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	like_a	sabbath_n	1,189	5	10.2088	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10926	A strange vineyard in Palæstina in an exposition of Isaiahs parabolical song of the beloued, discouered: to which Gods vineyard in this our land is paralleld. By Nehemiah Rogers, Master in Arts, and pastor of the congregation at Messing in Essex.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1623 (1623)	STC 21199; ESTC S122274	258,015	353

behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crie Here we see first what fruits they were which God especially expected and they were fruits of the second Table Iudgement Righteousnesse And secondly what were the fruits which they returned namely Oppression A crie I might obserue hence from the Prophets elegancie adorning of his speech Rhetorically by a figure thus much that Rhetoricke is an Art sanctified by Gods Spirit and may lawfully be vsed in handling of Gods word There might be brought diuers instances out of holy Scripture wherein all the parts of Rhetoricke are vsed and euery approued rule of it practised yea euen in this very Prophesie But I hasten towards a conclusion and therefore passe from this with a word of admonition to all that we beware how we condemne the lawfull vse with the abuse For the Art it selfe is to be approued and onely the abuse thereof to be condemned But I come to the particulars in my Text. He looked for iudgement righteousnesse He doth not say he expected Oblations and Sacrifices which this people were abundant in as Chap. 1. 11. but he expected that Iudgement and Iustice should be administred the cause of the poore pleaded and all good duties and offices of loue should be shewed towards our brethren and those who were in need Sundrie points might hence be raised but I will only obserue this one which is as the summe of all The works and duties of the second Table are in speciall manner expected and respected by God In the first Chapter of this Prophesie wee may reade how forward this people were in the outward duties of the first Table offering multitude of sacrifices and burnt offerings of Rammes and the fat of fed beasts c. But God he cals them off and tels them he would none because they had no regard of the duties of the second Table for their hands were full of bloud Then exhorting them to repentance hee wils them to testifie the truth thereof by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance And for their better direction he instanceth in some particulars making choice not of such duties as immediately concerne himselfe but of such as especially concerne our neighbour Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse pleade for the widow As if he had said vnto them You offer multitudes of sacrifices and obserue solemne daies and Feasts the new Moones and Sabbaths and the like and are not wanting in the outward duties of the first Table But I especially respect the duties of the second wherein you haue beene wanting and therefore labour to finde out what is right and seeke after that iustice that God requires in his Law dealing with others as you would be dealt withall giue ouer your crueltie exercise mercie and stretch forth your helping hand for the releeuing and defending of such as are in need And in the 58. of this Prophesie we may reade how God reiects their prayers and fastings because they regarded not to shew mercy and kindnesse vnto the poore and needie and withall shewes them what manner of Fast it was that he required namely to loose the bands of wickednesse to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the ppressed goe free To deale bread vnto the hungrie to bring the poore that are cast out vnto their houses to cloath the naked and the like This was the Fast that God did especially respect In the Prophesie of Micah we may reade what large proffers the wicked make They will come with burnt offerings and calues of a yeere old they will offer thousands of Rammes and ten thousand riuers of oile they would giue their first borne for their transgression the fruit of their bodie for the sinne of their soule so that God would be pleased herewith But yet all this would not please him He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God without this all the former is nothing worth Thus we see verified what we finde recorded by the Prophet Hosea I desire Mercie and not Sacrifice It is better pleasing vnto God to see the duties of Iustice and Righteousnesse of Mercie and louing kindnesse performed to our neighbour than to haue Sacrifices neuer so many or great seuered from these done vnto himselfe The workes and duties that the second Table requires to be performed of vs are most expected and respected by him For the touchstone of piety and true religion towards God is our iust and righteous dealing with our brethren Herein are the children of God knowne and the children of the Deuill whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee that loueth not his brother True faith is operatiue and worketh by loue and is to be manifested by our workes without which it is to be iudged dead as S. Iames speaketh No maruell then if God doe so much set by the practise of these duties Which serueth to reproue such as bring forth faire leaues of profession in the first Table but are little or nothing at all in the duties of the second Table In the outward and publike exercises of religion they are very diligent as in repairing to the Congregation hearing the Word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like But looke on them in those things which concerne men and there you shall finde them exceedingly faulty being vnmercifull vniust and vnrighteous in their dealings Certainly the religion of these men is in vaine their best seruices doe stinke in Gods nostrils when righteousnesse towards man is wanting Let all such as are in the place of iustice for to them this is especially intended aduisedly consider of this and beware how they turne iudgement into gall and wormewood as Amos speakes and the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlocke I would such would often put Iobs question to their soule What shall I doe when God riseth vp and when he visiteth what shall I answer him It would be a good meanes to make them take vp his practise Not to with-hold from the poore his desire nor cause the eies of the widow to faile not to lift vp their hand against the fatherlesse though they saw their helpe in the gate and might doe it vndiscerned Yea let vs all consider this and endeuour to bee conscionably iust and vpright in our dealings betweene man and man When the question is made to God what manner of men should dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy Mountaine i. which should haue a good estate here and an habitation in heauen for euermore he describeth them by their innocent and harmlesse behauiour towards their brethren He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart Certainly hee regardeth that worke very much which hee rewardeth with such and so great wages And hee is well pleased with that

noisome things Fourthly in the Election or Chusing of choice and noblest Plants such as were of the best kinde to set it with Fiftly in the Fortification and further strengthening it for he built a Tower in the midst thereof for the preseruation of it Sixtly and lastly in the erection and setting vp a Wine-presse in it as being desirous to supply all things that might be vsefull for it So that by all these he testified that his care for its good was very great Before I come to speake of these particulars in generall obserue we God is no way wanting or defectiue in any one point of good husbandry towards his Church and Vineyard Is any thing wanting in it that he supplies Is any thing hurtfull in it that he remoues Is any violence offered to it that he withstands No husbandman shall so labour his ground as God will doe it And thus doth God speake of himselfe professing his prouident care for the good of it In that day sing ye vnto her a Vineyard of redwine I the Lord doe keepe it I will water it euery moment lest any hurt it I will keepe it night and day Where by watering of it he comprehends whatsoeuer belongs to the dressing and manuring of it so that no dutie shall be left vnperformed whereby the good thereof might be procured And vnto this he addeth vigilancie for what would it auaile to husband a Vine with great paines and labour if afterwards it should be left open for theeues and beasts to enter in and waste it at their pleasures therefore he promiseth withall that he will keepe it so that no hurt shall be done vnto it but the fruits shal haue time to ripen so that afterwards they may be reaped in their season So our Sauiour hauing compared his Father to an husbandman sets out his great care in trimming and dressing of his Vine by taking away those branches which were barren and purging those which were fruitfull so that they might become more fruitfull omitting no part of his skill neither to the one or other The like care is shewed in that Parable propounded by our Sauiour of the fruitlesse figge tree And in that which the Apostle propounds of the good and bad soile in both which the great and constant paines of this husbandman is declared And no wonder For first God loues his Vineyard dearely as hath beene before shewed now we see that field which a man takes most pleasure in he takes most paines about no man will bestow such cost and labour vpon a tenement he holds but from yeare to yeare as he will vpon his owne inheritance This may be one reason why he so husbands it to make it pleasant and fruitfull because his loue is set vpon it and his delight is in it Secondly the Churches fructifying is Gods glorifiing as our Sauiour telleth his Disciples Herein is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit For looke as it tends to that husbandmans praise whose field exceed the fields of other men in fruitfull crops So we being Gods Vineyard set and planted by his right hand doe then commend his husbandrie and set forth his praise when we are laden with the fruits of righteousnesse as the Apostle sheweth No wonder then if God be so diligent in his husbanding of his Church seeing the fruitfulnesse of the Church brings praise and honour to his name which is the maine end he proposeth to himselfe in all his actions as hath beene before proued And is God so carefull a husband man of his Church hath he so prouident a care for the good of it as that if any thing be wanting he supplies it or if any thing be hurtfull in it he remoues it Then may all wicked ones hence take out a lesson to their griefe and terror For woe to them who are in the Church of God but as thornes and briars hurtfull and noxious to the Lillies God is a better husbandman than to suffer these for euer A day will come when he will view his field and stub vp all winding and wounding briars all renting and ranckling thornes that fetch away the clothes yea skinne and flesh too from off the Lambs of Christ with their entanglements It may be God may suffer these for a while as he did the Canaanites in Israel lest the wilde beasts should breake in vpon them and as a wise husbandman permits such to lie in the hedge for a yeare or two and makes them seruiceable for the stopping of a gap or some such purpose but in the end when they are feare and rotten in their sinnes then he will haue them to the fire for that 's their portion Secondly it should admonish all to looke vnto their growth that it be good and kindly if the roots of trees run too deepe into the earth they must be cut off shorter if the branches of a Vine spread too farre they must be pruned neere and if the canker once eat into or cleaue vnto our trees we set we burne them smoake them or the like And so if we be too much rooted by our affections in things below or suffer them to spread abroad too farre or let the canker of sin to eat into our soules be we what we wil be God will giue vs many a cutting pruning smoaking that if it be possible we may be brought into better case Thirdly this may comfort such as are euermore bewailing their little growth in grace maruellous defectiue they are in virtues of all kindes as in faith meeknesse patience thankefulnesse heauenly-mindednesse and the like and albeit they haue some good desires and vnfained purposes and resolutions to bring forth fruit to God yet withall they finde such strong corruptions in themselues as pride vaine-glory worldlinesse lust passion reuengefulnesse with such like as that they be euen out of hope and know not what to iudge of their owne estate but feare they belong not vnto God because they are no better husbanded Now let me speake a word to the soules of these and let my words be to them as the raine to the new-mowen grasse Dost thou not see the Husbandman suffer his ground to lie as though he had forsaken it and for a time to endure to haue weeds and thistles grow thereon euen when he hath a purpose to breake it vp with his plough and bestow much cost thereon yea and after he hath turned it vp to let it lie as if he were a weary of his paines when notwithstanding he comes with his plow againe and giues it another tilth or two then sowes his seed being all the while before but a preparing of the soyle for the receiuing of it The like is Gods dealing with his dearest seruants he many times suffers them to bring forth the weedes of sinne and to lie in their wickednesse for a time as we see in Dauid Peter and some others as if