Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	form_n	prayer_n	use_v	5,241	5	6.1492	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40668	Good thoughts in worse times consisting of personall meditations, Scripture observations, meditations on the times, meditations on all kind of prayers, occasionall meditations / by Tho. Fuller ...	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1647 (1647)	Wing F2436; ESTC R7345	37,840	250

Needfull for some Namely for such who as yet have not attained what all should endeavour to pray extempore by the Spirit But as little children to whom the plainest and evenest Roome at first is a Labarinth are so ambitious of going an-hye-lone that they scorne to take the guidance of a Forme or Bench to direct them but will adventure by themselves though often to the cost of a knock and a fall So many confesse their weaknes in denying to confesse it who refuseing to be beholden to a set-forme of Prayer preferre to fay non-sence rather then nothing in their extempore Expressions More modesty and no le●e Piety it had been for such men to have prayed longer with Set-formes that they might pray better without them XII The same againe IT is no base and beggerly shift arguing a narrow and necessitous heart but a peice of holy and heavenly Thrist often to use the same Prayer againe Christs Practice is my Directory herein who the third time said the same * words A good Prayer is not like a Stratagem in Warre to be used but once No the oftener the better The cloathes of the Israelites whilst they wandered fortie yeares in the Wildernesse never waxed old as if made of Perpetuano indeed So a good Prayer though often used is still fresh and faire in the Eares and Eyes of Heaven Despaire not then thou simple Soule who hast no exchange of Raiment whose Prayers cannot appeare every day at heavens Court in new cloaths Thou maist be as good a Subject though not so great a Gallant coming alwayes in the same sute Yea perchance the very same which was thy Fathers and Grand-Fathers before thee a well composed Prayer is a good Heire-toome in a family may hereditarily bedescended to many Generations But know thy comfort thy Prayer is well know to he●ven to it which it is a co●stant customer Onely adde new or new degrees of old affections thereunto and it will be acceptable to God thus repaired as if new erected XIII Mixt-Prayers MIxt-Prayers are a methodicall composition no casuall confusion of extempore and Premeditate Prayers put together Wherein the Standers still are the same and the essentiall Parts confession of sin begging of Pardon craving grace for the future thanking God for former Favours c. like the Bones of the Prayer remaine alwayes unaltered Whilst the moveable petitions like the flesh Colour of thy Prayers are added abridged or altered as Gods Spirit adviseth and enableth us according to the emergencies of present occasions In the Mid-land-Sea Galleys are found to be most usefull which partly runne on the Legges of Oares and partly flye with the Wings of Sailes whereby they become serviceable both in a wind and in a calme Such the conveniency of mixtprayer wherein infused and acquired graces meet together and men partly move with the brea the of the holy Spirit partly row on by their owne Industry Such medley prayers are most usefull as having the stedinesse of premeditate and the activity of extemporary prayer joyned together XIIII Take your company along IT is no disgrace for such who have the guift and grace of Extemporary prayer sometimes to use a set-set-forme for the benefit and behoof of others Iaacob though he could have marched on a man's pace yet was carefull not to over-drive the children and Eewes * big with young Let Ministers remember to bring up the R●re in their Congregations that the meanest may goe along with them in their Devotions God could have created the World ex tempore in a moment but was pleased as I may say ' to make it premediatly in a set-method of six dayes Not for his own Ease but our Instruction that our Heads and Hearts might the better keep pace with his Hands to behold and consider his Workmanship Let no man disdaine to set his owne nimblenesse backward that others may goe along with him Such degrading ones-selfe is the quickest proceeding in Piety when men preferre the edification of others before their owne credit and esteeme XV Prayer must be Quotidian AMongst other Arguments inforceing the necessity of Daily-Prayer this not the least that Christ injoynes us to petition for dayly Bread New-Bread we know is best and in a spirituall sense our Bread though in it selfe as stale and moldie as that of the Gibeonites is every day new because a new and hot blessing as I might say is dayly beg'd and bestowed of God upon it Manna must dayly be gathered not provisionally be hoorded up God expects that men every day addresse themselves unto him by petitioning him for sustenance How contrary is this to the Common-practice of many As Camells in Sandy-Countries are said to drink but once in seven dayes and then in praesens praeteritum futurum for time past present and to come so many fumble this last 〈◊〉 next Weekes devotion all in a prayer Yea some deferre all their praying till the last day Constantine had a conceite that because Baptisme wash't away all sinns he would not be baptized till his Death-bed that so his soule might never loose the purity thereof but immediately mount to Heaven But sudden Death preventing him he was not baptized at all as some say or onely by an Arrian Bishop as others a●irme If any erroniously on the same supposition put off their Prayers to the last let them take heed least long delayed at last they prove either none at all or none in effect XVI The Lords Prayer IN this age wee begin to think meanely of the Lords Prayer Oh how basely may the Lord think of our Prayers Some will not forgive the Lords prayer for that passage therein as we forgive them that trespasse against us Others play the witches on this prayer Witches are reported amongst many other hellish Observations whereby they oblige themselves to Satan to say the Lords prayer backwards Are there not many who though they doe not pronounce the syllables of the Lords prayer retrograde their discretion will not suffer them to be betraied to such a non-sence sin yet they transpose it in effect desiring their Dayly-Bread before Gods Kingdom come preferring temporall benefits before heavenly blessings Oh if every one by this marke should be tryed for a Witch how hard would it goe with all of us Lamiarum plena sunt omnia XVII All Best AT the siedge and takeing of New-Carthage in Spaine there was dis●ention betwixt the Souldiers about the Crown Murall due to him who first footed the Walles of the City Two pretended to the Crown Parts were taken and the Roman Army siding in factions was likely to fall foule and mutually fight against it selfe Scipio the Generall prevented the danger by providing two Murall * Crownes giving one to each who claimed it affirming that on the examination of the prooffes both did appeare to him at the same instant to climb the wall O let us not set severall kinds of Prayers at varience betwixt themselves

Promise Pro●ably the same in sense ●ut certainely more elegant for composure the● this verse with commo● credulity hath taken up Parce precor Genitor posthac non versisicabo Father on me pitty take Verses I no more will make When I so solemnely promise my Heavenly Father to sinne no more I sinne in my very promise my weake prayer● made to procure my pardon increase my guiltinesse O the dulnesse and deadnesse of my heart therein I say my prayers as the * Iewes eate the ●ssover in haste And ●hereas in bodily Acti●s motion is the cause 〈◊〉 heate cleane contra● the more speed I make in my prayers the ●older I am in my De●otion XII Monarchy and mercy ●N reading the Roman whilst under Consulls 〈◊〉 Belgick Historie of the ●nited Provinces I re●ember not any ca●itall offender being ●ondemned ever forgiven●ut alwayes after Sentence followes executio● It seemes that the ve● constitution of a mul● tude is not so inclina● to save as to destro● Such Rulers in Aristocr● cies or Popular State● cannot so properly 〈◊〉 called GODS becau● though having the gre●Attributes of a Deity● Power and Iustice the● want or wil● not use then 〈◊〉 god-like property of GODS clemen● to forgive May I dye in that Government under which was borne where a M●narch doth comman●Kings where they se●●use have gratiously ●anted pardons to men ●pointed to death ●rein the lively Image 〈◊〉 GOD to whom belongs 〈◊〉 and * forgive●sse And although I ●ill endeavour so to be●ve my selfe as not to ●ed my Soveraignes fa●ur in this kind yet be●use none can warrant ●s Innocency in all ●ings it is co● fortable ●ing in such a common●ealth where Pardons●retofore on occasion ●ve been and hereaf● may be procured XIII What helps not hurt A vaine thought are in my heart insta●ly my corruption ●taines it selfe to be 〈◊〉 Advocate for it plea●ding that the worst the could be said against 〈◊〉 was this that it was Vaine thought And is not this the b● that can be said for 〈◊〉 Remember O my sou● the * Fig tree was char●ed not with bearing no●ous but no fruit Yea● barren Fig-tree bare 〈◊〉 fruit of Annoyance Cut it downe why cumbreth it the groun● vain thoughts doe this ill in my heart that they doe no good ●esides the ●ig-tree Pester'd but one part of of the Garden good Grapes might grow at the same time in other Places of the Vineyard But seeing my Soule is so intent on its object that it cannot attend two things at once one Tree for the time being is all my Vineyard A vaine Thought engrosseth all the Ground of my heart till that be rooted out no good meditation can grow with it or by it XIIII Alwayes seen never minded In the most healthfull times two hundred and upwards was the constant weekely tribute paied to mortality in London A Large Bill but it must be discharged Can one City spend according to this weekely rate and not be Bankerupt of People At least wise must not my short be called for to make up the reckoning When onely seven young-men and those chosen * by Lot were but yearely taken out of Athens to be devoured by the monster Minotaure the whole Citty was in a constant fright children for themselves and parents for their children Yea their escaping of the first was but an introduction to the next yeares Lottery Were the dwellers and lodgers in London weekly to cast Lotts who should make up this two hundred how would every one be affrighted Now none regard it My security concludes the aforesaid number will amount of Infants and old folke Few men of middle age and amongst them surely not my selfe But oh is not this putting the evill day far from me the ready way to bring it the nearest to me The Lot is weakly drawn though not by mee for mee I am therefore concerned seriously to provide lest that deaths Price prove my Blanke XV Not whence but whither FInding a bad thought in my heart I disputed in my selfe the cause thereof whether it proceeded from the Devil or my owne corruption examining it by those Signes Divines in this case recommended 1. Whether it came in incoherently or by dependance on some object presented to my senses 2. Whether the thought was at full age at the first instant or infant-like grew greater by degrees 3 Whether out or in the road of my naturall● inclination But hath not this Inquiry more of curiosity then Religion Hereafter derive not the Pedigree but make the mittimus of such Malefactors Suppose a confederacy betwixt Theeves without and false servants within to assault and wound the Master of a family thus wounded would he discuss from which of them his hurts proceeded No surely but speedily send for a Surgeon before he bleed to death I will no more put it to the Question whēce my bad thoughts come but whither I shall send them least this curious controversy insensibly betray mee into a consent unto them XVI Storme steere on THe Mariners sayling with St. Paul bare up bravely against the Tempest whilst either Art or industry could befriend them Finding both to faile and that they could not any loner be are up into the winde they even let their Ship drive I have indeavoured in these distemperate times to hold up my spirits and to steere them steddily An happy peace here was the port wherat I desired to arive Now alasse the Storme growes to s●urdy for the Pilot. Hereafter all the skill I will use is no skill at all but even let my ship saile whither the winds send it Noahs Arke was bound for no other Port but preservation for the present that Sh● being all the Harbour not intending to find land but to sloat on water May my Soule though not sailing to the desired Haven onely be kept from sinking in sorrow This comforts mee that the most weather-beaten Vessell cannot properly be seized on for a Wrack which hath any quick cattle remaining therein My spirits are not as yet forfeited to despaire having one lively spark of hope in my heart because God is even where he was before 17. Wit-out-Witted IOab chid the man unknown in Scripture by his name well knowne for his wisedome fo● not killing Absalon when hee saw him hanged in the Tree promising him for his paines ten shekles and a girdle But the man having the Kings command to the contrary refused his proffer Well hee knew that politick Stats men would have dangerous designes fetcht out of the fire but with other mens fingers His G●rdle promised might in payment prove an haltar Yea hee added moreover that had hee kild Absalon Joab himself * would have set himselfe against him Satan daily solicits me to sinne point blancke against Gods Word baiting me with profers best pleasing my corruption If I consent he who last tempted first * accuseth me The fauning Spannnell turnes a fierce Lion and roareth out my faults