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	master_n	servant_n	1,864	5	7.1466	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77498	The drinking of the bitter cup: or, The hardest lesson in Christ's school, learned and taught by himself, passive obedience. Wherein, besides divers doctrinall truths of great importance, many practicall directions are held forth, for the teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly father in suffering his will, both in life and death, patiently, obediently, willingly. / As it was lately presented to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4713; Thomason E1838_1; ESTC R210133	201,893	311

them for our good whether spirituall or temporall they may not be neglected They who upon this ground neglect means for their Bodies may upon the same ground also as well neglect them for their Souls neglect all Ordinances inasmuch as God hath determined what shall become of the one as of the other To neglect means is a tempting of God which our blessed Saviour would by no means incur the guilt of And therefore when the Devill would have tempted him to cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple upon the assurance of a Divine protection which he had the promise of he repells his temptation with that Scripture Text It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 4.7 He would wait upon God in the use of means for his coming down from thence And the like are Christians to doe They not only may but must use means for the diverting of evils A threefold Provi●o Only take it with these few Provisoes and Cautions 1. Provided that the will of God be not revealed to them to the contrary his absolute will That Gods will be not revealed to the contrary so as they may take notice of it Upon this ground it was that our Saviour here would not admit of any resistance to be made to those who came to apprehend him because he was acquainted with his Fathers will And upon this ground was Peter here justly reproveable for making this resistance inasmuch as his Master had before acquainted him herewith shewing to him and the rest of his Apostles that he must goe up to Jerusalem and there suffer and dye Mat. 16.21 and withall had given him a sharp reproof for his advising him to the contrary vers 23. And but even now he had been again put in minde hereof in and by that Sacrament whereof he had been a partaker the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein the breaking of the Bread represented the breaking of the Body of Christ and the powring forth of the wine represented the shedding of his blood as Christ himself had expounded to him and the rest of his Apostles the mystery and meaning thereof So as Peter could not be ignorant what was the will of God and his Masters will herein And therefore for him to doe what he did in a way of resistance to that will it was in him justly blameable 2. Provided again that these means be not vnlawfull means That also was Peters case here That they be lawfull means Privato homini non licuit contrà eo●insurgere qui publicâ outhoritate i●structi erons Calv● Com. in Tex The means which he used for the rescuing of his Master was unlawfull Inasmuch as he being but a private person ought not in such a way to have resisted publick Authority by drawing his Sword upon their Officers In this he acted out of the sphere of his Calling which Christ would not give allowance to 3. And thirdly being lawfull means they must be used lawfully Used lawfully As Paul saith of the Law 1 Tim. 1.8 The Law is good if it be used lawfully that is as a rule of Obedience not so as to seek Justification by it and so to rest upon it So may I say of many means which are usefull unto men for self-preservation and safety they are lawfull if used lawfully if used in obedience to God with submission to his will so as not to trust in them but in God who is able either to blesse or blaste With these cautious means of preservation from and deliverance out of temporall evils both may and ought to be used But not so as to make any resistance to the will of God Which whoso doth whether advisedly or rashly deserves a just Reprehension And so I have done with the first of these Particulars upon the account whereof Christ here giveth this Check unto Peter his making resistance against the will of God his Father Passe we on to the Second His going about to take Christ off from his duty Obs 2 and obedience to his Father Taking off others from their Duty For this again instead of thanks Christ giveth him a Check And such entertainment are Christians to give unto those Counsels or attempts Non est tolerandus qui à divinorum observantiâ mandatarum abducit etiamsi in verbis praeferat pietatem led i● c●epandus c. Ferus Annot. in Text. which do any wayes tend to the taking them off from their duty and obedience to God their heavenly Father by whomsoever they are offered and out of whatever intention yet hearken not to them but reject them Peter here an Apostle a faithfull servant to his Lord and Master Christ out of that intire affection which he bare to him ingageth for him and that not without hazard of his own life and this he did out of a pious intention Yet inasmuch as this service of his tended to the interrupting and hindring of Christ in the course of his obedience see what entertainment it findeth with him His heart riseth against it he rejects it and that not without a holy anger and indignation giving a check to the undertaker of it The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it What will you go about to hinder me in this last act of my Obedience So far was he from accepting this well-meant service this service of love for so it was of carnal love in him that he giveth him a secret rebuke for it And what he doth here more closely we finde him elsewhere upon a like occasion doing in plainer terms Mat. 16.21 A Text even now made use of Where Peter hearing his Master declare unto his Disciples what sufferings waited for him how he must goe up to Jerusalem and there suffer many things from the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes and be killed hereupon he taketh him aside and as the next vers hath it he began to rebuke him saying It be far from thee Lord or spare thy self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this shall not be unto thee This did Peter out of a tender affection to his Master as tendring his life And if we look upon the Counsell it self at the first hearing it may seem such as might deserve a kinde reception But what saith our Saviour to it and him That we have in the next words vers 23. But he turned and said unto Peter Get thee behinde me Satan c. Never did any hear tarter language come out of that mouth He who was afterward led as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep that is dumb before the Shearer so opened he not his mouth Isa 53. Who when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not 1 Pet. 2.23 Whatever wrongs and injuries his enemies did unto him he bare all patiently not giving an ill word to any of them yet see here how he taketh up Peter for this his friendly advice Not only rejecting the

accounted the meanest Members the feet of that Body be willing to part with so much as our Nayls for it Such are our goods our Estates to us they are but as the Nayls to the Body which though there be some use of yet the Body may subsist without them Such are our Estates at least our superfluities matters of conveniency not of necessity Doth God call for them in the behalf of h●s Church with-hold them not Such was the zeal of the Primitive Christians that as the story tells us Act. 4.34.37 for the relief of the Churches necessities many of them sold their Lands and Houses and brought the price thereof and laid it down at the Apostles feet Being willing not only to part with the Rent but with the Fee-simple of their Estates And shall not they who professe to walk in their steps be willing to part with something out of their superfluitie for the Churches sake and for the relief of their necessitous brethren And being ready to do and suffer for their Bodies Specially for their souls much more for their Souls Here if God call not only for our Estates but for our Liberties nay for our lives even these should not in this case be dear to us This is no more then Paul was willing to do for his Corinthians whom he telleth 2 Cor. 12.15 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall for your souls as our M●rgin readeth it And the like he tells his Philippians cap. 2. v. 7. If I be offered up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I be pou●ed forth as a drink Offering upon the sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all Thus should Christians prefer their brethrens souls before their own bodies Such a minde we see there was in the Lord Jesus And as the Apostle exhorts l●t the same minde be in us that was in him Phil. 2.5 Learning this our duty from him So St. John presseth it 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he layed down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren viz if God call us to it Thus have I shewed you two of those reasons and grounds whereupon our blessed Saviour did thus freely and willingly subject himself to the drinking of this Cup. This he did in obedience to his Father And this he did out of that love which he bare to his Elect. There is yet one other behinde which I shall insist more largely upon Thus did the Lord Jesus for our example Reas 3 This was one Christ thus suffered for an example to his people Pertinet ad●eaeemplum quià eadem â nobis omnibus tolerantia exigitur Calv. Com. in loc though not the only end of Christs sufferings as St. Peter tells us 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Such were the Actions of Christ though not all yet most of them were exemplary As he tells his Disciples concerning that act of his in washing their Feet Joh. 13.15 I have given you an example that ye should doe as I have done unto you And such also were his Passions his sufferings being intended by him for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is St. Peters word there a Copy for others to write after so that word properly signifieth a pattern for us to imitate and follow Which we are to doe Christ to be imitated in the manner of his suffering not so much in the matter as in the manner of his suffering The Cup which he drank we are not able to drink it after him so he there tells the sons of Zebedee Math. 20.22 That wherein we are to imitate him to follow his steps is the modus the manner of his suffer●ng He suffered not only patiently but willingly Thus did he subject himself to the appointment of his Father Not as a Malefactor who subjecteth his neck to the stroke of the Axe bec●use cannot avoid it But he doth it will●ng the ●rully resolvedly Thus doth he here professe to drink this Cup. And so are the Lords people to receive all such Cups from the hand of their heavenly Father as he shall please to reach forth unto them to subject themselves to all such afflictions tryals sufferings as he shall by his Providence lay out for any of them not only patiently and contentedly but willingly chearfully A point A point of generall and special concernment as of generall so of speciall use to all and every of the Lords people in this vale of tears Some other Truths may be more necessary as to their future salvation none more needfull as to their present condition then this There are none of us but either at the present have or for the future must expect to have some of these Cups bitter Cups presented unto us to drink Ye shall indeed drink of my Cup saith our Saviour there to them which accordingly as you have heard they did None of us but must make account in this way to be made conformable to our Head to Christ in suffering with him Though not all alike Some there are who drink deep draughts of this Cup others only sip of it but all must taste it God is pleased to vouchsafe to some of his people great freedome this way in comparison of others yet no exemption for any We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God Act. 14.22 There are none of us here present I suppose who have not had our tryals in some kinde or other already Some of us happily have sad pressures lying upon us at the present but what bonds may wait for us what sufferings God hath laid out for any of us for the future that we know not It is that which our Saviour tells Peter Joh. 21.18 Verily verily I say unto thee When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not which he spake as the next vers explains it signifying by what death he should glorifie God viz. by suffering upon the Crosse which as Histories tell us he accordingly did And thus fareth it with many In their younger times they enjoy many comfortable dayes a prosperous condition yet before they go off the stage they have another part given them to act seeing much affliction and sorrow Now quod cuivis cuilibet that which doth happen to one may happen to another No tryall or affliction which hath befallen any of the people of God or yet any of the Sons of men for in these things as the Preacher tells us All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous as to the wicked Eccl. 9.2 but may for ought we know be our portion thy portion my portion What befalleth others

Taking notice of this errour in comparing our selves with others do it in a clean contrary way In spirituals look at those who are above us better then our selves that will breed in us a holy emulation In temporals looke at those who are beneath us in worse condition then our selves of which fort still we shall find some or other this will breed in us a holy contentation Thus stay we our hearts against all those repining murmuring thoughts which might arise in them at the drinking of this Cup. Which is the second Caveat that I propounded Take heed of Murmuring And so in the third place of Fainting Caveat 3 Take heed of fainting A needfull Caveat it being a thing which the best of Gods Saints as I have shewn you are subject to in the drinking of this Cup to faint This we finde Eliphaz charging upon his friend Job cap. 4. v. 5. Now it is come upon thee and thou faintest And there was a truth in the Charge The evil which he greatly feared was come upon him as himself telleth us in the Chapter foregoing v. 25. great trouble and affliction was befallen him and he was not able to bear it Notwithstanding he had been a Comforter of others in their afflictions as the Verses here foregoing have it Cap. 4. v. 3 4. Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees yet now that it came to his own turn now that the Cup was put to his mouth he fainted at the drinking of it Now it is come unto thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled And truly so fareth it sometimes with the best of Saints though strong men in Christ such as have been able to comfort others in their afflictions yet when they come to act the same part themselves God leaving them to the experience of their own weaknesse they droop they cannot bear up head and heart as they should do they are inordinately affected even fainting under their burdens But this Gods people are not to give way to but strive against My Son saith Solomon in the Text forecited Prov. 3.11 despise not thou the chastisement of the Lord neither be weary of his Correction Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him so the Apostle citeth that Text Heb. 12.5 Despising sleighting of chastisements and fainting under them are two Extremes like Scylla and Charibdis a Rock and a Gulf the one opposite to the other Now where Satan cannot dash men against the one he will endeavour to drive them into the other Where he cannot bring them to sleight Gods chastisements he will endeavour to make them sink under them Let Christians beware equally of both Not despising Corrections Chastisements let them not be weary of them faint under them Which two words we finde the Apostle putting together vers 3. of that Chapter Heb. 12. Consider him that indured such contradictions of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your mindes Thus do men being wearyed in their bodies they faint in their spirits Let it not be so with Christians under their Afflictions Though they be heavy and long yet let not them be so weary of them as to faint under them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though they be broken in the outward man in their Bodies in their Estates c. yet let the Inward man be kept whole Ne frangantur animo let them not be broken in their mindes so as to faint under their burdens This is the Apostles advise concerning well-doing Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary of well-doing for we shall reap if we faint not And make we use of it as to well-suffering Be not weary under Gods Corrections so as to faint when we are rebuked of him To faint under any Tryals To faint under tryals a thing unbeseeming a Christian yea to be inordinately affected with them it is a thing unbeseeming a Christian being dishonourable and unsuteable to his Profession What is it A losse in Estate that thus affecteth him Why he professeth to have laid up his best treasure in heaven where he hath a better and an induring substance as the Apostle calleth heavenly glory Heb. 10.34 Is it the losse of some near or dear Relation Friend Childe Parent Husband Wife a thing which often sitteth as near the heart as any other tryall whatever Why his Profession is to believe the Doctrine of the Resurrection And therefore how is it that he or she should sorrow as others which have no hope as the Apostle saith of Christians immoderate mourning for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 And so is it in other cases Whatever the affliction be yet to have the heart not only drencht which it may be but drowned in sorrow so as thereby to be rendered and made unfit for the duties both of generall and particular calling as often it is it is a thing unsuteable to a Christians profession and no small disparagement to Gods Religion Much it is that Nature being well tutoured is able to do in this way Histories tell us of Heathens such as knew not God never heard of the name of Christ what an excellent temper some of them had brought their Affections and Passions unto so as not to be inordinately transported distempered by any accidents that could betide them And we see it in daily experience how meer civil men such as know not what the work of Grace means have nothing but Reason to steer their course by yet what an evennesse of spirit what moderation and temper do they oft times shew in bea●ing the burdens the afflictions which befall them And shall Nature be able to bear up the spirit in such cases and shall not Grace much more do it Shall Reason moderate Affections and Passions and shall not Religion do it Great cause have Christians many times to check and shame themselves upon this account Alas with what shaking hands what trembling hearts do they often take those Cups which their heavenly Father holdeth forth to them Their hearts even faint at the thought and apprehension of them before they come at them So was it not with our heavenly Pattern here Here was a bitter Cup coming towards him which he had tasted of already and was now to drink it off And see with what a steady hand what a strong and confident resolution doth he receive it The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Herein let it be the endeavour of all those who professe themselves to be his Disciples to imitate him to receive and drink their Cups without fainting Q. Q. I you may say this is a thing indeed which Christians are to endeavour How the soul may be kept from fainting under Afflictions but how shall they attain unto it Sometimes many times it so falleth out that their burden far exceedeth their strength So it fared with the