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	private_a	public_a	3,325	5	6.8500	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57346	The cursed family; or, A short tract, shewing the pernicious influence of wicked prayer-less houses, upon this church and kingdom Humbly tender'd by way of subserviency to His Majesties Royal Proclamations, and Acts of Parliament, for preventing and punishing immorality and prophaness. By THomas Risley Master of Arts, and sometime fellow of Pembrook-Colledge in Oxford. With a prefatory epistle by the reverend Mr. John Howe.	Risley, Thomas, 1630-1716.; Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1700 (1700)	Wing R1539; ESTC R218001	38,264	98

brings me to the next Particular viz. 3. And Lastly Wicked Men provoke 3. The value of Riches God to Curse them for the Value they make of Riches God placed Man over those Sublunary things and now sinful contemptible Man will stoop as low as Hell for them How strangely are Men Infatuated to Dote upon Dirt and Dross Who would think that a Reasonable Creature placed his Happiness on Thick Clay on Wind on that which is not Habb 2. 6. Eccl. 5. 16. Prov. 23. 5. Yet so we find it Luke 12. 19. Soul Soul take thine ease c. To place God and the Creature in the same Rank and Order and to Worship the Creature joyntly with the Creator is no less sin then Idolatry but to set the Creature above the Creator i● Atheism If this were not so the Worlds Trinity would not have so many Votaries and Sacrifices of Souls and Bodies How can such Men and Women as these be in God's Favour Can that Man or Family have the Blessing of God upon them and theirs which bow down to the Gods of Silver and Gold Ah What is Man without Divine Grace How sensual how Sad Effects of over valuing this World base how brutish in choice and affection This Rate which Carual and Forthly Men set on Temporal Things openeth a wide door to all manner of sin Bribery Oppression Dissembling Lying Perjury Flattery Oppressive Tyrannical Law-Suits Temporizing and Unhappy Disposing of Children to Services to Trades to Preferments and to Marriages But is this all No worse is behind 2. Wicked Men and their Houses lyable to God's Curse in Spiritual Things for Wicked Men and their Families are subject to God's Curse not onely in Temporal Things but in Spiritual Things that is when they perform the Outward Duties of Religion As Prayer Hearing the Word coming to the Sacrament Reading God's Word Reading Good Books and Conference about matters of Religion 1. When Wicked Men Pray Their Prayers are an Abomination He that turneth In respect of Prayer away his Ear from hearing the Law even his Prayer shall be an Abomination Prov. 28. 9. The Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. That the Actions of Wicked Men whether Natural Civil or Religious are obnoxious to God's Curse hath been mention'd before Under another Head namely The Vocation or Employments of Wicked Men. Now as to the Matter in hand concerning outward Religious Works of Unregenerate Men whether publick upon the Lord's Day or private in the Family take notice of these following Particulars to prevent mistakes least any harden their hearts in Omission of outward Duties 1. That those Persons sin more who Pray not at all in their Houses then such as make Prayer It is better to do that which is Materially Good then that which is both Materially and Formally Evil. It is better to have a Form of Worship and Religion then Atheistical Prophaneness It is better to have Leaves of Profession then nothing but the Cursed Fruits of a Corrupt Tree It is more Eligible ex natura rei to exercise Common Gifts and Operations of the Spirit and some Feeling in the Conscience than to be Barren of All Gifts and Dead to all outward Duties of Religion Isa. 43. 23. Amos 5. 25. Thou hast not brought me the small Cattel of thy burnt-offerings c. Have ye offered unto me sacrifiee and offerings c 2. That God is pleased to Reward with Temporal Blessings such as Pray and Humble themselves for their sins though they be not true Believers and sincere therein God is pleased to Encourage all sort of sinners to observe and set up Outward Duties of Religion and they shall fare the Better It is not without Reward to perform some Formalities of Worship though done in Hypocrisy 1 Kings 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me c. Here is a Great Temporal Mercy given to Ahab during his Life I will not bring the evil in his days 3. Consider That none be hardened in their Omission of the Externals of Religion I say let them know That sin is in the Person before it Infect the Performance In the Subject before it corrupt the Action Therefore let the blame be laid where it ought not upon Religion nor the Duties thereof but upon the Professor and his bad Life 4. Seeing the condition of Unregenerate and Wicked Men is so contagious that it pollutes all their Outward Religious Actions let them make hast to get out by the use of all means of God's appointment in order to their Conversion As by Prayer Hearing the Word Reading the Word Reading Good Books and by Good Company as before-mentioned For although the Prayers of the Wicked and Unregenerate be unpleasing to God yea an abomination yet it is their Duty to Pray that they may be turned from their Wicked ways that so their Persons and Performances may find acceptance through Christ. O let all sorts of Prayer-less Families Pray that they may Pray in Faith and that they may become sincere and down-right Christians If you have any Bowels of Compassion for your own Souls and the Souls of your Children get out of the Cursed Condition of Wicked Men. Who would lead a Wicked Life if he were sensible of his Misery and the Curse of God upon the House of the Wicked 2. Wicked Men are subject to Gods Curse In hearing the Word They are the bad 2. In respect of Hearing the Word ground which receiveth seed among Thorns and Briers Such Earth as beareth Thorns and Briers is rejected and nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 8. As they come unprepared to hear so they depart without profit The fault is not in the Seed but in the ground which receiveth it The life of the Wicked is compared to untilled rough thorny fallow ground Jer. 4. 3. What Fruit can be expected from it How can the Seed of the word and a wicked heart agree Who would live in the condition of a wicked Man Who trembleth not to be under Gods Ordinances without a blessing what heart dreads not to be subject to Gods Curse Who would not be afraid to hear the blessing pronounc'd and have no share in it Come then to the word for Grace to make thee a New-man to reform thy wicked course of Life Come to Bethesda there is hope of thy cure of thy conversion though thou hast a long time been in this case If thou art willing to be made whole if thou art willing to become a New Creature the work will be done Jo. 5. 6. Let nothing hinder or discourage thee because of thy wickedness or being Obnoxious to Gods Curse in hearing the word but let it much more perswade and quicken thee to a constant and conscionable attendance upon the word There is hope of Grace in the use of means of Grace but by refusing the means

the Air and Fish of the Sea some obscure Resemblances of Government greater and lesser Societies Kingdoms Cities and Families the great Searchers into Philosophy have discovered By God's Ordination at first they keep their Places observe their Times do their Work Build Furnish make Dens Caves Burrows Nests set up House break up House breed up their Young help and dispose of them abroad for Common Good True it is these Patterns are but imperfectly drawn in these Creatures yet they point at Excellent Education Laws and Virtues and Teach the Wisest Sobriety Fidelity Chastity Amity Gratitude Vigilancy Diligence and unwearied care of themselves and those belonging to their Charge After the Almighty had finisht his Work The foundation of Families God's Institution created Adam and Placed him in Paradise he was pleased to say It is not good that Man should be alone I will make him an help Meet for him Although the Word Family strictly How the Word Family is taken here taken signifieth that Order of Mankind which is United in Marriage signifying the Terms of Husband and Wife Parents Children Master Servant yet here it doth include Housholds made of kind Friends living together for their mutual Benefit as Men and Christians And also it doth Include the Superior Societies of Academical Discipline and the Inferior of Countrey Schooles Both which as they be of great use for Magistracy and Ministry so they ought to be of Special Influence to Maintain Religion and Christian Government in Church and State That Famous Orator whose Name is The Formal and final causes of Families turned into a Sir-Name of Eloquence as Quintilian hath it speaking of the Union of Families hath Written that there is a more Noble Principle of Human Societies then Sense to wit the Attractive Power of Reason which by Counsels Precepts Converse Decisions and Judgments Cements and Strengtheneth Societies But God's Word speaking hereof strikes an higher Note no less a Union for Marriage then In the Lord with the exclusive Particle Tantum in Domino Only in the Lord. If this Union were observed How much more Happy would Families Relations Parishes Magistrates Ministers Kingdoms and Churches be It is a most Dangerous Design to think of Multiplying Vice and Impiety by gathering into Societies as if the Lesser Sins of Single Life Married into Company might take Liberty to swel into a Flood Gen. 6. 25. We may not think that Families and Societies were Constituted for Natural and Secular Ends but for Political and Ecclesiastical Ends the Good of Countrey and the Church of God Therefore that was an Excellent Plut. Conv. Answer made to one admiring a Fair House to wit Thou lookest upon the Glorious Outside of the Building and callest that an House not looking within how well Children are Governed and Educated Marriage Honoured the Family and all belonging to it prudently managed He saith the Author that hath such an House liveth in a Palace though in a Pismires Hill From what hath been said it is evident how much good or hurt may proceed from Families For although this Capacity must not Danger of great States from Wicked Families contend with greater Societies for Precedency of Honour yet for Priority of Nature and Eldership of Time it carrieth it from all Societies on Earth It being without Dispute that of Families Towns and Cities great States are Embodied Therefore as in Natural Bodies if the first Concoction be Imperfect it is hardly Corrected in the latter So in Civil Bodies if Families and Villages through want of Good Government abound in Vitious Manners the Malignancy presently infects Kingdoms and Churches to which they do belong It may be at the first that the Narrowness of Private Walls and Housholds send Evil Manners into the World with some kind of Pusillanimous Dulness which coming into Places of Publick Concourse grow Impudent and refuse to be ashamed Hence it is that Swearing Swilling Debauchery and Immorality Contempt of Religion and Sobriety become in a while Popular and all in Fashion If Parents give not Check to Family Sins in their Children at Home when they go forth they meet with Temptations and Patrons which turn their Youthful Exorbitances into Immoveable Habit. It is easy to observe that the want of Family-Religion is the Cause of the Visible Decay of the Wellfare of Church and State CHAP. II. Concerning the Church of God THE word Church is vulgarly taken The Significations of the word Church And how it is taken here for the Material place where the People Assemble to Worship God sometimes for the Juridical Power of Church-Officers and sometimes for the Church-Revenues But here it is taken for The Visible Church of Christ Militant upon the Earth as it Comprehends Believers of All Places and Times from first to last And as it is made up of Particular Churches or Societies of Believers And these made up of Believing Families A Christian Family should be the Epitome and Nursery of the Church But alas it is far otherwise at this day A Minister may go into divers Families in the Parish and Chappelry and not a Word of Scripture Read nor a Prayer made in the Family all the Week long as if Religion were An Enemy not A Friend to their House or That Religion were a Duty Onely on the Sabbath-Day and not on the Week day The Church of God at the first was Domestical not National till the Holy Line grew Strong and Populous from Good Families As from Adam Seth Enoch Noah Shem who lived till Isaac was 50 years old Abraham the Father of the Faithful by Promise c. And so it came to pass in After-times that as Posterity in Families Degenerated so the Church Degenerated as in Cain Ham Ishmael Esau. The Cause of the Churches Decay in our days Thus it is in our Days Ungodly Families are the Decay of God's Church they make Thin Congregations they bring a VVast upon the Solemn Assemblies What an Odious Thing is it to Loiter away the Lord's Day What an Absurdity to Indulge the Flesh upon the Lord's Day and give the Flesh no Rest upon the Week Day What a piece of Wickedness is it to go forth all the Week to Serve the World and Refuse to go forth on the Lord's Day to Serve him Who would think that Sabbath-Profanation were so shameless in Families called Christian Why should a poor excuse hinder Men and Women from the Church which must not from the Market How many Halts do some Make when they should Goe to the Church to Sanctify the Lord's-Day in their Conscionable Attendance upon God's Ordinances What an Unseemly Thing is it to Skulk at Home or at a Neighbours House to Chatt and Talk away to Feast away Sleep away Surfeit away Bibb and Fiddle Smoak and Pipe for Carnal Pleasure to Visit away and for Profit to Travel away the Lord's-Day when they should be waiting at the Gates of VVisdom O what pitty is it that obscure