Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	child_n	father_n	parent_n	9,669	5	9.1242	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03641	Two sermons vpon the XII. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes, the sixteenth and seuenteenth verses Preached in the citie of London the twelfth day of Iune, 1608. By Thomas Hopkins minister at Yeardley in the countie of Worcester.	Hopkins, Thomas, minister at Yeardley.	1609 (1609)	STC 13770; ESTC S116954	46,735	82

euen then when hee punisheth sore whereby he seemes to frowne vpon them they can run to him in prayer and make their mone to him as example of Dauid who cries out O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psalm 6.1 neither chasten mee in thy displeasure though the Lord seeme to bee angrie by afflicting of them yet they runne to him as to a father It grieues them to see their father displeased being like to a louing sonne who grieues to see his father angrie yea euery wrinkle in his fathers browe makes him to feare yet so as that that is grounded on loue and therefore runnes vpon his knees to him for pardon So is it with Gods children though their father chastise them with heauie and bitter afflictions yet they run to their father with this perswasion that though they haue failed in the dutie of a sonne yet he cannot faile in the affection of a father Contrarie to this the hypocrite and vnregenerat man vnder Gods heauy hand vpon him or his wife children goods c. he runs from God fleeing from him as from a tyrant and betakes him to his monie friends sports merrie companions yea to witches coniurers wizards or any vnlawfull course if they haue hope of reliese The fourth is a ioy and delight to meete the Lord in those places and by those meanes hee doth vsuallie meete his in It is true Gods presence is in all places but yet he is said to be more ordinarie present in those places where is word is preached where there are holy and religious exercises of praver meditations conference of scripture singing of Psalmes or the like Indeede hypocrites will come to Church but it is not with ioy and with delight it is not of conscience to meete the Lord to hearken what hee saith vnto them and to put it in practise in their liues but rather some worldly busines driues them or for custome or neighborhood or to auoid the name of a Papist A second vse hereof serues for the reproofe of two sorts of hypocrites and first Those who take themselues good Christians and in good state if they liue a ciuill life especially if they can make a faire shew of louing religion and can talke of it though their conscience accuse them of some sin they doe liue in and they can say to themselues as Lot said by Zoar Oh is it not a little one Gen. 19. But hearken to me thou that thinkest it a small matter to liue in one I tel thee liue and die impenitent in the one and it will be thy destructiō Did not Herod make outward shew of many things yet because he would not leaue the one sin of incest God cast him off and reiected him I tell thee one hole in a ship will in a short time sinke the whole ship Tell me thou that with thy outward holines liuest an vsurer a drunkard a carelesse wreth darest drink but one dram of poison so one raging sinne will bring thee to hell The second sort are those who hauing sinned and liue in some raging sinne yet if they can now and then thrust out a few teares thinke it good repentance and haue repēted in an high degree But alas they be much peceiued for their teares bee but hypocriticall And that appeares in that either they bee shed in aduersitie as were Sauls Iudas Esaus or else in the congregation at the sermons as hypocrites do but in their closets or in secret they cannot shed one teare I tell thee deceiue not thy selfe for teares be no more signes of true repentance then are words Text. He was reiected Now followes the third degree of his punishment which is that hauing set the time of mercie so light hee is now denied though hee vseth meanes to obtaine it The date is out at the glasse is run therefore no meanes will preuaile Doct. 8 Whence wee doe learne that such as by their prophanenesse doe wilfully refuse the offer of Gods mercie and doe preferre their pleasures and profits before it may run so farre that all the meanes they can vse shal neuer obtaine mercie at the hands of God I say as there is a time in which the Lord will wooe vs yea he sends his Ministers to entreate vs Hosea 6.4 yea he will chide and expostulate the matter with vs why wee will not accept of his mercie so there is and will be a time that after the refusing of grace and contemning of mercie offered the Lord will shut vp and bolt vp the gate of mercie so as he will not be entreated at our hands any more Psalm 95.7.8 This is prooued to vs by the Prophet Dauid in one of the Psalmes where hee exhorts the people that they will take and accept of the time the Lord offers them lest it come to passe by their contempt and refusing the time of grace the Lord cast them off and reiect them I denie not but that in respect of vs til God haue manifested his wil there is hope but in respect of Gods secret decree the time of Gods mercie may bee out euen during this life therefore when mercie is offered we must take heed wee wilfully contemne it not lest we prouoke the Lord to be gone and vtterlie reiect vs. One of the fearefullest signes of a castaway is to delay and put off the Lords gratious offer of mercie as wee reade of Pharaoh Exod. 8.9.10 who when Moses offered himselfe to pray to the Lord for him he put it off till the next morrow so hee that hath the graces and mercies of God offered to him to day and puts them off from his youth to his age and from his old daies to his death-bed may iustly feare an vtter reiection euen then when he hopes of most comfort For the further pressing this doctrine on our consciences let vs obserue some places of Scripture And first let vs see what the Lord saith to such as despise Wisdomes call being of three sorts The first that like fooles content themselues with ignorance The second that scoffe at the Lords offer by his seruants The third which are carried away by their owne lusts Because I haue called and yee refused Prou. 1.24 I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard Verse 28. And then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me earelie but they shall not find me Noting that as they refused the time in which he called so they should call in hope of mercie but they should not obtaine The like we reade how the Prophet Esay calling Ierusalem to repentance in sackcloth and ashes for their sins Esay 22.12.13 she fell to sporting and feasting despising the Lords message and offer of grace by his Prophet what came of it you may reade presently that their contempt comming to the Lords eares he answeres Surely Vers 14. this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till yee die saith the

in their liues as talke of it with their mouthes And this the Apostle Peter labours to exhort those he wrote vnto 2. Pet. 1.5 that with the knowledge of faith in the Gospel they would ioyne vertue by which he meanes holines of life exhorting the they that beleeue wel should liue wel that so their liues might beautifie their profession It seemes diuers of the Church sent to Paul to know his iudgement touching such seruants as were conuerted to the Gospell how they should behaue themselues to their Infidell masters 1. Tim. 6.1 To this he sends an answere to Timothy commanding that being bound to thē they should not depart or vse them vnconscionablie but rather to be more carefull in their seruice and to vse diligence and faithfulnesse to them that so the name of God and his Gospell be not euill spoken of A good lesson for such seruants in this citie as professe the Gospell and serue irreligious masters not hereby to take a liberty to be idle carelesse and false in word and deede but so much the rather to be the more careful in their seruice lest they giue their Masters occasion to speake euill of the name of God and his Gospell Now if seruants must be thus carefull towards their masters that be Atheists how much more then should euery one that hath giuen his hand and name to the Gospell be carefull who hath many to ouerlooke him and would be glad to take a small occasion to discredit his profession There are many reasons may be added to presse this doctrine the more vpon our consciences but I will content my selfe with these three Reas 1 The first reason is because a holie life ioyned to an holy profession will gaine credit in the consciences of Gods people Yea 1. Pet. 2.12 it will gaine credit also in the consciences of such as be yet vncalled To which end the Apostle exhorts them to haue their conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of them as of euill doers may by their good workes which they shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation By which all you that be Fathers Mothers Masters and Mistresses are exhorted though you haue vntoward sonnes vnfaithfull seruants lyers swearers yea such as scorne at your comming to Sermons and vse of holy exercises in your families as giuing thanks at meales prayers reading of Chapters c. yet should your carriage in your liues be such as that they seeing your Christian behauiour in your shops in your words in your dealings c. may haue cause to praise God Yea if euer the Lord call and conuert them they shall praise God that they euer dwelt in such a family and that euer they came within thy dores The experience hereof God hath shewed dailie amongst vs of many who in their seruice were deriders of holy duties and stopped their eares at the instructions of their gouernours yet the Lord hauing opened their eares and softned their hearts by his word and spirit they haue so praised God for his mercie to them that their parents by whom they were begotten and borne haue not been so deare to them in their hearts as their Master and mistresse in whose Christian familie they were conuerted Reas 2 The second reason is because it will gaine credit to our profession The contrarie opens the mouthes of Atheists to slander and discredit the same One prophane Gospeller doth more harme in the Church then an hundred Atheists Wherefore saith the Preacher Eccles 10.3 Dead flies cause to stinke and putrisie the ointment Yea one dead flie will putrifie a whole boxe of ointmēt where as a thousand falling into a barrell of pitch will do no such harme So the Gospell is so pretious a thing that the euill example of one professor doth more harme to it then the example of many Athiests a thousand drunken companions neuer discredit the Gospell so much as one that professeth well and liueth ill For is it not a thing common amongst vs that when men see a professor commit any sinne yea though of infirmity and of weakenesse with no purpose to liue in it doe but marke how they presently labour to discredit not so much the person of the man as his profession For are not these their verie words See these are our professours and holy men hee is wise that will beleeue what they say here is a profession indeed Yea they wil not sticke to curse the very Booke of God and blaspheme his Gospell Therefore if you will be professors looke to your shops your families your counting houses your weights and measures else if you bee faultie in these you will bring more discredit to religion then euer you did good with your outward profession Reas 3 The third reason is because by your ioyning an holy life to a holy profession it wil gaine comfort to your conscience especially in the time of the departure out of this world Esay 38.3 An example wee haue of Ezekias who hauing receiued the message of death is said to turne to the wall and to put the Lord in mind of the integritie of his life wherein he tooke great comfort Yea it will put a man in more comfort then all the treasures of this world For what consolation can a man take in worldly things when he is priuie that hee doth lead a vicious wicked life and is in danger of Gods wrath Vse 1 Now let vs see what vses we are to make of this doctrine And first it may stop the mouthes of our aduersaries the Papists who falselie charge vs that wee teach doctrines of libertie to sin and that the sum of our doctrines is that so a man beleeue in Christ it is no matter how he liues And beloued I appeale to your owne consciences how true this is when wee teach that an outward profession seeme it neuer so sanctified without a holy life is odious in Gods sight And we returne the doctrine of libertie vpon themselues For be Iudge men and brethren in Christ whether this bee not a doctrine of licenciousnes to teach that ignorance is the mother of deuotion that their holie father may dispense with any sinne be it neuer so great and heinous that allow the Stewes euen at their Popes nose for the nourishing of whoredome Yea they teach that all their veniall sinnes as they terme them are put away and forgiuen by knocking themselues on the breast and by saying God haue mercie vpon me c. If this were true and this libertie granted to sinne who would make conscience to commit sinne But let vs know that these are doctrines of diuels and hee that hath not care to ioyne an holie life to an holie beleefe Mat. 22.12.13 shall one day with the man wanting the wedding garment be cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 2 A second vse of this doctrine serues to teach vs that be present