Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	soul_n	world_n	1,708	5	4.6899	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10037	Duties of communicants, or a treatise, teaching such as purpose to receiue the sacrament of the Lords Supper how they may rightly carrie themselues, before, in, and after the action of receiuing. By R: Preston, preacher of Gods Word at Rushden in Northampton-shire.	Preston, Richard, d. ca. 1624.	1621 (1621)	STC 20284; ESTC S100877	48,394	185

vs in bestowing vpon vs a singular and a rare banquet He hath not dealt so with euery Nation Psa 147.20 So should we shew mercie vnto our poore brethren in bestowing some reliefe vpon them according to our abilitie 1 Cor. 16. 1 Rom. 15.25 Qui copiosiores sunt volūt pro arbitrio quisque suo quod visum est contribuunt quod ita colligitur apud praepositum deponitur c. Iustin Martyr Apolog 2. This was practised in the Primitiue Churches Collections and Loue-feastes were made for the reliefe of the poore Saints those of the richer sort finding themselues willing to giue something did contribute as they thought fit and that which was giuen and collected publiquely the Ouerseers did so dispose of that poore widdowes fatherlesse children and all sicke lame impotent persons found helpe And as in publique so also in priuate it behoueth vs to yeeld them some reliefe and to send vnto them of our superfluity as in Nehemiahs time vpon the Sabboth Nehe. 8.10 after the hearing of the Word c. the people did eate and sent part vnto them for whom none was prouided Vse 1 Vse 1. This doctrine may shew vs that most men though by name they be called Christians yet walke vnworthie of this high and honourable calling whereunto they are called they goe on in sinne without Repentance and do what they can to disgrace the Lord and Author of their profession giuing iust cause of offences both to God and the world vnlesse they reforme their liues and labour to be purged from all filthinesse of the flesh 2 Cor. 7.1 and spirit their end will be fearefull It will be the eternall destruction of their bodies and soules Of these prophane Esaues and fleshly Libertines S. Paul maketh mention saying Phil. 3.18.19 There be many that walke he spake passionately with teares who are the enemies of Iesus Christ whose end is destruction Our Sauiour Christ sayth Mat. 18.7 Woe vnto the world because of offences yea woe be to that man by whom the offence commeth Doest thou heare this thou that liest in ignorance that giuest thy selfe to drunkennesse to contempt of the Word and Sacraments c. then lay it to thy heart thy end if thou continue in this course is damnation and that which thou most delightest in shal be thy sorrow and thy glorie shall be turned into shame It had bin as good for thee to haue had a Milstone long agoe tyed about thy neck and thy selfe throwne into the bottome of the Sea then to haue liued to the offence of GOD and scandalized his Church It is too much that thou thy selfe should bee euill spoken of but the holy Gospel with the profession of it and the whole companie of religious and godly people by thy meanes to be blasphemed is most horrible and cannot bee without the curse of God Oh therefore I beseech and entreat you in the feare of God Sic viuite vt nemo de vobis male loqui absque mendacio possit Hierot Epist ad Caelum de Institut Matrisfam when wicked men are giuen to speak euill of you make them eate their words and so liue that none may speake euill of you but that all the world may see they lie Remember God hath called you not to vncleannesse 1 Thes 4.7 but vnto holinesse euery thing in his Calling sauoureth of holinesse 2 Tim. 1.9 the Calling is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 the Caller is holy the meanes and instrument is holy Ioh 17.17 the immediate worker which is the Spirit is the fountaine of all holinesse Oh then walke worthie of this calling Vse 2 Vse 2. This may shew vs if we trie our selues by the former signes whether we walke worthie of our Calling and liue according to our profession the badge and cognisance whereof we haue alreadie receiued If we resist sin and Sathan and suffer neither of them to raigne in nor ouer vs if we take heed that we be not spotted of this present euill world if we loue our brethren and the members of Christ and with chearfulnes helpe them in their present exigents then we haue receiued grace by vertue of this heauenly Manna and walke in our Callings to Gods glorie and the edifying of his Church But on the other side if we neither resist Sathan nor sinne but giue them house-roome inhabitation if we cannot in any sense commiserate and helpe the necessities of our brethren then we haue but the name of the Calling of Christianitie Christians indeed wee are not and deseruedly may grieous imputations be cast vpon vs. Vse 3 Vse 3. Seeing after the receipt of the Sacrament the workes of mercie are to bee remembred and the wants of the poore relieued iustly may they bee blamed that depart the Congregation giue nothing to the poore whose bowels sound like Shaulmes for want of foode and whose faces gather blacknesse through famine We haue those that receiue the Sacrament and yet so miserable and so voyd of the bowels of compassion that they can suffer the pitifull child halfe starued and hanging vpon their mothers breast to crie out ready to giue vp the ghost Where is bread and where is drinke And the hearts of the parents to fall asunder like drops of water because they haue not to giue vnto them I would wish these to remember the Parable of the rich Glutton and poore Lazarus Lak 16. and the manner of the last Iudgement Mat. 25. where the wicked are reproued not for murder or whoredome though they shall be damned for these but for vnmercifulnesse being fed themselues they would not giue any foode to the needie There is no loue of God in such 1 Ioh 3.17 Some are so eager in scraping for their heires that the poore can get nothing but that surely is best laid vp which is layd vp in Christs almes boxe which is the poore mans hand for he and his shall finde the benefite of it afterwards Some in matter of Almes 1 Sam. 25.10.11 haue Nabals answere they haue families of their owne should they take and giue to others Some stand vpon their termes they will giue but with to wicked men Yes to them in great and extreame necessitie some indeed to spare their purses will pretend either that the persons be wicked or that they know them not to bee good But mans nature is to be pitied euen in an euill man he which giues to a sinner not because he is a sinner Non peccatorem sed iustumpauperens nutrit quia millo non culpam sed naturam diligit c. Grego mag but because he is a man relieueth not a sinfull but a righteous poore man because hee respects not his fault but his nature Mercy vseth not to iudge of deserts but to helpe necessitie Some would giue but they plead their owne pouertie What thou wantest in purse bestow in prayers to God for them

wherin we liue because so much as possibly we can we are to keepe the vnitie and peace of the Church alwayes prouided that nothing be done in way of religious honouring and worshipping the sacrament which were to make the creature a Creator God onely is to be worshipped and serued Mat. 4.10 as our Sauiour answered Sathan when he would haue had him to haue fallen downe and worshipped him A Cerere Baccho Paganorum dijs longe absumus quāuis panis et calicis Sacramētum nostro ritu amplectimur Aug. ad Faust We must not worship saith one the heathen Gods of bread and wine though after our maner we embrace the sacrament of bread wine his meaning is that Christians doe not worship bread wine as the heathēs did A holy Martyr well answered his Opponents Thomas Spurdance Acts and Monuments Pag. 2025. I receiue Christ by faith by beleeuing in him but the bread being receiued is not GOD for God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands you doe euill to cause the people to kneele downe and worship the bread Vse 1 Vse This may serue to confute the Papists who fall into the contrary extreme and giue so much reuerence to it as that they worship and kneele to it as to God Concil triden sess 13. Can. 6. They hold and it was so decreed in the Councell of Trent that the Sacrament should be adored euen with the highest degree of worship cultu latriae which is proper to God that it should be carryed about in solemne Processions to be adored of the people and whosoeuer held the contrarie was pronounced accursed But this Sacrament is onely to bee reuerenced as an holy mystery not to be adored with any religious worship The Apostles receiued it at the handes of Christ sitting not kneeling taking it not lifting vp their hands to it Christ bids them take eate drinke and doe all in remembrance of me to teach vs how vaine and idle the religion of the Papists is in worshipping the Sacrament which neither Christ appointed nor the Apostles acknowledged Vse 2 Vse This may serue to reproue those that neuer looke to their feete but come rashly to this Sacrament without feare or reuerence they neuer consider that God is there present It befalleth to many of them as it befell to Iacob while he slept The Lord was there Gen. 28. but he was not aware So the Lord is here but they consider it not they stand gazing on the rest of the Communicants as if they should be asked that question when they come home What went you out to see and not what to receiue But doe these men thinke God is present that they stand before Angels surely they know it not if they did they would not be so rash and carelesse Vse 3. Here we are taught to demeane our selues reuerently and with feare while we are about to receiue Considering 1. the worth and price of this Supper it cost the sonne of God his precious life he came downe from his throne of excellencie humbled himselfe was reputed a base seruant and offered himselfe a sacrifice to die for vs that we might liue 2. The daintie cheare in this Supper the bodie and bloud of him who is the ruler of heauen and earth the Lord at whose becke the Angels tremble and by whom both quicke and dead shall be iudged at the last day 3. The maiestie of him that sits at the Table with vs which is God Almightie that foldeth the heauens in his span and before whom heauen and earth shall passe away like a scrole 4. the person that inuiteth vs to this feast no meane seruant but a Lord euen Christ Iesus Col. 1.15 the expresse Image of his Father 5. Our owne vnworthinesse we deserue not to eate at this table hauing beene conceiued in filthinesse and wallowing euer since in the mire of iniquitie these should make vs feare and quake as Iacob cryed out at Bethell that is at the house of God How fearefull is the the place Surely it is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heauen So in respect that Christ inuiteth vs giueth himselfe to be our foode that God also is present at this Table and wee for our parts are most vnworthie to fit thereat or to feede of the meate thereon we ought to cry out surely this is the Lords table and all the meate set vpon it is of Christs prouision and therefore we will eate it with feare and reuerence If a poore man sitting at a knights boord tremble and feare at euery bit of meat that he puts in his mouth how much more should wee feare that sit at this boord where the Lord of Heauen is present If Iohn Baptist an Apostle Euangelist and a Prophet Mat. 3.11 thought himselfe vnworthie to beare Christs shooes O Lord how vnworthie are wee prophane wretches to eate Christs flesh and to drinke his bloud If the Woman that had the bloudie issue feared to touch the hemme of Christs garment how should we tremble to eate his flesh and to drinke his all-healing bloud Oh therefore let vs come with pure eyes and heart to see and receiue the Arke of the new Couenant Col. 1.19 in whom dwelleth all the fulnesso of the Godhead bodily The third dutie touching our good behauiour in the time of receiuing is the particular application of the Sacrament vnto a mans selfe while he is in receiuing of it and this is done by meditating vpon the holy actions and rites which according to Christs institution are vsed in and about it for it hath pleased God considering our weakenesse to appoynt those rites as meanes the better to lift vp our mindes to the serious contemplation of his heauenly graces We must apply this Sacrament 3 wayes as it is 1. a Supper 2. a Seale 3. a communion 1. As a supper on this manner when the Minister setteth apart and consecrateth by the Word the bread and wine for Sacramentall signes I am to thinke how God the Father of his meere loue hath set apart and consecrated his sonne yea Ioh. 6.27 as the Apostle speaketh sealed him to be my mediator and redeemer when he breakes the Bread and powreth the Wine I must meditate how that Christs bodie was broken and his bloud shed for my sinnes when he giueth the bread and the wine I am to thinke that then God is offering giuing me his owne sonne to feed me vnto eternall life When I receiue the bread and wine and feede on them I must meditate of the receiuing of Christ and of my feeding on him by faith to the cherishing and nourishing of my soule Except I eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Ioh 6.51.57 there is no life in me I am but dead and for this cause did hee come downe from heauen Col. 2.13 that hee might giue life to me and to the world of the faithfull 2. As