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	sin_n	1,294	5	4.8298	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80867	The foundation of God, with the immutability thereof laid for the salvation of his elect; with infallible marks and signs of election. Which may serve as a storehouse of comfort to religious minds, in this season of danger felt and feared.	Crompton, William, 1633-1696.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7031A; ESTC R175852	40,951	136

no more followed his exorbitances and some others as Cato Seneca Aristides with divers others sparking-brave Souls among the Romans who seeing a beauty in Vertue became renowned for their excellent deportments From this Principle Scipio an Heathen and a Soldier too would not permit certain Captive Virgins of exquisite beauty to be brought into his Presence Ne quid de Virginitatis integritate delibasse saltèm vel oculis videretur as Florus saith i. e. that he might not seem to have sipt the honour of their Chastity so much as with beholding them A man may leave one sin and take up another which sutes better with his Age and Place forbearing sin only of design How good was Joash so long as Jehojada the Priest lived The Lion may look demure whil'st under invincible restraint Nero himself acted it very worthily for the first five years under the conduct of Seneca Others hide their sins like those who shut their shop-windows and follow their Trade within doors Many deal with their sins as Moses his Mother dealt with him she hid him in the Ark of Bulrushes as if she had left him but her Eye was still upon him and in conclusion she became his Nurse Exod. 2.9 Many hide their sins from the Eyes of others when their hearts go after them and at last they give the breast unto them But what availeth such a practice A hand taken off from sinful practices without a heart taken off from sinful principles will be like a piece of ground which when sown again yields more encrease or like a stream that hath met with a damm will run with a greater violence when the Sluce is open'd so all this comes to nothing But this 1. If a man once depart from sin out of a love to God or fear of his Judgments and hatred of sin if he do this freely and heartily after-acts of sin through infirmity can never annihilate such a departure 2. My reason is When God forgives one sin he forgives all if once he forgives ever So that an act of sin being in and coming from a Regenerate man cannot dissolve the habit of justifying Grace Grace was not got meerly with humane actions neither can it thereby be wholly lost 3. I say that as wicked men may actually do that good duty keep that Commandment for a time which habitually they break and disallow so Regenerate men may and do habitually keep those Commandments which they do actually break because they do it not with a full consent and purpose They still depart from that sin in heart which in act they may out of necessary weakness yield unto Many and great are the Privileges of Christ's Elect while they name the name of Christ and strive in the use of means against their own corrupruptions The Lord by his Spirit powerfully works in them Victory by degrees with assurance of Salvation Vse IV. Lastly All may be hence exhortted Professours or Prophane and that three ways viz. 1. That you would seriously consider of these two main fundamental parts of Christianity The foundation of God and assurance thereof as comfortable and seasonable in these backsliding times wherein there are so many Errours and such diversity of Opinions vented so much trouble felt and feared in Church and State maugre the malice of Jesuits and Arminians their Patrons and defenders Men or Devils Let the servants of Christ know The foundation of God stands sure the Lord knoweth who are his and they shall never be known to belong to any other This consider as also the signs and marks of Election that all may seek them none may presume of mercy without them 2. That you would speedily begin if you have not done it already to lay a foundation in your selves mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 6.1 2. Of repentance from dead works and faith towards God The principal reason why many Professours fall back from or make such monstrous buildings in their Profession by idle and groundless conceits is because they began without a foundation rashly running with others not considering why or whither God Almighty you see would do nothing without a Foundation your practice must needs be presumption 3. That as you hope for salvation by Christ upon this foundation you would examine your selves according to the former evidences It is reported of a famous Carver who making a curious Image of Minerva did secretly engrave his own upon it so the Lord of Heaven hath interwoven his own Image in his People which remains as a mark whereby they may be known to be his own workmanship Search it out in you allow nothing in you which is or may be condemned by you Let nothing be acted in one World which cannot be answered in another They can have no hope at the general Assizes whose Conscience condemns them before the appearing of the Judg. That so when the Lord cometh in glory he may know you to be his own sealed with his Spirit wash'd in his Blood and cloathed with his Righteousness for whom a Crown of Righteousness was prepared before the foundations of the world were laid What should hinder such Men and Women from assurance of Heaven The foundation of God is laid the signs of Election are seen both eternally sealed Who shall separate us from from the love of Christ shall Satan or wicked men temptation or persecution poverty or death None of all nothing of all for the foundation of God stands sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Glory be to God in the Highest THE END

First Naming the name of Christ being called after his Name Christians of Christ Which is either done virtually as in the believing Jews and Gentiles before Christ or actually in Believers after Christ so his Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch Or else calling upon his Name which doth necessarily follow shewing the duty of Christians to call upon the name of Christ Both these together are certain signs of Election Secondly Departing from iniquity If this purpose be in us joyned with an answerable practice we may be assured of Election Some there have been and are who depart from sin without naming the name of Christ or believing in him as the Heathen Philosophers Greeks and Romans who attain'd to a mighty moral and vertuous deportment which in St. Austins judgment could be no other than inferiour Workings of the Divine Spirit some dimmer and cooler Rays of the Sun of Righteousness as he is the light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the World Others again there are who have name enough glory in the name of Christians but will depart from no iniquity a name they have as the Angel of the Church of Sardis had but nothing else and may be compared fitly to Sodoms trees and fruits which as Chrysostom saith are trees and no trees fruit and no fruit Chrysost Hom. 8. in 1. ad Thes all in shew and nothing in substance or to painted fire which hath no heat only the resemblance of fire and to weeds in the Corn-field which look like flowers in the Garden yet are not flowers but what will the name the appearance profit where the thing is wanting God hath joyn'd these in his Seal naming and departing as evidences of Election let none put them asunder in their lives and conversations but labour really to express so much of Christ as may declare him to be substance and themselves substantial Christians that Religion and Grace is not a vain Notion but a real vital energetical Principle for so it is and will appear to be where-ever it is Men may name the name of Christ three ways 1. Inwardly only in the heart as Joseph and Nicodemus did believing in Christ not professing for fear of the Jews Which was the blot of the latter of the two he was a Night-bird 2. Outwardly only professing not believing as all Formalists Hypocrites temporizers do Such a Divine and amazing Majesty there is in goodness that all desire to wear her Livery though few care to perform her service Like proud Courtiers who would willingly be Favourites but scorn to attend These like some kind of Nuts are all shell and no kernel all body without a Soul or as false Looking-glasses which represent those faces which are not in them 3. Both ways inwardly and outwardly believing and professing Faith and Zeal make a compleat Christian No zeal no faith no profession no apprehension of Christ ordinarily Inward faith without outward profession cannot be is not sufficient to salvation Faith justifieth our Persons but profession justifieth our faith A dumb faith is not a Divine but the faith of Devils Joh. 12.42 43. Among the chief Rulers also many believed on him and because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God The light of Religion must not be carried in a Dark-Lanthorn to be shewn when our Interest will permit and to hide it at other times Among the Romans there was a Law that every man should wear a badg of his Profession and Trade whereby he might be known Thus doth Christ require of all his Servants Confession of the mouth without faith in the Heart is gross hypocrisie and to pretend Faith without Confession with the mouth is but Hypocrisie and Cowardize Lib. 8. c. 2. Augustin in his Confessions hath a notable story of one Victorinus who was in his old Age converted to Christianity and came to Simplicianus one at that time eminent for Piety whispering softly in his Ears these words Sum Christianus I am a Christian but this holy man answered Non credo nec deputabo te inter Christianos nisi in Ecclesia Christi te videro i. e. I do not believe it neither shall I reckon thee amongst the number of Christians unless I see thee in the publick Assemblies of Christians God requires the Religion of the heart and also of the mouth Rom. 10.10 The Pope indeed saith to his Vassals my son give me thy heart be a Papist in heart and then dissemble do what you will and the Swenkfeldians of old took away all external service the Libertines of later times say That it is sufficient to serve God with the hidden man of the heart But God requires to be glorified with our Spirits and our Bodies both are his He will have the Jewel with its Cabinet This is that our Saviour means Matth. 10.32 33. If we confess him before men he will confess us before the Father which is in Heaven So the Apostle as before Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Whence it may be probably gathered that Elisha 2 Kings 5. did not approve of Naamans resolution saying that he believed only in the God of Israel yet went away with a purpose to bow down in the house of Rimmon nor gave him any warrant so to do If such politick pretences were currant men might be Christians without fear or danger thousands of brave generous Men and Women had lost their bloud in vain If dissimulation might pass for Profession all People might go to Heaven without martyrdom Suppose once again men say they believe in Christ be baptized called Christians partake of the Sacraments joyn with the solemn Assembly and yet seem outwardly for the fear love or praise of men to profess or allow of Idolatrous service Opinions striking at the foundation of God omissions of good Duties commissions of great sins for profit of profaneness of life for carnal delight lest they should be persecuted or miscalled like the old Priscillianists whose main design was to save a whole skin they made little rekoning of Profession and thought they might say and unsay swear and unswear so but in their hearts they did cleave unto the truth Hear Bellarmines sentence of these Persons Bellar. Tom. 1. lib. 3. de Eccles milit c. 13. ad finem those which do not confess the Faith but retaining it in their heart make outward profession of Idolatry are not good men neither can they be saved To explain this a little further know men may profess or allow of evil divers ways viz. 1. By Authority commanding provoking or tolerating evil As Saul did by enjoyning Doeg a villanous Butcher to kill the Lords Priests and Ahaz who sent a pattern of the Altar at Damascus to Vriah the Priest enjoyning him to build another according to it