Christ Iesus and as wee are inlarged in our owne bowels by faith so doth Christ inlarge himselfe within vs by his Spirit To this end let vs remember what hath beene formerly set forth as the meanes of breeding faith and in those meanes let vs bee the more conuersant as wee would bee the more plentifull in faith and more ingraffed in the obiect of faith Christ Iesus Briefly let vs feruently and continually pray with the Disciples vnto the Author and Finisher of our faith Lord increase our faith Let vs be frequently conuersant with Christ Iesus and often behold him liuely described in the Word in the Sacraments by hearing by seeing by receiuing by meditation The more Christ is looked on the more trust and the more loue and so the more Vnion Wee cannot looke on the fairest of Men but we shall bee rauished with his loue for hee kindleth our affections as coles of fire and as a vehement flame And surely if wee looke into his Word and into the seales of his Word wee cannot choose if wee bee spirituall but wee must plainly looke on Christ himselfe For the Word of Christ is the Image of Christ hee hath stamped on it his owne likenesse and therein wee may see him borne liuing teaching dying rising againe Therein may wee behold his graces and gifts his excellencie and dignitie his loue vnto Men and his labours for Men. The Sacraments also Christ hath imprinted with his owne resemblance and they are the characters and representations of Christ. So in them may wee see Christ redeeming by passion and washing by regeneration feeding and quickning by viuification yea performing his part of the whole Couenant of Life And CHRIST being thus discerned what dull heart will not rise vp toward him in a stronger affiance in a more firie loue Wherefore walking along with the staffe of Prayer in our hands let vs still bee tasting of these restoratiues of Faith that so faith being cherished may cherish the Spirit and the Spirit being cherished may cherish our life eternall CHAP. IIII. Other helps of retayning and increasing happinesse The first is quicke obedience AN especiall furtherance and nourisher of the Spirit is a readie and prompt obedience to the motions of the same Spirit The businesse of our life is indeede no other but an attendance on the Spirit in whom lyes our dutie and happinesse and al other businesses that are not subordinate to this businesse are inordinate Wherfore to the holy lusts of this liuing and mouing Spirit must our continuall care bee attentiue that when it moueth vs we may be moued by it and that the commands thereof bee answered by a speedie obedience For the Spirit is the issue of the God of power and is it selfe a power proceeding from that great power now power reioyceth in action yea these second powers grow more powerfull by action In naturall things wee see that motion makes a thing more apt to moue and by how much more the strength of Man is exercised the more able and mightie it groweth No otherwise doth the Spirit in vs. It grows mightie by a free and prosperous exercise of his might It growes more vigorous and actiue by doing and by mouing it is more