Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	flesh_n	life_n	spiritual_a	7,689	5	7.0313	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09491	An inuitation vnto prayer, and the practise of piety, directing the way to true happinesse Wherein is principally to be considered, these foure things. 1. What prayer vnto God is. 2. The necessity of it. 3. The profit we receiue by this holy exercise. 4. The maner and vse of it.	Perrott, James, Sir, 1571-1637.	1624 (1624)	STC 19774; ESTC S100356	25,890	144

disgraces IT is iust with thee O Lord and I haue iustly deserued that thou shouldest send me some wants and small disgraces after thou hast giuen me prosperitie plenty and sufficiencie when not vsing thy blessings well and neglecting the meanes thou hast affoorded for my maintainance I am faln from that I had which was sufficient to want some things for my necessary vse And yet my wants are not so great as my sinnes are or as they haue deserued Since then howsoeuer my estate or my estimation is in this world I do beseech thee graunt me patience to beare this or whatsoeuer crosse it pleaseth thee to lay vpon mee and to acknowledge that I my selfe am the cause of it And so when thou hast brought me home vnto thy self by the acknowledgement of my selfe and of my sinnes comfort me againe according to thy eternall wisedome that I bee neyther dismaide with aduersitie or puffed vp with prosperity but if it be thy good pleasure that pouerty shall still pursue mee prepare me with patience to beare this crosse though hard for flesh and blood yet once obtaining the victorie by thy sole strength ouer this inward enemy my infirmities sticking closest vnto me I may possesse my soul in peace and whatsoeuer becomes of my worldly estate the spiritual state of my soul may be safe I saued thorow thy abundant mercies Amen A Prayer in time of sicknesse MOst gracious Father we confesse and wee are driuen to confesse wee haue deserued plagues pestilence and other sicknesses whereto we are subiect of our selues aswell by the naturall infection of our bodies whereby one taketh contagion from another as by our spirituall pollutions whereby our sinnes being the inward festring sores doe ascend vnto the Tribunall in heauen calling and crying for vengeance on the earth on the sonnes of men the inhabitants and Rulers of the earth The effects of this good Lord we haue often and visibly seene though wee doe not well consider the cause Wee feele the stroke but do not see the hand that strikes neither do we well weigh what moues that hand to bee stretched out agaynst vs. Now the sicknesse thou hast sent vs makes vs to looke somewhat about vs and to feel that which our flesh can easily find paine anguish aches torments comming from the body to the mind But O Lord we are not so sensible of that which concernes the sicknesse of the soule Yet in this time of our visitation whilest paine and perill doth oppresse vs teach vs to take this as an information of our infirmities heale vs good Lord inwardly in the diseases of our soules and keepe vs from those corruptions of our naturall affections which draws vs vnto fond desires with false and foolish appetites the procurers of these our bodily diseases O Lord yet cleanse vs within from our sins and then we shal be cured from our corporall sicknes but if it be thy blessed will to continue this Contagion yet comfort and support vs during the time of sicknesse Make thou good Lord our beddes and bodies such as may make vs able to vndergo our sickenesse comfort vs with the inward consolation of thy holy Spirit when cold heat coniunction or succession of either comes then O Lord in the time of extremity whilest Na●u●e is distempred our bodi●s dis●ased our minds distracted betwixt feare of death danger of our estate care of our children friends kindr●d and family wee may y●t receyue a sweet repose from the influence of thy holy Spirit to rest content with thy good will and pleasure with a reference and relying on the same for resolution of life or of death So may wee by thy assistance say still and peaceably vnto thee in the sincerity of our owne soules We are heere now good Lord at thy disposing do with vs what thou wilt Only make vs able to bear our owne infirmities and thy visitations with faith help vs in the time of this wea●nesse and danger of this disease if thou giue life graunt amendment of life If thou appoint death grant vs preparation for our dissolution Repentance for our sinnes and a ioyfull assurance of thy mercies the bodie is weake the flesh trem●les the Spirit is troubled O thou the giuer of life and the disposer of death whē sense is dull or distracted infuse thy Spirit to temper it and to turne vs vnto thee dispose our harts so that whither life or death do come they may bee alike welcome vnto vs and we may entertaine either according to thy good wil and pleasure Arme vs against the feare of death if life be graunted graunt wee may leade a new life setting forth thy glory If death be designed let the period of this life bee finished in thy praises lift vp our hearts at the last gaspe And now at this instant plant in my heart faith to beleeue in thy sauing health feruencie to pray for it courage to endure the conflicts of sickenesse and of sinne and in the end a blessed death and a ioyfull resurrection thorow Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A prayer for knowledge THou O great and gracious God who art the light of our liues and the Conseruer of all sauing knowledge enlighten our vnderstanding with the true knowledge of thee of our selues and of the wayes wherein we should walke And although we can neuer in this world knowe thee as thou art being inuisible infinit in goodnesse and in greatnes yet giue vs such and so much knowledge of thee as our capacities can comprehend and thy will is to reueale Let vs attaine to so much knowledge as to see thy wonders in thy works and thy good pleasure reuealed in thy word if that which thou hast not reuealed of thy selfe let vs bee satisfied with what thou hast reuealed in thy word Of the first let our naturall inquisition of thy supernaturall power weaken or preiudice our faith And in that knowledge which thy word deliuereth let vs not be content with a weake and meane measure but couet to come vnto that knowledg which may strengthen our faith informe our consciences and reforme our liues In the knowledge of our selues teach vs to consider and know our owne weaknesse and wickednesse our frailtie and manifold infirmities our sinnes and transgressions against thy holy and heauenly Maiesty For the knowledge of our owne wayes grant vs warinesse and watchfulnes to see and finde out our faylings in the keeping of thy Commandements our feare plainly to professe thy truth thorow doubt of danger scoffe or losse the smal account we make of thy good things wee leaue vndone or do amis of the euill wee haue committed And when good Lord thou hast rightly instructed vs in the knowledg of thee by thy works and word of our selues in finding and confessing our sinnes and of our owne wayes by acknowledging them to be wandering by-paths then bring vs home vnto thee to pray vnto thee and praise thee in this life

our frailty and assist vs with his holy Spirit against such temptations Also when wee begin and after wee haue begun our prayers we must bring with vs and keepe with vs this consideration and resolution not to seeke so much temporall as spirituall blessings at Gods hands And if our necessities call vpon vs to craue temporal blessings yet let our desires be so farre limited alwayes to submit our wills to Gods heauenly will let vs begin to begge of God things spirituall before temporal blessings though both be necessary and neither to be neglected To all this must bee added Charity in pardoning offences that are committed against vs according to the president precept which our Sauiour himself hath set downe in that forme of prayer vvhich ought to be the rule of all our prayers and so reconciling our selues first by charity to our aduersaries we may come with more cleere Consciences and more acceptable sacrifice in our supplications vnto God For if wee aske forgiuenesse of our sins and do not forgiue others wee can find but little assurance to obtaine what we aske So then we see it is not fit nor safe to runne rashly vnto prayer without preparation premeditation faith repentance reconciliation and resistance of temptations CAP. VI. An entrance to Prayer HAuing prepared our mindes and our heartes for Prayer we may then most safely make our entrance into it which consisteth chiefely of these parts Inuocation Confession La●ding or Thankesgiuing Supplication Inuocation is a calling or appellation on the name of God most high Which declareth denounceth the attributes belonging to the nature of God and these doe concerne his Iustice Mercie Power his Prouidence His Iustice as a most iust God who by thy Iustice doest distribute dispose vnto all creatures all that belongs and is most fitte for them who therby dost gouerne and guide 〈…〉 and men with all that is in heauen and earth His Mercy as thus Most mercifull and gracious God whose mercy is aboue all thy other wonderfull workes in pardoning and preseruing from destruction and in sending thy Son to saue sinners The inuocation of Gods Power may bee made after this manner O God of vnspeakeable power and might which madest all things of nothing by thine owne onely word wisedome and art able at all 〈◊〉 ●●ing all this againe vnto nothing The inuocation of Gods prouidence may be in this wise O Lord God of wonderful wisedom he whose prouidence all things are preserued and from whose wisedome we haue all our knowledge and wisedom These and the like inuocations according to the appellation and declaration of Gods attributes uttered in this or the like sort may serue as some instruction to the ignorant so from Introduction and entrance into their prayer vntill by practice they bee made more perfect as the first part thereof yet to be altered amended augmented as euery mans capacity and ability shall affoord him meanes Next to Inuocation in prayer Confession hath her proper place For if we haue offended God as there is no man but dayly and hourely doth it then it is most needfull 〈◊〉 first we do confesse our selues before we ask any benifits This Confession is of two kindes the one generall the other particular That generall as when one doth declare and deplore his greeuous sinnes that hee is polluted with the same thoroughout all his parts and faculties the latter which is a mention and recitall of seuerall sinnes such as euery man may finde himselfe to bee most burdened with as those which were last committed most fresh in memory namely that this day of late I haue done these euils in thy sight I haue seduced such personnes I haue slandered my neighbour I haue in this denyed or darkened the truth I haue harbored these euil thoughts of such persons without iust cause giuen I haue followed this vaine desire affected this fond inuention presented to me by others or entertayned by my selfe I haue not withstood such an euill worke when I could haue done it I haue bene silent in such a cause when I might haue made the truth manifest And so of our seuerall sinnes either committed whereof wee may take knowledge or of necessary duties omitted which in Christian dutie wee ought to haue done when wee make faithfull confession vnto God ioyned with some repentance and the same accompanied with acknowledgement Thanksgiuing for mercies receiued are the best preparatiues in our prayers After this and the like both generall and particular confessions of our sins in prayer vnto God a lauding and a thankesgiuing for the blessings imparted vnto vs wherof we ought to be sensible and not to be silent comes next in place For it were vnseemly inconuenient and improuident to ask any new good turnes of any man before we return any shew of thankefulnesse for what good we haue receiued so would it bee as vnbeseeming and altogether as vnprofitable for mortall man to pray vnto the immortal God for any encrease of mercies before hee acknowledge those which haue beene formerly powred on him The forme of this praise and thankesgiuing may bee made after this manner We praise and magnifie thy Diuine Maiesty most glorious God for thy fauour and goodnesse extended alwayes on vs sinfull Creatures since our Creation for giuing vs vnderstanding of thee and of thy wil for preseruing maintayning and protecting vs more particularly for c. Lastly supplication or petition is to be made especially for the pardoning of our sinnes for freeing and keeping vs from falling into the same or the like againe for the obtayning of spirituall graces and of temporall necessities for the pardoning of sinnes it may bee in such like sort Thou that art the God of mercy shew mercie and compassion on me a most miserable sinner Lord let thy mercie shine aboue all thy other works Cast not thy louing countenance from me bewayling my many heynous transgressions Lord God thou seest our wantes and our weakenesse I beseech thee strengthen me in body and in health Blesse me in estate that I may be the better able to serue thee and imploy what thou shalt affoord according to thy sacred will pleasure The supplication for spirituall graces may be after this wise Though wee haue deserued no goodnes hauing done so much euill yet according to thy wonted goodnes grant vs such graces and heauenly gifts as may make vs blessed in thy sight and beloued of thy Saints Giue me a stedfast faith an humble contrite heart penitence for all my sinnes past watchfulnesse ouer my waies for time to come zeale of thine honour and glory a loue of thy truth and of such as loue the same an vnderstanding heart to discerne it constancie in following and keeping thy commandements teach me to examine mine owne heart to search it strictly to see if there yet remaine any hypocirsie or hollownesse in it Take from mee the temptations of lust vaine-glory malice sensuality