Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	fire_n	set_v	tongue_n	3,652	5	9.4006	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54945	A discourse of prayer wherein this great duty is stated, so as to oppose some principles and practices of Papists and fanaticks; as they are contrary to the publick forms of the Church of England, established by her ecclesiastical canons, and confirmed by acts of Parliament. By Thomas Pittis, D.D. one of His Majesties chaplains in ordinary. Wherefore, that way and profession in religion, which gives the best directions for it, (viz. prayer) with the most effectual motives to it, and most aboundeth in its observance, hath therein the advantage of all others. Dr. Owen in his preface to his late discourse of the work of the Holy SPirit in prayer, &c.	Pittis, Thomas, 1636-1687.	1683 (1683)	Wing P2314; ESTC R220541	149,431	404

we find after an excursion of our thoughts that we are yet in the posture of prayer when otherwise we might by the inadvertency or diversion of our souls or an unusual heaviness and oppression in our bodies forget the duty which we are conversant about But especially in our publick devotions the devout gestures of others about us mind us of what we should do our selves and we cannot remain cold and stupid when we see others express the affection and ardour of their minds by those actions in which we commonly represent them when by the gestures of their bodies they seem to pour out their very souls in prayer How do we see the eyes of men sparkle with zeal when void of all passion or Hypocrifie How does humility and some mens low conceits of themselves cause their bodies to stoop and their knees to bend How does faith and hope again lift up the most feeble hands at once to beg and receive Gods favours And such devout actions if they are not hypocritical will raise and evidence our own affections however must certainly inflame others To conclude this particular then I cannot but speak of the external gestures of our bodies and the inward intention and fervour of our minds what the Poets said of Castor and Pollux That when they are only single they portend mischief and are the fore-runners of a Storm But when they appear both together they presage a fortunate passage to the Church declaring piety in whom they shine and a solid and well grounded devotion And thus I have done with the second particular referring to the manner of our prayer which relates to the deportment and gesture of our bodies The third and last enquiry about the manner of our prayers is to make a search into our words and expressions and to determine what is fitting to be done in this matter when we speak to so great and glorious a God especially in our joynt and common petitions There are not more frequent extravagancies among men exposed to the cognisance of others than what usually proceed from the slipps or designed actions of our tongues These are so nimble when the body becomes heated and chafed as if all our spirits flew thither that 't is difficult for some warm constitutions to afford them any rest at all they are so talkative when we are awak'd that they are tatling too whilst we are asleep Therefore the skilful and prudent Government of the tongue is the most difficult task of the Empire within our selves and needs the prescription of a multitude of Laws and a great and wary caution to be given us that we may be very vigilant to stop the sallies of it that our words may be guided with discretion The tongue saies St. James is a little member but boasteth great things and he compares it to fire a spark of which often turns Cities into ashes such is this among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature when it self is kindled by the flames of Hell And therefore if any man offend not in word saies the Apostle the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body James 3.2 5 6. Now as this is so peccant in our conversation with men so is it apt to err in our converses with God when it assumes too much familiarity with him becoming pert and rude in our prayers and devotions As some men whom a Prince honours with his daily converses are so sensibly blown up with the reception of his breath that their former Acquaintance must not know them so oftentimes they become saucy to him that has advanced them and blow his breath back upon himself when they have first poysoned it in their own bodies And thus is it with many men in reference to the great God that made them uttering such language in their addresses to him as would cause men to scorn and reject their petitions and all for want of due consideration and impressing themselves with a just aw from the distance and disproportion betwixt their Maker and themselves 'T is true indeed we are exhorted to come with an humble boldness to the Throne of grace since we have an acceptable person to intercede for us Heb. 4.16 But who can think that such a Text gives incouragement to dust and ashes to fly against the face of their great Creator and advance their priviledge into a confident rudeness Rather surely the same Apostles sober advice must give a check to extravagant presumptions and cause us to serve God in an acceptable manner with profound reverence and a godly fear because he is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. To manage therefore our prayers unto God in such language as may be suitable to our Maker and our selves we may take if we are willing these following directions 1. That our words must be plain and intelligible 2. They ought to be grave and serious 3. They must be expressive and full 4. They ought to be as brief and short as may consist with perspicuity And therefore Lastly they must be premeditated and fix'd First our words and expressions in our solemn prayers must be plain and intelligible Because it is impossible that a man should mind however be affected with that which he does not understand or if he is 't is without reason and he does not act like a man We have indeed too melancholy and woful experience of some that being taken with musical stroaks and any thing which makes curious and grateful percussions upon their ears are extreamly delighted with such sounds of words as are void of sense But 't is a great mistake if we think that the gratification of our senses becomes a reasonable service unto God Prayer requires that our apprehensions and wishes keep a parallel with our words in which we utter our wants and necessities we may otherwise beg a Serpent when we intend a Fish and ask for a stone instead of bread If in publick we understand not the language of him that offers service in our behalf he may curse us in the name of the Devil when we think he blesses us in the name of God It cannot at the bare mention of it but appear to be a strange and ridiculous service when we offer to God we know not what And if we could trust any man with his bundle of infirmities in a business of so great importance as our prayers so as to leave him either to his quick or dull invention as his body or his mind is either vigorous or disturbed so that we might with any tolerable knowledge or due consideration say Amen to what is uttered or composed for us by some men to be delivered by our selves yet sure I am we can never proportion our affections or the intention of out minds suitable to those expressions which we do not understand Prayer especially what is publick should be a plain thing and worded so as to be understood by all

be with me in Paradise Luke 23.42 43. And why should any person fear having good designs and hearty intentions to amend his life in addressing himself to such a God whose compassions are infinite When Mary Magdalene her self was admitted to his favour out of whom went seven Devils and to whom also much was forgiven Nay let Gods promise however become our encouragement by no means for a continuance in our sins for Grace will not abound then but to admonish us to repent and pray Especially since he has declared not only that he keeps mercy for thousands But more particularly that when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his soul alive Ezek. 18.27 Could any man be more vile than Saul who persecuted Christianity even to the death and was now struck blind with his Commission about him which was an infallible testimony of his guilt and an evidence beyond oral witness to bring all the Christians he could find to Jerusalem having first bound them that they might receive their sentence And yet through the infinite mercy of God our Saviour Ananias was sent miraculously to recover him when once he humbled himself and prayed Enquire for Saul sayes our Lord in a Vision for behold he prayeth Acts. 9.11 Certainly therefore none is so vile but if he has so real a resolution of amendment that want of time only in this mortal life can hinder it from appearing in sincere action he may address himself to Almighty God and shall find grace to assist him in time of need CHAP. VIII THe last enquiry which I proposed to be made in relation to this great duty of prayer is to consider whether it is necessary or no. And this would need no discourse at all would men be contented with the determinations of the Gospel and not mix Christianity with Philosophical disputes and turn all publick places of meeting into Schools of controversie where every man determines out of the Chair that was never in it Christian Religion would be much more easie than it is if men would look upon it as matter of fact a thing that was once done and delivered by the great Messiah who was authorized and came down from Heaven to proclaim Gods Covenant of Grace to the world sealed by the blood of the Mediator and all conveyed down to us in the way which is now recommended and practised in such Churches as own the Scriptures to be their Rule of faith and manners and impose nothing in the Circumstances and Ceremonies that attend Religion but what is decent in order and for edification and no where prohibited in the Word of God no nor yet the contrary enjoyned and commanded and therefore such cannot be sinful impositions unless men pretending to Christianity can find a transgression where there is no Law But however because it has been a fashion to say nothing of design to render easie things by some mens perplexing them for their own advantage difficult and hard That I may not seem willing to avoid trouble and because no other more necessary labour of a Minister is considered than what is made publick by preaching or writing I am resolved at this time being in a complying humour neither to balk the questions of Knaves nor the scruples of Fools The strong foundation upon which this enquiry is built is upon the notion of Gods Decrees and in pursuance of these his Providence over the world and therefore what necessity is there of prayer since it cannot alter Gods Decrees and in consequence of it the actions of his Providence But is it not strange that some men should raise doubts concerning that which nature it self has seem'd to dictate and is one of the principles of mankind What if we meet with some few Sceptical Disputants who love to hear themselves talk and because their spirits are determined to their tongues and too well love their lodging there having left few in their brains to direct and guide them are mightily pleased with their volubility of language and the venting their passions without any dictates from the conclusions of their retired minds but make their affections Clowns to their understandings whilst they pass by without any ceremony or consideration Yet I am resolved to prove prayer to be necessary in spight of all Atheists and Fanaticks if they will attend to reason or but consult their own systems He that denyes the Being of a God let him shew the reason of the common and periodical revolutions of things or how he himself came into the world and the original of those powers by which he manages such an argument And if he cannot deny that God is the whole world will hiss at him if he will not grant that he ought to be invoked and prayed to And as for those who allow prayer in the practice but yet destroy the reason of it by their principles and grow distracted by their belief in God losing his Attributes whilst they retain his Name I must principally discourse with such men under this enquiry And that I may obtain leave with others in the world that make some figure among mankind to beat the bush before any thing is started give me leave to acquaint you that 't is a common division of that worship which we owe to God into a Moral and Ceremonial part Moral is that by which we pay our duty to him according to his Moral Precepts and Commands implanted in our natures or otherwise sufficiently revealed submitting to his will in his daily providence Ceremonial is a due observance of those Rites and circumstances that justly tend to the promotion of the Moral parts of worship Now though this latter be the controversie of our Countrey and those times in which we live though debates and objections concerning this are the sparks that set whole houses on fire lay Cities waste and make their Inhabitants prey upon each other and like thorns crackle under the Pots of some who would be accounted little less than Prophets when having laid they foretell their own designs and by lucky hits bring them to pass Yet since the first is not without its difficulties suitable to the variation of the fancies judgements or interest of men who according to their pleasure or the admiration of others make things either hard or soft difficult or easie when it is their will to obscure or explain them Before I proceed any farther on the particular subject under consideration it may not be amiss to be instructed in its preparatives and general ingredients as it is a part of Moral Worship in which is included that which is Natural To compleat which there must 1. Be a serious consideration of the works of God which sufficiently declare his Being to the world 2. A right judgement upon and collection from them 3. A rational and suitable affection of mind proportionable to our reasonable inferences and deductions