Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A91819
|
Tapeinobasia: or, A sermon of walking humbly with God. Preached at Serjeants Inne in Chancery-lane, by Mr John Ridley, Chaplain there. April 29. 1649. Imprimatur. John Downame. May 8. 1649.
|
Ridley, John R.
|
1649
(1649)
|
Wing R1450; Thomason E556_10; ESTC R205765
|
9,180
|
19
|
ΤΑΡΕΙÎΟΒΑΣΙΑ Or A SERMON OF Walking humbly with God Preached at Serjeants Inne in Chancery-lane BY Mr JOHN RIDLEY Chaplain there April 29. 1649. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Ad Zachcum Christus non venisset nisi prius de sycamoro descendisset G. F. E. L. IMPRIMATUR John Downame May 8. 1649. LONDON Printed for John Martin and J. Ridley and are to be sold at the Castle in Fleet-street by Ram-alley 1649. TO THE Very Devout and Practical Christian Lady ELIZABETH FINCH Elect Lady THe Searcher of all hearts knowes with what fear I publish these mean thoughts of mine to the publique Censure of this Super-fine Age But now or never is the time to croud amongst them at the Press with hope to pass Invisible My comfort is that I begin in Humility if I can digg lowe enough my foundation will hold For truly so far as I know the deceitfulness of mine own heart I am confident no man doth or can think meaner of this Sermon then I my self do And I had rather the world should say that its a plain honest good pious Sermon then that its an elaborate polite choyce piece I write it not for Schollars they need no such mean helps but for pur-blind Christians who feel their way before them with a staff If they use it and find direction I have mine end Had I sought my self I could have put it in better cloathes That I dedicate it unto your Ladiship though Motives of civill Conusance are not wanting yet that of Religion prevailed with me knowing by some years Observation that you are one of those who desire to Walk humbly with God In which blessed way I beseech God keep you guide you with his counsel here and after that receive you unto Glory So prayeth Your Ladiships in all spiritual employment JOH RIDLEY Oh quam me nimium probasque amasque Quae vis Archetypas habere Nugas Mart. A Sermon Preached at Serjeants-Inne Aprill 29. 1649. MICAH 6.8 And to walk humbly with thy God THe holy Prophet having rectified the Judgment of this people in that hereditary and inveterate errour of their Nation That Sacrifice was the only and ultimate worship of God By giving a Negative answer to that Question put unto him by some pious votary vers 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and by a Positive declaring the Minde of God what was good and what God required of man First In the duties of the second Table the reasons of which Inversion I gave you the last Lords day viz. to do justly in Commutative and Distributive Justice and to love mercy Spiritual and Corporal In this remainder of the words he declares what was good and what God requires of man in the duties of the first Table viz. And to walk humbly with thy God Which truly are Words that engrosse so much of Affection that they leave the lesse for Invention words that have so much of Rapture that they are fitter for Contemplation then Meditation St. Peter at the Transfiguration was so ravished with the glory of the Company and place that he spake he knew not what The Panegyrist to Gratian was so taken with his Imperial presence that he was willing to give over in the beginning with Juvat haerere in tam dulci Cogitatione quasi functus Officio lentiùs ago Remigia But this were wholly to defraud your expectation you are come to hear a Sermon Therefore consider four things 1. The term of Connexion And. 2. The matter of the Connexion To walk humbly with God 3. The Motive or Engagement the blessed Relation Thy God 4. The Poyse or Inforcement 1. This is good 2. This God requires of man 3. God hath shewed this to be his Will 1. The term of Connexion And a little word but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For it stands here as a Merestone like Jegar-Sahadutha the heap of witnes Gen. 31.47 between Morality and Religion to do justly and to love mercy are the bounds of Morality but to walk humbly with God is the holy land the territory of Christianity the Churches patrimony And takes hold both wayes it couples Morality to Religion and Religion to Morality and millions of men are taken in fallacies on both sides Thus some think it to be good and all that God requires to pay every one their own to be just in bargaining buying and selling borrowing and lending to bestow something on the poor and I would to God in these dayes wherein so much Perfection is talked of we could finde men Just and Merciful Not to arraign these at the strictest barr but to weigh them in their own scales Tell me then Is it honesty to pay men and not Almighty God their due to dwell in Gods house and pay no rent to receive blessings from his bountiful almost prodigal hand and not to walk humbly with him Tell me Is it to love mercy to instruct the Ignorant cloath the Naked feed the Hungry and in the mean time to be cruel to thy own soul to let it starve and dye for want of walking humbly with God To these I must say Unum deest yet lackest thou one thing up for thou hast a further journey to go even to Horeb the Mount of God Morality never brought any man to heaven Male vivitur si Deo non bene Creditur Aug. And hath not his full due till you adde Walk humbly with thy God 2. And couples Religion to Morality Thus some there be who think it good and all that God requires to profess to the world that they walk with God so close to him that they are beyond Ordinances and Sacraments who yet forget to do justly and love mercy To these I must say that when weighed they will be found too light for as Religion for the knowing part of it is the highest pitch of Consecrate Reason so for the practique part it s the highest Zenith of Consecrate honesty Religion like a clock hath its motions within i. e. Walking with God but the Dyall is without doing Justly and loving Mercy like a pair of Compasses one shauk is set fast on its Center by Walking with God the other walks the circumference and toucheth every line of vertues Circle St. Paul joyned them Act. 24.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience voyd of offence towards God and towards men Thus he taught the Corinthians 2 Cor. 8.21 Providing for honest things not only in the sight of the Lord but in the sight of men If you joyn them not And hath not its full due 2. The matter of the Connexion To walk humbly with God The translations vary Paratus sis ambulare Hier. Cave diligenter ut ambules Vulg. make it your especial care to do this ut modeste ambules Jun. Thus the Latine The Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. to be ready to this good work prompt to it and active in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉