Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	meditation_n	morning_n	noon_n	4,887	5	14.4491	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36281	Domestick devotions for the use of families and of particular persons whereunto are prefixed some earnest perswasives to prayer and devotion.		1683 (1683)	Wing D1842; ESTC R3307	94,764	289

thy private prayers which God may see in secret and reward thee for them openly c Basil in Asc Tom. 2 p. 181. Under this private Devotion in its full notion are comprized Prayer Meditation reading of the holy Scriptures and other pious Books and though we shall proceed with respect to the first of these especially yet we would not be thought to divide such good company but while recommending private Prayer to intend Meditation and Reading too they do indeed mutually assist each other and we cannot be without either of them Now to enforce this excellent Duty in which both the reality and comfort of a Christian do so very much consist we shall briefly propose some perswasive considerations which may easily prevail on all who are truly dispos'd to the Practice of Religion or the prosecution of their own interest I. It doth appear out of holy Scripture that we are not only to worship God and call upon him in company with others but that he expects moreover to be honour'd by the devout service of every man singly and apart and that each person in his own behalf should seek unto him for his benefits this is manifestly contain'd in those Texts where it is given in charge that every one address himself to God on his own particular occasions as to call upon him in the day of trouble c Psal 50. 15. and if any man be afflicted let him pray d Jam. 5. 13. In which places it cannot only be meant that the party afflicted is to crave the Prayers of the Congregation or of the Minister where he lives but chiefly at least that he is himself alone to call upon God and supplicate for his help and deliverance and this must be done in many sad cases which afford no opportunity of having the Prayers of others again when we are bid in every thing to make known our requests e Phil. 4. 6. it must needs intend that we are to do it in particular cases and matters of private concern though they fall not under the publick or ordinary Prayers And when 't is commanded that in all places we lift up holy hands f 1 Tim. 2. 8. it doth certainly include the places of our privacy and retirement and this Text Mr. Mede will have peculiarly understood of private Prayer g Conc. Lat. De Vener Sac. But the precept of our Saviour is very express Enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut the door pray to thy Father which is in secret h Mat. 6. 6. the words are plain and to neglect the duty enjoin'd in them is to live in a known sin which we are highly concern'd to beware of as we tender the safety of our souls II. Let us set before us the examples of eminent and renowned persons by whose practice this Duty of private Devotion is recommended to us That it was in use with the holy Patriarks of old doth appear on sacred Record of Abraham Gen. 15. 2. and Chap. 17. 18. of Isaac Gen. 25. 21. and of Jacob Gen. 32. 9. Concerning Isaac that other Text Gen. 24. 63. might also be added where it is in our translation that he went out to meditate in the Eventide but the original word doth signifie submissa voce loqui labio tenùs murmurare to speak just moving the lips without any audible sound as is wont to be in private prayer more than in meditation and thus it was in the supplication of Hannah i 1 Sam. 1. 13. but that the Verb in that place may signifie to pray doth appear from hence that the Substantive coming from it is used for Prayer in other Texts of Scripture as Psal 5. 1. and 19. 14. and therefore both in the Caldee Paraphrase and the Arabick version it is And Isaac went out to pray likewise it is thus understood by Munster Vatablus and the same is approv'd by Grotius we are also told by the first of these that the Jews themselves have generally taken the Text in this sense but whether it be meant of Prayer or Meditation 't is much indifferent to the present purpose since the latter as well as the former is an act of Devotion 〈…〉 the resolv'd custom 〈…〉 devout Prince 〈…〉 ●●●self to God three times every day At Evening saith he and Morning and at Noon will I pray k Psal 55. 17. and the same was done by the Prophet Daniel nor could any danger affright him from it for notwithstanding a Royal decree to the contrary which made it Capital in his Chamber he kneeled on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks unto his God l Dan. 6. 10. That the Apostle St. Peter was wont to retire for his Devotion may be seen Act. 10. 9. where 't is said that about the sixth hour one of the usual times for that Duty he went up upon the house to pray chusing that place as most distant from all noise and disturbance likewise St. Paul as we often read had his private Prayers they were such in which he be sought the Lord thrice that the Thorn in the Flesh might depart from him m 2 Cor. 12. 8. and those wherein he did earnestly intercede for the Churches himself had planted whereof there is mention in his Epistle to them n Eph. 1. 16. 3. 14. Phil. 1. 9. Col. 1. 9. It is in Ecclesiastick History concerning James the brother of our Lord who for his eminent sanctity was sirnamed The Just that by frequency of praying his Knees became void of sense being harden'd like those of a Camel o Eus Hist Eccles l. 2. cap. 23. And the learned Origen as from his childhood he had been accustom'd to religious Duties under the education of his good Father So he was most strict in the Practice of his Devotion throughout his whole Life all his time almost both by day and night was divided between Prayer and Reading the Scriptures nor would he take the natural refreshments of the body without those others of the soul for whenever he sate down to meat somewhat of the Bible was still read and the same was done at his lying down to sleep p Hieron ad Marcel Epist 18. The Emperour Constantine thought it his greatest honour to have access to God in private Devotion for it is reported of him that notwithstanding all the affairs of his vast Empire Every day at stated hours shutting himself up he alone conversed with his God q Euseb de vit Const l. 4. c. 21. And we read of our King Alfred who wore the Crown of this Realm about nine hundred years ago that as he allotted the one half of his Revenue to pious uses so he devoted the like proportion of his time to the exercise of Religion they who speak least say that dividing the twenty four hours of each natural day into three parts one eight hours he allow'd himself for eating sleeping and recreation another

he consign'd to hearing causes doing justice and other transactions of his Government and all the rest he spent in Prayer reading the Scriptures and holy Meditation he had usual times of Devotion by night as well as by day which he constantly observ'd and he would often leave all company and go to the Church by himself alone that he might there worship God he had a manual of devotion which he always carry'd about with him and on some leaves of Paper that were bound up with it for that purpose he wrote down several pious sentences out of the holy Scriptures which he us'd to read over for exciting his devotion and to promote piety in all his Subjects he began a translation of Davids Psalms into the English tongue though he did not live to finish the same r In vit Aelf per Aelf Coll. Alumn l. 3. p. 161. Bal. de Script Cen. 2. n. 26. Speed Hist. book 7. ch 36. But behold a greater than these for our Saviour himself was very frequent in this retir'd exercise of Devotion it was usual with him as we read in the Evangelists to withdraw himself from Company that he might pray alone ſ Mat. 14. 23. Mar. 1. 35. Luk. 5. 16. he did so thrice within a short space a little before the Jews laid hands on him t Mat. 29. 36 39 42 44. and he was one whole night at Prayer in the solitude of a Mountain u Luk. 6 12. this Practice of Christ is well enforc'd by St. Cyprian Neither hath our Lord by words only taught us to pray but also by his own deeds while praying frequently himself and making evident what we are to do by the testimony of his own example as it is written And he withdrew himself into the Wilderness and prayed and again he went out into a Mountain to pray who was without sin how much more doth it concern us to pray if he watching throughout a whole night prayed with continued supplications how much more ought we to watch by night in often repeating over our prayers * Cypr. de Orat. Dom. Nor may any pretend that these examples are above their imitation or that it may not be expected the ordinary sort of Christians should come up to this pitch of piety for we have further to add that to worship God in private Prayer hath been a common practice and that in all Religions Among the Jews there were composed forms for every mans private use and in these they did call upon God at certain hours every day which they were careful to observe wherever they happen'd to be or in what business soever they might be engag'd Architectus vel in culmine arboris insidens asino illicò descendat recitet When any usual time of Devotion should come If a man were working on the house or were in the top of a tree or on the back of his Ass in the way he was immediately to come down and rehearse his prayers and they had beside Ejaculations Prayers and Benedictions to be used on several occurrences When any one did behold a place where some Miracle had been shewn for the people of Israel or where Idolatry had been rooted out or a place in which there was then an Idol he was to put up a short prayer when any did see an Aethiopian a Dwarf one that was crooked or any way maimed he was to use a thanksgiving when seeing a fair tree or a beautiful face he was to give thanks saying blessed be God who is the author of all beauty in the Creature c. w See Dr. Lightfoot Hor. Heb. in cap. 6. Mat. Cornelius was but a Jewish Proselyte and not one of them neither who were Proselytes of Justice so as to be admitted a Member of that Church and to joyn with them in the holy place of the Temple but he was only a Proselyte of the Gates uncircumcis'd and not conforming save to the seven Precepts of Noah so that he was still reputed as a Gentile and had no enterance into the Temple nearer then the atrium Gentium immundorum the outer Court of the Gentiles and of the unclean and yet of him it is said that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devout man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constant in his prayers to God x Act. 10. 2 3 4. it was at the ninth hour one of the ordinary times of Prayer when being at his private Devotion the Angel from God appeared to him directing him unto the way of Salvation by Christ It will not seem much that this pious Duty hath been thus regarded by men of the true Religion when we consider that even Mahometans and Heathens have practis'd the same The Turks profess great strictness in Devotion as injoin'd them by Mahomet their pretended Prophet who in his Alcoran calleth Prayer The Pillar of Religion and the Key of Paradice and hath requir'd it to be perform'd five times every twenty four hours the first time allotted for it is between day breaking and the rising of the Sun the second at noon the third between Noon and the going down of the Sun the fourth at Sun-setting the fifth at an hour and half in the Night they allow nothing to hinder their observance of these no not the decree of the Sultan should he command them any thing to be done when 't is a time of Prayer and they think they may not be diverted or break off abruptly though an armed Enemy should be at their Camp or Gates nor if a fire should happen in the very Chamber where a person is praying how fixed and intent they would be thought to be in the acts of Devotion we learn from one who knew them well and doth thus relate of them The Turks with devout Ceremony and profound attention perform their holy Duties supposing that prayer is become fruitless which is interrupted by scratching of the Head rubbing the Hands or any other gesture not essential to Prayer y Busbeq Epist 3. They have indeed an ambitious affectation of being esteem'd devout and do betray their own hypocrisie and vain Glory in that they often chuse to recite their private Prayers in places where they may be seen and especially they love to do it where there are any Christians to take notice of them And as for the Heathen though benighted as they were in the darkness of ignorance and superstition yet they could see it to be both their duty and interest to make their particular addresses to those whom they esteem'd as Gods that this was customary among them doth appear by that of Plato where he saith The Gods did sometimes grant and at other times deny the petitions presented to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both privately and in publick z Plat. Alceb 2. and again in the same Dialogue using the same words he mentions one petition which the Lacedemonians did still offer up as well in their private as publick prayers