Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	hypocrite_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	30	3	9.0312	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80869	An useful tractate to further Christians of these dangerous and back-sliding times, in the practice of the most needful duty of prayer Wherein are discover'd the nature, necessity and successe of fervent prayer: many objections answered, several practical cases of conscience resolved; and all briefly applied from this text, viz. James 5. 16. The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Being the substance of several sermons preached in the town of Columpton in Devon. / By William Crompton M.A. minister of that part of Christs Church there.	Crompton, William, 1599?-1642.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7033; Thomason E2142_2; ESTC R210127	70,200	187

as many beams of the sun meeting in a glasse do beget a burning so are the spirits and faculties conjoyned and heated in prayer Thirdly When tongue and tears are the index of a melting heart then men may be said to be fervent in prayer Thus David discovers his work in prayer Psal 55.2 Attend to me and hear me I mourn in my complaints and make a noise he bent as it were all his nerves and set up his note So doth Hannah 1 Sam. 1.10 when she is said to be in bitternesse of spirit and prayed to the Lord and wept sore Mary Magdalen manifested her fervency by those streams of tears that ran through her supplications I do not say that the strength and work of prayer doth consist in extension of the voice or vehemency of pronunciation Moses and Hannah prayed fervently and yet spake not a word neither do I judge tears unseparable from effectual Prayer But this I say that the voice may be much helpful to increase devotion and to move compassion and when tears do accompany they are good symptomes as Calvin speaks Lachrymae non sunt vera poenitentia at affectus symbola poenitentiae They have strength and a voice ●s well as words Psal 6.8 The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping lachrymae pondera vocis habent As musick on the waters sounds farther and more harmoniously then on dry land so do prayers joyned with tears cry louder in the ears of God and make sweeter melody then when they be absent Fourthly When a man borroweth strength and getteth hands to joyn with him Wo to him that is alone Society is usefull both in preaching and in praying Therefore our Saviour sent out his disciples by two and two vis unita fortior as the gathering together of waters make the stream stronger and the voices of many together the louder sound So it is here single prayer is like the single hair of Sampson but those of a Congregation like the whole bush Deus pluris facit preces in Ecclesiâ quàm domi factas non ob locum sed ob considerationem multitudinis fidelium Deus communi consensu invocantium as Rivet notes As those use to do who would fain speed in their Petitions to great men they get hands others to joyn in pleading and speaking for them so it is here yet understand this inclusively you must pray your selves and for your selves Not as Pharaoh and Simon Magus who put it wholly on others Orate pro nobis Fifthly When men are frequent and constant in Prayer so as to receive no deniall discouragements and worldly impediments notwithstanding Importunity carrieth fervency in its bowels Jacob would not let the Angel go till he blessed him and will stand to it though upon one leg Hannah multiplied to pray 1 Sam. 1.12 Paul sought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12.8 i. e. frequently fervently He is advising men to pray continually i. e. habitually vitally Colos 4.2 Semper orat qui bene semper agit Wait upon prayer persevere with strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is attributed to the hunting of Dogs which will not cease following the game till they have got it And Rom. 12.12 continuing watching in prayer it imports constancy with vehemency And this was the practice of that poor woman Mat. 15.22 Have mercy on me thou son of Daevid c. And after denials she rises higher and locks her self within the deniall and pleads Gods truth and justice if mercy will nor serve let thy words be true I am a Dog and there is something for Dogs let me have a Dogs portion crumbs I crave no mo e. David and Daniel prayed thrice a day and otherwhiles seven times Of sa●ous Bolton it is reported that he constan●ly prayed six times a day viz. twice by himself alone twice with his wife ●nd twice with his family And of Theodosius that pious Emperour Cujus regia non dissimilis crat monasterio that his Court was like a Church for piety and devotion Of Constantine the great that he conversed more with God then with men All men of might in Prayer Constancy bespeakes fervency Sixthly When in Prayers men do heat others by the beauty and livelinesse of a well-order'd working prayer A living coal will inliven others and one candle lighteth others Grace where it is endeavours to kindle where it is not as where is life there is also a seminary of propagation and the more excellent the life is the more pregnant is it to propagate in its kinde like the glow-iron on the Smiths Anvill c●sting light and heat round about it But because this may be brought about by one who is not formally fervent effectively as the Philosopher speaks of the sun there are some cautions to be added to this mark In such a zealous petitioner who heateth others with the fervency of his Devotion there is required First a sense of that misery which the voice deciphereth both in confession of sin and deprecation of judgements Secondly A grounded hope of relief upon experience of some promises Thirdly Sincerity in the Petitioner the truth spoken must be in the inward parts that what is asked of God be for God for his service and glory as Hannah in her Samuel There may be an inward coldnesse and yet an outward heat the nature of the Amber-stone as in hypocrites who know much of God bur do little for him this may heat and benefit others though not themselves Again there may be an inward hea● and for some time in some duties yet no audible expressions as in Moses and Hannah they cryed to the Lord and yet said nothing their heat was as a flame kept in encreasing This zeal in prayer is most acceptable to God as the prime object of his eye and ear although no● so beneficiall to men for unlesse the Petitioner burn with zealous heat and expresse it he shall never enflame the heart of the hearers nor quicken their devotion as Austin speaks Enar. in Psal Seventhly When men joyn endeavours and other things seasonable and usefull together with Prayer As the wise mariner who hath not onely an eye to the Star but an hand to the Helm and as the Plowmen of Sparta who had one hand held up to Ceres whom they feigned the Goddess of corn and the other on the stilts of the plow they joyned plowing and praying The good man not onely lifts up his heart to heaven but puts his hand to the work to compasse what he prayes for The Heathen could say admota manu invocanda est Minerva and they noted him for a foolish Carter that when his Cart stuck fast cried to God and moved his lips but not his hands to help himself Semper orare est semper operari Aug. If thou callest for knowledge saith Solomon and criest for understanding there is Prayer to God If thou seek her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasure there is mans endeavour in

to such fervent prayers hi● ears are open to the cries of his people The Aediles among the Romans had ever the door standing open to all that had occasion for requests or complaints Even so are the doors of Gods mercy open unto fervent suppliants He is that friend spoken of in Luke 11. Ready to hear when any friend doth knock God is not like that Idol Baal 1 Kings 18.27 Of whom Elijah said to his Priests when with much clamour they cried unto him but had no answet Cry aloud for he is a God either talking or pursuing or in a journey or peradventure he sleepeth Or like the Heathen Jupiter who when the Grecians and Trojans were by the ears was gone to visit his old friends Oceanus and Tethis The Lord is alwaies nigh at hand to all that call upon him fervently It was never known that God said to any suitor as Philip of Macedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. I have no leasure or go away and come to morrow if it were convenient and seasonable for him to grant the request at present He is as ready to bestow mercy as a mothers breast is to give milk he waits but for drawing It was the commendation of Theodosius his clemency and sweet disposition that it was to him as if he received a benefit if he might have opportunity to forgive an injury and such is the excellent freenesse of Divine bowels that the Lord waiteth to ●e gracious and mercy pleaseth him 4. He hath made many sweet and precious promises to such as pray to him with supplication and thanksgiving Psal 50. ●5 Call upon me and I will hear God will hear But upon what terms upon condition that you call seek and knock Mat. 7.7 8. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Yea Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name believing he will do it for you There is a promise for whatsoever you have need to pray for Who then is so dull that will not be quickned by those allurements so stubborn as not to be won so timorous as not to be encouraged by them who will not ask when his request is so graciously accepted so easily granted 5. Christ hath taught you how to pray Mat. 6.9 He putteth words as it were to your mouths and tels you what to ask He died and rose again to make way for your p●rsons and prayers into Gods presence calling you to come unto him with your petitions and he will present them to the Father 6. The Divine Attributes should move you whether absolute or relative Absolute as his Omnisciency Omnipotency Mercy Truth and Faithfulnesse his bounty and Glory all magni●ied by petitioners and excercised by granting requests Relative so he is called an husband a Father a gracious Lord as it was said of Augustus that he that dared to approach his presence seemed not to know his greatnesse and he that durst not seemed not to know his goodnesse All of God should encourage the houshold of Faith to come unto him in all zealous humility and devout reverence 7. The honour to be admitted his presence and to have conference with him Men account it a great honour to stand before a great Prince of the earth who is but a man in a greater letter and to conve●se with him The Queen of Sheba pronounced them happy men happy servants which could stand continually befo●e Solomon and to hear his wisdom 1 Kings 10.8 The Persian Kings made it a part of their great condescention to manife●t themselves unto their Subjects But what honour is this to stand in the pre●ence chamber of the King of Kings that Glorious Lord of all the earth to converse and have fellowship with him Consider it is a favour given only to a few even such as the Lord shall call and they are but few compared with the numbers that sit in darknesse and call not upon the Name of the Lord. This should move you to pray often and ever in earnest he is easie to be entreated and upbraideth not the oftner we come the more welcome and the more we acquaint our selves wi●h him the more good cometh to us Jo● 22.21 Our often addresses and requests ●o men may soon receive a repulse but cannot weary infinitenesse The Second sort of Motives may be taken from men and so 1. From a consideration of your selves 2. Of others 1. Consider your selves First What danger and losse growes upon omission of prayer as 1. Your outward estate lieth open to the curse of God to be spoiled by all or any of the Creatures It is the presence of God that must preserve our outward estates and make up a peace with us and the Creatures Rebellis enim facta est quia homo numini creatura homini The creatures rebell aga●nst man because he rebelled against God Now as Noble mens servants will draw in defence of their Lord and as Souldiers fight for their General so it is here God is the Lord of Hosts and they continue to this day according to his Ordinance for they are all servants ready prest to seize a sinner and to do execution on him and his as a Traitor and Rebell to highest Majesty Now it is Gods presence that can only abolish this enmity And how shall we confine God amongst us without fervent praying Prayer is like the Golden chain with which the Tyrians when Alexander beleagur'd them bound fast their tutelar God Apollo that he might not leave their City Secondly Your inward parts and faculties run all out of order like a wide wildernesse whereon comes neither Sun or dew or as a Clock that no man looks unto will soon be out of order and at a stand and as a sore wound which is not dressed or plyed with fresh salves will corrupt and fester so it is with men that neglect or omit prayer Thirdly It is one of the worst signes can be that men are and continue strangers to God that they depend on themselves and like the swine who eat the ●corns but never look up to the tree that bare them What dammage likewise comes upon a cold carelesse performance of it for so you mispend precious time lay your selves open to the enmity of the world who take you to be zealous men indeed and under that notion hate and trouble you and all this without any recompense from God because you are not such indeed And so often you pray or rather repeat a prayer in this cold formal manner you take Gods Name in vain Secondly Consider the benefit comes to the soul and society of Christians by fervent prayer which can hardly be imagined or uttered For 1. I● is ever a blessed means to mitigate or remove judgments what spiritual burdens the soul lieth under by reason of sin remaining within or enemies without It was Davids Catholicon in all his troubles and trials When you have none to complain to or ease you think what an happinesse it is to have such a