Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	prayer_n	precept_n	promise_n	2,143	5	9.6066	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62644	Sixteen sermons, preached on several subjects. By the most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. Being the third volume; published from the originals, by Ralph Barker, D.D. chaplain to his Grace	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1696 (1696)	Wing T1270; ESTC R218005	164,610	488

in well-doing The assurance of enjoying unspeakable and endless Happiness in another World and of escaping extream and eternal Misery is a Consideration of that weight as one would think could not fail of its efficacy upon us to put all temptations to Sin out of countenance and to bear down before us all the difficulties and discouragements in the way of our Duty And if this make no impression upon us if Heaven and Hell be of no weight with us it will be in vain to use any other Arguments which in Comparison of this are but as the very small dust upon the balance For if on the one hand the hopes of perfect Comfort and Joy and Felicity perpetual in duration and vast beyond all imagination such as ●ye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath entred into the heart of Man to conceive And if on the other hand the dread of the terrible wrath of God and of the vengance of Eternal Fire together with the insupportable torments of a guilty Conscience and the perpetual stings of bitter remorse and anguish for the wilful folly of our wicked Lives and the rage of horrible despair of ever getting out of so miserable a State If neither of these Considerations if both of them will not prevail upon us to cease to be evil and to resolve to be good that we may obtain one of these Conditions and may escape the other there is no hope that any words that can be used any Arguments and Considerations that can be offered should work upon us or take place with us He that is not to be tempted by such hopes nor to be terrified by such fears is proof against all the force of perswasion in the World And thus I have done with the two things which I proposed to consider from these words the Nature of these Promises and the Influence they are apt and ought to have upon us to raise us to the perfection of Virtue and Goodness which the Apostle here calls our being Partakers of a Divine Nature All that now remains is to make some useful Reflections upon what hath been discoursed upon these two Heads First of all If we expect the Blessings and Benefits of these exceeding great and precious Promises of the Gospel we must be careful to perform the Conditions which are indispensably required on our parts It is a great mistake and of very pernicious consequence to the Souls of Men to imagine that the Gospel is all Promises on God's part and that our part is only to believe them and to rely upon God for the performance of them and to be very confident that he will make them good tho' we do nothing else but only believe that he will do so That the Christian Religion is only a Declaration of God's good will to us without any expectation of Duty from us this is an Error which one could hardly think could ever enter into any who have the liberty to read the Bible and do attend to what they read and find there The Three great Promises of the Gospel are all very expresly contain'd in our Saviour's first Sermon upon the Mount There we find the Promise of Blessedness often repeated but never absolutely made but upon Certain Conditions and plainly required on our parts As Repentance Humility Righteousness Mercy Peaceableness Meekness Patience Forgiveness of Sins is likewise Promised but only to those that make a Penitent acknowledgment of them and ask Forgiveness for them and are ready to grant that Forgiveness to others which they beg of God for themselves The gift of God's Holy Spirit is likewise there Promised but it is upon Condition of our earnest and importunate Prayer to God The Gospel is every where full of Precepts enjoyning Duty and Obedience on our part as well as of Promises on God's part assuring Blessings to us nay of terrible threatnings also if we disobey the Precepts of the Gospel St. Paul gives us the summ of the Gospel in very few and plain words declaring upon what terms we may expect that Salvation which the Gospel offers to all Men Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. The grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purisie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works And then he adds These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Intimating that tho' Men were very averse to this Doctrine it ought to be inculcated with great Authority and Earnestness and those who opposed and despised it to be severely rebuked And with great Reason because the contrary Doctrine does most effectually undermine and defeat the whole Design of the Christian Religion Secondly From hence we learn that if the Promises of the Gospel have not this effect upon us to make us Partakers of a Divine Nature it is our own fault and because we are wanting to our selves God is always ready to do his part if we do not fail in ours There is a Divine Power and Efficacy goes along with the Gospel to make way for the entertainment of it in the hearts of Men where they put no bar and obstacle to it But if Men will resist the Motions of God's Blessed Spirit and quench the light of it and obstinately hold out against the force of Truth God will withdraw his Grace and Holy Spirit from them The Gospel would raise us to the perfection of all virtue and goodness and the Promises of it are admirably fitted to relieve the infirmities and weakness of Humane Nature and to renew us after the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness to take us off from Sin and Vice and to allure us to Goodness and to assist and encourage us in the practice of it But if we will not comply with the gracious Design of God in the Gospel and suffer these Promises to have their due influence and efficacy upon us we wilfully deprive our selves of all the Blessings and Benefits of it we reject the Counsel of God against our selves and receive the Grace of God in vain and and by rejecting and despising his Promises we provoke him to execute his Threatnings upon us Thirdly and Lastly If the Promises of the Christian Religion are apt in their own Nature to work this great effect upon us to make us like to God and to bring us to so near a resemblance of the Divine Perfections to make us Good and Just and Merciful and Patient and Holy in all manner of Conversation to purge us from our Iniquities and to make us a Peculiar and Excellent People zealous of good works I say if this be the proper tendency of the Gospel and the Promises of it how doth this

us and when Men find the Condition in themselves they will without any great perswasion take Comfort from the Promise and apply it to themselves but till they discern the Condition in themselves it is impossible for a Man that understands himself to apply the Promise to himself for till the Condition be performed he hath no more right to the Promise than if such a Promise had never been made And 't is so far from being a Sin in such a Man to doubt of the benefit of such a Promise that it is his Duty to do so and no Man that understands himself and the Promises of God can possibly do otherwise Therefore 't is a vain and groundless trouble which perplexeth many People that they cannot apply the Promises of God to themselves whereas the true ground of their trouble should be this that they have not been careful to perform the Condition of those Promises which they would apply to themselves the other is an endless trouble let them but look to the Condition and the Promise will apply it self I speak all this on purpose to free Men from those perplexities wherewith many have entangled themselves by false apprehensions of the Promises of God either as if they were not made to us upon certain Conditions to be performed by us or as if any Man could comfortably apply them to himself before he hath performed those Conditions upon which God hath made such Promises For if Men will believe that which is not true or expect things upon such terms as they are not to be had they may trouble themselves Eternally and all the World cannot help it I have now done with the First thing I propounded to speak to namely the Promises which are here spoken of The Second thing viz. what Influence these Promises ought to have upon us that by them we may be made Partakers of a Divine Nature I shall reserve to another Opportunity The Second SERMON ON 2 PETER I. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature I Made entrance into these words the last Day in the handling whereof I proposed to do these two things First To consider the Promises here spoken of Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises Secondly The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature The first of these I have done with and proceed now to the Second viz. The Influence which these Promises ought to have upon us Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of a Divine Nature Not that we can partake of the Essence and Nature of God as some have blasphemously affirmed pretending in their canting and senseless Language to be Godded with God and Christed with Christ In this sense it is impossible for us to partake of the Divine Nature for this would be for Men to become Gods and to be advanced to the State and Perfection of the Deity But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently in Scripture signifie a temper and disposition and to be partakers of a Divine Nature is to be of a Divine Temper and Disposition to have our Corrupt Natures rectified and purged from all sinful Lusts and irregular Passions and from all Vicious and Corrupt Affections and therefore it follows in the Text having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust and besides this giving all diligence add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity So that we are made partakers of a Divine Nature as the Apostle here explains it these two ways by cleansing our selves from the Lusts of the Flesh which the Apostle here calls the corruption or defilement which is in the World through Lust and by a diligent endeavour after all Christian Graces and Virtues Faith and Temperance and Patience a sincere love of the Brethren and an Universal Charity and good-will towards all Men. And that this is the proper influence and efficacy of the great Promises of the Gospel upon the hearts and lives of Men the Apostle St. Paul fully declares to us 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having th●refore these Promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit that is from the lusts of the Flesh and of uncleanness and from all evil and corrupt affections of the Mind such as Wrath Envy Malice Hatred Strife Revenge Cruelty Pride and the like perfecting holiness in the fear of God that is continually aspiring still more and more after further degrees of Holiness and Virtue and goodness which are the great Perfections of the Divine Nature And thus by a constant and sincere endeavour to cleanse our selves from all impurity of Flesh and Spirit and by practising all the Virtues of a good Life we shall by degrees raise and advance our selves to a Godlike temper and disposition imitating in all our Actions the Goodness and Mercy and Patience and Truth and Faithfulness of God and all those other Perfections of the Divine Nature which are comprehended und●r the term of Holiness This is that which the Apostle here calls partaking of a Divine Nature or as our Blessed Saviour expresseth it to be perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect This the Gospel designs to raise us to and one of the great Instruments whereby this is effected are those exceeding great and precious Promises which I have insisted upon And they are capable of effecting it these two ways First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance and Secondly By way of external Motive and Argument Both these ways some or other of these Promises have a mighty influence upon us if we be not wanting to our selves to raise us to a Godlike temper and disposition that is to the greatest perfection of Virtue and Goodness which we are capable of in this Life First By way of internal Efficacy and Assistance And this influence the Promise of God's Holy Spirit and of the gracious help and assistance thereof hath upon the Minds of Men inclining them to that which is good and enabling them to do it For the Holy Spirit is promised to us in consideration and commiseration of that impotency and weakness which we have contracted in that degenerate and depraved Condition into which Mankind is sunk to help us who are without strength to recover our selves out of that evil and miserable state into which by wilful transgression we are fallen to quicken us who are dead in Trespasses and Sins as the Scripture expresseth the Condition of unregenerate Persons to raise ●s to a new Life and to cherish this Principle of Spiritual Life which is commonly weak at first and to carry it through alldiscouragements and oppositions to

the only sure way to be happy for ever is so to improve the short and uncertain time of this Life that we may approve our selves to God in this World and enjoy him in the next or as St. Paul expresseth it that having our fruit unto Holiness our end may be everlasting Life And this Work consists in these three things First In the Care of our own Salvation Secondly In doing what we can to promote the Salvation of others Thirdly And in order to both these in the careful Improvement and good Husbandry of our time First In the Care of our own Salvation And this consists in two things 1. In the Worship of Almighty God 2. In the careful and conscientious Practice and Obedience of his Holy Laws 1. The Care of our own Salvation consists in the pious and devout Worship of Almighty God that we honour him and pay him that Homage and Respect which is due from Creatures to him that made them and is the great Soveraign and Judge of the World that we have an inward Reverence and Esteem of him and that we express this by all solemn externalacknowledgments of him as by praying to him for the supply of our Wants by praising him for all the Blessings and Benefits which we have received at his Hands and that we set apart constant and solemn times for the Performance of these Duties and that when we are employed in them we be serious and hearty and attentive to what we are about and perform every part of Divine Worship with those Circumstances of Reverence and Respect which may testifie our awful Sense of the Divine Majesty and our inward and profound Veneration of him with whom we have to do And this is that which is directly and properly Religion 2. This Care of our own Salvation does consist likewise in the conscientious and constant Obedience and Practice of all God's Holy Laws in the Conformity of our Lives and Actions to the Laws which he hath given us whether they be natural or written upon our Hearts or made known to us by the Revelation of his Word that we govern our Passions by Reason and moderate our selves in the use of sensual Delights so as not to transgress the Rules of Temperance and Chastity that we demean our selves towards others and converse with them with Justice and Fidelity with Kindness and Charity These are the Sum of the Divine Laws and the Heads of our Duty towards our selves and others all which are more powerfully enforced upon us by the Revelation of the Gospel and the plain Promises and Threatnings of it the Faith of Christ being the most firm and effectual Principle both of Piety towards God and of Universal Obedience to all his particular Commands And this is the great work which God hath sent us to do in the World so the Wise Man sums up our Duty Eccl. 12. 13. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The Fear and Reverence of the Divine Majesty is the great Foundation and Principle of Religion but Obedience to God's Laws is the Life and Practice of it God does not expect that we should spend the greatest part of our time in the immediate Acts of Religion and in the solemn Duties of his Worship and Service but only that we should allot a fitting Proportion of our time to these according to the Circumstances of our Condition in this World and the Example of Holy and Good Men that are in the like Circumstances with our selves For such is the Goodness of God that he does not only allow us to provide for the Necessities and Conveniencies of this Life but hath made it our Duty so to do It is one of the Precepts of the Gospel which the Apostle chargeth the Bishops and Teachers of the Gospel to inculcate frequently upon Christians that they which have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works that is to employ themselves in the works of an honest Calling for necessary uses that is for the support of their Families and the relief of those who are in want and necessity And the Apostle lays great weight and stress upon this as a very great Duty Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works These things are good and profitable unto Men that is of general benefit and advantage to Mankind So that no Man's Calling is a hindrance to Religion but a part of it and by performing the Duties of Piety in their proper Seasons and spending the rest of our time in any honest and useful Employment we may make our whole Life a perpetual serving of God we may glorifie God in our eating and drinking and in all other lawful and useful actions of Life in serving the Occasions and Necessities of Life with Sobriety and Temperance and in managing our Worldly Commerce with Justice and Integrity we may serve God and perform considerable Duties of Religion So that provided we do nothing that is sinful and manage the Actions and Concernments of this Life with a due regard and subserviency to the great interests of Eternity we may do the work of God all the while we are providing for our selves and employed in the works of an honest Calling For God who hath designed this Life in order to the other considers the necessities of our present state and allows us to make provision for it There are some Persons indeed whose Birth and Condition sets them above the common Employments of Life and the Works of an ordinary Calling But these also have a work given them to do for God hath sent no Man into the World to no purpose and only to take his pastime therein neque enim ita generati sumus à natura ut ad ludum jocum facti esse videamur sed ad severitatem potius quaedam studia graviora atque majora for ●e are not says Tully de Off. Lib. 1. so framed by Nature as if we were made for sport and jest but for more serious Employments and for greater and weightier business and those who are tied to no particular Calling may allow so much larger portions of their time to Religion and the Service of God and God likewise expects from them that they should be useful to Mankind in some higher and nobler way according to the publickness of their station and influence Such Persons may be serviceable to their Country and the Affairs of Government and in the care of publick Justice and may employ their time in preparing and rendring themselves more fit for this Service They may find a great deal of work to do in the good government of their Families and in the prudent care and management of their Estates and in reconciling differences among their Neighbours and in considering the necessities of the Poor and providing for their supply So