Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	forgive_v	pray_v	trespass_n	2,324	5	11.8389	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25404	The pattern of catechistical doctrine at large, or, A learned and pious exposition of the Ten Commandments with an introduction, containing the use and benefit of catechizing, the generall grounds of religion, and the truth of Christian religion in particular, proved against atheists, pagans, Jews, and Turks / by the Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot Andrews ... ; perfected according to the authors own copy and thereby purged from many thousands of errours, defects, and corruptions, which were in a rude imperfect draught formerly published, as appears in the preface to the reader.	Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1650 (1650)	Wing A3147; ESTC R7236	963,573	576

in either aright 3. They must be 〈◊〉 They must be made in the spirit of humility els are they no prayers the Hebrews call such prayers and no prayers We see the humble supplication of the Publican was accepted when the vaunting prayer of the Pharisee was rejected God turns himself to the prayer of the poor destitute Saint Bernard saith concerning this and the last qualification Quando fidelis et humilis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine 〈◊〉 penetrabit unde certum est quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whensoever our prayers are faithful humble and fervent we may be assured they will pierce the heavens 〈◊〉 will not return empty 4. Our prayer must not be absurd oratio sine ratione prayer without reason As accedere Deum pro pace sine pace pro remissione peccatorum cum retentione as Tertullian saith to come to God for peace without peace to pray for forgivennsse and be far from forgiving ourselves Our Saviour sets us a rule to pray forgive us as we forgive others how can we say to God forgive me and to our brother pay me who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor he shall also cry himself and shall not be heard as the wise man speaks If there be a receiving there must be a giving When you pray saith our Saviour forgive if ye have ought against any that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses And thus our prayers shall be reasonable otherwise prayer withour charity is as they call it the prayer of Cain who offered sacrifice to God and murthered his brother 5. It must not be the Bethulians prayer Help must come within five dayes or els farewell prayer This is contrary to our Saviours rule who taught men to pray and not to saint and to the Apostles Pray without ceasing Yet it is not meant that we should ever be praying and doing nothing else as the Euchita dreamed or that God is pleased with many words or battology for non in sermone multo sed diuturno offectu not in many words but with long affection as Saint Augustine Nor is it our Saviours meaning in the parable of him that went to his friend for loaves that he knocked at the door continually but interpolatim ever and anone till he was heard non continua interpellatione sed interpolatione our prayer must be renewed often for in this frequency and continuance in prayer there are two extreames to be avoided 1. First that which Saint Augustine tells us was in the Euchites as before who never left or discontinued prayer but neglected all other duties of religion which was condemned by the Church as an heresie 2. The other is that which Isidore mentioneth of some that hold that men were onely to pray in the night and to spend the day in other affairs These are like our noctna owles that never cry but in the night The practise of many among us is like theirs that pray not but when they are in their beds if then both these must be avoyded and we must walk in the middle way There may be a defect also in the manner of praying when it is not qualified so as we have above specified Also our thanks may be in this two wayes defective 1. when a man hath benefits and slighteth them now our soule is dried away we can see nothing but this Manna It was the Jewes fault to murmur unthankfully 2. Or our thanks may be formall cold and carelesse vsu magis quam sensu of course and not from a true sense and feeling such sacrifice to their own net Hab. 1. 16. Naaman received a benefit and he would be thankfull for when one talent was asked he would give two Now because prayer is the means to obtain all other graces it cannot properly be said to have means to obtain it Yet are there diverse helps to it 1. There is no greater help or spur to prayer then the consideration of our own wants and imperfections by taking a view of our soules and frequent examining our own hearts whereby we come to see the evils we are most inclinable to and the good things wee want This knowledge and sense of his own wants made David thirst after God and powre out his soule before him Psalm 42. 1. 2. 4. 5. 2. Another help is the remembrance of Gods benefits to us King David was so well versed in this duty that there is not a benefit he received or that we may but that there is a Psalm for it psal 40. 3. He had still canticum novum for beneficium novum when he wants any singular benefit then he reckons up the lesser which Saint Augustine calls colligere fragmenta the gathering up the fragments and these he made great account of and as the woman of Canaan was thankful for the crums Mat. 15. 27. so was he for the least mercies when he had no new benefits then he takes up old benefits and makes of them a new song as Psal. 38. and 70 and rather then faithe remembers to God and gives thanks for his wonderfull forming in his mothers womb Psal. 139. and sometimes enlargeth himself to those benefits that are common to all the world as psal 8. 19. 104. yea to the very wild asses quenching their thirst in the wildernes 3. Another is fasting and alms which the Fathers call the wings of prayer S. Augustine saith Jejunium orationis robur oratio vis jejunii fasting is the strength of prayer and prayer the like of fasting And jejunia elemosynae orationem juvant fasting and alms are assistants to prayer These both are the wings that prayer mounts up by Illud hanc corroborat haec illud sanctificat as fasting strengthens our prayers and prayer sanctifies our fast so alms 4. If our own prayers be weak then are we to desire the prayers of the Church according to S. James's direction Si oratio tua fulmen sit saith one ascendat ad coelum sola per se otherwise esto gutta in nube grandinis if thy prayer be fervent or as a thunderbolt it may ascend to heaven by it self but if it be as a drop in a cloud it will need the help of others 5. If none of all these help yet there is oratio fidei as well as oratio sensus though I cannot have the prayer of feeling yet I may have the prayer of hope For spiritual duties are likened to seed of which harvest comes not presently but lie in the 〈◊〉 of the earth till the time that the Lord fructifie The signes of praying aright or that our prayers are rightly qualified and like to prevail are diverse 1. Earnestnesse of the soul when that sends out sighes and groans unutterable gemitibus non sermonibus constat hoc negotium this businesse consists not in words but groans 2. The second signe is if