Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	heart_n	spirit_n	supplication_n	2,255	5	10.7199	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64466	A fast of Gods chusing plainly opened for the help of those poor in spirit, whose hearts are set to seek the Lord their God in New-England, in the solemn ordinance of a fast : wherein is shewed, 1, the nature of such a fast, 2, the testimony God will give thereunto of his gracious acceptance, 3, the special seasons wherein God will bear witness to such a fast, 4, some helps to faith that is shall be so, 5, why such a fast is so acceptable and succesfull, 6, how much this concerns Gods people in New-England : preached on a fast called by publick authority, on 26, 1[6]74 / by Thomas Thacher...	Thacher, Thomas, 1620-1678.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1678 (1678)	Wing T830; ESTC R9807	27,462	32

contrite Spirit Isai 66. 2. how much more when it is thus with a people Reas 4. He will take his own time to manifest his own gracious acceptation of his people in such a Fast You are not presently answered you 'l say as you expected Be it so Remember your time is alwayes but Christs hour is not yet come but he that shall co●● will come and will not tarry beyond his own time to Answer Quest II. We are come in the second place to consider what those spiritual or outward benefits are whereby the Lord is wont to manifest his gracious acceptation of such a Fast And in general you may take it as a certain Truth that when God is pleased to Answer the prayers of his people he testifies his acceptation thereof but more particularly there are three things whereby God discovers his acceptance of such a day as this is 1. When he gives them a praying and fasting frame of Spirit such a frame as he requires for this is not in mans power but it is the gift of Gods grace when God prepares the heart of the humble he also hears their Cry Psal 10. 17. when God causes your hearts and your Tongues to pray he will certainly cause his ear to hear for he is the Hearer of Prayer Prayer is a gift of God Rom. 8. 26. We know not how to pray but the spirit helps our infirmities and God knowes the meaning of the spirit in us When a man prayes by his own spirit his own spirit is under his own command and therefore he is uniform in his Prayer he is not sometimes straightned and sometimes enlarged except it be through the distempers of his Body or the like but when a man prayes by Gods Spirit there are some strange out-goings of the heart in prayer which no mortal is able to command such enlargedness of heart such desires after Christ and his grace such affliction for sin earnest longing for deliverance as no man can possibly command in his own heart and when God gives such a Spirit it 's an argument of his gracious acceptation It 's a day of Humiliation when God gives you an humble spirit it 's a day of Abstinence when God puts into thy heart an earnest desire of divorcement from all sin how pleasant and profitable soever this is a pledge of Gods gracious acceptation according to that promise Isai 65. 24. before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear 2. When God gives an heart after fasting and Prayer to put in execution that which concerns our selves in order to the obtaining our spiritual requests supplications presented unto God that is when there is a reforming spirit a purifying spirit a watchful spirit against sin when the soul sets himself with more watchfulness industry to the work of the Lord and so a people as in Nehe. 10. the whole Chapter and the last Chap. of Ezra after their humiliation how active were they for a thorow Reformation when Church and Court and all in their places endeavour the removal of sin and making up the breach between God and them it is a certain demonstration that God is near at hand to Answer them 3. It is a marvellous gracious Argument of our acceptation with God when he gives in any of those spiritual or outward blessings which are here mentioned in the Text there are eight glorious priviledges here engaged to such a person or people 1. Light after darkness v. 8. and 10. then shall thy Light break forth as the morning and thy Light shall arise in obscurity and thy darkness shall be as the noon day c. when God gives a poor 〈◊〉 Light after darkness and Light in obscurity breaking forth as 〈◊〉 morning this is a great benefit Light signifies not only the inlightning of the understanding or quickning you with spiritual Light but all kind of help and consolation and prosperity and so darkness signifies all kind of affliction whether it be sense of sin or other sorrows or the like There are four things in this First it is Light in darkness when you see darkness hath covered your Souls that you have not known what your state condition hath been and thereupon hath been great affliction and Agony of Soul and there hath been also great afflictions outwardly as commonly one affliction goes not alone or when there hath been distress upon a people and now God causes Light to spring after darkness some glimpses of hope some raisings up of your Spirits and expectation of good dayes some comfortable changes of providence as Paul was comforted by the coming of Titus which he ascribed to Gods comforting of him this is Light after darkness 2. When this Light that is promised is gradual like the Light of the morning that shines more and more unto the perfect day you must not say there is no Light because it is not noon at first if it be but the dawning of the day or the Light of the morning star you have cause to acknowledge it as an Answer of Prayers if it do but foreshow the beginning of your return from spiritual Captivity or outward calamity you are to acknowledge it as a spring●ng Light which shall go on to the perfect day in full perfection of glory 3. It is a prevailing and overcoming Light it may be weak at first and obscured through clouds of darkness and temptation but it shall be victorious and overco●ing at the last Lastly this Light is from the rising of the Sun of Righteousness God will manifest his gracious acceptation to your Souls when the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2 that is be it Light in Ordinances or Light in providences it is still a Light from the face of Jesus Christ there is something of Christ in it there are common refreshings that shine upon men which do not exalt Christ in the Soul but that saving Light that comes from Christ leads unto Christ and makes Christ most precious and most glorious unto the Soul now this is the Light God promises whereby he will testifie his gracious acceptation of those that keep the Fast which he hath chosen 2. Thy health shall spring forth speedily that is when God is pleased to make Fastings healings now this is his promise here healing of your Souls of your Families of your Churches of your common-wealths healing to your affairs inward and ou●●●●d spiritual and worldly there is some kind of healing still that God is wont to give f●rth in the Answer of the Prayers of his poor people 3. When your Righteousness shall go before you and the Lord shall guide you continually ver 8. and 11. if it be a Fast that God hath chosen this will be the fruit of it and what is this Righteousness the last expression openeth the first Jehovah your Righteousness shall go before you and the glory of the Lord shall be your Rereward

Souls never reach after spiritual Baptisme if there be the washing with water without the Laver of Regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost can you rest in that or will God take pleasure in it What is it for you to eat the Lords Supper and not to eat the Lord who is that Supper that is to receive Christ therein by Faith mind the Spirit with which and the end for which you wait upon God in holy Ordinances What is your prayer if it be not the prayer which God hath chosen it's but the expression or voyce of a lust that will not be accepted of God Jam. 4. 3. you ask and have not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts there are many mock services whereby mock-Christians mock God in their profession This is a sad mistery but necessary to be known there is a form of godliness without power this is to make an Image to your selves and to feed upon husks and to deceive your own Souls with shadows which will profit nothing If you think to put off God with outside services such have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 5. from such turn away 2. It concerns us to know how hard it is to awaken a secure sinner that is covered under a form of godliness take a profane person and the whole power of common Light and common principles of humanity will fall in with the conviction of his miserable lost condition tell a Drunkard that he shall drink in Hell for this his conscience tells him so when he is sober So an Adulterer his Conscience being awakened tells him he shall suffer Eternal Torment for his moments pleasure So a griging person his Conscience falls in with the Conviction but a man under a form of godliness without the power thereof hath a ready salve for every sore he stops his Ears with his Tongue and becomes as the deaf Adder hence saith God unto this people Is this the Fast that I have chosen and inculcates it again and again It is not the Fast that I have chosen c. and calls upon the Prophet ver 1. Cry aloud cry out in thy throat spare not lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet that thou mayst awaken them to the consideration of their sin 3. It concerns us to know that all our spiritual duties services must come to the trial God will not only call us to account for all our open wickedness gross acts of Transgression but will try every service we perform Is this the Fast that I have chosen sayes God was it such a prayer such a participation in this or that Ordinance Is this your Conference are these the holy meetings are these the Sabbaths thus God will ask you and God will accept none of your Services but they must pass through Gods tryal Therefore we have need to examine our own Services and our hearts in them you are in your Closets meditating but is this the meditation God hath chosen for Spirit for matter for manner you are crying and praying but is this the prayer that God hath chosen you are reproving counselling admonishing your Children or others but is it in the way that God hath chosen you are dealing with your Neighbour or brother for some Transgression but is it such an admonition as God hath chosen remember that all your actions must come under this question whether or no they are such as God hath chosen I chuse out their way for them sayes Job of the time when he was as King among them so if Christ be your King he shall chuse your way for you and you will chuse the things that please the Lord and will not take any contentment in that which doth not answer the Lords expectation 2. As it is of great concernment for our knowledge so it concerns us for our examination trial to try our wayes before the Lord our God if God will try our fastings prayers other services we had need to try examine our selves To judge our selves is the way to prevent Gods Judgements Briefly examine we our selves concerning this our present Fast is it a Fast which God hath chosen as to our preparation for it have you had solemn and serious thoughts concerning the way of Gods providence concerning your persons your Families your Relations c. have you considered your own Transgressions before God the great cause you have had of deep humiliation before God in respect of them The defect of this is a failing of Gods expectation in the beginning however you may obtain in the procedure have you been careful to abstain from natural necessary comforts refreshings further then necessity in respect of infirmity calls for and hath your abstinence proceeded from inward self-abhorrency because of your sins Extream grief takes away the appetite to eating and drinking All the self denying acts that are required in a Fast are to proceed from a deep affliction of heart otherwise it is but a shallow performance of no worth with God It is therefore called the afflicting of the soul and if it doe not come from Soul-affliction it will be very unprofitable unacceptable Again are we real are our hearts through with God in that solemn profession we make in such a day as this Are you indeed sensible of your sins whereby you have provoked the Lord Our particular sins the sins of our Familyes towns Churches and the sins of the Country Doe we sincerely look out to God in Jesus Christ for the Spirit of Repentance Is it his grace indeed that we look unto for help and succour and that in the very mediation of Christ Jesus through his death and blood-shed Where is that spiritual self-abhorrency that should act and carry an end these holy services Is there indeed a forgiving spirit When you come before God are not your hearts many of you full of wrath anger are you meekened like lambs before the Lamb of God in your holy offerings Doe you present your selves upon that Altar which is the Lamb Or do you fast for strife and debate longing to be at it again that you may manifest your displeasure when the time is over And is there in you a spirit of compassion and working of bowels toward the poor and needy whilst you are seeking mercy from God Do you oblige and ingage your hearts to return to God and to reform what is amiss in your persons Families Churches c. according to the object of your work where you may have influence to the utmost of your power The Lord help us solemnly to examine our selves for if it be not thus with us it 's not the Fast which God hath chosen and mind what your sin is 1. It 's like the worshipping of an Idol you have turned an holy Ordidinance into loathsome Idolatry as I may speak with holy reverence you have carried it towards God as if

undoe the heavy burthens and to let the oppressed go free c. Hence we may observe Doct. That a Fast of Gods chusing or such a Fast as God hath chosen will certainly bring seasonable pledges of Gods gracious acceptation When the heart is right for God and the Fast is ordered according to God it shall certainly obtain mercy and bring home help and succour from God Prayer especially extraordinary prayer is not only the Key of all earthly Treasures of Goodness which God hath laid up for the Sons of men on Earth but the Key of heavenly Treasures in Christ Jesus also I shall observe this method in managing this Subject 1. I shall open unto you the nature of a Fast and such a Fast as God hath chosen 2. I shall shew you those Testimonies which God will give of his gracious acceptation unto such a Fast 3. I shall endeavour to show you the seasons wherein God is wont to give and his people may expect such manifest Testimonies of his gracious acceptation 4. I shall labour to help your Faith with some invincible Arguments and demonstrations of this Truth and then the Reasons of the point and Lastly how much this concerns us a people so Circumstanced as we are 1. For the nature of a Fast you may take this imperfect diffinition or description of it not taken strictly only for an adjunct or means of worship but more largely as I suppose in my Text and so a Fast is an extraordinary part or act of Gospel worship wherein for a convenient Season we abstain from the comforts of this life and upon due examination of our wayes towards God and consideration of Gods wayes towards us we make a solemn and real profession that we justifie God and judge our selves we justifie God for the evil of affliction that we either feel or fear and judge our selves for the evil of transgression which we find within us or that ●ath passed from us we solemnly profess godly sorrow and repentance for the evil of sin we solemly profess that we seek mercy and grace from God in Jesus Christ to save us from our sin● and sorrows we solemnly profess that we with all readiness forgive others that have offended us as we hope to be forgiven of God and lastly we solemnly engage and bind our selves to reform the evil of our wayes and to walk before God in new obedience according to his word for the time to come There is much of Religion lyes in the right understanding of a Spiritual Fast Therefore I say first a Fast The very notion of a Fast speaks abstinence a Fast is that wherein a man denyes himself the use of ordinary things whereto he is accustomed and necessitated for some certain ends and for a certain season if there be not a denying your selves ordinary comforts there is no Fast and if not in order to worship it is not a religious Fast And therefore though this be but an adjunct of worship yet its an adjunct appointed by God to abstein from your ordinary comforts and that in three things 1. To abstein from meat and drink wholly if strength of nature will bear it if not so much as mercy and necessity will permit This at least is commanded of old Esth 4. 16. neither eat nor drink three dayes night nor day c. she appointed a three dayes Fast which those Countries might better bear and upon that extraordinary occasion they might not eat nor drink night nor day so Nineveh they must not eat nor drink they are forbidden not only wine but water Jonah 3 7. 2 It is a part of the abstinence requisite to this duty to abstein from our wonted Ornaments To adorn the body in the day of Fast is a transgression of the Rule of fasting Exod. 33. 4 5 6. there they are commanded to put off their Ornaments and they were wonted also to cloath themselves in Sackcloth now the rigour of this according to the darkness of those shadowing times is not exacted from us yet there is a proportion to be observed The King of N●niveh though but the King of N●niveh and not the King of Israel yet he layes aside his Robes and put on Sackcloth and that was a prevailing Fast for it was a self humbling Fast And they were wont also to sprinkle dust and ashes upon their heads and to express all manner of self despisings and self abomination If you be loth to put off your Ornaments then its an humbling and if it be an humbling you ought to abstein from them with other your ordinary comforts in an extraordinary humiliation 3. An absteining from all your lawful imployments and sports and recreations yea even the pleasures of a Married life 1 Cor. 7 5. Joel 2. 16. Let the Bridegroom come out of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet c. there must be no sports nor pastimes In a word such abstinence is required wherby the body may be afflicted Isa 58. 3 Lev. 23 29. 30. and Dan. ●0 2 3 12. Ezra 8. 21. And this abstinence must continue at least from Evening to Evening for so must you keep the Sabbaths c. not only your weekly Sabbaths but Fasting and Feasting Sabbaths Lev. 23. 32. from Evening to Evening shall you celebrate your Sabbath Its a vain shift to say this is spoken concerning Sabbaths only upon special occasions for it concerns weekly Sabbaths Lev. ●3 2 3. and these also 2. Now this very outward abstinence as an help to the worship in the day and so the whole Fast is a Gospel duty that is it is a duty directed unto under the Covenant of grace and not apperteining to the Covenant of works for the Covenant of works did not admit of any day of Atonement But it is the Gospel that appoints dayes of Atonement and it is required in the Gospel as our Saviour saith when the Bridegroom is absent the Children of the Bride-Chamber shall Fast the Bridegroom is Christ and the Children are Believers under the Gospel and when he is absent that is in Heaven before he returns again there shal●●e times of Fasting Math. 9 15. Can the Children of the Bride-Chamber mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them but the dayes shall come that he shall be taken from them and then they shall Fast and the Apostle gives direction how they should manage themselves in Fasting and Prayer 1 Cor. 7 5. and therefore it s a Gospel duty 3. But yet though a Gospel duty it is an extraordinary duty Fasting is not an every weeks duty in a constant Course as the Pharise thought Luk. 18. 12 saying I Fast twice a week God hath appointed six dayes for labour and one for a Sabbath and therefore for men to appoint to themselves constant Sabbaths besides the Sabbath of the Lord is will-worship and not acceptable to God This then is not for Ordinary but special occasions as first when there is some notable or eminent

he had been one of the Idols of the Gentiles 2. You have taken the Name of God in vain this day in an extraordinary manner and so put an extraordinary dishonour upon God which is a most horrible profanation of the day which should be kept as a Sabbath to keep it only with outward observance without an heart spiritually disposed and graciously inclined will you call this an acceptable day to the Lord Lastly Consider what will be the wofull issue and evill consequence of it upon your selves except God give you repentance of your formality in your services instead of softening it will harden you Instead of mortifying sin it will quicken it instead of obtaining grace it will bring displeasure it will drive the Spirit of God from you and bring Satan near unto you and instead of the good you desire it will bring about the contrary evill you will be the worse for it not the better where was there greater wickedness effected then hath been done by Fasting Prayer See the horrible wickedness in the matter of Naboth 1 Kin. 21 was ever woman more hardned then Jezebel who like Ahab that sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel stirred up 'T is the way to be sealed up under the Tomb-stone of an hard heart to celebrate a Fast with another Spirit manner and end then God hath chosen Woeful ill consequents come upon persons and Families upon this account commonly after a Fast or solemn Ordinance if not performed according to God men women and children are the worse in their practice Mal. 2. 13. and this have you done again covering the Altar with tears c. Insomuch that he regards not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hand when men will fast and pray and cover Gods Altar with tears and yet hold fast their carnal corrupt and impenitent frame of heart they will be worse and worse in their places and Relations as there he speaks of the wife of youth against whom they had dealt treacherously c. And alas what outward miseries will it bring upon a Family 1 Cor. 1. 29 30. because in eating the Supper of the Lord they did not eat it therefore one was sick another weak and another fallen asleep so if in fasting you do not fast if in humbling your Souls you do not humble your Souls if in praying you pray not if you perform not such Services as God hath chosen it will bring sickness upon those that are well and weakness and death upon the sick It 's mercy when we are thus judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. latter end Again it concerns us to consider what evil Consequents will come upon a people in this case whence comes wars whence comes Famine whence plagues these and those Judgements upon a professing people because their worship is not worship their godliness their fasting and prayer is not such as God hath chosen there is not the life and power of godliness in what they offer up to God and this provokes God to deal dreadfully with them when lighter afflictions will not prevail This brought desolation to Jerusalem because they fasted to themselves and not to the Lord Zach. 7. 13 14. Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts but I scattered them with a Whirlewind c. For they laid the pleasan Land desolate Again it concerns those of us that are true observers of such a Fast as God hath chosen it concerns them for their consolation as here in the dayes of the Prophet Isaiah when God was pleased to set so many precious hopes before them for themselves and their posterity what a comfort was it c. This is like to be your portion if God hath inclined your hearts to seek his Name 1. Object But you will say these promises are indeed very glorious but how can I take comfort in them since I find my self falling so exceeding short in the qualifications required thereto I Answer you must distinguish between ●alling short in degree and in the whole if there be in you no degree of these spiritual qualifications you must even wait upon God in pressing upon your hearts the dreadful consequents thereof but if there be any though the least degree I would not discourage you for when we speak of Evangelical duties we must understand the qualifications in a Gospel sense God looks at sincerity and accepts the uprightness of the heart though accompanied with much infirmity 2. Object Another may say I have laboured many a year and cannot find my prayers thus answered Answ We ought not to judge our selves by the Issues of Divine providence but by the operations of Gods Spirit in us if the work have been gracious in thy heart the Issue shall be glorious to thy Soul in the end and he that shall come will come and will not ●arry 3. Object But if these things be necessary to an acceptable Fast what benefit is there in a publick Fast wherein the most do fall short of what is required thereto Answ Whosoever falls short thou that dost keep this Fast that God hath chosen shalt have the blessing thereof Therefore look to thine own heart and thou shalt receive the Testimony of his gracious acceptation God knows how to save the good Figs when he destroys a whole Nation of bad he can find an Ark for a Noah and cull out eight persons from a whole world to shew them his Salvation Besides publick Fasts procure at least Reprieves God will wait to see the fruit of it and not put a full end to his patience till there is no hope of answering Humiliation by Reformation And lastly it concerns every one of us to look diligently to our own Souls when we have any such service to perform to the Lord our God that it be so done by us as God hath appointed and that we repent of what hath not been according to Gods mind and that we take care that what remains may make it a Fast after Gods own choice Q w●y is that possible Yes if now at last thy Soul truly repents of thy sin and be humbled and melts before God for thy carnality thy unpreparedness for the day and thy unspiritualness in the day And looking unto Christs Mediation for pardon and acceptation trusting in his gracious help you take up resolutions to return to God and to exercise mercy and loving kindness amongst men and to do Justice and Judgement and to walk righteously holily and humbly with thy God it may turn this very Fast into a time of joy and in Gods gracious acceptation may be esteemed such a Fast as God hath chosen I would propound a few things here to your consideration as the Issue of this your Fast and but propound them briefly 1 Look into your own hearts get alone and consider what it is that hath been amiss in hearts and lives for time past and set a narrow watch over your Souls for time to come that you may not provoke God and because you are weak and infirm intreat God to set a watch over you by his holy Spirit 2. Now take up a resolution to walk with God in your house in a perfect way that neither your selves nor your Relations may be the worse for your Fastings and that Judgment may not come upon you in your house because you have not glorified God in his house 3. Use your utmost interest for publick good for the free passage of Justice and Judgment Righteousness and Peace in the Common-wealth and Churches and though you have no power of your selves wrestle with God for it that it may be so 4. Take care that you hold fast the word of Gods patience in the time of your triall hold it fast in Faith and practice remember that word He that continues to the end shall be saved And again Let no man take away thy crown It is a day of tryal but look to it that you may be found upright in the day of tryal Lastly Be open hearted and open-handed to those that are in misery and affliction Blessed are the mercifull for they shall find Mercy Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church of Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen FINIS