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
A91945	The poore's pension: a sermon preached in Gregories Church in Sudbury in the county of Suffolke, May 12. 1643. Upon occasion of the charitable reliefe that yearly then, and there is given, towards the covering or clothing of a hundred poore people, according to the will of the donour M Martine Cole, late of the towne aforesaid deceased. By Samuel Rogers, Master in Arts, and Minister of Much-Tey in Essex. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford, Aug. 12. 1644.	Rogers, Samuel.	1644 (1644)	Wing R1828; Thomason E10_2; ESTC R15358	44,419	46

laying up as in laying out * Quo plures domi sunt tibi liberi eò plu● tibi non recondendum sed erogandum est Cyprian de eleemos the more children thou hast at home the more must thou not hoard up for them but the more must thou give to the poore a strange paradox to the men of the world they will never beleeve it but the faith of a Christian will perswade him to greater matters then this Reas 2 We must give reliefe to those that are in want because it is but just and right we should so doe and so much as we are wanting in matter of justice and faile in point of equity we fall short of our duty for That which is altogether just shalt thou follow that thou maist live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Deu. 16.20 and that it is so may appeare Prov. 3.27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to doe it observe it is their due from us therefore our debt to them and we must not deferre payment of this debt Say not unto thy neighbour Goe and come againe and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee ver 28. the poore have some * Ius Charitatis licèt non proprietatis right to rich mens goods in point of equity and according to the rule of charitie though therefore they may be cast or nonsuited at the Common law of man yet may the sue us in the Court of Conscience and have judgement against us at Gods tribunall seat of justice Beware saith the Lord that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart c. and thine eye be evill against thy poore brother and thou givest him nought and he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin unto thee Deut. 15 9. The Hebrew Rabbines and the Jewes at this day call almes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse not only because they ought to be of goods rightly got but also because it is but just and right that they should be given and not because they make Righteous as the * To whom we may say according to their owne Translation Matt. 6.1 Attend●te ne justitiam vestram faciatis sake heed you make ●●●m not your Justifi●●tion Light ●ot Miscell Papists would make us beleeve who make this to be a chiefe one of their many meritorious works and the wealth of this world is by our Saviour called unrighteous Mammon Luke 16.11 and so indeed it is when unjustly withheld as well as when not rightly got so that contrary to right and reason to hold fast that we ought to part with turnes even well-gotten goods into the Mammon of unrighteousnesse and why is it a matter of justice to give almes because we are not the absolute owners but only the * Luke 16.2 stewards of Gods gifts now it is * 1 Cor. 4.1 Reas 3. required of a steward that he be found faithfull as well in his disbursements as in his receits not to engrosse all to himselfe but to take only his allowance and to lay out to every one according to the mind and will of his Lord and Master We are to relieve the distresses of our poore brethren because it is a part of honestie and therefore our dutie Provide things honest saith the Apostle in the sight of all men Rom. 12.17 and Phil. 4.8 9. whatsoever things are true honest just pure lovely of good report if there be in them any vertue or praise we should thinke on such things and what no more Those things saith he which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me doe we cannot approve our selves honest men in the sight of God if we be altogether wanting in this duty toward man for workes of mercy are workes of piety so far forth considered as commanded of God and done in conscience and obedience to God if man only call'd for reliefe at our hands we might be hold excused before God but whenas God requires it it must be done for Gods sake conscience stands bound in this case this is one halfe of the royall law * Mark 12.31 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe and how doe we love him if we be hard-hearted towards him who so hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him Qui panperi e cemosy●am dat Deo suavi●ati● odorem sacrificat Cypri how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 Joh. 3.17 To give almes is a religious worke for it is an evangelicall sacrifice Heb. 13.16 To doe good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased if therefore thou would'st please God thou must see that amongst the rest of thy sacrifices this be not wanting Vse 1 Hence then may be reproved two sorts of people of the which in these dayes are most men viz. That doe not account it their duty they think it to be a thing arbitrary 1 Sort. and not necessary they may doe well in giving reliefe and they may let it alone and not doe amisse who shall compell them to give away what is their own even he requires it of thee to whom thou owest thy selfe and all thou hast they thinke they ought to get and lay up all they can but doe not account it their dutie as well to lay out and doe therewithall all the good they can hence comes it to passe that men in this thing are at the best so indifferent for they thinke they are free and not bound hereto by duty and hence it is that the superfluitie of mens goods which is the portion of the poore is lavisht out and wasted in profuse and vaine expences yea in the maintenance of base and sinfull lusts for by that time pride gluttony drunkennesse voluptuousnesse and all manner of excesse and riot have had their share there is scarce a farthing left for the poore nay it may be a great deale is set on the score and much more then is their owne spent in these things oh that such would but consider what an account will they be able to give in that are in so great arreares with God when the judgement is set and the bookes opened Dan. 7.10 wherein all the particular passages of their whole life shall be reviewed and there will it be found and brought forth against them Memorandum At such a time by such an one were so many pounds laid out cost needless● in bravery of apparell rich attire and phantasticall fashions and so much more at another time and so from time to time the like whenas so many poore creatures at the same time had not a good ragge to cover them Item such vast summes of money lavisht out without any measure in feasts and banquettings whenas the poore that were ready to perish for hunger would have been glad

for they follow after them to Heaven to be rewarded and yet they remaine still behind them on earth to be renowned Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed Secondly for Exhortation to what should be done for time to come For so as it seemes was it the mind of this Donour that each Minister of your two Parishes should be requested yearely on this day to make an Exhortation to the people and if they doe it not themselves to cause it to be done by some others and hath allowed them a recompence Now whereto serves an Exhortation but to move us unto or put us upon the practice or performance of a good work or duty and then is it of so much the greater force when as it is grounded upon the Examples of others set before us who though they are dead yet speake unto us and though not vocally yet really call upon us to doe the same good workes that so we may be repaid with the same rich recompence of reward For the Examples of good works are as patternes set before us to teach us that the same or such like should proceed from us this worke of almes to the poore you are not so much to consider as done by another but so to reflect upon your selves as hence to learne what herein should be done by you hence are you exhorted from this example of our brother deceased to be of the same minde and practice considering it is a high point of wisdome whilst we have the things of this life to make the best and the most of them which is not when we engrosse them to our selves but when in conscience and obedience to God we distribute them to others the Apostle mindes us of what our Saviour saies oh let it appeare that we beleeve it to be a truth That it is more blessed to give then to receive Act. 20.35 If any thing spoken this way be here to be found that may stirre up compassion and acuate affection that may so work upon our hearts as to set a worke our hands so to extend charity * Dan. 4.27 that we our selves may find mercy it is enough I have my desired and Two things more only by way of Preface I desire you would be pleased to take notice of viz. First concerning the matter which you shall here find Expect no newes of which every dales plenty and variety doth alwayes fill us if not sometimes times surfet us and were our newes as true and good as rise and common there would seeme to be no want newes is now growne so stale that for any thing not new to come forth may seeme to be newes indeed Nihil dictum quod non dictum prius no other newes have you here for the wise man saies * Ecc. 1.9 10. there is no new thing under the sun is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new it hath been already of old time which was before us I should be loth to be censured by you deservedly as the Apostle was by the Athenians most unjustly to be a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17 18 19 20 21. babler for bringing new and strange doctrine to your eares or that you should be accounted as they were and did appeare so to be so addicted to novelty that the truths of God should seeme strange to you Here you shall find common things which are therefore never the * Omnia bona communicativa quo communiora eo meliora worse or of never the lesse use common they are indeed because they concerne all such things that you have formerly and it may be often heard and yet are now againe hereby put in mind of that so you let them not * Heb. 2.1 stip It is not amisse * 2 Pet. 1.12 to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though ye know them that you may be established in the truth * Nunquam nimis dicitur quod nunquam satis discitur Sen. epist 27. that is never enough spoken that is never too well learned nor can be too much practised Secondly concerning the manner of delivery both at first and now it is without excellency of speech affected eloquence in preaching is not * Venerabiles verè Deo digni Apostoli Christ● cum essent in omnibus puritate vita animi virtu●ibus clarij non magni pendebont sermonis ornatum Euseb lib. 3. cap. 24. Apostolique for the Apostle Paul the * 1 Cor. 14.18 most learned as may be thought of all the rest tels us expresly that when he was sent of Christ to preach his commission ranne thus in these words * 1 Cor. 1.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and I confesse my opinion is that plaine speaking is as commendable in preaching as plaine dealing is necessary in trading as Ministers therefore presse this upon people so are they to practise that themselves choosing rather to profit people with wholesome doctrine then to please them with delightsome Phrases this that you have here at first shewed it selfe in a plaine dresse and since had I neither list nor leisure to put it into another habit had I skill to doe it who can now in these sad times apply himselfe to the studie of witty inventions or delight others with the curiosity of nice expressions Cicero saith thus of Rhetoricke Pacis est comes ottique socia jam bene constitutae reipublicae velut alumna quaedam eloquentia which if so how unseasonable is it at this time for us and what little use have we now to make thereof except to worke the more upon our affections the more pathetically to expresse our bitter lamentations our wits may well be dull'd when as our hearts cannot but be * Lam. 1.20 bemudded with our trouble Again had I had will yet could I not have time to doe herein as I would for these impolished meditations I let passe out of my hands with as much haste as they came into my minde all I could doe was but to review them I could not refine them for all the time I had to make them legible and fit for the Presse was surreptitiously taken away from my other imployments now and then a little which little being soone missed I could not then spare much or more I must needs therefore implore your kind acceptance of this my weake conception which wanting its due perfection through the want of the midwifery of time hath come to an immature and untimely birth such as it was it is and such as it is it is freely yours if you please but to take it as your owne if any thing herein be amisse I cannot but take it to my selfe Humanum est errare it is incident to mans nature to erre and whatsoever is good I dare not but ascribe it to God Omne benum supernè Every thing that good is is from above Now the God of all glory enrich

opportunitie saith the Apostle let us doe good c. Gal. 6.10 advantages of times and opportunities of doing good we must catch hold of and not let slip and now have we an opportunity put into our hands there is nothing wanting but a heart their distresses are powerfull sutors which do cry day and night and not give us rest how then can we possibly give them the deniall The high Court of Parliament in their late * This was preached upon the occasion of the secōd Ordinance of Parliament for the reliefe of Ireland then ne●●ly come out required by Ministers in all places to be commended to the people Declaration and Ordinance do lively present their gasping condition unto us whose spirit is not moved whose heart not wounded whose soul not afflicted and in their behalfe do second their sute and call upon us for a charitable supply of the very necessaries of life for them if then we now sit still and do nothing how inexcusable shall we be tremble to think that any of us should suffer any of them to perish for want of clothing or to remaine so poor that they should be without covering They are none of our kindred and acquaintance farre from us unknowne to us Object 1 therefore are we not bound to doe for them Are they not men Answ and are they not in need then are we bound more to them then to others that are in lesse need though neerer to us nay but further are they not of near a kin to us are they not English Protestants and so of the same flesh and bloud with us yea as we professe our selves Christians so are not they the same such as have been brought to his miserable condition for the true Religions sake and therefore are we brethren Mat. 23.8 and should not such do one for another 1. Pet. 3.8 as also fellow members 1 Cor. 12.27 and so ought to have a sympathizing disposition ver 25 26. remember what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.10 Let us doe good to all men but especially to them who are of the houshold of faith which is the multitude of all true beleevers dispersed throughout the whole earth known by the name of the Church Militant which is called Gods Family or houshold Eph. 2.19 now especiall and more then ordinary care must be had of such as these that are in want whensoever we heare thereof and any opportunity seem ●s for that purpose we must afford reliefe Object 2 But we feare the succest the supplies formerly se●t-have as we have heard oft-times mis●●tried and now may againe fall into their enemies hands and so do more hurt then good All future events of things are uncertain unknown to us Answ we must discharge our duty Omnla etentura jacent in incerto and leave the successe to God we must use the means and then refer all to the good blessing of God how know we but that hereby the Lord trieth us whether we will trust him or no Object 3 We must provide for our selves And what shall we be altogether and only for our selves Answ never was it merry world since so much selfe-love shewed it selfe in the world the Apostle gives us another lesson which we must learn viz. Let no man-seek his own i.e. not only his own but every man anothers wealth i.e. as well as his own 1 Cor. 10.24 cleane contrary to the Maxime of worldlings which is Every one shift for himselfe and another of this kind we have Phil. 2.4 Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Object 4 I have done well already for my part I gave a great deale before for their reliefe and therefore may well be excused now In the morning sow thy seed Answ and in the evening withhold not thy hands for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 it may be thou art yet to receive the blessing for what thou hast formerly done or peradventure now thou maist expect a greater blessing then before or what if now to reape the fruit of all do not therefore slack thy hand For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape Let us not then be Weary in Well-doinge for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Gal. 6.7 9. Object 5 These are hard times vast expences great charges and heavie taxes are laid upon us we are daily call'd upon to disburse for one thing or other so that we know not what to doe nor how to live There is a time for all things a time to lay up and time to lay out Answ these are not gathering but spending times this is not a time to hoard up but we must now bring forth out of our store-house all things both old and new consider what the Lord saith to Baruch by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 45.4 5. The Lord saith thus Behold that which I have built I will breake downe and that which I have planted I will plucke up even this whole land And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not Object 6 I am not able alas I have not wherewithall I would but I cannot Take we heed we doe not disable our selves true Answ neither God nor man require of us impossibilities to do in this kind above that we are able yet let me tell you upon extraordinary occasions we are to constraine our selves though something above our ordinary ability as did those Christians whom the Apostle applauds 2 Cor. 8.3 but God and our own conscience knows best whether this be a reall truth or only a fained excuse it is to be feared most want nothing but a willing mind For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 the widows two mites where there is nothing or but little willingly parted with is more acceptable to God then all that worldly rich men give out of their abundance Mark 12.42 43 44. what can more be said even by those that desire to cavill or what can more be spoken to stop the mouthes of such I end with a motive or two which may move our hearts to put to our helping hands to relieve the wants of distressed Ireland viz. How know we but it may be a means to move the Lord to be mercivull to this land see what he hath promised Motive 1. Isai 58.10 11 12. contrariwise if we cast off all pitty towards them we may not look that the Lord should have any compassion on us for nothing is more just with God then to pay sinners home in their * c. g. Dives would not give Lazarus a crumme of bread therfore was himselfe denied a drop of water own kind Psal 109 9.12.16 Amos 6.6 7 8. see there how the Lord threatens those that have not a fellow-feeling of the miseries of their fellow-brethren If the Lord provide for them and not by our meanes if we draw back our hand and follow not close the worke to help forward their deliverance as well as our own but that the Lord should through out default be pleased to take some other course and bring it about another way it will not be for our honour but to our shame as Mord●●●… tels Ester when the people of God were in straits and she at first seemed loth to put forth her selfe If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jewes from another place b 〈…〉 ou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this Chap. 4.14 so If we altogether hold our hands at this time there shall at length come deliverance to Gods people some other way whenas we and ours may perish and who knowes but that we may be the kingdome that the Lord will hereby try at this time in this thing Set before you the rich recompence of reward consider two things There will be nothing hereby lost for whatsoever in this kind thou partest with be it more or lesse it is but a loane lent to the Lord Consider 1 He that hath pitty on the poore * Faeneratur Domino c. al verbii adum Orig. lendeth on usury to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Pro. 19.17 and who may we better trust then God and what better security can we desire then his word it is the absolute best course that usurers can possibly take to make the most and best improvement of their money thus to put it out to Gods use oh that they had but faith to beleeve it for he is so rich a pay-master that the very interest shal be far greater then the principall and so sure a pay-master that he will see thou shalt be sure not to want He that giveth unto the poore shall not lacke Prov. 28.27 Consider 2 Hereby shall we receive great gain If thou givest out good measure and pressed down the Lord will see that the return shall be made thee shaken together and running over Luk. 6.38 this me thinks should whet on those that are greedy of gain Alms is fitly compared to seed 2 Cor. 9.6 and why because it yeelds a great encrease now there is no man when he sowes his ground thinks that it is lost and cast away so buried in the earth that he shall never see it more no he lookes that that should bring him a great deale more and pay him with over plus for all his cost and this hope makes him prodigall of his seed he freely scatters it abroad with a full and open hand he will see that his land shall not want seed it shall have as much by his good will as the ground can bear or bring forth and what shall we be such Atheists as to trust the ground and not God Fear not but if we throw out good store of this seed it will yeild us a rich crop a hundred fold at harvest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS