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	good_a	work_n	1,094	5	5.3618	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44542	A sermon preached at Fulham in the Chappel of the Palace, upon Easter-day, MDCLXXXIX, at the consecration of the Right Reverend Father in God Gilbert, Lord Bishop of Sarum by Anthony Horneck ...	Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1689 (1689)	Wing H2850; ESTC R8309	15,421	39

Imprimatur Z. Isham R.P.P. Henrico Episc. Lond. à sacris Apr. 4. 1689. A SERMON PREACHED AT FULHAM IN THE Chappel of the Palace Upon Easter-day MDCLXXXIX AT THE CONSECRATION OF THE Right Reverend Father in God GILBERT Lord Bishop of SARVM By ANTHONY HORNECK D.D. LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXIX To the Right Reverend Father in God GILBERT Lord Bishop of SARVM My Lord AFter your Lordship had desired me to Print this Sermon I met with a Discourse upon the very same Subject and upon an occasion of the same nature by an abler Hand which made me look upon the printing of mine as needless and had almost prevailed with me to lay aside all thoughts of Publishing what I deliver'd in your Lordship's presence but considering that Obedience would be better resented than Excuses and a man had better see himself out-shined by persons of greater parts and abilities which is a comfort to an humble mind than be guilty of disrespect to those whom we look upon both as our Friends and Superiors Not to mention that our matter and method are different I was resolved to venture And tho these courser Meditations may not give that satisfaction that more elaborate Orations do yet since there must be Vnder-workmen as well as Master-builders and both may be useful in their several stations I was willing to appear before your Lordship with this Present in which I must beseech you to regard the heart with which it is offer'd more than the gift it self which if you do you will not only let the World see how great your Charity is in over-looking Defects and Blemishes but increase the Obligations you have already laid on My Lord Your Lordships most affectionate and most humble Servant A. HORNECK 2 TIM i. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance That thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands THEY that think that every Christian may be a Preacher and that the Ministry considered as a distinct Calling or Employ is nothing but usurpation and some ambitious mens affecting a Superiority over their Brethren like the Cynick of old trampling upon Plato's Cloak make themselves guilty of greater Pride than that which they pretend to condemn They not only contradict the universal Sense of Mankind which from immemorial times have had their distinct Officers of Religion but set up their Conceits against the Wisdom of God himself who did no sooner plant a Church in the World but took care the Priesthood should be in a certain Order of Men and as before the Law the First-born was to have that Priviledge as all the ancient Jewish Records do witness so under the Law the Family of Aaron was p●…ched upon to attend the Altar And tho the whole Jewish Nation was a Royal Priesthood or a Kingdom of Priests in a metaphorical sense yet properly speaking none could officiate in publick either in the Tabernacle or Temple but the Levites and the Sons of Aaron And under the New Testament tho the Spirit was poured out upon all flesh yet even then men were separated and set apart for preaching the Word administring the Holy Sacraments and exercising Church-Censures and to invade the Office was counted Presumption and Sacriledge and no less than resisting the Holy Ghost The Church is called a Building and we know that every Flint or Pebble is not fit to be a Foundation or Corner-stone much less to be set into the Ephod and there to shine in Oracles and Responses It 's call'd a Body too and this hath various Members and these various Offices which cannot be all Eyes and Overseers if they were where would be the hearing It was therefore that the Apostles in the places where they preach'd the Gospel before they left them or took their final leave of the People ordain'd them Bishops and Elders to succeed them in the Ministerial Function such a Bishop was Timothy the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the President and Overseer of the Church of Ephesus and not only of the Church in the City but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Diocess of Ephesus saith Eusebius and if we may believe St. Chrysostom of all Asia whose Office was besides his other Ministerial Labours to inspect the Clergy under his charge and other Officers belonging to the House of God whereof the Fifth Chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy seems to me a very clear Evidence for it speaks of an Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction lodged in Timothy an Overseer constituted and appointed by St. Paul even by the laying on of his hands whereof he puts him in mind in the Text and of the Gift that was bestow'd upon him by that imposition of hands and of his duty to exercise it Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands And here before I enter upon the Apostle's Exhortation or the Duty contain'd in it I cannot but take notice of the softness and gentleness of his Address I put thee in remembrance Practical Discourses and salutary Admonitions to men of Learning and good Education are a refreshing of their Memories rather than teaching or illuminating their Understandings Timothy could not be ignorant of the Duty recommended to him here by his spiritual Father for from a child he had known the holy Scriptures which made him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus perfect and throughly furnish'd unto all good works yet the Apostle preaches to him a very familiar Duty and this preaching he calls putting him in remembrance The same may be said almost of all Sermons deliver'd in mixt Auditories where judicious and intelligent persons are mingled with vulgar capacities The Morals and common Principles explain'd and taught and inculcated there may be as useful to those of a higher as well as to those of a lower Form for tho they came not attended with new Notions to instruct them yet they may serve to put them in mind of the solid Truths they know and give them opportunity to enlarge and ruminate upon them to their spiritual profit and edification The things which tend to make us eternally happy are the plainest the most known and the most familiar Doctrines improv'd into practice of godliness and he that makes the Articles of the Catholick Faith Motives and Engagements to Self-denial and strictness of life is more likely to arrive in the Harbour of a blessed Immortality than the greatest Literati who think it below them to employ their Parts and Understandings about things which every Ploughman knows as well as they It was the custom of a very learned Prelate of our Church when he had talk'd with his friends of some nicer Points of Divinity or History or Chronology to close his Discourse with this friendly Exhortation Come let us now talk a little of Jesus Christ being

which hath been perform'd by one only and several Ancient Decrees and Constitutions there are that require Ordination of a Bishop by all the Bishops of the Province yet all this can have relation only to the ordinary course of things and where such plenty may easily be had Cases of necessity are not excluded here nor is that Ordination invalid where there is but one to bless the Party who is admitted to the Office in the Name of the Lord. Nor need we wonder that by the imposition of Hands the Holy Ghost even the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound Mind should be conferr'd for as this Imposition of Hands is always seconded by Prayer which makes St. Austin look upon Imposition of Hands and Prayer to be one and the same thing So we know what Promises are made to fervent and importunate Prayer Luke XI 13 If ye being evil can give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him But It 's time I should in the last place shew III. How this gift is to be stirr'd up and what is the best and most proper way to do it In the original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as stirring up the fire or blowing the coals and making the fire burn that lies mingled with the ashes a word much used by Plato which hath made some fancy that the Apostle was well vers'd in Plato's Writings but there is no necessity for that Conjecture for the LXX make use of the expression and with their Translation it 's likely the Apostle was better acquainted than the Ideas of that Philosopher So that the Spirit of God conferr'd upon Sacred Persons by the Imposition of Hands is lodged in the Soul as the Treasure in the Gospel was hid in the Field which required digging and searching to make it useful It 's like Gold in the Oar which requires Melting and Cleansing and Purifying like a stock of money which requires Improvement by Trading like seed Sown in the Ground which requires Watering and other Labour and Industry to make it come forth and Grow and Spread and yield Fruit and strengthen man's heart This stirring up the Gift of God respects either the Means that are to be used or the Duty it self The Means hinted in this and the preceding Epistle are chiefly three Prayer Reading Meditating 1. Prayer Who can live without it Who can act or do any thing of Moment without the assistance of this Spiritual Engine Nature teaches Mankind to begin their Works of Concernment with God Grace therefore must be supposed to press this Duty infinitely more on you particularly the Heirs of Timothy's Office in order to this stirring up the Gift of God that is in you by the Imposition of Hands God that gives you Talents intends not that you should bury them in the Earth or lay them up in a Napkin but Occupy and Traffick with them and be gainers by them and to do this his help is necessary who gives strength to the Weak and Power to the Feeble and this help is not to be had without Importunate Cryes and Sollicitations These Prayers must have Fire it 's their fervour that unlocks the Secret Cabinet of the Almighty as Jamblicus Phrases it They must be in the Nature of Gorgonia's Devotions must even Storm and Threaten Heaven as it were so that God cannot withstand their Force and Power and such were the Prayers of Moses and Aaron and Samuel among his Priests that called upon his Name they call'd upon the Lord and he answer'd them Psal. XCIX 6 2. Reading This the Apostle expresly recommends to Timothy 1 Tim. IV. 13 in order to his stirring up the Gift of God. Reading What No doubt the Holy Scripture and therefore our Church prescribes delivering a Bible into the Hands of the Person upon whom Episcopal Hands are laid and the Maronites lay the Book of the Gospel upon such a Person 's Breast as the Nestorians in Syria do upon his back or shoulders not but that other Books are useful in their Times and Seasons but St. Paul knew what profit was to be got by Reading this Library of the Holy Ghost these Pandects of Christianity and being greedy after this Food of the Soul. The great examples you meet with here the Industry of Moses the Zeal of Elijah the Fervour of St. Paul the Vigour of St. Stephen the Courage of St. Peter the Assiduity of Apollo the Sincerity of Barnabas what are these but so many motives to stir up the Gift of God that is in you Add to all this the Glorious the Precious the Large the Sweet the Wonderful Promises Promises of Christ's Assistance Promises of Comfort of Support of Eternal Life and Glory which will animate and enliven and prompt you to blow up the fire of the Sanctuary and the Coal of the Altar that it may consume the Dross and Tin not only that which cleaves to your own Souls but that also which sticks to others that see and hear you and converse with you 3. Meditating This is also urged among the Means not to neglect the Gift of God 1 Tim. IV. 15 Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them The bare Reading will make no great impression Mediation digests and Rouzes the Soul from her Slumber This quickens the faculties sets all the wheels a going incites to Labour Prompts to Industry and moves and even compels us to imitate the great examples set down in the Word of God and to follow their Faith and Wisdom and Hope and Love and Charity Meditation is spiritual Seeing Seeing the Fight made Homer's Hero join in Battel Meditation surveys the Combats of the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Christ himself and from hence arise Incentives and Encouragements to stir up the Gift of God that is in you by the Imposition of Hands But in what doth the stirring up of the gift of God consist Chiefly in these Three particulars 1. Feeding the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready mind neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the Flock This is St. Peters charge and we cannot well conceive how this Spirit or gift can be stirred up more profitably than this way for this end the Holy Spirit is bestow'd upon you that you should feed the Flock committed to your charge and cause it to be fed by persons not only Learned but Pious and Devout and such as have a great sense of God and of the worth of Mens Souls for this cause the Holy Ghost moves upon your inward Man that you should feed the Sheep by preaching the Word by your sweet and gentle Government and by your exemplary lives These will be Evidences and Arguments and Demonstrations that the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon you that you walk after the