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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	word_n	world_n	young_a	106	3	6.0313	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56679	Mensa mystica; or A discourse concerning the sacrament of the Lords Supper In which the ends of its institution are so manifested; our addresses to it so directed; our behaviour there, and afterward, so composed, that we may not lose the benefits which are to be received by it. By Simon Patrick, D.D. minsiter of Gods Word at Batersea in Surrey.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1667 (1667)	Wing P822A; ESTC R215619	205,852	511

of the truth they might cause by their artifice of words to pass for Fables in the world Marinus in vita Procli And it is very considerable me thinks that Marinus reports of Proclas though a Philosopher of younger times how that he observed the Roman the Phrygian and the Aegyptian Feasts with all new Moons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a most splendid and ceremonious manner And in brief he saith that he kept religiously the most famous Feasts of every Nation after their own manner and custome and composed an Hymn which he sung containing the praises of the God of several Nations For he had this saying frequently in his mouth That a Philosopher ought not to address his service to the fashion of one City or some Countries rites but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 skilled in the sacra or holy offices of the whole world And it is very likely that this was the principle of several Philosophers before him it being a Character that Pausanias gives of the Greeks in general that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Baot strangely prone to have the things of another Country in greater admiration then those of their own Which agrees very well with what the Scripture saith of them that the Athenians were always hearing or telling some new thing Acts 17.21 and that even in matters of their Religion they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very apt to reverence every Deity that they heard of Hence it was that they worshiped the unknown God which S. Paul tells them was the true and living God which made all things This God was worshipped among the Jews and as Nazianzen saith that when they speak of the Elysian fields they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orct. 20. in a conceit of our Paradise which they took out of Moses his Books with the change of the name onely So I may say that when they invented the rest of their Poetical Divinity their Dreams were the off-spring of some real things which they had seen or heard out of the Book of God I will instance but in four which are not commonly observed so far as I have read Hercules is called by the Dark Poet Lycophron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the three nights Lion whom the sharp-tooth't Dog of Neptune swallowed up within his jaws This Dog of Neptune the Sea-God saith Isaac Tzetzes is the VVhale and Hercules hath the Epithete of Three-nights because being swallowed he lay three days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the VVhale which he calls nights because the belly of the Fish was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all light and black as the night This seems to me to be but a corruption of the Story of Jonah which might well be known to the Heathens and easily applied to Hercules For it is observed by D. Kimchi that there is not so much as the name of Israel in all the Prophecy of Jonah because he was sent onely to Heathens And he was embarked in a vessel going to Tarshish or Tartessus in Spain as Bochartus hath proved in which part of the world it is well known the Tyrian Hercules was most worshipped Now it hath been the manner of the world to attribute all strange things that were done by others to some one person famous among them as all witty stories and jests are at this day fathered upon him that is most noted by us to abound with them and so they might easily tell this story of their Hercules when it was once noised among them because they ascribed all wonders and miracles to him A second instance I may give in the Fables of Iphigenia and Julia Luperca The former of which being to be sacrificed to Diana an Hare or as some say an Heifer came running in the middle and thickets as it were of the Greek Army which by the counsel of their Prophet they offered instead of her The latter having the knife just at her throat as it was at Isaac's an Eagle came and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 snatcheth away the knife out of the Priests hands and threw a young Panther near to the Altar which they offered for her These two stories are but a depravation of two in the Scripture concerning Isaac and Jeptha's Daughter which they have jumbled together And therefore the same Isaac Tzetzes in his Scholia upon Lycophron adds these words to these Stories You cannot but remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ram which instead of saac was caught in the bush Sabek so the LXX do read those words 22. 13. as I think I should have done if he had not noted it to my hand But those Verses of Homer on which Porphyry writes his Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are as like to Davids words in Psal 139.15 as any thing can be if we receive Porphyry's Comment upon them And according to Tatianus his computation Homer lived not long after his time and so might have some knowledge of his Songs Davids words are I am fearfully and wonderfully made c. and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render curiously wrought is by Val. Schindler interpreted Contextus sum I am weaved and the Verb doth signifie acu pingere c. to work curiously with a needle or otherwise The words of Homer which I say do answer to these and describe the body of man as wrought in a loom and rarely weaved are in his Story of Ulisses Odyss N. where he speaks of a Cave and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There do the Nymphs a wonder it is to see Their Purple Garments weave most curiously From off long Stones their threds are drawn And David saith That he was wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth i. e. the womb so here he speaks of an Antrum or Cave in which the Nymphs or souls making bodies did reside The Instruments or Tools from whence they drew their yarn which he calls great long stones Porphyry interprets to signifie the bones of the body which are hard like unto stones which uphold the flesh and unto which it is fastned and these Purple coloured garments are saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flesh which is weaved and wrought out of blood which is as it were the Coat wherewith the soul clothes it self To this answers that in David that he was curiously wrought or weaved in the womb And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expresly the same with those words of David I am fearfully and wonderfully made and marvellous are thy works And it is a wonder saith the same Porphyry whether we look 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the rare fabrick and composition of the body or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or at the no less strange conjunction of it with the soul Neither is this the single conceit of Porphyry

heavenly spirit We must remember Christ therefore as Nehemiah desires God to remember him by doing good or as we remember our Creator by a true subjection of all our faculties to his soveraign will Then we remember him as we ought when we get him formed in our hearts and have a more living image of him left in our minds when it stirs and is busie in our souls and awakens all other images and calls up all divine truths that are within us to send them forth upon their several imployments into our lives Now for the fuller understanding of this matter you must know that the Paschal Supper which is called by Greg. Naz. very elegantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more obscure type of this type was instituted for a remembrance and was a Feast of commemoration as will soon appear if you look but a while into the particulars of it And first you must observe that the very day of the Passeover was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a memorial of their miraculous deliverance out of Egypt as you may read Exod. 12.14 and therefore they are bid Exod. 13.3 to remember this day in which they came out of Egypt out of the house of bondage c. Thence it was that they were commanded to eat the Lamb with bitter herbs Exod. 12.8 for a remembrance of their hard bondage in Egypt which made their lives bitter unto them Exod. 1.14 So was the unleavened bread the bread of affliction in remembrance that they brought their bread out of Egypt unleavened Exod. 12.34 and were there in great servitude Exod. 13.3 so that their soul was even dried and parched in them The later Jews have added the charóseth which is a thick sawce in memory of the clay and morter which they wrought in and they use red wine for a remembrance that Pharaoh shed the blood of their children To which may be added that God required there should be a rehearsal to their children of what the Lord had done for them that so this feast might be for a sign upon their hand and for a memorial between their eyes to all posterity as you may see Exod. 13.8 9. And thence it is that the Jews call that section of the Law or the Lesson which they read that night the Haggádah annunciation or shewing forth because they commemorated and predicated both their hard services and Gods wonderful salvation and the praises that were due to him for so great a mercy It is easie now to apply all this to our present purpose if we do but consider that this likewise is a holy feast Whence it is called the Lords Supper not only because he appointed it 1 Cor. 11.20 but because he was the end of its celebration and an entertainment at the table of the Lord. 1 Cor. 10.21 This Feast our Saviour first keeping with his Apostles who were Jews he makes part of the Passeover-chear to be the provision of it For he takes the bread and wine which used to go about in that Supper through the whole family to signifie his broken body and his blood which was to be shed Now this was to be in commemoration of a deliverance wrought by him from a greater tyranny then the Israelites were under which made all the world to groan and was ready to thrust us all below into the Devils fiery furnace And therefore as it is said Exod. 13.8 thou shalt shew thy son in that day saying This is done c. So the Apostle in a manifest allusion to that phrase saith 1 Cer. 11.26 that when we eat this bread and drink this cup we do shew forth the Lords death until he come So that we may conclude that in this feast in honour of Christ we are to make a rehearsal of his famous acts to proclaim his mighty deeds to speak of the glorious honour of his Majesty and of his wondrous works and to indeavour that one generation may praise his works to another Psl 146.3 4 c. and declare his mighty acts that they may speak of the glory of his Kingdom and talk of his power And indeed it should seem that the memory of a thing is by nothing so sensibly preserved and so deeply ingraven in mens minds as by feasts and festival joys For it hath been the way of all the world to send to posterity the memory of their benefactors or famous persons by instituting of such solemn times wherein men did assemble together and by the joys and pleasures of them more imprint the kindnesses and noble atchievements of such Worthies in their minds So we find among the Greeks their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in honour of Aeacus their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in honour of Ajax and in latter times their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such like in remembrance of the merits of such persons and how highly they deserved of the places where their feasts were celebrated In like sort the Jews had their feasts in memory of some great and rare passage of divine providence though not of any particular persons lest they should be tempted to worship them as their Saviours according as the custom of the heathen was But all worship being due to our Lord and Saviour he thought fit in like manner to appoint this feast to be as a Passeover unto us a holy solemnity that should call us together and assemble us in one body that we might be more sensibly impressed with him and that all generations might call him blessed and he might never be forgotten to the worlds end Now of two things it is a remembrance and two ways we do commemorate or remember them I. It is instituted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr Dialog cum Tryph. c. for a remembrance that he was imbodied for those that believe on him and became passible for their sakes The bread and the wine are in token that he had a true body and that the word was made flesh For thence Tertullian and Irenaeus do confute Marcion who denied the truth of Christs flesh and made his body to be a phantastical thing because then real bread and wine could not be a figure of it and so Theodoret saith out of Ignatius Dialog 3. that some Simon and Menander I think did not admit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thanksgivings and offerings viz. of bread and wine in this Sacrament because they did not confess that it was the flesh of our Saviour Now with what affection we should call to mind this love that God would appear to us not by an Angel in a bright cloud not in a body of pure air but by his Son in our own flesh I leave your own hearts to tell you Methink we should wish that all the world could hear us proclaim this love and that even the fields and forests i. e. the most desolate and heathenish places might resound our joyful acclamations to him We should wish to feel something of extasie and

therefore with our selves a while and look upon him that dwells in pure light we shall soon be perswaded that they ought to be holy that approach near to him that no prophane foot ought to tread in his Sanctuary and that an unhallowed mind cannot be the Temple where he should dwell A short explanation of the Psalmists words will make it manifest that our minds do rightly perswade us when we so conclude The house of God which he speaks of was the Temple at Jerusalem where God was worshipped into one part of which none but the High Priest might enter and that but once a year being void of Legal uncleanness Into a second the Priests only might approach for to Minister but not without the like state of purity And the people who were admitted into the courts of Gods house could not be accepted to feast with God as you have heard unless their offering was without blemish and they themselves at that time free from any pollutions which their Law prohibited Which to any wise man must signifie thus much that God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints Psal 89.7 and to be had in reverence of all that are about him and that nothing becomes his presence but what is seperated from the world and cleansed from carnal affections And so Plutarch a grave Heathen In Polit. praecept tell us that into some ancient Temples none might come with any money or weapons about them but were at their first entrance to lay them down at the doors and so approach unto the Altars This was to signifie not onely their poverty and weakness and that they look upon themselves as destitute of all succour except divine but their contempt of the world also and their forsaking of all earthly things that they might be fit for divine converses Cunaeus I think hath most happily conjectured that the Temple which he speaks of was no other then the House of God at Jerusalem L. 2. de repub Heb. cap. 12. For no man saith Maimon might come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the mountain of the House with a staff or with his shoes with his purse or wallet or such like things Which surely was significant of their divesting themselves of all earthly things and laying aside all employments and worldly thoughts that they might present themselves naked and simple pure and holy before the God of holiness who alway said to his people both under the Law and Gospel be ye holy Lev. 11.14 1 Pet. 1.16 for I am holy This is a truth at tested so much unto by Heathens that I may be confident I said true when I affirmed it to be the issue of a first notion Dion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod L. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. v. Moscho pul Proclum that they should be holy persons who converse with a holy God Whosoever thinks otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith a grave Author is by this very thought if there were nothing else an unholy person And it is still ingrafted so much in every mans mind that none will venture to make any of the more solemn addresses to God but they think of some repentance and purgation of some more devout disposition of mind how unholy soever the rest of their lives have been Now though the Psalmist intend more then a fit of Religion and cannot be thought to mean so little as a holiness that hath onely its set and appointed times its new Moons and solemn assemblies or in our phrase the monthly Communions and the weekly Sabbaths yet it may justly be asked whether besides those two things I have already mentioned viz. The holiness of God and the constant holiness of those who converse with him there be not also a third included in them which is that at some times we are ingaged to a higher degree of holiness and ought more solemnly and religiously to purifie and cleanse our selves Are we not to raise up our hearts to a greater fervour in devotion to search our selves more curiously and cast out all the leaven when we come near to God in the highest duties of our Religion Or in short it may be asked Whether we are not to use a greater preparation and bring a greater holiness to Gods Table then at other times when we approach to him in other duties I shall not certainly determine how far the Psalmists words do favour such an assertion that there ought to be a greater regard to our selves when we go to the house of God then at other times But I shall endeavour to illustrate all the truth that is in it and in the former also in these following Propositions CHAP. VIII ONely let it be premised that it is my design so to state this matter of Preparation that we may come to Gods Table in a very reverend manner and yet not use him unreverently at other times A great deal of care is to be used when we go to feast with the King of Heaven but that is not the greatest much less all the care of a Christian If God prepare a Supper we should prepare our selves to be fit guests so much is resolved upon by all the onely danger is lest we do not think this preparation looks so far back as really it doth In Sept. Sap. Conviv I like Thales his resolution very well which we meet withal in Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As he that entertains us at a feast makes great preparation for us beforehand so should they prepare themselves who are invited to the feast And the Sybarites he saith were wont to invite their women a year before the feast was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might at leisure prepare themselves with good apparel and brave ornaments c. to come unto it But truly saith he in my judgment there is need of a great deal more time to fit one for to feast in such a manner as he ought then this comes to The manners and carriage are to be righly formed his mind is to be apparelled and his soul trimmed with brave notions that his behaviour may be handsomely composed Now it is far more hard to adorn the mind then to adorn the body to get a deportment befitting our selves then to appear richly and gaylie clad And therefore longer time then a year will be required to dress up a mans self for to feast like a wise man or a Philosopher even so much till we can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 get a becoming conversation and find out those Ornaments that sute best with a vertuous life What he saith in that matter is but my very sence in the thing we are treating of God makes an invitation and calls us to his board we must therefore trim up our selves to meet the bridegroom of our fouls But this preparation is not such a business that can