Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	abraham_n	servant_n	time_n	367	4	3.6686	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12473	Essex doue, presenting the vvorld vvith a fevv of her oliue branches: or, A taste of the workes of that reuerend, faithfull, iudicious, learned, and holy minister of the Word, Mr. Iohn Smith, late preacher of the Word at Clauering in Essex Deliuered in three seuerall treatises, viz. 1 His grounds of religion. 2 An exposition on the Lords Prayer. 3 A treatise of repentance.	Smith, John, 1563-1616.; Hart, John, D.D.	1629 (1629)	STC 22798; ESTC S117569	350,088	544

not It matters not for nothing can alter the Decree of God I answer as a learned man saith What soeuer God hath decreed he hath decreed nothing without meanes to effect the same For God hath not onely decreed the particulars c. but God hath also ordayned that by such and such meanes we should be led vnto the ends Now because prayer is a meanes and a speciall meanes to accomplish the Decree of God Therefore we must pray for this doth not take away prayer but confirmes it rather For example God decreed to prolong Hezekiah's life c. and yet the prayer of Hezekiah was a subordinate meanes to accomplish the Decree of God seruing to that purpose Take another example Acts 27. 31. God had decreed to saue all in the ship but how by meanes of the ship for when the Master and Souldiers would haue fled into the Boat The Apostle Paul told them that vnlesse these tarried also they could not be saued So to apply this vnto our purpose God hath decreed to giue such and such blessings comforts and graces to his Saints and yet not to giue them but by the meanes of prayer c. So that if we will not vse prayer we must not looke for any thing to be either granted or obtained Hauing thus dispatcht these Obiections come we to the Reasons Why we must pray First Because it is the command of God that we should pray Psal. 50. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee c. So Luke 22. 46. Why sleepe yee arise and pray least yee enter into tentation And Jam. 5. 13. If any man be afflicted let him pray c. So that it is a cleare Commandement of God that we must pray Now as we make a conscience of any of the Commandements of God So also we must learne to be conscionable in this There is no man but will make some conscience of stealing and killing and why because he knowes God so commands him Now you see it is the Commandement of God to pray let it then be our care to performe it accordingly and more then this it is such a Commandement of God as that no man can excuse himselfe if he neglect it And therefore saith Augustine Thou needest not giue almes to the needy because thou hast not where with all to relieue them Thou needest not come into the Congregation because thou art diseased thou needest not visite the sicke because thy strength will not beare it but there is none so poore so lame so needy so weake in the body but he must pray so that if we doe not pray let vs looke for nothing at the hands of God Secondly Because it is the meanes to conuey all the blessings of God vnto our soules for Prayer is the very key whereby we open all the Treasuries and storehouses of Gods power and goodnesse Christ saith Marke 11. 24. What soeuer yee aske of God in prayer beleeue c. So 1 Iohn 5. 14. This is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs. So that Prayer is a meanes to conueigh all graces and blessings vnto our soules The woman̄ of Samaria Iohn 4. 11. saith to Christ The Well is deepe and thou hast nothing to draw but God be thanked though the Wel of Gods goodnesse be deep yet we haue somewhat to draw with the holy bucket of prayer will diue into the depthes of God and fetch vs waters of comfort from them yea search the very lowest bottome of grace that is in God as diuers of the Fathers well obserue So that these things are euident inducements to euery Christian man to pray For as if there were a goodly fountaine that seeds a whole towne yet if men haue not vessels and pipes to carry water home vnto their houses they were neuer the better So though there be a Fountaine of goodnesse in God yet prayer is the meanes to conueigh it vnto vs and bring it home vnto our soules c. Thirdly Because it is the note of a wicked man not to pray Psal. 14. 4. Dauid saith plainely They call not vpon the Lord c. Isaiah 64. 7. Notes that it was a great signe of the calamity of the Church when the Chaldeans had taken away the riches of the Temple and the daily sacrifice ceased Euen so it is a sore signe of Gods displeasure when the daily sacrifice of prayer ceaseth It is with a Christian then as when the Chaldeans had taken the Temple For then the Diuell doth dangerously possesse the heart of a man and carries it quite away from God as a child is carried in ones armes and layed wheresoeuer the stronger party listeth Fourthly Because all our labours and endeuours are but in vaine without Prayer as Iam. 4. 2. Yee fight and warre and get nothing because yee aske not c. So that all our labour is lost if we haue not prayer to attend the same Thus we see Abrahams seruant when he went about a businesse of his Masters prayed vnto the Lord Lord send me good speed c. And Isaac hauing sent his seruant about a wife he in the euening went out into the field to pray vnto God as knowing all his labour was nothing without the Lord. Now these goodly examples are for vs to follow that whensoeuer we stand in need of any blessing we should powre out our prayers vnto God A certaine man we read once sowed good seed but neuer could haue any good corne at last a good neighbour came vnto him and reasoned what should be the cause he sowed so good seed and reaped so bad Corne why truely said he I giue the land her due good tillage good seed and all things that be fit why then replyed the other it may be you doe not steepe your seede no truely said the other nor neuer heard that seed should be steeped Yes truely said the other but I will tell you how It must be steeped in Prayer when the party heard this he thankt him for his good counsell put it home to his conscience reformed his fault and had as good Corne as any man Thus haue wee heard of the Commandement to pray the first maine point in the Preface New come we to the second maine Branch which is Our Direction how to pray Wherein there are two things to be considered 1 Why Christ giues this Direction 2 What the Direction is For the first why Christ giues a direction there bee three Reasons of it First To helpe the weaknesse of such as cannot pray This reason is touched Luke 11. 1. where when Christ ceased praying one of the Disciples came vnto him saying Master teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples Whereupon Christ deliuered this forme of prayer to them So that as I say It was to helpe

in silkes and veluets commanded to attend but as soone as the time is past they are sent to the Countrey againe to slouen it as they did before Euen so doe we in our courses of Religion when a great day comes a Communion day or such like then we get on all our deuotion wee are ready to doe some seruice vnto GOD we seeme to trimme vp our affections and to attend with the best as liue the life of the righteous but as soone as that time is ouer by and by we be gone Lord who heares of vs till there be the like occasion This is one of our corruptions that we must pray against Sixtly Angels doe the will of God wholly in integrity not in one part and neglect an other but doe as it is said of the man who had the Inkehorne Ezek. 9. 11. Lord I haue done as thou hast commanded me So must we not make a conscience of some things and leaue the rest vndone but doe all so farre as frailty will permit For all his wayes were before mee saith holy Dauid and in another place Then shall I not be ashamed when I haue a regard vnto all thy Commandements Here wee are to take notice of the common course of the world for there is no body so vilde and wicked but is content to doe some part of the will of God But when it comes to any strait or narrow search to let all goe and submit our will to Gods will in all things Here is that hard tryall which makes vs flye off Pharaoh could be contented to doe one part of the will of God to let the people goe but to keepe backe the women and children at last he would let all the people goe but not the Cattell therefore Moses tels him wee will not leaue so much as a hoofe behind The Lord will haue all or nothing so let vs say in our striuings against sinne not a hoofe must be left behind not a sinne not a corruption but all must be hated forsaken left off in Gods seruice and for Gods sake Obiect Here some may obiect How can we come to bee so strict as to doe all Ans. I answer we must endeuour and striue though wee cannot come to perfection of obedience yet such a resolution must be set vp to doe all being humbled and sorry that we can doe no better Againe we may and must doe this to abstaine from grosse sinnes which duls the conscience and deadens it in time and then for the other frailties accompanying our life Wee shall finde God a mercifull Father vpon our confession pardoning and passing by all our infirmities when wee indeuour truely to doe his will as here we pray Thy will be done in earth euen as it is in Heauen 4. PETITION Giue vs this day our daily Bread WHere in before I come to the Petition I must first speake somewhat of the order Hauing in the three former Petitions prayed for the glory of God we are here taught to pray for our owne good that God would giue vs all things needfull for this life by which order of the Petitions our Sauiour Christ would teach vs two things 1 To Order 2 To moderate our care in the things of this life For the first touching the ordering of our care for things of this life Religion doth not exclude all care for our selues but onely to bring it in due order that we may goe the right way to speed First caring for those things which belong vnto the Lord then afterwards prouiding for such as belong vnto our selues We may seeke our daily Bread but we must seeke it in due order wee may not seeke it before Gods glory Gods Kingdome Gods will but first the one and then the other Questionlesse the thinking of our daily Bread is not vnlawfull yea euery thing belonging to this temporary life may be lookt after but first Gods glory must weigh downe all as Christs Counsell is Matth. 6. 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all other things shall be administred vnto you So Christ saith to Martha Luke 10. 42. One thing is needfull God must haue the first place We reade that Abrahams seruant when there was meat set before him would not eat till he had done his Masters businesse which hee came for and when he had once dispatched that then the Text saith He did eate and drinke So must wee doe in the businesse wee come for concerning the glory of God the Kingdome of God c. When wee haue done that we may rest with the better conscience and looke vnto our selues for our daily Bread and ordinary comforts of this life But the world are quite contrary they beginne with the care of themselues their owne delights ease and pleasures and then if any ouerpius remaine or haue any spare time they can be content to looke out a little for the glory of God But you see our Sauiour Christ would heere rectifie our thoughts and order our care in these things Secondly To moderate our care that we doe not desire our daily Bread in any sort rashly but onely with subordination to the best things so farre forth as may stand with the glory of God the Kingdome of Christ and the doing of his will and so farre forth as these temporary things may be a furtherance and a helpe vnto those better things As a man wanting water to driue a Mill must not too greedily open too many Springs and Sluces for feare of glutting and damming it vp So must it be with our wants in this world for an ouer-hasty desire and indeuour to satisfie them may quickely drowne vp our care for spirituall graces not caring what becomes of the glory of God so wee may inioy our base contentments Wherefore our Sauiour shewes that the care of these earthly things must be with subordination to Gods glory Another point to be considered is why we first pray for our daily Bread and afterwards for the pardon of our sinnes for in all reason one should thinke that the pardoning of sinnes being most necessary should be first and then the other I answer there are two Reasons of it Reason 1 First Christ condescended herein to our weakenesse and would graciously first dispatch vs of our worldly care and feare of wants that hauing earthly things supplyed wee might haue the more leisure to attend and be better prepared for the heauenly Because many times we are so disturbed and incombred about earthly things that wee haue little care for heauenly thoughts which in that estate be vnwelcome vnto vs hauing but bad entertainment As the Woman of Samaria was so troubled about the Fountaine water Iohn 4. 10. as she could hardly hearken to conceiue of the water of life which Christ spake of And as the children of Israel hearkened not vnto Moses by reason of the anguish of their spirits so it is with vs in our

according to that trust and faithfulnesse that they finde in them as Cornelius cast speciall fauour on that souldier that feared God making him his Iewell and treasure aboue the rest Acts 10. 7. Qu. What is the seruants duty to their Masters A. Seruants must be obedient to their Masters not their owne men but liuing wholly at their becke and at their command as the Centurion saith to his seruant come and he comes So when wee say to our seruants come they must come c. Ephes. 6. 9. Qu. What is their second Duty A. Seruants must be diligent to please their Masters hauing a tender care that nothing may slippe through their fingers which may offend them They must seeke euen to fit themselues to them so farre forth as they may with an vnstained Conscience to the honour and not whole dishonour of their Masters with whom they dwell Tit. 2. 9. Qu. What reason is there to stirre them vp to this A. In seruing their Masters they serue the Lord Christ. And therefore if a man would bee ashamed to serue Christ slothfully or idly or grudgingly he must be ashamed to serue his Master so his Master being but Christs deputie and Lieutenant in the house Col. 3. 24. Qu. What is their third Duty A. They must not murmure nor answer againe when they be reproued but in silence and patience commend their cause to God Tit. 2. 9. Q. What is their fourth Duty A. They must not filtch or purloyne the least point or pinne nor make hauocke and spoile of their meate or of any thing else that comes into their hands Ioh. 6. 12. Q. What is the fift Duty A. Seruants must shew all good faithfulnesse to their Masters discharging their places with all trust in the places committed to them not beseeming themselues whiles their Masters are in sight and proclayming loosenesse and libertie when they are gone but carrying themselues with as great trustinesse in their absence as if they were present with them Ephes. 6. 5. 6. Q. What reason is there to bring them to this A. To consider that that which they hide from their Masters they cannot hide from God for though their Masters see them not yet God lookes vpon them from heauen with a bright and a shining eye and he sees them maintaining and gaming and trifling out their time and therefore when their Masters backe is turned they must still thinke the Lords backe is not turned vpon them Heb. 4. 13. Q. What is their sixt Duty A. Seruants must tender the credite of their Masters burying their priuate faults within the priuate walls by no meanes publishing the secricies of the house no not then when they are departed from them 1. Prou. 11. 13. Q. What is their last Duty A. They must settle themselues in their seruice and not vpon euery light displeasure be flitting to a new A good seruant is not then going euery day but is sometimes 20. yeares in a place together as Iacob was But now in 20 yeares the greatest part will haue 20. seruices by their Wills Gen. 16. 8. 9. Q. What generall reasons are there to edge them on to these Duties A. Christian seruants must so behaue themselues that they may be an honour to the Gospell that as Potipher was glad of Ioseph So men may say there are no such seruants as the seruants of Christ for faithfulnesse care and diligence and honestie they may carry the torch vnto all the rest 1. Tim. 6. 7. Q. What is the Duty of those that be in office A. They must be men of courage they must not let euery bold-face dash them and beare them downe but stoutly oppose themselues to the discontinuancing of euery disorder that raignes Deut. 1. 17. Q What gather wee of this A. That as men wish all things were well so they must haue courage for the truth to oppose themselues against all those that be hinderers of their goods Ier. 9 3. Q. What is their second Duty A. They must bee men fearing God and therefore they must make a conscience of their Calling and bee content rather to displease their dearest friend then to displease the Lord rather to lose mens fauours then Gods rather the whole world should frowne then God should frowne vpon them 2. Chron. 19. 9. Q. What is the reason hereof A. Because this is a great damping and a great cooling to them that are in place they dare not execute their office lest men should be angry with them and therefore Gods feare must be opposed as a brazen buckler to the feare of men to thinke that as men will be angry if we doe it so God will be angry if wee doe it not as men will vexe vs if wee presse it so God will vexe vs and be terrible and fearefull to our soules if wee presse it not And who art thou that fearest the face of men and fearest not the face of the mighty God who is able with one blast of his mouth to blowe thee into hell and with the least touch of his finger to fling downe the pillers of heauen and earth about thine eares Iob 32. 22. Qu. What is their third Duty A. They must be men hating couetousnesse they must not bee so greedily set vpon their gaine that they will spare neither time nor money to discharge their duties But they must be content many times to passe ouer all regard of themselues and euen to let their owne businesse sleepe that the causes of God and the people may be set on foot Exod. 18. 21. Qu. What is their fourth Duty A. They must not be ready to doe all vpon a braine but in matters of moment and beyond their reach bee glad to aduise with those that be wiser and skilfuller then themselues Exod. 18. 22. Q. What is their last Duty A. They must apply themselues to their office that is euer set and buckle themselues to performe the duties of it Heb. 12. 2. Qu. What learne wee by this A. That they haue much to answer for who being chosen to the offices of a Towne sleepe in them and slubber them ouer they care not how as if Magistracie were a chaire of ease Q. What is the duty of Priuate men A. They must make choyce of fit and able men to rule among them Deut. 1. 13. Qu. What gather wee of this A. That it is a great sinne to cast our offices wee care not where neuer regarding the fitnesse and abilitie of the parties that wee name So we set vp officers in the Church like scarre●rowes in a field Idoll officers like Idoll sheepheards That haue eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not against any thing that is amisse Qu. What is their second Duty A. They must not shift out themselues from the offices of the Common-weale or of the Church finding some reasonable fitnesse in themselues to discharge them For what is this but to bury our Talent in a napkin and