Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	work_v	worthy_a	79	3	6.2329	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41720	The communicants guide directing the younger sort, which have never yet received, and the elder, and ignorant sort, which have hitherto received unworthily, how they may receive the sacrament of the Lords Supper to their souls comfort together with a treatise of divine truths, collected out of ancient and moderne divines / by R. Gove ...	Gove, R. (Richard), 1587-1668.	1654 (1654)	Wing G1452; ESTC R17638	26,688	79

both of himselfe who is to receive and of the true nature and use of the Sacrament which he is to receive Q. What must hee know concerning himselfe who is to receive A. He must know how miserable he is by nature and how much more miserable he hath made himself by his actuall transgressions Q. What must hee know concerning the true nature and use of the Sacrament which he is to receive A. Hee must know first who ordained it Secondly for what ends it was ordained and thirdly what are the parts whereof it consisteth Q. Who ordained this Sacrament A. The Lord Jesus Christ and that in the Night when hee was betrayed and therefore it is called the Lords Supper Q. For what ends was it ordained A. It was ordained first to keepe in us a thankfull remembrance of the Death and Passion of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Secondly to assure us of our particular part and interest in the benefits thereof and Thirdly to be a Bond and Pledge both of our Union with Christ and of our Communion one with another Q. What are the parts whereof this Sacrament consisteth A. They are three First the outward Signes signifying Secondly the Divine Word sanctifying and thirdly the inward and spirituall graces signified Q. What are the outward signes signifying A. Bread and Wine with the severall actions pertaining to them as Breaking Giving Taking Eating and Drinking Q. What is the Divine Word Sanctifying A. The Word of Christs Institution pronounced with Prayers and Blessings by a lawfull Minist●r Q. What are the inward and spirituall graces signified A. The Body of Christ Crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of sins exhibited by God to the faith of the worthy Receiver which receives it and feeds on it for the nourishing of his soule unto life everlasting Q. And thus farre touching the knowledge which is required in the worthy Receiver tell me now next what faith is required in him A. There is required not onely a bare knowledge and perswasion that the body of Christ was crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of sinnes for even this the very Devills in Hell doe believe and yet tremble but a particular application of the same and of all the benefits thereof unto a mans owne Soule whereby he believeth that Christs Body was Crucified and his Bloud shed for the Remission of his Sins in particular Q. And thus far also touching the faith which is required in a worthy Receiver tell me now next what Repentance is required in him A. There is required in him an hearty and unfaigned sorrow for all his Sins past and a full purpOse with Gods Grace and assistance never to offend God by the like in the time to come but to amend his life and to become a new man Q. And thus farre also touching the Repentance which is required in a worthy Receiver tell mee now next what Charity is required in him A. There is required a care to be in Love and Charity with all men striving to be reconciled to those whom hee hath injured and wronged and being ready from his heart to forgive those who have injured and wronged him Q. And thus farre also touching the Charity which is required in a worthy Receiver tell me now in the last place what hungring and thirsting desire after Christ and the benefits of his Death and passion are required in a worthy Repentance A. There is required in him a sense and feeling of his want of Christ and his righteousnesse and of Gods Wrath due unto him for his sins which shewing him his woefull and miserable estate without Christ may make him to hunger and thirst after him and the benefits of his Death and Passion the only meanes of pacifying Gods wrath as much as an hunger-starved man and one that is ready to die for thirst doth after Meate and drinke Q. And thus have you shewed me what is the former of those two things which must be performed by a worthy Receiver that would prepare himself aright before he commeth to receive to wit examination tell me now which is the other of them A. It is prayer wherein if after examination hee doth finde in himselfe the former Graces in any measure he is to bless God for it and to pray for the continuance and increase of them and if hee want them or have them not in that measure which God requireth in his Word hee is to humble himselfe before the Lord in true contrition and hearty sorrow for his failings confessing them unto him and desiring pardon of them all for Christs fake and that his gracious Spirit may helpe his infirmities in those Graces hee hath and may worke in him those which he wanteth that so hee may come as a worthy Receiver to this holy Table of the Lord Q. But what if a Man be not thus prepared when hee commeth to receive is there any great danger in it A. Yes for first he that is not thus prepared standeth guilty before God of the Body and Blood of the Lord Secondly insteed of Receiving that which might further his Salvation hee shall Eate and Drinke his own Damnation And lastly hee shall not onely be damned hereafter but shall be severely punished also in this life by sicknesse and weaknesse yea and at the end of his life by some fearefull death Q. And thus have you shewed me what is required of a worthy Receiver before hee commeth to Receive tell mee now in the next place what is required of him whilst he is Receiving A. There is required a reverent gesture of Body and a Religious disposition of minde Q. What gesture of body is fittest in the time of Receiving A. There is no certaine gesture prescribed in Gods Word to be used in the Receiving of the Lords Supper and therefore that is fittest which is most decent and orderly and most agreeing to the Discipline of the Church under which we live So that it be not contrary to piety or charity and if we be left to our owne choyce then that gesture is to be judged best which may best set forth the greatnesse of the Giver the worth of the Gift and the humility and thankfullnesse of the Receiver Q. What disposition of minde is required in a worthy Receiver at the time of his Receiving A. There is required first that his mind be taken off from all worldly and sinnefull thoughts and secondly that it be wholly taken up with heavenly Meditations and hearty prayers and thanksgivings unto God Q. Whereon should a worthy Receiver specially meditate in the time of Receiving A. Hee should especially meditate on the Death and Passion of Christ Jesus his Saviour of the benefits which accrue to him thereby and of the duties which hee oweth to God and man therefore Q. How may he come best to meditate on the death

THE COMMUNICANTS GUIDE Directing The younger Sort which have never yet Received and the Elder and ignorant sort which have hitherto Received unworthily How they may Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to their Souls comfort Together With a Treatise of DIVINE Truths Collected out of Ancient and Moderne DIVINES By R GOVE Sometime Preacher of Gods Word at Henton St. George in Sommerset 1 CORINTH. 11. 29. Hee that Eateth and Drinketh unworthily Eateth and Drinketh Damnation to himself LONDON Printed by J. G. for Richard Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1654. To all those that do desire to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to their Souls comfort ESPECIALLY To the younger sort which have never yet received and to the elder and ignorant sort which have hitherunto received unworthily R GOVE Who can do very little yet desireth to doe very much for the good of their Souls DEDICATETH These his Sacramentall instructions following A CATECHISME Short for Memory and plaine for Capacity containing the Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion in generall Which every one should know that desires to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to his Souls comfort QUESTION OF what Religion are you Ans. Of the Christian Religion Q. What Religion is that Ans. That which teacheth a Man to looke for salvation only by Jesus Christ Q. Where is this Religion taught you Ans. In the Holy Scriptures which are the written Word of God and containe all things needfull for our salvation Q What are the principall things and those most necessary to salvation which are taught us in the Scriptures A. They are two the one is what we are bound to know and the other is what we are bound to practise Q. What are we bound to know A. God and our selves Q. What must wee know concerning God A. We must know three things 1. that there is a God 2. What a one this God is and 3. What he hath done Q. How doe you assure your selfe there is a God A. 1. Gods Word reveales it 2. Gods Workes confirme it and 3. mine owne conscience doth assure me of it Q. What a one is God A. God is a Spirit most glorious in Nature three in Persons and one in Essence Q. What hath God done A. Hee hath decreed with himselfe from all eternity how all things shall be he made all things in the beginning and hee hath ever since sustained them and disposed of them Q. Thus much of that which we are to know concerning God tell me now next what we are to know concerning our selves A. We are to know three things 1. What we were 2. What we are and 3. What we shall be Q. What were we A. We were all in our first Creation perfect and happy Q. What are we A. We are all by nature sinnefull and miserable but by grace in Jesus Christ as many as God doth call are made righteous and happy Q. What shall we be A. Those amongst us that are good shall be everlastingly blessed in Heaven and those that are wicked shall be everlastingly tormented in Hell Q. And thus far touching our knowledge tell me now next what is required concerning our practise A. There is required in us all a care so to lead our lives as that thereby God and our Christian profession may have praise we comfort and others profit Q. How may we so leade our lives A. By ordering them according to the prescript rule of Gods Word set downe partly in the Law and partly in the Gosspell Q. What doth the Lord require A. Piety towards God Charity towards our Neighbours Sobriety towards our selves and Mercy towards all other living Creatures Q. What doth the Gospell require A. True faith and unfeigned Repentance as our only remedy for the breach of the Law Q. How are these Graces to be begun continued and perfected in us A. By faithfull and fervent Prayer by a due hearing and reading of the word and by worthy receiving of the Sacraments Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church thus to be received of us A. Two onely Baptisme and the Lords Supper Q. What is the use of Baptisme A. By Water washing the body to assure us that the bloud of Christ being applied to the Soule of the believer clenseth him from all his sins Q. What is the use of the Lords Supper A. To be a signe a seale and pledge unto us that Christ Jesus is given for us and to us for the nourishing and preserving of us unto eternall life JOH. 13. 17. If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them THE Communicants Guide Directing The younger sort which have never yet received and the elder and ignorant sort which have hitherunto received unworthily how they may Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to their Soules comfort Question WHat must he doe that would Receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper worthily and to his Soules comfort A. He must doe that which is required of a worthy Receiver before he commeth to receive whilest hee is Receiving and after he hath Received Q. What is required of a worthy Receiver before he commeth to receive A. There is required a serious and solemne preparation of himselfe Q. Wherein doth that serious and solemne preparation of a Mans selfe consist A. It consisteth in two things First in a solemne sequestring and setting apart of some convenient time wherein hee may betwixt God and his own Soule meditate on that which hee is about to doe and secondly in doing that which may prepare him for it Q. What time is fittest to be set apart for this businesse A. The whole time from the warning given of a Communion to the very time of receiving it should take up some of our thoughts touching the same but especially we should spend some part of the day immediately foregoing it in that businesse by retiring our selves from other company into some private place if it may be to performe the same and by withdrawing our minds for that time from all other businesses Q. What are the duties which in this time thus set apart a mam is to perform that he may be rightly prepared A. They are two The first is examination and the second is Prayer Q. Concerning what must a man examine himselfe A. He must examine himselfe whether he have in him those things which ought to be in a worthy Receiver Q. What are those things A. They are especially five First knowledge Secondly Faith Thirdly Repentance Fourthly Charity and Lastly an hungring and thirsting desire after Christ and the benefits of his death and passion Q. What knowledge ought there to be in a worthy Receiver A. There ought to be in him besides a competent knowledge of the grounds and principles of the Christian Religion in generall a more particular knowledge

and passion of Christ A. By observing carefully what is done by the Minister that doth administer it and himselfe that doth receive it Q. What doth the Minister do A. He doth consecrate and set apart the Bread and Wine whereby of common and ordinary Bread and Wine it is made the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ He doth also breake the Bread and poure out the Wine and having so done doth deliver it to each of the Communicants Q. What is he to meditate on when hee seeth the Minister to consecrate the Bread and Wine by the Word of Christs Institution and Prayer to be the Sacrament of the Blessed Body and Bloud of Christ A. Hee is then to meditate how that God the Father out of his meere love to mankinde did set apart seale and appoint his only begotten Son to be the all-sufficient meanes and onely Mediatour to Redeeme us from sinne and to reconcile us to his grace and to bring us to glory Q. What is he to meditate on when hee seeth the Minister to breake the Bread and to poure out the Wine A. Hee is then to meditate that the Body of Christ was as truely crucified and his bloud shed for the Remission of his sinnes under the sense of Gods wrath due unto them as hee doth now see the Bread in the Sacrament to be broken and the wine to be poured out by the Minister Q. Lastly what is he to meditate on when the Minister commeth unto him and delivereth him the Bread and Wine thus Consecrated broken and poured out A. He is then to meditate that as the Minister doth now offer and deliver into his hands the Bread and Wine and bids him take it eate it and drinke it So doth Christ himselfe come unto him and offer and give unto his Faith his very Body and Bloud with all the benefits of his Death and Passion Q. And thus we see what the worthy Receiver must meditate on in the time of Receiving upon his sight of what the Minister doth tell me now next what he must meditate on upon the sight and sense of what he himselfe doth at that time A. When hee hath received the Bread and Wine at the Ministers hand and is Eating of the one and Drinking of the other he must then meditate and thinke with himselfe thus as I have now taken and doe eate this bread and drinke this Wine for the nourishment of my body and life temporall so I doe believe that the Body and Bloud of Jesus Christ being apprehended of mee by the hand of Faith and applied by Faith unto my Soule shall nourish it up unto life everlasting Q. And thus wee have seene how the worthy Receiver is to meditate in the time of Receiving upon the Death and Passion of Christ and the benefits which accrue to him thereby Tell me now next what are the duties which he is to perform to God and man therefore A. To God hee is to lift up his heart by way of thanksgiving for the great worke of our Redemption by the death of Christ and unto man hee is to extend his love by cleaving to his fellow-communicants in one Spirit as unto members of the same body and by shewing mercy to the poore members of Christs body in contributing to their necessities according to his ability Q. And thus we have also seene what is to be done by the worthy Receiver at the time of Receiving Tell me now in the last place what is required of him after he hath Received A. There is required Examination and Resolution Q. Wherein stands the Examination which must be in a worthy Receiver after he hath Received A. It stands in this to trie whether he hath gotten any good by the Sacrament or not Q. What if he finde little or no good by his Receiving A. He is then first to suspect himselfe that some miscarriage hath beene in him either in his preparation to or in his performance of the Duty and having found out what was the fault in either that hindred the efficacy of the Sacrament unto him he must judge himselfe and be seriously humbled for it And secondly hee must endeavour by after-paines in prayer and humiliation to quicken and awaken the efficacy of the Sacrament unto his Soule Q. But what if hee finde any good by his Receiving what is he to do then A. He is first to blesse God with all his heart therefore and to acknowledge with all thankfullnesse Gods gracious dealing with him therein and secondly he is to be carefull and watchfull that hee keepe up and maintaine that holy and gracious frame of heart in himselfe which he hath brought with him from the Sacrament Q. And thus have wee seene wherein the examination of a worthy Receiver consisteth after hee hath Received Tell mee now wherein standeth his Resolution A. It standeth in this that he be carefull and doe resolve to keepe touch with God and to expresse the power and efficacy of the Sacrament in making good and keeping his Vowes and Covenants which hee made to and with God of new obedience and amendment of life when he came to receive Q. Is there any great danger if we do neglect to do so A. Yes for first without this care and Christian resolution wee shall incur Gods heavy displeasure Secondly we frustrate and make voide all that we have formerly done in and at the Sacrament And thirdly we shall hereby bring our selves into a far worse condition than we were before we came to receive Q. How may we come then by power to do this A. By watching carefully over our wayes and courses by examining them by the Rule and Square of Gods Word and by hearty prayer unto God for his Grace to direct and assist us in all our wayes CERTAINE Cases of Conscience About the Receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper cleared and resolved I. Case WHether a man who after examination of himselfe findeth in himselfe much weaknesse and many defects in respect of those things which should be in a worthy Receiver may yet adventure to come to Receive Solution The weakenesse and defects which are in those that come to Receive are either such as are felt and thereupon are sorrowed for and striven against or they are such as are not felt and so can neither be sorrowed for nor striven against If our weakenesse and defects be of the former kinde wee neede not much to feare or doubt of Gods mercy and favour towards us if we doe come to Receive with such weaknesse and defects in us For first we must know that the Sacrament which we come to receive is ordained by Christ to be as well physick for the Recovery and strengthening of the sick and weake in grace as food to nourish the strong and healthy Secondly we must know that Christ even calleth such unto him and hath promised in his word not onely his gracious