Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A76058
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A companion for prayer, or, Directions for improvement in grace and practical Godliness in time of extraordinary danger by Richard Alleine, author of Vinditiae Pietatis.
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R. A. (Richard Alleine), 1611-1681.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing A984A; ESTC R228577
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12,119
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45
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A COMPANION FOR PRAYER OR Directions for Improvement in Grace and Practical Godliness in times of extraordinary Danger â—y Rich. Alleine Author of Vinditiae Pietatis LONDON â—rinted for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey 1680. Reverend Sir THE motion made in yours concerning Prayer hath much affected me and hath occasioned some workings of my thoughts which though in a conscience of mine own weakness I more than once laid aside yet they still return'd upon me and I do now here offer the result of them to your Consideration We all know and teach that they are only returning and reforming Prayers that will prevail with God and 't is to be doubted that in this dead and decayed age there are too many professors who will joyn in the design of Prayer whom this must serve instead of Reformation 't is to such especially that the Directions in the inclosed Paper are intended I send them to you desiring you to read them and then to do what you please with them beseeching you and truâ—â—ing upon your friendly faithfulneâ—â— herein that you will take your fâ—â— freedom either to keep them in silenâ— to your self or else to communicâ—â—â— and make them publick I should thankfully accept af any expungings alterations or additions that you shall thiâ—â— needful The Lord pardon the failings and accept the sincere aims of my soâ— herein To his Grace I commend yoâ— and in him I rest Dear Sir Your unworthy Friend and Servant RICHARD ALLEINE A COMPANION FOR PRAYER OR Directions for Improvement in Grace and Practical Godliness c. TO make way for and to press to the diligent observing the following Directions let these things be premised 1. That the Power of Religion is much fallen at least is at a stand amongst multitudes of Professors England Sure this needs no prooâ— when we have so many sad oculâ— Demonstrations hereof before us 2. That for this the Lord haâ—â— a controversie with us at this day Rev. 2. 4. Whatever controversie tâ—â— Lord hath with the Belials amongâ—â— us whose horrible wickedness haâ—â— even ripened them for vengeanâ—â— his special quarrel seems to be wiâ—â— his own people We may guess against whom the special anger is bâ—â— observing at whose faces chiefly hâ—â— arrows are levelled Against whoâ— do our enemies the rod of his aâ—ger make a wide mouth and draâ— forth the tongue and lift up theâ—â— fiercest hands 3. No Prayers will avail noâ— have the least help in them but thâ— Prayers of such with whom thâ— Lords controversie is taken up anâ— composed those with whom hâ—â— hath a particular quarrel are likâ— to be unhappy Mediators for others We chuse the favourites of Princes to be our Intercessors with them 4. There can be no taking up Gods controversie unless the matter of it be removed by repentance and reformation Rev. 2. 5. Isa 1. 15 16 18. When ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood wash ye make you clean c. Come now and let us reason together Josh 7. 10. Get thee up wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned they have taken the accursed thing and v. 12. I will not be with you any more except the accursed thing be destroyed from amongst you Is there no accursed thing amongst even the professors of Religion Behold the wedg of gold and the Babylonish garment their pride and their covetousness hid in their hearts for a tent Go search out these and every other accursed thing within you let them be destroyed if ye would have the Lord to be at peace 5. If there may be such a spirit of Prayer stir'd up amongst us as may have its fruit unto Holiness and real reformation of the evils of our ways this would comfort us and give us great hopes in the hardest cases 6. Therefore in all our crying to God for his help in case of publick fears dangers or distresses our eye should be firstly upon and we should wrestle with the Lord for the pardoning purging and sanctification of our own hearts and lives wherein if we prevail not we shall be as a rotten tooth or a bone out of joynt for any help there is in us or in any thing we do unless we can pray up a spirit of Holiness in our selves a spirit of Love and of Power and of a sound mind we are not like to do any thing to purpose in praying down Mercy for the people the Devil will give us leave to visit the Throne of Grace so we will but carry our hard and uncircumcised hearts with us if we cannot get to be of the Lords holy Ones though we make many Prayers he will not hear here the interest and the hopes of the people of God lye in the shedding abroad of the sanctifying and quickning spirit upon them for this therefore should we firstly pray 7. 'T is not praying alone that will do to the bringing on our Reformation there must be also a constant and sedulous use of all Gods other means in our whole course of life 8. Some of these means are presented in the following Directions 1. General Directions Direct 1. Take up a deep and serious design of making an advance in serious Religion Sit not down by take not up with what you have already attained but resolve for reaching forward and following after towards that which you have not attained content not your selves to drive gently on as your flesh will bear but stir up your selves to follow hard after the Lord and let this be the deliberate decree and intent of you hearts Say to thine heart How is it with me Doth my soul prosper Are my ways such as please the Lord What is mine expectation and mine hope What is the aim and business of my life Is it that Christ may be magnified by me and that I may be made partaker of his Holiness and shew forth his Vertues in my generation Can I say with the Apostle To me to live is Christ Ah wretch that I am how deeply hath this self and this world gone shares with my Lord O! how little of my time my parts my strength yea and of my very heart also have been inclosed and consecrated as Holiness to the Lord how much of me hath been left out in common for the world Well but what meanest thou for the future wilt thou henceforth change the purpose and intent of thine heat Come man wilt take up a design for and henceforth determine and set thine heart upon a more watchful fruitful and heavenly life If thou wilt not be brought to decree and resolve upon a better life much less wilt thou be perswaded actually to it What 's begun well is half done and an holy design deeply laid is a good beginning Direct 2. Let Gods Calls to extraordinary prayer and a sense of the necessity of your recovery and reformation to your prevailing in prayer quicken you on in the vigorous pursuance of
â—â—ce intollerably proud or froâ—â—ard or earthly or a jolly and â—â—ainly merry soul what ground â—â—ast thou gotten of those very corâ—uptions under which thou most â—â—groanedst How is it with thee with â—espect to temptation Dost thou â—ear and fly from temptation and â—o what thou canst to keep thy self out of harms way and when thâ— fallest into temptation when thâ—â— art actually tempted to Pride 〈◊〉 Covetousness when thou art prâ—voked to passion or impatience hoâ—â— goes it with thee then how stanâ—est thou in the day of temptationâ—â— How is it with thee in regard 〈◊〉 thy wonted evils in thy converâ—â—tion Hast thou sounded a retreaâ—â— from thy eager chase after the greaâ—â— things of the world Thou haâ—â— been a zealot for increasing thinâ—â— eartâ—ly Substance art thou now become more moderate Thou wertâ— once a slothful lazy soul in the matters of God art thou now more diligent and industrious art thou 〈◊〉 servent in spirit serving the Lord 〈◊〉 Thou once livedst a jolly frothy and merry life dost thou now carry it with more seriousness Hast thou left thy lying and deceitful dealing Thou hast been a self-seeker and a flesh pleaser but canst say through the Grace of God I have now betaken my self to a self-denying life â—â—d doest thou deny thy self in those â—â—ry things wherein thou wert us'd â—â—st to seek thy self Put thy self â—â—on a close and severe trial here â—â—d know that if the strong hold 〈◊〉 not battered and broken if thine 〈◊〉 lusts do still hold their power in â—â—ee if the old sore be still issuing 〈◊〉 the old stream be still running 〈◊〉 course if thou canst not say I â—â—ave kept me from mine iniquity 〈◊〉 at least am fighting more resolâ—â—edly against it if thou still stickest where thou wert wont to stick whatsoever flush thou seemest to have of good affections whatsoever confidence thou hast of thy good condition 't is a sure sign it is not so well with thee Look to what degree of success thou hast attained in those things wherein thy great difficulty lay to such a degree of soul-prosperity thou hast attained and no more Direct 5. Measure your hopes of the answer of your Prayers for the publick by your experience of their speeding in your own particular cases If thy sin can stand before all thy prayers thine enemies and fears and dangers are not like to fall ever the sooner for such praying what God may do upon the prayers of others thou knowest not but nothing is like to go the better for thee If thou hast run with the foot-men within thee and these have been too hard for thee how wilt thou contend with them that ride upon horses If thon canst not stop the muddy streams of thine own cistern how wilt thou stand before the swelling of Jordan If thy prayers prevail so little to the setting thine own heart or thine own house in order how canst think they will do any thing against the hosts of the uncircumcised God heareth not sinners not only such sinners as are in a state of sin and totally alienated from the life of God but even such also who though for the main they have been once washed in the blood of Christ are again fallen into and wallowing in the mud and mire of any one allowed sin they are all like to be but miserable comforters in the day of distress Remember that Scripture mentioned before Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity iu my heart God will not hear my prayer But on the other side if thou dost obtain if thou dost prevail in thine own personal case this hath good hope in it 'T is an argument that thy prayers are accepted with God and if the Lord accept thee when thou prayest for thy self or for thine house thence the greater hope will spring that he will accept thee when thou prayest for his own house and people And if he doth accept thee for them he will either deliver them out of their distress and thou shalt have the honour to be one of those for whose sake deliverance comes or if he should not grant thy request as to the publick yet he will not fail to give thee thine own soul for a prey though he do not give thee the lives of them that sail with thee in the Ship And now you see the best way that is open to you to help at a pinch to save the poor distressed Churches of God in this time of their need such praying as may have its fruit unto holiness in your selves by this you may do much to promote the holiness and happiness of the people if any thing this will do it Wherefore gird up your loyns and set in in good earnest upon this seasonable and mighty duty Go into your closets lift up your hearts draw forth your souls pour out your tears weep in your prayer weep over you own and the peoples sins and fears and bow your selves with your might before the Lord this once try what you can do try the strength of prayer Pray all to rights within you and at home and then seek and cry and wrestle and trust and wait for the Salvation of God to be revealed in due time upon his people Let us at length hear the conclusion of the whole matter what shall be the fruit of all this what will you now do If I should only ask Who among you will join in and pray pray for the peace of Jerusalem the Church of the living God every one would readily answer I will be for one I for another God forbid I should hold my peace I will pray for the peace of Jerusalem Let them prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces For my brethren and companions sake I will pray Peace be within thee because of the House of the Lord our God I will seek thy good If it be asked further and who will pray for the destruction of Babylon O every one of us that have an heart for the peace of Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the ground Remember O Lord the Children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem who said Raze it raze it even to the very foundation O Daughter of Babylon that art to be destroyed happy let him be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us But would you that your prayers should be heard Then arise out of your places and fall every man upon a personal Reformation Down with your sin and out with the world list up Christ in your own hearts is you would have Antichrist â—all in the earth let Christ have a name within you above every name and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity from his own iniquity feek not for corn and for wine or for freedom to sit down every man under his own Vine and under his own fig-tree where none shall make them afraid but seek the Lord that the Lord God may dwell