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
A91898	Panoplia. Universa arma. Hieron. Or, The Christian compleatly armed: being a treatise of the Christians armour, clearly opening every part thereof, both pressing to the putting of it on, and instructing us so to use it, as we may not be soyled in time of temptation. / Delivered by that late reverend, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Woolnoth, London, to his congregation there, in several lectures: and now published for the further benefit of the Church of God.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1710; Thomason E1586_2; ESTC R208953	180,905	372

have an intention to wrastle with God in Prayer but some messenger of Satan or other is ready to wrastle with him to take him off This Text shews us the reason He knows well that the servants of God are never more successfull against his Temptations nor that he is never more defeated in his designs against them than when they set their faces to seek God He hath been so often overcome by this Holy Ordinance of God that he is afraid of it Hence it is that he is so diligent both to take them off from it and to interrupt them in it He is most afraid of a Child of God when he is on his knees This makes him so strangely attempt to break off the Exercise of it 2. This shewes us that Satan must needs prevail very much where Prayer is neglected Do not wonder to see the Devils Throne erected so high in those Families and in those Persons where Prayer and Invocation is cast aside There 's nothing in such a soul to hinder either his Residence or Domination Watch and pray saith Christ that ye enter not into Temptation Mat. 26. 41. Those that disuse Prayer must necessarily be under the power of black Temptations They have no defence to keep Satan out nor have they any way to cast him out when he is once entred 3. This lets us see the power of Holy Prayer It 's a very strong thing he that considers well what prayer hath wrought cannot imagine it to be a weak thing It hath for a time stopt the course of Nature Sun stand thou still in Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon Josh 10. 12 13. It hath divided the waters of the Sea Exod. 14. 21 22. It hath quenched the burning flames Numb 11. 1 2. It hath cast Devils out of their possession The Prayer of Luther and other servants of God recovered a man out of the hands of Satan who had made an Indenture of his soul to him and sealed it with his own bloud The Indenture sealed was cast in into the place where they were praying And our Saviour tells That no Devil hath such deep possession but by Prayer and Fasting he may be cast out Matth. 17. 21. In a word Prayer hath overcome God himself Gen. 32. 26. Luther was wont to say There is a kind of Omnipotency in Prayer It never yet did it never shall through God meet with any thing too hard for it No Journey was ever too long for it no Mountain too high no Waters too deep no Burthen too heavy no Temptation too strong It never was it never shall be finally and totally overcome by any Adversary 4. That a Christians Victory over the Temptations of Satan doth not depend upon himself but upon God alone This is gathered from hence When he hath dressed himself and got his weapons into his hands he must then look to his Commander in chief and conquer by prayer He doth not overcome by fighting but by praying All his preparation all his graces all his Armour all his endeavour will not carry him through the battel with success unless God stand by him When he hath done all he can Prayer must be his last refuge that God would vanquish his enemies for him 5. This is an Apologie for the people of God who desire to be frequent in Prayer They have found the benefit of it and they still know the excellency of it It 's a piece of that Armour which they must use nay 't is upon the matter their whole Armour all the rest doth no good without it therefore are they so careful to use it They know the danger of Satans Assaults and they know if they be not frequent and fervent in Prayer they shall be overcome therefore they willingly neglect no opportunity of performing this service they know praying Christians are the safest Christians 6. That the gift and grace of Prayer is a marvellous great blessing That God hath given his Spirit to be a Spirit of Prayer in us that God hath given to his people ability to pour out their hearts by prayer with cries and groanes that cannot be expressed that Jesus Christ hath given us a Rule how to pray a pattern for Prayer This is a singular mercy that you are enabled to make use of this Ordinance of Prayer There are many that know not how to pray after a right manner If God have taught any of you how to pray you are to acknowledge it as a marvellous mercy and to bless his name 7. How much you are indebted to them that pray for you They supply you with Armour Exhortation Be intreated and perswaded in 2. Vse the Lord Jesus Christ to make use of this piece of Armour Pray alwayes with all Prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints In this Exhortation I shall do three things 1. Give you some Motives 2. Help you against the Wiles of Satan whereby he endeavours to take you off 3. Give you some helps I might give you many Motives I could tell you that it 's the way to have your wants supplyed It 's the Key of the Treasury of Gods blessings God hath appointed this as the great Channel of conveyance of all blessings Jam. 1. 5. It 's the way to have every thing sanctified to your use it makes bitter things sweet and sweet things more sweet it 's that Salt which savours every thing 1 Tim. 4. 5. It turns all afflictions into gold all poyson into physick 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. It 's the way to expell inordinate cares and fears Phil. 4. 6. He that is much in prayer will be little in Care It 's the Nurse of all graces it preserves the fear of God in their hearts Job 15. 4. It preserves the love of God It nourisheth Humility it keeps the Conscience clean and tender it preserves and maintains heavenly-mindedness c. But I shall onely urge that which is in the Text. It 's the way to have certain victory over all Temptations Satan may shatter a praying Christian but he shall never conquer him He may for a time bring him into his Net but God will rescue him and bring him out again Whensoever I call upon God saith David then shall mine enemies be put to flight Psal 56. 9. Prayer rightly managed wil carry you through an Host of Temptations These black Regiments will and must give way to the power of prayer if you continue instant in it You cannot get victory over the least Temptation without prayer and the greatest Temptation shall be subdued if you continue in this Duty Satan is as well able to overcome God as to overcome prayer which hath the strength of God in it 2. To help you against the wiles of Satan He hath many Devices to take off the Children of God from prayer viz these six things 1. God knows what I want though I do not pray I cannot by

his heart taken up about this Duty he must prepare for it both matters for it and time for it he must so order his affairs that he may solemnly wait upon this work of prayer many Christians are so intangled about other things they do so watch for the matters of this life that they have no fit time for prayer 2. He must watch and observe those special seasons in which God doth move and stir up his heart to this Duty He must watch in Prayer that is he must watch against Drowsiness against Distractions and wandrings against whatsoever may divert him from prayer It is to be the care of a Christian that his heart may be composed in prayer that Satan may not take him off from the work he hath in hand Satan watcheth unto Temptation and watcheth In Temptation and if we do not watch both Into supplication and In supplication he will have a very great advantage against us your drowsie careless loose unsetled prayer is the way to encourage not to dishearten Satan 5. A conquering Prayer must be a persevering Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth such an invincible constancy and perseverance as will be beaten off by no kind of opposition or difficulty whatsoever This is required in many places Rom. 12. 12. Col. 4. 2. We must not onely pray for a day or a year and then cease our prayers must continue as long as the battel continues All victory is promised to him onely that perseveres Satan is never weary of tempting and we must never be weary of praying You must be still charging and discharging this Ordinance of Prayer as Satan is charging and discharging upon you by his Temptations Discontinuing of this may lose the battel The Apostle exhorts Christians to have a care that their prayers be not cut off 1 Pet. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cutting off prayer is as dangerous as the totall neglecting of prayer 6. A conquering Prayer must be a charitable prayer This is in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not as if we must pray for none but Saints God gives us leave to pray for all sinners except those who have sinned that unpardonable sinne Samuel prayed for Saul Abraham prayed for Ishmael c. 'T is not exclusive of others His meaning is we must pray for others especially for the Saints the Eye of Charity in this as in other pieces of it is to look first at the Saints The Saints are liable most of all to the violence of the same Temptation which we are lyable to The Saints being helped by our prayers will be the better able to pray for us and to help us in our Assaults by their prayers And besides Prayers for the Saints will engage God to hear the prayers that we make for our selves in our own Temptations I might add more Qualifications out of other Scriptures but I resolve not to go out of the Text. Thirdly Wherein the usefulness of Prayer as to the overcoming of Satan and his Temptations lyeth This I shall shew in these things viz LECT XXVI April 3. 1650. FIrst Prayer is the way to prevent Temptations from entring It doth make the soul in a manner impenetrable Matth. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation Satans hands are tied up by the power of Prayer sometimes that he cannot shoot an Arrow of Temptation against the Soul Lead us not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. It 's a hard thing for Satan with all his wiles to make his fiery Darts fasten upon the Soul of a praying Christian Secondly Prayer is the way to pull out Satans Darts when they are fastened For 1. Prayer sets the blessed Trinity on work for the Souls assistance It engageth God to take our part in the day of battel When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed when he let his hands down Amaleck prevailed Exod. 17. 11. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Psal 50. 15. The Prayer of the Disciples did awake Jesus Christ and set him awork for them when the winds and waves did threaten shipwrack and present ruine Mat. 8. 24 25 26. When the waves and storms of Temptation threaten the ruine of the Soul Prayer awakes Christ and sets him on action for the Soules safety The prayer of Paul when he was actually engaged with Satan in a very hot Dispute brought him in assistance from Heaven I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness c. 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. Prayer brings in supply of assisting Grace 2. Prayer gives strength to all the other pieces of the Christian Armour It is reserved by the Apostle to the last place because both is an evidence we have the other because it is so helpfull to all the rest 1. It doth keep the Girdle of Truth upon the Loyns Holy Prayers are as the Clasps of this Girdle which tie it together and keep it from falling off 2. It is that which doth tie together the Breast-plate of Righteousness 3. It keeps on the Shooes of the preparation of the Gospel upon our feet Take away the strings of Prayer and these shooes will soon slip off the feet 4. It strengthens the Shield of Faith and keeps it from breaking I have prayed for thee that thy Faith do not fail If either Christs prayer for us or our prayer for our selves fail the Shield of Faith will fail also Jude 20. 5. It keeps Hope alive he that is most frequent in prayer will be most lively in hoping 6. It puts an edge to the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God stirres us up to prayer and then Prayer makes the Word sharp and prevalent 3. Prayer expels those Corruptions which weaken and prejudice the Soul and give advantage to Satan in the day of Temptation The strength of sinne in the soul is the strength of Satan all his advantage is from our own Corruptions Now Prayer doth help on the work of Mortification and Sanctification it purgeth the Conscience it purifieth the heart it fastens grace in the root and increaseth it in the branch c. Every holy Prayer pares off something from that body of Death which is Satans Armory and strong hold in us 4. Prayer adds boldness and courage Information 1. This lets us see the reason why Satan is such an enemy to Prayer That he useth all means to take off the servants of God from this Duty the Scripture tells and the experiences of all the people of God make it good What distractions and disturbances doth he ordinarily work in the hearts of men when they are employed in this service The Saints of God never find him more busie with them then at such a time When Paul was going to prayer a Spirit of Divination meets him and labours to divert his thoughts Act. 16. 16. A Child of God can never

another Witness to those many which will appear against you LECT 2. Octob. 17. 1649. VVE now come to the LECT 2. handling of the words particularly as they are recorded in the 13. v. Wherefore take to you the whole armour c. In which words we have these two things 1. A serious exhortation and advice given to all Christians Take unto your selves the whole Armour of God 2. The Motives inforceing the practice of this counsell and they are two viz. 1. Enablement in opposing that ye may be able to withstand they cannot possibly make any resistance if they do not observe this Direction 2. A promise of victory having done all to stand There 's no good opposing without these armes And there 's certain hopes of overcoming if they be rightly used I shall first open the words in a short explication and secondly gather up the strength of them by doctrinall observation Wherefore take unto you c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause This denotes the ground of the exhortation The Apostle had mentioned v. 11. 12. great opposition by a powerfull and subtle adversary The Adversary is the devill set out by a large description 1 Of his Policy in that expression of Wiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Of his power in those expressions of principalities powers spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places The necessity of opposing this Adversary is hinted in the word Wrastling we must wrastle and that against a potent and politique enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause its necessary that we be not unfurnished but provided before hand Mat. 16. 19. Acts 1. 2. 11. Take unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifyeth to take unto our selves or to take up a thing and somtimes to regaine and recover what we have lost or let go out of our possession we must take up what God offers and if our Armesbe beaten out of our hands we must take them up againe The whole armour of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies armour of all sorts whereby the souldier is made fit for an encounter with his Adversary which is here called the Armour of God quia nobis divinitùs subministratur nec in externo ro●ore consistit Baldvin in locum That ye may be able 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our ability is not in our selves To withstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word signifies the manner of opposition namely face to face hand to hand foot to foot Dr. Gouge upon the place In the evill day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In that evill day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is put for time indefinitly whether long or short Mat. 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes somtimes the evill of sin Math. 9. 4. Joh. 3. 19. somtimes the evill of punnishment or trouble So 't is here therefore Beza reads it Tempore adverso In the evill day It notes tempus Cribrationis What that day is and why it s called evill we shall shew hereafter And having done all to stand This hints a certaine victory to him that withstands aright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifyeth Rem inchoatam provehere eò usq donec absolvatur The word nots that a christian must expect more assaults then one and that the victory is not to be expected till all assaults be perfectly finished Thus for explication The words thus opened have these doctrines 1. That Every Christian is liable unto an evill day of Assaulting and temptation from Satan This is necessarily implyed in the exhortation it were superfluous and unnecessary counsell to advise christians to get this furniture if they were not certaine to have a day of battell All christians are not actually assaulted alike some are continually assaulted others very rarely yet is there no believing christian freed from these conflicts and assaults every believer must expect them 1 The Scripture speaks of an hour of temptation which shall come upon all the earth Rev. 3. 10. 2. Our Saviour tells Peter that Satan hath desired to have him and therest of his brethren that he may sift them as wheat Luc. 22. 31. He tells them indeed that he hath prayed for him and the rest that their faith do not faile but he doth not tell them that he hath prayed against their sifting And 3. We finde that many of the servants of God have been under these assaults Paul David Job And Quod cuiquam cuivis that which doth befall any one Saint is liable to all they have not onely been liable to temptations from God temptationes Probationis but they have also been liable to temptations from Satan temptationes Deceptionis 4. Christ would have all to pray against it Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some refer it to the providing of the Armour so the Sytiack Interpreter ut praeparati id est postquam omnia comparaveritis ad hanc obeundam pugnam necessaria Beza Others refer it to the assaults of the adversary devictis omnibus hostibus In the handling of this Doctrine I shall endeavour to open these three things I. I shall shew you What evill day This is II. I shall shew you Why it s called an evill day III Why God suffers his people to be thus assaulted I. Any day in which God permits Satan and gives him liberty may become an evill day temptation will turn the brightest and most comfortable day into an evill and bitter day Though he be continually assaulting 1 Pet. 5 8. yet there are some speciall dayes and seasons in which Satan doth more fiercely assault and set upon the soul I shall name a few viz. these 8 ensuing particulars 1. The time of outward personall calamity and affliction when God shall by any providence bring a believer under outward calamity and trouble of any sort sicknesse or poverty or imprisonment or banishment this is a speciall day for Satan to assault in Thus we see it in the case of Job when God had taken away his goods and stricken him in his Children and laid his hand upon his body in a violent manner then Satan he brings his forces to assault his soul and minde with temptations vid. Job 2. As such a time Satan assaults the soul with these two temptations 1. To murmur and to blaspheme God vid. Job 2. 9. His endeavour is to perswade the afflicted soul into an ill opinion of his God that God doth not love them if he did he would not so distresse them He did prevaile with Job in this evill day to curse the day of his birth Job 3. init 2 To use some sinfull in direct meanes to be delivered out of such troubles This way he assaulted David in the evill day he perswaded him to fly out of the land of Judea amongst the Philistims 1 Sam. 27. 1. 2. And in this evill day he assaulted our Saviour with the like temptation If thou be the Son of God command these stones to be made bread Math. 4. 3. It was