Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	fear_v	lord_n	remembrance_n	1,962	5	9.9520	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57058	Of closet-prayer a sermon preach'd before the Queen at White-Hall, on Sunday, Aug. 27, 1693 / by Nathanael Resbury ...	Resbury, Nathanael, 1643-1711.	1693 (1693)	Wing R1128; ESTC R10183	13,639	33

fantastick Pleasures and Rewards of this World bear no proportion even to these less and unobserv'd Recompences which such do at present meet with from God But then 3. Lastly He hath further undertaken not only to give them these secret and hidden Rewards which good Men find in the inward Pleasures of their own minds but will also in the great upshot of things reward them openly This oftentimes befals them in this World in very signal Returns of Prayer by many and evident Answers in the present Disposals of Divine Providence when God has condescended actually to accomplish for such the desires of their hearts that they are capable of triumphing with David and saying as he did Ps 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles This is properly an open and publick avowing the good Man's secret Appeals and Addresses to God But then much more openly may they expect to be rewarded at last when in the presence of Angels and the whole World of Men that will stand concern'd at the Bar and Tribunal above God himself will not disdain to own and acknowledge the Services the Acts of Devotion and Worship that some have perform'd before him in the truth and integrity of their minds when there were no Witnesses but his Eye only Lo this is he that made me his trust and the ground of his dependance and confidence and now he finds I have not fail'd or forsaken him Thus David makes his appeals to God as the great Register of his Prayers and Tears Ps 56.8 Put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book And God himself by his Prophet declares how he will own such at last Mal. 3.16 17. A Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Happy Souls indeed when they shall be openly avowed by God and all the World shall come to understand their Wisdom as well as their vast Privileges in those Secrecies of Communion and Interest they once kept up betwixt themselves and God Which by the way might not a little reflect upon the Imprudence and Folly of the Hypocrite in the management of his own great design The main Motive we see of his Devotions is the Observation and Applause of Men what an Honour would such an one reckon it at last to have God proclaiming his Faithfulness in serving him in the presence of the whole World but this Reward they have anticipated in taking up with the feeble Applause of deluded Men in this World And thus much may serve for Enquiry into the Reasons and Grounds of Obligation that lies upon us for performing this Duty of entering into our closets and there praying to our Father in secret II. Come we briefly to consider that Deportment and Carriage of ours which is necessary in our Secrecies of Address and Communion with God I shall lay it before you only in three necessary Requisites 1. That when we perform these secret Acts of Worship we take great care to come with all Purity of Mind 2. That we do it with all imaginable Humility and Reverence toward God 3. With all Earnestness and Fervour of Mind such as we may not be capable of expressing in our publick Solemnities in the view of others 1. That when we perform these secret Acts of Worship we take great care to come with all Purity of Mind It is a Rule that should govern all parts of Devotion but this more especially because this is a Duty wherein we pretend more intirely against Hypocrisie and more immediately place our selves before God because no other Eye sees us It has been the observation of the Heathen Moralists of old that all the Acts of Devotion which wicked Men at any time performed could not charm the Gods but they proved little other than the Sacrifice of Fools It is an excellent expression of one amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. The greatest abundance and profusest constliness of Oblations bring no honour to God except they are offered by a Divine Mind For the Gifts and Sacrifices of Fools or vicious Men are no other than mere Food to the Fire they are thrown into The Holy Scriptures speak higher Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Hence that blind Man whom our Saviour had restored to sight argues with the Jews from a common and indisputable Principle of their own that He must needs be a good Man that had done so great a work Joh. 9.31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners but if a man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Hence that Apostolical Injunction 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands It is an Observation that Philo Judaeus makes of the Essenes whom he represented as a most Religious Sect amongst the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They lift up their eyes and hands towards Heaven eyes that have been Religiously restrain'd from any thing unworthy that place and hands that have been chast from all the Defilements of Bribery and unlawful Gain and therefore are their Prayers of so great Esteem and Value Agreeable to which was that Resolution of the Psalmist Ps 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compass thine altar O Lord. This ought to be our especial Concernment as a most necessary Qualification in all our Dealings with God that we lift not up filthy hands nor breathe out our Prayers from impure and vicious Minds because we thereby destroy the Ground and Foundation of our Hopes and Expectations in Prayer and expose our Persons to the displeasure of God by those very Acts by which we wou'd obtain his favour If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence toward God And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 Joh. 3.21 22. 2. We are also to do it with all imaginable Humility and Reverence toward God And indeed it is then chiefly that we can vindicate to the Searcher of all Hearts the truth of that Reverence and Dread we pretend toward him when we can equally express it in our closets where no Eye sees us as in the view of a whole Assembly Alas every Hypocrite can in the presence of others prostrate himself and with Eyes lift up noisie Groans vehement knocking upon the Breast humble gestures of Body and all the outward Forms and Postures of Reverence He can I say dress and adorn his Publick Devotions and in these instances perhaps may have the advantage of the more devout and pious Soul As the Ape