Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	form_n	pray_v	set_a	5,316	5	11.1216	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55750	Plenitudo fontis, or, Christ's fulnesse and man's emptinesse a sermon / preached by Iohn Preston ...	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1645 (1645)	Wing P3304A; ESTC R21068	16,290	23

b●●●prehended is of a secret disesteem of publique prayers By 〈◊〉 of which many neglect to come to them and they 〈◊〉 doe it in a perfunctory and overly manner which is an extreame fault Better were it that men would came to this disjunction either it is lawfull to use them or 〈◊〉 if not why doe they not wholly abstaine and if they ●●lawfull why doe they not use them constantly and in a reverent and holy manner One thing there is which if it were well considered would breed in the hearts of men another esteem of our publique prayers then there is And that is that besides the end of obteyning the things we want wherein yet publique prayer hath the promise there is another end in praying and that is to worship God and to performe a service to him for preving of which there are two places of Scripture un-answerable Luke 2. 37. Hannals worshipped God by fasting and prayers the word used is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is the proper word for worship Acts 13. 2. They ministred to the Lord and fasted the word used is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} whence the word Liturgy is derived This me thinkes should breed in the hearts of men a reverend esteeme of this duty Besides how straight is that which is objected against the lawfulnesse of it as that the Spirit is stinted when wee are fettered with words appointed Answ. The freedome of the Spirit stands not so much in the extent of the words as the intensnesse of the zeale wherewith they are uttered Besides if this argument were good it would swell against conceived prayer for if he that heareth hath a larger spirit then he that prayeth there is to him the same stinting o● restraint Againe it is objected that we cannot pray for occasionall necessities Therefore we bind not only to a set forme but men may and ought to use besides private prayer wherein we may expresse our private accidentall and particuler occasions And if they be more publique there are prayers before and after Sermon wherein the Minister is left at more liberty And if it be yet more generall belonging to the State or Church we adde it to the publike prayers as it is in the Gun-powder-treason times of War dearth c. But there needs not much be said to convince the judgement that which is chiefely to be desired is that they may be better observed and more esteemed especially seeing our publique prayers be holy and good and which should be a greater inducement the Church hath commanded them And if the Church be to be obeyed in indifferent things as it is much more in appointing of Gods owne Ordinances And if a set forme of prayer bee lawfull then the Lords Prayer must needes excell being dedicated by Christ himselfe and is therefore to bee more frequently used and withall Reverence both in minde and gesture Nor doth this want the practise and approbation of the Auncient it is Cyprians speech Quanto efficacius impetramus quod petimus Christi nominae si ipsius Oratione petamus And Saint Augustine Disce et retinete orationem Dominicam et inter omnes sanctos Consono ore proferatis Thus if we shal shew our selves affected as Receivers in using both publicke and private praier we shall find that successe which Iohn and the rest found who of his fulnesse received Grace for Grace FINIS Plin. Pr●efar Hist. Natural D. W. 2 Leaves in some places Gen. 3. 14. The first part 1. In regard of his p●●son 2. In regard of his Offices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o● his R●●hteousnesse 4. In regard of his Effect 1. Reasons from Christ 2. From our selves Q●●st Answ. Vse 4. Simile Object● Object Answ. Object Answ. Corol. 2.

the streame riseth not higher then the fountaine A beast would doe as much which sinking into danger would struggle to save it selfe But if it proceed from love to God why was it not done sooner why not in the flowre of our youth yea when it is done soonest would we not be heartily sorry that it was not done sooner if it proceeded out of love to him And if it thus proceed out of an holy love to God it cannot arise but from his holy spirit the breathings of which spirit as they are most free so are they most pretious Therefore when such a sparke is kindled in our hearts let us bee carefull to put fuell to it and not suffer it to goe out againe Al the Creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot helpe us againe to them yea the best Ordinances are but as pens without inke or empty Conduit-pipes which give not a drop of true Grace except Christ who is the Fountaine please to conveigh it by them You know the Famous Story of Francis Spira what bitter cryes hee used upon his Death bed O that I had but one drop of Faith One of the mottons which I have beene wont to have but yet could not have them But died with those desperate words in his mouth I am D●mned Therefore let us take heed how we let such motions rise up like bubbles in us and breake againe or goe our like sparkes upon wet under lest often checking and snibbing and quenching the Spirit in the end we be guilty of resisting the Holy Ghost and God shal swears in his wrath that we shal not enter into his rest Where by the way observe that this Doctrine teacheth us not to be idle and leave al to God as they slander it but as Paul maketh the Consequence because God worketh in you both the wil and the deed therefore worke out your Salvation with feare and trembling Armin●●s contrarily our selves worke in our selves the Wil and the deed Therefore we need not worke out our Salvation with any such feare and solicitude since we may doe it at our owne pleasure and leisure But it wil be said this is a hard case although a man would repent yet he cannot though he desire to serve God yet it is impossible Therefore to take away this Scruple we must know that God is exceeding free and open-handed in giving grace if it may be taken in time and if we wil not believe it Iohn commeth here and telleth you I have received of his Fulnesse and not onely I but al we have received that is al other Saints that either are or have beene and since Iohn's time many thousand thousands And shal not such a Cloud of Witnesses perswade us If a Beggar doe but heare of an open House kept or a great Dole it affects him and invites him to goe But when he sees many come from it with armes-ful and lapsful and baskets-ful then he is confident that addeth wings to him So if a sick man doe but heare of a Famous Physitian or a healing Wel it stirs him up to goe and try But when he meets with 100 and 1000 comming from the Wel and telling him I have beene there and am healed I have beene there and am made whole then he maketh no question So doth Iohn here Al we have received of his Fulnesse Like a Bird that hath found out a ful heape and calls his fellowes to it Say not therefore on my sinnes are so great and my wants are so many But rather thinke thus with your selves if there was grace inough for so many there is surely inough for me Onely you must receive when it is offered in the acceptable time lest often gr●●ving the Spirit God suffers his Spirit to strive no longer Gen. 6. 3. But as I said before sireare in his wrath that you shal not enter into his rest 2 If al grace be received then let us be affected as Receivers 1 In thankfulnes towards God the most gracious are the most grateful 2 In Humility towards men For what have wee that wee have not received And shal our Purse or Vessel boast 〈◊〉 selfe against another because the Owner hath put more Gold or more precious Liquor into it than into another it may be of the same or a better worth Or shal the w●l which glistereth with the Sun beames exalt it selfe against another which stands in the shadow as if it had Lustre from it selfe and not borrowed from the Sun 3. Let us be affected as Receivers in begging grace at Gods hands by Prayer Therefore it is said to be the B●cket of grace and it is a true observation that a man of much Prayer is a man of much Grace Now Prayer is either Private or Publique Private is that wherein we expresse our private and particular occasions to God every day wherein we renew Repentance Covenants with God of abstayning from the sinnes we are most proue to and of doing the duties to which we are most unapt in a word that wherein we doe every day set our hearts streight before God in al things This is the very Life of Religion and in this we must be very frequent and servent binding our selves with an inviolable resolution to keep a constant course in it but of this there is no doubt The next is Publique Prayer of which because it is more questioned and not received by all with that Reverence it should I wil adde a word or two of it and conclude That a set Forme of Prayer is Lawful much need not to be said the very newnesse of the contrary opinion is enough to shew the vanity and falsenesse of it It being contrary to the Judgment of approved Councells Learned Fathers and the continual Practise of the Church Tertullian who lived not much above an hundred yeares after the Apostles death saith in his Booke de Oratione Premissa Legitima ordinaria Oratione Ius est superstruendi Petitiones c. which sheweth that they had some ordinary set allowed Prayers to which afterwards some were added at more Liberty In Origen's time who lived very neere Tertullian's time It is evident that there were set Formes of Prayer used in the Church for in his 11th Homily upon Ieremy he repeateth and expoundeth some passages of them upon which occasion Illiricus saith Tune temporis certas quasdam foro●●las orationum s●●e dubio habuerunt Basil in his 63. Epistle saith that in his time there were Letanies used in the Neocesarean Churches and Ambrose in his time affirmeth Vsum Laetaniarum ubique ●sse frequentem Constantine the Great prescribed a set Forme of Prayer to his Souldiers set downe by Eusebius in his fourth Booke And Calvin in his 83. Epistle to the Protect● of England saith that he doth greatly allow a set Forme of Ecclesiasticall Prayers which the Ministers should be bound to observe But as I said before of the lawfulnesse there is little question That which is chiefely to