Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	worship_n	writing_n	54	3	8.6942	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28214	The god-father's advice to his son shewing the necessity of performing the baptismal vow and the danger of neglecting it : with general instructions to young persons to lead a religious life and prepare them for their confirmation and worthy receiving of the blessed sacrament : very necessary for parents, &c. to give their children or others committed to their care / by John Birket ...	Birket, John.	1700 (1700)	Wing B2975; ESTC R16106	33,239	50

the practice of holiness one of the easiest and pleasantest things in the whole world you 'll take no greater pleasure in any thing than in denying your self nor find any greater comfort in the world than in getting the victory over it And now I shall conclude this head with those excellent words of our Church at the latter end of the office for Baptism where we are told that Baptism doth ●●present unto us our profession which is to follow the example of our Saviour Christ and to be made like unto him that as he died and rose again for us so should we who are baptiz'd dye for sin and rise again unto righteousness continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living And now I hope you will see no reason for neglecting to be confirm'd but as our Church has explain'd the meaning of this word that being now come to the years of discretion and understanding what your God-fathers and God-mothers promised for you in Baptism you your self with your own mouth and consent openly before the Church will ratify and confirm the same and also promise that by the Grace of God you will evermore endeavour your self faithfully to observe such things as you by your own confession have assented unto Here 's nothing impossible as I have shew'd required of you nothing that 's truly difficult to a willing mind assisted by the Grace of Gods holy Spirit which is never wanting to those that heartily seek after it nothing finally but what is attended with the greatest comfort and satisfaction of mind in this life and which will render us capable through Jesus Christ of eternal glory in the life to come Whensoever therefore you shall be inform'd of the Bishops intention to confirm the youth of this Diocess I desire you not to neglect the first opportunity but take the best care you can to prepare your self for it by fasting and prayer some time before seriously meditating upon that solemn vow which you are to renew in the presence of Almighty God And when the time comes if no unavoidable accident shall hinder you repair to the place appointed with all possible seriousness and composedness of mind there standing before the Bishop give diligent attention to him while he asks you together with the rest whether you do in the presence of God and that Congregation renew the solemn promise and vow that was made in your name at your Baptism ratifying and confirming the same in your own person and acknowledging your self to believe and to do all those things which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for you and then make answer with an audible but yet humble voice and truly Christian courage saying I do After this be sure that you heartily join with the Bp in his prayers to God for you and all that are then confirm'd and when he shall lay his hand upon your head praying over you while you kneel before him let your devout affections go along with your words saying Amen heartily to that as to all the other Prayers of the Church And lastly when the Bp has pronounc'd the blessing see that you depart with a joyful and glad heart and yet humbly praising God in your mind that he has spar'd your life till that time and given you an opportunity of engaging your self personally in his Service from which you must resolve to let no temptation of the world the Devil or the flesh ever draw you but that you will continue Christs faithful Soldier and Servant to your lives end And now my Son having thus explain'd your Baptismal vow shew'd you the possibility of keeping it and the absolute necessity there is for you so to do in order to your Everlasting Salvation I have several other things to recommend to your pious consideration and which as I have opportunity I shall either do by word or writing but at present I shall only give you my advice in reference to your constant attendance upon the publick worship of God and the manner of your behaviour therein For having observ'd not without great trouble of spirit that as some are so luke-warm in Religion that they do not care how seldom they go to Church so they do not matter how irreverently they behave themselves in the House of God and consequently receive little or no benefit by their being there I have thought it convenient to give you some few instructions in these matters also which if you will be careful to observe and practise you may then through the Grace of God be edify'd by frequenting the Religious Assemblies of his People and by leading the rest of your life accordingly may at last obtain the eternal Salvation of your precious Soul 1. Therefore as to your giving constant attendance upon the publick worship of God I cannot but think it highly necessary in this loose and degenerate age to give you my advice in this matter it being commonly observ'd that many young people following the ill example of those who are old enough to have more knowledge than they seem to have by their way of living are very negligent herein either loytering at home rambling about the Fields or gadding from house to house when they should be waiting upon God in the House of Prayer You must know therefore that whereas God has allow'd us six days in the week to labour in and to do all that we have to do in reference to our worldly concerns commanding us to rest the seventh day he never intended hereby that we should give up our selves to idleness and vanity on that day or to spend it in drowsiness and sleep much less in sports and drunkenness but the will and command of the Lord is that we should remember to keep it Holy i. e. to spend that day in religious exercise giving up our selves to the service of God both publickly and privately but each in its proper season Thus we find that as the seventh day from the beginning was religiously observed in memory of the Creator of all things so the first day of the week ever since the Apostles times hath been piously observed in the Christian Church in memory of our Saviours resurrection as being the consummation of the great work of our Redemption Let me therefore advise you be very careful in spending the Lords Day in such a manner as that God may be thereby most glorified and this certainly you cannot do better than employing your self in the publick prayers and other religious exercises together with the congregation For however private devotions when duly performed in their proper season may be accepted of God yet we do edify one another as well as Glorify God most by the mutual examples and union of our publick devotions So that the Lord having been so liberal as to allow us six days for our selves reserving but one in the week for his more solemn worship and service how can any