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	time_n	3,922	5	4.3812	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26941	The invaluable price of an immortal soul shewing the vanity of most people in taking care for the body, but neglect their duty as to the preservation of their never-dying souls : with advice to secure sinners to examine themselves before it be too late, that when death shall come to separate their souls from their bodies, they may be in a condition to welcome death for that happy change which all prepared Christians will ever rejoyce in : very necessary for all people to read and consider who would willingly be accounted true Christians : with large admonition to prayer as a duty most incumbant upon all who desire to obtain everlasting life through Christ Jesus.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1681 (1681)	Wing B1287; ESTC R25867	7,221	26

Prayer been used as it ought to be it is too often seen that Men under affliction appeal to God by prayer but afflictions being once past he forgets again and prayer is neglected It is very sad when our affections are so little Heaven-ward as that we aim not at all at Gods Glory but altogether our own advantage how can we expect that God can have any respect to our prayers when we have none to his Divine Majesty and perhaps if we be not presently answered we flye out into extreams and speak contemptuously of our Creator who can in one minute throw us all into Everlasting Misery such is our weakness such is our wickedness that upon every occasion we are apt to charge God wrongfully nay speak almost blasphemously though the cause why our prayers are not ansuered is in our selves To live without prayer is to be dead while alive for it is to live without God what can you do less for God then ●y this hommage to own him for your Creator or what can you do less for your own souls then beg for their salvation of him who alone can grant it Prayers may well be counted and and called sallies of the soul for more Grace and neglect of them can be no less than provocation it grieves God to see that he should be so merciful and gracious as to let his Door stand open and that he should assure us of a VVelcome at any time and that we should be so unkind as not to visit him with our prayers which should be looked upon as Embassies to his Divine Majesty he cannot but take this very unkindly Consider the Reward which is promised to prayer you have Christs word for it for he saith When thou Prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall Reward thee openly But notwithstanding this so sweet promise how is this Duty by some omitted and by others quite deserted Satan is an utter Enemy to prayer and studies out many ways to put by prayer he persuades some that if they do pray it will be but Hypocritically others that it is not a convenient time for some worldly business is to be dispatched or any fallasie to put by this Holy Duty for the Devil doth seek and contrive all the ways that possibly can be used by him to intrap and insnare Mans soul on purpose to make it as miserable as himself But Man was Created for a more Nobler design then to be led Captive by the devil and prayer is the main instrument to avoid all his allurements Private Prayer is in a manner a secret talking with God and who would not be glad to have such blessed Communion with him who onely can make us eternally happy or everlasting miserable it is somewhat Saint like to desire private Conference betwixt God and the soul But let not the Devil so blind your Eyes neither as to think that the uttering a parcel of good and rhetorical expressions after any manner of way or formality will be taken for prayer with God No that will not do for you must pray ardently affectionately sincerely zealously earnestly and also constantly and if you would have your prayers ansuered you must wait with patience for Gods time is the best and fittest time to answer prayer in for he knows best when and how to answer us and what is fittest for us to enjoy but many there are who because that their prayers and petitions are not ansuered presently according to their expectations do presently revolt from their custome of prayer thinking that because God doth not suddenly ansuer them he doth not take any care of them when alas poor souls if they did but remain constant and fervent in their devotions God hath promised to be heard by them and that he will aid and succour them according to their necessities VVe ought to submit our wills to his will whether our prayers be ansuered or no and not to desist from praying because we enjoy not the thing which we do earnestly pray for For to desist from good VVorks or Holy Duties is some small kin to Apostacy and Back-sliding will suddenly bring you out of acquaintance with God and then will this Duty so Necessary for all Christians be Totally extirpated and you become a Nebuchadnezzar unto a Heathen will you soon turn If thou dost love God thou wilt love to be with him in private where thou mayest freely impart thine affections unto him Let not thy Religious worship in thy Family be used on purpose to keep up thy Credit with Men for God who is the searcher of all Hearts will not be so hypocritically served the upright and the sincere heart the Lord loveth Make it thy Business to wait upon God in private for when thou art by thy self then thou art the fittest to call upon God as being at that present freed from worldly incumbrances The Heathen Scipio doth much Commend these private solitudes for saith he Then can I freely entertain my own imaginations and Converse with all the learned that have been in former ages But thy Honour is greater to converse with God who loves to Commune with the soul in private and communicates his affections to his people in secret David praised God seven times a Day but his Day sacrifices yielded him not that marrow and sweetness which he tasted in the Night being then sequestred from all Business which might impede or hinder his godly and pious intentions VVhen we are alone satan is most busie and then have we the most need of Heavens Auxiliaries No sooner doth the True Christian open his eyes from sleep but he opens his heart likewise to God and posts to Heaven with secret ejaculations and praises to Gods Holy Name and doubts not but that God will be as willing to receive as he to offer up his Morning sacrifice Besides many Mischiefs attend by deferring Holy Duties which God expresly in his VVord hath commanded we should diligently keep God is not willing to be served last of all but expects the first fruits and reason good because he bestows upon us his choicest Blessings Then let me persuade all those that desire their souls everlasting good not to neglect this Holy Duty which will be so beneficial to your souls and so pleasing unto our Almighty God which that you may sincerely do shall be the prayers of him that subscribeth himself a hearty well-wisher to all your souls FINIS IOHN CLARKE