Selected quad for the lemma: opinion_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A33464
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The little manuel of the poore mans dayly devotion collected out of severall pious and approoved authors / by W.C.
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W. C. (William Clifford), d. 1670.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing C4712; ESTC R7795
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136,664
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494
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who approacheth to this divine banquet First that he examen well himselfe as S. Paul doth exhort that he come prepared and fittingly disposed on his part For which purpose these fowre dispositions are principally required The first a firme faith to beleeve Christs owne word and his Churches doctrine teaching that the words of consecration being pronounced what was bread before is changed by divine vertue into the true reall and substantiall body and blood of Jesus Christ and that although the colour figure taste and other accidents of breade remayne yet the substance is converted into the body of Jesus Christ which being now living glorious and immortall it can receive no division nor indignity but is united to his blood soule and divinity The second disposition required is a great purity principally from all mortall sin as also from all voluntary and deliberate affection to either mortall or venial And besides this purity of conscience purity also of intention is requisit for he would be greatly blamable who should approach to this divine table for vaine humaine respect to be esteemed devout or to gaine the good opinion of Men. But his intention must be purely to please God to be more closely united to him and to be made more capable therby to glorify to love and to serve his heavenly Majesty The third disposition is profound humility to which the Christian may strongly be mooved he well considering on the one side Gods greatnesse and infinit sanctity and his owne origen from nothing brought by sin to so despicable a state on the other Which very thought ought to give great confusion to a penitent sinner now ready to approach to this God of all glory and Majesty before whom the Angels Seraphins and Cherubins doe tremble with respect and feare Finally the fourth disposition is love and ardent charity towards this our divine Redeemer who gives himselfe to us with so excessive good nesse with graces and benedictions from the superabundant fountaine of this divine Sacrament flowing copiously into an open and loving hart And therfore undoubtedly the most excellent disposition which a Christian can bring to the holy Communion is to excite himselfe interiorly to the fervent acts of love towards Jesus Christ with strong resolutions wholy to consecrate himselfe to please and love him to serve and glorify him by his whole life and actions But although these dispositions regarding our soule be both the principall and most necessary yet such as concerne the body must not be neglected As first that the communicant present himselfe to this divine banquet with fitting decency in apparell With modest and reverent comportment yet all within the bounds of decent modesty and without all superfluous affectation He must also be fasting and have swallowed nothing from the midnight before his communion Who being now to approach to this heavenly table it must be with great modesty and devout humility saying the Confiteor with true harty sorrow for having offended so great and so good a God And the Priest saying Domine non sum dignus c. Let him humble his hart before God acknowledging his great unworthinesse to receive so divine a guifte The sacred Host being presented unto him he must receive it with all humble respect his eyes bending downwards and opning moderately his mouth without stirring his head or body or moving his lipps with words Let the tongue touch the side of the lipp not too much put fourth that it may conveniently receive the holy Host which there moistned with decent motion may be let downe into the stomack for it is not to be chewed with the teeth nor to be brought to the rouse of the mouth Let the whole body be erected and quiet without any motion sighing groning knocking of the breast exclamations vocall prayers or the like which would be unfitting and inconvenient Having communicated he must be carefull for one quarter of an houre not to spit but if forced to it be carefull it be with respect and where it be not trod upon or more decently to take it with his handkercher Let him retyre to some convenient place where for the space of a quarter of an houre at the least he ought to recollect his soule in thankes giving considering whom he hath received and with the eys of fervent faith there to behould within his breast his loving Saviour and God of all Majesty and with great attention and devout acknowledgment of humble thankes for that inestimable benefit received there offering sacrificing and intirely consecrating himselfe his soule his body and all the powers and actions of them both to his divine honour and glory for all Eternity When you actually receiue the sacred Hoste conceive your selfe as S. Theresia did as if behoulding with her corporal eyes Jesus Christ to enter into your poore habitation and stirr up thor at your faith laying aside all mortall objects whatsoever and as if entring in with him procure there to recollect all the powers of your soule to attend upon that so divine a guest to doe him all adoration and homage so that they neyther distract nor hinder your soule from a quiet and entire enjoyment of him There represent your selfe as at his feet deploring with repentant Magdalen your many sins And although we should have no other devotion but this alone yet faith would perswade us that we were both well and very happy there to speake with our divine and loving Saviour so present to give care to the propositions of all our necessities at least whilst the sacramentall species remaine uncorrupted with us And therfore we must not loose one moment of this so precious tyme of his true reall and substantiall presence with us but to spend it in all true fervent devotion with so mercifull and powerfull a Lord and guest For this is a most profitable practise after communion which that seraphical 8. Theresa did usually excercise with great comfort and profit to her soule And now finally that the vertuous soule may the better comply with her duty in this divine action as well before the holy communion as also after the same let her reade much rather with hart then with mouth these following prayers shee framing in her soule the interiour acts which are but exteriorly framed in words A prayer to be said before the holy Communion O MOST benigne Lord Jesus I a sinner presuming nothing on my owne merits but wholy trusting on thy mercy and goodnesse doe feare and tremble to have accesse unto the table of thy most sweet banquet For I have a hart and bodie spotted with many crymes a minde and tongue not warily gwarded Therefore o benigne Deity o dreadfull Majesty I a wretch holden in these streights have recourse unto thee the fountaine of mercy I hasten to thee to be healed I fly under thy protection and he whom I cannot endure a Judge I hope to have a Saviour To thee o Lord I shew my wounds to thee I