Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	grace_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	3,488	5	11.0650	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87557	An exposition of the epistle of Jude, together with many large and usefull deductions. Formerly delivered in sudry lectures in Christ-Church London. By William Jenkyn, minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and pastor of the church at Black-friars, London. The second part.; Exposition of the epistle of Jude. Part 2	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1654 (1654)	Wing J642; Thomason E736_1; ESTC R206977	525,978	703

author and fountain of all blessings and so upon the receiving thereof ascribe the praise to God 2. That it may appear we understand our own desires and have sense of the thing we want 3. That others may mutually joyne with us in prayer 4. That our affections may be the more enlarged for as desires help us to words so words inflame our desires 5. To prevent distraction and interruption in our thoughts 3. Psal 38.9 Mat. 4.10 Prayer is made to God onely It is a principal point of divine service 1. God onely is religiously to be worshipt and served 2. God onely knowes whether we pray or no Jer. 23.23 i. e. from the heart 3. God onely is every where present to hear the suits of all 4. God onely is almighty and able to grant whatsoever we ask 4. In prayer as the desires must be made known to God so after a due manner but of that in the next part In the holy Ghost The manner of performing this duty is in the holy ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is in scriptures sometime mention made of praying in the spirit of man as 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the spirit or in the spirit i. e. say some may understanding and my heart or soule so as I may both understand and also be affected with what I pray And Eph. 6.18 The Apostle injoynes praying in the spirit which may be understood either of Gods spirit or mans but in this place particular and express mention is made of the holy spirit or the spirit of God in which we are to pray whereby is meant by the assistance motion inspiration strength help and guiding of the Spirit for as this sense agrees with the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here translated in which is in scripture oft of the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by as Matth. 5.34 35. swear c. neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by heaven nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the earth nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the head and 2 Cor. 6.6 7. it is eight times thus taken so is it most sutable to other places of scripture where the spirit of God is mentioned with prayer as Zec. 12.13 where is promised the spirit of supplication that is the spirit as giving bestowing and working the gift and grace of prayer as 2 Cor. 4.13 we read of the spirit of faith i.e. the spirit working faith and Rom 8.15 we read of the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which we cry Abba Father Jam. 5.16 we find mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a prayer wrought in us and excited and so imports the efficacy and influence of the holy Ghost in enabling us to pray And the Apostle Rom. 8.26 most fully expresseth this truth 1. Affirmatively the spirit helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us 2. Negatively saying we know not what to pray Whence it is cleare not that the spirit of God doth truly and properly pray for us as our high Priest and Mediator or as one of us for another the attributing of the office of Mediatour to the holy Ghost was one of Arius his heresies for then should there bee more than one Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 and God should request to God the holy Ghost being God but not man also as was Christ but that the spirit of God stirreth us up to pray quickneth and putteth life into our dead and dull spirits yea and infuseth into us such desires sighs and grones and suggesteth unto us such words as are acceptable to God which for their truth and sincerity for their vehemency and ardency for their power and efficcacy are unutterable they pierce through the heavens and enter un to the throne of grace and there make a loud cry in the ears of God More particularly from these expressions of both these Apostles Paul Jude we may consider wherein this assistance of the holy Ghost or this praying by the holy Ghost stands and consists And that is 1. In respect of the matter 2. Of the manner of our prayer 1. In respect of the matter of our prayer We pray in the holy Ghost as he instructs and teaches us to ask such things as are according to the will of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.27 1 Job 5.14 lawfull and good things The Spirit of God stirs us not up to desire what his word forbids us to desire We know not what is good for our selves and God hath oft heard us by denying us Though when we ask bread our Father he gives us not a stone yet when we ask a stone God hath oft given us bread The thing asked if by the Spirit is warrantable the Spirit put us upon asking especially spiritual blessings as our lusts upon craving things which are their fuel The spirit of wisedome desires not its owne poyson 2. We pray in the holy Ghost in respect of the manner of our praying And that 1. As it enables us to pray sincerely and heartily Gods Spirit is a spirit of truth And whensoever wee pray in his spirit wee pray likewise in our owne and his stirs up ours to pray The prayer of a Saint goeth not out of fained lips The spirit lifts up the hand and the heart together Psal 25.1.86.4 Lam. 3.41 2. As it enables us to pray with fervency The motions of the Spirit as they are regular in regard of the object so vehement in regard of the manner Rom. 8.26 Its groanes are such as cannot be uttered The symboles of the spirit were fiery tongues Act. 2.2.3 and a mighty rushing wind As a bullet flyeth no further then the force of the powder carryeth it so prayer goeth no further then the fervour of the Spirit driveth it Prayer is called a knocking a seeking and figured by wrestling Gen. 32.26 Hos 12.4 Nay call'd a wrestling Rom. 15.30 The importunity required in prayer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impudence Luke 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognationem habet cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significat attendere intendere animumque advertere Oratio attentè fundi debet sluggish prayers are no spiritual prayers The device of shooting a letter at the end of a dart used as I have sometimes heard in sieges is a fit embleme of a soul sending its Epistle to heaven As the Spirit wrought vehemently in those holy men who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved by the holy Ghost to speak the word of God to men so it works fervently in those who are to speak in prayer to God David mentions the setting forth of his prayer as incense and incense burnt before it ascended there must be fired affections before out prayers will go up The Tribes Acts 26.27 are said to serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a stretching forth themselves with

all their might 3. As it enables us to pray in faith 2 Cor. 3.14 Spiritus vicarius Christi the spirit is called the spirit of faith and the spirit of Christ as it s sent from him so it sends us to him The spirit so intercedes in us on earth for the operation and framing of our prayers that it sends us to him who intercedes for us in heaven for the acceptation of our prayers through Christ we have accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 2.18 And hence the Spirit enables us to pray in faith nothing wavering Jam. 1.6 in confidence that through the faith of him our prayers shall bee successefull in such a way as our gracious father in Christ sees best for us This is called the full assurance of faith Heb. 10 22. and a praying without doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 faith applying the promise Joh. 14.13 16.23 whatsoever ye shall ask the father in my name he will give it you 4. As it enables us to pray in holinesse with pure hearts and hands He is a Spirit of holinesse his office is to make us holy wheresoever he witnesseth he washeth If he be a spirit of faith to strengthen our confidence in Christ hee is a spirit of holinesse to cause our conformity to Christ hence the spirit of grace is mentioned with the spirit of supplication As the spirit makes us come boldly before the throne of grace So he makes us come purely before it too as being a throne of glory If I regard iniquity in my heart saith David the Lord will not hear my prayer Psal 66.18 I will wash my hands in innocency so will I compasse thine altar This legall washing is Evangelically improved 1 Tim. 2.8 Lifting up holy hands and Heb. 10 22. 5. Lastly as it is enables to pray in love The spirit of love for so he is called 2 Tim. 1.17 never in prayer witnesseth Gods love to us unlesse hee drawes ours to him nay for his sake to others He never makes us lift up hands without doubting unlesse also without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 and when hee makes us at peace with our selves Matth 5.24 hee makes us peaceable to others OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Without the spirit there 's no praying They who are totally destitute of the spirit in their natural condition can no more pray in faith then a dead man can crave help of another They may have the gift of prayer not in that state the grace of prayer All naturall men are in this respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brute and mute we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves The wicked call not upon God There 's no naturall man but is spiritually deaf and dumb If a man have not the spirit of grace hee must needs be destitute of the spirit of supplication He is a meer stranger to those prayer-prayer-graces faith fervency holinesse love c. Hee derides at prayer I mean prayer by the spirit the wicked they howl upon their beds not pray in the spirit they may say a prayer not pray a prayer as it said of Elijah who prayed in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.16 they doe but make a lowd noyse like a wind-instrument They are but like Balaam into whose mouth God put a word without any heat of love or zeal in his soul But why speak I of natural men when as without the acting of the spirit in our very regenerate estate all our abilities to pray are presently gone as a wheel which is turned about with an hand if the hand be taken away the wheele will soon stand still It s necessary that unto the first grace following grace be added man after he is regenerate still needeth the present effectuall conetinuall work of the spirit Preventing grace is not effectuall unlesse helped with a supply of second grace 'T is true even of the regenerate without me ye can doe nothing God giveth first the will and then the deed and continuance of doing that which is truly good Grace must be every way grace else it will be no grace at all He that hath begun a good work in us must also perfect it Phil. 1.6 Oh how heavily do even saints draw and drive when they have sin'd away the spirit of prayer When saints have yielded to sin they are like a bird whose wings are besmear'd with birdlime they cannot flye up to heaven How lamely and miserably I have sometime thought did David pray upon his murder and adultery The fire which consumed the burnt-offering came out from the Lord. Lev. 9.24 2. 2. Obs How excellent and honourable a worke is that of prayer The whole Trinity hath a worke in this holy exercise the holy ghost frameth our requests The Son offereth them up to his Father Rev. 8.3 with his incense the prayers of the Saints are offered he prayes them as it were over againe and the Father accepteth these prayers thus framed and offered up 3. As without the Spirit there is no prayer 3. Obs so without prayer a man evidently shewes himselfe to have nothing of the spirit Wherever the Spirit is there will be praying in the spirit if the Spirit live in us 't will breath in us God never yet had nor ever will have a dumb Child They who are the Lords will name him 1 Tim. 2.19 They who are saints call upon Christ 1 Cor. 1.2 Breathing is a true property of life As soon as ever Paul was converted he prayed Act. 9.11 4. Obs 4. Needs must the prayers of the saints be acceptable They are by the holy Ghost his very grones and by him our spirits are made to grone Oratio longius vulnerat quam sagitta Exod. 17.11 Prayer prevaileth not onely over Creatures but even the very Creator himselfe One faithfull mans prayer is more forcible then a whole army There is a shadow of omnipotency in prayer It was said of Luther he could do what he would Needs must that petition be granted which the framer receives The Lord cannot more be out of love with prayer then with his own will Prayer is but a kinde of Counterpane or reflexion of Gods own pleasure 5. Obs 5. How good is God to his poore saints He not onely grants their prayers but makes their prayers God doth not onely provide a gift but an hand also to take it with not a feast onely but a stomack both grace for the desire and the very grace of desire Oh how sweet also are the Conditions of the Covenant of grace God bids us pray and helps us to pray Commands us duty and enables to performe it gives worke wages and strength 6. Obs 6. It s our greatest wisdome to get and keep the Spirit If either we never had it or lose it we cannot pray 1. 'T is gotten in the ministery of the gospel The Spirit is peculiar to the Gospel and not belonging to the law if

but for poor store of fruit and a slender Crop 'T is true Repentance Faith seeking reconciliation with God are continuall Acts to be performed at all times though even for these some times are more seasonable then others as the time of health strength and youth But hearing reading singing solemn Prayer c. may be unseasonably performed Praying is not seasonably performed in the time of Preaching nor Reading in the time of Prayer It s Satans policy to mar duties good for the matter with an unseasonable manner of performing them Seasonablenesse is the grace of our fruits 9. Lastly They must be fruits in respect of the propriety of them They must be our own not performed by a Deputy or an Attourney The Godly is compared to a tree that brings forth his fruit Psal 1.3 It must not be borrowed If our own Lamps be without Oyl we cannot borrow of our neighbours the Saints and Angels have little enough for themselves Papists in this respect build their confidence upon a sandy foundation Another mans feeding or cloathing himself cannot nourish or warm me Nor can another mans beleiving or working save me The just must be saved by his own faith People must not think to go to heaven by the goodnesse of their Ministers nor children by the holinesse of their Parents Gal. 6.4 Thy rejoycing as the Apostle speaks must be in thy self not another If thy Friend thy Pastor thy Parent thy Master be holy for himself and thee too he shall go to heaven for himself and thee too To conclude this Point with some directions how to become fruitfull trees 1. We must be removed off from our naturall root and stock and set upon and ingrafted into a new another Mat. 12.33 VVe must be transplanted from the first to the second Adam The tree must be good before the fruit can be so Men gather not grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles Mat. 7.16.18 Till we be in Christ our best works are but corrupt fruits According to our union with Christ such is our communion with him and fruitfulnesse John 15. Some are united to him onely by the externall tye of visible Ordinances and Profession knit to him by that Obligation made in Baptism no otherwise than many grafts are that do not thrive or live in their stock but onely stand as bound about by a threed and their communion with Christ is onely externall without any spirituall sap or inward influence derived from him to them and therfore their fruit is no other then may grow in the wilderness of heathenisme which naturall honesty and conscience bring forth Our union to Christ must be reall supernaturall Without me saith he ye can do nothing John 15.4 5 6 VVe must abide in him fetch all from him depend upon him The fruits of righteousnesse are by Jesus Christ to the praise of God VVe are to honour the husbandman by making him our Lord and by doing all for him and the Root by doing all in him and from him we must be nothing in our selves either in regard of self times or self-abilities From him is our fruit found First A good tree and then a fruit-bearing tree 2. Shelter thy fruits from the blasting windes of pride Walk humbly with thy God The Valleys men commonly build and plant in and they are cal'd the fruitful valleys The lowly heart is the fruitful heart God gives grace to the humble Men look up to the hils but they dwell in the valleys Superbia ventue exiccans fluenta divinae gratiae Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly Psal 138.6 God and humility mutually delight in one another God is alway delighted in giving humility in receiving it being the poorest and yet the richest grace Should God pour grace upon a proud heart it would be as the pouring of Liquor upon the convex side of a vessel He hath fil'd the hungry with good things and sends the rich empty away 3. Luk. 1.53 Let no secret lust lye at the root of the tree Grace is that flower at which sin and Satan alwayes labour to be nibling The best Plant may be spoiled with a worm at the root Any one lust retained with love will blast the whole crop of thy graces Beware of every root of bitternesse The Spirit of God is a tender delicate Thing nor will it endure so harsh a companion as any one lust If grace kill not sin sin will kill grace They can never be made friends Pity to any one sin is cruelty to all thy graces the sparing of the former is the spilling of the latter The of growth grace cannot consist with the love of poyson The least sin is terrible to the greatest Saint 4. Psal 1.3 Plant thy self by the rivers of water partake of those waters which flow from under the threshold of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.12 The inundation of Nilus made Egypt fruitful Delight in a powerful Ministery Verbum Dei nasci pasci nostrum It s as possible at the same time to grow in fruitfulnesse and to decay in love to Ordinances as to increase the fire by taking away the fuel Apostles Pastors Teachers c. are given by Christ for our growth up to the fulnesse of the measure of the stature of Christ As a Christian abates in appetite Eph. 4.13 he will decay in strength 5. Pray for the showres and dewes of Gods blessing Thy planting and watering wil not help without God give the increase He who will have grace in plenty will have prayer in forvency Grace ever puts the soul upon begging for grace The richest Christian hath been oftnest begging for the almes of mercy Jam. 1.5 3 17 That wisdom which is fullest of good fruits must be begged from God 4. Obs 4. The greatest flowrishes and appearances of hypocrisie cannot reach the excellency of the least dram or drop of sincerity All an Hypocrite can do amounts not to fruit These seducers were trees without fruit If Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like a poor Lilly of the field much lesse is an Hypocrite in all his glory beautified like the poorest reall Saint The resplendent and beautiful body of the Sun cannot in respect of life match the little Ant upon the Molehill All the improvements of nature let it be never so till'd rackt manut'd adorn'd cannot reach to the excellency of one dram of Grace A curious Painter may go very far by his Art in imitating of Nature but he can never reach by all his skill to the drawing or painting of life It 's easie to act a King upon the Stage it 's not so easie to be a King in the Throne There is an Emphasis in true Sanctity which the learnedst hypocrite cannot translate The note of sincerity is too high for any but a Saint to reach Till the nature of the tree be changed and of bad made good the fruits

to Christ to be a continued lye which to imagine were not more blasphemous and antiscriptural then ridiculous and unreasonable And the scripture by telling us that Christ came of those ancient Patriarchs Causa cur Lucas as●enderit ad Adamum usque 1. Ut doceret beneficia Messiae non saltem pertinere ad Abrahamum et eos qui illum secuti sed ad patres Abrabamo anteriores imo ad ipsum Adamum 2 Ut vin dicaret Messiae gratiam non sal●em sc extendere ad gentem Judaicam filios Abra●ae sed et ad multo Ada filios extra Abrahami posteritatem qui benedictionis ejus debeant esse participes Japheto adducto in tab●rnacula Semi Spanhem Dub Evang. 19. p. 91. would teach us that the benefits of the Messiah were extended to those who lived far yea farthest before him to the patriarchs before the flood and even to Adam himself who by his sin gave occasion for a Saviour to visit poor man with mercy and as some note by setting down the progenitors of Christ who lived before the flood and so long before Abraham the Scripture would teach that the grace of Christ extended it self not only to the Jewes and the seed of Abraham but also to many of the sons of Adam who were not of the posterity of Abraham but were to be made partakers of the blessing by Christ when Japhet should be brought to dwel in the tabernacles of Shem. 3. Touching the third viz. why Jude here terms Enoch the seventh from Adam Sundry reasons may be assigned As 1. To distinguish this Enoch from another of that name who was the third from Adam and of the posterity yea the immediate son of cursed Cain mentioned Gen. 4.17 2. To shew how holy and zealous Enoch was in sinful times In a most dissolute and prophane age he prophesies of and foretels the destruction of sinners Though he perhaps did them but little good by his prophecy yet they did him as little hurt by their prophaneness This taper was not extinguish'd by the damps of a sinful generation this star shined brightly in a black night Enoch the seventh as afterward Noah the tenth from Adam walked with God in a corrupt age and did not only preserve his own holinesse but prophesie against others unholiness 3. He cals Enoch the seventh from Adam to gaine the more credit and esteem to that prophesie which he is about to mention and the more to convince these seducers of the truth thereof in regard both 1. of the great antiquity and 2. the eminent piety of him who uttered this prophesie 1. By the antiquity of a prophet who was the seventh from Adam The Apostle wisely insinuates not only that even from the beginning of the world holy men have prophesied of the end thereof but that even then the miserable end of the wicked was foretold and that they who were farthest remote from these seducers and who therefore were most impartial and could not be byast by affection to any fides or parties prophesied of their overthrow 2. By the eminent and renowned piety of this Enoch the seventh from Adam who walked so closely with God and did so please God that he accounted him too good to live long upon earth and would not stay for his company in heaven til he had finish'd the ordinary time of living but took him to himself before he had lived to half the years either of his father or of his son I say by this admirable holiness of Enoch Jude might stop the mouths of these seducers and render them either unable to resist the evidence of this prophesie or inexcusable in not submitting to it This eminent holiness of Enoch is in Scripture expressed in these words He walked with God words few in number but great in weight and which upon this apt occasion I shall briefly explain By this walking with God more generally is rather intended his giving up himself to the worship and service of God in the leading a hooy life then a peculiar Ministration in the discharging the office of the priesthood this walking with God being the same with his walking in the way of Gods commandments and his ordering the whole course and frame of his conversation according to the will and commadment of God and this metaphor of walking with God is taken from two friends unanimously and willingly going the same course and path together as companions More particularly this his walking with God 1. Intends a setting of God before his eyes and a living alwaies as in his sight and as being present with him and thereby his humble reverencing of and fearing to offend God and a studying to please him and to approve himself to him walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17.1 Gods presence with us being as certain and undoubted as is his with whom we do after a sensible manner and openly converse 2. This walking with God intends a friendly and familiar acquaintance and conversing with God for can two walk together unlesse they be agreed God did not pass by Enoch as a stranger These words he walked with God the 70 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ben●placuit Deo Unde Author Ep. ad Hebr. Cap. 11.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor use him as a page only to go after him but as a friend and companion he walked with God Thus Abraham is called Gods friend and Christ calls his disciples his friends and his humble familiarity and acquaintance with God consisted 1. in his apprehension of a propriety and interest in God without this he would have stood far from God as a foe a fire not walked with God as a friend anothers God cannot comfort us a souls solace stands in this pronoune my my Lord my God when Enoch foresaw that God was coming to execute judgment upon all the wicked he then knew that God was his God and friend 2. Enochs familiar acquaintance with God consisted in a friendly and mutual speaking and discoursing between God and him this was no silent walking no dumb shew God spake to him by exciting of his graces and putting into him holy motions and telling his soul that he was his salvation by directing him in his doubts he spake to God by daily meditation ready acceptation of his grace by pouring forth all his cares by prayer into the bosome of his heavenly father by repromission of obedience praying continually see Psal 27.8 Psal 119.164 taking his counsel in his doubts Psal 119.24.3 This humble and holy acquaintance appeared in Enochs exercising his fiduciary relying and reposing himself upon God without anxiety and solicitousness for the providing for him in all his necessities he cast all his care upon God as a faithful friend who cared for him he wholly committed himself and all his affaires to his God he did not wound himself with heart-cutting cares he was not like the Lion that roars after his prey but like the sheep that depends upo●