Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	prayer_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	2,281	5	11.0765	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77148	Good counsell for evil times. Or, A plain sermon preached at Pauls in London, April 16. 1648. / By Edw: Bowles M.A. of Katherin-Hall Cambridge. Printed by the desire and order of the Lord Maior and aldermen of that famous city.	Bowles, Edward, 1613-1662.	1648 (1648)	Wing B3872; Thomason E435_35; ESTC R204201	25,559	35

done so nothing can be done to the happinesse of this Church and Nation and the bettering of these evill daies but by the hand of God which he is pleased to lift up on every occasion though many will not see it and therefore if we would ingage the Lord who worketh all our works for us we must take the course that deales most immediately and effectually with him which is prayer and how happie news were it to heare that the spirit of prayer and supplication which in so eminent a manner rested upon this City 7 yeers since were powred out afresh upon it the hand of the Lord is not shortned let not our hearts be streightned his eare is not heavie let not us be silent If we would have him stretch out his hand for us let us stretch out our hands toward him Do not think the Lord will forsake his wonted method of which we read Ezek. 36. 37. and Jerem. 29. 11. 12. and let this great duty be performed aright and to that purpose it is a useful caution that men look to the matter of their prayers that they be according to the will of God and not the imaginations of our own hearts many crosse Petitions are put up to heaven because men make their opinions and wishes the rule of their prayers instead of the holy and unchangeable will of God it were sometimes good that men were more generall in their prayers and not limit the holy one of Israel as they do its possible to be too particular in prayer as well as too generall in preaching And also remember that as prayer is a Chariot in which the soul mounts up to heaven so it must be a fiery Chariot a fervent prayer it is not a lazy God send Peace or a cold God save his Church that will availe God will not be served with that which costs us nought it must be the fervent effectuall prayer of the righteous that must availe and if we would have our prayers speed we must look they be well spirited to that end let me intimate to you 4 wheeles of this fiery Chariot 1. A spirit of faith it is the strict injunction of the Apostle that we aske in faith nothing wavering which we are very subject unto especially in these distracted times The Sea by reason of its unquietnesse is hardly ever still but working but much more in a storme so is it with us we carry an evill heart of unbeleife within us alwayes unsteady but especially in evill times when the winds raise waves Unbeleif unsettles as the spirits of men so their estates also Isa 7. 9. It was unbeleif that kept Israel out of the Land of Promise and made them wander in a wildernesse fourty yeers and as our punishment is like theirs we spend our dayes in vanity that is in a fruitlesse tossing to and fro and our yeers in trouble so our sin is like theirs also we beleeve not for all the wondrous works of God As God gives promises to ground faith so he adds providences to build it up we have had many of these and yet are very lowe take heed of distrusts despondencies they disadvantage us both in heaven and earth 2. A spirit of humility and this is no way inconsistent with the other a heart may be raised in faith and yet abased in humiliation these two graces mutually cherish one another The Lord expects at our hands that our own sins and his chastisements upon us should lay us low that we should say with the Church I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him He hearkens what we say in these evill dayes and it s to be doubted few speake aright or say what have I done Cognitio reflexiva est facilè deflexiva We are ready enough to say what hath the Parliament done What hath the Army done But who saith what have I done Oh beloved let us lye down in our shame be covered with confusion Let us give glory to the Lord our God before he cause darknesse and our feet stumble upon the dark mountaines those that do it shall find that expression Job 22. 29. made good unto them when men are cast down they shall say there is lifting up for he shall sav● the humble person Descendendo coelum ascenditur 3. A spirit of love is necessary as in generall with regard to the times so particularly with respect to prayer for the Apostles bids that pure bands without wrath as well as doubting be lifts up to God 1 Tim. 2. 8. envy and uncharitablenesse strife and division force the spirits of men and render their services unsavory unto God it is not quarrelling and questioning will do the thing we would have The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1. 20. Wisdom and mecknesse go together Jam. 3. 13. They that are wise must be meek and gentle to those that are otherwise and give soft answers to hard questions that wrath may be prevented and pacified To further this so wanting and so necessary disposition consider 1. That envying strife hatred variance and such like are fruits of the flesh as well as adultery fornication and uncleannesse Gal. 5. 19 20. And you that would think it an horrible disgrace to your se●ves and dishonour to God to be found guilty of the latter take heed of the former which is part of that filthinesse of spirit we are bid to cleanse our selves from as well as filthinesse of the flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2. That most of the things contended about will hardly be found worth the contention and that many quarrels are upon mistakes rather then reall differences and consider how earnestly the Apostle obtests the Corinthians to love and unity 1 Cor. 1. 10. and so the Philippians 2. 1. places which we read not or mind not 3. That God hath now given a fair intimation of union and love among all those who love his truth and Gospel and the Nation they li●e in by suffering a common Enemy again to appear among us and against us and if we will not take notice of it at the first he will undoubtedly bring us to union in affection by communion in ●ffl●ction for whatsoever designes men have this is likely to be one of the designes of heaven upon his own people by fair means or foule to bring them to some better compliance and correspondence and to eat out that spirit of bitternesse and malice humors so unbecoming the Gospel and the body of J●sus Christ 4. To these three must be added a spirit of thankfulnesse which is very great advantage to prayer and to the times as the Apostle intimates in his direction to the Philippians Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and sit plication with thanksgiving let your requ●sts be made known unto God If we consult the catalogue of sins that renders the last dayes perillous we shall