Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	church_n	doctrine_n	true_a	1,091	5	4.8484	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A06500	A commentarie vpon the fiftene Psalmes, called Psalmi graduum, that is, Psalmes of degrees faithfully copied out of the lectures of D. Martin Luther ; very frutefull and comfortable for all Christian afflicted consciences to reade ; translated out of Latine into Englishe by Henry Bull.	Luther, Martin, 1483-1546.; Bull, Henry, d. 1575?	1577 (1577)	STC 16975.5; ESTC S108926	281,089	318

this peace This is in deede a notable promise But doe not we most wickedly contemne this promise Many of purpose seeke occasions to trouble the Churches In the common wealth likewise we see what great contempt of ●awes there is euery where By these enormities we doe as it were constrayne God not to bestow vpon vs this blessing and life This is the cause that we are vexed with sundry calamities for that we doe contemne this blessing so graciously offered vnto vs Notwithstanding the worlde through calamities and scourges will not amende For what did it profite the Iewes to be so often exercised with all kindes of calamities God therfore was constrayned at the length vtterly to destroy them In like maner Loth preached to the Sodomites in vayne as Noah also did to the first world The same daunger hangeth ouer our heades For neither with pestilence warre nor famine can we be brought to amendement or bee any thinge the better Therefore shall destruction followe This Psalme therefore is a commendation of peace and vnitie to the ende we should esteeme of it as a most excellent and holy gift and that we shoulde rather suffer the losse of all thinges else then giue occasion of dissention and discorde For if we must suffer any losse it ought to be borne patiently in this respect that all other thinges through peace are recouered and restored agayne as one sayd very well I neuer bought any thing better chepe then peace For to the byer it bringeth most plentifull fruite We see often times in our priuate affayres that if a man be content to lose tenne or twenty crownes that he may liue in peace and quietnes he wynneth thereby great gayne and commoditie whereas an other neglecting this quietnes and by strife and contention seeking ten crownes loseth many times an hundreth crownes or more If these thinges so fall out in priuate matters what hapneth thinke you in the affaires of common wealths kingdoms Let vs learne therefore highly to esteme of peace to be thankfull vnto God for such a singular gift both in the common wealth and in the Church So shall it come to passe that we shall feele and enioy this blessing and life as the holy Ghost hath promised The .134 Psalme Behold prayse ye the Lord. This is the last of the Psalmes which are called the Psalmes of degrees In the which ye haue heard many weighty and profitable pointes of doctrine as touching all the articles in a maner of Christian doctrine namely of Iustification or remission of sinnes of the crosse of charitie and brotherly loue of matrimony of ciuill gouernment c. as though the Prophet had studied to comprise in these short Psalmes the fumme and effect of all suche thinges as are to be taught vnto the people Nowe therefore he concludeth in this Psalme the whole matter which he tooke in hand to entreat of As we also doe when in the ende of our preachings we pray that God would preserue his word amonges vs and that we may continue in the same vnto the ende For when the word is purely taught all thinges are safe holy pure although the gates of hell rage against vs neuer so much and we lose not only our goods but also our liues For what harme haue we therby so that our soules may be saued It is the word therefore alone that preserueth all good thinges But if that be lost or corrupted then all good thinges are lost For like as if the Sunne and light of the world should be taken away he that walketh walketh in darkenes so if the word be darkned and corrupted in what misery and daunger is the common wealth For then neither Magistrate nor subiect nor seruant knoweth what he ought to doe but all thinges are wrapped vp in error and horrible darknes Wherefore this Psalme exhorteth vs to pray that the Lorde would preserue and continue his word amongest vs and euery one of vs to endeuour with this seruice to helpe the Church For although the Church is neuer without heretikes like as also the common wealth is neuer without seditious persons yet so long as the word remayneth found and vncorrupt it can not be but that many good thinges and many good men also wil remayne I take this Psalme therfore to be as a conclusion of those things whiche were spoken of before In that which he exhorteth vs to giue thanks vnto the Lord for the benefite of his word and to pray for the preseruation and continuance thereof for as much as if it flourish there will alwaies be founde some good men which will leade a godly and a holy life Therefore he saith Verse 1. Behold praise ye the Lord all ye seruants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord. To blesse signifieth not onely priuatly to giue thankes vnto the Lord but also publikely to praise the Lorde to preach and to publish his word And this can not be done without the praise also of the mercie and goodnes of the Lord our Creator our defender and our redeemer which hath prouided for vs and giueth vnto vs all thinges perteining not onely to this our corporall life but also to our euerlasting life felicitie in the kingdom of god And albeit this clause seruaunts of God belongeth here properly to the ministers of the Church yet generally it comprehendeth all those which professe and embrace the true and sincere doctrine of the Gospell For it is the duty euen of those which are not in the ministery of the word to confesse the word to acknowledge and praise the benefites of god Wherefore with one hart and minde saith he ioyne ye all togither continue in the worde confesse preach praise and magnifie the worde that whiles all the worlde befids dishonoreth blasphemeth God ye may blesse him because he is mercifull Then shall it come to passe that ye shall ouercome all your enemies though ye be to them in number farre vnlike But what meaneth he by these wordes which by night stande in the house of the Lorde Did they obserue certaine howers in the night after the maner of the Papistes You must note that it is a kinde of speech proper vnto the Hebrewes and is as much to say as morning euening that is to say continually As he saith also in an other Psalme From the morning watche euen vntill the night Paule expresseth this sentence with other wordes Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously saith he And our Sauiour Christ teacheth that we must pray alwaies For wheras the night season is appointed for sleepe he that will blesse in the night will do the same also in the day so he wil be alwaies blessing Verse 2. Lift vp your hands to the Sanctuary praise the Lord. As much to say as when ye pray in the Sanctuary lift vp pure and holy hands For he that prayeth in that

a pastour or preacher in the Church These the elect I meane the Lorde hath here and there sparsed emong the wicked as precious stones in the middes of the earth Therfore thou must not think to preach to these only which were to be wished but that can not be because they are mixed with the vngodly multitude Likewise when thou art called to be a ciuill magistrate or a gouernour of a houshold thou shalt not finde all to be precious stones gold or siluer but let it suffice thee if in a whole multitude as it chaunceth in mynes thou find but one veine of siluer or emongst a great deale of earth but one precious stone For the greatest part in the Church is hereticall godles the least part in the ciuill state obedient louing of vertue Hereof it commeth then that al things are ful of trouble to the godly pastour the Magistrate the housholder because the wicked with such successe contemne and disobey all godly orders Notwithstanding thou man of God stand in thy calling do thy duetie pray for peace exhorte counsel reproue those whom thou hast charge ouer For since that now by the word of God the church is somewhat purged of false religion superstition and idolatrie the Magistrates better instructed of their duety and office Satan rageth as a strong armed man keping his house when a stronger commeth Be strong therefore in these tentations and think that as these things are not begun by the power of Satan so though he rage against the same neuer so much thou must not be discouraged or slacke the Lords busines but first serue the Lord and then thy brethren and neighbours For their sakes the Churches must be instructed the common wealth gouerned not for the worldes sake and the vngodly multitude for it is not worthie that a theefe should be hanged an adulterer or murderer put to death but the Lord in heauen and our brethren neighbours in earth are worthy of this seruice as he addeth in the verse following Thus I expounde this verse to be a consolation for pastours ciuill Magistrates and gouernours of families against the multitude of the wicked and the trobles which by them the godly doe sustayne Verse 9. Because of the house of the Lorde our God I will procure thy wealth This is an other cause why he prayeth for the peace and prosperitie of Ierusalem for that the Sanctuary of the Lord and the feate of true religion being stablished in that citie if it prospered not the worship and seruice of God could not there continue As if he sayd The Lord our God hath stablished his seate in thee O Ierusalem and in the middes of thee hath he set vp his worship For the which cause I loue thee and thinke thee worthy of all prosperitie But why doth hee adde hereunto Our God Because God had chosen this nation to be as his own peculiar people And this also was the cause why Dauid so loued them and was not discomforted with these troubles which he for their sakes susteyned both in the Church and in the ciuill gouernment but being chosen to be a King and a Prophet to this people he constantly endured all troubles and herewithall comforted him selfe that first he serued the Lord his God then his brethren and was not an vnprofitable seruaunt but fruitefull vnto God that he might be glorified and to his neighbour and brother that he might be saued Let vs likewise pray for the welfare of our brethren and for the house of the Lord with Dauid who as this Psalme sheweth did wel vnderstand the power and glory of the word and therefore he neither giueth thankes nor yet reioyceth for the abundance of gold and siluer which notwithstanding he lacked not but for the word and true worship of the lord Where these two are not lacking all other incommodities may easily be borne For if we haue the Lord abiding with vs if we maintaine his word and his true seruice and seeke the saluation of our brethren what can we desire more But where the word true worship of God is not regarded there is no God no mercy no saluation neither doth there any thing else remaine but the cursed multitude which shal be damned in hell Therefore Dauid exhorteth vs in this Psalme aboue all things to reuerence the word and by faithfull prayer to seeke the aduauncement thereof Also to giue thankes vnto God for peace and true preachers which gouerne the Church according to his word for where these things are not there must needes be trouble and vexation vnquietnes of conscience murder adultery such other horrible sinnes which the Lord turne away from our Churches preserue that poore remnant emonges the damnable multitude which serue and worship him according to his word By these two latter verses we are admonished first how euery Christian ought to regard him which is his fellow in faith and religion that is to say as his brother and neighbour Then also why he ought to haue a harty loue and zeale to the Church and congregation of the faithful For my brethren saith Dauid and for my neighbours And againe for the house of the Lord our god These two thinges ought to be considered in the Churche of christ In it are our brethren and neighbours in it is the house of God yea rather it is the house of God it selfe in the which are the children of God and true brethren O happy is he and a right Christian in deede which beeing indued with the true knowledge and faith of Christ and also with that brotherly loue which is according to the spirit of the children of God can vnfainedly and hartely say For my brethren and neighbours and for the house of the Lord our God I both seeke and I wish the prosperitie and welfare of the Church of God. The 123. Psalme I lift vp mine eyes vnto thee c. This Psalme as ye see is but short and therefore a very fitte example to shew the force of prayer not to consist in many words but in feruency of spirit For great and weighty matters may be comprised in few words if they proceede from the spirit the vnspeakeable gronings of the heart especially when our necessity is such as will not suffer any long prayer Euery prayer is long enough if it be feruent proceede from a heart that vnderstandeth the necessitie of the Sainets not in such small matters as y world counteth great and weightie as pouerty losse of goods and such other worldly incommodities but when the Church is oppressed with violence and tyranny when the name of God is prophaned with wicked doctrine or if there be any thing else that either hindreth the glory of God or the saluation of soules These perils can not well be vttered in prayer and therfore the prayer of the faithfull is then most effectuous when with griefe of heart and affliction of spirite they see

are spoken Verse 2. Behold as the eyes of seruaunts looke vnto the hande of their maisters and as the eyes of a mayden vnto the hand of her mistres so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercy vpon vs. Here the prophet setteth forth by similitude the nature of true pietie As if he sayd Great is our affliction and yet the Lord prolongeth his helpe neither easing our miserie nor reuenging our wrong He suffereth the cruel the proude and the scornful to trea● vs vnder foote and to prosper in our sight This delay is tedious greuous vnto vs Notwithstanding we will not murmure or become vnpatient in these our afflictions but as good seruaunts in their distresse looke to the hand that is for help and succour at the hand of their masters mistresses so will we attend vpon y Lord our God vntill he haue pitie vpon vs. Thus we see that the Lorde sometimes deferreth his helpe neither shewing how nor when he will help but leauing his Saints in such perplexitie as though he had no regard either of the time or of the maner of their deliuerance so that they seme to hang as it were in the middes betwene heauen and earth These things are greuous and excedingly encrease the tentation Therefore we must lay sure hold on this consolation which the Prophet here setteth forth that our tentation shal haue an end but not as we would lest we seeme to appoint the time and maner of our deliuerance which the lord reserueth to him self alone And here is an example set forth vnto vs patiently to wait vpon the Lord in the time of trouble to be instant in prayer and neuer to let our hands fall or turne our eyes from the Lord but constantly to perseuere in sure hope expectation of his gracious deliuerance and of his helping hand to be present with vs in our necessitie whereof our Sauiour Christ also warneth vs in the Gospell of the woman and the vnrighteous iudge who although he neither feared God nor man yet because this woman neuer ceased to call vpon him he was compelled to heare her cause For if the worst man be not yet so wicked but he may be ouercome with instant and continuall prayer what shall we not hope to obteine at Gods hand which willingly offereth him selfe to heare our prayers and also commaundeth vs to pray yea and is more ready to graunt our petitions then we are to aske For in that he differreth his help he doth it not because he will not heare vs but to exercise and stirre vp our faith and to teach vs that the wayes whereby he can and doth deliuer vs are so manifold miraculous that we are neuer able to conceiue them Therfore let vs thinke that the thing which we aske is not denied but differred assure our selues that we are not neglected because of this delay The patient abiding of the afflicted saith Dauid in an other Psalme shall not perish yea the Lord will not lose the glory of his name which Dauid in the same Psalme attributeth vnto him namely that he is a helper in time conuenient And here is to be noted by the way that the holy Ghost commendeth the gouernment of housholds and families in this place and signifieth that to serue is a vocation which pleaseth him if it be done in faith For seruauntes are here mentioned for the comfort of all good seruauntes and in them is commended not onely their patience but also the confidence and trust which they haue in the goodnes of their maisters assuredly trusting with patient tarying to finde mercie and fauour in their sight in time conuenient But in deede Dauid speaketh here of better seruauntes then are commonly seene at this day for there is no kinde of people more deceitful negligent and stubborne euen when there is great cause of sharpe and seuere correction Wherefore let all such as will be counted good seruaunts remember the example and rule set forth here by the holy Ghost and obserued of all good seruaunts which is that they are not froward and stubborne but patiently endure all things and do the duety of true and faithfull seruaunts hauing alwayes a watchfull eye to the hand of their maisters And further note how humbly the faithful think of them selues in the sight of god They are called and chosen to this dignitie to be the heyres and children of God and are exalted aboue the Angels and yet notwithstanding they count them selues no better in Gods sight then seruauntes They say not here beholde like as children loke to the hand of their fathers but as seruaunts to the hand of their masters This is the humilitie and modestie of the godly it is so farre of that hereby they lose the dignitie of Gods children to the which they are called that by this meanes it is made to them more sure and certaine Moreouer here is to be obserued that Dauid sayth not simply VVe lift vp our eyes to the Lord but he addeth moreouer to the Lord our God that is to say that God which hath reuealed him selfe to vs in his word for otherwise he were not our god The gods of the Gentiles idolls which men deuise vnto them selues are called gods but he is the true God and none but he which hath declared him selfe to vs in his word and promised in the same that he will be our God c. The Papistes haue deuised vnto them selues a seruice and worship of God contrarie to the word of God and therefore they worship not the true God in deede but an idoll of their owne heart yea they worship a crea●●● made and fashioned with mans handes for the almightie crea●●● of heauen earth But our God is he not whom we haue deuised but which hath paynted and set out him selfe in his Scriptures how and by what meanes he wil be serued and worshipped This our God because he seemeth oftentimes to estraunge him selfe from vs and to haue no care of vs the wicked doe shunne and forsake and seeke helpe of Peter and Paule and many times of Satan through sorcery and witchcraft and other deuilish meanes thinking because God prolongeth his helpe to finde thereby more speedye succour But thus our God is wont to deale with vs first as is sayd to proue and exercise vs and so to bring vs to the knowledge of our selues that we may see our owne weakenes and frailty which are so readie to be ledde away from him then also to bring vs to the knowledge of him whereby we may see both how willing he is and also howe able by farre better meanes to helpe vs then mans heart can conceiue Verse 3. Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we haue suffered too much contempt Here may we see that the godly doe not onely feele their owne crosse but the affliction of other also is to them a great crosse and as