Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ability_n	able_a	grow_v	21	3	5.8168	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41637	Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1661 (1661)	Wing G1359; ESTC R955	152,866	176

it being the Ordinance he hath sanctified for that very end Time spent in prayer will bee no hinderance but rather a furtherance of our worldly businesses and imployments this will oyl the wheels for any work making it more easie yea and sanctifie all the things we take in hand making them successful unto us for those works which are sanctified by Prayer doe usually speed best Obj. 2. Some object their great inability to pr●●●●hey know not how to pray not having the spirit of prayer Ans. 1. Let such bewayl this their sad condition and mourn under the sense of it remembring what our Saviour saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 2 Goe unto Christ and say unto him as the Disciples did Lord teach me to pray with an acknowledgement of thine own inability beg the assistance of Gods Spirit and say Lord thou hast promised thy Spirit to help the infirmities of thy Servants O make good this thy gracious promise to me thy poor weak and unworthy Servant let me feel and finde the assistance of thy Spirit strengthening my weakness and enabling me to pour out my soul before thee in some acceptable manner 3 Call to mind thy sins with the aggravations of them and withall consider thy Spiritual wants and then put thy self upon the duty of Prayer confess thy sins unto God with all the aggravations thereof as well as thou canst begge the pardon of them and be earnest with God for such Graces as thou standest in most need of By using and exercising that small ability to pray that thou hast thou shalt increase it and grow more able to doe it with comfort 4 Know this that a man may pray most effectually and acceptably even when he cannot express himself in any apt words for the work of the Spirit in Prayer consisteth not so much in the expression of the tongue as in the affection of the heart wherein the very life and soul of prayer doth consist Having answered the fore-mentioned Objections I shall now give you some directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be acceptable and pleasing unto God To this end 1 Some things are required before Prayer 2 Some things in Prayer 3 Some things after Prayer 1 Before Prayer there is required preparation which consisteth in two things 1 In a serious Meditation of the infinite Majesty and glory of God on the one part and of thine own Vileness and unworthiness on the other 2 In a sequestration of thy thoughts from earthly affairs and worldly businesses For thy better help thereunto observe these rules 1 When thou art going to prayer renew thy resolution against wandring thoughts saying with thy self I have lost many a prayer through the distractions of my thoughts and wandrings of my mind after worldly matters therein and I am in danger to lose this prayer also if I be not the more watchful over my self therefore I doe now resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over my thoughts to keep my heart close unto the duty I am going about and not to suffer my mind to wander after other matters as formerly it hath done if thou wouldst make trial hereof thou wouldst find there is great power in such a resolution when it is fresh upon thy heart and spirit 2 Beg of God that he would by the assistance of his holy Spirit restrain all vain and wandring imaginations 3 Vse thy voyce in prayer so often as conveniently thou maist provided it be not for oftentation to bee heard of others which thou wilt finde very effectual as for the intention of thine affections by raising them to an higher pitch so for the attention of thy mind in keeping it from wandring and roving after worldly thoughts and imaginations 4 But if notwithstanding thou findest that in praying thy mind and heart hath been sometimes taken up and possessed with worldly thoughts and distractions it will be a good course in thy private prayers to repeat that again which so coldly and carelesly passed from thee labouring in thy repetition to repel all wandring thoughts and to pour forth those petitions again after a more hearty manner For by imposing this task upon thy self thou wilt become more wary and watchful over thy thoughts lest otherwise thou be enforced to continue long at that exercise unto which through the depravation of thy nature thou art so backward and averse II. As preparation is necessary before Prayer so in prayer divers things are required as 1 Faith Prayer must be made in faith which our Savior plainly expresseth where he saith Whatsoever things yee desire when yee pray beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them Beleeve that as God is able so willing to grant whatsoever thou prayest for so far forth as in his wisdome he seeth it to be good for thee 2 Fervency that thou pour out thine heart and soul unto God with great ardency and earnestness of affection For the Apostle Iames telleth us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much so that it is the fervent prayer only that is effectual And without doubt this is one special reason why our prayers are so seldom answered namely because they are performed with such deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for the luke-warm prayer is cooled and frozen before it can ascend up to heaven As therefore thou desirest to have thy prayers effectual let them be fervent and so thou shalt not need to doubt of a gracious and happy issue I grant thou canst not always have a like fervency yet thou must always strive against deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for God regards the manner of our actions as much as the matter how we pray as well as what we pray for III. The Duties required after Prayer are these 1 Diligently to look after thy prayers observing what answer and return the Lord giveth thereunto Thus did David and Habakkuk For hereby thou shalt bee the better fitted for thankfulness being furnished with more abundant matter of praise And also bee the more provoked and stirred up thereunto 2 Look back and consider the manifold weaknesses infirmities and imperfections which have passed from thee in thy praying how dead and dull thine heart was and how distracted thy thoughts were therein and let the apprehension thereof prevail with thee as to disclaim all thine own righteousness as filthy raggs so to drive thee unto Christ to roul thy self upon him resting upon his perfect Righteousness alone for life and for salvation As this is one chief end why God suffers corruption to remain in his children even after their Regeneration and to have an influence into all their holy services So it is the use which wee should make thereof And therefore so often as thou findest thine heart dead and dull and thy mind distracted with worldly thoughts in