Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	good_a	lord_n	2,726	5	3.8026	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00426	A learned and godly sermon preached on the XIX. day of December, anno Dom. MDCXXXI. at the funerall of Mr. Robert Bolton Batchelour in Divinity and minister of Broughton in Northampton-Shire. By Mr. Nicolas Estvvick, Batchelour in Divinity, and sometimes fellow of Christs College in Cambridge, and now minister of Warkton in Northampton-Shire. Revised and somewhat enlarged by the author, and now at the importunity of some friends published	Estwick, Nicolas.	1639 (1639)	STC 10558; ESTC S122205	46,169	72

sorrow and mingling his teares with his drink then to utter divine Proverbs with wise Salomon and what our Saviour spoke of watching the same doe I speake of repentance I say unto you all repent if you are in the field remember Abel if you are a feasting remember Iobs children when you goe to bed that you might holily compose your selves to rest that you may commit the keyes of your doores much more your lives into the hands of GOD remember the first-borne of Egypt which were slaine at midnight by the Angell of the LORD let Adulterers remember Zimri and Cozbi and drunkards King Ela slaine by another Zimri if you walk in the streets remember those on whom the tower of Silo fell if your hearts begin to turne to the love of the world remember Lots wife that which befell them may befall us it will be then our wisdome by GODS grace to prevent sin and if we fall into sin our next wisdome will be to repent of the sin we have fallen into Another duty which naturally doth arise from this Doctrine is to lose no time in doing and in receiving all the good we can this is the day appointed to worke and how short this day is the LORD alone doth know but this we know the night commeth wherin none can work Shall the Sun stand still for thee as it did for Ioshua or go back as it did five houres for Hezekiah doe we thinke we can doe good in another world when we do no good to speake of in this be not deceived with this dangerous errour and hurtfull pretention of doing good hereafter whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might and the reason is good for there is no device nor work nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest Vaine hope of future performances hath undone many sow thy seed whiles the seed time lasteth if thou looke to have a crop and harvest We may learne this from the birds of the ayre the Turtle the Storke the Crane and Swallow know their appointed times the waifaring man he travels whiles it is light then he knowes he is under the protection of the Lawes the sea-faring man he observes the wind the Smith he strikes whiles his iron is hot nay we may learne this wisdome from the divell himself he rageth and doth all the mischief he can because his time is but short Thus of doing good and so likewise must we let no opportunity slip of receiving good lay hold of every season which may be an advantage to get heaven to strengthen and increase spirituall graces be glad if thou canst heare the Word preached on a working day Saint Basil he preached on a working day and tels his Auditors their thoughts desires that he would be short that they might go about their labour If such thoughts possesse our hearts at this or any other time let us repell them and remember what the holy Father there speaketh the time spent in GODS service is not lost for GOD to recompence them removes troublesome businesse gives promptitude of minde or strength of body sends customers to buy their wares and if he doth none of these yet are they no loosers by their paines for he gives them a rich treasure in heaven Lastly this point may teach GODS children patience in all distresses and afford them sound comfort in all estates they are nearer heaven now salvation now is nearer to them then when they began to believe sin and Satan do now disquiet them but they shall not do so for ever Many a one can be content to endure hardship a few yeares nay to be a galley slave under the Turke seven yeares if he had assurance of a great Lordship after that time was expired and choose rather to be a bondman upon those termes then to be a free man without them exercise long-suffering good Christian there may be but a day or moneth or yeare but a little time betwixt thee and the joyes of heaven Who would not admire the state of such a beggar who every houre was in possibility of a Kingdome but behold a greater reward by GODS promise is due to all his children then this earth can afford more glorious things shall be theirs then ever eye hath seene or eare hath heard or the heart of man can conceive which without all doubt by comparison at least are true of the joyes of heaven Why then shouldest thou O Christian soule be cast downe or why shouldest thou be in vaine disquieted surely if thou wouldest seriously consider that thy heavinesse shall be suddenly turned into unspeakeable joy that all thy teares shall be for ever wiped from thy eyes and that these momentany afflictions do proportionably work unto thee an exceeding weight of glory thou hast no reason to be much dejected for them Thus much of the first Doctrine the second followeth but that we may build upon a good foundation we must first declare the meaning of those words on which we must ground our ensuing Observation I desire to depart and to be with CHRIST To be with CHRIST Why was not Saint Paul with CHRIST was not his conversation now in heaven and was not the streame of his affection carried to CHRIST was not he with him in the spirit as with the Colossians rejoycing and beholding his happinesse doubtlesse he was But this being with CHRIST was not that presence which he desired it was a neerer presence to be where he was in the highest heavens and to behold the glory which GOD the Father had given him desire is the daughter of indigence and want some way and himselfe doth plainely tell us whilest we are in the body as now Saint Paul was we are absent from the LORD you may be pleased to observe a difference betwixt these phrases of CHRIST his being with us and our being with CHRIST it is one thing for CHRIST to be with us this benefit is enjoyed in this life he promised to be with the Apostles and his Successors and so by Analogy he is with all his mysticall members to the worlds end but it is another thing for us to be with CHRIST this honour is reserved for the world to come and it is a state of blessednesse as he spoke to the theefe on the Crosse this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Whence I doe observe that The faithfull soule when it departeth out of this life is immediatly after death with CHRIST If the soule of Paul why not the soule of other faithfull ones Saint Paul I know whilest hee lived was a man indued with singular zeale for CHRIST and holinesse of life and exercised with more then ordinary miseries and persecutions himselfe reciteth a Catalogue of many of them but as it is not the degree of faith but faith that justifies nor the measure of graces but

Christian that desires to have all his sinnes unbowelled and discovered shall find the losse of a gracious soule-searching Minister he that would have rules to avoid particular sins and to make progresse in all vertues shall find the losse of a copious and experienced directour he that is wounded in conscience shall find the losse of a skilfull Surgeon who in that art was one of a thousand to restore righteousnesse the vertuous rich and humble poore Christians that feared GOD shall find the losse of a loving friend and a gracious supporter those that are in wants and truly religious shall find to my knowledge the losse of a liberall reliever and comforter nay poore condemned Christians shall find the losse of a charitable instructour and what shall I say more the whole Land shall find the losse of a zealous pillar and of a powerfull prevailer with GOD for the continuance of our happinesse so that all had cause to pray not as the dresser of the barren fig-tree but as for a fruitfull tree LORD let it stand one yeare nay many yeares longer but the greater our losse is of him the greater is the gaine unto himselfe and as he is crowned with glory in heaven so his remembrance to many of us will be like that of Iosias to the Jewes It is sweet as honie in all mouthes and as musicke at a banquet of wine This consideration may be of good use for GODS people First that they would set a high price on good Ministers and afford them a singular measure of love as to spirituall fathers GOD honouring them so highly as joyning them with himselfe as co-workers in the regeneration and salvation of his people against whom Satan and his instruments are most enraged towards such let the affections of GODS people be most enflamed though their persons may be contemptible yet in regard of their high calling as they are CHRISTS Ambassadours they are venerable they are deare unto GOD you cannot contemne nor reverence them but this reacheth unto heaven and in the last resolution reflects on CHRIST himselfe CHRIST is interessed both in the contempt and in the respect you shew towards them Secondly it should teach them another duty to pray heartily to GOD for them that GOD would give his Vrim and his Thummim to his holy ones this was the prayer of Moses for the Tribe of Levi think of them as Saint Iames said of Elias That they are men subject to like passions that you are conceive us not to be of Laodicean temper to stand in need of nothing we are no better nor so good as Saint Paul and yet good Saint Paul is frequent in his exhortations to the people to pray for him brethren we had need of your prayers none more need then we something it is that Saint Paul in his prayer for the Churches useth this forme Grace be unto you and peace but when he writes to Timothy and to Titus separated for the service of GOD he prayes for Grace Mercy and Peace for them They in speciall manner it seemes do stand in need of GODS mercy pray for such then and for their continuance that they may live be guides to the blind lights to them that sit in darkenesse Instructors of the ignorant and by a godly life examples to the flocke over which the LORD hath made them Over-seers Get now all the good you can from profitable Ministers while you enjoy them heare them every LORDS day as though it was the last day you should heare them whiles the yeares of plenty last store up with good Ioseph provision which may preserve your lives if a dearth should come like the shel-fish sucke in that moisture while you are in the waters which may preserve you on the dry land When Nilus over-flowed the bankes the Egyptians were so wise to dig pits to retaine the water to serve their turne when the water of the river returned into its channell Doe thou so for thy soule in regard of the waters of life store now thy selfe with the bread of heaven least thou finde to thy griefe the greatnesse of a benefit in the losse thereof unwise they are that know not the true worth of blessings but by wanting them which wisemen had rather learne by keeping them O carry thy selfe towards them as Saint Irenaeus did towards that blessed Martyr Polycarpus many yeares after he did keep fresh in memory the disputations of Polycarpus his goings out and commings in his manner of life the shape of his body his Sermons to the people how he conversed with Saint Iohn the Apostle and with others which saw the LORD he could recite what he reported as spoken by them c. such a deepe impression in his soule there was left many yeares after Polycarpe was a glorious Saint in heaven and I beleeve that this our brothers unaffected gravity his wise carriage and many of his gracious speeches are written with the pen of an adamant in some Christians which will be legible in them so long as they live Lastly let us of the Clergie while we live do all the good we can and put forth our selves with all laboriousnesse before the day of harvest the gifts of the Spirit are given to profit withall Gods gives these ministeriall talents to this end and let us imploy our talents to attaine this end while we continue in this Tabernacle let us not cease to put men in mind of their duty as Saint Peter professed he would doe let us pity the case of all disobedient persons let other fishers if they thinke good fish for riches or for vaine applauses but let our chiefe aime be to deliver a sinner from the pit of destruction and rather to speake five words in compassion to save a soule then five thousand for any sinister end whatsoever the soule of the poorest man is very pretious and the losse of it cannot be redeemed with a world it is sinne that looseth the soule O how unhappy are all sinners how miserable which would make GODS servants shed rivers of teares if they thought advisedly thereof and mourne over them as our Saviour did over Ierusalem when he beheld their present security and foresaw their future ruine If thou hadst knowne these things that concerne thy peace how happy hadst thou then beene let us then be faithfull and laborious and so much the rather now ought we to be laborious to make up this breach for the losse of our brother if GOD enables us the LORD himselfe is the heavenly teacher of this lesson by a just proportion in a like case Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise Ioshuah be strong and of a good courage this our brother GODS servant is dead let us therefore who doe by the goodnesse of GOD remaine yet alive in a better degree then formerly be faithfull in our callings let us be more industrious