Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
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A65300
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The holy Eucharist, or, The mystery of the Lords Supper briefly explained by Thomas Watson ...
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing W1129; ESTC R9124
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66,682
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202
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vvay provisions should come in Faith doth not fear Famine God hath set his Seal to it Verily thou shalt be fed Psal. 37. 3. Faith puts the Bond in suit Lord saith Faith Wilt thou feed the Birds of the Air and wilt not thou feed me Shall I want when my Father keeps the Purse A good Christian with the Rod of Faith smites the Rock in Heaven and some honey and oyl comes out for the recruiting his present necessities 2. A great Faith is a wonder-working Faith It can do those things which exceed the power of Nature A great Faith can open heaven it can overcome the world it can master a complexion-sin it can prefer the glory of God before Secular interest it can rejoyce in affliction it can bridle the intemperancy of passion it can shine forth in the hemisphere of its relations it can do duties in a more refined sublimated manner mixing Love with Duty which mellows it and makes it taste more pleasant It can antedate Glory and make things at the greatest distance to unite Thus the Spring-head of Faith riseth higher than Nature A man by the power of Nature can no more do this than Iron can of it self swim or the Earth ascend 3. A great faith is firm and stedfast weak faith is frequently shaken with fears and doubts A great Faith is like an Oak that spreads its roots deep and is not easily blown down Col. 2. 7. A great Faith is like the Anchor or Cable of a Ship that holds it steddy in the midst of storms A Christian who is steeled with this heroick Faith is setled in the Mysteries of Religion The Spirit of God hath so firmly printed heavenly truths upon his heart that you may as vvell remove the Sun out of the Firmament as remove him from those holy Principles he hath sucked in Behold here a Pillar in the Temple of God 4. A great Faith can trust in an angry God it believes Gods love through a frown A vigorous Faith though it be repulsed and beaten back yet it will come on again and press upon God with an holy obstinacy The Woman of Canaan was three times repulsed by Christ yet she would take no denial from him she turns discouragements into arguments and made a fresh onset upon Christ till at last by the power of Faith she overcame him O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee as thou wilt Mat. 15. 28. The Key of her Faith unlocked Christ's bowels and now she may have what she will from him When once she had gotten his heart she might have his treasure too 5. A great Faith can swim against Tyde it can go câ—…oss to sense and reason Corrupt reason saith as Peter Master Pity thy self Faith saith It is better to suffer than sin Reason consults safety Faith will hazard safety to preserve Sanctity A Believer can sail to Heaven though the Tyde of Reason and the Wind of Temptation be against him Abraham in the case of sacrificing his Son did not call Reason to the Councel-board When God said Offer up thy son Isaac it was enough to pose not only fleshly wisdom but even Faith too for here the commands of God did seem to interfere In one command the Lord said Thou shalt not murder and behold here a quite contrary command Offer up thy son So that Abraham in obeying one command seemed to disobey another Besides Isaac was a son of the Promise the Messiah was to come of Isaac's line and if he be cut off where shall the World have a Mediator Here was enough to amuse and puzzle this holy Patriarch yet Abraham's Faith unties all these knots and the bloody knife is made ready Abraham believed that when God called for it it was not Murther but Sacrifice and that the Lord having made a promise of Christ's springing out of Isaac's loyns rather than the promise should fall to the ground God could raise up seed out of Isaac's ashes Here was a Gyant-faith which God himself did set a Trophy of honour upon Gen. 22. 16. By myself have Isworn saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son That in blessing I will bless thee c. 6. A great Faith can bear great delayes Though God doth not give a present answer to prayer Faith believes it shall have an answer in due time A weak faith is soon out of breath and if it hath not the mercy presently it begins to faint whereas he who hath a strong puissant faith doth not make haste A great Faith is content to stay God's leisure Faith will trade with God for time Lord saith Faith If I have not the mercy I want instantly I will trust longer I know my money is in good hands an answer of peace will come Perhaps the mercy is not yet ripe or perhaps I am not ripe for the mercy Lord do as it seems good in thine eyes Faith knows that the most tedious Voyages have the richest returns and the longer mercy is in expectation the sweeter it will be in fruition Behold here a glorious faith if we have such a faith as this to shew it is a blessed fruit of our Sacramental converse with God But I would not discourage Infant-believers If your grace be not risen to the bigness and proportion of a great Faith yet if it be of the proper kind it shall find acceptance God who bids us receive him who is weak in faith will not himself refuse him If your Faith be not grown to a Cedar yet if it be a bruised Reed it is too good to be broken Mat. 12. 20. A weak Faith can lay hold on a strong Christ. A Palsie hand may tye the Knot in Marriage Only let not Christians rest in lower measures of grace but aspire after higher degrees The stronger our Faith the firmer our Union with Christ and the more sweet influence we draw from him This is that which honours the blessed Sacrament when we can shew the encrease of grace and being strong in faith bring glory to God 7. Hath Jesus Christ provided such a blessed Banquet for us He doth not Nurse us abroad but feeds us with his own breast nay blood let us then study to answer this great love of Christ. 'T is true we can never parallel his love yet let us shew our selves thankful We can do nothing satisfactory but we may do something gratulatory Christ gave himself a sin-offering for us let us give our selves a thank-offering to him If a man redeem another out of Debt will not he be grateful How deeply do we stand obliged to Christ who hath redeemed us from Hell And let us shew our thankfulness four ways 1. By Courage Christ hath set us a Copy he did not fear men but endured the Cross and despised the