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
A97360	The works of the judicious and learned divine Dr. Thomas Taylor, part 1. sometimes preacher of Aldermanbury, London. Published by himself in his life time, in several smaller volumes, now collected together into three volumes in fol. two of which are here bound together. The first volume containing, I. An exposition on the 32. Psalm ... The second volume containing, I. An exposition of the parable of the sower and seed, on Luk. 8. ... The third volume is in the press, and will containe in it, I. The progress of sts, to full holinesse ...	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.	1659 (1659)	Wing T560A	683,147	498

things are by communication the more increased for wee read not of any man that laid out his Tallent but to increase and as the light of the Sun is never a whit impaired by communicating it self to the whole world or as hee that lighteth one candle of another dimisheth not in either but increaseth the light so is it in the light of the Sun of Righteousnesse much more and in the kindling of these heavenly sparkles whose property is to diffuse themselves as fire and the further they spread the greater and brighter is the flame 3 The third fruit or effect of Faith is an undaunted confession of it Rom. 10.10 With the heart wee beleeve to justification and with the mouth we confesse to salvation For where faith is in the heart it will bee also in the mouth The spirit of Faith and the speech of Faith are undivided as 2 Cor. 4.13 And because wee have the same spirit of Faith according to that which was written I beleeved and therefore I spake even so wee beleeve and therefore also wee speak Now there bee three actions of Faith which help forward this free confession 1 It maketh a man bold in a good cause Act. 5.29 Peter being full of faith with a bold spirit told the Council that had the power of Life and Death in their hands and himself in their power wee ought rather to obey God than you 2 Faith keepeth a man in a preparedness to suffer by leading him along in the denial of himself and hereof wee have a notable example in Paul Act. 21.13 who professed how ready hee was not onely to bee bound but to dye also at Jerusalem if God called him thereunto 3 It worketh joy yea much rejoycing in the heart in the suffering for Christ and a good cause Rom. 5.3 after the Apostle had laid down the justification of faith as a ground hee saith that wee then rejoyce in tribulation and that they did so indeed is plain Act. 5.41 They departed from the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name hence could they sing Psalm● at mid-night in the dungeon and fetters and hence could the Martyrs imbrace the fire kiss the stake and testify such joy in the flames as all men might acknowledge the truth of the speech of our Saviour Your joy shall no man take away from you no Tyrant no tormentor nor any kind of torment The fourth and last fruit or work of faith is that wheresoever sound faith is it is most diligent in preserving yea and increasing of it self The most covetous man is not more complaining nor gathering than the beleever who is ever complaining of want of Faith or of the weaknesse of it Mar. 9.24 and knowing the want of it to bee so dangerous and hurtful as without which hee wanteth Christ himself as also that the weaknesse of it depriveth him of much comfort and many goods things for a man of weak estate must needs want many rich commoditys and sweet comforts which the wealthy enjoy in abundance Therefore hee useth all good means to increase his stock as 1 Hee is much in hearing reading and meditating in the word because he knoweth Means to increase the stock of faith faith commeth by hearing and every thing is preserved and nourished by that whereof it is begotten 2 Hee is much in godly talk and Christian conference by which as the fire by the bellows so is the grace of God blown and stirred up in him 3 Because hee seeth how without prayer both his own but especially Christs his faith is as ready to fail as Peters was Luk. 22.32 hee is much in prayer and with the Father of the Childe cryeth with tears often Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Mark 9.24 and with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith Luke 17.5 And these are the marks by which the soundness and currence of Faith as by a touchstone may bee tryed and distinguished from all that false and counterfeit Faith which is so stiring in the World and wherby most men are lamentably deceived The use of this Doctrin is 1 To stir up men to examine and by these notes to prove themselves whether they are in the Faith or no to try their faith of what kinde it is least in the end they find that they have leaned upon a staffe of reed By which examination I fear it will bee too evidently seen that these are the last daies wherein the Sonne of man shall come and scarcely find faith upon the face of the earth Sure it is that the common faith of men is neither thus 1 Founded 2 Nor qualified The most common faith of men is not thus qualified 3 Nor attended 4 Nor thus fruitful as will briefly appear in the particulars First Every man saith he hath Faith but whence had hee it it was never begotten by the Word he never cared for that that was ever as a sixt finger and superfluity unto him It was never founded in repentance nor dwelleth with Humility for most men never saw change in themselves they have loved God and beleeved in Christ ever since they can remember It was never cherished with the duties of prayer and invocation they could never pray in all their lives except after the Minister or by set forms but the spirit of prayer never dwelt there It was never conflicted with unbeleef they wonder what that should bee or that any man should not ever beleeve so as indeed here is no character of the faith of the Elect and nothing all this while but a voice and very carkase of Faith 2 Others say they beleeve and brag of a saving faith in Christ but they feed a bare fancy for they could never beleeve God for lesser things they want the faith of Gods providence even for meat and drink which is apparent in that they can use wicked and unwarrantable means for them their strong faith they brag of waiteth not for Gods provision but will shift for it self by hook and by crook it holdeth not the heart to patient bearing of the Cross but flingeth out in distempers it putteth not forth in inferiour businesses to give directions to the particular actions of life and therefore seeing this faith faileth in lesser and smaller things how can it bee sound in the greatest of all 3 Others boast of a sound faith which were it so it would lay hold upon the promise and beleeve for themselves and their seed but this it doth not for many who for themselves would rest in the providence of God upon the good and warrantable m●●●s will yet indanger themselves for their children And hence is it that many who have lived conscionably in single estate have remitted much of their care and fear in their married condition and come short of their former uprightnesse and why is this else but that they conceive not the Lord to bee all sufficient for them and theirs Gen. 17.1 4 Others there

points we are to speak something seeing the former is the principal and included in this latter and these latter were but servants unto the former It is true that the Jews were more affected with his Miracles than with his Doctrin insomuch as they were often wholly carried after him for the bread and belly sake Which seemeth to bee the reason why the Apostle Peter speaketh more plainly of these as being better observed and more sparingly of his Doctrin which was not so great a rayser of his fame as these were but it must not bee so with us who look for Salvation by his most holy Doctrin but cannot by his Miracles And first for his Doctrin the calling of our blessed Saviour being to seek and save that which was lost Christ went about doing good in dispersing every where most holy doctrin to reduce the lost sheep of the house of Israel unto the fold to finde the lost groat to call sinners unto Repentance how all his life was thus taken up were too long in every particular to manifest To omit his private life which was nothing but an increasing in wisdome and favour with God and man After his solemn and publike inauguration hee shewed himself a perfect mirrour of goodness both in the more general parts of his prophetical office as also in the more special practices of it For the former how faithful was hee in all the house of his Father not as Moses who was but a Servant but as the Son who from the bosome of his Father brought and delivered a most perfect Word of Truth yea who was not only the bearer of it but the very Author of all Truth And therefore according to his Power and Commission reformed the Law corrupted with false glosses of the Pharisees and established it preached the Gospel and dispersed it by himself his Apostles and other Teachers after them raised by himself and fitted with gifts thereunto for the gathering of the Saints Eph. 4. instituted and ministred the Sacraments of the New Testament after the abolishing of the Old framed and prescribed a perfect form of prayer unto which all ours must bee squared delivered as Moses a pattern of the Temple and all things therein namely an absolute form of external government for the perpetual use of the Church for the well ordering and cutting off dis-orders in it And for the later how careful was hee to take all occasions to instruct particular persons in the will of his Father nay not onely to take but even seek them that so hee might make offer of the greatest good that ever men in this world could meet withall If his Disciples onely speak of bread hee telleth them hee hath other bread that they know not of If a poor woman meet him while shee goeth to draw a bucket of water hee preacheth unto her of the water of the well of life If hee look upon the Sun hee takes occasion thence to instruct those who were about him that he is the light of the world and that whosoever follow him walk not in darkness If he see but a little child hee thence taketh occasion to instruct his followers in the Doctrin of humility innocency and meeknesse Matth. 18.3 If hee do but hear of his Mother and Brethren hee taketh occasion to shew his spiritual kindred and acquaintance Mat. 12.50 And in both these how Meekly gently humbly yea and compassionately did he carry himself towards those that were any way teachable howsoever in publike and against gain-sayers hee taught with Majesty and as one having authority Besides this how boldly and diligently went hee about Preaching the will of his Father in the midst of dangers discouragements and reproaches which were raised against him not onely when they lay in wait to catch him in his speech but even to attach his person to mischief him How often did the Jews take up stones to stone him Joh. 16. 10. How did the people assault him to throw him down head-long from the top of an hill Luke 4.29 how many other deadly dangers escaped hee and yet in the midst of death could not bee discouraged nor overcome of their malice but overcame their evil with goodness Unto which most holy course of Doctrin if wee adde his most innocent life in which was no spot or error it addeth also grace and glory to his Doctrin Never went any before him or can do after him doing good as hee did for hee never did otherwise no word or deed ever proceeded from him but was answerable to the Laws perfection so as the Church may well sing out his beauty from top to toe which is every way matchless and incomparable U e of Chr●st ●●●acle● three●●ld Cant. 5.10 Secondly Christ went about doing good by many miraculous actions all of them directly tending to the good of man The especiall uses of them all were three First to confirm the truth of his Divine person Joh. 10.24 Tell us plainly if thou beest the Christ to which Jesus answered The works which I do hear witnesse of mee and again If I do not the works of my Father beleeve mee not and Joh. 2.11 This beginning of Miracles did Jesus in Cana● of Galilee and shewed forth his glory Secondly to confirm the truth of his office thus the Jews could sometimes confess that hee was a Teacher sent of God Matth. 21.16 and Nicodemus affirmed Joh. 3.2 that no man could do such things unless God were with him and Joh. 6.14 Then the men when they had seen the miracle said This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the World Thirdly to confirm the truth of his Doctrin and consequently our Faith in the same Joh. 11.14 Lazarus is dead and I am glad that I was not there for your sakes that yee may beleeve and chap. 14.11 Beleeve mee at least for the works sake Object But the Prophets and Apostles also wrought miracles and therefore they cannot argue him more extraordinary either for his person or office than they were Ans Yes because there was great difference between his Miracles Difference between the miracles of Christ and of the Prophets and Apostles and those that were wrought by Prophets and Apostles For howsoever all of them conspired in the main end of them which was to confirm the same Doctrin together with the Divine person and office of Jesus Christ as also in the substance of them all of them in both being such works as transcend the power reach and law of all nature created yet differ they much 1 In the manner of working Christ wrought his Miracles by his own power and strength Luke 6.19 The whole multitude sought to touch him for vertue went out of him and hee healed them all But they wrought by Christs power and acknowledging themselves but Instruments disclaim all power in themselves that all the glory might bee Christs whose also the works done in and by them are Act. 3.12