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
A94353	Elijah's mantle: or, The remaines of that late worthy and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Tillinghast. Viz. I. The conformity of a saint to the will of God. On Act. 21.14. II. The will of God and Christ concerning sinners. On Gal. 1.4. III. No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. On Rom. 8.1. IV. Christs love to his owne. On Joh. 13.1. V. True gospel humiliation. On Zach. 12.10. VI. The most effectual means to kill and subdue sin. On 1 Joh. 2.2 VII. The advocateship of Jesus Christ, a great ground of saints comfort and support under sins and infirmities. On 1 Joh. 2.2. VIII. The only way for saints to be delivered from the errors and evils of the times. On 1 Tim. 6.11. IX. Of the Old Covenant, from Gal. 4.30. being so farre as the author had proceeded, in a treatise of the two covenants, before his death. Published by his owne notes.	Tillinghast, John, 1604-1655.; Manning, John, d. 1694.	1658 (1658)	Wing T1172; Thomason E1557_1; ESTC R203796	263,858	498

from the next of supplications because prayer or supplication is one special grace of the Spirit which if wee take the first the Spirit of Grace that is so called because it begets grace then the latter viz. Supplications which is one special grace begotten by the Spirit in the hearts of Saints is included in it unless we shall take the first of grace for the habits of grace which are first wrought in the Soule by the Spirit and the latter or Supplications for the actings of those graces one Spiritual work wherein much grace is exercised being put for the exercise of all grace 4 When hee pours this though it bee out of the text yet it is a necessary question and it is answered in the fore-going verse where the time in which God will doe this is called that day It is a phrase which is much used in the Prophets no lesse than forty times as I take it in Isaiah and near twenty in this Prophet and it is called that day for eminency sake because this time when it shall come it shall be a very eminent and remarkable time such a time for peace joy plenty and prosperity glory and liberty to the Saints and bondage and captivity to the enemies of Gods people as the World never saw and therefore it is called that day 1 Noting an eminent glorious day farre excelling all daies that ever had gone before it and when it is called a day we are not to understand it a Natural day i. e. consisting of twenty four hours nor of an ordinary Prophetical day that is a day for a year but of an extraordinary day such a day as Peter speaks of 2 Epist 3. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day Now the time which is set forth in Scripture by this phrase of speech that day is sometimes taken for a larger sometimes for a stricter time sometimes it is taken so strictly that it may containe not much more time if so much as a meer Natural day and so we have the day of that great Battel of Armageddon often called where it is spoken of that day Rev. 16.14 and Ioel 3. and other places sometimes it is taken strictly but not so strictly and then it is put for the whole time of Christs Kingdome here on earth from the time that he sets up his Kingdome to the end and this is so frequently spoken of in the Prophets that I need name no place only I will turne you to one because not farre from the text Zach. 14.6 7 8 9. And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark But it shall be one day which shall bee known to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light and it shall be in that day that living waters shall goe out from Jerusalem halfe of them toward the former Sea and half of them toward the hinder Sea in summer and in winter shall it be and the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there bee one Lord and his name one Here we have Christs Kingdome set up and the whole time of it is but one day and that one day is all along called that day sometimes it is taken more largely not only for the time of Christs Kingdome after hee sets the same up but for the last dayes also the dayes immediately before that time wherein many glorious things as the spreading of the Gospel the ruine of Antichrist and the call of the Iewes which if it be not before yet it shall be just upon Christs setting up of his Kingdome and so may have reference to the time before or after the last dayes or the time of Christs Kingdome and in this sense it is here to be taken as I conceive for the time just upon Christs setting up his Kingdome when Gods peoples enemies shall be ruined the Iewes called and mourn as here we read of 2 A glorious effect following this effusion or pouring forth of the Spirit which is twofold 1 Upon the Senses They shall look upon mee whom they have peirced which words litterally are spoken of the Iewes who at the time of their Call shall behold that Jesus Christ whom their Nation have peirced Spiritually it is true of all Beleevers looking upon that Christ by faith whom their sins have peirced 2 Upon the Affections They shall mourn which mourning is set forth by the greatnesse of it it shall be such a mourning as when a man mourns for his only Son no grief or sorrow goes so near as grief for losse of an only Childe Ah! will a man say had I lost of my estate it would never have troubled mee but it is my Son my only Son I have never another and then it shall be bitternesse you know the nature of bitter things things which are bitter the taste of them will remaine a great while it sticks by a man but now bitternesse that is more and denotes a higher degree than bitter as the abstract is more than the concret so that this expression shewes that it shall bee an exceeding great mourning and that so too as it shall stick by them it shall not lightly passe off their spirits and glide away and so be forgotten and there is no more of it as other sorrow doth but it shall bee an exceeding great and a remaining mourning of which more is spoken in the next verses The words thus opened yeeld us several useful observations Obs 1. That the pouring out of the Spirit upon any soul is the proper and peculiar work of God it is not Men nor means nor Ordinances that can effect this but God alone and therefore it is still attributed to him Ioel 2.28 And it shall come to passe afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh c. Isa 32.15 until the Spirit bee poured upon us from on high c. Christ himself as a Man had the Spirit poured upon him by the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles How many poor Souls are there that have good education godly friends and Parents sit under means and Ordinances and yet are strangers to the Spirit many there are who all the year long come hither and hear the Word and there is no change in them they were Drunkards Swearers c. at the beginning of the year and so they are still God hath not poured down of his Spirit upon them O poor Souls would you ever have the Spirit begge it of God Obs 2. In the last dayes the pouring out of the Spirit shall be very general on the house of David inhabitants of Ierusalem high and low Ioel saith all flesh chap. 2. end Sons Daughters Young men Old men In the

times of the Law God gave his Spirit but only to some few extraordinary men as Prophets c. in the beginning of the Gospel God poured it downe upon many more upon Apostles and many Brethren but not all but now in the last daies upon all flesh for I take it that this Prophesie of Ioel relates to the last daies though in the beginnings of it it was fulfilled in the Apostles time add so Ierem. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord speaking of the last daies it is said They shall all know me So Isa 65.20 The childe shall dye an hundred years old i. e. in knowledge very Children shall have the Spirit poured downe upon them O what a glorious time will this be when all the Saints shall be filled with the Spirit when you cannot goe to a Saint but you shall finde Gods Spirit breathing in him and how should this stirre up every one of us upon whom these last daies are coming if not come to labour after the Spirit Is it not a shame that the nearer this time comes the more Carnal instead of Spiritual we should be Obs 3. All grace it from the Spirit of God the spirit of grace we have no grace in our Nature but all is from the Spirit as the fruits thereof Gal. 5.22 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Obs 4. The gift of the Spirit is the gift of Free Grace This is taken from those words the Spirit of Grace interpreted in the latter sense Obs 5. One maine and special work that the Spirit of God puts Souls upon where it is is the work of Supplication or Prayer and Supplications the Spirit coming from God it loves much to be carrying out those Souls where it is to God Prayer it is a Natural work to that Soul where the Spirit is and as the Spirit of God puts Souls upon Prayer so the Spirit of God acts the Saints in Prayer or as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Prayes in them sometimes by enabling them with words sometimes by filling them with groanes unutterable i. e. a Soul that prayes by the Spirit hee hath inward groanings for many things more than hee can utter it may be he speaks one Petition and at that instant groanes for twenty the groanings of the spirits in the Saints hearts whilst they are in prayer being farre more large and extensive than the expressions of the mouth are or can bee and which may bee a matter of abundant comfort to us the answer of God is not according to the expressions of our mouth but the desires and groanings of his owne Spirit O would we know then how to pray as we should let us labour for the Spirit we shall never pray without it perhaps we may speak good words and fine expressions as many can who yet never prayed in their lives and know no more what Prayer means than I know the way to Rome but alas prayer doth not lye in these things in speaking good Language and putting up fine Petitions if that be all no Prayer is another thing it is the breathings of the Spirit in the hearts of the Saints after God and to God many times that soul prayes and that excellently powerfully who perhaps is not able to speak a word or if hee do hee is not able to speak ten words true sense together when as another which speaks fluently and orderly and that for houres together perhaps prayes not a word all that time Observ 6. In the last dayes there shall bee a greater powring forth of the Spirit than ordinary This I gather from the last thing in opening the words viz. the time when this shall bee that day Hence the word pouring is much used when the giving of the Spirit in the last dayes is spoken of denoting an abundant measure of the Spirit which shall at this time bee given forth for what was formerly wherein God did as it were drop his Spirit now hee poures it forth and the reasons are because God hath greater works to do in the last dayes and the Church comes nearer to mans estate and the people of God have more and greater enemies to incounter with than in former times they had and therefore God gives them more of the Spirit what a mercy then is it to be brought forth and to live in the last dayes And how doth it call upon us all the nearer these times draw on to bee the more spiritual Thus much for the Observations from the first part of the words I come now to the second the effects of this powring forth of the Spirit They shall look on him whom they have pierced Observ 7. The sins of beleevers do pierce Jesus Christ This is implied in that they look upon him whom they have pierced Observ 8. Christ must bee looked upon as pierced by us before wee can mourn They do not mourn nor shed a tear till then Observ 9. When Christ is looked upon as pierced by us then wee shall mourn They look on him and do mourn Observ 10. That mourning which ariseth from the beholding of a pierced Christ is a very bitter and grievous mourning And they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely Son Observ 11. None can thus look upon Christ or mourn for him but only those upon whom God pours his Spirit I will poure out my Spirit and they shall look and they shall mourn I shall wave all these and pitch upon one Observation from the latter part of the words which is this viz Observ True Gospel-humiliation doth arise from a looking upon a pierced Christ In the opening of this point I shall shew 1 That it doth not arise from any other thing and doth from this 2 What manner of looking upon Jesus Christ that is which doth beget true mourning or Gospel-humiliation 3 How this Gospel-humiliation is begotten in the soul from a looking upon Jesus Christ Of the first That it doth not arise from any other thing and doth from this 1 It doth not arise from nature There is a kinde of humility in many a man by nature but this is not Gospel-humility and there is too a natural sorrow but this is not Gospel-humiliation This is an herbe that grows not in Natures garden any other humiliation saving Gospel-humiliation may grow there 2 It doth not arise from imitation of others the examples of others Some things which are not natural are done by imitation as an Ape will do many things by imitation which are not natural but this doth arise from hence seeing another humbled and imitating him 3 It doth not arise from a sense or discerning of sin in a man Many there are who see their sin and will acknowledge the same natural light

a Citizen of Jerusalem above where he is free and not annoyed with such things as others are who live below the ayre that hee breathes in is pure and not infected with such vapours the food that he feeds upon turnes to Spiritual nourishment and doth not beget crudities and ill humours in the Soul and by reason of this wonderful change of place ayre and food there is likewise such a change wrought in his temper and constitution as that his nature will not away with or brook the principles and practices of men who live here below and speak and act as children of this world 4 Because a heart exercised about Spiritual things hath ends and designes which he findes he can never accomplish in such wayes His ends and designes are that hee may glorifie God edifie his Brother by what hee sayes and does and have the peace and comfort of it in his owne Conscience that through his knowledge his Corruptions may bee mortified his Graces quickned c. now he findes that he can never accomplish his ends and designes by studying quaint and curious Notions but rather is set further off his owne corruptions by but looking towards them gathers strength and overtops Grace upon the sudden instead of bringing honour to God God is dishonoured his Brother instead of receiving edification is in danger of being seduced and carried together with him out of the way of truth and all his solid Soul-humbling inward peace degenerates into a kind of phantastick and self-conceited joy so that of necessity he must let fall his designe and take up a worse if ever hee goe in this way the fore-fight and consideration whereof makes him shie and averse thereunto Vse 1. Hence wee may learne what is the grand cause of all those errours and evils which swarme and abound in this our age why Christians hearts are not exercised in spiritual things Should one come and ask me a reason of the too strange and lamentable mistakes and fearful miscarriages so palpable and common amongst many professing themselves to bee Saints in these our dayes how it comes to pass or what is the reason that those who formerly were one should now bee so many who loved with the most entire affections that could be should now hate one another who were so lively and active should now bee so dead and sleepy who thought they could never doe enough should now cast off all I can assure you I know none more probable than this Christians hearts are not so exercised about high and Spiritual things as once they were Christians that once were taken up with spiritual things as Prayer Reading Hearing meditating of the Word watching and observing their owne hearts and these too in a Spiritual manner have now either laid these aside or are grown more cold and formal in their exercising in them I have observed it amongst Christians in our dayes that one day such an opinion being abroad you shall have one tampering with that and there he drops a little of his spirituality by and by with another and there hee drops a little more then another there too he drops a little more till in the end his spirituality I meane that spiritual frame of heart which before he had is quite lost which being gone he is like another man as peevish foolish light-spirited as any And if I mistake not it is one of the Devils greatest designes in the bringing in of opinions by degrees to eate out that power and life of godlinesse in the hearts of Saints which by force and violence of temptation hee could never work out herein dealing like a politick Warriour who finding a place too strong to attempt by open force by secret and subtil undermining gets into it It fares in this case with Christians as with a man that toucheth Pitch let him touch it ever so lightly yet somewhat of it will stick to him so whilst Christians are tampering with opinions though ever so lightly yet a tincture remains something thereof cleaves to their spirits and steales from them something of their spirituality as for example it is some mens opinion that a man need never pray except in private ejaculations now though perhaps your hearts cannot fully own it yet is there not some tincture of it some dust cleaving to your spirits And as for this one so also there are opinions abroad against all Ordinances your hearts cannot close with such things and yet perhaps by hearing these things and talking with persons this way some tincture hereof cleaves to you so as that you grow more slighty in hearing reading meditation and every other Ordinance than formerly you were Something of your former spirituality hereby is lost and extinguished This as I have said as far as I am able to judge is the grand cause of all the errors and evils that are amongst Christians the Devil by degrees steals away their hearts from exercising in spiritual things and having so done then they grow like other men this toy which once they would have thought unworthy of their time or thoughts takes up both and this practice which once their hearts would have abhorred and trembled at they now imbrace making no bones of it and the root of all is a neglecting of spiritual things Vse 2. As this shews us the cause of the fall and Apostacy of many persons so also this tells us That there are many who yet are not tumbled that stand upon slippery ground and will tumble in time if they do not come off it Art thou a man or woman which time hath been hast had thy heart warm to spiritual things and spiritual works and doth thy heart now grow cold to things of this nature and art thou warm to every curious notion and new opinion thou art the person I speak to and Soul let mee tell thee thou art upon slippery ground if thou comest not off thou wilt tumble You know how it is with a horse that goes rough-cast upon the Ice a little time he goes well but within a while the Ice wears off his rough-cast and hee grows smooth and then down hee tumbles So thou art one who hast had some favour and art rough-cast and thou walkest abroad into opinions and brave conceits which please thy fancy and a while thou standest because there hath been some favour some spirituality upon thy heart which hath rough-cast thee but in time walking in this way thy rough-cast is by degrees worn off and thou growest smooth and then down thou tumblest Take heed come off this slippery ground before thy rough-cast be worn away for if thou dost not assuredly so soon as that shall bee thou wilt fall and if God of his great mercy do not set thee on thy legs thou wilt never get up so as to stand and walk again Use 3. Wouldest thou bee delivered from the dangerous errrors and evils of the times and places thou dost live in then in the third place Imbrace this

World change of Dispensations doe often times put another man out of his course But now take a he●rt that is exercised about spiritual things and let ever such great changes and alterations come he still keeps on in his way though States and Kingdomes and Empires are turned upside down yet he is not moved The Psalmist speaking of such a man Psal 112.7 saith of him He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Why his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. What a blessed frame of spirit was there in David when as Ziglag was burnt his Wives and Children taken Prisoners the people spake of stoning him hee encouraged himself saith the Text in the Lord his God David in the midst of this hurly-burley this tumult and tempest which would have made another man at his wits end hath a blessed composed quiet frame of spirit staying himself on God 6 And lastly The exercising of the heart about Spiritual things will make a man contented with all conditions whatsoever befall him in outward things Paul by having his heart exercised in these things had learned in every condition to be content he knew how to be full and how to be hungry how to abound and to suffer want when our hearts are taken up with Spiritual things with God communion with God and Christ let Sicknesse come Poverty come reproach persecution come yet nothing comes amisse a man will have something to delight himselfe in or else hee will never bee content now when the delight of the Soul is in Spiritual things when the Soul enjoyes these and possesses these though the Soul want many outward things yet it can bee content saith the Soul true I have not the pleasures of this World the Dignities and Honours of this World the Riches of this World as others have but I have better Pleasures better Honours better Riches than any this World can afford and therefore why should I not be content Quest But how shall I come to have my heart taken up with Spiritual things Ans 1. Be much in the study of the Gospel the Gospel that gives the Spirit it holds forth and preacheth the Spirit it makes discovery of the things of the Spirit to us now wouldest thou have thy heart taken up with Spiritual things get a clear sight of this Gospel where these things in the beauty sweetness glory and excellency of them are revealed and made known 2 Thou must of necessity bee born again By Nature thou art no other but flesh and flesh will never be delighted with the things of the Spirit for they are contrary unto it 3 Pray to God to give thee of his spirit it is the Spirit of God dwelling in us that makes us to be delighted with Spiritual things The natural man saith Paul that is the man that hath not the Spirit he perceiveth not the things of the Spirit neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Wouldest thou know and have thy heart taken up with spiritual things pray to God then to give thee of his Spirit to make thee a Spiritual man 4 Associate thy self with the most spiritual Saints Take dead Coals and lay them to dead coals and one doth not warm nor kindle the other but take a dead coale and lay it to a live coale and the live coale will kindle the dead coale So take a company of Saints that are dead and lay them together and there will be little warming of one another but take a dead Saint and put him to a lively Saint and he that is lively will warme the dead Saint the seeing of his life and zeal and love and spiritualnesse will provoke the other and set him all in a flame for when a dead-hearted Saint sees the life of another hee is ashamed of himself and will bee restlesse with God till in some measure he hath attained that life that he saw in the other 5 Let not a day passe over but at one time or other of that day hold thy heart close for some time to some Spiritual work either Prayer by thy self Meditation Self-examination or the like You know things that are hard at first through use and custome become habitual so didst thou use thy heart daily to bee employed about some spiritual work thou wouldest bee more easily brought to an exercise in spirituals Often neglects and disuse make a thing hard let a man neglect a spiritual worke one day it will bee harder to bring his heart to it the next than it was that 6 Keep thy heart heated and warmed as much as may be with the love of God and Christ whilst Iron is hot it is easie to beat it into this or that forme but when it is cold it will not work and so nothing will be done whilst the heart is warmed with the love of God it is easie to bring it to this as that spiritual work but when it is cold and dead it will not work 7 Watch all opportunities that offer themselves to thee whereby thou mayest increase thy delight in spiritual things or have thy heart more warmed to things of this nature sometimes a Christian hath an opportunity offered to speak a Spiritual word to some or doe some spiritual work and taking the same hee hath his heart more spiritual and in a sweeter frame to goe about any spiritual work for a week after than it was before 8 Be most humble when thou art most spiritual the policy of Satan is when he cannot hinder the Soul from minding spiritual things to make it proud of its spiritualnesse knowing thereby hee shall robbe it thereof and I am perswaded the Saints doe not loose a spiritual frame of heart oftner by any one device of Satan than this Therefore wouldest thou keep up a spiritual frame of heart look to it that thou ever walkest most humbly when thou art most spiritual 9 Take heed of these things 1 Of being discouraged to a Spiritual work by thine owne deadnesse oftentimes out deadnesse discourageth us to a Spiritual work I am dead and therefore discouraged to pray to speake to another it may bee I think I should but play the Hypocrite in doing these things and so I am discouraged to that which is my duty take heed of this when a Saint goes over the head of such a discouragement many times to his duty his heart is made alive in it 2 Take heed of all curiosity There is not a greater enemy to spirituality in the World than curiosity is the more of curiosity is in our Preaching I dare affirme it that there will be the lesse spirituality in the Preachers heart the lesse fruit of his preaching if a man have a designe to bee curious there will bee so much Carnal fear lest things should not bee taking with others so much pride when hee thinks they are as let him doe what he can hee shall not keep up a spiritual heart in his work now there is a three-fold curiosity First