Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	husband_n	particular_a	wife_n	3,246	5	7.4684	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08488	Sions teares leading to ioy: or The vvaters of Marah sweetned First preached at Clonenagh in the Queenes County in seuerall sermons, and now published for the benefite of the Church. By Ri: Olmstead, minister of Gods word, and Master of Arts.	Olmstead, Richard.	1630 (1630)	STC 18811; ESTC S120808	86,010	266

of the afflicted for crosses losses and outward troubles afflictions are common and ordinary such as Iob speakes of u Iob 6.2 Oh that my griefes were well weighed and my miseries layde together in the ballance for it would hee now heauier then the sand of the sea and such was that sorrow w Mat. 2 1● in x Ier. 31.51 Ramah where a voyee was heard Rachel weeping for her children would not be comforted because they were not but this must not be it being too vniversall I were better preach vniversall grace then this doctrine which will fetch within the compasse thereof vniversally all the sonnes of Adam for there is no man but at one time or other laments the losse of wife children lands possession goods good name woundes sicknesses diseases and such like and yet millions of these perish and that eternally there is no man except he bee a Stoike ouer-whelmed with stupidity blockishnes but hath natural passions affections the world skip and leape at this as the fish at the baite but poore soules they deceiue themselues latet anguis in herba and there is a hooke within this baite when they heare of the promises made to mourners the deuill their deceitful hearts make thē beleeue they fondly speake they hope they haue their hell heere and their heauen heereafter whenas they are but the beginnings and first-fruits of the wrath of the eternall God and fore-runners of that full haruest of vengeance which the Iust will inflict vpon them for euer in hell for the Lord as not so prodigal of his best mercies as to diffuse scatter them thus vniversally vpon all but as aversly deale they with themselues and with the bounty of God for if he turne the wheele of prosperity and giue them abundance of peace plenty and outward blessings they turne their songs and say if God loued them not hee would neuer bestow and cumulate those variety of fauours vpon them as the children of Ephraim when God menaced them with wrath for their sins answered y Hosea 12.8 Notwithstanding I am rich and increased in all my labours And the Church of Laodicea sayd z Apoc. 3 16 17 she was rich c. Thus which way soeuer the Lord turne himselfe towardes them they put poyson into the cup which God fil● out to them and drinke it to the ruine of their soules neuer inquiring for assurance whether God giues these conditions to them in his Loue or Wrath nor considering that which the Wiseman speakes a Eccles 9.23 All things that is in these outward things a Eccl 9.1.2.3 God promiscuously bestowes all things alike to the good and bad to him that sacrificeth to him that sacrificeth not to him that sweareth and feareth an oath as is the good so is the sinner So that by any of these outward things no man knowes Ioue or hatred Hos 13.11 There are many rich men wicked God gaue Saul to Israel in his wrath the prosperity of the wicked Prov. 12.32 is their ruine There are also many poore men abominably wicked carrying about them many blacke characters and plague tokens of reprobation It is also as certaine that GOD chooseth though not many rich noble learned and wise to be vessels of grace mercy and glory as Abraham Iob Salomon others and many poore as S. Iames sayth b Iam. 2.5 Hearken my beloued hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they may be rich in him and heires of the promises Quest. But may not Gods children grieue and mourne for outward afflictions losses and troubles in this world Answ They may but with these two cautions or rules 1. That their heauinesse bee rather for finne in themselues which might cause that crosse then for the affliction it selfe 2. That their heauinesse and sorrow be moderate as Paul adviseth c 1 Cor. 7.30 Let them that weepe be as if they wept not and for the losse of friends d 1 Thess 4.13 not to weepe as men without hope for them that sleepe c. Quest But when is sorrow for afflictions moderate 1. When it exceedes not the measure of sorrow for fin that is libertie enough if not too much for a large measure and degree of sorrow for sinne is required and necessary 2. When it with-drawes not the heart from God the holy vse or all his ordināces through passionate and incredulous perturbations for that is not according to the Apostles Canon weepe as if ye wept not fye vpon that sorrow for outward losses that driues from God and the duties either of generall or perticular callings as of husband wife father childe or our outward profession and calling in this world 3. Is 54.7.8 It must be but for a season because the troubles and afflictions of Gods children are but for a moment e Psal 30.5 God hides his face but for a little while and the reason is because afflictions are vsed of God as plasters medicines or as a furnace Now in as much as the Godly will speedily judge themselues and make their peace therefore the Lord will soone draw off the affliction Sweetly speakes our Sauiour to this purpose f Iob 36.7.15 Iohn 16.20 23 Phil. 4.6 Luke 18.7.8 Verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe lament and the world shall reioyce and yee shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy The plaster shall lye no longer then till the sore bee whole the goldesmith will let his mettall lye no longer in the fire then till the drosse be melted off or fit for his worke For whether the Lord remoues the crosse or puls out the sting thereof or sweetens it with speciall mercies and fauours ouer-valuing the affliction How should this checke the vnquietnesse of our hearts as David sayth g Ps 42.11 Why art thou cast downe my soule and vnquiet within me c. and to bee ashamed of the failings of our hearts h Psal 73.26 My flesh faileth and my heart also but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer And to turne the current of sorrow against our selues that wee should make so much of our crosses and so little of Gods mercies Quest What motiues can you giue me to mourne lesse for outward afflictions Sol. First they as you see are but for a season and therefore learne to i Heb. 10.23.38 hold fast the confidence of our hope and liue by faith 2. If the Lord be angry k Psal 73.26.28 Hab. 2.4 to hide our selues for a little season till the indignation ●s past by vnfaigned and godly sorrow confession of sinne prayer for pardon of sin renewing our covenants dayly to liue better in time to come and such like as these 3. Seriously to consider if greater losses haue not befalne vs then these terrene and outward things as houses lands revenues goods and credite Quest But may

ponder and consider these things and God giue you vnderstanding grace to find all these branches of holy sorrow in your soules that so you may be assured of a plentifull crop and haruest of joy heere and glory afterward and so I proceede to the third signe of this sacred and holy grace 3. Remarkable signe symptome of this sound godly sorrow is when it passeth not the limits extent and bounds which God in his eternall truth hath set it which if it doe it becomes sinful and euil for it is with this grace as with the morall vertues which must not exceed their medium the Eternall hath bounded it as the sea by the little sandes as the Prophet speakes and giuen commandement as to the Israelites at the giuing of the Law vpon mount Sinai beyond which if they presumed it a Exo. 19.12 was death Now it exceedes and passeth limits two wayes 1. When it exceedes in time that men lye vnder it not onely night and dayes but monethes and yeares yea tenne twentie yeares as I haue knowne some it is a plaine signe that howsoeuer GOD offended is the obiect of their sorrow yet it is his justice which their eyes behold and legall sorrow at the fairest selfe-loue is the maine wheele which sets this sorrow on worke the sence of his feareful wrath like the roaring of the Lion makes them tremble if they could make their part good against him they would neuer shed a teare or bee perplexed in their spirits Or if not so yet in some it is want of instruction or knowledge of this grace and how to carry themselues which if they did their comfort would be both speciall and speedy as the Psalmist speaks b Psal 30.5 Sorrow ouer night but ioy comn●●●h in the morning and they should feare if they finde it not And no matuaile though some of Gods seruants misse of this right sorrow when as such an ●●perienced souldier as Dauid missed of it and was filled with roarings and perplexitie with a roaring sorrow which was not joyned with so much as particular confession of that speciall sin that perplexed and troubled his poore soule but when hee had recalled his thoughts plucked vp his spirits resoluing vpon the rightsorrow be confessed his sinne to the c Psal 32.5 Lord and presently found consolatiō for your sakes therefore that trauaile vnder the burthen of your sinnes and finde no rest nor know how to set your soules in a way to true comfort I haue vndertaken the labour to lay before your sight this open way to turne you frō all those waters of d Num. 35.9 Marah into Elim from bitternes to sweete fountaines of water to satisfie your thirstie soules me thinkes I see in that sacred Embleme of the Lord comparing the sorrow of the godly to the sorrow of a e I●r 6.24 womā in trauail aliuely description of this grace Tribulation apprehends vs as of a woman bringing forth And to the same purpose speakes the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah As a woman with childe nee●e her trauaile is vexed and cryeth so haue f Is 26.17 we beene before thy face Iehouah and the sorrow of the godly if the right sorrow is like it 1. Nor onely in the extremitie and bitternesse of it for the time but 2. that as the one and the other tend to a birth 3. There is in both hope of deliuerance and therefore euen in that extremitie there is some joy mi●●t with the sharpnesse of the sorrow● faith sets the heart on work to expect better nay there is in both an expectation of fruit and therefore of necessity there must be joy in the middest of the sorrow 4. It is but short in either which ou● blessed Sauiour confirmes A g Ioh. 16.21 woman when she● brings forth hath sorrow because her houre is come but when shee is deliuered she remembers not the sorrow for ioy that a man childe is born● our Lord applyes this so are you now in sorrow but your heart shall rejoy●e obserue then thy sorrow for the time and continuance if it be long suspect it 2. It passeth the limites when it exceedes in measure now it passeth measure 1. When it vnfits the body or soule for the duties either of our generall or particular callings or from the cheereful liuely performance of them both which the Eternall God requires at the hands of his people he required in the Law not dead but liuing sacrifices the dead were abomination to him and hee blamed hi● people for their vncheerefulnes in his seruice and threatens them for it h Deut. 28.47.48 Because thou didst not serue the Lord thy God with cheerefulnes and a glad heart in the abundance of all things thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger and thirst and in want of all things and I will put an iron yoke vpon thy necke c. Let men obserue their sorrowes doe they deterre and keepe them backe either from hearing the Word Sacraments Prayer c. or from a cheerefull performance of them they are then from the Deuill and not from GOD yea if they doe not further them in all these draw them neerer vnto GOD beware of such sorrowes and auoyde them so also may I say of duties to our brethren GOD loues a cheereful giuer as of almes so all other duties of charity to our neighbour visiting the afflicted comforting the dejected spirit and such like But alas what will become thē of worlds of sorrows which are vpon men that refuse the House of GOD and doe as it were excommunicate thēselues not onely from the power of Gods ordinances but euen from the vse of the ministry of the Word Sacraments and Prayer though it may be they vse some priuate helpes which yet it is to be feared few doe It is also dangerous when sorrow vnfits men from family duties as reading the Word instruction of children and seruants and prayer or the more priuate duties as secret examination confession of sinnes secret supplications thankesgiuing meditation conference or renewing of covenants with GOD and lastly if it hinder and keepe men or women from conjugal duties or to abhorre or sequester vs from the vse of meates drinkes necessarie to the sustentation of nature by which the body is vnfitted to performe his necessarie seruice to GOD our neighbour and the soule Lastly when i● keepes men from the duties of their speciall callings to the detriment and hurt of the wife children and family which is an ordinary fault of young professours in mine owne obseruation any of these are ill signes of a bastard sorrow and not of the true spiritual gracious sorrow which hath the sacred promise of the Immortal GOD to end in f Ps 126 5.● ioy and therefore beware of it 2. It passeth his limits measure wh●n it makes men forget consolation and driues all ioy out of the heart euen for the time for these being