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
A61908	A gospel-glasse, representing the miscarriages of English professors, both in their personal and relative capacities ..., or, A call from heaven to sinners and saints by repentance and reformation to prepare to meet God.	Stuckley, Lewis, 1621 or 2-1687.	1667 (1667)	Wing S6088; ESTC R13173	281,871	514

never desire any privacy between God and thy Soul a Saint and yet find no errand to invite thee to speak with God alone Sure thou rather seekest to approve thy self to men than to God Thou mayest for a time be the worlds Saint but God will at last un-case thee and present thee before the eyes of all the world for an Hypocrite Mat. 6.5 6. The tr●e Lover delights to visit his Friend when he may find him alone like that good man who when the set time for his closet-Prayer was come would break from any compony he was in with this handsome speech I have a Friend that stayes for me Farewell Others put off this duty by pretending they pray alwayes every hour they are darting up Ejaculations to Heaven As the pretence of every day-Sabbath saith one comes just to no Sabbath so the continual Pray●● of some carnal Professours is not Praying a● a●● E●aculatory Prayer should not hinder but rather fit for solemn set Praying Fire must be kept upon the Altar continually but that must not hinder the Morning and Evening Sacrifice True Christians cannot be satisfied with a bit and away but they must ●●ve their set meals Others look at Closet Prayer to be at the best but a Free will Offering as they term it which they may offer if they will but will not own it a duty Surely such are little sensible of their heart-plagues or else they would alone one by one make Prayers 1 Kings 8.38 39. Zech. 12.10 11. and Supplications Such either have 〈…〉 Spirit at all or else but little very little of the Spirit or else they would be Praying apart In all my observation ●●e raines of Christians have begun in their Close● neglects either by omitting the duty totally or by ●areless formal customary management of it The truth is saith a late neat Writer this is the first step towards Apostacy Back-sliders grow first out of acquaintance with God in secret then delight in this duty declineth by little and little then are they less frequent in their visits upon which followeth a casting off the duty and yet they may appear great sticklers and zealous in publick Ordinances but if they recover not what they have lost in their secret Trade they will ere long break here also No surer sign of an Hypocrite than to neglect secret Prayer it turns thee into a Nebuchadnezzar into an Heathen nay into a Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 10.21 a Beast They are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord. Thou pretendest a love to God didst thou love him thou wouldst love to be with him yea lovers covet to be alone where they may more freely impart their mutual affections perhaps in thy family Religious worship of God by Prayer is yet kept up to keep up thy credit with men that thou mayst not be thought an Atheist that thou mayst be trusted an hundred things may keep thee and hold thee to publick duties but herein is the tryal of thy uprightness what thou dost in secret for God and with him when the Masters part the two great ones God and World then is the trial of thee whose Servant thou art but oh when the Master is alone then he is mostly neglected When alone thou art fittest for this duty of calling upon God when the World is shut out then thou hast a discharge from the cumbers of the Earth an Heathen Scipio will tell the I have never better company than when I have no company for then can I freely entertain my own thoughts and converse with all the learned that have been in former ages But thou art called to greater honour to improve thy solitude Joh. 16.32 to converse with God when alone to have thy Father with thee Yea God like a modest lover communicates most of his affections to his people when they are in secret Psa 63.6 when David was in the night watches then his Soul was filled with marrow and fatness not that he wanted Gods presence in the day for seven times a day he praised God but his day-sacrifices yielded him not that marrow and sweetness as he tasted in the night when he was sequestred from all company and business O! the hidden Mannah is the sweetest Cant. Hos 2.14 The Church leaneth on the breast of Christ in the Wilderness and there he speaks to her heart Unhappy Soul innumerable are thy losses by neglecting Christs calls Come my Beloved Cant. 7.12 let us goe forth into the Fields there will I give thee my loves That God should so lovingly invite thee to take a turn or two with him every day inorder to his opening his breast to thee and yet be denied Again When alone and not with God thou art lyable to Sathans foulest Temptations to Atheism Discontent or Pride of heart When the Devil finds the house empty he will furnish you with company enough seven other worse Spirits if worse may be you shall be employed Fear a Rape at least if God be not engaged to be a little Sanctuary in thy Closet and retirements Sathan frequents the high wayes and that Robber takes men aside into a corner and then pillageth them of their treasure He thought so to have dealt with Christ and therefore takes him into a Mountain alone Mat. 4.8 When alone your dangers are greatest therefore should your cries to Heaven be most vehement How few Professours have observed the fittest time for secret Prayer Not early enough in the Closet Mark 13.33 God would have us in this sense Watch unto Prayer God would have us early to tell the world whose Servants we are and that we dare not undertake any business without first engaging God with us Mark 1.35 that we dare not enter on Sathans territories without Christ our great Champion with us This Post should be sent to Heaven in the beginning of the day for no sooner in the morning do we begin to live and stirr but we need fresh succours and Auxiliaries from Heaven True Christians count that the sweetest air they breath in which is the fruit of Prayer and all things relish well with him that 〈◊〉 through this golden Pipe of Prayer and therefore he is up early in his Closet that 〈◊〉 may receive all this way from the Lords bounty and faithfulness Therefore 〈◊〉 sooner doth he open his eyes but he opens his heart to God and before he puts on● ragg he must to Heaven in secret Ejaculations at least before he goes to his Closet to pour out his Soul more plentifully before God He expecteth no good day unless i● be begun with a good duty and therefore my voice shale● thou hear in the morning Psa 5.3.119.147 in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee David prevented the dawning of the morning na● he prevented God i. e. his Providences and Favours which he expected he loved to have them in the Channel of Prayer But alas how do Professours shuffle

Carrying themselves proudly saucily and too familiarly with their Superiours Mal. 1.6 Blazoning their Masters Infirmities Obeying them only in what they please Col. 3.22 Tit. 2.9 Mat. 8.9 May not your Master say If I be a Master where is my fear How fearless are you of your Masters especially if your Masters be not very rich and honourable in the earth who respects Gods Ordinance Hence many Professing Servants sland covered in their Masters presence sit before them bow not to them nor rise up before them 2. Do not you when you meet together blazon the infirmities of your Masters Do not you carry your selves as Spies rather than as Servants you do not herein as you would be dealt with 3. Are not you disobedient to your Masters commands unless in what pleaseth you You are rather the Servants of your own lusts rather than your Masters Servants you do not obey in singleness of heart yea you are not indeed obedient The Centurion could say to his Servant goe and he went c. The Heathen Servants excel some that pretend to great attainments of Religion He is the Master that must have his own way Judge ye then in your selves whether you abide in the place wherein God hath set you 4. Not answering when call'd Job 19.16 Do not ye refuse to answer when you are called by your Masters This was Job's plague I called my Servant and he gave me no answer Silence is sometimes a sign of consent but here of contempt If a Servant answers not when he is called he forgets what his calling is The Servants in Davids dayes were of better dispositions they did pick out their Masters mind out of every motion and turning of his eye and hand and so were tontinually in a posture for obedience The eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters Psal 123.2 1 Tim. 6.1 and the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistriss For want of that honour that is due from Professing Servants to their Masters the name of God is Blaspemed 5. Answering again Tit. 2.9 As some by silence so others by their tongues dishonour their Masters by answering again They should not answer by way of contradiction or reluctance as Servants are very apt to do Some will even brag how they gave word for word perhaps blow for blow nay two words for one Hereby their Governours if ungodly fall foul upon Religion Is this the fruit of your profession prayers running after Ministers 6. Diligent only under their Masters eye Eph. 6.5 6. Not designing to please God in their pleasing their Masters How lazy are some professing Servants Diligent only when under their Masters eye Few serve their Masters as Jacob Laben with all their might The command is that you should obey in singleness of heart not with eye-service as men pleasers Mark eye-service stands not with uprightness of heart As you would not be branded for Hypocrites work behind your Masters backs as if their eyes were upon you Consider how short you fall of this and mourn before the Lord in secret for your eye-service 7. How do some yea many servants eye only the pleasing their Masters Eph. 6.5 Tit. 2.9 but doe not their work so spiritually as to seek to please the Lord Not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart It is true Servants should labour to please their Masters yea in all things but they should seek more to approve themselves to God than to any earthly Superiour 8. Mis-timing duties How imprudent are some Professing Servants as to the timing of their duties Some when never so urgent business is to be dispatched will then go in secret to call upon God whereas going to bed later and rising earlier would prevent much straitness as to time and spirit in that great duty Some will fall a talking of the things of God to their fellow-fellow-servants very unseasonably not when they are at leasure but when they are most busily imployed for their Masters to the hindring of their work 9. Defrauding their masters How many cheat and defraud their Masters Some cheat them of their time by idling it away being tattlers and busie-bodies or gossiping it away Others cheat them of their money or goods hiring others secretly to do their work and pay them with their Masters money or goods Is not this purloyning and therefore forbidden Tit. 2.10 Not provident for their gain 10. How many are improvident for their Masters goods and gain They will see things spoil before their eyes they will give what is not their own to give they make no conscience to eat and drink what their Masters do not allow them they are not contented with his allowances they will steal small matters and yet whatever they take though but little is the breach of the 8th Commandement and the less the temptation the greater the sin that they will break Gods Law for trisles and serve the Devil for pieces of silver and morsels of flesh What saith Mr. Dod If ever they look for sound peace of conscience they must make restitution of all such things How much soever they steal Numb 5.7 Zech. 5.4 so much they must restore and the fifth part thereto or if they keep it unless they repent they keep Gods curse with it and a woe unto their Consciences 11. Regard less of their Souls How many are altogether careless to get any good to their Souls whilst under Religious Governours They ask not the way to Heaven and if examined they are tongue-tyed will give no account of the hope that is in them 12. Murmuring at reproofs and corrections 1 Pet. 2.18 19 20. How do many murmur under reproofs and corrections What saith the Apostle Servants be subject to your Masters not only to the gentle but to the froward for this is thank-worthy if a man for Conscience towards God endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God Unfaithful to Children 13. How unfaithfull are many to their Masters Children Not heeding them and providing meat and other necessaries for them in their Masters absence 14. Receiving scornfully a Catalogue of their duties How scornfully do even professing-Professing-Servants receive a Catalogue of their duties How loth are they yea how do some un●● to know the mind of God as to the extent of their obedience 15. fellow- Their miscarriages toward their fellow-Servants How many wayes do you fail towards your fellow Servants Do not you seek to undermine them of the respect their Masters bare them Do not you labour to supplant them Do not you envy them Are not you unfaithfull to one anothers Souls Do not you wast time in idle and impertinent-discourses Are not you evil examples

the merciful Dispensations of God to them 1 Sam. 15.17 18 19. And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight wast not thou made the Head of the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee King over Israel and the Lord seat thee on a journey and said Goe and utterly destroy the Sinners c. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord And Nathan said to David c. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. I annointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Masters House and thy Masters Wives into thy bosome and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would morcover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight And hath there not been as much disingenuity and unkindness in our Sins The Lord hath given his Statutes to us and his Laws He hath not so dealt with all the Nations under Heaven He hath nourished and brought us up as Children Isa 1.2 3 4. but we have rebelled against him The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People my People doth not cousider Ah sinful Nation a People laden with iniquity c. God fetcheth a deep sigh Ah! under the burden of this Ingratitude His Spirit is laden and troubled with it They have provoked the Holy One of Israel Mis-improvements of Mercies are very provoking When God comes for Bread to be sent away with Stones must need vex the good Spirit of the Lord. Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken it Oh for Professours to be worse than Publicans for they will be kind to such as are kind to them Have not we sinn'd against God even with his favours and requited him evil for good May not the Lord say unto us Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus require the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee All the mercies we have received greaten our sins The more richly that God hath heaped his Blessngs upon us the more wantonly we have followed the swinge of our own Lusts and the more contemptuously spurned at his holy Commandements We have great cause to be ashamed for that all our sins have been 〈◊〉 gainst mercy and therefore against the Principle and Law of Nature It is a perpetual Spot not to be worn out by time that of King Jeash that he slew Zechariah the Son of Jehojada the High Priest who had been loyal unto him in the getting of the Kingdom and faithful in the administration of it ● Chron. 24.22 23. Thus Joash the King remembred not the kindness which Jehojada his Father had done to him but slew his Son and when he dyed he said the Lord look upon it and requite it And it came to pass at the end of the year that the Host of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from among the people But alas What Engagements could Zechariah possibly lay on Joash that may weigh with the Mercies of our God to us And yet how have we made his choicest Favours as Arrows to shoot at the God that sent them What wretched Prodigals have we been to wast all in the service of Hell which were conferr'd with so open an hand to draw forth our time strength and spirits in the praises and services of God For this our Ingratitude Ezra 9.13 14. the Lord may justly be angry with us till he hath consumed us so that there shall be no remnant nor escaping O that you would remember the Lord from Shittim to Gilgal Mica 6.5 i. e. from the beginning of Mercy to the end of it And you will hardly find that you any of you have been the better for it but many Jeshurun-like have waxed fat and kicked God is this day calling out of Heaven to England and to each particular person in it Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise I could even wish for the thousands of our Israel that they had received fewer Privileges or had had the grace to serve the Lord in the abundance of all things better than they have to this very day If ever you purpose sound Repentance then take a view of all the Mercies of God towards you Goe back to the time when the first stone was laid yea goe back to the eternal projects of God to make thee out of nothing and to redeem thee when worse than nothing Review the upper and lower Springs with which Soul and Body have been refreshed Remember how many eminent Deliverances and Salvations God hath wrought for thee And if at any time thou hast been straitned in outward comforts yet remember how thou hast been enlarged with spiritual graces if God hath denyed thee in one kind of mercy he hath supplyed it by a gracious wonderfull commutation in another in a better if thou hast been denyed the fleshpots of Egypt and the land flowing with honey yet it hath been all made up in the bread the Mannah that fell from Heaven if thou hast had sometimes bodily infirmities yet thou hast been strengthned with all might in the inward man if thou hast been denyed thee the gold of the earth yet God hath supplyed thee in making thee rich in faith If sometimes Friends have been unfriendly inconstant or treacherous yet God hath stood by thee when all left thee God hath dealt with you as with Sons your gleanings are better than the Vintage of the world Having laid these and innumerable such mercies in one Scale now lay in the other Scale thy soul ingratitude not only that particular sin of unthankfulness that thou hast been guilty of of which before but the ingratitude that hath been in all thy sins in thy pride hypocrisie formality self-love self-seeking impatience neglect of duty to Superiours Equals and Inferiours profaneness intemperance unrighteousness c. that Remembring the Lord and his goodness towards thee together with thy cursed returns thou may'st yet abhor thy self in dust and ashes Take words and say My Salvations are more than I can number Blessed be God the Father of all mercy But my sins also are innumerable I cannot recount them shame upon me O! how vile have I made my self whilst by abuse of rich mercy Mat. 5.47 Isa 1.3 I have lived below the ingenuity that is found in Publicans and Beasts O that God would give me the success that the Angel had on such a sinfull people as you are Judg. 2.1 2 3 4. And the Angel of the Lord come up from Gilgal to Bochim and said I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you into the land which I swear unto your