Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	heart_n	love_n	love_v	3,572	5	6.5737	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65308	A plea for the Godly wherein is shown the excellency of a righteous person / by Thomas Watson ...	Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.	1672 (1672)	Wing W1138; ESTC R10636	40,142	126

soul the Sacrary or Holy of Holies He is pure in heart Mat. 5. 8. his work is to serve God and his end is to enjoy him Man having a principle of reason must not live as a beast and having a principle of righteousness he must not live as a sinner he is now metamorphised he lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godlily Tit. 2. 13. Christ is not only his Priest but his Pattern as he makes use of Christs death for his Salvation so of Christs life for his imitation 3. A righteous man is just in his dealings Psal. 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord He that hath clean hands c. He who is righteous hath not only his heart purged from unholiness but his hands from injustice He abhors all indirect ways he will not defraud to grow rich he will not sell his conscience for a wedg of Gold A good Christian is zealous for duties of both Tables He makes Piety and Justice kiss each other 4. A righteous man serves God out of a principle of love Grace doth new byass the heart and carry it strongly towards God in ardent afsections a righteous mans serving God is not by constraint but consent 't is his Heaven to serve God He mounts up in the fiery chariot of Love and breaths forth his Soul into his Saviours bosom Love is the Shibboleth which differenceth a righteous man from others The carnal man saith What a weariness is it to serve the Lord Mal. 1. 13. The righteous man saith What a pleasure is it Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God in the inner man As the Bee delights to suck the flower so doth an holy person to obey God 'T is amor elicitus he doth duty out of love to duty he prays out of love to Prayer When he sings he makes melody in his heart to the Lord Eph. 5. 19. Love lines the yoke of religion and makes it easie Mat. 11. 13. As a bride delights in putting on her Jewels as a Musitian delights in playing on his Voyal so a gracious soul delights in obeying God Love to duty is better than duty serving God with delight is Angelical The Seraphims are described with wings Isa. 6. 2. to show as well their chearfulness as their celerity in Gods service 5. A righteous man perseveres in Religion He who gives over his work before he hath finished it is but half a workman and he that gives over in Religion before he hath finished his faith is but half a Christian. The Promise is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcomes Rev. 3. 10. Who makes reckoning of Corn that sheds before harvest It was the glory of the Church of Thyatira her last works were more than her first Rev. 2. 19. Perseverance carries away the garland a true Christian doth not only set out in the race but hold out Job 15. 9. The righteous also shall hold on his way Be the way what it will though strewed with thorns though there be a Lion in the way he is resolved to hold on his way Act. 20. 24. Bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me The troubles a godly man meets with for Conscience do by an holy antiperistasis the more enflame his zeal Sufferings cannot make Christ leave loving the Saints nor make the Saints leave loving of Christ Job though he lost all held fast his integrity Job 2. 3. Unsound hearts when they see the swords and staves are up leave Christ and shift for themselves A right-spirited Saint is made of mettal that will not wear out Athanasius was the glory of his age he had a counter-motion to the Times he kept his piety when the World turned Arrian Melancthon who was called the Phoenix of Germany was as St. Ambrose saith like the Cypress-tree which keeps its verdure and greenness in the winter-season The Church of Pergamus held fast Christs name though she dwelt where Satans feat was Rev 2. 13. This is to be righteous to be faithful to the death and not suffer the breast-plate of holiness to be shot thorough Job 23. 11. My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined And whosoever is thus divinely qualified is intitled to this priviledg in the Text He is more excellent than others Use 3. If the righteous are thus excellent let it encourage us all to true Piety no sooner do we become gracious but we become precious Josh. 5. 9. This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you That day we become righteous our reproach is rolled away from us Faith raiseth our Fame Righteousness exchangeth our Fetters for a Crown Prov. 4. 9. A Crown of glory shall she deliver to thee By espousing Godliness we are better than others Eccles. 7. 8. And richer being possessed of a golden Mine i. e. The unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3. 8. We have from Christ the riches of Justification and Consolation and Glorification we are as rich as the Angels Oh then let this excite every one to be godly Righteousness puts a splendid excellency upon a man as if you should see a clod of dust turned into a Star 2 Branch If the righteous are so excellent in Gods eye then let God be excellent in their eye If they are high in Gods thoughts let God be high in theirs let the Saints have adoring thoughts of God Psal. 71. 19. Thy righteousness O God is very high Psal. 83. 18. Thou whose Name is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most super-eminent blessing Psal. 106. 2. Who can show forth all his praise God surpasseth the praises of the Arch-Angels He is incircled with Glory and Majesty Psal 104. 1. He doth infinitely out-vye all the Powers of the earth Princes hold their Crowns by immediate tenure from him Prov. 8. 15. his Dominions are largest his Possession longest Heb. 1. 8. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Those Excellencies which lie scattered in the Creature are infinitely united in God S. Austin complains that men can admire the magnitude of the Stars and not admire him who is the father of lights Oh esteem God most excellent 1. Gods wisdom is excellent Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart he knows the causes of things yea uno ●…ntuitu at one instant the Angels light their lamps at this Sun 2. Gods Power is excellent He is Elshaddai Almighty Gen. 17. 1. What cannot he do that can create His Power is as large as his Will Job 23. 13. What his Soul desireth even that he doth He bridles the proud waves Job 38. 11. He cutteth off the spirit of Princes Psalm 76. 12. 3. Gods Holiness is excellent This is the most sparkling Jewel of his Crown Exod. 15. 11. Glorious in Holiness God is first Transcendantly holy 1 Sam.

his Resolution When the Emperor Valens promised Basil great Preferment if he would subscribe to the Arrian heresie Sir said he these speeches are fit to catch little Children but we who are taught by the Spirit are ready to endure a thousand deaths rather than suffer one syllable of Scripture to be altered A righteous man is willing to take the Cross for his Joynture and with Ignatius wear Christ's Sufferings as a collar of Pearl Rom. 5. 3. We glory in Tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul rattles his Chain and did glory in it as a woman saith Chrysostom that is proud of her Jewels It is to my loss said Gordius the Martyr if you bate me any thing of my sufferings Of what Heroick undaunted spirits were the Primitive Christians who could scorn Preferments laugh at Imprisonments snatch up Torments as Crowns and whose love to Christ burned hotter than the Fire insomuch that the Heathens cried out Verè magnus est Deus Christianorum Great is the GOD of the Christians 8. The Prayers of a righteous man are more excellent Another may have more Elegancy in Prayer he hath more sincerity Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the Prayer of the upright is his delight A sinners praying is howling Hos. 7. 14. but the prayer of a righteous man is musick in Gods ears Cant. 2. 14. Let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice Maximinus a persecuter being on his sick-bed craved the prayers of the Godly The excellency of a righteous mans prayer is seen by its 1. Noble Exploits   2. Gracious Returns 1. By its Noble Exploits Luther's prayer recovered Theodorus Vitus of a Consumption after the Physitians had given him over for dead The prayer of the righteous hath stopt the Sun in its full career Josh. 10. 13. It hath divided the Waters Exod. 14 15 ●…1 Overcome Armies Exod. 17. 11 Ca●…t out Devils Mat. 17. 21. Opened Prisons Act. 12. 9. Shut Heaven Jam 5. 17. Prayer hath had power with God Hos. 12. 4. The Tyrians tyed fast their God Hercules with a golden Chain the great Jehovah is held by the prayers of his people Gen. 32. 26. I will not let thee go till thou bless me 2. By its Gracious Returns When the tree of the promise is shaked by the hand of prayer some fruit falls Job 33. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him Prayer is the Golden fleet the Saints send out to Heaven which comes home richly laden with mercy Sometimes God gives his people the same mercy in kind that they beg 1 Sam. 1. 27. For this Child I praid and the Lord hath given me my petition Sometimes God gives them that which is better than they ask they pray for Temporal things and he gives them Spiritual they pray for more health and he gives them more grace they desire the venison and instead of that he gives them the blessing so he pays them in a better coyn That which makes the prayer of a righteous man so excellent and available is 1. Because his Affections are drawn sorth strongly in prayer his eyes melt his heart burns He is fervent in spirit Rom 12. 11. It is a Metaphor alludes to water quae ebullit prae ardore which boils over a good heart boils over with hot Affections in prayer there may be powder in a Gun when there is no fire some may have good matter in prayer but no fire of affection to discharge it Prayer without fervency is like wine that hath lost the Spirits Fervency as Ambrose saith baptizeth a duty and gives it a name without this prayer is no prayer A righteous man is carried up to heaven in a Fiery Chariot of Devotion This holy Fervency is caused by the Spirit of God which both indites and inflames the Saints prayers Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helps us with sighs and groans Not only gifts but groans and surely the incense of a righteous mans prayer with the holy Ghosts fire put to it must needs ascend as a sweet perfume to Heaven 9. A righteous mans prayers are so excellent because he sprinkles faith in every prayer Psal. 25. 1 2. Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul O my God I trust in thee Faith is the breath of prayer as the body cannot live without breath so prayer cannot live unless faith breathes in it Faith is the bullet which is shot in Prayer a believing Prayer can obtain any thing from God It is reported of a Nobleman of this Nati on that the Queen gave him a Ring and told him that when he was in any streight let him send that Ring to her and she would relieve him To this Ring I compare Prayer when a child of God stands in need of any thing he sends this Ring to God and presents it by the hand of faith and hath his desires granted Mat. 21. 22. 3. A righteous mans prayers are so excellent because Jesus Christ presents them to his father Prayer as it comes from the Godly is mixed with sin but Christ takes out the dross of their Prayers and presents nothing but pure Gold he dips the Prayers of the righteous in his blood and mingles them with his sweet Odours and so they are to God most fragrant and aromatical A weak Prayer being laid upon Christ as the Altar the Altar sanctifies it Christ praying over a Saints prayer makes it prevalent both in respect of his office as he is a Priest and his relation as he is a Son and his merit as he is God 9. The Tears of a righteous man are more excellent Holy tears are the costly gum which distills from the trees of Righteousness Mary Magdalen stood at Christs feet weeping Luk. 7. 38. Her Tears dropped as pearls from her eyes the tears of the wicked are good for nothing they are either carnal they weep for worldly losses or spurious they are more troubled for Hell than Sin Conscience is in an agony there is water in their eyes because there is fire in their bones But the tears of a true Penitent are more precious they drop from the eye of Hope they are purifying Tears the holy Mourner weeps out fin these tears are the Wine of Angels Luk. 15. 10. So precious they are that God bottles them Psal. 56. 8. Put thou my tears in thy bottle In the Hebrew it is my Tear to show that God takes notice of every Tear Holy Tears though they are silent yet they have a voice Interdum lachrymae pondera vocis habent Though they fall to the Earth yet they reach Heaven Tears dropping from the Saints eyes are as sweet water dropping from the Roses 10. The life of a righteous man is more excellent 1. For Spiritualness 2. For Usefulness 1. For Spiritualness and that three ways 1. He lives by a