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	work_n	1,044	5	5.6274	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60022	Sololoqvies theologicall I am alone, and yet I am not alone, for the Father is with mee. By J. S. Gent.	Short, J.	1641 (1641)	Wing S3527; ESTC R217587	130,054	259

the fond desires of the creature to pitchupon it as his happiness Neither is there any thing I know that doth more raise more innoble the soul then this open heartednesse this freenesse of spirit nothing that makes it more like God himselfe whom it hath in whom it lives beaming forth the Sunne of its favours and beneficialnesse to all that come within the compasse of his Horison and as he hath conveniency choses the emptiest vessell to communicate his fulnesse to both of graces and common gifts still like his God that professeth himsefe to delight most in the company of the humblest to be in a speciall manner the God of the needy the fatherlesse the widdow the stranger so hee seekes the most indigent object to draw out his soule unto and delights in delighting the comfortlesse as he that findes it more blessed more glorious because more like to more full of God to give then to receive As he that is still calling his faith to account to see what it layes out in action How stirring how operative it is how it workes by love whether it love not it selfe more then God whether it be not more for receiving then doing As knowing it a most strongly denying expostulation an evident brand of an unbeliever and that by him who best knew how to give every thing its proper mark How can ye believe which receive honour and consequently pleasure profit c. one of another and not seek for that which commeth from God only Now what greater honour can there be to a man then to have his workes beare witnesse that the Father hath sent him to be inabled to doe to give any thing to God as he is who does gives to any in his name what greater pleasure profit then to be the servant of God imployed in his businesse to live in his sight to walk before him to be at his finding But those miserable niggardly pinching soules that are unacquainted with these inlargings these fully satisfying apprehensions no marvell they are still raking scraping and scrabling on the Dunghill for rotten rags Certainly the soule that hath ever had any quick lively intimate thorough resentments of the Divine Loves shed abroad in its heart that hath ever feelingly found that God hath not a faithfull industrious servant who hath not him an indulgent Father a dearely affecting Husband an inestimable Portion cannot be base cannot but live at an high rate as he that knowes the raising thoughts of so high dignity cannot but spend freely communicate liberally munificently as not ignorant of those Mines those treasures inexhaustibly infinite that are ever ready for his supply Cannot but be mercifull and lending while he still guides his affaires with discretion and hath an eye too to that discretion lest it should befoole him in degenerating into basenesse and slily winde him about into himselfe while he is studying how to outgoe himselfe in keeping the precise and narrow path prescribed him Or rather an eye to it lest it be false and counterfeit it being impossible for Truth but to be ever like it selfe This is he that cannot effeminate enervate himself in delicacies and pleasures while he knowes none but in God and they flowing into his soule like a spring of life and vigour that beare him forth in a voluble diffusive indefatigable course of activity in well doing while they still bathe him in inconceivable refreshings unimaginable delights This is not a man that is but the name and shaddow of one while like a brute beast he is carried on to eating drinking sleeping or any naturall desire and pleasure out of a meere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impetus and propulsion of Concupiscence from somewhat to be received from them to himselfe But the very doing of these obedientially as duties as ordinances for somewhat to be done by them in a way of a further self-emptying and transacting himselfe into God is that which makes this very thing the service of God when the most glorious performances the most publike beneficialnesse the most pain-taking actions activity in things materially good is but serving themselves and the devill So that that mans pleasure is Gods service because he makes Gods service his pleasure and this mans paines-taking in the best duties is a serving the devill because it is the pleasing himselfe the godly man acting not because it is pleasing to him but it is pleasing to him because it is action the other contrary the godly not that he may get to himselfe but that he may get to God and so indeed to himselfe counting Gods glory his greatest good And therefore imployes himselfe in that which is most singular and especially serviceable to God and Gods and not in that which is most profitable to himselfe he had rather spend thousands of pounds of yeares of any thing in the service of God then the least penny the least minute the least any thing in the service or to say righter the slavery of himselfe as he that counteth his pleasures his works and duties and his works duties his pleasures the doing of the will of God his meat and drink and his meat and drink the doing of the will of God And this were an excellent way to make us humble in excellencies temperate in delights diligent in action and for avoiding those three consociating and Nation-destroying sins Pride Idlenesse and fulnesse of Bread So may we make an especiall use of that common by-word questioning and examining our desires when they call us to or put us upon any thing What to doc And thus Christian I greet thee with that ancient salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe well and farewell And indeed our owne when wee ask one another how wee doe and wishing one another may doe well imports no lesse but that to do well is to be well Neither is the description of bodily health disagreeable to that of the soul it being such a frame and constitution of it whereby it is fit and ready for the discharge of its severall duties in their right-due maner So that they describe it not so much by its enjoying it self in a sweet and fresh temperature resulting from the well symmetrizing of humors and confermation of parts as by its right ready toward lines to requisite actions So the soul then healthy not so much in regard of the joy comfort that it finds in God as of the vigor by it the active disposition the operativenesse towards him Though indeed that cannot be without nay without being the author of this nor this without some measure at lest of that The sincere soul making its worke its wages its dutie its delight Grace being now growne as I may say a second nature it being connaturall to him and therefore as nay more pleasing in its actions than those of our first could be the one being but Gods ordinary common the other his especiall choise extraordinary dispensation of himself Grace being the spirit of