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
A60350	The protectors protection, or, The pious prince guarded by a praying people a sermon preached at St. Edmundsbury in Suffolk, upon the 13 Octob. 1658, being a day set apart for solemn fasting and humiliation and seeking a blessing upon His Highness the Lord Protector / by Sam. Slater ...	Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.	1659 (1659)	Wing S3968; ESTC R22448	38,832	77

authority and raised up to eminent place While Princes have their hands upon the Rudder subjects should have their eyes unto heaven while they are consulting and caring for us we should be praying and wrestling for them They are not too great but that a weak Christian may and should carry them in his armes to the Throne of Grace outward advantages do not raise them above our prayers Indeed those that sit upon Christs throne in heaven and are crowned with the glory above have no need either to pray themselves or that any else should pray for them but they that sit upon earthly thrones and are clothed with majesty here will see cause not onely to ask for themselves but to send others also to the Throne of Grace that they may speak a good word and beg for them Nor are they too good for us to pray for David was a man after Gods own heart eminent for piety and holiness yet should the Church bless him in his exploits If a Prince be religious he will be sure to meet with most temptations from Satan most oppositions from wicked men and therefore should be most strongly guarded Though there be a good Ioshua fighting in the valley yet the Amalekires may prevail if the hands of Moses in the mount be not kept up The godliness of a Magistrate doth encourage us to pray for him since we go to God on the behalf of his friend and servant but it doth not give us a Writ of Ease nor exempt us from our duty Nor are any of them too wicked for us to pray for them Nero the Emperor when Paul wrote this Epistle and ordered out this exhortation he was an overgrown sinner a monster a beast rather then a man a desperate enemy to Christian Religion and all its professors yet pray for him saith Paul Good Princes cannot be without prayers wicked Princes stand most in need of them pray for those that are bad that God would make them better for those that they might never back-slide from God for these that they might return unto that God from whom they have already back-slidden Our charity ought to be comprehensive and by our prayers we should promote the welfare both of friends and foes as our Lord and Master gave us commandment Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despit●fully use you and persecute you 5 Matth. 44. which precept he backt with his own example begging pardon for them who crucified him 23 Luke 34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do Indeed none are to be denied an interest in our prayers those onely excepted concerning whom we can upon good grounds conclude that they have committed the sin unto death the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which certainly and positively to affirm concerning any man is the most difficult thing in the world and not very far removed from an impossibility In the further prosecution of this Point I shall observe this method 1. We will enquire what kinde of prayers must be made for Kings and all in authority 2. We will shew you what is to be the matter of our prayers or what we ought to pray for 3. We will give you some reasons why we ought to pray for Kings and those in authority and then in the last place make some improvement of the truth in a way of Application Of all which in their order First what kinde of prayers must be put up for Kings and those that are in authority I might give an answer to this question in our Apostles own words in another place 6 Eph. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Pray at all times to day and to morrow while and as often as you have praying opportunities In the morning sowe your seed and in the evening hold not your hand and so pray all prayers Confession Petition Thanksgiving but we need not go anywhere else for an Answer to our Question since we have a full and satisfactory one in the Text The Apostle here tells us we must make supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks Unto all which we shall speak in their order We must pray for Princes and Governors with deprecatory prayers which are in the Text called Supplications The word in the Original is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which saith Cameron signifieth petitionem opis qua egemus ad avertanda mala a desiring of succor and help needfull for the averting or keeping off those evils and mischiefs which face and threaten us Zanchy saith the word imports those prayers quibus mala deprecamur ●am spiritualiae quàm corporalia tam temporalia quam aeterna i. e. by which we deprecate or desire God to preserve us from evils both spiritual which scatter their malignant influences upon the soul and corporal which molest and are enemies to the welfare of the body temporal which are inflicted in this life and make our way uncomfortable eternal which are reserved for the life to come and make our end miserable in a word these supplications are the calling in of God to be our shield and buckler our fortress and strong tower to keep us safe from what ever and whosoever would deprive us either of being or of well-being Now these supplications are to be made for Princes and Rulers Their thrones do not stand so sure but they may shake Their interest is not so great but they have some enemies Their designs and endeavors never so much for others good but some in their Realms may be desiring and contriving their destruction Though David was a man after Gods own heart and chosen by God himself to be King yet had he a Shimei to curse him an Absalom to rise up against him and thousands in Israel to back him in his unnaturalness and rebellion Indeed very few of their houses are as a morning without clouds Sometimes the Sun of prosperity shines gloriously upon their tabernacles but anon again the day is overcast the heaven is black with clouds and winde and there is a sound of abundance of rain Now it becomes us to labour the preventing of those miseries which threaten them and the keeping off those evils which seem imminent over them and to hold that hand which would sacrifice them and offer them up unto the fury of their enemies When there are any black clouds of trouble hanging over them we should labour to scatter them and blow them away by our praying breath When judgements are breaking in like a flood upon them and that with so great a violence as if there were no hope but they would carry all before them then should we be all Noahs Daniels and Iobs standing in the breach and hindering the Inundation begging God who by his commanding and omnipotent word sets bounds to the Sea to say unto these waves Be still and either to drive them back as once he

them about with songs of deliverance This is proper work for Gods people it becomes them to be their Princes Saviors Darius made a decree 6 Ezra That expences be given to the Jews for the work of the Temple and that they should be furnished with Bullocks and Rams and Lambs for the Burnt-offerings of the God of Heaven But why so See verse 10. That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of Heaven and pray for the Life of the King and of his Sons and if this were to be done for an Heathen Prince in the time of his great prosperity how much more ought it to be done for Christian Princes in the daies of trouble and danger You know when there have been either tumults or rebellions or insurrections at home or any invasions from abroad and hostile appearings against the Rulers and chief Magistrates of the Nation it was the worke of Sheriffs and Officers in the State to raise up the posse Comitatus the Forces and Trained Bands of the several Counties according as need required on the Princes behalf against his enemies Truly when that is done all is not done the greatest part of the work is yet behinde it becomes Christians by prayer to raise up the posse Coeli the Powers of Heaven and to call in the everlasting arms Exurgat Deus Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered But we procced Therefore We must put up gratulatory prayers for Princes and such as are in authority over us Thanksgiving is a part of prayer and it is the fourth thing called for here in the Text The word in the Original is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth gratiarum actionem pro acceptis beneficiis a giving of thanks for benefits received which is a duty incumbent upon every Christian in every condition for every mercy for there is no condition in which a Christian can be but therein he findes mercy if not comforting mercy yet supporting mercy if not delivering yet moderating mercy if not so much mercy as he desires yet more then he deserves and every mercy ought to be thankfully entertained God cannot be required for yet he must be owned and acknowledged in the out-goings of his goodness We can for all the favours we receive from God pay him no other way and therefore here we should be liberal God doth not call for thousands of rams nor for ten thousands of rivers of oyl surely then none should grudge him the calves of the lips Now as this lieth as a duty upon every Christian thankfully to own Gods goodness in that dew which falls upon his own fleece in those blessings which are reached out to him or his family or relations in particular so is it their duty to bless God for that dew which falls upon the ground round about yea though their own fleece be dry and Providence orders out a more sparing hand to them as to their own private interest And so to come to the business in hand When the Rulers of a Nation have received from God signal and eminent Favors all under them should take their part and joyn with them in a Song of Praise Thus did the Church Psal. 20.5 We will rejoyce in thy salvation in the Name of our God we will set up our banners the Lord fulfil all thy petitions Thy deliverances and conquests and victories shall be our joy thy prosperous successes shall be seconded with our triumphs we will lift up our banners Ingrediemur urbem erectis vexillis we will enter the City with Trumpets sounding Drums beating Colours flying as after an happy and glorious Conquest Thus the mercies and blessings and deliverances which are vouchsafed unto them should be set upon our score and we for them should acknowledge our selves Gods debters paying the interest of praise as if the principal had been in our own hands This is exceeding acceptable to God that Sacrifice savours best unto which every one contributes something then do we make the sweetest melody in the ears of heaven when all joyn together And it is exceeding rational in it self reason requires that we should thankfully acknowledge those Mercies which we taste the sweetness and reap the benefit of Mercies to the Rulers of a Nation are National mercies they have not a private but publick influence The clouds indeed may empty themselves more plentifully upon them but yet some of their drops distil and fall upon the smallest and meanest spot of the Land It is true the Oyl of divine Goodness may be most liberally shed upon the head of a Nation but it doth not stay there no it descends to the very skirts of the garments The same providential dispensation which blesseth them with prosperity doth reach out unto us peace that Mercy which gives our Princes to set their feet upon the necks of their enemies keeps those enemies from setting their feet upon our necks It is true the Cup is put into their hands and they have the most hearty draughts but since every one of us sips of it let us look up Of this more hereafter So much may suffice to be spoken of the first thing What kinde of prayers must be put up for Princes and all that are in Authority Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings The second thing which we are to enquire into is this What is to be the matter of our prayers or what ought we to beg of God for them Some things by way of direction have been scattered already up and down in this Discourse which for your help you may gather together and bundle up But we shall not so content our selves therefore in general we should pray that God would pour out upon them a spirit of Government When Samuel had anointed Saul it is said God gave him another heart 1 Sam. 10.9 that other heart was not a sanctified heart not a renewed heart not an heart furnished with the saving graces of Gods spirit for notwithstanding all his professions and good conversations he was a wicked profane wretch he carried a foul heart under a fair face But God gave him an heart fit for rule an heart endowed with Heroick vertues and Princely qualities Such an heart we should beg for the Chief Governor of the Nation that as he hath high imployment so he may have a raised and noble spirit He that governs a State had need of another kinde of heart then he that drives a plow pray for him that God would give him grace He ought to be religious himself who would promote it in his subjects He is not like to destroy all the wicked of the Land who doth not himself walk within his house with a perfect heart I do not think that Dominion is founded in grace and an irreligious Prince ought to be dethroned I believe Saul was a lawful king though no holy man and Iudas a true Apostle although false to his Master He that hath not grace in his