Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	law_n	obedience_n	require_v	3,312	5	7.2188	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19716	The care of a Christian conscience Ten sermons on the 25 psalme, preached in Tewkesburie in the countie of Gloucester, By Richard Curtis.	Curteys, Richard, 1532?-1582.	1600 (1600)	STC 6134; ESTC S111010	79,468	216

ought to be obedient children towardes him if we will not be vtterly vnthankfull The true feare of God also comprehendeth an acknowledging of his soueraigntie rule dominion and superioritie ouer vs to the end that euery one of vs yéelding him his due honor may learne to please him in all thinges Thus yée sée that vnder this feare of GOD is comprehended all Religion all the seruice and honour which man a creature oweth to GOD the Creator There are also here you sée two thinges to be considered the feare of the Lorde and an holy life He whom GOD blesseth with the one shall by his holy Spirite be directed to the other Both which are the gracious gift of GOD which hée giueth to none but to them that are his The meanes for the attainment both of the one and the other is Prayer to our God and all these goe together for when by reason of our sinnes wée are turned aside from the feare of GOD and holy lyfe and from praying vnto his diuine Maiesty all our wisedome is but follie all our shewes of godlinesse are but hypocrisie all our knowledge is but ignorance all are but a wind to make vs breake painted sepulchers full of dead mens bones faire without but fowle within Againe Feare importeth asmuch as that our life must be ruled according to the will of God For what becōmeth of mē when they know not acknowledge not yea are not subiect and obedient to the Lord their Maker They like wild Colts bruite beastes and vntamed heyfers rush foorth and as the Prophet Hosea saith like a great riuer Hoshea 4. which before hath bene staied and dammed vp the sluces set open the dāme pulled down breaketh forth into all lewdnes abomination and wickednes Wée know or should know what our lusts are how vntamed vnruly they are Therfore if the feare of God raigne in vs wée must will acknowledge that the Lord hath not set placed vs in the world to liue as we list but reserueth his whole interest title right ouer vs he expecteth obediēce at our hands Againe Feare importeth that God requireth of vs to learne to direct our whole life to his wil. It hath pleased him of his great mercy vnspeakable goodnes to giue vs his whole lawes and holy word wherby as a scholmaster teacheth his scholer and as by the sterne the master of the ship guideth it euen so by the same hee directeth guideth and teacheth vs what to do what to leaue vndone how to discerne betwéene that which is good and that which is euill Then we must here beginne Salomon saith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Prou. 1.7 Yet notwithstanding nothing can further vs in the feare of God but onely the guiding gouernance and direction of Gods holy Spirite For is there any goodnes in the holiest and vprightest of vs all Are we giuen to any thing but to all euill and wickednes And if we lay Gods lawe to mens liues wée shall soone sée as great a deadly battell betwéene them as betwéene fire and water yea euen our whole nature and that there is nothing more contrary to the righteousnesse of God then the affections of our flesh For as the Apostle S. Paul in the 8. to the Rom. vers 7. They are he saith not enemies but enmity to God Seing it is so let vs pray vnto the Almighty and forasmuch as we are wholy giuē vnto wickednes and are altogether caried away vnto euill let vs zealously and earnestly beseech the Lord our God to lay his holy hand vpon vs to direct and guide vs to vouchsafe vs his holy and blessed spirite to rule and gouerne vs in such wise as we may fréely and with single harts lead an holy and godly life cleaue vnto his righteousnes be obedient vnto his holy precepts that of his louing kindnesse he will not suffer the temptations of Sathan to turne vs away from doing good that it would please him of his goodnesse to forgiue vs our sinnes be alwaies merciful louing towards vs. Praier ought to be ioyned with the feare of God that by his blessed Spirite we might be guided in the way that we should choose For it sufficeth vs not to be taught what wée should do what God requireth at our hands and what is our dutie but wee must repaire to him let vs haue our whole recourse to him let vs séeke of him those things that wée want for he hath all things in store for his children and beyng sicke in our soules let vs runne to him our carefull and louing Phisicion This is a profitable Doctrine and therefore I purpose the longer to insist hereupon knowing that this being well learned wee haue profited well in one forenoone in the Schoole of Christ You come oftentimes to the Sermons what profiteth that if we haue not the feare of the Lord wherof many are farre from liue not a godly life pray not to him to guide vs by his holy spirite We do but wāder if we bring not these things heare not diligently for wherfore is our cōming resorting hither To know our dutie what the Lord requireth at our hands how we ought to walke differing frō them that are more like beasts than men God alloweth nothing but obedience to his lawes For all the deuices of mens braynes are méere vanities starke folly Mark how the papists torment thēselues what gaine they by their fond deuices For all their doings are but their owne deuices the law of the Lord is as though it were buried among them So then let vs take héed we deceiue not our selues but let our cōming to the Sermons be an attainment to a certainty wherin we may not faile which thing wil then come to passe when we allow of admit nothing but onely Gods will to rule and gouerne our whole life Howbeit that is not al that is to be done For it is in vaine for men to beat their eares with preaching which is This you may do this God cōmādeth you to doe vntill such time as we haue learned that it is he only that giueth vs the feare of God that it is he onely that by his holy spirit hauing giuen the first Grace doth also to thē giue a secōd that it is he onely that imprinteth his Law in our harts ingraueth it in our bowels that it is he only that giueth vs power to cleaue to his cōmandemēts that it is he only which by his holy Spirit giueth force efficacy to the heauēly doctrine that it is he only which of his great goodnes tender mercy accepteth vs forgiueth vs our sins I say it is al to no purpose vntil we haue learned these things pray vnto him for all things we stand in néed of Furthermore our faith alwaies engēdreth in vs a desire to praise God to pray vnto him When the holy Minister preacheth vnto you and

honors and reputations among men which all are vaine We sée after what sort men comfort themselues namely by forgetting God For it séemeth to them to be a melancholy matter to think vpon him And in sooth how many are there that wil say stoutly enough We are good Christians and yet notwithstanding when they entend to be merrie they driue away all thought of God and eternal life and not onely so but also offend God of set purpose After what maner They cannot be merry dut in doing euil Seing then that the nature of men is such that wée be attainted with that disease let vs looke well to our selues and be sure that our mirth shall not be blessed from aboue except we be assured of the remissiō of our sins Therfore if we haue Gods fauour and pray to him therein consisteth true gladnes which is approued of God is eternal will bring vs to euerlasting saluation But so long as we know not in what case we are in with our God nor seeke to be reconciled to him but lie rowting still in our owne filthines the more we desire to be merry the more we kindle Gods vēgeance against vs the more we encrease still the fire of his wrath we plunge our selues the déeper into his bottomles pittes We see then that it is more thē néedfull that it should be shewed vs how much it standeth vs in hand to be well assured of Gods mercifulnesse towards vs. And that also is the cause why the holy Scripture when it treateth of giuing ioy and comfort to vs doth alwaies set before vs the fauour of God Isa 49.13 Reioyce O heauens and be ioyful O earth brast forth into praise O moūtaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted Isa 44.23 Reioyce ye heauens for the Lord hath done it showte yee lower parts of the earth brast forth into praises ye mountaines O forest euery tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob and wil be glorified in Israel Isa 52.1 Arise arise put on thy strength O Sion put on the garments of thy beauty O Ierusalem the holy one for hēceforth there shall no more come into thee the vncircūcised the vncleane Isa 60.1.2 3. c. thoroughout Luc. 2.10 11. to the end of the Chapt. Zach. 9.9 Reioice greatly O daughter Siō showt for ioy O daughter Ierusalem behold thy King cōmeth to thee he is iust and saueth himselfe poore and riding on an Asse and vpon a colt the foale of an Asse Hereby we are taught that we must néeds be in trouble vnquietnes so long as we know not whether we be in Gods fauour True it is that the wicked will séeke meanes enough to make thēselues merry they ruffle it out you sée in despising God but howsoeuer the world goe with them yet he sendeth them such prickings and torments of mindes so as they be grieuously distressed and if they daūce it is as Moses saith namely that yet neuertheles sinne lieth at the doore that is tormenteth their consciences there waiteth for them like a dogge that waiteth for his master Yée sée then that the wicked may ruffle it out but yet can they not goe out of their doores without gnawing of their consciences and GOD must still hold them at that bay Therefore so much the more ought wee to thinke vpon this doctrine that we turne not our backe vnto God nor burie our sinnes when wée would haue peace but that wée alwaies haue some promise of GOD to comfort vs. And when wée sée that GOD allureth vs to saluation let vs be glad thereof for then shall our gladnesse be blessed And if wée haue the taste that GOD is our louing Father it will swéeten yea it will sanctifie all our ioyes but without it wée must néeds quayle and there is no other meanes for vs truely and in deed to reioice Marke this Also let vs consider that the onely grace of God ought to suffice vs although we haue neuer so many sorrowes mixt with it according as God will exercise vs. For he in this our fraile life will not send vs full ioy so as we may laugh with open mouth as they say yet not withstanding it behoueth vs to reioyce in this certainty that we haue him to our good and louing father and that we shal find mercy with him Then if we haue this grace to call vpon God and can assure our selues that the gate is open to vs and that we in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ shall haue accesse vnto him I say if wée can haue that boldnesse not through our owne rashnesse but that he hath vouchsafed to open his holy mouth to witnesse his loue to vs which thing he doth when to vs his holy Gospell is preached then notwithstanding that many and infinite were our temptations and afflictions yet he will comfort vs and she we himselfe as a kind comfortable and louing father vnto vs. Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenaunt and his testimonies The 2. part of the 4. Sermon The sence is THe faithfull the children of GOD which onely kéepe his couenaunt and testimonies shall surely taste and féele in this life and in that to come both his eternall and swéete mercy and his perpetuall and constant truth of his promises Doct. 1 1. Doct. They onely which remaine in and obserue the couenants and testimonies of God shal taste and féele that all the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them The Reason is God hath so promised Psal 50.23 To him that disposeth his way will I shew the saluation of God Vse The Vse is That we neuer can assure our selues of Gods mercie and his promises of fauour except we endeuour to kéepe his couenant and testimonies which his law containeth consisting of two tables The first concerning our dutie towards GOD immediately which I haue oftentimes heretofore handled and the second concerning our neighbours And that I may the better comfort you with assuraunce of Gods mercy and truth which GOD graunteth to none but to them that leade a godly and charitable life and that except you doe good workes you cannot assure your selues of Gods mercy I purpose the rather to insist vpon this necessarie vse of the doctrine that I might thereby exhort you to good workes that you may féele the fauour and goodnesse of GOD thereby towards you Our Sauiour Christ in the 25. of S. Math setteth down a Catalogue of good workes among which hee accompteth To féede the hungrie To giue drinke to the thirstie To cloth the naked To visite the sicke and prisoners To lodge the barbourlesse Gen. 18.1 2 3. To entertaine straungers and waifaring men not the least This did good Abraham wel vnderstand and practise who sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day of purpose to inuite and call in straungers and wayfaring