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	holy_a	1,461	5	5.2636	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19289	The estates of the hypocrite and syncere Christian Containing, certaine liuely differences, betweene synceritie and hypocrisie; very necessarie, for the tryall of our estates in Grace. By Tho. Cooper.	Cooper, Thomas, 1517?-1594.	1613 (1613)	STC 5699; ESTC S115596	59,087	262

and haue we not cause to be abased herein Well thus you see there is great reason why Gods children should make themselues poore Shall we now consider the ground and manner how they doe abase themselues shall we discerne a little further the measure of this abasing Surely for the ground of this their pouertie 1. It is not forced from them by feare of vengeance which they are freed from but rather from an holy desire to be auenged of themselues for the abuse of Gods mercies that so iudging themselues they may not bee iudged of the Lord. 2. Neither dooth the feare that God accepts not their persons wring from them this emp●ying of themselues because though they feele not this alwaies yet by Faith they liue in the Sonne of God and so aboue present feeling either comfort them selues with former ● assurāce or waite vpon the Lorde in belieuing vnder hope aboue hope but the ground of this abasing Is an holy feare of our selues least either wee may fall into such grosse euils as may depriue vs of former cōfort or may bee ●ainted with some spirituall wickednesse of pride vaine-glorie when we stand and abound in comforts that so robbing GOD of his glorie wee may be stripped of further comforts 3 Neither doth this abasing proceed frrom hypocrisie that so wee might the rather be magnified of others Although who shall hinder the light to breake out and if we be approoued of men shall not this tender to their further condemnation that will not be like vnto vs If we haue cause to make our selues poore what little cause haue they to bragge of their beggery But we make our selues poore to preuent hypocrisie not hereby to denie what we are but least we shuld assume what wee are not or seeme to be better then we are hereby we preuent slightnes and customarines in holy duties which breeds hypocrisie ●hereby we preuent pride the damme and nurse of hypocrisie 3. hereby wee still yeeld vp our harts to the s●arching and view of the Al●●igh●ie to cleere vs of hypoc●isi● 4 hereby we renue our repentance daily and so scoure off all tainture of hypocrisie 4 Neither are they cōuinced with the inward sence of their begg●rie a●d so are forced to make themselues poore as the hypocrite often is denying his profession being ashamed of his shewes reiecting the meanes c. But they are conuinced ●ith the want of what they should haue And therefore though they haue great riches yet seeing it is nothing to what they should haue therefore they still emptie themselues of all confidence and conceit of sufficiencie which the hypocrite flatters himselfe in that so still they may be prepared to receiue further riches And to this end they are further cōuinced with many wants in the vse of present graces And so are daily prouoked to denie themselues that they may be found in Christ Iesus and in him grow to perfection yea they are further conuinced with the rebellions and continuall oppositions of the old man And so haue cause to make themselues poore cōsidering what they haue bene yet considering what the least relicke of corruption might do if the Lord should looke vpon vs in iudgement euen to infatuate all present grace and depriue vs of all hope of further measure this is the meanes to make them abase themselues that so still they may flie into the bosome of Gods mercie These are the grounds of this heauenly wisdome that the Child of God makes himselfe poore By which we may trie the truth of Grace in vs and also bee led forwa●d to perfection To this end consider we further the manner how the Saints make themselues poore by what meanes they abase themselues what is the practise of this heauenly wisedome Surely the Lord that ordaines the end fitteth also the meanes sutable thereunto And therefore the manner of this practise is holy and warrantable Though they are said to make themselues poore yet this is not to exclude the grace of God by which onely they doe all good but rather to exclude conction and all by respects which might moue them hereunto and indeed to implie that freely and comfortably they make themselues poore In great wisedome and equi●ie are moued thereunto according to the manifold reasons groūds laid downe before That this may the better appeare obserue we the manner Can they auoid the presence of the Almightie And doe they not abase themselues in his glorious presence Do they not bring their hearts to be searched by him do they not submit themselues in all things to his blessed wil do they not feare to offend him care to please him in all things grieue because they haue displeased him yea because they cānot please him as they would striue to approue themselues in all things vnto his blessed maiestie And in all these abase them selues making themselues poore in and by the practise of all these 2 Can they doe any thing without the grace of Christ lesus And do they not abase themselues by denying their owne righteousnes neither resting in the measure nor approuing the perfection hereof nor iustisying thēselues thereby that so they may still hunger after the righteousnes of Christ Iesus do they not make themselues poore by labouring still to be couered with the righteousnes of Christ by ascribing the worke of saluation meerely to Gods mercy through him by giuing God onely all the glorie of his truth and faithfulnes 3 And can they seeke vnto Christ vntill they be lost in themselues And therfore doe they not make themselues poore by often meditation of their first estate in nature yea considering euen what hinderance the very relicques of corruption proue to weld●ing of themselues how if God should giue way they might wholy abolish grace doe they not make themselues poore in the serious discerning and casting off this bodie of sinne that remaineth in them and hangeth so fast vpon them 4 Lastly seeing our life is hid with Christ in God we know not what we shall be we haue nothing in comparison of what remaynes to be enioyed doe not the Saints therfore make themselues poore either in reiecting carnall sence or not resting in spirituall sence of any present good doe they not abase themselues by learning to liue by faith still out of themselues so vsing present grace as that still they are abased in it in regard of what is before them 1. Ioh. 3. 1. Col. 3. And seeing afflictions are the meanes to trie and perfect grace Doe not the Saints make themselues poore in taking vp the crosse daily following such a measure of holines which the world hates so necessarily persecutes while power is in it hād keeping that straight way which lies full of crosses that so on s they may be tried and fitted to perfection Behold here the manner how the Saints abase themselues And let this teach vs to entertaine this practise Let it