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	jew_n	sabbath_n	1,247	5	9.6654	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50426	St. Paul's travailing pangs, with his legal-Galatians, or, A treatise of justification wherein these two dissertions are chiefly evinced viz. 1. That justification is not by the law, but by faith, 2. That yet men are generally prone to seek justification by the law : together with several characters assigned of a legal and evangical spirit : to which is added (by way of appendix) the manner of transferring justification from the law to faith / by Zach. Mayne ...	Mayne, Zachary, 1631-1694.	1662 (1662)	Wing M1485; ESTC R4815	251,017	422

where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel Now did God destroy his people at Shiloh for their wickedness the place where God set his Name at the first and cannot he deal as severely with a second place Therefore saith God except ye repent and amend your ways I will do unto this House as I did to Shiloh and I will destroy you as I did my people at Shiloh for all your Temple But here we see how men may dote upon a Temple so as to think themselves secure from God's Judgments though they themselves are ful of wickedness Whysomewhat like this are our people ready to do tho God forbid there should be such a gross thing found amongst us in the dayes of the Gospel as this of the Jews was yet how do many dote upon Churches and consecrated places crying as it were The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and that after our blessed Saviour hath told us as much as this in my apprehension that one place is no holier then another neither Jerusalem nor Mount Gerizim but men should worship the Father in spirit and truth and in every place saith the Apostle perhaps we might gloss in every place alike men should lift up holy hands without wrath or doubting and yet how are some apt to think that if they pray in a Church though the Assembly be not there that a prayer in a Church is far more acceptable then in their Closet at home Not as if I did not far more prefer publick Worship then private or secret devotion or that I were against a convenient decent Meeting-place Again The Iews gloried in ceremonious services how did this Jewish Legal Carnal righteousness please pride it self in the ceremonial service of Sacrifices and the like but never look at the heart Isa 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me saith the Lord I am full of Burn ●fferings of Rams and the fat of fed Beasts I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-Goats Ver. 13. Bring no more vain Oblations incense is an abomination unto me the new Moons and Sabbaths I cannot away with Not as if all these things were at this time unlawful for they were their duty but here you see they were abundant in these and failed in matters of common honesty and justice as we may see ver 15 16 17. Your hands are full of blood wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressed● judge the fatherless plead for the Widow These things they ought to have done and not to leave the other undone and when ye have done these things saith the Lord Come now and let us reason together though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow c. ver 18. Here was Gospel that if they would mind the true reformation of their hearts and lives they might expect the pardon of their sins but these Legal Jews they never mind this inward holiness no nor common honesty and yet make no question but they shall make God amends very wel by keeping Festivals New-Moons Sabbaths days of solemn Assemblies and by Sacrifices of Rams Lambs Bullocks He-Goats as if God were fed with the blood and fat of these beasts and were migtihly attoned by incense sweet perfumes See Psal 50. from 7. to 14. as if then he must needs smel a savour of rest in all that they did And the Gal. we find were come to this Gal. 3.10 Ye observe days and months times and years that is Jewish Feasts I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain When they once came to observe them there was a great deal of danger and cause for the Apostles sear that they would rest in the observance of them for that this was the reason why they took to observing of them when it was not now any longer the Jews duty so much as to observe them because of their inclination to a Covenant of Works which chiefly expresseth it self in an external service So likewise the Colossians amongst whom the same pestilent Law-Preachers had been they were ensnared to the making conscience of dayes Sabbaths and new Moons and also in the business of meats that some were clean and others unclean which was once the Jews duty to observe insomuch that Peter tells the Lord he had been so strict in the business hitherto that nothing common or unclean meaning of the flesh of unclean Beasts and Fowls had entred into his mouth Acts 11.6.8 But now was not only not their duty any longer but at least to the Gentiles a sin to make any conscience in it for that they could hardly begin such a thing at such a time upon the inticement of false Teachers for none else perswaded the Gentiles to it but from an evil inclination of swerving from the pure Gospel which they had received from the Apostles unto a Covenant of Works thus served out to them by their false Teachers And it argues almost as ill a disposition in the Galatians and Colossians but to take up these things as their duty as it did in the Jews to place so much in them when they were their duty Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy-day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath-dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ Col. 2.14 16 17. These things when they were in use and were mens duties were at best but shadows and yet these shadows did men exceedingly glory in and preferred them before true holiness and the spiritual Worship of God yea they thought verily that whilest they did observe these things they might commit all manner of Villanies and yet escape the judgement of God Yea they thought they were delivered to do all sorts of abominations as it is in Jer 7.10 The Apostle finds out such a generation of Jews in his time Rom. 2. from the 17. to the 25. Behold thon art called a Jew and restest in the Law a full expression I think of one that seeks Justification by the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will And the Apostle proceeds to describe a great Lawyer indeed one that thought himself sit to be a Guide of the blind a Light of them that walk in darkness an instructer of the foolish a teacher of babes and one that had the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law Yet what kind of man is he for his Morals Why he is a Thief an Adulterer a Sacrilegious person what not ver 21 22. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost

kept themselves from Legal uncleannesses and from eating every thing that was unclean and placed too much in this whilst it was their duty to observe these things The Colossians erred but in making conscience of the Legal uncleanness of Meats Let no man judge you saith the Apostle in meat or drink that is value no man's judgement let no man abridge you of your liberty in it Now for our selves we are wholly free from Jewish Observations about meats and I think pretty free from any Religious Observations at all about meats and if we are forbid flesh in Lent those that are healthy yet the reason which the Law gives is civil and political for the breed of Cattel but if we should come to have our Consciences ensnared to think that flesh were not as lawful in it self all the Lent-time as at another time this were a symptome of Legality venting it self in superstition But now if we go over amongst the Papists what conscientious observations of Meats are there To eat an Egg in Lent is punished with imprisonment c. that upon a religious account which is a plain argument of legality amongst them very rise I might instance in Priests Vestments as I apprehend an high piece of formality very fit to please the humour of a Legal Spirit that for want of substance pleases it self with shadows shews and outsides but I shall not proceed further to touch at things he that hath an eye to see let him look into the Scriptures and he that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches But we may speak freey of the Papists their Superstitions not onely in doing but in putting themselves upon needless sufferings What Pilgrimages and Processionings what Abstinencies and Penances do they put themselves upon wearing Sackcloath scourging themselves What crossings cringings and sprinklings do they impose upon themselves 't were endless almost but to name the kinds of their inventions Yea some of our own people will say over the Creed and ten Commandments for a prayer and when they come as beggars at your door they will say over the Lords Prayer as if it were a charm to the house from all mischief Now I look upon all Superstitions where they are with any seriousness practised as those things which do exactly sit a Legal Spirit for as I have several times intimated your Legallists cannot endure to come at the Law in the spiritual sense of it so none but a Gospel-Spirit doth it is Faith alone that establisheth the Law and obeys the Law Now because the Legallist cannot endure to come up to the true spiritual obedience of the Law and yet seeks to be justified by Works he is fain to find out a thousand things to please himself and satisfie his Conscience with whereby he thinks he makes God amends and we have seen in the instances before us how that though men are as wicked as they could be by lying swearing and committing adultry yea and Idolatry too yet they cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord they thought God must love them because they were Jews especially when they brought him rich Sacrifices and burnt rich Incense and kept all their Festivals in the time and manner appointed Now what then their over-valuing the Commands of the Coromonial Law was that is Superstition to us now For not having such a Law left us by God we find out somewhat like it and place the same considences in it that they did in their Law onely ours is so much the worse by not being of Divine institution I have now only one particular more belonging to this Character of external fleshly service and that is an external partial conformity to the moral Law which is indeed the last and strongest fort of a Legal-spirit As for these external Priviledges or Ceremonies and Superstitious Performances which I have insisted upon they are a slighty thin covering if we come once to try it and rationally to examine it and though people wrap themselves in it yet they cannot bear out any rough argument from galling or pinching through it External conformity to the duties of the Moral Law What defence is it for an Harlot to say This day have I paid my vows to one that can convince her of being a common Whore Prov. 7.14 But now if men have lived in some conformity to the duties of the Moral Law as the young man in the Gospel had done All these have I kept from my youth saith he speaking of the commandments Believe it our Saviour himself shall not by an ordinary word perswade him that he lacketh any thing more Let us see the beld audacious Pharisee in the Parable that goes into the Temple to pray how doth he challenge his acceptance with God and upon what terms We have it in Luke 18.11 God I thank saith he that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tythes of all that I possess Really the man might well have thanked God as he did had it not been for two things 1. His making comparisons 2 His valuing those things which he mentions as a sufficient Righteousness It was good not to be an Extortioner Unjust an Adulterer it was good to fast and to give tythes of all and he might well bless God that he was enabled to do these things but this was but a partial holiness for all the Commands are not reckoned up here then perhaps it was but an external obedience to these commands that are referred to he was no actual Adulterer but might he not commit heart-Adultery He was no Extortioner or unjust person as he saith But if it were true at all it may be it was onely thus That he was not so in the highest degree perhaps what others accounted injustice and extortion he did not But I need not go upon a Perhaps I will lead the Reader to a certain place of Scripture where the Legallist prides himself and challenges acceptance from God onely upon a partial and external obedience unto some duties of the first Table it is Isa 58.2 3. In the 2d ver we have an high commendation as one would think of them They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God they ask of me the Ordinances o● of Justice they take delight in approaching to God These are great matters and upon these the Jews grew high and argue the case with God for his acceptance they wonder when they are so good that God should make so little reckoning so small account of them ver 3. Wherefore have 〈◊〉 fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have 〈◊〉 afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge The Lord answers them in the same verse Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure and exact all your

think the Papists do generally ruine themselves by resting upon externals nay inventions in the service of God So much for the cautions and for the Character as it concerns those that are under predominant Legality Now because the same character that will discover it at this height will discover it also where it is in any less degree and for that I have asserted that there is a mixture of Legality in the services of the best Christians and Saints of God I think it good to improve this character yet further for the discovery of that Legality which may be found in the Saints themselves That Legality of the Saints therefore which is discoverable and reprovable by this Character is 1. That I doubt not but some good men have a Conscience of some superstitious observations and I would not for all the world think the contrary lest I should condemn the generat on of the just and think too hardly of some dear Saints of God And I must needs confess there is too much occasion given men to run into this extream of Superstition by the irreverence of others perhaps good men in the service of God How ordina●ily do many sit at prayers in the Church when they are not necessitated by weakness or any other occasion and with their Hats upon their heads Now how easily may this give occasion to others that take offence at this irreverence out of a fear lest they should not be reverent enough in the service of God to approve of kneeling at the Sacrament which I doubt not but many good men may be very zealous for as also forbowing at the Name of Jesus But yet I reckon that good men are in greater danger of Legality in the matter of Moral duties then in ceremonies and superstitions for though I have acknowledged that some good men may have a conscience of some superstitious observations being misled by the care to be sufficiently reverent yet to be greatly superstitious in gospel-Gospel-days is a shrewd sign of a rotten heart and so not so incident to good men 2dly For the duties of the Moral Law good mens Legality lies in two particulars 1. When they have performed a duty rightly and spiritually they are apt to reflect upon it with a spiritual pride and ready to lay too much stress upon it and to think that now God must needs grant the Petitions they have asked whereas perhaps they have answer enough in the very sweetness of the duty it self and the communion with God which they have enjoyed in it and therefore if they are not humbled after such a duty to see their great unworthiness notwithstanding all they have done they are so far guilty of Legality Or which is more usual 2dly The Saints too often content themselves with doing their tale and number of duties praying morning and evening perhaps reading so many Chapters but are not spiritual in what they do watching over their hearts that they worship God in a right manner with those spiritual affections stirring in prayer that attention in reading that should be this is commonly known by the name of resting in duties this is ●egality and yet I think that which is found more or less in all the Saints and so far indulged to themselves by some Saints till at last they have a general deadness and benummedness in all their Graces and then they fall into sad complaints of desertions and run into a maze and a Labyrinth of doubts and troubles of mind which perhaps they get not out of for some years together As for those Saints that pick and choose amongst the Commandments that are high-flown in their notions and yet err grosly in matters of common Justice and honesty that are indeed not only slanderously reported or unworthily suspected to be so disobedient to Magistrates with other like irregular Christians I have nothing to say to them here I refer these to the head of hypocritical Legallists that expect to be justified by a parcial obedience to the Commands of the Moral Law these not being spots of Gods Children There are other miscarriages of the Saints in duties that are to be referred to their Legality of Spirit as for instance if they chance through extraordinary occasions to have missed the time of prayer morning or evening to have missed the reading their number of Chapters or doing any good task which they had laid upon themselves then they have a great fear and terror lest God should be angry and displeased with them though indeed Mercy was at ended instead of Sacrifice but such as these belong to another head or character of a Legal Spirit to wit a Spirit of Bondage which I shall come unto anon I have now perfectly done with the first Character as to its explication proof and application both to Legality predominant and that which is found in a less degree in which I may be thought tedious enough Onely I would not leave so much as a cavil without some endeavour at least of an answer to it Now I am sensible that thoughts may arise in some as if this whole particular were impertinent Obj. Whoever thought before may they chance say that Superstition was Legality that a partial performance of the Moral Law either by the less strict or more strict Morallists was Legality If men would seek to be justified by the Law they would endeavour at least to keep the whole Law and if they knew they fell short of it as those prophane wicked men which you mention out of Isaiah Jeremiah and other places that were very wicked did and yet rested in Ceremonious performances and external Priviledges these indeed deserve the Name of wicked men but not of Legallists or such as seek justification by the Law Now to this I answer and I shall say but little more then what I have said before 1. 'T is true none ought to seek Justification by the Law but those that have perfectly kept it hitherto and undertake to keep it for the future part of their lives 2. If any seek justification any other way they do but be-fool themselves 3. But yet the Jews and Galatians did seek justification by Works by the Law ASIT WERE by the Works of the Law else the Apostle had disputed against no adversary And yet they did not pretend to perfect and unerring obedience So I reckon the objection is answered already that men may seek Justification by the Law that have not nor think they have the exact Works of it But yet to give some overplus of answer There being a generation of men that do seek Justification by the Works of the Law yea forasmuch as all men are apt to seek it this way it must be in some kind of actions or other Now I have shewn that these very men that are taxed for Legality by the Apostle viz. the Jews and Galatians they were also taxed for their being so much in love with ceremonies and superstitions and with external