Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	pray_v	prayer_n	spirit_n	4,656	5	5.8534	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