Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	bad_a	good_a	heart_n	1,600	5	6.6614	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28344	Vindiciæ foederis, or, A treatise of the covenant of God enterd with man-kinde in the several kindes and degrees of it, in which the agreement and respective differences of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, of the old and new covenant are discust ... / [by] Thomas Blake ... ; whereunto is annexed a sermon preached at his funeral by Mr. Anthony Burgesse, and a funeral oration made at his death by Mr. Samuel Shaw.	Blake, Thomas, 1597?-1657.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.; Shaw, Samuel, 1635-1696.	1658 (1658)	Wing B3150; ESTC R31595	453,190	558

themselves to the true God and given their name to Christ and do professe him and his Religion whether it be done before God truely and sincerely or only before men so the people of Israel although they were not all truely holy yet they are all called holy so Paul calls all those Saints who had given their names to Christ so Peter 1 Pet. 2 calls all those Christians to whom he writes a holy Nation and a royal Priesthood And Laurentius 1 Pet. 1. 1. page 6. distinguishing of a threefold election 1. To any function civil or ecclesiastical 2. To the external communion of divine worship or the outward Church or people of God 3. To salvation and eternal life brings for proof of the second acceptation Deut. 7. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. both which Texts with him there are parallel and taken in the same sense that I understand them Ravanellus in verbum election quotes divers Texts of Scripture in which election is taken for the adoption of any Nation and puts this of 1 Pet. 2. 9. in the last place adding these words And this election is general as hath been said nor are all that are made partakers of it necessarily saved Rom. 9. 6. but respective to this general election he is said to be chosen of God who is called to the participation of his free covenant or a people whom God adopts to himself for a people So also in verbum Sanctus which he sayes is taken three wayes 1. By separation or segregation 2. By imputation 3. By inchoation of holinesse in this life He there gives many instances of the first acception of holinesse by separation distinct from the two other and 1 Pet 2. 9. for one So Salmero as I finde him quoted to my hand understands it of election distinct from that which is to eternal life and calls it an election to faith and all know that they mean no more than their Catholick faith which according to them doth not necessarily entitle to eternal life A Lapide with whom my adversaries in these controversies frequently joyn is also wholly on my part in his Comment on these words so that it needed not to have been said that no approved authour joynes with me Let the Reader judge as the strength of reasons given will perswade CHAP. XXXVIII Arguments evincing the Covenant of Grace in Gospel-times in that latitude as before is asserted THe first Argument shall be borrowed from those titles which undoubtedly and undisputably imply a covenant and yet in Scripture are still attributed to all that professedly accept the termes of the covenant and professedly appear as the people of God Those titles before mentioned by Peter from Moses are confessed to be such that argue a people in covenant and therefore adversaries are so shie to confesse them to belong to visible Professours But titles as high as these and as undeniably implying a covenant are given to visible Professours those then even according to them are on this account in covenant with God And these are all of those titles wherwith the people of God are honoured In New Testament-Scriptures which are especially foure Beleevers Saints Disciples Christians He that is a Beleever a Saint a Disciple a Christian he is a man in covenant with God But all visible Professors that accept the termes of the covenant are Beleevers Saints Disciples Christians so they are still stiled in New Testament-Scriptures Beleevers from the Faith that they professe Saints from the Holinesse to which they stand engaged or from the holy God to whose service they are separated Disciples from the Doctrine which they professe to learne and Christians from him whose they are whom they serve and from whom they expect salvation I know some have inured themselves to that language that those that are thus dignified are necessarily concluded by them to be Elect Regenerate persons It is grown I know the Dialect of the times but not of the Scriptures To begin with Beleevers He is in Scripture a Beleever that is a visible Professour that puts himself into the number of those that expect salvation by Christ Jesus So it is through the History of the Acts where account is given of the Converts made by the Apostles Ministry Acts 4. 4. Many of them which heard the Word believed and the number of the men was about five thousand They that are thus numbred by the poll are visible Professours that outwardly embraced the Doctrine of Faith This might be seene and the names of such taken They are not all Elect regenerate Christians such could not be visibly known The generality of men and women in Samaria beleeved Acts 8. 12. But that they were Elect Regenerate in that universality cannot be conceived Simon Magus is an example to the contrary of whom the Text sayes that he did beleeve vers 13. and yet his heart not right in the sight of God vers 21. He was with those Israelites Psalme 78. 34. in covenant yet his heart was not stedfast in Covenant A great number of the Grecians beleeved upon the preaching of those that were scattered upon the persecution raised about Stephen Acts 11. 21. yet Barnabas whom the Church of Jerusalem sent to them well enough knew that there was no certainty little hopes that all of these were Regenerate persons therefore he exhorts them that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. He was afraid that the work might be overly and superficial of which the Church in every age hath sad experience he desires and endeavour that they may be rooted and established Only those hearers which are compared to the good ground are Regenerate persons But those compared to bad ground beleeve Luke 8. 13. Regenerate men who alone are invisible Church-Members have their hearts more right with God than to love the praise of men more than the praise of God but many beleevers are thus censured as we see John 12. 42 43. Regenerate persons make no shipwrack of Faith They are borne of incorruptible seed the seed of God abideth in them Yet there are beleevers that thus suffer shipwrack 1 Tim. 1. 19. Myriads of thousand of Jews beleeve Acts 21. 20. yet not all Regenerate The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. satisfies a case of conscience put to him by the Corinthians that if any brother hath a wife that beleeveth not if she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away If the beleeving brother here be only a Regenerate man then the unbeleeving wife is an unregenerate woman So the question will be whether a Regenerate sanctified man joyned in marriage to a Professour of the true faith not of those hopes for the truth of sanctification may dwell with her A case that never yet was disputed or doubted The unbeleever is a worshipper of idols one that sacrifices to devils and not to God The Beleever is a Professor of the Faith one in name a Christian and not a Heathen Saint is taken

emolument that is attractive of him There must be a desire to please God and not men as Paul saith Gal. 1. for so a man cannot be a servant of Christ This fear to displease men whereby we do not reprove sin so Zealously so Cordially and Faithfully as we should hath eclipsed the comfort of some godly Ministers at their death It is too true that the Wise man saith The fear of a man is his snare Prov. 29. 25. The Camelion for fear saith Aristotle turneth into the likeness of every object it meeteth with These are the special qualifications of a Godly Minister whereby he will be able to say with Paul I have fought a good fight 1 Tim. 4. 7. Yea with CHRIST I have finished the worke thou gavest me to do John 17. 3. To all which must be added diligence and labour all the names they have denote labour more then glory office more then dignitie now in all these things there is one particular which doth much quicken and that is temptation one of those three things Luther said made a Divine we are not to desire temptations but God for the most part doth prepare those Ministers whom he intends to be serviceable by such exercises This is the sawing and the polishing of the stone by this he is brought into the deep waters and seeth the wonderfull works of God by this he is able to understand the depths of Satan and by this he is adapted to be a most speciall Instrument to comfort and refresh others when they shall see theirs is not a singular condition they must not think none are tempted like them for they shall find that even Pauls have had the buffetings of Satan and that by these soule temptations they have learned more then all Books or authors could teach them And thus I leave the first Doctrine and proceed to the second which is That a Godly People cannot but affectionately mourn under the losse of their faithfull Ministers You see here what these Ephesians did with what affection they were moved because they should never see Pauls face more Grace doth not lie in extinguishing but regulating affections Christ wept and they argued from thence behold how he loved him Joh. 11. 35 36. So that Nazianzens commendation of his Mother Nonna that she never wept under the many troubles she underwent submitting all to Gods hand was rather Stoicisme then Christianitie It is said of Ambrose when he heard of the death of any good Minister he could not forbeare weeping how then can a people forbeare when their own Minister their own Pastor is taken away should not the Congregation be a valley of tears or a place of mourners now there are these grounds for it 1. Because of that experimentall soul-soul-good and spirituall advantage the Godly have reapt thereby Oh! when thou shalt remember what quicknings what meltings what warning of heart thou hast had this will cause grief to think they are gone Carnall naturall men never are affected with the losse of a Minister they never got any good by their Preaching it was no converting Ministry no inlightning no comforting Ministry to them and therefore the loss is no more troublesome 2. They must needs mourn because they have just cause to fear their sinnes have caused God to deprive them of such helps your unthankfulness your contempt and low thoughts of the means of grace your unprofitableness and negligence may make you mourn for if God upon the abuse of naturall Creatures will take away his Wine his Bread his flaxe will he not much more remove the candlestick for unfruitfulness under spiritual mercies mourne then lest thy sinnes thy unfaithfulness thy deadness and dulness of heart have provoked God to take such guides away yea in the third place may not some mourn who by their Disobedience and unwillingnesse to submit to Christs yoak and opposition to his way have so filled the Ministers heart with grief and sadness as thereby to hasten his death making his life the more uncomfortable and causing him to mourn in secret for your stubbornness and disobedience Thus your sinnes not only meritoriously but efficiently may concurre to the removing of him by death Consider that place Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that rule over you c. that they may give their account with joy and not with grief some make this particular to relate to the former that they may watch over your souls with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you A grieved Minister a discouraged Minister cannot do his duty so powerfully it will be unprofitable unto you you will find it in his study in his sermons A dull people are apt to make a dull Minister 4. There is cause to mourn because of the excellencie of the relation between a Pastor and a People in some respects it is above all naturall relations They are spirituall Fathers your souls receive good by them They are Instrumentall to bring you unto eternal glory and therefore there is more cause of Mourning in this respect then when God breaketh naturall relations no Father or Mother or friend happily hath done that for thee which his Ministery hath done 5. There is cause to mourn because it is a sign of Gods anger and displeasure to a people you are not so much to look upon it as the losse of a man as a token of Gods anger to the congregation The righteous man perisheth and none layeth it to heart Isaiah 57. 1. Who knoweth what soul-Judgements what bodily Judgements may hereafter come vpon you and therefore it is for a people to be sensible and mourn when the desire of your eies so I may call the Minister as well as the Wife is taken away The desire of your eies you long to see him in the Pulpit again and the desire of your eares you long to heare him again 6. There is cause to Mourn because of the sad consequents that many times falls upon the death of a faithfull Pastor sometimes the learning and soundness of a Minister keepeth a People from licentious errors and corrupt opinions His Gravitie and Pietie hath a speciall influence upon many but upon his removall then the weeds of a mans heart growes up After my departure saith Paul Wolves will arise from among your selves Acts 20. 29. Pauls presence was a great means to hinder them 2. What good Foundation is laid in Faith what Godly Order may be begun there is danger that all these will die when a Faithfull Minister dieth I wonder that you are so soon removed saith Paul Gal. 1. Alas that which the Ministers of God have with many years diligence many Prayers and much opposition brought about when the Minister is dead may quickly be destroyed so that we may wonder how such a Town such a place should be over-run with Bryars and Thornes immediately 3. Another sad consequent is sometimes divisions and breaches among the People while a Godly Minister is alive he is like

have had our conversation in the world Yea this is a mark of him who is entirely the Lords professedly and really his When the question is put Who shall dwell in Gods holy hill Who shall abide in his Tabernacle answer is returned He that walks uprightly and worketh righteousnesse Psal 15 1 2. And when a like question is put Isa 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burning We have the like answer returned in the words that follow He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly And Jesus seeing Nathanael saith John 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed There are many Israelites in name but here was an Israelite indeed and this is his character in whom there is no guile His inside was the same with that without In the discharge of this the Saints of God have promised to themselves upon good grounds all happinesse Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments The want of this renders all that is done void and vaine as to the acceptation of God when the heart glances aside and is not right with God in worshipping him doth not seek him Math. 15. 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from me Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit to himself Hos 10. 1. Their heart is divided therefore shall they be found faulty verse 2. Amaziah did that which was good in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. Judah hath not turned unto me with their whole heart but feignedly Jerem. 3. 10. Psal 78. 34 35 36 37. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouths and they lied unto him with their tongues for their hearts were not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant By all which I suppose it is evident that God in covenant calls for obedience requires integrity of heart in it will not accept where sincerity of heart is wanting and where it is he crowns it with happinesse and glory And from what hath been spoken a full definition of the new covenant may be thus given A gracious Covenant of God with fallen man whereby God engages himself upon faith in Christ and returne to God in sincere obedience to confer on man remission of sinnes and all whatsoever that tends to everlasting happinesse They that professe to beleeve and returne to God are in Covenant They that do beleeve and sincerely returne enjoy the blessings and mercies of the covenant This Arminians make the decree of God and will have no other than such conditional Election not an Election unto faith and obedience but because it is foreseene that men will beleeve and persevere in sincere obedience in which they are opposed by the Orthodox See Moulins Anatomy of Arminianisme chap. 12. Sect. 10. This is the covenant of grace published and promised in the Gospel which Arminians would make one with Election confounding the Will of Gods Decree with the Will of his Command and Promise He that would see more into the nature of sincerity that he may answer to that which God in covenant doth require may peruse Ball on the Covenant chap. 11. and Doctor Preston on Gen. 17. 1. CHAP. XXVI The necessity of a Ministery to bring men into Covenant with God and to bring them up to the termes of the Covenant FRom hence several Corollaries may be drawn and Inferences made 1. Of the necessity of a Ministery a constant standing Ministery as to bring men into covenant with God so to bring them also up to the termes of the covenant to a lively saving faith and sincere obedience God works not man into covenant by immediate voice Neither doth he use the Ministery of Angels in his ordinary way of working of it But when he would take in the Nations of the world into covenant with himself he sends out his Ministers for that work giving them a Commission with gifts and abilities suitable to disciple all Nations Matth 28. 19. Where a Ministery comes not there that people remaine out of covenant in the state of the Ephesians before their call as it is set out by the Apostle Ephes 2. 12. without Christ aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world And where the Gospel-covenant is tendered and not received there that people continue out of covenant rejecting the councel of God against themselves Luke 7. 30. and rendering themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13. 46. This was the case of the people of Athens There Paul preacht yet there he setled for ought we read no Church of beleevers though he had there some particular Converts Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris with others Acts 17 34. Where the word was delivered and there received there was a people in covenant with God as at Ephesus Corinth Philippi Thessalonica c. Those Ministers had the honour of planting of laying the first foundation of preaching where Christ before had not been named Rom. 15. 20. A people thus brought into covenant do not alwayes come up to the termes of the covenant All covenanters keep not covenant their hearts are not steady in it Therefore there is no lesse necessity of a Ministery in established Churches to keep up a people in Covenant with God through the termes of the covenant to bring them to the happinesse promised Theirs is the work of watering of building on anothers foundation of preaching Christ where Christ before at least was known by name and in some sort professed That there was such a Ministery in the Church of the Jews to teach Jacob his Laws and Israel his judgements to require what God in covenant called for is not denyed that a Ministery was necessary in the Primitive Apostolique times to work men into covenant and for the plantation of Churches is confest likewise But when the Apostles left the world then this order as some say sell with them all Ministerial power died with them We are made to beleeve saith one because the Apostles were ordained by God to be Teachers of the people and endued with gifts for that end that therefore there is a like divine though secret Ordination from God in the making of our Ministers Compassionate Samaritane page 24 25. But if the Scriptures may be heard this may soone be decided I shall therefore by arguments make it appear First that God hath established a Ministery and appointed it through all the ages of the world to be perpetuated Secondly I shall give reasons to manifest the necessity of such a Ministery to be thus established and

the word Synagogue signifies not a building but such an assembly or society likewise In the ordinary signification saith Spanhemius Synagogue signifies the assembly not the place where they assemble but in the New Testament it is sometimes put for the place of assembling Luke 7. 5. Acts 18. 7. Synagogue and Church are one and the same both signifie the assembly met As the one so also the other may be applied by an usual figure to the place of meeting and therefore where it is said the Centurion loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue Luke 7. 5. the last Annotations have it a Church So that they that would reforme this language which calls our places of meeting a Church must reform the language of Scripture which calls the like places by a name of the same signification Thirdly it is a pious work to erect these Churches or publick meeting places for advancement of the knowledge and worship of God as may be evinced from that Narrative of the Centurion Luke 7. and the transactions between Christ and him 1. There are several evidences of piety in the man 1. He is tenderly affected with his servants sicknesse 2. He sends to Christ for cure makes to him as Mary for Lazarus 3. He evidences a mighty faith in Christ beleeves that Christs word without his presence will work for his servants recovery 4. Makes this good by an argument from the lesse to the greater I my selfe am a man under authority and have men under me if my word stands who am an inferiour person how much more then thine 5. The Lord Christ speaks by way of commendation and admiration of his faith ver 9. 2. There are evidences of the warranty of his fact 1. The Elders of the Jewes take notice of it and upon this account commend him to Christ to have his request gratified Lord he is worthy for whom thou shouldest do this For he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue 2. This takes with Christ Then Jesus went with them Fourthly being a pious work as we see to erect them not only in the judgement of this Centurion but of the Jewes yea and of Christ Jesus it is then an evil a sinne to demolish and destroy them this followes from the former If piety let them up sinne pulls them down If he be a good Townsman that builds a Market-house a School c. then he is an ill-deserving one that does ruine it If the Centurion have his praise for building a Synagogue then it must be their reproach that deface them Farther we have a sad complaint of such acts of Sacriledge done by adversaries enemies blasphemers Psal 74. 7 8. They have cast fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land The burning of the Temple in the first place is complained of the dwelling place of Gods name Then of the Synagogues which were scattered through the Land all these were destroyed and consumed This the godly lay to heart as a sore evil and complaine of it heavily and sadly Secondly As to the revenue for maintenance of those that attend upon this worship I might speak 1. To that which is conscienciously due in which the minde of God is that it be not detained as might be made good 1. By the Apostles authority 2. By his Arguments and Reasons 1. By his authority Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things Subsistence is of due to him that teacheth from them that are taught according to their abilities and the proportion of their possessions This is no almes or free gift but a due debt The Apostle gives it in charge and takes off excuses and evasions in the words that follow Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape And as the Apostle by his authority orders it so he gives his reasons for it which might be enlarged to a great length from 1 Cor. 9. He first argues from the practice of other Apostles of all the Apostles except himself and Barnabas ver 5 6. I only and Barnabas have we not power to forbear working 2. He argues from a civil right and common equity in three particular instances ver 7. 1. In Souldiers Who goeth a warfarre at any time at his own charges 2. In Husbandmen Who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof 3. In Shepherds Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milke of the flock All these live of their labours Ministers who undergo equal labours must live of theirs Thirdly he argues from the command of the Law ver 8 9. Say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for Oxen Where two observations are cleare 1. The Law of force is to Christians and secondly Ministers must live on their Ministerial pains Fourthly he reasons from communicative justice ver 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things it is a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things Whence three things are clear 1. That the things of earth carry no proportion with the things of heaven 2. By the Ministery of the Word the things of heaven are conferred 3. When Ministers conferre on their people the things of heaven there is all equity that they should receive the things of earth Fifthly he argues from the provision made in the Law ver 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple And they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar If the Law judge it equal for the Levites to live on the paines that they take about holy things then it is equal that the Ministers of the Gospel live of their paines But the Law made such provision for the Levites not with an hungry narrow proportion but in a liberal and honourable way See Doctor Reynolds on Psal 110. pag. 478. Sixthly he argues from Christs institution in a parallel way ver 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel whence we see at large that it is the minde of Christ that this be not detained in case the Apostle as he sayes 1 Cor. 2. 16. hath the minde of Christ For that which is legally due either by order of the Sate or a voluntary gift of any person to that end it ought not to be alienated There is equity in the thing as we have heard at large when authority shall put upon it their sanction it is a farther confirmation for a voluntary gift in case Ananias may not revoke his own none may alienate anothers If it be a