Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	ghost_n	holy_a	paul_n	7,516	5	6.4255	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94266	A vvarning-piece for the slumbring virgins. Or, An alarm to the friends of the bridegroom, in some awakening meditations upon Christ's own watch-word, Matth. 26.41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, &c. / By Geo: Scortreth, preacher of the Gospel in Lincoln.	Scortreth, George, b. 1612 or 13.	1657 (1657)	Wing S937; Thomason E1638_3; ESTC R209055	57,932	207

All 's dead in a manner here there 's no breathing almost Oh what a distempered distracted spirit in prayer where no watch is kept what aversions from it what diversions in it How will the heart wander up and down and give us the slip if not watched What strange withdrawings misgivings of spirit when we draw nigh to give up our hearts to the Lord what a croud of confused thoughts in a sleepie heart weak and low graces are soon lost in it 'T is such a thorow-fare for Sctans suggestions that Christ has little or no room there Now a watchfull Spirit will be sure to shut the door against all these that Christ may have all to himself the heart must be kept as a closet for him and the Soul to meet in 4. In point of Receptivitie watchfullnesse puts a Soul into a capacitie to take in much from God by prayer as to be much at it and to do much in it so to get much by it God will be ever giving to that Soul that gives it self unto prayer A man that is all prayer to allude to the expression in the original whose heart is all upon it Psa 109 4. Heb. as Davids must needs be a getting growing man hee drives so thriving a trade thoroughly Now there 's none better at it then awakened hearts and so none fitter to wait 1. For supply and support in prayer Spiritual supplications cannot be carryed on but by the supply of the Spirit of Jesus-Christ which Paul reckoned so comfortably on Phil. 1.19 these sweet spices will not flow without the breathings of the holy Ghost It 's well known to an awakened Soul that we cannot think a good thought of our selves 'T is onely Gods good Spirit that can teach us to indite good matter Psa 45.1 Hebr. his quicknings make our Spirits as a living Spring to buble up and boyle over in fervent prayer Isa 6.6 when he touches the lips with a living coale as one of the Seraphims did the Prophet Isaiah then our tongues will be like the pens of a readie writer Rom. 8.26 Gr. An experienced Christian when awake feeles at his heart he cannot help up himself in prayer and therefore he waites for the Spirit to help his infirmities he knows not how to turn his hand or heart to the work without an helping hand from Heaven at every turn and therefore he waits and weeps for the Spirit to help him out with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered and though he have no strength of his own yet he has power with God having power from God 2. For successe and satisfaction after Prayer He that watches unto prayer and in it will wait for the return of prayer day after day as Noah did for the Dove till it returned with an Olive leaf in its mouth when he has sowen in tears he waits for the precious fruits of a spiritual harvest till he reap in joy he looks long and longingly after his prayers and tears with an open eye and heart hee 's ever and anon hearkening what the Lord will say after all his speaking to him and pleading with him by a spirit of supplication he must hear and feel at his heart that God hears in heaven when he has done praying his faith is as busie with God at his promises as the Bee at flowers and will not have done till prayer comes home laden with honey Thus poor beggars that have the skill of waiting in prayer and after it get a good living by it 't is a good stock that brings in great store of new and old Now a slothfull spirit has no heart at all to look after his prayers that had no heart in them they die in the birth and are still-born how can he expect God should hear those prayers which he scarce hears himself They make no noyse in heaven and there can be no good newes of them on earth they 'l find Gods ear heavy who find their hearts so whereas a watchfull heart may reckon much of the incoms of prayers and shall have a good account of them one day Secondly Prayer helps to keep up our Watch it cannot fall down while Prayer is up with faith and fervency 1. It helps up a Christians Watch and keeps it up as it brings in the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleeps to help us to watch The prayer of faith crys loud in his ears and awakens him to a waken us it followes him as for life to quicken up our spirits to this spirituall Watch It has power with God and fetches power from him to strengthen weak hands and feeble knees Isa 40.31 in this holy duty Prayer upon the wings of faith will fetch down Eagles wings in a promise to mount up with in this high and heavenly exercise of waiting on the Lord and watching for him Watching is hard work and long duty and alas we are soon tyred out in any thing of spiritual duty especially if any thing of difficulty in it we are ready at every turn to lie down to rest Now lively prayer stirres up the Lord to stirre us up It will set him awork at our hearts and his heart-workings are heartawakenings while we are knocking at the gates of Heaven and jogging as it were of Christs elbow by stirring and strong cryes his spirit will be knocking at the door of our hearts and jogging our spirits to keep them awake Let a poor heart but cry in the Ears of the Lord and it shall hear a voyce from heaven behind it yea within it saying Arise my Love and come away c. 2. Prayer helps in watching Psal 121. as it engages the Lord to watch over our watchings without whom all our watchings would be in vain he keeps a strict watch over his waiting servants day and night for he neither slumbers nor sleeps Alas we cannot keep our souls alive nor our heart awake but prayer takes the Lord into the Watch-tower with us and he sets a guard upon our hearts a watch before our lips c. Hee 's a tower of salvation to his people and keeps them as in a garrison by his own power 1 Pet. 1.5 while they are upon his Watch and at his Work The Watch must needs be safely and sweetly kept where Jesus Christ is Captain of the Guard we should be certainly surprized even upon our spiritual Watch by those spiritual wickednesses in high places who are too high and too many for us Were we not set upon the Rock that is higher then we Psal 61.2 that is higher then they the Rock Christ we should be taken as naked men even at our arms did not the Captain of our Salvation watch with us and over us now Christs waiting-servants are ever calling him in by the prayer of Faith to keep up their Watch for them by watching over them 1 Sam. 28.2 Achish to David their effectual prayers lay strong hands

As iron sharpneth iron so doth the face of a man his friend Watchful servants will be calling off the slumbring ones from beds of security they will be whetting up the dull and lazie spirits of others who have a good edge upon their own Amongst sluggish Christians 't is a thousand to one you 'l grow sleepy too for company Sluggards will infect one another with the sleepy Evill they 'l lay a Cushion for you to sit dovvn by them and take your fill of this false rest There 's no spiritual noyse amongst them nor heavenly nevves no heart-awakening words All 's either finfull silence or smooth words hushing one another asleep with their soft language Livelesse Christians are like dying coals which deadden one another till there be never a coal to warm at Oh then if thou wouldst have a Watchfull spirit in this slumbring age look after communion in spirit with the most quick and lively-spirited Saints heavenly sparks that are ever flying upward as to their proper Region they will be warm avvakening enlivening company being well heated by the fire of the Spirit for luke-warm drowsie livelesse Christians 5. Be ever setting on work avvakening Graces by the assistance of the Spirit of Grace Stir up the Graces of Christ that are most stirring 2 Tim. 1.6 and they 'l stir up thee quicken thee and set thee on fire as sparks blown up c As 1. Lively Faith This is the new Creatures eye quicker then the Eagles excellent at Watching 'T is the spiritual mans Secr and the overseer of his watchings and workings If this active grace be at work it will keep the heart awake the Watch cannot fall down whilest Faith is up It 's a very busie grace which will keep us from sleeping if it sleep not Faith will be daily improving avvakening Providences quickening ordinances melting mercies searching tryals It will be ever taking in awakening considerations of the majestie of the Creatour the mutabilitie of the Creature of Mortalitie Eternitie c It will be presenting awakening manifestations of the unconceiveable love of God the incomparable lovelinesse of Christ the admirable beauty of holinesse the unspeakable blessednesse of Heaven It will be looking out at the eye to see the King in his beauty listning at care to heare that voyce which his companions heare waiting at heart to welcome his Spirit there Faith is all life full of Spirit a quick Spring which will set all on motion 'T will set the whole man on work and actuate every habit of grace Its operations are full of efficacie and varietie upward inward outward it has a large sphere of activitie Oh could we live the life of Faith at a higher rate how lively should we be how watchfull 2. Warme Love It 's all heart and heat there 's a flame in it which will enliven and awaken the most drowsie and heavie heart There 's much life in love much action in this affection it 's activitie will keepe thee from securitie Love is good at watching it will sit up long for the Beloved It cannot rest till he rest in his love upon it Zeph. 3.17 it would not sleepe with its good will till it may lie in his bosom Psa 127.2 and there it may rest safely and sweetly when he gives his Beloved sleep Love will wait and watch long endure much hard duty is easie to it as Jacob's service for Rachel Love lyes with eyes and heart open too as loath to shut out Christ at either It will wait long and longingly for a look of his eye a kisse from his mouth the breathings of his love An heart toucht with Christs love cannot rest as the needle touched with the Loadstone but when and where it should Love has a single eye and will watch well 't is clear and quick as the Doves it will spie out its Beloved Cant. 4.9 and pierce his heart Oh could we but love much we should watch much and wait to meet our Beloved at every turn Cant. 7.12 in his garden in his banqueting-house in his vineyards to give up our loves to him Earnest love will be early and late at work and watch for Jesus Christ 3. Holy Fear It will keep strict watch and strong guard for fear of surprisall It is a wary and watchful grace and cannot endure to be taken at unawares It 's ever attended with a godly jealousie which will marvellously prevent carnal security Indeed they that have not this fear of God before their eyes and upon their hearts they 'l cloze their eyes stop their ears harden their hearts and grow carelesse and secure as the men of Laish even till fearfulnesse and trembling come upon them and they of all others are in greatest danger of the fear and the snare who fear least the deepest fear-lesse security will bring on the heaviest fearful calamity Oh then let all the servants of the Lord watch over their own hearts lest they forsake the fear of the Almighty and he leave them to a common carelesse fearlesse spirit and they be insensibly overtaken with spiritual security Isa 8.12 13. Oh Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself let him be your fear let him be your dread that you may neither fear their fear nor be afraid And indeed the more full thine heart is possessed with a filial reverential fear of that glorious and fearful Name The Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 the lesse wilt thou be disquieted with false heart-tormenting Feares and Cares Blessed is he that feareth alwayes he will be alwayes upon his Watch to the preventing of much sin and sorrow slumbring and wandring sensuality and security 4. Heavenly Joy 'T is very enlivening and heart-awakening Like that of the best wine Cant. 7.9 which goes down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Where the spirit can rejoyce comfortably in the Lord there his work will go on merrily his Watch will be kept chearfully such a soul can sing in the wayes of the Lord and upon his watch even at midnight as Paul and Silas Act. 16.25 Whereas an heavy heart drives heavily in all its watchings and workings Job's soon out of heart and cryes What a wearinesse and Why should I wait on the Lord any longer Every Command is grievous to one that is grieved in spirit and every word and work though easie seems a burthen to one that is a burthen to himself Now Spiritual Joy is like aqua coelestis it will recover a languishing swooning spirit This refined wine drunk out of the cup of salvation is full of quickening spirits and will make a Christian hearty spiritfull and watchful They that suck and are satisfied with the breasts of consolation as they are cast into a sweet and sound sleep in the arms of Christ so they will cast off sinful sluggish security 6. Let Watching and Prayer go hand in hand and they will lend an helping hand to one another they are

we have refused the cleare counsel and pure comforts of the holy-Holy-Ghost in the day of his gracious visitation what strong delusions and strange declinings to the right hand or the left since we have forsaken the guide of our spirits 3. Watch your spiritual enemies they watch us Luk. 4.13 as Satan did Christ when the Tempter is gone and his temptation seemes to be quite over he does but watch another season and therefore we must watch in season and out of season As Nehemiah and the people of God with him did with Sanballat and the enemies of God Neh. 4.7.8.9 they prayed and set a watch day and night the enemie was very wroth and they were very watchfull a sword in one hand when at work with the other So should we at this day watch at the Lords work Watch and Pray watch and heare watch and speak c 'T is very seasonable that counsell of the mightie Counsellour Take heed no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ deceive many Oh how much are we concerned in that blessed caution upon whom the ends of the World are come Math. 24.4 5 11 24 25. How affectionate and importunate was Paul the aged and experienced in warning the people night and day and that with teares to beware of such as should seeke to withdraw them from the Gospel of Christ Do not spiritual dangers multiply upon us every day whiles we are under a Spirit of slumbring securitie from our soul-enemies and that on every side Oh what need of the whole Armour of God on the right hand and on the left what need of a diligent spiritual watch over our heads and hearts words and wayes teachings and hearings Oh gather up your spiritual forces every day and call in auxiliaries from Heaven and follow the Captain of your salvation Watching and Praying as the armour-bearer did Jonathan climbing upon heads and feet contend eamestly for the faith which was once given to the Saints and as you 're fighting the good fight of faith be ever looking up to Jesus 1 Pet. 1.5 and you shall be kept as in a Garrison so the word imports by his power through faith unto salvation 4. Watch over and for one another for good in an evil time 't is very seasonable to be knocking at one anothers doores and jogging at each others elbowes in the Spirit of meeknesse to keep as many awake as you can in this slumbring time through the good hand of God upon you and surely they whose hearts are awakened in such a day as this by the Lords speaking from heaven to them cannot keep silence but must be speaking to their brethren in the name of the Lord saying awake awake As our hearts should dwell much upon awakening meditations so our mouths should be filled with awakening salutations and exhortations when we meet with the servants of Christ as it was with the lively Christians in the primitive times saying behold he comes like a thief and The Judge standeth at the door and the like When so many watch one anothers haltings let us watch to be helpers of one anothers faith and joy by provoking one another to Watching and Prayer when many fellow-servants are smiting one another with words of violence and verulency let us smite one another with words of truth soberness and the deeper they pierce the heart in the Spirit of Love the better could we hit one another o' th heart-vein 't would be a mercy Oh that the righteous would thus smite one another with gracious words of reproof to restore one another and all in much mutual soul-love what a kindness would this be Such precious oyntments would not break the head but mollifie and meeken the heart Such wounds would be welcome from the hand of a friend Alas we complain every where of the Saints slumbring wandring and wantonnesse 't were better we turned our complaints inward and left them upon our selves that we do not stir up one another to Watching and Prayer we do but bear one another as burthens upon our spirits when we should beare one anothers burthens and help at a dead lift as with one shoulder we see poore Christians in a dead sleep on every hand and we lie dying by them but who calls upon them to be watchfull and strengthen the things that are readie to die Rev. 3.2 How many have our eyes beheld lying as a man asleep upon the top of a Mast and floods of temptation under them too prov 7.23.34 readie to swallow them up but how few have we laboured to awaken to this day 2 Sam. 16.17 may we not reflect upon our selves in the words of Absalom to Hushai Is this our kindnesse to our friends Is this nothing to you all ye that passe by do you not take notice how many foolish Virgins lie slum-bring and languishing upon beds of sensualitie and securitie and the house readie to be set on fire over their heads and do you take no care to awaken them would it not pitty your very heart to see the flames seize upon them while they are asleep How long has the keeper of Israel watched over them and kept them as the apple of his eye notwithstanding all their slumbrings and wandrings and does he not expect think you that you should be your brethrens keeper for his sake and cry unto them in all haste to prepare to meet him least he withdraw the wing of his protection from them and leave them naked if you see your brethren sleeping starving dying and shut up the bowels of your compassions from them in such a case how dwels the love of God in you And if you say 't is not in mans power to awaken anothers heart who cannot awaken his own can a man raise the dead T is true the low voyce of a weak man can never make those hearts heare which can sleep under the loud thundrings of Heaven why but can you weep over them as the Jewes did over Lazarus in his grave yea can feelingly sigh over them saying Can these drie bones live Who shall roul away the stone and open their graves why he that is the resurrection and the life can awaken them out of the deepest sleep and quicken them with a word of his mouth If Jesus will but groan in Spirit with you and say awake arise come forth the dead shall heare his voyce and live You cannot lift up their sleepie hearts no alas they are too heavie for you but cannot you lift up a prayer for them If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death he shall ask 1 Ioh. 5.16 and he shall give him life what high encouragement is here to praying-souls to lift up their voice on high for such as are sinning and sleeping in sin almost to death oh then if the Spirit of prayer were raised again from the dead as one may say what blessed