Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	pray_v	prayer_n	supplication_n	1,875	5	11.3215	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67550	The pious mans practice in Parliament time. Or A seasonable and necessary tractate concerning the presages, and causes of a common-wealths ruine, and the wayes, and meanes to preserve a church, and state, in prosperity, plenty, purity, and peace. By R. Ward, utriusque regni in Artibus Magister; and preacher of Gods holy word at Stansteed Mount-Fitchet in Essex.	Ward, Richard, 1601 or 2-1684.	1641 (1641)	Wing W804; ESTC R218413	102,562	298

workes of Religion For as a Traveller after that hee hath rested himselfe and eaten beginneth to feele ease and is so refreshed and strengthned that hee can walke further even so prayer which is the spirituall food of the soule is the cause of new fortitude and strength to walke in the wayes of the Lord. As Sampson was without his haire so is a man without prayer but by prayer wee become strong and vigorous as Sampson was when his haire was growne And therefore if wee desire to be filwith with all spirituall and temporall blessings then let us pray And 3. Prayer is profitable against Sathan As a City which is not compassed and fenced about with wals Chrysost li. 2. de ● at easily commeth into the subjection of enemies so the devill easily bringeth that soule under his dominion which is not fenced and guarded with prayer On the contrary As the roaring of a Lion affrighteth the beasts of the forest so the prayers of the faithfull drive away sathan according to the saying of the Latine Father August ● Math. 6. Oratio oraniti est subsidium Deo sacrificium daemonibus autem est flagellum Prayer is a sure and and safe Sanctuary unto him that prayes prayer is a pleasing sacrifice unto God to whom wee pray and prayer is a prevalent weapon against sa than whom wee pray against And hence our Saviour and his Apostles so often teach us to pray against this evill one and enemie of mankind And therefore if wee desire to bee preserved from sathan wee must pray And 4. Prayer is prevalent against God or it appeaseth the wrath of God according to that saying Flectitur tratus voce rogante Deus although God be angry with us yet faithfull prayers wil pacifie and appease him And therefore wee are commanded to kisse the Sonne lest he grow angry Psal 2.20 and so wee perish in his wrath that is wee must labour to reconcile our selves unto our God by powerfull and penitent prayers And therefore wee must pray both for the pardon of our sinnes and the aversion of Gods judgements And 5. Prayer is prevalent against our enemies and this is the principall weapon that David fighteth withall against his Let our enemies be forraine or domesticall spirituall or temporall such as desire the ruine of our Church or of our State or whatsover they are prayer is a powerfull weapon against them Moses qui cum taceret clamabat Ambrose cum otiofus staret praeliabatur sed etiam de hostibus quos non contigerat triumphabat c. Moses cryed when hee held his peace hee fought against his soes as he stood idle he triumphed over them although hee never touched them to wit by faithfull and fervent prayer Hence the same Father faith Longius vulnerat quam sagitta prayer will wound an enemie farther off then an arrow and overtake those who are off from us The Romanes in their warres against Hannibal were driven to such want of weapons that they were forced to goe to the Temples and to take thence the weapons which were consecrated and fighting with those weapons against their enemies they prevailed and became victorious And thus the weapons wherewith we must principally preserve our selves must be divine and holy such as Ezechias drave away Senacherib withall to wit prayer and such as the Christians in the primitive times principally used namely Preces et lachrymae prayers and and teares for these are both the safest and sharpest weapons we can use against any enemies If Samuel pray against the Philistims the Lord will smite them with a great slaughter And if we pray against our enemies we may expect both protection from God for ourselves and correction and destruction upon our enemies A Lady of this Land persecuting Master Knockes did say she could not but persecute him and yet she feared his prayers and the supplications of those who prayed for him more then she should feare an army of 20000 men And indeed all the enemies and persecutors of the faithfull have cause to feare their Weapons being mighty and their Protector Almighty although themselves be infirme and weake as is evident from Psalm 27. from 7. verse and so forward 6. Num. 15.38.29 Prayer is profitable for us because it draweth downe God unto us or because thereby we mount up unto God The Jewes were commanded to weare frienges upon their garments for which cause they were called Calcoth Tephilim Garments with wings and hence Elisha was called Elisha cum alis Elisha with wings because he wore the coate of remembrance which had foure fringes hanging downe at the foure wings of it Arbham eamphah Foure wings and this garment was called Talith A winged coatc Because hee used still these wings to put-him in mind of prayer which are the golden wings of the Dove say the Rabbins which carry us up to heaven Prayer is the chaine whereby intending to draw God unto us we are drawne unto him even as the rocke drawes the Marriners unto it when they pull with all their force the Anchor being fastned thereunto as though they would hale it unto them Or suppose there were a chain reaching from earth to heaven and fastened in heaven he who would climbe up thither thereby must draw the chaine as though he would pull heaven downe unto him when the truth is it is he who is raised higher drawn nearer unto heaven even thus we by prayer labour to draw downe God unto us but are indeed thereby drawne unto God And thus we see how and wherein prayer is profitable for our selves Now 2. Faithfull fervent Prayer is profitable for others and pure prayers are profitable also for others or others are sometimes benefited by the prayers of the faithfull I dare not here goe so farre as the Papists goe who tell us that the prayers of Gods children are effectuall for the dead and give us proofe thereof in Saint Dunsiane who understanding that the soule of King Edwine was to be carried into hell never gave over praying for him untill he had freed him from that danger and transferred him into the coast of penitent soules I dare not I say say thus but I dare boldly say that prayer is profitable for the living and that in diverse regards as for example 1. The faithfull by their prayers have procured raine for other Iustin Martyr tels us that when Antonius the Philosopher had by the prayers of the Christians obtained a plentiful rain for the releeving of the army over which he was he writ a letter unto the Senate of Rome that the Christians had most powerfull and prevalent weapons to wit prayers unto God and therefore he perswads the Senate to desist from the persecution of the Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. lest saith he they fight against with these potent weapons And thus we see Elias procures raine for Ahab by prayer unto God And 2. The faithfull by their prayers sometimes procure health unto the sicke according to that of Saint Iames the faithfull prayers of the Saints shall save the sicke And I conceive that the Apostles in their mirrculous Cures used prayer And 3. Bartholomew the Apostle Marullus by his prayers restored the distracted daughter of Polemius King of India to her former sences And. 4 The faithfull have benefited some by their prayers by procuring thereby the destruction of their enemies Thus King Oswald a Christian by Prayer unto God obtained victory against Cadwallo and Penda the Britaine Kings who came against him with a mightie host And hereby he benefited both himselfe and his army Aurelius Antonius the Emperour in his expedition against the Germanes had in his army a legion of Christians who by their prayers unto God obtained raine for the refreshment of his army when it had almost perished for lacke of water and not onely raine for the good of their friends but also fearefull thunder and lightning upon the head of their enemies whereupon the Emperour ever after called that band The thundring band And Lastly Genes 20. ●… the faithfull by their prayers have preserved others from the wrath and judgement of God Abraham by his prayer preserves Abimelech Moses by his prayers often delivers Pharoah from the judgements of God And when the Plague was begunne among the Israelites Numb 16 by the prayer of Moses and sacrifice of Aaron it was staid But above all remarkeable to this purpose is Exod. 32.10 God threatents to destroy the stubborne and superstitious Iewes but Moses prayes for them whereupon the Lord saith Let me alone that I may destroy this people Dei potentiam servi preces impediebant The prayers of Gods Children saith Hierome abate the edge of his power Ligatum habent sancti Dominum ut non puniat nisi eum permiserint ipsi The Saints saith Bernard sweetly have the hands of God so fast manacled by their prayers that he cannot powre out those judgements upon the wicked which they deserve except they will give him leave by ceasing to pray for them And therefore seeing our prayer is prevalent and powerfull both for our selves and others Philip. 4.6 Let us in every thing by prayer and supplication make our request knowne unto God as Saint Paul commands us and Pray for the peace of Sion Psal 122.6 and the prosperity of our Church and the preservation of our Common-wealth all crying with one tongue and one heart either with the Prophet here in my text Psal 28.9 Save us O Lord with thy right hand and heare us or with the sam Prophet elsewhere as it is put in English meter Thy people and thy heritage Lord blesse guide and preserve Increase them Lord and rule their hearts That they may never swerve Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Imprimatur Thomas Wykes R. P. Episc Lond. Sacellanus Domest Novemb. 19. 1640.

of this in all the precedent Propositions I will not here enlarge it any further To conclude If we desire that wee may still have a pure and peaceable Church and flourishing and prosperous Common-wealth then let us learne to feare the violating of our Lawes and stand in awe of them let us learne to honour our Magistrates and to reverence them Let us learne to be subject to our Magistrates and to obey them in all lawfull things Let us labour for peace unity and concord amongst our selves And let us labour to purge our selves from all pollution both of the flesh and spirit and perfect holinesse in the feare of God and walke as become his peculiar people And then we may be sure of his speciall protection Let us be thankefull to our good God for all the blessings and mercies which in this Land we enjoy both in regard of Church and State and let us expresse our thankefolnesseunto him id est by acknowledging that it is he and he alone who hath hitherto preserved and blessed us and that not for our merits but for his owne mercies sake And 2. By praising his most glorious Name with our tongues And 3. By obeying him in out lives And 4. By loving him in our hearts And 5. By depending wholy upon him for the time to come And 6. By a diligent circumspection and religious feare lest wee should provoke him unto anger who hath so long and so lovingly preserved our Church and Common-wealth And because the protection and continuance of Kingdomes comes from him alone ●et us alwayes have recourse with goldnesse of confidence unto him for these bl●…ings remembring that hee is 1. Omnipotent one who knowes all our necessities and wants Iob 28.24 Psal 139.6.12 Prov. 15.3 Ierem. 32.19 And 2. Omnipresent one who is every where and in all places at once Psal 139.7 8. Ierem. 23. ●3 And 3. Omnipotent one who is able to doe whatsoever hee will both in heaven and earth Psal 86.8 Deut. 3.24 Ierem. 32.27 And 4. Constant and most true in all his promises Numb 23.19 Iosh 21.4.5 and 23.14 And 5. Good and mercifull unto all his or al those who beleeve in him obey him and is ready to defend and helpe them whensoever in their necessities they seek and sue unto him In a word If wee refuse and rebell we shall be devoured for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Esay 1.20 But if wee delight in the Lawes and Ordinances of the Lord. He will cause us to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed us with the heritage of Jacob and blesse us with the blessings of Ioseph 〈◊〉 the Lord hath spoken this also Esay 58.14 HAving with what convenient brevity I could dipatched the fourth Proposition I come briefly unto the last which is this When any calamity or misery is either feared or felt Proposition 5. or doth either lye upon the backes or hang over the heads of any Church or State or when any speciall blessing is wished or desired for either or both of them that then it is the duty of all the pious and zealous members thereof both to desire and endeavour both to labour and pray for the obtaining of the blessing wanted and desired How this point is derived from the Text How the point ariseth from the text we may see without spectacles For the people of Israel being in distresse the Prophet seekes redresse and deliverance therefrom by prayer They are infected with warre and desire peace therefore David seeks it by prayer he desires that Religion and prosperity may bee established in their borders and therefore he prayes for it that being the ordinary meanes to avert evils and to obtaine good things This point is of that boundlesse contents that I must be constrained to doe as the dogs doe at Nilus are accustomed to doe to wit Take a lap or snatch of some of the principall particulars therein and so away An Orator must so put on those passions which hee would stirre up in others that the visage action and gesture might speake as well as the mouth and therefore I wish I were able to set before your eyes such expressions as might move you to pious and powerfull prayers and might beget in your hearts unfained sighes and sobs and intervall supplications The Proposition proved What things are to be prayed for and against are either I proceed unto the profe of the point which briefly is this That prayer is both a remedy against evils and a meanes to procure good things unto us I might for the ample and cleare proofe hereof give my Reader this Division and easily make it good viz. That things to be prayed for or against are either First evill which are threefold to wit Temporall Spirituall and eternall And prayer is profitable against all these evils Temporall and Spirituall evils are of two sorts to wit either feared or felt and answerably thereunto wee pray either to be preserved from them or for the prevention of them when wee feare them Or to be delivered from them or for the removall of them when they are felt by us and lye upon us Now prayer is profitable for both these viz. both for the prevention of evils and preservation out of evils Or Secondly things to bee prayed for are good which likewise are threefold namely temporall spirituall and eternall Now prayer is profitable for the procuring of all these Temporall and spirituall blessings are either desired or enjoyed and accordingly we pray either for the enjoyment of them when wee want them or for the continuance or encrease of them or that they may be blessed unto us when we possesse them And prayer is profitable for both viz. both for the procuring of those good things which wee want and for a blessing upon and blessed continuance of those things which we have Thus I say I might lay downe this ground and build much matter upon it but because I here study brevity and every knowing Christian is fully perswaded of the truth of all this I will therefore touch upon a particular or two and so proceed Art thou sicke Esa 38.2 1 Sam. 1.15 1 Kin. 18.42 Psa 141.8 Psa 90.3 50.15 Iam. 5.16 2 Sam. 2. Ionah 3.3 c. Gen. 28.20 Matth. 6.10 2 Cor. 12.8 Math. 26.41 Math. 26.38 and desirest health then pray as Hezebiah did Art thou barren and desirest a child then pray as Annah Dost thou desire to be freed from dangers and casualties then pray as David did Dost thou desire to be delivered from some evill or affliction which lyes upon thee then pray as David did and as the Lord and Saint Iames commands all to doe in the like case Art thou afraid of the Lords anger and desirest to be reconciled unto him then pray as David and as the King of Niniveh did Art thou in want and desirest sufficient food and maintenance then pray as Iacob did and as our Saviour

prayer in the N. T. doth supply the place and roome of Sacrifi●e in the Old Therefore prayer is now as proper unto the Lord as Sacrifice was then The Minor is proved thus The Prophet Malachy saith 1.11 That incense must he offered up unto God and Same Paul 1 Timoth 2.8 saith That the lifting up of pure hands is meant thereby And therefore it is the clear Doctrine of the sacred Scriptures That prayer is to be offred up onely unto God Oh but may some say When must we pray unto God I answer 1. Before we begin any worke at least of weight the more weighty and important the worke is the more earnest must we be in our prayers before the undertaking thereof Because the particular occasions affaires and workes which this might be applied unto are in a manner infinite I will therefore omit the application thereof unto any particulars and by some ground and proofes onely confirme the truth of the assertion in generall viz. That before we doe undertake any worke at least of weight or moment we must begge a blessing thereupon of God by prayer Pray saith Socrates in thy heart unto God at the beginning of all thy workes that thou mayst bring them to a good conclusion The Lord gave Narseies victory more through zealous prayers that he used then his force and valour for he never went to sea nor began battaile nor determined of warre nor mounted on horse-back but first he went to the Temple and served God The lessons of Pythagoras Plato and their disciples Blondus began and ended with prayer So the Brachmans among the Indians the Magi among the Persians never began any thing without praying unto God And Ovid begins his Metamorphofis and Cleanthes his Iambicke verses with prayer Plinie in an Oration which he made in the praise of Trajane commended the custome of the Ancients in making invocations and prayers before the beginning of their works saying that there can be no assured or wise beginning of any enterprise without the speciall aide and assistance of God 1 Chro. 29.9 And thus when our Princely Prophet was about to provide oblations for the Temple he first prayes 1 King as doth also Solomon when he dedicated the Temple And thus all our wages workes affaires employments and businesses must be taken in hand and begun with prayer for those actions which we dare not pray unto God to blesse or present before him by prayer we must not doe Gen. 24.12 Abrahams servant before he goe into the City prayes unto God to blesse and prosper his voyage in sending him a good Wife for Isaac Ruth 2.4 2 Chro. 20.6 c. Psal 127.1 2. 1 Tim. 4.5 Thus Boaz for his Reapers Iehoshaphat for his people before they dare make war against their enemies Without Gods blessing all our labours are in vaine and by prayer unto him our labours are sanctified And therefore we must begin every weighty worke at least with prayer if we desire a blessing thereupon 2. We pray in our necessities or make our requests knowne unto God by prayer when we are sensible of either want or woe either defect or cistresse Indeed I doe not say that we must then onely pray unto God when poverty pricketh or necessity urgeth or some imminent danger enforceth us and spurreth us forward to pray for every one will doe thus viz. Cry and runne unto God in their affliction misery and danger as we may see by the Mariners in whose ship Ionah was Ionah 1. who when they feared drowning praid every man of them unto his owne God The like examples we have many in humane Histories I will name onely this one viz. In Zara or as some call it Iadera a Towne in Sclavonia there is a Church consecrated to Saint Iohn di Malvatia which was built by a company of Saylers who being in a tempest made a vow that if they escaped ship-wracke they would consecrate a Church unto that Saint and accordingly paid their vowes Saint Peter when he felt himselfe sinking did then cry speedily unto his Master to save him Psal 107. Yea the Psahnist tels us that even wicked men will move the Lord by their prayer to have pitty upon them when they are grievously afflicted and therefore we must not onely pray when we have need What doe I say Must we not onely pray when we have need I must unsay this againe and entreat my Reader to pray no oftner unto God then he hath need to pray neither to goe unto God any oftner Ephes 6.18 1 Thes 5.17 then he hath need of him But how often is this Alwayes and therefore we had need as we are commanded Alwayes to pray For 1. We are alwayes sinners and we daily renew our transgressions against God and therefore there is a necessity of praying daily unto God for the pardon and remssion of our daily sinnes according to that of Saint Augustine Aug. in Enchirid Do quotidianis peccatis sine quibus haeevita non ducitur quotidiana oratio fidelium satisfacit As we sinne daily so we must repent and begge remission daily for our daily sinnes So another Father Bern. Sicui aeger ad medicum sic debet esse peceator ad Creatorem suum qui ergo peceator est debet orare Deum sieut ager Medicum As the sicke man seekes unto the Physitizan for ease so should the sinner seeke unto God for peace and as the sicke man daily renewes his sute unto hi Doctor untill his sickenesse be removed so should sinners untill their sinnes be remitted And therefore seeing that we are alwayes sinners we had need be alwayes suters for the pardon of our sinnes And 2. We are alwayes weake and defective in grace according to that of the Apostle We doe but know in part and beleeve in part 1 Cor. 13.10 and obey in part and love in part and it is the Lord ouely who must supply and perfect us and therefore we had need to pray unto him for the supply of our wants prayer being the meanes which principally prevailes with him And thus we see shen we must pray We will now consider For whom we must pray For whom we must pray Namely 1. For our selves Semper tibi proximus esto Love begins at home 1 For our selves and therefore he is scarce soundly wise Qui sibi non sapit who is not wise for himselfe But he who forgets to pray for himselfe doth seldome I feare pray for others Wherefore let us make our owne wants first knowne unto God and labour for the pardon of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God and then we may hope that our prayers shall be acceptable unto him for others 2. We must pray for others 2 For others Although we must pray for our selves as we shewed even now yet we must not pray onely for ourselves as we have now to prove but also for others

truth maintaintd and defended And these things wee should all begge earnestly of God Having thus clearely handled Why wee must pray for the Church and Common-wealth What wee must pray for in the behalfe of our Church and Common-wealth it now remaines in order to shew Why wee must be thus carefull to pray and bus earnest in praying for our Church and State I answer hereunto First Answer 1. because wee cannot expect that either should prosper without prayer Heaven shall cease to be when it shall cease to runne and men shall cease to prosper when they cease to pray For how can wee expect a blessing from God either upon our selves or our Common-wealth when wee neglect to sue unto him by prayer for it And hence the lewes say Druf in Gen. Sine stationibus non subsisteret mundus the world could not endure without standing idest praying for they usually stood when they prayed and Gnammuda standing is one of the seven names which they give to prayer And therfore I may say to my brethren as Nestor said to his children Pray for ulesse God helpe us we shall all perish Homer The Lacedemonians custome was not to crave any thing of their Gods but what was of importance and great consequnce saying that all small matters were to be obtained by mans industry Now the prosperity purity and peace of our Church and State is a matter of much moment and therefore there is great reason that wee should all pray unto God for them And. Secondly Answer 2. wee should pray for our Countrey Church and State because no temporall thing should be dearer unto us then our Countrey I say no temporall thing because the Lord Religion and the truth must bee nearer and dearer unto us then either our Land liberty or lives Homer tels us that so deare was the love of his Countrey to Vlisses that he preferred his native soyle lthaca before immortality Wee must not so doe but onely preferre it above temporall things Some define a Countrey thus Definition of a Country It is the Region or Climate under which we are borne and the common mother of us all which wee ought to hold so deare that in the defence thereof we should not feare to hazard our dearest lives Plato saith There can be no kindred nearer unto us then our Countrey There is nothing more to be desired then the good of our Countrey nothing more to be affected then the love of our Countrey For although children parents and friends are neare to us yet our Countrey chalengeth a greater love And therefore as the heathen said Happy is that death which being due unto nature Pulchrum est pro patria mori is besto wed upon our Countrey And therefore seeing our Countrey should bee thus deare unto us there is great reason that wee should pray for it and our Church and State established therein And Thirdly Answer 3. because the good of the Common-wealth and Church is ours For if as Stobaeus saith The profit of the Countrey extendeth it selfe to every City of the same then the good of a Commonwealth and Church must in like manner be communicated and extended to every inhabitant therein Tully telsus Nemo sibinatus None are borne for themselves onely but also or their Countrey and therefore if wee should seeke the good of that before our owne gaine then much more should wee desire and labour to procure that which is good both for our selves and Countrey as peace prosperity plenty and purity are It argues selfe-love for a man to love his Countrey not for it selfe but for that good which he possesseth in it and therefore if wee love our selves let us pray for the peace and good of our Church and State For as the life of all the members proceedeth from the heart so from the Common-wealth proceedeth the common good of every one Geminianus lib. 6 de homine ca. 5.7 and upon the safety thereof dependeth the safety of all Wherefore every one of us should labour both by prayers and endeavours to promote the good of this Country The Senate of Rome saluted Augustus Sever. by the name of Pater Patriae The Father of the Countrie and the Romanes erected Images of all such as renowned or benefited their Countrey And therefore if wee desire happinesse and esteeme amongst men while wee live and a good name and report when wee are dead wee should by all meanes advance the good of the Church and Common-wealth And Fourthly Answer 4. wee should pray for our Countrey because necessity requires it it being now taking physicke and alwayes subject to enemies 1. Saint Iames saith If any be sicke let him send for the faithfull Ministers to pray with him and the prayers of the righteous shall save the sicke Here note that something is there expressed to wit that Prayers must be made for the sicke and some thing implyed viz. that besides the prayers of others the party must not neglect the meanes of Physicke for Physicke must bee used and then the blessing of God desired upon it by prayer whereby the creatures are sanctified unto us Thus should we now doe for our Church and Common-weath being sicke and Parliaments and Convocations being the proper Physicke ordained for the healing curing recovering redressing and restoring thereof and this Physicke being now a working we should all pray and that powerfully that the Lord would so blesse and assist them both that they may be instruments of much good both to our Church and State And 2. Certainly Liv. lib. 30. wee are never without some enemies or other either home-bred or abroad either open or secret Livy saith truely Nulla magna livitas quiescere diu potest si foris bostem non invenit quaerit domi No Nation can long bee quiet or at peace for if it have no enemies abroad it shall finde some at home Yea the devill being an enemy unto truth and all true profession Religion and worship doth ordinarily stirre up most enemies and employ most subtle and most crafty instruments against that Countrey or Kingdome where the truth is professed defended and maintained And therefore seeing wee are assured that wee are not destitute or altogether without enemies although wee could see none therefore there is great cause and need to pray for the protection preservation and prosperity both of our Church and State Fiftly and lastly Answer 5. wee should labour by prayer for the good of our Common-wealth and Countrey because otherwise wee are worse herein then infidels as will appeare by an example or two Aristotle beeing at Athens was very carefull for his Countrey the which when Alexander had over-runne and rased Valer. Max by letters he moved him to buid it up againe Plutarch Dion of Syracuse was so loving unto his Countrey that he never rested untill he had thorowly freed it from the tyranny of Dionisius Themistocles being banished his