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
A13005	The arraignement of covetousnesse in three sermons. By John Stoughton, Doctor in Divinitie, sometimes fellow of Immanuel Colledge in Cambridge, late of Aldermanbury, London.	Stoughton, John, d. 1639.	1640 (1640)	STC 23299; ESTC S101822	36,766	78

and the meanest Judge in the world can arbitrate this It is not fit to leave the Word of God and to serve tables no not in a work of charity there are things of a higher nature but then 2. He contents not himselfe with this reproof but improves this unseasonable importunity and takes the opportunity of conveighing a very seasonable doctrine or exhortation upon this occasion that strikes at the very root of the disease which lurked in this man and so more generally dehorts from covetousnesse which he conceived was the spring of this mans disorder Now that is 1. Backed and replicated with a strong reason in those words for the life of man or the happinesse and content of man consists not in the abundance of that he possesseth the world is mistaken in it it is not that which makes a man happy or that which will give a man true content so I take the meaning of the word to be although the world promise much 2. As it is backed with a strong reason so it is edged and illustrated with a sweet Parable The great rich man he had a great crop and be thought himselfe what to do to pull downe his barnes and build them greater and sing a requiem to his soule the issue whereof was Thou foole and such are all they which set up their rest here and thinke that the life of man consists therein and that happinesse depends thereon 3. As our Saviour condemnes and reproves so he improves the unmannerly proceedings of this man and takes occasion to continue his heavenly Sermon wherin I shall distinguish but these two things I. Our Saviour goes on in the occasionall argument which this mans request concerns Secondly he intentionally adds somthing that was in his own minde to convey and that is added to the former occasion In the occasionall argument there be these two branches and I shall but onely mention them and desire you at leisure to peruse the place because in this place and that paralell to the 6. of Matthew is scarce the like argument handled in the whole book of God nor all the wit of man cannot have more excellent suggestions 1. He revokes his disciples from worldly-mindednesse by many excellent incomparable arguments Vers 22. 2. He provokes them to heavenly-mindednesse in the 31. Verse wishing them not to seeke these things but the kingdome of God II. He proceeds to his former intentionall thoughts wherein he commends especially two excellent vertues to all his disciples 1. Watchfulnesse in the 35. Verse that they would always keep a watchfull posture preparing for and expecting the comming of the Lord to be fitted for it whenever it should be sooner or later sudden or otherwise and this is Propounded and pressed and then iterated and inlarged It is propounded and pressed 1. From the condition of a duty which being discharged makes a man blessed in those words And if he come in the second or third watch and finde them so blessed are those servants 2. From the misery that will follow upon the neglect hereof in the following words If the good man of the house knew what houre the thiefe would come he would watch c. 2. It is pressed from the condition of their masters comming which is expressed to be sudden no man knowes the houre and thus farre our Saviour hath propounded and pressed this argument of watchfulnesse 2. Upon a particular occasion he doth reiterate and inlarge the prosecution of this very argument the occasion is expressed in the 41 Verse Peter steps in and puts the question not so unmannerly as before but proper enough for the Auditory Master speakest thou this parable unto us or to all This gives our Saviour occasion to re-inforce his former exhortation wherein are the same arguments I mentioned before partly from the fel●city in the discharge of this duty how happy and blessed is that man that when his Lord commeth shall finde well doing preparing and fitting himselfe for that meeting and then the misery and the wofull condition of the evill servant who instead of giving a portion to his Lords servants shall presume his master will not yet come but delay and prolong the time and fall to beat and abuse his fellow-servants I conceive in this place and other places of Scripture where this evill servant is mentioned besides the generall notion of any that carrieth himselfe disorderly I say it hath a particular intention against that evill servant in particular that Antichrist whom the Lord shall destroy with the breath of his mouth and abandon with t●● brightnesse of his comming finding him drunke w●●● the bloud of the Saints This evill servant I say will be in a very evill and sad condition Our Saviour farther expresseth this by adding one thing concerning the measure of this evill that will befall the unfaithfull servant and he propounds it as a rule of the misery the misery wil be great as this is done more out of knowledge he which knoweth his masters will which sinneth hypocritically against the light against conscience those will have a double share in the misery and it will be more fearefull to them it will be something mitigated to them which knowlesse yet bad enough as is expressed in the 47 and 48 Verse This was the first vertue that our Saviour exhorts unto watchfulnesse and carefulnesse to prepare that they may not be surprized with his sudden comming 2. The second vertue our Saviour exhorts unto is spirituall wisdome although there be some ambiguity in some interpreters either meeknesse or spirituall wisdome it is agreed upon There be two things wherein this is recommended in generall 1. In bearing unbrotherly oppositions and our Saviour tels them that this is that which must be expected and may be presaged and fore-seen 1. It must be expected Vers 49. for our Saviour tels them plainly that he came to send fire on the earth and not to make a carnall peace but to conveigh the light of the Gospell the events whereof would breed combustions wicked men opposing the preaching of th● Gospell and of the godly and this is made ev●● by those which are nearest to them in the same house Verse 52 53. Our Saviour prepares them with this before-hand that they may meekely and wisely beare unbrotherly oppositions 2. In which this meeknesse consists more particularly to forbeare brotherly contention Or as some interpret it it may rather be expressed thus to take care to make peace with God so much the more agree with thine adversary it may commend brotherly conjunction for those which are brethren they shall meet with oppositions in the world they had not need to devoure one another Or as many interpreters say that adversary is God which while we are in this world we should make our peace with since we can have so little peace in the world therefore our Saviour puts his servants in mind that it is a great point of wisdome at the least to make