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	pray_v	prayer_n	4,629	5	6.6633	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46802	The burning yet un-consumed bush, or, The holinesse of places discuss'd held forth in two farewel-sermons at Christ-Church London, August 17th, 1662 / by William Jenkins.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1662 (1662)	Wing J633; ESTC R28952	23,187	40

the service therein performed this is not in the times of the Gospel God is present at the places of Religious performances not in respect of the place but to the performers Therefore God doth not say I will be present in that place for the places sake but for the duties sake Prayers in the time of the Ceremonial Law were regarded for the places sake but we must abhor this piece of Judaisme and utterly deny Consecration in this day of the Gospel when the Altar sanctified the Gift this is done by Gods institution But to say places or things can now do so it makes the appointments of men equall with the Institutions of God The Temple sanctified the duties or performances not they the Temple it s quite contrary now Our Churches and Meetings are not holy without relation to the duties performed Our duties are holy without relation to the Church but the Church not holy without relation to the duties therein performed None but God can consecrate a place to bee an effectuall means of Worship The Jewes worshipped in the Temple Now God is worshipped elsewhere the places have no influence at all into our duties at the most but helpfull to the bodies Conveniency The third thing I deny is this There is now no place so holy as to exclude another place from being as holy we have not now the precept of God to preferr one place above another Wee have not now the miraculous presence of God God hath not given us those Symbolls of his standing residency amongst us as in former dayes he did his People as the Arke ' the Mercy Seat c. As for his Ordinances and the performance of them if we make a Place holy in regard of Gods speciall and spirituall presence I say the Closet or Dining Room or Chamber the Field or the River side is holy humane consecration make no place truly holy I say it again it s the speciall presence of Christ in his Ordinance maketh one place more holy then another then any Utensils in the Church are more holy then the Church the Font and the Communion Table then the body of the Church and so you make a difference between holynesse in holy places in holy things and so bring in plain Judaisme A new Table where the Sacrament was never administred cannot be so holy as the old by this the very Mouthes of the Communicants would be so holy that they must not eat nor drink any more but they would defile it I conclude this with this assertion that Religious difference of places is removed the Gospel takes it quite away the Gospel is so far from giving or making such a difference 1. Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting John 4.21 22 23. Jesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain not yet at Jerusalem worship the Father Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for Salvation is of the Jews But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him 1 Cor. 1.2 Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours Therefore where two or three are met together there am I in the middest of them Mat. 18. ●0 This is the sum of all That Gods institution is to be regarded humane institution to be rejected 4. Lastly No place is so sanctified by the miraculous special presence of God but that presence ceases when the tokens of Gods residence cease the Ark the Mercy-seat the places became as before For us to go a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to the Temple is an abominable thing how many bloody battels have since been sought there these places where the presence of God was when abused to the dishonour of God they become worse and worse whatever we use in holy uses looses their holinesse when abused It 's boldnesse for us to tye the presence of God to any place for God hath not tyed himself to any place I cannot but wonder how it 's possible for men to hold that the Lords day which God hath been pleased to set apart for himself that its holinesse can cease for that they say the Lords day is not holier longer than the service is in doing yet that the Church that God never appointed should retain its holinesse that you must not tread there but with your hat off nor come there without bowing the knee Give me leave to wind up all with profitable inferences that floweth from hence Vse 1. The first inference See the great difference betwixt the sanctity and holinesse of places under the Old and under the New Testament Those under the Old had the miraculous presence of God so long the places were holy They had their Temple their Altar their Mercy-seat the Ark c. these places were holy you cannot say the like now we have the presence of God but we have not the precept of God as they had places now differ from places then Vse 2. I note the great goodnesse of God to give to us such a sweet dispensation that now hee doth not tye us to places as heretofore he did the Jenes no land now is holier nor place now holier then another every coast is a Iudea every Congregation is now a Zion a Temple you may pray as well now in your closets as then in the Temple Vse 3. There are several persons to be reproved those that take pilgrimages to particular places because of that holinesse they suppose in them I might tell you of their lying Reliques I will not trouble you with them suppose them true what is this to Institution and command of God where have you a command for such a thing I might take notice of those that put holinesse in places of Burial in the Church think it holier than the Church-yard and one part of the Church holier than another private prayer rather than joyn in publick for any to bow towards the place of the Communion Table rather than to any other place of the Church Vse 4. I shall desire you to take notice of four things you that are Christians First Let this encourage you to serve God in your Families and places that God hath set you in with humility and reverence as becomes that God with whom you have to do Though I am against Superstition and Popish Innovations yet I am for positive reverence wherever Abraham came he built God an Altar Let no morning or evening passe without Prayer in your Families Pray pray often let every one of your houses be a Church this will bring a blessing on the place where you live Be much in Prayer for the Lords sake Secondly Labour to promote personal Holinesse as well as Family duty Since you have heard something of holinesse of places let us labour to become holy Do you think those wretches are not the more to be lamented that swear and drink and lye and whore and think that the very dust of the Temple touching their garments will make them Holy oh put away uncleannesse pride drunkennesse and covetousnesse else though you bow and cringe God will not hear your Prayers Thirdly Love the holinesse of the living Temples of God wherever thou seest any thing of holinesse be in love with that soul if there be a heaven upon earth it is to enjoy the company of Saints this will blow up the coals of spiritual love to God and goodnesse A famous man had this expression When I was in the company of Saints I thought I was as if I had been among living coales but when I was separated from them and came among Swearers and Drunkards I found a spiritual frozennesse all over mee Though the people of God are best company in Heaven yet they are good company on earth Whatever thou hast received impart it Grace may be imparted it cannot be impaired Fourthly Labour to preserve the holinesse of Gods true Institutions those things that are of divine consecration For humane consecration alas what is it But for the Sabboth the Lords day labour to keep it holy We talk much of Holy dayes this is so indeed The Lords Supper that 's of Divine Institution labour for a holy participation thereof If any thing in the world would drive mee to a Passion this would to hear men plead for the holinesse of places and live unholy Lives to stand up for humane and not regard Divine institutions Oh that our King and Parliament might do something more than is done for keeping the Sabboth holy oh that we could mourn for that we cannot mend The Sacraments are Holy it is the duty of Ministers to labour to keep them holy The Lords Word that 's Holy Ministry and the Ordinances of Jesus Christ labour to keep in High esteem We ought to hear with the same reverence as if Jesus Christ himself was here to preach Live like walking Temples Many of these truths might be further inlarged but I have not time nor strength I could discharge my duty without speaking somthing to these What you have received with the right hand do not east off with the left I have better hopes of you my dearly beloved I hope God will bring home these and all other those truths to your soules which in much weaknesse I have delivered to you and be more to you than his poor Minister though he should have remained with you FINIS

Typified Christ and therefore God commanded the people to come to this place to worship Three times a Year as in Exodus 23 verse 17. Three times a year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God 3dly He commanded that people should reverence these places and forbid all Civill Imployment to be done there 4thly He made a promise to that place that he would accept the duties done there because done there That was the reason why the people prayed in the Temple rather then in their own Houses and when they could not be present there if they but looked toward the Temple God accepted 1 Kings chap. 8. vers 44 45. If thy people go out to battel against their enemy whithersoever thou shalt send them and shall pray unto the Lord toward the City which thou hast chosen and toward the House that I have built for thy name Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause c. This shews the reason and foundation of any place its Holinesse The Presence of God and the Precept of God Now I come to the resolution of this Question viz. How one place can be said to be more Holy then another in the Times of the Gospell and I shall resolve it First by granting what must not be denyed 2dly By denying what must not be granted First By Granting that which must not be denyed and herein I shall Grant these 4. things First That in the Time of the Gospel it is not only Lawfull but very commendable to design and dedicate places to Holy Services When I say it is Lawfull and commendable to design and dedicate places I do not say to Consecrate and Sanctifie them There 's a vast difference between the designing or appointing or dedicating and the Cons●crating that place First Concerning the designing or appointing of a place for any holy Imployment differs much from Consecrating it A day may be appointed for the doing of any work in but it is not consecrated We may design to meet in such a place and if prevented may meet in another Secondly The place we dedicate must be our own in our own right to give so to give it as not to recall it It is Lawfull for a Rich man to dedicate such a place to such an use or such a summe of money to Build a School or an Almes-house so that it shall not be in his power to recall it By the way this Dedication in Times of the Gospel differs from the Dedication of any thing or place unto God in Times of the Law for they were immediatly dedicated to God as part of Worship whereas now it is not so Those things were holy not because of their Dedication but because of Gods promise of Acceptation Consecration is a great deal more That makes it so Holy that there must nothing be done in it but what it is appointed to The Services performed in those places must be more acceptable to God and efficacious to the performers that do perform them 2dly I grant some places are to have their Religious Services performed in them rather then others I mean places of greater conveniency places appointed for publick meeting rather then private where we have the example of good to joyn together and go along with us thus those of old overcame the Omnipotent I desire you to bear me witnesse this day that I plead for publick Ordinances where Ordinances are pure without humane mixture I do here professe and do avowedly declare it s my judgement if they may be injoyed purely I am for publick Ordinances 3dly During the time of performing Religious Services we are not to use secular or civil imployments as eating drinking c. all which is lawfull at other times but unlawfull then being contrary to an expresse command Let every thing be done decently and in order We are to abstain from these things when the Minister is preaching you are not then to clap your self upon your knees as is the custome of too many that plead for Vniformity in that and in many other practises they crosse the thing they most plead for 4thly I grant that after the performance of holy duties in these places wherein we meet it s our duty to abstein from not only filthy and undecent actions but from those civil lawfull actions that may reflect any dishonour on the work that hath been done there all that is to be done that may render the place unmeet for Religious Services afterwards This is reverence not due because the place is more holy but for decency and order things subservient to Religion call for reverence and are not to be used so that Religious Services are to be made despicable The Bread of the Sacrament is not to be cast to unreasonable Creatures because it reflects a dishonour upon the Service neither should dirty puddle be put into the Communion Cup because it reflects dishonour to the use it s appointed to this is civil reference due to any place where there is a Senate met in a Parliament house in a Kings bed-chamber c. I come now to deny what is not to be granted and likewise I deny four things 1st That it s not now in the times of the Gospell in any mans power to set a part a place for Religious duties so but it may be lawfull upon a due occasion to use it for a civil imployment or it s not unlawfull to alienate such places to other uses then it was designed The Bread and Wine in the Sacrament after publick using them is not unlawfull to be eaten in a civil way so that we do not dishonour God thereby neither is there any more holinesse in them then before The Synagogues were as holy as our Churches are they were appointed for prayer and preaching and reading and were dedicated to holy Uses yet there were Civil imployments in those places Here among us we Consecrate places I doe affirm only God can make a thing or place so holy that it shall be a sin to imploy it to any other use And if the Governours of the Church shall substitute other things or other places for divine imployment fitter then those formerly used then those former places and things returns to their accustomed use again for the Pulpit or Communion table or the Surpliss or any other Vestment when done using are not to be burnt or buried under the Altar but may be used to Common and Ordinary Imployments the Communion Cup is no more holyer then the Wine they may be used as Common things without fear of Sin to Consecrate moveable things or unmoveable things so as others may not use them is abominable Superstition God hath not appointed these things to be used so as none may ever use them otherwayes These things are not holy in themselves 2ly No place in the times of the Gospell hath such holinesse either from Institution or use as to sanctifie or make acceptable or effectuall