Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	action_n	evil_a	good_a	1,020	5	3.4395	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91524	The hearts ease, or A remedy against all troubles. To which is added a consolatory discourse against the loss of our friends and those that are dear unto us. / By Symon Patrick B.D. minister of Gods word at Batersea in Surrey.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1659 (1659)	Wing P809; Thomason E1801_1; ESTC R209704	101,980	256

own pains There is nothing that I can say will work as Physick doth in the body by its natural force whether you think of it or no but every thing must have the help of your serious consideration and you must frequently practice according to what you think As the things that will give us peace must be laid in our selves so they cannot be there laid without our selves They cannot be applyed to our minds as a Salve or an Ointment to our bodies but by the force of our own thoughts we must work them into our souls One thing more of this nature I must add but I will reserve it till the conclusion and now give you those rules that we must live by telling you as I pass along for what particular disease each one of them is a proper remedy CAP. V. KNow thy duty and do it Charge not thy self with more then thy duty as those do who think they must always be at prayer or hearing Sermons or reading spiritual books or do make rash vows nor with less then thy duty as those do who content themselves with the observation of some precepts or a seldom regard to their whole work but labour to understand what God requires and industriously labour to perform it For it is impossible that either of those in the extreams should be at rest the one never because he can never do all that which he thinks he ought the other not alwayes because his conscience will sometime rebuke him and tell him that he is an hypocrite i. e. a partial Christian An ignorant person therefore or an idle person can have no true peace We must be 1. inquisitive into the Gospel and labour to understand what we have to do 2. and then resolve heartily and endeavour seriously to do it all 3. and then enquire what remedy there is if we fail and fall short after these hearty and serious endeavours The first and last of these do most concern our knowledge the middle our practice And the knowing and doing according to our knowledge and making use of the Antidote when we have miscarryed will keep us in peace from that trouble which arises from sin A wicked man cannot be in peace if he understand himself and you must not think that I come to prescribe to any but those who will be Christs Disciples and follow him for to such the text speaks and a man of a weak understanding will not be in peace therefore we must grow in knowledge if we would be without trouble and a Christian that walks carelesly without observance of himself ought not to be in peace till he grow more watchful and then if he be surprized he knows where to take refuge But there is no sanctuary in Christ for a trifling and unguarded spirit without great sorrow repentance amendment and after-care and diligence We must understand that every indisposition of body is not a sin and that our peace must not be broken because we are not alwayes in the same temper nor cannot so cheerfully do our duty c. We must know that a sudden surprisal a hasty passion a sudden thought is not to break us all in pieces And on the contrary we must know that our voluntary admission even of these or letting of them stay our not watching against them and our frequent falling into that sin which at first did but surprize us must trouble us and there is no peace unless we grow better and more seriously mind our duty Study therefore the Christian Religion as it is contained in the Gospel and then thou wilt find there is but this one thing more to be done to keep thee in peace viz. a careful endeavour to live as thou art directed And the sum of the Gospel is this Tit. 2.12 Live soberly righteously and godlily and where after all our care we fail 1 Joh 1 7 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousness This first rule I conceive will make very good way for all the rest into our souls and will have a kind of universal influence into us upon all occasions We need be offended at nothing if we have a care not to offend God And I think he said truly who affirmed That there is no Joy but in God and no sorrow but in an evil conscience As thou must know thy duty So labour to distinguish between thy own duty and another mans And this will keep thee from being troubled at the actions and carriage of men in the world towards thee and others If men slight us and despise us and speak evil unjustly of us and take away our good name yea if they take away our estates c. if we be not angry nor filled with hatred and despight nor retaliate their wrongs then it is not we but they that ought to be troubled Our duty is secured and therein we should rejoyce And I may take occasion here to observe that we may learn our duty by their ill behaviour and study the more to avoid those things in our selves which do so much displease us in others If we be at all troubled let it be rather for the sin of him that injures us then for out own suffering This rule may be put into other words which will make it perhaps comprehensive of more cases Let us consider what is in our own power and what is not There is nothing in thy own power but thy own will and choise all other things are in the hand of God or in the power of other men It was never in thy power to be handsome or witty or born of noble or vertuous parents c. why then art thou troubled about such things But it is in thy power to be good and vertuous thy self to have a beauteous soul and to be rich in good works c. and if thou be not thus then thou art concerned If mens tongues be unruly and their hands be violent and thou sufferest unjustly by both how canst thou help it Thou art not troubled if a Dog bark or an Ass kick because it is their nature and thou canst not rule their motions And here the case is not at all altered for the tongues of men are as little in thy hands as the mouthes of Dogs Sir W. Raliegh These do alwayes bark as a judicious Author speaks at those they know not and it is their nature to accompany one another in those clamours So it is with the inconsiderate multitude Since these therefore are wholly in anothers choice they fall not under thy deliberation and therefore are not fit for thy passion Our anger at him that reproaches us c. may make us miserable but it cannot prevent what he hath in his power Thou maist do well and none can hinder it but to meet with no opposition is not in thy choice Do what thou canst the world may make

thee suffer but do what they can thou maist suffer contentedly A Philosopher they say comforted himself on this fashion when his daughter proved a wanton It is none of my fault said he and therefore there is no reason it should be my misery If our children be not as we would have them if we endeavour they should be so we may comfort our selves with such arguments as these It is in my power to instruct them but not to make them good I can do my duty to them but cannot make them dutiful to me Consider I beseech you what an unreasonable thing it is that we should depend upon the will of other men for our peace and not upon our own or as a great Philosopher phraseth it That we should have no more reverence to our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Anton. l. 2. sect 6. then to place our happiness in other mens souls If they have shown what is in their hand and power to do let us next shew what is in ours and that is not to be troubled and so let the matter rest unless they have a mind to renew a vain attempt By observing of this rule we shall reap sundry benefits The censures of men will not molest us because it is no part of our duty that men should speak well of what is well done That we should have the approbation of others is not in our choise and so it is not in our charge It is not incumbent upon us that nothing we do be not misinterpreted and wrong apprehended In doing well is our comfort and in speaking well of others this let us mind and think our selves no further concerned It will keep us likewise from intermedling with other mens business and engaging our selves in matters that belong not to us which breeds men no small trouble It is our duty to do well but not censure other mens doings When the Scholars of R. Nechoniah asked him How he prolonged his dayes to such an age He answered I never sought my own honor by anothers disgrace nor ever spoke evill of another and was liberal of the goods which God had given me This was his way to live in quiet which he thought was the way to live long but it is too common a fault among us That we put our hands into other mens work and so trouble both our selves and them also The business of a subject is to obey his Prince and of a servant to execute his masters Commands c. But men foolishly disturb the world by taking upon them the authority of calling their prudence in question and finding fault with that which they have nothing to do with all This rids us likewise of curiosity and enquiring into other mens affairs or matters done abroad which as the wise man notes Eccles 7.21 may occasion some disquiet unto us unless we relieve our selves at last by this rule whereby we might have found help at first by not hearkening to private talk CAP. VI. IN the doing of thy duty make a prudent choice of the fittest means Prudence is proper to a man For Angels have something better viz. intuition and brutes have nothing so good Do therefore like a man be deliberate and choose discreetly which two are opposed unto rashness and carelesness which are the authors of no small troubles Prudence saves men a great deal of labour in the doing of their duty and a great deal of trouble for the doing of it i. e. it keeps us from being molested either by our selves or others Eccles 8.5 6. and therefore Solomon bids us not only keep the Command which is doing of our duty but also discern time and judgement which relates to our discretion Some men will bring to pass the same thing that others do but endeavour with more facility and less noise because as the same wise man saith Wisdom is better then strength As far therefore as is lawful let us become all things to all men that we may live in peace and quietness and let us not by a tumultuous handling of any matter give them an occasion to oppose themselves unto us Yea prudence will teach us to let some things alone and not meddle with them being either needless or else dangerous As Diogenes said to a man that desired his letters of commendation That thou art a man every one that sees thee will know and whether thou beest good or bad he will soon know that hath any skill to make a difference but if he have no skill he will not know thee though I write a thousand times unto him But when it is fit to do any thing let us remember that there is a neerer way sometimes to the end of a business then that which is strait forward and it will be less trouble to seek it out then to go on in the ordinary path The purchase of peace is worth all our study and if we can obtain it by Art and prudent compliances we shall find that we are gainers by our labour Rashness and violence sometime create us more trouble then men would otherwise have brought upon us We run our selves into broils and tumults and kindle flames about us with our own breath when other men would let us live in peace and not disturb us Eccles 10.10 12. Let us therefore not only be innocent and mean well but wise also and mannage well Next after honesty and integrity let us study prudence and discretion so as not to be alike zealous in all things Jam. 3.13 nor passionate and hasty in any thing but as St. James saith To shew out of a good conversation our works with meekness of wisdom This prudence is a large thing and of great use in every action of our life and therefore it must not be expected that I speak to every part of it but I shall conclude this particular with a saying of one of the Hebrew Doctors V. Buxtorf Lex Taim voc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are three sorts of men whose life is no life misericordes iracundi melancholici Those that pass by all faults those that are angry at all and will pass by none those that are melancholy as though they were angry and displeased not only with all others but with themselves When thou hast used thy prudence Be not solicitous about events When one bade a friend to Gratilla to send her no relief because Domitian would take it away she bravely said I had rather he should take it away then I not send it Duty not success is to be considered This would be a great preservative against fears of what may happen and against vexation for what is happened For to what purpose should we trouble our selves either with one or the other when all our prudence and skil cannot help it Fear indeed betrays our succours and disarms us of our weapons and makes us run into those dangers which our prudence might have prevented If we can therefore