Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	pray_v	prayer_n	read_v	2,590	5	6.8286	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61077	Ton sesosmenon umnon, or, The song of the delevered set forth in a sermon preached in the Colledge of Bristoll the 24. of October : being the day set apart for publick thanksgiving unto God for the memorable victory obtained over the Scottish army at Worcester / by Thomas Speed.	Speed, Thomas.	1651 (1651)	Wing S4907; ESTC R24162	20,766	42

do seem to hasten to God in the day of trouble in word and pretence yet even at that time do most mens hearts catch at something besides him which they make their stay and their dependance God made 〈◊〉 promises to Israel that he would not withdraw 〈◊〉 presence from them for their protection and 〈…〉 and in the day of their straits God 〈…〉 pretence but their hearts leaned on Egypt We must therefore here come to make enquity what there is wrapt up in the bowels of this expression For that it cannot be understood simply in the Letter as if a bare verbal calling upon the name of God were that which he would honour with acceptance or answer with deliverance There are three sorts of calling upon God which do never finde that acceptance with him so as to obtain answer 1. First there is an hypocritical calling upon God A calling on him with the lips when as the heart strayeth from him The Jews were a people eminent for this None more in lip prayers and mock-Fasts to gain the esteem of being religious then they Job by an interrogation maketh it positive that such prayers do never reach the ear of God when as speaking of the hypocrite he saith (n) Job 27.9 Will God hear his cry when (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble cometh on him 2. There is a cursory ignorant calling upon God to which is annexed no other reward then the labour it self A cursory calling is so to call as therein to rest when men pray meerly because they think they must with which is usually joyn'd a deep ignorance when as men are no way apprehensive of the nature of that God on whom they call Such was that calling upon God used by thousands during the sign of that silly Idol the common-Common-prayer Book 〈◊〉 as the sum of their devotion lay no higher then 〈…〉 hearing so many prayers read in their ears 〈…〉 minding communion with that God they in●●● 〈…〉 which is the life of prayer What heart doth not weep to remember how in any time of distress that heap of confusion must be searcht into to finde out words to express the condition of the distressed And if none pertinent could be found then some impertinency must serve using prayer meerly as a spell or a charm to drive away some eminent evil Such calling on God might well deserve that Inscription which Paul found on the Altar at Athens (p) Act. 17.23 To the unknown God (q) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For what difference is there betwixt worshipping an unknown God and worshipping the true God in name only but under false notions save this that they retain the name but are strangers to that nature with which it s clothed The Stoicks were more regular in their judgements touching their false Gods then such men are in their practises towards the true God For that they held it (r) Epict. Enchir cap. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chief thing in the worship of their Gods to have true apprehensions of them 3. There is a prayer of blood and cruelty when as men call on the name of God with their hands full of blood having peace and sweetness in their words but rapine and a devouring spirit lodgeth within Such cryes which call God to aide only to effect the revenge of malitious hearts prove fruitless for he will not hear them God speaketh it with an emphasis Isa 1.15 When ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood 'T were well if this age could not give ample testimonies to this when as the Covenant and Vniformity must be made the cloak 〈◊〉 Fasting and Prayers had in secret pretended for 〈◊〉 conciling of Brethren whilst the woundings 〈…〉 and the destruction of the Common-wealth 〈…〉 bottom These cryes God hath not heard so as to favour them with acceptance but he hath given the blood-thirsty blood to drink To Ages of Ages let his name be praised therefore and let all the friends of Zion say Amen These three sorts of invocation being excluded I shall present you with three things which speak out the very heart of that which is true calling upon God 1. The first is the fervent pouring out of the soul to God mixt with (ſ) Vera invocatio non nisi in fide fundata est Calvi Faith and understanding as to one that is able and willing to relieve God doth not always give a particular Faith as to the thing we beg neither is it safe to be peremptory in determining the pleasure of God in relation to the particulars of our requests but the Faith of Christians in Prayer hath this for its object God ready to accomplish the desire of their souls as far as they are subservient to that high End his own glory Now then when those Oratorical sighs and groans are sent Heaven-wards in full vollies and these after God as a tender Father (t) Is demum verè nomen Domini invocat qui per fidem in Christo renatus factus filius Dei accepto spiritu per quem clamamus Abba pater auxilium Dei in adversis implorat Bullin in Act. Apost cap. 2. ver 21. with a holy boldness and child-like familiarity on the Christians part this is after the due manner to call upon his name Jacob can no more let God go without a blessing then a poor childe can the hand of his father when he is ready to sink Hezekiah in the day of his straits runneth to the bosom of God and before him spreadeth his case much like an injur'd son before his tender father I doubt not but the name of God was lately thus called upon by ●●●●sands of waiting souls in this Nation among 〈…〉 many were favoured with a particular Faith as 〈…〉 ●●●ermined issue but all with a sweet hope the Anchor of the soul joyned with this confidence that the end of the Lord should be good 2. With this is joyn'd a naked dependance on the Lord as one whose power alone is able to accomplish the desires of our souls By naked dependance I exclude not the use of means but do intend a looking to God by Faith as the prime agent effecting his pleasure by and through creatures When as in the day of our straits our hearts are most enlarged with desire and our heads and hands most active for the working our deliverance then to keep our eyes fixed on him as the original productive cause of our expected salvation and to lay our highest hopes on him as giving life and vigour to all second causes Iehoshaphat upon the approach of his potent adversaries keepeth his sword in his hand but had his (u) 2 Chr. 20.12 eye on his God (w) 1 Sam. 17.4.40.45 David advancing to dispute Israels quarrel with the champion of the Philistines took his smooth stones in his scrip and his sling in his hand but his heart leaned on the name of the Lord of hosts