Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	law_n	obedience_n	require_v	3,312	5	7.2188	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89619	Divinity-knots vnloosed or a cleare discovery of truth; by resolving many doubts, according to scripture, orthodox divines, and sound reason, so as weake capacities may receive satisfaction therein. To which purpose, a number of points are explained by familiar simile's. A treatise intended specially for the instruction of young Christians in Rothstorne parish in Cheshire: but published for a further extent of the benefit thereof, to the Israel of God. By Adam Martindale, one of the meanest labourers in the Lords harvest.	Martindale, Adam, 1623-1686.	1649 (1649)	Wing M856; Thomason E1352_2; ESTC R209407	38,259	96

unhonourable that before was honourable but in this sense it is rarely if at all found in Scripture 2. To disrespect ot sl●ight one that is honourable and still remaines worthy to be honoured In the former sense God cannot be dishonoured but in the latter hee may c Mal. 1. ● Rom. 2.2 even as Children by their disobedience doe not render their Parents dishonourable d Mat. 1 4 5 6 but dishonoured e Mic. 7. 21. Doubt How can men in justice become lyable to eternall punishment for sin committed in time and it may bee in a short time Resol 1. They are committed against an eternall God and therefore are alwayes as it were in committing before and against him 2. If men might live eternally they would sin eternally and God punisheth according to the rebellion of their wils 3. Though punished in Hell thay still retaine their enmity against God and therefore justly is their penalty continued CHAP. VI. Of the Law of God and of the two Covenants 22. Doubt IF the Covenant of workes be for substance comprehended in the ten Commandements how can Christians which are free from the Law be bound to observe them Resol The Law of the Ten Commandements containeth the matter of the Covenant of workes but is not the Covenant formally any more then the Copy of a Lease written by a private hand Simile having never been sealed and delivered according to Law is the Lease it selfe The matter of the Covenant without the forme cannot sufficiently constitute it Now the forme of the Covenant of workes is the condition whereupon the duty is undertaken Viz. Doe this and live Life is promised upon perfect obedience damnation threatned upon the least disobedience The Gospell indeed requireth the same things but not upon the same tearmes for whereas the same Covenant of workes saith Doe this and live the Gospell saith Live and do this Christ hath freed us from the Law as it is a compeller and condemner but not as it is a directory or to speake properly we are freed from the Covenant of workes as it is such but not from the things therein contained even as a Servant which obeyed his Master out of slavish feare or for wages if his Master adopt him and make him his heyre though he still be bound to doe the same things yet forasmuch as he acteth from different Principles Viz. of love thankfulnesse and 〈◊〉 reverence he is perfectly free from that Covenant which as a Servant he made with his Master In like manner the adopted Sonnes of God though they are to act the same things that the Law of works required yet in as much as they doe them not to be justified and live but because they are justified and doe live nor are bound to them under the penalty of revenging wrath but fatherly chastisement are perfectly set at liberty from the Covenant of workes 23. Doubt If the Covenant on Mount Sinai was a Covenant of grace as it must needs be because in it was forgivenesse of sins How can Christ be sayd to be a Mediator of a better Covenant then Moses better and worse seeme to intimate there be two Covenants of grace Resol They are not called better and worse in respect of the matter or substance of them but in the manner of dispensation When we compare two Bookes of the same nature together as suppose they treat of Grammar Logick or Phylosophy the one treating in a prolix darke and confused manner the other in a briefe methodicall and plaine way and say this is better then that we doe not meane that the subject matter of the one is better then the other but onely the excellency is in the method and expression So when the Covenant of Grace as it is handed to us by Christ is preserred before the same as it is set forth by Moses in types and shedowes we must understand it of the perspicuity and compendiousnesse of the administration together with the freedome from burdensome Ceremonies not of the Covenant it selfe for that is one and the same to them and us a 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4. 24. Doubt How can the Jewes Covenant and ours be all one when as in theirs forgivenesse was not for every sin namely not for presumptuousnesse b Num. 15.30 nor uncircumcision c Gen. 17.14 nor of all their sin at once but by degrees successively for when they had offered Sacrifice for one transgression they lay under the next till Sacrifice was againe offered But Christ hath at once payd a full price and acquitted us from all our sins Resol With reverence to the learned Author from whom this doubt ariseth I beleeve it is a great mistake to say the Jewes Covenant had not remi2sion of all sins That the presumptuous sinner and uncircumcised person must be cut off the places forequoted prove but this cutting off was excommunication or a losse of their part in the externall Covenant of God till the one repented the other became circumcised and cannot be understood of an unpardonable condition for that either uncircumcision or presumption especially this sort of presumption in the Text alleadged being opposed onely to ignorance was unpardonable and therefore all damned that were defiled with them as it must needs follow is not onely unproved but disproved by Scripture d Jos 5.2 3 4 c. Rom. 2.26 2 Sam. 12.13 2 Chro. 33.10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Nor is there any more force in that which is alleadged concerning the graduality of forgivenesse for the Sacrifices did not of themselves make the attonement but as Ordinances typifying Christ they did as it were Sacramentally apply and seale the pardon of sin to the conscience as they should from time to time offend and stand in need of pardon but that Christ did at once beare the sins of Beleevers as well Jewes before his comming as Gentiles since is plaine by that clause so much stood upon by the reverend Author The Lord hath layd on him the iniquity of us all e Isa 53.6 and many other places f Rev. 13.8 Gal. 4.4 5. Isa 53.5 25. Doubt How could the Covenant on Sinai be a Covenant of grace seeing the Apostle calls it a killing Letter and a ministration of death and condemnation g 2 Cor. 3.6 7 9. Resol I conceive the Apostles meaning was not that the whole Covenant on Sinai beginning Exod. 20. and ending with Levit. 26. was a killing letter c. For the Sacrifices and Ceremonies typifyed Christ and sealed forgivenesse of sins and reconciliation to God * If you observe this distinction you may easily answer to all arguments built upon any other Scripture which seems to assert that the Jewes lived under a Covenant of workes But Moses is there to be considered as he was the Minister of the Decalogue or ten Commandements without respect had to the Types and Ordinances whereby Christ was signified and that this is not

my private opinion but the sense of the place may appeare by two reasons 1. We are told Vers 7. that this ministration of death was engraven on stones but onely the ten Commandements were so engraven h Exo. 34.1.28 therefore he onely meaneth them 2. The Apostle here speaks of a ministration about which Moses was imployed when his face shone i 2 Cor. 3.7.13 But this glory was vouchsafed him when he received the ten Commandements alone k Exo. 34.28 29 30. therefore them onely he meaneth and to speak the truth the Contents of the two Tables being received alone as Moses brought them down in his hands not as in subordination to Christ the Mediator but as a servant of God the Creator proclaiming his exact and rigid Law must needs be a Covenant of workes though the same being received in subordination to Christ which was truly though more dimly held forth in these Ceremoniall observances hinders not but that Israel lived under a Covenant of grace 26. Doubt When the Apostle blameth the Galatians for revolting from the Gospell to the Law what Law meaneth he the morall or Ceremoniall Resol With submission to better judgements I beleeve he meanes the whole Covenant on Sinai containing both the Morall and Ceremoniall Law which was a Covenant of grace when Morall duties were pressed in subordination and obedience to Christ the King of the Church and Ceremoniall as typifying him to come But when their imperfect obedience of the morall Law l Gal. 3.10 11 12 18. 4.21 and rotten Ceremonies long before abolished m Gal. 4.9.10 5.6 were cryed up and rested in for justification and life eternall they became an unsupportable yok of bondage n Gal. 5.1 3 Acts 15.10 binding men under a Covenant of works o Gal. 5.3 and making the death of Christ as to them of none effect p Gal. 2.21 5.2 CHAP. VII Of Christ the Mediator 27. Doubt HOW could Christ be sent by his Father and yet be equall to him seeing the Scripture saith He is greater that sends then he which is sent Resol Christ as God is equall to his Father but as Mediator in which capacity he was sent an inferiour to him a Phil. 2 6 7. 28. Doubt If Christ payd a full price to his Father for the redemption of mankind how can the salvation of the Elect be attributed to the grace of God Resol Had it not been for the grace and mercy of God Christ had not been bestowed on us b Joh. 3.16 nor needed God to have given way that Christ should be surety for us though he had been moved to that end although when God had accepted him as surety and layd the whole debt upon him till he was fully satisfied he is bound in faithfulnesse and justice it selfe to forgive us our sins c 1 Joh. 1.9 A creditor needs not to take a Surety for a debt already due unlesse himselfe please and if he doe it is a curtesie to the Debtor for if he will he may lay him by it till he pay or rot yet if he doe accept of a Surety and lay the debt upon him and be accordingly payd and satisfied he cannot require it again but is bound in justice Law and conscience to acquit the principall In like manner God without wrong to mankinde might have bound them over to eternall punishment in their owne persons without accepting any other to be bound for them but having accepted of Christ to enter bond with them and received the whole summe from him acknowledging the receit thereof under his owne hand and seale he cannot in righteousnesse charge it againe upon us 29. Doubt If Christ have fully satisfied his Fathers justice for the Elect so that all and onely they that are in Christ have their sins pardoned how can any man aske for givenesse of sins If they be in Christ it seems to be superfluous if not sinfull for whatsoever one that is out of Christ doth is sinfull Resol Whether men be in Christ or no they ought to pray for pardon of sin d Mat. 6.12 Luke 11.4 Acts 8.22 for although those which are in Christ be free from damnation yet not from correction for their failings c 2 Sam. 12 14 Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. And therefore have cause to pray that God would neither hide his face from them nor afflict them for it And though a man be in the state of nature yet prayer being an Ordinance of God and a duty incumbent to every one f Psal 79.6 Jer. 10.25 in the use whereof God is pleased to let forth himselfe and vouchsafe a discovery of Christ g Acts 10.30 every one should beware of sleighting it for although the prayer of a wicked person be sinfull and therefore may be thought unprofitable so is their hearing of the Word without Faith h Heb. 4.3 and yet they must heare that they may have Faith i Rom. 10.14 c. Yes it s generally sayd whatsoever is not of Faith is sin k Rom. 14.23 and without Faith it is impossible to please God l Heb. 11.6 insomuch that the plowing of the wicked is iniquity m Pro. 23.4 And yet I doe not thinke any man holdeth that faithlesse men are to forbeare every thing and wicked men plowing No more must naturall men forbeare praying because they cannot pray as they ought but rather be more serious and frequent that God in his owne Ordinance may meet with them and work upon their hearts effectually 30. Doubt I can easily grant that we may pray for assurance of pardon but for the pardon it selfe we may not because every Elect person and reprobates are excluded from pardon hath all his sinnes past present and to come layd upon Christ And therefore though be be in the height of his sinnes he stands in no more need of pardon then a Saint in Heaven Hence it is that some Gospell-Preachers of these dayes expound forgive us our debts or sins to signifie no more but manifest to us that our fins are forgiven us And when David begs pardon of sinne it was either because he lived under an imperfect Covenant wherein remission was obtained successively as sacrifice was offered or else he was under a temptation as in another case when be charged GOD to have forgotten to be gracious n Psal 77.7 c. Resol Those which make this objection doe ordinarily distinguish in the pardon of sin betwixt Gods decree to forgive and the manifestation hereof but they leave out a third thing without which the enumeration is imperfect to wit the execution of this decree from want whereof all these mistakes arise For the actuall pardoning of sin consists neither in the decree nor manifestation of pardon but it is a thing distinct from them both following the one and leading the other in the order of nature and time For when a Malefactor is condemned and