Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	action_n	good_a	law_n	1,011	5	4.8972	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

therefore had need of stirring vp 2. Pet. 1.12 I will not be negligent sayth S. Peter writing to those that had knowledge and were established in the present truth to put you in remembrance of these things And secondly no man is so strong and so sound of memorie but he stands in neede of a daily confirmation and often renouation Now as God is thus carefull for vs that we might not be left destitute of nourishment for our soules nor forgetfull of his mercies in the Lords Supper but sends vs his Ministers to be Stewards and Remembrancers to put vs in minde of our Couenant made with him to teach vs what things are necessarie to the right vsing of the Sacrament and to charge vs as from his immediate person not to dare to prouoke him to anger 1. Cor. 10.22 by an irreuerent and prophane dealing with those things that are of so holy a nature as the Sacraments Then must we labour to possesse our memories and to haue our hearts prepared for a remembrance and entertainment of such lessons as are taught and deliuered concerning the Sacrament First least wee sinne against Christ by a second daily crucifying of him by our sinnes Secondly least we heape damnation vpon our bodies and soules Thirdly least we be sharply reprehended of the Lord for our forgetfulnesse and neglect of such an heauenly banquet as is his last Supper Considering therefore the necessitie of worthie receiuing and the danger of those that rush vpon the Lords Supper without serious preparation my purpose is to shew how we may become worthy receiuers and so may preuent all Iudgements threatned If we would be approued as worthie receiuers in the Lords sight then a three-fold religious behauiour is required at all our hands 1. Before we receiue 2. In the action of receiuing 3. After our receiuing First our behauiour before we receiue consisteth in foure duties principally 1. In a purpose and resolution to receiue so often as occasion of receiuing is offered 2. In a preparation to receiue 3. In knowledge of that we do receiue 4. In a longing desire and hungring appetite after that we receiue The first dutie before we receiue is that we purpose resolue and set downe with our selues to receiue and communicate at the Lords Table with the rest of his people so often as God in his wise prouidence offereth the occasion So that as Dauid said of the whole Law of God Psal 119. I haue purpose and determined to keepe thy Law so must we all of vs in this particular purpose to receiue when God offereth the opportunitie The reason is because in this Sacrament God of his infinite goodnesse Reason and mercie offers vnto vs his onely sonne Christ Iesus the true bread of life Ioh 6.48 to seede our soules to eternall life and Christ also offers himselfe I am the liuing bread which come downe from heauen 33.35.51 if any man ●ate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue him is my flesh c. Now if God offer his sonne and his sonne be willing to come vnto vs to be our bread of life both vn●hankefull vnto God Christ and vnmindfull of our owne good shall we be if we purpose not to receiue but refuse such a great mercie of the Lord when ●t is fitly offered Obiect We purpose to receiue Ob. this Sacrament though not so often as perhaps you would haue vs we will receiue it once a yeare at Easter time and that is sufficient c. Sol. To this I answere Sol. that it is not sufficient to receiue it once a yeare at Easter and no more but it ought to be receiued at all other times euen so often as God in his prouidence shall call vs vnto it These are my Reasons for it Reason 1 1. The first reason is taken from the Commandement God hath commanded it and Christ also hath instituted it The Lord said vnto his people of Israel that the feast of the Passeouer in stead whereof we haue the Lords Supper should be kept as a memoriall and a● holy feast vnto him Exod. 12.14 not by fits and starts when they would but as hee had commanded them throughout their generations as an ordinance for euer And Christ himselfe in the New Testament instituting this Sacrament sayth vnto his Disciples and in them to euery one of vs that looke for the same saluation Take eate Mat. 26.26 without any limitation of time giuing vs to vnderstand that so often as hee commandeth to take so often we in obedience should bee readie to receiue and besides this is a part of Gods worship set downe in the second Commandement and ought to be obeyed Reason 2 2. To receiue often is and euer hath beene the practise of all faithfull men from time to time both vnder the Olde and New Testament Hence it is that we read in the Olde Testament that the man that would not celebrate the Passeouer with the rest of Gods people should bee excommunicated and cut off from the great Congregation Num. 9.13 And so common was this practise of the faithfull in the Primitiue Church as that it was made a Sabbaoth dayes exercise so that we see in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 2.46 Hearing of the Word and breaking of bread goe together 1. Cor. 11.26 and Paul sayth so often as see eate this bread Alij quotidie cōmunicant corpori sanguini Dominico c. Noting thereby the commonnesse of the Sacrament And indeed we finde that in former times some did partake and communicate euery day others certaine solemne and festiuall daies others vpon Saturdaies and the Lords day others vpon the Lords day onely Alij certis diebus accipiunt alibi nullus dies intermittitur quo non offeratur Alibi sabbato tantum Dominico Alibi tantū Dominico Aug. Epis 118. ad Ianuarcum Legimus omni Ecclesiae Congregatione celebrata fuisse hac mysteria Chry. super Mat. Homil. 16. Dies Dominicus dies panis dies lucis c. others so often as the Papists do offer their Masse And we read that in euery Congregation meeting of people together in the house of God the mysteries of the Lords Supper were celebrated And hence it is that the Sabbaoth hath three names giuen vnto it First the Lords day Secondly the day of eating bread and thirdly the day of light Reason 3 3. If a man neglect this feast and banquet when God offereth it and calleth him vnto it he knoweth not whether euer he will make him partaker of it afterwards in mercie or no when his feast was prepared and his Table furnished the guests that refused to come being bidden were not worthie Mat. 22.8.9 neither could they be admitted to taste of his supper Luk. 14.24 but other guests that were in the hie wayes and vnder hedges were compelled to come in that the house might be

when Christ riding into Ierusalem on an Asse they spread their garments in the way cut downe branches from the trees and strawed them in the way and cryed through the streets of Ierusalem saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Mat. 21.8.9 blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna thou which art in the highest heauens Here was great tokens of ioy and gladnesse but how much more gladnesse should be in vs seeing Christ hath not onely vouchsafed to come into our streetes but into our houses and our hearts Great ioy was in all Samaria when Philip came thither to preach among them Act. 8.6.8 but greater should our ioy bee among whom Christ inhabiteth and to whom he hath giuen his owne flesh to eate and his owne bloud to drinke for our spirituall and eternall nourishment Vse 1 Vse 1. This point may serue for direction to order our desires aright in the matter of ioy Euery man loues a glad heart and wisheth ioy but therein many mistake 1. One reioyceth in his substance Iob 31.25 he hath gotten much 2. Another reioyceth in his promotion 3. Hest 5.11 Another doateth vpon that mad mirth which Salomon speakes of 4. Eccles 2.2 Another reioyceth in a Table richly Dan. 5.1.2.3 c. deckt an ouerflowing Cup a faring deliciously euery day 5. Another reioyceth at the destructiō of him whom he hates 6. Iob 31.29 Another reioyceth in sinne and wickednesse Pro. 10.23 It is a pastime to a foole to doe wickedly It is the drunkards ioy to be at the Cup early Isa 5.11 and to sit till the wine haue enflamed them The twi-light glads the heart of the adulterer Iob 24.15 The oppressor danceth vpon the threshold of him that is oppressed Zeph. 1.9 Ismael geireth at Isaac Gen. 21.9 Holy Iob was as a Tabret to the godlesse ones Iob 17.6 and the drunkards made songs on Dauid Psal 69.12 Men imagine summum bonum their chiefe felicity to consist in their ioyes But alas how much are they deceiued for what are all these ioyes in comparison of that we treate of Indeed if it be rightly considered what true comfort can a man take in any thing so long as the dyet of his soule is not the ioy of his heart Howsoeuer the Deuill teacheth men to forget the consideration hereof that so he may lead them like an Oxe to the slaughter not knowing that they are in danger yet if euer at any time the conscience bee awakened to thinke on this the very remembrance of it is like the beholding of the hand vpon the wal to Belshazzar which when he saw it put him quite out of his humour of iollitie it was not then the delicate taste of his wine nor the fatnesse of his kids nor the royaltie of his Guests not the finenesse of his fare could keepe his countenance from changing his thoughts from troubling and his ioynts from beating one vpon another Vse 2 Vse 2. This may perswade vs to affect this ioy and to prefer it before all contentments Here we are assured that our labour is not in vaine Thou shalt haue ioy in seeking for this ioy it shall be gladnesse to thy soule to heare of this gladnesse no greater contentment in the world to an hungry beggar then to heare of a good dinner and to feede therein Oh then that thou couldst bee perswaded to seeke this ioy and in a kinde of distaste of all other Ioyes which are not worth the naming to cry out Lord euermore giue me this Ioy Then the meate in this Supper would be most sweete to thy soule and thy chiefest pleasure Vse 3 Vse 3. This may serue as a touchstone to try our selues by whether our stomackes bee in good case and whether we receiue this Sacrament aright to Gods glorie and our owne comfort or no If we doe then we reioyce take pleasure and delight in it more then euer we did in any worldly feast or banquet here is the daintiest meat and most precious banquet that euer we came to Here euery dish in this feast is made of the most precious bodie and bloud of Christ which is able to feede our soules whereas all other banquets can but onely feede our bodies Luk. 19.6 As Zacheus receiued Christ ioyfully when he came to his soule much more into his heart so those that haue sound stomackes receiue this sacrament with great ioy and gladnesse because herein Christ is come home vnto them and hath brought saluation with him Thus much of the duties touching our good behauiour in the Action of Receiuing The third sort of duties in our good behauiour after the Receiuing of the Sacrament follow The duties are foure 1. Thankefulnesse to God 2. Carefulnesse to grow in grace and strength according to the nourishment receiued 3. A worthie walking in the strength of this foode receiued to Gods glory and the good of his Church c. 4. A spirituall watchfulnesse by prayers supplications with all perseuerance thereunto that we may continue in well doing vnto the end and in the end The first dutie which after our receiuing we ought to performe is thankfulnesse to God We must shew our selues thankfull to God for bestowing so heauenly and blessed a feast vpon vs. 1 The. 5.18 In all things sayth the Apostle giue thankes Now if in all things in our publique feastes yea in all our afflictions and troubles then much more are we bound to be thankfull for the great benefit of our Redemption bestowed vpon vs in this heauenly banquet wherby being slaues vnto sin drudges vnto Sathan and subiect vnto hell and condemnation we are deliuered both from sinne and Sathan from hell euerlasting destruction A notable example hereof we see in Christ and in his Disciples when they had ended this supper Mat. 26.30 they departed not before they had sung a Psalme of thankesgiuing vnto the Lord. Mar. 14.26 Reasons to prouoke and induce vs hereunto if we haue had any true taste of Gods mercie in this Supper are these Reason 1 1. Hereby we haue experience of the great goodnesse of God of the loue of Christ towards vs who hath beene content to feede vs with his owne body bloud wherby being wounded and dead with sinne we are enliued and nourished vp vnto eternall life We read of the Pellican that for loue to her yong ones being deadly stung with some venemous serpent shee is content to haue her owne brest pearced that the bloud might gush out to nourish feede preserue and recouer them So our Pellican Iesus Christ for the loue he bare to vs being stung to death by the venemous Serpent Sathan was content to haue his bodie pearced and his bloud shed to feed and preserue vs. Therefore the Apostle considering this loue of God towards him in Christ prayed for the Ephesians that they may know this loue of Christ Ephes 3.19 20.21 which