Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36110
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A discourse, proving from Scripture and reason that the life of man is not limited by any absolute decree of God by the author of The duty of man, &c.
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Author of The duty of man.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing D1617; ESTC R14478
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40,954
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140
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some contrary notion And First Upon the observance of the Divine laws there are many promises in Scripture assuring us of length of days and on the other side there are many threatnings of cutting short the days of the wicked Thus God promises length of days to obedient Children Ex. 20.12 Honor thy Father Mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy god giveth thee Deut 4 40. Thou shalt keep therefore his Statutes and his Commandments which I command thee this day that it may go well with thee with thy Children after thee that thou may'st prolong thy days upon the earth which the Lord thy god giveth thee particularly the Lord tells Solomon 1 King 3.4 If thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes my Commandments as thy father David did walk then I will lengthen thy days The Psalmist encourageth men to consider the case of the poor upon this Motive Psal 42.1 2. Blessed is he that considereth the Poor the Lord will preserve him keep him alive c. And upon this account the Wise-Man also perswadeth men to observe and keep Gods laws Prov. 3.1 2. My Son forget not my law but let thine heart keep my Commandments for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee How much the observance of the duties of Religion conduce to our health is a thing daily experience attests and therefore the Apostle very excellently exhorts Timothy to exercise himself unto Godliness for it is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Religon is as a bridle to keep men within due bounds in their eating and drinking it forbids all manner of excess which impares our bodily health and obliges men to make use of lawful means for their preservation and recovery If we consult experience we shall find these to be the men who for ordinary enjoy the longest lives it is true some good men may be naturally of a brittle constitution and others God may remove for secret ends known to himself yet for ordinary the Godly man whose natural temper is strong hath the advantage of the wicked man and certainly Religion in its due tendency prescribes the best rules for long life As Righteousness tendeth to life so he that pursueth evil as the Wise-Man tells us pursueth it to his own death Prov. 11.19 We have a large Catalogue of the Punishments inflicted for sin Exod. 26. Where more particularly v. 16. the Lord threatens to appoint over those who obey not his Laws terror consumption and the burning ague that Men may not foolishly think all these are but threatnings which God intends not to inflict upon poor Man the Prophet Isaiah tells us if ye refuse rebel ye shall be devoured with the Sword for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa 1.20 And the wise-man concludes it as certain Prov. 10.27 The years of the wicked shall be shortned to conclude the Psalmist also tells us bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Psal 55.23 which the Poet very well expresseth Ad Generum Cereris sine caede ac sanguine pauci Descendunt Reges sicca morte Tyranni And the truth of this may be evident likewise from common Experience by which it will appear that no men are so obnoxious to Diseases as the wicked who spend their time in chambering and wantonness in riot and excess Who hath woe Who hath sorrow who hath wounds without cause they that tarry long at the wine Prov. 23.29 30. What the Wise-man says of one kind of Vice may be said of all They lead down to the Chambers of death Prov. 7.27 But these things are so obvious that I need not to enlarge upon them I shall conclued this Argument with this consideration that since God Almighty promises to extend and lengthen out or prolong their life who walk piously and observe his Statutes and theratens to shorten the days of the wicked who refuse to obey his Laws it cannot be rationally imagined that the Period of every Man's Life is absolutely determined Another Argument to confirm our Assertion may be taken from the pious devout prayers of the righteous and their turning from their sins by an hearty repentance both which conduce to the lengthening out of their days I put Repentance and Prayer together because of their near affinity to one another Now that both these may be the Moral Cause of extending our Lives may appear to be true from common Experience besides the many Assertions and Promises in Scripture to this purpose First The truth of this may be evident from Experience by which it will appear that if Men had hearkned to Noah's Doctrin if they had repented of their wickedness within the space allowed to them they had not perished in the Deluge of Water Of repenting Nineveh we read That God saw their work that they turned from their evil may God repented of the evil he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Jonah 3.10 It was Hezekiah's Prayers and Tears that prolonged his life Go saith the Lord to his Prophet Isaiah and say to Hezekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of David thy Father I have seen thy tears behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years Isa 3.8.5 And if prayer were of no force to what purpose were men so earnest in their sickness to beg the prayers of others on their behalf I confess if the Period of every Mans Life were fatally determined our Prayers should be very needless For can we be so sensless as to imagin that our Prayers can move God to change his unalterable Statutes and Decrees But besides common experience the truth of this is likewise attested by plain evidences from Scripture At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation concerning a kingdom to pluck up to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounce turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them And at what instant I shall speak concerning a kingdom to plant it If it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Jer. 11.7 8 9 10 Methinks this is so plain an evidnce of the efficacy of repentance that no reasonable man can have any doubt concerning it But alas if God had from the outgoings of Eternity fatally determined the destruction of Nations and Kingdoms by an absolute and inconditionate decree Repentance could never alter the determination It is the Apostles advice Jam. 5.14 Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him I know there are other means to be made use of in order to the procuring of health than repentance and prayer and of