Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	lord_n	master_n	servant_n	3,754	5	6.8479	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04251	The good mans refuge in affliction. Or A most profitable and comfortable sermon, preached by Iohn Barlovv. And now published especially for the good of them that bee, or haue been afflicted inwardly in minde, or outwardly in body	Barlow, John, b. 1580 or 81.	1618 (1618)	STC 1437; ESTC S114145	26,781	52

example of thy Sauiour and to be a fellow-feeler of thy brothers affliction If this goe before what will follow shall not the Lord mete to vs as we haue measured to others leaue vs when we haue most need of comfort seeing we cry Stand afarre come not neare me to our children and friends in the time of affliction Was it not Ionathans praise that he was louely in life and death and would not leaue his brother Dauid in all his troubles and shall it not be thy duty and comfort to doe the like to all thy brethren The Butler is branded that he remēbred not Ioseph in his bands and hence probably came that Prouerbe No man remembreth the afflictions of Ioseph Yet we haue some more vnnaturall who forsake men in their prosperity and dayes of Gods promotion they enuie Dauid because hee is annointed King from the sheepe-fold Cry away with Amos he must not prophecy at Bethel for he was a figge-gatherer and if Christ come out of Nazaret be reputed the Carpenters sonne and aduanced by his heauenly Father some will reiect him others doubt of him and too few receiue him And without mis-apprehension be it spoken I haue seene these two euils in the learned and religious of our times Friends forsaken in aduersity enuied in prosperity wee will not visit the poore if wee bee rich neither regard them the Lord extraordinarily aduanceth But these things should not be so why then say with Ruth Nought but death shall part thee and thy friend follow him with thine affection whithersoeuer he goeth and if he fall amongst theeues goe not by him but looke on him and to thy ability and his necessity relieue him For this is thy Fathers proceeding the custom of his childrē the only way to be of others respected when thou thy selfe art most afflicted If pouerty would haue parted friends nakednesse made a separation meannesse of birth or basenesse of condition then the Lord had neuer tooke pitie on thee or in affection been vnited to thee Wherefore set the Lords patterne before thine eyes and whatsoeuer hee beareth with in his doe thou the like also and let not that withdraw thy loue from any of thy brethren against which the God of loue neuer obiected disliked or for the which his affection was neuer separated weakened I know this is thy dutie but a thing not easie to bee done for it is no weake but a maine pitch of sanctification not to draw arguments from the meannesse of a mans birth friends education former pouerty or present necessity to withdraw extenuate and separate affection but to loue where and in the same manner the Lord loueth he that doth this flesh and blood neuer reuealed it to him Then striue for it it is worth the obtaining that it may be said of thee as Paul said of one who performed this dutie The Lord shew mercie to the house of Onesiphorus The Lord graunt he may finde mercie with the Lord at that day Vse 4 And from this point of Gods affection to his children in affliction we may all be encouraged to serue such a master Art thou his seruant and sonne then doe not with the Prodigall run from him or with Demas embrace the world for all creatures of that kind will faile and forsake thee in thy affliction or if not they will proue but like Iobs friends or the Pharisies Miserable Comforters Or hast thou not yet giuen vp thy name and with a purpose of heart cleaued to the Lord why then change thy master and make choyce of him wee haue in hand Who would not serue such a man as will bee alwaies present with his people haue an eye ouer them call them by name and relieue them according to their necessities Shall not we then make election of the Lord For his eye shall watch for thy good his right hand shall be ouer thy face and his left hand vnder thy head and thou shalt want no manner of thing Art thou in bonds hee shall visit thee In danger his Angels shall defend thee In want the creatures refresh thee Tempted by Satan he shall fight for thee Or in the pangs and shadow of death yet he will bee with thee that thou maist sleepe soundly and securely Beloued this I know that if God be with vs it is no matter who be against vs but if hee bee not on our side what will it profit vs to bee respected of the world And say not in thy heart Lush my mountaine is strong and I shall not be moued for wee are but in the wildernesse wee shall meet with fiery serpents the stings of a guiltie and wounded spirit Iordan that type of death hath not looked vs in the face at the most wee haue not passed ouer it and doth not the day draw neere is it not at hand and if the Lord doe not then helpe thee and be with thee what shall become of thee wofull will be that Hauen where thou shalt be landed O that we did but know the worth of Gods fauour in affliction or how ioyfull a thing it is for his children to be assured of his affection Well the day of death and of iudgement shall declare it and till then the true worth will not bee fully knowne of the faithfull or the want feelingly discerned by the vngodly Let me then entreat thee to striue for his fauour thinke no paines too great to obtaine it neither be at peace till thou possesse it for then thou maiest haue comfort in troub●es ioy amidst sorrow and life in death No tidings so terrible that shall make thee tremble no former sinne cause thee to feare nor Satans deadliest darts touch or pierce thee if the Lord be with thee Now then is the time to agree with him take the opportunity fore-slow it not and build thou on this rocke once and stand for euer A third point from the words may now be collected viZ. that Doct. 3 The fauour of God in affliction onely giueth the faithfull satisfaction We see that this good man did comfort himselfe from no other ground but from this that The Lord thought on him Neither is there any thing that could worke this effect he being in so great affliction except the Lords loue and affection Many cry who will shew vs any good Psal 4 6. But Lord lift thou the light of thy countenance vpon me And whom haue I in heauen but thee Psal 73.25 or in earth that I respect in comparison of thee No person no thing I● is good yea best to draw neere to God ●●nd 28. 2. Sam. 1● 12 for content in these dangers Saul was a King and yet when God was gone could his kingdome yeeld him any comfort BalshaZZar in his bowles will quake Dan. 5.6 and his heart roll within him if the Lords hand in writing be stretched out against him Why doth the diuell tremble and feare Oh Iam. 2.19 hee hath no confidence in the great

thee out of the confused multitude enriched thee with the graces of saluation and borne thee againe whereas the whole world lyeth in wickednesse VVill not these former fauours prouoke thee to gratefulnesse yet let the benefit by it for the present and future time bee forcible to vrge thee to the practice of this dutie for others of Gods seruants haue done the same vpon no other ground Paul when hee considered that The Lord had assisted him when all men for spoke him and was perswaded that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome breakes forth into these words To whom be praise for euer and euer Amen And is not this paterne worthie of our best imitation and this constant affection on the Lords part a continuall gratuitie on ours VVhy then let it be daily put in practise for either this loue or nothing deserues it and is thanksworthie Vse 2 And as this point in the first place should work in vs loue autogratefulnesse to God so in the second it may comfort vs for the present and future troubles Hast thou vexations without and terrors within seemes it to thee that the Lord hath forsaken thee Why it is not so thou art deceiued Think on the dayes of old and if euer thou canst proue that he did loue thee this point will proue he doth so still What should more comfort a Christians heart then this and encourage him to go on through good report and euill report with resolution Acts 20.38 VVhat made the people weepe so bitterly and fall on Pauls necke was it not in that they must see his face no more And what did Christ promise to his disciples for their comfort and resolution in their greatest troubles and vexations Any thing but this Mat. 28.20 I will bee with you to the end of the world You then that haue chosen the better part giuen vp your names to serue God and bee in the vast wildernes of this world be not faint or weary in the way for though hunger pinch you Pharaoh pursue you and the fierie Serpents sting you yet the Lord shall neuer leaue you or forsake you Obiect 1 But some may obiect to me as Gedeon did to the Angell Iudges 6.13 Ah my Lord if the Lord loue vs and be with vs why then is all this euill come vpon vs Sol. Art thou sicke in body the Lord doth it for to make it a fitter habitation for thy soule VVhat if thou seeme to be brokē in pieces yet he can easily restore thee to thy former conditiō Shal you not see a Carpenter set vp a house in a comely order yet anon he wil strike one ioynt frō another lay it flat on the ground hath he a purpose to destroy it No rather to amend what he saw amisse in it And so be we in our owne iudgements builded in a decent manner but God is wise in heart and seeth that our bodies are not fit Temples for his Spirit therefore we must downe againe for a time at the least in our owne feeling present apprehensiō Obiect 2 But thou wilt say The spirit is departed from thee and not to be found within thee Thou art to know this Sol. that in a Christian soule there be many mansions as of loue ioy faith zeale repentance and humility If therefore the spirit be not present in one place seeke to finde him in another for be thou assured hee is not in truth departed Doest thou want ioy or faith canst thou pray for either why thou hast the spirit Canst thou not pray for sometimes this is a good mans condition yet canst thou sigh and grone why that commeth from the Spirit Canst thou not repent as in times past art thou notwithstanding sensible of this and strikest thy hand vpon thy breast this is a motion of the Spirit And be thou of good comfort for when thy case spirituall is most miserable yet thou maiest discerne some pulse though weake of the Spirit beating He that comes to see his friend will bee glad to finde him in any roome of his house and if he be not in the dining chamber or parlour hee peraduenture shall haue him in some other priuate corner so if the Spirit be absent from the mansions of faith loue and the like then thou must finde him out in the close and darke roome called The dislike of thy present condition or in the secret corner of Humiliation These two be the furthest places of his absence Obiect 3 But I was vsed to haue him present in all Solution To speake with reuerence Euery grace in our hearts may bee compared to so many candles in a house Now the Master will not light aboue one or two at the most except hee haue great vse of them so the Holy Ghost is the keeper of our soules he worketh with these graces in vs and hee will but employ them as there is iust occasion If there bee need all shall bee enlightened made strong And what man being an old Disciple that hath not experience in these things Obiect 4 Why how can the Lord be with vs for they that worke wickednesse are set vp Ma● 3.15 and such as tempt God they are deliuered And are not all things within vs and without vs out of order Solution We must not iudge things by the appearance or present condition for then we may condemne the generation of the iust and the Lords owne building He that would haue comfort in the remembrance of his house must not conceiue of it in parts as of the wood in the Forrests vnsquared the stone in the rockes vnpolished the brick in the clay vnburned and lime in the sand vntempered but in the patterne or frame as it will bee when it is perfected So wee are to looke at the end of the righteous and the restauration of all things not as they bee for the present and then shall we see the full beauty of the Lords workes and our owne blessednesse He that doth these things shall neuer fall finally and for euer Therefore Watch ye stand ye fast quit you like men and be strong for the Lords affection to all the faithfull neuer faileth in affliction Vse 3 And doth not the Lord separate his affection from his children in affliction Let vs then tread in the same steps and imitate our heauenly Father Oh that this were the custome of our Countrey but it is not we rather practice the contrary adding affliction to Pauls bands For to him that hath not need of comfort shall bee giuen but from him that hath shall be taken away that hee hath Iob renders the reason Because Men haue forsaken the feare of the Lord. How many haue the faith in respect of persons forsake iust Iob if tumbling on the dunghill and be ashamed of Pauls chaine Is this to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called thee to imitate the