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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	worship_v	zealous_a	30	3	9.1862	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09999	The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in fiue sermons vpon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20251; ESTC S105990	87,396	182

these latter times had that he never went to pray to God but he found so many impediments that except he bound himselfe by an vnalterable resolution that he resolued not to breake vpon any occasion he could neuer haue kept a constant course in it or if he had hee should neuer haue kept himselfe from a formall customary performance of it But I will adde no more to presse this vpon you there hath beene enough said I beseech you consider it Now that which I promised in the morning to doe which is that that doth exceedingly strengthen vs to the performance of this duty of calling vpon 〈◊〉 of praying continually which we are here commanded to doe is to remooue certaine obiections which are in the mindes of men that secretly weaken the estimation of this truth and insensible takes vs off when we marke them not for beloved when we are so negligent in it surely there is somethin●… that is the cause of it and if wee could finde the cause and remoove it wee could not spend an houre better The obiections that are commonly in the hearts of men are many I will name to you but these 4 briefly First a man is ready to say what need I spend so much time and bee so large in the expression of my wants to God when he knowes them I cannot make them better knowne to him hee knowes them well enough already and therfore what needeth it To this I answer in a word because it is an obiection that hath not much weight in it that it is true the Lord knowes thy wants but withall he will haue thee to know them because otherwise thou wilt not seeke to him thou wilt not set a price vpon the things that hee bestowes on thee thou wilt not be thankefull to him when he hath granted them and therefore you shall finde our Saviour Christ vseth this very argument as a meanes to quicken vs to prayer saying Your heavenly Father knowes what you haue neede of what then shall we not therfore pray yes saith he therefore pray ye the more earnestly and the more importunately to him for since he knowes your wants he will be more ready to heare your requests I but it will be said againe that hee doth not only know them but he also means purposeth to bestow them for hee hath made a promise to vs and his promise i●… firme and sure and God is iust and ●…ust keepe his promise and when he hath fully purposed it what needs so much praying to bring it to passe I answer the promises of God are to bee vnderstood with this secret condition annexed I will doe such and such a thing for you if you pray though it be not expressed and therefore we see when God promised things in particular yet still they prayed and prayed earnestly When he promised Elish that it should raine yet wee see he prayed and contended much in his prayer when he made a promise to David that hee would make him a house yet you know David went to the house of the Lord and sat before him and made earnest prayer as is recorded in the 2. of Sam. so Daniel had particular promise and yet he prayed and prayed long The example of our Saviour Christ is without exception who had all the promises sure to him yet you see he prayed yea he spent whole nights in prayer and therefore you must so vnderstand it that though you haue a promise made though the thing be neuer so sure to you yet it is to be vnderstood with that if you call vpon God And why the Lord would haue you doe it I shewed you many reasons in the morning wee will adde this to it What if the Lord will haue thee call vpon him though hee purpose to doe the thing even for this end that thou maist worship him for what is it to worship the Lord you shall finde this vsuall in the old Testament The people ●…owed themselues and worshipped or they 〈◊〉 vpon them 〈◊〉 and worshipped The meaning is this to worship God is nothing else but to acknowledge the worthinesse that is in him As when you doe worship to a man you doe vse so much outward demeanor observance to him as may acknovvledge a vvorth in him aboue another man outvvard gesture that is the outward vvorshipping of God the invvard vvorship is invvardly to acknovvledge his attributes Novv you shall see prayer giues an acknowledgment of his attributes most of any thing for hee that prayes to God he doth in so doing acknowledge his omnipresence and his omniscience that hee heares that which the Idols of the Gentils could not doe that hee knowes the secrets of mens hearts that neither men nor Angels can doe Againe it acknowledgeth his Almightie power that hee is able to doe anie thing for that is presupposed when wee come and seeke to him Againe it acknowledgeth his mercie and his goodnes that he is not onely able but exceeding willing to helpe Againe it acknowledgeth his truth that as he hath promised so I make account hee will performe it when I go and s●…e to him in a word all the attributes of God are acknowledged in prayer Therefore therein you worship him in a speciall manner when you goe and seek to him and pray to him in so doing you acknowledge him yea you acknowledge him to be a Lord and a father as when we see a childe run to a man and aske him blessing when we see him ask him foode and rayment wee say surely such a man is his father so this very praying to God is a worshipping of him because it acknowledgeth his attributes and his relation to vs and ours to him But againe Thirdlie it will bee obiected I but al●…s what can the endeavours or the prai e●…s of a weake man doe can they change the purpose of Almightie God if he doe not intend ●…o doe this thing for ●…oe shall I hope to alter him For answere to this I say this in bein ●…e that when you doe call vpon God hee is not changed by your prayers but the change is wrought in you as wee haue said to you heretofore when a Physiti●… is sought vnto by his patient the patient desires him earnestl●…e to giue him such a cordiall and such 〈◊〉 Physicke that is pleasing to him the Phisition denies him long yet in the end he yeelds vnto it Why not because there is anie change in the Phisitian but because there is a change in the patient he is now fitted for this before hee was not so then the Phisition yeelds now whereas before he refused and yet the change is in the patient and not in the phisitian and therefore beloved when 〈◊〉 about to striue with God in prayer when you contend and wrastle with him for so we ought to doe when you vse manie reasons to perswade him you alter not

THE SAINTS DAILY EXERCISE A Treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer Delivered In fiue Sermons vpon 1 Thess. 5. 17. By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne IAMES 5. 16. The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much PSAL. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer LONDON Printed by W. I. and are to bee sold by Nicholas Bourne at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1629. TO THE READER Courteous Reader TO discourse largely of the necessity and vse of this peece of spirituall armour after so many learned and vsefull Treatises vpon this subiect may seeme super fluous especially considering that there is much spoken to this purpose for thy satisfaction in the insuing Treatise wherein besides the vnfolding of the nature of this dutie which is the Saints daily exercise and strong inforcement to it there is an endeavour to giue satisfaction in the most incident cases want of clearing whereof is vsually an hindrance to the chearefull and ready performance thereof In all which what hath beene done by this Reverend and worthy man we had rather should appeare in the Treatise it selfe to thy indifferent iudgement then to bee much in setting downe our owne opinion This we doubt not of that by reason of the spirituall and convincing manner of handling this Argument it will winne acceptance with many especially considering that it is of that nature wherein though much haue beene spoken yet much more may be said with good relish to those that haue anie spirituall sense for it is the most spirituall action wherein wee haue nearer communion with God then in anie other holie performance and whereby it pleaseth God to conveigh all good to vs to the performance whereof Christians finde most backwardnesse and indisposedness and from thence most deiection of spirit which also in these times is most necessarie wherein unlesse wee fetch helpe from heaven this way wee see the Church and Cause of God like to be trampled vnder feete Onelie remember that we let these Sermons passe forth as they were delivered by himselfe in publicke without taking that libertie of adding or detracting which perhaps some would haue thought meete for wee thought it best that his owne meaning should be expressed in his owne words and manner especially considering there is little which perhaps may seeme superfluous ●o some but may by Gods blessing be vsefull to others It would be a good prevention of manie inconveniences in this kinde if able men would bee perswaded to publish their owne works in their life time yet wee thinke it a good service to the Church when that defect is supplied by giving some life to those things which otherwise would haue died of themselues The blessing of these labours of his we commend vnto God the benefit of them vnto thee resting Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ RICHARD SIEES IOHN DAVENPORT THE SAINTS DAYLY EXERCISE THE FIRST SERMON 1. THES 5. 17. Pray continually THe Apostle here in the latter end of this Epistle heape●… vp many precepts together and therefore we shall not need to seeke out the dependance of these words vpon those that go before or those that follow after Reioyce evermore ●…aith he Pray 〈◊〉 in all things gi●… thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus to you wards Wee are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Text 〈◊〉 this duty of of prayer 〈◊〉 co●… ended to vs and it is a commend from God himselfe delivered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be with our any great premises and reasons and indeed having therefore the more authority in it Pray Continually IN the handling of which we will do these three things First we will shew you what Prayer is Secondly why the Lord requires this at our hands for a man might obiect The Lord knowes my wants well enough he knowes my mind and how I am affected I but yet the Lord will haue vs to pray and to aske before hee will bestow it upon vs. And lastly what it is to pray continually For the first If we should define prayer in generall to you I would giue you no more but this description of it It is an expression of the mind to the Lord Sometimes by words sometimes without words but yet there must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some opening of the will to him I 〈◊〉 is the generall But now to know what a rig●… 〈◊〉 is what such a prayer is as God accepts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue another 〈◊〉 which must haue 〈◊〉 ingredient●… into 〈◊〉 and so Prayer is nothing else but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…ering of th●…se holy ●…d good dispositions to God that ●…rise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit 〈◊〉 the ●…generate part in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Christ Where you are to obserue this That the prayers that wee make a●…e divided into one of these two sorts First Some are such prayers 〈◊〉 are the expression of our owne spirits the voice of our owne spirits and there i●… nothing but flesh in them such prayers as any naturall m●…n may make to the Lord. And these the Lord regards not hee knowes not the meaning of them that is he do●…h not accept them Secondly There are prayers that are the voice of Gods own Spirit that is such as arise from the regenerate part which is within vs which is quickened and inlarged to pray from the immediate helpe of the holy Ghost These prayers are onely accepted And of these it is said he knowes the meaning of the Spirit That is hee so knowes it and sees it that also he accepts it Therefore you shall see in Hosea 7. 14. when they prayed and prayed earnestly yea they set a day a part for prayer they called a solemne Assembly And kept a fast yet saith the Lord plainly yee did not call vpon me when you howled vpon your bedd●… for saith he you assembled your selues for corne and for mine which any naturall man may doe And therefore saith he ●…t is but a ●…wling It is the voice of beasts to seeke for wine and oile and 〈◊〉 but he saith plainely you called not vpon ●…e when notwithstanding they spent a whole day in prayer But the meaning is that the Lord regard●… this as no prayer a●… all And therefore ●…o open a little this description vnto you for it is one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee haue to doe in the handling of this Text to describe to you the meaning of this precept what the nature of prayer is that you may know what kind of prayer it is that prevailes with God I say it is an expre●… of holy and good 〈◊〉 I vse that expression rather of dispositions then desores because the●…e is some part of prayer that stands in thanksgiving when you desire nothing at Gods hands but giue thanks

is good enough they stand in good tearms with him but yet if they ●…e in any necessitie for all the matters and occasions that fall out from day to day either they thinke of them in themselues or they are apt enough to declare them to man or if they goe to God they doe it negligently they post ouer the matter so as they haue scarce leisure to expresse themselues and their doings doe you thinke hee will take such for friends and do you thinke that this is a true sound and hearty profession Therefore to end this I beseech you consider it and take heede of being remisse and negligent in it you see it is a command from the Lord Pray continually And so much for this time FINIS THE SECOND SERMON 1. THES 5. 17. Pray continually NOt to repeate what hath beene delivered but to presse this point on vs a little further for what is more necessarie then that wee should keepe a constant course in this duty since the very life of Religion consists in it I adde this to all I prest in the morning that if you doe neglect it it exposeth you to great disadvantage both for the outward man and for the inward man and there are but these two that you need to care for For the outward man it deprives you of the blessing put the case you haue never so good successe in your enterprizes put the case you haue outward comforts in abundance yet still the blessing is wanting and not onely so but it vncovers the roofe as it were and the curse is rayned downe vpon your tables vpon your meat and drinke vpon all the endeavours and all the enterprizes you take in hand We consider not what we doe when we neglect this duty what dangers we expose our selues vnto from day to day for it is one thing to haue outward comforts and another thing to haue the blessing with them Besides consider what losse you suffer in the inward man when you neglect this duty at any time for that is ready to be distempered and to goe out of order it is ready to contract hardnesse to contract soile spirituall grace is ready to decay It falls out with mans heart as it doth with a garden that is neglected it will quickly be overcome with weedes if you looke not diligently to it and the way to looke to it is constancy in this duty That is a notable place Iob 154. when Eliphaz observed some distēper in Iobs affections as he apprehended it he tels him that the speech he vsed was not comely but vaine and sinnefull and what then surely Iob saith he thou restrainest prayer from the Lord as if he should say it is impossible Iob that thou shouldest fall into these distempers if thou did de●… keepe thy course constantly in this duty therefore surely saith he thou restrainest prayer from the Lord So it is with vs let vs restraine prayer from God and distempers will arise quickly in our spirits worldly mindednesse will bee ready to grow vpon vs wee shall be apt to be carnall we shall forget God and forget our selues and forget the good purposes and desires wee had and therefore that you may keepe your hearts in order you must keepe a constant course in this duty for if you doe though your peace be interrupted this will repaire it againe it will make vp the breaches againe though there bee some distempered affections that grow vpon vs yet prayer will compose all As sleepe composeth drunkennesse so prayer will compose the affections a man may pray himselfe sober againe nothing doth it sooner nothing doth it more effectually and this you shall finde that as you eyther omit it or slight it over so you shall finde a proportionable weaknesse growing vpon the inward man as the body feeles when it neglecteth either sleepe or diet or exercise therefore to end this exhortation let vs bee constant in it Onely remember this when wee exhort you thus to keepe a constant course for which you heard so many reasons in the morning I say remember this caution that if it be performed in a formall or in a customary and overly manner you were as good to omit it altogether for the Lord takes not our prayers by number but by waight when it is an outward picture a dead carcasse of prayer when there is no life no servencie in it hee regards it not be not deceiued in this it is a very vsuall deceipt it may bee a mans conscience would bee vpon him if hee should omit it altogether and therefore when hee doth something his heart is satisfied and so hee growes worse and worse therefore consider that the very doing of the dutie is not that which the Lord heedes but hee will haue it so performed that the end may be obtained and that the thing may bee effected for which you pray If a man send his servant to goe to such a place it is not his going to and fro that he regards but hee would haue him to dispatch the businesse so in all other workes hee cares not for the formalitie of performance but would haue the thing so done that it may bee of vse to him if you set a servant to make a fire for you and he goe and lay some greene wood together and perhaps put a few coales vnder this is not to make a fire for you but hee must either get dry wood or he must blow till it burne and be fit for vse so when your hearts are vnfit when they are like greene wood when you come to warme them and to quicken them by prayer to God it may be you post over this dutie and leaue your hearts as cold and as distempered as they were before My beloved this is not to performe this dutie The dutie is effectuallie performed when your hearts are wrought vpon by it when they are brought to a better tune and to a better temper then they were before If you find sinnefull lusts there your businesse is to worke them out by praier to reason the matter to expostulate the thing before the Lord and not to glue over till you haue set all the wheeles of your soule right till you haue made your hearts perfect with God and if you finde your hearts too much cleaving to the world you must wean them and take them off if you finde a deadnes and vnaptnes and indisposition in you you must lift vp your soules to the Lord and not give over till you bee quickened and this is to performe the dutie in such a manner as the Lord accepts otherwise it is an hypocriticall performance for this is hypocrisie when a man is not willing to let the dutie goe altogether nor yet is willing to performe it serventlie and in a quicke and zealous manner for hee that omits it altogether is a profane person and hee that performes it zealoussie and to purpose is a

there is not onely a sense of the thing we want but also a hope of mercie a ground to beleeue that I shall haue the thing granted and out of this ground I am earnest and importunate now earnestnesse is a fruit of faith When Iesus Christ lived vpon earth when men came and cryed earnestly vnto him and were exceeding importunate some to be healed of their diseases some to haue devils cast out c. we see his answere was still to them be it to thee how not according to their importunity and fervencie but according to their faith as if he should say I heede not I regard not all this clamor and earnestnesse if they bee onely expressions of such wants if they be onely in the sense of such neede and no more but if they proceede from faith and that faith set you a worke to call vpon me Bee it vnto th●… according to that For indeede these two things make vp fervencie in prayer sense of neede and hope of mercie when a man hath faith and hope to increase his fervency and it ariseth from that ground as well as out of the other not that I exclude the other for it is a very great helpe and that which puts sticks on the fire as it were to make our fervencie the more I say from sense of our need when we consider seriously what want we haue and then adde this hope and faith when these two shall set you a worke this fervencie is a fruite of faith This is one caution that must be remembred Another caution is this that your fervencie be ioyned with sinceritie for a man may be fervent to obt●…ine such and such blessings as he may begg at ●…ds hand very earnestly hee may as●…e credit he may aske to haue guidance in such a businesse hee may aske wisdome to bring such an enterprise to passe hee may aske health and continuance of life but to what end if it be that he may bestow it vpon his lusts if it be that he may liue more deliciously that he may be some body more in the world that he may haue outward conveniences such as his flesh desires if this be all here this fervencie is ●…ot regarded not that these things are excluded for the Lord giues vs leaue to seeke out owne comforts and you may be earne●… and 〈◊〉 even for the comfort it selfe but yet all these if they be not capable of a further vse if that be not intended but the abuse of them and an intent to vse the●… another way the Lor●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is no tr●…e fervency and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. 1●… it is the exhortation of the Apo●…e be fer●… i●… spirit serving the Lord whe●… we m●…ny 〈◊〉 i●… may be are fervent in spirit ●…ving our sel●… we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a●…d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ends of our owne as when a man desires able gifts high gifts to get glory and to get wealth to himselfe and not to serue his master this is to aske the talent not for the masters vse but for his owne vse doe you thinke the Lord will heare such prayers can you expect it at his hands You shall see t●… contrary disposition in the Saints when they were earnest with the Lord for any thing sti●…l they expresse that to him and say Lord we desire not thi●… for our selues but for thy glorie that wee may vse it for some good purpose c. David when he was earnest for life when he was in sicknesse and doubted of his recoverie what argument doth he vse Lord saith he shalt thou haue glorie from the graue As if he should say if thou giue me life I will giue it thee againe I will improue it and husband it to thy advantage and not to mine owne And so Hannah when she was earnest for a sonne she makes this promise to the Lord that he shall be for him and his advantage shee would dedicate him to his vse and consecrate him to his service So Iacob when hee was earnest with the Lord to giue him meate drinke and clothes c. Lord saith hee if thou doe I will giue the tenth part to thee againe I say when the heart is thus disposed in our fervencie in our importunity when we aske any thing at the Lords hands that our conscience tells vs within that if wee had it wee would bestow it vpon the Lord we would not abuse it we would not spend it on our lusts it should not be to serue our selves but to serue the Lord withall then our 〈◊〉 is rightly ordered The next condition required is humility as lames 4. The Lord giues grace to the humble and 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people humble themselues and call vpon my name then will I heare in heaven and grant their requests And throughout the Scriptures you see that that is a condition that the Lord puts in every where hee hath respect to the low estate Is●… 66. 2. saith the Lord all these things haue my hands made looking vpon all the creatures the whole frame of them they are al good and I haue respect vnto them but saith he I regard not all these in comparison of an humble heart to him will I looke that is of an humble and contritespirit when the Lord lookes vpon our prayers if they come not from a broken heart they want that condition that he lookes for for he gives grace to the humble because such a man is little in his owne eyes and fit to be exalted fit to receiue a mercie at Gods hands You know it is a rule that the Lord keepes for those that are humble and low such hee exalts those that exalt themselues he puts downe Now when a man is little in his owne eyes that parvity that sense of his owne vnworthinesse is a prevailing argument with him and therefore Gen. 32. Iacob vseth that argument when hee comes to put up that petition to bee delivered from Esa●… Lord I am lesse then all thy merties that is take any of thy mercies and put them in one end of the ballance and p●…t me in the other and I am lesse then it and 〈◊〉 then it take●… the worth that is in me it is not heavie enough for the least mercio Now when hee was thus humbled and little and vile in his owne eyes the Lord bestowed that mercie on him hee was now fit to receiue it For David when the Lord sends him word by Natha●… that he would build him a house for ever you see how he expressed himselfe hee went into the house of the Lord and sate before him and said Lord what am I and what is my fathers house As if he should say I was taken out of the dust I was one of the meanest men of Israel and a man of no account of no worth and yet thou hast had respect vnto ●…e thus far not onely to make me King over thy