Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	prayer_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	1,486	5	11.4562	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80869	An useful tractate to further Christians of these dangerous and back-sliding times, in the practice of the most needful duty of prayer Wherein are discover'd the nature, necessity and successe of fervent prayer: many objections answered, several practical cases of conscience resolved; and all briefly applied from this text, viz. James 5. 16. The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Being the substance of several sermons preached in the town of Columpton in Devon. / By William Crompton M.A. minister of that part of Christs Church there.	Crompton, William, 1599?-1642.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7033; Thomason E2142_2; ESTC R210127	70,200	187

if your ends be evil which move you to pray and may be known from these three companions F●rst Hypocrisie when men neither o●it the duty wholly nor go through with it in an hearty and chearful performance Secondly Vain-glory praying to be heard and praised Matth. 6.5 A thing hateful among Heathens T●lly taxed Gracchus for this that he referr'd all his actions not to the rule o● vertue but to the favour of the people that he might have their esteem and applause And as Pliny telleth the Nightingale singeth far longer and sweeter when men are by then at other times Thirdly Self-love which keeps men at home to look only or chiefly to their own good If thus you pray see what follows Your outward grosse sins are daily increased by this addition of spiritual sins An unprepared irreverent Petitioner takes Gods Name in vain Besides your pains and labour upon the matter are lost the Lord will not heat such prayers the grunting of Hogs in the stye saith Hierom is as pleasing to God because he expects no more then he hath given or offered Use 2 The second Use is for Instruction● 1. Know then every kind of praying will not serve the turn Every sound is not Musick The followers of Baa● called on his name from morning even until noon but there was no voice nor any thing that answered 1 Kings 26.28 Yea and they cryed aloud and cut themselves aft●r their manner c. and no voice nor any to answer c. Papists say over abundance of composures which they call prayers in so much as they need beads to help them keep nu●ber yet Saint James his Praye● is to be desired among them So too many among our selves who rest on the Idol opus operatum or work wrought If they be frequent in some common forms they think themselves boon-Christians though they do nothing lesse then pray Take heed of this God is in Heaven and thou on earth Eccles 5.2 ●et your expressions be heated with reve●ent fervency 2. Learn the Art of Praying He is a good Christian that can pray well not contenting himself with the form without the power My Brethren It is not the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart Common beggary is the easiest and poorest trade but this beggary is the richest and the hardest Then to the work redeem the time It is observed of the Camel that having long travell'd through sandy desart● without water impletur cum bibendi est occasio in praeteritum in futurum i. e. drinks for the time past and for the time to come so do you for past neglects act with more diligence now do for what is past and to come And for your direction herein know that he that would pray well must have first Ability consisting in knowledge of his own wants and Gods treasury in his word and promises Blind devotion cannot please God I will pray with understanding In assent not only to the verity but also to the equity and congruity between the desire and the offer In a fiducial resting on the fidelity of the promiser with reference to his own case All which is ordinarily got by hearing of the Word and former experience of Gods goodnesse An humble hearer is alwaies a zealous Petitioner Secondly He must have flexibility or a bending of the mind to or with the duty He must not be content to be down on his knees if his heart be not up to have his hand in the work if his soul be not also in it It was the saying of holy Bradford that he would never leave a duty till he had brought his heart into the frame of the duty He would not leave confession of sin till his heart was broken for sin He would not leave Petitioning for grace till his heart was quickned in desire A property of a good honest soft and humble heart which is a jewel an ornament of great price in the sight of God Thirdly He must have dignity or worth both for composition and presentation The Spirit of Prayer to compose it and the personal merit of Christ to presen● it Pray alwaies with all supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 3. Be instructed when you are about to pray call these things to mind Prayer is a fervent expression of holy desires holy for person principle matter and end And so I come to the last part of the description that these holy desires with spiritual fervency must be presented Unto the only true God by Jesus Christ To God only Prayers must be directed not to creatures Angel or Saint In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God Phil. 4.6 This will be cleared with a little labour For first he only can hear and relieve you Psal 65.11 O thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come Isa 63.16 Doub●lesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou art our Father O Lord our Redeemer Look as nature teacheth our children to come to their parents for every thing and to give thanks to them so grace teacheth the children of God to cry Abba Father to resort to him in every condition as they did to Joseph in Egypt and to praise him for every blessing As it is one of the Royalties of the King to be petitioned unto as a common parent for grace in sundry cases so is this a divine Royalty of God that all flesh should come to him in their several necessities abasing themselves in confessing their indignity exalting him with whom is all fulnesse of good things and uncontrolable power to effect for us whatever is good according to his own pleasure Secondly For this you have a command Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble Acts 8.22 Pray God if perhaps c. Yea and a promise Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you And God complains of such who forsake the fountain of living waters and dig to themselves pits that can hold no water Thirdly We have presidents for it The Church directs her prayer to God Lam. 5.1 And herein she is like to John Baptist a shining and a burning light She shines as knowing the rich storehouse where in her exigence to fetch relief and she goes to none below God She burns the fire of her zeal is kindled in her breast and therefore goes not with cold luke-warm affections In that Prayer our blessed Saviour taught his disciples we are taught the same Look over the form observe the phrases and see whether you can imagine that prayer should ever be directed to any other Read through all the Records of the world and shew if you can where any Saint of God made supp●ica ion unto any but to God only You cannot no not to the Virgin the Mother of Christ nor to any other Saint or Angel And in all the presidents recorded in the sacred

Scriptures not only in the Old Testament while the Fathers are fondly supposed to be in Limbo as Bellarmine gives the reason why we do not then read of any praying to Saints but in the New after our Saviours ascension And if there be neither command promise nor president in the Old or New Testament for invocation of Saints is it not a wonder it hath been so much pressed and practised To the contrary we have viz. Matth. 4.10 Colos 2.18 Rev. 19.10.22.9 Alas all other persons are rather praying to God then to be prayed to as God God is the authour of every perfect gift and to seek it from any other is flat idolatry and to give the praise thereof to any but God is sacriledge Further we add By and through Jesus Christ We cannot mount to Heaven on our own wings nor reach God by our own strength as soon may we scale Heaven with ladders And besides how terrible and horrible is it to think of God much more to come to him without Christ The holinesse and justice of God were before Christ as two flaming swords to keep off souls from coming to him but by Christ they both look on the soul with a lovely and aimable countenance And whatever you ask the Father in Christs name believing ye shall receive For the farther benefit of Practitioners in this holy Art here will be enquired 1. What it is to offer up Prayers by Christ 2. Why they must be so offered up Qu. 1 First What is it to offer up Prayers by Christ Ans I answer 1. It is to have them composed by the Spirit of Christ I name this the oftner lest you should trust to your own spirits content your selves with meer natural desires And further to move you both to prize and to procure and cherish the spirit of prayer 2. It is to direct Prayers to Christ ascending by his glorious humanity towards the Deity that so the gift may be sanctified by the Altar It is Christs office to pray the Father for his Saints and it is their priviledge to call upon him so to do and direct their holy desires to him Joh. 14.16 Thirdly It is to have Prayers presented by Christ to the Father and taken as immediately from him who is heard in all his suits John 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwaies This ●s to offer up Prayers by Christ Secondly Why must Prayers be offered Qu. 2 up by him I Answer 1. Ans Because of the Covenant is made with him all the promises are in him yea Yea indeed all the promises are made to him first and by him to us Heb. 9.15 He is called the Mediator of the Covenant No intercourse now between God and man but by and through him The keys of the house of David are laid on his shoulders He is the only door and through him we have boldnesse of accesse to the Father and confidence to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way Heb. 10.20 2. He is both the Priest and Altar for his Church No other Priests or Altars now properly but Christ Since Priest Altar and Sacrifice met in one in him No more Priests Altars or Sacrifices but Metaphorical As then all Sacrifices were to be brought to the Priest and offered on the Altar appointed so it must be now We have an Altar upon which all our spiritual Sacrifices must be offer'd even the Lord Jesus Heb. 13.10 If we go and offer without him the Altar and in our own name the sacrifice will be loathed It is not because we perform a duty in the most excellent manner that it is accepted but because Christ our high-Priest presents both us and our performances to the Father So that if a man should offer as many Sacrifices as were at the dedication of Solomons Temple and all without blemish and that all the qualifications did meet in the person that did offer yet all these are accursed if offer'd in their own name As the least things that were offer'd even an Epha or a Gomer a pair of Turtle Doves or a mite were accepted from the hand of the high-Priest when rivers of oil should be refused if presented otherwaies We must do therefore in this case as the Country of Tyre and Sidon having need of Herods favour made suit to Blastus his Chamberlain that was gracious with him And as Themistocles being to make a great request to King Philip of Macedon took with him young Alexander Philips beloved son We can then hope to speed with God when by faith we take Christ Jesus with us to be our Intercessour to present and offer our prayers to God Thirdly Because the best prayers of the Saints here as they proceed from men are tainted and unsavoury yea to go farther the most gracious actions which they are enabled to do by Gods Spirit are coming through them so imperfect as pure water running through a foul pipe getteth some soil upon it and excellent generous wine will taste of the cask if it be not sweet so vitiated as they become very unfit for the Lords holy and pure presence And therefore we read of the smoak of the incense coming with the prayers of the Saints They must be dipped in his blood perfumed with his odours otherwise they will stink worse in Gods nostrils then ever did the Onions and Garlick of Egypt It was the fault of King Uzziah to burn incense upon the Altar without a Priest he was resisted by eighty valiant Priests of the Lord and struck with Leprosie to make you fear to do the like by offering up prayers to God without Christ The work cannot be accepted where the person is not and the person is accepted in and for Christ's sake Now stand still look back lay all together and conclude two things by way of Application Use 1 First The misery of gracelesse persons though indowed with many naturall abilities in that they cannot pray in best health and prosperity much lesse in sicknesse and danger They have no ability skill nor will to pray with any power and life The Painter can give external lineaments and outward representations but he cannot give that which is the actus primus life to them the hypocrite may give outward colours and shades but he wants this Principle As the Satyre in Plutarch who strove to make a dead man stand upright but could not said Deest aliquid intus there wants a principle within to enable him to stand So may we say the carnal man that praies wants a principle within to put forth spiritual prayer He is that like a ship that is wind-bound No stirring without the Spirits gales There is great difference between praying and reading or saying over a prayer these have no fervent expressions their heat goeth another way no holy desires can come from such impure proud prophane spirits either they go to the creature as the end or by the creature as the mean and

expression However we finde that through slownesse of phantasie bashfulnesse unreadinesse of speech men that have good affections may yet need forrain helps as to words 3. Let such a one read or hear to get by heart such passages of Scripture as being orderly joined will make an excellent Prayer It is best praying in the Lords own words The Scripture is a Magazine of matter Many complain they have a great dearth of expressions when the cause is in themselves they do not study the Word of God the most genuine off-spring of expressions Case 2 Secondly What shall he do that findes his heart unfit and altogether indisposed for Prayer especially such Prayer with holy fervency Ans For Answer to this 1. Let him consider whence that indisposition is whether from some prevailing corruption which must be mortified or from omission of some duty which must be bewailed and redeemed or from a temptation which must be resisted or else from a desertion in which case there must be a waiting and earnest seeking for the Lords return 2. In this danger and damp of the soul know there is most need of praying to bring the heart into temper and to free it from those pressing weights which do so clog and keep it down The only way to fit a soul for this duty is to fall presently upon it and the very doing of the duty doth fit to the duty As one expresseth it for as all actions of the same kinde encrease the habit so prayer will make ready for prayer By setting a mans self on the work he shall gather disposednesse though unfit before as joints benummed get life being used 3. Know such is your condition here below like a watch though it be brought in order yet ere long it will be out again like the house that is swept and the childes face that is washed gathers dust and is fouled again Yet let not this discourage you but rather excite you to resolution and diligence in keeping the soul Heaven-ward and like the Palm-tree which by how much the more weight is laid upon it gathers the more strength the more to encounter Assailants Especially take heed of living in any beloved sin and thinking to pacifie Conscience and satisfie offended Justice by a task of daily prayer a wile of Satan ●eigning among Papists who hearing the Masse and confessing their sins once a year audibly think they may live as they list and spend the day as they ple●se as if they had taken a new licence to commit iniquity a practice too too common amongst ourselves resting on a cold performance of some duties without truth of grace or any thought of a necessity of universal obedience Case 3 I am distracted with vain thoughts and terrified with strange fears especially while alone and in the dark what shall I do 1. Consider whence they come from without Ans as injections or from within as corruptions prevailing through negligence or meer weaknesse judge and shame thy self for such distractions strive to do better so shall they never be imputed To be wholly freed from them is a priviledge proper to the state of perfection as some diseases cannot will not be cured neer home but men must repair to the Bath or to the City for help this infirmity is not to be quite healed till we come to Heaven 2. Admit not such vain and hurtful thoughts while you are in your civil emploiments at least play not with them as children use to do with motes in the air for there begins your bane You admit them at other times and they will be admitted at prayer If once the minde is let loose to rove idly it will hardly be brought in to attend upon God wholly in the duty of Prayer or otherwise as the trifling fellow that wanders up and down will not easily be tied to work The best way to keep the heart from gadding is to keep it as much as may be in ●une and rightly disposed before as when a man is to use his horse he will have him under bridle 3. Though you be set with terrors and fears yet flie not upon such imaginations but resist and the enemy will yeeld leave not the place where you are but buckle so much the closer to the duty in hand When Christ sweat drops of blood he prayed most fervently Remember Satan is chained he hath no enforcing power Distrustful fear giveth advantage and that you are in Gods presence who hath power over the Devil 4. Know that these defects and displeasing thoughts do disturb and discomfort the praying soul but cannot evacuate your prayers This is the priviledge of a true Christian his spotty and defiled prayers as other services are washed in the Foun●●in opened for sin and uncleannesse he corrects interlines and paraphrases them puts them into the method and language and expected constitution of the Court of Heaven that what goes from us with sincerity is immediately taken and entred on the File and become standing Records of that Office Case 4 But I finde not any successe in my prayers but am rather crossed in them therefore I fear it is in vain to pray Ans 1. If you pray amisse for matter manner or end no marvail in the matter as Moses in his desire to enter into the promised Land the matter of prayer being temporal we have no absolute promise to obtain Spiritual mercies indeed are bona absoluta bona bonum habentem facientia ever good to him that hath them and therefore we have an absolute promise to speed in our requests for them he will never deny good things to them that ask Luke 11.13 But outward blessings are onely bona respectiva good in reference to a certain end and our expectations may fail with reference to them In the manner as the Church in the Cant. 5.3 She would and she would not There is it may be a kinde of wambling willingnesse and velleitie but it boils not up to a full height of resolution for God and utmost endeavours after the thing desired Now affection without endeavour is like Rachel beautiful but barren Or Lastly Your prayers may misse in the end either of intention or of duration They draw not neer him with true heart that is contented either to wait for or to want the thing desired being heartily willing that God should be glorified though themselves be not answered They that ask aright may have any thing Mat. 5.6 2. Prayers may be successeful and yet not found or felt The grant may be past and you not know it for it is made to Christ first who by the worth of his Intercession merits a return of Prayers to himself and after to his Saints besides somewhat equivolent or better for you then that which you requested may be given and you not discern it for the vehement intention of your eies upon your own will or the ve●y thing may be granted though not for the time manner means and measure by

bosom open 2. A means it is richly to supply all your wants Prayer like the Heavens hath influence on all things below it as appears from the Prophetick Prayer of Solomon 1 Kings 8. And the practise of David in the book of Psalms and of Agur Prov. 30.8 It brings and keeps the heart in good temper and fills it with Spiritual joy and sweetnesse John 16.24 Ask and your joy shall be full No sorrow can stand before the God of consolation Davids heart was more oft out of tune than his harp he prayes and then cries Return to thy rest O my soul In many of the Psalms the beginnings are sull of trouble but by that time he hath prayed a while the ends are full of joy and assurance Psal 6.22 51. It fastneth on us as with Spirituall buckles all our Spiritual armour and sets God on work for us It is a lock for the night and a key for the day to open Gods treasury and let in the beams of the Sun of righteousnesse upon us Thirdly Consider what need you have to pray to God fervently If you knowingly weighed what a great work you have to do in a short time and in what danger you are upon the brink of Eternity and Satan goes about seeking to devour you say then have you not cause in respect of your selves to work in prayer 2. Motives may be taken from consideration of others whether ●nemies or friends Enemies you have many to your persons profession and practice in close following the Captain of your salvation Jesus Christ Psal 3.1 Many there are that rise up against me 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God wilt thou not judge them we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eies are upon thee Your friends are sick in body or troubled in minde with fears doubts desertions and suggestions carnal or Satanical as Paul was 2 Cor. 12.9 Persecuted and imprisoned as Peter was Acts 12.5 or lying under heavy rods one way or other perhaps imployed about weighty matters by sea or land tending especially to unthrone Satan to root out Anti-Christ and to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ Such moving objects you have enough at home and you may hear of more abroad The great dangers we are sensibly in by reason of sin and enemies should move and awaken us to improve all our interest in Christ to save us or else we perish and so be made the woful'st spectacle that was ever yet beheld A fruitfull land makes he barren for the sins of the people that dwel therein May not we tremble to think what will befall us To close this Can you see God dishonour'd Satan advantaged to domineer a flourishing Church endangered a dear Country like a mother bleeding to death a brother nay many brethren oppressed distressed and yet be silent Can you hear of what is preached on house-tops without sighing Can you look on the dolefull face of things with dry eyes O hard-hearted Christ hath some great work in hand a great and effectual door is opened and there are many adversaries and will you not so much as pray to God for help They are cursed with a bitter curse which come not in to help the Lord against the mighty A third and last sort of Motives are taken from Prayer it self such kind of praying First It distinguisheth between the gracious and the gracelesse soul it declares the sacrifice to be more excellent Cain offered a sacrifice as well as Abel but saith put the difference As faith puts a difference between the works of Heathens and the works of Christians though not for the matter yet for the manner so do faithfull fervent prayers between the sound and the rotten Christian It puts a difference betwixt the Abba-fathers of a child and the Ave-Maries of a superstitious Papist betwixt the devotion of a Saint and the devotion of a sinner the crie of a Saint and the howlings of an hypocrite these make a great and long noise the other only send up strong cries as well and more in private then in publique Secondly It is ever effectual and hath been most successfull Vitus The●dorus spe●king of the prayers Luther made in reference to a Diet at Ausburg wherein matters were like to go against the Protestants wrote thus Non dubito quin illius preces magnum momentum ad desparatam hanc causam comitiorum sint allaturae he doubted not but Luthers prayers would go near to turn the stream No man ever thus sought help of God in vain Witnesse Abraham Moses Joshuah Elijah a man sub●ect to like passions with us Hannah Daniel with thousands more who were sent away as Ruth from Boaz with their bosom full of blessings as Mephibosheth from David with a royall revenue as Achsah Calebs daughter from her father with upper and neather springs or as Moses from the mount with their faces shining A Christian cannot want supplies so long as he can pray for them as they were wont to say of the Pope he could never want money so long as he could hold a pen in his hand to write for it When the man can find a fervent-praying heart God will find a pitying heart and a supplying hand The Ark and the Mercy-seat were never nor ever shall be separated Obj. But such as you instance for successe of prayer were all extraordinary eminent men good and holy while I am mean poor vile and cannot hope to prevail as they Ans 1. I would know who they are that have most need of mercy and are so prest to use strength and fervency with God as penitent sinners throughout the whole book of God Paenitens loco justi apud Deum a penitent sinner is just in Gods account As Manasses the Publican Mary Magdalen the thief on the Cross sinners in grain yet humbled and accepted As for Abraham and Moses and the like they were holy men indeed as there are many in the world now though not so eminent yet as acceptable to God and as powerfull in praying as they were 2. I say that the successe and effectualnesse of p●ayer is not so much from the faith and fervency of the Petitioner as from the mercy of God and merit of Christ Cry and pray fervently unto God and rest on the promises Obj. But I am streightned and want time to pray morning and evening as you direct Ans 1. Have you time for other businesse to eat drink sleep labour and take your pleasure and none to pray Have you time to game and drink to buy and sell and none to pray This is the part of a worldling of the man of this life 2. Wisely improve your time and beware of contracting upon your selves that burden of oppressing varieties which keep men down and imploy them in such an excesse of matters in the earth as with that Duke of Alva they have no time to mind or look up to heaven 3. Redeem