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	work_n	3,459	5	5.8504	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34784	The Covenant with a narrative of the proceedings and solemn manner of taking it by the honourable House of Commons and reverent Assembly of Divines the 25th day of September, at Saint Margarets in Westminster : also two speeches delivered at the same time, the one by Mr. Philip Nye, the other by Mr. Alexander Hendersam.	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1643 (1643)	Wing C6621; ESTC R3970	18,809	36

an Oath the Oath of Canonicall obedience as they called it You remember also with what cunning and industrie they endeavoured lately to make this Oath and Covenant more sure for themselves and their posterity And intended a more publike solemn and universall engagement then since Popery this cause of theirs was ever maintained or supported by And questionlesse Ireland and Scotland also must at last have been brought into this holy league with England But blessed be the Lord and blessed be his good ●and the Parliament that from the indignation of their spirits against so horrid a yoke have dashed out the very braines of this project and are now this day present before the Lord to take and give possession of this blessed Ordinance even an Oath and Covenant as solemn and of as large extent as they intended theirs uniting these three Kingdoms into such a League and happy combination as will doubtlesse preserve us and our Reformation against them though their iniquity in the mysteries of it should still be working amongst us Come therefore I speak in the words of the Prophet let us joyne our selves to the Lord and one to another and each to all in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten We are now entring upon a work of the greatest moment and concernment to us and to our Posteritie after us that ever was undertaken by any of us or any of our fore-fathers before us or neighbouring Nations about us if the Lord shall blesse this our beginning it will be a happie day and we shall be a happy people An Oath is a duty of the first Commandment and therefore of the highest and noblest order and rank of duties therefore must come forth attended with choycest graces especially with these two humility and feare Feare not onely of God which ought to be in an eminent measure Gen. 31. 53. Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaac as if he covered to inherit his fathers grace as well as his fathers God But also feare of an Oath it being a dreadfull duty and hath this peculiar it s established by the Oath of God I have sworne that unto me every tongue shall sweare Isa. 45. 23. It s made the very Character of a Saint he feares an Oath Eccles. 9. 2. Humility is another grace requisite set your hearts before God in an humble obedient frame Deut. 6. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him and sweare by his Name The Apostle Paul was sensible of this engagement even in the very act of this duty Rom. 1. 9. I call God to witnesse whom I serve in my spirit Although it be a work of the lips yet the heart and whole man must be interessed if we expect this worship to be acceptable Psal. 119. 108. Accept the free-will offering of my mouth and teach me thy judgements Also it must be done in the greatest simplicity and plainness of spirit in respect of those with whom we covenant We call God as a witnesse betwixt us who searcheth the heart With him is wisedome and strength the deceived and deceiver is his Iob 12. 19. He hath wisedome to discover and strength to punish if our hearts be not upright to our brethren in this matter Let us be contented with this that the words of our Covenant bee hands it may not be so much as in the desire of our hearts that they should become snares no not to the weakest and simplest person that joyneth with us In the whole worke make your addresse unto God as Iacob did to his father Isaac and let there bee the like feare and jealousie over your spirits Gen. 27. 12. My father peradventure will feel me and I shall seeme to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing I take liberty with more earnestnesse to presse this care upon you because I have observed Oathes and Covenants have been undertaken by us formerly and by the command of Authority the fruit wherof though great yet not answered our expectation the Lord surely hath beene displeased with the slightnesse of our hearts in the worke I beseech you be more watchfull and stirre up your hearts with more industry this day then ever before As it is the last oath you are likely to take in this kinde so is it our last refuge tabula post nat●fragium If this help us not we are likely to remaine to our dying day an unhappy people but if otherwise You will indeed sweare with all your hearts and seeke the Lord with your whole desire God will be found and give you rest round about 2 Chor. 15. 15. And having sworn and entred into this solemn engagement to God and man make conscience to doe accordingly otherwise it is better thou shouldest not vow Eccles. 5. As is said of fasting it is not the bowing down of the head for a day so of this solemn swearing it is not the lifting up of the hand for a day but an honest and faithfull endeavouring after the contents of this Covenant all our dayes A truce-breaker is reckoned up amongst the vilest of Christians 2 Tim. 3. 3. so a Covenant-breaker is listed amongst the worst of Heathens Rom. 1. 31. But he that sweareth and changeth not though he sweare to his hurt that is he that will keep his Covenant and Oath though the contents of it prove not for him nay possibly against him yet he will keep it for his Oaths sake such a one shall have his habitation with the most High and dwell in his Tabernacle Psal. 15. And as for you Reverend Brethren that are Ministers of the Gospel there is yet another obligation will lie upon you let us look to our selves and make provision to walk answerable to this our Covenant for the Gospels sake it will reflect a great aspersion upon the truth of the Gospel if we should be false or unconstant in any word or purpose though in a matter of lesse consequence as you can easily collect from that apology of Paul 2 Cor. 1. 17 18. how much more in such a case as this is if we should be found to purpose nay more to vow and covenant and sweare and all this according unto the flesh and with us there should be notwithstanding all these obligations yea yea and nay nay That we may all who take the Covenant this day be constant immoveable and abound in this work of the Lord that we may not start aside or give back or goe on uncomfortably there is a twofold grace or qualification to be laboured after 1. We must get courage spirits that are bold and resolute It is said in Haggai that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel Governour of Iudah and the spirit of Ioshua the high Priest and the spirit of all the remnant of the people and they came and did work in the house of the Lord the work of Gods house Reformation-work especially is a stirring work read Stories

you find not anywhere Reformation made in any age either in Doctrine or Discipline without great stirre and opposition This was foretold by the same Prophet cap. 2. vers. 7. the promise is He will fill his house with glory but what goeth before vers. 6. Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land that is all Nations as in the words following This place is applied Heb. 12. to the removing Jewish Rites the moveables of Gods house The like you finde in the Apostles times Acts 17. the truth being preached some beleeved others did not here beginneth the stirre vers. 6. those that beleeved not took unto themselves certaine lewd fellowes of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City in an uproare and when they had done so complained of the brethren to the Rulers as men that turne the world upside downe ver. 6. Read also Acts 21. 27 30 31. In such a work therefore men had need be of stout resolute and composed spirits that we may be able to goe on in the maine and stirre in the middest of such stirres and not be amused at any such doings It may possibly happen that even amongst your selves there will be out-cries Sir you will undoe all saith one you will put all into confusion saith another if you take this course saith a third we can expect nothing but blood but a wise States-man like an experienced Sea-man knoweth the compasse of his vessell and though it heave and rosse and the passengers cry out about him yet in the middest of all he is himselfe turneth not aside from his work but steereth on his course I beseech you let it be seriously considered if you meane to doe any such work in the house of God as this is if you meane to pluck up what many yeares agoe was planted or to build up what so long agoe was pulled downe and to goe thorough with this work and not be discouraged you must begge of the Lord this excellent spirit this resolute stirring spirit otherwise you will be out-spirited and both you and your cause slighted and dishonoured 2. On the other hand we must labour for humility prudence gentlenesse meeknesse A man may be very zealous and resolute and yet very meek and mercifull Jesus Christ was a Lion and yet a Lambe also in one place he telleth them he commeth to send fire on the earth and in another place rebuketh his Disciples for their fiery spirits Luke 9 54. There was the like composition in Moses and in Paul and it is of great use especially in this work of Reformation I have not observed any disputes carried on with more bitternesse in mens writings and with a more unsanctified heat of spirit yea and by godly men too then in controversies about Discipline Church Government Ceremonies and the like Surely to argue about Government with such ungoverned passions to argue for Reformation with a spirit so unreformed is very uncomely Let us be zealous as Christ was to cast our all to extirpate and root out every plant his heavenly Father hath not planted and yet let us doe it in as orderly way and with the spirit of Christ whose servants we are The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing those that oppose 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. We solemnly engage this day our utmost endeavours for Reformation let us remember this that too much heat as well as too much coldnesse may harden men in their wayes and hinder Reformation Brethren let us come to this blessed work with such a frame of heart with such a minde for the present with such resolutions for the time to come let us not bee wanting to the opportunitie God hath put into our hands this day and then I can promise you as the Prophet Consider this day and upwards even from this day that the foundation of the Lords work is laid Consider it from this day will I blesse you saith the Lord Nay wee have received as it were the first fruits of this promise for as it 's said of some mens good works they are manifest before hand 1 Tim. 5. Even so may be said of the good work of this day it 's manifest before hand God hath as it were before hand testified his acceptance while wee were thinking and purposing this free will Offering he was protecting and defending our Armie causing our enemies the enemies of this work to flie before us and gave us a victory not to be despised Surely this Oath and Covenant shall bee Iudahs joy the joy and comfort of this whole Kingdome yea of all three Kingdoms Jesus Christ King of the Saints govern us by his Spirit strengthen us by his power undertake for us according as hee hath sworn even the Oath which hee sware to our Father Abraham that hee would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1. Grant unto us also that when this life is finished and we gathered to our Fathers there may be a generation out of our loynes to stand up in this cause that his great and reverent Name may be exalted from one generation to another untill he himself shall come and perfect all with his own hand by his own wisdom even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen A SPEECH Delivered by Mr Alexander Hendersam immediately before the taking of the Covenant by the House of COMMONS and Assembly of DIVINES ALthough the time be farre spent yet am I bold Honourable Reverend and Beloved in the Lord to crave your patience a little It were both sinne and shame to us in this so acceptable a time in this day which the Lord hath made to be silent and to say nothing If we should hold our peace wee could neither be answerable to God whose cause and work is in hand nor to this Church and Kingdome unto which we have made so large profession of duty and owe much more nor to our native Kingdom so abundant in affection toward you nor to our own hearts which exceedingly rejoyce to see this day We have greater reason then the leprous men sitting in a time of great extremity at the gate of Samaria to say one to another We doe not well this day is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace It is true the Syrians are not yet fled but our hope is through God that the work begun this day being sincerely performed and faithfully pursued shall put to flight not only the Syrians and Babylonians but all other Enemies of the Church of God of the Kings honour and of our liberty and peace For it is acceptable to God and wel-pleasing in his sight when his people come willingly in the day of his power and how shall