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
A43584	A narrative of the holy life, and happy death of that reverend, faithful and zealous man of God, and minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Angier, many years Pastor of the Church of Christ at Denton, near Manchester in Lancashire wherein are related many passages that concern his birth, education, his entrance into the ministry, discharge of his trust therein, and his death.	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1683 (1683)	Wing H1772; ESTC R177987	61,863	136

Boston April 16th 1628. and they continued there till his son John was born who was baptized in the same Church June 13th 1629. Mr. Anthony Tuckney being Vicar there then about this time several Ministers and Christians went into New England to injoy the liberty of the Gospel Mr. Angier had some thoughts of going also however he first took a journey into Laneashire to visit his Wives Relations and take leave of them they prevailed with him to preach at Bolton R. M. one of Ringley Chappel hearing him obtained a promise to come to Ringley on a week-day and Preach with Mr. Mather then at Toxtoth-Park Chappel and preparing to go into New England Mr. Mather begun Mr. Angier was to succeed but it being a hot Summer-day and an exceeding throng Mr. Angier was overcome with heat and swooned not being able to proceed but was cut off about the middle of his Sermon from speaking Mr. Mather went up continued the exercise that evening many of the Chappelrie followed Mr. Angier to Ellis Walworths house in Ringly-fold and moved him to be Minister at Ringley he deferred his answer until Monday sennight after at which time he was to preach at the Lecture at Bolton many of the Chappelrie then heard him and after the Lecture at one Widow Rothwels presented to him a paper wherein were the Names of the heads of the Chappelrie that had votes in publick concerns he asked whether the Names of all were in that paper they told him th● names of all that had votes but if he plea● ed all the rest would readily be had Afte● Mr. Angiers return to Boston a Lette● was sent to him with the names of all th● Families Masters and others and a Lette● was returned from Mr. Angier to the Chap● pelrie That if they would fetch him and his Family he might be theirs whereupo● in the beginning of September 1630. two good men were sent with Horses and furni● ture John Jackson and Francis Critchly who stayed several days at Boston Mr. Cot●ton judged the call to be clear Mr. Angie● was well satisfied the two faithful messenger brought Mr. Angier his Wife his Son his Maid to Ringley to the great joy 〈◊〉 those that feared God in the place The Text he preached on was Philem. 22. But withall prepare me also a Lodging for I trust that through your prayer I shall be given-unto you Some time they were put to sojourn in another Family till a fitting house was made ready his settlement was in Ringly-fold in an ordinary house with which he was well content when people came to Repetition in his little house and wanted room and seats he said Better want room than good company people were kind and every way helpful and the word of God did mightily succeed and prosper exceedingly much people was added to the Lord ●ow Ringley had her day a conversion●ay to not a few an enlivening-enlivening-day to many of Gods children that flocked thither like Doves to the windows so that all the Christians that were capable and willing to ●ttend private days and duties of prayer ●ould not meet in one place two places were oft appointed for that work as some yet ●iving testify this was a time of Gods signal appearance the Lord casting many Souls into the Mould of the Gospel and a good impression remains to this very day though many of that old stamp are faln asleep some can tell observable stories of Gods remarkable working on hearts which at present I wave As for his investiture in his Ministerial office he had Episcopal ordination Mr. Cotton having interest in Lewis Bayly a Bishop in Wales that put forth the Practice of Pie●y he writ to him with Mr. Angier and he did ordain him without subscrption yer Mr. Angier kept a Non-conformist to the Ceremonies and therefore had some adversaries for Dr. Bridgman Bp. of Chester lived at Great-Leaver at that time to whom were brought various and grievous complaints against Mr. Angier for not consoming the Bp. sent for him expostulated with him being a kind of affront to preach so near him it being but about two Miles distant admonished him exhorted him to conform h● sent for him many times yet usually gav● him very good words and professed his grea● respect to him God ordered it so by h● providence that the Bps. Wife being a gracious Woman was at that time much afflicted in conscience and Mr. Angier by God blessing was an instrument of much good to her by his counsels and prayers which became a furtherance of his liberty for the Bishop would usually say Mr. Angier you must see my Wife before you go and she interceded for him yet notwithstanding the Bishop could not be quiet but some or other sollicited vehemently against Mr. Angier in so much as he was supsended twice in one year● but restored by the mediation of his friends at last the Bishop said Mr. Angier I have a good will to indulge you but cannot for my Lords Grace of Canterbury i. e. Archbishop Laud hath rebuked me for permitting two Non-Conformists the one within a Mile on one hand that was good Mr. Horrocks at Dean-Church another on the other your self and I am likely to come into disfavour on this behalf as for Mr. Horrocks saith he my hands are bound I cannot meddle with him 't is thought he meant by reason of some promises to his Wife but as for you Mr. Angier you are a young man ●d doubtless may get another place and if ●ou were any where at a little further di●ance I could better look off you for I do ●udy to do you a kindness but cannot as ●ng as you are thus near me c. some ●judg●d that one reason was the Bishops sons were ●t this time on the rising ground and this his ●onnivence might cross his design in their referment he did suspend Mr. Angier who continued a season under that suspen●on however he had been ordained June ●8 1629. and a Provincial License was ob●ained for him at a provincial Visitation at Manchester Octobor 23. 1630. He conti●ued though not without some interrup●on about a year and an half at Ringley Chappel for he was suspended in that ●me One particular I shall make bold to insert ●f the grace of God accompanying Mr. Angiers Ministry while he was at Ringley 〈◊〉 is this One Richard Hardman of Ratcliff●ridg having received good by Mr. Angier's Ministry a Sister of his living near to ●doughton Chappel in Dean Parish came with ●er Husband to his house at Ratcliff-Bridg ●n the Saturday Evening the Night before ●hat which is called Midlent Sunday to be ●erry at the Wakes for that day Ratcliff-Wakes which is a mad revelling or feast●g began and continued most of the Week ●ollowing But God had turned the by as of Richard Hardmans heart another way and he plainly told his Sister and her Husband they should have been more welco● at another time but since they were the come they must not

twice every Lords day most part of his time travelling and preaching many exercises abroad on Week-days his monthly attendance in the Classical Presbytery requent travels to the Provincial Assembly ●onstant assisting in the Ordination of Ministers observing many private fasts amongst his own People and abroad yea extraordinary fasts in publick especially the monthly fasts kept for Ireland at that time ●e ordinarily kept the fast himself wherein he spent six or seven hours in wrestling with God in prayer or preaching the word ●e was wonderfully enlarged and had a great measure of the Spirit poured upon him as to the assistance of his Spirit and his body was much supported for he ●aid private fasts spent his natural strength more than his sabbath-days work for he still ●ept the posture of kneeling and did affectionately joyn with others that were exercised or he put others on to prayer and himself losed up the day with a short but warm melting prayer being short towards the ●tter end of his days His observing fasts with his people was 〈◊〉 evidence that his delight was in that ●ind of work for he hath oft said that one great thing that tyed and indear● him to that poor people was that when ever they had occasion they appointed fast and did joyn together in prayer and also in praise and he had a particular honour to his worthy friend Col. Richard Holland on that very account that st● he said when he had been in troubles 〈◊〉 did constantly call good people to pray 〈◊〉 God with him He was so constant in his Ministerial wo● and diligent in his studies and preaching● his own people that though Mr. Harrison of Ashton his intimate and intire friend and he lived near together for twenty year yet never did they exchange places for o● day in that time to ease themselves M● Herle told him he had a weak body yet Venice Glass well look'd to would last considerable time and notwithstanding 〈◊〉 excessive labours God maintained in him considerable measure of health possibly mo●● than he enjoyed in his younger years a● next to Divine Providence much may 〈◊〉 ascribed to his severe temperance observance of diet composedness of mind a● care of himself according to his experimen● of what he had found helpful or hurtful 〈◊〉 him and though he was of a far weak● constitution than Mr. Harrison and Eld● by several years yet survived him 〈◊〉 whom he hath sometimes said Mr. Harrison you think you can do any thing but your body will fail you and indeed it did for tho that learned gracious zealous man of God had a very strong healthful robust body yet by his excessive Studies and assiduous labours and watchings and sitting so close without fire in cold Winter-Nights that his nerves were so contracted and his body so weakened that some years before he died he could not stir Hand nor Foot yet was h●arty and would often say if I were in the Pulpit I should be well But to return to Mr. Angier he was a man much in prayer and mighty it may be said of him as of David Psal 119.164 That he prayed or praised God seven times in a day at least twice I think thrice with his Wife twice alone and twice with his Family in his Family-work he was very profitable every one got a verse or more out of the Chapter read at prayers he gathered some useful instructions short but substantial and accommodated to the condition of the Family Eight of the Clock in the Morning and betwixt five and six at Night before Supper were the ordinary seasons for Family worship beginning with a Psalm by which the Family had notice to come together his constant course was to have a Chapter read after Dinner and Supper before they rose from the Table and before thanks was returned and he said he took up that usage of having a Chapter read at Meals from Mr. Rogers of D●dham worthy Mr. Samuel Hildersham had constantly two staves of a Psalm sung after Meals so had the first Christian Emperor Constantine the Great as Euseb●us tells us and I have known some use it And as Mr. Angier was much in prayer so he was mighty in prayer fervent as well as frequent he wept and made supplication Jacob like yea he was an Israelite a Prince with God he was by some called Weeping Angier for as he seldome rose off his knees without Tears so some have observed Tears at some seasons trickle down to his Band in great abundance Mr. Isaac Ambrose in his Diary Printed with his Media saith that upon a solemn day of fasting and prayer in Manchester Church Mr. A. concluding his prayer was so working that I believe it melted all hearts and for my own saith he it pleased the Lord so to soften and to break it that so far as I remember it was never in such a melting frame in any publick ordinance before and as it workt on mens hearts so it was prevalent and reacht Gods heart as the event did demonstrate thus the inwrought Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a righteous man availeth much certainly Mr. Angier had many remarkable returns of prayer whereof it may be something shall be added out of his own papers hereafter so great was the esteem of him generally that he was frequently sent for to pray with some Melancholly persons and some possessed as was supposed and sometimes they brought such persons to him from far and God was pleased in some cases to hear prayers but some particulars much tal●ed of I dare not relate what I have heard except I had clear and undoubted testimony of the truth thereof And as he was instant and prevalent in prayer Seriousness in thankfulness so he was excellent and ●und●● in praises he exceeded others in supplications and himself in thanksgiving frequent Ejaculations and expressions o● Gods grace and Mercy were in his mind and mouth they that conversed with him frequently heard Deo gratias thanks be to God from him But as he took more occasions than many others of keeping days of thanksgiving so God gave him still more occasions of thankfulness and its usual for God to put new songs of praise into thankful persons Mouths it was his frequent observation that when a day of thankfulness was appointed God sent in some fresh matter to increase joy in the Lord and sometimes the intervening providence merited such a day as much as the former so well doth God take an aspect towards that lovely duty that he incourageth to it And oh how inlarged was he in those Days and Duties he seemed to be transported into Extasies of Admiration yea he seemed to be elevated above the Earth amongst the Coelestial● inhabitants his heart and mouth were inlarged to an high strain in rehearsing the loving-kindness of the Lord he expatiated especially upon Spiritual mercies to the astonishment of those that joyned with him often using Davids holy Rhapsody 2 Sam. 7.18 19

20 Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto it would have done ones heart good to hear him an hour together reckoning up the mercies of God in Infancy Childhood Youth riper Age in all Estates Relations Conditions Afflictions and then magnifying the free grace of God in giving his Son for us his Spirit to us promises priviledges Gospel-ordinances c. and then the great kindness of God to his particular congregation in publick liberty for which he kept many days of thanksgiving and for national mercies yea there was not any of his Relations or in his Congregation under any Affliction Temptation but as he prayed for them so he gave God thanks for their deliverance he knit his Breast to every ones heart and case he mourned with such as mourned rejoyced with such as rejoyced God had given him a sympathizing heart 2 Cor. 11.29 he might say Who is Weak and I am not weak But especially he was deeply concerned for the Church of God both at home and abroad he gave God no rest but was the Lords dayly remembrancer standing betwixt the living and the dead in the breach that sin had made to hold off wrath He had great interest at the Throne of Grace and notably improved it by a believing prayer and filling his mouth with Arguments he had skill and will for his work often was he in the Mount and conversed with God as a Man with his Friend he had an excellent Art in humble expostulation with God surely the Church-militant parted with a Friend when he was translated to Glory it appeared in the congregation that God had set him over what weight he bore up by the dreadful consequences attending his death for thereby the people lost their priviledges for from the day of his Funeral to this day never did Non-Conformist preach in his Pulpit so that it appears for whose sake the liberty was maintained Denton hath found the smart it s well if England feel not the fatal fruits of the removal of such Pillars Methusalem dyed that year the deluge overspread the World Hippo was sacked by the Vandals immediately after Augustines death there Heedleberg taken after Pareus's death Luther dyed a little before the Wars in Germany Lord prevent temporal evils threatned that the prediction may not be accomplshed that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Isa 57.1 this Worthy fallen in Israel speaks heavy things to England Mr. Earnestness ●n prayer Angier was very solemn and grave in all his addresses to God or in his delivering messages from God it was his usual manner before he spoke a word in prayer to pause a considerable while looking upwards composed his thoughts possessing his heart with awful apprehensions of the Divine Majesty and by mental ejaculations imploring Gods quickning presence and after a season he arrived gradually to a great degree of zeal and warmth in prayer agonizing in the duty with sweat and tears which rendered his speaking at some seasons both painful and difficult yet was he not only made up of zeal and affection but had proper and pertinent matter exact method and apt expressions Mr Harrison was wont to call him a ponderous man for every word had its weight and emphasis he had no waste words either in prayer or preaching but as his affections were Boiling so his Words were few and well weighed He did not use to be long in prayer except upon extraordinary occasions and then not tedious because variety of matter and patheticalness in the manner rendered his prayers acceptable to the joyners he propounded this Question Whether the spirit of God did ordinarily dictate matter of prayer he did conceive it might from Rom. 8 26. the spirit helpeth for we know not what we should pray for Yet he was far from Enthusiasm nor was he altogether against forms of prayer nor joyning in publick with the Liturgy though he judged that inconvenient modes of worship must be our affliction but may not be our sin when we are not in a capacity to remedy nor did he think that meer presence doth signify consent or approbation of every thing we hear As for the Lords prayer his judgment was that it was delivered chiefly by our Saviour as a pattern or platform of prayer to which as to several heads all our prayers must be referred He seldom insisted long upon a Text except when he took a Scripture before him because as he used to say a Minister may have frequent occasion in the course of his Pertinence in Preaching Ministry to return again to the same subject therefore he needs not to say all that can be said upon it at once but extract the marrow of the Text and pick out what at present he judgeth proper to the principal occasion for which he chose it and drive that Naile home yea tho a Minister should say all that he can find out upon such a Text or Subject yet he will be forced to leave some gleanings that he may return again to gather up and those as pertinent and useful as he pressed as at his first Vintage-reaping so true is that of Tertullian Adora scriptura plenitudinem I adore the fulness of the Scriptures He had a notable observation from Heb. 11.32 For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon hence he observed That a Minister must have respect not only to what he is to say but to the time he is to speak or write it in all things cannot be spoken at one time Christ taught as people were able to hear people yea the best people have but a measure of attention memory or affection good old Mr. Horrocks was wont to say I would rather leave my hearers longing than loathing And as Mr. His Catichising Angier constantly preached so he carefully Catechized the youth of his Congregation according to the Assemblies Shorter Catechism and explained it opening the principles of Religion in a plain and ●amiliar way sometimes taking an account of their proficiency and if he heard of the breakings out of sin in any of his hearers he faithfully admonished them privately and sometimes publickly sometimes sending for the persons and pleading with them with much gravity humility and Bowels of compassion Ordinarily when strangers came to settle under his Ministry ●e sent for them discoursed with them counselled instructed exhorted them thus he dealt with new Married Persons and indeed God brought several from other places to fix themselves under his Ministry for the benefit of the Ordinances His usual saying was His self-denial in receiving If God will help me to take care of my duty I will leave him to take care of my comfort his main design was to bring Glory to God in the conversion of sinners and edification of Saints the attaining of these ends was his reward when any sent him tokens of their respects he lookt at God in it and was