Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	holy_a	prayer_n	7,724	5	6.1286	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46624	A sermon preached before the King at New Market, October 11, 1674 by Henry James ...	James, Henry, d. 1717.	1674 (1674)	Wing J426; ESTC R229420	12,121	35

there is a necessity that that of Worship should be of the same extent for whoever own'd that Being worthy to be call'd a God to whom he thought not himself oblig'd to pay all that adoration and honour which the very conception of such a Being imports he should Nay that variety of Religions which appears in the World though it proves that Men have different opinions concerning the Nature of God yet it strongly concludes likewise both that some Religion is true as also that Worship without which there can be no Religion is part of that Service which all contend in the main is due to Him As for Christians who have had the benefit of Revelation they cannot well be ignorant what particulars of Worship as to the matter of it are requir'd of them Prayer and the several parts of it Praises and Songs of Thanks and a due reception of the blessed Sacraments are in the language of the Church peculiarly stil'd God's Service and who ever lives in the wilful omission of any of these does sacrilegiously defraud God of His due and deprive himself of what would prove in its consequence his greatest advantage The use of them being not only the best signification we can make of our regard to Heaven but also the most immediate means to that Glory which all in the General aim at For God being the God of Order and Decency as he has design'd all his Creatures to a perfection suitable to their natures so has it pleas'd His Wisdom to appoint several ways whereby they may arrive at it Now Salvation or Happiness or Eternal Life or by what other Name soever it be call'd being the End of Rational Creatures and therefore being that wherein their perfection does consist and by Christ has appointed our poor Services a bended Knee and a broken Heart Prayers and Supplications issuing forth from a pure and humble Spirit and a worthy participation of the Holy Mysteries to be as passages and channels whereby another manner of Spirit than what by Nature we have is conveyed into us by these as Instruments we are regenerated sanctified and justified By these our Faith is confirmed we grow strong in the power of God and are enabled to live answerable to our great and heavenly Calling by these we become qualified to partake of the benefit of the expiation made for the Sins of the World that is of being for ever happy The use therefore of these means which does so much advance to the Glory of God as nothing does it more than the Salvation of Sinners and which He Himself has required of us must needs be concluded an essential part of His Service III. Serving God supposes our being holy and unblameable in our conversation this is the sum and intent of both the former for no Man is oblig'd to believe in the true God or to love and fear Him but that such a belief and such affections should influence his practice no Man is bound to use the means of Religion but as such means are most effectual to the remission of sins the perfecting of our Natures and the bringing forth much fruit whereby God is glorified This seems to be the principal Design of God's enduing Man at first with a capacity of knowing and doing things excellent and of revealing His Will to him God gave Man a perfect understanding an upright will and a Law to walk by with many motives to perswade him to Obedience that by obeying he might preserve himself pure and undefiled in his first innocency It is true besides those moral Duties to which the Jews as well as others were antecedently to any positive Law oblig'd there were several Commands of another nature given that People which seem'd weak and not at all perfective of human Nature but these how beggerly soever they were were types and shadows of things heavenly and spiritual and therefore the resting in the bare performance of these without living up to what they signified was frequently by God Himself upbraided to his own People Further yet this was the intent of God's sending His Son into the World Tit. 2.14 He gave Himself for us says the Apostle that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works And therefore I cann't but take notice of an Opinion which in its effects must needs be destructive to the Maintainers of it namely that they who live in the observance of the means of Religion do by that fulfil all righteousness and that to pray fast or receive the Supper of the Lord is to discharge the whole of their Duty Indeed these are so far good in as much as God has commanded them and so were the Jewish Sacrifices but God commanded them not meerly for themselves but as instruments and helps whereby we might be better Men. By the frequent and conscientious use of these we receive unvaluable Blessings as a greater power to subdue our corruptions and to perfect holiness in the fight of God But these are not Meekness Humility Charity Patience these are not Chastity Sobriety Temperance these are not visiting the Fatherless and Widow in their Affliction and keeping our selves unspotted from the World So that the Consequence is not nor ever will be true I fast I pray I commemorate my Saviour's Death therefore I am to all intents and purposes a good Christian unless it can be prov'd which it never can that this was the chief intent of Christ's appearance in the flesh These are good signs it is confess'd that we have a due sense of Religion and of our Duty but this is not a being renew'd in the spirit of our minds this is not putting on the new man for that is created after God in righteousness and true holiness Ephes 4.24 For Besides what the Scripture says to this purpose that we may hold the truth in unrighteousness that we may eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ and yet do it to our own damnation that we may fast and pray and yet be condemn'd for Hypocrites Can common sense tell any one that God in his Wisdome should make such strange provisions for the Salvation of Man be so expensive of His Son's Blood permit Him to endure all the wounds and afflictions of the Cross to no other intent and purpose but that Men might be enduc'd by that superabundancy of His love to give their assent to such or such a Proposition deliver'd as true upon Divine Testimony that is to believe Or to eat a little Bread or drink a little Wine or repeat a few Prayers at some certain seasons This is so very fond that not only Christianity but Paganism it self condemns it for this is the voice of Heathens that nothing but being conform'd to the Will of the Gods they worshipp'd can properly be call'd their Service or qualifie them for that Hapiness which each particular Sect of Men have fancied to themselves nothing but living