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	moral_a	sabbath_n	1,390	5	9.7943	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66111	The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being the substance of divers sermons preached on Psalm XXXII / by Samuel Willard.	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.	1700 (1700)	Wing W2298; ESTC R30205	358,966	674

derives from him And then he must have authority over it If he be the first cause he must be the last end And from this authority of God necessarily follows the subjection of the Creature if he may command that ought to obey Man therefore being one of God● Creatures cannot exempt himself from thi● homage Psal 100. 2. Rev. 4 11. The light of nature taught meer Heathen this principle and they made it the first Rule of Morality 2. The Duties required in the moral Law are all of them rational The Moral Duties required are either Natural or Positive The former are called Natural because the light of nature teacheth them and reason will convince Conscience that they are right so as either to commend or accuse them according as they entertain them Rom. 2. 14 15. The Positive are such as do add a particular restriction to the law of nature or are arbitrary commands built upon it and these are accommodated to the benefit of man and carry their reason in them such as Gods limiting the Sabbath to a Seventh day c. Meer Ethnicks have made excellent discourses on many moral Duties from the reason they saw in them 3. And there is the highest reason for Duties purely Evangelical God hath manifested his Sovereign Grace in the Gospel in that he will treat fallen man in a New Covenant but the great commands of Faith and Repentance therein required are most rational That God will accept of man in this way is wonderful condescention but that in order to peace and salvation they turn from their sins to God and place their whole trust and reliance on Christ is so fair and convictive that sinners who have refufed it shall have nothing to plead for themselves in the day of accounts Matth. 22. 11. Joh. 15. 22. 4. The promises and threatnings are suited to move on a Reasonable Creature Affections in men are the instruments of the will by which it either embraceth or refuseth a thing and they are subordinated to his Understanding Now mans reason directs him to chuse good and refuse evil it is a note of a person come to the use of his reason Isa 7. 16. Now the Promises engage that which is really good as a reward of Obedience yea the best good everlasting felicity and the Threatnings denounce evil in case of disobedience and that the most amazing separation from God which is the summ of all miseries and both these from God who is true and can give being to his word how convincing is this of the rationality of Duty since mans congenerate principle is to seek happiness and avoid misery 2. Hence it follows that all sin is unreasonable For the reasons of contraries are contrary but sin is contrary to obedience 1 Joh. 3. 4. And further to shew how unreasonable sin is observe 1. It is against God Psal 51. 4. It opposeth it self against all his revealed perfections more particularly 1. It is against his Sovereignty God must needs be the Creatures Sovereign for it is entirely his he is whole owner of it and then he may command it he thinks it reason enough to ratify any of his precepts by saying I am the Lord. Now the sinner by every sin practically rejecteth this Sovereignty hence sin is called Rebellion Isa 1. 2. and 63. 10. 2. It is against his Holiness All Gods commands are the results of his Holiness the Command i● ●oly and just and good Rom. 7. 12. He shews himself an holy God in that he hath established his Government on such Laws Sin therefore is a setting one self against his holiness 3. It is against his Righteousness The command was the Rule of Righteousness which God gave man and on which he grounded his Relative Justice in that special Government which he exerciseth over man called therefore his righteous judgements Psal 119. 7. 62. 76. Sin therefore in violating them withstands his Justice 4. It is against his Goodness All that the man hath flows to him from this fountain his being his preservation all the comforts of this life all the protections and deliverances he hath all the means of Salvation and hopes of eternal life are the fruits of Gods free benignity to him his service is but the acknowledgement which he requires of him in respect of all this which the Sinner denieth him and so is a despiser of his goodness Rom. 2. 4. Deut. 32 5. 2. It is against himself hence said to wrong his own soul Prov. 8. 36. And how unreasonable is that 1. It defiles the man it poysons him it leaves him under that filthiness which is indeed his bane it leaves a blot upon him which exposeth him to reproach Sin is therefore in Scripture compared to all those filthy things that can be thought of and all too little to set forth its odiousness 2. It robs the man of his peace There is great peace in Obedience Psal 119. 165. But sin lays a foundation for all disturbance Isa 57. 20 21. It makes deep wounds in the Conscience which will put him to horrible pain and if he doth not feel it yet it is his portion and to be looked for every moment Job 15. 20. c. 3. It deprives him of his happiness and that both naturally and upon the Covenant terms Sin if it gets into a man is it self a misery and lays him open to the wrath of God Rom. 6. 2● 4. Hence it subjects him to all misery It brings all the curses written on his head The threatning runs in these terms Ezek. 18. 4. And all that is unhappy is contained in that word It separates from God Isa 57. 2. And what but misery awaits thats separation 3. It is against Mankind He hurts not himself only but his neighbour too and that unreasonably For 1. It Scandalizeth men it often becomes a tempta●ion to others to sin and this is the greatest mischief that we can do to another to draw him into Sin it is to give him a stab at the heart to destroy him Rom. 14. 15. 2. It occasions others trouble and affliction One sinner sometimes and that by one sin may trouble a whole nation Josh 7. A Parent may by his sin bring mischief on his family and procure judgments to his dearest relations 2 Sam. 12 10. 3. Hence untractableness under the means must needs be unreasonable this follows from the former for 1. The design of the means is to reclaim men from sin The Gospel is a Gospel of Salvation and it is an essential part of this Salvation to save men from their sins Joh. 1. 29. And this is done not only by ●●doning them but also by turning them from their ●●quities hence put together Act. 5. 31. And to this the means are accommodated Act. 26. 18. 2. Mens untractableness wholly frustrates this design it is the very nature of it to do so Jer. 8. 5. God saith to Sinners turn why will you dy but they say ●here is no hope for