Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	hear_v	lord_n	pray_v	17,631	5	6.3002	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86491	The holy harmony: or, a plea for the abolishing of organs and other musick out of the Protestant churches of Great Britain, and demolishing of superstitious and idolatrous monuments. With a plenary expression of the Parliaments piety, cities charity, countreys constancy.		1643 (1643)	Wing H2526; Thomason E105_11; ESTC R2064	6,331	10

The Holy Harmony OR A Plea for the abolishing of Organs and other Musick out of the Protestant Churches of Great Britain and demolishing of superstitious and idolatrous Monuments WITH A plenary Expression OF The Parliaments Piety Cities Charity Countreys Constancy ECCLES 4.11 12. Also if two sleep together then shall they have heat but to one how should there be heat And if one overcome him two shall stand against him and a threefold cord is not easily broken LONDON Printed by R. Austin and A. Coe 1643. The Holy Harmonie SOlomon the wisest of Kings did so love the peace of the Church that he charged the daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken the Spouse of Christ untill she pleased Cant. 8.4 and when he built the Temple of the Lord you shall observe greater noise at the dedication then erection for there we heard Solomons prayer the peoples submission and acclamation 2 Chron. 7.3 but in the building of this holy pile not the noise of a hammer it is a Holy Harmony when the King and people joyn in prayer and sacrifice for I find it no prejudice to holy David in descending to the poorest though holy expressions of his people the Crown and Scepter is not prejudic'd in the observation of the meanest acts of devotion the King of Niniveh prescribes not a fast to man and beast but himself also Monarchy were miserable if it had this exemption I find in this pious union between the King and people a notable zeale wherein it had been no point of treason for the subject to have been more devout then his Soveraigne 't is true the Levites were there with their instruments of musick which David made to praise the Lord which I conceive he was forced to do to comply with the people who were but newly exept from under the Judges in which time having no King they did every man as he listed and therefore were not fully reduc'd to civility so that David happily suffered these plausible things whereby to attract the peoples recourse to the Temple nature ever aiming at somthing that may please or profit and a holy policy is tolerated for God grants that nation a Bill of divorce because of the hardnesse of their hearts but we must know that our hearty devotions are the only musick for the house of God Psalms and Prayers are not the heavenlier for Copes and Vestments not the louder for wind-Instruments Indeed I observe at the dedication of Nebuchadnezzars image the Cornet Trumpet Harp Sackbut Psaltery and all instruments of Musick Dan. 3.7 were alarums appointed as Vshers to the adoration of those living statues to a dead image as if the eare must be rouzed before the heart or as if mens devotions were like Bucks Bores or Hares not to be rouzed without hollowings hornes and hounds or as if men had slept all night in a strange lodging and were to be awakened the next morning by the Weights of the towne with good morrow to your Worship certainly that zeale is halfe dead the six dayes that must have all that stirre to awaken his nap the seventh certainly this is no holy Harmony Me thinkes I affect that holy pastime and devout derision of Eliahs used to the Priests of Baal when he was by the convincing and converting of Isreal to confound them 1. King 18.27 Crie aloud sayes he for he is a God either he taketh or pursueth his enemies or is in his journy or it may be that he sleepeth and must be awaked but this would have been one of the devils sheetings a great crie and no wooll Lazy and sluggish devotion is cold in operation holy duties have their life and vigour without such secondary assistance as is borrowed from leatherne bellies what needs such horrid shouts unlesse it bee to confound the sweetnes of a hymne t is hard for the vulgar sort to know the Psalme which is cleerely lost by the Organs and the Quire well may they admire the art of the Musician but not edify themselves yet many I suppose have gon to see the praiers but th●y could not distuiguish by the sound they were so yet was this applauded by the unholy for the holiest harmony The soule should appeare to God as God to Moses in a soft and a still winde the holy and sweet sighes or silent expressions of the soul are most acceptable Paul knew the sweetnesse of this still Musick these heavenly breathings and would have preferred one of them before a thousand crouds of sackbutts this is the holy harmony I find the ancient Romanes had a kinde of Vergers that went before their solemne processions to proclaime silence that so there might be no disturbance to their devotions for indeed me thinks it had been absurd for a people to speak to their God who must of necessity hold his tongue but the new Romans being emptier of zeale have their Organs to rouze theirs least like those in a swoune they should die in a qualme of ardency t is the organs of our selves we should imploy in that service Poore Hanna obtained a sonne for never a word speaking 1 Sam 1.13 for Hanna spoke in heart he lipps did move only but her voice was not heard but marke she that conceived a prayer in her heart forthwith conceives a son in her wombe such accesse to the heavenly throne hath the silentest prayer they shall be fertile that are faithfull but as if the loudest prayers were the highest Eli tells her shee is drunke which shee devoutly disproves nay my Lord c. even like him more impotent and holy they are in their censures for they think all congregations drunke whose organs they heare not but hee that prayes to be heard of men men shall never heare that that mans prayer is heard but we hope to have our desires heard granted and our sterile wombs opened by those sound but not sounding expressions of our foules which is the holy harmony Christ when he was to raise the daughter of Iairus Mat. 9. would not worke his miracle of mercy till he had excluded the minstrells though a bedchamber be a fitter place for such a pack then the house of God our dumpish soules find small solace in such society nor can they be raised from their slumbers in sin nor receive the benefit of Christs consolation whilst they suffer themselves to be transported with the raving raptures of their foolish jollitie t is thence happily we are deprived from the blessed operations of the spirit of life wee approaching the tents of Iacob rather to heare the noise of such instruments then the devine voice of the charmer who spake as never man spake T is worth the observation that Sauls evill spirit was driven away with Davids harpe which we know was the stillest instrument amongst the Iewes for I conceive that not only much babbling but loud is discommended though I know that deep sorrowes or strong sence of sin doth frequently make choice of violent zealous importunate and