Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	hear_v	heart_n	pray_v	1,932	5	5.7672	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72314	A helpe vnto deuotion containing certain moulds or forms of prayer, fitted to seuerall occasions; & penned for the furtherance of those, who haue more desire then skil, to poure out their soules by petitions vnto God. By Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1608 (1608)	STC 13406.3; ESTC S123450	60,160	302

of miseries are against me If my griefe were waighed it would bee heauier then the sand of the sea I am broken with one breaking vpon another Make me I pray thee to consider seriously that it is euē thou which hast done all this that these things come not by chaunce but by thy prouidence and certaine appointment that so I may be dumme and not open my mouth to murmure or repine Open mine eyes that I may sée mine owne deseruings and what cause I haue giuen thee euen to crush me to pieces with thy heauy iudgements yea to cause the pit of thy eternall vengeance to shut her mouth vpon me What cause haue I left vnto mee to complaine when I am lesse then thy smallest mercy and my sins greater then the greatest sorrow thou hast layd vpō me It is thy loue O Lorde from whence this proceedeth In this course thou doest offer thy self vnto me as to a sonne thou knowest my corruptiōs the rebellion of my heart the crookednesse vnreformednes of my nature thou séest before some great euill that I am like to fall into if I bee left vnto mine owne course thou findest me to be forgetfull of my duety to thee cold in Prayer backward and lumpish in holy seruices well-néere lulled asléepe in the common security of the times It is thy wisedome to rouse me vp to put thy hooke of affliction into my nostrils to bring mee backe into that good way from which I am falling I knowe thou doest therfore chasten me that I may not be condemned with the world O teach me I pray thee to learne to iudge my selfe to search to try my wayes to pry into my course by-past that I may finde out those euils which beare in mée the greatest sway and may in some measure vnderstande what it is which thou aymest at in afflicting mee And enable mee withall to reforme mine errors to recouer my wandring to get a happie victorie ouer my rebellious flesh that I may be able to say hereafter It is good for mee that I was in trouble blessed be the time that the Lorde afflicted me and how sweet is the quiet fruite of righteousnesse which springeth foorth from the bitter roote of tribulation In the meane space O Lord vntill it shall please thée to put an ende to my present grieuaunces teach me not to make haste or to séeke by vile and vnwarrantable courses to wind my self out of thy hands but graunt that I may tarry thy leasure with patience not daring to prescribe vnto thee what to doe And when this storme is ouer and the sorrowe past O kéepe me from securitie make me to remember the vowes and promises of obedience which I now make vnto ●hee prepare mee to a fresh triall that my care may be to bée prouided for whatsoeuer thy pleasure shall bee to lay vpon me Heare mee in this and in all other my suites for his sake in whom thou art best pleased euen Iesus Christ the righteous Amen 13. A Prayer in respect of some losse receiued as of honour or goods c. O Eternall God the God of prouidence the orderer and the disposer of all things both in heauen and in earth Be ready I beséech thee to heare the Praier of thy distressed seruaunt Helpe my weakenes I entreat thée and quicken mee to the performance of this duety of calling vpon thy Name I am euē ashamed of my self to sée mine owne faintnes how soone I am cast downe vpon euery occasion O rayse me vp I pray thee and make me to lift my heart towards thee according to whose good pleasure all things come to passe Is it not thou O Lord which hast laid these things vpon me art not thou he who both giuest takest at thy will art not thou the iudge which makest low which makest high shall I murmure against thee which hast such an absolute vncontroulable soueraingty ouer al shal I receiue good at thy hand and not euill O kéepe downe my repining mutinous and discontented thoughts allay the height and hautinesse of my spirit teach me how to be abased to haue want make mée to sée the vanitie of that which I was wont euen to admire and to set my heart vpon Let this abridgement be a schoole master vnto mee that I may learne by it to draw mine affections from these fading and transitorie commodities O Lord what is honour Is it not a blast or as smoke which quickely vanisheth What is wealth Is it not lighter then vanitie it selfe doth it not take her to her wings as an Eagle and flye into the heauen O knit my heart henceforth vnto thee O blessed Father fasten my affections on the things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at thy right hand make mée to lay vp treasure in heauen to seeke after that kingdome of thine which cannot be shaken frame my heart to the choyce of the better part of which I can neuer bee depriued Let mee affect the true honour which standes in the faythfull seruice of my sauior Let me labor for that enduring and durable riches which consistes in the knowledge of thee and in the féeling of thy gratious sauour Suffer me not I pray thee so to limit thy power as to thinke that thou art not now able to supply mée sith the meanes which I was wont to enioy is taken from mée but make mee faythfully to consider that thy hand is not shortened but that thou hast inough in store for those that loue thee Thou art able to giue me a great deale more after thou hast exercised mée awhile to blesse my last dayes with more abundance then the first thou canst make the little meale in the barrell not to waste and the small quantitie of oyle not to diminish thou canst cause a small thing to bée better vnto mee then great riches to the mightie and a dinner of greene hearbes to bée more sauory to me then a stalled Oxe to them O therefore I beséech thee restrayne my desires make me willinglie to submit my selfe to thy wisedom Let thy prouidence promise bee my store-house and the stocke that I rely vnto let this satisfy mée that though I lose all that I haue yet inasmuch as thou hast once loued mée in Christ I shall neuer lose thy fauour And let not the beholding of my children family disharten mee or make mee to cast perils and to say Wherewith shall I feed them How shall I clothe them O Lord they are better then many sparrowes and dearer vnto thee then the lylies of the fielde thy promise of mercy is entayled to my posterity O let my faith rest vpon this foundation Prepare me I pray thee to further trials make mée ready by degrées to lose euen my life it selfe if it may be for thy glory And thus O Lord desiring to reckō euen this crosse though my vnreformed nature doeth gainesay it among thy chiefest fauours I

these withdrawments Grant that I may more estéeme obedience to thee then either the cōtenting of mine own sensual affections or the auoyding of reproche amōg profane persons or the satisfying of men be their pretenses what they may be I am taught O Lord I do belieue it that thy yoke is easie that thy cōmandements are not grieuous I know that by a holy vse in these religious seruices I shall make them so familiar vnto me shall also find that excéeding swéetnes in them that I shal euen long for thy Sabaoth before it comes the time will séeme short vnto me that is so bestowed And for this day most louing Father I pray thee blesse vnto me the particular businesses thereof In praying giue me reuerēce to thy Maiestie sense of my own wāts fayth in thy promises fresh remembrance of thy former kindnesses charitable compassionate yéelding affections towards others In hearing vouchsafe mee an vnlocked an vnderstāding heart a right iudgement meekenes of spirit liuelines of affectiō fastnes of memory In cōmunicating at thy table bestow on me an hūbled soule a hungring heart a cōscience purged from dead workes power of sweet meditation vpon the death of Christ In looking vpon the administration of Baptisme afforde mee mindfulnesse of mine owne vowe remorse for my often fayling in that solemne promise earnestnesse of desire for the good of the baptized ioy for the encrease of thy Church In singing take frō me all both dulnes and vanity make me to sing with a grace in my heart still striuing to lift vp my soule vnto thee Enlarge my heart towards others as occasion shall be offered that I may bee ready to giue to those that want forward in euery good work comfortable to the sicke tender hearted to those whom thou hast humbled apt to make peace where discord is Let all workes of mercy bee a delight vnto me and make mee carefulll not to stay till I am prouoked but to séeke occasions to doe good And when I am priuate O Lord sanctifie my thoughts that I may meditate in good things and may hide thy worde in my secret parts and may loue it and especially that I may shewe the fruite of it in all my conuersation Finally I humbly pray thee so to guide me both in publique and priuate dutyes that when it commeth to euening I may féele my knowledge to be encreased my fayth strengthened my soule conscience abundantly refreshed and all this for Christ Iesus his sake for thine owne Names sake Amen 6. Another Prayer something more speciall respecting the hearing of Gods word ETernall God most gratious and mercifull in Iesus Christ euery good giuing euery perfect gift cōmeth down from thee thou hast cōmanded that if any man lacke wisedome hee should aske of thee thou hast promised to deny nothing that is asked of thee in thy Sons name In obedience vnto this thy commaundement in assurance of thy readines to make good thy promise I doe héere cast downe my selfe before thee praying thee as at all other times so now especially to be good vnto mee I am now O Lord by thy gratious prouidence to bee a partaker of thy holy word the preaching whereof is the ordinary meanes appointed by thee to saue my Soule to draw me out of the power of sathā vnto thine own selfe I for my part am vnworthy of so great a fauour as to bee admitted to heare it and I am euery way vnfit vnable to heare it with profit My heart is ful of blindnes ignorance my affections are froward and vntractable I am euen reprobate by nature vnto euery good duty I am dul of hearing slow of cōceit backward to entertaine but apt to let slippe any good instruction I beseech thee in Iesus Christ by the working of thy spirit to reforme within mee these corruptions Make me as a new borne babe to desire the sincere milke of thy most sacred word graunt that I may reioyce at it as one that findeth a great spoyle let it bee better vnto me thē thousands of gold and siluer Open my heart as thou didst the heart of Lydia that I may euen with a kinde of hunger and gréedinesse attend vnto the things which are deliuered cleare the eyes of my mind anoint them with that pretious salue of thy spirit that the scales of ignorance may fall from them and that I may sée the wonders of thy Law euen thy hid wisedome which my nature of it selfe is not able to discerne And because thou hast promised to guide the humble in thy way and to reueale thy secret to the méeke take from mee I pray thee a proud heart teach mée to become a foole in my selfe that I may bee wise in thee Suffer me not to measure the mysteries of thy kingdome by mine owne blind reason and corrupt affection but giue me grace to deny my selfe and to labour to bring mine owne thoughts into captiuity vnder Christ that I may not dare to oppose mine owne conceipts and fancies vnto the maiestie of thy trueth reuealed in thy word Giue vnto the Preacher a doore of vtterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the secret of thy Gospel Direct his tongue that he may speak vnto my cōscience that if there bee any close corruptiō lurking in me as Lord who can vnderstād his faults the searching power of thy word may discouer it and rip it vp euen to the very bottome And vouchsafe vnto me that meeknesse of spirit and such calme and yéelding affections that I may not repine nor murmure at reproofe but may loue him rather that rebuketh and may take it as a speciall fauour frō thee that I am not suffered to go on in sin nor giuen ouer to mine own corruptions In euery point of holy doctrine taught me make me to remember who it is the speaketh by the mouth of man that I may receiue the worde as a message from thee whether it be comfort or reproofe or instructiō so may giue it the reuerēce that awful respect which is due vnto thy holy Orac●●s And because O Lord as I am naturally forgetfull so the deuill watcheth to catch away the worde as soone as it is deliuered therefore I pray thee to stablish my memorie that I may hold fast thy blessed trueth and may alwayes haue it in store against the time of néed To this end make mée carefull in the vse of all good priuate meanes such as are Prayer meditation conference with others as occasion shall require Beget in mée a godly discretion that I may diligently search the Scriptures whether the things I heare are so and may try all things neither rashly reiecting nor suddenly belieuing whatsoeuer is deliuered And when I haue found thy trueth so stablish my heart that I may not wauer nor be caryed about with euery wind of doctrine but may continue in the things which I haue learned

to shine euen vpon chiefe sinners vouchsafe to cast thy cōpassionate ey vpon thine afflicted creature whō thou hast laid vpon his bed of sicknes Iust O Lord it is with thee thus to chasten me nay if thou shouldest crush my body into many pieces and suddenly plunge mee into hell it were no more then my due desert What a stayned sinner am I by nature stript of al goodnes and easie to be wrought vnto any euen the vilest euill What a world of trespasses haue béene since committed by mee notwithstanding the greatnes of thy patience and the varietie of good meanes which thou hast vsed both to informe and to guide me vnto godlinesse I will not therefore O Lorde I dare not I cannot plead against thée It is my duety rather to magnifie thy mercy who art pleased so mildly so fatherly to correct me it being free to thy iustice to cut me off as an eare of Corne and to giue mée ouer to the prince of darknesse to leaue me for euer to that woefull kingdome of eternall miserie Vnworthy I am I most willingly confesse because of my former slackenes and coldnes in this duety of calling vpon thy Name to haue any small accesse into thy presence Yet seeing thou art wont euer more to respect the trueth of thine owne promise then the desert of those which pray vnto thee therefore I beseech thee which art pleased to call thy selfe The hearer of Prayers to hearken vnto the hearty and vnfained desire of my soule Sanctifie vnto mee O Lord this present sicknesse let it bee as thy schoole in which I may truely learne to know my selfe more effectually then heretofore Make me to consider seriously that al paine and griefe is but the fruite of sinne and that as all sicknesse naturally makes way for death so death in it self is the fore-runner of eternall condemnation Blesse this thought and this meditation so vnto mee that I may make it my first care now in this visitation to séeke peace and assurance of reconcilement with thy Maiestie To this ende giue mee a deepe touch and a sensible vnderstanding of my sinnes by past take from mee all guile of spirit all disposition to flatter or to sooth vppe my selfe or to lessen eyther the number or qualitie of mine iniquities Cause mee euen to breake and plough vppe my heart to search and to try my wayes that so out of the abundance of my féeling I may powre out a most plentifull and sincere confession before thee Let mee remember it to bée in vaine to séeke to hide that from thée which thou before whom all things are naked and open doest know more fully and more directly then my selfe and that the discouery and laying open of my sins is the next way to finde thy mercy in forgiuing them Adde withall that strength vnto my scant and smoking fayth that I may amidde the sight of mine owne transgressions lay holde vpon the merite and fulnes of my Sauior Make me hartily to disclaime all hope of help by my selfe or any other creature in Heauen or Earth whomsoeuer and to cast all my burthen vpon him who by himselfe hath purged sinne and whose death is an absolute and an alsufficient sacrifice for the guilt of all belieuers Oh that I may féele my selfe knit and vnited vnto him so shall I in and by him be presented blameles to thy Maiestie And because O Lord I am full of imperfections and there is in my nature much weaknes and a great deale of frowardnes and readines to repine and rebell against thy ordinance therefore furnish mee with necessary graces with all such giftes as thou knowest to be fitte for my present case Endue mée with patience to beare whatsoeuer it shall bee thy pleasure to lay vpon me and méekly to submit my selfe to thy most wise appointments Assure mee that thou which knowest whereof I am made and that I am but dust wilt not oppresse me with more then thou shalt giue me strength power to endure Let mee not desire life otherwise then for the further aduancement of thy glory Subdue in me all loue liking of this present world grant that the hope of the glorie which shal be shewed hereafter may be so strong within me that all things may seeme vile vnto mee in comparison thereof Make me comfortably capable of the aduise and counsell of my Christian friends which in their loue shall goe about to refresh my Soule Make mee able also to speake profitably and for good to those that belong vnto mee Put vpon mée and in mee charitable affections and thoughts to and concerning others being ready to satisfie where I haue fayled and to remit euen where I haue receiued the greatest wrong Prepare mee to my last conflict and strengthen me against sathans assaults that in despite of his malice yet I may still holde mee fast by thee and resolue though thou slay me yet to trust vpon thee And because such is thy great goodnesse to vs thy poore creatures sickenesse doth not alwayes exercise his full strength vpō our bodies therefore giue me I beséech thee that wisedome to make vse of euery breathing and of euery little time of ease which thou doest afforde mee that in it I may gather strength against the times of greater anguish Bring still into my minde those things which I haue frō time to time learned by thy word that thereby I may bée quickned and find comfort in my greatest neede And alwayes O Lorde as the time of departure shall approache so let my soule draw neerer vnto thee my heart powerfully crying when sicknesse shall take away the vse of my tongue Into thy hands I commend my Spirit Come Lord Iesu come quickly And when death hath parted my Soule from my body let thy Angels which do alwayes by thy appointment pitch their tents about thy seruants conuey it into that place of rest which the blood of thy Sonne hath prouided and purchased for thy chosen To which thy Sonne with thy selfe and thy blessed Spirit be prayse and thankesgiuing now euermore Amē 17. A direction for those who desire to performe the Christian duety of prayer on the behalfe of a sick friend or neighbor whom they come to visite WEe are vnworthy O Lorde to speake vnto thy Maiestie either for our selues or others yet this duty lying vpon vs by commaund hauing a promise of hearing annexed thereunto wee are bold in Iesus Christ to commend vnto thee the weake estate of this thy seruant All sicknes is from thee to thee belong the issues of death Thou killest and thou makest aliue thou bringest downe to the graue thou raysest vp to whom shall we go in this and other our necessities but onely vnto thee Wee could wish O gracious God the continuance of his Christian fellowship the lengthening and enlarging of his dayes but wee willingly subiect our wils to thy determining Thou Lord knowest what is the best