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	parent_n	word_n	3,980	5	4.9332	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41974	A short discourse. Or, serious reflections and meditations on some particular texts of scripture Being the substance of several sermons preached in a country congregation. Wherein is shewed, first, the blessedness of those that keep Gods Commandments. And secondly, the happiness of such as mind their creator betimes, very briefly and succinctly handled. Written by F.G. master of arts, and chaplain to the right honourable Robert Earl of Scarsdale.	Gallimore, Francis, 1628 or 9-1698.	1694 (1694)	Wing G180A; ESTC R223628	18,093	31

rei aenigma one thing mentioned and another meant to wit that God loves that we should consecrate and dedicate our young and tender years to his service and not put it off as too many do to the very Autumn and fall of their lives Optima quaeque dies c. our best days first run and our worst at the last and shall we offer that indignity to the divine Majesty as to give him the Devils leavings Florem aetatis Diabolo consecrare faecem Deo reservare to consecrate the flower of our age to the Devil the World and the Flesh and to reserve the Lees and bitter Dregs for God and what is this then to offer up Malachi 1.8 13. the blind and the lame for sacrifice which God abhorreth and to break that golden rule laid down by our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seek first c. Mat. 6.33 seek his face always not when but when not so with these few to shut up therest that run in the same current Hear ye now my reasonings to speak in Job's language Job 13.6 and hearken ye unto the arguments of my Lips thereby to give it an edge that so it may make the better expression to you the speedier the deeper impression upon you The first reason may be drawn from the infinite mercy of God which is as the Psalmist speaks Psalm 100.5 From everlasting to everlasting from everlasting election unto everlasting glorification a fit theme for Angels to descant on for what man of art or art of man can describe or decipher it for if God remembred man before he or the world was cannot the simplest Intellect extract the inference shall we not remember him in time betimes Secondly If all examples have an influence on the practice of the beholders then especially the deeds of good men registred in Scripture the Calendar of eternity are most attractive of imitation Pray then cast your eye upon Joseph who withstood the impure and impudent solicitations of his wanton Mistriss in the Flower of his Youth Gen. 39.9 the most slippery time of his age an age as most prone to many others so especially to this sin Josiah the King sought the Lord while he was yet young 2 Chron. 34.2 Obadiah seared the Lord from his youth but to bring my best wine at the last and to trace the Apostle in his own Rhetorick if these prevail not Look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 not only the author to call us to it and set us in it but the finisher also to help us thro it and reward us for it look to him who at the age of twelve years went about his fathers business Thirdly We ought and 't is our duty to spend the prime of our days in the service of God who being our Creator and exceeding great Rewarder is most worthy of it and that is whilst our sences are sharp our memories quick our wits ripe our capacities ready our understandings deep not knowing how soon these may fail us and how suddenly death may find us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. such is the generation of men as of leaves saith the Heathen Poet Homer for as many leaves are nipped off in the bud so many young men are cut off in their youth for are we not poor mortal creatures brothers to the worms and sisters to the dust do we not carry about with us souls full of corruption and skins full of diseases is not our breath in our nostrils where there is room enough for it to go out and possibility never to come in again Each of these by it self all these laid together will make a weighty argument bearing down and forcing our assent to this assertion that the Spring of Youth is that age which God hath most inabled us to do him best service Now to make some improvement of this doctrine First The word of God hath two edges Heb. 4.12 and if it go one way thus pro primis unquiculis for the timely beginnings of grace and goodness it cuts as deep on the contrary even beyond admiration of many imperious and impetuous youth who have built the frame of their lives upon the foundation of long practised wantonness guiding their lives by pleasure and their reason by lust and being reproved What say they Are we not young and strong As if God had given them their strength to rise up against him and to run with others into all manner of excess of riot or as tho they had learned that language of the unwise Tutor in the Comick non est mihi crede vitium c. it is nothing for a young man to let loose the reins to all licentiousness to drink wine in bowls and to take their fill of pleasure here as if they were resolved with Dives that they should not get a drop of water in Hell If this be no sin why doth David lament him of the sins of his youth why doth Job threaten them with the sins of their youth that shall lie down with them in the grave Job 36.14 he who for one sin punished a world of men how will he plague one man tho a young man for a world of sin Secondly Since our Creator is to be remembred in the days of our youth here is a use for Parents to bring up their Children in the fear of the Lord to catechize initiate and enter them properly to dedicate them as they did their new houses unto the Lord. St. Paul requireth the performance of the same duty saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. bring up your children or as the word in the original insinuates nurse up your children in the fear of the Lord he would have them to suck in religion if not with their Mothers milk yet shortly after assoon as they are capable of it It 's storied of Alexander that he had children born and brought up in military discipline and exercise which made them so victorious and valiant in battle even so let all Parents bring up their children in the fear of the Lord that they may prove constant and couragious Soldiers under their King and Captain Jesus Christ to kill overcome and subdue all the enemies of God and their own souls salvation sin and their corrupt affections Hence it is that David stileth children the Inheritance of the Lord to denote unto us that they should be brought up with such care and sedulity as tho they were not the children of men but of God indeed there is a great necessity of this duty that Parents instruct their children betimes for by nature we are born blind and ignorant of heavenly things therefore Parents should take pains to bring their children to knowledge The Bears as the Naturalist observes when they bring forth their young ones they are an ill favored lump and a mass without shape but by continual licking of them they bring to some shape and form So thy child who is by nature the child