Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	act_n	faith_n	grace_n	2,836	5	5.7519	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01139	The groanes of the spirit, or the triall of the truth of prayer	Foxle, George.	1639 (1639)	STC 11250.3; ESTC S114872	54,217	260

of fervency striving endeavour to goe on though thou feelest but litle or no comfort these be true flames of the Spirit which were never kindled in the least measure in the breast of any Hypocrite will an Hypocrite with all his painted flames hold out No they will murmure if God heare them not but the godly will trust in him though hee slay them Let every one then stirre up the gift that is in him whatsoever it be and the Lord will be with us ere we be aware The sixt evidence of the Spirit of Prayer is that godly traine of all-saving graces garding it strengthning it and attending upon it Hee that can doe an errand to God is destitute of no gift as Paul saith of the Corinthians that Embassie is guarded with all the graces of God in some measure as first it ariseth from that impregnable pallace of faith which ascendeth like a Cloud with Prayer in it never ceasing but still increasing the motion till it come to heaven In and from this Pallace Prayer is armed with an irresistible violence and commeth forth like a valiant Champion beating all down-right before it that standeth between God it Innumerable instances of this in Gods servants put that immediate principle of the Spirit out of all Question Whatsoever yee shall aske in Prayer believing yee shall receive David and all the Saints make ever this foundation of their Prayer Vnto thee will I pray Iehovah thou shalt heare my voice Secondly as Prayer is grounded from faith so it is under-propped by Hope I will looke unto the Lord saith Micha and I will waite for the God of my Salvation My God will heare me This place expresseth also the Christian patience wherewith the Prayer of the Saints is seasoned and also that perseverance whereby the Charriot of faith is drawne These set the soule upon the watch-Tower as Habacuk speaketh and maketh her waite and hearken what the Lord will answer David's Praier in his distresse was thus qualified I will looke out saith the Prophet Further Prayer made in the Spirit is attended with Preparation Opportunity and Diligence Preparation maketh ready the Charriot of faith awaketh Prayer attireth it with a holy disposition of heavenly position Opportunity as a guide taketh it the nighest way and Diligence as the driver of the Charriot driveth more nimbly then Iehu the sonne of Nimshi All these attend David's Prayer I will direct my Prayer unto thee or I will orderly addresse unto thee there is his Preparation In or at the morning that is early there is his opportunity I will looke out or else espy there is his diligence or I will pray that is still doe pray and cease not Try then or let thy Prayer be tried by these clouds of witnesses whether it be of the spirit or no for the Prayer of the Hypocrite hath none of these witnesses or attendants as it is said of faithlesse hearers that the Word heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith They may make a faire shew in seeming to lay hold on God deceiving others their own hearts they will leane upon the Lord saith the Prophet and say is not the Lord among us c. But they build upon the sand and hence are their ruines neither is their hope any better then Hypocrites hope which shall perish as for their patience wherwith their Prayer should be seasoned If God attend not their pleasure in answering of their desires it is quickly turned into murmuring In this they are like that gracelesse servant of that godlesse King because this evill is of the Lord why should I waite for the Lord any longer As for the attendants of Prayer namely Preparation Opportunity and Diligence the Hypocrite is not acquainted with them the counterfeit shews or shadowes of these he may have but the things themselves in the true nature of them he neither hath nor desireth to have The Hypocrite rusheth into Gods presence without premeditation of Gods most glorious presence and without consideration of his own vilenesse and unworthinesse to speake to so glorious and great a God His best Preparation is but a vizard of Prepation or outward shew of seeming holinesse in the position of the body Their best opportunity is base and by respect and their diligence carrieth the duty no further then customary performance or so farre as it is in request with the times So never an Hypocrite you see can be an Embassadour to God for he wanteth both the Commission of the Spirit and that traine of attendants that doe accompany the Commission It is no-wonder then that their Prayer be converted into sinne for they are Traytors to God in taking upon them his Embassie without his Cōmission Let them pray then that can pray yea it standeth us all upon to looke to it whether we pray or prate or bable For Lord Lord a multitude of faire words and faire shewes will not serve An Embassadour with a gilded coach of temporary faith will not serve the turne yea though it were full of miracles attended with a many imbrodered Lackeyes of smooth words courtly complements and eare-pleasing musick shall never have admittance to God nor audience of God look to it then that thou be an Embassadour indeed that thou hast thy Commission sealed and art sent by the Spirit and that thy traine be such as may be heartily welcome to God and make thee welcome In the first place make triall of thy faith and that by the inward acts of purifying the heart uniting it to God by victory over temptations casting thy selfe upon the Lord by contentment of thine estate also by the extensive worke of love first to God for himselfe then to thy neighbour in him and for him The heart so purified by faith is a fit lymbeck for Prayer Out of this the Prophet David was bold to presse his Prayer upon God Hearken to my Prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips or without lips of deceipt by which is meant the syncerity of the heart agreeing with the words of the mouth Nothing so much adorneth the heart as faith nothing commendeth faith more then Prayer and nothing graceth Prayer more then syncerity This with the proud Pharisee all Hypocrites want drawing nigh God with their mouth and honouring him with their lips but their hearts be far from him or as the Psalmist they flatter or flatteringly allured him with their mouth with their tongue lied to him for their heart was not right with him or not firmly prepared with him And this especially maketh the Praier of the Hypocrites of an evill savour in Gods Nostrills for as he is the hearer of the heart as one saith and not of the voice so he loveth the syncerity of the heart and hateth the hollownesse and rottennesse thereof in Prayer above all things because they

let him goe until I brought him into my mothers house which is no other but to bring him into the heart where hee dwelleth by Faith As the Conduit-pipe bringeth home water from the Fountaine to the Cisterne so the Conduit of Faith bringeth home the Fountaine of living water even Christ himselfe to the Cisterne of the heart As the eye of Faith in Prayer looketh for Christ so the hand of faith bringeth him home for faith is a thrifty grace bringing all riches home to the soule The want of this thrifty course maketh want of sense in our suits to God for as the light of Gods truth bringeth home to the soul the Mountaine of his holinesse so the Spirit of Prayer bringeth home the Lord to the soule of an humbled sinner If a man could fill the Censer with odors and the heavens with Groanēs and labour not in particular for this Vnion or Contract between God his Soule God may be there with litle or no immediate sense of his presence Look then to the plying of this for this will make thee to remove every thing that may displease the faithfull witnesse or weaken sense A fift Mean to procure sense is a due notice-taking of God our selves in Prayer The knowledge of our selves Moral Naturall and Spirituall casteth us quite out of our selves and leadeth us as one saith as it were by the hand to the knowledge of God by which reflection or circular knowledge we come to be vile in our owne eyes It casteth out and keepeth out sin making the Spirit rejoyce to beare witnesse with our Spirits that our Prayers are as odors of incense in his nostrills Againe the Spirituall knowledge of Gods Excellency Soveraignty Al-sufficiency of all his Attributes and workes worketh a lively sense in the Suiter because the bare naturall or supernaturall knowledge of God be it as may be will never beget any sense without that anointing eye-salve This knowledg then of Gods Excellency will countervail the sense of thine owne unworthinesse his Soveraignty will command the rebellion thereof His All-sufficiency supplyeth thy wants all his attributes yea even his Iustice in Christ serveth for thy good This knowledge giveth thee not only with the heathen some light to see God in his Creatures The truth of this passage appeareth plainly in Abraham his suite to God for Sodome I have taken upon me or begun to speak unto the Lord and I am dust and ashes whereby a reflective knowledge of God upon him selfe hee seeth and acknowledgeth himselfe to be nothing yet by this is not discouraged but rather encouraged to continue his request renuing it to the number of nine times which hee could never have done without the sense of the Spirits approbation Our comming short herein maketh us come short of sense in Prayer for either we examine not our selves and empty not our selves of our selves as we should till we be vile in our own eyes therefore the Lord will not let us know that hee taketh notice of us till we take better notice of our selves or on the contrary wee fixe both our eyes upon our owne unworthinesse vilenesse and insufficiency where finding no matter of feeling wee drench our selves in teares of despair with S. Iohn because there is nothing found in us worthy to give testimony But we looke not up to the Lyons power nor the worth of the Lambes blood by which the sealed evidence of the Fathers good will is opened or broken up to us by whom the Odors or Prayers of the Saints are carried up to the Father and to the Fathers presence and evidence of his presence is brought down into the soule And this is the means to make us sing that new song with triumphant joy and melody in ovr heart having God in Christ to be all in all unto us though wee be nothing of our selves The sixt and last sense-procuring Meane is a close and constant holy walking with God in all our Thoughts Words Actions both in our generall and particular calling The guidance of the Spirit Praying by the Spirit and Evidence of the Spirit in some measure goe usually together I say usually because sometime the two first may be without the last and that for causes best knowne to God as some sinne past prevention of some sinne as spirituall pride or the like or for the tryall of the patience of the Saints and their continuance in Prayer trusting in the Lord although hee should kill them And truly I may say for the comfort of such that though it be not so sweet a condition as that which is joyned with sense yet it is as happy as sure a condition as that which is carried by sense if all meanes for sense be used Hither may I apply that saying of our Saviour to Thomas Thou beleevest because thou seest blessed are those that have not seen and yet have beleeved So blessed are those that continue in Praier though they want the sense of assurance in Prayer But to the matter in hand close obedience out of Prayer bringeth good Evidence in Prayer not only as the effect or as the fruit evidenceth the tree but it challengeth the Spirit of promise to be with us in Prayer to give Evidence and Approbation to his owne Worke For as remisse walking in a Christian though not absolutely loose doth in some sort quench the Spirit and damp the evidence thereof in Prayer so a close strict and holy walking with God doth quicken and rejoyce the Spirit for that it is ready with cheerfulnesse to give joyfull evidence when wee goe about its particular businesse of Prayer This walking with God for which the Patriarchs and Saints were commended is nothing else as the Author to the Hebrewes expoundeth it but a pleasing of God by faith and obedience Now when we thus please him hee according to his covenant made to Ahraham and his seed is with us in our requests by giving us contentment of assurance But our want of this maketh weaknesse of Prayer and want of assurance Many mens affections are led captive and their judgments wee presume our wayes to be Gods wayes when they are none of his by being strict in one of the Tables we take liberty to transgresse the other The harmony of the Spirit is distempered by our disordered passions we beare false witnesse against God in denying the Saints their due out of a partiall humour and therefore it is just with God to withdraw his testimony from our requests though we eagerly desire it Lastly the hearts of the most professing are so overcharged with the cares of this life that the Spirit also is overcharged with the dulnesse deadnesse of their Prayers whereby the duty hath small force with it and the evidence is suppressed Therefore looke to thy walking in every particular if ever thou meanest to attaine to assurance in thy Prayer Other meanes I might deliver for the obtaining of sense as due Preparation to