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	promise_n	5,503	5	7.2516	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87871	A discourse of praying with the spirit, and with the understanding. Where of extemporary premeditate set forms of prayer. Preached in two sermons at Hillsborough anno 1659. By Henry Leslie (maugre all antichristian opposition) Bishop of Down and Conner. And now published for the redresse of the great abuse of prayer in that diocesse, whereof he had, and ought to have a charge. Whereunto is annexed a letter of Jer. Taylor, D.D. concerning the same subject.	Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.	1660 (1660)	Wing L1162; Thomason E1041_4; ESTC R207928	28,259	45

we must use the means we must seek and labour to find out the truth for we must search the Scriptures John 5.39 we must seek wisedom as silver and search for her as for bidden treasurs Prov. 2.4 we must separate our selves and seek wisdom as it is Proverbs 18.1 Through desire a Man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom First the holy Spirit stirs up in us a desire of heavenly wisdom then this desire makes us to separate our selves from the World and worldly thoughts to retire into the closet of our own hearts by holy meditation and to seek God diligently in the use of the means and then the wisdom of God which before seemed foolishness is by the illumination of the Spirit made so known unto us that we cannot but discern and admire it So much the Apostle hath taught us Chap. 2.13 saying we speak not in the words which mans wisedom teacheth but which the holy ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things with spirituall things Where we see that the Holy-Ghost doth teach us words which mans wisedom cannot teach but it is upon our cooperation our study and endeavour while we compare spiritual things with spiritual things And so the holy Spirit worketh faith in us faith is the gift of God of God only he not only gives the power to believe but also brings forth the art as the Apostle tells us Philip. 1.29 It is given unto you for to believe Faith is reckoned amongst the gifts of the Spirit Gal 5.22 And the Apostle mentioneth the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 And yet the Spirit doth not work faith in us without means but requireth our own endeavonrs for saith St. Augustine He who made thee without thine own help will not justifie thee without thine own help we must use the means diligently hear read and meditate in Gods word for faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. 17. And they who neglect to use the means must never think that the holy spirit will inspire them immediately with the grace of faith Thus you see how the holy spirit now worketh in directing the Church to discern the canonicall books in perswading us of the truth of Gods word in leading us into all truth and in begetting the grace of faith in us that in all these he requireth our own endeavours and consequently he requireth the same in all his other gifts and productions Therefore I may safely conclude that so and no other wayes the spirit inableth us to pray namely in the use of means both natural and artificiall That prayer is the gift of the spirit no man can deny for saith the Apostle we know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities Rom 8.26 where I desire you to observe the word which the Apostle useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a double compound an ingeminate expression and signifieth that he joynes in relieving he bears or lifts with us helping us in our labours together with him So that if we would have the holy Spirit help us to pray we must labour we must make use of our own judgment and reason and not only make use of our natural faculties but also of our learning and industry we must diligently read and meditate in Gods word that we may be acquainted with the style of the holy ghost and there learn to frame our prayer aright both for the matter and for the forme And when we thus study the addresses which we make unto God we may be sure of the direction and assistance of the spirit for God helpeth industry and his spirit now worketh by means and then most assists us when we most endeavour So that albeit we cannot now pray by immediate inspiration and in a strange tongue yet we may and must pray by the direction and assistance of the spirit in the use of the means The spirit directs us to pray in the Word and assists us inwardly with his motions He directeth us to pray in the word for there we have many Godly prayers psalmes and hymnes recorded for our use And we may use them either as prayers or patterns to frame our prayers by First we may use them as prayers for no prayer that we can make can be compared with them for piety and devotion neither can any man now presume to have such a measure of the spirit as those holy penmen had whose prayers and hymnes are by the spirit of God consigned unto the use of the Church for ever And so some of them have been alwayes used for that wild conceit that now possesseth men was not known in former ages namely that our prayers should wast themselves away in the making and like smoak vanish in the ascending that they should never be reiterated but still conceived new and that as often as we make our adresses unto God we should vary both our matter and words This is the divinity of many men in this age who measure God by their own bellies thinking that he doth loath to have the same sacrifices offered dayly as they do to be fed still with the same meat without change of dyet But such devotion was never known unto the people of God for they alwaies practised the contrary The Priests under the law by Gods own direction used the same words in blessing the people every day which are set down Numb 6.24 25 26. David at the removing of the Ark used the same prayer Psal 68.1 which was at first composed by Moses for that use Numb 10.35 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered The same David composed many prayers and psalmes for the use of the Tabernacle the Ninety second Psalm is entituled a song for the sabbath day the same being composed to be sung every sabbath when there was a holy convocation unto the Lord. It is said 2. Cron. 29.30 That Ezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing prayses unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asapth the Seer The Prophet Hosea prescribes unto the repenting Isralites a set form of prayer which he will have them to use Chap. 14.2 take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously so will we render the calves of our lips c. John the Baptist taught his disciples a form of prayer as appeareth Luke 11.1 And Christ hath taught us a most exquisite form and hath commanded us to use it saying when you pray say our Father c. But now that prayer is rejected and a countermand given when you pray say not our Father and certainly such a direct opposition against Christ must needs proceed from the spirit of Antichrist St. John Rev. 15.3 saw in a vision those who had gotten the victory over the beast praising God and they sung the song of Moses the Jews in their dayly liturgy used the song of Moses albeit they never had the same occasion again which brought

it forth at the first Also the prayer which was ordinarily used in the synagogue was that prayer which is entituled the prayer of Moses Ps 90. And besides that song and prayer of Moses they used dayly some of Davids Psalmes And in their feast of Passover they sung no less then six Psalmes even from the 112. to the 119. which they called their great Hallelujah St. Paul concludes all his Epistles with the same prayer the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all the Christian Church from the very beginning hath used in her Liturgy the Psalmes of David the song of the blessed Virgin the song of Zacharie and the song of Simeon And when we use these with true devotion we are sure that we pray with the spirit for all these prayers were in indited by the Spirit of God Or we may use those prayers we find in scripture as patterns and samplers to frame our prayers by For I would have men especially in their private devotions to exercise their own gift provided that they follow the expresses rules and direction which they find in scripture And if they follow that they do pray with the spirit because they pray for such things and in such form as the spirit hath taught us in the word Dr. Taylor doth illustrate this by a very apt similitude which is this as he who prescribes the moddell of a house provides the materialls and sets men on work to set it up is said to build the house though the same be built by other mens hands so the holy Spirit having prescribed us forms of prayer and supplied us with materialls in the word and incited us to pray by promise of reward may well be said to be the Author of our prayers albeit they be composed by our own art and industry The A postle Chap. 12.3 saith No Man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy-ghost Because no Man could truly say it unless the holy-ghost had revealed it in the word And if speaking a truth revealed in the word be a speaking by the holy-ghost why shall not praying in and according to the word be a praying by the holy-ghost The Christans in the Apostles dayes framed divers Psalmes and hymnes to praise God with and the Apostle calleth them spiritual songs Ephes 5.19 Because the matter of them was taken out of Gods word which was given by inspiration so if our prayers be composed according to Gods word they must be accounted spirituall also the same Apostle describing our spirituall armour Ephes 6. biddeth us take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God vers 17. And in the very next words he sheweth us how vve should use that sword saying praying alvvayes vvith all prayer and supplication in the Spirit so that if we do use the sword of the spirit in our prayer praying in and according to the expresses rules and directions vvhich vve sind in the vvord we do pray vvith the spirit Besides those prayers recorded in Scripture which we may use either as prayers or as patterns to frame our prayers by there be many rules and directions given in the word concerning prayer and every thing thereunto belonging I will reduce all into five heads which I can only mention for to examine the particulars would require no less then a volumne 1. We are taught in the word what should be the contents of our prayers namely confession of sin or deprecation Petitions for things necessary intercession for others and giving of thanks and how every one of these should be performed 2. We are taught in the word hovv we should be disposed when we pray that we should sequester our selves from the World and Worldly thoughts set our selves as in the presence of God duely considering our own unworthiness and the great Majesty of God as also the great need we have of these we pray for and the inability of all other means under Heaven to help us unless God be pleased to hear our prayers 3. We are taught in the word to vvhom we should pray to God only and to God rightly conceived one in essence three in person Father Son and Holy-ghost and to this one God in the name of Christ the mediator 4. We are taught what things we should pray for 1 Joh. 5.14 for such things as God hath promised to grant or as St. John saith for such things as are according to his will and for all such things as be necessary either for the soul or for the body but with this caveat that we pray first and chiefly for things spiritual and in the last pace for things temporal and for things temporal only conditionally if it be Gods will and with an exception and reservation of the Cross Lastly we are taught in the word hovv we should pray with reverence and humility with love and charity with faith and confidence to be heard with zeal and fervency with patience constancy and perseverance If we follow these directions and take Gods word for our guide vve are sure that we pray with the spirit As the spirit directs us to pray in the word so he assists us inwardly with his motions for which he is called the spirit of prayer or supplication he is so called because he stirs up helps and inables us to pray First he stirs us up and moveth us to pray for of our selves we have no spirituall disposition to prayer but are averse from it and rather imploy our selves any other way It is the good Spirit of God that inclines our hearts to pray for the Holy-ghost sheddeth abroad the love of God in our hearts as saith the Apostle Rom. 5.5 And this love of God begets in us an earnest desire to seek God and that good which is to be found in him They who are the Children of God and led by his Spirit know this by experience that even when their affections are dull and heavy they feel sometimes on a suddain such a fire kindled within them that they can not long be silent but must vent their desire by prayer David found it so Psal 39.3 My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then I spake with my tongue Lord make me to know my end c. It was the good Spirit of God who kindled this fire in Davids heart which burst out into the flames of fervent devotion his desire was so great that it made him to cry out O God my heart is prepared I will sing and give praise As the spirit stirs us up and moveth us to pray so he helpeth and inableth us to pray the Apostle saith we know not what we should pray for as we ought nor yet how to pray that is we are not able of our selves to pray with that fervency of spirit that heat of heart such motion of mind such power and such affection as is convenient for the Majesty of God But the spirit helpeth our infirmities

did belong unto the ceremonial worship and are now abrogated by the sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross yet there is a morality in that precept which still bindeth us to offer something unto God in acknowledgment of that homage which we owe unto our Creator and what that is the Psalmist telleth us Psal 50.14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most high and call upon me c. But they who pray ex tempore bring nothing with them to offer but take it upon a suddain even after they have presented themselves before the Lord. Which must needs be a dough-baked sacrifice unworthy to be offered unto God for he requireth a sacrifice without blemish the very choice of the Flock And when they did offer him the refuse the blinde and the the lame Exod. 29.1 Levit. 22.19 20 21. he bid them offer it unto their Governour Mal. 1.8 And vers 14. he calleth them deceivers which did so and cursed them cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts This reason is full of moral equity God is a great King and therefore look what respect you give unto your prince you must give no less unto him you will not offer unto your prince a naughty thing but the very best in its kind of any thing that you have so that which you offer unto God must be the best even in humane estimate When you are to appear before your Prince you will present your selves with great reverence bowing your selves unto the ground even so we must bow our selves before the most high God saith the Prophet Micah Mic. 6.6 We must worship bow down and kneel before the Lord our maker Psal 95.6 When you are to speak unto your Prince you will deliberate and advise what to say weigh your thoughts and choose your words so you should advise and deliberate what to say when you are to speak unto God and not offer unto him your rude and imperfect conception which you would not offer unto your Governour in a serious matter they who do so have a mean esteem of God for they think any thing good enough for him The very Heathen had more care of their devotions and greater respect to their Paynim Gods for the prayers which they offered unto them were composed with great art and skill And they have too high an esteem of themselves and too great a confidence in their own abilities who dare trust to their own fancy and invention before the Majesty of Heaven 2 Sam. 24.24 He who knoweth God and Himself will know his distance and keep it and neither appear before his God empty nor yet with that which cost him nothing Finally to pray ex tempore especially in publick is against the rule of prudence for he is esteem'd a wiser man who considereth and deliberates before he speak then he who speaketh without any deliberation Solomon saith The heart of the Wise teacheth his mouth Prov. 16.23 His heart teacheth his mouth because he considereth and deliberates what to say So that they who pray without any deliberation are none of Solomons wise men From all this which I have said it evidently followeth that we should studdy and deliberate our prayers especially those which we utter in publick We should fit and prepare our selves to seek the Lord like the bride who maketh her self ready Rev. 19.7 and as the wise Virgins who trimmed their lamps before they went out to meet the bridegroom Math. 25.7 our hearts should first be inditing a good matter before our tongue be the pen of a ready writer And of all premeditated prayers none are so sit for the Church Psal 45.1 as set forms composed by the governors of the Church wherein all may joyn These prayers are most according to the rule of this Text that is with the Spirit and with understanding also with the Spirit for it were strange If the Church should not have the Spirit of prayer in her compositions as well as any of her Children Yea in all reason the publick Spirit is to be trusted before the private for the promise of the Spirit is made unto the Church and especially when her pastors are assembled together And these prayers are most with understanding because most to the understanding of the People In this set forms have the advantage of all other prayers that they are best understood And the Apostle here preferreth praying with understanding before praying with the Spirit so that albeit praying ex tempore were a praying with the Spirit as is pretended but falsely yet were they nothing so convenient for the Church as set forms vvhich are better understood because the People are acquainted with them bear some part in them by their suffrages and answers and so heartily joyn in prayers for which cause it is called Common prayer So it was alwayes in the antient Church Se Just Mart. Apol. 2. Aug. op 118. then the prayers of the Church were not dispatched between the Priest and his Clark as novv in the Church of Rome nor performed by the Minister alone but all the People answered the Priest and so they all prayed and sung together This is the Juge Sacrificium the perpetuall Publick Sacrifice which never Church wanted The Church of the Jewes had their Liturgy vvhich they used Dayly and the Jews even at this day do observe it And the Christian Church from the very beginning had Liturgies and common forms of vvorship Jame the first Bishop of Jerusalem of vvhom you read in the Acts of the Apostles imployed himself so much in composing of Liturgies for the use of the Church that he was called Jacobus Liturgicus So did St. Basill St. Chrisostom St. Ambrose and others Or if you like better the exemple of reformed Churches Mr. Calvin advised all Churches to use such set forms of prayer from which the Ministers might not vary Calv. Ep. 87. ad prot Aug quod al fo●mam precum vituum Eccl siae valde probo ut certa illa excet a qua past nibus in functione sua descedere non liceat tam ut consulatur quorundam Simplicitati imperitis quam ut certius ita conster omnium inter ses Ecclesiarum consensus postremo ut obviam eatur desultoriae quorundam levitati qui novationes quasdam affectant and he giveth good reasons for it therefore I will repeat his own words concerning a form of prayer and Ecclesiastical rites I very well like that it be a certain and constant one from which the pastors of the Church may in no wayes depart or vary as well to provide for the simplicity unskilfulness of some as also that the consent of all churches may more certainly be known lastly to meet with the unconstant levity of some Men who affect innovation And so all the reformed Churches as they had their confessions of faith so they had books of Common prayer and administration of Sacraments Even the Church of Scotland albeit their reformation was in times of rebellion brought in by popular fury and so with too much heat opposition against Popery yet they were not then so full of the spirit of Munster but that they used set formes of prayer dayly and never Minister went into a Putpit but before he uttered any words of his own he first read a prayer out of the book containing a general confession of fin T. C. reply And they who at first opposed the liturgy of the Church of England did then protest that they did not not dislike set formes of prayer but approve well of them only they would not approve of that book which came so near to the Romish missals But now we see that the Divil is of an encroaching nature that if we yield him an inch he will take a span For haveing prevailed to have that book laid aside now they will have no set formes at all not so much as the Lords prayer nor any premeditate prayer but will have ministers pour out all their prayers ex tempore And I dare say that the Devill will allow them such prayers for they will never batter his Kingdom but enlarge it For such a forme or rather no forme of worship doth occasion multitude of Schismes in the Church when every one prayeth after his own fashion and in his prayer vents his opinions which are not alwaies according to faith and Godliness there must be as St. Jerome saith Tot Schismata quot Sacerdotes The Milevitan Council above twelve hundred years ago saw this evil and provided against it And the Protestants in France at this day are aware of it For albeit they make little use of a liturgy in their daily ministration save only for Psalmes and Lessons yet in the administration of the Sacraments they bind all Ministers precizely to the words of the book so that if any Minister in France in the administration of either Sacrament should neglect the prayers of the book and conceive prayers of his own he would be deprived For they know well that there can be no unity in religion without some uniformity in worship When all particular congregations communicate in a common forme of worship then is the Church like Jerusalem Psal 122.3 that is built compact together But when every one prayeth after a severall fashion there is as great diversity of tongues as was at the building of Babel That division of tongues was a curse so it is as great blessing of God when the whole Church is unins labii hath as it were but one lip when all do praise God and magnifie him togegether as David required Psal 34.3 God of his infinite mercy grant us this blessing that we may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God as the Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 15.6 This shall be my prayer while I have any being and let all who love the worship of God and the peace of the Church say Amen