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	good_a	law_n	1,011	5	4.8972	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10384	A gleaning in Gods harvest Foure choyce handfuls; the gate to happinesse. Wounded saviour. Epicures caution. Generation of seekers. By the late judicious divine, Henry Ramsden, sometime preacher in London.	Ramsden, Henry, d. 1638.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1639 (1639)	STC 20660; ESTC S115629	109,922	246

vertue that is derived from the head to the members so in the mysticall body all the spirituall motion it proceeds from the influence of the head Christ is the head and from him as from the head is derived all the vertue to the members of Christ by which the death to sinne and the life of grace is wrought in us likewise Looke as it was in the oyle of Aaron the oyle that was powred on the head of Aaron it stayd not on his head but descended to the skirts of his cloathing So the Spirit of Christ it rests not on Christ onely but from Christ as the head it descends upon all the members of Christ The reason thereof why as our death to sinne so the life of grace proceeds from Christ is because both are the workes of grace according to that of the Evangelist in him dwells all the fulnesse of grace and in Collos the Apostle saith In him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily For the better and fuller opening of the point give me leave to propose and resolve one question and that is this Quest If our death to sinne and our life of grace both proceede from Christ that Christ is the author of them actions then how is Christ the author of them what kinde of cause is Christ sayd to be both of our death to sinne and of the life of grace I answer briefly Answ Christ may be sayd to be the cause both of our death to sin and of the life of grace in a fourefold respect or hee is a fourefold kind of cause Christ is the 1 meritorious 2 exemplary 3 morall 4 efficient Cause as of our death to sin so likewise of our life to grace First Christ is the meritorious cause for Christ did by his death and obedience not onely purchase for us a release and freedome from hell and consequently title to heaven but Christ merited for us the donation of the Spirit of God whereby we are made fit for and capable of that inheritance Christ not onely purchased a right to heaven but grace holines whereby we might come at last to jus in●re For as I sayd before by the righteousnes of Christ onely we come to have right to heaven but it is our owne righteousnesse whereby we come to be made capable of that right to heaven for saith the Apostle flesh and blood shal not enter into the kingdome of heaven Flesh and blood that is nature uncorrected unsanctified and uncontrolled it shall not inherit the kingdome of God therefore Christ hath purchased not onely redemption from hell and title to heaven but the donation of the Spirit of God whereby we are made fit and capable of heaven whereby wee are made meete as the Apostle saith to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Ioh. 17.19 So saith the Evangelist Ioh. 17.19 For their sakes saith our Saviour I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified through the truth Christ sanctified himselfe not onely to redeeme us from hell and to procure title to heaven but he sanctified himselfe that his members might bee sanctified that by the merit and vertue of Christs sanctification we might be sanctified So saith the Apostle to Titus he hath bestowed on us the spirit through Christ Tit. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 not by the workes of rightcousnesse that wee had done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing if the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour It is through Christ onely as through the meritorious cause by whom wee obtaine the Spirit of God by which Spirit our sinfull lusts are mortified in us and by which we are quickned and revived to the life of grace so Christ is the meritorious cause hee deserved the donation of the Spirit from his Father Secondly Christ as hee is the meritorious so he is the exemplary cause as of death to sinne so of our life to grace Christ in dying to sinne he set himselfe as a patterne to us to teach as also that wee should dye to sinne Christ in rising from the grave hee set himself a patterne to us to teach us to rise from sinne so he is the exemplary cause For Christ is a patterne for our immitation in his morall actions and wee must resemble after a sort some of his Mediatorious actions also not onely in the good duties that are commanded in the Law but in those that he performed for our redemption It is true in a different manner Christ is a patterne to us in actions morall that is in the good things that he performed that are commanded in the Law he is our patterne to be imitated in the same kinde As Christ was gracious to the poore so should wee to them that are poore and in distresse in the same kind as he was temperate so may wee imitate him in the same kinde though not in the same degree But for his actions Mediatorious we are to resemble some of them too though not in the same kinde yet in some way of use As hee died for sinne so wee should dye to sinne as he rose from the grave so wee should rise from sinne to newnesse of life so still Christ is our patterne As Saint Austin saith Christ came not onely to helpe us and to performe the things that wee ought to have done but he came to teach us by his example what we ought to do And he teacheth us he is our Schoolemaster not only in his actions morall but in his actions mediatorious ous in the former we may imitate him in the same kind though we cannot in the same degree in the latter wee cannot imitate him in the same kinde yet in some sort wee may We should be as the Heletropium that opens and shuts with the Sunne so wee may follow the lambe wheresoever he goeth as hee dyed for sinne so we must dye to sinne as hee rose from the grave so we must rise from the death of sinne to newnesse of life so Christ is the exemplary cause of our death to sinne and the life of grace Thirdly Christ is the morall moving perswading cause of both That the Apostle wills Timothy to remember 2 Tim. 2.8 Remember saith hee that Iesus Christ of the seede of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel he bids him remember it why remember it because the very thought and remembrance that Christ dyed and rose againe it cannot chuse but be a powerful motive to holinesse for it makes men conclude argue with themselves what did Christ lay downe his life for us and shall not wee lay downe our lusts for him Did Christ arise againe the third day from the Grave and shall not wee rise from the death of sinne to newnesse of life Doe wee professe our selves to bee members of Christ and not indeavour conformitie with our head Christ Shall wee be like the

Christ there is no death to sinne You will say how shall wee know that we are alive with Christ and dead to sin I answer you shall know it by three Characters First that which is the cause of spirituall life as that which is the cause of naturall life is union with that which is the principle and fountaine of life Now the fountaine of life is Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 so saith the Apostle in 1 Ioh. 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life hee that hath not the Sonne hath not life Now what is it that unites us to Christ It is faith that knits us to Christ so saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Gal. 2.20 The life that I live is by faith in the Son of God Looke as the cause of the naturall life 〈◊〉 the union to the principle of naturall life so the cause of spirituall life is union to that which is the principle of spirituall life Now the cause and fountaine of spirituall life is Christ so saith the Apostle in this chapter verse 11. Rom 6.11 Likewise reckon yee your selves dead to sinne but alive to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. It is through Christ that wee are alive to God Now I say that that knits and unites us to the fountaine of spirituall life it is Faith Hee then that hath Faith that man is alive to God but hee that hath no faith that man is dead in sinne that is the first character by which wee may know whether we be alive with Christ or no if we have this spirituall life Secondly we may know it if wee have the exercises of this spirituall life Every thing delights to operate and exercise answerable to its life where there is a naturall life there is a delight in actions that are naturall where there is a sinfull life there is a delight in actions that are sinfull Take a man that sinne lives and reignes in it is life to such a man to serve sinne to performe and satisfie his sinfull lusts so where there is delight in performing spirituall duties it is an undoubted argument that that man hath spirituall life in him Take a man that delights in prayer in hearing the Word in contemplating and meditating of Gods goodnesse towards him and in other spirituall duties this is an argument that that man hath spirituall life because he delights in spirituall actions The ground of it is this all delight proceeds from similitude and conformity wee delight in things that are like us Now when a man is spirituall there is some likenesse betweene him and spirituall actions and so hee delights in them Take a carnall naturall man he delights not in spirituall duties it is death to him to doe that which is good when he comes to betake himselfe to prayer to performe religious duties to sanctifie the Lords day to keepe a watch over himselfe to checke his sinfull lusts it is death to a naturall man Why hee hath no delight in spirituall actions because hee hath nothing in him that is spirituall all delight proceeds from likenesse and similitude that is the second Character that wee have this spirituall life if we delight in spirituall actions Thirdly and lastly another Argument of spirituall life is if we have the properties of life and they are three as Philosophers say The first is nourishment The second is augmentation The third is generation or production of the like So answerable wheresoever there is spirituall life in some proportion there is all these three First there is nourishment As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word ● Pet. 2.2 Where there is a new life ● Pet. 2.2 there is a desire of the sincere milke of the Word Take a man that is a dead man hee desires no meate Why there is no life in him Now looke as a man that lives a naturall life hee desires naturall food so hee that is spirituall hee that lives a spirituall life hee hungers and thirsts after the word As where there is the life of sinne in a man that man desires after all things that may fill and increase and preserve that life in him so in spirituall life there is a desire after the spirituall food of the Word to preserve this life The ground of it is this God never gives any grace to a man but hee gives a man a care and indeavour to preserve that grace God never gives a man spirituall life but he gives withall a desire to preserve that life Now how can a man preserve it How should a man preserve life but by food by diligent repayring to the places where the spirituall food or his soule is provided It is with this spirituall life as it was with the fire on the Altar Simile The fire on the Altar though it came from heaven yet when it was kindled they were bound to preserve it by ordinary meanes to put fuell to it so when God hath kindled that spirituall life wee must not turne off all the care on God let God take care for the life hee hath wrought in us but God will give a desire to a man to keepe that fire to put continuall fuell to it to preserve and nourish it That is the first propertie of life to looke for nourishment God never gives a man grace but he workes in that man a desire and indeavour to preserve it The second propertie is Augmentation and growth and proceeding from one degree of grace to another when wee find our selves more strong to performe the duties that are spirituall when wee find sinne more weakened This spirituall growth in grace is a propertie of this spirituall life If divers Plants bee planted if wee see some of them grow and others doe not wee conclude this is dead why it growes not As it is in nature so it is in this spirituall life where there is no growth there is no life Every thing that lives hath the property of life it hath the facultie of growing Which I would notwithstanding have to be understood not but that this life may admit of a Winter there may bee an increase and decrease but yet there is a continuall strayning after perfection Though sometimes the streame may be so strong that it may carry them downe yet they bend their strength against the streame they labour to grow up more and more That is the second propertie of life augmentation where there is spirituall life there is growth The third is Generation where there is life there is a facultie and power to beget As in a coale a live coale will kindle a dead one a dead coale cannot kindle another there is no heat in it So it is in this spirituall life where it is there is a desire to beget others as Christ saith When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren When thou hast spirituall life begotten in thee labour to beget it in others Wee see it exemplified in Ioh. 1.44 no sooner had Christ called

gives too much way to his sensuall appetite so that hee thinkes it the only contentment the only pleasure in the world There are some such men that thinke there is almost no contentmen● in the world but to relish fine and pleasant dishes It is not so much our meate that makes us gluttons as our affection toward our meate such men are just like those the Apostle speakes of Phil. 3.19 Phil. 3.19 They make their bellie their god Why so because they give all their devotion to their bellie they take the greatest pleasure and contentment in satisfying their bellie Such are those too that if they want a dish that they desire they are never quiet and if they be spoken to they are ready to say Hath not God given to us all the creatures alike It is true but marke the falacie while they use their libertie they lose it God hath given us libertie to eate meate and any kind of meate if it be in our calling and wee be able to provide for our selves with the caution before mentioned but these men lose their liberties they bring themselves into such an estate that they cannot want it There are some men let them want Tobacco or such a dish as they devote themselves to they cannot live This is that that the Apostle saith in 1 Cor in is to bring a mans selfe under the power of a thing Saith the Apostle it is lawfull for a man to eate any thing but saith he I will not bring my selfe under the power of any thing How doth a man bring himselfe under the power of any thing When a man yeelds too much to his appetite that hee is brought to this passe that hee is a slave to his appetite if it call for such a dish hee must have it if it call for such viands he cannot be without them Then a man is brought under the power of meate In using our libertie if wee doe not looke to it we may lose our libertie If wee examine our selves by these rules wee shall find that there are few but they are guiltie of surfeiting not only in respect of quantitie when they are immoderate but in regard of qualitie when they are too delicate and in respect of time as we see in Amos 6. They did eate the calves out of the stall and the lambes out of the flocke when God called for humiliation they remembred not the afflictions of Ioseph And last of all when wee are too carefull to provide our selves before hand or else are too much transported in the use of meate by these meanes wee become guiltie of surfeiting Therefore we should follow the advise of our Saviour here take heed left at any time our hearts bee overcharged with surfeiting FINIS THE GENERATION OF SEEKERS COLLOS 3.1 Seeke those things which are above YOu see my Text is a consequent from the former words If you bee risen with Christ It sufficeth not that a proposition be good except the consequent and illation bee also strong The Apostle therefore having premised the former part of the proposi●ion the antecedent If yee be risen with Christ he here brings in the consequent of the proportion seeke those things that are above And here it is needefull I suppose both for the quitting of our Apostle from all suspition and also for the clearing of that that followes to stay a while and view the severall ligaments by which the two parts of the Text are knit together And briefely to inquire into those grounds and reasons why if we be risen with Christ we must seeke those things that are above And for this inquiry I confesse there is not any thing specified in the Text but I appeale to any judicious auditour if it be not herein implyed My Text being like a well couched building wherein the stones and onely the principall materialls are in the view but the Cement and Morter is undiscernable If yee be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above Admirable is the logick and sinewes of our Apostle in this place affecting here rather strength of sence then language and pregnancie of reason above eminencie of words Two reasons inforcing the seeking things above Two reasons I finde especially whereup on these words are grounded which as the foundation in the architecture gives strong support to the whole eyther of them able to infer both together to enforce this duty There was great reason that the Colossians now risen with Christ should seeke those things that are above whether wee looke to the direct beames above or the reflect beames on themselves whether wee respect God that raysed th●m or Themselves that were raysed 1. In respect of God First in respect of God that raised them by way of common thankfulnesse to give their future life to him that had given them life to imploy those gifts and graces that they had so lately received from his hands in his sevice to the honour of the doner An argument in the ballance of the Apostle weightie and ponderous therefore when else where hee goes about to urge the Romans to the like duty as one that well knew how potent above the rest this was he makes choyse of this Rom. 6.13 Rom. 6.13 give not your members weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne but give your selves to God Why As those that are alive from the dead or because you are quickned with Christ Every blessing that God bestowes upon us is or should be so many reall perswasions Spirituall blessings speciall obligations and bonds and obligations to tye and bind us to obedience but spirituall blessings such as the raysing of these Collossians mentioned in the Text they lay so much a stricter bond on us by how much more they be excellent in themselves and beneficiall to us The time once was that the Collossians were darkenesse but now they are light in the Lord. They were once the vassels of Satan but now they are the servants of Christ they were once dead in trespasses and sinnes but now they are alive raysed from the dead Sinewes of Brasse a heart of Adamant and Steele must needs relent in the sence and memory of such a mercy to bend it to holy and gracious duties It is the ignorance of men to thinke that the doctrine of Christ is a doctrine of carnall libertie that the Gospel is a Charter and immunitie from obedience at least from that strict obedience to which men were tyed under the Law As if because God hath done more for us then for them therefore wee should doe lesse for him that because we are eased of that clog of ceremonies and such burdens we might load our selves with more guilt and because hee hath purchased our freedome from sinne therefore wee might take freedome to sinne or because with these Collossians we are quickned with Christ therefore wee may crucifie afresh the Lord of life by unlawfull courses and as much as in us lies still hinder