Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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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 caâ—led me to this state of salvation by Jesâ—â— Christ that he admits me upon so equâ—â— 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 Gâ—â— 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 â—ife that is A sense of sorrow for confession and relinquishment of his most beâ—oved sins in order unto which must necessarily be presupposed a serious comâ—are of his thoughts affections words and wayes with Gods commands and laws that â—he 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 especiaâ—â— to excite and actuate in order to 〈◊〉 effectual and worthy participation of tâ—â— Lords Supper Q. Well you have run through tâ—â— 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 〈◊〉 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 â—n well-doing seek for glory God will give â—ternal life the heavenly inheritance of â—ever-ending and unspeakable bliss but â—o them who obey not the truth and live in enrighteousness tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath the worm
things the doing whereof importeth any thing of goodness or perfection whatsoever he will and how he will nay more than he wills to do or hath yet actually done Q. What learn you hence A. I learn to trust and fear him above all creatures good Angels Devils or Men which are at his beck and subject to his power being confident that which he hath promised or threatned shall be certainly fulfilled though it seem impossible to flesh and blood Q. Eternal You said fifthly God was eternal what mean you by that A. I mean that he hath neither beginning of being nor end of continuance Q. What learn you from hence A. I learn to reverence him as the most Ancient of dayes and the onely author of eternal rewards or punishments Q. Infinite in all perfections You added lastly God was infinite in all perfections What mean you by that A. I mean that no imperfection ought at any time to be ascribed unto him or affirmed of him but all perfections in the highest degree we can conceive of and beyond what we can conceive without measure or limits Q. What learn you hence A. Never to admit any low or unworthy thoughts of God and when I have the highest then to remember I know him best when I admire him most devoutly Q. The end for which God made us You have already told me you were made and that God was your maker whom you have well described to me Tell me now further for what end did God make you A. That by faithful service to him I might be happy in the enjoyment of his presence and favour Q. What learn you hence A. Carefully to perform my duty towards him and never to seek happiness in worldly pleasures or profits or any thing below or without him Q You were made you say Our chief rule in order to that end H. Scripture to serve God but how will he be served A. According to his will revealed principally in the Holy Scriptures which are the Word of God that is the declaration of his mind and contain in them all those supernatural truths we are obliged to know believe and practise in order to eternal happiness Q. Why believe you the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God that is as you intimated the inspired and infallible revelation of his mind and will A. The agreeing testimony of the Church of God first recommends them unto me for such which I have no reason to gainsay oppose or doubt of but on the contrary much reason to give credit to and Then the incomparable excellency and harmony of the truths therein revealed confirm me in this good belief which motives lastly by the inward operation of the sacred spirit grow up into the certainty and assurance of divine perswasion Q. What learn you from hence A. I learn thankfully to embrace and value them as such and with reverence fidelity care and diligence to read search study apply and improve them accordingly Q. That I may perceive your proficiency in the perusal of these sacred Oracles let me hear what they teach you concerning Man which you have not yet told me of A. The Scripture account of man's primitive estate by creation They do in the first place give the history of the Creation of the World by God in the space of six dayes out of nothing and therein of Adam the first man Q. How was Adam the first man created A. God made him upright in his own image and likeness and placed him in Paradise as Lord over the Creation Q. What learn you hence A. To admire God's Wisdom Power and Goodness in making the World and Man in it in such an excellent estate Q. Of man's fall by sin Did Adam always continue in the happy estate wherein God made him A. No he grosly disobeyed God's command in eating the forbidden fruit as is more largely declared in the book of Genesis and so fell from it by his voluntary disobedience Q. What learn you hence A. Never to charge God foolishly with man's sin but condemn him onely whose misbehaviour was unworthy towards God and cruel both to himself and his posterity Q. What was the state into which he fell A. A state of sin and misery Q. And what I pray is the condition wherein you and the rest of his posterity are left by him A. Mine and every man's naturally descended from him is the same The covenant being broken which gave assurance of immortal life and bliss we are under the same curse and we find within our selves lust conceiving and bringing forth sin which finished bringeth forth death Q. What learn you hence A. I learn to bewail this sad and lamentable condition into which I am plunged and from which I am not able to deliver my self Q. O wretched man that thou art who can or will deliver thee A. Of the means of man's recovery by Jesus Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world whom he out of his love to lapsed and lost man hath provided Q. Who is this Jesus Christ the Saviour A. Who he is God and man or God manifested in the flesh The eternal Son of God before all time wonderfully conceived and born of the B. Virgin Mary in the fulness of time Q. How do you conceive of the union of the divine and humane nature the Godhead and manhood in Christ A. As the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ Q. What learn you hence A. I learn to be much encouraged notwithstanding my sad and deplorable condition since my Saviour being both God and man is able and willing to help me Q. What he did What hath Jesus Christ done for you A. He perfectly revealed the will of God concerning man's duty and way to happiness He lived an innocent holy and exemplary yet a miserable life and died a sacrifice for our sins upon the cross was buried and continued among the dead till the third day wherein he arose out of the grave and having shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs forty days on earth he ascended visibly into heaven from whence he sent down the Holy Ghost in cloven tongues as of fire upon his Apostles and where He ever lives in glory to make intercession for and bless us by turning us from our iniquities a royal priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech who was both King and Priest Q. What learn you hence A. I learn stedfastly to believe and chearfully to obey him yea and willingly to part with every thing for his sake who gave his life for me in a painful shameful and accursed death and is still mindful of me in his Glory What is to be hoped for from through him Q. What good do you hope for and expect from and through this Saviour A. From and through him I look foâ—