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	work_n	6,717	5	5.8349	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64241	Jacob wrestling with God, and prevailing: or, a treatise concerning the necessity and efficacy of faith in prayer Wherein divers weighty questions and cases of conscience about praying in faith, are stated and resolved. For the comforting and satisfying of weak and scrupulous consciences: the conviction of formal hypocrites, and awakening of all saints, both weak and strong, great and small, to this great duty of prayer. By one who hath obtained mercy to be a minister of, and sufferer for, the gospel of Jesus Christ in this hour of temptation.	Taylor, Thomas, 1624 or 5-1700.	1663 (1663)	Wing T555; ESTC R222503	60,235	214

upon you by virtue of the anointing and unction of the holy one that is upon you for that end to be the witnesses of Jesus Christ Rev. 11.3 4 5 6 and to open and shut Heaven by your prayers and to smite the earth with plagues as often as ye will to pray down the mighty Kingdome of Babel Rev. 11.15 which is Antichrist and to pray up the glorious and everlasting Kingdome of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.22 13 to pray out these old Heavens and old earth wherein dwelleth wickedness and to pray in the new Heavens and new Earth wherein shall dwel righteousness peace This is an honour I say which the God of Heaven and Earth hath put upon you that ye should stand before the God of the whole earth Zech. 4.14 and be instrumental and influential in and about these great things And this honour can no man take from you this is a priviledge and honour given you from Heaven and 't is not in the power of all the devils in hell by tempting nor all the powers of earth by persecuting to take it from you they may cast you into prisons lay you in the darkest dungeons drive you into exile and banishment but still where-ever you are what-ever your outward condition be Heaven is open over your heads and the spirit of grace is nigh your hearts ye may have access to the throne of grace they cannot keep out the Spirit from you nor shut out your prayers from ascending before God if they will not suffer you to utter words 1 Sam. 1.13 15 Rom. 8.26 27 ye may pour out your spirits and sigh and groan inwardly and hee who searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit I say ye may come freely and boldly to the throne of grace the way is open and none can shut it 't is a new and a living way not of works but of grace not by the blood of Bulls and of Goats but by the blood of Jesus neither your sins nor your enemies therefore can shut it if it were an old Covenant way of access by works and mans righteousness your sins might shut it and you not be able to enter into the holiest or if it were a way of access by carnal and external sacrifices your enemies might shut it and make the daily sacrifice to cease Dan. 8.11 either by denying you liberty or wherewithall to sacrifice But now seeing it is a new Covenant way of access not by works and mans righteousness but by free grace and Gods righteousness imputed by Faith to them that beleeve not by external sacrifice but by the blood and spirit of Jesus the Son of God lift up your heads and know that 't is not in the power of your sins or enemies to hinder your daily access to the throne of grace if you have Faith but as a grain of Mustard-seed and come in the exercise of that Faith by the blood of Jesus yee may ask and have prevail with God by prayer for all things whatsoever there is nothing too great or too good for God to bestow upon you he hath set you no bounds but bids you ask what you will And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer beleeving ye shall receive Let mee therefore close up this exhortation with the words of the holy Apostle Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh and having an high Priest over the house of God Let us draw near with a true heart and in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Use last Lastly And to shut up all O ye Israel of God who as Princes have power with him thus to prevail in Heaven that all things whatsoever ye ask in prayer beleeving ye are sure to receive give all the glory unto Jesus Christ and cast your crowns down at his feet and give glory to the Lamb through whom alone it is that ye thus overcome and prevail by Faith against all the powers of Hell and Earth Oh learn that new song Rev. 5.9 Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof not we are worthy but thou art worthy to have honour and glory and blessing and power As vers 12 13. for vers 10. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue and people and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests Oh know and freely confess before Angels and men that it is not by your own holiness or righteousness that ye do any of these great things but by Faith in the name the blessed and holy name of Jesus let the same mind be in you that was in the holy Apostles Peter and John who when they had done a great work upon the impotent man who was lame from his Mothers womb which drew the eye of the people with great admiration towards them did humble and abase themselves that Christ alone might be magnified have all the glory of what they had done directing the eye and expectation of the people from them unto Jesus the Son of God Act. 3.12 Ye men of Israel why marvel yee at this Or why look yee so earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk The God of Abraham Isaac and of Jacob the God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom ye delivered up c. And vers 16. His name through Faith in his name hath made this man strong whom ye see and know Yea the Faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all Oh here is a choice and excellent spirit indeed here is the life and glory of Faith indeed to do great things in the name and strength of Christ then to give all the glory back again to him Oh ye Saints and Servants of God know that 't is not by your own power and holiness by your own Saintship and worthiness but by the power and holiness by the blood and righteousness by the mediation and intercession of Jesus that ye do any of these great things by Faith in prayer Therefore I say again and again give all the glory to Jesus Christ let nothing be given to faith nothing be given to prayer nothing be given or ascribed to your own Saintship or holiness but let all the glory be given to God and to the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne but the holy Angels the four beasts four and twenty Elders with all the heavenly host whose number is ten thousand times ten thousand are all about the throne not sharing the glory honor with Jesus Christ though they have been ministerially instrumental in the hand of Christ to accomplish these great works but giving all the glory to him and to him alone Rev. 5.11.12 13 14. And I beheld and I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the throne and the beasts and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten-thousand and thousand of thousands Saying with a loud voyce worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honor and glory and blessing And every creature which is in Heaven and on earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying blessing honor glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever And the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Even so Amen And let all the Angels in heaven and all the Saints in Heaven and earth and all creatures persons and things be nothing be lesse then nothing be overshadowed and dis-appear that Jesus Christ the Lamb of God may be all in all and appear in his glory and shine as the Sun of righteousness in the highest heavens for ever and ever And let all the Saints and holy Angels who are but stars remember and know that they shine but with a borrowed light and therfore must disappear at the appearing of this glorious Sun that all the world may behold his face in Righteousness and the whole earth be enlightned with his glory Let him be true and every man a Lyer let him be holy and every man a sinner he must increase but we must decrease And let every Saint and servant of God say let every friend of the Bridegroom say This my joy therefore is fulfilled for this is the great end of the Saints access unto acceptance with the Father through Jesus Christ Joh. 14.13 And whatsoever ye shal aske in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If God and Jesus Christ be hereby glorified we have our end our all The summ and scope and perfection of all our faith and hope of all our praying preaching hearing reading doing and suffering is this Isa 61.3 That he may be glorified In this therefore let us joy and rejoyce in this let our souls acquiesse and take up as in our spiritual center and Heavenly rest as in our Canaan our Heaven our all which is dearer and sweeter to us then our reputations estates liberties lives yea then our very souls then all our own concernments That Jesus Christ and the Father in him is glorified and exalted by the great things that he doth and will do in Heaven for his poor sinful and unworthy tempted and afflicted Servants here on earth Heb. 13.7 8. Considering the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever FINIS ERRATA IN the Epistle page 2. line 6. for form read from and page 4. line 11. read those In the Book p. 59. l. 12. r. life p. 75 l. 22. blot out the p. 83. l. 2. r. Non-Ordinancers p. 153 l. 13. r. Demonstration

had promised So that by comparing these two Scriptures which relate to the same person and action it is manifest that Sarahs doubting through weakness of Faith did not hinder her acceptance with God in that action wherein there was the real exercise of her Faith though weak and wavering for saith the Text Shee judged him faithful who had promised therefore she did believe the promise and relye upon the faithfulness of God for the performance thereof notwithstanding the great doubting and stirring of unbeleef in her heart at the same time which yet she resisted and also at length did overcome Whence these two things may truly be gathered 1. That great doubting and wavering of the mind may consist with the real though weak exercise of Faith in the same holy action 2. That such holy actions are accepted of God in Christ notwithstanding such doubtings Instance 2 The truth of this doth also appear in the case of him who brought his childe to Christ being possessed with a dumb spirit And now finding his case to be exceeding difficult in that he had already tryed the Disciples and they could not cast out this dumb spirit out of his Son Mark 9.18 hee begins through unbeleef to haesitate and doubt concerning the power of Christ also and puts an if upon the matter vers 22. But if thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us so that here was great doubting and stirring of unbeleef which Christ reproves vers 23. and replyes to him If thou canst beleeve all things are possible to him that beleeveth which reproof of Christ prevails so far upon him to the breaking of his heart and humbling of him for his unbeleef that hee cryes out with tears from a sense of his sin as well as of his childes misery Lord I beleeve help mine unbeleef Now here was some Faith mixed with great doubting and unbeleef yet being bewaile● and confessed the prayer of this distressed and afflicted Father o● the behalf of his childe is heard and answered for the dumb spirit is cast out and his child● healed vers 25 26 27. Oh the infinite riches an● condescention of free grace tha● ever such a prayer as this shoul● be heard and answered that pu● an if upon the power of Christ If thou canst do any thing have compassion on us And yet there being found some Faith in this prayer though attended with so great doubting and acting of unbeleef it is accepted and owned by the Lord Jesus The answer and resolution therefore of the question is That although it be the duty of the people of God to press after such Faith in prayer as is without doubting and wavering of the mind And all such doubting and wavering of the mind is in it self sinful and to be reproved and by no means to be cherished and allowed Yet such doubting and wavering as doth arise onely from weakness of Faith in the minde of a beleever where there is also a real exercise of Faith though in the weakest and lowest degree doth not nor can at any time hinder the acceptance and efficacy of their prayers with God Ephes 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 James 5.17 18 but their persons and prayers are acceptable to God through Christ Jesus with a Notwithstanding to all such infirmities 4. Quest or Case of Conscience If the exercise of Faith be necessarily required in all our prayers to God then whether is it at all times and in all cases required that hee who cometh to God in prayer doth absolutely and determinately believe for the very thing that he prayeth for or that hee prayeth with a submission to the will of God either to have the thing that he prayeth for or that which the Lord may see to be better for him The occasion and ground of this Question is That some Christians being earnestly carried out in prayer against some particular lust or corruption as pride envy inordinate love to the creature or against the inward motions and lustings of any other sin which they feel stirring in themselves praying that the same may be removed and taken out of the way or for any other particular mercy which they have an earnest desire to obtain at the hands of God Now because they finde not an answer in the very thing asked but the same lust or corruption remaineth still unsubdued and the mercy so greatly desired still denied notwithstanding all their prayers They usually conclude that they prayed not in Faith and that their prayers are not at all accepted or answered because they have not the thing asked referring their case to that of James 4.3 Yee ask and receive not because yee ask amiss And not only in this case of inbred corruption but also in many other cases Christians are much put to it to know when they ask in Faith and when they ask amiss Many concluding they ask not in Faith because they have not the very thing asked Ans The exercise of our Faith in prayer must be either absolut● and determinate in the very thing asked or conditional and latitudinary referring to what may b● most agreeable to the will o● God whether it be the ver● thing asked or something else according to the nature of th● thing which we ask The Rule therefore which th● Apostle proposeth to himse●● concerning prayer is diligent●● to be observed by every Christ●an 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray wi●● the Spirit and I will pray with u●derstanding also It therefore co●cerns every Christian to unde●stand the nature of the thing which hee asks of God in praye● otherwise hee may ask amiss The things which we ask of God in prayer may fall under a double distinction 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selves which every Christian ought diligently to mark and consider that so hee may frame his petitions and exercise his Faith therein according to the Rule of the Word for Faith is guided by the light of the Word and cannot go against the Word nor without the Word in any thing 1. In respect of God The things which we come to ask of him in prayer are either clearly and absolutely revealed promised and fore-told in his Word or else secret and not revealed which hee hath reserved in his own power 2. In respect of our selves The things which we come to ask of God in prayer are either absolutely and perse good and necessary for us or they are good and necessary for us onely upon such and such variable considerations and suppositions as wee are very apt to mistake about Now to apply these general Rules to our case and question in hand Rule 1 In things which are clearly revealed absolutely fore-told and promised in the Word of God we ought to act our Faith absolutely and determinately for the very thing we pray for and not to admit the least doubt or question but to maintain an holy confidence that such prayers are alwaies heard though not presently answered as 1 John

and stretch out thine hand over the Sea and divide it and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground thorow the midst of the Sea And vers 22. The children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon the dry ground and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left Oh the admirable and marvellous strength and power of Faith in prayer that by it the waters of the Sea the depths of the Sea should be divided and made to stand upon heaps as a wall to Gods Israel and yet so it is Moses cryeth to the Lord at the Sea even the Red Sea and the waters are divided and become a wall to Israel in their passage towards Canaan on the right hand and on the left All which with many other blessed experiences of the Saints which might be instanced in do amount to a sufficient testimony and witness to the truth in hand and do abundantly evince the truth of this blessed promise of the Lord Jesus to his poor servants here on earth And all things whatsoever yee shall ask in prayer beleeving yee shall receive The grounds and reasons of the point upon which this great truth is established and wherein the evidence and demonstrations thereof do yet more fully appear are briefly these three Reason 1 The prayers of Faith or beleeving prayers of the Saints and servants of God here on earth are heaven-born They are influenced from Heaven by the conduct and guidance of the holy Spirit whose office it is to influence and manage the Saints in this great concern and work of prayer So that the things which they ask of God in prayer when they ask in Faith are not so much the fruit of the inward breathings and unfeigned desires of their own hearts and spirits as of the holy and blessed Spirit of grace breathing in them and teaching them to pray as they ought which of themselves they neither know nor can do Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what we should pray for as we ought But the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God So that the holy Spirit of God doth not onely help and assist the Saints in the right manner of prayer exciting their graces quickening and drawing out their affections helping them to right ends and aims in prayer all which are also necessarily required but doth also suggest and teach them the very matter of their prayers how and what to pray for and ask of God both for themselves and others The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to pray for as wee ought But the Spirit it self c. So that the Saints are taught from Heaven what to pray for as they ought the Spirit of God from Heaven doth teach and assist them to pray here on earth according to the will of God And how reproachfully and blasphemously soever wicked and ungodly men do speak of the so called extemporary prayers of the Saints yet they are no less than heaven-born the things which they are taught by the Spirit of God from Heaven to ask of God in prayer And let wicked men know that in blaspheming the reproaching the prayers of the Saints they do blaspheme the Spirit it self But the Spirit it self maketh intercession c. Wicked and ungodly men who are ignorant of the Spirit of prayer do exceedingly magnifie and cry up their stinted forms and book-prayers because as they imagine composed and indited by holy and learned men and that with the deepest judgement and most serious consideration had of the things meet to be asked of God in prayer And do condemn the prayers of Gods Saints because as they judge in the darkness of their carnal mind which is alwaies enmity against God extemporary Rom. 8.7 rash and inconsiderate without any deep consideration and matter prepared before-hand but let such know that the best of their stinted Forms and Book-prayers are but indited by men on earth and on the other hand the prayers of Gods Saints and servants offered up in Faith though extemporary are indited by the Spirit of God in Heaven and given in immediately by the ministration of the holy Spirit who knoweth better what is meet to be asked of God in prayer extemporary than the greatest Bishops Doctors and learned men upon earth can do by their deepest consultation And let such resolve this question whether are most agreeable to the will and mind of God those prayers which are indited by the Spirit of God in Heaven and given in from above as all the prayers of the Saints are which they put up in Faith or those which are composed and imposed by the carnal wisdome and coercive power of men on earth contrary to the Word of God And let mee adde this one word more that the prayer of the poorest Saint though encompassed with utmost humane frailties and infirmities yet being breathed by the holy Spirit into his heart and breathed out again in Faith by the help of the same Spirit hath more of heavenly wisdome and true spiritual excellency in it than the most magnified and admired Form that ever was composed by the greatest Doctors and learned men in the world For Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit And again vers 31. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth hee that cometh from Heaven is above all As Jesus Christ came from Heaven and therefore was above all the Prophets and Apostles so also the Spirit of God cometh from Heaven and is above all the Doctors Bishops and learned men in the world in teaching as how and what to pray for as wee ought And hence it is that true spiritual and heavenly prayer is distinguished from all hypocritical shews and pretences of prayer by this character Ephes 6.18 Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit True prayer and supplication is alwaies in the Spirit And again Jude 10. Praying in the Holy Ghost The summe and close of the matter is prayers of Faith do come from God and therefore must needs prevail with God prayers of Faith are heaven-born and therefore must needs finde acceptance there Reason 1 The prayers of Faith or the beleeving prayers of the Saints and People of God do alwaies fall in with the will of God The stinted Forms and composed Prayers of formal Hypocritical pretenders to Religion do alwaies in one thing or other run counter to the will of God In the very matter of their petitions it being impossible that such as keep themselves to a stinted Form of Prayer and oblige themselves to use such a form of words in prayer and no others should avoid

our prayers are neither acceptable to God nor profitable to our selves the acceptance and efficacy of the Saints prayers with God turn onely upon this hinge and depend solely upon this substratum Joh. 14.13 14 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 8.3 4 that they are offered up in the Name and by the hand of Christ now if they fail in this they lose all their work which is but lost labour prayers without Faith are prayers without fruit because they are without Christ that which is Faithless is Christless and therefore must needs also be fruitless for in him is all our fruit found Hos 14.8 Wee cannot bear any fruit by any spiritual service or sacrifice wee tender up unto God but in and through his Son Jesus Christ Now wee cannot pray in the Name of Christ if wee do not pray in Faith it is Faith onely that taketh hold of the Name and merits of Jesus Christ and so bring our services unto God by him Ephes 3.12 To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray in the Faith of his Name we may pray with the Name of Christ in ou● mouths and yet not pray in hi● Name unless wee pray with the Faith of Christ in our hearts And observe it as a most certain and infallible Rule of interpretation that where-ever wee● are in Scripture commanded to do or promised to receive any thing in the Name of Christ the meaning is that wee should do and receive the same by Faith in his Name and not by the bare use of his Name in our mouths and to repose any confidence or lay any stress upon the bare use of the Name of Christ in our mouths any otherwise than wee have and exercise the Faith of his Name in our hearts is to act more like unto Conjurors than Christians more like Sorcerers than Saints Act. 19.13 14 15. Then certain of the vagabond Jews Exorcists took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the Name of the Lord Jesus saying Wee adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth And there were seven Sons of one Sceva a Jew and chief of the Priests which did so And the evil spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are yee And the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them c. It seems by this Scripture that 't is a peece of the Mystical Doctrin of Necromancy and the practice of sorcerers to trust much to the virtue and power of names but this is no part of the Doctrine of Christianity nor the practice of true Christians they do not expect to prevail with God by the Name of Christ in their mouths but by the Faith of Christ in their hearts here the seven Sons of Sceva come with the Name of Christ in their mouths thinking as many carnal Christians do to do great matters by the power of that Name but wanting the Faith of Christ in their hearts they prevail nothing but come off with shame and confusion of face through their miserable and unexpected expected disappointment and so will all those do that trust to their Carnal Forms and Lyturgies and as they suppose most Excellent and Absolute forms of prayers which they conclude with the Name of Christ which they often and in vain do take into their mouths whilst they have not the Faith of Christ in their hearts To pray with the Name of Christ in the mouth is fruitless and vain where there is not the exercise of the Faith of Christ in the heart therefore the exercise of Faith in prayer is of absolute and indispensible necessity Reas 2 Because wee cannot otherwise pray aright 't is the light of Faith onely by which the children of God are guided and governed in all the spiritual and heavenly exercises of Religion the things of the Spirit the things of eternity are unseen things things that are notseen by the eye of sense and natural reason and the light of Faith onely is that by which these things are seen and made manifest Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen No inferiour light can be sufficient to guide in and about those things that are superiour to it the light of sense being an inferiour light in man which is common to him with the brute is not able to guide him in and about the things of a man which are proper and peculiar to him as a man as to argue and discourse by fit mediums conducing to such an end to meditate upon the works of Creation and Providence to search out the natural Cause and Reason of things c. To bee guided in and about such things hee must have and exercise the light of Reason which is a superiour light to that of Sense and fitted and suited by the wisdom of his creator and planted in him for such an end So also the light of naturall Reason which is an inferiour light to that of Faith cannot guide a man in those actions and things which are Spiritual sublime and above the reach of Nature depending only upon Divine Revelation A man by the light of Nature cannot understand nor discern the things of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 Now Prayer being a Work of the Spirit and the things about which wee converse with God in Prayer being Spirituall and Heavenly things depending upon Divine Revelation upon the testimony of the Word and Spirit of God wee must of necessity have a superiour light to guide us in those things i.e. the light and evidence of Faith which is a Heavenly gift from the father of lights to the children of the Kingdom by which only they can converse with God and offer up their spirituall Sacrifices and services to him in a right manner And as it is impossible for a man to see and hear and smell and feel and taste without sense or to meditate discourse argue and understand the natural cause of things without Reason so it is impossible for a man to Pray Hear the Word Receive the Seals of the Covenant or perform any other spirituall duty in a right manner without Faith Heb. 11.6 Hee therefore that prayes without Faith prayes amiss and therefore receives not any fruit of his prayers James 4.3 Object But may not a man that hath no true Faith make such a Prayer which for the matter of it is very good and holy and ask such petitions as are right and good and which no man can finde fault with Answ Wee grant hee may but yet such an one doth ever ask amiss for though he asketh right and good things in prayer yet the grounds upon which he asketh and his ends and aims and the frame of his heart in asking are rotten and naught and therefore hee ever asketh amiss James 4.3 Yee ask and have not because yee ask amiss to spend it upon your lusts Reason and common light may direct a man to ask good and right things of God in prayer but these cannot help him