Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A60348
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A funeral-sermon upon occasion of the death of Mrs. Lobb late wife of Mr. Stephen Lobb. Preached by Samuel Slater, minister of the Gospel
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Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing S3966; ESTC R221626
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33,124
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39
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all their Beauty comparable to God and Christ. Secondly It is better to be with Christ in Heaven than in anâ— State to be enjoyed here though it be as good as Spiritual and Gospâ—â— Enjoyments can make it and if any thing doth make it good indeed if any thing do render it grateful and delicious to an Holy Soul iâ— is these things these are the best and sweetest of all his Enjoyments these the Cream the Flower and Quintescence were it not foâ— something of these Earth would be an Hell to him yea and sâ— would Heaven be too Psalm 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but theâ— and there is none upon Earth that I desire beside thee Let the Ark which was the Symbol of God's presence and the place before which Israeâ— was to Worship be taken by the Philistines and the good Wife oâ— Phinehas thought it was not worth her while to out-live so great loss but being told that a man-child was born unto her she calleâ— it Ichabod and said the Glory is departed from Israel for the Ark oâ— God is taken and died presently It is the Gospel and Communioâ— with God in the ways of the Gospel that an Heaven-born Soâ—â— doth value a Nation by and it self by these are the things in whicâ— he placeth his chief Joy and from which he fetcheth his strongeâ—â— and most sovereign Cordials The good man tells us Psalm 84 1â—â— That He had rather be a door-keeper or as the Margin hath it chuâ—â— rather to sit at the threshold in the house of his God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness he had rather chuse to pick up the Crumbs under Christ's Table than to sit at the upper end of the Creatures Board when it is furnished with the choicest Dainties Where is the experienced Christian that doth not find himself at a loss for a word when he undertakes to tell others what God hath done for his Soul Who can express with how much ravishing delight he sits under the shadow of Christ at an Ordinance and how sweet his Food is to his Taste How he enjoys himself when he is led into the Banquetting-House and there hath he the Banner of his Saviour's love spread over him How greatly is he ravished when there is Peace spoken to him â—n a Sermon that passeth not only all expression but likewise all understanding How is he rais'd up to the highest Admirings and praises when Divine Love is shed abroad in his Heart by the Holy Ghost and an interest in Christ and the Covenant is Sealed to him â—t a Sacrament or when he finds his Sails after he had lain for a â—ime Becalm'd or Wind-bound filled with a fair or fresh Gale from â—he Spirit or his Soul inlarged in Duty so as to run the way of the Commandments and in its Holy motions made like unto the Chariâ—ts of Amminadib When the Spirit of God darts into him Beams â—f light and by them so irridiates his Graces that he can see them â—o be what indeed they are and bears such a plain and full Testimoâ—y to his filial Relation to God as he thereby is imboldened to go to â—he Throne of Grace and Cry Abba Father Then indeed is his â—oul satisfied as with marrow and fatness and then he doth with Triumphs sing The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places and I â—ave a Goodly heritage Yet to be with Christ is far better than all â—his and that upon a Threefold account viz. Upon account of 1. The Purity of that State 2. The Perfection of that State 3. The Immutability of that State First The Future State when the Saints shall be with Christ in â—eaven will be a Pure State In this life when things are at the best â—here is a mixture there is no Saint that hath so bright a Day as â—hat there is not in it something of a Cloud He that is washed in â—he fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness and hath made it â—he great part of his business to cleanse himself from all filthiness â—oth of Flesh and Spirit will upon a review find there is still need of washing his Feet He is indeed made light in the Lord and bâ— shines before men yet when his Candle burns most bright it stand in need of snuffing Suppose him to be truly Gracious yea eminently so there have been upon him plentiful effusions of the Spirit and out of the fulness of Christ he hath received Grace yea Gracâ— for Grace yet after all this there is in him Corruption as well aâ— Grace Dross as well as Gold and Flesh as well as Spirit Thâ— Apostle Paul as far advanced as he was toward Heaven and Glorâ— could not for his heart suppress his Complaints and Groans buâ— must give himself a little ease by uttering them and telling God anâ— Man what to his pain and sorrow he felt within viz. A Law iâ— his Members warring against the Law in his Mind which was 〈◊〉 powerful as to be often prevalent and bring him into Captivity 〈◊〉 the Law of Sin and Death which was in his Members and he coulâ— not chuse but in a pang of desire call and cry out for deliverance 〈◊〉 a poor Gally-Slave would from his Chain and Oar Romans 7. 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ— death They that have the Comeliness of Christ put upon them anâ— not without something of their own Deformities and may in thâ— case say as the Spouse did in another I am comely and black toâ— comely as the Curtains of Solomon yet black as the Tents of Kedâ—â— And Oh! How do the thoughts and consideration hereof maâ—â— them ashamed and blush to lift up their faces towards God But 〈◊〉 the Future State they will be clean every whit and without Spot 〈◊〉 Blemish or Wrinkle or any such thing Then there will be in theâ— nothing to offend God nothing to offend themselves nothing thâ— shall be a cause of displeasure to God or of grief to them nothinâ— that shall fully their beauty or eclipse their light nothing that shaâ—â— disturb their pleasant rest or retard their Holy motions The Inhâ—â—bitant shall not say I am Sick nor shall he say I am sinful He shaâ—â— neither be Sick of Love as the enamoured Spouse was nor Sick of Siâ— as the humble and broken-hearted Penitent is It is in that Statâ— in which the Church and her Children shall be Clear and Glorious 〈◊〉 the Sun here they are and while here they will be but as thâ— Moon with their Spots which yet they are not as some proud oâ— Secondly That Future State in which the Saints shall be witâ— Christ is a Perfect State Whatever some deluded Souls have anâ— do fancy to themselves in this World there is no such thing as peâ—â—fection to be attained to here tho that be not above the desire anâ— hope of the Babes in Christ the meanest and weakest Saints yet iâ— is out of the
by the dear love he bare to Christ and the Châ—â—â—â— But how many are brought into it by a fond and foolish love to 〈◊〉 world They could be willing to go to Christ were they not loâ—◠〈◊〉 leave their Earthly Comforts Relations and Possessions They â—â—uld live to see their Children grown up well disposed of and proâ—â—ded for in the world but they may live to see them their Sorrow â—â—d Shame their Vexation and Torment Others are in a strait and â—aid to dye because they do not know whither they shall go when â—â—ey dye they want assurance of the Love of God and their own â—â—ernal Salvation for which want they may possibly thank their â—â—n supine carelessness and neglect not having given as they ought â—â—â—igence yea all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure â—â—hers are in a strait by reason of those severe Rebukes and Wounds â—hich they receive from their own Consciences They have been off â—om their watch and Temptations from Satan or the world have â—oke in upon them and mastered them and their own Corruptions â—â—ve prevailed against them and their Consciences instead of being â—â—eet Comforters prove their dreadful Tormentors by means whereâ—â— they poor Creatures know not how to look God in the face â—â—d so they know not how to look Death in the face And indeed it â—â—nnot but be very sad and dismal with any one who is in this condiâ—â—on and at the same time thinks in good earnest that his death is 〈◊〉 hand Therefore let it be your work by utmost diligence and conâ—â—nt care of holy walking with God to prevent such straits as these â—â—t weaned hearts sit loose from the world do your duty keep â—ur selves unspotted commit your all to God clear up your Eviâ—ences make up your Accounts and get all things set in order â—â—at when you come to dye you may have nothing else to do Sixthly The Interest of Christ and his Church should be preserr'd beâ—â—re our own particular Interest Thus Iohn the Baptist did when some 〈◊〉 his Disciples told him He to whom thou barest witness baptizeth and 〈◊〉 men come to him They thought their Master's Glory would be â—â—ereby eclipsed Observe now his Answer thereunto Iohn 3. â—â— 30. The friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him â—â—joiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice this my joy therefore is â—â—lfilled he must increase but I decrease They could not bring him â—etter and more welcom news Our Apostle here judged his abiding 〈◊〉 the flesh was more needful for the Saints in order to their furtheâ—â—ance in the way to Heaven and the increasing of their Joy of â—aith and thence concluded he should abide and continue with â—hem and was upon mature deliberation free to do so It ought to â—e so with us We should be willing to be kept out of our Rest so â—ong as we have any more work to do for God We should be content to stay for our future Reward so long as we may be further serviceâ— in the world And indeed it is richly worth a Bâ—lievers while to 〈◊〉 here until he hath dispatch'd all that for which he was sent hithâ— and not to have Death put in its sickle to reap him before he be tâ—â— rough ripe You have a great deal of Reason to long for Hearâ— because of the Company Happiness and Glory which are there be enjoyed and because of that noysom body of Death which 〈◊〉 you carry about with you and because of the Temptations Aâ—ctions and various Troubles you meet with here Yet be not impâ—â—â—ent but all the days of your appointed time do you as Iob 〈◊〉 wait till your change shall come You will lose nothing by stay 〈◊〉 God's time which is in all things the best The greater Service yâ—â— do for him either in an active or passive way the more weigâ—â— shall your Crown be Lastly Whensoever and about whatsoever it is that we are brought 〈◊〉 a strait it is our wisest way to commit the business to God and leave the 〈◊〉 termination unto him When the Scales do hang even in our Judgmeâ—â— let God before whom all things are naked and open have the turâ—â— of them It is said of Moses Deut. 34.5 That he died according to 〈◊〉 word of the Lord at the Mouth of the Loâ—d so it is in the Hebrâ—â— Some read it The Lord commanding him 〈…〉 Annotations â—â—â—der it by the Ordinance of the Lord or at the Appointment of Gâ—â— It is not fit that we should have the prolonging or contracting of 〈◊〉 Lives in our own hands that Power is best and saâ—est in the haâ—d that God whose right it is The Church said He should chuse their heritance for them let us also say He shall chuse for us the time 〈◊〉 our continuance here and of our departure from hence If we wâ—â— to chuse for our selves very few if any would chuse well but soâ—â— of us would dye too soon and others of us would live too long Let therefore refer it to God While he is pleased to add to our day us conscientiously mind our duty living to the best purpose that can and serving our Generation according to the Will of God 〈◊〉 then we may satisfie our selves with this That we shall be sure to 〈◊〉 in the best time In a word Let every one of us be willing to 〈◊〉 here until God send for us And then the good Lord put us iâ— such a frame as that when we are sent for we may be willing to FINIS