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	supplication_n	3,611	5	10.7257	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12977	A sermon preached in the cathedrall church of Worcester vpon Sunday morning, Nouemb. 27. 1636 In the time of pestilence in other places of this land, and now published in the time of the visitation of that citie, with that grevious sicknesse, and by reason of it. By Geo. Stinton,	Stinton, George, b. 1599 or 1600.	1637 (1637)	STC 23271; ESTC S113491	15,854	40

plague of his owne heart saying Ps 51.3 I acknowledge my faults and my sinne is ever before me praying in that Psalme thus Create in me a clean heart O God V. 10. He knew his heart had been foule and had need of clensing and therefore prayed for it Purge me with hysope and J shal be clean wash me c. wash me throughly from mine iniquity V. 7. 2. Ps 19.12 and cleanse me from my sinne O cleanse thou me from my secret faults But to make short Let my exhortation be that of the Prophet Jsai ch 1. ●6 Wash yee make you clean put away the evill of your doings and that of S. Iames ch 4.8 Cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts yee double minded and to make use of the words Ezek. 20.43 Let us remember our wayes and all our doings wherein we have been defiled and lothe our selves in our owne sight for all our evils that we have committed There is one thinge more you know which I must needs say somthing of but now can say but litle which is concerning prayer and supplication to be made by Gods people c. They are the words of S. Iames in his last chap. 14. Is any sick among you Let him call for the Elders of the Church and let thē pray over him Is any infectious contagious sicknes among us Let me say too let the Elders of the Church the Ministers be called unto and upon and they must pray for the people according to the advise Ioel. 2.16.17 being part of the Epistle for the Fast-day Gather the people assemble the Elders let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord c. and as Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron who were Priests for Moses and Aaron among his Priests Ps 99.6 and said intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death Exod. 10.16.17 So it is the part and duty of the Priests and Ministers especially to intreat the Lord God that he would take away from the people this death and Plague and this they must doe according to my Text in his house his holy places and Temples As David said Ps 68.33 Ps 42.8 that he went with the multitude into the house of God so the Priest and multitude of people who are safe and free must goe together into the house of God and there make prayer and supplication unto him they must as the same David said that he and the people would doe Ps 132.7 goe into his Tabernacle and fall low on their knees before his footstoole and withall according to my Text spread forth their hands there and as the same David exhorted Ps 134 2. lift up their hands in the Sanctuary their hands as Davids were V. 6. Ps 26. being washed in Innocency before they with him goe to the Lords Altar and with those hands the heart being lifted up according to the words formerly cited Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens and thus with David Ps 5. comming into Gods house upon the multitude of his mercies in his feare worshiping towards his holy Temple both Priest people may say with him Ps 48.8 We wait for thy loving kindnesse O God in the mid'st of thy Temple and they may hope and be confident that although as David saith Ps 11.4 the Lords seat is in heaven yet with all as it is there the Lord is in his holy Temple that this Lord will as the same David was assured he would his Ps 18.6 heare their voyce out of his holy Temple and that their complaint shall come before him and shall enter even into his eares and that according unto the prayer of Solomon Davids sonne in my Text he will heare in heaven his dwelling place and forgive And as there must be publique prayer in Gods house so ought there to be private in our owne and in our private roomes according to our Saviours advise Mat. 6.6 Enter into thy chamber and when thou hast shut thy doore pray to thy Father which is in secret and according to the example of Daniel who in his chamber kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed Dan. 6.10 Both publique and private prayer are now injoyned by our Soveraigne and I trust it will prove a soveraigne remedie for the occasion Let me be bold and say making use of our Saviours words Mat. 17.21 This kind this kind of sicknesse will not goe out of this land but by prayer and fasting We know what hath been the effect of prayer and supplication and that at such a time as this The Lord threatned to smite his people with the Pestilence Moses besought him to pardon their iniquity and the Lord presently said V. 12.19.20 J bave pardoned according to thy word Numb 14. The Lord did smite them with the Pestilence but when Phineas stood up and prayed the plague ceased As we use to read it Ps 106.30 In that great Plague in the time of King David David and the Elders of Israel fell upon their faces and prayed for the people and called upon the Lord and the Lord commanded the Angell and he put up his sword againe into the sheath thereof as wee may read 1 Chron. V. 16.17.26.27 2. King 20.7 21. Once more King Hezekiah was sicke as it is thought and is probable of the plague and sicke to the death and he prayed unto the Lord and hee spake unto him and hee gave him a signe as it is 2. Chron. 32.24 And as we see hence what hath been the effect of prayer at such a time as this so we are told what it shall be and that by the Lord himselfe and that too answering this very petition of Solomon which is my text unto which you will finde the Lords gracious answer in the last mentioned booke 2. Chron. 7. The Lord appeared and said to Solomon J have heard thy prayer and if I send Pestilence among my people if my people which is called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked waeyes then I will heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne and will heale their land v. 12.13.14 from this Lord his Prophet Ioel hath assured us that upon the humiliation of the people upon the teares and Prayer of the priests the Lord will be jealous for his land and pity his people chap. 2 17.18 and the prayer of faith of Gods faithfull people shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up c. saith S. Iames chapt 5.15 and therefore as he saith vers 13. Is any among you afflicted Let him pray And let me say for those among us that are afflicted let us pray for it may be the case is so with some of them that they cannot pray for thēselves Pray for one another that yee may bee healed Saith the same Apostle in the same chapt vers 16. It is the best office that one Christian can doe for another which S. Paul most frequently and earnestly desired might bee done for him and at the hands of those unto whom he wrot begg'd for nothing more earnestly then for that as doe shew those words of his unto the Romās Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that yee strive together with me in your prayers to God for me chapt 15.30 And therefore as he said unto the Hebrewes chap. 13 19. I beseech you to doe this so let me beseech that this may bee done frequently faithfully humbly heartily Pray for thy selfe out of great necessity For others out of Christian charity Pray that thou maist truly know the Plague of thine owne heart that God would cease it in thy heart and that he would cease and stop it in the land Vse the prayer of the prophet Habbakuk in that chapt where he speaketh of the Pestilence ch 3.2 O Lord in wrarth remember mercy V. 5. that of the prophet Isai chapt 64.9 Be not wrath very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see wee beseech thee we are all thy people That of the prophet Daniel chapt 9.19 O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe not deferre for thine owne sake O God! Or that of Solomon in my text Heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive pray that God would heare in H●●ven his dwelling place the prayers her● made upon Earth his footstoole and that he would heare in heaven the prayers made in heaven for us upon the earth ●● Iesus Christ our Mediatour who ever liveth to make intercession for us By th● blessed Saints out of the altitude of their charity the Church triumphant for the Church militant By the soules under the Altar who cry and say how long O Lord holy and true O thou that hearest the prayers unto thee shall all flesh come Ps ●● Now unto him that heareth the prayers God the Father to Iesus Christ God the Sonne who prayeth for us and to God the holy Ghost be all Honour c. FINIS

A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Worcester vpon Sunday Morning Novemb. 27. 1636. IN The time of PESTILENCE in other places of this Land and now published in the time of the Visitation of that Citie with that greivous Sicknesse and by reason of it By GEO. STINTON PSAL. 1●2 8 For my Brethren and Companions sake I will wish th●e Prosperity OXFORD Printed by L. Lichfield for H.C. Printer to the Vniversity Anno Dom. 1637. TO THE FAMOVS ALTHOVGH NOW DEIECTED CITY OF WORCESTER THE PLACE OF MY BIRTH and first breeding and the dwelling place of many my good friends alliance is this plain Sermon since the Preaching revised and amplified in humble manner dedicated Health and all Blessings wished from the heart of the Author 1. KING 8. v. 37.38.39 If there be in the land Famine if there be Pestilence Blasting Mil-dew Locust or if there be Caterpillars if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities whatsoever Plague whatsoever sicknesse there be What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the Plague of his owne heart and spread forth his hands toward this house Then heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive COme forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold King Solomon said King Solomon in his song chap 3.11 The daughters of Zion are the children and people of the Church and unto you Beloved who are such give me leave to say Come and behold King Solomon I might bespeake you as one of our Saviour's disciples did him Mark 13.1 to behold the goodly buildings of the Temple which King Solomon founded that if you please you may behold in the chap. next but one before this but let me bespeake you to behold and looke over the excellent prayer which he made at the Dedication of that Temple set down at large in this chap. and of which this my Text is part King Solomon was a Preacher so he saith himselfe I the Preacher was King over Israel in Jerusalem Eccles 1.12 That King over Israel in Ierusalem was a Preacher We have reason to love and like Preaching the better for his sake But I must tell you that the house which he built in Ierusalem was not to be called the house of Preaching but the house of prayer Math. 12.41 It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer said a greater then Solomon of it Math. 21.13 and so Solomon made it He as it were seasoned it with prayer and we may observe in this his prayer how often he speaketh of prayer and supplication to be made in that house V. 30.33 c. They were the words of S. Paul 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions be made for all men First of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before any thing else in the very first place which Solomon did in this place and that for all men as there should bee occasion and when they should be in any adversity and affliction When there should be in the land Famine occasioned by Blasting Mil-dew Locust and Caterpiller spoyling and devouring the graine and grasse and fruits of the ground or by Enemies besieging the people in the land of their cities When I say there should be Famine and Warre in the land and that which is now in this land Pestilence Plague and sicknesse Now blessed be God for it we may make an If of it and say Jf there be in the land famine if there be blasting mil-dew c. and if there be Enemies besieging c. for this our lād is pestred with none of these But we cannot fitly say Jf there be Pestilence Plague and sicknesse for we know and heare how it is in divers places of the land And in this place this city we know what * The spotted feaver the forerunner of a farre greater mortality this yeere sicknes hath been this yeare and is still and taketh many of our good friends away God Almighty who hath sent these send them away againe in his good time And therefore now let me wave those o●●er viz. Famine Blasting c. there being no occasion of complaining of them whereupon I may forbeare speaking of them Only we have reason to pray that there may be no occasion of complaining of any of them hereafter as there is now of that other the Pestilence by reason of which this text of mine is very seasonable I pray God make my sermon upon it as profitable Which Text you see is very large and of which you perceive that much might being made and therefore you must give me leave with that Abbreviator of the Roman History Rufus ●e●●us morem sequi calculonum qui ingentes summas aeris brevioribus exprimunt to doe as accountants use to doe who make a few counters stand for great summes of coyne In my present handling this Text I shall pick out only a few things to pitch upon And they are these First I shall speak of that which occasioned the choice of it Pestilence in the land Secondly of that which hath occasioned the Pestilence to be in the land which I gather from the words the Plague of a mans owne heart The Plague of the hearts of men I shall shew to bee the cause of the Plague in the land Thirdly I shall shew what course is to be taken when there is in the land Pestilence Plague c. and that is twofold First that every man ought to study to know the Plague of his owne heart And next that Gods people are to make prayer and supplication unto him in his house and there to spread forth their hands This is all that I shall doe And this while I shall doe briefly and very plainly I humbly crave Gods gracious assistance c. It was the prediction of our blessed Saviour Mat. 24.7 there shall be Pestilence in divers places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many times and fits of Pestilence many visitations by it And that prediction we know and see to be fulfilled And here my observation is this that when there are Pestilences in divers places the Lord is angry with those places In the Revelation of S. Iohn chap. 16.1.2 we read of the vials of the wrath of God one of which being by an Angel powred upon the earth there fell a noysome and greivous sore upon men and the noysome Pestilence Vers 3. As it is called Ps 91. This plague and grievous sicknesse as we call it in our prayer I may say is powred out of one of the vials of the wrath of God by that destroying Angel of whom we read 2. Sam. 24. Vers 16. This the Lord himselfe calleth one of his foure sore judgements Ezek. 14.21 a sore one indeed it may well be called a noysome and grievous sore falling by it upon men according to those words in the Revelation But to make what I

sitteth our turnes better you have it Lamentations chap 3. v. 39.40.41 Wherefore saith the Prophet doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let us search and try our wayes Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens Living men whē they are punished are apt to complaine Iob. 1.22 and murmure yea to charg God foolishly and with Jonah to be angry ch 4.9 even unto death but wherefore saith Ieremie doth a man so he doth but suffer justly it is but the punishment of his sinnes But to complaine and murmure is not the way and course to be taken to doe so will doe no good but hurt the best thing we can doe is to search and try our wayes to lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens Which words you perceive how well they doe answer those in my Text and that which at the first I told you from them when I observed the course c. which I told you is twofold First that every man ought to study to know the Plague of his owne heart And next that Gods people are to make prayers and supplications unto him in his house there to spread forth their hands Of which one after the other let me speak And here let me come in againe with the words of the Prophet Jeremie let us search and try our wayes search for the Plague of our own hearts that we may know it as David said he did Ps 77.6 I saith he commune with my owne heart my spirit made diligent search as that woman did Luk. 15.8 who swept the house sought diligently for her lost piece Venena non desunt sed torpent saith Seneca poyson doth sometimes lie still and as it were asleep and the plague we know in some houses lurketh and lyeth dormant a great while before it breaketh out and is plainly knowne and so doth the plague of sinne in the heart of man which heart saith the Lord Ierem 17.9 is deceitfull above all things and desperatly wicked who can know it what man can know the heart of another man and one man is loath that another should know the deceitfulnes and desperate wickednesse of his heart Even as wee have knowne some who have knowne the plague to have been in their houses and yet would not be knowne of it would not acknowledge it till needs they must being not able to smother it any longer In like manner there are many who know a plague to be in their owne heart but they will not acknowledge it like Gehazi 2. King 5 25. and like Ananias and Saphira Act. 5.8 they cover their transgressions as Adam by hyding their iniquity in their bosome to speak with Iob. ch 31.33 even as it is said of an adulterous woman Prov. 30 20. that shee eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickednesse I said before what the Lord said concerning the deceitfulnesse and wickednesse of the heart Who can know it but I may here say who will know it I meane that of his owne heart that of another mans heart many are most willing to know and with Momus in Lucian they would faine have a window made that they might see and know it But the deceitfulnesse and desperate wickednesse the Plague of his owne heart I say who will know it Men might know it if they did but take the care and course to know it that that David did whose words you heard before I commune with mine owne heart and my spirit made diligent search Or if they would doe as Seneca said he did De Ira l. 3. cap. 36. whose words are quotidiè apud me causam dico totū diem mecū scrutor facta ac dicta mea remetior nihil mihi ipse abscondo nihil transeo Every day I have a pleading with my selfe when the day is passed I examin my selfe how I have passed it away I repeat with my selfe all that I have said and done I conceale nothing from my selfe I leave nothing unthought of and such a course he that is a good and wise man indeed useth to take as the Poet saith in his Character of such a one Iudex ipse sui totum se explorat ad unguē Virgil He Iudgeth and searcheth and sifteth himselfe throughly and perfectly But alas as the Prophet Hosea saith of Ephraim Ch. 7.9 gray haires are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not and as it is said of the Church of Laodicea Revel 3.17 that shee knew not that shee was wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked So may it be said of many that they will not know will not be sensible of how it is with them and of what is within them the Plague of their owne hearts Suis quisque malis blanditur men are apt to sooth themselves in their evill waies even as David speaketh of the ungodly that he flattereth himselfe in his own eyes Ps 36.2 even as did that Church of Laodicea of which I told you even now who when she was in that taking as you heard yet said that she was rich and had need of nothing It is a most true saying of Seneca Epist. 116. Plerique student magis excusare vitia quam excutere it is the study of too many rather to excuse then to give over their vices and it was the complaint of the Poet. Vt nemo in sese tentat descendere nemo Pers sat 4. No man goeth downe into himselfe no man soundeth the bottome of himselfe even as the Prophet Ieremy speaking of the wickednesse of the people complained and said that he hearkned but no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Chap. 8.6 But enough of this I will not inlarge upon these complaints Having told you the complaint of one Poet let me now tell you the counsel and advise of another teipsū Concute Horat. Serm. lib. 1. Sat. 3. num qua tibi vitiorum inseverit olim Natura aut etiam consuetudo mala Shake thy selfe search thy selfe whether or no nature or evill custome hath sowen into thee any vices Shake thy self doe as they doe who hav● to doe with cloths and stuffe in infected houses who shake and move and stirre them to get out of them the infection or as was injoyned to be done in a leprous house which was to be scraped within round about Levit. 14. 41. Search thy self I say Let us search our wayes once again to tell you the advise of the Prophet In the times of plague we know there are searchers who have experience and can judge of the disease Let us Beloved be our own searchers searchers of our selves such a one as David was who said as I said once and againe before my spirit made diligent search search he made about his heart communing as his words are with his owne heart by doing which he came to know the