Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	prayer_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	3,599	5	11.3996	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03339	The doctrine of fasting and praier, and humiliation for sinne Delivered in sundry sermons at the fast appointed by publique authority, in the yeere 1625. By that late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ. Arth. Hildersam.	Hildersam, Arthur, 1563-1632.; Hildersam, Samuel, 1593 or 4-1674.	1633 (1633)	STC 13459; ESTC S104100	106,897	227

prayer 2. Sam. 24. 16. The Lord repented Him of the evill and said to the Ange●● that destroyed the people it is enough stay now thine hand Is it in the power of man to overcome God to withstand Him when He comes to take vengeance to cause Him to change His mind Yes verily Iacob had tha● power Gen. 32. 26 when the Lord had wrestled with Him and said Let Me go he would not let Him go but Verse 28. as a prince he had power with G●d and p●ev●iled And how did he overcome God th●s By prayer as you may see Hos. 12. 4. He h●d power ●ver the Angell and prevailed he wept 〈◊〉 mad● supplication unt● him Say not those were rare men for all Gods people have this name given them they are all called the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. and therefore as Princes may prevaile with God this way And no marvell though Gods people may thus prevaile with God for the staying of His hand inte●porall judgements or removing of them from their brethren seeing they are able to prevaile with God even for the pardon of their sinnes which are the causes of those judgements and for the converting and saving of their soules Iam. 5. 15. The prayer of fai●h shall s●ve the sicke and if he have committed sin●●s they shal be forgiven him And 1 Io● 5. 16. If any 〈◊〉 see his bro●●er sinne● sinne which is not ●nto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sinne not 〈◊〉 death The Use this Doctrine serves unto is for Instruction R●proofe Examination First for instruction To teach us what account is to be made of such as are true Israelites And know thou h●st two reasons to mo●e thee to make much of such 1. They are a blessing to the place where they live Esa. 19. 24. Israel shall be a blessing in the midst of the land They are the props and pillars of the Land for their sakes the Land is spared If there had been butten such in Sodom Sodom had beene spared Gen 18. 32. 2. They are able as Princes to prevaile mightily with God by their prayers to stand in the breach and to hold Gods hands they are the chario●s of Israel and the horse●e●● thereof as they are called 2 King 13. 14. Indeed there are but a few such true Israelites which makes the Prophet speake in that manner Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord But where thou knowest such make much of them Why should not Gods favourit●s be as much honoured as the favourites of the greatest King Get as many such into the towne thou livest in as thou canst They are as L●ts in Sodom Gen. 19. 22. till L●t was gone out of Sodom the Angell could not destroy it Get as many such into thy family as thou canst As David professed he would do Psal. 101. 6. Mi●e eyes shal be upon the faithfull in the land that they may dwell with me Gen. 39. 5. The Lord blessed the Egypti●ns house for Iosephs s●ke Get such friends as these are Psal. 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that feare Thee Vers. 79. Let those that feare Thee turne unto me and those that have knowne thy testimonies I tell thee Paul as great an Apostle as he was knew how to esteeme and make use of such friends Rom. 15. 30. N●w I beseech you brethren for the L●rd Iesus Christs sake and for the l●ve of the spirit that you strive together with me in your pr●yers to God for mee I know I shall offend many of you in speaking so much for such whom above all others you detest most and are ready to shew it upon every occasion And I have wondred much to see the bitter hatred that many who are otherwise civill men beare to such as feare God For think I Psal. 11. 3. and What h●th the righteous done B●t I have found in Gods Booke the true cause of it and that is this that every naturall man hateth God and is an enemy to Him Rom. 5. 10. and that God hath put enmity betweene the seed of the serp●● and the seed of the wom●n Gen. 3. 15. and therefore so long as thou continuest an enemy unto God and one of the serpents seed thou must needs hate all such as truly feare God The good Lord be mercifull to thee and give thee an heart to take notice of thy wretched estate that thou maist repent and come out of it The second Use is for reproofe of three sorts of men I Of them that cannot pray 2. Of them that do not use to pray 3. Of them that will not pray First of them that cannot pray O consider how miserable a man thou art First thou wantest that whereby thou shouldest helpe thy poore brethren in their misery A griefe it is to an honest mind to see his brother in extreme want and misery and he hath nothing to relieve him with Therefore is that commandment given Ephes. 4. 28. Let him labour in some honest calling that be m●y have to give How much more just cause of griefe is this when thou canst not so much as pray for him Secondly thou wantest that whereby thou shouldest keepe off Gods judgements from thy selfe or remove them or yeeld thee comfort in them For my love th●● were mine ●dversaries saith David Psal. 109. 4. but I gave my selfe to prayer That was his chiefe comfort in all his afflictions Thirdly thou wantest that that should give thee comfort in thy present estate For thou canst have no assurance that thou art Gods child or that thou hast any truth of grace in thee if thou cannot not pray The spirit of grace is the spirit of s●pplication Zac. 12. 10. Because ye ●re sonnes saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent f●rth the spirit of His S●nne into your hearts crying Abb● Father No man is the child of God nor hath the spirit of Christ in him that is not able feelingly and fervently to call God●Father and to pray unto Him Learne therefore to cry earnestly unto God as the Disciples did L●k 11. 1. Lord teach me to pray The second sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are such as can but through lazinesse and propha●e negligence do not use to pray Many there be that seldome or never pray it may be in their sicknesse or extreme danger they will but they beare upon them that brand of an hypocrite that Iob spea●eth of 〈◊〉 27. 10. Will he call upon God at all times that is constantly and not by fits and starts onely Many that did once use constantly to pray with their families and in secret have now given it over To whom the Lord will one day say as Esa. 43. 22. Tho● hast not called upon 〈◊〉 O 〈◊〉 but th●●●ast bee●e ●eary of ●e O Is●●●l they that neglect their calling upon God and are 〈◊〉 of prayer are weary of God Ma●y never po●●ed out prayer to God

be very small yet many heaped together will make an intollerable burden Iob 6. 3. Iob saith his grief was heavier then the sand of the Sea If for one sinne Adam was so terrified that he fled from God Gen. 3. 8. what cause of terrour have I maist thou well say to thine owne soule Fiftly How oft thou hast relapsed and fallen backe againe into the same sin that thy heart hath smitten thee for and thou hast repented of and covenanted with God that thou wouldst forsake it returning with the dogge to that thou hast loathed and vomited up 2 Pet. 2. 22. An arme once broken cannot be cured without paine but if often the cure will be more dangerous and painefull If thou hadst broken thy promises and covenants with men thou wouldst count it a matter of infamy and shame unto thee what cause of shame is it then that thou hast broken thy promises unto God See also how this circumstances doth aggravate sinne Eccle. 5. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God deferre not to pay it for hee hath no pleasure in fouls Sixtly How thou hast by thy sinne corrupted others whereof it may bee some are in Hell already and some in the way to H●ll and thou canst not draw them unto repentance Indeed if thou canst truly repent this shall not hinder thy salvation that thou hast beene a meane of the damning of others for so was Paul Act. 26. 11. Yet must it needs be a heart-breaking to thee whensoever thou dost seriously thinke of it all the dayes of thy life and so was it unto Paul If thou hadst beene the meane to undoe another in his outward estate much more if thou hadst taken away his life it would be a just cause of heavinesse to thee how much more cause of humbling is it that thou hast beene a meane of destroying the soule of any Matth. 18. 7. Woe to the man by whom the offence cometh Ier. 6. 28. they are brasse and iron they are corrupters Seventhly consider the person against whom thou hast sinned Psal. 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned And consider the Lord 1. in his greatnesse and excellency of power and justice If one man sinne against another saith Ely to his sonnes 1 S●m 2. 25. the judge shall judge him but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him 2. But specially in his goodnesse towards thy selfe Consider that that God whom thou hast offend●d thou dost not onely live by Act. 17. 28. but also hee is of that gracious difposition that notwithstanding all thy rebellions he would not have thee perish For 1. he is apt to forgive thee upon thy repen●ance Esa. 55. 7. 2. He hath proclaimed a generall p●rdon and not excluded thee Ioh. 3. 16. but will have it offred unto thee Mar. 16. 15. 3. Hee se●kes to thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. 4 He hath done more for thee hee loves thee with the love of a father for to such specially I speake and thou hast received the spirit of adoption whereby thou art able to cry Abba father Rom. 8. 15. Consider well of this and it will have more force to mollifie thy heart then any thing else in the world The sense of our desperate estate without this may make us roare and rave and rage against the Lord like a wild Bull in a net as the Prophet speaketh Esay ●1 20. but nothing will humble the heart so kindly nor make it melt in godly sorrow as the true consideration of this love of God Psal. 130. 4. there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest bee feared It was not the crowing of the Cock twice that made Peters heart melt but the gracious looke that Christ cast upon him Luke 22. 61 62. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter then Peter remembred the Word of the Lord and Peter went out and wept bitterly This was that that wrought upon the heart of the prodigall Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and goe to my father and I will say father I have sinned And so must thou say to thine owne heart if ever thou wouldst have it to melt and thine eyes shed teares for thy si●nes It is my father my father that I have so offended Say to it as Moses doth to the Iewes Deut. 32. 6. Have I 〈◊〉 requited the Lord O foolish and ungratious wretch that I am Is hee not my father hath he not made mee and established mee The fourth and last thing we must doe to bring our hearts unto this godly sorrow is fervent prayer For thou must 1. complaine to God of the hardnes of thy heart as Esa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned my heart from thy feare 2. Begge this grace of him and cry to him for it That which the Apostle saith of wisdome may bee said of this grace also Iam. 1. 5. If any of you lacke a soft heart let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 3. Challeng him with his promise and in a holy reverence charge him with that covenant mentioned Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one that mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne 4. Bee importunate in this suite as one that will take no nay nor give it over till thou hast obtained it as David Psal. 27. 4. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 27. 5. Waite for an answer and pray still limit not the Lord his time L●ke 18. 1 Wee ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Consider how oft the Lord called upon thee before thou didst answer him and how long hee waited for thee Romans 10. 21. All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people Remember that promise Esay 49. 23. They shall not bee ashamed or disappointed that wait for mee SERMON VIII August 2. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to ●hew you the signes and notes whereby wee may bee able to discerne whether wee have beene yet rightly humbled for our sinnes whether that sorrow for sinne that we have felt in our selves be unfeigned yea or no whether it be that saving sorrow of Gods elect unto which all these promises of comfort and mercy that we have heard of doe belong And surely it is a matter of great use and necessity to have notes given us out of Gods Word to try our humiliation and sorrow for sinne by First Because as it is certaine our sinnes are not pardoned unlesse we have truly repented of them Act. 5. 31. Christ giveth repentance to

2 Pet. 2. 8. that in seeing and hearing hee vexed his righteous soule from day to day with the unlawfull deeds of the Sodomites This hath a great promise of speciall protection in the dayes of common calamity Goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Ierusalem saith the Lord to the man clothed in linen with the writers inkhorne by his side Ezek. 9. 4. and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof 3. For the sins especially of our owne families for they should trouble us most Nehemiah in his fast complained chiefly of his owne and of the sinnes of his fathers house Neh. 16. And it is said that when God should poure the spirit of grace and of supplications upon his people they should mourn every family apart Zac. 12 12. And Iob evē out of the feare that his sons in their feasting might have sinned offred burnt offrings which were alwayes accompanied with profession of humiliation for them Iob 1. 5. Certainly he that careth not how much lewdnes there bee in the towne where he liveth nor in his owne family and that is not unfainedly troubled for it nor endeavoureth to reforme it was never yet rightly humbled for any sinne of his owne FINIS A SERMON PREACHED IN Ashby-Chappell Oct. 4. 1629. BY ARTH. HILDERSAM LONDON Printed by George Miller for Edward Brewster 1633. A SERMON PREACHED in Ashby-Chappell Octob. 4. 1629. Eccl. 11. 8. But if a man live many yeeres and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the dayes of darkenesse for they shall be many All that cometh is vanity THe occasion of these words and the dependance they have upon that went before is this Salomon in the six first verses of this Chapter had earnestly exhorted to the works of mercy and charity and enforced his exhortation by many strong and perswasory arguments In this verse and that which goeth before it hee concludes that exhortation with another forcible argument taken from the consideration of our future estate And the summe of his argument is as if he should have said thus Doe all that thou art able to doe that thou maist provide well for thy future estate It is the very same argument in effect which our blessed Saviour useth to the same purpose Luk. 12. 33. Sell that yee have and give almes provide your selves bagges that wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not where no theef approacheth ne●ther moth corrupteth As if he should say bestow your goods so while you live here as you may have most use and comfort of them in the life that is to come As our Merchants that trade into Turky or Persia will lay out their mony there upon those commodities that will bee most beneficiall to them heere when they shall come home againe This argument Salomon propounds heere by way of answer to an objection that men specially voluptuous men are apt to make against all this that he had said to perswade them to workes of charity and mercy and whereby they are made most backward unto this duty The Objection is set downe in the 7. verse Truely the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sunne Where it is to bee observed for the opening of the words that by light is meant a pleasant and prosperous and comfortable life For as our life is called in Holy Scripture the light of the living Psal. 56. 13. because life it selfe is sweet and comfortable to man so is a comfortable estate in this life oft set forth and resembled by this metaphore When Eliphas would perswade Iob how beneficiall a thing it would be unto him to returne unto the Almighty not onely in respect of spirituall and eternall but even of worldly and temporall blessings also that he should be sure to receive by it he expresseth it thus Iob 22. 28. thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy wayes that is thou shalt prosper in whatsoever thou takest in hand and have comfort in it The Iewes saith the sacred Story Est. 8. 16. upon the advancement of Mordecay and the reversing of Hamans letters had light and gladnesse and joy and honour So that the Objection which the voluptuous man maketh verse 7. is in effect thus much Certainly life is sweet and it is a great happinesse to live plentifully and prosperously neatly and pleasantly in this world which I can never doe if I should not bee carefull to keepe that I have If I should hearken to thy counsaile and be so liberall and bountifull to the poore as thou wouldst have me to be This Objection Salomon gives answer to in this verse And in his answer 3. points are to be observed 1. A supposition of two things 1. Suppose saith he that a man doe live many yeeres which yet no man specially no voluptuous man hath cause to looke for For what is your life saith the Apostle Iam. 4. 14. It is even a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and then vanisheth away 2. Suppose also that he rejoyce in them all which yet is more unlikely and in a manner impossible for all men good and bad are subject in their whole life to many occasions of sorrow which they can by no meanes avoid Man is born unto trouble saith Eliph Iob 5. 7. as the sparkes fly upward Yea every day of mans life will bring forth some new occasion of sorrow unto him or other sufficient unto the day is the evill thereof saith our Saviour Mat. 6. 34. Yea it is thus even with the best men all the day long have I beene plagued saith the Prophet Psal. 73. 14. and chastened every morning Then followes the 2. point to be observed in the words and that is a charge or admonition as if he should say admit both those things that I have thus supposed yet for all that I advise and charge him Let him remember the dayes of darkenesse Wherein also observe for the opening of the words 1. that by the dayes of darkenesse he meanes all that time that we shall spend in the estate of the dead For though the godly in respect of their soules be presently after death translated into Paradise according to that speach of our Saviour Luk. 23. 43. this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and there is no darknesse there nothing but light and comfort unspeakable the inheritance of the Saints is in light saith the Apostle Col. 1. 12. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy saith David Psal. 16. 11 at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore yet in respect of the bodyes of all men as this life is fitly compared to light so is the state of the dead unto darknesse And so speaketh Iob of it Iob 10. 21. Before I goe whence I shall not returne even to the