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	good_a	great_a	1,778	5	2.6268	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29247	Apostolick charity, its nature and excellence consider'd in a discourse upon Dan. 12. 3, preached at St. Pauls, Decemb. 19, 1697 at the ordination of some Protestant missionaries to be sent into the plantations : to which is prefixt, A general view of the English colonies in America, with respect to religion : in order to shew what provision is wanting for the propagation of Christianity in those parts / by Thomas Bray, D. D.	Bray, Thomas, 1658-1730.	1698 (1698)	Wing B4285; ESTC R6508	16,290	44

to prosecute the glorious Conquest over the Devil and all his Works which he had begun commanding them to go and disciple all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them promising to be with them always even unto the end of the World Matt. xxviii 18 19 20. And so faithful were they in the Execution of their Trust that they soon dispers'd themselves into the utmost parts of the Universe so that not an Age had past till their Sound went into all the Earth and their Words unto the Ends of the World Rom. x. 18. And thus you see who they are that have heretofore Turn'd many to Righteousness But who those are whose Duty yet it is and who may still be said to do the same remains to be consider'd and may God enable us to find them out And First This is a Work incumbent upon every Christian Church and Nation but ought to be the Concern and Care of none more than ours and can never be more seasonably set upon than at such a juncture as this I say to consider and assist in the best Methods of Turning many to Righteousness ought to be the Care and Concern of every Christian Church and Nation and this out of a grateful Return for that Blessed Light of the Gospel which has shone amongst them by which Christians are or may be if they suffer themselves to be regulated by the Rules of Christianity which so directly tend to render both private Persons and publick Societies happy by which Christians may be I say so much distinguish'd from the deplorable State of those Barbarous and Savage Nations where Ignorance of the True God and Religion overspreads their Country Nothing more naturally diffuses its self than Light and how prodigiously ungrateful would it be for a People themselves enlighten'd not to spread that to all Mankind which was given them to shew others as well as themselves the Way to God and their Happiness But especially this is a Care and Concern incumbent upon such a Church and Nation as ours A Church so pure in its Doctrine and so Heavenly in its Worship as in that respect is the fittest in the World to be the Model to the New Acquisitions which shall be gain'd to the Church of Christ But alas that it should be ever said that another Church whose Religion is so sadly corrupted by Paganish Superstitions should yet be ten thousand times more Zealous in Banishing Infidelity and Paganism out of the World than ours is And it is a Work in Gratitude due from such a Nation as this A Nation so enrich'd by the Commerce and Commodities of so many Barbarous and Pagan Countries Surely since we have in so plentiful a manner been made partakers of their Carnal Things it is our Duty also to Minister to them in Spiritual things And such a Work surely can never be more Seasonably promoted by any Church or Nation than at such a juncture as this What has made up so great a part of our Devotions for some Years past as our Thanksgivings for the little less than Miraculous Deliverances we have receiv'd in the Preservation of our Religion and Liberties And when had this our Preservation so glorious a Completion as at this time and so solemn an Acknowledgment paid to Heaven for it as lately in this Place But what fulsome Hypocrisie would it be to thank God with such seeming Devotion for the Preservation of a Religion we do not in the least Value or How can we be thought to Value it at all if when it is in our Power to extend the Christian Pale so far as we may and to the bringing into it so many Thousand Souls over whom we have an absolute Dominion should we yet take no Care about it Secondly Those whose Duty it is in a more peculiar Manner than others to Turn many to Righteousness are the Ministers of Religion I say in a more peculiar Manner than others for we are not only ordained and separated for this Work but the Instructing Inlightning and Informing of the World which is the Foundation of all Righteousness is peculiarly the Pastors Province I do call the Instilling of Divine Knowledge into the Minds of Men the Foundation of all Religion For why Knowledge of the true Nature of God and of all the parts of that Religion which is to be paid him is a necessary Guide and Director to all Virtuous and Religious Practice it being the same thing to the Soul as the Eye is to the Body Nor is Divine Knowledge necessary to Mens living Vertuously only as it is a Guide and Director to us so to live but it is requisite also as it is the Principle and Reason whereon all virtuous and worthy Deeds are to be founded insomuch that a thing which is otherwise well done if it be not done knowingly but ignorantly will not be imputed by God nor Man as a vertuous and laudable Action Nay the chiefest of all Divine Graces if it be not acted out of a through Knowledge of the Nature of God and of true Religion will e'en become for want thereof the Blackest of all Sins as Zeal when not guided by Knowledge will easily be transported to Cruelty and Murther What shall I say The want of throughly understanding the true Nature of God and the Nature and Design of the Christian Religion is the only Cause of all that Superstition which is in the World of Superstition I say than which there is not a more grievous Malady that can possibly infect the Souls of Men so as to render them more troublesome to themselves more mischievous to the publick Good and Welfare of the Church and to act more dishonourably and provoking to God In short it is Ignorance which is the Natural Parent of that Atheism and Infidelity so rise amongst Men and indeed not only of that but of all other Vices and Wickednesses whatsoever And now it is the great Duty of the Ministers of Religion to remove from the Minds of Men that Ignorance of Divine things which is the cause of all their Miscarriages and to instill into them those Doctrines and Religious Principles which are the Fountain of all their farther Righteousness This we are to attend upon by Catechizing and Preaching and Conference and whatever Methods can be thought most successful and effectual in the Instruction of Mankind and those who shall best instruct their People shall most effectually Turn many to Righteousness And therefore Thirdly Those Persons will be reputed to have no small share in this Blessed Work who have put the Ministers of God in a Capacity of so Instructing his People by making a Provision for the Acquisition Maintenance and Propagation of Christian Knowledge Such are those who have been the Founders of Churches Schools Colleges and Libraries And not here to speak of the Excellency of such

People And therefore except we shall bestir our selves very much they will far out-strip us in the Persuit of Eternal Glory In short Those who shall make such a lasting Provision for the Instruction and Conversion of any considerable part of Mankind may in so doing be very well look'd upon as a sort of Apostles to those Parts of the World And if so we may conclude a great deal concerning the Degrees of Glory wherewith such shall be recompenc'd from that Promise of our Saviour to his Apostles Matt. xix 28. Verily I say unto you When the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon Twelve Thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel For tho' we are not to conclude from these Words that any besides the Twelve shall be exalted to the highest Degrees of Happiness yet from hence we may clearly gather that proportionably as Persons shall approach nearest to the Apostles in Evangelizing Mankind they shall be placed nearer and nearer to them upon the several Ascents to the highest Stations in the Kingdom of Heaven Not that I would lessen the Hopes of Glory to you my Brethren who shall labour in this Great and Glorious Work of Gaining Souls to God No but rather give me leave with the great Apostle to the Gentiles Rom. xi 13. to magnifie to you your Office who are entring to day upon the Sacred Ministry and some of you in order to a Blessed Mission And you have this Advantage of all other Professions of Men that whereas others by a due discharge of the Duties of their proper Calling can only become Righteous themselves you in the due Exercise of your Ministry will Turn many to Righteousness So that whilst other Christians can expect only the common Rewards for well-doing you may promise your selves upon the Performance even of the ordinary Duties of your Function to be extraordinarily recompenc'd And the Reason is this because the Good that you will do is doubly and trebly beneficial for you will not only consult thereby your own Happiness but will render your selves Benefactors to Mankind and what is above all will enlarge the Bounds of Christ's Kingdom I say you will render your selves Benefactors to Mankind For why the Religion you are to propagate and promote is of such a Nature and Tendency that were it heartily embrac'd the most Wild and Savage of Men would become Innocent Kind and Sociable to one another they would not hurt nor destroy in all the Holy Mountain And it is Prophecy'd that this will be the Fruits of Christianity when the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord Isai xi 9. And you will also by a diligent Application to the Duties of your proper Calling pull down the Kingdom of Satan and enlarge the Bounds of Christ's Kingdom or at least-wise encrease the Number of his faithful Subjects This will indeed engage you in great Conflicts with the Powers of Darkness and the Difficulties and Oppositions they and their Agents the wicked Men of the World shall give you will call forth all your Courage and Prudence to resist But the greater are the Dangers and Difficulties the more noble is the Vertue and the greater the Vertue the more glorious will be the Reward And therefore I cannot forbear to bless that Providence which calls both you and me into the Service of those darker parts of the Church where we shall have occasion to do more Good than here we could be able to contest with greater Difficulties and thereby to entitle our selves to the chiefest Rewards For a bad as it is to be Ambitious after Earthly Honours it is nobly Vertuous and Christian-like an Emulation to excell in the Favour of God and in those Stations of Glory which he will bestow upon such as shall exert themselves in his Service And to be Instrumental in bringing Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death whether we consider the Service or the Recompence has enough in it to satisfie the most pious Ambition To conclude therefore in the Words of St. Paul 1 Tim. vi 12. Fight the good Fight of Faith that is maintain and propagate the Gospel against all Opposition and live according to it lay hold on Eternal Life nay strive to excell in those Achievements that shall entitle you to the chiefest Glories of it for this is that whereunto you are called and are now to profess this good Profession at an Holy Ordination before many Witnesses FINIS ADVERTISEMENT A Short Discourse upon the Doctrine of our Baptismal Covenant being an Exposition upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers of our Church Catechism proper to be read by all young Persons in Order to their Understanding the whole Frame and Tenor of the Christian Religion and to their being duly prepared for Confirmation With Devotions Preparatory to that Apostolick and Useful Ordinance To which is added An Appendix being a Method of Family Religion By Tho. Bray D. D. Printed for W. Hawes at the Sign of the Rose in Ludgate-Street