Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	aaron_n	let_v	zion_n	145	3	8.9908	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91943	The fast friend: or A friend at mid-night. Set forth in an exposition on that parable Luke 11. 5.-11. Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at mid-night, &c. By Nehemiah Rogers, minister of the Gospel.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1822; Thomason E953_1; ESTC R203374	432,120	516

the first concerns Infants and Children Danaeus in orat Dom. c. 4. Psal 8.2 and such as have not the use of Reason these cannot performe the Duty as yet and are excusable As for that of David Psal 8.2 Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings c. ●hat is to be understood of the might and power of God seen in them yet these must be taught as soon as they are able to Learn to lisp out Hosanna even in their tender years Eyf 1. Colos p. 15. these seeds of direction are to be sowen in their hearts even in their Infancy that so they may be in a better forwardnesse when they come to years of understanding Secondly This is not to be understood of all sorts of Prayers Publique as well as Private Vocal as well as Mental for Publique Prayer in the Congregation vocally pronounced and offered up belongs not to all but to those that are thereunto called a●●s the Pastor of the Chureh Acts 6.4 Jam. 5.14 Acts 6.4 Jam. 5.14 Nor are women permitted to speak in the Church as the mouth of the rest neither in preaching or praying further then in manifesting their Assent by closing up with Amen The grounds or Reasons of this Doctrine delivered are these First Prayer is a moral precept and all the Commandements of the morall Law binde the consciences of all men to obedience so long as they are in force and his morall precepts being perpetuall binde the consciences of all to obedience perpetually Secondly We are all Gods Creatures and bound to worship him as he is our Creator Psal 107. 147. Psal 107.147 Beasts Ravens in their kind call upon him and shall we be worse then they to whom God hath given the Use of Reason that we may serve him better then they Thirdly Nor is there any one amongst us but stands in need of some blessing or other and if we want then must we pray for it as you find in my Text Fourthly None but hold something of God and must pay this Rent we hold by Coppy what we have and owe to this Lord suite and service Obj. But if all are bound to pray then the wicked as well as good Esay 1.15 Psal 50.16 Prov. 15.8 Resp Acts 8.22 and if so why are they forbidden Esay 1.15 Psal 50.16 Prov. 15.8 There is no man so wicked but stands Charged with this Duty Acts 8.22 Simon Peter calls to Simon Magus to pray to God The second Commandement enjoyns the materiall part and imposeth the Duty on all Secondly Yet wicked men living in sin may not pray for that they sin in the formall part of prayer in the right manner of doing it and so take Gods name in vain in the performance thereof which is forbidden in the third Commandement These praying amisse without Faith Repentance Fear Fervency c. God counts their prayers abominable and rejects them Thirdly Though wicked men sin if they pray not and sin if they pray yet the sin of such is lesse who faile in the manner of praying then theirs who wholly omitt it for in the totall omission of this Duty there is a double a breach breach both of the second and third Commandements but in performance of the duty though sinfully the third Commandement is onely violated Fourthly Although God do not hear nor will he hear a wicked man that prayes in respect of his sin John 9.31 Yet such may be encouraged to the Duty John 9.13 as they are Gods Creatures though but Ravens nor will God withhold from them Common mercies but reward with Temporall blessings the very shaddow of goodnesse as he did Ahab 1 Kings 21.29 Use If this be a duty of generall Concernment 1 King 21.29 and belongs to all Let every one make Conscience of it none hath a dispensation for the omission thereof from the Throne to the footstoole It is not highnesse nor honour nor poverty nor sicknesse that will dispense with it Blesse the Lord O house of Levi Blesse the Lord O house of Aaron saith the Psalmist Psal 135. So here let the house of Judah Psal 133. Kings and Potentates of the earth blesse the Lord and call upon his name let them praise him and magnifie him for ever Let the Tribe of Reuben Nobles and Potentates of the Earth make Conscience of honouring that God who hath honoured them Let the Tribe of Dan Judges and Magistrates do the like calling on God for grace to execute Judgment without partiality Let not the Tribe of Gad forget it men of War and Martialists that God may teach their hands to War and fingers to fight The Tribe of Zabulon Sea-faring men and Marriners these have a great need to call upon God being in the mouth of daunger So the Tribe of Ioseph Students and Schollars The Tribe of Benjamin Traffiquers and Merchants And the Tribe of Ashur Citizens and Courtiers The Tribe of Isachar Country-men and Farmers every Tribe as well as the Tribe of Levi whose calling calls on them especially to be aboundant in this uDty All must pray every Tribe must call upon the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever Revel 5.8 we read that every one had his harp and viall full of odours so ought Revel 5.8 this Duty to be performed by every mans own self and for himself The Just shall live by his own faith Hab. 2.4 saith the Prophet so he must look to get his living by his own prayers I might reprove the horrible prophannesse of most families who are without prayer and live in an ordinary neglect of this Duty Let such read those Texts Psal 97.6 Zeph. 3.1 Dan. 9.13 Ezek. 22.30 And of such as neglect this duty in private Psal 79.6 Zeph. 3.1 Dan. 9.13 Exek 22.30 especially great ones who have greatest cause to pray seldome shall you hear of a silk-stocken worn out at knees with praying The Lord amend us for we stand in great need of mending Thus much of the warrant now to the work it self Ask Seek Knock. Here are three Acts but the Duty is the same all is by Prayer albeit expressed by a kind of gradation in three several termes whereof the latter imports more vehemency then the former Some distinguish the words thus Bonavent in Loc. Ask by Prayer Seek by Living well and Knock by Perseverance and holding out unto the end And others thus Ask by Prayer Seek by Reading Knock by Repenting or ex parte petiti in respect of the thing sought thus Petite veniam Quaerite Gratiam Pulsate ad gloriam Ask forgivenesse Seek for Grace Knock to enter into Glory Aug. In short for so Austin concludes it To Ask is the Labour of the mouth To Knock is the Labour of the hand And to Seek is the Labour of the Heart so that the whole man is to be occupyed and all the members of the Body and powers of the soul are to be employed in this Duty of Prayer

as one Friend may give another yet a Friend will be at length overcome by his Friend if not for Friendship sake yet through the importunity of his Friend to arise and give him what he needeth How much more will God who is a true Friend indeed and calls upon us to call on him and hath promised to hear us when we do call be prevailed with by us if we hold on our suits and give not over Shall a denying friend be overcome by importunity and not a promising God That were strange We begin with the Assertion that though last in my Text is first in order He will rise and give From the Letter of the Parable we may gather some profitable Observations First we may take notice thence that Doct. There is no want to a willing mind You heard before that he said he could not I shewed you then that it was because he would not and here you find it true for when he found a will unto it then there was no let at all he hath as many loaves for him as his need required Hereunto tends that Parable of Solomon Prov. 15.19 Prov. 15.19 The way of the sloathful is an hedge of Thorns but the way of the Righteous is made plain or is like unto a paved Causie Every thing to a sloathful man seems difficult and dangerous he is as unwilling to go about his business as a Traveller is to walk in a Path that is over-grown with Thorns and Brambles But it is otherwise with the Righteous who have a willing mind they go about their work readily and contentedly and albeit they meet with some Lets and Rubs in the discharge of the Duties of their Callings yet they go on with as much chearfulness as if their way were plain or paved and all such obstacles taken away and removed This is true both in Spirituals and Morals In Spiritual matters Thus David speaking of the Countrey Israelites who tendered their appearance before the Tabernacle of the Lord in Sion according to the Statute Exod. 37.17 Deut. 16.16 Exod. 37.17 Deut. 16.16 Psal 84.6 describes them by their resolute undergoing and enduring all the difficulties of the way Psal 84.6 They were to pass through a dry and barren Desert the Valley of Baca or of Mulberries the Greek saith the Vale of Teares a Valley very dry and destitute of water unless what flowed from their eyes with much wea●iness and faintness of body they did overcome that journey yet having a will unto it and a desire to undertake it they made this Valley a Well of refreshing they made account of that dry place as though they had Wells of Water and their willing minds afforded them many sweet and pleasant showres so that as in a paved way they went on chearfully from strength to strength encountering with patience all sense of weariness So that they felt no weariness not feebleness at all No Let no Rub in the way could discourage them in their journey their Will sweetned their hard and tedious Travail Many Examples might be brought for the further confirmation of the Point delivered I shall onely trouble you with some few in matters civil You shall find this true in the different carriage betwixt the Spyes who went to view the Land of Canaan Some of them thought it altogether impossible to overcome that people they had no heart to go up Briars and Thorns were in their way the people say they be strong that dwell in the Land and the Cities are walled and very great and there are Giants in it the Children of Anak are there Numb Numb 13.28 13.28 Others as Caleb and Joshua encourage the people Let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it The way to them was a paved way it was no more then to go and see and conquer Those mighty men that the other spake of could not dant their spirits They are but as bread for us Numb 14.9 say they Numb 14.9 Therefore fear them not as if they should say We should make but a Breakfast of them consume them with great ease and feed upon their rich Provisions And this different carriage proceeded from a different spirit that was in them Numb 14.24 Chap. 14.24 The one had a free and willing spirit the other not and that enkindled the spirit of the one which quenched the other A second Example we have in David going to fight Goliah Could a man have more discouragements then he had partly from his Brethren and then from Saul and then from the potency of his Adversary 1 Sam. 17.28 Vers 33 41 42 43. Mark 2.4 1 Sam. 17. Yet his will and desire put him upon the service and he would try it with him In the New Testament we read Mark 2.4 of a Palsie man that was brought to Jesus to be healed but the Text sayes that there was no coming to the door of the house where Jesus was by reason of the press of people What do they in this case Why they uncover the Roof of the House and let him down bed and all into the Room where Christ was that was a plain and paved way to them who had a willing mind to have this poor man healed The Will is wonderfully active in affecting that which it is minded to do Another instance I commend unto you Luke 19.2 3. Luke 19.2 3. Zacheus is very desirous to see Christ as he passed through Jericho the place of his abode but he could not saith the Text for the press of the people and because he was little of stature and so could not see the face of Christ over the shoulders of the Croud his Will is not wanting being seconded by his wit to find out a way to remedy both He runs before the multitude and so frees himself from the press of people and climbes up into a Fig-tree and thereby supplies the others want of stature what might he think the people would say of him Zacheus climb a Tree like a Boy to see novelties But let them say what they would his Will sets him a work to employ both hands and seet No want to a willing mind Reas And indeed the Will is as Queen-Regent in the Soul it governs and rules all When it saith with the good Centurion to one Go it goes to the other Do this and it doth it It is an active thing it will sharpen Wit and sets it on devising and contriving It quickens Sense both in Seeing and in Hearing and employs Tongue Hand Feet all in effecting what it undertakes Obj. But the Will follows the Understanding you will say depends upon it there is nothing in the Will Nehil in voluntate quod non prius fuerat in Intellectu which was not in the Vnderstanding first How then doth it govern Resp The power of the Understanding over the Will is onely a regulating and directing it is no constraining or

said Jacob he holds with his hands though his joynts were our of joynt Let God seem to take Esau's part smite him maim him he will not let go his hold What is thy name said the Angel never did I meet with so stout a man Well! kneel down Jacob rise up Israel thou art a Conquerour vers 28. Now Was this strife corporal onely No no hear what the Prophet speaks Hos 12.3 4. Nor was it perfunctory and formal prayer but earnest and importunate Hos 12.34 He cryed and made supplication and thus overcame Besides this Parable of a Friend coming to his Friend at Midnight Christ hath given us another that of the unjust Judge who heard the Widows Cause in regard of her Importunity and not otherwise Luke 18. and withall leaves us a History of his own of the Woman of Canaan who overcame him in the behalf of her Daughter by importunity with which History we have before acquainted you such have the Prayers of the godly been For the further clearing of the Point let me shew you what this Instancie and Importunacie in Prayer is and wherein it consists And so Importunate Prayer is a fervent and frequent desire of the Soul for some special mercy so as it will take no denial Or A fervent and frequent pouring forth our souls to God without giving over till he grant us our desires There are three things in Importunity First Fervency Secondly Frequency Thirdly Perseverance First Fervency This consists not in the loudness of the voyce albeit it be many times expressed by loud crying the Peacock hath a louder voyce then the Nightingale Nor in long praying for God doth not measure prayer by the length albeit long Prayers may be fervent Prayers but in the crying of the Heart The earnest intention and contention of the Soul and Spirit expressed in Scripture Joel 2.3 by renting of the heart and pouring out the Soul and crying of the whole heart Psal 119.145 146. This is added as a Proviso to effectual Prayer 1 Sam. 1.15 Psal 119.145.146 Jam. 5.16 Ver. 17 18. Jam. 5.16 where effectual and fervent are joyned together the more fervencie the more prevalencie in our Prayer Eliahs example is added ver 17 18. He prayed and prayed so it is in the Original We translate it He prayed earnestly and he was heard Thus our Saviour prayed in the days of his flesh Heb. 5.7 Heb. 5.7 We read of a Dutch Martyr in our own Monuments one Giles of Bruxels who was so ardent in his Prayer kneeling by himself in some secret place of the Prison where he was that he seemed to forget himself and being called to his meat he neither heard nor saw who stood by him till he was lifted up by the arms and then he would speak gently to them as one awaked out of a Trance Secondly there must be Frequency in it We give not over at the first denial no nor at the second if we be importunate Psal 27.4 One thing I have desired of the Lord and I will seek after it Psal 27.4 Psal 69.3 Isa 62.9 Ver. 6 7. that is I have sought it and will seek again and again So Psal 69.3 and Isa 62.1 For Sions sake I will not hold my tongue c. He would renew his Suit and follow it and the like he requires of all faithful Watch-men that they cry day and night and not keep silence till they had obtained their desire for Sion 2 Cor. 12. ver 6 7. Thus Paul prayed thrice and Latimer plyed the Throne of Grace with Once again Lord once again restore the Gospel to England as if he would have no nay Thirdly as our Suit is to be renewed Gen. 32.24 so we must persevere in it So Jacob did not onely wrastle but continued all night and morning too He gave not over till he had what he sought for this is injoyned Col. 4.2 1 Thes 5.27 And that Parable propounded for that very end that we should pray and not faint Col. 4.2 1 Thess 5.27 Luke 18.1 Luke 18.1 And thus you see what importunate Prayer is and wherein it stands These Particulars we shall hereafter in the verses following speak more fully unto let us now make some use of this Use 1 If importunate Prayer be prevailing Prayer never marvail that so many of us pray and yet prevail not The prayers of most are but lip-labour and lip labour is lost-labour Luke-warm prayers God respects no more then he doth luke-warm persons and such he hath threatned to spue out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 True Prayer is not the labour of the Lips Rev. 3.16 but the labour of the Heart and of the Soul Moses prayed earnestly to God and yet not a word that we hear him speak Exod. 14.15 Wherefore cryest thou unto me saith God that is with inward groanings Exod. 14.15 albeit there was no audible voyce and God heard that strait The like did Hannah 1 Sam. 1.13 and yet she spake not a loud 1 Sam. 1.13 she spake in her heart saith the Text and that fervently and God heard her and answered her Paul before his Conversion prayed often and long too for he was was a Pharisee and one of the strictest and devoutest of all the Sect as he testifies of himself and they were given to much praying as the Scripture testifies of them yet God took no notice of all his formal and hypocritical Prayers he gave no ear unto them before his Conversion but when he came to be humbled and poured forth his Soul earnestly and fervently God then said of him Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Before he prated prayers now he prayeth prayers that was prayer indeed Act. 9.11 which he now put up to God and that God heard How often do we pray and yet forget that we have prayed Can we think that God will hear us when we hear not our selves Or remember that Prayer which we have forgotten that we ever put up unto him Never think to be heard of God in mercy or to obtain any blessing at the hands of God by thy cold careless and customary prayer Psal 141.2 David compares his prayers to Incense and no Incense was offered without fire it was that that made the smoak of it to ascend Prayer that is cold makes but a smother and troubles the eyes of God Isa 1.15 as he shews Isa 1.15 but they are not a sweet Perfume in his Nostrils Vse 2 Oh! that we were more importunate in this Duty then we are that our Prayers were more fervent frequent constant for the poor distressed state of Christs Church and for our selves the Child hath escaped many a stripe by his loud crying Prayer is the Arrow of Deliverance if it be not drawn up to the Head is will hardly fly home unto the Mark. Our Saviour tells us of a King that going with Ten Thousand to make Warre with another that comes against him with