Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A84588
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A guide to salvation, bequeathed to a person of honour, by his dying-friend the R.F. Br. Laurence Eason, Ord. S. Franc. S. Th. L.
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Eason, Laurence.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing E99aA; ESTC R230984
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39,971
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127
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that we live by him as St. Augustine affirms St. Aug. tract 26 in Joan. This Sacred Eucharist renders us strong in Dangers constant in Labours patient in Afflictions it expels humane Fears and exceedingly confirms the Heart of Man and was lively represented by the Bread which Elias received from the Angel by the vertue of which he walked through the desert to Oreb the Mount of God David shadowed it out in that of the 22. Psalm parasti mensam thou hast prepared a Table before me against all that trouble me and what other Table can he mean but this which Christ hath set before all his faithful What other Table can fortify him against all his Enemies but this wherein is eaten Fortitudo Gentium the Fortitude of the Gentiles hence St. Chrysostome saith that we should depart from this Table Tanquam leones as generous Lyons breathing Flames of Fire and become terrible unto the Devils The reason why this Celestial Food Armeth our Souls against all the assaults of our Enemies may be easily conceived by this for it would little avail a Souldier Armed without if he were destitute of natural Force and Strength of Body to mannage his Weapons if for Hunger his Vital Spirits failed if he were so weak that he could not strike a Blow therefore Meat is necessary to restore his lost Forces and consequently to Arm him within against the Troops of his Enemies So likewise Internally doth this Holy Eucharist fortify us by Spiritual nutrition and vital Sustentation against our ghostly Foes therefore Christ saith Caro mea vere est cibus my Flesh is Meat indeed To signifie this the Councell of Trent Sess 13. c. 2. would have this Sacrament receaved as Spiritual Food to Nourish and strengthen the Soul and as an Antidote to free us from venial Sins and preserve us from Mortals Hence the Affrican Council as St. Cyprian relates though it had determined the Eucharist not to be given to those who had denyed their Faith in Persecution unless it were in case of Necessity or Infirmity yet a new Persecution arising they Decreed it to be Administred to such lest they should fail in the profession of their Faith by Torments Such fortifying Vertue they attributed to it as St. Cyprian Affirms that he is not sufficiently prepared to suffer Martyrdom Qui ab Ecclesia non armatur ad praelium who by this means is not Armed by the Church to Combate against the Enemies of it In this Sacrament we do not not only receave an encrease of Sanctifying grace but in consequence of our communions the Divine providence is as it were obliged to give us actuall graces lights motives inspirations to assist us and further us in good for the future why so because this Sacrament is instituted to conserve and encrease the Spiritual life of the soul And because the means necessary to make this encreas and establish perseverance is the exercise of holy actions and the practise of good works of which succours we have assurance by vertue of this Sacrament if we will worthily cooperate with them and conserve them in our hearts to make them eternally profitable for which reason it is Stiled by our B. Saviour Food qui permanet in vitam aeternam which remains to life eternal Do not think therefore that the Blood of Christ works only in our hearts in time of Communion or whilst it remains in us really under the form of the Sacrament but that it also presents us an eternall fecundity and motive to good works which St. Augustine expresseth by this similitude The command which God gave to the earth in the begining to produce herbs and fruits was not only operative for then but that same impression works for all ensuing Ages in so much that the productions which we see in order of the Nature are but Explications of that first Word Germinet terra Let the Earth bring forth Gen. 1. So the Communion we Receive is a Secret impression and tacite Command which Jesus Christ made to produce the Fruits of good Works in us Germinet terra Let the Earth watered and made Fruitful by my Blood thus bring forth nor do these impressions only work during these pretious Moments of his Reall Presence in us but they extend their Activity through the rest of our Life so that all the actions of a Christian ought to be explications and living interpretations of this Subsistant Word and Life which Jesus Christ leaves in us This is the opinion of St. Bernard saying Siquis vestrum if any one of you finds not in himself such violent motions of Anger Envy Lust the like let him give thanks to the Body and Blood of Christ because the vertue of the Sacrament works in him Is it not now reasonable that you live and work as true Christians after having received in you such a fruitful principle cause and root of good Radicati in ipso Col. 2. rooted thus in him If there be any thing can give us assurance of the efficacy of this Sacrament in us it is the exercise of good works and a vertuous life one knows a tree by the fruit of it and you know if you have effectively received this Sacrament by the works it causeth you to produce in your Lives so you may therefore suspect your Communions when they produce not such Fruits in you Upon which St. Peter Ep. 1. 2. Exhorts us to assure our Vocation by good Works which particularly is understood of the grace of this Mistery Receiving in our hearts the Life of our Saviour being assured of His Presence and of our Obligations to do good works which answers the fecundity of this Cause the power of Succours the efficacity of Motives here which we have in this Mistery is it not strange to see so little fruit produced by this amongst Christians There is nothing so common as the use of the Eucharist Priests say Mass every day a great part of Christians Communicate once a Month many oftner And notwithstanding this where is the Sanctity of Manners which should follow this operative Life received this powerful principle and cause of Grace you may see Dames who make profession often to approach this Holy Mystery and yet they are not by this less violent in their passions or less vain in their Conversations nor are they more devout or more charitable which gives occasion to Hereticks to judg amiss of our Faith and to Libertines to blame the frequent use of this Sacrament from whence then proceeds this prodigious sterility amongst Christians in a Sacrament so fruitful and operative It is not the fault of the vertue of it because we received the self-same which produced the courage of Martyrs and Sanctity of the Church Sure we ought to accuse our selves as defective causes by putting obstacles to the effects of it for we have free liberty to render unprofitable all the causes of good presented unto us The precious Body and Blood of Christ have an