Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	heart_n	holy_a	soul_n	2,522	5	4.8207	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90552	A sermon lately preached at court, before His Majesty, in ordinary attendance: by VVilliam Peterson, D.D. and Deane of Exeter. Chaplaine to His Majesty.	Peterson, William, d. 1661.	1642 (1642)	Wing P1730; Thomason E151_3; ESTC R14888	15,566	32

that the Apostle doth require so much decencie to be had in the Church of God for the Angels sake 1 Cor. 11. And therefore they which forsake the Temple of God and betake themselves to private conventicles and meetings truly they may have zeale but not according to knowledge whose experience hath not found what confusion of Order and breach of that sacred bond of Peace is caused by these private meetings how they have rent the body of the Church into divers parts and divided the people into divers sects how they have taught the Sheep to despise their Pastors and alienated the Pastors from the love of their flocks To declaim against the swarme of evils issuing of private Conventicles is an easie labour I wish rather I could prescribe effectually a remedy whereby a sore so dangerous might be cured For certainly if some speedie course bee not taken to suppresse this growing mischiefe it may be feared that in some short time God will be turned out of Churches into barnes and private houses and from thence again into the fields and Mountains and under the hedges This I am sure that these unlawfull meetings have occasioned such altercations and disputings in points of Doctrine and Government that I thinke there is not greater varietie of faces then there is of fancies and opinions in points of Religion now amongst us nay I thinke there were never so many Sects and Schismes amongst the ancient Philosophhrs as is to be found in this little Island of ours amongst us Christians every contentious and ignorant person cloathing his fancie with the Spirit of God and his imagination with the gift of Revelation so as when the truth which is but one shall by this meanes appeare unto the simple multitude no lesse variable then contrary to it selfe the faith of men will soone die by degrees and all Religion held but in scorne and contempt But there are another sort of men which refuse to communicate with us and those are seduced Recusants it is their idle boast that their Religion hath built all our Churches If it be so the more is our griefe that our Founders should be like the carpenters of Noahs Arke who building and preparing for others refuse to save themselves in it when they have done But let them urge their claime and make a religious conscionable and peaceable entrance For what is wanting in our Churches that Christians would desire to have Here have wee Christ and him crucified would they feede on on Christ Behold here in his Supper his very body and blood as he ordained it If they can be aquilae saith Saint Chrysostome not graculi Eagels to fly aloft and not Jayes to seeke their foode on the ground Here have we Baptisme by water and the Word the Scriptures most uncorruptly published the Law the Gospel the same Pater noster they brag off What should aile them then but that they should joyne with us in one accord and sing chearfully that heavenly Hallelujah Glory to God on high peace on earth good will towards men And thus you see how we must pray in Templo publiquely in the midst of the congregation Secondly we must pray likewise in Deserto privately When thou prayest saith Christ enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut the doore pray unto thy Father which is in secret Saint Augustine I remember expounds these words Allegorically Enter into thy chamber saith hee that is into thine heart and inhabit there and become a fearfull witnesse to thy selfe of thine owne secret evills and shut the doore that is cleanse thine heart from all wicked and wandering cogitations that may distract thy soule in her most retired meditations But these words may be taken as well literally for this holy and religious duty and service towards God concerneth us one way in that we are men and another way as we are joyned as members of that visible mysticall body which is the Church As private men then it is at our own choice both for time place and forme as the exigencie of our occasions require in private and he that doth not set apart some select time of the day for the performance of this duty is infinitely wanting to himselfe and carelesse of his owne salvation But as we doe performe this duty as members of a publique body it must be publique and this is thought by some so much worthier then the other as a whole society exceeds the worth of any one person For every Prayer as considered singly and solely by it selfe it is like a little stick of juniper that sends forth a small perfume but many of these together like a fagot that sends forth whole pillars of smoake and therefore must needes make a farre sweeter smell in the nostrils of God Thirdly thou must pray in Horto in the Garden that is in the midst of all thy pleasures and delights and not to be like the wild Asse that never brayeth but when it wanteth fodder or like the ungratefull Israelites to forget God whilst thou sittest by the flesh-pots of Egypt or like Jobs yong Hindes that growing up and waxing fat goe forth and never returne unto their dammes For many there are who never think on God but when they finde themselves in great extremity and feare like little children saith Chrysostome who when they perceive any imminent danger run presently under the wing of the mother But thus never to seeke after God but when the crib or the whip shall constraine is a bruitish servility And certainly it is greatly derogatorie from that which is most predominant in man if we have not sometimes a voluntary accesse unto God all other inferiour considerations whatsoever laid aside and therefore as in our greatest necessity we must beg for supply of those things we want so in our greatest abundance and plenty we must pray for a continuance of those wee have received and never entertain a benefit at the hands of God without a thankfull acknowledgement of his liberality and goodnesse by whose providence it is enjoyed Fourthly we must pray in Cruce that is in the time of affliction and persecution Many there are who can be content to pray and are mindfull of God too so long as they may stretch themselves upon beds of Ivorie and have all their hearts can wish but if they be constrained to lie downe in the waves of sorrow if affliction doe assault why then they are readie presently to turne their backs starting aside like a broken bow but a true Christian saith Saint Angustine he must be like a stone that is square that stands howsoever you turne it he must not be like Hezekiahs sunne to goe backward nor like Josuahs sun to stand still but like Davids sunne who like a Bridegroome comes out of his chamber and like a Gyant rejoyceth to runne his course and though he walke through the valley of teares yet no other resolution must possesse his minde then this O my God thou art