Selected quad for the lemma: mind_n
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A62123
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An answer to all the excuses and pretences which men ordinarily make for their not coming to the Holy Communion ... by a divine of the Church of England.
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Synge, Edward, 1659-1741.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing S6375; ESTC R1735
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15,409
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38
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resolved with full purpose of Heart to cleave unto God and upon all Occasions to do what he Commands ever preferring the pleasing of him before any or all the Honours Profits or Pleasures of this World he may assure himself that he is a real and true Lover of God nor need he absent himself from the Holy Communion for want of that Ardency and Liveliness of affection to God which the very best of Men perhaps do oftener wish for than enjoy or find within themselves Others there are who Fear they are not in perfect Charity with all the World They have sometimes had to do with Men of Base and Unjust dealings who have broken their promises and it may be their Oaths and thereby betray'd them who have depended on them or have otherwise been Guilty of wicked and unworthy Practices And altho' in Obedience to God's commands they would not do any thing by way of Revenge even against these very Men yet as often as they see them or do but think of them they find their very Blood to rise against them and cannot possibly Suppress that Anger and Indignation which springs up in their Minds against such persons and therefore they Fear that their Charity is Defective and so dare not come to the Holy Communion To this I answer that our Charity towards Man as well as our Love to God is to be Measured by the purposes and Resolutions of our will and our Actions consequent thereto and not by the suddain Motions of our Passions and Affections Which in the Case above mentioned may be scarcely so much in our Power as wholly to be Conquered and stifled by us But whatever Passionate resentments may force themselves into our minds upon such occasions as these if we do not suffer them to break out into Bitter and Reproachful expressions or Malicious and Revengeful Actions And if in Spite of our Anger we do firmly resolve in Obedience to God's command to return Good and not Evil for Evil In a word if as St. Paul directs us when we are Angry we take care and watch over our selves that we Sin not Eph. 4. 26. which is certainly in our Power through the Grace of God our own Endeavours we need not fear that any such inward motions of our Passions as we cannot wholly suppress but yet do not suffer to break out into any Sinful words or Actions shall ever be imputed to us as a Breach of Charity Others again are afraid that they are not sorrowful enough for the Sins which they have Commited because they do not find their Grief so quick and pungent as they think it ought to be nor strong enough even so much as to bring a Tear from their Eyes and therefore they dare not venture to come To this I answer that true it is indeed that we can never grieve too much for our Sins whereby we have offended our good and gracious God And if even Rivers of tears could run down our Eyes on this occasion they would all be but little enough But yet after all our sorrow for sin is not to be measured by the Passionateness of it which is soon over or the tears it produces which are as soon dried up but is altogether to be estimated by the Amendment which it causes in our Lives It is a never failing rule which St. Paul gives us to know Godly Sorrow by which is that it worketh Repentance 1 Cor. 7. 10. If then a Man has so true and serious a sense of his Sins as that it brings him to Repentance that is to say to a thorough and lasting Reformation of his life this Sorrow tho' it never affects him in a Passionate way or draws any Tears at all from his Eyes yet is certainly true godly Sorrow and such as shall be accepted by God because it worketh Repentance which is the only End for which godly Sorrow is either required or valued Others yet again there are who complain that when they would set themselves to prepare for the Holy Communion they in a little time grow so tired with the length of those Devotions which are thereunto required that they are not able to accomplish what they propos'd And when they would even force themselves to continue their Prayers and Meditations they cannot with all their care keep their Minds fixed and attentive upon what they are about but their thoughts will unavoidably wander upon other things that are Idle and Impertinent And this they apprehend to be the Sin of drawing near to God with their Mouths and Honouring him with their Lips when their Heart is far from him Isai 29. 13. And therefore They dare not come unto his Holy Table To this I answer that whenever we address our selves unto God in Prayer we ought certainly to use our utmost endeavour so to fix and compose our Minds as that our thoughts may not wander and go astray if we can Possibly hinder them And he who pretends to Pray with his Lips and does not withall strive that his Heart and mind may be Devoutly affected is undoubtedly Guilty of a great slight put upon the Majesty of God may justly be taxed with some part of that Sin which I but just now made Mention of But when a Man has done the best he can to fix his thoughts and to keep his mind from wandring in Prayer If after all this idle and Impertinent imaginations do against his will croud themselves upon him and like Flies tho'continually beaten off yet still Return again and molest him In this case he may well Assure himself that God who is Gracious and Merciful will never impute that to him as a Sin which with all his endeavours he cannot help But it shall only be Reckoned upon the score of his Infirmities against which indeed he must ever strive but it may be shall never be able wholly to Conquer them as long as he Lives But there is one piece of advice which I think very proper to offer unto those that are in these circumstances which is that they should comprise their private devotions in as few words as conveniently they can and then they will neither be so apt to be tired nor their thoughts to wander therein as when they are drawn out to a greater length It is not much Speaking that makes our Prayers the more acceptable to God or the sooner heard by him Mat. 6. 7. And it is easy to comprehend all that is ordinarily necessary to be said in Prayer in a few words The Lord's Prayer is but short and yet very full and certainly a form most acceptable to God The Publicans God be merciful to me a Sinner Luk. 18. 13. was as well received coming from a sincere and honest heart as if he had made his confession in more words And there is no manner of doubt but that short and devout Ejaculations frequently offered up to God by a truly pious Soul shall effectually prevail at the throne of Grace