Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	acceptable_a	year_n	zion_n	35	3	8.1477	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47324	The Christian sufferer supported, or, A discourse concerning the grounds of Christian fortitude shewing at once that the sufferings of good men are not inconsistent with God's special providence : as also the several supports which our religion affords them under their sufferings, and particularly against the fear of a violent death / by Richard Kidder ...	Kidder, Richard, 1633-1703.	1680 (1680)	Wing K398; ESTC R656	85,271	258

constantly and immutably good and will not deceive or deny those that ask him That love and kindness and all the degrees of goodness in any Earthly Parents was derived from God who is infinitely and unalterably good and will not fail to fulfil the word which he hath spoken nor can he be deceived or defeated He hath said it that cannot lie nor repent He hath promised who is able to do it And we may as justly disbelieve his Being as distrust his veracity and doubt of his Propensity and his power I proceed to 3. The condition required on our part for the obtaining this assistance And that is a very gentle and easie one Luk. 11.9 10. God will give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened I do readily grant that we are not heard in all the Petitions which we put up to God And it is very well for us that so it is For we should soon destroy our selves if we should obtain that which we sometimes pray for But then this is to be understood with reference to the things of this life where the well instructed and modest man is to refer himself to God who knows what is best for him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Antonin l. 10. In this case the good man prayes that God would give him and remove from him what he thinks fit And the very Heathen could teach men this Lesson But then for the case before us God hath declared his Will and put us upon Praying and that fervently also for the Holy Spirit And we have great need of his heavenly aid and assistance and now we can have no doubt but that we shall be heard because we are sure that we pray according to the Will of God 1 Joh. 5.14 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him And especially may we be assured of success when we are provided of so effectual an Intercessour as the Son of God He hath said Joh. 14.13 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son And we are certain moreover that when we pray for the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ we pray for that divine assistance which our Lord went into heaven to send among us This he told us saying Joh. 16.7 I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away For if I go not away the Conforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Nay our Lord assures us that he will hear our Prayers that he will intercede in this very case so that we have here abundant security that we shall receive an answer to our Petition Joh. 14.14 16. If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it And presently he adds And I will pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever For our other requests which we put up for health or riches and the good things of this life our Lord has given us no particular promise of his effectual Intercession but he hath done it in this matter and hath thereby removed our fears and doubts of being heard And sure if God many times prevent our very Petitions and give us some measure of the Holy Spirit even before we ask him we shall then have no cause to fear but he will give greater measures of this Holy Spirit to them that do ask him All our care must be that we ask as we should That we pray for this heavenly assistance with great fervor and constancy that we cry mightily unto God and that we greatly humble our soules before him That we address to him with hunger and thirst and restless importunity that we seek as for Silver and search as for fine Gold That we vehemently desire what we pray for and thirst as the parched earth does for showers from heaven That we strive mightily in our Prayers to God and send up many strong cries That we pierce the Heavens with our cries and that we put forth all our strength That we employ all the powers that we have received and summon up all that is within us to call down this heavenly aid That we cherish and improve the measures of the Spirit which we have received and be greatly cautious that we do not by a careless and a trifling a profane and worldly temper grieve this Holy Spirit and send away this divine and heavenly Comforter That we do not seek our comfort elsewhere and oppose the divine assistance by our self-will and our inordinate affections 4. I proceed now to make some Application of what hath been said And 1. This speaks very much to the comfort of the weak and the fearful at least to all among them that are sincerely good and do desire greatly to become better Here is an help at hand that is sufficient and we need not now be cast down I shall speak to such in the words of the Prophet Isa 44.2 3 4. Fear not O Jacob my servant and thou Jesurun whom I have chosen For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thine Off-spring And they shall spring up as among the grass as Willows by the water-courses This blessed time is now come and it is well for us that so it is We are not now unprovided of an heavenly aid God is ready to pour out upon us his Holy Spirit Our Lord came Isa 61.2 3. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord To comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Let us not now fear nor be dismayed under all our afflictions and persecutions Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world This heavenly Comforter will abide when earthly comforts leave us And may we but receive the Joy of the Holy Ghost we shall not need be over-whelmed with our earthly sorrows 2. This speaks our duty as well as our Privilege And we may learn what we are to do as well as what God hath done for us The Holy Spirit is promised by God but must be implored by us God will give him but not to the careless and cold the formal