Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	pray_v	spirit_n	supplication_n	6,826	5	11.2274	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51047	Christian advice both to old and young, rich and poor which may serve as a directory at hand, ready to direct all persons almost in every state and condition. Under XXVII general useful heads.	Mocket, Thomas, 1602-1670?; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682, engraver.	1671 (1671)	Wing M2303A; ESTC R217853	68,834	211

own salvation But be careful to hear with humble hearts with much attention to remember believe love and practice what you hear for not the hearers but the doers of the Law are blessed Rom. 2.13 Jam. 1.22 23 25. And be earnest with God in behalf of your Minister that he may be a useful instrument of God to your soules and esteem him highly in love for the works sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. 3. Meditate often on the word you hear and read 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate on these things for blessed is the man that doth meditate therein day and night Psal 1.1 2. Oh how I love thy Law said David Psal 119.97 It is my meditation all the day Meditate often 1. Of your sins and what they deserve 2. Of your death 3. Of the day of judgement 4. Of the joys of Heaven 5. Of the torments of Hell And 6. Of God especially of the omniscience omnipresence power justice and mercy of God and of the merit of Christ Dr. Vsher has an excellent treatise of meditation on Prov. 18. Meditation is of great use to further our knowledge and understanding in the things of God to help our memories stir up affections help faith repentance love and every grace put on to practice and to bring in much sweet comfort and spiritual thought 4. Be careful conscientiously to keep the Christian sabbath or Lords day holy for we are expresly so commanded Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy viz. in all the duties of Gods worship publick private and secret the whole day is the Lords but for our spiritual advantage and benefit who allows us six daies for our worldly business reserving only some small portions of them at our best advantage to seek his blessing on our undertakings and one whole day in seven for his service for us to exercise our selves in the works of piety and holyness works of mercy and charity and works of present and urgent necessity that is such as could not be foreseen and done before nor cannot be put off to another day as the feeding of the beasts watering them quenching of fire broke out helping a poor beast fallen into a ditch and such like It is the Lords day not ours set apart not for our worldly business actions recreations or discourse but his service God allows us six dayes for them and this day one in seven and the first day of the week for his service as may be clearly concluded and proved from the fourth Commandment Christs resurrection and resting from the great work of our redemption the practice of the Apostles and the whole Church of God to this day He that makes no conscience of keeping the Lords day holy will make as little conscience of any other duty of piety towards God or dealing with men 5. Pray frequently fervently and constantly in publick in private and in secret also daily 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing that is daily instantly and constantly not that we should spend all our time in praying and do nothing else but keep a constant course of prayer at the most convenient seasons daily and be also ready to pray whensoever there shall be a fit opportunity offered have alwayes a praying frame of heart as much as may be Luk. 18.1 Our Saviour put forth a Parable sayes the Evangelist to this end that men should pray alwayes that is constantly and importunately and not faint Eph. 6.18 Praying alwayes i. e. on all seasons and fit opportunities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray at least twice a day morning and evening the Jews had their morning and evening sacrifices and incense offer'd a type of prayer Daniel notwithstanding his great and weighty imployments and publick business prayed three times a day solemnly on his knees Dan. 6.10 David seven times a day Psal 119.164 But many are like Heathens and like the bruite beasts have no prayer in the Family daily or none in private and some onely at night in a short curtal drowsy manner without faith c. In the morning when you wake let your first serious thoughts be of God and his goodness towards your selves and others the night past and heartily praise God for them Psal 103.12 Praise thou the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits i.e. not any of them Consider well Psal 92.1 2. And when you are up and dressed first addresse your selves to God by humble and hearty praises and prayer for grace and power against sin and to live holily for preservation from evils both of sin and suffering also for a blessing on your lawful undertakings and thankfully acknowledge his goodness and benefits and so labour to have your hearts filled with a sense of Gods goodness and holy resolutions to walk with God as Enoch did Also at night consider what has been done that day past and how bless God for what hath been well done for mercies received and evils prevented his blessings on your undertakings and assistance of you in your callings humbly acknowledging and bewailing what has been done amiss beg pardon and commit your selves and all to his protection and care for the night and time to come in well doing Use all kinds of prayer confession deprecation petition and thanksgiving 1. Confession confess your sins daily humbly and unfeignedly to God with sorrow and shame and purpose of reforming what has been amiss Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy 2. Deprecation pray to God to remove evils felt and prevent evils fear'd both of affliction and trouble but especially the evil of sin 3. Supplication petition to God for mercy pardon power against sin and for good things needful both for soul and body this life and that to come for your selves and others especially for those to whom you stand in a more special relation be earnest with God for Magistrates and for your Ministers as you love your own good and welfare of soul and body 4. Thanksgiving and praises be thankful to God for every mercy and good thing privative and positive for evils prevented and removed and for good things bestowed and promised for soul and body for your selves and others for this life and that to come Psal 103.1 2. Ephes 618. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance supplication for all Saints 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort first of all that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead ae quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty 6. Singing of Psalms Davids Psalms especially and above all others is an ancient an heavenly spiritual comfortable soul-refreshing Christian duty frequently practised by the people of God both under the old and new Testament in the

can conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 Psal 31.19 Sixthly Children must learn to be mannerly to know their duty towards all and accordingly to carry themselves mannerly loving and with due respectfulness and courtesie to all sorts of persons even to the meanest and poorest Good breeding and carriage is very commendable and winning Seventhly As you grow up in discretion and years be faithful diligent careful and provident to look unto and do your Parents business the benefit will be all your own hereafter and you will have the peace and comfort of a good conscience in discharging your duty in the mean time and ever Eighthly Imploy some time every day in private alone in reading the Holy Scriptures prayer meditation on what you have heard and read and labour to use and improve all Ordinances of Christ for your spiritual advantage and Souls benefit Ninthly Brothers and sisters must love one another in a special manner and be very willing and ready to do all good offices one for another Love as Brethren saith the Apostle because of the near relation one to another in the flesh for brothers and sisters to live at variance or as strangers one to another is sinful and shameful What! should not they love and live lovingly one with another that were begotten of the same father or born of the same mother lay in the same womb fed at the same brest and table and frequently plaid together If any of you be faulty I can accuse none for shame let it be so no more but labour to be cordially united in love and help one another in all well doing especially in the way to Heaven Lastly When you are grown up and desire to change your condition and dispose of your selves abroad in a calling place and especially in way of Marriage observe I pray these few directions and God will be with you to bless and prosper you 1. Resolve on nothing till you have first acquainted your Parents or Guardians that are in place of Parents and have their consent and advice you have your being and education breeding and bringing up by their care pains and charge and therefore do owe your selves to them and therefore should do nothing without their consent and advice 2. Be earnest with God in prayer for direction and a blessing on your undertaking most especially in the choice of a yoke-fellow God is the great disposer of all things and most wise yea only wise 1 Tim. 1.17 Houses and riches are the inheritance of fathers but a prudent wife is from the Lord Prov. 19.14 Therefore be sure to seek unto God for a meet yoke-fellow as the gift of God 3. Let Godliness in a yoke-fellow be that which above all you desire and endeavour after to find in an helper Never marry with one that is not truly religious and though Religion alone is not sufficient to make a fit match suffer not your selves to be corrupted with the worlds false glosses of beauty wealth or the like neither cross the rules of Nature in too much disparity of age or degree or in robbing Patents of their right marry not with any of evil report for beauty or lucre sake among all the ends of marriage mentioned in the Scripture 't is observed there is none to make one rich or worldly great They that look only or chiefly at beauty parts riches or other worldly advancements many times have that which they desire but little comfort with it often a cress and sometimes a curse with them He that would have Gods blessing on the marriage must invite God to the marriage he that would have not his wine turned into water but his water turned into wine must invite Christ to the wedding he that would have Gods favour and blessing must ask his leave and presence and follow his direction by his word and gratious Providence Be not hasty but wisely deliberate and considerate ere you pass over your selves liberty and all for so long a term as during life much less sell your selves and your liberty and comfort only for worldly estate wit or beauty though never so great and be always a servant for these uncertain and unsatisfying things And it is good to express before engagement what you expect both for piety and all other matters of habitation manner of living order of family and the like This is the way to have marriage a merry age matter of much comfort 25. Masters you to whom God has given the honour of being Masters and Governours of a family and servants 1. Know I pray and remember that most of the before-mentioned duties incumbent on Patents concern you also to practise towards your servants as to instruct them in the grounds of true Religion to pray with them and for them daily read the Scriptures before and to them daily and see that they be present and do attend with reverence both at private duties as prayer reading the Scriptures repetition of what has been heard and the publike Mnistry of the word and that they also do read the Scriptures often examme them what they do remember help them what you can and give them a good example in all things 2. When they do well encourage them restrain them from evil and from evil places and company And when they do ill reprove them but privately shew them their error and the evil of their ways in love that they may see you seek their good as well as your own and the faithful discharge of your duty to God and them 3. Rule them not with rigour harshness or bitterness use them not as slaves but as fellow servants to Christ with love and gentleness forbearing threatnings as much as may be that they may serve you out of love and for conscience sake Rigour bitterness harshness foul language are hateful to God and often do much hurt make many mopish careless some distracted and others desperate but love gentleness and good usage hath often done much good even on difficult natures and your authority must be improved for their edification and not for their destruction 2 Cor. 10.8 And if they reply when reproved soberly hear their defence and reasons as Job did Job 31.13 But be sure you command your servants and children nothing but what is lawful just and equal and agreeable unto nothing that is against the Law of God which must be all our rule for so doing your selves will be guilty of a double fault and suffer most in the end and I would gladly prevent your dashing on this rock and all others 4. Allow them time convenient as for your work so for Gods service publike and private duties of Religion and piety It is not enough to instruct them and blame them for omissions but you must also allow them convenient time it will be no let to your work and business but a whet rather bring a blessing on your affairs as Abrahams servant did Gen. 24.12 27 42 48 52. But lamentable is the carelessness and