Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A06779
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A grand-fathers legacy; or Maltbey's morsels for mourners Diuided into seuerall meditations for euery day in the weeke. Being a comfort to all wounded and oppressed consciences, which seeke for comfort by the word of truth. By Iohn Maltbey late minister of Gods word at Buckland in Glocester-shire.
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Maltbey, John.; Maltbey, Margaret.
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1633
(1633)
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STC 17216; ESTC S103470
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82,802
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256
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doth crosse and afflict him therefore GOD doth hate forsake and vtterly cast him off those with whom he so now dealeth It is true that Christ Iesus hath taught vs to call vppon him by the name of a Father who now loueth vs more then our mothers did First instructing vs as parents doe their children Secondly admonishing vs as Schoole-maisters scourging vs now and then with his Rod. Thirdly if we grow stubborne spend-thrifts wanton and prodigall vsing ill company then God draweth vs out by the eares whipping or beating vs till our bones doe cracke yet with a fatherly true affection still to bring vs to amendment or he vtterly cast vs off Our heauenly Father warneth vs by his rods to walke in his wayes and to liue in his obedience which if we dispise and refuse to follow then will the Lord vse his scourges pouerty sicknesse diseases crosses in Children stocke or croppe fire or sword till that wee humbling our selues vnder Gods mighty hand shal subiect our selues to his gouernment suffering in our selues a holy reformation of manners and amendment of life Learne we also to reioyce in the middest of our troubles and afflictions with contented minds and sanctified affections no Parents so louing to their Children as is our heauenly Father for our safety in our sufferings cling wee therefore the faster and the more faithfully vnto God in our troubles God hath turned heretofore the penury and the captiuity of his people vnto their good by greatest crosses working his people their greatest comforts God doth oftentimes make our sicknesses and sorrowfull diseases as purgations to euacuate our pride vayne-glory hypocrisie and the corruptions of our putrified soules And sometimes for preseruatiues to keepe vs from falling into those or the like sinnes And sometimes God vseth them as Cordials to strengthen our decaying graces and to animate vs vnto holy duties to pray Reade and heare the more attentiuely to beare the Rod of God more patiently and to performe each holy duty with the more cheerefulnes Be not ignorant of that Lesson which Dauid teacheth vs all Psalm 119 It is good for vs that wee haue bin afflicted For the learning of Gods Statutes and Keeping of his word and testimonies with-hold vs from going a stray in ill wayes so that each one of vs may truly say of our troubles sorrows and sicknesses that we haue suffered them and haue learned to loue God more and our owne deserts the lesse let vs all learne to make holy medicines for our soules out of such calamities as do often befall vs in the World and so shall we haue no cause to vexe our selues with cures for the sanctified crosses that do vs much good we grieue at the vntimely death of our Children which we hoped should haue beene the staffe of our old Age inherite our houses and keepe still our name but we minde not how many children of as good hope as ours haue prooued parents crosses and some mothers vpon their knees haue wished they had neuer beene borne or that they had then carried them to their graues when they had them to weane Sure it is that God for the most time doth lay such afflictions vpon vs eyther because he will procure vs some good or preuent some Euill by them Which things if we commonly see them come to passe why mourne we so that which tendeth vnto our welfare and greater comfort There is nothing in the world but still works for the best to the children of God aswell the stratagems of Sathan as the imaginations of men are for the Weale of Gods children Yea out of one of the most poisonfull things as sinne and death doth the Lord draw healthfull and medicinall preseruatiues to them that loue him still strengthning their Faith whilest they giue glory vnto God Care you not what outward punishment you indure so that you may feele the guilt of your sinnes washed out of your Conscience and the louing countenance of our heauenly Father in Christ Iesus to wipe your trespasses cleane away Let the goodly sorrows of our seuerall wounded consciences driue vs to GOD who hath vndoubtedly physicke for our sickly and sinnefull soules Are you weake and sicke sad and confounded in minde desire the LORD so to stampe the impression of his sacred spirit into your hearts as washing your selues in the water of Repentance you wallow no more in the mire of former filthines the Lord so kill and clarifie your flesh as the life of Grace may assure your soules of election to glory Remember what Queene Esther did being in danger of death Chap. 14.1 Shee resorted vnto the Lord shee layd away her glorious apparell and put on the garments of sighing and mourning instead of precious oyntment scattering ashes and Earth vpon her Head humbling her body greatly with fasting filling all the places of her ioy with the haire shee plucked from her Head It is very good for GODS Children that this world now and then much discourageth them and that wee and they likewise rest seldome free from one calamity or another to make vs to cry with Christ in our troubles vnto God that he may pitch his Tents about vs so as we finally miscarry not nor goe astray from the Kingdome of God apply our hearts wholy vnto Christ and cleaue we all still vnto him with sure purpose of soule to rest throughly sanctified Beware of temporary faith which is lame of one hand onely able to take Christ but not to giue himselfe to Christ This is to offer the same offering without the burnt offering hast thou Hope against Hope feelest thou Hell in thy Conscience yet here must thou apprehend Heauen and with Ionas in the Whales belly call vpon GOD in faith for faith is the subsistance of things that are not much more then of things that in deed are though not in appearance Be of good cheere for Christ hath fastened Sathan Sinne and Death to his Crosse Now amidst thy bitterest torments and tortures remember how Christ drunke the most bitter and sharpe Cup of his Fathers wrath in our name Remember that Peter suffering for the truth of God returned from the Councell with ioy and gladnesse when hee had beene whipped and had heard that hee should dye a violent death through which conflict and repugnance hee stroue still with violence not for other peoples pleasure but for his owne saluation There is no Christian but he must fight before he can tryumph and be daily calling yea earnest by praying and crauing for helpe at Gods hands remembring that against the ignomy of the Crosse wee haue to set the decree and purpose of God fore-told by the Prophets of Christ How that first of all hee should bee crucified here vpon Earth And then he should appeare from Heauen the Iudge and Restorer of all things that all Beleeuers might be saued and all vnbeleeuers vtterly perish Vnderstand and Know this that God vseth to wrappe vp his Church with the wicked in
was at the weakest hauing fasted so long to haue stones made Bread and if hee would haue any he must make it himselfe too a hard crust bread out of stones And if he durst appeare to him who was the Sonne of God how may hee venture vpon vs and tempt vs and cause vs to bee discouraged and dispaire of our soules therefore my beloued haue no conceit or dispaire of hope in God though the Diuell tempt vs and we endure many other crosses in this world which man is subiect vnto Though yee were in the famine of Samaria where the people did eate their Pigeons dung Or as Iosephus relates of the miseries of Ierusalem when it was besieged how that the Mothers were forced to eate their owne children to satisfie their stomacks though all these and many more should happen vnto vs yet let vs trust in GOD with a strong faith and hope for he is able to deliuer vs out of all our afflictions What a comfort it is when we haue Christ and his Disciples to take our parts and but to suffer as they haue done If the enuy of the world or malice of the Diuell bee such that I am depriued of my Lands or Liuings then haue I Iob for an example If I bee exiled or banished from my Countrey then haue I Iohn the Euangelist for my comfort If I be put in Prison then haue I Ioseph and if I be put in the inward Prison and in the Stocks then Paul and Sylas and the Apostle Iames for my Companions If I am beheaded then haue I Iohn the Baptist for my patterne or if I be stoned to death then haue I the happy Martyr St. Stephen or if I haue been accused wrongfully then haue I our Sauiour Christ Iesus for my comfort It is he that hath wrought that great worke of our Redemption The faithfull and the thankefull shall continually receiue Gods word and blessings they shall haue in abundance and not abundance onely but shall haue it with sweetnes for abundance without sweetnesse is a clogging or cloying of the stomacke and sweetnesse without abundance is a begetting of an appetite or stomacke but they shall haue showred downe vpon them in a plentifull manner that nothing may be wanting to them that are patient and of long suffering the flood-gates of the Lord shal be open vnto them that truely beleeue they be those which shall haue grace mercy and plenty of all earthly treasures It is Gods mercy in giuing vs this day to heare his diuine Precepts declared it is his mercy that he spareth vs which might for our sinnes bee iustly punished and bee made an example to all people like Herod in that wee haue not giuen thee that due praise and honour which thou desirest of vs thy Creatures VVe must exhort one another for it is Gods command to examine euery one himselfe whether hee hath faith or no And likewise euery Maister his Seruant in his family to know whether they trust in the Lord and serue him as Abraham did Chuse who will serue the Lord for I and my house shall serue the Lord for we shall one day be examined how wee haue bestowed our time and how wee haue made vse of our Talent for ignorance then must be no excuse to any man Let no man therefore which desires Gods loue be negligent in hearing of the Word vpon the Sabbath day for there is in it both a hardnesse of the heart and also a neglect of the duty which is a very dangerous act to reiect Gods precepts and to fall as it were from the liuing God Wherefore let reason follow our faith not faith our reason earnestly crauing of God that he would bee pleased to open our hearts at the hearing of his holy Commandements as he did his Seruant Lydia Paul Mary Magdalen None are exempted from comming to heare Gods Word for the Lord sayth behold I will powre out my Spirit vpon you and your sonnes and your daughters I will put my feare into their hearts and I will write my Law in their mindes and they shall neuer depart from me who am the liuing God Our Soules must be like the Sunne not like Ioshuahs Sunne to stand still nor like Hezekiahs Sun to goe backwards but we must be like Dauids Sun which comes out and appeares like a Bridegrome or like a Gyant ready to run his course and striue we by all meanes to strengthen and goe forwards in Faith and good workes for we haue no desert of our owne to saue our soules at the last day but must say and confesse as Saint Augustine did O Lord what is my merit but thy mercy thy mercy but my merit in CHRIST IESVS FINIS