Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A45489
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The great duty of thankfulness a sermon preach'd at St. Pauls Covent-Graden, December 2d, 1697, being the day of thanksgiving for the peace / by John Hancock, D.D., Chaplain to His Grace the Duke of Bedford ; published at the request of some of the parishioners.
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Hancocke, John, d. 1728.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing H641; ESTC R43231
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9,483
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26
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our great Contention hence-forward be how we may out-do each other in acting for the Publick Welfare But above all let Gratitude oblige us all to a real and thorough Reformation the End of all God's Mercies to us is to bring us to Obedience unto him Rom. 2. The Goodness of God leadeth us to Repentance And if we be not lead by it God will interpret it as the Apostle there tells us as a despising the riches of his Goodness This is the only way to make the Peace lasting and durable There are three Things very necessary to be done by every one of us if we would promote the Peace and Welfare of the Nation 1. That every one of us take care in the first place to reform our selves That publick Reformation that is so necessary to the Establishment of our Peace and Happiness begin at particular Persons 'T is easie to observe some Men making grievous Complaints of the Evil of the Times and zealous Invectives against the Sins of others while they are negligent enough in reforming their own and are guilty of as bad or worse themselves We may say to them as the Apostle does Rom. 2. Thou art inexcusable O Man whoever thou art that judgest another for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the fame things But it is the part of an honest Christian to be most severe in judging and most forward in reforming of himself He first casts the Beam out of his own Eye before he pretends to take the Mote out of his Brother's Eye 2. And yet we must not neglect in our Sphere and Station to promote the Reformation of others too We must not say with Cain Am I my Brother's Keeper 'T is Charity to the Publick as well as to our Brother not to suffer Sin upon when we may be instrumental to reclaim him This is a Work more or less incumbent on every one of us There is none of us so mean but we may be more or less instrumental to the promoting of a general Reformation If we have no Power and Authority yet at least by our Advice or Admonition we may do something to make the World better But this Work of Promoting Reformation especially incumbent on those in Authority in Church and State And we would willingly hope the Government will now be at leasure to draw the Sword of Justice against those worst Enemies of the State the reigning Vices and Debauchery of the Times But if this should not be done so effectually is it ought to be 't is no great wonder For we find those very good Laws that have been made for the Discouragement of Prophaneness have had but little effect for want of a due and zealou Execution of them I would therefore apply my self to you that are Parents and Masters of Families that you would at least do what in you lies to promote the Reformation of those under your Charge This you ought to do not only by your good Advice and Instruction but by your Power and Authority too For you must know that God hath not only made you Priests in your own Families to pray for 'em and with 'em and to instruct 'em in their Duty but a kind of Kings too to keep and constrain 'em to it I know Abraham saith God a that Pious Patriarch that he will command his Children and they shall keep the Way of the Lord. When Parents and Masters not only instruct and advise but with that Authority that God hath given 'em command their Children and Servants 't is likely they will keep the Way of the Lord. And certainly Parents and Masters could they be made sensible of their Duty in this case might do much towards a general Reformation by beginning and carrying it on in their Families those little Kingdoms And the doing of this as it would have a mighty Influence towards the Publick Good so 't is of no less Importance to themselves I fear the true canse of the ruin of thousands of Families is the negligence of the Governours thereof In vain do Men toil and drudge to heap up great Estates for their Children while they are so very negligent in the Instruction and Education of them Nay I doubt the want of this often provokes God to blast their Hopes all other ways A sad Instance we have in the Family of one that was otherwise a very good Man that of Old Eli. We read that God denounced the utter ruine of his whole Family and the reason given is because his Sons made themselves vile and be restrained them not 3 But if after all that we can do the World not be amended there is one thing still inâ—â— bent on the Pious Christian Not to be all concern'd Spectator of the Vices of the Agâ— We read of Jeremy that he mourn'd â—â—cret for the Pride and Stubborness of that â—â—ple Of David that Rivers of Waterâ— down his Eyes because Men kept not God's Of Lot that his righteous Soul was vexed the filthy Conversation of the Wicked If there were more of these Mourners our Zion we might hope as God would spar'd Sodom if he had found but ten right Persons in it That even for their sake might yet a while prolong the Peace and quility of these otherwise sinful Nations Well God is at present dealing with us good Husband-man with the fruitless Figâ—â— He let 's us alone a little longer May he grâ—â— Wisdom in this our Day of Peace to coâ—â— and put in practice to God the Governâ— and among our selves the things that are quisite to the Establishment of it and may never be hid from our Eyes Now to the God of Peace be all Honour and now and for evermore Amen FINIS