Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	according_a	law_n	nature_n	1,115	5	5.3946	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45741	A sermon preached before the right honourable the lord mayor and court of alderman, at St. Bride's church, on Wednesday in Easter-week, April 11th. 1694 by John Hartcliffe ...	Hartcliffe, John, 1651-1712.	1694 (1694)	Wing H969; ESTC R10311	15,681	35

Workers of Iniquity For all the best of us can look for at the hands of God is nothing but Mercy how then can they expect Salvation that do not any Works of Mercy Do they believe the Judge of the World will change the Form of his Sentence for their sakes They may as well think that the nature of things may be changed at Pleasure for as the Gospel makes the Practice of Religion the only way to Heaven so the nature of the thing doth make it a necessary Condition for our Happiness because our Happiness must be placed in the enjoyment of God now it is impossible that any should have Communion one with another that are not of a Temper therefore it is necessary that Men should be like unto God if they would see his Face Now nothing can make them like unto God but the Practice of Holiness and Charity Men deceive their own Souls who imagine they shall inherit Eternal Life upon any other Terms Wherefore if ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them and the putting in use the Active Virtues of Religion is the best way to come to a true knowledge of it as the Practice of Trade will give a Man a better Skill in it than the Reading all the Books that ever were written about it so one shall sooner understand a Country by travelling therein than by poring upon all the Mapps that ever were made of it For doing the will of God doth free our Minds from Prejudice makes our Understandings more clear and so takes away the great Obstacles of Sound Knowledge whereby we shall gain a truer Notion of Christianity than by any Speculations whatsoever which when Men have followed and have left the Exercise of Vertue it is too apparent that Christianity hath prodigiously decayed For this Disease the most efficacious Remedy that we of our selves can use is not so much the sublime and notional part of Divinity as the natural and practicable Doctrines Altho some Men have thought in a gross time the profoundest Mysteries of Religion to be proper for purifying the Spirits of Men yet a subtle and nice Age of Disputers for matters of Opinion must have other Applications they must be told that God did not reveal his Will to teach us the Arts of Arguing or to perplex us with more Scepticism but to make us more holy just and good not to busie our Heads in spinning our curious Idea's of Vertue but to form and govern our Lives Next to the Succour of Divine Power this is the most likely way to preserve the Christian Faith among us the rare Effects whereof we see and admire in your publick Works of Charity than which neither the antient nor present World have shewn a nobler Sight for you do in the most ample manner cloath the Naked feed the Hungry heal the Sick and provide for the Destitute If it were esteemed a great piece of Bravery among the Romans that they were delighted in beholding their Slaves and their Captives murder one another it is much more so to cherish the meanest Servant and to let the Prisoner go free for it 's the peculiar Character of the true Christianity that it does not only save the sincere Professors thereof but renders them more tender-hearted and kind our Lord employing no other Forces against the most contumacious than Love and Forgiveness which are impossible to be resisted because he that contends against his Adversaries with these Weapons hath not only his own Vertues but theirs on his side What room can there be for low and little things in Minds so usefully employed What ambitious Disquiets can trouble those who have so much Glory before them as to view such a number of Children whose Food and Raiment under God are the daily Works of their hands by whose Watering these tender Plants take root in the World do often grow up to such a Height and spread their Branches so wide that they who first planted them have found Comfort and Shelter under their Shadow What Melancholy Passions can overshadow those Hearts who have the Blessings of the Poor every day in their Ears What Anger Envy Hatred or Revenge can torment those Breasts whose Thoughts are always busied about the Ends of Charity to whom the return of every Year doth suggest a Circle of Charitable Deeds Certainly this should above all other Expedients bring us to that which all Parties agree to be our true and common Interest an Union of Minds and extinguish all manner of Differences whilst every one pursues those Heavenly Doctrines of Love and Liberality Mutual Kindness and Friendship by which the Eternal Condition of Men is not only in a great Measure secured but their natural Reason and their Temporal Safety are much advanced It hath been observed that there is scarce any Language in the World which can properly signifie one English Expression and that is Good-nature and we may say that no other Nation can make so considerable a Figure in in the World if we would exert this Good-nature in all the Acts of a pious and charitable Life instead of being divided about such things as neither promote true Piety or good Manners For that very Trade for which this Island is so well situated in the Nature of the thing and in the visible Effects thereof doth not only enlarge the Minds of Men as well as their Fortunes but it makes all Mankind to be of one Body by mutual Intercourse to serve the Occasions and supply the Needs of one another so that every days Business doth insensibly carry you into the use of one of the highest Graces of Religion which by continual Practice will take root more and more in the Heart and bring forth Fruits of good Works in our Lives so that our Faith will not be a barren Notion only in our Heads productive of nothing but Leaves of Opinion but it will employ our Hearts in Meditation our Knees in Devotion our Hands in Distribution and Beneficence And this we must observe that the Constitution of a Country is the same with the Persons who compose it so that if they follow Peace and Charity it will be made visible by the constant and undisturbed Happiness of the Government to which they belong Therefore when the Gentiles in Tertullian's time upbraided the Christians that they made choice of a cheap Religion and bought up no Gums nor Spices that used to be spent in the Service of the Gods and by this means the Emperour's Customs were also diminished he makes this Answer We Christians spend more in Relief of the Poor than you Gentiles do upon your Gods and tho we use no Gums nor Spices for Incense yet we do as much promote Trade by the vast Proportions of those Commodities we spend in the embalming our Dead and if it should happen that the Emperour's Exchequer should lose any thing either by the Temperance of our Lives or the Nature of our Religion we make it up another way by paying him his just Dues which you cheat him of more than your Expences exceed ours Like these Heathens a strange sort of Christians have sprung up who set up a Market not only for Gums and Spices but for Shrines Images Lamps Holy-water Agnus Dei's Beads Reliques Pardons Masses and Soul-obits a long Inventory of Superstition which they take into the Service of God in the room of Justice Righteousness and Truth But now we are delivered from that Worship which we may call the Imposture of Priests under the Name of Christianity methinks such a time as this should serve admirably well to revive the Primitive Religion of Christ and the Charity too of those days should moreover breed a generous as well as valiant Spirit in all the People of the Land In both these Vertues we hope every day to behold a considerable Progress by the powerful influence of a Royal Example And whatever is to be added in this or any such way of Happiness we are to expect from the many pious and well-disposed Persons of the Age chiefly from the worthy Governours of the City-Hospitals who are the known Patrons of those that have no Friends the helpless Orphan and the solitary Widow For you must give me leave to say that to your fatigable Pains and vast Expences in the works of Charity your Country ows much of its Ornament and Reputation and at the end of this Life with what Contentment will the charitable Man look back upon the good he hath done With what Confidence and Joy will he look forward to the other World where he hath provided for himself those Bags that never wax old such as the Word of God hath declared to be his Treasures in Heaven which neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor Thief break through and steal To these Places of Everlasting Charity and Peace God in his infinite Mercy bring us all to whom be ascribed as is most due all Honour Praise and Glory now and for evermore FINIS ADVERTISEMENT A Treatise of Moral and Intellectual Virtues wherein their Nature is fully explained and their Usefulness proved as being the best Rules of Life and the Causes of their Decay are enquired into concluding with such Arguments as tend to revive the Practice of them with a Preface shewing the Vanity and Deceitfulness of Vice By John Hartcliffe B. D. Canon of Windsor The Whole Duty of Man according to the Law of Nature By that famous Civilian Sam Puffendorf Professor of the Law of Nature and Nations in the University of Heidelberg and in the Caroline University afterwards Counsellour and Historiographer to the K. of Sweden and to his Electoral Highness of Brandenburg Now made English Printed for Ch. Harper at the Flower-de-luce over-against S. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet

much Good is done in the World this way and how much Credit is brought to Religion by this course of Life To which if we add their Example it must be of mighty force to amend a degenerate Age for it is a greater Encouragement to go before a Man and shew him they way than only to give him direction 'T is true Religion is more refined and lovely in the Notion than it is in him who professes it In the Definition it is pure and hath nothing of Allay but in the Person it is attended with Mixture and Imperfection yet Vertue is more lively in the Person hath more taking Charms and Allurements when we behold its Shape in the Actions of Bounty and Goodness and altho Religion may be represented with more beautiful Colours in a Discourse yet Example satisfies us that there is nothing in it but what is practicable for Holiness would seem an impossible thing and not to be obtained were it not made familiar to us and easie for our imitation in the Behaviour of Charitable Men did it not shine forth with the brightest Lustre in all their Doings who by Counsel and Instruction point out the right Path of Salvation but in their Example they take us by the hand and lead us into that way It is incredible of what moment a few good Examples may be to reform an evil Age especially if their Stations make them any ways subject to the Notice of others for a Man of severe Innocency and Justice of an inflexible and strict Integrity is like so much Salt cast into the World to preserve the Manners of Men from that Filth and Putrefaction which is contracted by vicious Habits One of a sweet and humble Temper doth make the Conversation of his Neighbours to be so too a Man of a moderate and peaceable Spirit is like so much Balm to heal Differences and to asswage the Violence of irregular Passions one of sincere Piety and lively Devotion may be compared to so much Fire sent down from Heaven to kindle in others warm Affections for the Service of God and the Love of their Brethren a Man of eminent Sanctity doth discountenance the Wickedness of other Men one of a prudent and grave Behaviour doth restrain their Vanity and Folly In this manner both the Continuance and Reformation of the World must be ascribed to charitable and vertuous Persons for they make all others as happy as they can by advising them to be better and by keeping them from growing worse besides God doth so love Holiness Justice and Mercy that he will not only reward those who practise them in their own Persons but all that have any relation to them shall be the better Thus the Faith of Abraham and the Sincerity of David had an Influence upon Israel for many Generations Thus Nations and Cities have owed their Safety and Success to the Prayers of such Holy and Pious Men as can prevail with God because they are offered to him in conjunction with their Alms. Now the best Arguments for our giving of Alms are That it is the only Course we can take First To be like our Blessed Saviour Secondly To do Services acceptable to God Thirdly To save our Souls for ever First We are hereby made Like our Blessed Saviour who went about doing Good by which Method he spread the Fame of his Gospel and made it appear lovely in the Eyes of all Beholders for whenever he intended to convert any to his Faith he did it by some visible good Works in the sight of the Multitude but he never gained any Disciple by the Conflicts he was pleased to undergo in his own Mind for he performed his Fast and his Agony alone in the Wilderness and in the Garden Hence it is that our Lord commands his Disciples not to believe him but the Works that he did because he thought in the most honourable Labour to study the Benefit of Mankind to help their Infirmities to supply their Wants to ease their Burdens And thus the whole Doctrine of Future Happiness was introduced by feeding the Hungry by curing the Lame and by opening the Eyes of the Blind Let this Mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus We must then be intent as he was upon the constant Exercise of vertuous and good Actions for we have an exact Rule of Life set before our Eyes that doth enjoin us such Duties of Piety as will procure the Love and Favour of God such Practices of Bounty and Good-will as will govern well our Behaviour to our Brethren and such excellent Precepts as will produce if we obey them our utmost Content and Happiness Thus in the Life of Christ God hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justly to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God So that were we to contrive a way to make our selves happy we should fix upon just such Laws as these are they are so agreeable to the Composition of our Natures they require us to perform Duties so plainly necessary and beneficial to Mankind so delightful also to our selves because therein we follow our Natures and do gratifie the most importunate Dictates of our own Reason Therefore the Principles upon which our Saviour obliges us to act are Love Reverence and Gratitude to God hearty Good-will towards Men and a sober regard to our own true Welfare the Ends of our Doings which he prescribes are God's Honour Publick Edification and the Salvation of our own Souls so that his Conversation upon Earth which we are bound to follow had not one Spot nor Blemish in it there was not one false or uneven Stroak in all this fair Copy that we might be secure from doing amiss in transcribing any part of it for it was intended to guide us through all the manifold Instances of our Duty chiefly those that are most spiritual and consequently difficult to our frail Constitutions general Charity self denying Humility and invincible Patience which when received into the Temper of our Minds will render us truly wise holy and good For Christ Jesus as he is a Mediator with God on our behalf so he is a Principle of Divine Life in us and his Religion doth not that which is permanent and lasting if it do not obtain this effect upon us of reconciling our Minds to his nay it is but an imaginary thing if we have not implanted in us by his Spirit a pure Heart a right Mind clean Affections an obedient Will and a Sound Understanding Which is effected if we order the Actions of Reason and Liberty by the set Rules of a Righteous and Holy Life For then we shall walk as Intelligent Agents should do who are baptized into a noble free and divine Spirit which Spirit will give us that Wisdom which is from above and is said to be first pure then peaceable full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality without Hypocrisie