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
A33929	A compendious discourse about some of the greatest matters of Christian faith propounded and explained between a minister and an enquiring Christian ... : and also may serve for an answer to two books, one called The practical discourse of the sovereignty of God, the other called The death of death, by the death of Christ, written by J.O. : whereunto is annexed a very brief appendix / written by T. Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1682 (1682)	Wing C5274; ESTC R20632	146,911	256

be to himself and not to us which is wholly contrary to the Scripture which constitutes our duty and the reward of grace in performance thereof So Sovereignty saith p. 180. ther will have something to be done by themselves that Christ is not the doer of And if there is nothing to be done by us but what Christ does then it 's his work and not ours which ends all duty and reward 2. Whether we can find no better a way to honour God in this matter but by rendring men as brutes yea worse than brutes not so much as capable to will their own safety with the helps that God affords Or if so then to glory therein and dishonour God for if men glory in themselves they dishonour God and wrong themselves but certainly those who render men in this matter as the brutes viz. that if God rule not in and over them as if they were brutes they can do nothing nor will nor work do wonderfully dishonour both God and man rendering all men uncapable either of vice or virtue without a miracle which he could so rule in and over any other creatures if he so pleased so that from a supposition to avoid dishonouring God in a way that does indeed and in good earnest wonderfully dishonour him must needs be very dangerous 3. Is it either dishonourable unto God or any occasion of pride in those who in the power of his Gospel grace do their duty i. e. doth will and choose the good and forsake the evil When others abuse the same power and grace in refusing the good and choosing the evil does not God himself command the one and forbid the other Commend the one and blame the other Justifie the one and condemn the other Men humbly ●esolving to do the will of God when they know it ●●ring their duty so to do as the Prophet Psa 119. ●3 34. And cannot this be without pride and dishonour 〈◊〉 God Has not Christ taught us in this matter Luk. 17. 10. When ye have done all those things that are Commanded you say we are unprofitable servants 4. And as for 1 Cor. 4. 7. Tho it 's a great truth that all distinguishing grace is from the Lord yet the difference there intended is the difference in gifts given after conversion for the Churches use as is appa●●nt compared with v. 6. and not the difference made in the grace of saith and first conversion unto God Christ But do you not think that God worketh in ●●e more than in others in order to rectifying the will is well as in affording the power or ●o you think he worketh alike in all in order to the work of faith and conversion Min. The manner and measure of Gods working in the Gospel in this matter in it self is a secret yet I doubt ●●t but that he does exercise a liberty in this matter as it is capable to love some more and some less with his first love of pitty as before I shewed so he may and doubtless doth work in some more and in some less so likewise in the use of means on some he waits longer and useth greater means then with others some yielding to his means and workings sooner than others who in long waiting and much means submit to his call when others under the same means continue rebellious s●●ll Yet in this matter it behoves us to understand two things 1 That whatever he works i● any it 's sutable to their rational capacities and not as brutes with freedom of will and liberty of choice the manner of working being by arguments from without prevailing upon the understanding and reason that in Judgment it makes its choice or else conversion might be effected by an immediate power without the word of the Gospel which I think was never yet done if any instance can be given of any person that has been converted to believe in Christ crucified that never heard of him this will be much answered but indeed it 's contrary to the Scripture Rom. 10. 14. and contrary to reason and experience because no man can possibly believe and be converted till he know what to believe and from what and to what to turn Act. 26. 18. 1 Thes 1. 9 10. It 's true God can possibly work without means which would be indeed miraculous but in this matter he has not nor does not but the Gospel is the only means designed of God for Gospel conversion and faith therefore Paul must have a ministry without him tho from the mouth of Christ for his conversion if an immediate work with out means might have done it Saul had been a sit subject for such a work tho through his Ignorant and Blind-Zealous Perversness he was without the reach of the ordinary means yet tho in a more than ordinary way Christ wrought upon him by his wordwithout him to his understanding within him Act. 9. 4 5 6. what he heard and saw affected his heart and the work was done 2. The manner and measure of the work is not so much material while he affords a sufficiency unto all and is before hand with all in this matter as the parable of the Talent does fully demonstrate to one he gave five to another two and to anothr one He worketh and giveth as he pleaseth and expecteth improvement in which way he will give more Mat. 25. 29. with Heb. 5. 12 13 14 and those who deny all ability of improvement do render men to be but as brutes Christ Does not the Apostle complain Rom. 7. 18. for want of power more than for want of will For me to wi● is present but how to perform that which is good I know not By which it seems to appear that the power is wanting more than the will want of power being the matter of complaint Min. This is no more in substance than what I said before viz. it 's not perfect obedience the Lord requireth or impowereth us to perform while here in the mortal and fallen state Ps 103. 14. but sincere and universal weakness being really upon us and by reason of our sinful and mortal estate it comes to pass that tho persons before conversion have more power than ordinarily they have will to improve yet after conversion in some cases they have more will than they have power to perform and this was the Apostles case they would serve the Lord as freely and universally so fully and perfectly without distraction or imperfection and this they cannot do and this experienced Christians find and feel by woful experience as the Apostle did and in this they will beyond their power yet they serve him as they should when their will and desires do really out-run their power in service tho they serve him not as they would i. e. perfectly without mixture distraction or imperfection Christ Eph. 1. 19. Is much used to prove an Almighty irresistible power in the work of conversion what say you to it Min. This Scripture is frequently