Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	faith_n	foundation_n	1,927	5	8.7886	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04816	The burthen of a loaden conscience: or the miserie of sinne set forth by the confession of a miserable sinner.	Kilby, Richard, d. 1617.	1608 (1608)	STC 14950; ESTC S100262	42,020	107

ignorance and with the wicked infection of pride enuy wrath couetousnesse and all sinnes euery vice vpon occasion putting it selfe into my sermons Moreouer if I preached anie thing according to the word of God I vtterly vnpreached and denied it in my life and conuersation Alas how many soules may iustly challenge me before the face of Iesus Christ for giuing cause of their damnation I cannot say vpon my conscience that in all this time wherein I haue taken vpon me to be a minister I haue done my duetie so much as to the sauing of one soule A true minister of Christ should be a meanes to turne all euill from his sheepe and to procure all blessings vnto them But I contrarily haue beene a meanes to turne blessings from them and to bring miserie vpon them It had bin better for me to haue gotten my liuing by begging from doore to doore yea lesse had bin my sinne if I had liued by stealing and robbing for he that is a minister and doth not discharge his dutie is a theefe and a robber in the highest degree because he robbeth God of his people and robbeth people of their saluation How is it possible for me to escape the vengeance of hell fire All you that purpose to be ministers in the Church for Christs sake take warning by me Before you enter into the ministerie examine your heart according to your conscience in the sight of God what mooueth you to be a minister and what you principally desire and intend for looke what you minde that you will follow and to compasse the same neglect all other things Therfore if you perceiue that your mind is chiefly set vpon worldly gaine or glorie take no soules to keepe for you will let them sink or swim and notwithstanding what shew soeuer you make they shall be sorily respected and many waies vnfitted But if you doe chiefly aime at the glorie of Christ in the saluation of Christiās you are the blessed of the Lord God increase the number of you for you wil not sticke to loose any worldly commodity yea your owne life rather then hazard the losse of one soule Enter therfore in the name of Iesus Christ But before you take a charge of soules vpon you giue all diligence that you may haue a good vnderstanding in the word of God and that the power of godlines may be in your life and conuersation for if the blind lead the blind they fall both into the ditch and he is gracelesse that hauing sight doth lead the blind out of the way because the blind will follow their leader The peoples eyes are neuer well opened vntill the light of their minister doe so shine before thē that they may see his good works and glorifie God in following his ensample O happie is that minister that euer he was borne who before he vndertaketh a charge of soules Matth. 4. hath the grace to ouercome the temptations of Satan as Christ did Beeing made a minister and hauing a charge of soules beare alwaies in mind that you must be answearable to Christ for euery one of them So that whatsoeuer a minister might possibly doe to saue them you shall deerely abuie it if you performe it not This mooued S. Paul to warne euery one 〈◊〉 28. teach euery one in all wisdome that he might present euery one perfect in Christ Iesus Therefore you knowing the terriblenes of the Lord must approoue your selfe vnto God and to euery conscience of man woman and child in the sight of God carefully and discreetely waiting vpon your charge that you may giue to euery one their portion of meate in due time You must truly teach Gods people the waie of saluation out of his word Therefore in vnderstanding and expounding the holy Bible follow the consent of auncient and learned writers those especially who are reported to haue liued an holy life for God in all ages doth most respect them that feare him and they haue most certen knowledge of his will Others although they seeme exceedingly learned yet they are full of errors because the spirit of deceit hath power in them Therefore take heede Desire not to be singular nor to differ from others for it is a signe of a naughtie spirit which hath caused much euill in the world from the beginning Teach people that which doth necessarily concerne their saluation for it is a temptation of the deuill to busie folkes minds with by-matter that they may neglect the maine worke of sauing their soules A minister ought diligently to take particular knowledge of his charge who be yong in vnderstanding who be ripe in discretion who be sick in sinne and who be sound in soule that he may accordingly diet them Much preaching and teaching doth not take that good effect which it might if peoples vnderstanding were ripened to heare it There is a certaine teaching called the A b c of Gods word because euen as a scholler must learne to know letters and to spell them together before he can read Heb. 5.12 so must a Christian first learne the ground worke of religion before he can well proceede in the vnderstanding practise of Gods word I haue found elderly people that seemed to be much delighted in hearing the word of God preached yet notwithstanding strangely ignorant in the foundation of faith As for example they did beleeue in the sonne of God and yet did not thinke that he was in time before the virgin Marie How is it possible that people should be ignorant of such points commonly preached and printed Because they are not instructed orderly pithily and plainly orderly as children are taught to read pithily for many wordes and toilesome circumstances doe bring an ignorant hearer into a wood where he looseth himself plainly for tearms of art and fine eloquence are not sutable to the gospel of Christ because in darkning the vnderstanding of some tickling the eares of others they hinder the working of the matter Fie vpon all vaine glorious shewes for the kingdome of God is not in word 1. Cor. 4.20 but in power If you doe not so teach the will of God that the verie ignorant may well vnderstand it and keepe it in rememberance what answer can you make to Iesus Christ when he calleth you to a reckoning Although a scholler be taught to knowe his letters yet many times he is not well instructed to spell them together So the foundation points of religion may be taught and yet not put well together for example Rom. 3.28 Christians are iustified by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law This is one point ●at 16.27 ● Cor. 5.10 Christ will iudge all people according to their works answerable to the practise of their liues This is an other point Now vnles these two points be rightly ioyned together the deuil wil make some vtterly neglect works and other altogether to presume vpon their owne deserts Iustifying faith

of Christs bodie and bloode ye are fedde and filled with the graces of Christ as graffes are nourished with the sap of that tree whereupon they are graffed I wicked wretch receiued first for fashion sake negligently afterward inclining to the Romane religion I receiued for feare of the lawes of this land against my will disdainfully reckoning it as a thing of naught which I receiued Whereby I doe thinke in my conscience I did sore displease almightie God The Lord Iesus Christ giue grace that no man or woman may hereafter receiue his bodie and bloode vnworthily I was not giuen to pray vnto God nor indeede knew howe to praie and therefore was not blessed in that which I did practise All people be carefull to praie alwaies in the beginning continuance and ending of all good emploiment Whensoeuer you are about to thinke to say or to doe any thing praie vnto God that he will for Christs sake giue you the grace to thinke saie and doe his will and for euery blessing which hee giueth vnto you be mindefull and forward to giue him thankes When you purpose to praie vnto him or to praise him quicken your faith in this maner first beleeue that you are in the sight and hearing of God beleeue it so verily as you did see him with your bodily eies Secondly consider his almightie maiestie and your owne vile basenesse being as you are a sinner dust ashes and thereupon humble your heart as if you would cast your selfe flatte vpon the ground before him Thirdly with all reuerence and diligent discretion lift vp your minde and vtter your heart vnto him You may well praie to God or praise him in your heart although your mouth speake it not but you cannot well speake vnto him with your mouth vnlesse your heart doe wholly intend and thinke vpon that which you say for it is your heart that God giueth heede vnto In your praier and thankesgiuing shunne the pride of words for God loueth plaine speech and vse no needlesse circumstance because he loueth no idle words Be very carefull and fearefull least in any thing that you say vnto him you displease him for we are apt to displease God euery way yea euen when we thinke to please him Pray very leisurely for hast maketh wast Because I wanted instruction how to praie I am desirous to helpe others the best that I can Let your first praier be for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes in some such maner as this O almightie and most dreadfull Lord God I loathsome sinner vnworthie to liue in thy sight doe humbly beseech thee that for thine onely sonne Iesus Christs sake thou wilt vouchsafe to forgiue me my sinnes and to clense me from my sinfulnesse that I may be thine humble and true seruant for vnto thee all honour and glorie is due world without ende Amen When you purpose to thinke vpon to speake or to doe any thing pray for grace good speede O almightie God Lord of heauen and earth the onely giuer of all good speede and prosperitie I beseech thee ●o forgiue me my sinnes and so to blesse me ●n this businesse which now I doe intende ●hat it may be prosperous to thy glorie thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured in heart word and deede henceforth for euer and euer Amen When you receiue any blessing or prosperitie from God praise him heartily O most blessed and bountifull Lord God what am I that thou giuest such blessing vnto me I am a vile sinner worthie of nothing but miserie and damnation and therfore it is thy meere mercie that I am thus blessed O good Lord I humbly beseech thee to continue thy gracious fauour towards me and to make me euery way vnfainedly thankfull vnto thee for the same thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be vnfainedly praised for euer and euer Amen When sicknesse or any aduersitie falleth vpon you the first thing you doe humble your selfe vnto God O most holy and righteous Lord God I doe confesse that thou maiest iustly destroie me bodie and soule for my many and grieuous sinnes wherewith I haue daily and hourely displeased thee all my life long therefore I am bound to praise thee because thou hast suffered me all this while and now doest so fauourably chasten me to the end that I should repent and not be condemned O most mightie Lord nothing can happen vnto me without thine ordinance Therefore I beseech then that I may humbly patiently and thankefully take this thy correction to the amendment of my life and to the glorie of thy blessed name thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and thy holy Ghost three persons and one God be rightly worshipped obeied and praised for euer and euer Amen When any crosse or aduersitie doth lie so heauie vpon you that you can not endure it make humble supplication to God O father of mercie and God of all comfort I vile wretch am much grieued vnder the burden of my sinnes and thou hast not laide the whole weight of them vpon me I doe heartily thank thee that thou hast not ouerwhelmed me with thy dreadfull wrath which I haue all my life time deserued and ●lso I humblie beseech thee that if it may ●and with thy good pleasure thou wilt ●ouchsafe to ease me of this which I nowe ●uffer that I may the better be able to doe ●hee seruice but if it please thee not thy will 〈◊〉 holy thy wil be done onely vouchsafe me ●omfort and patience most blessed Lord ●hat thy holy name may be glorified of me ●n mine obedient suffering thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee ●nd the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured and praised for euer and ●●uer Amen I was not accustomed to say grace when I was young but sometime saide it for a ●aine glorie and finding the fashion of the world to be like vnto the manner of bruit ●oastes following nature and not grace I became a beast my selfe falling to meate without any acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse Afterward finding that Iesus Christ himselfe and all good Christians vsed to say grace I was touched in conscience and meant to vse it but hauing not the power to subdue mine owne will nor the heart to contrarie the course of them with whome I liued I remained as a reprobate vncouth and vnframable to euery good worke All people for Gods sake accustome your selues to haue grace before and after you eate and drinke If it seeme vncouth vnto you as it doth to many people be afraide for it is an ill signe shewing that your heart is a stranger to God and if you be strange to him he will be strange to you Therefore by any meanes ouercome that ill qualitie and giue your selfe to grace But you may say it is so out of vse with most