Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A15502
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Selfe deniall: or, A Christians hardest taske. Written by Christopher Wilson; preacher of the Word of God, &c.
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Wilson, Christopher, 1579 or 80-1624.
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1625
(1625)
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STC 25767; ESTC S120182
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37,902
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86
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should bee disposed of God to the falling of a haire Pompy demaunds and denyes to learned Cratippus 4. 4. Christ to be God and Man borne of a Virgin So likewise that thrice blessed and most admirable Conception and Misticall Vnion of two so diuers Natures in one Person Christ our Sauiour to be God and Man Creator and Creature And his Mother to be a Mother and a Virgin It was scorned at by the Heathen and the Christians called Asse-heads and Doltish for beleeuing it So that who sees not here how wee must denie our owne wisedome and iudgement 5. Besides Predestination how did it seeme vniust and cruell 5. Predestination 6. Redemption 6. Againe to beleeue our Redemption in Christ or anothers death Strength in Weakenes Glory in Basenes It is a thing most ridiculous in the iudgement of flesh and blood As also 7. The iust to be punished for the vnâ—â—â—â— That the onely Dearely-beloued of God should be accused betrayed condemned crucified scorned and derided and bee thus euill intreated by Man God looking on and suffering the Iust to be punished for the Vniust the vniust to be acquited by the Iust the Vnholy to be hallowed by the Holynesse of an other These things require the Deniall of our selues as improoueable vnlikely and absurd 8. 8 To stand at the merrit of another To pronounce our selues guilty and worthy of Death and to stand at the Mercy and Merrit of another Is thought in Nature a strange thing 9. 9 The Church alwayes liueing yet not seene Touching the Church alwayes exsisting and yet oft not seene may seeme in reason to be a Parradox 10. 10 Many caled few chosen That the greatest part in the World shal perish and a few in the middest of them shall be preserued and saued Man naturally derides and scoffes at 11. 11 Christ and his member vnited That there should bee a communion and fellowship betwixt Christ and his members the one in the Earth and the other in Heauen The naturall man cannot perceiue it 12. 12 Regeneration So the worke of Regeneration How foolish and vnpossible did it seeme to Nichodemus 13. 13 Resurrection The beleeuing the Resurrection of the same body wee now haue What flesh and blood thought thereof the whole famous Vniuersity of Athens testified who mocked at Paul for teaching of it 14. 14 Preaching The Preaching of the Gospel it selfe in that poore and weake manner by poore simple men nether countenanced of wise men nor scepters nor riches nor wealth Is the wonderment of the world and therefore of them is counted foolishnes 1. Cor. 1.27.28 Lastly 15. To be heirs of all things possesse nothing to beleeue our selues heires of all thinges Sonnes of God and beloued of him and yet to haue and possesse nothing to bee poore vile and abiect to be daily afflicted of God and the world and yet to reioyce and be patient It is the worlds wonder 2. Cor. 4.8.9.10 So that we are taught in Scripture by Faith to beleeue these with infinite more of this kinde without reasoning the matter or inquiring the manner thereof by humane and carnall wisedome Thus in generall wee see how these doe proue the great necessitie of this duetie Denying our selues So especially this duety is most requisite in the point of Iustification For this is such that reason scoffes at Naturall pride would not admit neither can or will Reason see reason here why we should confesse our selues corrupted guilty condemned vnable to help our selues and so to bee forced vtterly to renounce our selfe and to looke for absolution freedome and righteousnesse in and by another Mans nature takes check at this thinking it an vnsafe way an vnwarrantable way a way that disgraces and reproches the worldly wise and worldly ciuill men equalling them with the veriest fooles and most notorious sinners teaching that all sortes of men must bee alike iustified by anothers righteousnesse and that the greatest sinner hauing once repented is accepted aswell without any more adoe of God as him that was neuer stayned with any noted crimes Let vs come to the other part of christian profession 2. Obedience and heare all the dueties that we are enioyned to performe either to God to man or our selues In all which is required the practise of his duetie the renouncing of our wisedome of our wils of our owne worth of our owne desires and selfe lone 1. For first we can neuer liue either in a religious performance and acceptance of our seruice to God 2. Secondly nor of dueties of Iustice and charitie to our Neighbour 3. Thirdly nor of Sobrietie to our selues Vntill wee haue denyed our selues and our owne selfe loue Which makes vs 1. Bad Seruants to God Our selues being our owne god 2. Bad Neighbours to others All being too litle for our selus 3. Bad gouernors of our Selues We being not our selues Luke 15.17 First 1. Our duety to God if wee consider God himselfe wee shall never either Loue him truely or Feare him fillially or put our Confidence in him firmely or Depend on him constantly or bee Thankfull and Patient to him in Prosperitie and Aduersitie or be Humbled vnder his hand or Call vppon his Name daily and zealously vntill we go out of our selues The knowledge of God And for the Knowledge of God we reiect it and regard it not being full we can receiue nothing vntill wee haue learned this first lesson in Christs schoole the Denying of our selues Otherwise wee shall make our Selues our owne God Admiring our owne wisedome following our owne Wills yeelding to our owne affections applauding our owne Thoughts louing our owne wayes depending one none but our Selues consulting with our selues and our Copes-mates admiring our deep Reach Policie Beautie Strength Learning Dexteritie Skill and Diligence when we haue effected or brought any thing to passe And for Obedience though wee may bee brought to Sacrifice that is Obedience to performe outward seruice to God yet obedience we reserue to our selues and our owne wills And if at any time we do performe any duety of the first Table it is defiâ—ed by vs with the falsâ— ends we propound to our selues As our owne Praise Fame Reputation Honor Preferment Credit Estimation and such like so that it becomes abominable to God and yet wee thinke our selues highly Meritorious Like pampering Parents Simile who cocker their children and through excesse of Loue disorder them in their Behauiour Diet Apparell and euery way This self-Selfe-Loue being contrary to the Loue of God the fountaine of all holy dueties These things neede no proofe our selues can testifie against our selues it was so with vs before we had learned this lesson in part and alas is too much in vs yet But most palpably it is to bee seene in the Naturall men of the world in all their proceedings both publike and priuate both religious and ciuill businesse Obedience is
haue not learned this poynt of Deniall and so in truth keepe themselues from being found in Christ being enemies to the grace of God and righteousnesse of Christ so that while they challenge either part of the praise as co-workers or any portion of merrit and desert they do aduance themselues by a spirituall pride and giue not glory vnto God so that this very end they propound to themselues of their owne glory is sufficient to defile it and make it to God abhominable But in the second place let vs learne this poynt euer to renounce al confidence and conceit of any thing that the Lord hath wrought in vs or by vs and say not to vs but to thy name bee the prayse the Angells in Heauen haue learnt in humility to cast their crownes downe at the feete of the Lambe and to giue al glory to him that was slayne and had redeemed him and excellert is the example of Dauid 1 Chron. 29.11 12 13 14. 1 Chron. 29.13.14 Who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer so willingly for all things come off thee and of thine owne haue we giuen thee Now therefore we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name And thus much of the fift Branch the sixt followes The 6. Branch of denial it is our owne liues Vse 1 The sixt branch of our deniall is our owne Liues for this Christ teaches both in the verse following as also Mat. 10.39 for what euer might hinder vs from the constant cleauing to Christ is to bee denied and all things to bee vnder-valued for Christ Mat. 10.39 or else we are not worthy of him braue was the spirit of Paul Acts 20.24 Act. 20.24 I am not ready onely to be bound for the Lord Iesus but to dye for him neither counted hee his life deare Thus did those worthy Hebrewes in the 11 Chapter so did the Martires of God in our Land in the former ages Heb. 11. All whose stepps wee must follow as Christ vrges by many reasons as that hee that will saue his life should loose it but hee that is willing for Christs sake to loose it shall finde it Which if it bee so it reprooues all fearefull ones against which Christ giues a charge Mat. Mat. 10.28 10.28 Feare not those that can destroy the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Secondly it reprooues those who are so farre from Denying their liues that they wil not deny their vnlawfull and sinfull lusts pleasures or proffits they that haue not learnt yet to part with these things for Christs sake and honor of the truth how can it bee expected that they should part with life it selfe for his sake Vse 2 It must admonish vs by serious meditation to arme our selues against the worst to be ready to giue our life for him who hath giuen his for vs that wee should not dye eternally these things must oft bee thought on for as a holy man sayes The price of Truth varies as the Market and price of Graine Some time graine is cheape some time deare so Truth is offered good cheepe to vs and hath bin a long time with ease and wealth now if the Lord should set a greater price on it wee must not then grudge And thus much for the sixt Branch The seauenth and last Branch of this Denial The 7 branch of Deniall is or wife children country friends c. is the Deniall of all things without vs or about vs that is neere and deere vnto vs as Wife Children Country Friends c. Mat. 10.37 Luke 14.26 Thus Christ himselfe did some times denyed his Parents some times forsooke his Freinds Country but especially hee left his eternall glory Mat. 10.37 the society of his blessed Father and Angells Luke 14.26 and liued as an exile one earth for our redemption so that much more are wee to doe this for this is but that equity of the Law that God himselfe his trueth and worship be loued and embraced aboue all Vse 1 The vse of which point is also for admonition to arme vs what is to bee vndergone for the Gospell all earthly thinges to be forsaken for if a whole countrie should bee infected with the Pestilence who would not by flight prouide for himselfe and his health So must wee flie from spirituall infection and carefully preserue the health of our soules and this wee may bee incouraged vnto by the comfortable promise of Christ Math. 19.29 Math. 19.29 Whosoeuer shall forsake any thing as friendes howses brethren sisters father mother wife children countrie or lands for my names sake he shall receiue a hundreth fold more with persecutions Mark 10.30 and in the end euerlasting life And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the duetie it selfe and the seuerall branches Now it remaines that we speak of the Necessitie thereof The secoud generall head containes the necessitie of Denying our Selues Albeit the necessitie of this Duetie may appeare by that which hath already bene spoken yet it comes further to be declared There are 2. partes of christian profession to which we are called The 1. concernes things to be beleeued Faith Obedience The 2. dueties to be performed Faith Obedience Now either of these doeth require the practise of this duetie For the first seing many misteries of christian faith 1. Faith and the dispensation thereof is such as agrees not with flesh and blood is not subiect to the capacity of fleshly reason nay may seeme absurd and foolishnes vnto it therefore no maruaile if Christ said Deny your selues And Samuel sayd If yee turne to the Lord put away those thinges But let vs see a more particular declaration of this point which is most profitable that so wee may bee directed to knowe in what particular cases or at what times this Selfe-Denyall is to be practised and is of speciall vse First then this Denyall of our selues Reason and Wisedome is most necessary to the beleeuing and subiecting our selues to the Articles of faith for the most of them being such as are aboue if not contrary to naturall reason and comprehension wee shall neuer stedfastly and soberly beleeue the same if wee examine them and reduce them to tearmes of Logick or argument of Reason If we should go through all the Articles of faith and aske aduise and consult with flesh and blood concerning the intertainement of them how many of them would be receiued or beleeued 1. 1 Trinitie That great hid and sacred Mistery of the blessed Trinity of persons in an vnity of Nature and Essence How impossible a thing to the conceit of flesh and blood 2. The Creation of the world all things therein of Nothing 2. Creation It cannot be sayth the Philosopher 3. The Doctrine of particular Prouidence 3. Prouidence That all things