Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	affection_n	good_a	love_n	1,128	5	5.0684	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67886	The perfection, authority, and credibility of the Holy Scriptures. Discoursed in a sermon before the University of Cambridge, at the commencement, July 4. 1658. / By Nathanael Ingelo D.D. and Fellow of Eton Coll.	Ingelo, Nathaniel, 1621?-1683.	1658 (1658)	Wing I185; ESTC R202593	49,263	216

the assistance we receive from it we are left to acknowledge him with blind conceptions to worship him with uncertain expresses and depend upon him with a very infirm expectation But O blessed Saviour we have no reason to think our selves at a losse thou hast told us plainly of the Father thou hast explained the two great Commandements and in them the substance of the Law and the Prophets Thy Gospel holds forth to us all particular duties both of Faith and Love and Righteousnesse and Mercy Thou hast shewen us what kind of worship worshippers thou dost regard having commanded us to worship God in Spirit and in Truth with all true apprehensions and worthy affections to serve God in all good conscience and with purity of heart and hast rejected the vanities of superstition though they be never so gay or costly all exteriour shews which want the correspondencie of inward goodnesse so that now we may well say thou hast shewed us men what is good and what the Lord our God requires of us even to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with God Thou hast taught us how in all our religious addresses we may come acceptably before the Lord and what Mediatour we are to use we need no longer ask for thou hast shewed us the one Mediatour between God and man and told us for whom he will intercede even all that come to God by him and make themselves like unto him Thou hast shewen us how thou didst converse with Abraham Isaac and Iacob the Prophets and Apostles and that we also upon the same terms may become the friends of God by Christ Iesus who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so that all good Christians may say and conclude they are certain of their way to God the Scripture having revealed it as clearly as with Sun-beames The Scripture given by inspiration is so profitable for doctrine reproofe correction and instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God teacher or learner is perfectly furnished with direction to all good works Now if any shall say the force of these arguments may be avoyed though the Scriptures be not plain if we have an infallible Interpreter to resolve their doubtfulnesse and cleare their obscurity I answer There is no question of that But where is that Interpreter it is harder to find him then the sence of the most difficult Scripture What will be answered if we aske these few questions concerning him What is his name what Countrey-man is he where doth he dwell If his Commission be not in the Scripture how came he by it if it be in what words is it set down We read but of one infallilible Interpreter of Gods mind Christ Iesus and he hath required of all his servants that they presume not to take any Mastership in this point And call no man your Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in heaven Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ These words are justly interpreted by most learned men as a command of Christ directed against mens usurpation of authority to impose upon others what they are to believe The chief Master in the Shoole of the Iewish Prophets had such authority that no man might contradict what he said and in this sence we are to call no man Father but God who hath taught us by him whom he appointed to be our onely Master i.e. Christ Iesus How much those are deceiveed that assume to themselves to be infallible guides and indeed Dictators to Gods Church hath been shewen abundantly by themselves and many learned men have forced them to take notice of their errours and therefore I will insist no further upon this point And now we see with what reason our Saviour closed his discourse saying If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead With which I shall also close the doctrinall part of this discourse Those which are not satisfied with Gods truth so fairly propounded in the Scriptures may pray to Abraham to send one from the dead to preach to them if their eares itch for such teachers but when he comes would they believe him No they would rather accost him thus Art thou come out of thy Grave to fright us Where is thy Certificate that thou wast in the other world Wed do not know that ever thou wast dead or if thou art a Ghost we know not whether thou camest from heaven or hell whether thy design be to teach or to disturb us They say good spirits do not walk What thou hast hid some money somewhere If thou comest to discover any murder tell us People talk of Goblins to fright children and fooles but dost thou think that we will leave our profits or pleasures for a shade That this is too true we have an instance in the Iews to whom our Saviour preached this point For they had Lazarus whether Christ alluded to his name or no raised from the grave and he discoursed with the Pharisees but as soon as he asserted a truth that crossed their humour they would have killed him and sent him to the other world again a messenger of their unbelief When men have no mind to do their duty they will quarrell with the Messenger and ask for another not that they will then obey but to gain a truce for disobedience {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and in the mean time they will seek for that which no doubt they will find i.e. something to make themselves believe that the next will not be so sent neither but that they shall be able to except against him Application 1. Upon the consideration of the things premised first Let us be thankeful to the Grace of God and the care of his divine Providence for transmitting to us the Holy Scriptures great Testimonies may one call them or high Courtesies of that Providence High Courtesies they are being the streames of that River of Truth which refreshed the City of God i.e. his Church so long agone But they are also great Testimonies of Gods Providence when so many with busie eagernesse sought to damme them up that they might not come at all or to poyson them that they might arrive as Ministers of errour and death Gods goodnesse permitted not the mischief his care hindred it This is that Alpheus that runs under the earth dives under the Sea not mixing with its brackish waters but rises up sweet and clear in the beloved Arethusa unto which God sends it When this holy Writ seemed to be sunk in one place as Ovid speaks of Lycus Sic ubi terreno Lycus est epotus hiatu Existit procul hinc alioque renascitur ore It riseth in another and brings up and lands safe the Truths which were committed unto it as Historians report of the aforesaid river If Moses applauded the Jewes happinesse when he had finished his