Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	pray_v	prayer_n	supplication_n	6,912	5	11.1562	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31427	A sermon preached before the King at White-Hall, January xxiij. 1675/6 by William Cave ...	Cave, William, 1637-1713.	1676 (1676)	Wing C1605; ESTC R5517	12,884	30

sober and vigilant because our adversary goes about seeking whom he may devour 'T is no contemptible Enemy that we have to deal with nor the less to be feared because invisible nay 't is this renders him more capable of succeeding in his attempts upon us for by this means he maintains a nearer and more secret intercourse with the Spirits of Men makes more undiscerned and insensible approaches and storms the walls before we are aware He is admirably acute and subtil to plant his engins to make his batteries in the weakest part he narrowly observes our tempers and constitutions our fears and scruples our dispositions and inclinations and accordingly adapts his temptations to us with most success Sallust de Bell. Catal. c. 14. p. 32. Ut cujusque studium ex aetate flagrabat as the Historian remarques concerning the Arts of Catalin in every period of life he furnishes Men with what is most agreeable to their age and temper But alas though Men had no foreign Enemy from without to make war upon them though there were no subtil Tempter to seduce them there is an Enemy within their own breasts that lays trains to ruin them their own corrupt and vicious inclinations set open the door and hurry them forth to meet the temptation that 's coming towards them Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust and enticed Herein lyes Satans great advantage he knows our strength is small our propensions to sin impetuous and violent and how apt we are to be betrayed by our appetites and passions All external Objects though never so ravishing and delightful could make no impression were there not a party within that 's false to the true interests of the Soul Satan as potent and crafty as he is cannot ravish our wills nor force our inclinations the worst he can do is to prompt and perswade to watch advantages and administer suitable sollicitations but cannot compel us to entertain them No Man is undone but himself is the cause on 't he that would not cannot be overcome provided he keep his resolutions fix'd and stedfast This is the true way of conquest and victory over Satan resist the Devil Jam. 4.7 and he will flye from you if we do but make good our ground his temptations will vanish and disappear Let us then treasure up in our Minds a great sense of God and of our selves let us suffer Conscience freely to discharge its duty and have our senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evil Let us reverence the greatness and nobility of our Natures which are of a more Divine frame and temper than to be prostituted and defiled There 's no real Evil in this World but Sin other things may be evil to us but that 's evil in it self There 's an eternal and unalterable deformity in its nature which no plausible pretences can wipe off As Virtue and Goodness are in themselves lovely and excellent so Wickedness is essentially vile and base Let all opportunities and occasions of Vice be avoided with a quick and a jealous care a temptation is easilier prevented than removed when once it has thrust it self upon the Sinner 'T is good to suspect lawful things Men cannot safely use their utmost liberty he that will go just as far as he may 't is no wonder if he be tempted to go further than he ought Whatever is lawful may not be expedient especially when 't is likely to be abused unto excess Security is treacherous and unfaithful where no immediate danger is apprehended care is usually laid aside and liberty degenerates into licentiousness Blessed is he that feareth always that chuses rather to sit down short and to deny himself in some warrantable satisfactions than presume to venture to the end of his line 'T is hard to distinguish the utmost bounds and the nice limits between good and evil and therefore safest to keep within what 's evidently fit and lawful When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler says the Wise Man put a knife to thy throat Prov. 23.1 2. if thou be a man given to appetite that is be exceeding wary and govern thine appetite by the severest measures of sobriety because excess at such a time is much readier to steal upon us than when a temptation to intemperance is with open face presented to us We should frequently review our lives and call our actions to a severe and impartial examination that we may know what is their spring and fountain what their tendency and inclination and what will be the consequence and the issue of them and that if Satan have conveyed in a suggestion in disguise we may pull off the vizor and resent it in its own form and shape And this account should be taken as near as may be upon the doing of every action or as soon as ever the thoughts are freed from the present incumbrances that are upon them Vid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n. 40. c. The Pythagoreans were taught thrice every night to call themselves to an account for the actions of the preceding day Senec. de Ira l. 3. c. 36. p. 87. and Sextius the Philosopher never used to go to bed 'till he had first reasoned and expostulated with himself What evil habit have I cured to day what vice have I resisted wherein am I better than I was before And certainly would Christians accustom themselves more to this excellent course they would quickly find a double advantage flow from it that repentance and the reforming of our lives would be infinitely more easie and tolerable and that our minds would be trained up to a greater wariness and circumspection and to keep a more strict and severe hand over our own lives and actions Nothing being more instrumental to restrain impiety and to promote virtue and a good life than to bring the actions of every day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Com. in Aur. Carm. p. 209. as Hierocles expresses it before the Tribunal of Conscience and to pass a just and an unbyassed sentence upon our selves This method once established would weaken the power of vicious habits and withdraw the fewel that enflames the fire 't would ruin the party which the Enemy has within us Men are commonly betrayed by those of their own house the Enemy maintains correspondence with their inordinate appetites and inclinations and by them surprises and pulls them down Every irregular passion subdued and mortified is a breach made up in the soul and leaves less hold for Satan to fasten his Engins and Designs upon it But above all we must sollicit Heaven that God would enable us to defeat and disappoint the plots and subtilties of the Tempter Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Our Lord has made it part of our daily address to Heaven that God would not lead that is not suffer us to be lead into temptation but deliver us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the power and prevalency of the Devil He is too hard for us in our own strength but God has said His Grace shall be sufficient for us If we be sincere and hearty in our striving we have an invisible aid at hand the assistance of God's Grace and Spirit a supply infinitely beyond all the powers of Satan Besides God is pleased to animate our Endeavours and encourage our industry and perseverance with the promise of a mighty reward To him that overcomes Rev. 3.21 I will grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The Wise and Good God does not oblige us to eternal labours to grapple with endless difficulties and oppositions there is a term and period fix'd to our present warfare a time coming when these tryals shall cease and our present troubles be swallowed up in infinite joys and pleasures What then remains but that we be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might that we take unto our selves the whole armour of God and be thereby enabled to stand against the wiles of the Devil praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance that after all the conflicts and difficulties of the present life we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand Now the God of all Grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you To Him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever AMEN FINIS