Selected quad for the lemma: body_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	bread_n	communion_n	cup_n	8,923	5	10.0506	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85140	The heart opened by Christ; or, The conditions of a troubled soul that could find no true rest, peace, comfort, nor satisfaction in any thing below the divine power and glory of God, breaking forth and appearing in several operations and manifestations, by the blessed spirit of the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the soul, God manifesting himself in flesh, that he may glorified in spirit. With, a word to those that are for the approbation of ministers; and something to those that scruple about the receiving or not receiving that which they call a sacrament and communion of saints, at Easter, Penticost, Christmas, so called, and other festival and set daies, or any other time when it is to be administered by those priests that profess themselves to be ministers of Christ. Written in the year 1654. in the third moneth, commonly called May, by R.F.	R. F. (Richard Farnworth), d. 1666.	1654 (1654)	Wing F485; Thomason E745_7; ESTC R207062	17,335	24

I lived a High-Priest who had been a Captain in the Army and examined me about it near unto an house and I did consent to receive it at his hands which was a thing that I very much did scruple whether I ought to do if or not to do it because in my examination in my own spirit I could not tell well what the body of Christ was though I could talk talk to him much and in many words about those things for I had got much to speak of though I did then little experience what I said but thought it was sufficient to talk and discourse of things and rest in the outward knowledge of the same There was great expectation of the Priest to come to that Town where I lived to examine and see who were sit to receive and who was not for he would not admit of any And great fear was upon many and that not of the smallest before the day of Examination came lest they should not have wherewithall to answer and so come to shame but it was so that he came to that Halls Place where I then was a servant and I was sent for in to the Priest and going into the Hall the Owners thereof went their waies forth and I would have followed but the Priest called me to him and asked me many questions and we continued our discourse near unto an hour so that the last question he asked me was the first he began with and I told him the same and upon that we parted and he stroaked me on the head and gave me his blessing the blessing of the Priest and the laying on of his hand but I did not receive any holy Ghost by him nor at that time knew not what the holy Ghost was Yet when the Priest and they came together soon after that day he told them he was never so answered by any except they had been at Cambridge as if God could not teach his truth without Cambridge and Oxford helps and moreover he said he would go forty miles on his bare feet if all his Parish were such upon that condition so reasoning carnally though then I knew not the same but sadled a horse and road to accompany him towards his house that night and he shewed much outward love but as the day did appear the shadows fled away And before the time came that we were to go to eat bread and Wine which they call a Sacrament and Communion of Saints but is not I say before the time came that it was to be given and I to receive it there was great reasoning in me and great preparation I made by reasoning and praying and powring forth my complaint to the Lord to fit me and prepare me and make me worthy to partake of that Ordinance and make me a fit Communicant and the like but after three or four weeks preparation still I was not right in my self and knew not what to do whether to receive it or not yet lest I should offend I went and when I was going all the way I prayed and pondered in my heart and desired of the Lord to seal up assurance to my foul that day by the same and when I was to receive the Cup into my hand I trembled in my heart for fear lest I should be unworthy and after I had received the bit and the sup I sat pondering of it in my heart and waited in expectation in my self to receive some divine operation and spiritual change and to receive assurance of the pardon of sin but none came in But the thoughts of my heart did exceedingly trouble me and Judas was brought into my remembrance how that Satan entred after that he had received the sop and then great questioning and reasoning did arise in me whether I were of the number of Gods Elect yea or no and great fear came upon me and I went home and prayed to the Lord and cryed and prayed a week or two before I was cleared and so it wrought for good for I saw then by the light of God in my conscience that it was not the body and bloud of Christ but a carnal invention and so did the Lord clear my understanding in that thing and let me see why Christ broke the Passeover with his Disciples and how the bread which the Saints broke was the Communion of the body of Christ and the cup which they drank was the Communion of the blood of Christ 1. Cor. 10 15 16 17 and so was I made to see the error of the Priests in that thing and that theirs was but a sacrificing to Devils and not to God as the Gentiles did so doe they 1 Cor. 10. 20 21. And so I saw the deceits of the Priests in many of their greatest Idols yet I durst not leave them off till I saw the Lord clear in leading me out of that way and went to those that I judged to be the best and left the worst and could not be satisfied in my spirit but my soul wanted longed and thirsted after the living bread And a death came upon all that life which I had received in hearing of them the Priests and so the best of them was as the worst nothing more but a refined subtilty and a higher deceit in the high notionary Priests and the free gratious and none could satisfie or give peace to my soul amongst them all and I was taken off from writing after them my memory failed me and my wisdom was confounded and the pure seed was burdened and groaned for deliverance but they could not help but wounded me and lest me and there I lay until the Lord visited with his loving kindness and took me into the Inn the Doctrine of his Son and healed and cured my diseased and wounded soul For a year or very nigh I was full of trouble and did see into the deceits of Priests but looked that some of them should be right and went from one to another and if I did hear of any that were high in notion I ran after him but he was at the rest and still my soul wanted and I knew not where to betake my self to find rest all outward helps and means failed and I was so wearied in my spirit that I could not write after them as I had done and I saw them to be confused in their sayings one saying one thing and another saying another and they confused themselves many times in their own sayings which did exceedingly trouble me for in hearing of them as the pure seed or God sprung in me and groaned for deliverance never a Priest that ever I heard or met with could deliver nor direct me where to wait till deliverance came but drove me further off for when all duties and performances failed and death passed upon them that I neither found life in hearing reading not prayer but was wearied and cryed out day and night weeping and wailing and was full of the terror of the Lord and

have union withall who are of the houshold of God that live in Christ the everlasting sacrifice and he is meat and drink for the soul to feed on and have fellowship withall and not bread and wine John 6. As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth in me shall live by me saith Christ John 6.57 v. Tenthly This is not carnal bread nor carnal communion as the worlds is and conceiveth the Saints to be so here is no talk of bread and wine but flesh and bloud which troubleth both Jews and Disciples that were carnal so that they left him but had he been talking of bread and wine it would not so much have troubled carnal minded people they could have received it and carnal Disciples need not to have left Christ at that saying as they did but the spiritual ones aboad and their communion was in the spirit and is now the same and eateth the same bread John 6.58 and the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ and not a wheat loaf of bread that is but food for the body and none for the soul but Christ our Passeover is food for the soul and Saints communion is in him in being made partakers of his life and the cup which we drink is the communion of the bloud of Christ and not a cup of wine that is carnal and nourishing for the body but Christ is our bread and head and meat and drink to our souls now as he was to his Saints in former ages I speak to those that are spiritual to judge what I say 1 Cor. 10 15 16 17. and they that can receive it let them And if any stumble at the corner stone it is that they may be broken and fall he that hath ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now to whom Christ is come they need not to observe that which did typifie or hold forth that he was to come and when that which is perfect is come which is Christ Jesus the perfection of beauty then bread and wine and carnal observations which are imperfect are to be done away and now people that professe Christ come and to be their Saviour do hold up a type and would have that to be a Coe-Saviour and look for salvation by it and in it but what spiritual operation hath that carnal imitation upon your souls I appeal to the simplicity that will witnesse to purity as it stands unvailed That when there hath been a sight of their souls wants and a discovery of their sins then they cry and pray to be fitted and prepared to receive Christ in that Ordinance as they call it and after three or four weeks preparation they are still as unfit as they were and go in fear and at the receiving of it are ready to tremble lest they be unworthy and after they have received it look for some change or new life by a spiritual operation to come into their souls by it but none cometh in at that dore then fears and doubts may arise in them and Judas is brought to remembrance and so are in troubles This is the condition of those that make a conscience of it but where hast thou met Christ or what life and power is come into thy soul at the receiving of it Judge thy self to that in thy conscience do I speak which shall witnesse for me as the book of conscience is opened then shall I be witnessed in wrath remember what I say all you that are in the flesh and walk on in the broad way And others there are that go to that thing as if they went to an Inn or a Tavern but all fleshly joy shall be turned into mourning and woe to all that are at ease in the flesh but blessed are they that mourn in Sion They who know their Teacher within shall not have him removed into a corner any more therefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it when thou turnest to the right hand or when thou turnest to the left And saith Jesus Christ My sheep hear my voice Isa 30.20 21. and they follow me and will not follow after strangers John 10.4 5. verses Dear hearts high and low rich and poor bond and free male and female Jew and Gentile every one every where in what estate and condition or dispensation soever you are in stand still out of your own thoughts and imaginations for they lead out your minds into cumbrances and vain janglings strife and covetousnesse and there you follow the voice of the stranger which leadeth to confusion and so one cryeth loe here and another doe there and so you wander and goe astray and do not follow the Lord and dwell in your Tents therefore O Israel to thy Tents And all wait that the Lord may lead you as in the light of the Gospel to dwell in peace and love one with another that patience may possesse your souls that you may obey the voice of the spirit of truth within which is checking and calling unto you to turn to the Lord and to deny your selves of all your self-actings and fleshly performances and to forsake all your vain delights and pleasures and to undoe the heavie burdens and let the oppressed goe free and break every yoke deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house c. then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here am I if thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke the putting forth of the finger and speaking vainly and draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted souls then shall thy darknesse be as the noon-day Isa 58.6 7 8 9 10 11. FINIS