Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	appoint_v	place_n	time_n	1,168	5	4.4869	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35327	The usefulnesse of spiritual wisdom with a temporal inheritance in a sermon preached March 11th 1688/9 at the entrance of a young man upon his habitation and particular calling / and at his request published by T. Cruso.	Cruso, Timothy, 1656?-1697.	1689 (1689)	Wing C7446; ESTC R30285	16,384	34

the glorified in Heaven nor take away from the misery of the damned in Hell. They profit not in the day of wrath Prov. 11.4 they will neither prevent nor alter the sentence at the particular or universal judgment The rust of mens Silver and Gold may eat their Flesh like Fire Jam. 5.3 but nothing is sufficient to purchase them so much as a drop of water The substance which we leave behind us does then perish to us in respect of its Vse and however serviceable or helpful it may be to those that survive it is utterly insignificant to them that are departed The Observation which the words thus explain'd do offer to our further Thoughts is this That Doct. Holy Wisdom with a competent Inheritance is a very profitable good In the handling of this I shall endeavour four Things First To shew wherein Holy Wisdom ought chiefly to discover it self Secondly What may be justly accounted a competent Inheritance Thirdly How the Profitableness of both together does appear Lastly Apply the whole The first thing is to shew wherein holy spiritual wisdom must be cheifly exercis'd and acted There are Eight remarkable instances or discoveries of it which all persons should look to First a regular and seasonable performance of duties Many actions which as to the Matter of them hath been good for want of Christian wisdom have lost much of their beauty through the ill management of their particular circumstances The ordering and disposing of good actions well is a great thing in Religion We may say of a work done aswell as of a Word spoken in due season how good is it Prov. 15.23 This adds a goodnesse to it which if done at another less convenient time it would not have We should learn to put every thing into method which our Hand findeth to do That all our Duties may fall in their proper place one after another and not one disturb or hinder another As God appoints a time to every purpose so should we Eccl. 3.1 and such a time as is most fit and agreeable to it Secondly A careful avoiding or vigorous resisting of temptations Many temptations may be avoided by a prudent care and by circumspect walking which is a great evidence of wisdom see that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise sayes the Apostle Eph. 5.15 And this we are obliged to that we may not sin against our own prayers for if we pray that God would not lead us into temptation 't is but reasonable that we should not foolishy run into it our selves We may shun a multitude of entangling snares if we tread with CAution And those temptations which are avoidable should be vigorously withstood we must not yeild or comply with them in the least but after the most steady resolute manner oppose our selves to their first assaults This is the way to come off with victory and keep our consciences pure Without doing so we give great advantages to Satan and it will be impossible to escape or overcome the various difficulties which beset us in every condition of life Thirdly A meek and patient bearing of afflictions Much wisdom is seen in this for it is the grossest folly in the world to make our load at any time the greater by uneasie strugglings under it A great deal of the art and mystery of practical Christianity lyes in suffering according to the will of God. 1 Pet. 4.19 All that are afflicted do not suffer so they suffer indeed what God in his providence thinks fit to inflict and they cannot do otherwise but they do not suffer as God in his word is pleased to direct many suffer according to the disposing will of God who in their sufferings regard not his commanding will. In the most prosperous state there oftentimes happens a mixture of disappointments and losses and personal evills if we are freed from Publick ones which one who is truly and savingly wise will quietly and calmly undergo whereas 't is one of the Characters of a Fool Prov. 14.16 to Rage We cannot make our case the better by fretting and striving against God but shall certainly make it worse Fourthly A diligent improving of mercies for the Glory of God and good of our Brethren This is surest course of thriving in this world and laying up a good foundation for the next The rule of the Gospel does not bind any to wast and consume their Estates by an imprudent Prodigality for this is not to honour God but yet it warns them against a base and sinful Covetousness in Hording up of what they are called to Lay out The Charitable man is wise for himself when the wretched niggard is only wise for a doubtful posterity And is there not more wisdom in scattering upon Earth that we may reap in Heaven than in gathering for we know not whom Is it not better to make to our selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness than to leave it perhaps to such Luke 16.9 who may curse our memory while they rejoyce in our labour When God gives us richly to enjoy 't is no sign of discretion for us to give sparingly If we believe the Scripture Confirm'd by the Experience of many this is more likely to impair our wealth than to increase it There is that withholdeth more than is meet Prov. 11.24 25. and it tendeth to poverty Whereas the liberal soul shall be made fat The bountiful giver wisely prevents what the sordid worldling fears Fifthly a Curbing and restraining of our affections and appetites to lawful things It is unsafe and therefore an unwise thing to go to the utmost bounds of what we may do Solomon tells us in this Book which is the memorial of his Repentance that whatsoever his eyes desired he kept not from them chap. 2.10 and he withheld not his heart from any joy For ought we know the taking of so great a liberty might be an Introduction to his fall because the passage is quick and easie many times from lawful fruitions to unlawful sensualities Mortification and Self-denyal should not be strange things to us the more we indulge our flesh the more insolent and unruly it will be and that which it seems now modestly to crave hereafter it may imperiously command T is best always to abridge our selves a little even of innocent enjoyments and delights lest at length our Back or our Belly should come to be our God Isa 46.6 and we lavish gold out of the bag as much upon our lusts as they whom the Prophet speaks of did upon their Idols Sixthly A continual watching over our sences and strict Government of our Tongues 'T is a main branch of holy wisdom to make and keep a Covenant with our eyes and ears Job 31.1 that they may not betray us into sin on a sudden and before we are aware They prove two often In lets to the Devil and out lets to abundance of corruption if they are not