Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36466
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Rex meus est deus, or, A sermon preached at the common place in Christs-church in the city of Norwich by G.D. ...
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G. D. (George Downham)
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1643
(1643)
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Wing D2061; ESTC R209871
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32,251
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33
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Imprimatur July 28. 1643. This is licensed and entred into the Register of the Company of Stationers according to Order Rex meus est Deus OR A SERMON Preached at the Common Place in CHRISTS-CHURCH in the City of Norwich By G. D. Scatter thou the People that delight in warre Psal. 68. 30. EX IGNE RESVRGIT VIRTVS LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1643. CIVITATI LONDINENSI Salutem et quietem a IESV CHRISTO humiliter precatur G. D. Rex meus est Deus OR A SERMON Preached at the Common Place in CHRIST-CHURCH in the City of Norwich Gen. 4. 7. If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore and unto thee shal be his desire and thou shalt rule over him AS there was never any history in the world comparable to the books of Moses either for antiquity of time or for latitude of extent or for variety of matters most memorable and none of Moses his works for all respects like this of Genâ—sis so neither is there any particular passage of this booke more memorable then the relation of Cains patricide wherein we have a man killing a man a bad man a good man a brother slaying a brother an elder brother a yonger brother hatred and envie moving action in the one vâ—rtue and goodnesse occasioning passion in the other One of the first riddles that ever was made the first man that ever was born killed the first man that ever died Which God foreseeing who is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the only searcher and knower of mens hearts Cui pervium omne solidum apertum omne secretum cui obscura â—larant muta râ—spondent as Leo wittily To whom every solid thing is pervious transparent every secret thing open and manifest to whom dark things shine bright dumbâ— things speake loud from whom nothing câ—n bâ— hidden or conceal'd I say tâ—is omniscient power perceiving the malicious intentions of this malevolous wretch against his innocent brother doth in the words of my text labour to prevent it by disswading him from committing so horrible a sinne by these three arguments The first is argumentum ab utili a reason drawn from profit and comfort in well doing nonne si bone egeris remissi If thou â—o well shalt thou nâ—t â—e accâ—pted The second is Argumenâ—um ab iuutili an argument taken from the unprofitablenesse of the contrary doing not well sicerò non ben egâ—râ—s prae foribus est peccatum exeâ—bans and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the doore Lastly here is Argumentum abâ—aequo et bono a reason drawn from right and equity at â—rga te est appetitus illius tuâ—raees illi And unto these shall be c. And these are the measures of your patience and of this time of them in order and first of the first argument which is taken from the comfort and profit that ariseth from well dâ—ing si be â—egeris if thou doe well shalt not thou bee accepted In iâ— there are two things coâ—siderablâ— a work and a reward The worke supposed if thou do well the reward promised shalt thou not be accepted the question putting â—t out of question of these first jointly and by themselves and afterwards as they are put together where I will thew you how our doing well makes us to be accepted The first I divide again into these three particulars First the work or duty it self Doe 2 the manner of performing it well 3 the person admonished to parforme it Cain shadowed under the pronoune primitive Thou first of the worke or duty it selfe Doe By which is understood the conformity of our whole carriage unto â—ods wiâ—l revealed in his law not that we can performe obedience to the Law legally that is in that perfection which the law requireth for in many things we offâ—nd all saith the Apostle but when I speak of doing the will of God I meane that we should conform our selâ—es and all our actions according to the rule of the Law after â—n evangellical manner that is we must desire resolv and endeavor to perform unto it as perfect obedience as we can and this doing of the word and fulfilling of the law almighty God accepteth for his sons sake who hath in all points and parts perfectly fulfilled the law for all those that believe But without this doing of the will of God there can be no salvation for as the law saith Doe this and live so Christ in the Gospel pronouâ—ceth them onely blessed that so doe therefore this was Saint Pauls first Quaerie Lord what wilt thou have me to doe and likewise the poor Goaler Sirs what shall I doe to be saved Which condemneth the carnall gospellers of these times that are all for faith and nothing for works that believe they shall be saved as soon as the best but they have nothing to shew for it but this shewing the Apostle will have Iam. 2. 18. shew me thy faith by thy works for the tree is knowne by it's fruit Know ye therfore O ye carelesse â—â—â—â—ration you scandalizers of religiâ—n you enemies of grace that faith is operative working by love it is not if thou believest well but if thou doest well that shall rendâ—r thee acceâ—ted before God for what is the â—ody without the soule but a dead carcase such is thy faith without works according to Saint â—ames as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also therefore for all your boastings I may say of you as he Angell said of the Church iâ—Sardâ—s that you have a name that you live but indeed you are dead Againe if thou do well This pusheth sore at all ouâ— idle talkers â—f religion whither they be those of the clergy that preach the will of God but doe it not like Noahs carpenters building houses for other men perâ—shing themselvs or whither they be the common-tatlers of the times that goe from house to house prating of religion a great deale more then their shaâ—e whose works if you look inâ—o you wil take them for Atheists rather then for Christians these in stead of making godlinesse a great gaine according to the Apostle make a great gaine of godlinesse the first of these if they bee Christs true disciples are taught by their masters example first to doe and then to teaâ—h Act. 1. 1 and the latter may be admonished by his sharp rebuke Matth. 12. 34. O generation of vipers how can ye being evil speak good things how is it that I heare Iacobs voice but feele Esaus hands Once more if thou do well shalt not thou be accepted what have most of our forward hearers to do with this who of men and women are become monsters having all eares but no hands as if relgion were to go no
to inflict vpon them This was that which God by the mouth of Samuel told the Israelites before hand 1. Sam. 8 After he had admonished them what heauy what open injustice they should endure vnder some of their kings he concludeth yee shal cry out in that day because of your King the Lord will not hear you as if he had saâ—d ye shall grâ—â—an vnder your burden but you shall haue no power either to shrink from it or shake it off I but the people of England are not like the children of Israâ—l they for their disobedience were made slaues unto their Gouernours but we are a free nation I have Lawes to be ruled by let the King say what he will God be thanked that we can tell now what is lawfull and what not It was not so from the beginning for in the first Heroicall ages it is evident the people were not governed by any positive Law but their Kings did both judge and command by their word by their will by their absolute power without either restraint or direction but only of the law of nature but because it grew both trublesome and tedious for all the people to receave their right from one man as Iethro advised Moses therfore were laws invented and officers appointed to execute the same under the supreame Magistrate I but our Kings are bound to observe the Lawes as well as we They take an Oath at their Coronation to do nothing thereunto repugnant if they doe They shall finde that there is law for Them as well as for others which is as if in direct terms they should say thus much Sir Kings whilest our heads were under your girdles we were content to be obedient to your commands because we had no way to helpe it but now we have gotten the winde of you and made you sweare that you will not transgresse the lawes established we tell you plainly the case is altered you hold your crownes meerely at our courtesie and are indeed no other then Lievtenants Generall we have the power upon your mâ—sdemeanour to keepe you up or to put you downe Prophane men Is Christian Religion become a meere polecy doth the word of God change and vary with the times are Gods ordinances alterable according to the wilfulnesse of the Giddy multitude was it death in former times to disobey the ruler of the people and may he now with Acteon be chased nay worried by his owne hounds May the Lords Lievtenant the Lords Annoynted be kept in or easte out of state at the pleasure of his subjects Is he become of worse condition then the Lord of a Mannour then a parish Priest then a poore School-master who cannot be thrust out by any under their charge O my soule come not thou into such secrets But what if the king do at his coronation take an oath that he will be are himselfe regardfull of the accomplishment of the lawes established doth he in so doing conditâ—â—â— restraine himselfe or his authority should he not be King if he did not take that oath Surely yes onely it is his gracious pleasure to make an honourable promise that he wiâ—l endeavour to discharge his duty which promise he it bound to performe by the lawes of conscience and state yet if hee doe not his person onely is hereby affected not his authority the one is tyed and bound in honour the other is in force though performances faile The promise of the Prince is free and voluntary hee need not have made it except he had would yet being made his duty in performing it is necessary duty I call it onely in respect of God before whom he sware but to us it was a princely exceâ—â—ency and an act of grace But is not the King then subject to the law as well as others â—rifler to the directive part of the law he is but not to the coactive part of it as thou wouldst have it as the law is the rule of justice and the line by which both Prince and people must be guided so is the Prince subject thereunto but as it is an instrument which the Prince useth in ruling of the people so is the King free and not subject to it I come now to unburden your overwearied patience with a briefe conclusion by way of application to these present times If a bad Prince must be honoured submitted to and obeyed out of conscience then how much note a good one with all readines If it be wicked and bloody tyrants due how much more is it required from all men to godly and pious Princes under whose peaceable and religious Governement the gospell of Christ is cherished learning advanced factious spirits supprested wholesome lawes enacted the bond of unity maintained and our very goods and lives preserved It was a passionate and pathetical speech that Saint Ambrose hâ—d uâ—on the death of Gratian and Valâ—â—tinâ—an two famous Emperours Percussa eras ô ecclesia in uná maxiâ—â—â—um amitteres Gratianum pâ—aebuisti alteram maxillam cum Vaâ—entiniâ—â—â— creptus est 〈◊〉 â—taque non in unâ sed in utrâque maxiâ—â—â— lacrimae tibi sunt Thou wert smitten ô poore Church on the one cheeke when thou lostest Gratian thou turnedst the other cheeke when Valentiniâ—â— died justly therefore hast thou teares not on one but on both thy cheeks I may say â—t truely of this Chuâ—ch of England she had a blow on the one cheek when famous Elizabeth died the suffered on the other checke when good king James was taken from us and just cause had we to have wept with both eyes had not these wounds bin healed by the comming of our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles for whom let us give God thankes and think our selves as happy in him as any nation in the world is in their Prince indeed hee is set as a sparkling gemme in the ring of this round world not to be paraleld by any or all the princes of the earth for his piety and uprightnesse towards God for his temperance and sobriety in himselfe for his mercy and clemency to his people Prolong ô God the Kings life and his years as many generations give him ô Lord the desire of his heart and deny him not the requests of his lips prevent him with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crown of pure gold upon his head â—ebuke the company of speare-men the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the People till every one Submit himself with PIECES of SILVER Scatter thou the people that delight in warre But let the soule of our Lord be bound up in the bundle of life let his glory be great in thy salvation honour and majesty do 〈◊〉 lay upon him give him everlasting felicity and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance as for his enemiâ—â— cloath them with shame but upon himselfe let his crowne flourish