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	lord_n	time_n	5,344	5	4.0909	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65324	Universal Christian charity, as comprehending all true religion and happiness, demonstrated from scripture and reason in a sermon preach'd before the Right Honourable Lord Chief Justice Treby, at the assizes held at Maidstone in Kent, March the 17th, 1696 / by Tho. Watts ...	Watts, Thomas, 1665-1739.	1697 (1697)	Wing W1159; ESTC R38960	15,491	32

and Interest which in other things determine our Choice and Resolution As these are main Topicks of Persuasion great Motives to Action and high Encouragements to Perseverance against all Difficulties and Obstacles in the way So much more should they be to us in our Charitable endeavours in this our Christian Race and Warfare 1st Then we are bound in Duty to the Religious practice of this excellent Catholick Charity because 't is strictly enjoin'd us by the Highest i. e. the Divine Authority from whence all Human Power is deriv'd This is positively requir'd of us by our Lord who hath most Right to our Love and Obedience upon our Creation Redemption and continual Preservation which do World and the Devil which obliges us in Conscience and Honour to continue his faithful Soldiers to our lives end and not cowardly Debase our selves or Dishonour him by Disobedience and Neglect of his Almighty Power like the Reviling Blasphemous Jews who thus Crucify'd the Lord of Life All Sin is contagious in its own Nature but nothing more so than disrespect to Superiors as 't is notoriously plain that the World is apt to follow Example more than Reason in this case So fatal to others as to ur selves will be our Treacherous Rebellious Disobedience As nothing can be more Dishonorable Mischievous and Ungrateful which proceeds from that Earthly Sensual Devilish Wisdom mention'd James 3.15 not regarding the true Wisdom from above so full of this Excessive Universal Charity the very Temper of Heaven the Image of the Divinity which is first Pure then Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be intreated full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality and without Hypocrisie and the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace v. 17.18 which 3dly Shews our Obligations upon Interest Peace Internal External and Eternal flowing from this Principle of Charity is our only real Happiness and consequently our only true Interest Thus for instance the truely Charitable Person beyond all the greatest Heroes of the World is Master of himself has conquer'd his Passions and corrupt Affections humbled his Soul before God and cast out all Devils by Fasting and Prayer is Regenerate and Spiritualiz'd renders to all their due is as faithful to God and his Church or his Ministers as to Caesar and the State matth 17.21 c. 22. v. 21. Wrongs no Man does good to all especially the Houshold of Faith owes no Man any thing but Love Gal. 6.10 Rom. 13.8 provides for his own and uses Hospitality 2 Tim. 5.8 1 Pet. 4.19 depends upon Grace and Providence submits patiently and thankfully to the Divine Will in all things trusts in the Merits of his Saviour and who obtains his blessed Legacy of Peace Joh. 14.17 c. 16. So is he secure from the Strokes either of Justice or Violence None but a Tyrant or Villain indeed would injure such a Person who as one truly speaks is so far from the Designs of Dishonesty c. that his hands are oblig'd to be employ'd in Charity and so far from exasperating others by unruly Provocations that his very Enemies may expect because they must have his Love and those that curse him his Prayers Matth. 5.44 Thus his Life is safe from the Stroke of Justice and Injustice too if Christianity might be admitted to represent unto the Russian the Obligation that she lays on her Disciples to affront no Man However if Barbarity prevails he knows to whom Vengeance belongeth and he is not overcome of Evil but overcomes Evil with Good Rom. 12.19.21 And if he can't heap Coals of Fire on his Enemy's Head to melt him by Charity into Love and Compassion if Love will not beget Love in his hardened Heart yet after the Example of our dying Lord he will charitably forgive and interceed for his very Murtherers Luke 23.34 So he bears good Will to and is in Charity with his most inveterate Foes as he can't be an Enemy to any but is always a Friend and Benefactor to Mankind in general by good Wishes and Prayers at least where 't is not in his Power to act thus charitable may the poorest be So farther he enjoys the continual Feast of a good Conscience and the blessed Peace of Mind both in Time of Adversity and Proserity having plac'd his Treasure and set his Heart and Affections upon things above and not below Col. 3.1 2. avoiding the Snares and Temptations of Riches by doing good with them 2 Tim. 6.9 17 18 19. And being assur'd of God's Protection and Blessing upon the due Improvement of his Talents in Love and Fidelity knowing that he shall not be tempted above that he is able but in all Trials shall happily escape 1 Cor. 10 13. So in the midst of Storms and Tempests Crosses and Afflictions Wars and Desolations he remains unmov'd like an invincible Rock upon stedfast Faith and Hope in the God of his Love Psal 46. Who will certainly deliver him from all Evil the Evil of Sin and Punishment here and hereafter as in all time of Tribulation in all time of Wealth in the Hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment when he 'll be receiv'd into the Joy of his Lord Matth. 25. Which now sufficiently manifests our Obligations upon Interest as well as Duty and Gratitude to exercise this Christian Charity or comprehensive Love in full observance of the Divine Commandments whch is the only demonstration of our Love to Christ that he will accept of For he only that hath his Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth him Joh. 14.21 If therefore as now by way of Christian Application we find this effect in our Actions we may be sure the Cause is within our Hearts But if this alone be wanting all our Pretences to Christianity are vain yea all other Offices of Religion our Prayers our Repentance our Confidence our Fasting our Alms are no manner of Arguments of our Love of God and Christ because they are not used as means to this end which alone can give them the denomination of Religious Actions which plainly signifies the vast difference between Real and Nominal Christians between the faithful and pretended Lovers of Christ who are all known by their Fruits Matth. 7.15 If there were no other way to judge of the Reality of Mens Affections than the Greatness of their own Pretences there might not be devis'd a more impertinent waste of time than in a Christian Congregation to endeavour to perswade Men to love their God and Saviour We call our selves Christians after his Name we build Churches for his Worship where we often appear as on this day with bended Knees and lift up hands to send up our Prayers and Praises to him if we may be believ'd we hate them that hate him as tho' they were our Enemies We fight his Battles and propagate his Religion with the hazard our own Friends and Relations for his sake Our Saviour's Prophecy Luk. 12.51 to 54. has been notoriously verify'd