Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	bear_v	fruit_n	good_a	1,697	5	3.9177	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08188	A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C.	Niccols, Richard, of the Inner Temple.; I. C., fl. 1613.	1613 (1613)	STC 18526.5; ESTC S119830	27,183	96

A DAY-STARRE FOR Darke-wandring Soules Shewing the Light by a Christian Controuersie OR Briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION DIVIDED INTO Principles Obiections and Answeres BY RICHARD NICCOLLS th' elder of the Inner Temple London Gent. deceased PVBLISHED For the generall benefit of all those who heartily and with a true path desire their owne Saluation by I.C. LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to be solde at the great South-doore of Paules 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE and truely religious Lady the Lady ANNE GLEMHAM I. C. wisheth encrease of all godlinesse and vertue with the fruition of eternall HAPPINESSE Right Honourable AS euery good Artist laboureth with much paines to rectifie and bring into due forme and order the Art which hee himselfe professeth and seeketh all possible wayes and meanes to attaine to the perfection thereof adding thereto his owne practice and experience thereby to make it more facile and easie to be attained vnto by future Posterities and vnto them conueying it as it were a matter hereditarie and which by succession they ought to enioy Euen so ought euery true Christian with his best endeauours industrie and trauaile labour to finde out the true Principles and Grounds of Christian Religion and therein through his owne industry directed by the Spirit of the Highest daily seeke to attaine to the perfection of that blessed Truth which is the sole Directresse to eternall Happinesse and the profits of his Christian Labours to participate to all succeeding Ages And as none can profit in any Science without first knowing the Fundamentall Reasons and Grounds thereof so it is impossible for any man to attaine to the perfection of Christian Religion vnlesse hee be first instructed in the certaine and infallible Grounds and Principles of the same with which this worthy and religious Author was well furnished as by this ensuing discourse or Treatise made for the priuate vse of himselfe and his Wife who being a godly and religious Gentlewoman imparted the same to some few of her friends amongst whom my selfe as vnworthiest of those few had a written Copie which most Vertuous Lady remayning in my custody and the Author being a Gentleman vnder whom I had part of my Education and fearing lest this Orphant turned naked into the World without a Protector and Patron might by sinister and fatall occasion happen into the hands of some professed though priuate enemies and there be smothered by those irremarkable persons mentioned in the Reuelation to haue receiued the marke of the Beast depriuing the Author of his due and well deserued commendations and the World of so honest and religious a worke I could doe no lesse then cause it to be published as well for the generall good of the well-affected and religious as also for an Example and President vnto all men to imploy their labours in godly exercise for the benefit of their Christian Brethren And considering with my selfe where to bestow it I was embold●…ed by the inducement of diuers reasons to select your Ladiship as one most worthy to be the sole Patronesse and Protector of this godly Treatise knowing your Honourable Virtues and sinceritie of Religion to be such as are of force enough to make that commendable which onely by your Honours name is graced in respect of which and diuers other Honourable Curtesies for which I am oblieged to your Ladiship I most humbly present vnto your fauourable view and Honourable protection the zealous and truely religious labours of this godly Gentleman challenging nothing to my selfe but the imperfections in the harsh composure of the stile which if your Honour vouchsafe to receiue it may be that although in the perusing thereof your Ladiship shall not finde any matter which you are ignorant of yet may it confirme that which otherwise your Honour may doubt in or at least make it more euident by deliuering the Circumstances in more particular termes And as in the Author it deserueth a generall and perpetuall remembrance so doth it argue in him a most godly and good minde in labouring to finde out that which gaue a comfortable end to all his Labours for the which doubtlesse he now possesseth an vncorruptible and immortall Crowne of Glory in the World which shall neuer end To the which after many long and happy yeeres with much honor in this life liued to the glory of God and to the comfort and reliefe of his poore and afflicted Members the Lord bring your Honour with peace and quiet Conscience Your Honours solely deuoted in all seruiceable duty and dutifull Affection I. C. To the READER CHristian Reader how intricate and difficult a matter it is to content the various conceits of the generall multitude I doubt not but is well enough knowne to thee and how curious seeming Schollers are in perusing the labours of euery one daily experience makes it manifest who notwithstanding the benefit which they might reape vnto themselues by obseruation if without affectation of their owne inuention they would with mature Iudgement and aduised patience diligently read the good and godly Workes of Religious Persons doe studie with all diligence to lay some scandalous imputation not onely on the Author but the poore innocent Booke who would if it were possible laugh at their ignorance How then shall this poore Booke dare to aduenture it selfe among so many enemies but in hope of the kinde censure of the Learned godly and zealous Christians In expectation of which with their louing acceptance of the Fruits of the Authors Labours it dares oppose it selfe to the generall view of the world without fearing any the Calumnies of carping Zoilists or those which beare the irremarkable marke of the Beast mentioned in the Reuelation of S. Iohn And so rests thine to vse and peruse CERTAINE Grounds or Principles of Christian Religion briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION The first PRINCIPLE EVery one of vs who by generation descend of Adam of our selues by Nature cannot so much as thinke any good thoughts much lesse doe any good deede but all our thoughts words and workes are onely euill continually Gen. 6. 5. Rom. 3. 9. Iohn 15. 5. Notes vpon the first Principle THE first cause of this our corruption is because that euery one of vs who come of Adam sinned in the same sinne that Adam sinned viz. In eating the forbidden fruis and are guiltie thereof before God Rom. 5. 12. Heb. 7. 9. 10. The reason hereof is because that Adam as our common Procurator or Factor Tam ad perdendum quam ad lucrandum did beare the person of vs all being then in his loynes Therefore looke what hee gained hee gained for himselfe and vs and looke what hee lost hee lost for himselfe and vs then being in his loynes 1 Cor. 15. ●…2 The second cause of this our continually sinning is because that euery one of vs who come of Adam are by Gods decree manifested and pronounced to Adam fallen

th●… hast 〈◊〉 rec●…iued and if thou hast receiued it why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not 〈◊〉 it Thirdly the Kingdome of heau●…n is of ins●…te value and therefore cannot possi●…ly be purchased by the 〈◊〉 and deserts of finite 〈◊〉 And hence Saint Paul saith I co●…t th●…t the afflictions of this pres●…nt life are not w●…rthy of the glory which shall be reueal●… a vnto vs. Moreouer admit that the regenerate mans car●…iage and gouernement be such of his out●…ard parts and also of his desires 〈◊〉 and lusts that they br●…ake not forth into co●…mitting of grosse sinnes nor that hee giue so much as consent to his wicked lusts but hate them and is against them and bringeth forth many good workes yet for so much as hee is not so cleane washed in the La●…ar of Regeneration but that some part of his inbred corruption though it be not imputed vnto him yet remaineth in him hee can in Gods Iustice deserue nothing at Gods hands but his wrath and condemnation for the reward of sinne is death and He●… b●…aketh the whole Law wh●… by his inbre●… lusts break●…th the tenth Commandement which doth not onely forbid consent vnto wicked lusts which is also formerly forbidden by the other Commandements but goeth further and forbiddeth that vvee be not so much as ●…kled with any kinde of Concupiscence or wicked lust although our will consent not yea●… be against it Also from this inbred corruption of the regenerate man springeth not onely omission of some good which ought to be done but also wants and defects of his best deeds and to speake all in a word Imperfection of Chariti●… For Charitie which is a vertue with which wee loue that which ought to bel●…d and so is the ground of all vertues and good workes is in some more in some lesse but perfect Charitie such as the Law of GOD requireth which cannot be increased is found in none no not in the regenerate man during his life For hee cannot perfectly performe the Law of GOD and loue God with all his soule with all his heart vvith all his minde and his neighbour as himselfe Hee must needs confesse vvith the Apostle Saint Iohn If wee say wee haue no sinnes we deceiue our selues and the truth 〈◊〉 not in vs. This imperfection of Charitie wrought through the force and violence of inbred corruption is cleerely set forth and described by S. Paul in his owne person propounding himselfe a true patterne of a man regenerated Romanes 7. For in the 15. and 19. verses hee saith that this inbred corruption made him to omit the good be would and to do the euill he hated and in the 18. verse that to will was present with him but he found no meanes to performe that which was good and in the 23. verse that his inbred corruption ●…ebelled against the law of the minde and led him captiue or prisoner to the law of sinne and in the 25. verse that it made him serue the law of sinne and in the 22. verse it appeareth that hee speaketh of himselfe as a man regenerated who delighteth in the Law of God concerning the inner man VVherefore howsoeuer wee profit by the worke of regeneration by God wrought in vs yet doth our charitie good workes by reason of the force and violence of ou●…●…bred corruption or originall sins want somewhat of that they should be and the wants and defects of our good deeds we doe and the omission of the good deeds wee ought to doe are such and so many that wee of necessine though wee be regenerated must alwayes without presuming vpon our merits and deserts humbly for his mercie 〈◊〉 craue at Gods hands forgiuenes of our trespasses with this assurance that if we acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs all our sinnes and to clense vs from all our vnrighteousnesse Obiection It seemeth that there is little difference betwixt the true beleeuer or regenerate person and the vnbeleeuer Answere The difference betwixt them is very great for sinne doth onely dwell in the regenerate person against his will but it reigneth not nor is imputed to him because hee is iustified and clensed from his sinnes by faith in CHRIST I●…VS and in this sense in the Scriptures the regenerate man is sometime said to sinne and sometime is said not to sinne The regenerate man sinneth in regard that sinne dwelleth in him though it raigne not in him And he sinneth not because sinne is not imputed vnto him but hee is notified and clensed from his sinne by the blood of Christ Iesus But in the vnregenerate man sin raigneth with his will and consent and his sinnes are imputed vnto him because hee want●…th faith to iustifie him and to cleere him from his sinnes by the rightcousnesse of Iesus Christ. Also the regenerate man may say with Saint Paul I doe not the 〈◊〉 I would but the vnregenerate man contrariwise saith I ●…not so much euill as I would which howsoeuer hee speaketh it not in expresse words yet hee hath it in his heart as may appeare in couetous ambitious and contentious persons and in Thecues Fornicators Drunkards and such like whose lusts are neuer satisfied moreouer whereas the vnregenerate man waxeth euery day vvorse and worse the regenerate man contrariwise maketh proceedings in goodnesse In vvhich though they be small it doth appeare that sinne doth not raigne in him but in some measure is ouercome by him and in him is in some manner mortified The ninth PRINCIPLE THE true beleeuer or regerate person may assure himselfe that hee shall neuer be moued from the state of saluation whereunto hee is effectually called by the ●…nisterie of the Word and that hee shall haue life euerlasting and eternall glorie in Heauen Notes vpon the ninth Principle THE Gifts and Calling of God are without repentance and with him there is no variablenosse or shaddow of change as God doth testifie of himselfe I am the Lord and I change not Wee cannot attribute vnto GOD any change of decree counsell or will concerning election or reprobation vvithout vvicked blasphemie for he that changeth his decree his counsell or his vvill doth it because he seeth he might haue beene better aduised or because hee seeth he could not haue brought his purpose to passe as he would both which doe argue imperfection and weakenesse which are abhorring and farre from the nature of God who is most perfect and infinite in his Wisedome Will and Power and in all his attributes Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth hee both in Heauen and in Earth and in all places and hee saith of himselfe my Counsell shall stand and my Will shall be done Therefore it is doubtlesse true that some whom God hath elected to Saluation shall certainely be saued and others whom God hath reprobated shall certainely be condemned But how may a man assure himselfe that hee is of the