Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	pray_v	prayer_n	see_v	2,526	5	3.9835	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81791	Moral instructions of a father to his son upon his departure for a long voyage: or, An easie way to guide a young man towards all sorts of virtues. With an hundred maximes, Christian and moral.; Instruction morale d'un père à son fils. English	Dufour, Philippe Sylvestre, 1622-1687.	1683 (1683)	Wing D2455A; ESTC R231963	42,504	123

to pray It was his custom in his Prayers to say thus O God grant me those things that are good when I ask them not and deny me when I ask for those things that are evil God often favours us by not hearing our Prayers and sometimes punisheth us by granting our requests when we pray for that which is pernicious to our welfare as we commonly do for as our Lord JESUS CHRIST said we often know not what we ask Physicians order those who have a weak Stomach to eat little and often If it be hard for you to keep up your Attention which is the Soul of Prayer do you after the same manner and following the Counsel of our Blessed Saviour when you pray use not vain repetitions as the Heathen do for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking If therefore your Prayers must be short let them be the more frequent but chiefly I shall once again exhort you to this Let neither your Zeal nor your Faith be wanting My Son if you remember I said we might pray to God in all Places though all places were not equally Proper for this Exercise Yet if we consider Prayer to be as we must not doubt a darting forth of our Soul towards God to unite it with his Holy Spirit why cannot we do this every Hour if not every Moment in the Day wheresoever we are at home or abroad And why cannot we often turn our Hearts to God though in the midst of our most important Affairs and in walking whether it be in the City or in the Country To do thus is to pray to him The Heart of Man is a moving Closet a Place of Retirement a holy Solitude where we may enter every Moment and from thence send such fervent though short Ejaculations as shall penetrate Heaven and be more acceptable to God than those long Prayers which too often want Attention These Ejaculations are without doubt what the Evangelist means when he exhorts us to pray always And why my Son should you not observe this good Custom of praying to God and praising him in your Bed whensoever you happen to awake since Prayer is so much the principal part of Divine Worship that the Scripture comprehends thereby all Religious Duties This my Son is the chiefest of what I had to say to you concerning Prayer in particular But take notice you cannot pray to God without putting your Trust in him neither can you put your trust in God without loving him Love him then if you expect his Love Fear him if you desire to be wise for the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom This fear as Solomon said is to hate and avoid all evil and consequently to do good If you fear God you will love him and if you love him you will keep his Commandements my Son you know all those Commandements let nothing then be an Obstacle to your Practice of them God is a Spirit and the Truth and he will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth This Religion wherein through his goodness you was born for the full and perfect Knowledge whereof I have throughly cultivated your Understanding This I say is the only natural Worship which he requires Adhere to this Worship and you will find it more advantageous to you than the Star was to those Shepherds whom it guided to Bethlehem for that only led them to JESUS CHRIST in his lowest Estate whereas this Worship shall conduct you to him in his Glory This Divine Saviour of the World speaking of himself to St. Thomas said I am the Way the Truth and the Life And 't is the only way through which we must go to the Father Stray not from it my Son whatsoever may befall you For instead of Springs which you will find in this Way flowing with living Water every where out of it you shall meet with puddles of Water both impure and loathsome You cannot go out of this Path wherein you have entred without departing from God and consequently from all those Joys whereof he is the Center Let neither Wealth Honour nor Pleasure lead you aside and though you suffer the most rigorous Persecutions yet be not disheartned Esteem it as a great Honour to bear the Cross after your Saviour it would be an honourable Reproach to you to have your Body marked and bruised for the sake of Christ This is the way through which all the Martyrs have passed to enter into those heavenly Joys If God should call you to such Proofs turn not away for the least Thron falling from our Saviour's Crown upon your Head will affix thereto a Crown of Glory If therefore you happen to suffer for Christs sake be not ashamed but rather praise and glorifie God for it Sickness Loss of Persons dear to us Loss of Goods Wealth and an infinite number more of unwelcome Accidents compose generally the Series of our Life My Son do not think you can avoid them The Afflictions of this World are most certain Characters of the Children of God wherewith he corrects those he loves as a Father useth a rod to chastise the Child whom he tenderly cherisheth 'T is true the Flesh takes no delight in being chastised neither are we to hearken to Fleshly Sentiments when we would put in practice what is necessary to our Salvation If it is God's good Pleasure you should undergo Afflictions of what nature or how sharp soever murmur not Take heed when you suffer it be not deservedly And remember in your sufferings though exceeding great that they cannot be equal to the Glory which will be your reward hereafter These afflictions which if the right use be made of them immediately pass away will produce in your Mind the Brightness of that transcendent Glory Moral Philosophy teacheth us that Vices of all sorts spring from Passions disorder'd whereas from regulated Passions do proceed all Vertues And Christian Divinity doth verifie by experience that afflictions which in Reprobates occasion nothing but Despair are to the Faithful so many inexhaustible Fountains of Joy The Rods which God makes use of to punish the Wicked are like that of Moses which turned into a Serpent and those wherewith he chastiseth his Children have a resemblance to that of Aaron which brought forth Flowers and Fruit. Make good use of them My Son Kiss those Rods wherewith he corrects you adore the secret Vertue in them and even in the most Severe Chastisements acknowledge his Divine Goodness in raising you out of that heavy Sleep wherein Sin may have cast you If they are more sharp than Flesh could wish for believe that it is for your good to be thus afflicted for a little time that the trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth tho it be tried with Fire might be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of JESUS CHRIST My Son you ought to have observed that I have reduced under four Heads all the

here upon Earth make you forget those Joys of Heaven The World and all worldly Desires pass away but he whose Desire is the Will of God shall live eternally This Will you may learn in his holy Word Yet what will signifie the Knowledge of it but to render your self more guilty unless you use your utmost Endeavours to be conformable thereto That Servant who knoweth the Will of his Master and doth it not shall be beaten with more Stripes than he who never knew it Remember this with Fear and Trembling However all your Care would be in vain if God himself did not help you to bring to pass what he requires therefore always beg that Grace of him 'T is a very great benefit that he permits us to speak to him yet it is a benefit much greater that not only he vouchsafes to let us speak to him in our Prayers but also promiseth through his Mercy to hear us Call upon me saith he in the Day of Trouble and I will deliver thee Implore him then my Son but let your Prayers ascend upon the Wings of Faith and Fervency for God can no more love those who want Zeal than those that mistrust his Goodness Ask earnestly of him that he accomplish in you by his Vertue omnipotent whatsoever he commands and be not weary of performing so holy an Exercise Beseech him earnestly to direct your ways that you may follow after him Implore him incessantly that he would raise you from that Sepulchre of Sins wherein you lye buried These are they who by their Prayers storm the Kingdom of Heaven and take it by force Follow the Example of Jacob who by a holy Importunity gained a Blessing from God Without such a Blessing all your Labour Care and Diligence will be employed in vain Except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it Begin and end the Day with Prayer and be constant in your Morning and Evening Sacrifice If you hope to obtain what you ask of God let your Heart pray rather than your Lips with a devout Zeal and not for Fashion-sake Begin your Prayers with Joy and Gladness go through with them cheerfully and do not end them without a sorrowful Reluctancy that you must leave off But above all let this Beginning this Continuance and this End be without any wandering of your Mind Frighten away those Birds which come to trouble your Sacrifice that is put far from you those Thoughts which may be the least hinderance to your Devotion To pray to God without Attention instead of pleasing doth offend him it is a Sacriledge rather than an Offering Our being seldom disposed for heavenly things renders this Attention difficult Yet it is most certain that from thence we have most reason to derive the Success of our Prayers for God cannot grant our Requests unless he hear us and how should we expect to have those Prayers heard which we our selves do not hear Upon this very Account God may apply to us what he said in time past to the Jews This People draw near me with their Mouth and with their Lips do honour me but have removed their Hearts far from me Judge therefore my Son if we have not great reason to search diligently after the Means which will bring us to this Attention I have here set down some few Rules or Means the Practice whereof I take to be very advantageous and consequently not to be neglected We may pray to God in all Places but all Places are not equally proper for this Duty When thou prayest saith our Saviour enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret This Advice which the Saviour of the World gives concerning Prayer teacheth us that we must retire our selves when we Pray and must be so far from making our Prayers the Subject of Humane Applause that we must pray secretly which not only our Divine Master did confirm by his own Example but also before he gave his Apostles that Counsel of withdrawing in private he told them When ye pray be not as the Hypocrites are For they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of Men. Observe these Maxims and when you would offer up your Prayers let it be in Private for going to an Exercise which obligeth you to fly the World let not any thing that is worldly accompany you at that time Do not imitate the Example of Rachel who leaving her Fathers House carried with her those Images which were the Object of his Idolatry Follow rather that of Elijah who when he drew near to God in the Chariot wherein he was carried from this World let fall his Mantle that he might have no Earthly thing with him Draw not nigh hither Put off thy Shooes from off thy Feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy Ground said the Eternal to Moses when he spake to him out of the burning Bush This Voice is also directed to you When at any time you have a mind to pray the place you choose out for that purpose you must suppose to be sanctified with the presence of God Put off then your Shooes that it may not be defiled that is relinquish all your Thoughts which savour of the World or the Flesh Depart from Sodom without looking behind you and having disposed things in this order fall down upon your Knees before you begin your Devotion spare some small time to think upon the infinite Greatness of him you are about to implore and to consider your own extream Meanness If such a Meditation as this is serious it must of Necessity redouble your Zeal and render you more fit to approach the Divine Majesty One great Reason why our Mind is too often alienated at Prayer is the Diversity of Objects which our Eyes meet with therefore to prevent this great inconvenience I think it Necessary to keep them shut This Advice my Son is not of the least Moment fail not to try it and then make use of it according as you find it succeed I do not prescribe you the use of any particular Prayers your Discretion ought to make choice of such as are suitable to the Subject which occasions your Prayers However I think it will not be amiss that all the Requests you make to God be comprised in this one that of his Love This is the way to have all for he who has God with him can want nothing Solomon asked of him only Wisdom and God said to him Because that thou hast asked this thing and that thou hast not asked for thy self long Life neither hast asked Riches nor the Life of thine Enemies but hast asked for thy self Vnderstanding It shall be given thee and I will give thee that which thou hast not asked both Riches and Honour Plato although a Pagan may be an Example to many Christians to teach them for what things they ought

Acquaintance This is all we can aim at for therein is Honour Profit and Pleasure Be discreet and sincere in all your Words honest and prudent in all your Actions obliging and affable in all your Behaviour Never construe ill what others say or do unless they come to be publickly so censur'd Take great heed of being revengeful Revenge pierceth and teareth the Heart that is filled therewith The Grounds that make you desire Revenge are either just or injust if injust then you are injust to desire it and if just then by endeavouring to revenge your self you become injust for you encroach upon the Prerogative of the King of Heaven who hath said Vengeance is mine To avoid Perjury or false Swearing which amongst Men is scandalous and abominable in the sight of God I advise you to swear not at all If you once get a Habit of speaking always Truth every one will easily believe you without any need of affirming it with an Oath Among all Vices there is none more base and yet more ordinary than Ingratitude this is the general Opinion and Complaint of the World and if all those who thus complain were free from it no body would use it for every one complains thereof The Ancients by a special Mystery have limited the Graces to the number of three to intimate that if one of them had received a good Turn from the other the third was to return it to her Make hereof a Law to your self and an urgent Endeavour to follow this Lesson and never to be ungrateful for any at least considerable Benefit received If you intend my Satisfaction or your own Quiet be careful never to become Surety for any Man for any Cause whatsoever If your Friend hath need of you serve him with your Purse and Advice with all your Power and Interest but keep your Liberty and engage for no Man If you have a mind to help a Friend in necessity and that you are well able to do it do it quickly but if you are not well able why will you bind your self to do it hereafter when perhaps you shall be less able Therefore be not bound for any unless you care not to be rid of your Money your Quiet and your Friend In other things my Son I have been contented to advise you to exhort and perswade you but herein I make use of all Authority which the Quality of Father gives me and do absolutely forbid this thing Take heed of refusing my Command as you will avoid the Punishment which your Disobedience shall justly deserve Perhaps this may seem somewhat strange and hard to many Men yet it is drawn from the Advice of a Great King who was the wisest Man in the World 22 Chap. of Prov. Be not thou one of them that strike Hands or of them that are Sureties for Debts If thou hast nothing to pay he may lawfully take thy Bed from under thee My Son by his Opinion I can justifie the Severity and Unkindness that some would impute to mine for absolutely forbidding you to become Surety for any Man You depart hence sufficiently grounded in the Truth of our Religion being able to render a Reason of the Hope that is in you to all that shall ask it which I would have you do upon all Occasions with Respect and Reverence as St. Peter exhorts yet following the Advice of St. Paul avoid always all Disputes about Religion for that rather makes more averse than perswades and the earnest desire of confuting or the fear of being vanquished transports very moderate Men sometimes to dangerous Extremities Hereby Charity is almost always wounded and Truth never cleared which makes appear that it may well be said at this time of Controversies what the Apostle said heretofore of Fables and Genealogies which are endless that they beget rather vain and curious Questions than Godly Edification which consists in the true Faith the Foundation of Christian Vertues as Charity is the Perfection and Hope the Crown thereof Whereof the first hath none but God for it's Object the last aims only at our Selves and the middlemost contains our Duty to God to our Selves and to our Neighbour for by Charity we learn all the Duties of a Spiritual Life as also of a Corporeal which the Apostle St. Paul preferreth before the other two Christian Vertues where he saith that there abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him The other Vertues draw us nearer unto God but this renders us like unto him in some manner seeing that he accounts it one of his chiefest Attributes that of Charity which is also the inexhaustible Spring of all the Benefits he bestows upon Man So that my Son as often as you are charitable you will imitate God in one of his most frequent Actions who is never weary of doing good to us tho we are so unworthy of it Do good therefore to all especially to those who are of the Houshold of Faith Yet make not that a Pretext to withhold your Charity from all those who are not of the same Communion with you All Men are your Brothers in God which Quality alone should suffice to engage you to help them in their Need to comfort them in their Afflictions and chiefly to let your Assistance be as speedy and effectual as their Necessities are urgent This will be an infallible Means to draw the Blessings of Heaven upon your Soul your Person and your Actions He that giveth to the Poor lendeth to the Lord But whoso stoppeth his Ears at the Cry of the Poor he shall also cry himself but shall not be heard saith Solomon You may therefore see what is generally the Fruits of Charity However let not Self-interest be the Motive which inclines you to be charitable this Vertue would thereby lose its excellent Quality and you might expect in vain the Effects of it if you pretend to make a Bargain with God Almighty 'T is in Charity that all Christian Vertues terminate and it shall be with the Description of this Divine Quality that I will end this Chapter which contains the Instructions that I was to give you about Personal Duties after which there only remains that I should say a Word or two concerning Civil Duties Of Civil Duties HItherto my Son I have represented unto you your Duty to God as also what you owe to your self for his sake seeing that in him we live and move and have our Being and that all our Thoughts Words and Actions ought to tend towards God as to their Center It is now time I should make you consider what you owe to Mankind to whom you are fasten'd with the Bonds of a Civil Society For I would not have you imagine that you was born for your self alone there lieth an Obligation upon you of being a Help to your Neighbour Solitariness is not natural to Man nay 't