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
A96858	Gnōston tou Theou, k[a]i gnōston tou Christou, or, That which may be knovvn of God by the book of nature; and the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ by the Book of Scripture. Delivered at St Mary's in Oxford, by Edward Wood M.A. late proctor of the University and fellow of Merton Coll. Oxon. Published since his death by his brother A.W. M.A.	Wood, Edward, 1626 or 7-1655.; Wood, Anthony à, 1632-1695.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3387; Thomason E1648_1; ESTC R204118	76,854	234

the Gentiles but we must not here stand too long upon these things it remaines that since the Scripture is profitable for instruction in Righteousnesse good reason therefore it is that all people being thus to be instructed should read the holy Scriptures whose end it is as the Apostle goes on that the man of God may be perfect and throughly furnished unto all good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by comparing the 1 Tim. 6. 11. with this the Minister or interpreter of God such as Timothy was himselfe that he might be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes that he namely who is of greatest concernement and knowledge in the Church may out of the Scriptures furnish himselfe with the knowledge of such dutyes which belong unto God and his neighbour there is no kind of good worke or duty which can be thought upon but the Scripture doth prescribe and prepare us unto and this is the meaning of the words on which I have been the longer because by them I have taken occasion to resolve you of such doubts which for brevity sake I cannot at large and distinctly handle from the words themselves you may note these three common observations 1. That the Scriptures are of divine authority for they are inspired of God 2. That they are most perspicuous and in the main most easily to be understood for otherwise how could they be profitable for our instruction in righteousnesse 3. That they are most perfect for if the Minister himselfe can draw out of them all things necessary unto his duty it will follow doubtlesse that they containe all things necessary for our Salvation and that they are most perfect 1. Then we shall shew that the Scriptures are of Divine authority what these Scriptures are none here I suppose can be ignorant of for you must needs conclude from what hath been spoken that they are the Word of God or holy bookes written by the inspiration of God to make us wise unto Salvation so that in the very frontispeice as 't were of the definition you may discover from whence they proceed God is the Authour of them that is certaine and 't were as absurd for a Christian to deny this as for any man to deny that beames and rayes proceed from the Sonne and therefore he that calls into question or denys that the Scriptures are the Word of God is as unworthy the name of a Christian as he is of a Phylosopher or a Metaphysitian that disallowes of a naturall body or entity because these are things which are necessary to be presupposed of him should all the men of the world unanimously conspire to deny that the Scriptures are the Word of God yet are they no lesse divine and authenticall then the Sunne would be light if all men otherwise were blinded let Turkes and Pagans say what they will yet the Scriptures will be still Gods word and there are such sufficient reasons for to prove it that he that is not either wilfully blinded or maliciously bent must needs confesse the same for that they are from God and so in themselves of divine Authority sundry reasons may be given we shall only for brevity sakename three or foure For besides that they doe most cleerly reveale unto us the nature and workes of God as the three Persons in the Trinity the mystery of the regeneration and the like things altogether above the reach and contrivance of man besides the impartialnesse and candour of the Pen-men of them for so Moses setteth down the incest of his Parents of whom he was begotten Ex. 6. 2. and his own disobedience Numb 11. 11. Jonah his murmering and Jeremiah his fretting which undoubtedly shews that they were not biassed with any carnall respects but altogether overruled and inspired by an higher Spirit besides also the quality condition of the Pen-men Amos an heardsman Mathew a publican the Apostles many of them fishermen which evidently shew that there was some higher power which did instill into them that profoundnesse of wisedome which all the art and Phylosophy in the world can never reach unto Adde to these the consent and holy conspiracy as 't were between all their writings notwithstanding the great difference of times they wrote in the remotenesse of places and the diversity of matters whereof they have written so incredible and divine is their mutuall harmony that you would rather think one man writ them with divers penns then that divers men writ them by one Spirit besides these and sundry other reasons I say which may sufficiently declare who is the principall Authour of this holy writ another great argument testimony of their originall is first the truth and events of Scripture Prophesyes Can any man Angel or created being foretell future contingent events can they tell the very name of a man and the time of his birth a hundred yeares before hand as the Spirit by Esay did concerning Cyrus and in the 1 of the Kings 13. concerning a Josias by name above 300 yeares say Annalist's before he was borne could ever any of the cheating Oracles of the Heathens or any counterfeited Sybill tell of a Messias to be borne 4000 years after then to come to passe just as 't was foretold as it did according to the promise made to Adam Gen. 3. 15. we our selves of this Nation are living examples of the truth of holy predictions succeeding events the Scriptures many thousand yeares ago did foretell the calling of the Gentiles for in him say they shall the Gentiles trust and all the ends of the earth shall see the Salvation of God and behold the Prophesy accomplished in our selves we who heretofore sate in darknesse and the shaddow of death doe now lye under glorious light who before were not a people but are now a people 't were endlesse to relate unto you all the Prophesyes which were exactly accomplish't according to the times places and circumstances foretold 2. But secondly the miracles that were wrought by and did accompany the teachers and writers of the Word may sufficiently confirme our faith in the authority of the Scriptures themselves unlesse we are worse then the Magitians who upon the Miracle of lice could cry out this is the finger of God Exod. 8. 19. but how may we know that the Miracles we read in the Gospells are true since by some the Gospell it selfe is doubted of Answer that were they not true they would have either been refuted or rejected by the men of those dayes but so farre were they then from that as a learned man notes that Josephus a Jew an enemy to the Christian truth did acknowledge Christ to be the worker of many miracles A 3d main argument of the Divinity of the Scriptures may be that admirable force and power which they have upon the minds and hearts of men which believe in them sometimes to humble and cast down sometimes to comfort and raise up the Spirits what vigour doth it

extinguished in us as plainely appeares by the text yet so far was it dulled that we cannot by the remainders thereof either read the will of God or from it derive any comfort unto our selves For as by a dull and obscure taper we may perhaps view a body in grosse whereas we cannot through the weaknesse of the light scan each particular part of it why so here by this light of nature we may apprehend indeed God his worship in generall but we can never thereby dive more particularly into his will or those his attributes of grace pardoning mercy love unto us in Christ and the like which none can fully understād without faith in Christ in whom alone are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. vers 3. Wel then to draw to an head by comparing these our two estates together you may easily conceive what is meant by this naturall light or light of nature for it is nothing else but those common ordinary notions and conceits remaining in the minds and consciences of men concerning God and naturall goodnesse in the first verse it is called the truth because of those plaine convictions it hath upon the consciences of naturall men and therefore they that resist this light and walk not according unto its dictates are said to hold the truth in unrighteousnesse that is unjustly to stifle and keep under those apprehensions of God and goodnesse from appearing in their Lives or Actions And in the second of this Epistle and the thirteenth it is called the Law written in their hearts from the command awfull power it hath over the hearts of men in which it is engraven as with the point of a diamond and therefore Iamblicus an eminent Author calls it an inbred and immoveable notion Wee stile this light of nature common ordinary notions and conceipts common they are because they are congeniall and imbred in all men and ordinary because though all men naturally have some slight and catching conceipts at God yet they neither know aright who or what kind of God this is and therefore you may read Act. 17. vers 23. of an Altar amongst the Athenians inscribed Vnto the unknowne God and Christ said the Samaritans worshipped they knew not what Joh. 4. 22. Secondly we say that these notions remaine in the minds and consciences of men for first in the minds reside those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those speculative prime and fundamentall truths namely that there is a God that all effects have dependance upon some cause and the like And secondly because in the consciences of men reside those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those practicall and morall principles by which we conclude within our selves that since there is a God he is to be worshipped that we ought to do unto others as we would have them doe unto us that we ought to deale justly with all men and the like From whence it is that the Apostle saith of the Gentiles that they do by nature the things contained in the Law even the Gentiles have a naturall Law imprinted in their hearts by which they are carried unto those Common generall duties which concerne God and their neighbour which will further be cleered unto you if you consider with me the second point namely that this light of nature is in all men or rather thus that there are some Common notions of God and goodnesse imprinted in the hearts of all men even of the Gentiles There is no man so over dawbed with sin and filthynesse so benighted and overclouded with wretched ignorance but hath oftentimes the flashes and immediate representations of the Deity darting in upon him and there is noe man of soe debauched and loose a life so benummed and frozen affections but hath ever and anon the secret whips and girds of a conscience to restraine him together also with naturall Impressions of goodnesse to thaw and melt him into more ingenuity Now then that this light of nature First as it relates unto God is in all may appeare both by scripture and by reason as for scripture were there no other my text would be sufficient proof that that which may be known of God is manifest in them that is in the Gentiles and so consequently in all That which may be knowne of God whereby is implyed that there are some things concerning God above the pitch and kenne of this naturall light the mysteries indeed of the Trinity of the Incarnation of Christ and the like are Riddles unto nature neither can they ever be reacht unto by humane disquisition Yet it still remaineth certaine that that which may be knowne of God namely his being his omnipotence and the like is manifest in them In the 17. of the Acts vers 26 27 28. you may have another proofe for the Apostle there in his Sermon unto the Athenian Heathens shewing that God was not so far from them but that he might even Palpando inveniri as Beza translates it be groped after and easily found out By that little naturall light that was in them they might tracke the foot-steps of Divinity and haply find out in whom they lived moved and had their being And so in the Acts chap. 14. vers 17. 't is said that God left not himselfe without witnesse There is within us an inbred light as a domesticke Chaplaine continually to teach us and without us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons as so many visible witnesses to take away ignorance and all excuse from us wherefore that of the Psalmist The foole hath said in his heart Psal 14. 1. must not be understood as if a wicked man for he is the foole here could quite obliterate and put out the light of nature and Knowledge of God in him for Atheisme can never find a perfect and continuall assent in the heart of man but onely that he so workes and lives without the feare of God as if he were fully perswaded that there were no God at all The reasons then to prove that the Knowledge of God is in all men Naturally may be many I shall name only two or three and let passe the common consent of all Nations Nulla gens tam barbara est saith Tully there is no nation so barbarous and destitute of Common reason as not to acknowledge a God to let passe also the Naturall discourses and ultimate resolutions of the minds of men into some Supreame cause and first Mover of all things 1. First the testimonies of the Heathens themselves do sufficiently evidence the truth 't is Pauls way of arguing with the Athenians as certaine also of your owne Poets have said we are also his Ofspring Acts 17. 28. He infers their knowledge of God and the truth of his worship from their owne mouthes and so may we also Plato calls a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a creature naturally religious and a worshiper of God yea himselfe hath written so Divinely and Reverently of God that many of the

Invisible things of him and since this Light of ours is further improved by the eye of an understanding soule let us not be as the Psalmist cals them Brutish Men that know not these things As Beasts which commonly looke upon this Palace and no more But when we view these Bodies of ours let us endeavour to see a God who covered us in our Mothers Wombe and who still upholdeth these Mud-wals of clay by the Power of his Word When we walke into the feilds there looke upon the corne the Herbs and the grasse let us meditate upon the God of them who once said let the earth bring forth grasse the herb yeilding flowers and the fruit-tree yeilding fruit after his kind and it did so and if so be God so cloth the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more cloth thee O thou of little faith When thou lookest up into Heaven meditate upon that God which ordained the Moone and the Stars and which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Chambers of the south When thou viewest any Creature consider whose stamp it beares and whose goodnesse is shewne in the creating and preserving of it Lastly let us be exhorted to study God in his Workes of Providence and in his dispensations towards mankind there are many even amongst us Christians who seeing things happen contrary to their desires and Carnall Reasons as the godly to be dejected and the wicked advanced doe implicitely deny a God or at least wise with the Epicureans think that he sits idle in Heaven without any respect or care had unto Mankind whereas did we not measure the depth of Gods dispensations by our owne shallow carnall reasons we might even in the greatest huddle and confusion of things see a God steering and directing them all to his owne Glory Though then thou seest sinne every where even in the streets to abound know also that there is no evill in the City which the Lord hath not done though thou seest the ungodly to flourish like a green bay-tree and with David art puzled with the consideration of it yet with him enter into the House of God and then thou shalt see the end of these men namely how that there is a God who setteth them in slippery places and who onely feedeth them for the day of slaughter Well then to conclude both in the Workes of Creation and Providence we ought to study God because that in them we may read those invisible things of him both of them are as spectacles unto us to help us in the viewing of this Invisible God and though indeed in Christ and in the Scriptures we may read him farre more distinctly yet so long as wee are in these our Earthly Tabernacles we ought to make use of these Representations of his Majesty till the time come when wee shall not stand in need of these spectacles when this glaste of the Creatures shall vanish in the Generall Conflagration of all things and then we shall behold him face to face and enjoy a most glorious prospect of his Divinity in those new heavens for evermore FINIS 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproofe c. WEE are now to speak concerning the perspicuity and perfection of the Scriptures concerning which I shall be more briefe as I told you because they have been so largely handled already by sundry learned men unto the substance of whose writings there can indeed scarce any thing be added unlesse perhaps farther illustration and a more practicall handling of them the perspicuity of Scripture may be inferred from the use of it here set down by the Apostle it is profitable for Doctrine saith he for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse foure uses are here made mention of in Scripture the two Doctrinall teaching of truth and confuting errours the two last practicall correction of vice and instruction of holy conversation from whence I inferre that since it doth thus teach thus convince it must needs carry with it such a light and evidence of truth that neither its doctrines may be rejected through their obscurity nor its arguments gainsayd for want of cleerenesse and since also it is usefull for Reformation of manners and direction in a holy life needs must its rules for this purpose be so plainely set down that every one concerned in such dutys may be thereby instructed unto holinesse the Scriptures may be termed the first Elements of a Christian a Child may go to schoole unto them for saith the Apostle they are profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as the word implyes for instruction of Children even a Child may spell out the Scriptures what is his duty toward God and his neighbour and doubtlesse if a Child may read and understand the Scriptures they are not so obscure so intricate so perplexed as some conceive them to be in prosecution therefore of this point we shall shew 1. that the Scriptures are in themselves perspicuous 2. That they are more or lesse perspicuous according to the diversity of the subjects entertaining them 3. We shall endeavour to shew some reasons why God hath left some places more obscure then other 1. First that the Scriptures are in themselves perspicuous may appeare by severall texts Ps 19. 8. The commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes they are pure and therefore not alloy'd with any muddinesse or clouded with any obscurity they enlighten the eyes and therefore carry along with them such evident plainenesse that he who is not quite blinded may easily perceive the truth of them So Ps 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths it doth that is by its perspicuity and clearenesse both as a lampe and light direct me in all my goings hence also it is that the Scripture is called 2 Pet. 1. 19. A light that shineth in darke places denoting out unto us that the word not only in its own nature is light but also that wheresoever it commeth it dispelleth darknes as the Sun at his appearance forceth away the night the foggs and mists as Solomon a man of the profoundest wisedome that ever lived said that he writ to give subtility to the simple to the young men knowledge and discretion Prov. 1. 4. there is in the Word of God such innate plainenesse and perspicuity that the simplest man may thereby be enlightned the youngest instructed but here when we say the Scriptures are plain and easy to be understood we must distinguish concerning fundamentalls and things necessary to be known and circumstantialls or such things whose exact knowledge is not so necessary unto salvation those matters which belong unto a saving knowledge of God are plainely set down such as are the commandements and the doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed but now there are some things which either relating