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	soul_n	spirit_n	3,071	5	4.9500	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12177	The Christians end. Or, The sweet soveraignty of Christ, over his members in life and death VVherein is contained the whole scope of the godly mans life, with divers rules, motives and incouragements, to live and die to Iesus Christ. Being the substance of five sermons preached to the honorable society of Grayes Inne, by that learned and faithfull minister of Gods Word, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honorable societie.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22485; ESTC S117259	45,936	138

lose for his sake we shall gaine in peace of conscience in grace and in this world too if hee seeth it good No man ever lost by the service of Christ. let a man lay beginning ●nd end together and tell me if he hath gotten any thing by serving his lusts for God payeth him home here in much terrour of conscience and crosses and losses at the end besides hell hereafter though at first hee enjoy some seeming comfort And therefore lay it as a Principle That Gods service is the best and most profitable service I but it appeareth to the view of the world that they that sticke close to Christ and will disclaime all for a good conscience fall into this and that misery First the reason is because they bee not good enough it may be they be negligent in the service of Christ and therfore God will purge them and make them better and will try their graces that they may know themselves the better Secondly one maine end is indeed Christ will suffer his to bee exercised with this and that affliction that hee may have glory in his servants that the world may see he hath some th●● are content to lose something for his sake that will part with any thing and breake with any man that they may please the Lord. Thirdly if wee serve Christ hee will speake to our consciences that it is not in vaine to serve him howsoever things fall out in the world I confesse there is a mystery in Christs government which we must take notice of wee can give no reason why his enemies should so reigne his church be put under hatches Only in generall we know that all this in conclusion shal serve for the Churches good And all shall worke for the best to them that love God God is all this while a working the Churches good and the enemies ruine though wee see not the mysterie of Christs kingdome I beseech you labour to make a good use of this get under Christs government and when flesh and bloud shall put up a pe●ition or suggest any thing give it a Non-placet deny the petition say I am Christs and I owe n●thing to any but to Christ therefore not to sinne or my selfe All my debt is to the Spirit and to Christ therefore I will sow to the Spirit not to the flesh I am bought with a price my libertie cost Christ deare therefore I will dye honorably rather than prostitute my selfe to any base courses Thus wee should have high thoughts of our selves And upon all temptations suggested to us make use of this consideration That wee are not our owne but Christs FINIS Conclusion The first generall observation or doctrine The second generall observation Quaest. Answ. Revel 1. 18 The actions of wicked men end in self Deniall for Christ. Our condition in Christ is better then in our selves All our losse is made up in Cheist Tobe in Christ is better then in our selves Christs resurrection is our onely comfort Simile Self-will breeds our misery Every thing is to be improved to our last end The whole life of a Christian is to Christ. Hee regards not the incouragement or discouragement of the world A true Christian liveth to the Church of the Christ. Carnall men live not at all to Christ. Christs glory and our salvation is joyned together Simile They finde themselves with joy that lose themselves in God A Christian learneth how to carry himselfe not onely to himselfe but to Christ. To live to Christ is to seeke his ho. nour in all things A man is neither for or to himselfe The heart is not quiet till it resteth in God its Centre 1. Cor. 10. 31. God looks not at parts but holinesse in duties 1. Reason Christians aimes end in Christ. Simile Mat. 6. 33. Psal. 27. 4. Luke 10. 4● Vse Object Answ. Simile Selfe ends hindreth dutie Motives Object Answ. Reason Doctrine Micha 6. 7. Sin cloudeth the eye of the Soule How to live to Christ. Common actions by the spirit are made holy Inference A Christian is Christs in life death Iohn 17. Wee are Christs by Covenant Beliefe the answer of a good consciscience Reason It is our comfort to have Christ our Lord. Question Answer Christ ●ur Lor● before and after death Obj●ct Answer Phil. 2. 10. Christ answereth all Satans accusations in defence of his children Chr●sts love 〈◊〉 and eternall Christ is ours and wee are his A Christian is happy in all condition Our happines in Christ is everlasting Ground of● comfort A Christian dieth not Psal. 116. God noteth every thing done to his children They shall do their work for which they came Whatsoever they have is pretious to the Lord. Of direction to give our selves to Christ. Object Answer Psal. 12. 4. Nothing our● We must not be regulated by others opions in religion without ground Vse Nothing our owne 2 Vse Phil. 3. We must bee subject to God in all conditions It is our chiefest comfort that God is ours and we are his and to improve it Negative Affirmative Ground of both Christ our Lord as the second person Lord by donation Lord by conquest Lord by ransome Lord by satisfaction to divine justice Lord by our submission to him Lord in all conditions Lord by his care over us Illustration The last end of a Christian is most fruitfull Primum mendacium Popish errour Will the ground of controversie between God and us We are the Lords by particular application Assurance a fruit of faith How the soule maketh Christ his the course it is to take Vngodly men deny their baptisme All assigned to God Sinne in the children of God is as a rebell in the wicked as a Lord. Phil. 3. 8. A Christians duty in time of desertion 1 King● 20● 33. Grieve for nothing but the losse of Christ. Hee that hath Christ hath all things Question Answer How to know our selves to bee in Christ. Selfe-deniall argueth the subjection of our hearts to Christ. 2 Kings 9. 32. Who denieth Christ here shall bee denied by him in heaven A note of a true Christian The Spirit witnesseth our interest in Christ. A gracious man most of all enjoyeth himselfe Psalm 2. Though sin be in a Christian yet it reigneth not The Divell ruleth by sin Caveat to avoyd temptation Object Answer Complaints arise from our owne negligence Christs government is mysticall Vse of exhortation to get under Christs government

and he must needs be a Christian the necessity and excellency of it standing upon such undenyable grounds O but I shall ●ose my reputation saith the doubtfull heart of man and be counted a foole I shall lose my friends and contentment if I come to be religious and serious indeed These be idle objections as if there were not in this kinde better in Religion then in the world as if God did bid us to our losse as if Christ should bid us follow him to our disadvantage surely no Hee is Lord of Heaven and earth and can recompence us in this world But what is all ple●sure here to the pleasure of a good conscience What is friendship here to communion with God and friendship with Christ and the protection of Angels VVhat are riches to him that is the fountain of all riches Did not Moses know what hee did when he forsook Pharoahs Court or Paul when he said to be with Christ is best of all Did not Abraham know what hee did when hee left his fathers house and followed God though to the giving up of Isaak whom he knew God could raise up again he being alsufficient Perhaps I lo●e a friend or pettypleasure or contentment but that was but a particular good serving for a particular turne onely but in stead therof I have God that is alsufficient for all turnes that is neer to mee and never neerer then when I deny any thing for his sake A man hath never more of GOD then when hee denyeth himself most for God for in what measure we empty our selves of love to any creature in that measure God fils the soul with contentments of an higher kinde VVe have within that particular good which wee parted with and wee have peace and grace which is incomparably above it Think of that and it wil be an infinite incouragement to live to Christ. And therfore take these rules Seek the end in the meanes I can have Christ my end in riches pleasures friends it is well But if I cannot have my end with these things away with them When they be gone the end will remayne Christ will continue though they leave us VVe may enjoy any thing here if the mayn end can be enjoyed with them if not let us be willingly stript of all for we shall be stript of them by death God hath enough he hath all things at command and hath wisdome enough a thousand ways to provide that we shall not be losers by him no not in this life Consider then what it is to give our selves to the Lord. VVhen we give our selves wee give all things else with our selves They gave themselves to the Lord and then they would easily part with their goods as the Apostle saith But wee will never give our selves to the Lord till we consider what he hath done for us He hath given himself wholly for us left heaven for us denyed himself for us made himself of no reputation for us became a worme and no man a curse for us And in way of requitall wee should answer him with giving our selves and all wee have to him this is to be a Christian to purpose Christ hath given himselfe to mee and therfore I will give my goods my self my life to Christ that is in affection and preparation of spirit though not in action And in action too when he calleth for them I am not mine own he hath my selfe And fructus sequ●tur fundum Hee shall have whatsoever is mine If he call me to suffer losses crosses disgrace or death it selfe welcome all I am his and therfore whatsoever is mine is his And it is no more then he hath done for mee Hee went so low that hee could not be lower and be God He hath advanced my nature as high as my nature could be advanced by union with his person and he will advance my person to heaven And therfore the Martyrs were willing to part with their lives They loved not their lives to death as Christs phrase is Hee that loveth his life shall lose his life My life is not deare to me saith Saint Paul so ready was hee to resigne all for Christ. The reason is which I desire may not he forgotten wee have a better being in God then in our selves If wee lose our naturall life we have in him a better life If wee lose our riches wee have them in heavenly treasures The water is not lost that runneth into the Sea it is in the Ocean still it s better receptacle It was Saint Pauls desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all But if hee will have mee to serve the Church here and enjoy my life longer his will be done So hee liveth to the Lord and dieth to the Lord and whatsoever commeth Hee is in 〈◊〉 paratus VVhether he liveth and dieth hee is the Lords THE FOVRTH SERMON ROM 14. 7. 8. 7 For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dieth to himselfe 8 For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords IN these words the Apostle taketh us off from our selves and assigneth us to a true end As the first thing that grace doth is to set God and Christ in his owne place the Heart so in the second place it begets a regard of our selves such as may stand with the love of Christ. For till Christ hath a place in the heart by our comming to some degrees of selfe-deniall selfe hindereth us in all our whole course both of believing and doing For wee have naturally contrary principles to all articles of faith and contrary motions to all the commands of God It hinders us in the duties to God to others to our selves And therefore to what I formerly sayd I may adde this consideration That it is no easie thing to bee a Christian. If wee were required to renounce any thing else we might obtaine it of our selves sooner than deny our selves for what is nearer to our selves than our selves Thousand Rivers of Oyle the first fruits of the body would be given for the sin of the soule That outward mortification so much magnified in Popery is nothing to the renouncing of a lust But if we would be Christians to purpose wee must bee stript of our selves as they say of the serpent he must part with the old Slough we must have an higher principle than our selves before we can doe it A Christian is above himselfe and better than himselfe and stronger than himselfe because hee hath a better selfe than himselfe And by vertue of that better selfe which is grace in his heart hee is able to bring under all his other selfe not onely his sinfull selfe but his naturall selfe neither his life nor any thing is deare unto him in comparison of Christ. Therefore we must not have conceits of religion as easie indeed if

they bee not Christs they are the Divels Our thoughts are not our owne but all should bee dedicated to Christ. Therefore wee should bee content that Christ should set up a regiment in our soules that hee may rule our thoughts ●desires our language and members that they may be all weapons of righteousnesse Wee have nothing our owne much lesse ●inne from which we are redeemed And not onely from grosse sinnes but from such conversations as are vaine in themselves and will be vaine to thee And when wee are redeemed from sin and from vaine conversations we are redeemed from our selves from the world from the Divell whom now hath a man to serve none but this Lord. Wee have renounced all other in Baptisme and we are revolters and rebels and renounce out covenant in baptisme if we renounce not the world and the lusts of it in our lives Our selves we must not serve for we are redeemed from our selves and not onely from our carnall selves but naturall selves Christ is Lord of our natures And a Christian ought to say Lord of thee I had this body of thee I had this life of mine these goods of mine this credit of mine this reputation and place in the world As I had all from thee so I returne all to thee againe And as we are not our owne we must not bee other mens we are not servants of men as the Apostle sayth wee must not take upon trust the opinions that others would put upon us or what wee list our selves in religion wee must not have mens pesons in admiration for advantage we must not Idol●ze any creature for as we are not our owne so we are not any others but we are the Lords The happinesse of a Christian is to bee independent on the creatures hee may use them as subordinate helpes but hee is to depend onely on this Lord what to believe what to speake and not to take up this or that opinion to please this or that man thereby to rise to greatnesse It is a base thing to say I believe as my pa●ents believe are you your parents your parents are the servants of this great Lord whose you are and to whom it is your dutie to yeeld your selves And therefore in sollicitation to any sin make that use of it that the holy Apostle doth in that grosse sin that reignes ●o m●ch in the world and brings many to h●ll Defile●ent of body Saith hee Our bodies are bought with a price And shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of an 〈◊〉 So when wee are tempted by corruption and Satan joyning with it reason thus Shall I de●●le this body of mine my body is not mi●e it is th● Lords my members are not mine they bee dedicated and consecrated to him What should such base abhominable 〈…〉 to Christ I am his my thoughts his my desires should bee his Let those that bee given to swea●ing and blasphe●ing a●d idle ●alke consider that their tongues are not their owne and yet for whom doe they imploy their tongues as an instrument but for Sa●●● So when wee come to dye make use of it not onely for comfort but for duty We are Christs and therefore if hee doth call us by any kinde of death if hee sends for us by a bloudy death goe to Christ that way because he is Lord and disposeth of whatsoever befalleth us and determineth by what death wee shall glorifie him Bee of Saint Pauls resolution to glorifie God both living dying He knew God should be glorified by his death as well as by his life So wee may glorifie Christ by any death bee content to yeeld our selves any kind of way to him There bee two vertues wee ought specially to exercise in the houre of death Assurance of faith that wee are Christs And a resignation to his will that in faith and in obedience wee may commit our selves to him as to a faithfull Creatour and Redeemer This is our dutie And it is no easie a matter to do this Many bequeath themselves to God but alas they have alienated themselves before to the world They have given their bodies to wine to women as the Scripture phrase is Or they have given their spirits to the world As wee use to say in our common speech of some men They are given to the world But when they have given their strength to the flesh before and doe at time of death bequeath their spirits to the Lord will hee owne them Alas they are alienated before and so put out of their owne disposing And therefore ordinarily unlesse the Lord worke a miracle it is impossible to dye in the Lord● If a man have not lived to the Lord before which may teach us to give our selves really to him in our life time that our lives being a service to Christ wee may comfortably die to him and have our soules to dispose of The like subjection must bee shewed in all conditions whatsoever If God will have mee to honour him in a meane calling I am not mine owne I am his my life and all my condition of life are onely to him My calling my estate it may bee is low that my pride may bee humbled But God hath set mee in my calling he will have mee to honour him in it In the meanest calling a man shall have enough to give an account of and therfore there is no reason to be ashamed of our calling I am the Lords in my life in all the passages of it in my calling in all the troubles of it I am to looke for support and protection and provision and direction from God I am here by his appointment And therefore he that hath set me in this place will provide for me protect me guide mee by his Spirit what to doe in my place And so it is a ground of contentation in all conditions You see then there is great reason why wee should not live to our selves but to the Lord that wee should not dye to our selves but to the Lord. For it is a great comfort a speciall duty and therfore in a word We cannot have a more comfortable experiment in all divine truths than this That God in Christ hath passed over himselfe to be ours and wee have passed over our selves to him i● wee have grace to doe i● And then to plead and improve it when it is done there is not a comfort of greater comprehension and therefore the Apostle dwelleth on the poynt No man liveth to himselfe no man dyeth to ●●●selfe but we live to the Lord and dye to the Lord. To what end is all this but that we should settle it as a bottome ground of comfort and contentment and happinesse that wee are not our owne but the Lords Think therefore of this one thing that wee are his that hath a command in heaven and earth to whom all knees bow with subjection his