A41637:862
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…
Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of Sepulchres parish / by Tho. Gouge ...
London: printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright, 1661
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
III. Another Duty to be performed at the Ordinance, is the exercise of thy graces, more especially thy faith and repentance. It is not enough that thou bring faith, repentance, and other graces to the Sacrament, but thou must likewise there stir up thy graces, and exercise the same, or else thou wilt be an unworthy receiver. For not only a wicked man that wants grace, but likewise a child of God that hath true grace, may receive the Sacrament unworthily, and go away without any comfort or benefit at all; namely, if he do not there stir up and exercise his graces. For Sacraments do not work as Physic, by a virtue inherent in them, but according to the disposition of the party that partaketh of them.1 And therefore, as thou wouldest be a worthy guest, and partake of the comfort of the Ordinance, stir up and exercise thy graces. As
III. Another Duty to be performed at the Ordinance, is the exercise of thy graces, more especially thy faith and repentance. It is not enough that thou bring faith, repentance, and other graces to the Sacrament, but thou must likewise there stirre up thy graces, and exercise the same, or else thou wilt be an unworthy receiver. For not only a wicked man that wants grace, but likewise a child of God that hath true grace, may receive the Sacrament unworthily, and go away without any comfort or benefit at all; namely, if hee do not there stir up and exercise his graces. For Sacraments do not work as Physick, by a virtue inherent in them, but according to the disposition of the party that partaketh of them.1 And therefore, as thou wouldest be a worthy guest, and partake of the comfort of the Ordinance, stir up and exercise thy graces. As
- 1Non ex opere operato, sed ex opere operantis.
I. Thy Faith. This is the chief grace to be exercised at the Sacrament; for Faith is the eye of the Soul, whereby it seeth and discerneth the body and blood of Christ under the elements of bread and wine;