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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	die_v	live_v	5,530	5	5.7934	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09491	An inuitation vnto prayer, and the practise of piety, directing the way to true happinesse Wherein is principally to be considered, these foure things. 1. What prayer vnto God is. 2. The necessity of it. 3. The profit we receiue by this holy exercise. 4. The maner and vse of it.	Perrott, James, Sir, 1571-1637.	1624 (1624)	STC 19774; ESTC S100356	25,890	144

in health nor the body in life So are they indeede both whilest they haue their well-being like vnto Hippocrates twinnes born bred liuing and dying together It is true that at al times they cannot be conioined for sometimes Contemplation and Meditation may come and are inuited into the heart by the good Spirite of GOD at such times and places where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publike nor priu●●● p● 〈…〉 when strength and ●acul●● of sp●ech ●aileth 〈…〉 when th● Conscience by contemplation may consider and secretly confesse the frailties falles which are then or hath bene before by them committed and yet there is no opportunitie or admittance to expresse it there mentall Prayer and Meditation is most proper But vocall is most powerfull when it may bee practised CAP. II. The Necessity of Prayer NExt to the examination and knowledg what Prayer is there comes to bee considered what the necessitie is of the same wherein I might well conceyue there shold neede no great labour to proue it nor more then to prooue it is day-light when the Sun shines the one being manifest in the workes of Nature the other as apparant in the effects of Grace Yet because ignorance needs information curiosity requires confirmation we will say somewhat to make the necessity of prayer to bee in our sight as indeede it is in it selfe perspicuous and plaine It is euident to all good and well instructed Christians That as wee are all Creatures of the heauenly Creator 1. Prayer is needfull in respect of Creation so to this end did he cheefely create vs that we being his Worke-manship we should worship our great Worke-master and giue him his deserued glory by acknowledging this innumerable benefites in magnifying his Diuine Maiesty making supplications vnto him Which most necessary Christian dutie wee cannot performe without Prayer Therefore the necessity of Prayer is proued in the cause and end of our Creation Next as we are created onely by God 2. For our Saluation so are wee onely saued by him and of our selues through our sinnes Originall and Actual we deserue nothing but destruction death damnation Therefore as we stand in 〈◊〉 of pardon for our sins and of 〈◊〉 pacifie Gods indignation for the sinne whome vnto doe dayly and greeuously offend so can bee no way so well satisfie him obtaine pardon of them and saluation of our soules as ●y frequent zeallous and feruent Prayer the best procurers of pardon for our transgressions against God Thirdly as well our temporall preseruation as our Creation and Saluation sheweth the necessitie of Prayer For our youth is accompanyed with rashnesse our riper yeares with dangerous aduentures our elder yeeres with sickenesse and sundry infirmities In all which seasons of mans life he is so subiect and so beset with calamities dangers and maladies both of minde and of body that without faithfull and feruent Prayer vnto God he cannot escape those miseries where-with this life and euery part thereof is enuironed And by acceptable Prayer vnto GOD he passeth thorow all these perils Therefore if wee consider who is our Creator what benefites hee hath bestowed on vs and to what end hee hath done this In acknowledging that hee hath created vs we are bound to confesse his power prouidence In beholding thankfully receiuing his blessings as life helth liberty peace wealth knowledge maintenance mutuall and comfortable society wee cannot in duty but agnize his wonderfull bountie clemency and mercy which by no other meanes be so performed as by ardent deuout Prayer vnto God So then we may see if sence do not blind reason or if reason go not too far in giuing rules vnto Religion the necessity of praier vnto God to be so great that without it we cannot well obtaine the things we rightly desire nor shun that which is hurtfull CAP. III. Of the profit of prayer THe third thing to be considred handled and well weighed is the benefit and profit of praier vnto God which though it cannot be truly valued by any but those that feele the fruites of it both inwardly in their comforts and consciences and outwardly in their estates and they only that taste and enioy the spiritual consolation they feele and find in this heauenly exercise of prayer can tell somewhat what it is though they are not able to expresse it yet to shew some sparkles of the splendor of praier besides that which hath beene already spoken of the necesity of it we will summarily set downe some examples what bene●●ts the Children of God haue receiued by the vse of holy and faithfull prayer and next touching the promises which our Sauior hath made vnto such as shall pray vnto God zealously and truly If we looke into the sacred Scripture and holy Bible wee shall find sufficient examples of deliuerance from dangers the diuerting of Gods iudgements from sinners by the prayers of holy men euen at the time when most eminent perils haue presented themselues And when there hath beene no hope or likelyhood of helpe to bee deliuered by mortall man yet the faithfull prayer of one man hath deliuered many from destruction As when the Israelites did fight against the Amalekites as long as Aaron H●z● held vp the hands of Moses to pray the Israelites did preuaile when Iudas Machabeus fought against Gorgeas and his armie against Lysias and his armie hee prayed and by effectuall prayer vnto God he ouercame and got the victory By prayer Moses freed his Sister from the Leprosie and by prayer he pacified Gods displeasure against the people And by praier Abraham did oure Abimelech all which and many more examples might be alledged how profitable the praier of one man hath beene for the preseruation of many Then if we consider the promises which God who is able to performe all that hee doth promise hath made vnto all those that make faithfull supplications vnto him wee shall finde the same to bee so great as greater cannot come to man by any indeauour For it is said if two or three be assembled together to aske any thing lawfull in Gods name hee will giue it And againe the holy Ghost saith by the princely Prophet David Call vpon me in the time of thy need and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt praise me Likewise the same Prophet speaking by the same Spirit Let him call vpon mee and I will heare him I am with him in his trouble and will bring him to honour But because the sacred Scriptures are full of these certaine promises for the obtaining of things faithfully and rightly asked of God in prayer it shall bee sufficient for confirmation of this point to adde what our Sauiour himselfe hath said Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske for vnto the Father in my name it shall be giuen you If then we be commanded by God himselfe to pray vnto him we cannot but clearly see as in a Christall glasse of Gods holy word that prayer

AN Inuitation vnto Prayer and the practise of Piety directing the way to true Happinesse Wherein is principally to be considered these foure things 1. What Prayer vnto God is 2. The necessity of it 3. The profit we receiue by this holy exercise 4. The manner and vse of it London printed by Isaac Iaggard for Robert Bird and are to bee sold at his shop in Cheapside at the signe of the Bible 1624. To my Honourable and Worthy Friends in Parliament ALL good counsell comes from God Humane consultations are as fraile as themselues are feeble Nature hath her courses and corruptions in all the accidents of this world Mans aduice relyng onely on it selfe is like his actions sometimes prosperous often perillous many times pernitious The most sure and sase helpe that vvee haue comes from the gouernour of Heauen Earth The defence of his truth is our best buckler and his seruice our chiefest safety Prayers and Petitions vnto God are the Harbingers which prepares a place for our heauenly habitation and makes firme our earthly possessions This small and slender Treatise which J haue now puhlished concerning Prayer was first written ahout 27. yeares since then penned for mine owne practise since which time it hath beene concealed and in a manner cast away amongst many my other loose Papers vntill of late finding it vnlooked for J shewed it to some of my priuate Friends whose desires vvere it should be made publicke To that J yeelded not for any worth J could conceiue to bee in the worke comming from one so weake but to satisfy those who J knew would beare with my faults Of all our actions the world is as it were the Theater our selues the Actors wherein some play their partes with skill others in simplicity most with errors the greater part are censurers more ready to finde fault with others then to search into themselues whatsoeuer they are or J am J see my selfe subiect to censure This subiect is Prayer the pathway to happinesse the handling and carriage of rich Roabes by poore men makes not the garments meane but it may be more meanely valewed it is that in attyre as in Physicke the Materials of the one and ingredients of Medicines in the other beeing of themselues good yet not well by the workers managed composed and mixed makes their shew of lesse esteeme and indeede their substance of lesse vse Such may be the state of this Treatise touching prayers the subiect in it selfe holy heauenly but by mee not well handled may so fall out to be lesse valewed then the dignity of it wel set forth would shew it selfe to be Howsoeuer I offer this small Widowes Myte into that Treasurie where true Christians by Prayer and Piety makes their oblations and tribute in the Sanctuary of GOD vnto whose gracious and good guidance I commend all your good consultations with all others that by faithfull prayer and feruent deuotion desire to serue his Diuine Maiestie Yours in him who can make vs all his and to enioy all happines I. P. Knight AN INVITATION to Prayer and the practise of Piety directing the way to true Happinesse With a preparation to the practise thereof CHAP. I. What Prayer vnto God is BEfore wee treate of this most precious and inestimable gift and grace of Prayer it is conuenient to know what Prayer 〈◊〉 to Go●●● For of thi●●s not knowne what they are there is little desire to attaine vnto them be they neuer so excellent in them selues or profitable vnto others Therefore to vse a breefe definition or rather description of Prayer vnto God may be said to bee the Tribute of the soule powring out praises vnto him for benefites already receiued or making supplications for such things as we stand in need of and seeke of his Heauenly Maiesty Farther to make a celestiall representation by terrestrial comparison Prayer vnto God may be termed to be as it were a Bucket to draw vp the water of Life from the bottomles Well of Gods infinite grace and mercie In the efficacie and effects it may bee likened vnto a strong Wall or Fortresse to guard the soule of him that rightly vseth it from the temptation and spoile of Sathan So is it an Armour against all aduersities and the Soules Medicine against al maladies that doth inuade indanger it To conclude this which brings vs to happinesse with that which in Diuine contemplation of heauenly Mysteries wee may somwhat shew what Prayer is as the Diuines doe declare what God is by signifying what hee is not nor cannot be So it may be said of Prayer a principall part of Gods worshippe not to be the sport or supine exercise of humane Wit nor the practise of sloathfull creatures continuing in known sinnes vnrepented but it is an ardent and zealous inuocation and in some sort a Conference with God Two partes of Prayer There are two parts of Prayer as hath bin already in part pointed out For by shewing what Prayer is we shew in some sort of what it consisteth that is Petition and Praise or Thankesgiuing vnto God Petition is an humble suit and seeking vnto God either for pardon of our sinnes for supply of spirituall graces or of temporall necessities such as our wants in both which are great doe vrge vs to aske for assistance from the Almighty Praise Thanksuing is an ardent and harty acknowledgment with a landing of Gods most glorious name and mercie As there are two parts Two kinds of Prayer so there are two kindes of Prayer the one Mentall the other Vocall The Mentall prayer is vvhen our inward conceptions and meditations of the minde are fixed on the Maiesty of God by secret and silent recounting without expression of words the miseries that our sinnes haue brought vpon our selues also whē we remember and reioyce at the mercies of God and so do internally magnifie him for the same and for his wonderfull workes of Iustice iudgement prouidence and preseruation without vttering of any words The other kinde of Vocall Prayer is when the heart cannot be contained and satisfied onely vvith contemplation but striues to set the tongue voyce on worke either priuately alone or publikely conioyned with congregation and assembly of Christians to pray vnto God to praise him The first is profitable if it bee done with zeale deuotion and vnderstanding but the second is commonly more firme and fruitefull For when the soule is soliciting on this seruice of God yet the exteriour sences doe many times seduce and withdraw the inward meditation which maketh them vanish often wax vaine except they be vnited and bound together with the organs of voyce and speech so these concurring make an euen harmony A comparison that inward as the Heart which being the seate of the vitall spirites g●ines quickning spirit to the body this outward being as the Lungs which receyued from within and vents outbreath without which the heart it selfe cannot long continue

disgraces IT is iust with thee O Lord and I haue iustly deserued that thou shouldest send me some wants and small disgraces after thou hast giuen me prosperitie plenty and sufficiencie when not vsing thy blessings well and neglecting the meanes thou hast affoorded for my maintainance I am faln from that I had which was sufficient to want some things for my necessary vse And yet my wants are not so great as my sinnes are or as they haue deserued Since then howsoeuer my estate or my estimation is in this world I do beseech thee graunt me patience to beare this or whatsoeuer crosse it pleaseth thee to lay vpon mee and to acknowledge that I my selfe am the cause of it And so when thou hast brought me home vnto thy self by the acknowledgement of my selfe and of my sinnes comfort me againe according to thy eternall wisedome that I bee neyther dismaide with aduersitie or puffed vp with prosperity but if it be thy good pleasure that pouerty shall still pursue mee prepare me with patience to beare this crosse though hard for flesh and blood yet once obtaining the victorie by thy sole strength ouer this inward enemy my infirmities sticking closest vnto me I may possesse my soul in peace and whatsoeuer becomes of my worldly estate the spiritual state of my soul may be safe I saued thorow thy abundant mercies Amen A Prayer in time of sicknesse MOst gracious Father we confesse and wee are driuen to confesse wee haue deserued plagues pestilence and other sicknesses whereto we are subiect of our selues aswell by the naturall infection of our bodies whereby one taketh contagion from another as by our spirituall pollutions whereby our sinnes being the inward festring sores doe ascend vnto the Tribunall in heauen calling and crying for vengeance on the earth on the sonnes of men the inhabitants and Rulers of the earth The effects of this good Lord we haue often and visibly seene though wee doe not well consider the cause Wee feele the stroke but do not see the hand that strikes neither do we well weigh what moues that hand to bee stretched out agaynst vs. Now the sicknesse thou hast sent vs makes vs to looke somewhat about vs and to feel that which our flesh can easily find paine anguish aches torments comming from the body to the mind But O Lord we are not so sensible of that which concernes the sicknesse of the soule Yet in this time of our visitation whilest paine and perill doth oppresse vs teach vs to take this as an information of our infirmities heale vs good Lord inwardly in the diseases of our soules and keepe vs from those corruptions of our naturall affections which draws vs vnto fond desires with false and foolish appetites the procurers of these our bodily diseases O Lord yet cleanse vs within from our sins and then we shal be cured from our corporall sicknes but if it be thy blessed will to continue this Contagion yet comfort and support vs during the time of sicknesse Make thou good Lord our beddes and bodies such as may make vs able to vndergo our sickenesse comfort vs with the inward consolation of thy holy Spirit when cold heat coniunction or succession of either comes then O Lord in the time of extremity whilest Na●u●e is distempred our bodi●s dis●ased our minds distracted betwixt feare of death danger of our estate care of our children friends kindr●d and family wee may y●t receyue a sweet repose from the influence of thy holy Spirit to rest content with thy good will and pleasure with a reference and relying on the same for resolution of life or of death So may wee by thy assistance say still and peaceably vnto thee in the sincerity of our owne soules We are heere now good Lord at thy disposing do with vs what thou wilt Only make vs able to bear our owne infirmities and thy visitations with faith help vs in the time of this wea●nesse and danger of this disease if thou giue life graunt amendment of life If thou appoint death grant vs preparation for our dissolution Repentance for our sinnes and a ioyfull assurance of thy mercies the bodie is weake the flesh trem●les the Spirit is troubled O thou the giuer of life and the disposer of death whē sense is dull or distracted infuse thy Spirit to temper it and to turne vs vnto thee dispose our harts so that whither life or death do come they may bee alike welcome vnto vs and we may entertaine either according to thy good wil and pleasure Arme vs against the feare of death if life be graunted graunt wee may leade a new life setting forth thy glory If death be designed let the period of this life bee finished in thy praises lift vp our hearts at the last gaspe And now at this instant plant in my heart faith to beleeue in thy sauing health feruencie to pray for it courage to endure the conflicts of sickenesse and of sinne and in the end a blessed death and a ioyfull resurrection thorow Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A prayer for knowledge THou O great and gracious God who art the light of our liues and the Conseruer of all sauing knowledge enlighten our vnderstanding with the true knowledge of thee of our selues and of the wayes wherein we should walke And although we can neuer in this world knowe thee as thou art being inuisible infinit in goodnesse and in greatnes yet giue vs such and so much knowledge of thee as our capacities can comprehend and thy will is to reueale Let vs attaine to so much knowledge as to see thy wonders in thy works and thy good pleasure reuealed in thy word if that which thou hast not reuealed of thy selfe let vs bee satisfied with what thou hast reuealed in thy word Of the first let our naturall inquisition of thy supernaturall power weaken or preiudice our faith And in that knowledge which thy word deliuereth let vs not be content with a weake and meane measure but couet to come vnto that knowledg which may strengthen our faith informe our consciences and reforme our liues In the knowledge of our selues teach vs to consider and know our owne weaknesse and wickednesse our frailtie and manifold infirmities our sinnes and transgressions against thy holy and heauenly Maiesty For the knowledge of our owne wayes grant vs warinesse and watchfulnes to see and finde out our faylings in the keeping of thy Commandements our feare plainly to professe thy truth thorow doubt of danger scoffe or losse the smal account we make of thy good things wee leaue vndone or do amis of the euill wee haue committed And when good Lord thou hast rightly instructed vs in the knowledg of thee by thy works and word of our selues in finding and confessing our sinnes and of our owne wayes by acknowledging them to be wandering by-paths then bring vs home vnto thee to pray vnto thee and praise thee in this life