Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	apostle_n	doctrine_n	faith_n	1,496	5	5.4771	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93747	The necessity of keeping still unto the ordinances of religion, prayer, hearing the word, baptism, and the Lord's Supper set forth in a sermon preached in the countrey, on Acts VI.4. : wherein is also laid open, and manifested the errour of those people (commonly call'd Quakers) who do neglect the two latter.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5126; ESTC R202451	24,791	32

that ye do observe and use them according to the Pattern shewed unto ye in the Gospel For that is most pleasing unto the Lord as may be understood from Heb. 8. 5. Colos 2. 20. is commonly objected against the use of ordinances at all Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as tho' living in the World are ye subject to ordinances But it is manifest from what goes before and follows after that Text in this very same Chapter the Apostle Paul there means only Jewish Ordinances and such Ordinances as Perish in the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men But have no Ground or Warrant from the Gospel of Christ But the being buried with him in Baptism or the keeping the Feast in Remembrance of him till he comes do not Perish in the using for they have a Relation to some what further neither are they after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men but after the Commandments and Doctrines of Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus ye have been taught and ye have heard the Truth as it is in Jesus Remember this Rule and Direction which I Richard Stafford whilst a Preacher among ye did make known and press and inculcate unto ye over and over That ye may observe it continually when I am gone Viz. For Gods sake and for your own Souls sake If ye would make a continuing and persevering work of it keep still and constantly unto the ordinances of Religion I say and testify again keep still and constantly unto the Ordinances of Religion By the way Do not think this reciting my Name to you to be odd and unbecoming for as the Apostle doth several times mention himself by Name in his Epistles I Paul do testify I Paul the Aged In like manner I do imitate the same Example I such an one a Lame Person which will be a further sign and token do so express it on purpose to make a greater and more lasting Impression in your Memories Remember and obey this saying keep still unto the Ordinances of Religion But as it is written We will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word Acts 6. 4. So here take this further advice and direction be sure especially to keep still and constantly unto these two ordinances of Religion Give your selves continually unto Prayer And because all are not Apostles and all are not Ministers do ye also continually attend upon the hearing of the Ministry of the Word Whatever ye neglect do not neglect these two for these are confessed acknowledged and agreed unto by all that Name the Name of Jesus Christ in every place both theirs and ours Even they who pretend to be above ordinances and to cast off ordinances that they do err and are deceived herein hath been made known from the Scriptures of Truth as God himself will yet more clearly Judge and Decermine at the last day do still keep amongst them in their Congregations the Ministry of the Word and Prayer It is possible to Pray without ceasing and to continue in Prayer and to give your selves continually unto Prayer Good God! How much dost thou delight that thy Servants should continue see James 1. 25. As appears from mentioning it so very often in thy Word by secret and mental Prayer by having your Souls always in a frame and disposition to Pray by praying in the Assembly of the upright where only Christians are gathered together and by Praying in the Congregation Where tho' there may be a mixt Multitude of Saints and Sinners yet thy Prayers of Faith and thy lifting up holy hands will find acceptance with God for all that Give your selves continually to attend upon the hearing of the Ministry of the Word Go unto and frequent constantly the place when and where it is Preached Lose no opportunity Ye can hardly conceive how much I have been vexed and troubled in mind at my doing things by halves or by my losing opportunities in Temporal and Wordly concerns For these opportunities slip by and often cannot be retrieved But where they may be retrieved it is always with expence of more time and labour all which had been saved if the thing had been throughly done the first time And I somewhat knowing the worth of time the gliding away of time and the Irrecoverableness of time there is nothing which I so much grudge at as the loss of time It is a Maxim and Rule of Prudence and Wisdom in things pertaining to this present Life To lose no opportunities But be sure to lay hold on and make the most of every opportunity Much more it is Godly discretion and soul saving wisdom to lose no opportunity but to lay hold of and make the most of every opportunity in Spiritual and Eternal concerns As we have opportunity let us do Good unto all Men. People should not grudge and think much when they see a Poor Man or as Jobs Phrase is Not turn away their Eyes from a Poor Man But rather be glad and give God thanks for putting an opportunity into their hands that they may do good unto him and lay in more Foundation for their own future reward For as the Lord Jesus said It is more Blessed to give then to receive So it is a certain Truth they that give Alms have more reason to give God thanks then they that receive Alms for a twofold Reason because God hath placed them in such a condition whereby they are enabled to give Alms and also because he hath promised a future Recompence for the same and he will repay it In which last respect they are more beholden to the Poor Man or Beggar in receiving it from them then he is beholden unto them for giving to him which should teach thee to prevent him in thy Almsgiving even before he asks for it for this is the best sort as also to lose no opportunity for the same according to thine ability Lose no opportunity in any Godly or Christian Duty I charge thee before God and before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall Judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 1. Under this is included a charge to the People to hear the word also in season and out of season It is altogether as proper to hear or Preach the Word upon a Week Day as well as on a Sabbath Day It is equally your Duty to redeem two or three hours from the work of your calling for to attend on the same Countrey People will rise at one or two a Clock in a Morning to go to Markets to remote and distant places to get a Shilling or Eighteen Pence more then Ordinary This same is a Lesson and Instruction and God doth expect a like of his Creatures that ye should rise up a little Earlier in the Morning and sit down later at Night and only be a little more Temperate

nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7 8. As the Earth drinketh in the Rain so Almighty God doth require of the Inhabitants thereof that they should drink in hear and receive his word Preached And he having in his Eternal Providence opened a Door in this place where we now are he doth require of the Inhabitants of this Town and Neighbourhood to come for to hear the same And I declare to them all that he will call them to an Account for their refusal or neglect to do the same I warn them beforehand that then the false Surmises and Reproaches of some concerning the Minister nor yet will the vain and frivolous excuses of others avail as to that God with whom we have all do As to those false Surmises and Reproaches they might do as He did in reference to Hannah whom he first supposed drunken and afterwards enquired further and then he understood and said The Lord grant thy Petition So they might come to my self immediately to be throughly satisfied of their present mis-understandings And let their own Consciences try bear Witness and Judge by hearing of the same whither the Way of God is not taught here in Truth There is a very near resemblance and similitude to the Word preached unto the reasonable Inhabitants thereof and to the Rain or Dew descending upon the Earth for as the Rain makes the Earth fruitful so the Word preached if it is drinked in as the Earth drinketh in the Rain if it is mixed with Faith in them that hear it will make men and women meet and prepared for God and meet to receive a Blessing from God My Doctrine shall drop as the Rain my Speech shall distil as the Dew as the small Rain upon the tender Herb and as the Showers upon the Grass Deut. 32. 2. Otherwise the manifold Solicitations and Objects of this World would be apt to scorch and make us fade away even in our good ways But that the Doctrine and Speech of the Word like Rain Dew small Rain and Showers whereby also is to be seen that the Word should not be only preached once and away but day after day and Sabbath after Sabbath for there is a daily succession of Dew or of Rain small Rain or Showers to do most good and then it is when the Word is constantly preached and constantly attended unto and received in then it renders the Vineyard meet for our God If his Word falls upon the Dust of the Wilderness it is Jaremiah's Phrase or upon stony and dry places Mat. 13. 5 6. I wish that the hearts of none who shall hear or read this be that Dust of the Wilderness or stony and dry places then it may seem lost and ineffectual not for want of Worth and Excellency in it self for it is the same Rain that falls there as that which falls upon good ground but the Incapacity is in the Subject It doth not profit not being mixed with Faith in them that hear it Or they suffer it to run off again as Useless Water They do not drink it in as the Earth drinks in the Rain O that some of ye here present would drink in this Sermon Take my word for it if ye would drink it in it would abide longer with ye and do ye more good than that drink which perisheth in the Draught or that strong drink which if immoderately taken in shall be bitter to them that drink it Not so much as to those Qualms of Conscience or Head-Ach which do quickly ensue thereupon But the worst Bitterness will be in the End when they must taste the Bitterness of Death and thence be called to Judgment to receive a due Reward for the Sin and Evil of their Drunkenness in the days of their flesh I would have ye drink that in not one drop further then barely for Thirst and necessary Refreshment But if ye would taste and drink in some of those words as are written by God's blessing and improvement thereon it may become in ye a well of water springing up unto Eternal Life John 4. 14. In a dry Summer that is good and convenient ground which lies next to a River or Brook or Fountains which are perpetually running and springing and when there are apt Floodgates and Instruments to let the water over the ground and drain it again This supplies and makes up from beneath for the Dew and Rain which comes from above And so it is convenient in dwelling houses to keep water always by one Even so we should be always furnished unto which the word Preached doth help us with the like Spiritual Water as it descends from above in the Dew and Rain of the Ordinances And when we have drank it in we should not let it run through but stop and keep it there that it may be turned and converted into our own Moisture For the word is nigh thee even in thine heart See to it well that by Pondering and Remembrance of what thou hearest or readest These words that I Command thee thou shalt lay up in thy heart That it may become as it were a repository of gracious Words and Divine Truths Which like Pools or Rivers of Water will refresh and supply thy need at any time For they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them in the Margent there it is went with them and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. So that it is to have Christ who is the word formed within them that he may follow and go with them whithersoever they go or wheresoever they are This will be yet a more lasting and abiding thing then the Early Dew or the descending Rain for that is not always But to have the Spiritual Rock following us or going with us this is at Midday and Afternoon and at those times when there will be no Rain The word is not nor can be well Preached always but this supplies and helps for that in the Intervals and spaces of time between it even to have a Spiritual drink always within us and to have a Spiritual Rock following and going with us which Rock is Christ out of which we may draw and drink at any time whensoever w● will As one of the Antients said Nothing is so worthy of God as the Salvation of Mankind So it is a most wonderful thing to consider how he hath consulted contrived and provided all things for it In his word especially and also in his other doings and dispensations towards the Children of Men. Happy thrice happy and only happy are those his Servants and Creatures who know that is not all but also comply therewith That as deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy Water Spouts Psal 42. 7. So one ordinance doth follow another and one thing is appendant connected and succeeds another and all to that great end to bring about the common Salvation of Mankind as if God would never let us alone until he hath brought us unto Heaven