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
A49406	A sermon preacht at the funeral of Mr. Thomas Lamb July 23, 1686 by Richard Lucas ...	Lucas, Richard, 1648-1715.	1686 (1686)	Wing L3417; ESTC R5563	11,776	31

constant and sincere practice of these we adorn the Gospel of Christ promote the Honour of God and shew forth the praises of him who called us out of Darkness into his Marvellous Light for nothing does more convincingly manifest and publish to the World the Honourable Notions we entertain of God the Purity and Power of our Christian Faith than a Life imploy'd and spent in these works for by this we openly proclaim to the World that we do not believe that a Holy and good God can be pleas'd with any thing but Holiness and Goodness or that any Sacrifice can be so acceptable to him as the Imitation according to our power of his Divine Perfections Besides these Duties common to all Christians there are others which flow from our distinct Professions and Callings Every man's Calling whether he be a Pastor in the Church or a Ruler or Officer in the State whether he be a Trader Physician c. doth more peculiarly exact some distinct kind of Vertue As Watchfulness in Pastors Integrity in Rulers Justice in Traders Tenderness in Physicians and such like and in all Industry and Diligence Nor doth it a little import the Honour of our Religion and the welfare of human Society that every man do faithfully discharge the particular and distinct Duty of his Calling nor can he neglect it without involving himself in the guilt of trampling underfoot the most powerful obligations for this the abilities God endow's him with this the trust God commits to him this the Dependencies others have reasonably fixt upon him this the general Covenant suppos'd entred into by every Member of a Community that he will be useful and helpful in his place this the Interest of the publick and the glory of God loudly calls and presses every man to it being impossible that Decency and Order in human Affairs should be preserv'd that the Beauty and Harmony of Divine Providence should be maintain'd that the mutual wants and necessities of Mankind should be ministred to and supplied or the Honour of God supported and upheld in the World unless men be faithful in the discharge of the Duties of their several Callings and Professions This is that the Apostle exhorts to Rom. 12.6 7 8. Having then gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophecy let us Prophesie according to the Proportion of Faith or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on Exhortation He that ruleth let him do it with diligence The same Faithfulness and Diligence men are elsewhere in Scripture exhorted to in their secular and Prophane Callings You see then what the works are which God prescribes us to walk in namely the works of our general Callings as we are Men and Christians and the works of our distinct Professions as we are dedicated to different imployments in Church or State You discern in the next place the natural Bent and Tendency of these works towards the glorifying God on the Earth This then is the Post which you are to make good this is the station you are to fill this is the Province you are to adorn you cannot otherwise acquit your selves with a good Conscience towards God or Man And hence it follows § 2dly That the Faithful discharge of our Duty is the only Rational ground of our Assurance towards God 'T is true and confessed on all hands that the Death and Merits of Christ is the great cause of our Peace and Reconciliation with God that through him through him alone all Christians are to expect the pardon of their sins and the acceptance of their performances That when we have done all we are unprofitable Servants And that the most unblameable and pious Life that ever was yet led upon Earth except that of Christ's himself could never be able to undergo the Test the Tryal of God's strict Judgment And therefore our Deceased Friend notwithstanding the nature and number of his good works not easily to be parallel'd though I wish they were by many Instances in this Age gave us this short account of his Faith and Hope the day before his Death I trust in the mercy of God But though all this be true 't is all nothing to the point in hand for though Christ dyed for all yet all have not a like or equal ground of Hope Tho the Death of Jesus be sufficient to attone for the sins of all yet all are not actually pardoned The Question therefore is what gives men a good Claim and a just Title to the Benefits of Christ's passion and what is the clearest proof of the goodness of our Claim and then nothing is more evident than that this is a faithful discharge of the Duties of Life a finishing the works God gives us to do These are the proper effects of saving Knowledge and a saving Faith These are the very Essentials of Repentance towards God These are the kindly Operations of Love unfeigned These are the proper tokens of the Divine presence and the Residence of God's Spirit within us These lastly are the natural and genuine fruits of an enligthned understanding and renew'd mind These therefore are the best proofs and evidences of our claim to all the Benefits of Christ's Death and Merits and consequently the most Rational Foundation of our Peace and Comfort in our Latter end This is evident from the Examples of all Righteous and good men whose Comfort in Death is wont to be proportiond to the Piety and Sincerity of their Lives hence not to multiply Instances that of Saint Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finisht my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to them also that love his appearing Here we have the confident expectation of a Crown but 't is a Crown of Righteousness and if we examine the ground of this confidence of St Paul it is that War which he prosperously waged those conflicts which he had successfully maintain'd against the World the Flesh and the Devil his Indefatigable Perseverance in the Race of Vertue and Goodness set before him And finally his stedfast and unshaken adherence to the Faith of Christ in despight of all the malice and fury with which he was assaulted Thus have I briefly insisted on the words of my Text as reserving room for that which is a more fair and lively Comment on it the Life of our deceas'd Friend And here in pursuance of my method I should be obliged to begin with an account of his behaviour in his particular profession but having resolv'd to say nothing but what I either personally know or have full and unquestionable proof of I will pass over this part of his Life as that to which I am in a great measure a stranger though I cannot forbear recommending to

propos'd taken notice of his zeal in propagating the fear of God amongst others which was no less eminent in him than the Piety of his own Demeanour towards God He never let slip any opportunity either of reproving and discountenancing vice or of preaching up and recommending vertue and this he did with that gravity and authority and with that Goodness and Charity with that Evidence of Scripture back't with strength of Reason and Experience that he seldom missed of doing some good by it He was extreamly Solicitous to instruct Youth in the Principles of our Religion for which purpose he had a Catechism of his own composing containing the grounds of our Christian Faith which he did industriously imprint not only on the memories but judgements and hearts of young people he did often inculcate the necessity and usefulness of Writing Sermons and repeating em at home he did often bewail the Corruption of Conversation and recommend the advantage of gracious and good Discourses in our daily and familiar Entercourse with one another he was zealous for the observation of family-Family-Duties and in all this was eminently exemplary himself His Resolution was that of Joshua Chap. 24.15 As for me I and my House will serve the Lord. Nor can it be unknown to many here how successful he was in this what a spirit of Religion and Goodness reigned in his Family and what lasting impressions of both his endeavours made in his Children and were it not that I should oppress their Modesty and incur it may be an imputation of flattery which I detest and scorn I would insist more largely upon this Topick as a Noble encouragement to the watchfulness and Industry of Fathers and Masters over their Children and Families from this his Charity to the Soul I proceed 2ly To that which relates to the External state of man this was the second thing proposed to be spoken to after his Religion towards God His Charity towards man This was that in which he conceived the Imitation of God most properly to consist he was alwaies wont to have in his Mouth that of the Prophet Jeremy But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord which exercise Loving kindness Judgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Jer. 9.24 This therefore was the Vertue wherein he was Eminent and Exemplary to this he so wholly gave up his Heart and his Life that I may safely say he did in some degree renounce his own business and his own Interest that he might with less distraction and better success attend the Concerns of the poor and miserable 'T is true that I may her anticipate the Objection of some sort of men the Charities he undertook and engag'd himself in were too many and too great to be carried on upon his own single stock or particular fund he had therefore assistance many waies and much from many good men I believe here present but 't is as true too that he was not only a faithful Steward and dispenser of other mens Bounty but also bountiful himself even to the diminution of his estate To go on therefore to the point several Hundreds of Prisoners were by him with great travail and expence set free Nay Prisons themselves were set free from some oppressions and cheats that had obtain'd in them and rendred more hospitable and tolerable to the miserable Inhabitants Fees being reduced to a Lower rate and Maintenance and Provision for Prisoners much better setled several entangled estates were by his care prudence and labour clear'd and preserved Many desolate Orphans found in him the tenderness and compassion of a Father and many desolate Widows the Care and Protection of a Husband How tender and liberal he was to very many Relations that stood in need of him is well known to many here Finally such Numbers of Poor were relieved by him that he was continually throng'd by flocks of his Clients as he called them and he could scarce pass any street where the Blessings of some one or other succour'd by him did not light upon him Nor did his Charity exert it self only in the Relief of the poor and needy but also in ministring to every sort of necessity and misery of mankind he comforted the afflicted rescued the oppressed advised and counselled the Ignorant and subdued the Obstinate by the sweetness of his address by the meekness of Reason and an extraordinary Spirit of Religion which discover'd it self in all his Discourses In Sum what Job said of himself may be with truth applied to this good man I deliver'd the poor that cried and the Fatherless and him that had none to help him the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the Widows heart to sing for joy I put on Righteousness and it cloathed me My judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem I was Eyes to the Blind and Feet was I to Lame I was a Father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I search't out and I brake the Jaws of the wicked and pluck't the Spoyl out of his Teeth Job 29.11 12 c. Here I should have concluded with this general account were there not in his Charity three things so eminently and peculiarly remarkable that they deserve never to be forgot his Meekness his Industry and his Delight in doing good First His Meekness He had a Text to this purpose which he did often repeat Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine Ear to the Poor and to give him a friendly answer with Meekness Ecclus. 4.8 And he liv'd up to this Rule no sourness or churlishness of Speech no impatience or insolence of Behaviour did ever imbitter his Alms or Relief to the needy Charity was not a greater Ornament to Him than his Sweetness and Meekness was to his Charity He would often hear not only tedious and impertinent but also rude and passionate discourses with matchless Patience and Goodness having regard to the miseries not the frailties of those who addressed themselves to him Secondly His Industry He had often in his Mouth that of the Psalmist Blessed is he that considers the Poor and that of Job just now cited The cause that I knew not I search't out And accordingly he did with indefatigable patience sound the depths and fathom the bottom of every cause and when he did with great solicitude and earnestness of mind study contrive and consult what method was most likely to prove effectual for the redress of the miserable and when he had fixt upon it he set his heart so much upon the accomplishment of his design that there were seldom if ever any difficulties so great which he did not one way or other remove or surmount And he never thought much of the time or Travail which he bestowed thus So intent was he upon the excollent works of Charity that he pursued them panting and almost