Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	life_n	live_v	sin_n	7,486	5	4.8306	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01800	The arke of noah for the Londoners that remaine in the cittie to enter in, with their families, to be preserued from the deluge of the plague. Item, an exercise for the Londoners that are departed out of the cittie into the coutnrey, to spend their time till they returne. Whereunto is annexed an epistle sent out of the countrey, to the afflicted cittie of London. Made and written by Iames Godskall the yonger, preacher of the word.	Godskall, James.	1604 (1604)	STC 11935; ESTC S120518	49,399	68

flowers bee pure and cleane but the hand also which handleth them so it is not sufficient that the words of our prayers be holy but the heart also which conceiueth them The second piece of houshold-stuffe is Faith for the righteous is also hee that beleeueth in Christ and is righteous through the righteousnes of Christ the righteous This furniture carried Dauid with him for as he had a desire of health and remission of his sinne so he had also a stedfast faith and confidence that it should be forgiuen him This persuasion of deliuerance and hope of obtaining we must haue with vs entertaining it in our hearts The reasons are first the prescription of the spiritual Phisitions it is the Apostles precept Iam 1. 6. Let him aske in faith and wauer not And in the fourth to the Hebr. 16. that we should goe boldely to the throne of grace drawing neere vnto him with a true heart in assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. casting not away that confidence which hath great recompence of reward t is the counsaile of Christ Mar. 11. 24. Secondly carrie it with thee that thou maist receiue that for which thou goest vnto him faithfully Psal 145. 18 And whatsoeuer yee shall aske in prayer if yee beleeue ye shall receiue it Math. 21. 22. Without this there is no going thither Rom. 10. 14. But as righteousnes and trueth kisse each other so must prayer and faith which is the ground of prayer first beleeue and then speake this was the order of Dauid Psal 116. this faith will make vs acceptable to the Lord of that soile and make vs finde fauour at his hands Faith is a beautifull queene as highly fauored of the King of Kings as euer Esther was of King Assuerus she shall not be stayed without at the gate but with an humble presumption may approach into the inner court and shall receiue her request for if we shall receiue a Kingdome Luc. 12. how much more that which is lesse being asked by faith come not then without this aduocate Cyprian in his treatise de Idol vanit sayeth speaking how hee and his brethren did much good in the visitation of the sicke prout fides patientis adiuuat aut gratia curantis aspirat that he prospered according as they and the patient had faith to speake vnto God the greatest enemie to the efficacie of our prayer is distrustfulnes And therefore God forbid saith Augustine that what we desire God to doe for vs with our mouthes we should deny him to be able to doe in our hearts A heathen man Seneca could say he that asketh fearefully and doubtfully teacheth him to denie of whom he asketh and men doubting they shall not obtaine make God vnwilling to heare them As vnbeleefe did shut the doore vnto the Iewes that some of them enter not into Canaan a tipe of heauenly Ierusalem so distrustfulnes is able to shut our praier out of that heauenly Canaan And therefore as Iacob going to his father Isaac to receiue the blessing put on the garment of his eldest brother so let vs going to our heauenly father to obtaine our request be cloathed with faith through the righteousne●●e of our eldest brother Iesus Christ Further this confidence giueth vs entrie into that place Open the gates saith the prophet Es 26. 2. that the righteous nation which keepeth faith may enter in Faith is as a key that openeth vnto vs the gates of the cittie Thirdly this furniture is necessarie for the feete which must beare vs thither that they may be firme stedfast and faile vs not in the way the moisture and iuice whereby the spiritual feet of our prayers are nourished is faith By faith yee stand saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 1. It is the roote that beareth vs the legges and supporters and the strong men that hold vs vp that we fall not As the Doues nest is the cleftes of rockes that cannot be assaulted so faith resteth it selfe in the wounds of Christ it casteth an anchor in knowledge of the true God and standeth as firme as mount Sion that cannot be remooued Fourthly we must carrie it with vs that we may liue why doe wee with our houshold-stuffe goe into the Countrey but because we are desirous of life If in the going to the name of Iehouah for remission of sinne and spirituall life and for the remoouing of the effect of sinne the bodily contagion we are desirous of it we must not forget this furniture for by Faith we liue Abac. 2. It is the life of the soule and the soule and spirit of the new man Wee may haue a name that wee liue but indeede wee are dead to God-ward if wee beleeue not doubting then neither of might mercie or of his promise because they are passed by couenant oath before vnmooueable witnesses the best in heauen and the best in earth and because they are signed with the finger of the holy Ghost and sealed with the blood of his annoynted and beloued let vs with a holy confidence runne to this place in this afflicted time of the contagion that we may receiue mercie The third peece necessarie for our voyage is Humilitie which excludeth all opinion of our owne worthinesse and righteousnesse Dauid carried his furniture with him yea this royall ornament as appeareth out of two things First out of the tearme and phrase of obseruation I besech you a proper terme of submission and the poore surers phrase Secondly out of his bodily prostrating of himselfe in sacke-cloath with the Elders of Israel 1. Chron. 21. Herein let vs in this time of plague imitate King Dauid in our going to the name of the Lord carrying with vs this ornament this submission and lowlynesse let vs vse the poore suters phrase and not pride of speech saying we are worthie O Lord let vs not goe thither to bragge as many runne into the Countrey to dominire but let vs pray that the Lord will giue vs with vs this submission that we may bow not only the knees of our bodies but of our hearts yea that wee may euen bow the very phrase of our words with Dauid that wee may vtter them as if the smallest Grashopper of the earth were to speake with feare and reuerence before that dreadfull Maiestie Three things must mooue vs to carrie it with vs in this our voyage First the person to whome we goe his greatnesse excellencie Maiestie his glorious name which is Ieuouah It was the counsel that Aesope gaue to Solon enquiring what speech he should vse before Craesus either very little or very sweete said he If when we goe to the Princes of the earth who are but smoake and vanitie wee speake with humilitie much more doth the presence of the most high God require it Secondly the consideration of our owne persons which doe goe thither the conscience of our owne vnworthinesse and deformitie of sinne wherwith we are spotted let vs then with Abraham speaking to the

exhort our selues in our prayers when impatience doeth besiege our hearts It is safe for vs to cast the ankers of all our purposes and to stay our wils vpon his will The reasons to perswade vs to bring it with vs are three the first is the prescription of the spirituall Physitians of Christ Luk. 21. and in the prayer which he hath taught vs of Dauid Psal 37. 7. and of the rest The second is the Lords equitie in all his actions he gouerneth not by lust but by law he draweth thee not to obedience by a violent chaine of his vnchangeable purpose but by reason and iustice esteeme not his will in the moderating of the world as immoderate hee hath a will but not as inordinate Princes who hauing the raines of dominion giuen into their hands doo many things inordinately without law reason iustice equitie proclayming with Nero that they may doo all things and that no bodie may controll them No no beloued his will is alwayes holy alwayes iust and equitable although it seemeth vnto thee vniust The third is the example of Christ Christians the wisdome of God it selfe in whom the Deitie dwelt bodily was content to forsake his wisedome and to be ordered and rectified by this squire of his Fathers will Father not my will but thine be fulfilled This is then the spirituall furniture which we must carrie with vs if wee will goe to the name of Iehouah Prayer with these companions will returne laden with the sheaues of comfort and blisse from the plentifullest fieldes And by these it is manifested that the righteous onely goe to this place the name of Iehouah is not like vnto the earthly places vnto which in the time of infection resort both good and bad The vngodly may make a shew to goe vnto it but yet they can not come thither for there is the spirit of prayer Zach. 12. which is giuen onely to them that bring with them this spirituall furniture As for weapons to safegarde our selues we neede none for this houshold-stuffe are spirituall weapons Ephes 6. This shall suffise for the Arke of Noah Now because the Ciuill Magistrate appointeth in euery Parish trustie men to aide the infected and to prouide them with necessaries Giue mee also leaue to shew vnto you beloued a trustie friend and seruant to ayde the sicke appointed by the Magistrate of heauen If yee are desirous to know who it is prayer is his name Psal 50 Call vpon mee c. Dauid hath vsed this faithfull friend in the time of the plague he hath sent it as an Embassadour into the court of heauen to sue for peace he sent not merites distrustfulnesse impatience or blasphemies but prayer the surest and effectuallest Embassadour happie for successe Wee are all desirous if the Lord visite vs with the rod of Dauid to haue some trustie and faithfull friend or seruant to keepe and ayde vs to dispatch our businesse to send here and there and to prouide vs with necessaries and wee make much of such that will assist vs in such a fearefull sicknesse Wee can haue no better seruant then King Dauids friend who hath many good qualities we desire in the time of plague a seruant or friend in whom wee finde these good qualities First Faithfulnesse for many haue beene robd by their keepers as experience teacheth Prayer is a messenger of especiall trust it wil trauaile with vs by day awake with vs by night it will not forsake vs by land by water in weale in woe liuing nor dying it is our last friend and indissolublest companion Secondly wee desire one quicke of speede Prayer is able in a minute to mount aboue the Eagles of the skie into the heauen of heauens and is a chariot of fire bearing vs aloft into the presence of God to seeke his assistance hee knoweth to addresse himselfe in waies vnknowne in the stillest silence of the night till he come to the secrets and chamber of the Lord King Dauids Phisition Thirdly we seeke one who is willing and is not afraid for they are scarce to be found prayer is such a friend he is not afraid to be with thee neither the tediousnesse of the way or difficultie of the passage can hinder him from his purpose Fourthly we are desirous to haue one that can speake language which the Physition can vnderstand if neede were to send him thither and who can prouide vs of necessaries such one is prayer for what language soeuer it speaketh the Phisition of heauen can vnderstand it Fiftly one that is able to comfort vs in our distresse such a comforter is praier it is the life of the soule if thou art perplexed with such greefe of heart as neither wine according to the aduise of Salomon nor strong drink can bring ease vnto thy spirit melting like waxe finding no comfort at all either in light or darknes pleasures or riches kinsfolkes or friends wishing with Iob. 4. O that thou wouldest hide me in the graue and keepe me secret vntill thy wrath is past yet then this friend is our comfort he will speake for vs vnto the Lord King Dauids Phisition by this we may flie into the bosome of Gods mercies If any then be afflicted amongst you let him pray Iam. 5. The reason why we desire a friend with all these qualities is that he might both aide and prouide vs with all necessaries praier is a friend who is able to dispatch all our businesse Desirest thou a Phisition in thy sicknes to cure thee send this friend praier to King Dauids Phisitian dwelling in heauen and he will bring him with him If thou needest phisick to heale thee and which is good for thy disease send praier into heauen to fetch the hearbe of patience which groweth not in our owne garden If thou desirest necessaries for thy soule send him to the Lord he will fetch for thee all that thou wantest the bread of life that heauenly Manna the blood of Christ the waters of mercie Needest thou a comforter send praier vnto the Lord and he wil bring with him the best comforter of the sicke the holy Ghost it is his name Iohn 14. he will not feare to come to thee as often the bodily Phisitian Lastly if we desire our friends to come and visite vs send prayer for them and they will come God the father God the sonne God the holy Ghost No friend then better then prayer There are some bad seruants of which we must take heeede and as in the time of plague there are some bad seruants who robbe and bereaue the sicke of that he hath so there are some wicked friends who will depriue vs of spirituall comforts if we be not ware of them First if we should vse the aide of merits and send them vp the starres in heauen would disdaine it that we which dwell at the footestoole of God dare to presume so farre when the purest creatures