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
A65835	Wadsworth's remains being a collection of some few meditations with respect to the Lords-Supper, three pious letters when a young student at Cambridg, two practical sermons much desired by the hearers, several sacred poems and private ejaculations / by Thomas Wadsworth. With a preface containing several remarkables of his holy life and death from his own note-book, and those that knew him best.	Wadsworth, Thomas, 1630-1676.	1680 (1680)	Wing W189; ESTC R24586	156,367	318

for a time Answ Thou hadst better conclude that thou wast blind rather as to the discovery of them than that they did not at all rise at that time But for more narrow search into this case consider whether thy corruptions now rising are resisted by thee more than they were before if so conclude then the mortification of them Secondly It is not best in this case to ask the question too deeply whether they were mortified before because the Devil hereby will take advantage of the soul to vex it but rather apply thy self to Christ by new acts of faith as to the mortificationof them XVII Often times souls are puzled in their enquiries into the mortification of corruptions and know not what to conclude of them For if they look upon their hearts they find corruptions either bubling and rising up and impetuous or else they are still If rising that makes against the mortification of them if they rise not they are apt to conclude they are rather still than mortified To resolve such a soul I think it is best for it to look upon that in the soul which is opposite to sin and to examine whether there is greater love to God in him whether he loves Saints more and is more desirous that his sins should be mortified than formerly If he find these things in him he may conclude that his sins are in a greater measure mortified For sins and grace or love to God are like two scales and if you can but discover that grace is higher or your love and breathings are greater you may conclude that sin is lower and mortified XVIII On Saturday August 17 1650. He records I was exceedingly troubled with risings of a proud heart and on Sabath-day in the morning I found the like accompanied with envying against the raisements of other Saints as if I would have none higher than my self Yea and in the afternoon was exceeding troubled with lightness of spirit so that I could scarce forbear laughing at Church and after when I came home for one of Trinity being with me I was fain to leave him in the Chamber and enter my Study lest I should betray the nakedness of mine heart Oh cursed heart But for this spiritual distemper mine heart was suddenly troubled and I had just such a sorrow as if I had lost some outward friend and I did exceedingly take on in mourning for my folly XIX On the 22d following I had an ingenuous melting possest my soul on a sudden reflecting upon my want of discovery of the love of God these three or four days and the day following I was in a pretty good frame of spirit Whereupon I came to consider if a man would know whether he lives above all his duties let him see whether or no in a search after Sanctification he doth not lay more stress upon one duty than another For this Souls are very apt to do especially on those duties which are extraordinary As for instance if thou keepest a private fast with some other Christians or else prayest at some part in the day different from the se●-times or prayest more times a day than ordinary either by thy self or with other Christians or such times as those above praying at the Chappel if thou dost it is a sign that there is a tincture of self-dependence Therefore it is the best way to make an equal conscience of them all as for performance of them and look on them all with the same eye and say that thou art unprofitable in them all And that thou maist attain to this temper after every duty examine what vanity of thoughts what formality in spirit thou hadst in the doing of them that thou maist see they are all nothing without Christ XX. What should I do in a dull and dead state Answ 1 Double the watch over thine own heart a●d affections it is common to see a soul dead and careless 2 Labour to strengthen faith in the Promises of Gods love and willingness to receive souls The Parable of the Prodigal and that if a child a●k his father bread will he give him a stone c. should be consider'd 3 Make this improvement of thy present deadness to humble thy soul and see thine own vileness that thou shouldst abuse such riches of grace as it may be thou hast done and by that sin shouldst cause that deadness Take heed of slighting the deadness of your heart if you do you grow careless of Gods anger for deadness is a sign that God is angry XXI What should a man do in enjoyments Answ It is common for such souls presently to grow so confident of themselves as to let go their watch and so oftentimes are betray'd by their enemies 1 Be then as earnest for the enjoying of more of God when thou art raised as thou wast to enjoy any thing of God when thou wast not Let not a discovery of love stop thy breathing Saints often sit down here and so fall back again 2 Seek to redouble thy faith to make it stronger than ever for time will be that thou maist have use of it 3 Labour to humble thy self under thine enjoyments Let not the thoughts of Sonship dry up thine eyes but be sure the more of self-abhorrency the more evidence of thy Sonship XXII On Saturday the 5th and Sabbath-day the 6th of Octob. 1650 He records The Lord humbled me much in the sight of unworthy dealings with God and I may say God was in me of a truth this grace was then so lively in me that I prest it much to the company But yet Oh wretched heart before I came out of the company that night I was taken with a violent passion of pride and anger Yet by this fall I may bless my God God humbled me more than I was before yea and it caused me to have more contemptible thoughts of my self than ever Whereupon we find this sell-abasing Christian student to set down how he may get the victory over head-strong Passions when he adds Humility of spirit is attainable by getting quick and sprightful apprehensions of self weakness to grace and discovering the evil of a carnal heart which may be discern'd in spiritual duties by its sallying often into the world and much suspected when it is readier to close with a promise of God that speaks comfort than with a command of God which speaks obedience Oh! pray against such a distemper as savours of self seeking and labour to get holy Principles such as love to God to be the spring of all thy words actions and walkings and then thou maist take comfort in them for if any other humility which is carnal be found prevailing in thee it will argue hypocrisie There is so much pride in men naturally that when God begins to work upon the soul he finds no greater an enemy to it than pride and of nothing more do Saints complain than it which makes them unfit for any company any discourse and therefore

i' nt that I Do fear thou canst not save Nothing can hinder if thou please Nor Devil Hell nor Grave Nor do I doubt but 't is thy will To save some such as I For as vile wretches as I am Thy Son did freely die In the deep Seas of thy rich love Blaspheming Paul did swim He though thy Saints he sought to kill Yet thou didst pardon him The Harlot Mary Magdalen Who deeply ran on score Who did ten thousand talents owe Yet that debt-bond was tore A swearing cursing Peter thou Didst to thy mercy take That Son whom he did fear to own Thou pardon'st for his sake This makes me confident my God That Heav'n may be my place If thou would'st please to grant to me Maries or Peters Grace Give me O God to go aside And in some corner creep That there with Peter bitterly In dolors I may weep Give me but sinful Maries love Love shall my ointment be Which I upon my Lords feet will Pour out as well as she But ah my God! this is my fear Their faith and love I want My carnal proud and sensual heart Speaks me no penitent This only Lord I have to plead Those lusts my heart doth hate I long I wish to be set free From this sad sinful state Sure Lord I am no enemy To holiness within Thou seest my soul contend and strive To beat down every sin When that perchance my foot doth slip And thee I do offend Doth not my sin make me to mourn And don 't I strive to mend Had not I faith why should I fear The threatenings of thy Law Why should I dread thy Majesty And of thee stand in awe Had I not faith why should I long Thy face above to see Why should I praying sue so hard To get my liberty Did not I love thee why should I My loved self forsake Why should I loath my loved sins For thy beloved's sake Did I not love why don 't the shell Of duties me suffice In Sacraments and pray'rs why do I thus thy presence prize Did I dissemble to be seen Of men why doth my sin Which none knows but my self alone Me trouble that 's within Did I dissemble then my tears My sighs in company Would more be heard and seen then when My God alone stands by It 's true I love thee not enough Nor is my faith so strong But that with grief I do confess Thy faithfulness I wrong But Lord remember I 'm but dust In weakness here I live That little which I have thou gav'st The rest above shalt give Did not those Stars that now do shine With thee in Heav'n above While living on the earth complain Of want of faith and love Nay Lord do not I read that thou The hungry soul didst bless And it that thirsts for righteousness Such am I I confess But Lord remember he that thirsts And hungry is for grace He some degree of grace must want And I am in that case If he is blessed why not I My hung'rings thou dost see If thou hast said he shall be full Why sha'nt that word reach me I sin I sin but thou hast place't The righteous Christ on high To advocate and plead his cause That at his feet doth lye Lord there a sinner I do lye Thy promise I will trust For pardon and for love will hope Till I fall to the dust The Welcome I. WElcome my child on high Heaven joys to see thee here Be not afraid it is thy Fathers house And thy Saviour bought it dear It was for this he bled And his soul ' n offering did make When my Son thou didst accept this Jointure he thee made Now possess it for his sake Whyart thou asham'd come behold me behold me I have forgot thy sin And made thee clean within Now thou' rt arrived here above Of nought think but of love I shall ne're be angry with thee agen II. My servants that attend Put on his best attire Set a Crown on his brow in brightness that out-shines The clearest flames of fire Spread out that cloth of Gold His foot-cloth it must be If you have him drest come bring him set him here He must keep me company Have you done if you have bid him welcome bid him welcome He was our friend on earth And royal in his birth For whilest he lived I saw he Forsook all to love me And did truly serve me to his his death III. A child a bride a wife Ragg'd and adorn'd so soon From the Dungeon to the Throne how quickly am I rais'd And my midnight turn'd to noon Even now on my death-bed I sigh'd I sob'd I groan'd I weeping cri'd my God hath me forgot And by all my friends was moan'd What they think now on earth I do not know I do not know Nor for't do I much care What a weeping though they are Of little do they think I Do possess such glory That I 'm made so much-of here above IV. This is Jerusalem Pav'd o're with slates of Gold Her rows of houses like to towers stand It 's more stately than was told Here 's not a street but 's strow'd With flowers of Paradise Not a step that I tread but such sweetnesses I pownd More rich than Arabian spice Walls that her inclose are far brighter far brighter Than th' oriental flame Or a thing that wants a name Her sparkling gates are well known To be made up of such stone That the richest Diamonds doth excel V. Blest shades that here do dwell These mansions that possess I never till now a place or people saw That the God of Heaven doth bless Here 's not a look speaks care No sign of tear or grief Not a sigh or a groan through all the streets I hear Nor a beggar that wants relief All yet that I 've met are like Angels like Angels In clearness they surpass A Star or chrystal-glass Whose unsoil'd beauty doth seem To out-vye a Sun-beam Far Oh far more splendid than all these VI. Their locks like curls of light Their Lilly-necks hang o're Bedeckt with Ribbonds richer than of Gold I ne're saw such before Sweetness of spirit blooms And blossoms all the week In smiles of joy and love that do adorn In their flowrings on each cheek In mantles as white as the fair Moon the fair Moon They walk about each street And embrace all that they meet I never saw friends so love As they do here above Oh! I could lie at any of their feet VII I am where I would be In the City of my King This is the place I have desir'd to see And to hear the cherubs sing What lofty strains are these I ne're heard voice so lavish Not a note that I hear but melts me into joy And my heart doth in me ravish In the close when they shout Hallelujah Hallelujah Glory to God on high And the Lamb that below did die There 's warmth methinks in these names That melts me into

to all and every thing in the new Ecclesiastical Establishment made then at the importunate instance of the Hierarchy But at the motion of his friends to give them a Sermon that Saturday night before the severe Law was to be executed the next day he yielded though they had not spoken to him till when he was that day at dinner and a Text was named to him who soon after turn'd aside to his Meditation they rang the Bell and he preached a farewell Sermon not that in the Printed ones on Revel 2.5 from that very Text given viz. Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord harkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought on his name They knew it was not very difficult for him who was instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven like the housholder to bring forth out of his treasure things new and old He would often say to some of his friends he bless'd God if he had but a little time to premeditate and digest matter he was never at a loss for words on his Masters Embassy but hath for words often took more care how to speak prudently in conference with some in private that he might not be mistaken than how to speak in publick when he expected more of Gods special aid being assuredly on his errand XLIII 'T was observ'd as by Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick abovesaid that he was in all things a praise-worthy and extraordinary person by Mr. De Lunà and his Vertuous Wife whiles his Commoration was with them in their house at London and at Theobalds about a year and an half that he was of singular Piety constantly promoting Holiness in the Family especially much rais'd in his spirit when he came from Preaching and the Lords Table being then as in an Heaven upon Earth A man that would but with much prudence reprove sin in any person of what high rank or quality soever in the world It might be truly said of him as 't was of Mr. Hugh Latimer the Martyr He did behave himself as a faithful messenger of God being afraid of no man telling all degrees their duties faithfully and truly without respect of persons or any kind of flattery Yet he did not much care to converse with the Rich unless he could bring them to acts of Charity When in the things of this world which he had earnestly desired He met with disappointments He would pass them over without much concernedness He was in Discourse very mild and would give way to others to speak and when he had heard them he would without passion and with much judgment and clearness return answers to them If he had heard any one good Christian speak bitterly against another Christian It was usual with him to say That the other likely meant better than he had expressed himself and if what was said could be took in two senses it ought to be interpreted in the best because every Christian cannot in such a ready way utter his mind as another can Insomuch that when a dispassionate and more particular enquiry hath been made into the matter and he hath been desired to explain himself or another standing by hath put words into his mouth it hath often been found he did not mean as at the first the other apprehended he did And therefore our Author would give this Rule upon another's saying or doing If a good sense can be put upon it never take it in a bad one XLIV Be-like he practis'd according to his own Directions he had recorded for Christian prudence in our conversation with men viz. Let 's lay the Apostles Rule Philip. 4.8 for our foundation 1. Whatsoever things are true or good which may be conceiv'd as the Genus to those that follow 2. Whatsoever things are honest or venerable therefore be innocent as may be with reference to evil 3. Whatsoever things are just There is Justice Vniversal whereby we must yield obedience to the universal Law of God and of man as agreeing to the Law of God Here we must shew all due respect to others especially Superiors as to Magistrates to be as little and as cautiously as can be in speaking against them as to any action of theirs unless there be some necessity and then as favourably as may be To Parents to be as plausible as may be to them and if in any thing they dissent from us if in matters of indifferency rather give way to them than oppose them and so likewise amongst any we converse with having an especial eye to the time and place and therefore as little as may be publickly Justice particular is either Remunerative or Commutative Remunerative is a distribution of honour and rewards without any respect of persons according to deserts Therefore if you see any thing in any man praise-worthy give him due honour and let no prejudice cloud it Commutative justice is a giving to every man his right in all your converse and commerce with them in bargaining c. 4. Whatsoever things are pure lovely and of good report or well spoken of Therefore shun Cards and Dice which are not well accounted of by good men which as too commonly used will bring a scandal on your profession make you unfit to reprove others in that or any other vice Be sure it is the best way to continue a mans enjoyments with God to be acting for God amongst them we do converse If any say I have often been admonishing yet find I no good wrought on them and I seem worse my self Answ 1. This ariseth from thine own miscarriage in the duty Didst thou pray before or after thy duty or didst thou keep up thine heart in an holy humble frame whilst thou wast in it If not no wonder thou hast succeeded no better in it 2. Reflect upon thine heart whether thou didst never arrogate too much to thy self if God at any time made thy words to take effect And thou shalt know upon a secret rejoycing when thou hearest any directly or indirectly speak of such an ones conversion and so not giving glory to God he therefore never withholds the influence of his Grace XLV Others who had reason to know him intimately as they did observe his prudence and also that as he was always very serious so most frequently cheerful insomuch that a good friend of his remembers when in frost and snow and bitter storms he went to preach the Gospel one coming to him and pitying him in regard of his bad journey He said cheerfully 'T was his Masters work and therefore no burden to him to serve so good a Master though he passed through many difficulties He by grace had attempered his natural disposition to merriness and brought it to a Christian cheerfulness by watchfulness and experiments And therefore we find him 1649 in his Notes largely stating the case concerning laughter and smiling in Christians