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
A90725	The duty & honour of church-restorers: set forth in a sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, Septemb. 30. 1646. Being the day of the monethly solemne fast, at Margarets Westminster. / By Herbert Palmer, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Ashwell in Hertfordshire, and a member of the Assembly of Divines.	Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing P230; Thomason E355_22; ESTC R201122	56,005	70

he had warned him that God threatned to take away his kingdom from him Wherefore O King saith he let my counsel be accepted with thee and break off thy Sins by Righteousnesse and thine Iniquities by shewing Mercy to the Poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquility 2. There are many Hypocrites that abound in outward Devotions to God-ward but are abominable in their Practice towards men like those spoken of Tit. 1.15 That professe they know God but deny him in works being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate And more plainly Esa 1.11.15 That brought multitudes of sacrifice and fat of fed beasts and incense and observed new moons and sabbaths wonderfully and made many prayers and yet their hands were full of blood oppression and cruelty Therefore GOD calling them to repentance instances specially v. 17. in seeking Iudgement and relieving the oppressed Iudging the fatherlesse and pleading for the widow Devotion in pretence or to shelter protect in wickednesse as they meant it Ier. 7. Is exceeding sutable to many corrupt hearts while they may please themselves in satisfying others lusts Although sometimes also Devotions are grievous torments to mens corruptions especially in some proportions of Continuance and Frequencies As those here could not well afford to give God the whole day But however God hates all such hypocrisie and partiality in his Law to seem much for Piety and to neglect Justice and Mercy 3. Even Nature teaches the Oppressed and those that are neglected in their Distresses to cry to God and even their miseries force them to cry against such as pretend great Devotion are yet unjust or unmercifull to them When those from whom even by their seeming Piety they were invited to expect Justice and Compassion are either injurious or wanting to them they usually make lowd cries in the Ears of God And therefore He gives such a speciall Charge to have care of those Duties of the second Table as well as they seem to be of any of the first according to that of the Apostle Tit. 3.8 This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirm cōstantly that those that have believed in God be carefull to maintain good works these things are good profitable to men And v. 14. And let ours learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful 4. Commonly when men fast they themselves are apprehensive of some Injustice or Oppressions or of Wants Specially almost all National Fasts are upon such occasions when they are under oppression of Enemies or in fear of them or in danger of Famine and so of want And so they betake themselves to God for support and supply and to encline mens hearts to do them right and to do them good Now God cannot endure that they should do this whiles themselves neglect their own Duties to other men and will not help them or not do them justice when it is in their hand to do it Therefore when they Fast and pray to Him He layes an equall Law upon them that they joyn Justice and Mercy to their Humiliations and Devotions V. And now we may clearly and soon see why such Fasting 5. Why such Fasting is pleasing to God with doing justly and loving Mercy is acceptable to God which is the last thing in this Point 1. It is not because He either needs their service or Observance or fears their Vnjustice or wants the Help of their Charitie being in Himself Eternally blessed and Almighty to protect and provide for whom He pleases But from a threesold ground 2. One is because it is certain that they who are such religious Fasters and so Just and Mercifull are in Christ and in Christ they are sure to be accepted As they have a command from Christ for all these things So Hereby they know that they know Him by keeping his Commandements 1 John 2. v. 3. And v. 5. Who so keeps His word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in Him And if we be in Christ then He is our Advocate as v. 1. and Mediatour and all that we do is excepted in Him 3. Another Reason is because these are all Graces which we receive from the Fulnesse of Christ and which God Himself hath wrought in us by his Spirit It is He that works in a man a love to Righteousnesse and a Mercifull disposition Now God useth to regard what himself hath wrought in us as is every where implied in Scripture particularly Psal 37.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD and He delights in his way And Heb. 13.20 The Apostle having prayed that GOD would make them through Christ perfect in every good work to do his will adds Working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ If we do his will in these things we shall be sure to be pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ 4. Lastly Such greatly honour GOD even before Men. Of all things men are most sensible of Justice and Mercy Therefore when they find those that seem to be Devour and Fast and Pray and delight to draw neer to GOD and inquire after him to add to all this the practise of Iustice Mercy and Charity that their fainting and oppressed spirits are revived by them and their bowels refreshed they stand amazed at this and begin to think Religion hath something in it To this tends that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil deers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation Worldly men use to speak evil of those that professe piety and devotion That they are all for Preaching and Praying and Fasts and such like and neglect Duties between man and man and that they are as unjust and unmercifull and hard-hearted to the poor as any other and so call them Hypocrites for their Devotion When therefore they see these moral vertues and good works accompany their profession of piety and even to flow from it they are forced to admire and justifie them and to glorifie God at the sight and hearing of them Now God we know cannot but be well pleased in his beloved Son with those that are in this manner to his glory and accept of their fidelity and performances which redound to his own honour And accordingly in this chapter not only are these Duties recommended as we have seen but exceedingly encouraged with variety of exceeding great promises worthy to be much pondered v. 8 9 10 11. And our Text is the close of them specifying a most eminent blessing which God will vouchsafe to such as our ensuing Doctrines will more fully discover The next then is Doct. 2. To be a successfull instrument in Church restauration a great mercy That to be Instruments imployed in the Churches restauration

with successe is a great mercy The Text as we have seen in the beginning is a promise of the Churches restauration and it is expressed as an encouragement to the forementioned duties and the right performers of them as a reward of mercy to them so that the Doctrine is beyond question clearly within the scope of the text and grounded upon it And in the handling of it I shall endeavour three things Terms explained 1. By way of explication to open both the generall sense of the Promise and the particular phrases in it 2. To lay down the generall grounds and Reasons of the Point 3. To annexe some speciall Reasons in relation to the severall Phrases The generall sense of the Churches restauration The Charches Restauration is the procuring of good to it when it lies under some calamity To supply what is wanting to it and remedy what is amisse in it and that in some way which may be for Continuance For all the Phrases of Building and Repairing breaches c. apparantly point at Continuance Now this is specially effected by making Laws and Orders for the Churches behoof and the discourse of it most properly looks at those that have that power in their hands though others also in their ranks and conditions may do somewhat toward it Now for the particular phrases The ● is Building Building the old waste places Building is the most comprehensive word in the Text and plainly includes raising up Foundations in the 2. phrase and repairing the Breach in the 3. And in Nature implies Ioyning together materials to make room for habitation commodious and safe But in a Metaphorical sense relating to the Church or State it signifies actually setling Things and Persons together in such an order as may be for common safety and conveniencie As namely in the Church It concerns the Establishment of Doctrine worship and Government in such a way as may unite Christians to Christ and one to another most firmly to receive mutuall strength and help one from another for their mutuall increase in all good and security against all commor enemies and mischiefs This in generall is to Build the Church And in all this work as in all Buildings and namely in the Building of the Temple and of the wals of Hierusalem there are divers forts of persons imployed in it 1. Some whose hand is in the setling of all the glorious things that concern the Churches edification principally or only by way of command So Solomon in his time is said to build the Temple though his hand wrought not about it Such are said to build because by their authority and through their care and oversight others are set awark about it 2. Some are properly Work-men as Hyram and others about Solomous temple and Bezaleel and Aholiab and others about the tabernacle in the wildernesse they did the work in their own persons and with their own hands having skill in it and it being their proper profession and office 3. Others afford only private help as Labourers and bearers of burdens and of this sort also there were divers that were imployed in the building of Solomons temple and so it may be in their proportion in all buildings that concern the Church and State there are some chief commanders others speciall workmen and others that afford only private help As for the old waste places The old waste places they properly signifie places where formerly or at least in the memory of man there hath not been any building but altogether desolation and voyd and empty spaces and so to build those old waste places is to settle those things which former Ages have not done or not of a long time as also to settle them as for instance the Preaching of the Gospel in such places where they have not been of late dayes if ever at all And this is the first Phrase The 2. is To raise up the foundations of many generations Raising up the foundations of many generations which fignifies the going on with that which former generations had some maning to do or perhaps made some beginning in laid some foundation but could not or did not finish the effecting that which others wished to have setled and established but were hindred in and so left it to their successors who accordingly bring it to passe The 3. is To repair the Breach Repairing the breach which intends to make up what the injury and violence of others have broken down and procure again that good unto the Church that safety and conveniencie which it did enjoy formerly untill the mischief of men interrupted it but now amends is made for that mischief and things setled again as they were formerly in their strength and beauty The 4. and last is To restore paths to dwell in Restoring paths to dwell in which imports both resuming what through former discouragements and dangers hath been disused as wayes and paths are when they grow unsafe by any means and also to bring back and restore and encourage such persons who have been driven away from their habitations and imployments through fear and the generall hazard such were in although they were not particularly assaulted with any violence And this is the summe and substance of these Phrases Whereunto it will be convenient to add a word or two of the circumstances of them and the expressions about them First as they are all exprest by way of promise as it is most apparent so also do they all imply a duty and endeavour as well as successe and successe upon endeavour and the performance of duty 2. The first of them is set down in a plural phrase They that shall be of them implying some choise persons whom God would raise up from among those that did so religiously Fast unto him as hath been mentioned and whom he would specially set on work about this building the other three are in phrases of the singular Number like the Law Thou which speaks of all and to all severally to urge them to do their duty and encourage them with promise of successe 3. The two first phrases do chiefly imply Endeavour and Blessing in building the old waste places and raising up the foundations of many generations and the two latter Honour together with blessing upon endeavour Thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and thou shalt be called the restorer of paths to dwell in although we are not to confine any of these meerly to those phrases but apply all to all which for variety sake and even for some speciall relation to the particular phrases as may be touched hereafterward they are thus particularly exprest as hath been noted Now these things being thus explained General Reasons The generall grounds why it is such a great mercy to be imployed in the Churches restauration with successe are briefly four First R. 1 it is Gods great work in the world why he even made the world

restorer of paths to dwell in as a speciall and necessary piece of justice and thankfulness both to those that have been injured by being driven away from their habitations or deprived of the comforts which were due to them which are now restored to them again It was part of Deborahs joy and glory Iudges 5. that before her time the inhabitants of the villages ceased in Israel but she restored them to their dwellings And so you see all the particulars cleared and the two points dispatched the last remaines which is this To religious Fasters doing justly and loving mercie Doct. 3 imploying themselves for the Churches good and restauration God promises that they shall finde successe in it and have also the honour of it This I shall endeavour to clear first by resolving a question about these promises Whether they be made to the generality of a Nation and how far Secondly produce some reasons of the successe promised Thirdly give reasons also of the honour promised The question is Quest whether these promises are made to the body of a Nation here as they seem to be as hath been noted in the exemplification of the former point because the Church also may seem to be very much built when men are generally become such religious Fasters and withall it may be further questioned What these promises are to a Nation when it is very seldome seen and hardly to be expected that such a generation should be found any where in the world and the rather because of that sentence ler. 18 9 10. where God saith And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Natior and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it if it do evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Confidering which one may be apt to say that if God hold this promise at such a rate what good shall we do upon it what use will they be of to us To this question and objections unto it Answ somewhat may be returned in general and somewhat in particular First in general this promise shews the riches of Gods grace to a Nation that stands in need of restauration that if they will regard his charge and his promise they shall be made happy notwithstanding any present calamity as also the riches of his grace in doing for a Nation sometimes more then he here promises them in that he affords them some restauration according to the expressions of the text even when they do not generally come up to the perfection of what he here requires 2. It renders a Nation inexcusable when God offers to do so much for them upon so reasonable tearms if they generally refuse it they had there nothing to plead against God if he shall wholly pull them down and pluck them up and repent of all that good which he was in doing and withall to have done for them 3. It may provoke all that Nation or so many that love a Nations felicity and the Churches good in a Nation to all the faithfulnesse that God cals for and to urge others to the like because if they be generally obedient they shall be sure to partake of this promise But further we may give a fourfold particular answer concerning the nature of this promise First we may say that it is not directed so much to the whole bodie of the Nation in generall as to the religious partie in the Nation to those that made a special profession of serving God according to v. 2. 3. of which we spake before Now it is possible that such a number of men may be faithfull with God though others not and if but they be faithfull though the generality of the Nation be ungodly God will do the work by them if but they be what they pretend to be from among them will God raise up those by whom he will fulfill all this promise Secondly we need not expect that even all they that more specially professe godlinesse in a Nation should be upright God ordinarily looks upon any company of men according as the major part of them behave themselves the greater part stand for the whole in promises of this nature Achans case was somewhat singular having a singular warning before hand which should have made them to have made inquisition whether there were no such fault committed Thirdly we may yet go somewhat lower there may be hopes even from a number of considerable persons though they at the first cannot make the major part no not of the professing party as God admits a very few to stand in the gap to save a Nation from destruction ten would have saved Sodome you know and God leems to have been content to have found but even one man of eminency Ier. 5.1 Ezek. 22. So a small number in comparison suffices sometimes for God to make use of to begin such a work by And indeed seldome at the first are there many faithfull men to be found in a Nation or Church when God begins to afford them a gracious restauration and God knowes how to win himself glory by a few at the first and by them to engage a greater number Therefore Fourthly This promise plainly serves to a three-fold purpose which will be the Uses of all the three Points first to shew how far they are too blame that neglect this promise or look not after it nor after the conditions upon which God offers it Secondly to exhort all to be doing their duties their utmost endeavours toward the participation of so happy a promise Thirdly to encourage greatly those that are and will be faithfull that they shall not labour in vain but the work shall prosper in their hands and they shall have the credit of it as the reasons following will confirme And first consider the reasons why God promises to grant successe unto such which are chiefly four 1. The work is to be done Reas 1 God means to build his Church and restore it sooner or later by one instrument or other therefore being to choose his own instruments he is pleased to appoint such as have shewed themselves faithfull to him in other things to be his servants in this happy work They that shall be of thee shall build c. 2. Such as have been faithfull to God in religious fasting Reas 2 and in the practice of justice and mercy will be willing to employ themselves in the work of the Churches restauration notwithstanding any cost pains or hazard as we see in Nehemiah and his builders what hazards and difficulties they were fain to undergo in that work chap. 3.4.6 what charge he himself was at particularly for carrying on of the work and encouraging the people in it chap. 5. all those Chapters are worthy a serious reading and meditation for this very purpose they watch sometimes whole nights put not off their clothes for divers dayes but when they put them off for washing