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	mutual_a	parent_n	1,913	5	9.2702	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92846	The anatomy of secret sins, presumptuous sins, sins in dominion, & uprightness. Wherein divers weighty cases are resolved in relation to all those particulars: delivered in divers sermons preached at Mildreds in Bread-street London, on Psalm 19. 12, 13. Together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost preached before an honourable auditory. By that reverend and faithfull minister of the Gospel, Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and published by those whom he intrusted with his notes.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.; Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.	1660 (1660)	Wing S2363; Thomason E1003_1; ESTC R203493	249,727	327

other servant looseth his liberty by his service but libertty is then got when we become servants to God As soon as we enter the service we obtain our freedom Every other servant in strictness of Rule is below a son a child but every servant of God is a son of God and shall have not gifts as a meer servant may have but the inheritance which the son who serveth his Father shall have There are two sorts of servants under God 1. Some stubborn who are Servi victi as St. Aust in speaks The Law of Creation is upon them and so will they nill they they are in some obediential and serviceable Relation 2. Others are servants not of force but of affection not of compulsion but of election they have chosen God to be their Lord and have willinglly resigned up themselves in the purpose of their hearts to an universal observance and love of him and obedience unto him impartially and constantly to do his work Such a servant to God was David but this observation is very general therefore I pass unto another viz. SECT IV. Doct. 4 EVen this That we are Gods servants should be used to move the Lord to help us against sins you know that in all relations That we are Gods servants should be a plea for help against sinnes there are mutual bonds and duties the wife owes much of subjection to the husband and the husband owes also much of love respect and care to the wife The Child owes much attendance reverence and affectionate duty to the Parents and the Parents owe much of instruction reproof correction nurture provision of Estate for the child again so is it betwixt the Lord and his servant though to a mear slave there be no mutual obligation or else it is in that which is weak yet to a servant who stands in that relation which they call Ingenuous as much is due from him to his Lord so something his Lord ought to do for him to feed him to cloth him to house and lodge him to defend him against wrong and injuries This is it in the case of David Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins as if he had said O God thou art my Lord I have chosen thee to whom I will give obedience thou art he whom I will follow I bestow all that I am on thee Now a Lord will help his servant his servant against an enemy against an enemy who for the Lords service is the servants enemy O my Lord help me I am not able by my own strength to uphold my self but thou art All-sufficiency Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins Note I observe in Scripture many singular Methods to prevail in request upon God sometimes he hath been urged from something in himself to do things for his Mercies sake and for his truth sake and for his goodness sake and for his holiness sake sometimes he hath been urged from something which he was very tender of and at which he aims in all his dealings viz. for his own glory and for his names sake sometimes he hath been urged from some word or other which he hath let fall at which the believing soul doth catch as did Benhadab servants from Ahab thy brother Benhadab Remember thy word saith David upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psalm 119. Thou saidst thou wouldst do me good said Jacob Gen. 32. Sometimes he hath been urged from the special relations twixt him and his people as from that of a Father Isa 64. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father and this of a Lord. Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while verse 19. We are thine and in many other places Remember thy servant and remember thy servants Beloved It is a great thing to stand in near relations to God and then it is a good thing to plead by them with God forasmuch as nearer relations have strongest force with all the servant can do more then a stranger and the Child then a servant and the wife then a Child but though this urging of God by vertue of our relation be an excellent point yet because it is not the main intention of the place I likewise pass it over Another observable Proposition may be this SECT V. Doct. 5 THat our special Relations to God should be special Reasons to work a care not to sin against God Keep thy servant Our special relation to God should make us carefull not to sin against God from c. Thy servant there be many reasons against sinning the very nature of sin carries along with it a condemnation of sinning because sin formerly is a transgression an Anomy and a Rebellion which alone is an inglorious thing Again The Laws and threatnings of God should be as forcible cords to draw off the heart from sin And again All the Mercies and goodness of God should exasperate the heart against sin Again All the Attributes of God might hold us Now with these this also may come in viz. The specialty of our Relation to God that we are his Children and he is our Father we are his servants and he is our Lord though the common obligations are many and sufficienr yet the special Relations are also a further tie the more near a person comes to God the more carefull he should be not to sin against God Let us who are of the day be sober let us not sleep as do others 1 Thes 5. 6 8. God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness 2 Thes 3. 7. If you call him father pass the time of your so journing here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. If I then be a father where is my honor If I be a Master where is my fear Mal. 1. 6. I will be sanctified saith God of all them that draw near unto me There is a double drawing near unto God 1. One in respect of Office as the Priests of whom he there spake who because their Calling and Office is more high and heavenly they therefore should be more religious and holy 2. Another in respect of Nature and change by vertue of which our Relation comes closer to God even this nearness should occasion more care against sinfulness Reasons Reasons whereof are these First Admissions of sinnings here do diffuse a greater ingloriousness Their sinnings are most dishonourable to God to God sin is most darkning in a white cloud then in a black as a spot is more eminently disgracefull in a fair then in a foul cloth Though the sins of evil men do prejudice Gods Glory yet the great sinnings of good men do occasion much more for not only the particular sinnings send up a cloud but other men by reason of them form out of them a smoak of blaspheming and reproaching of the wayes of God and the profession of Grace Secondly Their great sinnings do make them the sorer wounds Their sinnings make the greater wounds and

service is not so good as God may and doth require if he should stand with us upon tearms of strict Justice But then fourthly though there be many imperfections cleaving to the services of men yet if they be upright God will for all them graciously accept of their services Though I pray and with many distractions and though I heare and within my interpretations yet if I be upright in the performances of these i. if my heart be for God indeed under these that I bring in the truth and present strength of my spirit with all humble respect to Gods commands and unfeigned integrity of aiming at Gods glory the services are graciously accepted with God Yea though I cannot alwayes use so many words in prayer though expressions are not so many at this time as at another nay though I finde not that livelihood and chearfulness now as heretofore yet if the heart be upright the service is done and accepted There are two things which may assure a good man that his services are accepted One is faith when he presents his services in the name of Christ look as every sinner needs a Mediatour of redemption so every good man still needs the same Christ as a Mediatour of intercession for his services And though services as done by us can finde no favour yet as presented by Christ they are alwayes a sweet savour before the Lord he is that Angel who hath a golden Censer and hath much incense which he offers with the prayers of all Saints before the Throne Rev. 8. 3. though our services be but weak testimonies yet Christs intercession is a strong and mighty ingratiating both of our persons and actions Another is uprightnesse when the heart is true and plain in what it doth Beloved remember this that as God doth not respect the strongest parts which are passiue as I may say and are idle so he doth not reject the meanest abilities if uprightly imployed No not the day of small things is despised by him if the flax be smoaking though it flame not he will not quench it that is he will not only not slight it but cherish and accept of it 2 Cor. 8. 12. The widows mite the cup of cold water was accepted If a man can truly say Lord I would believe more stedfastly if I could and I strive to believe and I would pray better if I could yet as well as I can I now present my supplications before thee I would serve thee more fully more intirely that is the desire of my soul and my endeavour if I had wherewithal thou shouldst have a better heart more lively affections more ample and chearful duties all should be better if I had a better power I say that notwithstanding the many imperfections yet this uprightnesse this holy frame of a compleat and active will wherein all the powers of the soul are bent to services according to the present power of the measure of grace ●●●eived is a most sweet smelling sacrifice and mounts into the most gracious acceptance of God in Christ I pray you remember that of David like as a father pities his childe so the Lord pitieth them that feare him Psal 103. 13. And that of the Prophet I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. The father commands his childe to lift up the weight and the childe readily addresseth to the obedience he lifts and assayes and still he gives another ha at it but perhaps he cannot get it quite up why the father likes his childe for this and though perhaps the weight be where it was yet he calls this act of his child true obedience why because though that be not done which the father imposed yet it had been done if the child had more strength and he endeavoured with all his strength for to do it Or thus the father wills the childe to shoot an Arrow the child draws the Arrow perhaps but half way and though his eye were upon the mark yet his arrow falls short many Bowes length why the father will yet commend all this for though he sees that the Arrow is short yet he observes that the Bowe was drawn and although the mark be not hit with the Arrow yet it was aimed at with the eye of the childe so is it with God our father who commands such and such duties to which if we addresse our selves with uprightness he will wink and passe by the weakness in action whiles he both observes and accepts the integrity of intention and affection Obj. O saith an upright person I finde such infinite heaps of other thoughts such dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit such untowardlinesse so many weaknesses every way all which are the grief of my soul and it troubles me much that I cannot do the good that I would how will the Lord take such broken services from me Sol. I answer if thy heart be upright in these interrupted services God hath mercy to pardon the weaknesses and he hath wisdome to finde out the uprightnesse and he hath graciousness to accept of the dutifulnesse A Goldsmith will not cast away those lesser raies of gold though mingled and to an inexpert person confounded with various heaps of drosse and ●●st now he hath an art to find out the little gold and put side the drosse Though with all our holy actions there be much corruption and weakness commixt yet there is such a wise art in Gods gracious mercy as to finde out uprightnesse and holinesse of desire and endeavour in a service commanded with many infirmities 2 Chr. 30 18. the Lord pardon every one v. 19. That prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary verse 20. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people 2. A second comfort is this that if a man be upright he shall not only finde acceptance for services but also indulgence for offences If a man be upright he shall not only finde acceptance for service but indulgence for offence You must ever distinguish twixt the cause and the subject the cause of all pardoning indulgence is the free grace of God in the blood of Christ but the subject of indulgence is the person to whom God is pleased to give his pardon and release None comes in under the wings of the mercy-seat so as the upright persons Uprightnesse in Scripture hath in a well understood sense seemed to cover all you read of King Asa and of many passages which did greatly blur him both as a King and as a good man he did not break down the high-places he sought to the Physicians he joyned to the King of Syria he cast the Prophet into prison who reproved him for it yet 2 Chron. 15. 17. the heart of Asa is said to be perfect all his dayes How all his dayes and yet such sinnings sometimes yes all his dayes for sinnes stand