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	heart_n	soul_n	1,196	5	4.7627	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15015	The redemption of time, or a sermon containing very good remedies for them that haue mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeeme it comfortably. By M.W. Master in Arts.	Whately, William, 1583-1639.	1606 (1606)	STC 25318; ESTC S102139	30,092	81

not wicked exercises doth not this wast and poure forth time ouer lauishly Or can that man haue so much rest and quiet or so much fitnes opportunitie to do good to his soule as his wise care in cutting of these needlesse recreations or vexations rather would haue afforded him For these vaine pleasures are not alone mischeeuous hinderers of this thrift in that they consume the very houres thēselues but as much or more also in that they dissettle the heart and pull the affections out of ioynt so that a man is driuen to take as much paines to set his heart to a good exercise as would well haue dispatched the dutie had hee not beene thus vnfitted Now what a miserable losse is it when a man is robbed of his time and of his heart both at once And by both kept from reading praying meditating examining his heart or any such good exercise for his soules aduantage Wherfore if any man would so preuent these vaine foolish sports that they should not spoile him of his heart and houres let him obserue these two rules in his sports and then he shall doe well in these respects First this being presupposed that he doe not vse any recreations but those which he can proue to be in themselues lawfull first I say for the beginning of recreation let euery man know that recreation must follow labour for the most part or if at any time it goe before it it must be very little onely to fit one for labour The Lord allowes a man no sport though neuer so lawfull in it selfe vntill such time as his body or mind do stand in neede of it cheefly when they haue beene busied in some such honest affaires as by wearying them haue made them vnfit for further labour so that they must againe be fitted thereto by recreation Vntil paines-taking haue made the body or minde not so well able to take paines there is no allowance ordinarily for recreation All our sports and recreations if we wil vse them well I speake of those which are lawfull must bee to our body or minde as the mowers whet-stone or rifle is to his syth to sharpen it when it growes dull He that when his syth is dulled wil not vpon a desire to doe more worke take time to whet it shall cut lesse and with more paine more vnhandsomely then he need to doe so he that when his body or mind is tired or heauie will not vse some honest refreshing shall doe lesse and with lesse dexteritie then he might But on the other side if the mower should doe nothing from morning to noone or from noone to night but whet whet whet rubbing his syth he would both marre the syth and bee counted an idle worke-man also for loosing his dayes work so he that will run after the most honest delights when neither the wearinesse of his body nor heauines of his minde requires the same but onely vpon a fond lust or longing after them shall in time destroy his wit and strength and in the meane season maruailous vnthriftilie mis-spend his time Therefore let not a man beginne the day with play though neuer so lawfull vnlesse his body or minde require some necessarie exercise to make it more apt for his calling Hee that sets into the day sportingly shall bee sure to go through it either lumpishly or sinfully much more if he spend all the day from morning to night in playing let it be neuer so much holy day or haue he what other excuse he wil. This rule is for the beginning of sports The second is for the measure and continuance of them where this is a generall and a firme direction That it is not lawfull for a man in an ordinary course to spend more time in any pastime vpon any day then in religious exercises I meane cheefely priuate religious exercises I say it is vtterly vnlawfull to bestow a larger time any day vpon the most lawfull delight then in priuate religious exercises or at least in a customable course so to doe This is plainely proued by that which Christ speakes to vs saying First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof You see here commanded to prefer the seeking of heauen before any other thing whatsoeuer to let that haue the cheef place in our soules and in our liues Now he that first seekes the kingdome of heauen cannot bestow more time in sports of any sort then in those things which doe directly make for the obtayning of eternall life and that righteousnesse which will bring one thereunto such as are hearing and reading the word praying meditating examining the heart conferring and the like And surely this is a most equall thing that the most needful duty should haue the most time bestowed vpon it Yea it is a most easie rule to all sorts of men that haue seasoned their hearts with the true feare of God For if a mans calling lye in bodily works then the very exercises of religion are a refreshing to his body in that he doth for the space while they continue desist from his bodily labour and his calling affords sufficient stirring of the body for health so that if he be religiously minded and haue indeed set his delight on God he may well giue as much time to these actions as to any carnall sports But if any mans calling lye in study or such like labour of the minde first the change is a great refreshing and varietie a delight and then there bee religious exercises which will refresh the minde as well as any sports and for so much exercise as health requires it is not long in vsing because nature is here as in other matters content with a little howsoeuer men seeke excuses by belying her so that at the least an equall portion of time must be allotted to God and religion as to sports and delights euen of students if they will first seek the kingdome of God Therefore let a man measure out the time of sporting and recreating himselfe by the time hee takes to pray to read to meditate to sing Psalmes to confer of good things or the like and know that he hath not libertie from God to imploy ordinarily so much time neuer to imploy one minute more in the most vnoffensiue sports then in these seruices of God Now let a man conforme himselfe to these two rules Begin not play till need of body or minde exact it Continue not sports longer then a man hath or shall continue some godly priuate exercise of religion and he shall saue his time well from this first theefe Now comes to bee considered the next spender or rather robber of time that is Idle twatling or babling And concerning this our Sauiour Christ deales plainely with vs saying That of euery idle word which men shall speak they shall giue account at the day of iudgement Think well of this sentence and lay vp euery word Thou must not alone

laughter giue place to his betters otherwise comming into a continued custome and should ring out more needefull communication that takes the name and nature of iesting and is a thing much vnbeseeming the staidnesse of a Christian Thus the tongue may bee bound from dealing falsely with the heart and cousening the soule of good houres and occasions Now followes the third deuourer of time that is immoderate sleeping or sluggishnesse The wise king Salomon bare a great hatred to this theefe and giues many warnings caueats whereby men might learne to take heed of it The bed is as a very cunning and slye cousenour that vseth a pleasing tricke to deceiue a man and robs him vnder shew of friendship Now Salomon hath made a most fit descriptiō of a sluggard caught by the wiles of sleep and sloth setting him out to the life Prou. 6.9.10.11 Where hee brings him in roming himselfe and rubbing his eyes with an vnwilling hand vttering broken and sleepy sentences as one not halfe awake First he cals him vp as it were saying How long wilt thou sleepe when wilt thou rise out of thy sleepe As if he had said Ho sir it is time to get vp what not out of your bed yet at this time of the day Then mark the drowsie slumbring and sencelesse answere A little sleepes a little slumbers For the originall hath the words in the plurall number well befitting a sluggard a little folding of the hands to sleep See how speaking of sleep all is in the littles And though he names sleepes yet it is but a little in his conceit Hee tels not when he will rise but he cannot rise yet and when he hath had enough too much already then he must haue a little more begging for sleepe as one would begge for bread He askes a little because hee would not bee denied First hee must haue sleepes and hauing slept he must haue slumbers and hauing slumbred he must fold his hands and rome and tumble himselfe Behold a sleeper in his colours And mark what answere Salomon giues hee spends no more time to call him vp but tels him his doome as he lyes in his bed Therefore thy pouertie comes as a trauailer and thy necessity as an armed man As if he had said well be it so if you will needs sleepe on take your bellie-full of sleep but know that sith you shew such skill in begging sleepe you must euen become a begger for it sith you will haue your fill of sleepe you shall haue little enough of any wealth pouertie will pursue you and ouertake you it will follow you and surprise you it will make hast and strike home you cannot runne from it nor resist it it comes with speede and with force it will take you in bed where you cannot flee away from it nor driue it from you And what hee saith of outward pouertie is most certaine of inward penurie A sluggard hath so much the lesse grace by how much hee hath the more sleepes and slumbers So the same wise king hath set out a sluggard in an other place saying That a sluggard tumbles himselfe on his bed as the dore on the hinges That is hee is still there and there must be such adoe before hee can bee remoued from off his cowch as if one were to lift a dore off the hookes a man must come with leauers to heaue him off Call him waken him bid him rise c. All is little enough to reare him This sluggish humour you see is condemned long agoe for a mispender of time And surely it is not alone very dangerous in regard of the quantitie and muchnesse of the time which it filcheth but also in regard of the qualitie and goodnesse For it ordinarily feedes gluttonously on the very fat of time it eates the very floure of the day and consumes the first fruits of our houres euen the morning season After sleepe hath made strong what labour hath weakned after that nature hath beene well refreshed the reuiued spirits come with a fresh supply of strength and nimblenesse to serue the body and the minde then for want of exercise all growes dull againe as a band of Souldiers that grow effeminate by lying in garrison without labour all the summer Thus it robs one of the principall and most seasonable time when the minde and body were both in the greatest fitnes to read pray meditate or to dispatch and cast any matter of ones calling it is a theefe that robs one not of his baggage stuffe but euen of his Gold Iewels For some time is better then other as much as some mettall is better then others and this alwayes for the most part takes away the most precious yea it hath one trick as much more dangerous then the former If a man giue himselfe to sluggishnesse it will often follow him to Church and close vp his eyes and eares both of body and minde from hearing marking those most wholesome exhortations comforts reproofes and instructions which like so many pearles Gods messenger with a liberall hand according to the pleasure of his Lord doth scatter amongst men that who so will may take them vp The time of preaching and expounding the word with applying it is the time of haruest it is Gods market day nay it is his dole or princely congie when hee giues gifts freely and those of great worth too vnto those that will take them Now can it choose but be a great hinderance to a mans estate to sleepe in haruest and to bee in bed at such a time when so much wealth is bestowing Therefore this sleepe you see is a most craftie and pernicious deceiuer and doth with much cunning ouer reach a man taking from him for the most part the morning time and the time of hearing two the most profitable seasons and the most worthy to bee redeemed of all others Now against the deceit of this false companion a man may defend himself by following these two rules First it is not lawfull for any man vppon pretence of leasure from businesse to take more sleep then is required for the strengthning and refreshing of his nature The measure of ones sleepe or lying in bed must not be according to ones businesse but so much as his nature requires for the better enabling of it to performe the duties of his calling and of religion In deed a man may and ought to breake his sleepe and mynte himselfe in this regard when important businesse eyther for the soule or body doe presse vpon him but no man must take more sleepe then is requisite for the sufficient refreshing of nature vpon vacation of necessary affaires The reason of this is plaine It is a sin to straine and stretch naturall things for the seruing of lust beyond that end for which they were created and ordained Now sleepe and lying in bed was ordained for the strengthning of nature and for the repairing of