Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	good_a	know_v	see_v	1,978	5	3.1860	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39932	Aytokatakritos or, the sinner condemned of himself being a plea for God, against all the ungodly, proving them alone guilty of their own destruction; and that they shall be condemned in the great day of account, not for that they lacked, but only because they neglected the means of their salvation. And also, shewing, how fallacious and frivolous a pretence it is in any, to say, they would do better, if they could; when indeed all men could, and might do better, if they would. By one, that wisheth better to all, than most do to themselves.	Ford, Thomas, 1598-1674.	1668 (1668)	Wing F1511B; ESTC R222667	153,768	273

tendency towards Heaven And by the way I think it the great mistake of some to value men mostly according as they are affected to their own private way whatever it be whereas the valuation ought to be according to what men are in the main and great matters of Godliness viz. Faith Hope Love and all the fruits of them Righteousness Mercy c. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Ro. 14.18 There are some Foundation-truths of the Gospel wherein to mistake deliberately and constantly is of desperate consequence And there are the great matters of the Law wherein a willful constant neglect is inconsistent with true Holiness Yea though the errour or evil be in it self none of the greatest yet when there is a persisting in them after conviction and against admonition out of malignancy I know not what to resolve better than that the way of such men is not safe But when there is an unfeigned desire and an earnest endeavour to know the good and right way and a constant course in the practice of all services and duties to God and men with a conscionable carefulness to avoid offence towards all I know no reason why such though under different perswasions in some Particulars of no great concernment should be otherwise looked on than as the Children of our Father in Heaven Therefore as for the different perswasions of so many divided about some things for want of light they need be no occasion of stumbling to any The way to Heaven is easie to be seen notwithstanding those differences For whoever they be among those Parties that in obedience to Christ have learn'd to deny themselves and all ungodliness c. and to take up Christs Cross and to live in the constant exercise of mortification and crucifying the flesh and do indeed lead their lives in the main according to the only rule of righteousness they are in Heavens way Thou it may be dost not like the perswasions of some of them And I say If thou lik'st them not for me thou mayest let them alone But thou perhaps likest not Holiness Self-denial and crucifying of thy Lusts neither but art resolved to take thy full swinge in the pleasures of sin and thy daily practice is to serve thy fleshly desires to the utmost Thou art may be a Drunkard a common Swearer an unclean Beast living lying down and wallowing in the mire Now to thee I say Whoever be in Heavens way to be sure thou art out of it And thou must certainly resolve to change thy way or perish for ever Thou sayest There are so many Religions a man cannot tell which to chuse But in the mean time thou art of no Religion thou hast not so much as a form and face of it Set aside thy going to Church on Sundayes with what mind thou thy self best knowest what is there of Religion to be seen in thee In thy Family there is no shew of it in Prayer and Praise and reading the Scripture and Catechizing thy Children and Servants There is to be seen all the Week labouring for the food that perisheth by early rising and late going to bed There a man may hear Oaths and Curses and Lyes and filthy Communication and the best but vain and idle discourses but not a savory word to shew any sense of God and his goodness from morning to night There 's Provision for the necessities of Nature to cloath the back and fill the belly and Provision too for the flesh to fullfil the lusts thereof But there 's nothing of God and Godliness to be seen no conscience made of sin to shun it or of any thing that 's good to practice it Now whoever thou art that leadest such a life I tell thee Whatever becomes of others it cannot be well with thee in these wayes of ungodliness Thou vain foolish man thinkest thou that any Religion can be worse than thine Thou hast none at all no not so much as a shew of it Even Turks and Pagans may be and some of them are sober temperate just and honest in their doings and dealings with others which thou art not Wherefore let there be never so many Religions I 'le rather chuse the worst of them than to do as thou dost And this I assure thee Whatever becomes of those many Sects and Parties thou art in a sad condition and hadst need think of changing it as soon as thou canst And if thou ask Which way thou shalt take among so many I answer thus That I will not perswade thee any way but what I am sure is right viz. To be honest and godly and to forsake those wayes wherein whoever walks shall never find rest To follow peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. To repent of all thy ungodly courses and wayes of wickedness whether open or secret To walk circumspectly and make straight steps to thy feet To be holy and unblameable in all conversation and to make conscience of every duty according to the rule of the Word And this thou mayest do without much adoe or dispute except it be with thine own wicked heart For those many Parties that are I am bold to tell them all and every one of them That they will find no comfort one day in being of this side or that if they be not found in wayes of righteousness and holiness And these are the wayes I would have thee take and these thou mayest soon learn from Scripture where they are so plain as a man may run and read them But one thing I must mind thee of again viz. That thou who so quarrell'st at the many Religions abroad hast perhaps a quarrel in thy heart against God and Godliness and thou canst not endure any Religion so as to be tyed to any Rule or Law more than thine own Lusts. Thou lovest to live at ease and pleasure and likest no Religion but such a one as will give thee leave to be licentious To thee I say again dipp and chuse thou canst never change thy Religion for a worse And to change it thou hast need as soon as may be For 't will be sad with thee to dye in such a Religion which is indeed none at all or good for nothing Do not thou look how many Religions and Opinions there are for that 's nothing to thee But look to thy conversation and see whether that be such as becomes a Christian. Do thou love Christ and fear to sin as much as any of all those different perswasions and shew thy self as humble as honest as upright as conscionable and every way as carefull to please God as any of them all and then thou dost well indeed Alas poor Soul what will it avail thee to say There are so many Religions thou knowest not which to take so long as thou art resolved to walk in wayes of ungodliness and to serve divers lusts and pleasures and deny

or multiplicity of Gods because there can be but one infinite and so but one God Now the true God being indeed such it is unreasonable in us to think by searching to find him out in his Essence Subsistence or Attributes And for this purpose let it be considered what the Apostle saith concerning mans Reason when it is us'd about the things of God 1 Cor. 2. How should a beast understand the things of a man and how much less can a man understand the things of God I think I may rationally say He must be a God that knows perfectly what God is True we may understand what he hath revealed for our learning but our understanding is according to his revealing it only by our Faith which sees that which Reason cannot discern and yet our Faith is not unreasonable For we can give a reason of our believing such things as God hath revealed viz. Infallible Divine Authority though we cannot give a reason of some things believed by us And there is nothing more reasonable than to believe whatever God saith to be true though we can give no reason more than that God saith it For a God that can lye Reason it self will say is not cannot be God but an Idol or a Devil And hence I infer● That Reason teacheth us to believe the highest Mysteries revealed in Scripture as the Trinity the Incarnation c. and they that think otherwise therein shew themselves unreasonable And for the Counsels of God in disposing of his Creatures according to his pleasure what reasonable man can question them Or if any man do it may it not justly and rationally be said to him as Elihu spake unto Iob Behold in this thou art not just I will answer thee that God is greater than man Why dost thou strive against him For he giveth no account of his matters And if so it is indeed most unreasonable in any man to expect it Certainly if any God may challenge this Prerogative viz. To give no account of his wayes and counsels And for men to pry into them further than he hath reveal'd and demand a reason of his will and pleasure when he is pleas'd to give none is indeed to do against Reason For there is nothing more reasonable than this That God may do what he pleaseth and not to be question'd by any for it seeing all things else are the works of his hands And this was the Apostles mind when he said Ro. 9.20 21. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the clay c. And doth not the Prophet whom the Apostle cites or alludes to in that place say as much and more Esay 45.9 Woe to him that striveth with his Maker c. i. e. quarrels God about his Providences as if he meant to controll him To clear and confirm my Argument yet further Doth not the Apostle argue from Reason upon all occasions even about the things of God specially when he had to do with Heathens Act. 14.15 saith he to those who would have sacrificed to to him We preach unto you to turn from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and Earth c. As if he should have said If you will serve a God serve him that is God indeed and who is the living and 〈◊〉 God your own reason will shew you It is he that made Heaven and Earth c. You are unseasonable in sacrificing to any other because no other can be God 〈◊〉 v. 17. he goes on to shew That they and their foreFathers had light enough from Gods Providential Dispensations to teach them that Iupiter Mercurius and such Vanities or Idols could not be the true and living God so as they were inexcusable And so he argueth Act. 17. That we ought not to think the God-head like unto Gold or Silver c. seeing it is against all reason as he proves from v. 24 to v. 29. So likewise Ro. 1. he proveth the Gentiles Idolatry in making Images and Representations of God to be against the light of Nature and natural Reason which was able to see so much of his eternal Power and Godhead in the things that are made as they might easily conclude that God was not to be represented by any similitude of earthly things because they cannot be like him Act. 17.29 I shall yet in other instances labour to evidence That there is nothing in true Religion but what is reasonable For Moral Duties towards men our Saviour layeth down an undoubted Principle of Reason Mat. 7.12 and addeth That this is the Law and the Prophets i. e. This is the summ and substance of all they have taught concerning the duty of man to man the most equal Law to do as we would be done unto All the Commandments against Murder Adultery Theft c. are Principles of common Reason and the Law of Nature For Children to obey their Parents is reasonable and so the Apostle presseth it Eph. 6.1 because it is just or right How can Children be thankful but in being dutiful to their Parents And for Servants to obey their Masters it is equal for they maintain and fro● them necessaries for their lives And to obey Principalities and Powers is but reason because by them the people are kept in peace and there would be otherwise no safety or society amongst men Whatever some may fancy or feign True Religion in the highest and strictest practice of it is no teacher of mis-rule but teacheth obedience for conscience sake and sheweth the right way of yielding it according to Gods Commandment And 't is not reasonable to think it teacheth obedience in some only and not in all Relations Yea it is impossible to serve God as we ought and not to serve one another in love Nay the most Spiritual Duties of denying our selves and crucifying our lusts are most reasonable To part with our lives and all we have for Christs sake is most equal seeing he dyed for us And if I were to dispute for the Christian Religion against an Infidel I would dare him to shew any one thing in Scripture that is contrary to sound Reason or any Article of the Christian Faith that is not rational as I have shewed before in some of them And now I lay down these three Conclusions which I avouch rational and by Reason demonstrable viz. 1. That there is more Reason in any Religion than in no Religion at all 2. That there is more Reason in the true Christian Religion than there is in any other 3. That there is more Reason in the life and practice of true Religion and the power of Godliness than in the empty form and out-side profession of it These I should further dilate upon but that all of them are most excellently and undeniably of late discoursed at large by others Yet I shall not content

Argument of conviction that they do know what they ought to do and do the contrary Where do you meet with any that will openly proclaim their wickedness or affirm that vices are vertues that Drunkenness Swearing c. are duties that ought to be done No for the most part men are asham'd and will not own these and yet continuing in the practice of them do they not sin condemn'd of themselves They do know the baseness of their evil wayes and notwithstanding goe on in them And with what face can they plead That if they had known the good and the right way they would have walked in it Wherefore they shall be their own Judges when they are to be condemn'd before the Lord at the last day Arg. 11. ANd why do many betake themselves to do somewhat for making their peace as they pretend with God This if there were nothing else serves to prove they are somewhat convinc'd of their wayes and doings that they are not so good as they should be But in the doing of it they discover the wretched untowardliness of their hearts and how little they prize the things which God hath promised to all them that diligently seek him For commonly they betake themselves to pitiful poor shifts It may be when they are going out of the world they can find in their hearts to spare a little somewhat to some good uses after they have all their life long been making more poor than all their estates are able to relieve yea done more wrong than their estates are able to recomp●●ce And some will keep their Church better than ever before if they live to it and sometimes read a Chapter or in some good Bo●k But for ransacking of Conscience and ripping up old sins to the bottom and renouncing the vain wayes whereunto they are as all others inclin'd and turning from all iniquity and betaking themselves to the most strict and precise way of walking with God in all his Commandments blameless as Zechariah and Elizabeth did Luc. 1.6 As they never knew before what belongs to them so they are still willing to let them alone They cannot be ignorant unless willingly that their duty is to be humbled as low as Hell and to receive the sentence of death in themselves and shew it in all possible contrition and humiliation and denying themselves in all they formerly delighted in and in walking so as all that see them may have cause to say Surely God hath wrought some great change upon them But they can content themselves with less and hope God will be as well pleas'd with it as they themselv●● are So you shall have some turn'd it may be from open prophaneness and debauchery to 〈◊〉 more sober civil way of life and perhaps somewhat of an empty outside formality This is an acknowledgement that God must have somewhat more than he hath had formerly But this poor pittance will be a strong evidence against them one day that they did not follow hard after God as they might and should have done For if men did not wilfully shut their eyes against the light that shines in Scripture to shew the good and right way of see●ing after God they could not but know that the utmost degree of self-denial and mortification with deepest humiliation before God and all holy conversation and godliness is the only way to find him Such slight work as they make serves only to shew they are not willing to do better and therefore can in reason expect no great reward For I say again men cannot be ignorant except willingly that the enjoying of God for their portion is so rare and rich a prize as nothing can be thought enough for procuring it and such a slight dealing in a matter of so great concernment is an Argument to evidence that they goe against their own light and so are condemned of themselves And what do many in the whole course of their lives more than trifle about somewhat which is indeed nothing to any purpose They know after a sort the only true way to eternal life which is believing on the Son of God They are also we suppose it however sober and ci●il in their behaviour towards others But for their Religion towards God it being we grant as to the outward profession right as it should be they content themselves with the outside which is the easiest part of it being least irksome to the flesh and that which pinches least upon their worldly and fleshly interests And thus they approve their skill in finding out an easie way to Heaven For this I may I hope affirm without offence to any That the Protestant Religion so call'd and to me the only true Religion in the bodily exercise and outside observance is farr more easie than any other And there is good reason for it seeing the grace of God in these Gospel-times calls mostly for worshipping God in the Spirit The Iews had an hard task indeed a kind of bondage in the outside of Gods service which put them to great pains and cost But Christians now have as little as may be of the bodily exercise because the more full discoveries of Gospel● grace call us now to offer up our selves as so many living Sacrifices holy and acceptable unto God and call'd a reasonable service because according as God hath prescrib'd And ' ti● indeed the main and chiefest part of Gods service now to mortifie our earthly members and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lust● with abridging our selves in all that may gratifie Self conforming our selves and coming as n●●r as possible to that more blessed and glorious 〈◊〉 wherein there will be no use or need at all o● these present comforts and accommodations Now what do many call'd Protestants othe● than by their practices deny the great things o● the Gospel and contradict our Saviour Jes●● Christ in what he said Mat. 7.14 That the gate which leads to life eternal is strait and the way narrow For they make it as wide and easie as any man can devise to make it Surely it is no● hard labour to goe to Church once in a week and receive the Sacrament once or twice in a year and say over by rote a few conn'd Prayers once or twice in a day when they are half asleep And yet this is the most service that many do to God and it may be doubted if many do so much Now if the course these men take b● the good and the right way they need not strive much the gate is wide and the way is broad enough who can miss it or goe beside it Questionless the very Heathens serve the Devil and their Idols at more cost and charge and pains taking than all this comes to To speak as it is the true Religion is the most easie of all others as to the outward bodily exercise and all the difficulty that attends it is in Self-denial being crucified to the World and in the more

men about the matters of Gods Kingdom and the methods of Salvation are chiefly occasioned because there is so much of the Devil and so little of God in us Were there in us a due acknowledgement of Gods Infinite Excellency and Soveraign Authority we should never question in the least whatever he doth to be holy just and good Yea we should confess roundly That whatever befalls us or however it be with us we our selves have procur'd and caus'd it by our own wayes and doings We should say as Gods Servants did of old We have trespassed and done foolishly and wickedly unto us belongs shame and confusion of face for ever And blessed be the Lord for evermore If any desire further Advice in this case I say Whoever thinks there is a God must think of him so as may become his infinite Excellency and Glory Psal. 10.4 We have this property of an ungodly man God is not in all his thoughts Not that he thinks there is no God but that he thinks not there is a God i. e. He never minds or heeds him in the whole course of his life and actions So many never eye or heed God in his Excellencies to stand in awe of him and tremble before him They are too bold with him upon any occasion and their words and deeds shew they are not seasoned inwardly with an holy humble reverence of his infinite Majesty They speak not it may be at the same rate as Pharaoh Ex. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice c. I know not the Lord c. As if he should have said You Moses and Aaron come and command me in the Name of Jehovah who is Israels God as you say Who is this Jehovah I pray that I must be commanded by him I tell you I know him not nor do I care for him I 'le do what I have a mind to let him command what he will Though few act to such an height of insolency as appear'd in him yet there is the same haughty Spirit of disdain in all men by nature against the heavenly Majesty They think much to be order'd and over-rul'd by one of whom they know so little And whoever observes may easily see that God hath little regard amongst worldly men who will talk indeed a little sometimes as if there were somewhat call'd a God and yet in all their words and deeds shew no apprehensions of his Excellencies such as do awe them to reverence and obedience becoming his absolute Soveraign Majesty Now as to believe there is a God and yet live as if there were none is practical Atheism so to speak and think of him otherwise than he is is little better than Blasphemy And of such Atheism and blasphemy the World is full and it is evident by this that most have so little respect for God and shew it in all they say and do Respect I say for God such as should be and such as becomes his infinite Glory And how unreasonable are men in this Hear and consider what God himself saith Malac. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name Here the Lord complains of their slighting him more than any Creature calling for such respect as was by any man commonly given to his betters A Master or Father could get more respect than he who was both in an eminent way to that people And here one observes it As the grand delusion that blinds the visible Church to give good words and fair titles to God when no care is had of answerable walking And the Lord makes use of that which every one acknowledges to be a witness in the case and so proves That men in their duties to God come farr short of that which very Nature will teach them is due to Creatures standing in 〈◊〉 same relation And this also That want of reverence to and an high estimation of God is the root and rise of all our miscarriages and an evidence that we behave our selves neither as Sons nor Servants Not to esteem of God as he deserves is to dishonour him as not to bless him is in a sort to blaspheme him God hates and abhorrs base and unworthy conceits of him and his Majestick Name when men take him not into their hearts under the notion of an infinite HIGHNESSE It shews there is no awe of God upon them and that they count of him as one like themselves yea and much below them And here I could easily enlarge in many Instances of a prophane and proud Spirit in ungodly men not only in speaking and acting as if there were no God above them but speaking and acting many times in such a way as if they studied to make God as vile as might be In one word shewing no reverent esteem but rather a base undervaluing and contempt of him They do not only act as if there were no God that would call them to an account but in a way of opposition and scorn as to shew how little account they make of him And for instance Let one that fears before the Lord be so bold as to check a rude and ungodly company met about some lewd and vile pranks and practices such as are too frequent and familiar by minding them of God and his commands how ordinary is it for such a knot of Companions to vent themselves the more in scorn and indignation as if they were affronted by one that hath nothing to do with them He that comes among them with no better authority to awe them had need look to himself that they fall not down right upon him When righteous Lot said no worse to the Sodomites than I pray you Brethren do not so wickedly Gen. 19.7 They said Stand back and they said again This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Iudge Now will we deal worse with thee than with them A command or intreaty in the name of God though the highest Majesty commonly proves an occasion through mens devilish pride and disdain of more and greater impieties and indignities And if any should question this let them but open their ears and eyes and there need be no great dispute about it now adayes Oh! Look round about and see how little regard there is of God and his commands in the World and whether there be any account had or made whether God be pleas'd or no with that which is commonly done among men This this is enough to sadden any gracious Soul in the expectation of Gods appearances to vindicate the honour of his great Name by some remarkable judgements on the World And therefore I advise once more and intreat That there may be some regard had of God and that it may be shewed so as it may be seen that God is in mens