Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	grace_n	work_n	10,605	5	5.6748	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02029	The blinde-mans sermon: or confutation of the blinde Pharises. By Thomas Granger, preacher of the word, at Botterwike nere Boston in Lincolnshire	Granger, Thomas, b. 1578.	1616 (1616)	STC 12176; ESTC S112830	26,167	74

hard and stony hearts to humble our selues before thée with dread and reuerence and on the other side the sauing feeling of thy loue shed abroad in our hearts by thy holy spirit may comfort vs in the stedfast assurance of the frée forgiuenesse of all our sinnes in the bloudshed and death of thy deare son Christ Iesus and incourage vs with all delight and chéerefulnesse constantly to practise all good duties both in time of afflictions and troubles and in time of peace and prosperity And séeing that it hath béene thy good pleasure to call vs with an holy calling into the communion and fellowship of Iesus Christ thy onely Sonne to the ende that denying all worldly and fleshly lusts wée should be vnto thée a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy natition a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues and graces of thy good spirit inable vs to mortifie all euill workes and sinfull lusts that our liues may expresse our light and faith in thée And principally giue vs victory ouer those personall sins which thou knowest our nature most prone to commit Powre vpon vs thy holy spirit of wisedome and grace gouerne and lead vs by thy good word that it may be a lanthorne to our féete and a light to our paths So inlighten the naturall blindnesse of our darke hearts by thy spirit as that wée may daily be renued by the same By the which we pray thée to purge the grosnes of our hearing and vnderstanding that wée may euer-more profitably reade heare and vnderstand thine holy word and heauenly will And to that end O Lord beget in vs a true loue and reuerence of all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospell Giue vs melting hearts to feare and tremble at thy voyce turbing all worldly vaine and light imaginations in vs that commonly shut the doore of the heart against the effectuall passage of thy word into the same O Lord our naturall hearts are so full of rebellion and hatred of thée as that we cannot abide to hear thy voyce or know thy will All our deuotion towards thée is as the morning dew and the exercises of Christian dueties quickly become wearisome vnto vs. Giue vs grace therefore to loue thy word feruently to search the Scriptures diligently to read them humbly to vnderstand them truely to heare thy word attentiuely and to liue thereafter effectually and carefully Giue vs such measure of wisedome and discerning of spirits that among the manifold errors opinions and iudgements that are in the world wée may stand vpright and constant in thy truth taught in thy holy word O Lord sanctifie euery one of vs throughout in spirit soule and body that wée may be kept blameles till the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Strengthen our faith more and more confirme our hope increase our loue towards thée and our brethren for thy sake giue vs a feare of thy name a reuerence of thy maiesty a zeale of thy glory In time of peace and safety kéepe vs from contention oppression and cruelty In plenty and prosperity from pride vain-glory wantonnes intemperancy contempt of thee thy word thy Ministers and the poore In afflictions comfort vs that neyther we despaire nor blaspheme thy holy name but with patient thankefulnes trust in thy deliuerance And as wée daily fall into one sinne or other through humane frailty so giue vs continuall penitent hearts and spirits that wée may be sorry without desperation and trust in thy mercy without presumption That wée may more and more amend our liues and become truly religious without hypocrists lowly in heart without feigning faithfull without deceit ioyfull without lightnesse sad without distrust sober without slothfulnesse conscionable in all our dealings without gripplenesse content with that which thou sendest without couetousnesse ready to euery good worke apt to draw all men from vaine and foolish behauiour by our sober counsells godly spéeches and religious carriage To make much of them that feare God and entertaine them gladly to embrace the fellowship of the godly wise and to eschew the company of all prophane persons and despisers of them that are good to assist comfort and incourage the Ministers of thy worde in that high waighty and glorious calling to our vttermost power to gather together with them and constantly to withstand all scatterers spoylers and deuourers These vertues and graces of thy good spirit O heauenly Father like as wée acknowledge to receiue them from thée by vertue of our ingraffing into the mysticall body of thy Sonne Iesus Christ so wée beséech thée to beget to cherish preserue and increase the same in vs that wée may daily more and more be transtormed into the image of thée that hast translated vs out of darkenes into thy maruellous light and that to thy honour and glory the destruction of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and to the vtter and endlesse confusion of all Inffdells Idolaters and hypocrites that exalt and magnifie themselues against thée and thine holy ordinances And in these our weake and imperfect praiers O Lord we are not mindful of our selues alone but of the whole estate of the Catholike Church militant héere in earth and euery particular member thereof Blesse all Christian Kings and Princes that call vpon thy name and especially poure downe thy blessings vpon our dread Soueraigne whom next and immediately vnder thy selfe thou hast appointed to be our King and Gouernour Blesse him both in body and soule inrich him with all gifts necessary for so high a calling and make him long a nurcing Father in Israell Blesse him in his Quéene make her an helpe to him in all good things Blesse the young Prince and all their royall issue on this side and beyond the Seas and grant that there may not want one of that line to sit vpon this throne so long as the Sun and Moone endureth Blesse all his Maiesties most honourable priuy Counsell be thou present with them in all their Counsells and president ouer all their consultations that whatsoeuer they intend or doe may be to thy glory the honour of the King and comfort of thy people Blesse al Iudges Magistrates giue them thy heauenly grace indifferently to execute iustice to the punishment of wickednes and vice and to the maintenance of god inesse and vertue Blesse all the Ministers of thy word and Sacraments thou that art Lord of the haruest thrust forth many faithfull and painfull labourers that may féede thy people with knowledge and vnderstanding And giue to all thy people humble loyall and obedient hearts to thy Gospell with loue and reuerence to the Ministers thereof whom thou hast appointed to be the Shepheards Teachers and Gouernours of their souls in thy roome and place till thy comming to iudgement at the last day Moreouer we desire to render vnto thy heauenly Maiesty all hearty and possible thanks for all thy mercies and blessings bestowed on vs from the beginning of our dayes till this present time

workes is counterfeit and hypocrisie the Lord cannot abide it Esay 1. The Lord saith that their sacrifices burnt offerings incense are abhominations that their new Moones Sabaoths solemne feasts solemne dayes and assemblies are a but then and wearisomnesse neyther will he heare their prayers But they must be washed they must be purged the euill of their workes must be taken away they must cease to doe euill they must learne to doe well This was the sinne of Saul he would séeme to be a true worshipper of God offering sacrifice and therein was he diligent enough but hée was slow enough in doing the will of the Lord when hee was commaunded to slay the Amalekites man woman childe beast c. he spared the King and brought of the best of the things to sacrifice with 1 Sam. 15. 21. 22. There be aboundance of Sauls in these dayes Therefore S. Iames teacheth Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues Iam. 1. 22. Hee that looketh in the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer shall be blessed in his deede And the whole second Chapter throughout Therefore Worship without Obedience is flat hypocrisie Againe concerning ciuill honesty or morall life wherein the common Protestant resteth himselfe with contentment is odious in the sight of God without sincere worship For the frame of mans heart is euill continually Gen. 8. 21. how good soeuer he séeme to be to himselfe and others that cannot discerne betwéene naturall and spirituall life but make a confusion of both vnder an outward profession or rather bare name and title All our righteousnes is as a menstrous cloth Esay 64. 6. and Iob saith Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse Iob 144 vaine therefore are the supposed good works of Papists séeing that they worship not God rightly and as vaine are the workes of vaine-glorious worldlings séeing that they worship not God truely Therefore worship and obedience must go together procéeding from a right fountaine that is from an humble and obedient heart purged from hypocrisie by a working faith and vnfeigned repentance from sanctified affections and a good conscience This is onely acceptable to God and those actions obedience that procéed from this fountaine though stayned with many wants and imperfections God accepteth as pure the impurity not being imputed Psal 32. 1. 2. Furthermore there be sundry reasons why that God heareth the godly namely those that worship him sincerely and doe his will First because that they being redéemed from the bondage of sinne are the sonnes of God they haue the spirit of adoption or of ingenuous and frée-borne sonnes by which they both know God acknowledge God to be their God and loue God their Father and consequently call vpon him Prayers procéeding from a prophane heart doe not pierce the heauens but those which come from Gods owne spirit therefore S. Paul saith Ephes 6. 18. Pray alwaies with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit And Rom. 8. 26. The spirit maketh request for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed Such holy motions and rauishments doth the spirit of God worke in our hearts as that wée are not able to expresse the same in words but with sighes euen as when words faile vs wée vse to declare our mindes by gestures Such prayers come as it were immediately from the spirit with little vse of mans discourse and phantasie and no vse of the tongue Esau prayed with wéeping eyes but with a prophane heart therefore he is not heard The Pharises make long prayers with an hypocriticall heart therefore they are not heard But Moses prayed onely in minde and his desire is heard Exod. 14. 15. Yea the Lord accepted his prayer as much as if he had earnestly cryed therefore the Lord sayd to him Why cryest thou Goe forward with the people So Anna prayed in her heart with submisse and vnperfect words which caused Eli to thinke that shée was drunke 1 Sam. 1. 13. Therefore the Lord heard her And hence it is that the Apostle bids vs pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17. For with the heart minde or spirit a man may pray alway This teacheth vs in praying to pray for the spirit of Prayer Secondly the Lord heareth the godly because they alone being taught by the word and spirit doe pray aright As Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit for hee maketh request for the Saints according to the will of God both teaching them what to pray for and how to pray Which prayers the Lord accepteth as S. Iohn teacheth This is the assurance that wee haue of him that if we aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs. An example héereof 1 King 3. 9. 10. Because Salomon prayed not for riches nor for long life nor the life of his enemies but that a wise and vnderstanding heart might be giuen him to iudge the Lords people righteously therefore it pleased the Lord and he granted his prayers Thus our Sauiour Christ prayed Not my will but thy will be done Thirdly the Lord heareth the godly because they are truely penitent and sorrowfull for sinne and therefore come into the presence of God clad with the righteousnesse of Christ Psalm 51. 17. The sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O Lord wilt thou not despise Psal 28. 7. Praised be the Lord for he hath heard the voyce of mine humble petitions Our Sauiour Christ calleth onely such vnto him Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are heauy laden and I will ease you For the Lord hath annointed mee to binde vp the broken hearted Esay 61. 1. Therefore the poore Publicane confessing his sinnes with a penitent and sorrowfull spirit is heard before the Pharisée iustifying himselfe by his workes Luke 18. Fourthly the Lord heareth the godly because they pray feruently I am 5. 16. The praier of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent Heereby two things are specially necessary in Prayer First a man must be a righteous man Hée is righteous that by faith is ingraffed into the righteous Iesus Christ and in him bringeth forth fruits of thankefull obedience to God Secondly he must pray feruently that is to say seriously or with earnest desire For this feruency argueth that a man praieth in the spirit which ouercommeth the dulnes and drowsines of the flesh which quencheth and oppresseth the spirit This wée may sée in the heauy and sléepy Disciples Matth. 26. 40. though they had a willingnesse and desire to watch and to pray yet the flesh quelled and dulled the spirit Secondly feruency argueth the necessity of the thing that wée pray for Wée most of all and most earnestly pray for that which wée haue most néede of Thirdly feruency argueth Faith in Gods power that hée is able to helpe and in his goodnesse that hée is willing and ready to helpe For this