Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A06909
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A newe pathway vnto praier ful of much godly frute and christe[n] knowledge, lately made by Theodore Basille.
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Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
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1542
(1542)
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STC 1734; ESTC S101290
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98,046
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290
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Chapter ANd bycause no man shoulde be offended w t the obseruaunce appoyntmēt of certayne houres vnto prayer as a thynge supersticious repugnant to the christen liberte I wyll shewe that dyuers holye men had theyr certayn houres also wherin they vsed custumably to pray We reade that Dauid dyd praye gyue thankes vnto God seuen tymes in a daye His wordes are these Seuen tymes in a day haue I gyuē prayse vnto the for the iudgementes of thy righteousnes What seuen tymes in a daye these were all are not manyfest in the holye scripture but some are whiche I wyll here reherse As touchynge the mornynge he sayeth O LORDE early shalt y u heare my voyce betymes in the mornyng shall I make my prayer vnto the I shall se that I haue obtayned my prayer Nowe for the tyme of his repaste he sayeth as asshes dyd I eate my bread my dryncke dyd I myngle with wepynge Thoughe here he make the none euydente mencion of Prayer yet it is not to be doubted but y t in this his great sorowe he also vsed at that present prayers vnto God As for his prayer at nyght we read on this manner let my prayer sayth he be directed vnto the as frākensence in thy syghte the lyftynge vp of my handes as an euenyng sacrifice Agayne he sayth I shal wash euery nyght my bed yea euen w t my teares wyll I water my bed That he prayed to God at mydnyght also it is manifeste by theyse wordes At myddenyght sayth he dyd I ryse to gyue prayse vnto the. Of these Scriptures aforsayd it is euident that Dauid prayed vnto God customably these four times besides other that is in the mornyng at his dynner in the euenynge and at mydnyght which all be very conuenient tymes for a christen man to praye As he prayed at these tymes so did he vndoutedly at other thogh they be not expressed in y ◠scripture Moreouer we read that Daniel vsed customably to praye euery day thre tymes vnto his LORDE GOD. The Euangelistes also declare that Christ preachynge workynge myracles all the whole daye vsed often tymes to spende the whole nyght in prayenge vnto his father S. Luke also in the Actes of y e Apostles declareth that Peter Iohn went vp into the Tēple at the nynthe houre of prayer Wherof it doth euidently appeare y ◠in the olde lawe they had certayne tymes appoynted in y ◠whiche they should praye Haue not we also amonge vs nowe a dayes certayne tymes appoynted for to come togyther to pray in the temples What do we lerne of all these thynges ▪ Uerely that a Christen man maye lawfully without ony scripule of conscience appoynt certayne houres in the day wherin he may exercyse himselfe deuoutly in godly prayer spirituall meditacion But I would he shoulde not so supersticiously be addicte to those houres that he should thynke it synne to breake ony of thē whan occasion of necessite is gyuen for that were a wycked thyng but to vse those tymes as meanes for to bryng hym vnto a more feruent māner of prayeng continually For the Sabboth daye was made for man not man for the Sabboth day The kyngedome of God shall not come w t obseruaciō loking for sayth Christ neyther shall they saye behold here or behold there for loo the kyngdom of god is w tin you Ye obserue dayes monethes tymes and yeares sayth Paule I am afearde of you vnlesse I haue laboured in vayne for you Agayn let no mā iudge you in meat or drynke or in parte of an holy day or of the feast of the newe Moone or of the Sabbothes which are the shadowes of thynges to come but the body of Christ. ¶ The. xxxvi Chapter SEynge than that the appoyntement of certayne houres for praier is very cōmendable yea necessary for the traynynge vp of oure selues in the godlye exercyse of prayer so that supersticious obseruaunce be absent it shall be much decēt and prayse worthy for euery man to appoynte hymselfe such certayne houres euery daye for to praye as wherin he shall perceyue that he maye be moost quiet moost apte to talke w e God in his prayers And althoughe euery Christen man knowethe what tyme is best for hym to praye in as much as the vnccion of God techeth thē all thynges they haue no nede that any man shoulde teach thē yet I wyll here assigne suche houres to pray as I maye thynke to be moost conuenient apte to prayer that not only bycause they seme fytte in my conceyte but rather in asmuche as I se those same houres approued of godlye learned men as moost fyttyng and apte vnto the true exercise of prayer Dauid in his Psalmes wrytethe on this manner I wyll cry to God the LORDE shall saue me At nyght in the mornyng at middaye shall I praye hertelye he shall heare my voyce Here Dauid prescribeth thre solemne tymes whan a man oughte of dutie euery day to pray At night when he goeth to bed in y e morninge whan he ryseth at mydday whan he goeth to meate He that leaue the God vnsaluted with his prayers at these thre tymes verely he is muche estraūged frō the manners of a true Christen man as I maye leaue of to speake of his ingratitude vnkyndnes towarde oure LORDE GOD. S. Ambrose appoynte the mo tymes of prayenge Solemne prayers sayth he ought to be made w t thanckes geuynge whan we ryse frō slepe when we go forth to oure businesse whē we make redy to take our meat and whan we haue taken our meat when we go to bed Would God y ◠all men would followe the doctryne of this moost holy catholyke Doctor Than shoulde all thynges be replenyshed with the blessynge of God more plenteously than they are now a dayes S. Iohn Chrisostome differeth not from this where he sayeth we must whā we ryse out of our beddes preuent the sonne with the worshyppynge of God whan we come to the table whan we should slepe Yea at euerye houre oughte we to offer a lyuysh prayer vnto God and to runne an equall course withe the daye in y e tyme of Wynter to spēd also y ◠moost part of y e nyght in prayers bowīg our knees w t much feare to gyue attēdaūce to prayer recounting our selues blessed whā we thus worshyp God Tel me how dareste y u loke vpō the Sonne whā y u dost not worshyp hym that sent that mooste swete cōfortable lyght How shalt thou vse y e table not worshyp y ◠gyuer supeditatour of so great good thiges With what hope goest thou to the tyme of the night what manner of slepes doste thou loke for whē thou doste not confyrme make strōg defend thy selfe with prayers
ony thiÌ„g eyther in thought word or dede thaÌ„ let vs not fayle to confesse our synne streyghtway to God w t a contryte sorowfull herte desyryng him moost huÌ„bly for his great mercyes sake to forgyue vs that our iniquite not to be angry with vs but so assyst vs with the influence of his moost holy Spirite that we may in no poynte traÌ„sgresse his moost diuine wyl but worke all thynges that maye be pleasaunt vnto hym Yf we shal at that tyme perceyue that we are at debate with ony maÌ„ let vs noÌ„t go to bed before we be reconciled one to another if it be possible accordynge to the precepte of y e Apostle let not the Sonne faull downe vpoÌ„ your anger If that may not coÌ„uenieÌ„tly be done y t nighte let vs not fayle the nexte mornynge betymes or so sone as we may to go vnto theÌ„ that are offended w t vs or we w e theÌ„ neuer cease tyll we haue made an agremeÌ„t betwene vs beyng perfectly perswaded that we can by no menes please God so long as we be not in loue and charite For as S. IohnÌ„ sayth he that loueth not his brother abideth in death Euery one that hatethe his brother is a manslear ye knowe that euery maÌ„slear hath not euerlastynge lyfe abydynge in hym ☞ Loke what we haue offended god that daye let vs so bewayle our syn take suche thought for y e coÌ„mission of it y t we maye haue no more pleasure to do that offeÌ„ce agayne but rather be made the more circumspecte â— beware afterward y e we be no more oppressed with the subtyle assaultes of SataÌ„ Let vs euery daye dye vnto synne Let vs continually mortyfye the affectes of the olde AdaÌ„ The lenger we lyue the lesser let synne remayne in this oure mortall bodye Let all our meditacioÌ„ study endeuour be nothynge els than a perpetuall care to leade a pure and innocent lyfe ¶ The. xli Chapter BUt yf it so chaunse that whan we haue coÌ„sydered the spending of the daye we perceyue no notable cryme heynous faulte commytted neyther agaynst God nor our neighbour than let vs reioyse gyue God thankes desyre hym so coÌ„tinually to ayde vs withe his diuine helpe y e we maye not onlye continue in that purite of lyfe but also go forth from sayth to sayth from vertue to vertue tyll we waxe auncient in christ become perfette meÌ„ iÌ„ our professioâ— Theise thynges once done let vs than faull to prayer desyrynge God for his great mercies sake thorow Iesus Christe to gyue vs a prosperous quiet nyght that neyther Satâ— nor none of his Aungels do trouble vs but that thoughe the bodye take rest slepe yet the mynde the herte the inwarde man may alway watch to him delight in hi perpetually After oure prayers let vs coÌ„myt oure selues to the tuicion of God so swetely gyue our selues to reste And let this be our dayely exercyse D LORDE God yf we would do this with a serueÌ„t herte burnyng loue towarde God it can not be expressed that greate singulare coÌ„modities would ensewe To do thus is y e dutye of vs all but whyther we haue done it or not let euery man search his owne conscience and amende Thus haue I declared what tymes I thyncke moost coÌ„uenient for prayer how we should behaue ourselues in y e tyme of pray eng I haue not done this to bynde snarlethe conscience of ony christeÌ„ man which oughte to be free to serue God at all houres but to helpe the infyrme and weake Christians that they fyrst vsynge these tymes certayne introduccions maye afterward come vnto the perfeccion of worshyppynge God at all tymes For a christen maÌ„â—hall haue abundant occasions at all houres to call on y e name of y e LORD for helpe Notwithstandynge yf ony man shall loke vpon these thynges y e I haue here wrytten with a syngle eye he shall not fynde theÌ„ altogyther superuncaneous vayne God giue vs all grace to so followe theÌ„ or better yf we maye ¶ Of thankes gyuynge ¶ The. xlii Chapter NOwe begynne the oure worke to draw vnto an ende I haue declared sufficiently heretofore as I trust all thynges that moost principally pertayne vnto prayer that is to say vnto asking ony thynge of God It remaynethe nowe therfore that I intreate somewhat of thanckes gyuynge to God For it is conuenient y e we also gyue thanckes vnto God for the gyftes benefytes that we receyue of hym or els we maye iustely seme to be vnworthy ony parte of Gods kyndnes For what haue we y e we haue not receyued The wyfe maÌ„ oughte not to â—â—oyse in his wisdome nor the stroÌ„g 〈◊〉 his strength nor yet y e rytch 〈…〉 spiches but only in our LORDE God from whom euery good perfecte gyfte descendeth and commeth downe What haste thou that y u haste not receyued sayeth Paule If thou haste receyued it wherfore doste thou reioyse as though y u haddest not receyued it Let not y e wyse man sayth God by his Prophet reioyse in his wisdome nor let not the strong man reioyse in his strength nor let not the rytch man reioyse in his rytches But let him that reioyceth reioyse in this yf he vnderstoÌ„d knowe me For I am the LORDE which doth mercye iudgement and righteousnes in y e earth these are those thynges that I desyre saythe the LORDE Seynge than y u all our glory and reioycyng ought to be in our LORDE God alone as S. Paule sayeth reioyse in the LORDE al way agayne I saye reioyse feynge also y e what so euer goodnes is in vs 〈◊〉 ly of him â—eâ—ely me ougâ—â— at all houres to reioyse in hym as the 〈◊〉 blessed virgin Marye dyd sayengeâ— my soule magnifyethe the LORDE my spiryte hath reioysed in God my sauiour to gyue to him thankes to synge to his name so long as our lyfe lasteth perpetuall encomies laudes coÌ„mendacion and prayses If we wyll be moued to gyue god thanckes at any tyme as we ought to do alwaye it shall be fyrste conuenient to perpende weye consyder his manifolde goodnes towarde vs. Fyrste howe at the begynnynge he made vs not lyke vnto brute bestes but lyke vnto his owne symilytude Image And he made vs not to be fyre brondes of hel but inheritours of euerlastyng glory For he gaue vs a body muche more beautyfull and pleasauÌ„t in aspecte than any other lynynge creature hath He gaue vs a mynd â—â—â—rendued with wytte reason discreâ—â—â— wisdom vertu knowledge cunnynge immortalite godlines c He set vs in Paradyse and gaue vs rule power dominioÌ„ ouerall the fysshes of the see the byrdes of the ayre ouer all lyuynge creatures that moue vpon the earth Agayne whan we in our pareÌ„tes had traÌ„sgressed his moost godly precepte therby