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
A77436	[A brief e]xhort[ation], with the means to [promote] pie[ty] especially directed to th[e] [...] of London. / By a lover thereof, a[nd] of all sincere Christians.		1669 (1669)	Wing B4591aA; ESTC R176327	10,189	27

first Chapters of his Proverbs There are several other Scriptures of the like nature which I shall forbear to rehearse these already alledged being sufficient to convince any serious understanding Christian of the necessity of this duty They who still persist to neglect the daily performance thereof stand more in need of our daily Prayers than Arguments Wherefore let all good Christians pray unto God to open their eyes and to give them repentance that the noble Bercans who searched the Scriptures daily and those many thousands of Martyrs and pious Christians which have set a part every Morning and Evening as much or more time for holy Duties than our Publick-Service doth require Rise not up in Judgment against them in that 〈…〉 Tribunal 〈◊〉 when they shall be 〈◊〉 by those 〈◊〉 ly Scriptures which they now so little 〈◊〉 gard and seldom take notice of They who sometimes have such extraordinary occasions that will not permit them to spend so much time in their wonted Devotions may read the Prayers with the Psalmes and one Chapter only If they can't do so they may with the Prayers read the Psalmes or one or two Psalmes and the Epistle or Gospel appointed for that week but at least without inevitable necessity I would have them seriously and devoutly say the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments which certainly may be done in so short a time that I cannot see how many persons can excuse the omission thereof except it be as I said in case of inevitable necessity but as soon as those urgent occasions are over questionless it doth become us to Redeem our holy-time by reading over those Scriptures which we then omitted As we ought to pray oftentimes as well out of as in our set seasons so certainly ought we at other times to read hear learn teach or meditate in the holy Scriptures for as St Peter sheweth in his second Epistle Chap. 〈…〉 to know the Arti●●●● 〈…〉 be established in 〈…〉 truth of them it we must add to our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and ●o Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-kindness and to Brotherly-kindness Charity that we should not be barren nor fruitless in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And for this end as he sheweth verse 15. It is necessary that we have these things always in remembrance and as he further sheweth Chap. 3.2 we should often call to mind the Words and Commandments of the Prophets and Apostles which may be done by often repeating in our minds either the Creed or Ten Commandments which are the summ of the Law and the Gospel or some other sentences of Scripture which we find to have most influence upon us ●o stirr up our pure minds to perform our duty towards God our selves and our neighbour Which hath been the Practice of the Saints of all ages who almost in all times and places would have in their minds the Lords Prayer or Creed or Ten Commandments or some other portion of Scripture which they would get by heart for that end and that they might the of the 〈…〉 they would●● get the 〈…〉 Printed and 〈◊〉 them in those place 〈…〉 their houses wherein they might be most obvious to their sight And I know no reason why we should omit the use of these means which they counted so beneficial and necessary to put them in remembrance of the Word of God I am sure that they are a thousand times better than those wanton lascivious and prophane Pictures and Rhyms which do abound not only in Taverns and Inns but also in many private Houses In the last place let us take care not only that the holy Sacrament of Baptism be duly observed but likewise that we worthily receive the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper at least as often as it is appointed by Publick Authority And in order to our due preparation for our worthy receiving I am perswaded that there can be no better means than seriously and diligently to read over the Communion Service every time before our receiving Those who refuse wholly to receive this Sacrament I shall desire seriously to consider 1. Whether their Consciences do not oftentimes 〈…〉 their ab●●●ing doth 〈…〉 willingness to part with 〈…〉 their worldly imployments to 〈◊〉 pare themselve or else from a loathness to examine and throughly to kn●● what sinful lives they lead and to forsake their gainful and pleasant sins and to live according to the strict and holy rules of Christianity and if these be their reasons as I fear they be the only reasons even of those who pretend to abstain from a fear of unworthy receiving then let them judge whether their case be not very sad and dangerous 2ly That they who for fear of unworthy receiving abstain may as well upon the same account altogether leave off praying or reading and hearing the holy Scripture for those duties may be performed unworthily neither dare I free those that pray and hear or read the holy Scripture unworthily from the punishment due to the unworthy receivers of this Sacrament and besides I wonder how any dare to harbour any such fear whereas God hath plainly told us that he doth not require of us more than we are able to do by the due and constant use of the ordinary means which he hath afforded us which is as if we should tell 〈…〉 nnot do that 〈…〉 saith we ●an 3l That our Saviour doth not only ●●y expresly St John 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you From whence we may plainly gather That all Christians upon the peril of loosing Eternal Life are bound to prepare themselves so as to be fit or worthy to receive the things signified in the Sacrament which certainly we can never do unless we be worthy to receive the Signs But our Saviour St. Luke 22.19 doth also charge us to receive the Signs adding thereunto the reason of his injunction saying Do this in Remembrance of me Shewing that the outward signes of Bread and Wine being things obvious to our Senses and fit resemblances or lively Pictures of his Body and Blood would be very great helpe or means to bring to our memory and to give us lively apprehensions of what he had done and suffered for us and how can any persons pretend to keep from this Sacrament through tenderness of Conscience or fear of offending God by unworthy receiving seeing they make no Conscience of breaking in 〈…〉 Saviours express Command 〈◊〉 are 〈…〉 the use of those mear● which he thought necessary for our Spiritual eating and drinking his Body and Blood which he hath enjoyned us to do upon peril of loosing Eternal Salvation 4ly That in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we renew our Baptismal Covenant which by our Actual Sins we have broken and by refusing to renew it in this Sacrament we do as it were wholly renounce it and so forfeit all the Priviledges of a Christian in this World he World to come Finally I shall earnestly request all English Subjects seriously to Consider whether they do not eat and drink Damnation to themselves that receive this Sacrament after any manner contrary to our Soveraign's lawful command seeing that in their very manner of receiving it they commit the sin of disobedience to their Governours which certainly will render them unworthy Communicants And if so then assuredly it must needs be the safest way especially for tender Consciences to receive it after the manner appointed by Publick Authority it being cer●ain that there i● nothing therein required Contrary 〈…〉 of God Glory be to the Father and to the S●● and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end AMEN Feb. 11. 1669. FINIS

which hath too often come to pass 3. I shall desire them seriously to consider what a multitude of ●●●nilies there have been wherein there 〈…〉 been any which have had either the ●●●ity or confidence to pray ex tempore 〈◊〉 how many of them which have ha●● the ability and confidence to pray before their own Families upon the visiting of Friends or such like small excuses have often omitted this duty for several daies together to the great damage of their Families And how many Families upon the absence sickness or death of such persons have for want of Forms lived prayerless for several weeks or months if not the greatest part of their life scarce using a grace before or after meat whereby the Lord knows how many Families have been utterly ruined Moreover I shall desire them seriously to Consider the inconveniencies which many auditours of ex tempore Prayers have been usually exposed to 1. How oft very many of them not understanding their obscure words phrases metaphorical expressions c. have been forc't as St. Paul long since observed among the Corinthians boasting of their great gifts and profound wisdom counting St. Paul's Preaching and Praying mean and despicable in comparison of theirs to return Barbarians deprived of the priviledg of sending 〈◊〉 to Heaven their hearty Amen to what they 〈…〉 heard 2ly How oft very many eit●●● 〈…〉 listning after or over curiously taking 〈…〉 of their new words phrases c. or el●●●●y reason of the extemporist's apparent mistakes inadvertencies fears precipitances c. have been very much hindred in their devotions to their great damage if not utter ruine of their immortal Souls And after all these things ex tempore prayers are in every respect meer Forms to their auditors their own phancy and invention yea and the Spirit of God which they suppose to dwell within them being as much limited or stinted to the words phrases method and matter of those ex tempore Prayers as to the words phrases method and matter of other Forms 2ly If by reason of the ill opinion they have of Forms themselves I shall desire them seriously to Consider whether it be not a very unreasonable and sinful thing to Imagine that God should command the Jews to use Forms that the Prophet David should compose Forms for his own use and the use of the Temple That the Prophet Hosea should command all Israel to take words with them when they confessed their sins and asked pardon for them That our Saviour should give such a compleat Form to his ●●●isciples upon their request that many thousands of holy Martyrs and devout Saints should from age to age constantly use our Saviours Form and make daily use of other Forms composed by themselves or others if they were not beneficial and necessary for us and rather furtherances than hinderances to our Devotion And more over I shall desire them seriously to Consider whether we have not just cause to stand amazed at the inconsiderate presumption of those who with much considence endeavour to perswade the People that Forms do hinder the operation of Gods Spirit upon their hearts whereas they never did or could alledge any good reason or plain proof of Scripture for this their confidence But on the other side not only St. James doth recommend unto us in our mirth the singing of Psalmes which certainly he never would have done had they been any cause of quenching the Spirit of God But St. Paul Ephes 5.18 19. doth tell us that we should be filled with the Spirit speaking to our selves in Psalmes and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord And moreover St. John in his Revelations Chap. 14.3 and 15.3 and else-where endeavouring to Reveal unto us the Spirit●●● 〈◊〉 lights Seraphical joys of the Heavenly Hosts before the Throne of the Lamb could find no better thing to resemble them to than those Spiritual Raptures which the Saints here enjoy in singing to their Heavenly Father Now Psalmes when they are sung are double Formes wherein we are bound to observe not only a just number of Syllables in every line but also a more accurate and difficult form of tunes or soundes and if the Spirit of God doth Manifest his most powerful operations in these certainly it can't be imagined that he hath less liberty to work upon our affections when we are confin'd only to a Form of Words which is farr the easier Form of the two If there be any that can harden their hearts against the force of these Considerations O Blessed Jesu by thine Agony and Bloody Sweat which thou didst suffer in those most fervent Prayers of thine wherein thou didst Thrice use the same words do thou constrain them to confess that often to use the same words in our Prayers doth rather promote than hinder the fervency of a devout Soul or the operations of the Spirit of Supplication 2ly If they who are against our Publick Prayers in particular for the daily use of Families or private Persons would but diligently peruse them and impartially compare them with their own or daily extempory Prayers of any other person or with any other Printed Forms I question not but they will be soon convinced that whatsoever they do or can daily say the sence thereof is plainly comprehended in our Publickdaily-Prayers and consequently that as I said at first none can be more suitable for our daily use than those Provided onely that Single or Particular Persons use the Singular for the Plural Number and instead of St. Chrysostom's Prayer they may use this Prayer in the Singular Number Almighty God who hast promised to hear the petitions of them that ask in thy Sons Name I beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ears to me that have made now my Prayers and supplications unto Thee and grant that those things which I have faithfully asked according to thy will may effectually be obtained to the relief of my necessity and to the setting forth of thy Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Or any of the other Prayers after the Communion-Service The pronouncing of Absolutions and Benedictions Authoratively God hath appropriated to the Ministers of his Word as their peculiar Prerogative and therefore no other persons either in Families or else-where ought to arrogate that Power unto themselves yet I deny not but that other persons may use them in an Optative-way desiring God to pardon or bless either themselves children or friends c. Lastly for some extraordinary Cases any private Family or Person may frame or procure such set Forms as may be most suitable to their present condition which they may use with their daily Prayers as long as those special emergencies last according to the custom of our Church in the time of Famine Pestilence Warr and upon the receipt of some signal mercy c. But besides our constant morning and evening Sacrifices of Prayer there be several other times wherein it highly concerns every