Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	affection_n	business_n	great_a	75	3	2.1554	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08365	A dialogue between a pastor and parishioner, touching the Lord's Supper. Wherein the most material doubts and scruples about receiving that holy sacrament, are removed, and the way thereto discovered to be both plain and pleasant. Very usefull for private christians in these scrupulous times. With some short prayers fitted for that occasion, and a morning and evening prayer for the use of private families / by Michael Altham, Vicar of Latton in Essex.	Altham, Michael, 1633-1705.	1687 (1687)	Wing A2933AB; ESTC R172247	65,705	236

then suppose ye shall he be worthy who treadeth under foot the son of God and counteth the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and doth despite to the spirit of grace Hebr. 10. v. 28 29. These are all comprised under that one general expression He that believeth not and of such an one our Saviour saith He shall be damned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 16.16 Those therefore who being thus unworthy do presume to come to the Lord's Table they prophane this holy Feast they trample under foot the blood of the Covenant they are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and may in the strictest sence be said to eat and drink their own damnation But I do not take this to be the meaning of the Apostle in this place 2. Some come to the Lord's Supper who though they have some small glimmerings some little knowledge yet do they not so well discern the Lord's Body as they ought who though they have Faith yet is their Faith so weak and languid so low and faint that it doth not so powerfully work by love and repentance as it ought who do not so well discern the mystical Bread in this Sacrament from common food and therefore with too much rudeness and too little reverence approach thereunto Now such is the goodness and mercy of God that he is always willing to pity the weaknesses and infirmities of his people If there be but some beginnings of grace some weak efforts and faint desires to do their duties he is so far from discouraging that he is willing rather to encourage them therein that in time they may do better He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12.20 If there be but a willing mind it will be accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 But if men be not so careful as they ought to rectify their mistakes in time and amend their doings then God is pleased sometimes by Discipline and correction to inform them better to show them the folly of their doings and reduce them into the right way And this I conceive to be all that is imported in that Word which our Translators have rendered Damnation in this place To make this good I shall consider both the signification of the word here used and the design of the Apostle in using of it There are two words made use of by St. Paul in this Chapter The former of which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly rendred Judgment and the latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damnation or Condemnation Now it is the former of these words that is used in this Text which is not so well rendered as it might have been For it doth not import the Judgment of Eternal Damnation as some would understand it but only a Temporal punishment which God is pleased sometimes to inflict upon Believers to correct what is amiss in them and stir them up the better to prepare themselves for the performance of their duties That such kind of punishments were more frequent in the primitive times of Christianity is sufficiently evident from the Writers of those times And that this is St. Pauls sense here is plain from the following words For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep v. 30. But more plainly from the 32 Verse where St. Paul himself distinguisheth the two sorts of Judgments saying When we are judged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the World. Whence it is very plain and evident that the word which is here rendered Damnation imports no more but a judgment of Correction or Discipline for our good And even that also may be prevented if we will take the right course In order whereunto St. Paul prescribeth us a most excellent rule For saith he If we would judge our selves we should not be judged v. 31. Now what he meaneth by judging our selves is plain from the 28 Verse where he saith Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this Cup. I have now considered and explained this Text of Scripture which I fear hath heretofore been made use of by some to very ill purposes and set up as a Mormo to affright many well-meaning people from their duties By vertue of this Text ill understood and worse applyed the Peace of the Church hath been disturbed the Bond of Union broken and those who should have lived together in love and amity like Fellow Citizens and Members of the same Family have been crumbled into Parties and Factions Christians have hereby been divided not only in their judgments but affections small differences at first have been improved into Schisms and Separations and those have produced such heats and animosities that the unity of the Spirit which should have been kept in the Bond of Peace hath thereby been dissolved and the Seamless-Coat of Christ Jesus hath been rent asunder I cannot believe that Zeal and Ignorance had the only hand in this business but that there must be a great deal of malice joined with them Those who pretended to be your Guides could not but know better and therefore must on set purpose impose upon themselves and you that underhand they might the better carry on their designs upon Religion and the Church of God In which they have been but too prosperous Instead of the substance the shadow of Religion was only left us instead of Order and Discipline nothing but disorder and confusion was to be seen among us Every one setting up for himself and drawing Parties and Factions after him And from whence came all this but from our breach of Union and Communion with that Church of which God had made us Members But when you have seriously considered what I have now said I hope you will find the Masque taken off and that this Text hath no such frightful visage as some have put upon it and in which they have formerly represented it to you that it is so far from discouraging any in their communicating with the Church in this holy Ordinance that it is rather a great enforcement of their Duty And now having thus cleared the way by explaining this Text of Scripture to you for the more easy removal or prevention of that Objection which is usually raised therefrom let me ask you or rather let me desire you to ask your self a few Questions 1. When God calls Whether it be fit for you or me or any of us to say we are not ready When he commandeth to Do this whether it will suffice us to say We cannot do it as we ought and therefore we will not do it at all Let me put you a plain Case and pray consider of it You are the Master of a Family and you command one of your Servants to do this he Answereth he

You must make it your great concern with all care and Conscience to perform your Baptismal Vow and Covenant in all the parts and branches thereof i. e. You must take care to spend the remainder of your lives in living holily towards God and righteously towards all men And thus have I endeavoured to perform the third and last part of my Promise by acquainting you what it is that will be expected from you after you have had the honour to be admitted a Guest at God's Table and to bear your part in the Celebration of this holy Feast Pashioner Sir You have to my great satisfaction fully performed all that you promised And now it is my part not only to remember but carefully to observe and conscienciously follow those good Rules and Instructions which you have given me And that from this time forward I will endeavour by God's Assistance to do I beg your Pardon for the trouble I have given you and heartily thank you for the pains you have taken with me I hope you will excuse the One and I will endeavour to improve the Other to those good Ends and Purposes which you design'd it And that I may the sooner set about that Work I will at present take my Leave of you Pastor God b'w'y ' good Neighbour Go and do as you have said and the Lord give a Blessing thereunto Be not you wanting to your self in your Endeavours and God Almighty will never be wanting to you in his assistance But that you may carry on this work the more comfortably be frequent in your Prayers to God for his blessing and direction and rest assured my Prayers shall not be wanting at the Throne of Grace that you may be successful therein A SHORT FORM OF PRAYERS Fitted for the more Worthy RECEIVING OF THE Holy Communion WITH A Morning and Evening Prayer for the Use of Private Families WHen you hear the Exhortation read by the Minister on the Sunday or Holy-day before and find your selves thereby invited to and admonished to prepare your selves for the Celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper consider seriously by whom and to what you are invited imprint upon your minds a due sense of that great honour which is done you by God and of the great love of your dying Saviour and think with your selves with what Godly Preparation you ought to approach thereunto And that these impressions may not wear out let me advise you constantly to use this following or some such like Prayer and Confession every Morning and Evening the Week before O Almighty and most merciful Father who of thine infinite goodness hast been pleased to invite me not only to Feast with thee but to Feast upon thee who hast provided for me not only Sacramental Bread and Wine but the Bread and Water of Life the Body and Blood of my blessed Saviour How infinite is thy mercy and how unspeakable is thy loving kindness herein I am overwhelmed with the thoughts of it and lost in admiration But when I consider That Thou art a God of purer Eyes than to behold the least Iniquity That Thou neither dost nor canst approve of any Sin in any one then my fears arise and my confidence faileth me How shall I who am a great and grievous Sinner appear before thee How shall I dare to approach thy presence I cannot but own that both in thought word and deed I have grievously offended thy most Sacred Majesty and that too frequently and with too high an hand I have done what in me lay to forfeit thy favour and to provoke thy wrath and indignation against me What therefore can I expect but with him who wanted the Wedding-Garment to be rejected with scorn and exposed to Punishment But O Lord with Thee is mercy that thou mayst be feared It is thy property to have mercy and to forgive In confidence therefore of this thy great mercy and in hopes of Pardon and Forgiveness it is that I am now humbly bold to appear before Thee Behold me O Lord thus prostrate in thy presence with the tears of true and unfeigned Repentance bewailing the miscarriages of my by-past life and for thy mercies sake and for the merits sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ humbly begging not only Pardoning Grace for Sins past but Preventing Grace against Sin for the time to come It was for my Sin that my Saviour suffered it was to wash away the stain thereof that he shed his Blood O let me not lose the benefit of it If there be any thing in me that may render me uncapable of it be pleased to remove it If there be any thing wanting in me to make me fit for it let thy Holy Spirit O Lord work it in me Subdue and mortifie all my Lusts and Corruptions and implant in me principles of Holiness and true Righteousness Teach me to love and fear Thee as I ought Give me an humble and obedient temper of mind Let it be my great pleasure to walk in thy ways and my only delight to keep thy commandments Make me thankful for all thy mercies and careful to improve them to thy glory my own comfort and the good of others Fit me for all states and conditions of life and prepare me for every good work but especially for the celebration of that Sacred Feast which I am now invited to Let nothing O Lord be wanting in me that Thou knowest requisite for me when I appear in thy presence Let me be found a welcome guest at thy Table and there receive that heavenly Food which alone can nourish up my Soul unto Eternal Life All which I humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ and in that Sacred form of Words which he himself hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. In the Morning of the Communion-Day before you go to Church use this following or some such like Prayer O Lord my God the Day the joyful Day is come on which Thou hast promised to provide and invited me to be a guest at a most Heavenly Banquet This day I am to Feast with Thee and Feed upon my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Give me I beseech Thee a due sense of that Honour and Happiness I am now going to be made partaker of and make me truly thankful for it I am now going to Thy Table good Lord fit and prepare me for it furnish me with such Graces and Ornaments of Mind as may be suitable to so high and honourable an entertainment fill my Soul with Fear and Reverence with Humility and Meekness with Piety and Devotion and with Faith and Charity that nothing may be found wanting in me when I appear before Thee Let thy Blessing go along with me and let Thy Holy Spirit guide and direct me Let me find a gracious reception there and a full satisfaction to all my wishes and desires Enable me so to Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood of my blessed