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
A66558	The vanity of mans present state proved and applyed in a sermon on Psalm 39.5. With divers sermons of the saints communion with God, and safety under his protection, in order to their future glory, on Psalm 73. 23, 24, 25, 26. By the late able and faithful minister of the Word John Wilson	Wilson, John, minister of the Word.; Golborne, J.	1676 (1676)	Wing W2905; ESTC R218560	137,734	239

near to God 3. It will inform us of the great difference that is between good men and others the one lives above the other below one upon the Creature the other on the Creator Some are so far from being ever with God that they desire it not They say unto God Job 21. 14. Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Psalm 10. 4. God is not in all their thoughts There is a vast difference between the dispositions of good and bad Take a good man and the frame of his heart is to be solicitous about God and thoughtful about God in duty Will this please will this honour God As to sin How shall I do this evil and sin against God As to Ordinances he seeks God in them and enquires whether he have met with God If God hath withdrawn himself he is troubled It is not so with the wicked they are not solicitous about any such thing their care thoughts and endeavours is how they may be well thought of reputed how they may drive on their covetous lustful or malitious designs How they may gratifie their senses They fense and keep of any passes that are made by Gods messengers to pierce them towards their conviction and amendment They will not bear the thoughts of God and their duty Use 2. of Exhortation If it be the property of pious and holy men to be with God to abide with him and herein to rise to this degree of being ever with him Then as ever we would be pious and holy men reputed such and found such let us endeavour ever to be with God spend our days with him No company is like unto God's you have heard in the Reasons Let the Divel the World the Flesh say what they will no company like society with the Father and the Son Let us seriously consider whether it be not as well our interest as our duty to live more unto and with God It may be for a Lamentation unto us that when some pious Christians have been spending all their time with God yet we have been but little taken up with that good company How little Lord have we been with thee even when we have stood before thee as thy people that desired to know thy ways and do thy will How little of our hearts hast thou had when with our mouths we have professed much love How have the world our lusts run away with our souls thoughts and affections and left thee the outside and carcases of Christians Let us run through all difficulties that we may get to God Idolaters would run through the very fire to get to their Idols 2 Kings 16. 3. A strange piece of devotion and this was partly to express their great zeal toward them and partly to be purged from their sins and so to be a fitter sacrifice for their Idols Let our souls then make hard after the true and living God though through difficulties and fiery trials Psalm 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee Hereunto take these directions 1. Withdraw your affections from the world Look upon it as below you to spend your pretious time in converse therewith Reason thus with your selves What hath God given me a a soul fit to converse with himself and shall I pass my time in converse with this dunghill this impure filthy world God forbid He hath designed me for nobler matters and shall I not do what I can to pursue them As ever you love God and would be with him to enjoy his love for ever love not the world withdraw your affection from it 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him 2. Take pains with your souls to raise and lift them up to God They are naturally averse to be with God as children are naturally averse to be with their aged parents they would rather be in the streets with their play-fellows and children of their age and humour so natural men are averse to be with God they would rather be in the World about trifles By how much the more backward they are the more pains we should take take with our hearts say thus to thy self It is better for me to be at some pains and trouble now than to be in eternal flames and misery for ever David labours to lift up his heart Psal. 25. 1. Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. The heart is naturally addicted to sink down into sensuality it should be raised up Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee There must be a rowsing and stirring up of these sluggish and indisposed hearts of ours How vainly and unreasonably do many wicked persons reason themselves into Hell and destruction I am as good as God hath made me and shall I be damned for that averseness of spirit which is natural to me and I brought with me into the World This is Christians divelish arguing which Satan suggests and puts into mens mouths that he may drive them on farther to ruine You must be taken off your own bent and affections or you will be ruined for ever It had been better you had never been born than that you should rest in the same state of wretchedness wherein you are by nature Take pains therefore with your hearts though they shrink and draw back yet follow them from room to room from one idle excuse to another till they be driven out of all harbour Lay hold of them keep them fast say soul I must I will have thee up to God Thou must dwell with God here or else thou must never dwell with him hereafter 3. Allow not your selves in any sinful and ungodly course that sets God at a distance from you and begets a fear and dread in the soul that makes it run from God as offended till it recover the thoughts of Gods mercies and then the soul returns and comes toward God with trembling Now if the soul would be still with God with how much boldness might it approach into the divine presence If you do allow your selves in any unwarrantable course you stop that entercourse you might have with God therefore when you begin to feel your souls starting aside from God recall them charge them to keep close to God leave them not till you have brought them into some good frame and resolve as David Thy benefits are so innumerable they are so large a theme for my thoughts that Psal. 139. 18. When I awake I am still with thee Yet he had a holy jealousie over him self ver 23. 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Daved was a man that did commune much with his own heart and knew how things went with himself Yet he is desirous that God would make a