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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	father_n	holy_a	spirit_n	8,932	5	5.4539	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94266	A vvarning-piece for the slumbring virgins. Or, An alarm to the friends of the bridegroom, in some awakening meditations upon Christ's own watch-word, Matth. 26.41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, &c. / By Geo: Scortreth, preacher of the Gospel in Lincoln.	Scortreth, George, b. 1612 or 13.	1657 (1657)	Wing S937; Thomason E1638_3; ESTC R209055	57,932	207

upon him to keep him with them as the Keeper of their heads and hearts for ever 3. Prayer helps a Christian to Watch as it brings him in to commune with God who is glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing wonders When a poor silly sinful Wretch comes to present himself before the Holy One who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity How will the serious thoughts of the transcendent majesty and resplendent purity of Jehovah awaken him Will not his excellency make him afraid Job 13.11 and his dread fall upon him When Abraham drew near to commune with the Lord what awakened posture does he appear in Gen. 18 27. Behold sayes he I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes Oh let not the Lord be angry c. When a Child of God finds in his heart to plead with his Father in Heaven he first pleades with himself in these or the like words Mic. 6.6 Wherewithall shall I appear before the Lord or bow my self to the mighty God of Jacob Awake O my soul awake and offer not the dead the lame and the sick in sacrifice to the living God Hee 's a great King Mal. 1.14 and his Name is dreadfull And as a gracious spirit communes with its own heart before it commune with him that tryes the heart so the Lord communes with it in and after prayer now the voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce which shakes the Cedars and will it not then shake a bruised reed and make it tremble at his Word A broken heart that can speak its mind freely and feelingly to the Lord and hears him speaking home to his heart must needs be effectually awakened such heavenly entercourse maintained by a spirit of prayer will keep up a Christians spirit in a watchful frame till it go up to God that gave it 4. Prayer helps exceedingly at this heart-watch as it is marvellously heart-affecting In fervent prayer how does the softned heart melt in godly sorrow as snow before the Sun or wax by the fire mourning over the Lord and after him how does the thirsting soul pant and breathe and break with longings after the living God as a thirsty land how are the affections carried up towards heaven in a pure flame of Divine life and love ascending as pillars of perfumed smoke And will not such unconceiveable Soul-stirrings strugglings as these awaken the heart Sure there is a mighty spirit of activity goes forth in this Saints-exercise when performed in the power of the holy Spirit which will prevent heart-benumming security when a man of God wrastles with the Allmighty in his might as a Gyant refreshed with Wine what heart-raising and rowsing work must there needs be think ye 'T is too busie a time this to sleep in when an immortal soul is working as for life with the ever-living God about the things of Eternity A double ground in the Text why we should double our duty in Watching and Praying First Because we are exposed to temptation if we do not Watch and Pray For 1. We provoke the Lord to tempt us while we tempt him by neglect of these Gospel-Duties of his own appointment as 1. To lead us into temptation when we will not follow the leading and guidance of his Holy Spirit and Word 'T is that which Jesus Christ in tendernesse to our weak wandring spirits would have daily upon our hearts in prayer to beseech our Father not to lead us into temptation 'T is true as the Spirit of truth testifies that God cannot be tempted to evill neither tempteth he any man He is infinitely holy and righteous and cannot tempt any to sin and unrighteousnesse He is the chief good and cannot lead any into any evil temptation or temptation to evil And he is unchangeably and eternally holy and cannot possibly be tempted to unholinesse the just Lord will can do nothing that is unjust no iniquity Yet the Lord may be said in his own sense to lead us into temptation for himself hath said it As 1. By way of Probation When he tryes us like gold i' th fire as he did Job When he leads us into the Wildernesse to prove us as he did Israel of old when we fall into the hands of God as David and his Servants did Jam. 1.2 And though we are to account it all joy when we fall into manifold temptations for as the temptations and sufferings of Christ abound in us 2 Cor. 1.5 so our consolations also will abound by Christ 't is his peculiar method with which his secret ones are well acquainted to bring good out of evill and sweet out of bitter yet it is upon the account of his sympathy with us in sufferings and sanctifying them to us by keeping up the spirituall exercise of watching and prayer while we are exercised therewith otherwise as afflictions are never joyous in themselves so they will be ever grievous to those who have grieved the Holy Spirit by laying aside their spiritual watchfulnesse and prayer Those sufferings must needes befull of vexation and perplexitie which find us under presumption and securitie for First what bitternesse will it be to the soul when awakened in a day of adversity that it slept and slumbred out it's dayes of prosperitie that which was then a bed of ease to the flesh will be now a bed of thorns to the Spirit There cannot chuse but be much heart-aking under heart-awakening tryals to all slumbring Virgins and that is the pain of all paines the sharpest sting in sufferings sad thoughts of sinfull slumbrings will break ones sleep false rests will fearfully disquiet us when we find them out or they us in the day of calamity Affliction will be a root of bitternesse bearing gall and wormwood at such a time oh what an heavie burthen has the carelesse neglect of watching and praying been to some slumbring Christians in our dayes who have lived at ease in Zion while she has been in pain travelling to be delivered How have they mourned like Doves and chattered as a Crane or Swallow for want of that Spirit of grace and supplication which they had so long restrained and so much extinguished under a spirituall Lethargie how have their hearts been ready to dye within them like Nabals for want of life in and love to those holy duties wherein sometimes they had been lively and full of affection How will the hearts of all the slumbring Virgins smite them one day when distresse shall come upon them as sorrow upon a woman in travell will they not then weep out their sleepy eyes and sigh out their sluggish spirits crying Ah we fools that had a price in our hands and no hearts to use it We have lost many a good day trifling out choyce breathing times in the sight of the Sun and now the night is come upon us and we cannot work Alas alas for those daies of the Son of

life power and peace from you and then how dark and dead heartlesse and helplesse will you lie in this hour of Temptations These are the broken thoughts of one of your poor heart-friends when afflicted and absent in body yet affected as present in spirit with the sense of the room he hath had in your hearts while the hand of the Lord hath touched him What in mercy he hath brought to my hand and heart while I had onely his own Book with mee I leave to the blessing of his own hand upon your hearts and mind Now the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for of Christ And I beseech you Brethren for his sake and the love of the Spirit that you strive together and asunder in your prayers to God for me that he would consider my troubles and know my Soul in adversity that I may rejoyce in his mercy and that I may come unto you with joy by the Will of God and may with you be refreshed through the gracious presence of Christ to the praise of his grace to whose benediction direction and dominion I humbly commit you and rest Your much obliged Friend and Servant in the Gospel of Christ G. S. Christian Reader AS 't is the special Office of some men to be Watchmen so 't is the common duty of all men to Watch. That some men are appointed to watch over others cannot excuse any mans neglect of watching over Himself All the Ports of the Body the Eyes the Ears the Lips at which the Soul is continually issuing out by several acts or taking in from several Objects need a continual watch upon them how much more doth that most important Piece of all the Heart We should alwayes watch what God is doing we should watch what God is speaking what he speaks to us in his Word what he speaks to us in his Works We should watch what he speaks to move us unto prayer and what he speaks in answer to the motions which we have made in prayer How watchfull should they be who have all these and many more occasions of watching We read in Daniel Chap. 4. 13. Of a Watcher and a Holy one that came down from heaven And surely none on earth can be Holy Ones unlesse they be Watchers The carelesse Soul is alwayes a corrupt one and Security layeth us open to all impurity Satan watcheth to make us Halt and evil men watch for our Haltings we shall never take either eaven or clean steps unlesse we watch our own goings and ponder the path of our feet Watchfulnesse being so indispensible a Duty how glad should we be of any thing either to awaken us or keep us awake The Learned and Godly Authour of this ensuing Discourse hath beaten such an Alarm and shot off such a Warning-Piece in our Quarters that if the Virgins slumber still as their security will be inexcusable so their calamity will be unavoidable What can they look for who will not watch to pray But that God as he once did Jer. 31.28 should watch over them to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to afflict What can they look for who will not watch to do good but that God as another Prophet saith he once did Dan. 4.13 should watch upon the evill and bring it upon them They who will not take warning deserve to be made one Having perused this Manuall of Watchfulnesse I commend it into the hands and to the hearts of all those who would find peace and be found in peace when their Lord commeth It was sad that the Disciples eyes were so heavy that they could not watch with Christ one hour when he was going out of the world And it will be more sad with those whose hearts are so heavy that they cannot watch for the return of Christ at all houres who therefore hath not told us the particular hour of his coming that we at all hours might be kept watching for it And Blessed will those Servants be whom when their Lord cometh he shall find watching and praying or watching unto prayer that they enter not into temptation and that they may be kept in the hour of temptation Reader That his Book may be blessed from above to make thee Watchfull is his Prayer who readily Approves it for the Presse and publick Use of this Slumbring Age Joseph Caryl To the Reader Reader THey who keep close to the Lord Christ in holinesse of Life and purity of Doctrine are Virgins whether particular Persons or Churches Such being expos'd to many Temptations and subject to much Slumbring here is a Warning-Piece for them The great Watchman of Israel warn'd his Apostles yea all to Watch Mark 13.37 so doth this good Watchman in Israel Watching is a Duty of grand importance Noah Lot David Peter and other Worthies were tempted slumbred and suffered much for want of Watchfulnesse When Kings slumber they may lose a skirt of their garments 1 Sam. 24.14 and when Virgins slumber they may lose their whole Garments all their Ornaments Rev. 16 15. and the shame of their nakednesse appear The vigilant Author hath prepar'd and fitted this Treatise to prevent such evils It s little but of much worth being Judicious Succinct and Spirituall Bulky Volume must give place It 's full of Apples of gold in pictures os silver choyce Truths in choice expressions Reader wouldst thou be a wise watchful and experimental Christian look seriously into this Treatise lay the Contents of it close to thy heart and be sure to have thy desire William Greenhill Geo Griffiths Errata PAge 9. line 3. read Spirit for spirits p. 13. l. 1. r. heart-duty for hearty-duty p. 21. l. 8. r. her for his l. 12. about for abou p. 23. ult work for worth p. 50. l. 3. r. work for prophecy p. 55. l. ult they for this p. 65. l. 16. as for at p. 71. Gen. 28. for 18. p. 72. l. 4. fear for hear p. 79. l 7. you for these line 9. your for their p. 86 l. 12 fully for full p. 87 l. 13 It 's for Jobs p. 93 l. 1. as for us line 9. God for Gods p. 115 Prov. 19. for 14. least for last p. 138 line 1. tow for bow p. 142 l. 11. with whose lips had for with those lips that p. 143 line ult and you for and put p. 145 line 4. rest for coast p. 152. the better could for the better could p. 153. Prov. 23.34 for Prov. 7.23 p. 155. l. 8. Can you for Yea can p. 164 l. 15. multiformity for multifariety p. 165. l. 23. and by swallowing for swallowing p. 172. l. 16. as this as they waited for as thus waited A Warning-Piece FOR THE Slumbring Virgins Matth. 26.41 Watch and Pray that ye enter not into temptation IN the 37th verse of this Chapter we find Jesus took Peter and the two Sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowfull Math. 17.1.2 c

not deny thee When Christ trusts him with himself and his own strength but for a little season how fowly he shews his weaknesse and shames himself and very sinfully offends him more then they all by being so shamefully offended because of him denying before them all that he knew his Master upon the word of a damsel that said Thou wast with Jesus And the Holy Ghost sets a brand of Cowardize upon this self-confiding Champion leaving this upon record to all Ages to shake and shame all the Lords people out of themselves that when another Maid said This fellow was with Jesus he denyed with an oath Ver. 71. I know not the man Would any of the Disciples have ever believed such a thing as this of Peter or he of himself that a cursed oath should have ever been found within his blessed lips and that to deny his Lord and Master with those lips that had so oft blessed him that he should so desperately disown him with his mouth whom he owned honoured and loved so dearly at his heart Oh how have the mighty fallen how have the mighty fallen when they have been left to themselves and have fallen into their own hands Such remarkable examples as these taken into our serious consideration may happily if the Lord strike in with them awaken some sleepy hearts from a presumptuous self-full security to a religious watchfull jealousie that they who think they stand may take heed lest they fall as certainly they shall though they seem to be pillars as Peter did if they stand upon their own leggs and not upon his that are as Pillars of Marble set upon sockets of fine gold Cant. 5.15 Upon this double Account that they are so exposed to Temptation and so indisposed to Opposition who do no Watch and Pray Let me call for double diligence in the Name of the Lord to this double Duty First Double your Watch Oh watch watch 1. Over your own Hearts Jer. 17.9 for they are most deceitfull and the Deceiver lyes most at catch there the subtle Serpent he knowes where our guile lyes which he would willingly make use of to beguile us with 'T is his Commission onely to bruise the heel Gen. 3.15 but 't is his covetous ambition to break into the heart How he watches day and night works without wearinesse and windes about every way to surprize this Royall Fort of the King of Glory if he carry that he commands all and will lead us captive at his will if he can but get his head into our hearts and keep his hand upon this great wheel he has his hearts desire and will turn all about with it Oh therefore lay to heart that blessed Counsell of our great heart-keeper Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart above all keeping so the Hebrew has it for out of it are the issues of life 'T is matter of life and death this 'T is as much as thy life is worth to watch the heart well and not to watch it is death The Devill knowes if there be any good treasure within thee it is laid up in thine heart and he would fain have the key of this Cabbinet to rob thee of thy Jewels If he can but corrupt this fountain all the streams will be filthy out of it will proceed the worst of Evils when it becomes the worst part which should be the best The Father of spirits doubles his Charge upon our spirits The Lord God of Israel saith Take heed to your spirit Mal. 2.15 16. take heed to your spirit Here the unclean spirits muster up their Forces and therefore here must our main Guard be Watch but the heart so as to keep him out there and put the Devil out of heart hee 'l despair of you 2. Watch the good Spirit of God in all its motions impressions convictions allurings comfortings c. as ever you would escape the temptations and delusions of the evil spirit and therefore First Watch the good Spirit to welcome him make much of his sweet breathings ther 's much life and love in them If the Spirit come to Convince you saying as Nathan did to David Thou art the man say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Be ready to hear of that ear though he speak such things as make it tingle as you love the peace of your own spirits If he come as a Spirit of glory and power to subdue your iniquities to cut off your right hand c. with his two edged sword Oh say Let him go on and prosper till he have slain his thousands c and made all his enemies become his footstool If he come to coast as a Dove upon you to meeken and sweeten your Spirits Oh put forth your hands to take him in as Noah did the Dove with the Olive-leafe make both much of and set much by the good Spirit and Word of God and the evill Spirit will not be able to do you much hurt Oh prize the gracious manuductions of this faithfull guide at an high rate and be as glad of his heavenly conduct as the wise men were to see the starre that pointed out Christ to them Math. 2.10 they rejoyced with exceeding great joy Lie as even as you can under his celestial influences and sweet distillings of the precious dews of grace and peace Attend his glorious ministration all along let him have his whole will upon you and do his work wholly and fully within you say him not Nay in any thing he will work mightily within you and witnesse manifestly to you 2. Watch the workings and witnessings of the Holy Spirit so as you may not hinder him when he comes to help you nor grieve him when he comes to comfort you take heed of tempting him who only can help you against the Tempter oh shut not out his glorious light for all the glory of the World imprison not any of his precious truths for all the specious libertyes under the Sun resist not the stirring power of his grace upon you when hee 's shaking the powers of darknesse within you refuse not the free and familiar tenders of his heart-renewing and reviving love for thousands of Gold and Silver Lose not willingly one syllable of the secret whisperings of this messenger of peace lest he with draw his light love power and peace and leave you to the power of Satan and he lead you into Prison and keep you in darknesse Alas alas we have given the greatest occasion and advantage to spiritual wickednesse in high places to tempt vex disturb and divide us by tempting vexing and quenching the Holy Spirit as ever any in the World have done And are not now the shadowes of the evening upon us for slighting his goings forth as the morning How strangely have the lying Spirits deceived us since the Spirit of truth has been rejected and the truths of the Spirit What a thick black dark hour of temptation is come upon us since

we have refused the cleare counsel and pure comforts of the Holy-Ghost in the day of his gracious visitation what strong delusions and strange declinings to the right hand or the left since we have forsaken the guide of our spirits 3. Watch your spiritual enemies they watch us Luk. 4.13 as Satan did Christ when the Tempter is gone and his temptation seemes to be quite over he does but watch another season and therefore we must watch in season and out of season As Nehemiah and the people of God with him did with Sanballat and the enemies of God Neh. 4.7.8.9 they prayed and set a watch day and night the enemie was very wroth and they were very watchfull a sword in one hand when at work with the other So should we at this day watch at the Lords work Watch and Pray watch and heare watch and speak c 'T is very seasonable that counsell of the mightie Counsellour Take heed no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ deceive many Oh how much are we concerned in that blessed caution upon whom the ends of the World are come Math. 24.4 5 11 24 25. How affectionate and importunate was Paul the aged and experienced in warning the people night and day and that with teares to beware of such as should seeke to withdraw them from the Gospel of Christ Do not spiritual dangers multiply upon us every day whiles we are under a Spirit of slumbring securitie from our soul-enemies and that on every side Oh what need of the whole Armour of God on the right hand and on the left what need of a diligent spiritual watch over our heads and hearts words and wayes teachings and hearings Oh gather up your spiritual forces every day and call in auxiliaries from Heaven and follow the Captain of your salvation Watching and Praying as the armour-bearer did Jonathan climbing upon heads and feet contend eamestly for the faith which was once given to the Saints and as you 're fighting the good fight of faith be ever looking up to Jesus 1 Pet. 1.5 and you shall be kept as in a Garrison so the word imports by his power through faith unto salvation 4. Watch over and for one another for good in an evil time 't is very seasonable to be knocking at one anothers doores and jogging at each others elbowes in the Spirit of meeknesse to keep as many awake as you can in this slumbring time through the good hand of God upon you and surely they whose hearts are awakened in such a day as this by the Lords speaking from heaven to them cannot keep silence but must be speaking to their brethren in the name of the Lord saying awake awake As our hearts should dwell much upon awakening meditations so our mouths should be filled with awakening salutations and exhortations when we meet with the servants of Christ as it was with the lively Christians in the primitive times saying behold he comes like a thief and The Judge standeth at the door and the like When so many watch one anothers haltings let us watch to be helpers of one anothers faith and joy by provoking one another to Watching and Prayer when many fellow-servants are smiting one another with words of violence and verulency let us smite one another with words of truth soberness and the deeper they pierce the heart in the Spirit of Love the better could we hit one another o' th heart-vein 't would be a mercy Oh that the righteous would thus smite one another with gracious words of reproof to restore one another and all in much mutual soul-love what a kindness would this be Such precious oyntments would not break the head but mollifie and meeken the heart Such wounds would be welcome from the hand of a friend Alas we complain every where of the Saints slumbring wandring and wantonnesse 't were better we turned our complaints inward and left them upon our selves that we do not stir up one another to Watching and Prayer we do but bear one another as burthens upon our spirits when we should beare one anothers burthens and help at a dead lift as with one shoulder we see poore Christians in a dead sleep on every hand and we lie dying by them but who calls upon them to be watchfull and strengthen the things that are readie to die Rev. 3.2 How many have our eyes beheld lying as a man asleep upon the top of a Mast and floods of temptation under them too prov 7.23.34 readie to swallow them up but how few have we laboured to awaken to this day 2 Sam. 16.17 may we not reflect upon our selves in the words of Absalom to Hushai Is this our kindnesse to our friends Is this nothing to you all ye that passe by do you not take notice how many foolish Virgins lie slum-bring and languishing upon beds of sensualitie and securitie and the house readie to be set on fire over their heads and do you take no care to awaken them would it not pitty your very heart to see the flames seize upon them while they are asleep How long has the keeper of Israel watched over them and kept them as the apple of his eye notwithstanding all their slumbrings and wandrings and does he not expect think you that you should be your brethrens keeper for his sake and cry unto them in all haste to prepare to meet him least he withdraw the wing of his protection from them and leave them naked if you see your brethren sleeping starving dying and shut up the bowels of your compassions from them in such a case how dwels the love of God in you And if you say 't is not in mans power to awaken anothers heart who cannot awaken his own can a man raise the dead T is true the low voyce of a weak man can never make those hearts heare which can sleep under the loud thundrings of Heaven why but can you weep over them as the Jewes did over Lazarus in his grave yea can feelingly sigh over them saying Can these drie bones live Who shall roul away the stone and open their graves why he that is the resurrection and the life can awaken them out of the deepest sleep and quicken them with a word of his mouth If Jesus will but groan in Spirit with you and say awake arise come forth the dead shall heare his voyce and live You cannot lift up their sleepie hearts no alas they are too heavie for you but cannot you lift up a prayer for them If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death he shall ask 1 Ioh. 5.16 and he shall give him life what high encouragement is here to praying-souls to lift up their voice on high for such as are sinning and sleeping in sin almost to death oh then if the Spirit of prayer were raised again from the dead as one may say what blessed