Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	master_n	servant_n	superior_n	1,286	5	11.1106	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33338	Medulla theologiæ, or, The marrow of divinity contained in sundry questions and cases of conscience, both speculative and practical : the greatest part of them collected out of the works of our most judicious, experienced and orthodox English divines, the rest are supplied by the authour / by Sa. Clarke ...	Clarke, Samuel, 1599-1682.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4547; ESTC R1963	530,206	506

that hath adorned me with so many gifts afforded me such means to keep me from sin that I should abuse my talents and his mercies so as to fight against him with his own weapons As he hath laden me with his mercies I have pressed him with my sinnes c. Secondly the second circumstance is the injury it self as if we be injured in our soul body name goods c. and as the thing wherein we are wronged is the greater so is our anger which we conceive against it This we should consider in the wrong we do against God We injure him in his glory which is most deare to him impeach his sovereignty deny him homage and all this to satisfie our fleshly lusts and to enlarge the Kingdome of Satan Thirdly the person injured as if he be a person of great authority esteem and vertue If one that was then endeavouring the offenders good c. In these particulars we have great reason to be angry with our selves for sinning against God For hereby we have done intollerable injury to the Lord of glory To whom we are indebted for inestimable favours who hath been always ready to do us good c. Fourthly the mannner of injuring as if we be esteemed as friends and yet secretly injured as enemies If the injurie was premeditated long aforehand If in place where we ought to be loved and honoured we be wronged and disgraced If the injury be publick before many If often reiterated c. In which respects we have the more cause to be angry with our selves for sinne For in words we professe our selves Christs servants but in deeds we deny him We lightly regard his presence sin against knowledge and conscience c. If ever we had just cause of indignation it 's against our selves for sinning against God Quest. Why is anger rightly to be ordered Answ. First because of all passion it 's deepliest rooted and extends its branches farthest For no age condition or nation are free from it other passions onely trouble some particular persons Lust enflames one ambition another covetousnesse another c. But whole states are enflamed by anger and fury Secondly Inordinate anger is most infamous an argument of shameful levity infirmity madnesse An angry person hates truth embraceth errour opposeth them that admonish him entertains perverse counsel forgets his own credit is an enemy to his own safety against himself is untameable against his neighbours is intollerable under a weak pretence of revenge anger makes men violate all bonds of friendship tread under feet all Laws both Divine and Humane Other passions will hearken to Reason but this to none Thirdly as of all infirmities there are none worse or more dangerous then those which disfigure the face of a man so of all Passions none are more pernicious then anger for the eyes of such a man sparkle his face is enflamed with blood which flows from the heart his hair stares with horrour his mouth foames his tongue falters his feet and hands are in perpetual motion he vomiteth out nothing but threats speaks of nothing but blood and revenge c. Fourthly It 's a deceitful passion An angry man sees not the thing as it is and yet swells and boils inwardly Fifthly it 's the character of a fool Prov. 12.16 and 14.17 29. Eccles. 7.9 Sixthly it makes a man unmindful of his own condition If poor yet hee 'l waste his goods Being a private man he would rule being weak he becomes a lion where delay is requisite he makes haste where haste is necessary he doubts Seventhly an angry person can neither please God nor man He regards no commandments doth nothing in order but all rashly and without discretion Quest. What are the several kindes of disordered anger that must be shunned Answ. It 's disordered when it 's not moved by faith ariseth not from love keeps not within its bounds and is not directed to a right end The kinds of it are many First devilish which rageth against vertue and godlinesse is incensed by innocent and vertuous actions as in Caine Genes 4.5 In Saul 2 Sam. 20.30 In Asa 2 Chron. 16.10 In the Jews Luke 4.28 In Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.13 Secondly rash and unadvised the branches whereof are 1. Unjust anger that proceeds from our own suspicion and imagination only as in Eliab 1 Sam. 17.28 2. When we are provoked without cause or upon every smal occasion contrary to the law of love 1 Corinth 13.7 Prov. 10.12 and it 's a mans glory to passe by a Transgression Proverbs 19.11 And so sudden anger which is admitted without deliberation condemned Eccles. 7.9 It s a foolish thing Prov. 14.17.29 such abound with transgressions Proverbs 29.22 Thirdly immoderate and immodest anger which may be discerned by these signes 1. When men utter words dishonourable to God by blaspheming swearing cursing c. or opprobrious to their neighbours as when their anger breaketh out into bitter and reviling speeches as Shemei did against David 2 Sam. 16.5 the Jewes against Steven Acts 7.54 Forbidden Ephes. 4.32 3. When we have no regard of order and comelinesse either in respect of our selves or those with whom we are angry In respect of our selves when though private men we take revenge which belongs to God Rom. 12.19 In respect of the party with whom we are angry as when a sonne being angry with his father though upon just cause useth him unreverently and so of servants towards their Masters c. and all inferiours towards their superiours 4. When it makes us forget any duty of love which we owe to them as to pray for them and endeavour their reformation So in the Disciples Luke 9.54 5. When it stirs us up to violent and unseasonable reproofs Psalme 106.32 33. 6. When it s not mixed with sorrow proportionable to the displeasure that we conceived He that is rightly angry though he be displeased with the offence yet he pities the offender Fourthly when anger is partial its disordered and that is 1. When its hot against some sins and can brook others as bad either because they suite with our disposition or that we have little wrong by them 2. when we are zealous against sin in our enemies but ●avourable to it in our selves or friends 3. When we are as angry for small as for great offences whereas our anger should be proportioned to the offence Fifthly when it 's directed against the person of the offendor not against his offence and aimes at his hurt and destruction but seeks not the glory of God the good of the Church or Common-wealth the private benefit of our selves or neighbours or the reformation of the offendor Such was Cains towards Abel Sauls towards David Nebuchadnezzars towards the three children but Christs rule is otherwise Mat. 5.44 Sixthly when being long retained it turns to hatred Quest. What Motives may disswade us from sinful anger Answ. First consider the sinful causes of it which are 1. Unbelief in Gods Word David

ungrateful 2. By refusing what God would give to them viz. grace mercy peace and joy wilful refusal whereof is wilful murder 3. That they do not gratifie Satan who is a liar and the Father of lies A Murtherer of souls from the beginning An accuser of the brethren Job 1.9 and an accuser of God to us as if he were an hard Master Gen. 3.4 Now men gratifie Satan 1. By entertaining parley with him as Eve did He will certainly prove too hard for us 2. By hearkening to his suggestions as these or the like 1. To cast off Ordinances to neglect duties publick or private as if they were needlesse or to no purpose Hereby he seeks to starve our souls 2. To harbour jealovsies and evil surmises of God or dishonourable thoughts of him as if he were not mercifull faithfull c. 3. To cast away their confidence and lay hope aside and to give over seeking or waiting on God any longer and to throw themselves into the gulph of despaire 4. To make wrong judgement of themselves and their condition as if they were out of the state of grace out of Christ c. because for the present they cannot discern it Or that they are not the Lords because they are so deeply distressed as none of his ever were 5. To follow Satans prescripts for deliverance out of their soul-troubles which is to lay aside all thoughts or cares about their souls to go to merry company give themselves to pleasures c. 4. That they do not satisfie their disquieted hearts and that 1. By taking offence at Gods dealing with them or to be angry with God or sullen 2. By giving way to sad perplexed thoughts which gives Satan mighty advantage against them 3. By venting or justifying the distempers of their hearts as Jonas chap. 4.9 4. By putting away comfort from them in a froward peevish humour when it s tendered to them lest God answer them accordingly Psal. 18.26 Secondly direct them to have special respect to three graces to nourish them which are 1. Repentance for their sins those especially which cause this trouble for which labour for a deep and unfeigned sorrow till when they are not fit for comfort 2. Faith which they must labour to strengthen by all means as to trust in God His mercies and promises In Christ his merits and mediation these are strong refuges Psal. 42.5 Job 13.15 Psalme 56.3 Rom. 1.17 1 John 5.4 3. Patience which they must continually exercise in bearing Gods hand submitting to his will waiting his leasure c. Thirdly take a right course for healing their distempers and troubles of soul and that 1. By searching the sore to the bottome to finde our the core and cause thereof as Chirurgions do by drawing the troubles of their heart to an head as their sorrow for sinne in general or for some one sinne in special c. 2. By turning the stream of their passions into another channel as Physicians turn the course of blood in the nose by opening a veine So turne their feare of wrath and hell into the channel of holy feare of God and his goodnesse and their grief for penal evils inward or outward into the channel of godly sorrow for sin Fourthly bear with their infirmities as ignorance frowardnesse c. Become all things to them for their refreshment and recovery as Paul 1 Cor. 9.20 shew love to them with pity and patience to bear all and hope all speak to them as sympathizing with them in their troubles and sorrows make it out to them that your words come more from your bowells then your braines Mr. Reyners Rules for the government of the Tongue Quest. How may a man that is in distresse of minde be comforted and relieved Answ. The most sure general remedy is to apply the promise of life everlasting in and by the blood of Christ. Quest. But what must be our 〈◊〉 of proceeding in the application of this promise Answ. Therein three rules are to be observed 1. The party must disclose if he know it the cause of his particular distress that the remedy may the better be applied and indeed the very opening of the cause is a great ease to the minde 2. If the cause can and may be made known then you must see whether the party be fit to receive comfort and that is if he be humbled for his sinnes pray for pardon and desires amendment without this the word of comfort will be misapplied to him Quest. But what if we do not finde him humbled Answ. Your first and principal care must be to work in him some degree of humiliation for which end you must labour to convince him of sinne and then shew him the necessity of grief for it at least for some of his principal sins and herein two things must be remembred 1. That their worldly sorrow must be turned into a godly sorrow as when one bleeds at nose they open a veine to turn the course of it so when men are troubled with worldly sorrow shew them that they must grieve not for worldly respects nor meerly for fear of punishment but principally for the dishonour that redounds to God by their sinnes 2. Take care that this sorrow be not a confused sorrow because he is a sinner as other men are but a distinct sorrow for this or that particular sinne and then he that is grieved for one sin truly and unfeignedly will proportionably be grieved for all the sins that he knows to be in himself 3. Minister and apply comfort to him that thus confesseth his sinnes and is truly humbled for them Quest. How must this comfort be administred Answ. It may be done by bringing the party within the compasse of the promise of life and there be two wayes of doing this the one false the other true Quest. What are the false wayes Answ. First some think that men may be brought within the Covenant by the doctrine of universal grace and redemption But this way is both false and unfit Quest. Why is it false Answ. Because all the promises of the Gospel are limitted with the condition of Faith and Repentance and are not universally made to all Object But God would have all men to be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 Answ. The Apostle who is the best expounder of himself saith Acts 17.30 The time of ignorance God regarded not but now he warns all men to repent Now i. e. after the coming of Christ in the flesh but it must not be enlarged to all Adams posterity So in that of Timothy God would have all men to be saved i. e. Now in this last age of the world So 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the acceptable time c. Col. 1.16 Rom. 16.26 Again All men i. e. not all particular men but some of all sorts and kindes So all is taken 1 Tim. 2.1 Object But Paul saith 2 Cor. 5.18 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself therefore the promise in Christ belongs to

of God may be avoided if he shew us a way or means to escape them Secondly There is a two fold will of God his revealed will and his secret will By the former he hath appointed that in case of present danger when a a door is open we may escape As for his secret will because its unknown and therefore uncertain to us we may not rashly presume thereof but rather use the means offered till God reveale the contrary Object To flie in persecution is a kind of deniall of Christ and against confession Answ. Christian confession is two-fold first Open. Secondly implicite 1. Open confession is when a man boldly confesseth his faith before the adversary even unto death as the Martyrs did 2. Implicite which though it be inferiour to the former yet it s a true confession and acceptable unto God and this is when a man to keep his religion is content to forsake his Country friends and goods Object But Christ bids us not to fear them that can but kill the body therefore we may not flie Mat. 10.28 Answ. First This forbids not all feare but such a fear as tends to Appostacy causing men to renounce faith and a good conscience Secondly It speaks of such feare whereby wee feare man more then God Thirdly Its speaks of such a feare whereby we are urged to tempt God by doing something that is contrary to his will and out of our calling Now when we speak of flight in persecution we understand not such a flight as tends to Apostacy c. but that alone whereby we use the means offered according to his appointment Quest. When may a man Minister or other fly Answ. First When there is no hope of doing good by his abode in that place where the persecution is but not when there is hope at such a time God forbad it Paul Act. 18.10 Secondly Consider whether the persecution be personall or publick Personal is that which is directed against this or that mans person Publick which is raised against the whole Church If it be personall against the Pastor he may fly and it may be his flight will bring peace to the Church Quest. But what if the people will not suffer him to fly Answ. They should be so far from hindring him that they should rather further him So Acts 19.30 But if the persecution be publick then he is not to fly For then the strong should support and confirme the weake Thirdly If there be in the Pastor moderation of minde for as he must not be overcome with excessive feare so neither must he be foole-hardy to run into apparent danget To avoid both which he must pray for wisdome courage and constancy and use the consent and advice of the Church for his further direction herein Fourthly The Pastor must only withdraw himself for a time and not utterly forsake his charge and calling Mat. 10.23 Fifthly He may fly if after due triall and examination of himself he finde not himselfe sufficiently armed with strength to beare the extrenity Sixthly If he be expelled or banished by the Magistrate though the cause be unjust Seventhly If God offer a lawfull way and means of escaping Eightly If the danger be not only suspected and seen afar off but certain and present Quest. When may not a Pastor or other man fly Answ. First when God puts into their heart the spirit of courage and fortitude whereby they resolve to stand out against all the fury of the adversary So it was with Paul Act. 20.22 and 21.13 One in Queen Maries dayes having this motion to stand out and yet flying for the very act felt such a sting in his conscience that he could never have peace till he died Secondly When they are appehended and under the custody of the Magistrate then they may not fly because in all their sufferings they must obey the Magistrate Quest. Whether then may a man imprisoned break prison if he can Answ. No man being in durance may use any unlawfull or violent means to escape for we may not resist the Magistrate in our sufferings Servants must submit to the unjust corrections of their Masters 1 Pet. 2.19 the Apostles would not so escape when they might till the Angel brought them forth Act. 5.19 Thirdly When a man is bound by his calling and Ministry so as therein he may glorify God and doe good to his Church For the discharge of the duties of our callings must be preferred before our very lives Fourthly When God by his Providence cuts off all lawfull meanes and wayes of flying then he doth as it were bid that man stay and abide we must not use unlawfull means nor do evill that good may come of it Mr. Perkins Vol. 2. p. 86 See more of the lawfulnesse of flight in Persecution in the life of Athanasius in my first part of Lives CHAP. XL. Questions and Cases of Conscience about confession of sin Quest. IS confession of sin a necessary duty Answ. Yea or else God would never have promised so great a reward to it as 1 Joh. 1.9 Job comforted himself with it Job 31.33 So Psal. 2.5 Ut somnium narrare vigilantis Sic peccata confiteri viri paenitentis est Aug. To tell a mans dream is the sign of a waking man so to confess his sins of a true penitent Quest. May not a wicked man confess his sins Answ. Yea as we see Pharaoh Saul Judas c. did Quest. How then shall we distinguish between the confession of a regenerate and unregenerate man Answ. By these signs First True confession comes from a troubled soule as we see in the Publican From a broken and bleeding heart as did Davids From a melting heart as did Josiahs But the other knows it not the racking pain only wrings it from him not the mercy of that God whom he hath offended Secondly The first proceeds from a bleeding heart laying hold upon mercy as Dan. 9.9 Ezra 10.2 the other wants this therefore Christ saith Repent and believe Mar. 1.15 Thirdly It comes from an honest heart in the first purposing not to sin He confesses and forsakes Prov. 28 1● Hence Ezra 10.2 3. The other though he seem to disgorge his stomack yet he returns with the dog to his vomit So Deut. 1.40 41. Dike on the Heart Quest. Why must we remember and confess our sins Answ. First Because promise of forgiveness is made to it Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.9 Secondly God hath made good this promise upon the right performance of it 2 Sam. 12.13 Psal. 32.5 3. Threats are denounced against those that confess not their sins Prov. 28.13 1 Joh. 1.8 10. Dr. Gouge on Heb. Quest. In confessing our sins must we descend into particulars Answ. Yea so did David 2 Sam. 24.10 So Ezra 9.6 11. Nehem. 9.1 c. Dan. 9.5 6 11 13. Mat. 3.6 1 Tim. 1.13 Act. 19.18 19. Quest. Why must we do this Answ. First This is the next way to bring us to that measure of