Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	worship_n	worship_v	worshipper_n	4,806	4	12.4611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60343	A discourse of closet (or secret) prayer from Matt. VI 6 first preached and now published at the request of those that heard it / by Samuel Slater.	Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.	1691 (1691)	Wing S3960; ESTC R25761	88,954	200

the little things which did speak the unsoundness of their hearts so what shall we think of them who spend all or the greatest part of their care and heat about those things which come not under any express command of the Divine Law They that are most curious about their Bodies are as it is to be feared most careless about their Souls they spend so much time at their Glass that they have none for the Bible they are so careful that a Pin be not stuck amiss in their Cloaths that they leave every thing amiss in their Hearts by the Garbs and unreasonable Dresses in which some sillily proud persons come into the Assemblies it is easie for Spectators to determine how they spent and profan'd the Morning of the Sabbath at home and we may apprehend and fear the same in the present case that those persons who are so much set for such things as this are at least very apt and prone to bestow none of their care about that which deserves most they are so much for the place that they forget and neglect the heart they are so thoughtful where they pray that they do not mind how they pray they are so set for a form they do not mind nay possibly they hate the Power But by the way let●me whisper this in the ear of these persons That the Altar will not Sanctify a corrupt thing If you bring dead formal lifeless Prayers though you offer them up in your Consecrated Churches nay at your adored Altars they will not come up with a sweet smelling favour and acceptance before God I would not have any body think that I do God forbid that I should say A Form of Prayer and Formality of Heart are inseparable Companions I do not doubt but meer formal Professors are most for forms but I dare not affirm that all those who make use of Forms are meer formal Professors I do not doubt but some looking upon Forms as lawful and out of modesty and an humble sense of the lowness of their own parts do make use of Forms when they pray with others and are conscientious in the use of them and they do accompany the Petitions Confessions and Thanksgivings contained in them with sincere affections and do meet with a gracious acceptance with God and do enjoy a communion with his Holy Majesty But this I will also be bold to say and if any be offended at it upon them be it That constant stated forms of Prayer and Formality are borderers upon one another they live at no such great distance but that they frequently yea commonly meet together in the same Service and in the same Persons And really I am of the mind that it stands them in hand who make use of forms to be very cautious and look warily to themselves lest they do even before they are aware fall into formality that indifferency and lukewarmness of Spirit which God cannot endure When in the forequoted Scripture the Woman of Samaria fell into discourse with Christ about the place of Worship whether it ought to be at Ierusalem or in that Mountain viz. Gerizim our Saviour did wisely and graciously take her off from that as a matter not so momentous as to deserve either her Enquiry or his Resolution and fell to acquainting her with directing her to and putting her● upon the Spirituality of that Worship which is to be performed as that which she and every one ought principally to attend unto because it is that which the heart of God is most for and upon which his pure eyes are chiefly set 4 Iohn 23 24. The hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Spiritual Worship is most congruous and agreeable to God Childish Toys please Children who have no more wit outward Pomp and Ceremonies please vain men who have not so good hearts as they should but spiritual Worship is acceptable to that God who is himself a Spirit such Worshippers he seeks others he rejects when he finds them therefore you must be such if you would find favour or receive a Blessing And to shut up this particular I will only add That if men were once set as they should be for the spirituality of Worship they would not be so unreasonably eager as they are for nor so tetchy froward and contentious about Places Modes and Forms which can fetch their pedigree and original no higher than meer human Invention and Appointment Enough of that and it will be well if some persons do not think this a little too much VSE In the third and last branch of this Use of Reprehension my work will be to awaken rouze and startle to convince and bring those to judge and condemn themselves who live without secret Prayer I hear from some and I do more than partly believe it That there are many Professors and those too of some Name and Eminency who live under the dreadful guilt of this sinful omission and if there be some such how great may we suppose the total number to be of them who are this way chargeable tho' let them be never so many every one of them Man Woman and Child is known to that God who observes our down-lying and our up-rising and is acquainted with all our ways There are those that will come to publick Ordinances that they may not be counted Heathens nor suspected to be Papists which Party now blessed be God is under great infamy and reproach tho' not greater than they do deserve upon account of the very Principles of that cursed Religion which they have embraced and do profess Yea and they will attend upon those Ordinances which they think are most purely administred and also join themselves in Communion with those Churches which they look upon as being of the most Scriptural Constitution that so they may be reckoned among Christians of the highest Form and chiefest Rank yea and peradventure they will set up Family-duties they will call their Children and Servants together and all under their ●oof and Charge to seek the Lord lest upon a discontent or remove some-body within doors should tell tales by means whereof their reputation should be blasted and the truth of their Religion called in question by any of those to whom they are desirous yea ambitious of approving themselves But wretches as they are as for Prayer by themselves either in Chamber or in Closet or any where else they do lay it aside altogether God himself will be a swift Witness against them that He and they never so met together They find much other work and can do many other things when they are alone They can spend a great deal of time at the Glass viewing and dressing themselves they can tell their Money and read over their Bills and Bonds but as for Soul-searching

and dread upon thy spirit with as great ●umility and reverence in thy carriage and deportment as if thou hadst the eyes of all the World upon thee though thou mayest in thy retirements be more free and open in giving an account of thy self and thy condition thy burthens wants and desires because no body sees thee yet thou must not be rude unmannerly and sawcy because God sees thee When thou art in a Corner God is in Heaven upon a Throne of Glory attended by innumerable Angles who in his presence cover their Faces with their Wings as knowing their distance their inability and unworthiness to behold him Remember thou hast to do with Majesty yea with an Infinite and Glorious Majesty and Shall not his excellency make you afraid and his dread fall upon you Job 13. 11. And indeed then are we most excellent when we do most fear God's Excellency David began Psalm 8. with the admiration of God's Excellency O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth And then in the same Psalm he fell to humbling and vilifying thoughts and expressions of Man What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Abraham was the Father of the faithful and the Friend of God yet how low was he in his own eyes and how much fill'd with an awe of God when he alone stood before him pleading for wicked Sodom Observe how he carried and what he said Genesis 18. 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes And vers 30. O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak And yet again verse 32. O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once By all this you see how much he was afraid of offending God and this is that which God expects from his creatures yea from his dearest Children he stands upon his honour and looks to be treated like himself Levit. 10. 3. Moses said unto Aaron This is that the Lord spake I will be sanctified in all them that come nigh me See then that you have grace to serve him with reverence and godly fear as knowing that your God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. Nadab and Abihu found him so when destroyed by fire that came from his presence upon their not observing his order in matter of worship they brought with them strange fire and met with devouring fire Therefore do you fear before him when you pray to him and though no-body be by remember and consider that God is by as to hear your Prayers so curiously to observe both the frame of your spirits and the manner of your deportments before him as he is of pitiful eyes so of pure and piercing eyes which cannot indure to behold iniquity and from which nothing can be hid all is naked and open before him with whom you have to do Secondly When thou settest about the work of Secret-Prayer study and endeavour secrecy to the utmost and be as secret as ever thou canst do not tell others the business thou art taking in hand What though none know of it let it be enough for thee that thy Father doth for that is enough he alone is sufficient to be thy witness and to do for thee all that thou desirest Never go to it with a design nor in such manner that others may take notice of it for thy commendation A Christian indeed may do Alms and pray so as to be taken notice of and let his light shine before Men in order to the alluring of others and drawing them to the like acts of piety and charity But to give others by any means an item of our private Duties in order to our own applause that we might have praise with Men and be by them accounted in the number of serious strict and eminent Christians is too low a pitch for the Children of God to fly it is Pharisaically wicked and abominable And sure I am you your selves will find it true at the last That a name thus obtained will not pay the charge but cost you a great deal more than it is worth It is far better for us to take care of our duty and leave it to God to take care of our names If we can please God and get to Heaven we shall be glad to be there though no-body knew all the steps we took in the way thither When thou art in the work and warm at it when the Fire burns speak with thy tongue it is thy friend in Prayer and thy glory in Praises but command it to keep a due decorum be not so loud that others may hear do not like some make the street ring I readily grant that the lifting up of the voice is sometimes the effect of an oppressed spirit whom speaking will not serve there must be crying and that aloud sometimes it is the effect of a soul fir'd and inflam'd with holy longings and it may be allowed to be an help to the raising up of the spirit and affections Only when thou dost make use of it get as far as thou canst out of the hearing of others that thou mayest not be as the hypocrites are If thou hast not conveniency for that neither within doors nor without then go to God as he came to Elijah in a soft and still voice Thy Father can hear thy whispers for thou always speakest in his ear yea more Romans 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit He had in the Verse before spoken of groans that could not be utter'd desires that are in the Soul which it knoweth not how to express but though thou canst utter neither sighs nor groans nor words God knoweth your minds what your spirits are working out after when you say nothing he can tell what you would have All my desire is before thee He understands the language of thy sighs yea thy very tears are to him articulate when he doth not hear the words of thy mouth We do not find that Woman said any thing who washed Christ's Feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head but in those tears and actions Christ saw love and thankfulness much is forgiven her therefore she loveth much yea he doth know what you have a mind to by your very looks Hence it was that when the floods compassed Ionah about and all the billows and waves passed over him and he looked upon himself as being in a perishing condition he resolved upon giving God a look before he was quite lost Ionah 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple and that look saved him Verse 6. Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God He looks pitifully up to God and God looks graciously down upon him do thou so act the Saint as carefully to avoid every