Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	great_a	sin_n	soul_n	8,809	5	5.0614	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68467	A treatise of the sacraments according to the doctrin of the Church of England touching that argument Collected out of the articles of religion, the publique catechism, the liturgie, and the book of homilies. With a sermon preached in the publique lecture, appointed for Saint Pauls Crosse, on the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist, Iune 24. 1638. / By T.B. Pr. Pl.	Bedford, Thomas, d. 1653.	1638 (1638)	STC 1789; ESTC S113179	66,854	266

a spirituall strengthning and refreshing of the soul to cure those spirituall diseases to which the soul is subject These diseases are spirituall weakness and weariness faintings and defectiveness Apostacie and declination That this is so not only the frequent admonitions and exhortations in sacred Scripture do pre-suppose but also is confirmed by reason and evidenced by too wofull experience Reason to confirm this may be drawn from the nature of grace it self which is no part of the soul nor any faculty in the soul but only a quality dwelling in the soul as light in the Ayr heat in the water or rather as sap in the branches for as they dry up and wither if either the union of them to the root be cut off or the passage of the sap be hindred and interrupted so is it here that is except there be a conscionable use and attendance upon the word and Sacraments we cannot expect that grace should live The seed of the New-birth is termed incorruptible by S. Peter because by using the means appointed it is preserved from decay Not so is it in the naturall birth no use of means no food nor physick can preserv the liveliness of that beyond an appointed time Nay even the preparation of a Remedy is the supposition of a malady As therefore the ordination of Baptism to incorporate us first into Christ doth prov that by nature we are wild Olives so the ordination of this Sacrament to continue this Union and from this Union continued to convey spirituall strength and refreshing doth sufficiently prov what would become of us after we are in the state of grace if God should leav man to himself Behold then the goodness of our God who knowing our malady hath provided a Remedy this Remedy is to partake of the holy Sacrament of Christs most blessed body and blood for which cause our duty is to frequent the same both to prevent but especially to repaire the decays of grace in the soul so then dost thou keep thy standing in grace hast thou as yet not failed nor faultred yet be not high-minded but fear the worst thou knowst not what tentations may encounter thee nor how much strength thou shalt need Go therefore to the Sacrament that thy soul may be strengthned thy strength increased prevent a mischief But now hast thou failed stumbled fallen oh then make haste to this blessed Ordinance that thou mayst be refreshed and recovered See then how much they are Enemies to their own souls who suffer themselvs to be hindred and kept away from this blessed Ordinance whether it be through covetousness or consciousness While men covet revenge or as they use to speak while they desire to right themselves by following the Law they lose the benefit of Receiving not that they must needs forbear but Sathan doth so disturb the passion in them while they prosecute the Law that they cannot settle their thoughts to so holy a work Consciousness also keeps many back from the Sacrament when sinn hath gotten into the soul and guilt hath crept into the conscience we dare not present our selvs before God but like our father Adam do hide our selvs and prov the greatest enemies to our own souls To shut up this point see how each Sacrament doth work as a convenient means to produce that end for which they were ordained Baptism is appointed to admit us into the Covenant of grace to give us our first title and interest in Christ and in it we have wrought in us Remission and Renovation a death unto sinn and a new birth unto Righteousness The Lords Supper doth strengthen and refresh our souls and therefore fitly appointed and designed to this end to be the Sacrament of our Confirmation By Baptism as we heard the soul was regenerate and made partaker of the seeds of grace These seeds being watered and as it were hatched up by the Ministry of the word are strengthned ripened and confirmed by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and now is the faithfull soul confirmed in the state of grace and certain expectation of eternall Salvation For the close of all that hath been said touching the efficacy of the Sacraments peruse those few lines which our Church hath set down in the first part of that Homily which intreateth of the worthy receiving and reverend esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. The words are these We need not to think that such exact knowledg is required of every man that he be able to discuss all high points of the doctrin thereof But this much we must be sure to hold that in the Supper of the Lord there is no vain ceremony no bare sign no untrue figure of a thing absent But as the Scripture saith the Table of the Lord the bread and cup of the Lord the memory of Christ the annuntiation of his death yea the Communion of the body and blood of the Lord in a marvelous incorporation which by the operation of the holy Ghost the very bond of our Conjunction with Christ is through faith wrought in the souls of the faithfull wherby not only their souls live to eternall life but they surely trust to winn their bodies a Resurrection to immortality The true understanding of this fruition and union which is betwixt the body and the head betwixt the true beleevers and Christ the Ancient Catholick Fathers both perceiving themselvs and commending to their people were not afraid to call this Supper some of them the salv of immortality and sovereign Preservative against death Others a Deificall Communion Others the sweet dainties of our Saviour the pledg of eternall health the defence of faith the hope of Resurrection Others the food of immortality the healthfull grace and the Conservatory to everlasting life All which sayings both of the holy Scriptures and godly men truly attributed to this celestiall banquet and feast if we often call to mind oh how would they inflame our hearts to desire the participation of these mysteries and oftentimes to covet after this bread continually to thirst for this food CHAP. X. Corollaries drawn from the Premisses FRom the observation of the particular and speciall ends of either Sacrament may the reason be givē why Baptism is administred and received but once the Lords Supper oftentimes The ground of which practice binding us to obedience under correction I speak it I take to be not any direct text of Scripture either commanding the one or prohibiting the other but the tradition of the ancient Church received and approved by the constitution of the present Church Neither is this therfore in the liberty of the Church to alter both because the Antiquity and Universality of it doth prov it to be Apostolicall and also because the originall of this custome may in a certain sence be said to be Divine This originall is the analogie and proportion which holdeth between the Sacraments of the old Testament and the

wherof is this because this Sacrament was ordained for the continuall Remembrance of the Sacrifice of Christs Death His Death was a Sacrifice this Sacrifice must be remembred God made it remarkable at the first by those prodigies in Nature the Sunns eclipsing Earths-quaking Vail-renting graves opening But we must remember it in respect of the Commandement of Christ Do this in Remembrance of me yet is not this a repetition of that Sacrifice what need that be daily renewed that was at the first compleat and perfect whatsoever needeth daily repetition and renewing is in it self imperfect and incompleat As therfore this Sacrifice doth agree with the legall propitiations in this that it was a bloody Sacrifice so in this doth it differ and super-excell them that it being at once compleat needeth not as did they daily renewing and reduplication 2. A THANKFULL REMEMBRANCE must there be that is so must we remember the Death of Christ as that therby we be stirred to thankfulness for it The reason wherof is becaus the Death of Christ was not only a meer separation of the body and soul but a sacrifice yea a propitiation that is a sacrifice for expiation of sin and reconciliation Indeed it was the substance of all the legall shaddows the perfection and accomplishment of all the Typicall expiations under the Law Nay more it was the grand and great deliverance of the Church If therfore the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt deserved a yearly feast of thankfull remembrance if the Reduction of the Church from the captivity of Babylon was so thankfully acknowledged as that it almost drowned the memoriall of their Exodus ought not the death of Christ by which our Redemption from sin and Sathan was wrought ought not this I say to be thankfully remembred The practise of the Church doth plainly manifest it whence had the whole sacred action that famous name of the Eucharist so frequent in the writings of the Fathers and Doctours of the Church but from the sacrifice of thanks and praise at that time offered to God the Father Son and holy Ghost for the Redemption of the world by the Death and Passion of our Saviour Iesus Christ For this cause it is that in the Liturgie of the Church this is so carefully remembred that by the Minister the whole Congregation should be exhorted to give thanks to our Lord God adding that as it is meet and right and our bounden duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to the Lord God our heavenly Father so for the present with Angels Arch-angels and all the holy company of Heaven we laud and magnifie his glorious Name c. But to proceed The way and means to stir us up to thankfulness for the Death of Christ is seriously to consider of the benefits which we receiv therby Here is a large field of meditation here cannot the devout soul want matter wherin to inlarge it self if we take notice of these particulars First what we had been without it Secondly what our hopes are by it Thirdly how unworthy we either were of it or as yet are Fourthly by how worthy a person this was wrought Fiftly how bitter the cup was which he drank how painfull and shamfull the Death was which he suffered Here therfore and in these meditations let the soul dwell till admiration of the benefit so good so great so freely so undeservedly bestowed cause the heart to burst forth into that of David Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him Oh dear Saviour who would not love thee Oh heavenly Father who would not bless thee Oh blessed spirit who would not obey thee Oh eternall God! who would not devote himself soul body all to the honour and service of this glorious Trinity that hath done so great things for so unworthy so wretched sinners Well Thankfulness is a branch of the Qualification of our souls for the worthy partaking But how is it to be expressed Answer briefly by bearing our part in the Psalms and Alms of the congregation For the first we read that after the Passover our Saviour and his company sung a Psalm It is Saint Iames his rule in the time of mirth to sing Psalms when have we more cause of spirituall mirth than at this sacred banquet all dull and earthly is that heart that is not now even filled with holy and heavenly raptures Did Moses sing and Miriam dance and shall not we sing forth the praises of our dearest Saviour For the other viz. the Alms of the Congregation we have the laudable custome of the Church in all ages and the ground therof is taken from that of David Psal. 16. My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight What we cannot therfore return to our blessed Saviour himself in token of thankfulness and who would not in this kind even part with all that he hath that must we for his sake bestow upon his poore members Collections for the poore are perpetuall attendants upon Communions the illiberall hand is the evidence of an unthankfull soul freely we have received freely let us give and Christ shall thank us Mat. 10.42 25.34 To say nothing of Deo-dands most proper also upon this occasion CHAP. XVII Of Love and Charity BY love and charity we do not in this place understand that loving affection which we owe to God our heavenly Father by virtue of that great commandement Matt. 22. nor that generall act of love to our Neighbours enjoyned in the second Table which manifesteth it self in a mutuall and reciprocall interchanging of affections with them viz. that we rejoyce with them in their causes of joy and greev with them when God calls them to it nor yet that speciall act of sanctified love which is terminated in and upon the holy brethren whose truth is thence discerned if it be as it ought indifferent to all without respect of persons and constant without respect of times if neither penury and necessity nor trouble and adversity can cool the heat of our affections but notwithstanding these we love them in whomsoever we find grace and holiness this is brotherly love indeed yet is not this nor any of these that love which is here properly understood all these are pre-required But by love and charity we do properly understand a reconciled affection towards all even our enemies much more toward others which is indeed the perfection of all love and the Nil ultra of that affection So much we know is intimated by that phrase to be in Charity malice and heart-burning must be laid aside when we address our selvs to the holy Communion If in hearing the word Iam. 1.21 Pet. 2.1 if in praying Tim. 2.8 how much more when we approach the Table of the Lord God hath appointed this Sacrament in a speciall

is that we are conformable to him in mortification Now to be baptised into the Communion of Christs death what is it else but by Baptism to be partaker of his death and consequently discharged from the Dominion of sin So the Doctrin Doct. Christians howsoever before their Baptism they be servants of sin yet by Baptism they are freed from the service and dominion therof The uses of this Doctrin are three-fold First for instruction shewing the efficacy of Baptism touching which two cautions 1. That the efficacy of the Sacrament is but instrumentall 2. That it pre-supposeth a right Qualification in the Receiver Secondly For consolation to Parents in respect of their children dying in infancy Quest. Whether all infants be regenerate in Baptism An Answer set down in two conclusions An objection taken from the usuall phrase of Preachers in pressing the duty of attendance upon the means of grace The answer to it Thirdly for exhortation And this directed First to Parents To watch carefully over their children that they be not re-enslaved To acquaint them with this benefit to call upon them c. Secondly To all Christians In generall to walk as Free-men In speciall to hinder the reign of sinn in themselves Object I fain would do so but am not able Sol. Christians have helps to subdue the power of sinn sc. An interest First In the blood of Christ streaming in the Sacraments Secondly In the Communion of Saints the Churches Prayers A Caveat That if Christians desire this benefit they must not forfeit their interest by running into tentation Hitherto the copy of the Sermon These two little books not much unlike to the poore widows two mites have I cast into the Treasury of the Church I pray God they may be no less accepted with God and all good men that so the succesfulness of these my poore endevours may encourage me to go on cheerfully in the work of my Ministery and to bestow some bigger volumn upon the Library of this Church and Nation I know we are not born for our selvs alone not for this present age alone I should choose rather to be too busie in this kind and to over-do rather than to be wanting to my place and people I cannot hope to live at least not here wher I am til I see the harvest of my seeds time the fruits of my labour here bestowed We of the Ministery commonly our greatest comfort is in the happy growth of grace in those whom at our first entrance we find to be of tender years Nor do I doubt but that amongst these there will be found some that hereafter will rejoyce in the remembrance of those holy truths which they have heard received and gathered up in their attendance upon my poore labours and they will say this and this did I then heare and learn and tho for the present I felt no great sweetness in it yet do I now taste it and know it to the holy truth of God In particular this Doctrin of the Sacraments and their efficacy which seemed so strange and uncouth in the ears of divers of the elder Audience will by the younger sort be received now and hereafter remembred with happy congratulation Now then for their sakes that they may keep fresh in memory what they have heard that they may recall to mind what perhaps hath slipt and is forgotten have I sent abroad these and if God say amen I shall send abroad some other of my notes For their sakes I say that they may have wherwithall to perswade others what themselvs do know viz. That those things to use the phrase of the Disciples to Saint Paul in a case not much unlike that those things wherof divers have been informed concerning me are nothing but that I also walk orderly and keep the Law The law I mean of holy teaching and edification not wasting the time in curious and needless speculations but endevouring pro posse meo both plainly to explicate and profitably to apply what the text of Holy Writ hath led me to In the prosecuting of which if I have proceeded otherwise as some say than others have done before me let the indifferent Reader do that which those Hearers should have done sc. try and examine which of us doth most neerly follow the steps of the holy Scripture and tread in the path of our Mother-Church To me I confess it is a scruple to depart from the pattern of wholsome Doctrin to the which I have subscribed if it be not so to others it is not my fault if I dare not follow them But there is a generation of men who have learned to pretend the authority of such Worthies and such grave Divines meerly to countenance what themselvs have pitcht upon in prejudice and opposition of the present Ministery This was say they the Doctrin this the opinion of such and such when upon due examination their judgment was nothing so but clean contrary That this may not hereafter befall me this Treatise shall be a witness to the world what I beleev what I have taught as touching this Argument The scope wherof in brief is to shew That the effect of the Sacraments is ou● union with Christ The fruit is communion in his Merits and Graces in his merits for Remission in his Graces for Regeneration both which are begun in Baptism and perfectly consummate in the Lords Supper This is all Farewell dear Christian Reader pray for him who hath devoted himself and the strength of his labours to the advancement of thy spirituall welfare Let thy prayers commend me and my labours to the blessing of our heavenly Father In whom I rest Thine The Lords unworthy servant in the work of the Ministry T. B. A TREATISE OF THE SACRAMENTS The Preface GReat was the love of our blessed Saviour to the sinful race of the sons of men Greatly did it appeare by that Redemption which by his death is purchased This hath recovered to us the favour of God which is to us the deep and inexhaustible fountain of all goodnesse yet hath not the love of Christ our Saviour stayed here hee thought not this sufficient but hath added the Revelation of this benefit for our Comfort Yea hee hath also wisely invented the way by which this benefit might be conveyed to us and we put in full possession of the same Nor is the later a lesse demonstration of his singular love than the former Without the Redemption purchased what are wee but a masse of misery borne to endlesse woe and irrecoverable destruction Without the Revelation of this Redemption and the means by which it may become ours what is this life of ours but a perpetuall disconsolation Wherefore so often as wee blesse God for the benefit of our Redemption purchased by the blood of Christ so often let us remember to praise him for the Revelation of it made unto us by his spirit The way and meanes by which the spirit of Christ doth