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
A81174	The white stone: or, A learned and choice treatise of assurance very usefull for all, but especially weak believers. By Nathanael Culverwel, master of arts, and lately fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge.	Culverwel, Nathanael, d. 1651?	1654 (1654)	Wing C7573A; ESTC R231750	66,496	141

widening and enlarging their affections opening their mouths like a dry and thirsty Land that waits for some satisfying showers and would fain be filled 3. Times of employment are sealing times When God intends a Christian for great and eminent service he first makes his goodnesse passe before him he sheds some of his love into his heart which doth both constrain him to obedience and encourage him in it his smile makes the soul go chearfully about his work his presence gives life and vigour to a performance The servants of God wait on him fix their eyes upon him look whether he gives them a propicious glance they walk in the light of his countenance they follow the direction of his eye they won ' move unless he breath on them Moses won't stir without assurance of his presence All the clusters of Canaan shall not entice him he had rather dwel with briars and thorns in the wildernesse with the good will of him that dwells in the bush He had rather be in a barren and desolate and howling wildernesse then in a pleasant and fruitful Land in a delicious Land without the presence of his God He knows there is no sweetness in Canaan without him there is more sting then honey in the Land of Promise unlesse ●e be there and Canaan it self will prove a wildernesse if he ●ithdraw himself The beams of his gracio●● Presence these gild a place they can turn a desert into a Paradise and can make a prison glorious The love of God in Christ it is attractive and magnetical and drawes the soul along when it is once toucht with it this will draw Moses to the Land of Promise this will carry him through all difficulties God sheds some of this love into Moses his heart and then he goes on with chearfulnesse and alacrity And so it was with his successour Joshua God calls him to an honourable imployment to be the Shepheard of his little flock to guide and govern his people Israel Now how does he prepare him for so great a work why he strengthens him and heartens him with a promise of himself with assurance of his love Fear not but be of courage I am with thee Thou hast my presence thou shalt have my blessing I have done much for thee and I will do more for thee be faithful in my service and be couragious and do not doubt of the love of God towards thee Thus God when he called Abraham to that great expression of obedience in the sacrificing of his Isaac he first warms his heart with his love and seals up the Covenant of grace to him he spreads before him ample and comprehensive Promises I am thy God All-sufficient I am thy Buckler and thine exceeding great reward and this will bear up and support Abraham though the staffe of his old age be taken away and by his own hands cast into the fire And this was his usual dealing with the Prophets when he sent them with great and weighty messages He first reveals his goodness to them before he reveals his minde by them he assures them of directing mercy of protecting mercy that shall bear them company that shall go along with them and this puts a generous undauntedness upon them that they fear not the frowns of men nor the threatnings of men nor of the greatest of men this makes Jeremy to set his face like a flint and Esay to lift up his voice like a Trumpet to tell Israel their sins and Judah their transgressions And this is that which prepares the Martyrs for their sufferings God tempers and allayes that Cup he drops some of his goodness into it and sweetens it to them He first sets his seal to their souls before they set their seal to his truth he diets them with the hidden Manna and gives them before-hand the White Stone as a sure pledge of victory What is it but this that makes them devoure torments and come to them with an appetite 't is this that softens the flames and turns them into a bed of Roses 't is this that fills their souls with joy and their mouths with praises that makes them more chearful in their sufferings then their Saviour in his for they usually have the face of a reconciled God shining out upon them which was wholly withdrawn from him when he cryed out my God my God why hast thou for saken me 4. Praying times are sealing times The same spirit that indites the Prayer seals it up When Hannah had put up her Prayer 1 Sam. 1.18 the text sayes expresly that her countenance was no more sad As 't is the great priviledge of assurance That Christians may then with confidence cry Abba Father so also 't is a great means to Assurance The hearing of prayers is a mighty strengthening to faith and the strengthening of faith does strongly tend to assurance Besides Christians may pray for assurance they may be importunate for a glimpse of his face for one beam for one smile and his bowels won't let him deny them Hence you shall finde it that such as are most frequent in Prayer are most blest with assurance Praying Christians have much intercourse and communion with their God And thus there may be a national kinde of assurance I say a national plerophory when God shall poure out a spirit of prayer and supplication upon his people and they with united and concentricated abilities shall besiege the Throne of grace there is no doubt there can be no doub● but at length he will yield up such a mercy to his praying People 5. Times of outward exigencies are sealing times 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed dayly that feeds upon hidden Mannah a precious restaurative for a fainting Christian Manna you know was rained down in the wilderness and when the Israelites provision failed them then Manna was rained down When the water-pots are filled up to the brim then was the water presently turned into wine and so this hidden Mannah is provided for sad and cloudy conditions We except only the case of total desertion when the soul has not the least light shining in upon it which is the severest judgement that a true Christian is capable of but in other distresses especially outward and temporal distresses he does reveal himself more immediately to them And though the creature frown yet he will smile upon them Beleevers they are the friends of God and 't is no part of friendship to forsake them in the saddest times St. John when a banisht man in the Isle of Pathmos then God shewes him that glorious Revelation Paul and Silas when in prison then brim-full of joy which breaks out into Psalms of praise In the fiery trial as there is some scorching so there is some light too And God does prepare his people for the seal of the spirit by thus melting and softening their heart for the softer the heart is the clearer will the print of his