Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	body_n	heaven_n	soul_n	16,244	5	5.2792	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25834	Secret and family prayers with brief helps for the more devout receiving of the Lords-Supper And better observation of the Lords-day, as also to further the needfull duties of catechizing, visiting the sick, and personal instruction. Fitted for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Cartmel in Lancashire.	Armstrong, John, 1634 or 5-1698.	1677 (1677)	Wing A3708A; ESTC R214879	44,221	112

Secret and Family PRAYERS With brief Helps for the more Devout RECEIVING OF THE Lords-Supper And better Observation of the LORDS-DAY as also to further the needfull Duties of Catechizing Visiting the Sick and Personal Instruction Fitted for the Use and Benefit of the Inhabitants of Cartmel in Lancashire If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them S. John 13. 17. CAMBRIDGE Printed by J. Hayes for the Author 1677. June 15. 1677. Imprimatur Tho. Page Procan Ri. Minshull Theoph. Dillingham Rad. Cudworth THE PREFACE AND EPISTLE To my loving Neighbours and Pastoral Charge HAving now for a long time observed not only your frugal charitable and industrious way of Living as to the World but moreover in reference to many of you your more pious Care for the good Education of your Children and your own Spiritual Welfare as also your maintaining Order and Unity above many others in the Worship of God this hath been unto me and I hope shall continue to be the cause of no little joy and contentment of heart Yet having withall seen some among us hitherto not so diligent as they ought to be either in keeping holy the Lords Day or in receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or in sending for the Minister to visit them when sick or in improving when in health the duty of Catechising and Personal Instruction that both themselves and those who live with or under them might be better informed in the Ways of God I have in the ensuing Book as to each of these respects hinted those things which if duely considered may prove a sutable and seasonable Remedy And particularly because as to the promoting of Religion in each Houshold there is a more general want of Family-Prayers too easie to be taken notice of I have herein especially endeavoured to make provision for the performance of that part of your Duty There are I hope but few so negligent of their own Welfare as not to consider how natural and necessary it is for all reasonable creatures by Prayer and Thanksgiving to acknowledge God in al● their ways and to give him the Glory du● unto his Name for all the benefits they receive from him and to seek his Blessing upon what ever they undertake and daily to recommend themselves and all their concerns to his continued Grace and good Providence There may be more who having helps put into their hands for this purpose will not so much as find leasure to make use of them as if this would not indeed rather further then hinder their lawfull Affairs or as if they could have any greater and weightier business then thus to seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Or as if when the most in a Family will both find time and get together twice a day for set meals for their Bodies they should not much rather strive to do so once at the least for set and solemn Prayer in order to their Souls eternal Happiness If your estate be more plentifull you may spare the more time if your condition be meaner on Earth you have more need to seek by Christ a Treasure in Heaven Say not therefore you are to provide for Wife and Family and so have no time to regard your Soul by a solemn and serious performance of Duties but remember that the same God who commands you to follow your particular Callings as Men injoins you likewise to follow your general Callings as Christians and that in the first place Seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness ousness thereof and all other things shall be added unto you And also with the greatest labour S. John 6. 27. Labour not i. e. not only for the food that perisheth but chiefly for the food that endureth to Everlasting Life Should we pray to God every day in the week not once or twice but many times for eternall Blessedness and continue to do so with greatest earnestness while our life and breath is continued if but once this Petition at last be granted us will it not be richly worth our pains and fully requite all that we have done Or having every Work-day in the week 23 hours and an half to eat and drink and work and sleep in is it any great matter to redeem half an hour or a quarter of an hours time wherein to work out our Salvation to prepare our Souls for Death Judgement and Eternity to read some portion of Gods Word and to praise him for the Mercies we have received and to Pray unto him for such as we have need of If a mans house were in a flame he would not let it burn and say I have no time to quench it If a Neighbour call us to sit at our doors to talk or dine with them we can find leasure for it When therefore the Blessed God calls upon us to be diligent this way among others to make our Calling and Election sure should we foolishly say that we have no time for this though indeed one of the main Works which we were sent into the World about Oh let not such vain excuses keep us from our Duty lest the Righteous God for our pretending now want of time to serve him in be provoked at last to give us an Eternity to suffer in Others I fear will be ready to make light of these Helps because of their groundless prejudices against all Book-Prayers not rightly understanding either their benefit or lawfulness but I beseech you let it be well considered how many Christian Duties and Vertues we may be daily put in mind of by these Prayers which if we strive to follow with answerable Practices as we ought to do and as we hereby beg of God to enable us to do surely this course must in all reason be allowed to have a very considerable influence into our more Holy and Circumspect Walking Besides you know how natural it is to all Mankind when they have any petitions or thanks to prefer but to an earthly King to take good advice beforehand that they may be delivered in as decent and grave form of words and as reverent a manner as may be certainly then Christians in this respect should be much more carefull if possible how they present the desires of their Hearts to the most High God the Eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth But alas with many such have been the licentious Rambles of their fancy in suddain Prayer so bold and rude have their descriptions been of Almighty God so rash their Sayings concerning him or concerning themselves and so many untrue or doubtfull things have they uttered that they have not only shamed that way of address to God but dishonoured and hindered true Christian Devotion which hath suffered extremely in the thoughts of many by such extravagance And some as experience hath shewn finding that they could not pray in their Families ex tempore or on the sudden as they have been urged

Morning on the Week-Days you may pray by your self thus O Most gracious God and mercifull Father I thine unworthy servant do here acknowledge that as I was born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken thy Righteous Laws in thought word and deed following too much the desires of my own Will and not caring as I ought to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and am therefore liable to all shame and misery both in this Life and that which is to come But O Heavenly Father I beseech Thee for the Merits of thy dear Son to forgive me all my sins and not to inflict that punishment which is due unto me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my reconciled Father and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable Love And let the same thy good Spirit lead me in the ways of Truth and Righteousness and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnall lusts And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank Thee for all thy Blessings bestowed upon my Soul or Body Particularly for any measure of Refreshment given unto me the Night past and that thou hast brought me safe to the light of another Day O Lord I pray Thee continue to be gracious unto me let thy Fear be always before my eyes and thy Grace so rule in my heart that whatever I shall think speak or do may tend to thy Glory the Good of others and the peace of my own Conscience I now recommend my self and all my concerns together with all near Relations and those that belong unto me to thy mercifull Direction and Protection intreating Thee to keep us from all evil and to give a Blessing to all our honest and lawfull Endeavours and to make all thy Providences towards us to work together for our good Bless O Lord the Kings Majesty and all the Royal Family with all inferiour Magistrates under Him Bless the Bishops and Pastors of the Church Comfort all that are sick and comfortless And O Lord keep me in a continual readiness by Faith and Repentance for my last end that whether I live or die I may be thine accepted of Thee through Christ Jesus my only Saviour in whose prevailing Name I sue for these and all other needfull Graces and Mercies continue to pray unto Thee as he himself hath taught me saying Our Father c. Praying alone unless removed out of the hearing of others speak with a whispering rather then a loud Voice as Hannah did 1 Sam. 1. 13. She spake in her heart onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard Thus not being heard of others they cannot suspect you to affect any vain glory in what you do Yet you will find this way usefull both to stir up your Affections and to help your Attention of Mind by keeping you from many wandring and distracting thoughts which you would otherwise be liable unto Note further that when alone in Secret you may sometimes makeless use of a set Form of Prayer and take more freedom in opening your Heart and particular Condition unto God as he shall enable you He knows and will graciously answer your humble and sincere desires Greater heed is to be taken for Method and Expression when we pray with others that they may joyn with us to their Edification At Evening on the Week-Days when the Family is come together at the fittest time before they go to their Rest let the Governours themselves or some Child or Servant whom they shall appoint reading first some portion of Scripture if they have time distinctly and leasurely read one of the two following Prayers A Family-Prayer for the Evening on the Week-Days O Lord the Creator of the World and the Redeemer of Mankind who knowest all things and canst do what thou pleasest and hast done us very much Good already and promised to do more for us if we be obedient then we can ask or think we here fall down before Thee in the lowest manner to express our fear and reverence to thy Almighty Power our admiration of and submission to thy unsearchable Wisdom our hearty love and thankfull acknowledgment of thy wondrous Goodness our trust and confidence in thy Faithfull Promises with our ready and sincere purposes to perform all Obedience to thy holy Commands There is nothing O Lord so afflictive to us as the remembrance that we have at any time offended thy Sovereign Authority We are heartily sorry for the breaking any of thy Righteous and Good Laws and therefore beseech Thee for the sake of Christ to pardon the same unto us and that we may abhor the thoughts of doing so again ever resolving by thy Assistance to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World and to strive to be like our Saviour Christ in meekness and lowliness of Spirit in Purity and Zeal for thy Worship and Glory and in being ready as we have opportunity to take the more pains that we may do the more good in the World Oh do thou we pray thee strengthen in us these resolutions which thou hast inspired us withall and ever further them by thy continued Grace that no sudden desires ineffectual purposes or partial performances may deceive or lead us into a false Opinion of our selves but that we may bring forth actually and with a constant Spirit all the fruits of Righteousness which are by Christ Jesus to the Praise and Glory of thee our God O let us be so sensible of thy great kindness to us of our many engagements unto Thee that we may love thee our God and Saviour with all our heart soul and strength that we may strive to credit our Religion and glorifie thy Name all the ways we are able with all that we are have or can do that not only by the special Duties of thy Worship but also by the right management of our outward Affairs and our moderate use of the good things of this Life we may serve Thee and be brought nearer unto Thee Thus we pray Thee let Religion be the very business of our lives and let our greatest pleasure be to please Thee in every thing and our highest design to attain that Blessed Immortality which Christ Jesus hath promised Lift up our affections we intreat Thee more and more to those things above where He is that Heaven may have our hearts while this World hath our bodies and we may have perfect Contentment of mind in Well-doing and patient suffering and the good hope we have of being eternally beloved of Thee the Lord of Heaven and Earth may make us rejoyce evermore Free us O Lord from all inordinate cares for the things of this Life from all distrust of thy good Providence from all repining at any thing that befalls us and enable us in every thing to give Thanks believing that all things