Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	form_n	pray_v	set_a	5,316	5	11.1216	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84069	The great earthquake, Revel. 16. 18. or, Fall of all the churches. Discovering the apostasie of purest churches, not yet sensible of their spiritual whoredoms, EZek. 43.9, 10. Or, The great whore made bare and naked before she be judged, and her flesh burnt with fire, Rev. 27. 16. Proving, that none indeed deny the ordinances of Christ, but present churches not being in a Gospel-order. By William Erbery.	Erbery, William, 1604-1654.; J. W.	1654 (1654)	Wing E3227; Thomason E806_7; ESTC R207174	48,514	64

set time or in a forme of words though Christ did use thus to pray being a Minister of the Circumcision and in the duyes of his flesh living under the Law yet I conceive that the private prayers of Gospel-saints was not in sound of voice or forme of words but waiting upon God in Christ for the supplyes of the Spirit and of all good things promised as may appeare Rom. 8.25 26. we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities with groanings which cannot be uttered We know what to utter what to pray for in our formall prayers yea we have the forme and patterne of all our petitions framed in ous heads before we utter them we know what to pray for besides we have our set times of our houres of prayers our duty times as we call it We pray morning and evening as David and Daniel did use to do under the Law Psa 58 17. Dan. 6.10 sure such duty times were never heard of in the Gospel times therefore praying in the Spirit scarce appeares in these times much lesse among those who are most zealous for it Fourthly There is no preaching in all the Churches no preaching of that they pretend no Gospel preaching for neither the doctrine of free grace nor discoursing of Christ after the flesh is the preaching of the Gospel Eph. 3.5 the Gospel is a Mystery hid from ages and generations before and under the Law not manifested to the sonnes of men till 't was to the Apostles and Prephets by the Spirit but the Covenant of Grace free-Grace the forgivenesse of sinne c. was fully manifested by Moses and the Prophets of old Againe Christ after the flesh is not the Gospel 2 Cor. 5.16 Col. 1.27 Mar. 1.14 for the Apostles would henceforth know Christ after the flesh no more not Christ without us but Christ in us is the mystery of Christ and of the Gospell also yea though Christ after the flesh did present the Gospell in part preaching peace to the Jewes the Kingdome of heaven being then at hand yet the Kingdom was not come nor the Gospel fully preached till Christ came againe and preached peace to them that were a farre off and to them that were high Ephe. 2.17 this comming of Christ was not in flesh for that was crucified before ver 16. but he came in spirit that is t was Christ in the Apostles that afterward preached seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me saith Paul he knew Christ living in him 2 Cor. 13.3.5 Phil. 3.8 9. and himself crucified with Christ all his flesh and the goodlinesse thereof crucified his righteousnesse his gifts and graces as dung in respect of Christ in him that is God manifested in his flesh did slay all that flesh to himself that God alone might appear to live or Christ living in him and this is also Christ crucified in him I bear in my body the dyings of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 Phil. 3.11 we see Paul preached nothing but Christ in him Christ dying in him Christ ●ising in him not as if I had attained to the Resurrection of the dead Indeed the Apostles did mention Christ after the flesh but yet so as therby to manifest the Mysterie of Christ in spirit of Christ in us of God in our flesh Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust to bring us to God So that all the Ministers of the Churches come too short in these three things which the ministers of the Gospel had First they had the manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts enabling them to preach the Gospel purely 1 Tim. 1.12 and with power they preach the Gospel by the holy spirit sent down from heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 which none of of our Ministers have Secondly They could clearly manifest the mysterie of the Gospel and preach glad tydings to every creature under heaven to every man and woman in the world Col. 1.23.28 presenting every man in Christ and Christ in every man Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobate that is 2 Cor. 13.5 men void of judgement to discern your spirituall estate and being in Christ God being in every man and every mans being in God Act. 17.28 Thirdly the Ministers of the Gospel could not onely manifest the mystery by scripture but without scripture they could make it forth in the works of creation from the writings of poets the mysterie of God even the Father and of Christ For in him we live move and have our being and we are his off-spring we that is mankinde for the Poet means that and the Apostle also he is not farre from every one of us yea in every Creature the Apostle could manifest Christ Act. 17.27 therefore the Gospel is said to be preached in every creature under Heaven Col. 1.23 The Heavens declare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea day to day uttereth speech Psa 19.2 c. So the Sun Moon and Stars their sound is gone throughout all the world v. 4. That is the sound and speech of every creature and as the Gospel is called the witnesse of God 1 Cor. so the rain and fruitfull seasons doe fully witnesse God Thus the Apostles though to the Jews they spake from scriptures because the scriptures were owned by them Act. 14.17 yet to the Nations who denyed all scriptures of the prophets and knew no other then the poets and their own prophane authors the Apostle I say never preached to them out of scriptures for to what purpose was it to tell the heathen of Moses the prophets and the psalms or to preach of their sinnes as out New England Ministers doe to their Sagamoores very simply but as the mystery of the Gospell preached by the Apostles could not be read in Scriptures nor learnt by man at all but only as it was Revealed in them by the Spirit so they spake yea the Speakings of Christ out of Scripture was onely as a Minister of the Circumcision Luk. 4.17 First reading a Text out of the Law c. as all our Gospell-teachers can doe they cannot preach without a Text out of Scripture they have not the manifestation of the Spirit neither can they manifest the mystery of the Gospell the mystery of Christ in us of God manifested in our flesh they cannot present every man in Christ and every man living in God and God the Saviour in all men c. these glad-tydings there is no Minister can preach to any people much lesse to every creature to all Nations Ioh. 1.9 having no gifts of tongues or interpretation they cannot preach the Gospel to those who deny Scriptures Ioh. 4.12 they cannot convince any man by the light in them which is no other then Christ in them nor hold forth Christ from the appearance of God in the world from the light of the world that is in them from inward

so the Saints under the Law had the spirit yea our Gospel Churches at this day come far short of the Legall Church 1 King 13.4 2 Kings 1. 2 King 2. c. for there were some gifts of the Spirit manifest as of prophecying and gifts of healing of signes and miracles but the Baptism of the Spirit was that manifestation or pouring forth of all the gifts of the Spirit not on every believer but on every Church of Christ that the Church came short in no gift 1 Cor. 1.7 This was the true constitution of a Gospel-Church the Baptism of the Spirit the manifestation of the Spirit in manifold gifts without which no Church can be in the order of the Gospel 1 Cor. 12.6 7 28. 〈◊〉 6.2 For as the doctrine of Baptisms not of water only but of the Spirit especially concerned the Church in her members so the next doctrine The laying on of Hands did concern the Ministery who received a gift by the laying on of Hands Independent Ministers make a meer ceremony of this never looking for any gift thereby as Papists and Prelates did but the Presbyterian Ministers of Scotland are a little wiser then ours for there being no Gift they lay aside the laying on of Hands altogether in ordaining their Elders Secondly The Breaking of Bread or Communion that was in the primitive Churches was not as 't is in the present Churches by taking a piece of Bread or tasting a sip of wine from the Ministers hands a meer popish superstition to put such pomp and reverence on sacramentall Bread and Wine but breaking of Bread was a full Meal for the word is so and The supper of the Lord shews the same to be a ful Meal or Feast of Love Jude 12. Acts 1.46 for both is one though old childish Fathers make a difference between the Feast of Love and Supper of the Lord so often used even daily that is every First day the Church meeting to break Bread Feast in Love to Feast on the Lord together on the Lord in them the Bread broken being the Communion of his Body 1 Cor. 12.22 Ephes 5.30 for the Church indeed was that body of the Lord the Church was Christ This the Church knows not nor confesses how fully the Godhead is embodyed in their flesh how perfectly one with the Father as Christ They are afraid of this therefore as if there were but a part of God and part of Christ in them they take a piece of Bread thus they discern not the Lords Body yea they doe not shew forth the Lords death that is dying to all things but to God as Christs purest flesh was crucified to the Father but this communion and mystery of Christ Hebr. 9.14 and of his death is not known nor taught by the Churches alass these are heavenly things too high for them who live in dead Forms nay they scarce know the earthly thing the Form of Breaking bread this being as I said a full Meal for they did break Bread from house to house Acts 2.46 eating their meat with singleness of heart praising God yea they drank also to the full for some drank too much or were drunk 1 Cor. 11.21 which could not be with a sip of wine the abuse that was in the Lords supper shews the use to be not to eat and drink to themselves for so they had Houses to eat in ver 22. but to tarry one for another till all being come together sate down in that spirituall Feast feasting on the Lords crucified body which the breaking of bread being a full Meal did signifie as we shall shew more fully hereafter Thirdly the next Ordinance was Church-prayers these being as peculiar and proper to the Church and for the Church alone as Breaking of Bread Acts 2.42 They continued together in the Apostles doctrine in fellowship breaking of Bread and Prayers The Churches of Christ could no more pray with the world then break Bread or have church-fellowship with the world Therefore neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever pray with preaching Christ prayed only in private or with his Disciples apart Luke 11.1 And the Apostles preaching to the world never prayed with the world for after Peter and John had been in the Temple at the houre of Prayer preaching to them in publique they returned to their own company in private to pray Acts 3.1 Acts 4.23 The Jews indeed had certain houres of prayer of publique prayer the Church being Nationall so there was a certain place appointed for preaching in the Synagogue or Temple just like our Churches now who are the Jewes indeed to be converted they have none but common prayers still houres of Preaching and houres of praying yea such Forms of Prayer praying before Sermon and after Sermon a meer popish custome with the Lords prayer after the first and a Priestly benediction after the second Prayer For Blessing the people last of all is both Popish and Priestly it being a legal Ordinance ending in Christ the great High-Priest Numb 6.23 Luke 24.50 who ceased this ceremony when he blest his Disciples and afterward came in Spirit to bless his people Acts 3.26 But the mysterie of Iniquity and Man of Sinn is not manifest in any thing more then in those Forms of prayer publique and private We know the whole power of popish Religion is in their much praying so Protestants could not be taken from it till their common Prayer was taken from them by force I cannot commend this Reformation for what are Men the better to be beaten from one Form of Prayer to another which is as bad if not worse then that before because seemingly more spirituall yet having not the power The Churches prayers how powerfull were they not full of words and fine expressions but there was a mighty power and appearance of God in their publique prayers see Acts 4.31 Acts 12.5 12. 1 Cor. 14.25 James 5.24 15. Besides that long praying which Ministers glory in is both legall and heathenish 2 Chron. 6. Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Mat. 6 7. The Lords prayer the prayers of Christ and the Apostles prayers were very short succinct plain and to the purpose without such preambles abundance and vanity of words and vain-glorious enlargements Act. 1.24 25. Act. 4.24 The cause why the Churches err in all these after Ordinances is because they continue not in the First which is the chiefest Ordinance continuing in the Apostles Doctrine and holding forth the form of sound words Act. 2.42 2 Tim. 1.13 And this we shall prove another time that the Doctrine of the Apostate Church is not the Doctrine of the Apostles but the Doctrine of Devils and yet these Devils being not evill spirits but good Men great in Gifts are those Devils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those heathenish Heroes of old were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.1 so our knowing men our Christian Heroes Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes

departing from Jerusalem Rev. 21.3 that is God dwelling with men if men could be content with God alone live in God onely behold God dwelling in them and they in God they had not run so fast into the Church nor the churches hastned to send forth their Ministers to baptize Isa 52.11 12. there being no Gospel order nor ordinance among them The Gospel-order was in these three things as the Temple had three parts the first is the manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts 1 Cor. 12.7 Mark 16.18 James 5.14 Secondly A Ministry of the spirit with gifts given by the laying on of hands 1 Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 1 Tim. 4.14 Thirdly The administration of the spirit in all the Ordinances of the Church which were not only Baptism and Breaking of bread but a Psalm a Doctrine a Tongue 1 Cor. 14.26 an Interpretation and Revelation all these also were the Ordinances of Christ for the edifying of the Church but the present Churches have not any one of these not some of them in name or shew therefore sure the edifice is fallen into a confusion into a Babel and the Churches must needs be in an Apostate condition The Apostacie foretold by the Apostle then began when the manifestation of the spirit ceased when the ministry of the spirit was cast down and when that administration of the spirit was trodden under foot and this is a sufficient notoriety or visible signe that all Church Ordinances were changed into a confusion or fleshly performances when the spirit did so visibly disappear and the Gospel-order to be found no more First The manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts ceasing is spoken of by John Rev. 7.1 where the four winds are held in that it should not blow c. the four winds being nothing else but the fulnesse of the spirit rushing in as a mighty wind at first on the Primitive Church Act. 2.2 and remaining still in the Churches of Christ till the Church came in to spiritual Babylon Therefore the four winds begin to blow when the people of God are brought from thence Ezek. 37.9 Secondly The Ministry of the spirit cast down is also signified Rev. 9.1 where a star fell from heaven to earth ver 1. The falling star is the fall of the ministry of the spirit sent down from heaven now this fell on the earth when gifts of men succeeding those spirituall gifts of God humane Arts and Parts studied Tongues Interpretations and Commentaries became the key of the bottomlesse pit for when the Mysteries of God were opened by the gifts of men in stead of opening heaven they opened hell and a smoke came out of the bottomless pit darkening the Sun and air both Christ and all the means to communicate Christ were darkened thereby ver 2. Thirdly The administration of the spirit in all Gospel-Ordinances after this was trodden under foot Rev. 11. Here the Temple is to be measured c. that is saints though under this spirituall apostacy were still owned of God as those who worshipped him in spirit but as for outward worship and Church-ordinances which are the outward Court ver 2. that was to be given to the Gentiles that is not heathenish Gentiles but Christian Gentiles the most carnal Christians have by continuance in all ages enjoyed the Ordinances of the Church both Baptism breaking of bread for 't was given to them of God as sutable to their fleshly Spirits rather then to the Saints in truth who are the holy City whom these Gentiles and Christians in common have trodden under foot to this day yea not conforming to Ordinances and Doctrines of men not comming to Church has been the cause still of the treading down of the Saints in all Ages and in this also by the Churches themselves who trample on all not in fellowship with them who cannot conform to their forms of Doctrine and fleshly Ordinances for so they are at the best in their primitive and purest order even Gospel Ordinances were but legall things in truth and bodily exercises but now being defiled through the spirits absence they are not only far below Christian duties but the dues of Gentiles and heathenish exercises For so the Protestants have taught that all things in the service of God not according to the Scripture are not only superstitious but profane This I am now with God to prove that there is no Gospel-Ordinance in all the Churches neither in letter or forme much lesse in spirit and truth neither Baptisme nor breaking of Bread nor Prayers nor Preaching nor a Psalme c. First Their Baptizing of Children is so childish a tradition that both the Baptized Churches and some Presbyterian brethren have fully confuted their folly and yet these Churches also come farre short of the truth of Baptisme in the form and end thereof both these we shal prove hereafter that the outward forme of Baptisme was not by dipping but by washing the Disciples feet those that believed went down to the water as t were up to the ancles for the first rising of waters up to the ancles was but a type of that state of Gospel-Saints who should have the first fruits of the Spirit Ezek. 47.3 for the first Churches and Apostles had no more of the Spirit there-they thus were baptized But Secondly the end of Baptisme with water was not that it should abide for ever Joh. 14.16 that was onely the promise of the spirit the spirit or baptism of the spirit was to abide to continue and increase till the waters which were to the ankles should arise to a fulnesse Ezek. 47. to a floud that no man might passe over the baptism of water was to decrease and die in time he must increase saith John but I must decrease Job 3.30 but by the Apostacie the Baptism of Christ the Baptism of the spirit has decreased and the Baptism of water the Baptism of John hath increased and continued to this day Again the Baptism of water which was in the Apostles times was rather by permission then by command 1 Cor. 1.17 an indulgence to the Church that was for the most part carnall as circumcision and many things of Moses Act. 16.3 Act. 21.24 26. did continue for a time in the Gospel-churches so the Baptism of John the baptism of water was not to continue no longer Therefore the doctrine of Baptisms the first principle of Christ is not yet known by any of the Churches who like the whore sitting upon the waters content themselves with the Baptism of water and that in a false way the Presbyters baptise the whole Nation Independents children of beleevers only the baptised Churches dip beleevers indeed but do not baptise them in a true form nor right end not owning baptism of the Spirit at all For this indeed is the baptism of Christ the baptism of the spirit which is not a bare presence of the spirit in graces or in some gifts for

is Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 6.70 Mat. 16.23 holy Fathers moderne Divines and Ministers are those Devils as the Worships which great and good Men have set up in the Churches are called the worship of Devils Revel 9.10 Let not this seem strange for not only Ju das was called a Devil but Peter was Satan indeed when he savoured the things of Men more then of God therefore let not our Ministers be moved if hereafter they hear their services called Sorceries as 't is there Rev 9 21 and themselves the Sorcerers of Egypt deceiving the Nation in nothing more then in their Forms of prayer For their preaching begins to appear more powerless flat dead having no discovery of God above the Common Form of Knowledge yea they know less and their preaching is more legal then once it was by the judgment of their wisest Hearers Yea as there are not the prayers of the Church this day as it was neither in power not Form so there is scarce a Christian prayer in private among them though they are full and flow with words at duty-times yet God and their own Conscience can tell how little they pray in their Closets how loose their petitions are in private how seldom they retire into their own spirits yea scarce ever doe they thus seek the Lord as the Prophet speaks that is Jer. 10.21 they seek not any nearer sight of the Lord nor any new discovery of God in them Alass New-lights are laugh'd at by these men though God indeed be the Father of Lights there being more Lights then one begotten and brought forth daily by our God and Father who will shine in us more and more to perfect day till we have a full discovery of himself as he is James 1.17 that is have the Fathers name on our Fore-heads Rev. 14.1 And as the Churches erre in their Formes of publique prayer so they fail in their Forms of private Prayers c. For they pray not to the Father nor secondly in the name of Christ nor thirdly can they pray in the Spirit First They do not pray to the Father but to the first Person in Trinity whom Christ never knew nor acknowledged for had there been a second Person or subsistence in the Godhead coessentiall and coequall with the Father surely Christ should and would have worshipped him but Christ never payed to any Person but to the Father and no Christian ever prayed to the Spirit till the spirit of Antichrist Veni Spiritus Sancte came into the world Not that I deny the holy Trinity according to Scriptures Col. 2.2 8 compared But disclaiming all the Traditions of our Fore-fathers and teachings of men I beleeve that God is Father Son and Spirit and that the Son of God Mat. 28.19 Rom 9.5 1 Cor. 8.6 Ephes 4.6 Isa 96. 1 Tim. 3.16 Luk. 24.49 Act. 1 4 1 Cor. 12.6 7. the Man Christ Jesus is God blessed for ever yet both in a Mystery which no man can manifest or reveal but the spirit Matth. 11.25 Ephes 1.17 The Father being none else but the one onely true God of himself and in himself inhabiting eternity The Son being the same God and Father manifest in Flesh and dwelling among men That one mighty God and Father powerfully going forth and exerting himself or appearing in manifold gifts and operations in flesh is the holy Spirit Which things are not to be carnally understood according to the letter as if God sent his Son 1 Cor. 2.13 John 14 9. Heb. 9.14 1 Cor. 15.45 and the Son sent the Spirit but comparing spirituall things with spirituall we shall perceive that the Son is the Father and the eternall Spirit is both Father and Son so the Father is said to send the Son where he himself appears in flesh from the beginning in the fulnesse of time or this day Heb. 13.8 for Christ is the same to day yesterday and for ever And Christ speaking in the dayes of his flesh that he would send the Spirit is nothing else but that he who dwelt with them should be in them that is when God even the Father who dwelt in his flesh should be manifest in theirs Joh. 14.17 18 19 20. Thus also I confesse that Jesus is the Son of God 1 Joh. 4.15 Joh. 14.7 10 20 verses Phil. 2.6 and that the Man Christ is God blessed for ever God even the Father dwelling in him and doing all in him being all in all in him His flesh being the form of God an image in whom the Godhead appeared to men The Son of God being nothing in himself Joh. 5.19 30. John 8 28. Gal. 4.19 but the Manifestation of the Father and could do nothing of himself but as the Father dwlling in him did all his works and words Again I conceive the Man Jesus Christ the Man-God being in us to be all in all to us Ephes 3.19 John 17.23 God dwelling in us as in him our flesh annointed and filled with the Godhead as his and we perfect in one with the Father as he This is the true Faith and Confession of the Son of God if once revealed in us Gal. 1.16 and 2.20 else how could the Son thus confess'd bring us to God God dwelling in us and we in him thereby 1 John 4.2 3 15. compared I shall not now declare at large how the present Churches deny all the Doctrine of God and of Christ c. which if God will we shall do in his due time onely we are now discovering all their forms of Worship to be false though some may worship the Father in spirit and truth yet in form of words they worship not nor pray to the Father at all Secondly They do not pray in the name of Christ but as saints of the Old Testament knew God in Covenant with them not God in Christ one with them that 's the Father So the Churches apprehend God at a distance standing a far off below in the Temple Heb. 10.19 not able to enter into the Holy of holiest into the Godhead himself but call upon his Name as great and terrible Deut. 28.58 Gal. 4.6 glorious and fearfull for so the Law presented God to Men they have not the spirit of the Son to cry Abba Father the Son being not revealed in them how can the spirit of the Son be sent forth at all I beleeve the Son is in them and the Spirit is there though hid in their flesh but they conceiving Christ at a distance Christ without them as long ago in flesh on earth and now afar off in heaven from them not nigh them and in them They do not pray in his Name Rom. 10.8 Joh. 16.23 They go not as the Son to the Father with that neernesse and confidence as Christ did to God but as strangers and forraigners or as far off from God being very low in the flesh They beg the Father still for Christ Jesus

state of a Gospel Church to be instituted the Apostles and Disciples were to waite for the Baptisme of the Spirit before they should sit downe in Church-fellowship or performe any Gospel Ordinances Act. 1.4 Act. 2.47 yet their abiding or waiting then was not many dayes hence But the Church being since fallen away and lying under the Apostacy having lost that Gospel glory and manifestation of the spirit in manifold gifts not appearing The saints are called upon to abide for God many dayes to wait with patience for the second coming of Christ and appearance of the Great God that was the Lord their God and David their King ver 5. For the children of Israel shall abide many dayes 400 yeers saith Junius without a King and without a Prince and without a sacrifice c. that is all the days that men finde themselves in the Apostacie they must abide for God without any Ordinance or sacrifice without any Church-Officer or King Yea but the discoveries of God in the Saints in the later dayes that 's the anoynting shall take off the yoke from off their neck and the burden from off their shoulders that Saints shall be no more embondaged to fleshly forms nor burdened with carnal Ordinances nor yoked to Church-fellowship any more What some Saints scoff at others and others say of themselves that they are above Ordinances I cannot judge nor condemn but for my part I do not profess my self above Ordinances but far below them in mine own feeling though I may be above in the favour and knowledg of God yet as far as I know I am below any Gospel Ordinance having not that manifestation of the spirit that was alwaies with them in the Churches nor that presence and power of the spirit appearing in me as was in them to carry me up from living in Ordinances to live in God alone nor yet that testimony of the spirit to tell me that in the use of Ordinances as they are I may be preserved pure from that uncleanness which sticks upon them through the Apostacy for if every thing in the Church is counted unclean by God which is not wholly according to his word the Independant purest Churches are not clean not being conformed to the first Churches of Christ in any Gospel-Ordinance nor Order but meer forms and confusion in all therefore it is that I am thus a non-conformist still and separate my self from the Churches and their Ordinances as unclean Common prayers and the prayers of Churchs are both alike to me the Prelates weekly Friday-Fasts and the Presbyters monthly Wednesday-Fasts yea the Independant Feastings and daies of thanksgiving are but as the holy daies of Bishops so is their Order Ordination and every Ordinance or work of their hands saith the Prophet it is unclean as we shall shew anon from Haggai 2.14 Truly 't was this that called upon me Depart depart touch no unclean thing For that life and peace which once I found in Ordinances is departed from me and my self dead unto them as I believe many others are though some Saints have still satisfaction and sweetness in them and God seems to accept their prayers yet this is no more then was before when in our ignorance we used common Prayers and mixt Communions c. How sweet and satisfactory was God then unto us though the use of those carnal Ordinances was as unclean as the high places were of old to the people of God God appeared to Solomon in Gibeon though that great high place was never appointed by God for his people to worship in but was contrary to his revealed will yet he appeared to Solomon as well in Gibeon as in the house of the Lord 1 King 9 2. Thus the Lord God and Father of mercies who is free in his grace abundant in goodness and truth being not bound up to means might appear for a time even comfortably to his people even in Gibeon in corruptest forms and fellowship not that he aprroves them but that in his good pleasure he may manifest his everlasting love the more to his people whose life is in their bloud as well as when they are washed and who look as beautifull before God when they are black as when white and ruddy yea the love of God is the same to the Saints however they are 't is not their best performances that please him but he is pleased and rests in his love yea that love may appear more to his people in lowest performances then in highest attainments And surely though God may bear awhile with this singing of Psalmes yet the time is come that he will say T●ke away from me the noise of thy songs Mark it 't is but a noise that their singing makes and 't is the noise of Babel confusion of tongue in all their Psalms but God who hath silenced that Prelatick Pricksong and is now silencing Presbyterian plain-song will also cause the songs of Independant Churches to cease now indeed they have a jolly time of it here Fasts are turned into Feasts their tears into triumphs 't will be quite contrary when their songs shall be turned to lamentation their mirth to mourning their fulness to famin and their forms to fire to be consumed by the Spirit Now these are Babylons last Plagues Death Mourning Famin and Fire which all the people of God abiding in Babylon shall partake of and as death is the spirits absence from all their fellowships So the spirits presence at the second appearing of Christ shall torment their flesh and burn up all their forms as with fire but mourning and famin comes before First mourning when the joy of the holy Spirit unspeakable and full of glory shall not be heard in their habitations but a fleshly carnal joy built upon creaturely and worldly contents and complyances with worldly powers all which falling the Kings and Merchants of the earth shall cry alas alas that is the principal men and Ministers of Churches shall cry and mourn because Babylon the great City is fallen Again Famin shall follow their Feastings and daies of thanksgiving for these are the Whores delicacies Daies of Fasting was a courser fare fit for their times of persecution but now the Churches having rest and rejoycing together the Lord comes and disquiets the inhabitants of Babylon turning their joy into mourning their fatness into famin For this all the Prophets point at even an extream Famin to come upon all the Churches That 's the extremity of Famin when there is such a want of food that men will eat the flesh one of another Both these shall come to pass upon the Churches First they shall be in want of food that is the means of grace as thep call it shall not be any more their meat not give them any sustenance at all indeed they may as the Prophet saith feed on the wind and follow the Eastwind that is the most hurtfull wind for cotn they may as men in a dream think they

his sake as if Christ procured the love of the Father to them or merited life and salvation for them or as if God would not hear them but for his worthinesse sake words not spoken of in Scripture neither hath his Intercession any such carnal sense For as the Son is none else save the Manifestation of the Father so the Son can do nothing of himself Joh. 4.9.10 but manifest the Fathers love to us and our life in God with him He being but the way to the Father God even the Father being the end and ultimate object of all our Christian knowledge confidence faith yea all that divine worship and honour given to the Son is to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.10 11. 1 Pet. 1.21 John 1.14 John 17.21 22 23. it tends and ends in God though by Christ and through Christ that is thus We beholding in him the glory of the Father full of grace and truth I say we seeing Christ one with the Father and his flesh full of God God even the Father being perfect in union with him and he the beloved of God living in the Father alone We see by this the same true in our selves for he is the truth and life as well as the way and learning the truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 the life of God is thus revealed in us also God revealing his Son in us first so we pray in Christs name we pray as the Son to the Father as those who are perfectly one with God the onely beloved and living in the Father alone This is indeed to be with Christ Joh. 17.24 this to behold his glory nor carnally in heaven but here in us in the spirit Indeed the people of God who lived under the Law not knowing the Mystery of God and of Christ nor their union with the Father did worship God as at a distance for the Holy of Holiest they came not neer standing aloof off from that glorious Majesty whose name was great and fearfull therefore they did not yet draw nigh to the throne of grace Hebr. 4.14 16. nor had that accesse with boldnesse as to the Father but begg'd in all their prayers for his name sake for his own sake sometimes for the Lords sake Dan. 9.17.19 but in the Gospel state no saint did ever pray so nor did any Christian prayer end as ours For Christ Jesus sake neither is this speech once named in the new Testament We please our selves much with the often name of Christ though in truth we pray not in his name at all The Apostles had not the name of Christ sometimes in all their prayers Act. 1.24 yet prayed alwayes in his name in him and through him they went to God as having the same fellowship with the Father as the Son and seeing themselves as full in the love of the Father as he Therefore he saith In that day ye shall ask me nothing John 16.23 and yet at that day ye shall ask in my name ver 29. In that day in the day of the spirit when the Son should appear in the Father onely and in them John 14.20 they should not ask of the Son nor pray to Christ any more as they did indeed before but they shall ask the Father in his name onely not as men carnally conceive of Christ praying to the Father for us and so they pray to God for Christs sake nay saith Christ I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Job 16.26 because ye have loved me and have beleeved ihat I came out from God that is Think not that my Father will not hear you but for my sake for the Father himself loveth you freely as he loveth me and so ye love me not for my own sake but as I am the manifestation of the Father as I came forth from God How falsly then is that Scripture as other Scriptures of this kinde translated Ephes 4.32 Forgive one another as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Whereas 't is no other in the Original then thus as God in Christ hath forgiven you For as God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself so God in Christ is All and Christ is all in all in us and we being in him do ask in his name Thirdly the Churches cannot pray in the spirit Eph. 6.18 not having that spirit sutable to a Gospel state as we shewed before at best all their prayers are legall as the prayers of Saints under the Law for though they repeat never so oft the name of Christ they do but take the name of God in vain not knowing God in Christ nor Christ in them nor the spirit of Christ the spirit of the Son which Gospel saints indeed had else they had been none of his Rom. 8.9 But I beleeve many now are the Lords that have but a legal spirit but the spirit of bondage the spirit of a servant not the spirit of a son Gal. 4.1 3. 6. compared much lesse the spirit of the Son Saints now deceive themselves in thinking they have the spirit of adoption the witnesse of the spirit the seal of the spirit the earnest of the spirit Alas how little assurance had saints a while ago what long discourses were learned religious men fain to make and find out what witnesse the witnesse of the Spirit was yea best men were scarce sure of their Salvation at last or must have signs to know the people of God questioning they might be hypocrites whereas no Saint under the Law even in time of desertion did ever doubt of his salvation Psal 22.1 Psal 88.1.15 Iob 13.16 Nor Secondly did they question whether they were the people of God or no Nor Thirdly That they were Hypocrites yet this was usuall with our Gospel-saints not long since and it may be were the better Christians then being sensible of their bondage but now Saints like those Jewes who counting themselves free see their liberty freedom by being in a Church-state Ioh. 8.33 as children of Abraham and people of God therefore for some conformity to the Law or to the Letter of Gospel commands but I beleeve few have that full assurance to the end Heb. 36.14 Col. 1.23 Eph. 1.19.20 few rooted and established in the Gospell none know the exceeding greatnesse of his mighty power which is indeed the Spirit the Spirit of the Sonne the Gospel spirit the Spirit of Liberty Alas How can Christians boast of this that are in Babylon in Bondage under the Spirit of Antichrist Antichrist being in that power in the best Saints who are in a farre differing dispensation from the Gospell state Rom. 12.12 1 Thes 5.16 1 Thes 3.10 But to pray in the spirit was to pray continually to pray without ceasing not twice or thrice a day as wt do but praying night and day which was not on their knees or at a