Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A78329
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A brief and perspicuous manuduction to practical divinity, by way of question and answer wherein the chief principles of religion are so explained as to infer a good life from them.
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B. C.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing C13A; ESTC R229568
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14,880
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42
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useful to provoke you unto newness of life A. Besides the secret influence and blessing of God accompanying of this Ordinance whilst the evil of sin for which Christ died and the love of Christ crucified is herein set before my eyes I am constrained to hate sin the cause of his death and to love and live to him who died for me embracing all men with an hearty charity for whom he died and those in particular who with me commemorate his death Q. I pray God that whensoever you receive you may but do all men reap this benefit thereby A. No they cannot who 1. understand not the ends of Christs death and this memorial of it Nor they 2. who desire not to enjoy them nor they 3. who prepare not themselves for coming worthily to the Sacrament Q. What preparation required to it How are you to prepare your self for this Sacrament A. The Apostle St. Paul saith Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Q. Self-examination What is that self-examination recommended by the Apostle A. The word imports 1. To trâ and prove and 2. thereupon to alloâ and approve So that every communicant is hereby admonished beforehand to make a diligent scrutiny and enquiry into himself and pass a judgmenâ of approbation and allowance of himself Q. But in what particulars ought hâ thus to examine himself A. In these two 1. as to the common qualifications of a Christian 2. as to the more immediate qualifications of a Communicant that is Whether he be a Christian filty disposed for the worthy partaking of this blessed Sacrament Q What are the Qualifications of a Christian 1. As to the qualifications of a Christian A. Supposing him to be already ingrafted into Christ and admitted into his Church by Baptism That which bespeaks him a Christian is 1. Competent Knowledge and 2. Pious Resolutions directed thereby Q. What mean you by this Competent Knowledge A. I mean the knowledge in some measure of truths necessary to salvation such as the divine commands whereby he ought to rule his life the Articles of the Christian faith which he must believe the nature design and use of the Sacraments and the way of obtaining divine aid and assistance by Prayer with the sacred vow upon him to direct his practice accordingly which are the main branches of our Church Catechism Q. What are the pious resolutions you spake of A. Such sincere and hearty purposes as are professed by us in answer to that question of our Church Catechism Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and do as thy Godfathers and Godmothers promised for thee Q. Let me hear how you paraphrase upon that answer which you refer me to A. Thus I do verily think and judge that I am indispensably bound to make good my baptismal vow and I engage by God's help for the performance of it so I will and this I do not as one constrained thereto by any unworthy motives but as sensible that this is my great priviledge with thanksgiving to our heavenly Father that he hath caâled me to this state of salvation by Jesââ Christ that he admits me upon so equââ and easie terms to the hope and expectation of eternal bliss and glory and yeâ knowing how insufficient I am of mâ self for the discharge of this my vow resolution and promise I pray unto Gââ to give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my lifes end Q. I am satisfied in the description you have given me of a Christian by this competent knowledge and pious resolutions nor do I know what more caâ reasonably be required to bespeak a maâ such to the charity of others than this profession we have been train'd up unto by our Church Catechism which good profession every one is supposed publickly to have made at his confirmation or at least-wise ready and desirous so to do â As to the more immediate qualifications of a worthy Communicant before he be admitted to the Holy Communion But tell me now What are the more immediate qualifications of a worthy Communicant A. They also are plainly and usefully set down in the last answer of our Church Catechism to be these four 1. A true repentance of all his former sins with a stedfast purpose to lead a new âife that is A sense of sorrow for confession and relinquishment of his most beâoved sins in order unto which must necessarily be presupposed a serious comâare of his thoughts affections words and wayes with Gods commands and laws that âhe may know his sins and the aggravations of them 2. A lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ viz. upon the account of his alsufficient sacrifice and oblation made for Sin Faith and that Faith lively that is active and working for faith without works is dead 3. A thankful remembrance of Christs death of his manifold sufferings for us and the love whence they proceeded and the fruits and benefits arising to us from and by them which will enflame our gratitude to Christ again And 4. Charity with all men Love without dissimulation the charity of forgiveness where others have offended us and seeking reconciliation where we have offended others The charity of good will and prayer for our very enemies but much more brotherly love to those that communicate with us and the charity of almes and offerings for the relief of the needs and necessities of the poor Thâ are the graces which we are especiaââ to excite and actuate in order to ãâã effectual and worthy participation of tââ Lords Supper Q. Well you have run through tââ chief of those good means we are to expect the blessing of God The danger and penalty of a careless and contemptuous neglect of these means and grace his Spirit in the use of but what now you should neglect these means and grieve and quench the Spirit A. I shew that I wofully undervaluâ all that Christ hath done and suffered foâ me and provoke God to bring on me ãâã greater measure of his wrath for this my ingratitude and contempt than if I had never heard of a Saviour Q. Do you then believe God wilâ bring this wrath on you if you thus behave your self A. Yes I verily believe God hath appointed a day Of future Judgement Heaven and Hell wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by this very Saviour before whose tribunal we must all appear and who will render to every man according to what he hath done in the body whether it be good or evil Q. What shall be the condition of all men in and after that great day of judgement A. To them who by patient continuance ân well-doing seek for glory God will give âternal life the heavenly inheritance of âever-ending and unspeakable bliss but âo them who obey not the truth and live in enrighteousness tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath the worm