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	temple_n	7,031	5	7.9574	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20731	The Christians sanctuarie vvhereinto being retired, he may safely be preserued in the middest of all dangers. Fit for all men to read at all times, especially for those that are exercised in the schoole of affliction, in the time of Gods present visitation. Described in two bookes or treatises: I. Of the Christian exercise of fasting. II. Of holy inuocation on Gods name. By George Dovvname Doctor of Diuinitie.	Downame, George, d. 1634.	1604 (1604)	STC 7113; ESTC S117550	81,534	108

Such were their putting on of sackcloth renting their garments sitting in the ashes putting earth or ashes on their head not washing or annointing but deforming their faces looking sorrowfully hanging downe their heads going softly and such like outward signes and tokens of humiliation which were obserued both of the godly and of the hypocrites among them but with this difference that the hypocrites rested in these outward shewes without any true humiliation of their soules whereas in the godly these signes proceeded from the sorrow of the heart as vnfained testimonies thereof 8. But although that circumstance of the time was proper to that people and those ceremonies peculier to those times yet the substance of the fast which is the humbling of our soules by abstinence is a morall dutie belonging commonly to all nations in all ages for as the morall or chast fast is enjoyned in the seuenth commaundement as a meanes of chastitie to those that need that helpe so the religious fast is enjoyned in the second commandement and in the fourth In the second as it is a meanes to further vs in the worship of God and in the dutie of prayer vpon extraordinary occasion In the fourth as the time of the fast is a Sabbath of humiliation wherein we are to professe our humiliation and testifie our repentance before God for when the Lord commandeth vs to sanctifie the Sabbath he meaneth all Sabbaths not onely the ordinarie and weekly Sabbath but also the extraordinarie whether they be Sabbaths of joy and festiuitie wherein by feasting and thanksgiuing we signifie our joy and thankfulnesse for some great blessing receiued such as was that feast Nehem. 8 and the feast of Purim Esth. 9 or whether they be Sabbaths of humiliation wherein by fasting and prayer we signifie the sorrow desire of our soules in respect either of some blessing wanting or of some euill either feared or felt present or imminent such as was the fast proclaimed by Iosaphat 2. Chron. 20 or by Ezra cha 6. c. For such a fast by the commandement of God is to be sanctified and obserued holy as a Sabbath euen in such maner as the ordinarie Sabbath of humiliation was to be sanctified Neither is it to be omitted that Esay 58 the day of the fast seemeth to be called an acceptable day to the Lord yea his Sabbath and his holyday which euen as the ordinarie Sabbath is to be consecrated as glorious to the Lord. 9. But if to these places of the old Testament we shall add some testimonies out of the new we shall make it more than euident that the dutie of fasting belongeth vnto vs. Where first consider the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ concerning a fast Math. 6 for when he prescribeth the maner how we are to fast he presupposeth the dutie that we are to fast Neither doth hee alone require this dutie at our hands but also maketh a gracious promise of happie reward to those that shall fast aright And in the same Gospell Chapter 9 as also Luke 5 and Mar. 2 when as the Disciples of Iohn and the Phariseys tooke exception against our Sauiour Christ because they fasted but his disciples did eat and drinke he maketh answer That although during his abode with them which was a time of joy and not of mourning his disciples which were the children of the mariage chamber were not to fast and mourne whiles himselfe who was the bridegroome was among them yet the time should come when the bridegroome being taken from them as they should haue occasion of mourning so also they should fast in those dayes Againe Math. 17 our Sauiour Christ seemeth to ascribe great efficacy to the prayer of the faithful holpen by fasting affirming that that kind of vncleane spirit which by no other meanes can be cast out goeth forth by prayer and fasting In the second of Luke the holy Ghost giueth this testimonie of Anna the Prophetesse That she being in the Temple night and day worshipped God with fastings and prayers Not that fasting in it selfe is a worship of God as prayer is but onely is a meanes and helpe to further vs in the worship of God to make our prayers more feruent effectuall to which purpose Anna ioyned fasting with her prayers And hereunto let vs add the practise of the primitiue Church in the time of the Apostles In the 13. Chapter of the Acts the Prophets and teachers which were in the Church of Antioch before they sent forth Barnabas and Paul to the worke of the ministerie whereunto the holy Ghost had called them they fasted and prayed and layed their hands on them And in the fourteenth Chapter it is sayd that Paul and Barnabas when they had ordained to the faithfull elders by electioni●n euery Church hauing prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeued And to conclude the Apostle Paul testifieth of himselfe 2. Cor. 11 That as he was oft in hunger and thirst by a forced obedience so he was often also in fastings wherby this voluntarie abstinence is meant Hereby therefore it appeareth that the Christian exercise of fasting is not a will-worship nor an action which is meerely arbitrary or left to our free choise whether we will vse it or not but a dutie enjoyned and imposed vpon vs by the Lord. Wherefore in the definition I doubted not to call the religious fast An exercise of religion 10. But here it will be objected That if fasting be an exercise of religion a morall dutie not onely commanded in the morall law of God which bindeth all men but also commended vnto vs in the Gospell both by the doctrine of the holy Ghost and also by the practise of the faithfull in the primitiue Church then it may seeme that so oft as we do not fast we sinne c. I answer that affirmatiue commandements though they bind vs alwayes yet do they not bind vs to performe them alwayes and at all times but as just occasion is offered together with a concurrencie of all needfull circumstances as for example we are alwayes bound to pray namely as we haue just occasion to begge any thing at the hands of God and may do it in some measure as it ought to be done but we are not bound to pray alwayes and to do nothing else And although we are alwayes in this life bound to fast yet are we not bound to fast either alwayes or so oft as we are bound to pray for we are to pray ordinarily euerie day and also extraordinarily as occasion is offered but we are not to fast ordinarily and euerie day but vpon speciall and extraordinary occasion And that we are not bound to joyne fasting with the ordinarie exercise of prayer it is manifest by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Cor 7 where he would haue the husband and the wife who are ordinarily to pray

But here we are to take great heed that our expostulation be an holy fruit of a liuely faith lest if it proceed frō want of patience it do degenerat into murmuring against God 34. The other thing which must concurre with deprecation is confession of our sinnes which is both profitable and necessarie in these respects First that God in his judgements may be justified And to that purpose it is verie expedient that the praise of the Lord may appeare more glorious and the sinnes which we confesse more grieuous to make a rehearsall as of our sinnes so also of Gods benefits towards vs notable examples whereof we haue Nehem. 9. from the fift verse vnto 36. and Ezr. 9.6 Secondly that judging our selues we may not be judged of the Lord For if we acknowledge and confesse our sinnes the Lord is faithfull and just to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all iniquitie But if we conceale our sinnes we haue no promise of forgiuenesse for as Salomon saith Prou. 28 He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie And this we see notably verified in the example of Dauid Psal. 32. for whiles hee concealed his sinne the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon him to afflict him but when he confessed and acknowledged his iniquitie the Lord forgaue his sinne The practise of this dutie in solemne fasts is commended vnto vs in many examples of the holy Scriptures as 1. Sam. 7. Ezr. 9. Nehe. 1. Daniell 9. 35. Thus therefore in an inward sence and sorrow for our sinnes and a base estimation of our selues for the same together with a bewailing of our woe and confession of our sinne we are to make our humble supplication and deprecation to the Lord pouring foorth our soule before him earnestly beseeching him in the name and mediation of Christ that he would remoue his judgements from vs and for his sake would forgiue vs our sins which haue most justly prouoked him to indignation against vs. A liuely patterne whereof we haue Ioel 2.17 Let them say spare thy people ô Lord c. and other worthie precedents as Dan. 9 and Nehem. 9. And herein we being summoned as it were before the judgement seat of the Lord are to immitat the ancient custome of guiltie persons among the Romans when they were arraigned before the judgement seat who that they might mooue the Iudges to mercie and compassion humbly abased themselues before them vsing long and neglected haire and putting on mourning weeds c. And as Benhadad his seruants and followers when they being vanquished by Achab the king of Israell desired to make humble sute vnto him for their own and Benhadad his life and libertie We haue heard say they to Benhadad that the kings of the house of Israell are mercifull kings we pray thee let vs put sackcloth about our loynes and ropes about our heads and go out to the king of Israell it may be that he will saue thy life So let vs hauing sinned against God and made our selues obnoxious to his judgements come vnto the Lord with all inward humiliation and outward tokens thereof as it were with ropes about our neckes suing vnto him for mercie and pardon seeing we haue not onely heard that he is mercifull but also know that he hath commanded vs in our distresse to call vpon him with promise to heare vs and also hath inuited vs to turne vnto him with all our heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and that we should rent our hearts and not our garments for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repenteth him of the euill 36. But forasmuch as we are suters to the Lord not onely for auoiding that which is euill but also for obtaining that which is good we are therefore to make our requests knowne vnto God not onely by supplications and deprecations againsts euils but also by petitions and precation for that which is good and therefore the holy Ghost both by doctrine and example hath taught vs to joyne them together For if we truly bewaile our sins and earnestly desire to be deliuered from the guilt thereof we will also craue assurance of the remission of our sinnes to be sealed vp in our conscience by the spirit of adoption and not that onely but also we will desire to be renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God that sinne may die in vs and that we may liue vnto God in true holinesse and righteousnesse And lastly we will craue the assistance of the holy Ghost to strengthen and support vs against all the temptations of the flesh the world and the diuell But if besides the euill of sinne we haue occasion also to pray against some euill of punishment then do we commonly pray for the contrarie blessing or if the obtaining thereof be not expedient for vs as in temporall petitions it many times falleth out we must willingly submit our selues to Gods good will and pleasure and in steed of asking preseruation from that which is present we are to craue patience and comfort in affliction and to beseech the Lord that he would blesse his visitation vnto vs and cause it to turne vnto our good And therefore these temporall benefits are not as I haue elsewhere shewed to be asked absolutly but with this condition If they may stand with Gods glorie and our spirituall and euerlasting good 37. And these two were the parts of our prayer Now in them both there are two things required feruencie of desire that we may and assurance of faith that we shall obtaine our request As touching the former Feruencie is required alwayes in our prayers but especially when vpon extraordinarie occasion we humble our selues before the Lord in prayer for then we must not onely pray but also cry vnto the Lord whereby vehement prayer is signified yea as the Niniuits speake we are to cry mightily vnto him And forasmuch as this feruencie of desire proceedeth from the feeling of our want and is commonly proportionable thereunto therefore doth the Lord afflict vs that in the sence of our want we might the more earnestly poure foorth our soules before him and to the same purpose do we afflict our selues by the outward fast that we might the better giue our selues to prayer for therefore doe we abstaine from food and delights that the sence of our want might be increased and so our feruencie inflamed therefore do we abstaine from our bodily labors and worldly businesse that we might the better attend and intend our prayer and therefore also do we abridge our selues of vnnecessarie sleepe that we might watch vnto prayer For this cause some haue called fasting The wing of praier because the earnestnes thereof being inflamed by fasting it doth the more forcibly ascend before the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉