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
A72376	The soules possession of Christ: shewing how a Christian should put on Christ, and bee able to doe all things through his strength. Whereunto in annexed A sermon preached at the funerall of that worthy divine Mr. Wimott, late minister of Clare, in Suffolke. By T.H.	Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.; Hooker, Thomas, (1586-1647). Spiritual Munition: a funeral sermon.	1638 (1638)	STC 13734; ESTC S125041	45,018	247

easily submits to every good word of God Thirdly 3 addresse thy selfe to reforme what ever is amisse doe thy uttermost endeavour to amend the evill committed and performe this good duties thou hast formerly omitted doe what thou canst in the particular and labour for ability from Christ to doe that which of thy selfe thou art not able It was a hard taske which God enjoyned Abraham to sacrifice his beloved and darling Isaack yet when the thing appeared plaine to be Gods command though it were never so hard there is no resisting it Abraham therefore rose betimes in the morning and hee and the child went immediately to discharge his duty he prevents all occasions that might hinder him his wife was not acquainted with it and his servants knew nothing of the matter So if a man be the son of faithfull Abraham whatsoever the Lord enjoynes though it be the killing of a darling secret beloved lust if the Lord say it must bee done this sin must be avoided this course must be amended bee it never so profitable and full of content the soule of a gracious man will rise early in the morning that is he wil forthwith set upon the means to accomplish the same As for instance Let this be the case that comes to the scanning of a poore ignorant Christian Imagine the Lord informes him and his conscience perswades him that hee must pray in his Family Now happily a poore soule at the first is not able to pray his understanding is weake and his abilities meane hee cannot of himself frame a prayer to God yet hee will set upon the duty he will take the booke and reade a prayer though hee cannot conceive a prayer being a novice and a young Christian yet hee will use the stilts till he get his legs follow him home to his closet and you shall finde him bemoane his basenesse and hee prayes that hee may pray he beseecheth the Lord hee may know what to aske that he may see his sins and confesse them he will begge for the Spirit that hee may bee able to cry Abba Father I beseech you remember this one thing it is a marvellous distemper in many people that say I confesse such courses ought to be avoyded the Word forbids it and my conscience goeth against it but what shall I doe I cannot set to the worke I shall never overcome it why then lay all religion aside for how can it stand with sincerity of heart that I should bee informed and convinced that the Lord requires a service at my hands and I yet never set upon the performance thereof I deny not but a good Christian may be unable to doe as hee ought but he will strive to doe what God requires Alas Object saith the Gallant I confesse the fashions are fooleries and it is a madnesse to follow every vanity but what should I doe a man had as good bee out of the world as out of the fashion Fashion not your selves after the world Ans saith the Text. But I know not how to get out of it saith the gallant The custome is so usuall that I cannot leave it Doest thou know a duty and is thy heart perswaded of it and yet wilt thou not submit to it Where is grace now in thy soule Certainly thou art still in the gall of bitternesse even reason and common civility wil make a man reforme some things me thinkes grace should prevaile much more If a man will not part with a lock with a feather a fashion a foolery for Christ how will hee lose his credit liberty and life for him how can hee leave all sinne that will not part with the shadow and appearance the haire and nayle of sinne Fourthly a gracious heart is content to take up the hardest means the sharpest medicines that God hath appointed for the killing and slaying of his corruptions If there bee any weapon in the world more keene than other for wounding of his lusts the soule gladly imbraces the same that reformation may bee made Take an arme or a legge that hath the Gangrene the nature of which disease is to infect spread over the whole man when the Chirurgeon comes and tels the patient Either you must lose your legge or your life you must have your arme cut off or else bee cut off your selfe one of the two must speedily bee done If the patient say I will rather abide the worst than part with a limbe every man will conclude he cannot live long If hee did purpose to maintaine life sure hee he would part with that which takes away life So is it here with some kinde of baser sinnes I meane grosse and notorious crimes which are scandalously vile there is no way to bee ridd of these without some corrosive bee applyed the soule will never be separated from them unlesse some bitter Pill be taken which if a man refuse to use it is an evident signe hee hath no purpose to part with his sinne Suppose a man hath got an estate by theevery and cozenage and the like when the Word of God comes home to his conscience and tels him he must make satisfaction or bee damned This man may bee dejected in spirit and bemoan himselfe with teares but that will not serve the turne nothing will cure but satisfaction peace will not be attained without restitution this is the Gangrene that must bee cut off Happily hee will say most of his estate hath come in this way and if I should restore all that I have unjustly gained I should die a beggar Let me ask thee but this question What will it profit a man to get the whole world and lose his owne soule Is it not better to die in a poore estate than in a sinfull estate To depart a good man than a rich man Againe suppose a man lives in the bosome of the Church and be a great Professor and yet hath beene seen openly drunk or is knowne to have cōmitted adultery there is no cure for this man now but he must satisfie the congregation the Church of God which hath beene dishonoured and discredited by his sinne let him fast and pray and weepe in secret never so much I cannot see how this mans conscience can be quieted unlesse he make publike satisfaction as his offence was publike But to proceed 5. A sincere Christian wisheth and welcomes those truths that are most powerfull to prevaile with his sinnes 5 and most likely for the subduing of his corruptions when he cannot doe what hee would and master his sinnes as hee desires hee wisheth Oh that the Lord would send some truth that might plucke these corruptions out of my heart and that word is most pleasing to him that is most effectuall this way The soule makes its moane to God and complains as David did Yee are too hard for mee yee sonnes of Zerviah O Lord these corruptions sticke so close they are too mighty for mee I am not able