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	holy_a	life_n	1,005	5	4.1291	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55638	Peace and gratitude a sermon preached before the Honourable Society of the Natives of the County of Kent, Novemb. 23, 1697 at St. Mary le Bow, London / by Samuel Prat.	Pratt, Samuel, 1659?-1723.	1697 (1697)	Wing P3182; ESTC R26212	9,430	32

only by Stealth or Usurpation The Spirit of Love sets up the Peace of God and because Peace is a thing so universally desireable the very Spirit of Enmity sometimes pretends to set up a sort of Peace too the Peace of Necessity the Peace of Worldly Interest a Politick and designing Peace such an one as never comes up to that of God which passeth all Vnderstanding Now the words of my Text are a decision of the Controversy and give the sole Authority to the Peace of God it makes this the Judge and Umpire of all Occurrences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it Rule or rather let it give the Palm of Victory it is a word that alludes to the ancient Exercises among the Grecians and Originally signifies to bestow a Reward The Office of the Judge being to bestow a Palm or Crown upon the Victor And this Metaphor should methinks silence all Pretensions to Uncharitableness and Censoriousness here is a Commission only for Approbation and none at all for the Condemnation of any one its Office being no other than to silence and over-rule all things that do not make for Peace I proceed therefore Thirdly To the Motives and Inducements by which the Apostle would perswade us to this Peace of God First The Ordinance and Appointment of God express'd in these words Vnto which you are call'd And Secondly The Mutual Relation which we have one to another being all of us Members in one Body First Then this Christan Peace is one of the chief Articles of the New Covenant between God and Man which our Saviour himself by his own Example did confirm The pleasant Fruits of Peace Love and Joy for instance he did in the earliest days of his Prophetic Office in a very extraordinary manner encourage Witness the first Miracle he did in Cana of Galilee by changing at a great Feast of Love so much Water into Wine Which was a plain Argument that he came not to introduce a sullen sowre morose Affectation of Religion but so far as might conduce with Charity and Temperance he indulged his Proselyes to Innocent Mirth and so much more than the commonly supposs'd necessary Refections of Nature that the envious Cynicks and meagre Puritans censur'd him as a Glutton and a Wine-bibber adding to his Charge his Eating with Publicans and Sinners whilst his Accusers were in the mean time Devouring Widows Houses The Examples of Peace Love and Unity which our Saviour set the World are evident and no less so are his Precepts as in the ninth of St. Mark at the fiftieth Verse Have Salt in your selves that Wisdom and Prudence which seasons every Feast of Love and have Peace one with another St. Paul likewise in the twelfth to the Romans seventeenth Verse If it be possible as much as lies in you live Peaceably with all Men so Chap. 14. vers 19. Let us follow after the things which make for Peace and things wherewith one may edify another And then I must needs infer That if our Assembling our selves here together this day after this manner be a thing that makes for Peace and Amity why it seems we have a proper Call to it and I don't see how any one can without good Reasons excuse his absence Correspondent hereto we find the Beginings of Christianity as in the fourth of the Acts 32 vers we read that the Multitude of them which believed wereof one Heart and of one Soul They had Societies and Feasts of Love wherein there was constantly a Communication of outward things to those that were in want and which join'd together with Meekness and Forgiveness of Injuries was indeed a walking worthy of the Vocation wherewith they were call'd Eph. 4.1 Now by how much we come short of these things by so much we are fallen off from Primitive Christianity by so much we are unmindful of our Calling for those whom God Almighty hath call'd into his Church are by him commanded to Live as Bretheren and Heirs together of the same Promise and this is The second Motive to wit the mutual Relation which we have one to another by being all of us Members of one Body To the which also ye are call'd together in one Body Among all the several sorts of Societies in the World Societies of Consanguinity or Affinity Societies of Policy or Civil Government Societies of Places Societies of Profession and Societies of pure Friendship that which Supersedes all nay rather Blesses and Sanctifies all is Ecclesiastical Society which every Christian at his Baptism hath entered himself into and engaged to observe the Heavenly Oeconomy thereof each Christian being but a several Part of that one Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head For as we have members in one body Rom. 12.4 and all members have not the same Office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another We have to the like purpose 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ And then it follows vers 25. God hath so ordered that there should be no Schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it Thus much concerning the Peace of God I come now to speak more briefly of this other Christian Virtue Gratitude express'd in these words Be ye thankful By which we are to understand a Religious and thankful acknowledgment of the Benefits which we receive by the dispensation of the Gospel The Comforts of an Holy Fellowship here and the Promises of Eternal Life hereafter are tender'd to us upon such Conditions which are in themselves so easy to be observed and so much our Natural Duty to perform that they can never be said to merit or deserve any thing at God's Hand So that all the Good and Charitable Works we are capable of doing are but so many acknowledgments by way of Gratitude for what we are never able to purchase but has been freely offer'd by the bounty of God All returns therefore which are under Valuation of the thing received can be upon no other account but of Gratitude Our Duty and Obedience to our Superiours our Love and Friendship to one another our Charity and Liberality to the Poor and Needy are but so many returns of Gratitude to God for the Comforts and Protection of Government for the happiness of a Christian Neighbourhood for making us Members of Christ's Holy Body and the Entitling us to the Inheritance of an Heavenly Canaan A Sense of Gratitude therefore should have a powerful Influence upon us in the whole course of our Lives In our Duty to God by doing him all the Duties of Faithful Servants in his Holy Family and above all expressing continual Thanks to him for Sustaining us by his Word and