Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A51878
|
A perswasive to the consciencious frequenting the daily publick prayers of the Church of England in a sermon upon I Thessal. verse 17, and 18.
|
Mapletoft, John, 1631-1721.
|
1687
(1687)
|
Wing M562; ESTC R124
|
12,881
|
35
|
Imprimatur Mart. 17. 1686. JO. BATTELEY A PERSWASIVE TO THE Consciencious Frequenting THE DAILY Publick Prayers OF THEChurch of England IN A SERMON UPON 1 THESSAL 5 Verse 17 and 18. LONDON Printed by A. G. for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. TO HIS Esteemed Good FRIENDS THE INHABITANTS OF THE PARISHES OF St. LAVRENCE JEWRY St. MARY MAGDALEN MILK-STREET St. CHRISTOPHER Gentlemen I Know not how better to express the sense I have of your great Kindness in making so free a Choice of me to those Relations in which I now stand to you than by lodging this Plain Discourse in every one of your Houses I earnestly request that it may be attentively read and well considered of by all those in your Families who can read and may be read to such as cannot read themselves And if I can prevail to have it examined Impartially without all prejudice and with the same Honest Design with which it was Written and Preached I may modestly hope that it will through God's Blessing produce at least some visible good Effects We have already praised be God for it daily Prayers in many Churches of this City which afford us great choice of Hours at some or other of which certainly most Men may and the most Wise and Pious Men will find or make leisure from their ordinary business openly to own their Dependance upon and pay their Publick Acknowledgments to that God who both at first made and hath since so Graciously Redeemed them for himself and who every day Maintains Preserves and Blesses them And I question not but that we should soon have Prayers likewise every day in most I believe in all our Churches if the Parishioners could be perswaded to come and give Countenance to their Ministers who are now discouraged from the Attempt by the Shameful Scandalous Thinnes of their Congregations on Wednesdays and Fridays when they are read Though I confess my self to be of Opinion and that upon some Experiment as well as upon good grounds of Reason That even in those Churches where there is the smallest Appearance at those times there would be twice perhaps in a little while Ten times as many at Prayers every day were they once so setled and Mens Minds duly awakened to the Consideration of their Duty and Interest as now come on Wednesdays and Fridays Since the better any good thing is weighed and understood and the more constantly it is practised the more it will gain upon us and the nearer it comes to an Habit the harder it will be to forbear it I should not need to add were it not to prevent if it be possible all manner of Pretence to Cavil That what is here advanced manifestly enough appears to be Calculated for Cities Market-Towns or such Populous Villages in which both the nearness of the Church and the Nature of Mens Employments may conveniently afford them so valuable a Privilege as is that of Consecrating some part of every day to the Honour and Publick Worship of their Dear Lord and Master Nor should I otherwise here say because I have so often done it in the Body of this little Treatise That I do all along press this Duty with the Exception or Allowance of a Just and Good Reason That is of such a Reason as a Prudent and Pious Man whose Mind is seasoned with that Genuine Principle of Divine Life the Love of God and all the Graces of his Holy Spirit and influenced by a lively sense and proportionable care of his Chief and Lasting concern that of his Immortal Soul shall deliberately judge to be a sufficient Excuse for his Absence at that time all the Circumstances of his Person and Place and necessary or warrantable Occasions being fairly accounted for What I affirm and urge is this That the Common-Prayers of our Church ought to be every where and at all times frequented by all those of its Members who can do it with that conveniency which Christian Piety Prudence and Charity shall state and agree to be such And that 't is every Man's Duty to be present at them so often as his occasions and condition of Life so determined will permit And this Truth I think were there no other Argument for it may be clearly made out by the General Laws of our Religion such as are those which Command and Invite us To seek first the Kingdom of God. To do all things to the Glory of God. To let all things be done to edifying That is to the Building up and Advancement of the Church of Christ To think on in order to practise whatsoever things are Honest or Venerable and Worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever things are Just and such certainly is the daily Publick Homage of an Intelligent Creature to his Great Creatour whatsoever things are of good Report To live to the Lord with one Mind and one Mouth to Glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ To give Glory to God in the Church in the Assemblies of Christian People by Jesus Christ throughout all Ages To shew forth the Praises of him who hath called us out of Darkness into his Marvellous Light as being thereby made a Royal Priesthood Of whom as we are such God now under the Gospel requires constant Service in the Publick Assemblies as he did the Sacrifices of the Levitical Priests Dr. Ham. These General Rules or Maxims of Christianity being all of them easily applicable to the Subject I Treat of I thought good to mention here for the farther Instruction and Conviction of those whom the Prejudice of a different Education contrary Custom Party or other little Inducement may be apt to mislead and make unwilling to discern and own what they are not willing should betrue But whatever the Event may be in reference to those who thus choose to stand in their own light I shall have at least the Satisfaction of having now done what in me lay to perswade you to the Practice of a Religious Duty which if undertaken upon the Principles and performed by the Measures of true and Vndissembled Piety will very much tend to the Honour and Glory of God the Credit Growth and Advancement of Religion the Establishment of our Church the Peace and Welfare of this Kingdom and our own great good both in this Life and in that which is to come That it may please God so to Bless this little Treatise as that it may be some way instrumental to the promoting his Glory the general Interest of Religion and their particular Advantage who shall read and duly consider it is the earnest Prayer of Gentlemen Your Obliged Faithful Friend and Servant John Mapletoft A PERSWASIVE TO THE Consciencious Frequenting THE DAILY Publick Prayers OF THE Church of England 1 THESSAL V. 17 and 18. Pray without ceasing In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you FRequent Intercourse with Heaven by the ascent or