Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A61224
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Some thoughts concerning the life to come with a brief account of the state of religion as it is now in the world.
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Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing S5138; ESTC R37589
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43,947
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90
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he shall have yet less for there must be somewhat or else that could not be taken away and then that is taken away from him that hath not that is to say that little which before he had There is some little left remaining to prove and try him still whether he will abuse or improve that very little The truth of all this is evident by experience for there is none so very ungodly and wicked but there are in them some small sparks or seeds of Goodness some principles of Righteousness and Truth do remain in them Tho' with many all this is in a very imperfect manner yet they have also some general Principles of God and of the things pertaining to his Kingdom and of future life and immortality By this little God doth prove them whether they will keep his Commandments or not and whether they will understand and seek after God Psal 14. 2. and follow on to know the Lord. By that tincture and conception and small knowledge they have of him already if they did once begin to do either then he would give them more grace and knowledge So it is with the indifferent middle-size of People yea and with the best sort of Christians at this day God is before-hand with all of them for even they do not live up nor act according to all and the utmost which God makes known unto and requires of them and also gives them strength to perform It is agreeable with the method and wisdom of God to do nothing which is superfluous or more than needs must nor yet is he wanting in what means are absolutely necessary I will cry unto God the most High unto God that performeth all things for me Psal 57. 2. Which he doth by little and little and by unexpected ways He sees where his own People for there is a fault and defect in them even in them do not obey those secret motions of the Spirit which he doth already instill into them and there he ceases to infuse further motions because the former were quenched 1 Thess 5. 19. despised or disobeyed and so they are forgotten by the person who had them as also God hath withdrawn them Whereas if they were cherished and obeyed and complied withal God would give them much more abundantly and they would have it in full measure and running over By doing the several acts of good and duty we are more enabled and strengthned to do so still and yet better and more abundantly in the kind So by performing acts of Zeal we grow more zealous for these things are kept up by the use and exercise as contrariwise upon the omission neglect they do languish and utterly wither away Agreeable hereunto the Spirit speaketh Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die Rev. 3. 2. Thus it is as to the several Graces and Gifts of the Spirit and as to the good Works which are wrought in us they are all to be acted and employed on their several objects and as every opportunity is to be had for by only keeping them within and folding up these Talents in a Napkin they serve as nothing they grow listless and subject to decay and perish As they said in Acts 19. 2. We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost so it is with many Men and Women at this day They do not so much as know and perceive whether there be any such thing as motions and workings of the Holy Spirit albeit God hath shewed it unto them by having put some measure of the Spirit in them For there is a residue of the Spirit Mal. 2. 15. and a measure of the Spirit John 3. 34. and there is a taking off of some of the Spirit and a giving or dividing of it unto others Numb 11. 25. For all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every Man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12. 11. Thus it is that where God doth put his Holy Spirit in Man and Woman there is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Isai 64. 7. They do not stir up and actuate the Spirit that is in them What Advice Paul gives unto Timothy Neglect not the Gift that is in thee 1 Tim. 4. 14. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. is proper and necessary to every Christian Soul that they do not neglect any but stir up all the Gifts and Graces which are in them For want of which as it is a general failure amongst all Professions and sorts however they are distinguished or named it comes to pass that there are no such Christians now among us as was in the days of the Apostles and in the primitive Times Where is now that fervent burning zeal for God and Christ and for all the Commandments without exception or preferring of one thing before another Where is that diligence and constancy in his Worship Where is that lively Faith in God with that willing subjection of themselves to the Cross Persecution Suffering and Trouble for the Word and Truth 's sake Where are those now-a-days that are not afraid of the face of Men and of the blast of the terrible ones which with them of old Time was as a storm against the Wall Isai 25. 4. making no impression much less causing them to yield for they did remain unshaken and stood their ground still Or who is there now that doth not regard the Persons of Men Or if they do refrain from giving flattering Titles yet do they not secretly accept Persons By which Adverb Secretly the Holy Ghost doth find them out Who doth now come up to that unfeigned Love of the Brethren so as to love one another with a pure heart fervently Where is now that sounding of the Bowels and that most earnest sensible Compassion one to another which we read they then had Where is that laying down their Lives for the Brethren and the following them to Prisons and to Death They did formerly minister relief unto their Fellow-Christians tho' they were forbidden so to do by their Persecutors Where is now to be seen that selling of Lands and Possessions to distribute to every Man according as he has need as was in Acts 4. 34 35. What is now become of that plentiful Alms-giving and abundant liberality which was shewed forth in those first and purest Ages Is not that plainness and simplicity and godly sincerity which was then in the hearts and practices of all the faithful almost now gone off from the Earth but only here and there some imperfect footsteps thereof are to be seen in a very few Is that good Zeal of the ancient Jews now any where to be found who would hazard and lose their Lives rather than they would suffer Statues to be set up before the Gates of the Temple or eat Swines flesh
I despise your Feast-days and I will not smell in your solemn Assemblies Tho' ye offer your Burnt-offerings and Meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the Peace-offering of your Fat Beasts Take thou away from me the noise of thy Songs for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols what must we do then But let Judgment run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream Have ye offered unto me Sacrifices and Offerings in the Wilderness forty Years O House of Israel Amos 5. 21 22 23 24 25. Have ye worshipped me according to your several Ways and Congregations in this Wilderness of the Earth where one is at a loss to find the right Way through your manifold Opinions and Divisions for almost six thousand Years O ye Children of Men But still ye have continued in your own Doings and in the things ye have made to your selves whereas that is the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man Heb. 8. 2. And now what if God himself should say in the last Day as he doth now speak from Heaven in this his Word I hate I despise I will not accept neither will I regard your Burnt offerings Meat-offerings and Peace-offerings Which he himself did yet command and institute and Man did then use them to please atone and be reconciled to Almighty God This is to be understood by the way that God will one day speak himself in person with a loud and outward audible Voice what he doth now speak from Heaven in the still Voice of his Spirit or in the Scriptures which are his Epistle sent unto the Inhabitants of the Earth And whereas with many Men their Letters are powerful but their bodily Presence is weak and contemptible it will be contrariwise as to God For his Word now as written or spoken by Men is weakness 1 Cor. 1. 25. But when himself shall utter his Voice the Earth will melt Psal 46. 6. The Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3. 10. For the Lord himself shall descend with a shout with the Voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God 1 Thess 4. 16. So that he will make a yet greater impression and cause a greater shaking not only upon the living Creatures but also upon the very material Works of God even all the World over than that manner of giving the Law did formerly upon the single and particular place of Mount Sinai concerning which see Exod. 19. Heb. 12. 17 18. 19. So it will be pronounced concerning the several Acts and Parts of Worship outward Prayer Praise Hearing the Word Baptism and the Lord's Supper Not that these are to be cast off and neglected in no wise But yet so it is when it doth become the Sacrifice of Fools the Sacrifice of Sinners and Transgressors for they provoke God and deceive themselves whereby they are Fools when they keep up one with another that is when they worship God and yet continue in sin and transgression The whole Scripture is full to the same purpose But here it may be surmised That if the case is so it is good for such not to worship God at all But all Men cannot receive this Saying but unto whom it is given for Worship is due from every Creature unto God and these things are written not that they should cast off and neglect it in no wise But that every one should turn away from his Iniquities Acts 3. 26. and cease from all manner of sin and transgression And then they are to obey all the Commandments of God which relate to Good or Evil Righteousness or Wrong Truth or Falshood enjoying the one and forbidding the other as well as they do already obey those his Commandments which pertain to his Worship Except they do this also they cannot be saved and all their Worship will signifie nothing It is strange but yet true and common That many People of both Sexes should go on blindly and ignorantly for thirty forty fifty and sixty Years yea throughout all their life in this Deceit of being Worshippers of God and yet not doing his Will whereas it is written so plainly that every Capacity may understand it Now we know that God heareth not Sinners but if any Man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth John 9. 31. As we read that Prayer of Moses and David and that Promise which God made unto his People by Isaiah of Levi he said Bless Lord his Substance and accept the Work of his Hands Deut. 33. 8 11. Remember all thy Offerings and accept thy Burnt-sacrifice Selah Psal 20. 3. They shall come up with acceptance on mine Altars Isai 60. 7. and Ezek. 20. 40 41. We learn this Word of Instruction which may make us to fear and take heed and beg pardon for the Iniquity of our holy things and to pray instantly and continually for acceptance that in all things we do in order to God or pertaining to Religion as it is commonly named or understood unless God do accept thereof it all signifies nothing Nay what is yet further It is as cutting of a Dog's neck there is not much in that it is as offering Swines blood this doth displease God it is as blessing an Idol Isai 66. 3. which is the highest and superlative degree of provoking God to the greatest manner that possibly can be So they do rather displease than please they make God to be further off and more angry rather than bring him near and make him reconciled unto us Hear this Word all ye People of England that enter in at the Church-doors or Meeting-Houses to praise the Lord. Another thing wherein ye are defective and found wanting is this For they say and do not Mat. 23. 2. They hear read and talk of many good Words and precious Truths but they do not turn them into practice and suitable action It is recorded of Moses the Servant of the Lord He was mighty in Words and in Deeds Acts 7. 22. so he was for both and therein he pleased and was accepted by God who had hereupon a favour and love towards him But this belongs not to the nominal nor yet to the real Christians of this Age who make a fair shew in the Flesh and they are sincere and of the better sort yet herein they are found wanting many of them are mighty in Words but not in Deeds They do talk of the highest Duties and Attainments of Religion and they do conceive speak read hear and write of the great Truths of God but how to perform the same at all times and in all places and in reference to all Persons they find not Towards the publishing and making known these Truths throughout all this Region or to hazard or even to suffer actual tribulation for the Word's sake they are offended and themselves will not run the risque and experience of it The like