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	know_v	soul_n	7,408	5	4.7811	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25463	Panem quotidianum, or, A short discourse tending to prove the legality, decency, and expediency of set forms of prayer in the churches of Christ with a particular defence of the book of common prayer of the Church of England... / by William Annand ...	Annand, William, 1633-1689.	1661 (1661)	Wing A3222; ESTC R38624	47,207	64

The substance of it which is To turn to the Lord. 2. The manner of it or how they must turn is by saying these words Say unto him In the Direction which is it self a Prayer instituted by the Prophet for them and given by the Prophet to them there is 1. A Supplication to be made by all for the removing the sins of all of what person or degree soever Take away all iniquity It was sin that first brought down judgments from God and therefore sin must first be removed by God 2. There is an Intercession of all for each other and of every one for all Every single person desires that God would be favourable to his Brother as he desires God to be merciful to himself Receive us graciously 3. There is a Covenant-condition or promise made of all That if God will receive them they will render to him praises called the calves of their lips so will we render the calves of our lips which is a giving thanks to his Name Heb. 13. 15. In this promise every one engageth for himself and each man becomes a Surety for his Brother so will we render and because optima poenitentia est nova vita they will trust no more to the work of their own hands but in God only as fatherless children have hope and from him only when they are in want expect mercy in the following words Ashur shall not save us c. We shall let pass many truths that might arise from the substance and method of this Prayer appointed to and given by this Holy Prophet for the people to collect and cull out one that makes for the clearing up of that truth to the obeying of which we are by Authority now commanded and from which we are by Turbulent spirits eagerly dehorted viz. Touching the lawful use of the Common-Prayer-Book established in England by all Legal Power since the Reformation A Book which hath been often Crucified among and between Thieves yet never could be put to death by them The Doctrine is this That Gods best Servants or his peculiar people may lawfully use Set Forms of Prayer in their approaches to him and begging blessings of him To him that reads this Text with understanding this observation needs no farther proof nor debate yet I shall not impose a belief of it upon any untill that I have 1. Shewed what the nature of a Set Form of Prayer is 2. Whether such a Form may lawfully be used 3. Whether such a Form is decent or comely for a Saint to use 4. Whether granting all this it be expedient for a Saint or for the Church now as it is constituted and increased to use such a Form 5. At what seasons this Form is chiefly to be used 6. In what place it is most expedient to use this kind of Form 7. Answer some Objections that are urged against such a Form All which if God permit we shall handle in these seven several Sections briefly and plainly SECT I. LET us in the first place see what the nature of a Set. Form of Prayer is and that may be done by this description It is a hearty calling upon God in the name of Christ in words prescribed by another or premeditated by our selves for the removing of judgements or receiving of mercies from or for our selves and others In all these points it agrees to and holds affinity with other prayers of what kind soever save in this that it calls upon God through Christ in using the word which have been either recommended to us as the Lords Prayer Luke 11. 2. Or 2. Prescribed by another and enjoyned to us as David required his Subjects the Levites to praise the Lord in a publick Assembly for the bringing home of the Ark in the words of that Psalm which he had composed for the same purpose It was the first Psalm as it appears that ever he publickly gave for the use of his people in the Temple or Sanctuary 1 Chron. 16. 4 6 7 3. Or 3. Such as hath been premeditated by us for our own use and as occasion served used of us And such was the prayer of the Prodigal Luke 15 he sits down and deliberates within himself what to say that his Father might again receive him I will arise saith he and go to my father and will say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son c. Ver. 18. And at his coming to the father used the same words before resolved upon Such a prayer was also almost that of our Saviours Father if it be thy Will let this Cup pass from Me which He ●…ttered three several times in His passion Mat. 26. 4. And all this is done for the more orderly helping of us in our calling upon God Now some there are that say this is not to be done That Christians in this clear Sun-shine of the Gospel are not to give themselves or limit themselves this day or this week or this year to that kind of prayer framed or composed by or for our selves or others last week or last year but hold it altogether sinful and unlawful Others there are that suppose such prayers at some times for none that ever I heard of maintain them in all points places or in all times necessary but neve●… unlawful to be good and helps against their speaking any thing rashly before God and unadvisedly with their lips before him who will be worshipped in spirit and in truth fearing lest they offering strange fire from the censers of their deceitful hearts might bring fire from the Almighty to consume their souls Supposing and upon good grounds that to come every day to Heaven in the same suit may make us at last to be known for good Subjects though not for great Gallants And this opinion from the Text is the substance of our observation which to confirm take these three substantial Witnesses The first where of shall be 1. Ioel a Prophet of God he commanding the people of Iudah that grievously had fallen by their iniquity to turn unto God will have a Trumpet blown in Zion Ioel 2. 1. enjoyning all to come to mourning and weeping for their sins and offences makes a Set Form of prayer for and prescribes a prayer to the Priests themselves who are especially excited and enjoyned to weep between the Porch and the Altar and are commanded to say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach c. Ioel 2. 17. The second Witness is 2. Moses a man of God Exod. 15. where after the peoples delivery from Egypts slavery and Phardohs bondage and after they had seen the Egyptians dead upon the shore not one of the●… being killed by them Moses and Israel sing a Psalm of Thanksgiving ver 1. If it were enquired Who made or composed that Song it must be answered Moses by Revel 15. 3. and as a set Form used by the people To

appointed by Authority and every one in that Nation at that time to be praying or using that set form of prayer appointed in the Common Prayer viz. Almighty God which in thy wrath in the time of King David didst stay with the plague of Pestilence threescore and ten thousand and yet remembring mercy didst save the rest have pity upon us miserable sinners that now are visited with great sickness and mortality that like as then thou didst command thine Angel to cease from punishing so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grieveous sickness through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen This I say in a general sickness to be generally used is both proper and seasonable and as God both in Ioel 2. 17. and here did behold his people with his mercy and heal their Land so might he be also reconciled to that people through the hearty pouring forth of their souls before him in the using of that set form 2. Answ. It may be used when all generally are partakers of the same present mercies or would be partakers of the benefits of future blessings When our Kingdoms peace and happiness consists next under God in His Majesties Person it 's fit for all true Christians and all Loyal Subjects at once or in an houre to be praying O Lord save the King and this being all the Land over must needs be effectual When our Oxen are strong for labour and our sheep bring forth thousands in our streets when there is no complaining in our gates then for that Kingdom at once to be praising His Name as in the Common Prayer O most merciful Father which of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church and turned our dearth and scarcity into cheapness and plenty we give thee most humble thanks for this thy especial bounty beseeching thee to continue this thy loving-kindness unto us that our Land may yield her fruits of encrease to thy glory and our comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord. May not Heaven be delighted at this Hymne so much the more as the whole Nation in their sever●l Assemblies uses and sends up the same praises as Israel did Exod. 15. or as Deborah did Iudg. 5. 1. 3. Answ. It may chiefly be used when men are gathered into one place to worship in one way the great God this is a fit time to pray for and with each other to say O Lord open thou our lips and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise at our first meeting is very meet and proper When we come to the great Congregation and those about us with lifted up voices call Uenite exultemus O come let us sing unto the Lord let us heartily rejoyce in the strength of our salvation it is able to lift up the heart of him that is otherwise not taken with a sence of that Gods presence in whose House he now appears and fills a Seat One live Coal cast among many dead may and will quicken many so one sinners zeal may be enflamed with the zeal of that Christian that sits next him and the practice of many in prayer may rather provoke him than a single or silent Petitioner The Angels and Church writes us one way of Thanksgiving in the heavenly Kingdom R●…v 4. 11. sure then the Saints may joyn in one in the Kingdom of Heaven even in the Assembly of the Elders and with one mouth since they are frail may use this one Petition before they go O God make clear our hearts within us and take not thy Holy Spirit from us and that without sin and without offence 4. Answ. It ought to be done when it is enjoyned by Supreme Authority There are some that are borne to be ruled others are born to be Rulers What Supreme Authority enjoyns if lawful is to be obeyed if possible this was the case with the Levites 2 Chron. 29. 30. the King and his Princes commanded them to use the words of David unto which they yielded all obedience God promises to give to his Church Kings for its Nursing Fathers and Queens for its Nursing Mothers They ought therefore to look to all their Family and provide food and rayment for the weak and infirm and by some means remove the ignorance of them that are unlearned if he command us to teach them to praise the Lord at such a time and that in a set form it 's our duty to obey though our parts and abilities were never so great or eminent and since he commands it let the greater serve a while the l●…ss and he that is old for a small season teach him that is the younger and if we that are grown in years must eat of the childrens Mess by our Fathers direction for such a one is every King let us fall to it chearfully especially since the meat is wholesome that it may be seen we are not so much wedded to our own pallate-pleasing humor but that we can eat of any wholesome dish that is set before us else how shall our moderation he known to all men SECT VI. THE second circumstance to be spoken of touching set forms of prayer is the place where they may be made That that 's lawful may be done in any place that suits to the nature of the thing done We shall not speak of this in an absolute or positive way but by way of comparison only And shall defend this conclusion That set forms of prayer are rather to be used in publick than in pri●…ate Most of those set forms we read of in Scripture seem to make for this truth they being publick our Saviours indeed was private and used only for that time whether the Prodigals was publick or no in the Parable it is not so easie to be determined It seems to be of a mixed kind since the Servants of the House are spoken to by the Father immediately at the close of his Petition The Church therefore or if that offend the Congreation of the Elders is judged a more proper place for set forms than any other The reasons that induceth to this opinion are such as these 1. Reason Set forms are rather to be used in publick than in private for there men are and must be more close than they are or ought to be in private There are many secret sins which the conscience of man in a powerful way accuseth him of and many and great temptations befalls him which he must pray against and yet it is not expedient that either the one or the other should be known of the whole Assembly In publick we insist upon generals and confesse so that every man knows himself to be as guilty as he that makes that confession But now in private we must unbosome our selves to God and show him all our heart take shame to our selves by enlarging our selves upon the particular aggravations of our beloved sins and make known our soulest iniquities with David saying Against thee only have I sinned and done

this evil in thy sight It 's this that makes the House of David apart and their Wives apart Zach. 12. 12. to call upon the Lord for the taking away of their particular sins Now we cannot neither are we bound to let men know of all those things whereof we must and ought to accuse our selves of before God and therefore set forms wherein we usually are in generals are fitter for the publick than the private exercises of a Christian. 2. Reas. Rather are set forms to be used in publick for men cannot dispence with their infirmities without great discouragements so well in publick as they can in private It is better sometimes and fills the soul full of more true Christian joy to be heard of God alone than to be heard of God and man together God knows what they mean by their broken and half expressions and picks good sence from them out of his goodness which men would deride and scorne and smile at through their folly and wickedness Against these things they have no spirits to stand out but are discouraged and because of men they are dishear tned from serving God Now in private this would be removed and both with chearfulness and readiness make his request known knowing that God will hear him for his crying when men would condemn him for his very praying 3. Reas. Set forms are rather to be used in publick than in private for generally set forms are so composed that they pray directly for the good of the whole Church and indirectly for their own particular good and private prayer reaches directly for thy self and indirectly for the Church When thou art praying as here in the Text Receive us graciously thou art praying for all directly and begst favour for thy self as it were only at the second hand as one of that number But now in private thou art directly for thy self It satisfies the faith of a believer more when he hath directly prayed for himself than when he put himself in the croud and prayed for all he that hath spoken directly to the King for himself hath more confidence to obtain his smile than he that begged for an hundreth whereof himself was one the nature of the company may keep back that blessing which was asked for all speak therefore to the King directly for thy self and the God of Heaven grant thee thy Petition 4. Reas. Set forms are rather to be used in publick than private for they are generally composed in their length as to give sufficient edification to the bulk of the people the Minister or the Master of the Family may close before themselves or he be weary but they must have a respect both to the affections and vocations of the people and according to them order their Petitions But now in private it is otherwise thou mayst take thy leasure thou mayst with our Saviour Christ pray all night and if the string of thy affections be run out and they stand by a fresh meditation thou mayst wind them up again and so move untill thou come to the very high-noon of Assurance knowing that the Lord hath heard thy prayer and given thee the desire of thy lips which perhaps by reason of the Congregation thou canst not do in a set form SECT VII HAving thus Christian Reader run through the nature of and lawful using of Set Forms of Prayer and that plainly and yet truly we come in the last place to answer those Arguments that are brought against this practice and particularly those that are urged against the using of those set forms of prayer which we are now by Law required to use commonly called The Book of Common-Prayer When I say those Arguments I mean not every Cavi●… which passionate or froward spirits are pleased to make against that Book but some chief and seemingly rational ' reasons that seem at first sight to be of power to hinder the using of it and yet can do it no more than Delilahs new ropes could hold Sampson Iudg. 16. 12. It is objected Object 1. That form or book of Common Prayer is not the same that formerly was established by Law especially that book that w●…s ratified by Edward the 6th of glorious memory but is as it were another book not confirmed by Act of Parliament and therefore as it is now composed not to be imposed upon the people Answ. 1. If there be no Law whereby this book as we now have it is not ratified nor est●…blished the greater sign of our obedience do we give to the Civil Magistrate and the nearer we come to Christs example whose Scholars we are who though there was no Law that the children should pay tribute yet least he should give offence submitted to the Magistrate Mat. 17. 27. Go thou and do likewise Answ. 2. If thou beest indited at the Bench for thy contempt or for thy not reading or using this Book and no sentence be given out against thee and he punished for his impudence that durst so openly accuse thee then and not before I will imagine there is no Law Knowing that at that time there are Statutes which are standing Laws and Proclamations which are mutable made on the behalf of that book and may then be produced against thee and to thy cost thou shalt know there is a Law Whatever thy judgment be I had rather in quietness believe there is a Law and so use it th●…n by trouble feel there is a Law and be made to use it Obj. 2. Set forms of prayer are of themselves very instrumental for the stinting of the spirit which ought not to be done and dangerous in the least degree if done 2 Thes. 5. 19. Answ. 1. It is denied was Christs Spirit stinted the third time because he had used the same words twice before Was the Spirit of God stinted in the Levites when they were commanded to use the words of David Cannot Davids Psalmes be sung with grace in our hearts nor holy Hymns with divine affections why then are we commanded so to do Col. 3. 16. We may sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord and be so far from quenching that we shall be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5. 18 19. Answ. 2. It is affirmed They do stint the Spirit but what Spirit not of God but the spirit of man some whereof ought to be stinted There are in this Age whose mouths must be held in with Bit and Bridle There are Seditious prayers as well as Seditious Sermons which must be looked to There are suspicious prayers such as men in charity cannot say Amen to and yet such as in Justice they cannot but say So be it The Common Prayer possibly stints that spirit and let it I need say no more in a point wherein I may so easily be understood whatever they pray yet let God say I have found David my Servant with my holy oyle have I anointed him with whom my hand shall be established mine arme also shall strengthen