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	faith_n	grace_n	1,049	5	5.6323	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80142	The exhaltation of Christ in the dayes of the Gospel as the alone high-priest, prophet, and king, of saints. / By Thomas Collier, sometimes teacher to the church in Yorke.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1641 (1641)	Wing C5281; Thomason E1101_1; ESTC R208336	117,464	275

to take the shield of faith a sheeld is for defence so this faith both defends and resists the Devill Quest But how doth faith overcome Ans It ever hath an eye to the foundation Christ it knows the foundation standeth sure and so it turns over the devill the false conclusion that the devill and the heart is ready to make together to Christ and now the soule sayth it is true Satan or it is true heart I am base I have a vile cursed nature I cannot pray nor performe any duty as I should sin is in my best action I confesse I am in my selfe as bad as man or devill can make not a worse heart in the world more subject to evill farther then God restrains it more unable to doe good farther then God inables and what of all this Satan I know there is enough to condemne me for ever were I to answer in mine own person for my selfe but Christ hath been condemned for me Satan he hath borne all my sins and so my condemnation and he hath made himselfe over to me so that now thou must first have something against Christ before thou canst shake my hold and thus by faith flying to Christ the soule overcomes the enemy but if the soule cannot thus have recourse to the Lord Jesus he is gone when the tempter comes he is not able to resist Then sayth the beleeving soule it is true Satan I have a proud self seeking heart ready ever to take that honour to it selfe that is due to God but it is as true that I may thank thee for it who hast thus metamorphozed my nature and made it like thine own and not onely so but commest in and ever stirrost up the heart to pride and selfe-seeking knowing well by experience that it is a sin that much provokes God but this is my mercie God lets me see into this depth of wickednesse and it is my burthen but Christ hath freed me from the power of it and from the iniquity of it hee is ever subduing it in me and one day I shall for ever be freed both from it and thee thus by faith the soule overcomes the devill this is the first particular wherein the Christian comes to liue by faith in the exercising of it according to the manyfold occasions it meets withall 2 To live by faith is a living upon Christ in the want of all things and that both externall and internall 1 Externall in the want of outward things when the creature is tripped naked and bare brought even to a morsell of bread then to live in beleeving the Lord will care for you when that you are brought to Christs condition that you have neither house nor home nor any thing in the world besides a Christ besides a God to live upon then when thou canst get a promise as that Heb. 13.5 He hath sayd I will not fail thee nor for sake thee and stick close to the Lord Jesus in such a promise this is a living by faith when the creature fails Hab. 3.17 18. Although the figtree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vine the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no therd in the stalls Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation This is to live by faith when all creatures fail then to live upon God then to rejoyce in the Lord believing that God is able and will help the Lord will sustain The want of this faith was Israels sin Psal 78.18 19. they spake against God and sayd Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse how is the deceitfull heart of man ready to distrust God in such a condition as those Jews can God prepare a table when all is gone but faith in such a condition believes and lives by blieving and the Lord will care for moe sayth the soule and the Lord hath sayd it The lions shall luck and suffer hunger but they that wait upon the Lord shall want nothing that is good This is a hard thing it is easily sayd but not so easily done you thinke it is easie perhaps to live by faith while you have a house a calling that brings you in money perhaps every day or every week or money by you or land c. you can live comfortably upon Christ and your calling upon Christ and your house or land but let all be taken from thee see then how then canst live this may be your condition and then you will be put to the tryall 2 Spiritually when the soule hath nothing of its own to rest upon when duties and performances and all is gone then to believe and live by believing this is to live by faith indeed upon this ground the soule believes Rom. 4.4.5 He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnesse he that worketh not he that cannot performe one acceptable duty in way of righteousnesse but sees all is nothing yet believes in Christ and so lives by believing this is the constant stay of a believer he eversees his own emptinesse the untighteousnesse of his best actions I say to believe in and to live upon Christ in all such conditions it is to live by faith above duties and performances but how doe many a professing man and woman comfort themselves in the performing of duties in their inlargement in duty and the like but when they fail in this then they call all in question again this faith was not right for they thinke they believe because they can pray and meditate c. when indeed the soul that rightly believes doth believe because he cannot pray nor act or doe any thing that is acceptable and therefore he cannot live by faith but when that power he has to performe duty fails his faith and all fails this is not to live by faith yet this hath been the life of most professours in this Nation 3 A living by faith it is to live by beleeving of what the soule shall one day enjoy and this mightily bears up the spirits of the Saints And this we may take notice of under a threefold consideration 1 That which the gracious soule longs most after is the full enjoyment of God nothing lesse can satisfie the believing soule the soule that hath tasted how gracious the Lord is O sayth the Soule when shall I come to the full enjoyment of my God and so the seule groanes as the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.2 earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with the house from heaven and the reason is ver 7. for while we are here we walke that is live by faith and not by sense while we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord that is absent comparatively with relation to what it shall be for the soule has but a glimpse of glory but a

any thing know it But when Christ commeth he teacheth men to deny it to cast off all their own righteousnesse as filthinesse see Paul who was indeed full of selfe righteousnesse before his conversion as himselfe confesseth Phil. 3.5 6. He was circumeised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews and touching the Law a Pharisie concerning zeale persecuting the Church touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse here was a righteous soule who would think now this man should have any need of a Christ but follow him a little and see the change all this must bee denyed cast off and rejected as a thing of naught as filthy polluted things see ver 7 8 9. But what things were gain to mee those I counted losse for Christ that is those things that I once esteemed gain all that confidence that I had in the flesh I see they were all nothing I was content to lose them all for Christ Yea doubtlesse and I account all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things that is all that was mine own and doe count them dung that I may win Christ Beloved here is selfe-denyall in a wonderfull measure to account all your own righteousnesse but as dung or filthinesse that you may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law the Apostle exclaims that casts it away but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith here is a denying of righteous selfe a rejecting of all his own righteousnesse as nothing nay as very filthinesse and believe it where Christ comes in some measure he teacheth this lesson I confesse this is a very hard lesson flesh and bloud cannot attain it herein lies the great mystery of the Gospel which appears to flesh and bloud to be the greatest folly for a man to deny himselfe his dutles prayers best actions cast them down at the feet of Christ as dung and drosse O it is a hard lesson yet such a lesson as the Saints must learn yea and doe learn it in some measure from Christ See Mat. 25.37 The righteous shall say Lord when saw we thee hungry and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink Note it the Saints dis-own all that ever they have done they take no notice of it they doe not remember it It was not that whereon they built their consolation they looked to the righteousnesse of Christ and there they lay their salvation And note again Christ remembers the good works of the Saints when they doe not remember it themselves O it is a sweet thing to be above these things then Christ will remember them but when men live upon these things and come to remember duties as a ground of comfort then Christ will not remember them see Mat. 22.23 Christ will professe I never knew you Now the want of this grace in this particular it occasions two evils the first and best of them is and that even to the Saints it deprives them of much comfort and spirituall peace the poore soule looking upon its duties seeing the weaknesse the imperfection of them hee is troubled and complains and doubts and questions its condition and all for want of selfe denyall that is not looking for any thing in those duties I dare say that the Saints duties kils them in their own apprehensions more then any other of their sins but if the Lord help you to deny your selves that is not to expect any thing in duty but lay it down at the feet of Christ and to live upon Christ your All in all you shall finde abundance of influence of grace and new manifestations of love and in your duties you shall have more fellowship and communion with God then ever it is your expectation of comfort in your own righteousnesse that deprives you of it and just it is that it should be so nay it is a mercie that it is so for if God should give thee thy desire in duties thou wouldest then live upon them and undoe thy selfe for ever The second evill that flows from hence is that men doe indeed destroy themselves by this means that is it is an instrumentall means by which they destroy themselves as all men are destroyed by some means and that is sin and by this sinne selfe righteous men destroy themselves men living and dying trusting upon their duties destroy themselves and this is that which makes men spiritually proud lifts up men when they have least cause when they live upon their own righteousnesse But Christ teacheth his to deny themselves 3 There is selfe wisdom in every man and woman naturally and this Christ teacheth his to deny all men are naturally too wise for Christ so were the Grecians 1 Cor. 1.22 The Greeks seeke after wisdome There is a great deale of carnall earthly wisdome that naturally dwels in men and this wisdome is enmity against God and Gods wisdome appears foolishnesse unto it see what the Apostle sayth 1 Cor. 3.18 If any man among you seemeth to be wise let him become a fool that he may be wise for the wisdome of the world is faolishnesse with God Here is an exhortation for a Church to take heed of selfe-wisdome you and I have need to learn this wisdome the Lord help us in it to see our selves fools see who is the right foole Prov. 28.26 Who so trusteth in his own heart is a fool The readiest way to attain wisdome is to lay all our own wisdom down at the feet of Christ the Apostle Paul had boundance of humane wisdome and learning yet he abases himselfe he accounts all not onely his righteousnesse but wisdome also but dung and drosse all losse in comparison of the excellencie af the knowledge of Christ Jesus This is true wisdom indeed truly to know God in Christ this is that wisdome which is from above that brings life eternall with it John 17.3 I beseech you consider of it hath Christ taught your souls this lesson is your wisdome heaven-borne wisdome or is it earthly is it your own wisdome I am 3.13 14 15. Who is a wise man and indued with knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meeknesse of wisdom but if yee have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glorie not ly not against the truth this wisdome descendeth from above but see ver 19. The wisdome that is from above it is first pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of-mercie and good fruits it is all heavenly like him whose it is but mans wisdome is all earthly sinfull and devilish which Chist teacheth his in some measure to deny 4 There is naturally in every man selfe boasting and selfe glorying in the creatures own wisdome and apprehended selfe excellencie but where Christ teaches he

have been as likely to fall away as Adam nay and more likely for there is a body of sin left still in the Saints matter for the Deuill to work upon but Adam was without sin therefore there is no possibility for that man to stand that stands upon his owne strength But it is in the strength of Christ the believer stands without me ye can do nothing Iohn 15.5 You cannot pray or perform any duty acceptably Rom. 8.26 much lesse stand and hold out to the end against all spirituall oppositions a Christian is to encounter withall The fifth and last reason why Christ teacheth this grace of self denyall to the Saints is that so they might live in love and peace one with another If every Saint should seeke to please himself and love himselfe and to have his own will in every thing how is it possible love and peace should be continued amongst the Saints if there should not be a bearing with and forbearing one with another if the strong should not beare the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves but God hath so tempered the body together that they should all seek the good of each other in love that there should be no Schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one of another as of themselves 1 Cor. 12.25 that every one might secke not their own but one anothers good That they might all grow up together a compleat body a holy temple in the Lord. Use 1 A word of examination and tryall hath Christ bin thy Prophet hath he taught thee this lesson of self denyall this is a very needfull use not only for carnall men but for Saints it was the exhortation of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves prove your selves know you not Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Christ is in every Saint and if there what doth he there Surely hee is not there for nought he will be ever teaching the soul hee will be there as they Prophet shewing thee the way thou shalt walk in Consider a little now I beseech thee hath Christ taught thee to deny thy owne righteousnesse canst look upon it all as filthinesse or else art thou stuffed and filled with thine own righteousnesse lifted up as high as the heavens in thine own conceit like the proud Pharisee I thank God I am not as bad as other men I pray and performe duty I have a good heart and as good a mind to God as any man If this be thy condition the Lord Iesus hath never been thy Prophet thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity Thousayst thou art rich and wantest nothing when the truth is if the Lord open thine eyes to see it thou art poore and miserable and wretched and blind and naked Hath Christ taught thee to deny vngodlines and sin or else canst thou take pleasure in unrighteousnesse I dare say it that some there are in the world that have high thoughts of of themselves yet indeed make a mocke of sin take pleasure in unrighteousnesse if this be thy condition the Lord Christ hath never taught thy soule 2 Pet. 1.9 Christ teacheth to be holy and humble hee gives power against sin and Iust 1 Cor. 6.9.10 11. Consider you who have been taught of God hath hee taught your souls this lesson to deny your owne wisdome will end strength and all to lay down all as nothing at the feet of Jesus The Lord help you and I a little now to examine our selves how much of self yet remayns self wisdome self glorying and boasting self love self ends O how doth the Devill crowd in these things into the soules of the Saints the Lord help you and I to see it and give us power against it certainly if it be with your souls as it is with mee you have some experience of these things hardly can you performe any duty but self will present it selfe to your view in one shape or another Now where Christ teaches he ever sets the soule a work against those sins and causes the soule ever to have high thoughts of it selfe and to have high thoughts of God and of the Saints esteeming every one better then himselfe 2 Wherein you finde you come short in this duty selfe denyall looke up to the Lord for help and assistance it is the Lord that teacheth to profit therefore if you want any thing the exhortation of James is Aske of God who giveth to all men liber ally upbraydeth none Jam. 1.5 For every good gift comes down from God ver 17. Therefore have recourse to heaven make known thy condition to the Lord Jesus this thou maist doe thou oughtest to doe it thou must goe to God and tell him what thou wantest what grace thy soule needs tell him thou hast a poore-selfeseekeing-heart that will not stoppe farther then he bends it and bows it looke to him and he will help thee come unto him and he will ease thee and give thee thy hearts desire Note this one word where God hath begun this work in any measure though you find much of self and it is thy burthen yet here is a ground of comfort for such a soule it is mercy thou seest that evill of self that is in thee and that it is thy burthen The comfort is 1 that Jesus Christ hath beene thy Prophet hee hath taught thee in some measure to deny thy selfe and given thee a desire after the perfection of this grace 2 That where Jesus hath began this work he will finish it he will perfect it to the days of Christ 8 Thou mayst live upon him henceforth and expect teachings from him new manifestations new discoveries of grace and love new influences of power from himself as thou stanlest in need for his own honour the Saints good or thine own consolation Heb. 13.5 Thus much for the first which is Self-deniall 2 Where Christ becomes a Prophet hee eacheth that soule to yield universall obedince to himselfe this is an effect of the teaching of Christ Mat. 28.20 teaching them to observe and doe all things whatsoever I shall say unto you and Acts 3.22 23. A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you him shall you heare in all things c. And this obedience Christ doth not only require as he is a King but he teacheth it as he is a Prophet See Esay 54.13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children It is the covenant of grace Heb. 8.10 I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts c. Hee will make them a willing people hee will teach them to yield willing obedience he will teach them to do spirituall things with an appetite with a minde to them now this obedience flows from faith it is a fruit an effect of faith Rom. 1.5 Christ first teacheth faith and then obedience Quest What are