Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	lord_n	pray_v	prayer_n	4,629	5	6.6633	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31087	Certain proposals humbly offered, for the preservation & continuance of the truly reformed Protestant religion, in these three kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland by a professor of the said truly reformed Protestant religion ...	J. B.	1674 (1674)	Wing B96; ESTC R11223	33,531	39

Satan not only in the hearts of particular men and women but in whole States and Kingdoms If any say it is indeed a Command and so a necessary as well as a very profitable Duty and God forbid but it should every where be much in practice in every Closet in every Family in every publick and solemn Congregation at the due times and seasons of it but what do you mean when you call so earnestly upon the Protestants to pray do you mean to perswade them to break the King's Laws by Conventicling and meeting together in great numbers for this Duty 't is some extraordinary kind of praying sure you intend by this your so zealous exhortation to it To which I answer It is indeed an extraordinary Spirit of Prayer which I long to see in all the Lord's people there being such extraordinary occasions for it and therefore besides the secret private and publick Prayers before mentioned in Closets Families and solemn Congregations in times of publick Worship it is the vehement desire of my Soul that they would once every week at least set apart some time more or less as may consist with their several Callings and Employments to call upon God by earnest Prayer and this all over the Three Kingdoms where-ever any true praying Saints can be found that can conveniently meet together which to do and that with mighty wrestlings as Jacob did when in danger of his Brother Esau I understand not how it is a breach of any of the King's Laws unless the late Law against Religious Meetings be intended but to grant such Meetings as these to be absolutely unlawful in themselves or to be intended by that Law I understand not any further than that the number beyond four besides the House-keeper in such Meetings may by that Law render them criminal but where offence is taken at the number exceeding what the Law directs why may not the good people of England make up their Meetings in that very number which is allowed rather than not to meet at all or so meet as to give offence unto the Civil Magistrate Will not the number of forty persons meeting in eight or ten distinct companies be as prevalent with God as if they all made up but one Meeting and will not the Gifts and Graces of many more particular persons be thus exercised than can be if all these eight or ten Meetings were united together in one But now the next thing to be considered is what should be the principal subject Matter of this special and extraordinary Meeting together in Prayer This indeed to be unanimously agreed upon and every where as it were uno tenore with one consent to be put up by all praying Saints would be very material and much conducing to the ends for which it is here humbly moved an universal Harmony and Agreement in the things prayed for must needs be excellent and from the very agreement that is in it be the more prevalent for doth not Christ himself intimate so much unto his Disciples Matth. 18.19 If two of you shall agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven If a right spiritual Prayer wherein the Heart and the Mouth of any one that prayes alone do agree together be a Divine Melody sweet and delicious Musick in the ears of God as himself tells us it is Cant. 2.14 Let me hear thy voice saith he that is her voice in prayer for sweet is thy voice I say if it be true thus of one single person praying alone must it not needs be so much more when the hearts minds and spirits of divers agree together when met about that blessed work Instances for this might be given take one instead of many It is that of the Prophet Malachi chap. 3.16 where we thus read Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and also one with another in this Duty of Prayer and the Lord hearkned and heard observe the Passage he hearkned as men do to some rare consort of Musick and so indeed the word Symphony used by our Saviour himself in the place before-quoted every one knows that knows any thing of the Greek Tongue doth properly signifie an Harmony of Voices or of Instruments or both together Thus Novarinus in locum Verbo Graeco elegans subest Metaphora 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de Musico vocum concentu harmonicoque sono dicitur tanquam si diceretur non minus gratam ess Deo comordem plurium orationem quam Concentus Musicus hominum auribus sit gratus This then being a good reason for such an agreement in the matter of such extraordinary Prayer as I humby move may be every where set on foot and constantly kept up in the practice of it till the Scene of things be so altered that the Harmony of Prayer may be put into a new Tune of Praises Among other Petitions which it shall please the Lord by his good Spirit to frame in the hearts of all praying Saints I conceive the Matters mentioned in the foregoing Discourse will be very pertinent and seasonable as pursuant to the ends designed by it namely That all the Particulars before discoursed upon in this small Treatise viz. a sweet Harmony and Agreement between all dissenting Parties a conscientious performance of all the before-mentioned Family-Duties may be every where set on foot with such other Methods as are propounded for the encrease of knowledge and the establishing of the minds of people in the truly Reformed Protestant Religion now so much struck at and especially that God would please to stir up the Rich Protestants to the forementioned works of Piety and Charity for the preservation of the said truly Reformed Protestant Religion and the delivering of it down to the Generations that are to come If earnest Prayer be put up for this and that universally by all that know how to pray throughout all these Three Kingdoms namely on behalf of these Rich Protestants as well as in the other particulars beforementioned who can tell what a choice publick Spirit God may put into them He can make even the Niggard bountiful and the Churl liberal he can open the Hearts Hands Purses and possess the minds of thousands with the excellent Service they may do this way not only to the present but the Future Ages He can tell them and set it home upon them that they cannot possibly honour the Lord with their substance more effectually in this world than to set it a running in the forementioned Channels that by this means that is by propagating and delivering down the true Protestant Religion to all posterity by such an use of their Estates as aforesaid will greatly turn unto their account both here and hereafter First here even in this life and that many wayes for will they not hereby not only provide for many poor Childrens outward subsistence and

the Kids to agree among themselves he that can give that wisdom where 't is wanting which is from above and is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated he can quickly fastly firmly sweetly unite all his people and so in like manner he can perswade to all the rest of the Matters now propounded If it be said All this we know God can do for who can hinder Omnipotence it self from doing whatever it hath a mind to But what ground have we or can we have to believe that he will do it I Answer could we see but one thing generally practised by all true-hearted sound Protestants throughout these three Kingdomes viz. a constant course of earnest and fervent Prayer kept on foot Could we see the Spirit of Grace and Supplication poured forth upon the House of David and the Inhabitants of our Gospel-Jerusalem for the obtaining of the Particulars afore-mentioned by setting the power of God on work to effect them I think there would be good ground to affirm even without all peradventure that he will do it at least so far as shall make for his own Glory and the accomplishment of whatsoever good he intends for his people And among other Arguments I shall mention only these three to perswade to a Belief thereof First That he is and alwayes will be willing to hear his Peoples prayers and that in any thing they shall call upon him for provided they pray aright from right Principles in a right manner and to right ends is evident from his Nature he is a God of a most merciful sweet and gracious disposition the Scripture every where describes him so a God full of Bowels he hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his tenerrimos motus his tender mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bowels of Mercy and Commiserations This Christ himself bears witness to Luke 18.7 8. Where after he had put forth a Parable from the unjust Judge to the poor oppressed Widow and did it to the end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint he adds these words if the importunity of the poor widow with the unjust Judge prevailed for justice though he otherwise had no mind to do her Justice shall not God saith he avenge his own Elect which cry night and day unto him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily He is so propense to Mercy I and to Justice too that whenever his people cry unto him he will shew them mercy in the very execution of his Justice upon his Enemies But mark here when will he do this when they cry unto him when they sigh and groan out their Complaints as the poor Israelites did under their Oppressions in Egypt and as Daniel and the three Children did in the fiery Furnace and the Lion's Den The sighings of his Prisoners came up before him Psal 79.11 Secondly It is likewise evident that it is and must needs be so namely that God is and alwayes will be willing to hear his Peoples prayers when for matter and manner they pray aright as was before hinted from the Engagement which he is under and hath freely laid upon himself so to do for hath he not promised and that often that whenever his people pray unto him and seek him with their whole heart they shall be sure to find him Nay hath he not commanded that they should call upon him in time of trouble and then backed that command with a special assurance given that when they do so cry he will give a gracious Audience Psal 50.15 compared with Jer. 29.12 13 14. Multitudes of Passages in Holy Writ put this altogether out of question among which I cannot omit to mention that most emphatical place in Isa 65.24 It shall come to pass that before they call the Prophet speaks it of the Lord's people I will answer before they call Mark that God will be more ready to answer than they to call mere ready to hear than they to speak and this also doth not our blessed Saviour more than once bear witness to concerning his Father namely That whatsoever we ask of the Father in his Name he will give it John 15.16 chap. 16.23 Thirdly For farther confirmation unto this great and blessed Truth that God is willing to hear his Peoples Prayers hath he not left store of Instances upon record that de facto he hath done so and that from age to age throughout all generations Did he not hear the Groanings of the Children of Israel under their cruel Taskmasters in Egypt Did he not hear the Cries of the poor captive Jews in Babylon and at last bring them out from thence Did not the Supplications of Ezra Nehemiah Daniel in the three ninth Chapters of their several Books come up to Heaven and find acceptance both for themselves and all the rest of their distressed Brethren Did not the Prayers of Mordecai and the perplexed Jews in Shushan added to those of Queen Esther and her Maidens prevail against proud Haman Did not the Cries of Jonah even out of the Belly of the Whale find a passage through the surging waves and prove so quick even with their watry wings that they came in unto God even unto his holy Temple as the expression is Jonah 2.7 Time would fail to relate the pleasant stories to this purpose which stand upon record not only in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament but also in all other Ecclesiastick Story Well then the Premises considered what remains but that I now call upon all true-hearted Protestants throughout these three Kingdoms that they would take encouragement from hence and set upon this praying-work with all possible speed and vigour especially two things more being farther considered First That God is as willing to hear Prayers now as ever as kind as merciful and as much engaged to his People that truly fear him and seek unto him as ever and will be as faithful in performing with his People as ever he was Secondly That the state of the true Reformed Protestant Church and People of God never had more need of Prayer never was at a lower ebb than now never had more numerous and potent enemies to grapple with since the times of Reformation came in among us These arguments one would think should have force enough in them with all good and sound-hearted Christians to put them upon this so needful seasonable and if well managed successful Duty of Prayer a Duty which hath done such wonders in all ages the prevalency of which hath been attested by so rich experience in them that have made trial of it a Duty which God himself calls us so much unto takes so much delight in and hath encouraged by so many Promises 'T is true the Devil is a great enemy to it and evil-minded men oppose it what they can because where this is much in use it greatly fights against and keeps down the Dominion of Sin and