Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67550	The pious mans practice in Parliament time. Or A seasonable and necessary tractate concerning the presages, and causes of a common-wealths ruine, and the wayes, and meanes to preserve a church, and state, in prosperity, plenty, purity, and peace. By R. Ward, utriusque regni in Artibus Magister; and preacher of Gods holy word at Stansteed Mount-Fitchet in Essex.	Ward, Richard, 1601 or 2-1684.	1641 (1641)	Wing W804; ESTC R218413	102,562	298

commands Art thou tempted and assaulted by Satan then pray as St. Paul did and as Christ commanded his Apostles to doe Art thou dejected sorrowfull Luke 17.5 Matth. 8. Math. 7.7 Luk. 18.1 Acts 6.4 and 1 Pet. 4.7 and 1.9 and troubled in spirit then pray as our Lord himselfe did Dost thou desire the augmentation and encrease of thy faith then doe as the Apostles and the Centurion did Pray Oh Lord encrease our faith or I beleeve Lord helpe my unbeleeve Dost thou desire any requisite blessing or grace whatsoever then pray for that is the ordinary and ordained meanes to obtaine it Dost thou desire a blessing upon that Church and State wherein thou livest then pray as the Prophet David here doth If thou wert in a house of bondage under Pharoahes tyranny in an iron prison in a brazen tower in a den of Lions in a fiery furnace pray but from thence with the Prophet in my Text Save me oh Lord with thy right hand and heare me and hee will either deliver thee for he is able or so comfort thee that a prison shall bee as a Palace unto thee Art thou either affraid of or infested and anoyed with enemies either domesticall or forraine then pray as Ezra Ioel Moses and Hezekiah did Exod. 17. Ezra 8.23 2 King 19.15 Ioel 2.17 The definion of prayer If any should inquire what prayer is Damascene answers that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ascent of the soule unto God and a begging at his hands those things which wee stand in need of Or prayer is a begging of God those things which we want and a thanking of him for those we have If any should desire to know The division of prayer Petition Deprecation Imprecation Intercession Thankes-giving how many sorts of supplications or kinds of prayer there are let him take notice that there are principally these five viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A begging at Gods hands some good thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deprecating or praying against some evill thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a man prayes for a curse or malediction upon some one or other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a man intercedes for others that is that the Lord would bee pleased to withhold or remove some evill or to give and continue some good unto some one or other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a giving of thankes unto God for the withholding or removeall of some evill either from our selves or others or for some good blessing imparted unto or bestowed upon our selves or other What prayer the text speaks of Now both the text and point propounded speake of the first second and fourth for we pray both for the withholding of evils and preservation from evils and deliverance out of evils and the enjoyment and continuance of spirituall and temporall blessings and graces both from for and unto our selves and the Church and State wherein we live Having thus defined and divided prayer let us now consider the twofold foundation thereof to wit First the examples of Gods love and mercy towards others The foundation of prayer is twofold for when we consider and observe how ready the Lord heretofore hath beene to heare and helpe those who sought and sued unto him in the time of their distresse and want and withall remember Psal 32.6 that the Lord is no respecter of persons nor mutable but alike to all and alwayes alike then we are emboldned to pray unto him Now what can wee want or desire either spirituall or temporall but we may finde some examples in the Scripture of some who have beene in our case and by prayer unto God have obtained what they wanted and desired from which consideration we may conclude that if we doe but lift up pure hands unto our God as they did then hee will heare and helpe us as he did them And Secondly Num. 23.19 Iosh 21.45 23.14 Psa 33.4 89 35. Mal. 3.6 Heb. 6.17 the other foundation of prayer is the truth fidelity and righteousnesse of God for when we consider how faithfull and true the Lord is in all his promises and that not one of them shall fall to the ground unaccomplished then ponder the promises which hehath made to heare his children and weigh well the blessings which he hath promised unto them both for soule and body both for this life and the life to come and then if we be his we are encouraged with boldnesse of confidence to make our requests and wants knowne unto him To whom we must pray Having thus briefly seene the foundation of prayer and the encouragements thereunto it is not now amisse to consider To whom we must pray Mat. 6.9 And our Saviour resolves this bidding us pray unto Our Father that is unto God who is 1. The Father of light and therefore we must come and pray unto him with the true sincerity of the heart for if we call upon him with feigned lips he will find it out with his All-seeing eye And 2. He is the Father of glory and therefore we must come and pray unto him with feare and reverence Psalm 2.11 And 3. He is the Father of merey and therefore we must come confidently unto him And 4. He is an Almighty Father able to doe what he lists and therefore we must first flye unto him not thinking any thing impossible to be had from him by prayer as was worthily observed by Origen in these words Si quicquam impossibile orati ni putamus aut fideles non sumus aut nescientes Scripturas scilicet Qui petit accipiet That is he who thinks any thing unpossible unto prayer is either destitute of faith or divine knowledge for if we doe but know and beleeve this one promise Whosoever asketh shall receive we cannot then thinke any thing impossible to be had at the Lords hands by prayer Now because it is questioned betwixt us and the Church of Rome Whether we must pray onely unto God or not I will therefore give an argument or two to confirme it briefly and so proceed Argument 1. The first argument is taken from Psalm 50 15. Call upon me saith the Lord and I will deliver thee He that alone is aole to deliver us to him alone must we pray But the Lord alone is able to deliver us therefore unto him alone we must pray Argument 2. The second taken from Romans 10.14 How can we call upon him in whom we have not beleeved He unto whom we must pray must be of that nature quality and condition that we may as well trust in him as pray unto him But we are forbidden to trust in any but God Therefore we must pray onely unto him Argument 3. The third is taken from Exod. 22.20 Cursed be he who shall offer burnt offrings unto any but unto the Lord of Hosts Sacrifice and burnt offerings in the O. T. were proper unto the Lord alone But