Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A46627
|
A sermon preached at Guildhall-Chappel Decemb. 24, 1682 before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor &c. by John James.
|
James, John, b. 1649.
|
1683
(1683)
|
Wing J428; ESTC R28735
|
23,041
|
39
|
is the onely signe of a Child of Grace the onely certain evidence of a good Christian That man who in the general course of his life carries a sincere respect to the Commandments of God and in good earnest studies to conform his actions to his holy Laws that carefully avoids the occasions of evil and seriously resists the Wiles and Temptations of the Devil that despiseth not any Precept of the Gospel because the matter of it may seem small and inconsiderable nor refuseth the severest duty because of the pains and trouble it may put him to Such a man is the honest upright Christian a true Disciple and Sevant to the Son of God notwithstanding his infirmities and frailties which through Inadvertency Surprize or a violent Temptation he may sometimes commit which as 't is impossible for the best man in this imperfect State to secure and fortifie himself against so the Mercies of God in the dispensation of the Gospel doth graciously pardon and through the Merits of Christ readily pass them over But he that committeth sin is of the Devil He that casts off the fear of God from his eyes and lives in a constant course of a wicked life that complies with the Temptations of the Devil but is careless and indifferent in the Profession and Practice of Religion that habituates himself to the practice of any one known sin or the neglect of any necessary Christian duty though he be not arrived to the highth of wickedness but make some shew and appearance of Religion by prosessing the Christian Faith frequenting the publick Offices of Religion and exercising the material parts of some Vertues and Graces yet if his Obedience be not uniform and entire according to the scope and tenour of the Gospel he is certainly in a state of sin and iniquity and whatever his Profession or Confidence be without controversie a Child of the Devil for St. James tells us that true Christian Wisdom must shew itself without partiality without hypocrisie and the same Apostle confidently assures us that whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all Jam. 3.18 â— 2.10 2. This Argument is an excellent Criterion to judge of the truth of Doctrines which are delivered as the Doctrines of Christ whether they be so or no. Our Apostle gives us an admonition and direction to this purpose 1 Jo. 4.1 2 3. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus is come in the flesh that is every Doctrine which is consonant with the Incarnation of the Son of God and the design of his being manifest in the world is of God for God manifested in the flesh is a great Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.15 and St. Paul calls the Christian Faith the truth which is after Godliness Tit. 1.1 But every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus is come in the flesh that is every Doctrine which is contrary to the design of his Incarnation that is apt to hinder a good life or invalidate the necessity of it cannot be from God Whatever Doctrine gives licence or connivance to sin must needs proceed from the Devil that enemy of all goodness though the Author pretend to an Infallible Spirit like the Church of Rome or to Divine Inspiration like our Modern Enthusiasts Yet in the Church of Rome such Doctrines as these are solemnly constituted as Essential parts of the Christian Religion and imposed upon the Christian world with the same authority as the most Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith Thus the Sacrament of Penance joyned with Confession is represented as sufficient to Salvation The Doctrine of Purgatory which supposeth an expiation of sin by the Prayers of the living after death Prayers in an unknown Tongue The prohibition of the Scriptures without licence to the people The dispensing of Indulgences the Popes Supremacy and Infallibility and others of the same nature are imposed with the same Authority and received with the same Veneration and Piety as the belief of Deity the Redemption of the world by the Son of God and the Rewards of another Life It 's needless and would be too tedious to consider them particularly but what man of common sense and understanding is not able to see that these Doctrines are directly and of their own nature great impediments and obstructions of a good life and therefore are not of God To the same ill purpose tend those frequent discourses of the Absolute Decrees of God the irresistibility of Divine Grace together with the weak and imperfect description of Faith with the strange Metaphorical expressions by which those Doctrines are unhappily represented to the world with Doctrines of like affinity confidently vented and spread abroad by the too curious and bold discoverers of hidden and unrevealed Mysteries For that Faith that doth not ingage men to become new Creatures and to keep the Commandments of God can never justifie much less save them and that Grace which shall infallibly work to convert men however disposed may make men careless and oscitant to the duties of Religion but doth neither require nor incourage their care and industry and those decrees which have irrevocably and absolutely sentenced men to Heaven or Hell from all Eternity may pamper some with presumption drive others to despair but can have no efficacy to perswade men to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling And therefore those persons that have imbibed these opinions ought to have a great care to keep their Hearts sounder than their Heads that they may be good though they apprehend no rational necessity why they should be so But if such men be good upon false and pernicious Principles as I make no question but many such erroneous persons are what eminent Lights might they be in the Church of God for sanctity and holiness of life if they would suffer right Reason and the acknowledged Principles of Religion to supplant their Erroneous Opinions and be perswaded to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus Lastly the consideration of this Doctrine should be a prevalent and most effectual Argument to perswade those that believe the truth and purport of it to leave off their sins and to lead Religious and godly lives We acknowledge our selves Christians and thereby profess to believe the Doctrine of Christ to live in obedience to his commands and in the stricter imitation of his holy life let us then look unto Jesus the Captain of our Salvation that we may prosecute that great and glorious end for which he came into the world became Emmanuel God with and incarnate among us That he was manifest in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil hath been in some measure represented to your consideration both from his holy life and meritorious death the design and tendency of his Doctrine the mission and dispensation of the Holy Ghost the many signal and eminent victories over the
Prichard Mayor Cur. Special tent die Dominico vii o die Januarii 1682. Annoque Regis Caroli secundi Angliae c. xxxiiiio. THis Court doth desire Mr. James to print his Sermon lately preached at the Guildhall-Chappel before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City Wagstaffe A SERMON Preached at Guildhall-Chappel Decemb. 24. 1682. BEFORE The Right Honourable THE Lord Mayor c. By JOHN JAMES M. A. Rector of Latimers in the County of Bucks LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. To the Right Honourable Sir Will. Prichard Knight LORD MAYOR of the City of LONDON Right Honourable AMong the many that justly admire your Lordships Worth and seriously bless God for the Happiness of London in that the management of the Affairs of so great a Body next under our Soveraign Lord the King is committed into the hands of a Person of such known Integrity and eminent Loyalty the Author of this Discourse doth cheerfully and heartily profess himself to be one That this Discourse was acceptable to your Lordship when delivered in the Pulpit I must needs impute to that Candour and Goodness which seems innate and connatural to your Lordships disposition as is readily acknowledged by all that have but the least knowledge of your Lordships Wisdom and Prudence so conspicuous in the good conduct and auspicious government of that great City for though the Matter of it be incomparably great yet the Manner of handling it falls infinitely short of the worth and excellency of so divine a Subject which ought to be highly esteemed by all Christians and had in everlasting remembrance by the Sons of Men. For 't was a designe highly becoming the Son of God to oppose the Devil that grand Enemy of all Goodness and to confront the powers of Darkness to deliver Men from the dominion of Sin and to secure them from the Vengeance of Almighty God Indeed a designe of this nature required a Person of such excellent and extraordinary Worth such divine Wisdom and infinite Power such exact Holiness and Almighty Goodness to destroy the Works of the Devil and to bring everlasting Righteousness into the World And if the World had not been strangely infatuated when the Son of God became Man neither the Jews would have required a Signe nor the Greeks sought after Wisdom when he did so miraculously manifest his power to the ruine and destruction of the Devil the most malicious and implacable Enemy of Mankind whose insulting Tyranny was far more severe and arbitrary over the Jews than the cruellest opposition of the Roman Empire and his Policy infinitely above the Philosophical Wits and Reasonings of the Gentiles that if the one had not trusted too much to their humane Wisdom and the other longed too affectionately for a temporal deliverance and a secular happiness they must needs have celebrated the Nativity of the Son of God with the most solemn Hallelujahs and Hosanna's have admired him as the great Power of God and the Wisdom of God who was made Man that he might become unto men Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption But the Men of this Generation are most of all without excuse that believe him to be the Son of God and his coming into the World on purpose to destroy the Works of the Devil and to take away the Sins of the World and shall yet remain in slavery and subjection to the God of this World and so do despite to the Holy One of God and deny the Lord that bought them I hope therefore no eye will look with envy upon this Discourse wherein no Dispute is commenced no Controversie promoted but with the great Impostor and deceiver of Souls against whom every Christian ought to employ his utmost knowledge and skill and exert his greatest vigour and zeal being by the solemnity of an Oath the Sacrament of Baptism engaged thereto And since this was the grand designe of Christ's coming into the World I conceived an Argument of this nature very proper and seasonable at this time wherein we were to celebrate the Nativity of Christ the Incarnation of the Son of God And because your Lordship hath commanded that this Discourse whatever it be should become publick which else had remained as private as the Author as I have ever esteemed Obedience the best Sacrifice and a ready submission to the pleasure of our Governours in all things lawful a most excellent Duty and extreamly becoming all Christian Professors so in compliance with your Lordships Command it is now sent forth into the World and I hope under the Patronage of so honourable a Person may be received with the like kindness and good affection as it was by your Lordship And God grant that by the influence of his Grace it may be some way useful to those that read it to carry on that great end and designe for which it is intended I mean to encourage men against the Wiles and Temptations of the Devil and to perswade them to the works of Righteousness and Goodness of Piety and Devotion of Justice and Charity of Humility and Obedience of Sobriety and Temperance God Almighty direct and assist your Lordship in the management of those great Affairs committed to your charge and continue you long in that famous City to the Glory of his Name the Credit of true Religion the Honour of our Soveraign and the happiness of the People at present under your Government that you may reap in this World satisfaction of Mind in the discharge of a good Conscience and in the World to come everlasting Life Which is the hearty Prayer of him who is MY LORD Jan. 1. 1682 1. Your Lordship 's Very humble and most Obedient Servant John James A SERMON Preached before the Lord Mayor c. Decemb. 24. 1682. 1 JOH 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil NO sooner were the Apostate Angels banished the Court of Heaven and by the just Judgment of God cast into the bottomless Pit to undergo the vengeance of eternal fire but the sense of their torments exasperated their malice and caused them to envy the felicity of Man which stayed not long within the breasts of those accursed Spirits but like a sudden and unexpected Floud that overflows its banks and breaks down all resistance they were restless in contriving the misery of their fellow-creatures and active as the flames of fire till they had accomplisht this their horrid designe in tempting Man to apostatize from his Maker that his Posterity might become obnoxious to the same everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels And such was the unwearied activity together with the subtilty of that cunning Serpent that his hellish Plot soon took effect in seducing our first Parents to hearken too attentively to his Enchantments and through his treacherous suggestions to question the truth of what God had spoken and soon after