Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	add_v	lord_n	zion_n	55	3	8.3890	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33525	A practical discourse of prayer wherein is handled the nature, the duty, the qualifications of prayer, the several sorts of prayer, viz. ejaculatory, publick, private and secret prayer : with the necessity of, and ingagements unto, prayer : together with sundry cases of conscience about it / by Thomas Cobbet.	Cobbet, Thomas, 1608-1685.	1654 (1654)	Wing C4780; ESTC R29965	290,377	588

Lord be Judge betwixt Israel and Ammon Judg. 11. 27 Israel injuriously begirts Judah and no other help for them but this Judah cryed unto the Lord Enemies 2 Chron 13. 14 15. Pharaoh with an huge host hath Israel at an advantage and they must needs then thus crye out unto the Lord. Enemies unexpected scornes of the Saints put the Saints upon these short appeals Nehem. 4. 4 5. Hear Oh our God f●r we are despised Their sudden affrighting of them doth as much they all made us afraid Now therefore O our God strengthen my hands Neh. 6. 9 The present hearing of the Princes good will to the Commonwealth put forth godly Subjects then present to affix their Ejaculatory Amen thereto 1 Kings 1. 36. Amen the Lord thy God say so too A sudden hand of God upon others put godly Judgments God Moses upon it thus to pray for Miriam O Lord heal her c. Numb 12. 13. and godly Hezekiah to pray for his people The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord though not so prepared And the Lord hearkned and healed the people 2 Chron 30 18 19. Any sudden notice of some special service of God unto Special services which some of the Saints are addressing themselves must needs put others that hear thereof by such sudden lifts of their hearts to give them a lift therein Is David going to a solemn Sacrifice godly A●aunah will thus wish him good speed 2 Sam. 24. 23. The Lord thy God accept thee Eli perceiving Hannahs Prayer-business 1 Sam. 1. 16 cannot but add his fiat also ver 17. The God of Israel grant thee thy petition Sudden weighty changes of some of the Saints in their Changes outward condition put others that hear of it upon this holy service of love to them as Boaz his godly neighbours Ruth 4. 11 12. The Lord make this woman like Rachel and Lea● c. Sudden and unexpected Kindnesses others kindnesses shewed to the Saints will put them to speed such a kind of Messenger as this to heaven presently to tell their Father of it Ruth 2 19 20. Naomi seeing Boaz his kindness to his daughter Ruth saith Blessed be he of the Lord that hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead Besides even one Ejaculation of the Saints Continuation of Prayer puts them upon making more upon praying thus also without ceasing One Ejaculation begetteth another Isai 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early because they had thus prayed they will pray yet more Psal 62. 1 Hear my cry attend to my prayer yet no words there of mentioned and ver 2. From the end of the earth will I cry he had thus cryed and he will therefore cry againe and again As billowes of ten ptation ever and anon stop his mouth and ●n●errupt him so as he now and then doth but peep above water and get breathing space he will thus cry Lead me or guide me or carry me to yonder rock which is higher then I. Hence Jonah in his perishing condition mentioneth his Praiers plurally there were many of these short Praiers like Messengers sent Poste in some great and present stress one after the other to speed succor from heaven J●n 2. 1. 2 7. My Praiers came in unto thee Yea these holy Traders with Heaven using to make as quick returnes as speedy dealings thus with the Lord as they gain upon the Lord they are suddenly sending for more and bespeaking yet more blessing from him When Moses by his short Prayer● hath got a grant of God My presence shal● go with thee Exod 33 12 13 15 16. compared then doth he in a holy wise grow upo● God He hath one short yet no smal reques● more ver 18. I beseech thee shew me thy glory And chap. 34. 9. he hath another reques● yet more Pardon our iniquities and take u● for thine inheritance So Abrahams shor● requests as they are granted Gen. 18. so they multiply If there be fifty Lord in Sodom wil● thou not spare it and then if but forty five then if forty then if thirty then if twenty then if ten Thus much also be spoken to shew the necessity Reasons why 1 From the honor it puts on God of this Duty in sundry respects Let us now briefly add a Reason or two yet further to enforce this duty The first is taken from the nature and property of this duty which honoureth the Lord in a special manner as a glorious In his immensity and Omniscience Spirit which needeth not any words of ours to express what we would to him He can hear the holy language and speech of our spirits he understandeth the meaning of sighes not to be expressed Rom. 8. 26. Ejaculatory Prayer proclaimeth the Lord that he is not as the Idol Gods who needeth not to be awakened by loud out-cryes as 1 Kings 18. 27 as Elijah derided Baals Priests wisheth them to cry aloud c. Who needeth not to be carryed up and down as dunghil Gods do Jer. 10. 5. No this proclaimeth to all the world that the God of the Saints is an all-seeing God espying the least moving of their desires to him that he is in all and through all and filleth every place yea that he is a very present help at any dead lift that he is a God hearing Prayers all sorts of Prayers the shortest of them If Ephraim but lisp and wisper out Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. God saith I have surely heard him Jer. 31. 18 19 20. If Israel take unto them words prayer-wise though but short Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously c. God can and will say I have surely heard him and observed him Hos 14. 1 2 3 8. This glorifieth him as one who assuredly waites to be gracious that any such cry and whisper as this is of the Saints is attended by him Isai 30. 18. The Lord waits to be gracious and ver 19 is a demonstration thereof The Lord will be very gracious at the voice of thy cry The second Reason is taken from the precious fruits of the conscionable exercise 2 From the Fruits of it It s a means of this duty of such sudden and short lifts of the heart to the Lord. 1. It is a very special means to keep our 1 To keep us Spiritual hearts very Spiritual and savoury when so often in heaven taking some short turnes with God and Jesus Christ When so oft with God distances will not so easily grow when conversing so with God there is more of his brightness more of his Image upon such an ones face and heart When gracious persons are ever and anon making such holy stands and pawses of spirit lest being let go too long and at too large a teather they grow unsavoury they are kept

our selves and thereby furthereth such humility 2 Get our hearts filled with love to the Lord. Love is a stooping grace it will 2. Love to the Lord. make a Christian think meanly of all he saith or doth in behalf of Christ whom he loveth that he never speaketh nor doth enough for him Love will make a man amplifie his worth and excellency and glory and even be speaking well even the best of him and that wil surely make him carry it submissively to him as very loath to displease or dishonor him and when at any time a Christian wrongeth or offendeth the Lord Oh how will love occasion self-loathing and displeasure and distaste and trouble for it The Lord Jesus in giving that answer in that poor womans hearing Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much sheweth that love also set her on work in such humble and melting sort to expresse the secret desires of her soul unto him touching the conserving and clearing of her Justification ver 38. 3 Be we sincere in heart in our prayers 3. Sincerity which we make The sincere hearted Publican will humble himself in seeking of Gods favour by prayer when the leaven of hypocrisie will heave and puff up that Pharisee whilst he is praying Luke 18. Sincerity will make us in prayer speak all freely and ingenuously on the part of God and Christ in way of good and on our own part in way of our evil and emptiness it will make men of yeilding and flexible tempers and cause persons to be open and plain hearted with the Lord and that they shall not refuse or be unwilling to take any shame before God 4 Improve we the thoughts and serious 4. Thoughts of our need and Gods greatnes considerations of our needy conditions as likewise of the greatnesse of God The Saints are stiled such as are beggers in spirit Matth. 5 3. hungry ver 6. Luke 1. 53 Destitute ones Psal 102. 17. such as whose best habilements are rags Isaiah 64. 6. Clay vessels the Lord our potter ver 8. Dust Gen. 18. 27. and such like the consideration whereof kept those Saints of God as Abraham and the rest humble in their praiers When we look at this ragged condition of ours it will make us remember our selves and keep us humble in our Supplications 5 Spread we much our own and Ancestors 5. Thoughts of our Ancestors sins sins before the Lord when we are to pray And thus did Daniel chap. 9. thus did Ezra chap. 9. The very serious mention and meditation of an offence of a child of God against his Father will make a Regenerate nature begin to work and then will issue such holy blushes in the face of an ingenious Christian If through the wily slights of Satan and our deceitful hearts we should begin to gaze on our goodly feathers and have some risings of spirit in way of pride yet at the sight of this black foot of ours we should then assuredly fall in our spirits 6 Take we all holy advantages of such 6. Taking advantage of melting workings in our selves melting weeping plights in which we are sometimes above others Davids heart being in that humble plight upon occasion of a good word of the Prophet sent to him from God then David goeth in and prayeth and then he carryeth it so humbly 2 Sam. 7. 18 19 c. When Ezra upon the hearing of the evils among them was put into that abased frame Ezra 9. 3. then he falleth into that humble sort to pray before the Lord ver 5 6. c. So whilst Nehemiahs heart was even broken at the present hearing of the sad newes he forthwith setteth himself in solemn wise to pray and weep before the Lord Nehem. 1. 2 3. compared with verse 4 5. c. Albeit such melting desires and inclinations should haply be raised from other causes or spiritual miseries yet being stirring already they may the better be spiritualized There are times when we are so strangely stupified that scarce any thing will affect us but when affected seriously with any thing it is an advantrge if improved wisely to turn such waters the sluces being now opened into the right channel 7 In our secret approaches to the Lord 7. Premeditation spend some time in serious premeditations it will help to put us into a more serious frame of spirit and that is the next neighbour to an humble and sensible plight It will add plummets to fleety lofty spirits especially if we seriously consider of his Majesty and Soveraignty before whom wee come surely that will help to bring us on our knees The sight of the Kings Colours will doubtlesse make all but some presumptuous carelesse stout spirits to lower their sails even when they are going on full sail'd in prayer CHAP. VI. Of Sincerity required in Prayer HAving spoken in part of the third general thing propounded touching the conditions required to the incessant practice of this Duty of Prayer and therein handled two of those conditions required namely Faith and Humility we come now to a third namely Sincerity or Purity or Integrity The approved Suppliants are such as call upon God out of a pure heart 2 Tim. 2. 22. such as call upon him in Truth Psal 145. 18. The prayer of the upright is a delight to the Lord Prov. 15. 8. Prayer that is pure Job 16. 17. For our better handling of this Requisite to prayer consider we 1 Wherein this Purity Integrity and Sincerity required in prayer doth consist 2 Why the Lord requireth it 3 What are the Marks of it 4 What Meanes and Helps there are to it 5 And lastly what Motives may stir us up to indeavour it To the first we answer That such Sincerity consisteth in these six or seven Sincerity consisteth things 1 In carrying on the whole business of 1. In praying as to God prayer as to God Whether we confesse our sins and miseries or crave redresse of them whether we ask such or such blessings or favours for our selves or others or whether we blesse the Lord for Grace already vouchsafed us for what else we do in Prayer we are to carry it with such awe and reverence as those which are speaking to God and with such intention and attention and observance as those that are now to deal with God and to keep our true distance neither heartlesly distrustful and dismayed and yet not heedlesly and presumptuously or malepertly bold with God Afraid of him yet not terrified by him sollaced in him therein yet trembling before him satisfied in him yet unsatisfied in continued desires of mercy from him resting on him yet restlesse and albeit restlesse as pressing upon him for mercies we need yet resting on him quietly for the same Having such apprehensions of God in the duty as befitteth him and as are sutable to us to the Duty to the present work and workings therein If we confess our

frequent and fervent 5. When most frequent and fervent in secret praier in secret prayers of all other prayers As it is said of grief so is it true of prayer He prayeth most truly and sincerely that prayeth most secretly Hence our Saviour doth oppose secret prayer to hypocritical praying Matth. 6 5 6. Slye false dealers will be careful and very exact in what they speak when witnesses are by but honest men will be as exact in what they speak to another all alone So is it here many it may be which carry it with much Zeal and circumspection before others yet in their Closets if they do pray at all it is so flatly so drouzily so curtly so carelessely that it is as good as no prayer at all Let such look to their spirits whether all be right within Whatsoever false hearted spouses may seem to speak so and so lovingly loyally to their Spouses before others that such as are by would take them to bee very chaste and faithful and kind yet if in secret they carry it otherwise their honesty may well be suspected So is it here if Christians should carry it in expressions in prayer with others as if very loyal to the Lord Jesus but in secret it is quite otherwise their hearts are not so intire and honest as becometh their profession Verily sincerity is plain and open hearted and surely never more then when alone with God its friend Sincerity in prayer is simplicity and singlenesse in prayer and therefore will be the same every where If praying with others striving still to speak with such life and power and holinesse as is meet and if alone praying it will put us upon the like seriousness of attentiveness and intentiveness in and on the duty in hand 6 When we can in prayer be as earnest 6 When as earnest in prayer for others 〈◊〉 for enemies as for our 〈◊〉 for others as for our selves yea we can be very serious in wrestling with God for such as have injured us and that not so much that we may be lesse molested by them as that the Lord Jesus may be magnified in them The very thoughts what a mighty conquest the Lord would work in their conversion what a glorious name he might get thereby what a foil it would be to the Divels kingdome power and policy c. this putteth spirits into their prayers for them David albeit he had many things lay heavy upon himself as appears in the whole 51. Psalm yet vers 18. he prayes for and is mindful of Zion and of the Churches good Self hath lesse ground work and foot hold in prayers for others then those which are for our selves The Lord Jesus maketh account that they had need be perfect as their heavenly Father is in their measure and proportion of perfection that love and wish so wel to their very enemies Mat. 5. 44 48. Lastly When we are as ready to praise 7. When as ready to praise God as to pray to him God for mercies received as to pray to him for what we want Godly Esther and Mordecai are as solicitous and careful that they and others with them may have their solemne Thanksgiving dayes for the gracious deliverance for which they had prayed and fasted as ever they were of the dayes of Prayer and Fasting Esther 9. 22 29 31. verses compared Self will be sometimes prayer full and so will hypocrise because its good and sutable to both satisfying the desires of both and furthering the ends and aimes of both may come in thereby But sincerity is that which is and will be praiseful and thankful An honest and poor man will scarce ever forget a speciall kindnesse shewed to him by another at his request in a time of his necessity when ever he meeteth his friend he will be thanking him a long time after and when he is with others he will be thankfully acknowledging the same to the great commendation of that his freind But a Counterfeit a Vagabond a Rogue for whom you do any office of love you shall hardly ever see or hear of him more when he hath gotten his penny-worths of you he is gone unlesse he need you again he returns not to acknowledge it albeit at the present he give you good language So is it here a Christians grace and sincerity thereof is more tried when he getteth prayer blessings then when he wanteth the same Self being empty prayeth but self when full looketh but to his own satiety but self-denyal the daughter and hand-maid of Sincerity will not be so circled within the compasse of selfe in his prayers Look as it is in a Prospective glass if you turne the wrong end formost great things will seem very small and things that are nearest will appear as a far off and small things will hardly be discerned So is it here when self and hypocrisie are to look upon mercies of prayer great ones are but little and small mercies none at all c. but sincerity taketh the truest survey of them all in their dimensions colours and therefore no wonder if it be thankful sincerity will bear such true and full witnesse to our extreme misery in our selves that the light and white of mercy compared with this darkness and black will prove very amiable and praise-worthy Sincerity will truly and faithfully compare our worthiness and utter unworthiness at our best with Christs glorious merit and worthinesse that the eye of the soul that looks on cannot but discerne praise worthy glory therein Greatness and absolute Soveraignty and independency in the Lord and unutterable nearness and dependency in us shall truly be presented and compared in a sincere hearted Suppliant and can he be other then very thankful Selfe which prompteth a false hearted Christian to speake for blessings will be Judge too of the same And there is little likelihood of right judgment to proceed from so bloody and ungrateful an Umpire and if not rightly judged of what thanks to be expected But sincerity judgeth of divine blessings by the Rules of the Spirit and Word of God The spring of Sincerity in Prayer riseth from God and therefore it will assuredly return to God in praises which are sutable Luke 17. 13 15 19. The sincere Samaritan Supplicant is as loud in his praises of God as ever he was in his prayers but so were not the other Let us now briefly speak to the two last things propounded first of the Means and Helps to further Sincerity in prayer and then of the Motives to stir us up to the same Helps to Sincerity and Purity in prayer H●lps to since●●● in prayer may be such as these 1 Labour to be sincere in other passages 1 Be sincere in 〈◊〉 other acts of our lives and practices of our life to Godward and to manward When Sincerity is interwoven in this whole piece of our lives and conversations it will shew it self in this part of it Sincerity