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
A41644	God's call to England, for thankfulness after gracious deliverances wherein is shewed, that our deliverances, not answered with reformation, will be followed with sorest destruction / by Thomas Gouge.	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1680 (1680)	Wing G1368; ESTC R472	73,076	204

GOD's CALL TO ENGLAND For Thankfulness after gracious DELIVERANCES Wherein is shewed That our DELIVERANCES Not answered with Reformation Will be followed with Sorest Destruction By Thomas Gouge JOSH. 20. If ye forsake the Lord he will turn and do you hurt after the good he hath done you Gratiarum ●essat discursus ubi recursus non fuerit Nec modo nil augetur ingrato sed quod ascipit vertitur ei in perniciem Bern. Serm. 1. cap. Jejunii LONDON Printed for Iohn Hancock at the three Bibles in Corn-hill entering into Popes-head-alley 1680. A PREFACE Pressing to the great Duty of Thankfulness for Mercies THE eminent Appearances of a Divine Hand delivering this sinful Nation in its plunges of woful Distresses have been such remarkable Testimonies of Infinite Goodness and Patience as are s●●rce to be parall●●● in any Age of the World in any Nation under Heaven So numerous are the Expressions of Mercy to a People daring Heaven with their Impieties that whoever shall review the Catalogue of them will be amazed to see one more superadded to the former so abused and slighted as wickedly they have been by many of us Yet Prerogative Mercy which acts beyond expectation and desert conquering all Difficulties and Discouragements hath not stept aside to give way to Justice but hath continued its progress towards us Had it not been for this we had certainly seen more direful Effects of our Enemies Projects than yet we have beheld Had it not been for this we had been as deeply involv'd in Misery as we are in Sin Hence in our great extremity after all his forgotten favours he hath spoken in his Love as in Ierem. 16.21 I will this once ca●●● them to know I will cause them to know 〈◊〉 hand and my might and they shall know my Name is the Lord. This once will I cause them to know my Mercy to understand my unwillingness to destroy them and hence it is that England has not been forsaken of the Lord although it is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel Ier. 51.5 Now what hath encouraged what hath induced the Lord to express thus much favour to such as so provoke the eyes of his Glory It is only because He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy Rom. 9. Be it known O People of England 't is not for your Righteousness that the Lord hath done this for ye are a stiff-necked People Deut. 9.6 Our works and ways deserve nothing but utter ruine and perpetual desolation For his Names sake has be done all this and that he might make his mighty Power to be known Psal. 106.8 his super-transcendent Goodness hath wrought out these sweet Deliverances for us And for this end hath he done it that we might remember our evil ways and our doings that were not good and might loath our selves in our own sight for our iniquities and abominations Ezech. 36.31 And now shall we be a happy People if Mercies shall so prevail upon us as to effect this blessed frame and disposition in us For this end hath the Almighty tryed us with another Deliverance because he hath said It may be they will present every one their Supplications and return from their evil ways Ier. 36.7 Oh what expectations hath God to see a repenting reforming holy obedient carriage upon our receipts of such wonderful favours from him He looks that we will appear another manner of People than we have been after these eminent frequent seasonable and Miraculous appearances for us Oh therefore since the Lord hath not forsaken us a sinful People but stood by us and redeemed us when appointed to Death Let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten Ierem. 50.5 Let us offer up our selves to the Lord as a whole-burnt-offering in the ascending flames of purest Affections Let us not occasion the cessation of Heavenly Kindnesses by a wicked regardlesness of them Let it be our employment to applaud and improve the Infinite Love of God in all his Mercies Come let us view the sudden and sweet Dispensations of God's heavenly and holy Providence and fix our thoughts on his surprizing Benefits till our hearts are enamour'd with the Authour of them and transform'd into the likeness of that loving God that gives them let us trace him in his ways of Mercy till we are sweetly brought into the ways of Duty Let our Souls be drawn up to the Center of Heaven by the Golden Chains of Mercies let down from thence unto us Let us continue a leisurely Meditation on our gracious Deliverances till our Affections are sublimated our hearts inflamed and a Thankful frame produced Let us behold our most precious Lives preserved our inestimable Liberties secured the conspicuous and glorious Light of the Gospel continued the Life of his Sacred Majesty defended I say let us contemplate these things till our health shall sound Melodious Praises to that Almighty Power that hath done all this Now Courteous Reader what doth the Lord require for all this Kindness but a truely thankful Heart and Life And what less canst thou give to God than this Thou canst present the Almighty with no such pleasing Offering as a grateful Heart For God hath sufficiently exprest his esteem of such Presents by appointing the Altar of Incense which was for Thank-Offerings to be encompassed with a Crown of purest Gold for though the most odoriferous Incense is nothing in his account the thank-ful heart that presents it as a Testimonial of unfeigned Gratitude is highly esteemed by him Neither is there any thing more consonant to the Dictates of Reason than that we express all manner of kindness to those that oblige us by their large Munificence for Quisquis magna dedit voluit sibi magna rependi The Donors of great favours expect answerable requitals And however we may forget what we give we must not forget what we receive And therefore I may say as Bernard Cùm amat Deus nil aliud vult quam amari when the Lord expresseth love he designes to be loved And verily a grateful reflexion of honour to God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our highest and lowest Divinity the highest pitch of attainments is but Love the lowest return can be nothing beneath it if any thing at all The only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Requitals we can render to God for his richest Favours are only Testimonials of Thankfulness by extolling his holy Name with unfeigned Praises and reflecting Honour on his blessed Majesty by chearful Obedience to his sacred Commandments Now therefore as the piercing Rays of the glorious Sun though passing through the transfluent Air with an imperceptible motion yet meeting with a Solid Body rebound with an increasing lustre so should our Hearts and Lives reflect the honour of all our Mercies on our Heavenly Benefactor And unless the Bounty of Heaven gains so far upon our obstinate Hearts as to effect this work we shall gain