Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	act_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,015	5	5.7119	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09445	Of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. Delivered publickly in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, by Maister Perkins. Taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of Maister Perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1605 (1605)	STC 19733; ESTC S102894	75,919	204

together against all forraine force so ought Gods Ministers to doe because theyr number is so small if they were many lesse danger in their disvnion but seeing they are so fewe the more it concerneth them to cut off contentions and all occasions of debate and to ioyne hand in hand against these common aduersaries In the third place young Students are heere taught seeing a true Minister is but one of a thousand that therfore they bend theyr studies and theyr thoughts to the Ministerie for they wel know it is an old prouerbe the best thinges are hard to come by certainly there are so few good Ministers because the holy Ministerie in it self is so high excellent a calling as it is a shame to the men that there are so fewe good Ministers so it is a cōmendation to the calling whose honour and excellencie is such that as wee see heere scarce one of a thousand attaines vnto it therfore men of the most excellent gifts are heere inuited to dedicate themselues vnto the most excellent vocation yea very reason it selfe would vrge a man to be one of a thousand 2 And further as they are to intende this calling as the most rare and excellent so this must teach them likewise to hasten to furnish themselues with all good helps and meanes that they may become true Ministers and able Jnterpreters not too long to stick in those studies which keep a man from the practise of this high function for it is not to liue in the Vniuersity or in the Colledge to study though a man neuer so fast deuoure vp learning but to be a good Minister is that that makes a man one of a thousand In the last place Hearers are heere taught theyr dutie first to respect with reuerence the person and to receiue with reuerence the Message of euery true Messenger seeing it is so rare a thing to find a true Minister for as nothing is more vile or base then an euill and leude Minister vvhom Christ compares to salt which hath lost his sauour which is good for nothing but to bee cast out troden downe of men so is there none worthy of more loue and reuerence thē a holy Minister for as Esay saith theyr very feete are beautifull which bring glad tydings and we should kisse theyr feete which bring newes of peace therefore all good Christians are to receiue and vse a good Minister as Saint Paule saith the Galathians did him euen as an Angel of God Hast thou then a godly Pastor run to him for conference for comfort for counsell vse his company frequent his sermons account him worthy of double honour thinke it no small or ordinary blessing for thou hast one of a thousand and blesse GOD for bestowing his mercy to thee which he hath denied to so many others for some haue no Minister some haue a Minister and yet alas he is not one of a thousand And further all men that are Fathers may heere learne to consecrate their children to God in the seruice of the Ministerie considering that it is so rare excellent a thing to be a good Minister nay that man should thinke himselfe happie and honoured of God who may be father to such a sonne as shall proue one of a thousand In a worde to conclude this poynt all men must heere learne seeing good Ministers are so scarce to pray the Lorde of the haruest to thrust out more labourers into his haruest and for those that are called alreadie that God would make them faithfull in that high function And as Elisha craueth of Elias that the good spirit may be doubled and trebled vpon them that so the number may be encresed And thus wee haue the truth the reason and the vse of this that a good Minister is one of a thousand It followeth To declare vnto man his righteousnes Heere is the third part of the description of a Minister that is by his office to declare vnto man his righteousnes that is when a poore sinner by his sinnes the foulenes whereof he seeth and the burden whereof he feeleth is brought downe as it were to the very gates of hell when this sinner by the preaching of the Lavve is brought to a true sight of this misery and again by preaching the gospel is brought to lay hold on Iesus Christ then it is the proper office of a Minister to declare vnto that man his righteousnes Namely that though in himselfe he be as ill as foule as sinne can make him as the law can discouer him to be yet in Christ he is righteous iust and by Christ so iustified as hee is no more a sinner in the presence account of God this is the righteousnes of a Christian man this is the iustification of a sinner And to declare this righteousnes to him that repents and belieues is the proper dutie of a true Minister In the Acts Paule saith of himselfe that he witnessed to the Iewes to the Gentiles the repentance towards God and fayth towards our Lord Iesus Christ. In vvhich words is layde downe the complete dutie of a Minister as he is a publick Angell or Interpreter first to preach repentance which a man must performe to GOD whom by his sinnes he hath grieuously offended secondly to preach faith in Christ and free forgiuenes and perfect saluation through that faith in Christ to all that shal truly belieue in him And after both these followeth that which is heere spoken of which comprehendeth both the former namely to declare vnto man his righteousnesse So that in these words are inclusiuely laid downe these poynts of a Ministers calling first a true Minister may must declare vnto a sinful man where righteousnesse is to be found namely in Iesus Christ the righteous Secondly how that righteousnes may be obtayned namely by dooing two duties first by denying disclayming his owne righteousnesse and that is doone by repentance secondly by clayming cleaning to Christs righteousnes and that is done by fayth Thirdly a true Minister may and must declare this righteousnes to him that is first publish and proclaime it that it is ready to bee bestowed on euery sinner which will thus apprehend it and that it is able to iustifie and saue him secondly beside a bare publication of this iustification hee must as Paul did witnesse and testifie it to the conscience of the sinner that it is as certainly true as God is true For as a witnesse in doubtfull cases is called that by his testimonie hee may cleere the truth so when the consciences of poore sinners are wauering and doubtfull what to belieue when they doubt of this righteousnesse then is a true Minister as a faithfull witnes of God to auerre and testifie this truth from his owne conscience knowledge and feeling of the infallible certaintie of Gods promises vnto the doubtfull and distressed conscience of the sinner Thirdly