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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	heathen_a	let_v	publican_n	2,742	5	10.9981	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85709	A patheticall perswasion to pray for publick peace: propounded in a sermon preached in the cathedrall church of Saint Paul, Octob. 2. 1642. By Matthew Griffith, rector of S. Mary Magdalens neer Old-Fishstreet, London.	Griffith, Matthew, 1599?-1665.	1642 (1642)	Wing G2016; Thomason E122_17; ESTC R4434	34,095	58

waters in perills by our owne country-men in perills by the heathen in perills in the city in perills in the wildernesse in perills on the sea in perills among false brethren c. And since we are in the midst of so many perills oh what need we have to fall to our prayers Psal 36.9 The Prophet David in the 36th Psalme speaking to God saith A pud te est fons vitae with thee is the well of life And if with the Psalmist we shall liken Gods mercy to a well or fountaine then may prayer be resembled to a bucket wherewith the water of this living fountaine must be drawn up And as the woman of Samaria in the 4th chapter of Saint John sayd to our Saviour in another case Iohn 4.11 The well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw with c. So may I truely say in this the fountaine of Gods grace is unsearchably deep and you have nothing wherewithall to draw thence the least temporall corporall or spirituall blessing save only this bucket of prayer James 1.5 For what Saint James speaks of saving wisedome in particular if any man lacke wisedome let him aske it of God in prayer is undoubtedly true of all good things whatsoever for they all descend from the Father of lights and therefore if any of you lack any of these you must aske it of God in prayer You must come to God in faith as to an ever-running and over-running fountain of inexhaustible goodnesse and you must use prayer as a conduit-pype to convey the sweet and saving streams thereof unto your selves Apoc. ● 6 And if Saint John in the 4th chapter of the Apocalyps rightly compare this world to the sea then may I with Saint Chrysostome nor lesse aptly liken prayer Velis remis to the sayles and oares wherewith we must be wasted through this turbulent sea to the haven of happinesse And as Marriners while they be at Sea do ply their Sayls and Oars hard that so they may arrive at the Harbour where they would be Even so needs must we apply our selves close to our prayers if ever we mean to obtain from God this blessed Peace in the Text. And so I passe from the Necessity to speak somewhat of the Efficacy of Prayer Many excellent things are spoken in Scripture to set forth the power of Prayer as that it both shuts and opens Heaven Iam. 5.16 17. For Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are saith S. James and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth for the space of three yeeres and Six months And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain c. Yea prayer commands the whole host of Heaven for at Joshuah's prayer the Sun stood still in Gibeon Ios 10.12 and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon Prayer hath stayed the fury of fire Dan. 3.27 2 King 6.6 and made Iron swim upon the water Prayer hath made the barren womb fruitfull as in the first Chapter of Saint Luke Zachary thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall conceive and bear a son Luke 1.13 Prayer cures the sicknesse of the body as in the fift Chapter of S. James Is any man sick let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them Pray for him and the prayer of faith shall save the sick Iam. 5.14 And Prayer cures the sin of the soul too as of David the Publican ●he Thief upon the Crosse and divers others who as soon as they pray'd were pardon'd Not to trouble you with a world of other Instances the singular power of prayer may be discover'd to the full if you 'l ascend but these three degrees First that which subdues all flesh living viz. Death 1. Cor. 15.27 yields notwithstanding to the force of prayer as we read of the Shunamites childe Lazarus the widows son of Sarepta the Rulers daughter and some others who by the vertue of prayer have been rais'd from death and restored again to life Heb. 2.14 Secondly the Devill who in the 2. Chapter to the Hebrews is said to have the power of death is notwithstanding vanquish'd sometimes by the power of prayer Mat. 37.21 as in the 17 Chapter of Saint Matthew where our Saviour saith expresly This kinde of devills go not out save by prayer and fasting Not by fasting alone as the Papists fondly imagine and therefore make it a meritorious work for fasting without prayer is but an image of holinesse and a picture of hunger but it is prayer quickned with fasting that must do it Thirdly and lastly God himself who hath power over death and the devil is after a sort overcome by prayer else why doth he call out to Moses in the 32 Chapter of Exodus to let him alone It seems that the fervent prayer of Moses at that time Exo. 32.10 did not onely vincere but vincire after a maner binde Gods hands and so hinder him from powring the Vials of his wrath upon the people Gen. 32 24 And in the 32 Chapter of Genesis the Patriarch Jacob by wrestling prevail'd against an Angel which the Prophet Hoshea expounds of the power of prayer for it is absurd to think Hosh 12.4 that by bodily strength Jacob could prevail against an Angel but the truth is as the Prophet speaks By prayers and tears he had power over the Angel and was therefore call'd Israel And S. Paul alluding thereunto in the 15 Chap. to the Romans useth the very phrase Rom 15.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God He would have the wrestle for so the word in the Originall properly signifies with God by prayer and by wrestling to overcome him It is very much that a true Christian is able to do in this kinde if he would stir up the grace of God in him and put forth his strength It is our own fault that we pray not as we ought if we prevail not with God as our forefathers have done That then we may now obtain this peace in the Text. Oh let us all bend and buckle our selves to our prayers and herein let us wrestle with God as Jacob did and not leave him untill he leave a blessing behinde him even this blessed peace which we are all here exhorted to pray for And thus having touched the Dignity Necessity and Efficacie of Prayer I have done with the matter of this duty I come now to acquaint you with the manner of the same In which as I said before there be five circumstances implyed whereof The first is that this your prayer must be generall for the Verb is here in the plurall Number Expetite not pray thou but pray ye It is an indefinite expression and an indefinite proposition say Logicians is

blessing so generally desired and Prayer is a duty so necessary to be used Oh let the Charity of the Church and the commodity of Peace and the necessity of Prayer invite you all to put in practice what the Psalmist here so fervently presseth O pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Briefly since Jerusalem is maintained by Peace and Peace is obtained of God by Prayer Oh let us constantly and conscionably use the means that we may the better come to the end and accordingly let us all pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Of these three Parts in this Order and I begin with the first viz. The Act or Duty which at this time is too too much neglected yet in the Text it is the main thing to which we are exhorted and that is prayer O pray And for my more Methodicall proceeding herein be pleased to observe both the matter of this Duty and also the manner of the same The matter is expressed viz. Prayer in handling whereof I will touch only these three things viz. The dignity necessity and efficacy of prayer The manner is implied and I shall shew that the Psalmist here insinuates that if you will pray as you are here exhorted then you must do it first generalitèr secondly ferventèr thirdly presentèr fourthly perseverantèr lastly practicè that is you must pray generally fervently presently perseveringly and practically A word of each and first of the matter of this duty and therein of the dignity of prayer which in 141 Psal is called a sacrifice and that of incense Let my prayer come before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice The sacrifice of incense was well pleasing to God under the law and therefore it was called the sweet incense in the 4th chap. of Numbers And there was appointed an alter of gold for it in the 40th chap. of Exodus and this is moralized in prayer in the 8th chapter of the Revelation where wee reade that an Angell came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense that hee should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne Marke how for the sweet incense of prayer there was provided a golden Censer and a golden Altar and an Angell to offer it What greater honour can a mortall man who is but dust and ashes as Abraham himselfe acknowledgeth attaine unto Gen. 18 27 then to be admitted to friendly and familiar conference even with God himselfe and yet this is obtianed by prayer which is defined by some to bee an holy colloquy or dialogue betweene God and a devout soule Yea Saint Chysostome tearmes prayer Animam animae The soule of a christian soule for as the soule is the most essentiall part of a man so is prayer of a Christian And as the reasonable soule puts a difference between a man and a brute-beast so doth prayer betweene a true Christian and a Heathen Saint Basil fitly resembles prayer to a chain of gold wherewith the ear of God himself is as it were tyed to the tongue of man for whereas Gods Seat is in Heaven whence all grace and goodnesse distills and mans upon earth which is but a sink of sin and valley of tears There is no other chain to linck God and man together save onely this of prayer And that this combines them it is plain for as a Christian in the 9 Chapter of the Acts is described by this Periphrasis Acts 9.27 That he calls upon the Name of the Lord so God himself in the 65 Psalm is described by another Aequivalent unto it Psal 65 2. for he is stil'd The hearer of prayers O thou that art the hearer of prayers to thee shall all flesh come And indeed to whom should we go save onely to him who can both hear and help us The Saints departed cannot hear us saith Job the Angels cannot help us Job 5.1 Then that with the Papists in their blind devotions we pray not in vain let us addresse our selves onely to God who is the hearer of prayers Let us begin as our Church doth at Almighty and most mercifull Father and let us conclude all our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our onely Lord and Saviour and then no doubt hee will make good what hee hath promised Ioh 16.23 Quaecunque petieritis c. What ever you aske the Father in my name he will give it you Or if we shall compare the Kingdome of heaven to a pallace or princely mansion-house Iohn 14.2 as our Saviour doth in the 14th chapter of Saint John then is Christ himselfe the onely ready way conducting to this pallace and so he calls himselfe in the 6th verse of that chapter where he saith Ego sum via I am the way And as Christ is the right way that leads to life Iohn 14 6. so faith apprehending him is as it were the door that opens to this way and it is so called in the 14th chapter of the Acts Ostium fidel Acts. 14.27 the doore of faith And as faith is the doore so the word of God and the knowledge of the same is as it were the key that opens this doore and it is so called in the 11th chapter of Saint Luke Clavis Scientiae the key of knowledge And as knowledge is the key Luk. 11. ●2 so is prayer as it were the ring or hammer wherewith we knocke the very terme is used in the 7th chapter of Saint Matthew where our Saviour exhorting unto prayer sayth Matth. 7.7 Pulsate knocke and it shall be opened Then in the name of God let us all take this hammer of prayer in the text and therewith let us knocke and call upon God that hee would bee pleased with the key of knowledge to open unto us the doore of faith that so we may have entrance by the way of life into the pallace and paradise of heaven But leaving the consideration of the dignity of prayer I come now to touch the necessity of the same And this is such that whereas Darius in the 6th chap. of Daniel made an edict that no man for the space of thirty dayes should make any petition to God or man save to the King onely Dan 6 7. yet the prophet Daniel chose rather to be cast into the lyons denne then to forbeare so long the so necessary exercise of prayer The simple necessity whereof will soon appeare if you will but take notice First of our manifold wants both of outward blessings and eke of inward graces Secondly of our manifold evils both of sinne and punishment Thirdly of our manifold miseries flowing both from temptation nnd tribulation Fourthly of our manifold dangers for what Saint Paul speakes of himselfe in the 11th chapter of the second epistle to the Corinthians is true of us all 2 Cor. 11. that we are in perills of robbers in perills of

my solitary aim in this Sermon is to direct you both in your prayers and practice how to salve up our sores and to heal our wounds and if in any thing that serves to so good an end I seem too bold or bitter let your grave experience make this Apologie for me viz. That a mortall wound must be thorowly searched ere it can be soundly healed and that no purgative Medicine can bring health without some bitternes I would not wittingly give any man any manner of offence and yet if in the faithfull discharge of my duty I should I hope that they among you which are moderate will confesse That wholesome meat must not be altogether debarred the table though by accident it may possibly disgust some aguish Palate I will conclude with that of S. Paul to the Romanes Ro. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not our LORD JESUS CHRIST but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple For your obedience is come abroad unto all men I am glad therefore on your behalf But yet I would have you wise unto that which is good and harmlesse concerning evill And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under you feet shortly The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen So sayeth and so prayeth Your Worships most affectionate servant in the Lord MATTH GRIFFITH A. Patheticall Perswasion to pray for Publike-Peace PSALM 122.6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem THough the whole Scripture be given by divine inspiration yet this book of Psalms seems to challenge some kinde of priviledge and preheminence 2 Tim. 9.16 because the Pen-man hereof was not onely a King and a Prophet 1 Sam. 13.14 but a man according to GODS heart and a lively figure of Christ yea he was saith Euthymius Primiregis ●or lingua calamus The heart tongue and pen of the king of Kings and lord of Lords Apoc 17.14 King Alfred whom our English Chronicle so much extolls was wont to have the PSALTER alwayes with him as Saint Hierome advis'd his Friend Rusticus to make it his Vade-mecum John Cosmus that holy Bishop of Constantinople being forced to flye from that City took no part of his treasures with him save Davids Psalms which to him were both pro prae divitiis Our blessed Lord and his Apostles cite no lesse then Sixty Testimonies out of this book which is more frequently read and sung both in the Jewish Synagogues and also in our Christian Congregations then any other parcell of holy Writ Yea the Turks themselves swear as solemnly by the Psalms of David as by Mahomets Alcoran And whereas all other parts of Scripture have their severall bounds and limits as it were some of them consisting chiefly of matter of Prophesie others of History some serving for instruction some for reprehension some for consolation the short is that this book of Psalms comprehends all being indeed a common Store-house of good things out of which all persons of what calling or condition soever may fit and furnish themselves according to their exigents and occasions For which very reason Saint Basil calls this book a divine Treasury Saint Agustine stiles it a spiriituall Library Saint Ambrose terms it a Map of holy Writ Saint Chrysostome calls it a Panoply or whole Armour Gregory the great held it the Register of the whole Scripture and I may truly say of it what S. Paul doth of the whole 2 Tim. 3. ●6 that it is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse And as for this particular Psalm of which my Text is a considerable part it is the generall consent in a manner of all Divines That it was compos'd and compil'd by the sweet-Singer of Israel upon occasion of the bringing of the Ark into Jerusalem and applyed and left for the use of the Church that so oft as the Israelites should appear before the Lord at their solemn feasts it might be sung in publick the better to stir them up to a just gratulation and thanksgiving to God for two extraordinary Benefits whereof the one was the establishing of the Church and Religion in the City of David the other was the stating of the Kingdom and succession upon the house of David And to the end that both the Church of God and the Religion thereof and eke the Kingdom of David and the succession thereof might the better flourish and continue The Psalmist in these words of my Text combines them together calling both by one name viz. Jerusalem and calling upon us as one man with one minde and mouth to pray for the peace of this Jerusalem O pray for the peace of Jerusalem In which words of the princely Prophet we may observe three considerable parts viz. First what it is whereunto he exhorts us viz. Prayer O pray Secondly for what it is he thus exhorts us to pray viz. for Peace O pray for peace Thirdly for whose peace it is that we are thus exhorted to pray viz. for the peace of Jerusalem O pray for the peace of Jerusalem The first viz. Prayer is the only ordinary means by which we do obtain of God all such good things as we stand in need of for what Saint Paul speaks of godlinesse in the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle to Timothy Pietas ad omnia utilis 1 Tim. 4 8. is no lesse true of Prayer This is profitable to all things having both bona proposita and eke bona reposita the promises of this life and of that which is to come And therefore O pray The second viz. Peace is the principall pillar both of Church and Common-wealth and by an usuall Hebraism it signifies all happinesse and perfection and therefore O pray for Peace Gal. 4.26 Exod. 20. The third viz. Jerusalem is from above it is the mother of us all And as children are bound in duty to pray for and procure their Naturall mothers good so is each true childe of God bound by a stronger tye to wish and work the welfare of his holy Mother The Church and therefore O pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The first word in the Text is Pray This is the Act to which we are here exhorted and it sets forth unto us the necessity of Prayer O pray The second word is Peace This is the Object of our Prayers and it sets forth unto us the commodity of Peace O pray for Peace The third and last word in the Text is Jerusalem This is the Subject whose peace and prosperity we are all to pray for and it insinuates unto us The Unity and Charity of the Church which as the Heathen spake of the Country omnes omnium charitates in se complectitur Then since Jerusalem is so highly to be respected and Peace is a