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A23775 The whole duty of man laid down in a plain way for the use of the meanest reader divided into XVII chapters : one whereof being read every Lords day, the whole may be read over, thrice in the year, necessary for all families : with private devotions.; Whole duty of man Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; Fell, John, 1625-1686.; Sterne, Richard, 1596?-1683.; Henchman, Humphrey, 1592-1675.; Pakington, Dorothy Coventry, Lady, d. 1679. 1659 (1659) Wing A1170_PARTIAL; Wing A1161_PARTIAL; ESTC R22026 270,427 508

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and famished Souls make my desires and gaspings after it answerable to my needs of it I have with the prodigal wasted that portion of grace thou bestowedst upon me and therefore do infinitely want a supply out of this treasury But O Lord how shall such a wretch as I dare to approach this holy Table I am a dog how shall I presume to take the childrens bread Or how shall this spiritual Manna this food of Angels be given to one who hath chosen to feed on husks with swine nay to one who hath already so often trampled these precious things under foot either carelesly neglecting or unworthily receiving these holy mysteries O Lord my horrible guiltiness makes me tremble to come and yet makes me not dare to keep away for where O Lord shall my polluted soul be washed if not in this fountain which thou hast opened for sin and for uncleanness Hither therefore I come and thou hast promised that him that cometh to thee thou wilt in no wise cast out This is O Lord the blood of the New Testament grant me so to receive it that it may be to me for remission of Sins And though I have so often and so wretchedly broken my part of that Covenant whereof this Sacrament is a seal yet be thou graciously pleased to make good thine to be merciful to my unrighteousness and to remember my sins and my iniquities no more and not only so but to put thy laws into my heart and to write them in my mind and by the power of thy grace dispose my soul to such a sincere and constant obedience that I may never again provoke thee Lord grant that in these holy mysteries I may not only commemorate but effectually receive my blessed Saviour and all the benefits of his Passion and to that end give me such a preparation of soul as may qualifie me for it give me a deep sense of my sins and unworthiness that being weary and heavy laden I may be capable of his refreshings and by being suppled in my own tears I may be the fitter to be washed in his blood raise up my dull and earthly mind from groveling here below and inspire it with a holy zeal that I may with spiritual affection approach this spiritual feast and let O Lord that infinite love of Christ in dying for so wretched a sinner inflame my frozen benummed soul and kindle in me that sacred fire of love to him and that so vehement that no waters may quench no floods drown it such as may burn up all my drosse not leave one unmortified lust in my soul and such as may also extend it selfe to all whom thou hast given me command and example to love even enemies as well as friends Finally O Lord I beseech thee to cloath me in the wedding garment and make me though of my self a most unworthy yet by thy mercy an acceptable guest at this holy Table that I may not eat and drink my own condemnation but may have my pardon sealed my weakness repaired my corruptions subdued and my soul so inseparably united to thee that no temptations may ever be able to dissolve the union but that being begun here in grace it may be consummated in glory Grant this O Lord for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ. ANOTHER O Blessed Jesus who once offeredst up thy self for me upon the Cross and now offerest thy self to me in the Sacrament let not I beseech thee my impenitence and unworthiness frustrate these so inestimable mercies to me but qualifie me by thy grace to receive the full benefit of them O Lord I have abundant need of thee but am so clog'd with guilt so holden with the cords of my sins that I am not able to move towards thee O loose me from this band wherewith Satan and my own lusts have bound me and draw me that I may run after thee Lord thou seest dayly how eagerly I pursue the paths that lead to death but when thou invitest me to life and glory I turn my back and forsake my own mercy How often hath this feast been prepared and I have with frivolous excuses absented my self or if I have come it hath been rather to defie then to adore thee I have brought such troops of thy professed enemies unrepented sins along with me as if I came not to commemorate but renew thy passion crucifying thee afresh and putting thee to open shame and now of what punishment shall I be thought worthy who have thus trampled under foot the Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Yet O merciful Jesu this blood is my only refuge O let this make my atonement or I perish eternally Wherefore didst thou shed it but to save sinners Neither can the merit of it be overwhelmed either by the greatness or number of sins I am a sinner a great one O let me find its saving efficacy Be merciful unto me O God be merciful to me for my soul trusteth in thee and in the clefts of thy wounds shall be my refuge untill thy fathers indignation be overpast O thou who hast as my high Priest sacrificed for me intercede for me also and plead thy meritorious sufferings on my behalf and suffer not O my Redeemer the price of thy blood to be utterly lost And grant O Lord that as the sins I have to be forgiven are many so I may love much Lord thou seest what faint what cold affections I have towards thee O warm and enliven them and as in this Sacrament that transcendant love of thine in dying for me is shed forth so I beseech thee let it convey such grace into me as may enable me to make some returns of love O let this divine fire descend from heaven into my ●oul and let my sins be the burnt offering for it to consume that there may not any corrupt affection any accursed thing be sheltered in my heart that I may never again defile that place which thou hast chosen for thy Temple Thou dyedst O dear Jesu to redeem me from all iniquity O let me not again sell my self to work wickedness but grant that I may approach thee at this time with most sincere and fixed resolutions of an entire reformation and let me receive such grace and strength from thee as may enable me faithfully to perform them Lord there are many old habituated diseases my soul groans under Here mention thy most prevailing corruptions And though I lye never so long at the Pool of Bethesda come never so often to thy Table yet unless thou be pleased to put forth thy healing virtue they will still remain uncured O thou blessed Physician of souls heal me and grant I may now so touch thee that every one of these loathsome issues may immediately stanch that these sicknesses may not be unto death but unto the glory of thy mercy in Pardoning to the glory of thy grace in Purifying so polluted a wretch O Christ
we will indeed approve our humility to God 6. For surely you will not think that child hath due humility to his parent or that servant to his Master that when they are corrected shall flie in the Father or Masters face But thus do we when ever we grudg and repine at that which God layes upon us But besides the want of Humility in our so doing there is also a great want of justice in it for God hath as we are his creatures a Right to do with us what he will and therefore for us to resist that right of his is the highest injustice that can be nay farther it is also the greatest folly in the world for it is only our good that God aims at in afdicting us that heavenly Father is not like our earthly ones who sometime correct their children only to satisfie their own angry humour not to do them good But this is subject to no such frailties he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of man Lam. 3. 33. They are our sins which do not only give him just cause but even force and necessitate him to punish us He carries to us the bowels and affections of the tenderest Father now when a Father sees his childe stubborn and rebellious and running on in a course that will certainly undo him what greater act of Fatherly kindness can he do then chasten and correct him to see if by that means he may amend him nay indeed he could not be said to have true kindness to him if he should not And thus it is with God when he sees us run on in sin either he must leave off to love us and so leave us to our selves to take our own course and that is the heaviest curse that can be fall any man or else if he continue to love us he must correct and punish us to bring us to amendment Therefore when ever he strikes we are in all reason not only patiently to lie under his rod but as I may say kiss it also that is be very thankful to him that he is pleased not to give us over to our own hearts lusts Psal. 18. 12. but still continue his care of us sends afflictions as so many messengers to call us home to himself You see then how gross a folly it is to murmure at those stripes which are meant so graciously it is like that of a froward patient which reproaches and reviles the Physician that comes to cure him and if such a one be left to die of his disease every one knows whom he is to thank for it 7. But it is not only quietness no nor thankfulness neither under afflictions that is the full of our Duty in this matter we must have fruitfulness also or all the rest will stand us in no stead By fruitfulness I mean the bringing forth that which the afflictions were sent to work in us viz. the amendment of our lives To which purpose in time of affliction it is very necessary for us to call our selves to an account to examine our hearts and lives and search diligently what sins lie upon us which provoked God thus to smite us and whatsoever we find our selves guilty of humbly to confess to God and immediately to forsake for the rest of our time 8. All I shall adde concerning this duty of patience is that we are as much bound to it in one sort of sufferings as another whether our suffering be so immediately from Gods hand that no creature hath any thing to doe in it as sickness or the like or whether it be such wherein men are the instruments of afflicting us For it is most sure when any man doth us hurt he could not do it without Gods permission and sufferance and God may as well make them the instruments of punishing us as do it more directly by himself and it is but a counterfeit patience that pretends to submit to God and yet can bear nothing from men we see holy Job who is set forth to us as a pattern of true patience made no such difference in his afflictions he took the loss of his Cattel which the Chaldeans and Sabeans rob'd him of with the very same meekness with which he did that which was consumed by fire from heaven When therefore we suffer any thing from men be it never so unjustly in respect of them we are yet to confess it is most just in respect of God and therefore in stead of looking upon them with rage and revenge as the common custome of the world is we are to look up to God acknowledge his justice in the affliction begging his pardon most earnestly for those sins which have provoked him to send it and patiently and thankfully bear it till he shall see fit to remove it still saying with Job blessed be the name of the Lord. 9. But I told you Humility contained in it a submission not only to his Will but also to his Wisdome that is to acknowledge him infinitely Wise and therefore that whatever he doth is best and fittest to be done And this we are to confesse both in his commands and in his disposing and ordering of things First whatsoever he commands us either to believe or do we are to submit to his Wisdome in both to believe whatever he bids us believe how impossible soever it seems to our shallow understandings and to do whatever he commands us to do how contrary soever it be to our fleshly Reason or humour and in both to conclude that his Commands are most fit and Reasonable however they appear to us 10. Secondly We are to submit to his Wisd●me in respect of his Disposal and Ordering of things to acknowledge he disposes all things most Wisely and that not only in what concerns the world in general but also in what concernes every one of us in particular so that what condition soever he put us in we are to assure our selves it is that which is best for us since he chuses it for us who cannot erre And therefore never to have impatient desires of any thing in this world but to leave it to God to fit us with such an estate and condition as he sees best for us and there let us quietly and contentedly rest yea though it be such as of all others we should least have wisht for our selves And this surely cannot but appear very reasonable to any that hath humility for that having taught him that God is infinitely wise and he very foolish he can never doubt but that it is much more for his good that God should chuse for him then he for himself even as it is much more for the childes good to have the parent chuse for it then to be left to those silly choices it would make for its self For how many times would it cut and burn and mischief it self if it might have every thing it desires And such children are we we many
vanities hath seized it and like a strong man armed keeps possession O thou who art stronger come upon him and take this unworthy heart of mine as thine own spoil refine it with that purifying fire of thy love that it may be a fit habitation for thy Spirit Lord if thou see it fit be pleased to let me taste of those joys those ravishments of thy love wherewith thy Saints have been so transported But if in this I know not what I ask if I may not chuse my place in thy Kingdom yet O Lord deny me not to drink of thy cup let me have such a sincerity degree of love as may make me endure any thing for thy sake such a perfect love as may cast out all fear all sloth too that nothing may seem to me too grievous to suffer or too difficult to do in obedience to thee that so expressing my loue by keeping thy Commandments I may by thy mercy at last obtain that Crown of life which thou hast promised to those that love thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. For SINCERITY O Holy Lord who requirest truth in the inward parts I humbly beseech thee to purge me from all hypocrisie and unsincerity The heart O Lord is deceitful above all things and my heart is deceitful above all hearts O thou who searchest the heart and reins try me and seek the ground of my heart and suffer not any accursed thing to lurk within me but purifie me even with fire so thou consume my dross O Lord I cannot deceive thee but I may most easily deceive my self I beseech thee let me not rest in any such deceit but bring me to a sight and hatred of my most hidden corruptions that I may not cherish any darling lust but make an utter destruction of every Amalekite O suffer me not to speak peace to my self when there is no peace but grant I may judge of my self as thou judgest of me that I may never be at peace with my self till I am at perfect peace with thee and by purity of heart be qualified to see thee in thy Kingdom through Jesus Christ. For DEVOTION in PRAYER O Gracious Lord God who not only permittest but invitest us miserable and needy creatures to present our petitions to thee grant I beseech thee that the frequency of my prayer may be some what proportionable to those continual needs I have of thy mercy Lord I confess it is the greatest honour and greatest advantage thus to be allowed access to thee yet so sottish and stupid is my profane heart that it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it My Soul O Lord is possest with a spirit of infirmity it is bowed together and can in no wise lift up it self to thee O be thou pleased to cure this sad this miserable disease to inspirit and inliven this earthy drosly heart that it may freely mount towards thee that I may set a true value on this most valuable priviledge and take delight in approaching to thee and that my approaches may be with a reverence some way answerable to that awful Majesty I come before with an importunity and earnestness answerable to those pressing wants I have to be supplied and with such a fixedness and attention of mind as no wandring thoughts may interrupt that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing neer to thee with my lips when my heart is far from thee or have my prayers turned into sin but may so ask that I may receive seek that I may finde knock that it may be opened unto me that from praying to thee here I may be translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glory through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. For HUMILITY O Thou High and Lofty one that inhabitest Eternity yet art pleased to dwell with the humble spirit pour into my heart I beseech thee that excellent grace of Humility which may utterly work out all those vain conceits I have of my self Lord convince me powerfully of my own wretchedness make me to see that I am miserable and poor and blinde and naked and not only dust but sin that so in all thy dispensations towards me I may lay my hand upon my mouth and heartily acknowledge that I am less then the least of thy mercies and greater then the greatest of thy judgements And O Lord grant me not only to walk humbly with my God but even with men also that I may not only submit my self to thy rebukes but even to those of my fellow Christians and with weekness receive and obey their admonitions And make me so to behave my self towards all that I never do any thing through strife or vain glory and to that end grant that in low liness of mind I may esteem every other man better then my self and be wiling that others should esteem them so also that I neither nourish any high opinion of my self nor covet one among others but that despising the vain praise of men I may seek that praise which cometh from thee onely That so in stead of those mean servile Arts I have used to recommend me to the esteem of men I may now imploy all my industry and care to approve my self to thee who resistest the proud and givest grace to the humble grant this O Lord for his sake who humbled himself unto the death of the Cross Jesus Christ. For the FEAR of GOD. O Glorious Majesty who only art high and to be feared possess my soul with a Holy awe and reverence of thee that I may give thee the honour due unto thy Name and may bear such a respect to all things which relate to thee that I may never prophane any Holy thing or sacrilegiously invade what thou hast set apart to thy self And O Lord since thou art a God that wilt not clear the guilty let the dread of thy justice make me tremble to provoke thee in any thing O let me not so misplace my fear as to be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man who shall be made as grass and forget the Lord my Maker but replenish my Soul with that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom which may be as a bridle to all my brutish appetites and keep me in a constant conformity to thy Holy will Hear me O Lord I beseech thee and put this fear in my heart that I may not depart from thee but may with fear and trembling work out my own Salvation through Jesus Christ. For TRUST on GOD. O Almighty Lord who never failest them that must on thee give me grace I beseech thee in all my difficulties and distresses to have recourse to thee to rest and depend on thee thou shalt keep him O Lord in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee O let me always rest on this firm P●llar and never exchange it for the broken ●eeds of worldly succours suffer not my heart to be overcharged with the
cares of this life taking thought what I shall eat or drink or wherewithal I shall be clothed but grant that having by honest labour and industry done my part I may cheerfully commit my self to thy providence casting all my care upon thee and being careful for nothing but to be of the number of those whom thou ownest and carest for even such as keep thy Testimonies and think upon thy Commandments to do them That seeking first thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof all these outward things may be added unto me in such a measure as thy wisdom knowes best for me grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake For THANKFULNES O Most Gracious and Bountiful Lord who fillest all things living with good and expectest no other return but praise and thanksgiving let me O Lord never defraud thee of that so easie tribute but let my heart be ever filled with the sense and my mouth with the acknowledgement of thy mercies It is a joyful and a pleasant thing to be thankful O suffer me not I beseech thee to loose my part in that Divine pleasure but grant that as I dayly receive blessings from thee so I may dayly from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks to thee and grant that not only my lips but my life may shew forth thy praise by consecrating my self to thy service and walking in Holiness and Righteousness before thee all the days of my life through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour For CONTRITION O Holy Lord who art a merciful embracer of true penitents but yet a consuming fire towards obstinate sinners how shall I approach thee who have so many provoking sins to inflame thy wrath and so little sincere repentance to incline thy mercy O be thou pleased to soften and melt this hard obdurate heart of mine that I may heartily bewail the iniquities of my life strike this rock O Lord that the waters may flow out even floods of tears to wash my polluted conscience my drowzy Soul hath too long slept securely in sin Lord awake it though it be with thunder and let me rather ●●●● thy terrors then not feel my sin Thou sentest thy blessed Son to heal the broken hearted but Lord what will that avail me if my heart be whole O break it that it may be capable of his healing virtue and grant I beseech thee that having once tasted the bitterness of sin I may flie from it as from the face of a Serpent and bring forth fruits of repentance in amendment of life to the praise and glory of thy grace in Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer For MEEKNES O Blessed Jesu who wast led as a sheep to the slaughter let I beseech thee that admirable example of Meekness quench in me all sparks of anger and revenge and work in me such a gentleness and calmness of Spirit as no provocations may ever be able to disturb Lord grant I may be so far from offering the least injury that I may never return the greatest any otherwise then with prayers and kindness that I who have so many talents to be forgiven by thee may never exact pence of my brethren but that putting on bowels of mercy meekness long-suffering thy peace may rule in my heart and make it an acceptable habitation to thee who art the Prince of peace to whom with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and glory for ever For CHASTITY O Holy and Immaculate Jesus whose first descent was into the Virgins womb and who dost still love to inhabit only in pure and virgin hearts I beseech thee send thy Spirit of purity to cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit my body O Lord is the Temple of the Holy Ghost O let me never pollute that Temple with any uncleanness And because out of the heart proceed the things that defile the man Lord grant me to keep my heart with all diligence that no impure or foul thoughts be harboured there but enable me I beseech thee to keep both body and soul pure and undefiled that so I may glorifie thee here both in my body and spirit and be glorified in both with thee hereafter For TEMPERANCE O Gracious Lord who hast in thy bounty to mankind afforded us the use of thy good creatures for our corporal refreshment grant that I may always use this liberty with thankfulness and moderation O let me never be so enslaved to that brutish pleasure of taste that my Table become a snare to me but give me I beseech thee a perfect abhorrence of all degrees of excess and let me eat and drink only for those ends and according to those measures which thou hast assigned me for health and not for luxury And Lord grant that my pursuits may be not after the meat that perisheth but after that which endureth to everlasting life that hungring and thirsting after righteousness I may be filled with thy grace here and thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ. For CONTENTEDNES O Merciful God thy wisdom is infinite to choose thy love forward to dispence good things to us O let me always fully and intirely resign my self to thy disposals have no desires of mine own but a perfect satisfaction in thy choices for me that so in whatsoever estate I am I may be therein content Lord grant I may never look with murmuring on my own condition nor with envy on other mens And to that end I beseech thee purge my heart of all covetous affections O let me never yield up any corner of my Soul to Mammon but give me such a contempt of these fading riches that whether they increase or decrease I may never set my heart upon them but that all my care may be to be rich towards God to lay up my treasure in heaven that I may so set my affections on things above that when Christ who is my life shall appear I may also appear with him in glory Grant this O Lord for the merits of the same Jesus Christ. For DILIGENCE O Lord who hast in thy wisdom ordained that man should be born to labour suffer me not to resist that design of thine by giving my self up to sloth and idleness but grant I may so imploy my time and all other talents thou hast intrusted me with that I may not fall under the sentence of the slothful and wicked servant Lord if it be thy will make me some way useful to others that I may not live an unprofitable part of mankind but however O Lord let me not be useless to my self but grant I may give all diligence to make my calling and election sure My soul is beset with many and vigilant adversaries O let me not fold my hands to sleep in the midst of so great dangers but watch and pray that I enter not into temptation enduring hardness as a good souldier of Jesus Christ till at the last from this state of warfare thou translate me to the