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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	love_v	sin_n	9,337	5	4.8347	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80869	An useful tractate to further Christians of these dangerous and back-sliding times, in the practice of the most needful duty of prayer Wherein are discover'd the nature, necessity and successe of fervent prayer: many objections answered, several practical cases of conscience resolved; and all briefly applied from this text, viz. James 5. 16. The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Being the substance of several sermons preached in the town of Columpton in Devon. / By William Crompton M.A. minister of that part of Christs Church there.	Crompton, William, 1599?-1642.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7033; Thomason E2142_2; ESTC R210127	70,200	187

also may be profitably enquired two things First Why our prayer must come Qu. 1 from a spiritual principle The Reasons will appear to be such as these 1. Ans Because it is directed to the Father of Spirits who is delighted with spiritual service and accepts nothing in this kind from men but what comes from a spiritual principle It is therefore we hear the Apostle enjoining prayer in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and praying in the Holy Ghost Jude v. 20. This is the wind must set you● mill on work and the poise that should cause your clock to strike 2. It is to distinguish prayers First Because many prayers are but natural desires or hypocritical expressions of counterfeit devotion The Ravens call upon God and some we read of did howl on their beds and were importunate for corn wine and oil but from a natural principle which as the Grashopper hope not much above the earth and as a vapour exhaled by the Sun doth soon fall down again when self doth seek and is sought for as the people did Christ for the loaves and Judas for the purse And this not onely in carnal persons I mean such as for the present are destitute of actual grace and the spirit of holinesse but even in the regenerate Moses his prayer was very earnest to enter C●naan and yet it was but a naturall desire Secondly Because men living under the means of grace may go far by their own spirits as to read repeat Sermons and frame prayers very exactly as if they were full of spiritual life and heat We know great wants may and do produce earnest entreaties terrours of God and frights of Conscience may make men fervent they may desire pardon and removal of judgments merited inflicted or threatned nay they may pray for grace when they never heartily desire it because they look upon it as a means of safety as a Bridge to help them to Heaven not because they love and desire sanctity and so all this while may be destitute of a gracious principle Therefore Secondly We may farther Qu. 2 enquire how prayers coming from the Spirit may be discerned The Answer may be thus 1. Ans By that liberty light and heat following the presence of that Spirit See Luke 2.25 2 Cor. 3.17 Light to discern what to ask Liberty and heat to order and send up your Petitions It removeth impediments freeth from the invisible chains of the Kingdome of darknesse enlargeth the heart and helpeth to pray with fervency such sighs and groans as cannot be uttered 2. By an hearty free and full submission of our selves and requests to the God of prayer● for the matter and measure Not my will but thy will be done As Hester submitted to the good pleasure of the King in her requests And as the mother of Christ doth not over earnestly in words presse him to do that she desired but onely laies open the case they have no wine referring all to his discretion It is reported of Socrates that he ●aught his Scholars to ask no more of God but this that he would do them good but how and how much they would leave that to him as best understanding what is best and fittest for us It comes not from the holy Spirit to drive men upon indenting with God 3. By a patient expectation in the use of all other means till the Lord be pleased to manifest his answer in so●e gracious return This disposition flows from faith He that believeth shall not make haste Isa 28.16 As the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth and waits patiently by a natural faith he seeth the h●rve●t in the seed and so bears up himself by that faith in expectation of an harvest So much more doth a spiritual faith enable souls to do much more waiting is nothing else but faith stretched out into patience 4. By spiritual cheerfulnesse after prayer with care to improve and apply all you get by prayer to some spiritual ends 1 Sam. 1.18 Hannah prayed for a son and went away and was no more sad and after dedicated her Samuel to the service of God Thus the principle must be holy Thirdly Desires must be holy for the matter of them Whosoever shall ask any thing according to his will believing 1 John 5.14 And that 1. In the ground You must have a promise for what you ask in particular or at least in general distinctly apprehended and rightly applied no way repugnant to the Analogy of faith nor to any passage of Divine Providence otherwise we can have no hope to be heard For no faculty can or ought to extend it self beyond its adequate and proper object it is limited by peculiar rules He that prayeth without a promise denieth his own request To make our fancy the highest rule is a presumptuous folly and to ask according to our own lusts is an implicit blasphemy 2. Prayer must be holy in the matter this must also bear the stamp of God Whenever your Censers are fired the coal must be taken from the Altar nor from the Kitchin The matter must be spiritual or spiritually desired For instance First You may and must pray for the apprehension of Gods love promised Hos 14.4 I will love them freely Secondly For pardon of sin promised Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy tra●sgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Thirdly For sanctification of nature promised Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart Ezek. 36.25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean Fourthly For the removal of judgments spiritual or corporal promised Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee c. At least for the sanctification of them and supportation under them Q. May not we pray for temporal blessings A. Yes As some men pray for spiritual things in a carnal way So others may pray for carnal blessings in a spiritual manner Provided 1. It be done in order and that they have their due place Spiritual things must be first and principal these secondary and subordinate Matth. 6.33 First seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof c. 2. Upon condition that you submit to God both the things themselves and the measure and time John 12.27 28. Save me from this hour Father glorifie thy name It is enough to a gracious heart if God will glorifie his own name carnal hearts are impetuous and impatient of a check delay or denial Rachel must have children or die 3. With caution that you desire and use them to the Lord. Whatever you desire for this life make it serviceable towards the ot●er desire not mercies for nor abuse them to excesse revenge luxury Lust is an earnest craver but when it rece●veth any comfort it consumeth it in ease and pleasure This must be observed else

AN USEFUL TRACTATE TO Further Christians of these dangerous and back-sliding times in the Practice of the most needful Duty of PRAYER Wherein are discover'd the nature necessity and successe of FERVENT PRAYER Many Objections answered several Practical Cases of Conscience resolved and all briefly applied from this Text viz. James 5.16 The effectual fervent-prayer of a righteous man availeth much Being the substance of several Sermons Preached in the Town of Columpton in Devon By William Crompton M. A. Minister of that part of Christs Church there John 16.23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name he will give it you Coloss 4.2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving London Printed by J. H. for Philemon Stephens at the Gilded Lion in S. Pauls Church-Yard 1659. ALthough there be many excellent Treatises already printed concerning Prayer yet this ensuing Discourse hath a peculiar excellency in it for which it deserves to be bought and diligently perused And let me assure the Reader that he will neither repent of his mony nor his pains and that it will be his happinesse to be transformed into the doctrine herein delivered Febr. 15. 1658. Imprimatur EDM. CALAMY I Have perused this Treatise of Prayer from the beginning to the end and I conceive it will be good service to God and his Church in the making of it publick not so much because of the delight it will yield to those that read it as because I hope the holy directions which are herein given will be of much avail to teach men to pray so that their prayers may be the Lords delight Pro. 15.18 ARTH. JACKSON Pastor of the Church of Faiths under Pauls Januar. 19. 1658. TO THE VVORSHIPFUL ROBERT COCKRAM Esquire his honoured Patron with the rest of my constant Auditours in the Town and Parish of Columpton The dew of Heaven be your portion as the beauty and fatnesse of the earth is your habitation grace mercy and peace be upon the heads and hearts of you all that love Christ Jesus in sincerity BEsides my readinesse to gratifie the desire of some among you and willingnesse to give some signal of my unfeigned love to you all I have been easily induced to publish the following Treatise by these following considerations viz. 1. That I might the better confirm these things wherein you have been instructed * Luke 1.4 and not seem to labour altogether in vain by bestowing so much time on that which was to vanish in the hearing a sad lot which waits on the best things committed to leaking ears as water poured into a vessel full of chinks 2. That I might benefit those absent yea if it may be the people that are yet unborn Psal 102.18 3. That I might leave a memorial with you whenever it shall please the Lord of the Vineyard whose I am to call me off from you and so supply my absence though by death speaking to you when I cannot see you yea living with you when dead and laid in the dust † Sic Mathaeus cum praedicasset Hebraeis ad gentes ire pararet utile judicavit si iis quos corpore deserebat aliquid memoriale doctri●ae suae relinqueret Ut Bel lib. 4. de verb. Dei non scrip c. 4. notavit ex Eusebio 4. Because the matter thereof is weighty and the designe of no small consequence it is to guide you in your going to God how to converse with him to manage well your performances in which if you are defective the whole will be unprofitable Religion is curious clock work if but one wheel fail so w●ll all the rest and as one string in a Lute dissonant and unharmonious to the rest corrupteth the whole Musick There is in every duty absolutely required righteousnesse quoad substantiam operis and no lesse quoad modum the matter and the manner are of equal concernment the flie in the Apothecaries ointment and miscarriage in the Christians performance render both unsavoury If you are resolved to the duty as I hope you are and more Practitioners in it see here what it is will adorn your sacrifice why it must be so accommodated and how it may be discerned besides other things which occur for your information therein There are its true other more excellent Discourses of this nature extant some of the same metal bearing a better stamp but this I commend to you soonest because your own it is hony that was gathered for your use milk drawn from your own brest and therefore most proper for you it is a sheaf gathered out of your own field a dish taken from your own table if it be not so well filled as might be expected so circumstantiated as the subject doth deserve you cannot despise it except you blame your selves who chose the Cook Accept it then with the same love it is offered read it with the same diligence you heard it If any among you may be informed convinced confirmed resolved comforted quickned by any thing here presented I shall account a sufficient recompence and rejoice that I have not run in vain And now my Beloved since I have opportunity suffer me in the eye of the world to exhort you The publishing of these things was chiefly intended for you let it be your care to be the principal Proficients by it here is a talent committed to your careful improvement lay it not in a napkin hide it not in the earth Now be doing move Planet-like uniformly Covet grace rather then gifts as to pray more fervently though lesse notionally yet strive to come behinde in no spiritual gift Be men of excellent spirits and expresse sincerity by your fervent endeavours after communion with God and fellowship with Christ Like the Eagle soar aloft but out of love to Heaven Trade for grace your trading on earth is slack unprofitable Let your conversation be now where you would have it to be shortly when you shall be here no more be not slack in closet-services do not you as others that restrain prayer before God but continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving O pray continually and that not out of form but feeling Serve God faithfully keep close to Christ your Captain Stand in your order O 't is a stragling age fly not from your colours quit your selves like men and men of valour souldiers in the spiritual war for Christ and his truth manifest your actual membership of the Militant Church be mindeful of the yet suffering body of Christ join your mutual forces for her help fervent prayer will do it be not weary nor wanting But my-thinks I hear you reply and say with Samuel God forbid that we should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray I will therefore dismisse you with prayer to God for you in the words of old Eli Go in peace and the Lord of Israel grant you your Petitions which you have

if your ends be evil which move you to pray and may be known from these three companions F●rst Hypocrisie when men neither o●it the duty wholly nor go through with it in an hearty and chearful performance Secondly Vain-glory praying to be heard and praised Matth. 6.5 A thing hateful among Heathens T●lly taxed Gracchus for this that he referr'd all his actions not to the rule o● vertue but to the favour of the people that he might have their esteem and applause And as Pliny telleth the Nightingale singeth far longer and sweeter when men are by then at other times Thirdly self-Self-love which keeps men at home to look only or chiefly to their own good If thus you pray see what follows Your outward grosse sins are daily increased by this addition of spiritual sins An unprepared irreverent Petitioner takes Gods Name in vain Besides your pains and labour upon the matter are lost the Lord will not heat such prayers the grunting of Hogs in the stye saith Hierom is as pleasing to God because he expects no more then he hath given or offered Use 2 The second Use is for Instruction● 1. Know then every kind of praying will not serve the turn Every sound is not Musick The followers of Baa● called on his name from morning even until noon but there was no voice nor any thing that answered 1 Kings 26.28 Yea and they cryed aloud and cut themselves aft●r their manner c. and no voice nor any to answer c. Papists say over abundance of composures which they call prayers in so much as they need beads to help them keep nu●ber yet Saint James his Praye● is to be desired among them So too many among our selves who rest on the Idol opus operatum or work wrought If they be frequent in some common forms they think themselves boon-Christians though they do nothing lesse then pray Take heed of this God is in Heaven and thou on earth Eccles 5.2 ●et your expressions be heated with reve●ent fervency 2. Learn the Art of Praying He is a good Christian that can pray well not contenting himself with the form without the power My Brethren It is not the labour of the lips but the travel of the heart Common beggary is the easiest and poorest trade but this beggary is the richest and the hardest Then to the work redeem the time It is observed of the Camel that having long travell'd through sandy desart● without water impletur cum bibendi est occasio in praeteritum in futurum i. e. drinks for the time past and for the time to come so do you for past neglects act with more diligence now do for what is past and to come And for your direction herein know that he that would pray well must have first Ability consisting in knowledge of his own wants and Gods treasury in his word and promises Blind devotion cannot please God I will pray with understanding In assent not only to the verity but also to the equity and congruity between the desire and the offer In a fiducial resting on the fidelity of the promiser with reference to his own case All which is ordinarily got by hearing of the Word and former experience of Gods goodnesse An humble hearer is alwaies a zealous Petitioner Secondly He must have flexibility or a bending of the mind to or with the duty He must not be content to be down on his knees if his heart be not up to have his hand in the work if his soul be not also in it It was the saying of holy Bradford that he would never leave a duty till he had brought his heart into the frame of the duty He would not leave confession of sin till his heart was broken for sin He would not leave Petitioning for grace till his heart was quickned in desire A property of a good honest soft and humble heart which is a jewel an ornament of great price in the sight of God Thirdly He must have dignity or worth both for composition and presentation The Spirit of Prayer to compose it and the personal merit of Christ to presen● it Pray alwaies with all supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 3. Be instructed when you are about to pray call these things to mind Prayer is a fervent expression of holy desires holy for person principle matter and end And so I come to the last part of the description that these holy desires with spiritual fervency must be presented Unto the only true God by Jesus Christ To God only Prayers must be directed not to creatures Angel or Saint In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God Phil. 4.6 This will be cleared with a little labour For first he only can hear and relieve you Psal 65.11 O thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come Isa 63.16 Doub●lesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou art our Father O Lord our Redeemer Look as nature teacheth our children to come to their parents for every thing and to give thanks to them so grace teacheth the children of God to cry Abba Father to resort to him in every condition as they did to Joseph in Egypt and to praise him for every blessing As it is one of the Royalties of the King to be petitioned unto as a common parent for grace in sundry cases so is this a divine Royalty of God that all flesh should come to him in their several necessities abasing themselves in confessing their indignity exalting him with whom is all fulnesse of good things and uncontrolable power to effect for us whatever is good according to his own pleasure Secondly For this you have a command Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble Acts 8.22 Pray God if perhaps c. Yea and a promise Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you And God complains of such who forsake the fountain of living waters and dig to themselves pits that can hold no water Thirdly We have presidents for it The Church directs her prayer to God Lam. 5.1 And herein she is like to John Baptist a shining and a burning light She shines as knowing the rich storehouse where in her exigence to fetch relief and she goes to none below God She burns the fire of her zeal is kindled in her breast and therefore goes not with cold luke-warm affections In that Prayer our blessed Saviour taught his disciples we are taught the same Look over the form observe the phrases and see whether you can imagine that prayer should ever be directed to any other Read through all the Records of the world and shew if you can where any Saint of God made supp●ica ion unto any but to God only You cannot no not to the Virgin the Mother of Christ nor to any other Saint or Angel And in all the presidents recorded in the sacred