Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	apostle_n	church_n	holy_a	989	5	4.8664	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41778	The fourth principle of Christs doctrine vindicated being a brief answer to Mr. H. Danvers book, intituled, A treatise of laying on of hands, plainly evincing the true antiquity and perpetuity of that despised ministration of prayer with imposition of hands for the promise of the spirit ... / by Tho. Grantham.	Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692.	1674 (1674)	Wing G1533; ESTC R43208	35,212	40

the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever c. I say this Promise is made to the Church for it were a strange exposition to restrain this FOR EVER to the age of the Apostles as some do for seeing the Apostles or the Churches could neither pray nor Prophesie as they ought but as that Spirit of Promise did help their infitmity it is strange the Succeeding Churches should be able to do those duties though deprived of that gratious assistance for it is evident that the Spirit of Promise is a Spirit of Prayer and Prophesie is one of the most excellent gifts thereof as before we have shewed That great Apostle S. Peter dates the Promise of the holy Spirit very Largely as descending to the very skirt or Last age of the Church of God on earth whiles he asserts it is the right and interest of all Saints even as many as the Lord your God should call Acts. 2. 39. And he hear takes the Promise in that sence wherein Joel meant it and the Christian Church had then received it which clearly intends both the gifts and graces of it for as t is sure they then received great gifts so t is said great grace was upon them all this very promise of the Father is by this Apostle appropriated to all the called of the Lord as we said even the servants and handmaids in these daies Now These daies must either be a few daies at the beginning of the Gospel or it must be refer'd to the whole time of that glorious dispensation if the first then how shall all the called of the Lord receive it Or who will tell us when these daies expired But we know that these daies the Latter daies Last time and Last daies are used with some frequency in Scripture to point out the whole time of the Gospell or Christian Church as it succeeds the time of the Law During all which time we are sure that the duties in generall 3. From the Nature and perpetuity of the duties of the Church and perhaps some difficult undertakings not formerly known which were imposed upon the first Churches are laid upon the Church to the end of the World Matth. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you c. Must the Churches now contend earnestly for the faith and that against both old and new errors must she be still the salt of the earth the light of the world Must she still strive to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdome to all Nations must she keep herself in the Love of God building up her self in her most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost c. if these Duties remain and the Lord requires that she should glorifie him in the constant and faithfull discharge thereof as also in suffering for his sake it cannot reasonably be immagined that he should recall his holy Spirit in the gifts thereof from his Servants who when they had all those gifts had nothing that was superfluous but stood in need of all to furnish them for the work they had to do as the Churches of Christ sith then our God doth require the same services of his Churches now which in generall he required of the Churches in the first ages of the Gospel Let us not imamagin he will require the same Brick and not allow the same Straw for he is not like Pharoah but just in all that he requireth That the gifts of the Spirit here intended by our Apostles are 4. That the Nature and perpetuity of the Exhortations to seek for the Spirit the portion of the Church in every age as her right appeareth further from the Nature of the exhortation she is under to ask them Luk. 11. 13. How much more shall your Heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that askt it ask and it shall be given unto you ver 10. How frequent is the Apostle in these three Chapters in exhortations to this Church and in them to all Churches to desire Spirituall gifts to covet earnestly the best gifts to covet to Prophesie wishing that they may speak with tongues and warning them not to Prohibit that gift Now to what purpose is all this if these gifts be ceased and if the Church may not now expect them why should she ask them I hope no man will say these exhortations are now out of date least in so doing ●… deprive us of the exhortation to Charity also for they are so Linked together as the one cannot cease as it is an exhortation before the other Follow after Charity and desire Spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 14. 1. Thus we see the Church being under Perpetual exhortations to Seek for Spiritual gifts without any restriction necessarily infers her perpetuall right to them and every of them which consideration alone is Sufficient as I conceive to satisfie any Christian that the promise of the Spirit even the same that was given to the first Churches generally in respect of its gifts as well as graces belongs to the Church of Christ thoughout all ages Let us now consider whether the Church of God do not 5. From the continuation of Spiritual gifts in the Church to this day even now enjoy the promised Spirit in the gifts and graces of it at this day For the graces I think none do question it and yet should the fruits or graces of the Spirit as they may be distinguished from gifts which now appear be strictly considered by what did formerly shine forth in the Churches it might without all peradventure put us to some pause yet may we not thence conclude that the graces thereof are ceased but it would surely become a Provocation to cry mightily unto God for an enlargment of what in that behalfe we have received And as I intend not to boast of the gifts of any so I may safely presume that the gifts received in these daies by the Church of God are far greater then I can set down or give you account of because the Church being diffused though many Nations her gifts must needs be unknowne to me I will then restrain my observations to the Churches in this poor Island who may not vie with all Churches but rather in humility conclude themselves inferious to many in respect of gifts And yet shall we say she hath none of the gifts of Gods holy Spirit or may we not rather say she hath many that are endowed with a Word Of Knowledg and that meerly by gift from God having otherwise no capacity or faculty more then others but therein far short of many of their Brethren only the gift of God and no natural faculty maks the differance How have men of knowledg in this world been found to have no skill in the things of God and the foolish to attain knowledge and some to excell so far as to confound the wisdome of the wise and to bring to naught the understanding of the