Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	great_a	sabbath_n	1,288	5	9.0935	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61630	Thirteen sermons preached on several occasions three of which never before printed / by the Right Reverend Father in God Edward, Lord Bishop of Worcester.; Sermons. Selections	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5671; ESTC R21899	215,877	540

Duties of their Places are bound to regard the Publick and the Good of others and when they do it not they are certainly guilty of Sins of Omission in a high Degree For every such Place is a Trust from God of which an Account must be given and a Sacred and Solemn Obligation goes along with them so that there can be no Sins of Omission in such Cases without Sins of Commission of as high a Nature as Breach of Trust and of the most solemn Obligations The truth is the World is so humoursome and fantastical a thing that it will hardly endure to be made better so that those who have the greatest Zeal and Resolution to do good are extremely discouraged in it when they find so many Objections and Difficulties such Frowardness and Perverseness in some such Remisness and Coldness in others such an Universal Lassitude and Indifferency that it is enough to check the best Inclinations that way and to make them leave the World to be managed as it will And there are some Seasons wherein it is much harder to do good than in others Such I mean when Wickedness and Vice have corrupted the very Principles of Men's minds when they account it a Piece of Wit to be profane and a higher sort of Breeding to despise Religion and Vertue when some are ready to pervert the best Designs and mix such mean and sinister Ends of their own with them and thereby blast them that they come to nothing when others will not endure that good may be done unless they may have the sole doing of it and endeavour to lessen the Reputation of all who are not altogether such as themselves When all imaginable Arts are used to make Government contemptible and the best Purposes ineffectual Lastly when any who are bound to carry on the publick Good account it Wisdom to do little or nothing in their Places and take all possible Care to disoblige no Body by doing their Duties for fear of evil Consequences I say when such Seasons d● happen there is a very melancholy Prospect of Affairs and little Hopes of doing or of seeing Good II. I now proceed to the Good which we are to do with respect to others of the same Nature and in a worse Condition than our selves and therefore need our Help and Assistance This is so remarkable a Sense of doing Good that it hath almost appropriated the Name to it self as Good Works are generally taken for Works of Charity These are such as all agree that they cannot be wholly omitted without Sin but the Difficulty lies in stating the Measure and Seasons of the Obligation to them Concerning which these Rules may be observed 1. That the Measures of Duty in this Case are very different according to the different Circumstances and Conditions of Persons For although the standing general Rules of our Duty are fixed and unalterable yet the particular Obligations depend upon great ●ariety of Circumstances as to those who are to do and to receive Good If the Easiness of Persons Conditions in the World will afford their laying by a constant Stock of Charity it will be always in readiness for such Occasions when we would be more willing to do good if it were in our Power but it is hardly possible to make such Rules which may not give Occasions for trouble to scrupulous Minds when they do not strictly observe them But we are all so far bound to do good to those in want that the not doing it according to our Abilities and Opportunities is such a Sin of Omission as is inconsistent with true Christianity but of those every Person is ●eft to judge but so as he must give an Account of it at the Great Day For it is observable that our Saviour speaking of the Proceedings then particularly mentions the Sins of Omission with respect to the doing good to others 2. There are particular Seasons when a greater Measure of doing good is required than at others i. e. When Persons suffer for Religion and a good Conscience When the Necessities of People are more general and pressing When great Objects of Charity are certainly known to our selves and concealed from others When a present Relief puts them into a way of doing good for themselves When God hath done good to us after a more remarkable Manner than he hath to others When we do the more Good because we have done so much Evil and thereby manifest the Sincerity of our Repentance by bringing forth such Fruits worthy of Amendment of Life When our Calling and Profession is to do good and we are bound to give the best Examples to others according to our Abilities When our Religion suffers by not doing good and our Faith is questioned for want of good Works Lastly When there are no such Natural Drains of Charity as Children and near Relations which need our Assistance in these and many other Instances of a like Nature there is so much greater Obligation to the doing good that it cannot be omitted without Sin II. I now come in the last Place to consider the Nature of the Obligation we lye under to do the Good we know And the Reason of considering this is from the Comparison of several Duties with one another for we may be bound to several things at the same time but we cannot perform them together and the Difficulty then is to understand which of these Duties we may omit without Sin And the Comparison may be threefold 1. As to the Nature of the Duties 2. As to the Authority which enjoyns them 3. As to the particular Obligation we are under to do them 1. As to the Nature of our Duties For there are several kinds of things that are good and we are to have a different Regard to them Some things are good because they are commanded and some things are commanded because they are good and even God himself allows us to make a Difference between these when himself saith I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice although he required both but if it happens that both cannot be done then he prefers the former altho' his own Honour seems more concerned in the latter Our Saviour extends this Rule to Mercy on the Souls of Men and to Mercy on our Bodies even out of the Case of urgent or extreme Necessity which cannot be pleaded in the Apostle's Case of plucking the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath day But from hence we have ground to inferr that when two Duties interfere with one another we are bound to preferr the greater and more substantial Duty and then the Omission of the lesser is no Sin 2. As to the Authority which requires them There is no question but when the Authority of God and Man do contradict each other God is to be obeyed rather than Man But the Authority of God's Command is not equally clear in all Cases for some things are required plainly and directly and some things by consequence and

may build as presumptuous hopes upon Privileges of another kind which may be as ineffectual to our Salvation as these were when Christ said to those very Persons Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity We all bear the Name of Christ and own his Doctrine and partake of his Sacraments and in one of them profess to eat and drink in his Presence and at his Table and renew our solemn Baptismal Vow and Covenant with him as our Lord and Saviour and so we pray to him and profess to depend upon him for our Salvation and therefore we are as deeply concerned in the Scope and Design of these Words as ever the Jews were to whom our Saviour spake them But that I may the better Apply them to the Consciences of all those who hear me this Day and to make my Discourse more usefull and Practical I shall single out some of the most Remarkable Instances of those Duties which Christ hath enjoyned to his Disciples of all Ages and Nations and then shew how just and reasonable it is that all who call Christ Lord Lord should do what he saith about them and yet that the Generality of those who do so do very little Mind or Regard them The main part of those Duties which Chri●t requires from all his Disciples may be reduced to these three Heads I. Such as relate to the Government of our Passions II. To the Government of our Speech III. To the Government of our Actions so as that we lead a Sober Righteous and Godly Life I. As to the Government of our Passions And that may be considered three ways 1. As to the things which are apt to Provoke us 2. As to the things which are apt to Tempt us 3. As to the things which Concern us in respect of our Condition in this World 1. As to the things which are apt to Provoke us Such is the frame of human Nature that we are very tender and sensible not only of any real Hurt or Injury which may be done to our Bodies or Estates but of any thing we apprehend may do so or that touches upon our Reputation And where the Injury is real yet that which often touches most to the quick is the Contempt which is expressed in it For if the same thing be done by one we are satisfied did it not out of any Unkindness or Ill-will the matter is easily passed over and makes no breach or difference between them But if it be intended for an Affront although it be never so little then the brisker mens Spirits are and the higher Opinion they have of themselves so much deeper Impression is presently made in the Mind and that inflames the Heart and puts the Blood and Spirits into a quicker Motion in order to the returning the Affront on him that gave it But there is a considerable difference in Mens Tempers to be observed some are very quick and hasty others are slower in the beginning but more violent afterwards the Passions of the former are like a Flash of Gun-powder which begins suddenly makes a great Noise and is soon over but the other are like a burning Fever which is lower at first but rises by degrees till the whole Body be in a Flame The one is more troublesome but the other more dangerous the Care of the one must be in the beginning of the other in the Continuance of Passion lest it turn into Hatred Malice and Revenge But what through the Natural Heat of Temper in some the Jealousie and Suspicion in others the crossing each others Designs and Inclinations the misconstruction of Words and Actions the Carelesness of some and the Frowardness and Peevishness of others Mankind are apt to lead very uneasie Lives with respect to one another and must do so unless they look after the Government of themselves as to real or imaginary Provocations There are two Things I shall therefore speak to 1. That it is Reasonable that a Restraint should be laid on Mens violent Passions 2. That Christ hath laid no unreasonable restraint upon them 1. That it is Reasonable that a Restraint should be laid on mens violent Passions And that on a twofold Account 1. With Respect to the common Tranquility of humane Life 2. To the particular Tranquility of our own Minds 1. To the common Tranquility of human Life The great Comfort and Pleasure of it depends on the mutual benefit Men have from Society with one another This cannot be enjoy'd without particular Persons abridging themselves of some natural Rights for a common Benefit If we could suppose no such thing as Government or Society among men we must suppose nothing but Disorder and Confusion every one being his own Judge and Executioner too in case of any apprehended Wrong or Injury done to him Which condition of Life having all imaginable Uneasiness attending it by perpetual Fears and Jealousies and Mistrusts of one anothers Powers there was a Necessity that they must come to some common Terms of Agreement with each other so as to fix their Rights and to establish a just Measure of Proceeding in case of Wrong For every Man's Revenging his own Injury according to his own Judgment was one of those great Inconveniencies which was to be remedied by Society Laws and Government And Mankinds entering into Society for this End doth suppose it possible for them to keep under their violent Passions and to submit their private Injuries to the equal Arbitration of Laws or else they are made to no purpose unless it be to punish men for what they cannot avoid For many of those Crimes which all the Laws of Mankind do punish as wilfull Murder may be committed through the force of a violent Passion and if that be irresistible then the Laws which punish it are not founded on Reason and Justice But if such Laws are very Just and Reasonable as no doubt they are then all Mankind are agreed that mens violent Passions may and ought to be Restrained in some Cases The only Dispute then remaining is whether it may not be as fitting to restrain our Passions in such Cases which the Law takes no notice of For there is a Superiour Law viz. that of Reason whereby we are to be Governed and the Publick Laws do not forbid or punish Offences because they are unreasonable but because they are dangerous and hurtfull to human Society And And if it be allow'd to be fitting and necessary for men to keep their Passions within the Compass of Laws why not within the Conduct of Reason Especially when a great deal of Disorder may happen and disturbance of the Peace and Quiet of human Society by the Violence of Passions which may be out of the Reach of human Laws And every man is bound by virtue of his being in Society to preserve the Tranquility of it as much as he can 2. The Tranquility of our own Minds depends upon it And certainly that is a very reasonable Motive for the