Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	command_v	servant_n	unprofitable_a	1,244	5	10.6349	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20606	The rockes of Christian shipwracke, discouered by the holy Church of Christ to her beloued children, that they may keepe aloofe from them. Written in Italian by the most reuerend father, Marc Ant. de Dominis, Archb. of Spalato, and thereout translated into English; Scogli del christiano naufragio, quali va scoprendo la santa chiesa di Christo. English	De Dominis, Marco Antonio, 1560-1624.	1618 (1618)	STC 7005; ESTC S117489	73,138	191

necessary dispositions without which God admitteth none into fauour do not merit any supernaturall reward For God doeth not therefore receiue thee into fauour because thou hast kept his Commandements as though he were bound to receiue thee into his fauour for such thy obseruance it is not so In these performances thou hast but done thy duety remouing for thy owne behoofe the obstakle impediment of sinne but God by his meere grace doeth accept thee as his owne neither were it a receiuing thee into grace if thy workes did deserue grace for reward is giuen vnto desert nor by way of grace but by way of Iustice And yet Iustification it selfe remission of sinnes and adoption to become a sonne of an enemy these come from God as a meere grace meere bounty and meere mercy Thou art not therefore to boast of any such workes nor to flatter thy selfe for them nor to acknowledge any merit at all in them When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you saith Christ then say Luk. 17.10 We are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duety to doe Moreouer such performances haue in thē for the most part so much imperfection that perhaps they haue in them more sinne and demerit then Merite in regard of either vaine glory or other humane ends and such like faulty circumstances Onely Christ's Merits are they which being duely applied vnto a man make God to holde himselfe fully satisfied for the dishonour and offence taken at man and by vertue of such and no other satisfaction God receiueth a man in fauour because he seeth him by a liuely and working faith inuested in Christ as with the wedding-garment and for this garments sake he accepteth him at the mariage of glory but whosoeuer entreth into that heauenly banquet arayed onely with his owne garments his owne works and proper merits if he come not in couered with this nuptiall garment of Christs righteousnes and Merits he shall be sure to be cassiered and cast out into vtter darkenes where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth And therefore not onely iustification remission of sinnes adoption into God's Sonneship are to be accounted the free grace of God which hath no other foundation then Christ's onely Merits applied vnto man by God's meere grace and bountie but also essentiall glory it selfe and eternall life is to be attributed to the same For God when hee adopteth for his sonne a man iustified by him and that through his meere grace for the Merits of Christ onely at the same time also for full measure of the same grace and for the same Merits alone God doth destinate vnto him the euerlasting inheritance of the essentiall glory of Paradise And therefore to affirme that Christians by their good workes doe purchase eternall life is to auouch a grosse and sinister falshood as also to affirme that good workes done euen in grace are meritorious of eternall life For eternall life is a meere fauour done vnto men being purchased for them by the onely Merits of Christ. Yet for all this good works are not to small purpose or vnprofitable to men First because the keeping of the Commandements is alwaies necessary in such sort as I haue declared and without them shall no man euer be saued though no man be saued by them Moreouer other good works which of themselues come not vnder commandement are many times very profitable and sometimes necessary also for the keeping of the Commandements as mortification of the flesh to the end that concupiscence draw not to disloyaltie for which cause euen S. Paul kept his body vnder 1. Cor. 9.27 and brought it into subiection lest by any meanes he preaching to others might himselfe be a cast-away And for the same cause he exhorted the Colossians also to mortifie their members Hither looke all fastings Col. 3.5 watchings continuall prayers and other such holy exercises not to any making God a debtor nor to any obliging him to recompence them with eternall life nor to any hoarding vp a treasure of mens owne merits but to resist euill desires and therefore a man is bound euen vnder paine of sinne to vndergoe them for his owne behoofe and for the great need which he hath to stand aloofe from sinne To this only purpose long since in my yong yeres Monasteries deserts solitary places caues and dennes were replenished not to procure merite by such exercises nor that they might thus purchase Paradise but that the loosing of it might be thus preuented and that the walke of the Tempter might be stopped and the neere occasions of sinne taken away Whereas now many Monasteries are the schooles of vice and of many heynous impieties and in a man̄er the proper lodges of sinne and Satan or at the best the Seminaries of ambition the receptacles of auarice and the sties to fat vp idle fellowes and generally all of them are the garisons of the Popes souldiers and of his catchpoles for the maintenance of the Papacy with all the enormities thereof by the helpe of these irregular Regulars who are bolstred vp with many priuiledges granted by the Popes being withdrawne from the iurisdiction of Bishops to the end that they may become spies champions and very Pandars to the Papacie not for venery but to serue his turne for worse vsurpations and oppressions Another benefit of good works is that they serue to discharge the obligation and debt wherein euery Christian is bound to bee answerable in his duety to God and to serue him faithfully and to promote the glory of so great and bountifull a Master A bond-slaue if he be good will of himselfe without looking for stripes seeke out occasions faithfully to serue his good Master and doing his deuoire doth not thereupon reckon his diligent seruice vpon the title of his owne loanes and of his Master's debts Mat 7.17 A good tree of it selfe bringeth forth good fruit yet doth not the planter and owner take vp that fruit on credit or accompt himselfe a debtor to the tree but enioyes the fruit as his owne and due to him gramercé his good planting and husbanding To this purpose said Christ Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5.16 that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Likewise Saint Peter maketh the same vse of them 1. Pet. 2.12 That the Gentiles beholding your good works may glorifie God And to this glorifying of God euery of you is bound in duty nor can challenge any reward vpon so doing Moreouer good workes done in grace doe help on the encrease of your loue toward God and towards your neighbour and set forward a iust man to become still more iust In relation whereunto some kind of merit but very improperly so called may bee attributed vnto good workes in that God in his bounty is content to reward man's imperfect operations with such encreases of his heauenly gifts and graces So Saint