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
A49386	The duty of servants containing first, their preparation for, and choice of a service, secondly, their duty in service : together with prayers suited to each duty : to this is added A discourse of the Sacrament suited peculiarly to servants / by the author of Practical Christianity.	Lucas, Richard, 1648-1715.	1685 (1685)	Wing L3396; ESTC R5519	91,855	259

is this they who would be extremely devout must be extremly pious they who would find the pleasure of transports in Prayer must be frequent in their Retirements strict in their Self-denial and Mortification devout if it may be even in their daily Conversation In a word they must be crucified to the World and delight in God and in Jesus above all things The Servants Duty as it respects their Obligation to and Preparation for the Sacrament shall be handled at large in the close of this Book I have insisted thus long upon these Duties because whoever conscienciously performs these will not be like to miscarry in any other I will now single out those other Duties which do seem to me more peculiarly to concern Servants for as there are some times so there are some stations which do more particularly require the practice of some Virtues as Adversity of Patience Prosperity of Thankfulness The station of a Magistrate requires the practice of Justice and the station of a Subject the practice of Loyalty and both the one and the other is bound to this out of Conscience towards God So is it in the station of a Servant tho' he must not look upon himself as dispens'd from any Duty common to him with others yet there are some wherein he must endeavour to excel and be eminent as being more immediately and directly necessary in his Imployment such are these three Fidelity to his Master dependance upon God The Servant's Fidelity to his Master a Duty owing to God and Contentment in his station First Fidelity to his Master I place this first because all his Prayers and Sacrifices without this cannot be accepted by God his diligence in reading and hearing the Word is without this Hypocrisie and his communicating of the Sacrament is without this but a bold and presumptuous prophanation of it And I place this here as a Duty towards God because I would have every Servant know that it really is so nothing can be plainer than that the * Eph. 6.5 c. Apostle thought so which you will readily acknowledge if you 'l read with impartiality that weighty and earnest Exhortation which he makes to Servants Eph. 6.5 c. Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh in fear and trembling with singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free How could the Apostle more fully or more pathetically express your Obedience to your Masters to be a duty to God he tells you that the discharge of your Place is a good work that God owns it and will reward it as a Service done to him that it doth very much concern the Honour of your Christian Profession that the Rule by which you are to behave your selves is the Conscience of its being a Duty towards God a firm persuasion that you are to be accountable for it to Christ our Lord and Master and our Judge and for these Reasons you are to perform this Duty with fear and trembling that is not an apprehension of what you shall suffer in your Temporal Interest if you perform it not faithfully but a dread of dishonouring Christ and provoking God by it Those other Properties of the right performance of this Duty singleness of heart chearfulness c. as they respect your Duty towards your Master shall be treated in their proper place I am only here to mind you that they are here pressed upon you as Duties to God the Apostle intimating that where the Master's Eye could not there God's Eye would see regard and mark the behaviour of the Servant and that though his heart were not open to the inspection of his Master yet 't is to God's and therefore he must serve his Master from his heart too He that is acted by such a Conscience as this will certainly do his Duty for when he shall think that God overlooks him and fills every place which his Master cannot he cannot then easily be tempted to allow himself in murmuring or unfaithfulness or idleness Whatever he would not do or say if his Master's Eye were upon him that being govern'd by this Conscience he will not do how far soever he be absent for he will fear Damnation more than the loss of his Service and the displeasure of God more than that of Man A second Duty towards God which I would recommend to Servants is 2. Trust in God Trust in him or dependance upon him There is no state so secure or so fortunate as not to stand in need of God and consequently none wherein this is not a proper Duty But yet it seems most proper and indispensible for such as have fewest Friends fewest supports to relie upon and such are Servants they are therefore to endeavour to be eminent in this Grace there is no way by which they can more directly and immediately own God by which they can make a more publick and eminent Profession of their firm Belief of his Wisdom Power and Goodness The Servant therefore must learn to look upon God as his Father as his Patron as his Guardian as all in all to him to him he must resort for Counsel to him he must complain if wrong'd of him he must beg assistance and on him alone he must relie for a blessing in all he doth and for Provision He must learn to call upon him in all his Straits and praise him in all his Enjoyments From the conscientious practice of this Duty the Master will reap two great Advantages the first that his Servant will do his Duty with much better courage as aiming in all he doth to recommend himself not only to his Master whose power to requite him is it may be very little but most especially to God who he knows is a Patron that never wants either power or will to recompence those that apply themselves to him The second that God will bless him and all he has for his Servants sake This was the Advantage which Potiphar enjoy'd in the Service of Joseph and Laban in that of Jacob the Prosperity of those Idolaters being owing to the Religion of their Servants the Servant besides the contentment and satisfaction of his mind arising from his frequent Addresses to God and besides the actual blessings which God will one time or other certainly bestow upon those that trust in him will also find a good support a ready Antidote against all the real and imaginary Evils of his state For were but this Duty of Trust in God conscientiously practised Servants of ability and spirit would never want encouragement nor those of meaner Capacity satisfaction and comfort They who serv'd in hope would be able in despight of an

THE DUTY OF SERVANTS CONTAINING First Their Preparation for and Choice of a Service Secondly Their Duty in Service Together with Prayers suited to each Duty To this is added A Discourse of the Sacrament suited peculiarly to Servants By the Author of Practical Christianity LONDON Printed for Sam. Smith at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1685. THE EPISTLE TO SERVANTS Good Fellow-Christians I Will not increase the Bulk or Price of this Book by giving the World an account of all the Reasons that mov'd me to publish it let it suffice to tell you that 't is a Design of great Charity for your Temporal and Eternal Interest I would as much as lies in me render your Estate easie profitable and at least not dishonourable which I shall certainly effect if I can persuade you to Contentment and a faithful discharge of your Duty in your Place for 't is not the Nature of Service but the Faults of Servants which render this state uneasie and contemptible the greatest Burthen and Dishonour of it being in truth to be imputed to the unreasonable Discontents to the negligent unfaithful or undiscreet behaviour of many Servants I would possess you therefore with such Virtues as may render you the Favourites and Confidents of your Masters dear to them as you ought to be next to their own Children and by being so you will become more considerable to all that know you and nearer every day to Advancement These Virtues are Contentment in your Condition Justice Truth Industry Humility the Fear of God and such like By the Practice of these you will convince the World that you differ from the Rich and Great only in outward Circumstances that you have true Honour and Goodness in your Souls and that you have nothing mean in you besides your Fortune These therefore cannot miss of making you worthy to be esteemed to be beloved to be trusted to be encouraged But this is not the utmost of my Design I would make you Happy and Glorious hereafter I would make you the Children the Heirs of God and Joynt-Heirs with Christ though the Servants of Men I would deliver you from the Bondage of Sin and Satan and make you partakers of the true Liberty of the Sons of God Now this cannot be done unless you can be prevail'd with to love and pursue after those Virtues which become your condition in the World and so discharge your Duties conscientiously for I must deal faithfully with you no man can be a good Christian who is not good in that station wherein God has placed him You cannot then be Obedient Servants of God unless you be Faithful Servants of Men nor yet do I confine the whole of your Duty within the compass of your Service to Man there is a Duty also which you owe to God which you are to perform in the first place not only because he is your Chief and Best Master I should rather have said your Good Lord and Father too but also because this is the best and most solid Foundation of your Duty towards Man and therefore easily conceiving that no good nay no wise Man will grudge you the time that is necessary for the Service of God since unless this be perform'd they can neither expect that you should serve them as you ought nor if they did that God would give a Blessing to your Service I have taken care to direct you also in this little Treatise how to imploy this time laying down such Rules as may be more peculiarly useful to you in Reading Hearing the Word Receiving the Sacrament c. The Method I have followed is very plain and I need give you no other account of it than what you have in the Title I have nothing more but to beseech you that you would joyn with me in hearty Prayers to God that he would bless this my Endeavour with success not only to your Advantage and Comfort but to the Peace and Interest of all Families which is nearly concern'd in your Behaviour that he would possess all of you with Virtues suitable to your Quality and Condition in the World with a Spirit of Meekness and Humility with a Spirit of Faithfulness and Industry with a Spirit of Love and Gratitude and with a Spirit of Fear of and Dependence upon him our God that so you may not only be considerable and useful in your Places but also Examples of an Excellent Virtue and by a necessary consequence happy here and glorious hereafter which is the sincere Desire of Your Affectionate Friend Richard Lucas The Contents PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service Ch. 1. Of Preparation for Service The Duty of Parents in this point The Duty of those who design themselves for Service Ch. 2. Of the Choice of a Service The Importance of this Choice Rules to be followed in making it PART II. Containing the Duty of Servants Ch. 1. Of the Servant's Duty towards God Ch. 2. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Master and Mistress Ch. 3. Of the Servant's Duty towards the Children of the Family Sojurners Strangers Ch. 4. Of the Servant's Duty towards his Fellow-Servants Ch. 5. Of the Servant's Duty towards himself with 6. The Conclusion of this part containing general Motives to the Servant's conscientious performance of his Duty PART III. Containing The Seruant's Preparation for the Sacrament PART I. Of Preparation for and Choice of a Service CHAP. I. Of Preparation for Service as 't is the Duty partly of Parents and partly of those Young People who resolve upon Service THERE is scarce any particular Work The Necessity of Preparation or any single Action that is well done unless by such who are train'd up to it or fitted for it either by an actual or habitual preparation how can it then be imagin'd that Service which is a state of Life of so great importance to the welfare of all the other members of a Family as well as that of Servants themselves should be wisely entred into and happily discharg'd without any Preparation Many and important are the Duties of Servants great is the Trust repos'd in 'em the Estate the Honour of their Masters and Mistresses the Peace the Happiness and Virtue too of the whole Family doth very often depend much upon 'em and can any one question whether such a Charge such a Trust as this does not require many Virtues and Excellent Qualifications and these cannot be obtain'd without due Preparation for as no man is happy so neither is any man wise or virtuous by chance The Qualifications of a good Servant Now the Qualifications which make a good Servant are such as these Fear of and Dependence upon God Contentment in their Condition Love of their Masters and Mistresses Humility Meekness and Patience Faithfulness Industry and Discretion These I confess are eminent Virtues and though they are necessary in this lower station they make men fit for and worthy of the highest These will make

against which more judgments more curses are denounced or which is represented more detestable to God than Lying Lips a Lying Tongue a spiteful and a malicious Heart There is indeed a sort of Lying by way of Recrimination and Self-defence which is generally thought to have something of extenuation in it and something indeed it has but not enough to excuse it for the best that can be said of it is this it may sometimes have something less of Malice and habitual Rancour but it has never less of falsehood and injustice and therefore is vile and dishonourable in the sight of Man and damnable in the sight of God One sort of Injustice more I must just touch upon and that is Envy weak and base minds are extreamly subject to this such as are too sluggish to have any Merit and too self-conceited to see their want of it these and these only are apt to be envious and such a one will count every excellence in his Fellow-Servant a disparagement to himself and every favour vouchsafed another an injury to him And this stirs him up to detract from anothers good Service and to supplant anothers interest by all imaginable Arts which shews the hainousness of this Crime consisting in the utmost contradiction to Justice and Charity but this sin is so great a Plague and Torment to ones self that methinks there needs few motives to persuade men not to entertain it or to get rid of it Thus much I thought necessary to speak of this Duty of the Justice of Servants towards one another and were this well observ'd this would lay a sure Foundation for Charity and this again for Mutual Assistance and Concord for if you would not wrong one another either in word or deed all occasions of debate and contention would be cut off It were very happy for you your selves and for your Masters and Mistresses if you could advance thus far if you could come up to the pitch of honest Heathens but this is not enough to make you perfect Christians there 's something more requir'd of you if you 'l be the Disciples of our dear Lord and Master than meerly not to do wrong I will proceed therefore to the second Duty of Servants towards one another namely Charity I need not insist on the necessity of this grace in general Mutual Charity between Servants you well enough know you cannot be saved without it the heart that is void of love is void of God for * 1 John God is Love if you be destitute of Charity you cannot be the Children of God or the Disciples of Christ 1 John 4.20 If a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Lyar. And our Saviour saith hereby shall I know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This is an irresistible motive to every one that believes and weighs it but there are others which being more peculiar to your state ought to prove strong engagements to it for instance how uncomfortable must strife and hatred render your service it must needs be extremely troublesom to be condemn'd to the company and conversation of those you cannot endure nor will this only bereave you of the pleasure you would take in one another but of the assistance you would afford each other if you did love as Brethren nor is this all your discontents do generally rebound upon those above you and you grow by degrees as uneasy and unacceptable to your Masters and Mistresses as you are to one another nay any discreet man tho' he could brook the trouble of your quarrels and discontents yet to deliver himself from the disparagement scandal of 'em will judge himself obliged to discard all peevish contentious Servants what over other good qualities they may have And then another ill consequence is you lose your good name and lie under such odious characters that being cast out of one house no other will receive you for who can be fond of noise and mischief This little if it be seriously consider'd is sufficient to convince you of your obligation to Charity and Brotherly affection towards one another I will now go on to shew you in what instances you must express this affection having first only put you in mind that your Charity must be real and not feigned that you must love not in word but in deed and in truth for Hypocrisie and Dissimulation is as sinful and mischievous and in common account at least more odious and despicable than professed hatred or open contention Having premised this I proceed there are two waies by which you are to express your mutual Charity First by the mutual assistance you are to afford each other Secondly by preserving constant peace and unity amongst your selves 1. If you be possessed with Charity towards one another it will shew it self in the good turns you will do one another in the assistance you will yield to each other and here sure the Soul of your fellow-Servant deserves your aid in the first place if he be ignorant unacquainted with Religion and not only so but incapable through the meanness of his education to inform himself in it by reading for if he be not ignorant but what is worse viciously inclined if he know God but do not fear nor glorifie him as he ought you cannot do God or him a more eminent service than by endeavouring to instruct and inform him reading to him and teaching him to read or by endeavouring to convince his Conscience of his Duty and to make him sensible of the necessity and happiness of a Religious and holy life Next to the ignorance of Religion and Immorality a Servant's ignorance in his business requires your compassion and aid and what help you afford him in this is a work of excellent Charity in you and ought to be acknowledg'd not only by your fellow-Servant but your Master too as an obligation for 't is a Real benefit to both To be brief if you 'l behave your selves with that goodness gentleness and sweetness that may evidence your love to one another you must in a literal sense bear one anothers burthens you must pardon and forgive one another's infirmities you must excuse and conceal one anothers Errours unless they be such as imply manifest unfaithfulness to your Master in which case they are no longer Errours and Frailties but Crimes Concord which was the second instance of Charity I recommended to you is the natural result of all this For these mutual Assistances and Obligations can never miss of preserving a right Understanding and nourishing a sincere Friendship between you but yet because Concord must be preserv'd where Friendship sometimes cannot and you must wish well to and carry your selves fairly towards some Servants whom you cannot fancy whom you cannot take any complacency or delight in therefore I will say something of this I need say nothing more to convince you of the necessity of Concord than