Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	adoption_n	cry_v	father_n	9,732	5	5.0154	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41838	Directions and instigations to the duty of prayer how, and why the heart is to be kept with diligence. Pressing arguments and directions for hearing the voice of the rod. Being the sum and substance of nine sermons (not heretofore printed,) by Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel at Glasgow.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.	1669 (1669)	Wing G1607A; ESTC R224166	127,013	196

If David and Daniel were now alive would not their practice condemn the Christ●ans of this generation who at morning at no 〈…〉 and at the evening tide did call upon him ye● in the silent watches of the night and at mi●night did rise and seek their Maker who giv 〈…〉 unto his own their songs in the saddest night 〈◊〉 their afflictions We conceive also if Anna th 〈…〉 precious woman were now alive to who● that excellent testimony is given Luke 2. 3●● She was a widow about four score four years whi●● departed not from the Temple but served God wi●● fasting and praying night and day might not sh 〈…〉 provoke many women yea all men and wom 〈…〉 unto an holy emulation in this so singular at 〈…〉 divine a practice Alace there is none now 〈…〉 dayes upon whom so brave a testimony cou●● be passed as was upon her We must eithe● conceive that the way to heaven is more eas 〈…〉 then it was before in ancient times or else th 〈…〉 there is not so much delight and solace to 〈◊〉 had in him as was before Were we daily tasting of that pure river of life that flowes out fro● beneath the Throne of God and of its sweetne 〈…〉 which causeth the lips of those that are asleep 〈◊〉 speak wee would be more taken up in givin● obedience unto this precious command of pra●er And if we were sleeping more in the bed o 〈…〉 love we would be lesse sleeping in the bed o 〈…〉 security we would likewise imbrace more abstractednesse from the world and more fami●●arity with God O! but our visites are rare because we are not constant in prayer and serve 〈…〉 in spirit seeking the Lord. It is no wonder th●● we forget what an one he is because it is 〈◊〉 long since we did behold him We may forg 〈…〉 his form and livelinesse there is such a numb●● of dayes and wofull space of time interveening ●etwixt our enjoyments of him Now we shall not dwell long in pointing out ●nto you what prayer is we conceive it is a sweet travelling and trafficking of the soul betwixt emptinesse and fulnesse betwixt wants and all-sufficiency and betwixt our inability to ●elp our selves and his ability to help us the one depth calling upon the other depth or in short it is a souls conference with God Neither shall we stand in the proving of this unto you that it is the duty of a Christian to be much taken up in the continual exercise of this duty of prayer the Text doth sufficiently prove it But we shall only for the more full clearing of this point out one place of Scripture and that is in Eph. 6. 18. where we are exhorted to pray with all manner of prayer and supplication c. which we conceive to be understood both of publick and private prayer and that we should watch to the exercise of both these and that we should not be in the exercise of these by starts fits but that we should ●ontinue in them with all perseverance as the ●ext doth clearly hold forth Neither shall we insist long in speaking unto this what is the spirit of prayer We conceive 〈◊〉 doth not stand in that promptness and volubility of language that we use before him for there may be much of that and little of the spirit and upon the con●●ain there may be ●ittle of that or nothing at all and yet much of the spirit yea we are certain that the spirit 〈◊〉 sometimes an impediment unto much lan●uage for either in our presenting or expres●ing our grief before God our spirits are so overwhelmed within us and so troubled 〈◊〉 we cannot speak so that sighs or silent gro 〈…〉 are rather our oratrie then the multitude words So likewise in the exercise of joy 〈◊〉 soul is so filled and in a manner over shadow● with the holy Ghost that the Christian is 〈◊〉 up in holy admiration and astonishment 〈◊〉 that in a manner he loses not only the exerc 〈…〉 of invention but also the exercise of speec 〈…〉 He is so much taken up in gazing at that whi●● he doth enjoy and in a pleasant beholding a 〈…〉 contemplation of him who hath ravished hi● with one of his eyes with one chain of his ne 〈…〉 so that he can speak no more but beginneth 〈…〉 wonder his tongue cleaveth to the roof of 〈◊〉 mouth and his judgment is so confounded wi●● the inexpressable sweetness and glory of hi 〈…〉 that appeareth and his affection doth so swe 〈…〉 and run over all its banks that in a manner 〈◊〉 is cloathed with a blessed impossibility to ha 〈…〉 the use of his tongue therefore is beginni●● to admire that which he cannot speak however he that hath much of these things hath nothing over and he that hath little hath no lack Neither doth the spirit of prayer consist 〈◊〉 the finness and eloquency of our dictions thes● things being rather to prove our selves Or●tors then such as pray in the holy Ghost But we conceive it doth more consist in th● voice of the affections not in the voice o● words and in having unexpressable and unutterable sighs and groans of the spirit which is 〈◊〉 deed that true spirit of adoption which he hat● given unto us whereby we cry unto him Abba 〈…〉 Father Gal. 4. 6. If we spake no more in praye● then what our affections and souls do speak● truly we would not speak much if we spake 〈…〉 re with zeal and affection that vain pro 〈…〉 ity that we have in this duty of prayer 〈…〉 uld be much compendized and abridged Neither shall we speak long on this how ●uch it is of a Christians concernment to be ●●nvinced of the absolute necessity of a Media●●r and of a Dayes-man that must lay his hands 〈…〉 on us in all our approaches to God truly 〈◊〉 conceive if many of you were posed when 〈◊〉 the deep impression of the need that you ●●ve of Jesus Christ and of him that hath taken that glorious title and attribute unto himself of being the Counsellor Isa. 9. 6. were 〈…〉 graven upon your spirits when ye went to prayer you should find it a difficulty to fall ●pon the number of the days and I conceive that the want of the right apprehensions and ●p-takings of God and of our selves is the reason why this great mystery and divine duty of the Gospel to wit the imploying of Jesus Christ in prayer is so great a mystery both un●o our judgements and affections However know that this is a duty belonging both to your knowledge and practice There are many Christians who to their own apprehension have made a great progresse in the course of Christianity who yet may turn back and learn that great fundamental lesson to call on his Name Sure we are were this more believed that God is a consuming fire without Jesus Christ we would not be so presumtuously bold as to approach before God either in

committing 〈◊〉 iniquity Hence is that word in Psal. 6. 〈◊〉 Whereupon the consideration of the heari 〈…〉 of his prayer he breaketh forth in that saying Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity for 〈◊〉 Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping I● manner speaking so much that he would ha 〈…〉 nothing to do with such ones as they were Lastly the return and answer of prayer i 〈…〉 an excellent way to keep our Faith in exercis 〈…〉 it is a sweet experience of the love of God up on which we may build our hope in our darke●● night even to call to mind these things that 〈◊〉 hath given to us in former dayes certainly Holy and Divine reflection upon these thing might perswade us that he will not shut up 〈◊〉 tender and loving mercies into an everlasti 〈…〉 for getfulnesse Now to close up our discours upon this noble duty and grace of prayer we shall desire this one thing of you Who is begotten unto a lively and precious hope That you may be more in that noble execise I may say that there is no sin which a Christian shall be more deeply convinced of in the day when his feet shal be standing upon the utmost line of time as this sin of the neglect of the duty of prayer And we confesse God may reprove many That they bind heavy burdens on mens shoulders that are grievous to be born and doth not so much themselves as 〈…〉 uch them with one of their fingers But however seriously enlarge your hearts unto this blessed exercise for believe me it is the way if so we may speak to bring down Heaven upon Earth But alas I am afraid that this duty of prayer is not much now in practice amongst many of us in these dayes Is not prayer that noble duty almost laid by in this evil and perverse generation as a thing unsavo 〈…〉 y Oh that ye had now a Divine anticipation of that glorious enjoyment of him which you shall have throughout all the ages of Eternity if you be serious in this exercise Oh may we not walk mournfully many daies in the bitterness of our souls because we are not more in the exercise of secret prayer Oh! whither is our devotion gone in these daies Oh! whither is it gone I am afraid that if these that have lived before in ancient dayes were now alive doubtlesse they would be ignorant of us and they would not acknowledge us for Christians I would say this for these who never seriously practised this duty as yet of which number there are many O but prayer be another thing then the most part of you conceives it to be I think it is not only mysterious in its na ture to conceive how the spirit of man can converse with him that is the Father of Spirits how there should interveen a communion and fellowship betwixt such two It is a mystery and riddle surely which we cannot easily unfold But withal This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation that the exercise and practice of prayer is grown as mysterious as t 〈…〉 nature of it O but there are many of you that supposes ye are praying aright therefore you think all is well Who shall be cut off as those that never prayed I conceive if we believed all that is spoken upon this exercise of prayer what Divine properties are requisit to a Christian that would seriously go about the exercise of that precious duty we might cry forth This is a ha●● saying who can hear it And certainly it is altogether impossible for us though it be not impossible for God to inlarge our hearts to pursue it For with him nothing is impossible Oh! that if once ye might be perswaded to se● about the exercise of this precious and mo 〈…〉 excellent duty of prayer which will be to yo● eternal advantage and soul everlasting co●cernment I am afraid O Christians that one from heaven who hath entered into those everlasting and blessed possessions of that excellent and blessed estate of life would co 〈…〉 down to earth if so with reverence we may speak and preach upon this Text of ours Pray without ceasing and speak of these precious and unspeakable advantages which doth accompa●● the man that is much in the exercise of prayer there are many of us I fear would scarcely b 〈…〉 enclined to hear such an exhortation And more nor this if one from the dead would ●rise and come from the pit unto this City and preach upon this Text unto you pray without ceasing having the chains of everlasting wrath hanging about his neck and preach upon these sad and unspeakable disadvantages which are to be found in the neglect of this blessed exercise of the duty of prayer and should desire you to flee from that wrath that is to come Oh! would there not be many of you I am afraid who would stop your ears and would not listen unto the voice and language of such an exhortation Ah! whether are many of us going whether are we going certainly the apprehensions and thoughts of everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord is not much engraven and deeply imprinted upon the spirits of the hypocritical Christians of this generation We are not afraid of that wrath and eternal destruction which is approaching unto us But to you that are heirs of the promise who are heirs of the grace of Life and who are begotten again unto a lively hope I would say this to you Pray without ceasing And once you shall 〈…〉 ng without all ceasing and without all interruption And to these that prayes not the day is coming when they shall howl in that bottomlesse pit amongst those everlasting flames of fire and brimstone when they shall be 〈…〉 rayed in the Morter of the wrath of God by ●he Pestel of his severe Justice when his Omni●otency shall uphold you and his Justice shall ●mite you eternally Oh it were many of your advantages that you were indeed Beasts without immortal souls For to have soul doth capacitat you for an eternal being a● for an eternal punishment SERMON V. Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all di 〈…〉 gence for out of it are the issues of li 〈…〉 WE conceive if there were a windo 〈…〉 opened in each one of our bosome through which each one of us th● are here might behold one anothers hearts 〈◊〉 would become monsters and wonders one of to another and to our selves likewise and mig 〈…〉 cry out O! where is the God of judgement t 〈…〉 takes not vengeance on such deceitfull hearts our hearts were turned out of us so to speak and if we saw the inside of our hearts we wo 〈…〉 wonder at his patience I think such is the d 〈…〉 perate deceitfulnesse of our hearts that is 〈…〉 the Saints since Adams dayes and shall be the end of the world had but one heart guide I think they would misguide it I wo 〈…〉 only say