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
A78206	The only refuge of a troubled soul in time of trouble & affliction, or, The sweet and soul-ravishing mystery of the apple-tree; explained and laid open, in two discourses fron Cant. 2. 3, for the comfort and encouragement of the true believer, in the midst of the worst and sorest afflictions which can (possibly) befal him in this world, and the awakening the most secure sinner, who is yet a stranger to the said mystery. ; Publish'd at the earnest and importunate request of several godly persons, who heard the same preached By J. Barry, an unworthy Minist. of the Gospel.	Barry, James.	1700 (1700)	Wing B970; ESTC R223490	61,710	175

gives that honourable Title of Mediator to any but the Son of God Secondly None was ever found by the Wisdom of God who was capable of such an high Office and that for two Reasons First Because the Mediator who must come in between God and sinners must be God as well as Man Now it is most certain that neither the Virgin Mary nor any other of the Saints of whom Papists make use as Mediators are God Secondly Because none of the Creatures to be Redeem'd were able to encounter with the Death and Miseries through which the Mediator was to go in making up the Breach between God and the Elect. Neither Virgin Mary nor any other Saint shed their Blood on the Account of Ransoming sinners I have trodden the wine press alone and of the people there was none with me Esa 63.3 And I looked and there was none to help and I wondred that there was none to uphold therefore mine own Arm brought Salvation unto me and my fury it upheld me ver 5. Is Christ divided was Paul Crucified for you c. 1 Cor. 1.13 This Work of bearing sin as a Surety for sinners was for unconceiveably great that I am very bold in affirming that had the Virgin Mary that Capital Idol of the Romish Synagogue with all the other Saints whom the Papists joyn with her as Coadjutors or fellow Helpers to make her Mediation and Intercession in Heaven the more successful joyn'd with her in lying under the weight of the sins of God's Elect It would have sunk her and them to into the nethermost Hell yea and all the Angels of Heaven had they been under that Load It never yet belonged to any to be a Mediator of Intercession but to him that was a Mediator of Redemption These two constitutive Parts of a compleat Mediator must never be parted they are both in Christ and in none other in Heaven or Earth Esa 53.12 with the Scriptures already Quoted To which I add a third Reason viz. Because neither Virgin Mary nor any other Saints or Angels were ever nominated or appointed to that High and most Sacred Office by God the Father This is Christ's Right excluding all others and that by the Priviledge of his Birth I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I Begotten thee Ask of me and I will give thee c. Psal 2.7 8. to this great Office he was Anointed and set apart by the declared Will and sacred Oath of him who cannot lie or change The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedech Psal 110.4 Neither of these things can be said of the Virgin Mary or any meer Creature without horrid Lying and Blasphemy against the Glorious and ever Blessed Trinity Branch the second Learn hence how near akin to Popery such be who notwithstanding they declare against Popery lay the stress of their Hope of obtaining any Mercy on their own worse than Threadbare Performances Such Persons sacrifice to their own drag Hab. 1.16 Their own deep Humiliations their Prayers their Fastings their Almsdeeeds something of their own Qualifications must claim the Honor of procuring the favor and kindness God shews them or at least be brought in collaterally with Christ's Merits as the procuring Cause of the Mercy they receive How do these kind of Professors extol and and advance the Honour and Dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ These instead of running to shelter themselves under the shadow of this Appletree viz. The Righteousness and Satisfaction of Christ They run to the false covering of their own Qualifications ascribing their success unto them not to Christ How little differing from downright Papists are these Esa 30.1 Oh! how hard a thing is self-denial for a Man to do duty and not to trust to it For a Christian to be all in Christ and nothing in himself in the point of Merit and Trust to obtain the good he wants These are as great strangers to the Grace of the Gospel and will in the end be found as far from the Kingdom of Heaven as those Papists from whom they think they separate being no better than those foolish Virgins in Mat. 25. who for want of the Oyl of Grace in their Hearts were shut out of Heaven He that is a Christian in Truth as he devolves the whole concerns of his Life and Salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ to be secured by him alone and in his own way so he ascribes the Praise of every Blessing he receives for Soul and Body to Christ the Son of God not excluding God the Father and the Holy Ghost such a Soul knows it to be high Sacriledge to ascribe any part of the Praise of his Salvation to any but God Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy and for thy Truths sake Psal 115.1 For my Names sake will I defer mine Anger and for my Praise will I refrain for thee that I cut thee not off Esa 48.9 Not for your sakes doo I this saith the Lord God be it known unt●● you be ashamed and confounded for your own ways O house of Israel Ezek. 36.32 To which I will only add that of our Saviour So likewise ye when ye have done all these things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Luke 17.10 In the Scriptures now Quoted it is most plain and conspicuous to any who are not either judicially or wilfully blind that all occasion is taken away from saved sinners of ever boasting of any worth or goodness of their own in the sight of a Holy God Ephes 2.9 Branch 3d. See and learn hence what little Cause or Reason any true Believers have to be dismay'd or discouraged at any Difficulties which lies in their way of Duty to God He who sits by Faith and humble Dependence under the shadow of this Almighty Redeemer and All-sufficient Saviour needs not fear tho' all the World were up in Arms against him For most certain it is the Word of God and rooted Experience assures me of it that Christ will either blast and confound all the crafty Pollicy and Strength of the Believers Enemies that they shall not be able to touch him so as to spoil him or else he will endue the Believer with an Heroick Spirit of Fortitude and heavenly Courage whereby he shall be enabled to suffer patiently and constantly for the Cause of God which is unspeakably better and every way more eligible to that Believer who would give an Evidence of his Faith in and his Love to the Person and Cause of his Beloved Jesus I even I am he that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and the Son of man that shall be made as the grass Esa 51.12 Fear not for I have Redeemed thee I have called thee