Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	forgive_v	lord_n	trespass_n	3,485	5	11.3824	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47436	A discourse concerning the inventions of men in the worship of God by William Lord Bishop of Derry ...	King, William, 1650-1729.	1694 (1694)	Wing K528; ESTC R9667	85,542	194

as we would be accounted His Disciples Neither will saying the Substance of it in other Words of our own Invention answer the intent of this Command Since 1. We are sure the Substance of the Prayer is put by Christ in the most apposite and comprehensive Words that are possible and therefore wholly to lay them aside for others is plainly to decline the choice of Words that Christ has made for us and substitute less apposite of our own to express those Petitions in 2. The more particularly any thing is Commanded in the Worship of God we ought to be the more carefull to observe it and may be the more confident that God is pleased with our performance of it since therefore we are particularly Commanded when we pray to say Our Father c. whatever other prayers we offer to God this ought not to be omitted 3. In general we are Commanded to offer up our desires to God and in particular to offer this Prayer These Commands agree very well together and therefore the one ought not to justle out the other To lay aside the Prayer particularly commanded by Christ for others of our own composing in pusuance of the general Command is too apparently to prefer our own Invention to God's Command 4. When we take the liberty to word our own Prayers we may forget some things we may mix our own frailties and weakness in our Petitions and this too often appears both in the matter and wording of them The way therefore to supply these defects and to obtain pardon for our Infirmities is to use our Lords perfect Prayer not only as a Pattern for prayer as some would have it but likewise as a Form necessary to be used to correct what may be amiss or defective in our own prayers 5. They who lay aside the words of the Lord's Prayer are in danger to lay aside some of the substance of it also particularly the substance of that Petition Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us For many who lay aside the Lord's Prayer do neither in terms nor substance offer this Petition to God nay are so far from making this the Condition of their pardon as Christ has taught us that they publickly dispute against the Form for this very reason Tho' Christ who fore-saw the Objection which our Corruptions would be apt to make has Answered it and bound it upon us indispensibly as our Duty to ask Forgiveness on these and no other terms Matth. vi 15 And indeed if such a Sentence had been prescribed by our Lord to be only repeated by Christians once or oftner every day it would have seemed but what was necessary to mind them of that peculiar and indispensible Duty of their profession We see the Wisdom of the Ancients thought fit to reduce their Doctrine or Instructions into Proverbs or short Sentences to be got by heart and kept continually in memory as of great influence for guiding Mens Lives and Actions and such Sentences must be of much greater influence when repeated in the presence of God as these in our Lord's Prayer are required to be Lastly This Prayer being given us as a Badge of our Profession a Summary of our Duty as Christians and a Form of Sound Words it is no more lawful to alter it than to lay it aside and it would be the same presumption and hazard to substitute other words instead of Christs in this Prayer which we are oblig'd always to use when we pray as to change the words of our Creed or as it would be in a Battel to change the Word given by a General or any part of it and to retain onely the signification of it From all which 't is manifest that God has required Forms of Prayer to be used by us both in the Old and New Testament As to the difference we find in the Lord's Prayer as delivered by St. Matthew and St. Luke 't is to be observed that our Saviour spake in the Syriac or vulgar Hebrew and the Evangelists writ their Gospels in Greek Now in the Syriack one and the same word expresses both those different words which the Evangelists use in the same Petition as Debts and Trespasses c. So that it is no real but a seeming difference between them all the different Words being the same in the Original Language in which our Saviour spake IV. As we have the Command of God and the Example of his Saints for offering up our Prayers to Him in a set and prepared Form of Words so we have the like Example for joyning Voices upon occasion in offering these Words Generally it is sufficient that the People joyn in their hearts with the words of publick Prayers yet the Scriptures warrant also on some Occasions their joyning their Voices 1. Thus we find the people of Israel addressing themselves to God Judges xxi 2 And the people came to the House of God and abode there till even before God and lift up their Voices and wept sore and said O Lord God of Israel why is this come to pass in Israel c. 2. In Hymns and Psalms which are also Prayers in great part as I noted before the people are generally allowed by all as being fully warranted by Scripture to joyn their Voices So Moses and the Children of Israel sung unto the Lord Exod. xv 1 3. In the New Testament we have an Eminent Example of this practise Acts iv 24 where the Apostles and their Disciples lift up their Voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God c. If this prayer was immediately inspired as it seems it was then the whole Assembly was inspired together not only to think the same Thing but likewise to utter the same Words and the Spirit of God by it has attested the fitness and decency of a whole Congregation's pronouncing the same prayer together If it had not been convenient that this should be some times practised in our Christian Assemblies God would not have given us this Example If the people were always to joyn in their hearts only with our publick prayers it would have been so here for the Spirit of God wou'd not have led them to do an indecent thing or a thing unfit for God's Worship 4. St. Paul and Silas joyned also their Voices in their prayers as we may see from Acts xvi 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sung praises unto God and the prisoners heard them I know it may be alledged That they sung their prayers which they offered up to God on this Occasion and on that account joyned their Voices I confess the Original favours this Inference but if it be allowed that the Apostles sung their prayers together it must be allowed that they might likewise say them together For we find the Blessed in Heaven offering not only their praises together but their prayers also so Rev. vi 10 They cried with a loud voice saying How long