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	hope_v	1,483	5	7.8841	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93248	The glorious feast of the Gospel. Or, Christs gracious invitation and royall entertainment of believers. Wherein amongst other things these comfortable doctrines are spiritually handled: Viz. 1. The marriage feast between Christ and his Church. 2. The vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe removed. 3. Christs conquest over death. 4. The wiping away of teares from the faces of Gods people. 5. The taking away of their reproaches. 6. The precious promises of God, and their certaine performance. 7. The divine authority of the holy scriptures. 8. The duty and comfort of waiting upon God. / Delivered in divers sermons upon Isai.25 chap.6,7,8,9 verses, by the late reverend, learned and faithfull minister of the Gospell, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher at Grayes-Inne, London. Perused by those that were instructed to revise his writings.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1650 (1650)	Wing S3736; Thomason E599_13; ESTC R206386	119,357	167

glory that rested upon him and expressed himselfe to be the servant of God He that takes away from our good report if we be good he addeth to our reward Our Saviour Christ saith as much Blessed are you when you be ill spoken of for great is your reward THE Seventh Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And the rebukes of his people shall he take away from all the earth For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it THis is a great promise and I pray you be comforted with it For of all grief that Gods people suffer in the world there is none greater than reproach disgrace and contumely Movemur contumeliis plus quam injuriis We are more moved with reproaches than injuries Injuries come from severall causes but disgrace from abundance of slighting No man but thinks himselfe worthy of respect from some or other Now slanders come from abundance of malice or else abundance of contempt and therefore nothing stickes so much as reproaches specially by reason of opinion and fancy that raiseth them over high Our Saviour Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame That shame that vaine people cast upon Religion and the best things they despise that and make that a matter of patience They knew the Crosse would not be shaken off Persecution and Troubles must be endured and therefore they endured the Crosse and despised the shame Now to bear Crosses take the counsell of the Holy Apostles look up to him consider Christ and whatsoever disgrace in words or carriage wee shall endure we are sure though wee shall never know it till wee feele it by experience The spirit of glory shall rest upon us and rebuke shall be taken away Ere long there will be no glory in heaven and earth but the glory of Christ and of his Spouse for all the rest shall be in their owne place as it was said of Judas that he went to his place Their proper place is not to domineere but to be in hell and ere long they shall bee there Heaven is the proper element of the Saints that is the place of Christ the head And where should the body be but with the head where the Spouse but with the Husband I say this shall come to passe that all the wicked shall be in their place and all the godly in theirs with Christ and then shall the rebukes of Gods people be taken away A great matter and therefore it is sealed with a great confirmation The Lord Jehovah hath spoken it therfore it must and will be so The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This is not in vaine added for the Lord knoweth well enough we need it to believe so great things that there is such a Feast provided And that there is such a victory over death our last enemy and that there will be such glory that all the glory shall bee Christs and his Spouses that the wicked that are now so insolent shall be cast into their proper place with the Devill by whose Spirit they are led They bee great matters and there is great disproportion between the present condition and that condition in heaven and infidelity being in the soule its hard to fasten such things on the soule that so great things should be done but they are no greater than God hath said and hee is able to make good his Word The Lord hath said it and when God hath said it heaven and earth cannot unsay it when heaven hath concluded it earth and hell cannot disanull it The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it That is truth it selfe hath spoken it that cannot lye A man may lye and be a man and an honest man too he may sometimes speak an untruth it taketh not away his nature But God who is pure truth unchangable truth truth it selfe cannot lye When we heare of great matters as matters of Christianity be great matters they be as large as the capacity of the soule and larger too And yet the soule is large in the understanding and affection too When wee heare of such large matters wee need a great faith to believe them Great faith needeth great grounds and therefore its good to have all the helps we can When we heare of great things promised great deliverances great glory to strengthen our faith remember God hath spoken them He knoweth our weaknesse our infirmity and therefore helps us with this prop The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us therefore remember those great things are promised in the word of God in the word of Jehovah that can make them all good that gives a being to all his promises He is being it selfe and gives being to whatsoever he saith he is able to doe it Set God and his power against all opposition whatsoever from the creature and all doubts that may arise from our owne unbeleeving hearts The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But yee will say the Prophet Esay saith it whose words they were I answer Isaiah was the Pen-man God the mouth the head dictateth the hand writeth Christ the head dictates and his servant writeth So that holy men write as they were inspired by the holy Ghost a better spirit than their owne Why doe yee look on me saith Isaiah thinke not it is I that say it I am but a man like your selves but the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it VVee should not regard men nor the Ministerie of men but consider who speaks by men who sendeth them with what commission doe they come Ambassadors are not regarded for themselves but for them that send them And therefore Cornelius said well We are here in the presence of God to heare what thou wilt speake in the name of God Acts 10. 33. And so people should come with that reverend expression VVee are come in the presence of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the presence of the blessed Angells to heare what thou shalt say in the Name of God by the Spirit of God VVe are not to deal with men but with God And therefore he saith The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Hence may this question be easily answered VVhence hath the Scripture authority VVhy from it selfe it is the Word it carryeth its owne Letters testimoniall with it Shall God borrow Authority from men No the Authority the Word hath is from it selfe It hath a supreame authority from its selfe And wee may answer that question about the Judge of all controversies What is the supreame Judge the Word the Spirit of God in the Scriptures And who is above God It is a shamelesse ridiculous impudency of men that will take upon them to be Judges of Scripture as if man would get upon the Throne and as a Judge there Judge The Scriptures must judge all ere long yea that great Antichrist Now an ignorant man a simple man that perhaps never read Scriptures must judge of

and feeleth and knoweth divine truths there is a power and vertue in the sight and knowledge of a gracious man there is none in the knowledge of a carnall man The light of a candle hath a light in it but no vertue at all goeth with it but the light of the Sunne and the light of the starres they have a speciall vertue they have heate with them and they have an influence in a speciall kind on inferiour bodies working together with the light So it is with heavenly apprehension and knowledge it actually conveyeth light but with the light there is a blessed and gracious influence there is heate and efficacy with that light But though a carnall man know all the body of divinity yet it is a meere light without heat a light without influence It is not experimentall As a blind man can talke of colours if he be a Scholler and describe them better then he that hath his eyes he being not a Schollar but he that hath his eyes can can judge of colours a great deale better Oftentimes by booke a Schollar can tell you forraigne countries better than he that hath travelled yet the traveller that hath bin there can tell them more distinctly So he that is experienced in that kind though a stranger can measure another mans ground better then himselfe he can tell you here is so many Acres but he that possesseth them knowes the goodnesse of them the worth of them and improveth them to his owne good And so it is with many they can measure the points of Religion and define and divide them I but the poor Christian can taste can feele them can relish and improve them his knowledge is a knowledge with interest but other mens knowledge is a knowledge with no interest or experience at all So that there is naturally a vaile of ignorance on the heart of every naturall man Christianity is a mystery till conversion there is a mystery in every point of Religion none know what repentance is but a repentant sinner all the bookes in the world cannot informe the heart what sin is or what sorrow is A sicke man knoweth what a disease is better then all Physicians for he feeleth it no man knoweth what faith is but the true believer there is a mystery also in love Godlinesse is called a mystery not onely for the notionall but the practicall part of it why doe not men more solace themselves in the transcendent things of Religion which may ravish Angels Alas there is a vaile over their soule that they doe not know them or not experimentally they have no taste or feeling of them And so there is a vaile of unbeliefe there is no man without grace that believeth truly what he knoweth but he believeth in the generall onely he beleeveth things so farre forth as they crosse not his lusts But when particular truths are inforced on a carnall man his lusts doe overbeare all his knowledge and he hath a secret scorne arising in his heart whereby he derideth those truths and goeth against them and makes him thinke certainly these be not true and therefore he beleeveth them not If a man by nature beleeved the truths he saith he knoweth he would not goe directly against them But the ground of this is there is a mist of sinnefull lusts that are raised out of the soule that darkens the soule that at the present time the soule is atheisticall and full of unbeliefe for there is no sin but ignorance and unbeliefe breatheth it into the soule and maketh way for it For if a man knew what he were about and apprehended that God saw him and the danger of it he would never sinne There is no sinne without an error in judgement there is a vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe what creature will run into a pit when he seeth it open what creature will runne into the fire the most dull creature Man will not run into that danger that is open to the eye of the soule if there were not a vaile of ignorance at least unbeliefe at that time upon the soule All sinne supposeth error And this should make us hate sinne the more whensoever we sinne specially against our conscience there is atheisme in the soule at that time and there is unbeliefe we beleeve not truth it self no sinner but calleth truth into question when he sinneth he denieth it or questioneth it and therefore there is a vaile on every man naturally over his heart by ignorance and unbeliefe The truths themselves are cleare God is cleare and the Gospel is light Mens Lux you know they know things in the object but in us there is darkenesse in our understandings and therefore the Scripture saith not wee are darke onely but darknesse it selfe The clouds that arise are like the mists that doe interpose between our soules and divine things arising from our own hearts the love of sinfull things raise such a cloud that we know not or else believe not what is spoken To proceed God onely can reveale and take away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe from off the soule I will speake specially of this vaile The reason is there is such a naturall unsuitablenesse between the soule and heavenly light and heavenly truths that unlesse God opens the eye of the soule and puts a new eye into the soule it can never know or discerne of heavenly things there must be an eye suitable to the light else there will never be sight of it Now God can create a new spirituall eye to discerne of spirituall things which a naturall eye cannot who can see things invisible Divine things are invisible to naturall eyes there is no suitablenesse he that must reveale these and take away the vaile must create new light within as well as a light without now God and only God that created light out of darknesse can create light in the soule Let there be light Hee only can create a spirituall eye to see the things that to nature are visible There be four things in sight 1. The object to be beheld 2. The light that conveyeth it 3. The organ that receiveth it 4. And the light of the eye to meet the light without So it is in the soule together with divine truths there must be light to discover them for light is the first visible thing that discovers it selfe and all things else And then there must be a light in the soule to judge of them and this light must be suitable A carnall base spirit judgeth of spirituall things carnally like himselfe because he hath not light in his owne spirit The things are spirituall his eye is carnall he hath not a light in his eye suitable to the object and therefore he cannot judge of them for the Scripture saith plainly they are spiritually discerned Therefore a carnall person hath carnall conceptions of spirituall things as an holy man doth spiritualize

have most joy hereafter Now for Use Here is not onely the mercies of God in Christ but the tender mercy that whereas our life is full of teares which we have brought upon our selves yet God stoops so low as to wipe our eyes like a father or mother his mercy is a sweet and tender mercy And as the Psalmist saith When wee are sick he maketh our beds in our sicknesse Christ will come and serve them that watch and serve him nay hee will attend them and sup with them He is not only mercy and goodnesse but there be in him bowells of mercy he not onely giveth matter of joy and comfort but hee will doe like a tender hearted mother wiping away all teares from our eyes we cannot apprehend the Bowells in Gods love the pitty and mercy of God towards them that be his and afflicted in the World specially in a good cause though they bee never so many if they bee penitent teares he will wipe them all away And whereas wee must shed teares here that we may be comforted hereafter take heed that we doe not in this life judge by sight but by faith if we live by sight wee are of all men most wretched In the world the Children of God are most miserable and of the Children of God the best Saints Who hath more cause of teares than the best Saints It is but seed time here while seed time continues there be teares The Husbandman while it is seed time cannot doe his office but with trouble the Minister cannot doe his office but he is forc'd to take to heart the sinnes of the times to see his worke go backward Governours of Families and such they carry their seed weeping yea the best men cannot doe good sometimes but they doe it with trouble in themselves and with conflict of corruptions There is no good sowne here but it is sowne in teares yet take no scandall at this God will wipe away all teares The head of the Church our blessed Saviour and all his gracious Apostles what a life did they live The glorious Martyrs that sealed the truth with their bloud And therefore as the Apostle saith If our happinesse were here onely we were of all men most miserable If we judge by sight wee shall condemne the generation of the righteous we live by sight when wee see any cast downe with sight of sinne sense of temptation distresse of conscience wee thinke him forlorne Oh take heed of that For those that shed teares here God will wipe them all away Woe to them that laugh now for they shall mourne hereafter Though wee weepe here yet matter of joy enough shall spring up hereafter Afflictions will yeeld a quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. we may not see their fruits presently but afterwards And therefore be not discouraged for any thing we can suffer here or for the Church if we see her under pressure As darknesse is sowne for the wicked the foundation of their eternall torment is laid in their joy so the ground and foundation of all a godly mans joy is laid in teares Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Yet for the present there is more matter of joy than griefe if we look with both eyes as wee ought to have double eyes one to be sensible of our griefe as we must be the other of our comfort that we may not be surprized with griefe There is a sorrow to death an overmuch sorrow it is unthankfulnesse to God to forget our comforts as it is stupidity to forget our sorrow Take us at the worst have not we more cause of joy then sorrow Marke Rom. 5. Being justified by faith wee have peace with God and rejoyce under hope of glory Nay afterwards saith he we rejoyce in tribulations And why upon what ground Knowing that tribulations bring experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed Now we rejoyce in God reconciled in Christ So that as we ought to looke with one eye upon the griefe that we may have ground to exercise grace which we are not capable of without sensiblenesse so we must look to grounds of joy Our life is woven of matter of sorrow and joy as it is woven of both affections should be sensible of both that they may be more apprehensive of the grounds of comforts When the day of persecution approacheth this will make us comfortable for our life is a valley of teares and shall not wee go through this valley of teares to this mount where all teares shall be wiped away from all eyes When we be dejected with the losse of any friend they say as Christ said to the woman weepe not for me they be happy and all teares are wiped away from their eyes And therefore as it is matter of comfort while we live so ground of comfort when wee die for there is occasion of sorrow in death parting with friends and comforts of this world then teares are shed in more abundance and then wee bethinke our selves of former sinnes and there is renewing of repentance more then at other times yet then are we neer the time of joy and neerest the accomplishment of the promise that all teares shall be wiped away And so you have the whole state of a christian life an afflicted condition I but it is a comfortable condition The more afflictions here the more comfort here but specially hereafter The life of a carnall man is all in misery if he falls to joy he is all joy if to sorrow he is all sorrow hee hath nothing to support him he is like a Naball he sinketh like a piece of lead to the bottome of the sea like Achitophell downe he goeth when he is upon the merry pinne he is nothing but joy But a Christians state and disposition are both mixt he hath ground of sorrow for his owne sinnes and for the sinnes and miseries of the times So he hath matter of comfort for the present in the favour of God in the pardoning of sinnes in the presence of God in delivering him from trouble He hath speciall ground of joy in hope of glory in time to come Therefore as wee have a mixt state labour for a mixt disposition and labour to be in a joyfull frame so to grieve as out of it to raise matter of joy And when wee would joy grieve before for joy is sowne in griefe The best method of joy is for to take away all that disturbeth our joy search the bottome of the heart see what sinne is unconfest unrepented of spread it before God desire God to pardon it to seale the pardon When our soules are searched ro the bottome then out of that sorrow springeth joy and out of these sighs and grones that cannot be exprest commeth joy unspeakable and full of glory If a man will be joyfull let him labour to weepe first that