Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	answer_n	object_n	question_n	1,794	5	10.6106	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12177	The Christians end. Or, The sweet soveraignty of Christ, over his members in life and death VVherein is contained the whole scope of the godly mans life, with divers rules, motives and incouragements, to live and die to Iesus Christ. Being the substance of five sermons preached to the honorable society of Grayes Inne, by that learned and faithfull minister of Gods Word, Richard Sibbes, D.D. and sometimes preacher to that honorable societie.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22485; ESTC S117259	45,936	138

lose for his sake we shall gaine in peace of conscience in grace and in this world too if hee seeth it good No man ever lost by the service of Christ. let a man lay beginning ●nd end together and tell me if he hath gotten any thing by serving his lusts for God payeth him home here in much terrour of conscience and crosses and losses at the end besides hell hereafter though at first hee enjoy some seeming comfort And therefore lay it as a Principle That Gods service is the best and most profitable service I but it appeareth to the view of the world that they that sticke close to Christ and will disclaime all for a good conscience fall into this and that misery First the reason is because they bee not good enough it may be they be negligent in the service of Christ and therfore God will purge them and make them better and will try their graces that they may know themselves the better Secondly one maine end is indeed Christ will suffer his to bee exercised with this and that affliction that hee may have glory in his servants that the world may see he hath some th●● are content to lose something for his sake that will part with any thing and breake with any man that they may please the Lord. Thirdly if wee serve Christ hee will speake to our consciences that it is not in vaine to serve him howsoever things fall out in the world I confesse there is a mystery in Christs government which we must take notice of wee can give no reason why his enemies should so reigne his church be put under hatches Only in generall we know that all this in conclusion shal serve for the Churches good And all shall worke for the best to them that love God God is all this while a working the Churches good and the enemies ruine though wee see not the mysterie of Christs kingdome I beseech you labour to make a good use of this get under Christs government and when flesh and bloud shall put up a pe●ition or suggest any thing give it a Non-placet deny the petition say I am Christs and I owe n●thing to any but to Christ therefore not to sinne or my selfe All my debt is to the Spirit and to Christ therefore I will sow to the Spirit not to the flesh I am bought with a price my libertie cost Christ deare therefore I will dye honorably rather than prostitute my selfe to any base courses Thus wee should have high thoughts of our selves And upon all temptations suggested to us make use of this consideration That wee are not our owne but Christs FINIS Conclusion The first generall observation or doctrine The second generall observation Quaest. Answ. Revel 1. 18 The actions of wicked men end in self Deniall for Christ. Our condition in Christ is better then in our selves All our losse is made up in Cheist Tobe in Christ is better then in our selves Christs resurrection is our onely comfort Simile Self-will breeds our misery Every thing is to be improved to our last end The whole life of a Christian is to Christ. Hee regards not the incouragement or discouragement of the world A true Christian liveth to the Church of the Christ. Carnall men live not at all to Christ. Christs glory and our salvation is joyned together Simile They finde themselves with joy that lose themselves in God A Christian learneth how to carry himselfe not onely to himselfe but to Christ. To live to Christ is to seeke his ho. nour in all things A man is neither for or to himselfe The heart is not quiet till it resteth in God its Centre 1. Cor. 10. 31. God looks not at parts but holinesse in duties 1. Reason Christians aimes end in Christ. Simile Mat. 6. 33. Psal. 27. 4. Luke 10. 4● Vse Object Answ. Simile Selfe ends hindreth dutie Motives Object Answ. Reason Doctrine Micha 6. 7. Sin cloudeth the eye of the Soule How to live to Christ. Common actions by the spirit are made holy Inference A Christian is Christs in life death Iohn 17. Wee are Christs by Covenant Beliefe the answer of a good consciscience Reason It is our comfort to have Christ our Lord. Question Answer Christ ●ur Lor● before and after death Obj●ct Answer Phil. 2. 10. Christ answereth all Satans accusations in defence of his children Chr●sts love 〈◊〉 and eternall Christ is ours and wee are his A Christian is happy in all condition Our happines in Christ is everlasting Ground of● comfort A Christian dieth not Psal. 116. God noteth every thing done to his children They shall do their work for which they came Whatsoever they have is pretious to the Lord. Of direction to give our selves to Christ. Object Answer Psal. 12. 4. Nothing our● We must not be regulated by others opions in religion without ground Vse Nothing our owne 2 Vse Phil. 3. We must bee subject to God in all conditions It is our chiefest comfort that God is ours and we are his and to improve it Negative Affirmative Ground of both Christ our Lord as the second person Lord by donation Lord by conquest Lord by ransome Lord by satisfaction to divine justice Lord by our submission to him Lord in all conditions Lord by his care over us Illustration The last end of a Christian is most fruitfull Primum mendacium Popish errour Will the ground of controversie between God and us We are the Lords by particular application Assurance a fruit of faith How the soule maketh Christ his the course it is to take Vngodly men deny their baptisme All assigned to God Sinne in the children of God is as a rebell in the wicked as a Lord. Phil. 3. 8. A Christians duty in time of desertion 1 King● 20● 33. Grieve for nothing but the losse of Christ. Hee that hath Christ hath all things Question Answer How to know our selves to bee in Christ. Selfe-deniall argueth the subjection of our hearts to Christ. 2 Kings 9. 32. Who denieth Christ here shall bee denied by him in heaven A note of a true Christian The Spirit witnesseth our interest in Christ. A gracious man most of all enjoyeth himselfe Psalm 2. Though sin be in a Christian yet it reigneth not The Divell ruleth by sin Caveat to avoyd temptation Object Answer Complaints arise from our owne negligence Christs government is mysticall Vse of exhortation to get under Christs government

his enemies Those that have the mark of the beast absolutely cannot bee Christs nor have communion with him but are enemies to Christ though under pretence of religion But where a man is truly Christs hee is none but Christs Satan is content with any part but Christ must have the whol heart Gods children have something in them that usurpeth some corruption in them which is not absolutely removed but it is but a rebell and they have an enemies minde to it all that is contrary to Christ is renounced whereas in them that bee carnall sin is as a Lord but in Gods children it is as a thiefe hee is there yet they owne him not but get strength against him he ruleth not there but as a Tyrant there is a renunciation of Lordship and dominion of sin though they have inclinations to this and that sin yet they have no liking to that liking no inclinations as spiritual to that inclination as carnall but make it an object of mortification They renounce all other Lords when all other men that have not the spirit of Christ are under the dominion of some reigning lusts And as it implyeth a possession so likewise an estimation as God esteemeth us so we esteem him above all And therfore God calleth his Church his Portion his Iewel and we call Christ our portion our treasure our pearle our all S. Paul counts all dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. And all that belongeth to Christ he esteemeth And therefore the Church glorieth that God is their God and makes claime to him as S. Paul I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved mee and gave himselfe for mee And as Thomas My Lord my God This is the best evidence of a true Christian whose estate is no way knowne better than by his estimation Whom have I in heaven but thee or in ●arth in comparison of thee sayth David It implieth likewise a duty of resignation to Christ in life and death because we are not our owne and therefore are in all things to bee at his disposing to bee led what way hee pleaseth and to pursue his directions though to the crossing of our corrupt nature to be content to goe to heaven as he will lead us by faire wayes or foule wayes by faire death or bloudy death if by any meanes wee may attain to the resurrection of the dead as S. Paul sayth it Besides this wee must have a care to implead this and to improve it as the Apostle doth here Whether wee live or dye we are the Lords He will have care of us and therefore we ought to serve him It is a speciall after-part to bee able to make it good to God in all troubles and conditions whatsoever I am thine Lord save me I am thine Lord teach mee I am thine Lord protect me Avouch and make it good against the temptations of Satan urging thee to distrust I am not my owne I am Gods and Christs and therefore if thou hast any thing to say to mee goe to him that hath paid my debt Thus plead the goodnesse and graciousnesse of God Plead it against temptation to sin I am not mine owne I am bought with a price My body is not for uncleannesse but for the Lord. Plead it against our own Consciences in times of desertion search narrowly wha● we have of Christs in us and doe not cavill against our selves too much in times of temptation If wee have but desires of the soule to God lose not any thing that is good if I renounce my interest in Christ I am where the Divell would have me then hee can doe any thing with us And therefore plead it against our owne distastfull hearts in times of darknesse I give my selfe to him and my desires are to him my faith is little but yet something my love is litle but yet I love the Lord I believe help my unbeli●f We must take notice of any thing Christ hath wrought in our spirits that we may implead our interest on all occasions for if wee yeeld to despairing hearts in times of temptations we are gone Therefore say with Ioh If thou kill me I wil trust thee Lye at Christs feet if thou wilt damne me so it is I will lye here and wait here For if I have not present audience I shall have it God wai●eth to doe them good that wait for him Hee will try our spirits whether wee will take a seeming repulse therfore we must as the woman of Samaria grow on Christ and catch at his words And as the servants of Benhadad who retorted on Ahab presently Thy servant Benhadad And as we must implead our interest so we must improve it in the whole course of our life and in all conditions what soever if we have any losse or crosses yet the soul can say Christ is mine and I am Christs Though a man taking a journey lose things of lesse value yet if he hath a pearl left him he is content for hee hath that that will make him a man And therefore be not much disconsolate for any crosses They cannot take away my Christ my promises the comforts of the Spirit I have a Christ and in him all that shall be for my good Improve it in all opposition of flesh and bloud hell and the instruments of hell Satan and wicked men they are mine e●nemies but it Christ be my friend it matters not Christ can make our enemies our friends And all things are ours if we be Christs we have a general charter things to come are ours life ours death ours and therefore if wee be Christs make use of him As it is basenesse of spirit to rest in any thing in the world but Christ so it is basenesse of spirit for us that are Christs to bee dejected for any thing in the world wee have the treasure wee have the Mine wee have the Sunne what if we lose a beame we have a spring what if the streame bee dried up It Christ giveth us himselfe it is no matter what we lose But we are sure of him For in life and death wee are the Lords And therefore let us hence answere all objections Oh that we should have such grounds of comfort and stabilitie and yet make no more use of them I● these things were fresh in our thoughts nothing would ●iscourage us If you ask● how shal we know in particular that it is so indeed that wee are Ch●●st● I answer if we have given our selves to him by a contract of our owne if wee bee married to him you know mariage must have consent of both parties Those that give not themselves up to Christ to bee his they are not his They that live under the power of any sin against conscience as their Lord that love any thing better than Christ and will not part with it for Christs sake Christ is not theirs