Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39250
|
The communicant's guide, shewing a safe and easie way to the Lord's table in compassion to the poorer and weaker sort of Christians / by Clem. Elis ...
|
Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700.
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing E554; ESTC R3546
|
46,503
|
143
|
in joyful Songs and Hymns of Praise 7. As God whom we have so often provoked to Wrath and Indignation doth graciously condescend in Christ Iesus to renew his Covenant of Mercy to us so let us most heartily come to renew through the same blessed Iesus our Engagements to him and do that which may correspond with what Christ hath done for us Did he deny himself veiled his God-head in mortal Flesh taking on him the form of a Servant humbling himself to the Death of the Cross Let us deny our selves take up the Cross forsake all and follow him Was he Crucified for us Let the Old-man be cruciâ—â—ed in us with the Affections and Lusts let the World be crucified to us and we unto the World let us make no more Provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof Did he give himself a Sacrifice for our Sins Let us offer to God the Sacrifices of broken and contrite Hearts the Sacrifice of Prayer and Supplication of Praise and Thansgiving of Almsgiving and Mercy and in a word our Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God 8. Let this Feast of Love and holy Communion oblige us to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace to purge out the old leaven of Malice and Envy to forgive as God for Christ his sake hath forgiven us to do good to all men as we have opportunity especially to them that are of the Houshold of Faith to love our Enemies bless our Persecutors pray for our Haters render good for evil overcome evil with good and if going to the Altar we remember that our Brother hath ought against us go first and be reconciled unto him When we are thus disposed we may with an holy Boldness come to the Lord's Table and need not fear but we shall have the Benefits thereof conferred upon us CHAP. VIII How we are to behave our selves at this Sacrament ¶ AS thou goest to the Church meditate all the way or discourse with thy Company of the Goodness of God in inviting poor Sinners to his own Table Say thus with thy self O my sinful Soul taste and see that the Lord is good O what a Love and Goodness is this that such wicked Prodigals as we who have so long abused all the good Gifts which our heavenly Father hath bestowed upon us in a vain foolish and sinful way of living should have such Encouragements as these to return to our offended God and Father I will go unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son or to appear and feed amongst thy Children O Lord not considering what thou hast made me a rational Creature to know love and honour thee my great and good God I have used my self like a Beast and have fed with Greediness and Delight amongst swinish Sinners upon empty Husks and Vanities O blessed be thy Name who hast brought me to my self again to see and lament and hate my past Folly I am now in all Humility coming to feast my Soul with thee in thy House where there is ever bread enough and to spare even the Bread of Life my ever blessed JESUS O send out thy Light and thy Truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding Joy and with all my Soul will I praise thee O God my God I will enter into thy Gates with Thanksgiving and into thy Courts with Praise I will be thankful unto thee and bless thy Name For the Lord is good his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth to all Generations ¶ Entring into the Church have such Thoughts as these before the Service begin O how dreadful is this place This is no other but the House of God and the Gate of Heaven Holiness O God becometh thine House for ever One day in thy House is better than a thousand Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts I come O Lord into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercy and in thy Fear will I worship thee in thy holy Temple I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine honour dwelleth O let me be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and make me drink of the River of thy Pleasures ¶ Ioyn devoutly with the Congregation in the Prayers of the Church and attend diligently to God's Word read and preached And when the Minister is going to the Table say thus Blessed be God for affording us Pastors and Teachers O how beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace and bring glad tidings of good things O Lord bless and assist this thy Servant in this holy Ministration Thou O Lord art our Shepherd we can want nothing thou preparest a Table before us surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow us all the days of our Life ¶ When the Bread and Wine are placed upon the Table and thou art preparing thine Offering say thus O gracious Lord what a miracle of Divine Love do we here behold We have sinned against thee and yet thou callest not upon us for Sacrifices and burnt Offerings but hast prepared a Body for thy eternal Son that he in that might do thy Will live among us and die a Sacrifice for us and here feed us on that Sacrifice of himself to eternal Life I have abundantly deserved to be at this time in Hell amongst the Devils and dost thou yet vouchsafe to feast me at thy Table amongst thy Children on the Body and Blood of thy dearest Son O astonishing Love Let this thy love O God pierce my Heart and do thou O blessed JESUS dwell therein for ever The Earth is thine O Lord and the fullness thereof What can I render unto thee for all thine inestimable Benefits My Goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth Thou O God of thy Goodness hast prepared for the poor Accept I beseech thee of my poor Mite receive this my humble Acknowledgment of thy Bounty to me poor Sinner whereby I confess and declare my self and all that I have to be at thy Command and Service accept of me for Iesus Christ his sake ¶ When the Exhortation is read mind it well and observe whether you come so duely prepared as is therein said you ought to be Then say Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Who can understand his Errors Cleanse thou me from my secret Faults ¶ When you are bid to draw near do so both with Body and Soul saying My Heart is ready O God my Heart is ready I will wash my hands in Innocency and
my Director and his Will my Choice and his Promises my Confidence and his Laws my Rule and depending on his Providence in all dangers or wants using the lawful means which he alloweth and no other without any disheartning Fears or anxious Thoughts and Cares commending the Success to him in Prayer dare I trust all my Concerns both in this World and the next to God only through the Mediation of Iesus Christ Do I not presume of Salvation by Christ without the Sanctification of his Spirit nor hope for Mercy without Repentance and Amendment of my Life but doth my hope in God set me upon cleansing my self from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit and perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God never despairing of his Mercy through Christ so long as I sincerely desire and endeavour to serve him faithfully Have I been patient in Wants and Losses and Griefs without all repining at God's Dealings or hard Thoughts of him Do I thankfully receive his sharpest Chastisements improving them all to Humility and Amendment of Life and rejoycing in them as Tokens of his Love and as the Condition which he hath chosen as best for me Have I not neglected to worship God devoutly both in publick and in secret and do I not rest in a formal outward Worship and for low ends but heartily in pure Conscience of Duty to honour God thereby Do I pray fervently and reverently and with a prepared and composed Mind and for such things as are agreeable to God's Will especially for Grace to enable me to honour him Have I reverently attentively and constantly read and heard God's Word treasuring it in my Heart as the Rule of Life and Foundation of Hope not enduring to hear it abused Have I kept holy the days of God's solemn Worship constantly frequenting the publick Assemblies and devoutly joyning in all the Services there Have I behaved my self in God's House as in his more especial Presence and done what I was able to maintain and uphold the holy Ministry and the Purity of God's Worship without Heresie Superstition Schism or Faction Have I duely and preparedly received the Sacraments of Christ's Institution and submitted my self to the Government and Discipline of his Church endeavouring to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Have I had a religious regard to the sacred Name of God in no case using it blasphemously profanely vainly irreverently or willingly hearing it so used either in common swearing needless swearing false swearing or in idle talk of God or hypocritical praying to God or venting false Doctrine in God's Name or fathering any evil practice on God or by my wicked Life tempting others to blaspheme the Name of Christ by which I am called Have I made a right use of my Reason to judge of things as they deserve and to consider my Obligations to God and the great Concerns of my Soul and to care for it more than for my Body and to govern my self so by the Laws of God that I am ready to die and to give account of my self at the Judgment Seat of Christ Have I check'd in my idle Thoughts and busied them in things useful Have I restrained and kept in my Passions within the Bounds of Religion and not been hurried by them unto any Words or Deeds unbeseeming a Christian Have I well husbanded my time in doing good and lost wilfully as little as may be Have I had just Thoughts of my self as a vile Sinner and hath not any Opinion of my Birth Parentage Strength Beauty Riches Honours Wit Learning any Action Gift Grace or Vertue made me proud self-conceited ambitious or vain-glorious Have I thankfully acknowledged all to be God's undeserved gift of which he may deprive me when he will and very justly because I have not done so much good by it as I ought Have I been temperate and sober not exceeding in Meat Drink Sleep Sport or Apparel and used them all to the Health Strength Refreshment and Vigour of my Body and Mind that I might the better serve God in the Duties of my Calling Have I not in any of them wasted my time weakened my Body disordered my Head fed my Lusts consumed my Estate disabling my self to do my duties of Piety to God Justice to my Neighbour Charity to the Poor and providing for my Charge and educating my Children Have I carefully avoided superfluous Expences bewitching Pleasures tempting Company Idleness and unprofitable Business Have I loved my Neighbour as my self and done to all men as I would they should do to me that is all the good I could and no hurt instructing admonishing reproving counselling comforting giving forgiving healing helping relieving speaking well of praying for him and doing him all good Offices according to my Power and Opportunities Have I been thankful to others for the like Kindnesses studying to requite them Do I reverence without Envy my Superiours in any kind am I loving and friendly to all my Equals and affable and helpful to my Inferiours without Pride or Disdain no way scorning upbraiding mocking or vilifying them for any Infirmities or Imperfections Have I honour'd the King and all inferiour Magistrates praying for them speaking no evil of them obeying their just Commands paying Tribute and Custom suffering willingly for my Faults and patiently without resistance for well-doing discovering all Plots and Conspiracies that I can know of against them assisting them against their Enemies serving faithfully under them in my â—lace and Calling no way disturbing the Peace obstructing or reproaching the Government Have I esteemed the Pastors and Governours in the Church highly in love for their Works sake not defrauding them of or grudgingly paying or by hard Bargains diminishing their dues Do I pray for them often consult them submit to their Teaching and Discipline and neither by my Absence from Church nor irregular Life or any war discourage them Have I loved and honoured my Father and Mother concealing their Failings bearing their Infirmities endeavouring their Comfort obeying their Commands following their Counsel praying for their Happiness and long Lives submitting to their Correction relieving and requiting them to my Power as there was need Have I loved and done all fatherly or motherly Offices for my Children given them devoutly to God in Baptism pray'd for them nursed them instructed them moderately corrected them restrained them from Evil given them good Example encouraged them in Goodness not pamper'd them in Back or Belly brought them up in Humility and Modesty provided them of honest Callings and married them religiously Have I loved my Brothers or Sisters and manifested my Love to them as