Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	heart_n	time_n	10,224	5	3.5191	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79734	A grave and serious advice of the ministers of the Kirk of Scotland to masters of families that they may govern according to the word of God.	Church of Scotland.; Ker, A.	1650 (1650)	Wing C4227AB; ESTC R492291	4,380	4

A Grave and Serious Advice of the MINISTERS of the KIRK of SCOTLAND to Masters of Families that they may govern according to the Word of God BEsides the Publick Worship in Congregations mercifully established in this Land in great Purity it is expedient and necessary that Secret Worship of each person alone and private Worship of Families be pressed and set up that with national Reformation the profession and power of godliness both personal and domestick be advanced I. And first for secret worship It is most necessarie that every one a part and by themselves be given to Prayer and Meditation the unspeakable benefit whereof is best known to them who are exercised therein This being the mean whereby in a special way communion with God is entertained and right preparation for all other duties obtained And therefore it becommeth not only Pastors within their several Charges to press persons of all sorts to perform this duty Morning and Evening and at other occasions but also it is incumbent to the head of every Family to have a care that both themselves and all within their charge he daily diligent herein II. The ordinary duties comprehended under the exercise of Piety which should be in Families when they are convened to that effect are these First prayer and praises performed with a special reference as well to the publick condition of the Kirk of God and this Kingdome as to the present case of the Family and every member thereof Next Reading of Scriptures with Chatechizing in a plain way that the understandings of the simpler may be the better enabled to profit under the publick Ordinances and they made more capable to understand the Scriptures when they are read together with godly conferences tending to the edification of all the members in the most holy saith as also admonition and rebuke upon just reasons from these who have authority in the family III As the Charge office of interpreting the holy Scriptures is a part of the Ministerial calling which none howsoever otherwise qualified should take upon him in any place but he that is daily called thereunto by God and his Kirk So in every Family where there is any that can read the holy Scriptures should be read ordinarily to the family and it is commendable that thereafter they confer and by way of conference make some good use of what hath been read and heard As for example if any sin be reproved in the word read use may be made thereof to make all the family circumspect and watchfull against the same or if any judgement be threatned or mentioned to have been inflicted in that portion of Scripture which is read use may be made to make all the family fear lest the same or a worse judgement befall them unless they beware of the sin that procured it And finally if any duty be required or comfort held forth in a promise use may be made to stir up themselves to employ Christ for strength to enable them for doing the commanded duty and to apply the offered comfort In all which the Master of the family is to have the chief hand and any member of the family may propone a question or dombt for resolution IV The head of the family is ro take care that none of the family withdraw himself from any part of family-worship And seeing the ordinary performance of all the parts of family-Worship belongeth properly to the head of the family the Minister is to stir up such as are lazy and train up such as are weak to a fitness for these exercises It being alwaies free to persons of quality to entertain one approved by the Presbytery for performing family Exercise And in other families where the head of the family is unfit that another constantly residing in the family approved by the Minister and Session may be employed in that service wherein the minister and Session are to be countable to the presbytery And if a Minister by divine providence be brought to any family it is requisite that at no time he convene a part of the family for worship secluding the rest except in singular cases specially concerning these parties which in Christian prudence need not or ought not to be imparted to others V. Let no idler who hath no Particular calling or vagrant person under pretence of a calling be suffered to perform Worship in families to or for the same seeing persons tainted with errors or aiming at division may be ready after the manner to creep into houses and lead captive silly and unstable souls VI. At family-Worship a special care is to be had that each family keep by themselves neither requiring inviting nor admitting persons from divers families unless it be those who are lodged with them or at meal or otherwise with them upon some lawful occasion VII Whatsoever hath been the effects and fruits of meetings of persons of divers families in the times of corruption or trouble in which cases many things are commendable which otherwise are not tollerable yet when God hath blessed us with Peace and the purity of the Gospel such meetings of persons of divers families except in the cases mentioned in these directions are to be disapproved as tending to the hinderance of the religious exercise of each family by it self to the prejudice of the Publick Ministery to the renting of the families of particular Congregations and in progress of time of the whole Kirk besides many offences which may come thereby to the hardning of the hearts of carnall men and grief of the godly VIII On the Lords day after every one of the family apart and the whole family together have sought the Lord in whose hands the preparation of mens hearts are to fit them for the publick Worship and to bless to them the publick Ordinances the Master of the family ought to take care that all within his charge repair to the publick Worship that he and they may joyn with the rest of the Congregation And the publick worshp being finished after prayer he should take an account what they have heard and thereafter to spend the rest of the time which they may spare in Catechizing and in spiritual conferences upon the Word of God Or else going apart they ought to apply themselves to reading meditation and secret prayer that they may confirm and encrease their communion with God that so the profit which they found in the Publick Ordinances may be cherished and promoved and they more edified unto eternal iife IX So many as can conceive Prayer ought to make use of that gift of God albeit those who are rude and weaker may begin at a set form of prayer but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves according to their daily necessities the Spirit of Prayer which is given to all the children of God in some measure To which effect they ought to be the more fervent frequent in secret Prayer to God for enabling of their hearts to

conceive and their tongues to express convenient desires to God for their family and in the mean time for their greater encouragement let these materials of Prayer be meditated upon and made use of as followeth Let them confess to God how unworthy they are to come in his presence and how unfit to worship his Majesty and therefore earnestly ask of God the Spirit of Prayer They are to confess their sins the sins of the family accusing judging and condemning thēselvs for them till they bring their souls to some measure of true humiliation They are to pour out their souls to God in the name of Christ by the Spirit for forgiveness of sins for grace to repent to beleeve and to live soberly righteously and godly and that they may serve God with joy and delight walking before him They are ro give thanks to God for his many mercies to his People and to themselves and especially for his love in Christ and for the light of the Gospel They are to pray for such particular benefits Spiritual and Temporal as they stand in need of for the time whether it be Morning or Evening as health or sicknesse prosperity or adversity They ought to pray for the Kirk of Christ in general for all the Reformed Kirks and for this Kirk in particular and for all that suffer for the Name of Christ for all our Superiors and their Children for the Majestrates Ministers and whole body of the Congregation whereof they are Members as well for their Neighbours absent in their lawful affairs as for those that are at home The Prayer may be closed with an earnest desire that God may be glorified in the coming of the Kingdom of his Son and in the doing of his Will and with assurance that themselves are accepted and what they have asked according to his Will shall be done X. These exercises ought to be performed in great sincerity without delay laying aside all exercises of worldly businesse or hinderances notwithstanding the mockings of Atheists and prophane men in respect of the great mercies of God to this Land and of his severe Correction wherewith lately he hath exercised us And to this effect persons of eminency and all Elders of the Kirk not onely ought to stir up themselves and their Families to diligence herein but also to concur effectually that in all other families where they have power and charge the said exercises be conscionably performed XI Besides the ordinary duties in Families which are above mentioned extraordinary duties both of Humiliation and Thanksgiving are to be carefully performed in Families when the Lord by extraordinary occasions private or publick calleth for them XII Seeing the Word of God requireth That we should consider one another to provoke unto love and good works Therefore at all times and specially in this time wherein prophanesse abounds and Mockers walking after their own lusts think it strange that others run not with them to the same excesse of riot Every Member of this Kirk ought to stir up themselves and one another to the duties of mutual Edification by Instruction Admonition Rebuke exhorting one another to manifest the grace of God in denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and in living godlily soberly and righteously in this present world by comforting the feeble-minded and praying with or for one another Which duties respectively are to be performed upon special occasions offered by Divine Providence as namely when under any calamity grosse or great difficulty counsel or comfort is sought or when an Offender is to be reclaimed by private Admonition and if that be not effectual by joyning one or two more in the Admonition according to the rule of Christ that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established XIII And because it is not given to every one to speak a word in season to a wearied or distressed conscience it is expedient that a person in that case finding no ease after the use of ordinary means private and publick have their addresse to their own Pastor or some experienced Christian But if the person troubled in Conscience be of that condition or of that sex that Discretion Modesty or fear of scandal requireth a godly grave and secret Friend to be present with them in their said addresse it is expedient that such a Friend be present XIV When Persons of divers Families are brought together by Divine Providence being abroad upon their particular Vocations or any necessary occasions as they would have the Lord their God with them whithersoever they go they ought to walk with God and not neglect the duties of Prayer and Thanksgiving but take care that the same be performed by such as the Company shall judge fittest and that they likewise take heed that no corrupt communication proceed out of their mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the Hearers The drift and scope of all rhese directions is no other but that upon the one part the power and practice of godlinesse among all the Ministers and Members of this Kirk according to their several places and vocations may be cherished and advanced and all impiety and mocking of religious Exercises suppressed And upon the other part that under the name and pretext of Religious Exercises no such Meetings or Practices be allowed as are apt to breed Error Scandal Schism contempt or misregard of the publick ordinances and Ministers or neglect of the duties of particular callings or such other evils as are the works not of the Spirit but of the Flesh and are contrary to truth and peace A. KER FINIS