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
A42363	The Christians great interest: or A short treatise, divided into two parts the first whereof containeth, the tryal of a saving interest in Christ. The second, pointeth forth plainly, the way how to attain it: wherein somewhat is likewise spoken to the manner of express covenanting with God. By W. Guthrie, minister of the gospel in Scotland.	Guthrie, William, 1620-1665.	1681 (1681)	Wing G2273; ESTC R218716	96,110	156

a special interest in the man and also all that belongs to him There is a communion between Husband and Wife whereby they have a specia● Interest in each others persons goods and concernments 〈◊〉 so is it here there is such a Communion with God He is our God and all things are ours because he is ours● this Communion with God all true believers have at a●times as we shall shew afterwards I grant there is a● actual improvement of that Communion whereby men d● boldly meddle with any thing that belongs unto God and do meddle with himself as their own with much homeliness and familiarity especially in worship when the soul doth converse with a living God partaking of the Divine Nature growing like unto him and sweetly travelling through his Attributes and with some confidence of interest viewing these things as the mans ow● goods and gear this we call Communion with God i● ordinances This indeed is not ordinarily nor frequent●y made out to men and all his people do not equally par●ake of it and it is true that what is in God goeth not out for the behoof of the man to his apprehension e●ually at all times yet certainly Communion with God ●roperly so called viz. that commonness of interest ●etween God and a Man who is savingly in Covenant with him doth alwayes stand firm and sure and so much of Communion with God in Ordinances have all Believers as that their heart converseth with a Living God there now and then and is in some measure chang●d into that same Image and there needeth be no doubt ●ny further about it Thirdly There is a thing which is called Fellowship ●ith God often mistaken also among believers If by ●ellowship be meant the walking in our duty as in the ●ight of a living God who seeth and heareth us and is ●imess to all our carriage It is a thing common unto ●ll gracious men they have it habitually and in design ●sal 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwayes before me yea ●nd often they have it actually in exercise when their ●pirit is in any good frame they walk as if they saw God standing by them and have some thoughts of his fa●our through Christ Truly our fellowship is with the Fa●er and with his Son 1 John 1. 3. If we by Fellowship do mean a sweet refreshing familiar sensible con●ersing with God which doth delight and refresh the ●ul beside what the conscience of duty doth It is ●hen a walking in the light of his countenance and a ●ood part of sensible presence and although it seemeth ●och had much of it whilest it is said be walked with ●od Gen. 5. 24. Yet it is not so ordinary as the former ●or so common to all Christians for here the soul is fill●●as with marrow and fatness following hard after its ●ide and singularly upheld by his right hand Psal 3. 5 8. Fourthly there is a thing which is called Access u● to God and this I take to be the removing of obstruct●ons out of the way between a Man and God so as the m● is admitted to come near We are said to have acc● to a great person when doors are cast open guards r●moved from about him and we admitted to come clo● at him so it is here Now this Access in Scripture 〈◊〉 sometimes taken for Christs preparing of the way the removing of enmity between God and Sinners so as m●now have a patent way to come unto God through Christ Ephes 2. 18. Sometimes it is taken for the actual improvement of that access purchased by Christ when a m● finds all obstructions and differences which do ordina●●ly fall in between him and God removed God is nauncouth to him nor as a stranger keeping up himse● from him or frowning on him but the man is admitt● to come even unto his seat as Job 23. 3. Of the wante● this doth Job complain Job 23. 8 9. whilst he saith go forward backward to the right and left hand and find him not The first sort of access is common to all Believers they are brought near by the blood of the Covenant and are no more far off as the deadly enmity between God and them is removed But access in the othe● sence is dispenced more according to the Lords absolue● soveraignty and pleasure and it is left in the power 〈◊〉 Believers to obstruct it unto themselves until it pleas● the Lord mercifully and freely to grant it unto them against so it is up and down and there needs be no question 〈◊〉 to mans state about it Fifthly There is a thing called Liberty before God and this properly is freedom or free speaking unto God many do much question their state because of the wa● of this now and then since the Scripture hath said Wha● the Spirit is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. but they 〈◊〉 justly confine that liberty spoken of there unto this fre● spaking before God I grant where the Spirit of the Lord doth savingly discover Gods will in the Scripture to a man There is liberty from any obligation to the Ceremonial Law and from the condemning power of the Moral Law and from much of that gross darkness and ignorance which is on natural hearts as a vail hiding Christ in the Gospel from them I grant also that sometimes even this liberty which is a free communion with God and ordering of our case before him and filling of our mouths with Arguments Job 23. 4. is granted to the godly but not as liberty taken in the former sences Although the Lord hath obliged himself to pour out the Spirit of prayer upon all the house of David in some measure Zech. 12. 10. Yet this communication of the Spirit which we call liberty or free speaking unto God dependeth much on the Lords absolute pleasure when and what measure to allow it This liberty which we call freedom or free speaking with God in prayer is sometimes much abstracted from any great confidence in the time of prayer at least until it draw towards the close of it it standeth much in a vivacity of the understanding to take up the case which a man is to speak before God so as he can order his case and next there be words or verbal expressions elegant suitable and very emphatical or powerful and pithy there is also joyned a fervency of spirit in prayer whereof the Scripture speaketh the soul is hot and bended and very intent There is also ordinarily in this liberty a special melting of the heart often joyned with a great measure of the Spirit of grace and supplication Zech. 10. 11. for so the soul in poured out before God as for a first born Such is the liberty which many Saints get before God whilst in much brekenness of heart and fervency of spirit they are admitted to speak their mind fully to God as a Living God noticing at least their Prayer Sometimes this liberty is joyned with confidence and then it is not

to approve themselves unto God in all well-plea●●ngs and reach some inward testimony of sincerity that ●ay they shall not assure their hearts before him The ●●stimony of mens conscience is their rejoycing 2 Cor. 1. 2. By this we know that we know him if we keep 〈◊〉 Commandments 1 John 2. 3. 1 John 3. 20 21. No confidence if the heart condemn This is the New Creature having a principle of new spiritual life infused by God into the heart whereby it becometh new and puteth forth acts of new life throughout the whole man as we have said so as he pointeth towards the whole Law both the commands which forbid sin so he resolveth to set against secret sins not to lay a stumbling block before the blind Lev. 19. 14. little sins which are judged so by many the least things of the Law Matth. 5. 19. spiritual sins filthiness of the spirit ● Cor. 7. 1. sins of omission as well as commission since men are to be judged by these Mat. 25. 42 43 44 yea sins that are winded into his natural humor and constitution and so are as a right eye or hand to him Matth 5. 29. This new principle of life by the good hand of God maketh the man set against every known sin so far as not to allow peaceable abode 〈◊〉 any known darkness 2 Cor. 6. 14. As also he poin●eth towards those commands which relate to duty an● the quickening of grace in man It maketh a man respec● all known commands Psal 110. 6. to live godly righteously and soberly T●t 2. 12. yea and to study a righ● and sincere way and manner of doing things resolving not to give over the study of conformity to Gods Will whilst he lives on earth but still to bend forwardtoward the price of the high calling of God Phil. 3. 13 14. Th● is true holiness very becoming all those who pretend ● be heirs of that holy habitation in the immediate company and fellowship of a holy God 1 Joh. 3. 3. Some may think these things high attainments a● very hard to be attained to I grant it is true But fir●● Remember that there is a very large allowance in th● Covenant promised to his people which maketh thing more easie The Lord hath engaged to take away 〈◊〉 stong heart to give a heart of flesh a new heart a hea● to fear him for ever he hath engaged to put his law in mens heart to put his fear in their heart to make them keep that Law to put his Spirit within them to cause them to keep it He hath promised to satisfie the Priests with fatness that the souls of the people may be satiated with goodness and to keep and water them continually every moment Ezek 26. 29. Jer. 32. 39 49. and 31. 33. Ezek. 36. 27. Jer. 31. 14. and 31. 12. Isa 27. 3. and if he must be enquired to do all these things unto men he engageth to pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication on them and so to learn them how to seek these things and how to put him to it to do all for them Zech. 12. 10. Secondly for the satisfaction of the weaker I grant this new creature as we have circumscribed and inlarged it will not be found in all the degrees of it in every gracious person But it is well if 1. There be a new man we cannot grant less If any man be in Christ there must be a new creature and that is the new man Ephes 4. 21 22 23 24. which all must put on who are savingly taught of Christ There must be some renewing after the image of God in a mans soul and body There must be somewhat of every part of the man pointing towards God although I grant every one cannot prove this to others neither discern it in himself because many know not the distinct parts of the soul nor pieces of reformation competent to every part of soul and body Yet it will be found there is some such thing in them yea they have a witness of it within them if you make the thing plain and clear to them what it is 2. There must be such a respect unto Gods known Commands that a man doth not allow peaceably any known iniquity to dwell in him for what concord is between light and darkness 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16. Psal 119. and 66. 18. he must not regard iniquity I grant men may be ignorant of many commands and many sins and may imagine in some cases that some sins are not hateful unto God But supposing that they are instructed in these things there can be no agreement between righteousness and unrighteousness 3. Men must point towards all the Law of God in their honest resolutions for this is nothing else than to give up the heart unto God to put his Law in it without exception which is a part of the Covenant we are to make with God Heb. 8. 10. I grant many know not how to point towards Gods Law in all their wayes but if it be made manifest unto them how that should be done they will point at it And it is true they will many times fail of their resolutions in their practice yet when they have failed they can say They did resolve other-wayes and will yet honestly and without guile resolve to do other wayes and it will prove their affliction to have failed of their resolution when the Lord discovereth it to them which he will in due time 4. When we are to judge of our state by the new creature we must do it at a convenient time when we are in good case at least not when we are in worst case for the flesh and spirit do Lust and Fight against other Gal. 5. 17. and sometimes the one and sometimes the other doth prevail Now I say we must chuse a convenient time when the spiritual part is not by some tentation worsted and over-powred by the flesh for in that case the new creature is recoyled back in its streams and much returned to the fountain and the habits except in some small things not easily discernable whereby it maketh opposition to the flesh according to the foresaid Scripture for now it is time of winter in the soul and we may not expect fruit yea not leaves as in some other season only here lest profane Atheists should make advantage of this we will say That the Spirit doth often prevail over the flesh in a godly man and the scope aim tenour and drift of his way is in the Law of the Lord that is his walk Psal 119. 1. whereas the path-way and ordinary course of the wicked is sin as is oft-ten hinted in the book of the Proverbs of Solomon And if it happen that a godly man be over-mastered by any transgression ordinarily it is his sad exercise and we suppose he keeps it still in dependency before God to have it rectified as David speaketh Psal 56. 13. Wilt thou not deliver my feet