Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	david_n	psalm_n	sing_v	2,543	5	9.4001	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49114	An exercitation concerning the frequent use of our Lords Prayer in the publick worship of God and a view of what hath been said by Mr. Owen concerning that subject / by Thomas Long ...	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.; Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1658 (1658)	Wing L2966; ESTC R2625	105,187	198

which sounds quite contrary to such an intent for in this sense it hath been understood and accordingly practised by the Church in all Ages and any vulgar eye that vieweth the whole structure may observe that it was fitted by our Saviour for publick Devotion to be used by his Disciples in consort and to serve as a note of distinction to such as heard them whose Disciples they were And Doctor Hammonds Paraphrase most genuinely agrees with the Text One of his Disciples besought him to give them a form of Prayer which they might constantly use as John Baptist had given to his Disciples and upon that demand of his being at another time and upon another occasion from that in the Sermon on the Mount Christ said to his Disciples Whensoever ye pray solemnly omit not to use this form of words For if Saint Johns Disciples did publickly use the form of Prayer given them by their Master and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si quando if at any time ye will pray so as to be known that ye are my Disciples what can this signifie less then when ye pray solemly omit not to use this form of words Master Hodges his Argument hath also its weight and may be improved thus Suppose the Disciples had asked Master teach us to sing as David taught the people of God or which is the same teach us to pray as David taught the People of God for he taught them Psalmes of Prayer as well as Praise and hereupon our Saviour had composed some Psalmes of Praise and Prayer I demand whether we should not have been obliged to use those Hymnes of Prayer and Praise although there had been no injunction annexed to them And doubtless as the people of God under the Old Testament and we under the New ought to use Davids Hymnes of Prayer and Praise as an Ordinance of God in his publick Worship so ought we more especially and at least as frequently to use this most solemn and Divine form of Prayer And thus of the Arguments from the words of injunction whereof this is a Sylloge 1. The injunction of Saint Matthew is sufficiently clear to all unprejudiced persons 2. That of Saint Luke delivered a second time and on a different occasion hath yet as the dissenters grant a more clear command by which 3. That of Saint Matthew if there had been any difficulty in it ought to be interpreted 4. There cannot be a more apposite expression given to signifie that it ought to be used as a form And fifthly had our Saviour intended it onely as a Pattern or heads for Prayer or foreseen any inconvenience in the use of it as a form he would never have commended it under such words as in the judgement of the Church and eminent servants of God in all ages hath the full import of a positive injunction When ye pray say The next thing to be considered is the matter of fact what hath been the practice of the Disciples of the Church of God and of pious and learned Christians in all ages And although it be no where in Scripture set down positively that the Apostles did use this form of words as neither that they did use the same method or matter yet this being but a negative argument concludes no more that they did not use this form of Prayer then because we read not that they baptized any In the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost therefore they did not so baptize any which form was yet injoyned by our Saviour as a prime Office of their Ministery and beyond all peradventure they did strictly observe as oft as they baptized any And when the Scripture assures us that it was their practice to use Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs praysing God and praying unto him in the words of David when they did keep to the same prescibed words in the administration of both Sacraments when they observed forms in the benediction of the people in the close of their Epistles and in other solemn Acts of Gods worship all of which forms were not so authentick as to be of our Saviours own composure and prescription what should hinder but that they might and did use this most excellent form of Prayer in their devotion Most certain it is that they who retain a form of Benediction over the people when they dismiss them and of administration of both Sacraments have no more to say in their defence then they who retain and use this form of Prayer for Christ who gave commission to his Disciples to go and discipline all Nations baptizing them c. He that said Take eat this is my body c. the same commanded also as positively when ye pray say c. And when we all account it our duty to praise God in singing Davids Psalmes some of which as we use them are of a mean composure and carry expressions beneath the Majesty of Scripture others such as concerned the Jewish Church onely why ought not the Apostles and we as necessarily to use this form of Prayer sanctified by our Saviours own lips Can we charitably think they asked a Prayer in sense of their own insufficiency for that duty and such a one as by the use thereof they might be known to be his Disciples and when they obtained one so heavenly so succinct and yet so significant and injoyned under such plain terms yet did refuse or neglect to use it doubtless they did bestow some time to commit it to memory they did often con it and meditate upon it and when they repeated it I suppose it was not without some affection devotion and lifting up their souls to God and if so they did use it as a form of Prayer And surely that of Saint Augustine may take take place here if any where Quod universa tenet Ecclesia c. In practical matters the use whereof is obscure the general practice of the Church is the best Interpreter His rule is this That which the universal Church doth hold not as being instituted by Councels but as alway retained in the Church we rightly believe it to be of Apostolical authority Now indeed the Councels did often check the neglect and determine the times and order of using it but never imposed it de novo as a thing that had not been formerly practised Quia quotidiana Oratio est quotidie dici oportet saith the Toletan Counel Because it respects our dayly needs it ought to be said dayly Nothing can be more certainly affirmed from Ecclesiastical Records concerning any matter of fact then that the Church of Christ did early and constantly use this form as a chief part of their devotion That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Common Prayer used in the time of Ignatius who saw Christ in the flesh it was in all probability this or some other form Genebrard in his Chronol

cannot be good So far that pious Doctor And if his reason be good it will follow That the Church doth no more quench or limit the Spirit in prescribing a form to the Ministers then they doe quench or limit the Spirit in the people whom they from time to time doe confine unto those forms which they do presently conceive and utter among them And as the spirit of the people is in this respect subject to the Prophets so the spirit of the Prophets divisim severally is subject to the Prophets conjunctim joyntly That which is objected by some against the use of forms from 1 Corinthians 14. 15. I will pray with the Spirit c. is not at all understood by the Objectors Calvine sayes Spiritus voce singulare linguarum donum c. By the word Spirit that extraordinary gift of tongues is to be understood And Beza on Orabo spiritu i. saith he linguâ perogrinâ quam mihi dictat Spiritus I will pray in the spirit is no more then this I will pray in a strange tongue as the Spirit shall dictate to me and so on verse 16. When thou shalt bless with the spirit i. in a strange tongue how shall he c. Or if this place could possibly be understood of extemporary effusions in Prayer they were extraordinary ones wherein the Spirit dictated words as well as matter and such as cannot now be pretended to But lastly if by that Scripture praying in the spirit excludes forms of Prayer then by Verse 15. singing in the spirit excludes forms of singing and so we should bring in extemporarie Psalmes too and then I fear we should transgress that of our Apostle verse 40. Let all things be done decently and in order According to appointment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you It is the dutie of every Christian to grow in the exercise of his gifts and graces in Prayer to be able on all occasions to lift up holy desires to God and he that indeavours not this may be marked with that Character of an hypocrite which Eliphaz would have stamped on him Thou restrainest prayer from God Thou keepest thy prayer from growing So Fenner And they that cannot go to spread their wants in the presence of God without the help of a form are strangers to a great part of their happiness which consisteth in a free filial and ingenuous communion with God And I make no question but Ministers may and ought on new occasions to adde and alter many Petitions and after long experience and practice in private may exercise those gifts of Prayer which God hath given them in publick but yet if the occasion may be fore-known if it do not surprize him too suddenly no question but by study and deliberation he may better comply with it and excite the peoples affections more then he can in an extemporarie manner And when in the main both the matter and method of Prayer as Invocation Confession Supplication Intercession and Thanksgiving are still the same there can be as no sure sign of grace in varying the words so no just cause of rash censure in retaining and using the same for since we pray to the same God in the Name of the same Mediator profess our belief in the same truths feel the same wants and fear the same evils inward and outward and all these are in a great measure common to all we may as well meditate and prepare in what words a in what sense and in what manner we ought to come before the Majesty of God as for what end and certainly wholesome words deliberately fitted by one or more judicious and experienced Disciples to the capacities and understanding of the hearers are soonest received into their hearts and have a greater influence upon the affections to raise them and lift them up to God in Prayer then any other But enough of these premisses The conclusion is this If both publick and private forms be lawful and expedient as both the practice of the Church and the judgement of men famous for Learning and Piety do assert surely then there cannot be any fault on the account of its being a form justly imputed to our Lords Prayer or which may justifie the disuse of it For let all the Arguments that are brought in defence of other forms as for singing Psalmes administration of the Sacraments blessing the people be all summed up and each of them may be easily and highly improved for the lawfull use of this form I shall give you for instance a view of these Arguments that are urged by a Reverend and judicious Divine for singing Psalmes and every one may perceive how fitly they may be accommodated to the use of our Lords Prayer 1. If singing of Psalmes in Davids forms in which are many Prayers be a Gospel-Ordinance so is praying unto God in our Saviour form 2. If there be no reason why our conceived Psalmes should thrust out Davids Psalmes neither is there any reason why our conceived prayers should thrust out our Saviours Prayer 3. If upon concession that we must sing Psalmes Davids Psalmes will carrie it there being no art or spirit of man that can come near that of David Then also upon concession that we must pray Christs Prayer will carrie it there being no art or spirit of man that can come near that of Christ. 4. If none dare deny but that the Levites had the assistance of the Spirit when they praised God in the words of David then neither can any denie whatever they dare but that the Disciples of Christ may have the assistance of the Spirit when they pray to God in the words of Christ Quâ nulla spiritualior oratio Then which there is no prayer more spiritual as Tertul. 5. Are Davids Psalmes to be sung because they suit with all occasions of the people of God as well or better then any songs composed by an ordinarie gift for the same reason ought our Saviours Prayer to be used it being fitted to the necessities of the people of God in all ages in all conditions and for all just desires And thus every Argument for any other form may à fortiori be more strongly applied to this and all Answers to any Objections against them will be subservient to this most excellent form Of which as Hooker saith Though men should speak with the tongues of Angels yet words so pleasing to the ears of God as those which the Son of God himself hath composed were not possible for men to frame for he that made us live hath also taught us to pray to the end that speaking to the Father in the Sons prescript form without scholy or gloss of ours we may be sure that we offer nothing that God will disallow or deny A Prayer which uttered with true devotion and zeal of heart affordeth to God himself that glory that aid to the weaker sort to the most perfect that solid comfort