Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	body_n	bread_n	wine_n	10,358	5	8.3741	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53963	A practical discourse upon the Blessed Sacrament shewing the duties of the communicant before, at, and after the Eucharist / by Edward Pelling ...	Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.	1692 (1692)	Wing P1089; ESTC R20512	120,778	284

and gone 2. We undertake to live Godly Lives for the future meaning as near as we can by the help of God's Grace considering the Imperfections of our Depraved Nature And if we do not Profess and undertake these things at other times we are not so much indeed as Christians and if we do them sincerely now we are fit to be Communicants So that I confess I do not see what Reason any Conscientious and Good Hearted Man hath to be afraid of this Ordinance rather it should be his Comfort and Joy that he hath liberty to use it because it is the Seal of those Promises of Pardon and Mercy which God hath made to every broken Heart No scruples therefore are sufficient to beat off any Pious and Penitent Souls for if Men do not Repent and Reform they are not the Disciples of Christ and if they do they are in a good Condition to be Guests at Christ's Table I have more to say concerning this matter when I come to treat of the Nature of that Preparation which is necessary but this I hope is sufficient for the present CHAP. III. Of the Necessity of Preparation THE Necessity of Receiving the Holy Sacrament being thus proved it is time now to consider those Disposititions and Preparations wherewith all People are bound to come to the Lord's Table that they may Eat and Drink aftr a worthy manner AND here two things are to be enquired into for the full satisfaction of Mens Consciences 1. First concerning the Necessity of Preparing our selves before hand how that doth appear 2. Secondly concerning the Nature of this Preparation wherein that doth consist 1. FIRST touching the Necessity of Preparing our selves before we presume to eat of this Bread and to drink of this Cup. It is observable That our Blessed Saviour himself gave his Disciples no particular Instructions about this matter when he Instituted this Solemnity He commanded them indeed to do this and to Celebrate this Mystery in Remembrance of him but we do not Read of any express Directions he gave touching Preparation thereunto However that no Man may be emboldened to use this Ordinance after an Irreligious or rash manner the Necessity of Preparing our selves will evidently appear from these following Considerations 1. From the consideration of that Analogy which this Mystery bears to those Ancient Sacrfical Feasts that were Celebrated by all Mankind These I have treated of at large because the full Knowledge thereof is very serviceable in helping us to understand both the Nature of this Feast and our own Duty too in the use of it which probably might be the Reason of our Lord's Silence in this point Because it was not so very necessary for him to give particular Instructions in a matter which was so obvious to all that Men could easily be led to a Sense of their Duty by those common Notions and Apprehensions which both Heathens and Jews had of Banquets of this Nature AS for the Heathen part of the world they saw by the Light of Nature that Holy things ought to be used with a great deal of Reverence and by Men of Holiness and Purity And for this Reason their constant Custom was before they went to their Sacrifical Banquets to Prepare themselves with many previous Rites and Ceremonies supposing that thereby they did Sanctifie and fit themselves for the Service of their Deities Thus the Pagan Priests were wont to forbear the very touching of Farinam fermento imbutam attingere ei fas non est Aul. Gell. de Flam. Dial. Noct. Attic. lib. 10. c. 15. Of these Preparatory Rites See Stuckius in Sacror Sacrificior descrip pag. 79. c. Gyrald Hist Diorum Syntag. 17. p. 497. Natal Mythol lib. 1. c. 9. 14. Alex. ab Alex. Gen. dier l. 4. c. 17. any Bread that was Leavened lest they should be polluted They used many sorts of Lustrations and Washings cleansing as well their Cloathes as their Bodies especially their Hands with the Purest Water that was appropriated to that purpose They abstained for many days before hand from Eating of Flesh and from Drinking of Wine They refrained from the Nuptial Bed and from all Carnal Pleasures using many Artificial Methods to subdue and Mortifie their Sensual Appetites And when the time for Sacrificing was come they arrayed themselves with clean and spotless Garments which they called their Holy and Religious Dress Nor was this the Practice of the Priests only For all the People that were to Eat and Drink before their Deities were required also to Prepare and Purifie themselves throughly after their way believing that the outward Sanctifications of their Bodies did serve to Sanctifie and Cleanse their very Souls and Spirits Thus they were wont to wash themselves often to give themselves to Fastings and much Abstinence to deny themselves those Fleshly Satisfactions which at other times were lawful Their Custom too was to make solemn acknowledgments of the Sins of their Lives Praying to their Gods not to take Vengeance upon them If any Man had his Hands Defiled with Blood or was polluted and stained with any gross Wickedness he was not to come to the Altar And when their Services were See the Authors above mentioned beginning Proclamation was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are here Whereunto they Answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Many and Good Men And if any was found there that was known to be otherwise or to be in a State of Guilt he was turned out of the Company of the Rest the very Heathens believing that none were fit to meddle with things In Sacrificiis rite celebrandis majorem nullam ceremoniam fuisse videmus quam nihil sibi conscire bonos ac pios esse Gyrald Syntag. 17. pag. 492. Sacrificed but such as were Vpright in Mind and void of an Evil Conscience AND as touching the Jews every one knows how strictly they were commanded to Cleanse and Purifie themselves according to the Sanctifications of the Law before they presumed to Eat and Drink before the Holy One of Israel especially at the Paschal Supper in lieu whereof this Christian Solemnity is substituted and appointed No Man was permitted to partake of the Passover that was not duly Prepared for it by the Rite of Circumcision No Proselyte was suffered to come that was not first Sanctified and fitted for it according as the Law directed in that case None that were in their Uncleanness or in any respect legally Impure whether Men or Women were to be admitted till they were cleansed from their Pollutions Nay not the People themselves only but their very Houses also were to be free from all defilements And hence it was that some days before the Feast they purged all manner of Leaven out of their Rooms and for fear any ferment should remain in any part of their dwellings they were wont the Night before the Passover to search with a Candle into every hole in their walls and into every chink