Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	ghost_n	holy_a	spirit_n	3,926	5	5.5026	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10030	Three sermons vpon the sacrament of the Lords Supper. By the late faithfull and vvorthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1631 (1631)	STC 20281; ESTC S115171	49,613	90

not such an affection if you did not come to him in the name of Christ whom he loves in whom he is ready to grant whatsoever you aske if hee were not a friend to you yet for your very importunity he is ready to doe it As the unjust Iudge for that is the scope of the parable he had no minde to grant the widdowes request he had no Iustice in him to move him he had no mercy nor compassion yet for very importunity he graunted it Remember and observe the condition for this is commonly a fault among us when we goe to prayer we thinke that the very putting up of the prayer will doe it No there is more required than so As it is the error of the Country people when they heare say that such an herbe is good for such a disease they are ready to thinke that howsoever it be tooke or applyed it will heale the disease no it must be applyed in such a manner it must be used in such a fashion So it is with prayer you must not only doe the duty and therefore when we exhort you to it not onely to call upon God for men are ready enough to do that especially in the time of distresse but with these conditions I have named You knowe Gehazi when he had got the staffe of Elisha he went to the Child but it was not the staffe that could raise the child from death to life there was something more required So in prayer it is not meere prayer that will do it there is something else there must be other conditions that must be observed For we are wont to do with it as those Conjurers were wont to do with the name of Iesus they thought if they used the name of Iesus it was enough but yee know what answer the Spirit gives them Iesus we know and Paule wee know but who are yee so I say wee are wont to do in this case wee thinke it is enough to make our request and that is all No there is somewhat more required you must make your request in such a manner as ye ought Then I adde this further that when thou makest them in such a manner yet thou must not thinke to be heard for thy prayers sake that is another thing we are apt to faile in When wee have made fervent prayers and have beene importunate with the Lord wee thinke now surely we shall not faile No you must know this the promise is not made to the prayer but to the person praying You shall not finde throughout the whole scripture that any promise is made thus because wee pray fervently we shall be heard but it is made to the person praying the prayer is but the instrument but the meanes by which the blessing is conveyed to us is a meanes without which the Lord will not doe it for the promise is made to the party A cold prayer so there be no neglect in it so a man seeke the Lord and pray as well as he can it will prevaile sometimes as well as a fervent prayer Who indites the petition who makes the prayer fervent surely not thy selfe but the Holy Ghost he makes request in us sometimes he makes thee more fervent hee enlargeth the heart more sometimes againe the heart is more straitned in the performance of this duty but both may come from the same Spirit Not but that we have cause of much comfort when wee are able to pray fervently for this is a ground of our comfort that when we pray fervently it is an argument that the Holy Ghost dwels in our hearts and that our prayers are dictated by him it is an argument that our prayers come from a holy fire within And therefore fervent prayer may give us hope of being heard but yet it is not meerely the prayer but because it is an evidence that it comes from a right principle that it comes from the regenerate part and is made by the assistance of the Holy Ghost it is not the very fervencie that prevailes And therefore when you heare this that the Lord is ready to heare I say make that use of it be fervent in this duty remember the conditions and yet withall know that you are not heard for the very prayers sake but for Iesus Christ his sake He makes every prayer acceptable he mingles them with his sweete odours And if you object O but I am a man full of infirmities You know how it is answered in the Fift of Iames saith he Eliah when hee was heard he was a man and a man subject to passions and to the like passions that wee are As if he should say do not thinke that Eliah was therefore heard because he was an extraordinary Prophet for it was because the Lord had made a promise to him and hee comes and urges that promise to the Lord and therefore the Lord heard him So saith he should every one of you if you have the promise you may goe and urge it as well as Eliah did though you be subject to many infirmities Eliah was even so You know there are infirmities and passions expressed in the Scriptures that hee was subject to And this is the first use we are to make of it to be freqvent and fervent in this duty since wee have such a promise Secondly if wee have such a promise then wee should learne hence when we have put up our prayers at any time to make more account of them than wee doe for the truth is that we pray for the most part for fashion sake many a man saith thus with himselfe I will seeke the Lord if it doe mee no good it will doe no hurt but if wee made that account of our prayers as we should we would performe this duty in another manner but wee doe not make that account of them as we ought We thinke not with our selves that the prayers that wee make are surely heard there be many evidences of it what is the reason that when wee seeke the Lord we doe it so remisly that we have scarce leasure to make an end of our prayers we are so ready to hasten and goe about other businesse wee are ready to turne every stone to use all meanes to seeke the creatures with all diligence but who prayes to the Lord as hee ought to worke his heart to such afervent performance of that duty as he should men have scarcely leasure for it is usuall with them when they have businesse to doe and enterprises to bring to passe they are exceeding diligent to use all meanes and yet are remisse in the chiefe what is the reason else that wee see the doores of Princes and great men so full of suiters though there be porters set on purpose to drive them away but the gates of heaven are so empty It is indeed because we do not beleeve our prayers are heard wee do but make our prayers for fashion What is the