Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	offer_v	sacrifice_n	thanksgiving_n	3,189	5	10.9292	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90265	The duty of pastors and people distingushed [sic]. Or A briefe discourse, touching the administration of things commanded in religion. Especially concerning the means to be used by the people of God (distinct from church-officers) for the increasing of divine knowledge in themselves and others. Wherein bounds are prescribed to their peformances, their liberty is enlarged to the utmost extent of the dictates of nature and rules of charity: their duty laid downe in directions, drawn from Scripture-precepts, and the practise of Gods people in all ages. Together with the severall wayes of extraordinary calling to the office of publike teaching, with what assurance such teachers may have of their calling, and what evidence they can give of it, unto others. / By John Ovven, M.A. of Q. Col. O.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1644 (1644)	Wing O741; Thomason E49_6; ESTC R2375	45,909	59

that him whom he hath chosen he will cause to come neere unto him Numb. 16. 5. chosen by a particular calling ad munus to the office of the rituall priesthood so in regard of that other kind comparatively so called it is said of the whole people What nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Deut. 4. 7. their approaching nigh unto God made them all a nation of Priests in comparison of those dogs and unclean Gentiles that were out of the Covenant now this Prerogative is often appropriate to the faithful in the new Testament for through Christ we have an accesse by one spirit unto the Lord Eph. 2. 18. 3. 19. We have boldnesse accesse with confidence so James 4. 8. Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you which accesse and approximation unto God seemed as before was spoken to be uttered in allusion to the Priests of the old Law who had this Priviledge above others in the publike worship in which respect only things then were typicall Since because we enjoy that prerogative in the truth of the thing it selfe which they had onely in type we also are called Priests and as they were said to draw nigh in reference to the rest of the people so we in respect of them who are strangers to the Covenant that now are said to be afarre off Ephes. 2. 17. and hereafter shall be without for without are dogs c. Rev. 22. 15. thus this metaphoricall appellation of Priests is in the first place an intimation of that transcendent priviledge of grace and favour which Jesus Christ hath purchased for every one that is sanctified with the bloud of the Covenant 2. We have an interest in this appellation of Priests by vertue of our union with Christ being one with our high Priest we also are Priests there is a twofold union between Christ us the one by his taking upon him our nature the other by bestowing on us his Spirit for as in his Incarnation he took upon him our flesh and bloud by the work of the Spirit so in our regeneration he bestoweth on us his flesh and blood by the operation of the same spirit yea so strict is this latter union which we have with Christ that as the former is truly said to be a union of two natures into one person so this of many persons into one nature for by it we are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. becoming members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes. 5. 30. we are so parts of him of his mysticall body that we and he become thereby as it were one Christ for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so is Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. and the ground of this is because the same spirit is in him and us in him indeed dwelleth the fulnesse of it when it is bestowed upon us onely by measure but yet it is still the same spirit and so makes us according to his own prayer one with him as the soul of man being one makes the whole body with it to be but one man two men cannot be one because they have two souls no more could we be one with Christ were it not the same spirit in him and us now let a man be never so big or tall that his feet rest upon the earth and his head reach to heaven yet having but one soul he is still but one man now though Christ for the present in respect of our nature assumed be never so far remote and distant from us in heaven yet by the effectuall energie and inhabitation of the same spirit he is still the head of that one body whereof we are members still but one with us Hence ariseth to us a twofold right to the title of Priests 1. Because being in him and members of him we are accounted to have done in him and with him whatsoever he hath done for us we are buried with Christ Rom. 6. 4. dead with him v. 8. quickned together with Christ Ephes. 2. 5. being raised up we sit together with him in heavenly places v. 6. risen with him Colos. 3. 1. now all these in Christ were in some sence Sacerdotall wherefore we having an interest in their performance by reason of that heavenly participation derived from them unto us and being united unto him that in them was so properly are therefore called Priests Secondly by vertue of this union there is such an analogie between that which Christ hath done for us as a Priest and what he worketh in us by his holy spirit that those acts of ours come be called by the same name with his we for them to be termed Priests Thus because Christs death and shedding of his blood so offering up himself by the eternall spirit was a true proper sacrifice for sin even our spirituall death unto sin is described to be such both in the nature of it to be an offering or sacrifice for I beseech you Brethren saith S. Paul that you offer up your bodies a living sacrifice holy c. Rom. 12. 1. and for the manner of it our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6. 6. Thirdly we are Priests as we are Christians or partakers of an holy unction whereby we are annointed to the participation of all Christs glorious Offices we are not called Christians for nothing if truly we are so then have we an unction from the holy one whereby we know all things 1 Ioh. 2. 20. and thus also were all Gods people under the old Covenant when God gave that caution concerning them Touch not my CHRISTIANS and do my Prophets no harm Psal. 105. 15. the unction then of the holy spirit implies a participation of all those endowments which were typified by the anointing with oyl in the old Testament and invests us with the priviledges in a spirituall acceptation of all the sorts of men which then were so anointed to wit of Kings Priests and Prophets so that by being made Christians every one is not so that bears that name we are ingrafted into Christ and do attain to a kinde of holy and intimate Communion with him in all his glorious Offices in that regard are called Priests Fourthly the sacrifices we are injoyned to offer give ground to this appellation now they are of divers sorts though all in generall Eucharisticall as first of prayers and thanksgivings Psa. 116 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord And again Let my prayer be set before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands be as the evening sacrifice Psa. 141. 2. so Heb. 13. 14. Therefore let us offer unto God the sacrifice of praise that is

the fruit of our lips Secondly of good vvorks Heb. 13. 14. to do good and to communicate forget not for vvith such sacrifices God is well pleased Thirdly {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or self-slaughter crucifying the old man killing sin and offering up our souls and bodies an acceptable sacrifice unto God Rom. 12. 1. Fourthly the sweet Incense of Martyrdom yea and if I be offered up on the sacrifice and service of your faith Philip 2. 17. Now these and sundry other services acceptable to God receiving this appellation in the Scripture denominate the performers of them priests Now here it must be observed that these aforenamed holy duties are called Sacrifices not properly but metaphorically onely not in regard of the externall acts as were those under the Law but in regard of the internall purity of heart from whence they proceed And because pure Sacrifices by his own appointment where heretofore the most acceptable service to Almighty God therefore now when he would declare himself to be very much delighted with the spirituall acts of our duty he calls them Oblations Incense Sacrifices Offerings c. to intimate also a participation with him in his Offices who properly and directly is the onely Priest of his Church and by the communication of the vertue of whose sacrifice we are made Priests not having authority in our own names to go unto God for others but having liberty through him and in his name to go unto GOD for our selves Not to lose my self and Reader in this digression the sum is the unspeakable blessings which the Priesthood of Christ hath obtained for us are a strong obligation for the duty of praise and thanksgiving of which that in some measure we may discharge our selves he hath furnished us with sacrifices of that kinde to be offered unto God for our own parts we are poor and blinde and lame and naked neither in the field nor in the fold in our hearts nor among our actions can we finde any thing worth the presenting unto him wherefore he himself provides them for us especially for that purpose sanctifying and consecrating our souls and bodies with the sprinkling of his blood and the unction of the holy spirit Further he hath erected an Altar to sanctifie our gifts in heaven before the Throne of grace which being spread over with his blood is consecrated unto God that the sacrifices of his servants may for ever appear thereon adde to this what he also hath added the eternall and never expiring fire of the favour of God which kindleth and consumes the sacrifices laid on that Altar and to the end that all this may be rightly accomplished he hath consecrated us with his blood to be Kings and Priests to God for evermore So that the close of this discourse will be that all true Beleevers by vertue of their interest in Jesus Christ are in the holy Scripture by reason of divers allusions called Priests which name in the sense before related belonging unto them as such cannot on this ground be ascribed to any part of them distinguished any wayes from the rest by vertue of such distinction Secondly the second thing I observe concerning the businesse in hand is that the offering up unto God of some metaphoricall sacrifices in a peculiar manner is appropriate unto men set a part for the work of the Ministery as the slaying of mens lusts and the offering up of them being converted by the preaching of the Gospel unto God so Saint Paul of his Ministery Rom. 15. 16. That I should be the Minister of Iesus Christ unto the Gentiles ministring the Gospel of God That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable c. Ministers preaching the Gospel to the conversion of souls are said to kill mens lusts and offer them up unto God as the fruit of their calling as Abel brought unto him an acceptable sacrifice of the fruit of his flock and so also in respect of divers other acts of their duty which they perform in the name of their Congregations Now these sacrifices are appropriate to the Ministers of the Gospel not in regard of the matter for others also may convert souls unto God and offer up prayers and praises in the name of their companions but in respect of the manner they do it publikely and ordinarily others privately or in extraordinary cases now if the Ministers who are thus Gods instruments for the conversion of souls be themselves ingrafted into CHRIST all the acts they perform in that great work are but parts of their own duty of the same nature in that regard with the rest of our spirituall sacrifices so that they have not by them any further peculiar interest in the Office of the Priesthood more then others But if these Preachers themselves do not belong unto the Covenant of Grace as God oftentimes out of his care for his flock bestows gifts upon some for the good of others on whom hee will bestow no graces for the benefit of their own souls men may administer that consolation out of the Word unto their flock which themselves never tasted preach to others and bee themselves castawaies Saint Paul tells us that some Preach Christ out of envy and contention not sincerely but on purpose to adde to his affliction and yet saith he whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and therein doe I rejoyce yea and will rejoyce Philip 1. 16 17 18. surely had there been no good effected by such Preaching Saint Paul would not have rejoyced in it and yet doubtlesse it was no evidence of Sanctification to Preach Christ meerely out of contention and on purpose to adde to the affliction of his servants but I say if the Lord shall be pleased at any time to make use of such as instruments in his glorious worke of converting soules shall we thinke that it is looked upon as their sacrifice unto God No surely the soule of the Lord is delighted with the Repentance of sinners but all the sacrifices of these wicked men are an abomination unto him and therefore they have no interest in it neither can they from hence be said to be Priests of God seeing they continue dogges and uncleane beasts c. so that all the right unto this Priestly Office seemes be resolved into and be the same with the common interest of all beleevers in Christ whereby they have a participation of his office whence I affirme Thirdly that the name of Priests is no where in the Scripture attributed peculiarly and distinctly to the Ministers of Gospel as such let any produce an instance to the contrary and this controversie is at an end yea that which puts a difference betweene them and the rest of the people of Gods Holinesse seemes to be a more immediate participation of Christs Propheticall Office to teach instruct and declare the Will of God unto men and not of his sacerdotall to offer sacrifices for men unto God Now I could