Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	good_a	great_a	sin_n	3,394	5	4.6230	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26346	God's eye on the contrite, or, A discourse shewing that true poverty and contrition of spirit, and trembling at God's Word is the infallible and only way for the obtaining and retaining of divine acceptation as it was made in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusetts Colony at Boston in New England May 27, 1685, being the day of election there / by William Adams.	Adams, William, 1650-1685.	1685 (1685)	Wing A498; ESTC W12431	33,350	44

it to them Ecclesiastical history may give us many instances of this nature And we in New-England who should if God perswade us so look upon our selves as less than the least of all God's sincere people ha●…e been behind but few in the signalness of God's dispensations to us in these respects as this Place and these Solemnityes have often born us witness I mean not only that the solemnityes themselves have been witnesses but also that upon them frequent plain and full Reports have been made of the Lords wonderful and gracious 〈…〉 ●…eople Ps. 77. 14. 15. 19. 20. and 111. 6. 〈…〉 ●…eople the power of his works that He may give 〈…〉 heathen 〈…〉 ●…orks and Dispensations of GOD though admira●… 〈…〉 men yet they are no certain Evidence of 〈…〉 special and entire Acceptance with God As 〈…〉 ●…eation and external Providence the bene●… 〈…〉 ●…n to all the inhabitants of the World God 〈…〉 on the evil on the good and sendeth rain 〈…〉 ●…ust Mat. 5. 45. It s true the Lord doth 〈…〉 ●…ss the righteous and blast the wicked but 〈…〉 ●…t and perpetual as that any man can meerly 〈…〉 know love or hatred to be in God to 〈…〉 before him Things fall out alike to all 〈…〉 one event to the righteous and to the wic●… 〈…〉 And as to signal dispensations of visible 〈…〉 priviledges what God hath done or is 〈…〉 ●…d continuing his Gospel Worship and Or●… 〈…〉 ●…h a great advantage and hopeful token yet 〈…〉 concluding mark of special favour and of the 〈…〉 ●…e Salvation For 1. They may be abused by the corruptions and sinful neglects of men True grace in a Saint is not subject to a total abuse but every other thing even the most glorious Enjoyments and Priviledges men have in this life may be abused Men may and would to God there were none here that did so live under the most clear Gospel Light in the pure peaceable free Enjoyment of Gospel Order and Ordinances be obliged by manifold Kindnesses from God themselves have great Knowledge in Religion and make high profession with much Criticalness therein and yet live in some sin openly or secretly be enslaved to some base defiling lust wherewith they may not only pollute themselves but others also Let the Heaven hear and the Earth give ear let them be astonished at it be horribly afraid and be very desolate for it may be found that they whom God hath nourished and brought up as His children do rebel against Him that the Lord 's own people do forsake Him the Fountain of living waters and goe to empty or muddy Cisterns As the Lord emphatically complains of them in Isai. 1. 2. and Ier. 2. 12 13. Priviledged professors Professors in New-England may be discovered to be sinners some to be proud haughty high-minded supercilious self-exalting arrogant others to be sensual intemperate corrupt fleshly lascivious some to be Company-keepers to sit and spend time with vain persons others to be covetous unjust oppressing defrauding and over-reaching others some to be revilers railers ungoverned in their speeches and expressions others to be despisers of that whi●…h is good c. Moreover There may be under such Enjoyments Grievous and horrible Neglects receiving the Grace of God in Gospel offers and means of Salvation in vain Woful formality and slightiness in holy Duties men not stiring up themselves to seek GOD resting in a name to live Carnal confidence in priviledges and former visible enjoyments of Divine Favour Ier. 7. 4. Want of Zeal for GOD His Service and Glory against Sin Too great Indulgence to Sin and Sinners in compliance with the Laxness Loosness and spirit of the Times Unaffectedness with and Unreclaimedness under the loud-speaking voice of God's Dispensations Zeph. 3. 1. 2 5 6 7. Wo to her that ●…lihy ●…lthy and polluted to the oppressing City She obeyed not the voice she received not Correction she trusted not in the LORD she drew not near to her God The just Lord is in the midst thereof every morning doth He bring His Iudgments to light He faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame I have out off the Nations I said surely thou wilt fear mee thou wilt receive instruction but they arose early and corrupted all their doings 2. Such offences in a people are not secured from provoking God's Displeasure and drawing down punishment by any signal Dispensations such a people have been under However near any have been lift up to Heaven by mercyes this endon to kakon this Sin within will tumble them down again Obad. 3. 4. And the Holy Oracles of Truth tell us that Corruptions and Neglects after and under such signal Dispensations 1. They do more provoke Divine displas●… God is more offended with the miscarriages of such as He hath brought near to Himself than with others It is in God's account an aggravation of sin Deut. 32. 19. And when the Lord saw it He abhorred them because of the provoking of His sons and of His daughters And therefore 2. They do expose to greater and sorer punishment Thus Christ told Capernaum Chorazin and Bethsaidah Mat. 11. 〈…〉 God 's favour and fell under the severe effects of His displeasure As their case is lamentably described and you may read in Lam. 2. 3. 9. The Churches of Asia also and other Churches among whom as golden Candlesticks the Son of man sometimes gloriously walked through their degeneracy and sin have lost all been overthrown and sunk into Ruine Concl. 4. There is that which is a certain Evidence and standing tryal of a person and people's Acceptation with God God has not left men altogether in the dark and at uncertainty in this matter But has told us to whom He will look in favour and with mercy Tho. Priviledges will not yet there are Qualifications which will infallibly evidence special Favour We need not be at a loss if we will consult and study the Divine Will what wee may depend upon for His Acceptation and Salvation The spiritually wise do understand and the prudent do know these things what course is to be taken that they may stand before the Lord have His presence with and grace towards them If men be so qualified as the Word of God decla●…s and requires He will save them from trouble or at least He will be with them when in outward trouble and support them therein and He will everlastingly save them There are a number or sort of people whom God does bear a Favour to to whom good belongs who shall rejoice with gladness and shall glory Psal. 106. 4 5. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy Salvation that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation that I may glory with thine Inheritance Whom God will bless and compass with Favour as a shield Psal. 5. 12. For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with Favour wilt

of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Phil. 2. 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Iesus To be and carry like Christians indeed I. Motive Consider the disadvantage of being without this spirit In several respects 1. The Word you hear will doe you no good Pride is an enemy to profiting It is observed that the ground whereon the Peacock that proud bird sits is barren the heart where Pride sits is barren The Word must be received in meekness that it may be savingly efficacious Ia. 1. 21. While men remain in the pride and unhumbledness of their hearts whatever their professions be and whatever they may doe the best counsels cautions will not work kindly upon them A People will never be brought to do their business throughly with God in compliance with His Word till they be brought to such a trembling frame Ezra 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away according to the counsel of my Lord and of those that tremble at the Commandment of our God and let it be done according to the Law There must be an awful sanctifying reverential fiducial fear in all our Transactions with God otherwise they will be but formal Hypocritical vain and ludicrous there will be no good effect of the Word of God upon us The Lord's Words will indeed do good and come to something in those that walk uprightly Mich. 2. 7. But it is expresly declared that his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2. 4. Therefore such will doe nothing to purpose with God in attending to His Word let it be spoken never so plainly closely solemnly and frequently Neither will the Word spoken go down with an unhumbled people unless it be such as suits them they not so much desiring that their wills should be brought to the Word as that the Word should be brought to their wills A sad Instance we have of this Ier. 43. 1. 2. And it came to pass that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God for which the Lord their God had sent him to them even all these Words Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the proud men saying unto Jeremiah thou speakest falsly the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say goe not c. Notwithstanding their solemn profession Chapt. 42. 5 6. Then they said to Jeremiah The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us if we doe not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God 2. This will make men that they will not be afraid when God is displeased with themselves or others When sin is committed or Judgement threatned Ier. 36. 23. 24. And it came to pass that when Iehudi had read three or four leaves he cut it with the penknife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth yet they were not afraid nor rent their garments neither the King nor any of his servants that heard all these Words This is from an inward stoutness and unsubduedness of heart Hence many a professor can be loose in his walk formal and flighty in Religious duties careless of the Sabbath indulge his corruptions comply far with some sins of the times neglect the trust and charge committed to him and yet his heart not smite him the thoughts hereof do not trouble him nor make him afraid And this is a dangerous thing 3. This will expose us to Misery and Destruction If we should have no other Molestation come upon us any way yet if we be without this spirit of awful fear and trembling before God we shall be like enough quickly to sink in our own ruines under the weight of our pride and other corruptions Ier. 44. 10 11. They are not humbled even to this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law nor in my Statutes that I set before you and before your Fathers Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Behold I will set my face against you for evil and to cut off all Iudah For in setting up our selves we reject and forsake God And this People have been told that if they forsake God God will cast them off for ever 1. Chron 28. 9. Uzziah's self-exaltation emboldned him to venturre upon such things as were the occasion of his destruction 2. Chron. 26. 16. But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense A heart not duly subdued will expose men to venture upon such things as will tend to wound their consciences dishonour Religion and procure their calamity All the world can never keep that man up that never seeks to 〈◊〉 his own spirit low GOD has not been wont to prosper any People long however good they were or however good their cause were if their spirits have been high and so shown more of themselves than of the spirit of Christ as it is too often with God's people So true is it which the Holy Ghost saith Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low and Chapt. 16. 18. Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall If Hezekiah's heart be lifted up there is a Dispensation of wrath near 2. Chron. 32. 25. for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem The loftiness of man shall be made low God will have it so Isai. 2. 11. 17. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day For the day of the LORD of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low c. II. Mot. Consider the Advantage of being of this poor contrite and trembling spirit It will be exceeding beneficial many wayes 1. This will dispose you to acknowledge and sanctifie the Name of God under all Dispensations under all visitations To see and own how God is fulfilling His Word making good His threatthreatnings and executing His Judgements He hath foretold and so to give Him the glory of His work Zech. 11. 9 10 11. Then said I I will not feed you that that dyeth let it dye and that that is to be cut off let it be cut off and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another And I took my staff even Beauty and cut it asunder that