Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	heart_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	2,255	5	10.7199	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54721	The vvay to heaven most clearly discovered and the manner how to walk in this way exactly described. With a brief vindication of the Church of England against all her enemies. By Nicholas Philips, late chaplain to his Majesty's garrison in the Isles of Silly.	Phillips, Nicholas.	1681 (1681)	Wing P2038; ESTC R213941	16,756	24

in which they may all safely joyn and unto which they may all chearfully say Amen Prayer is indeed a Duty unto the performance of which God hath oft in Scripture made promise of Salvation but no Prayers are so acceptable unto him or so pleasant with him as are publick and common prayers And never are his ears so open to hear nor his mercy so ready to grant requests as when he is called upon in the voice of his Church and all the Congregation of the faithful joyn together in prayer with one Accord as did the Apostles Acts 1.14 when with one voice and one heart with one mouth and with one mind with the same words and the same Spirit they presented their Supplications unto him And though some of our Priests who are more observant of the Peoples humour than of the Constitutions of the Church and seek rather to gain applause to themselves than glory to their God use according to the Geneva Mode a private spirited Prayer of their own conception in the publick Congregation before their Sermon yet in so doing they not only cross the practice of the primitive Church which never allowed any thing to be said before the Sermon but the Lords Prayer or gemina Salutatio but also the Orders and Constitutions of our National Church which instead of allowing any such thing expresly forbids it in her 55 Canon no private spirited prayer then being allowed to be used in our Church no such Prayer can be used without wilful and manifest contempt and disobedience which as we are assured 1 Sam. 15.22 will mar the best of Sacrifices and make them unacceptable unto God And as no Prayers ought to be said in the publick Congregation but the Apostles Prayer the Churches Prayer Common-Prayer so in the performance of this Duty we must be stedfast and permanent and with these primitive Christians continue stedfastly in prayer And surely such an Apostolical such a primitive such a religious way of serving God doth our Church prescribe in her Liturgy that she endeavours to make our whole Life Angelical and Divine for it not only prescribes a Form of Prayer to be used on Sundays and Holydays but a Form to be used on every day of the week And the Curate that ministreth in every particular Church or Chappel of this Nation is bound by the Rubris of the Church daily Morning and Evening to say Common Prayer in the Church wherein he Ministreth To be the Lords Remembrancer daily morning and evening to mind him of the peoples wants and to intercede for them is what ever the world thinks of it the chief and principal part of the Priestly office But alas such Priests are here now a days as rare to be found as black swans And the world had not more cause of old to complain of unpreaching Ministers than she has now of unministring Preachers most Ministers contenting themselves with a single preachment on the Lords day altogether neglecting the principal parts of their Priests office daily morning and evening to offer up unto God the Prayers and Praises of the Church in behalf of the people I know the Priests are wont to lay the fault on the People and to say that they will not come to joyn with them in Prayer on the week days and the People again retort it back upon the Priests and say that they will not be constant and continue in the practise of this duty But to speak truth to the shame of both parties it is from the profaness and impiety the worldliness and wickedness that now a days harbours in the hearts both of Pastor and People that this Heavenly imployment is altogether neglected amongst us and men can find time for the doing of any thing rather than the service of God But let him go what ever he be both for a worldly and a wicked one too who thinks he can make better use of his time than to bestow it upon God and his service or that any part of his time is better spent than that which is spent in his house in Prayer and Praises A man may I grant build a Church in his bosom and serve God in his heart though he never cloath his thoughts with words and he doth so whenever with holy Hannah he prayeth silently in his heart unto God A man may build a Church at his beds side and he doth so whenever he doth humbly prostrate himself in prayer before God A man may make a Church of his House and he doth so as oft as he there with his Family offers up the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise unto God But oh it is the highest exaltation the noblest Devotion of a truly pious Soul when it praiseth God in his Sanctuary praiseth him in the Congregation of his Saints and he is with David Psal 122.1 Even ravished with joy and gladness whenever he is called upon to go into the House of the Lord to perform this Pray pray pray my beloved Brethren always in all places and upon all occasions but by no means neglect ye the publick Prayers of the Church Carry always about within you good thoughts and pious meditations and live ye holily and well so shall you make a Temple of your bodies and have always a Church within you Govern well your own families and bring up your Children and Servants in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and let the Burnt offering of prayer and praise be daily Morning and Evening offered up there so shall you always dwell in Hallowed ground and have with Philemon a Church at home in your own house But O let your feet never fail to to tread Gods Courts and to frequent his house of prayer when ever publick common Prayer though nothing else be said there so shall you manifest your selves to be Gods menial and houshold servants and shall not fail to partake of the blessings which he hath promised Psal 84.5 to those that dwell in his house and are always praising him Gloria in excelsis Deo FINIS