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	infallible_a	2,205	5	9.7344	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91898	Panoplia. Universa arma. Hieron. Or, The Christian compleatly armed: being a treatise of the Christians armour, clearly opening every part thereof, both pressing to the putting of it on, and instructing us so to use it, as we may not be soyled in time of temptation. / Delivered by that late reverend, and faithfull minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Woolnoth, London, to his congregation there, in several lectures: and now published for the further benefit of the Church of God.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1656 (1656)	Wing R1710; Thomason E1586_2; ESTC R208953	180,905	372

speaks there of Christs coming in this life to avenge and deliver his elect the earth shall be so low and deliverance shall be so improfitable that the report of it will not be beleeved as the people of God in former time had not faith to beleeve their deliverance from Captivity Isa 63. 1. 2. So shall it be saith our Saviour when Christ comes to avenge his afflicted people under the Gospel that cry unto him And if there be so few that can beleeve a temporal deliverance how few are there that can beleeve for the saving of their souls No wonder then if Satan overcome so many 3. How needful it is for the Minister of the Gospell to be often preaching about the Doctrine of faith Those weapons and postures which are of greatest use to the Souldier the Captain ought to be most diligent in instructing the Souldier in them The Ministers of the Gospel are the Captains of the Lords Host they are to train and exercise all the spiritual Souldiers of Christ they are to teach them the use of their Arms and all their postures that they may be deetrous in the day of battel If any Souldier be wounded for want of arms or of skil to use them through their default God wil require it at their hands Now of all the pieces of spirituall Armour the shield of faith is the most necessary and therefore the Doctrine of faith should be most frequently preached 4. This shewes what necessarily lies upon the sons of men to prove and examine the truth of their faith If the shield of faith be rotten or counterfeit the soul is undone in the day of Temptation if the shield of faith be sound and armour of proof the strongest assaults of Satan will be repelled with comfort Prove your selves whether you be in the faith or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. T is necessary to try 1. Because there is not a man in the world which hath heard of Jesus Christ but thinks he beleeves in him To be accounted an Infidell or unbeleever is a matter of such reproach and infamy as that no man is willing to lye under it 2. Because the heart is very deceitful and in nothing more subject to be mistaken than in this case There is a false presumption and foolish fancy which would gladly be called by the name of faith John 2. 23. 24. When Jesus was at Jerusalem many beleeved in his name when they sawthe miracles wch he did but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men They did presume that they beleeved in Christ but Jesus Christ knew their faith was nothing else but a meer fancy and groundless presumption 3. Because the Devil useth all the skill he can to deceive the sinner and to make him confident that he doth beleive as he endeavours to perswade the true Beleiver that his fruit is rotten so he endeavours to perswade the unbeleiver that his presumption is faith That I may help them in this inquiry I shall do two things 1. Discover some mistaken grounds which men go upon thinking that to be an evidence of saving faith which is not so 2. Lay down some positive evidences of true faith 1. There are two great mistakes about faith by which many are deceived Viz. 1. Some are deceived in regard of knowledge and assent They think they have true justifying faith because they have the doctrine of the Gospel and give as they think a right assent to the same for the removal of this mistake I shall first shew that both these may be without saving faith Secondly I shall shew how the knowledge of an unbeleiver and his assent differ from the knowledge and assent of true faith 1. That Knowledge and Assent is not faith T is granted that there is no faith truely wrought without Knowledge and Assent but that there may be Knowledge and some Assent where saving faith is not appears by these two reasons 1. The most wicked and prophane persons in the world may have and many times do attain unto a more exact knowledge of the Doctrine of the Scriptures than many a true Beleiver And they may also assent unto those truths The Apostle speaks of some by way of supposition that may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and yet want saving faith 1 Cor. 13. 2. All this is but an historical faith Judas had the knowledge of the Scriptures and gave assent to them he preached the Gospel to others and yet wanted faith John 6. 64. There are some of you that beleive not you know what will be the plea of many in the latter day Math. 7. 22. and yet had not one drachm of saving faith I shall desire you to peruse but that one Scripture well Rom. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. and then you will conclude that neither the knowledge of nor the assenting to the doctrine of the Scriptures is saving faith but are ordinarily without it 2. The very Devils themselves are beyond the most intelligent Christians in all matters of knowledge They know the history of the Bible more exactly than we Satan was not ignorant of Scripture when he set upon our Saviour Math. 4. 6. And the Devil also gives assent to the truth of the Scriptures Jam 2. 19. He acknowledged Christ to be the Son of God Math. 8. 29. What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God as full a confession for the matter and substance of it as that which Peter made Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Now that which is fained in the worst of men and in the very Devils can neither be true faith nor an evidence of it 2. If we come to examine that knowledge and assent which is in wicked men with that which is in a true beleiver we shall find a vast difference for 1. concerning their knowledge there are three differences 1. The knowledge of a true Beleiver is an experimentall knowledge but the knowledge of an unbeleiver is meerly notional and speculative A Beleiver hath in his heart a lively sense and feeling of all those truths which he hath the knowledge of in his understanding They are truths in his heart as well as in his head That promise of God Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts is made good to every true Beleiver and to him alone His heart is an Index or Commentary by which through the Spirit of God he can understand divine truths 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshy tables of the heart This is the meaning of that of our Saviour John 7. 16 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 2. The knowledge of faith is

is our Rhetorick to perswade us in tribulation unto patience Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Psal 37. 7. and Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord c. 5. The accomplishment of future good This shews the object of Hope generally that which is good particularly or specially future good Herein it differs from faith The object of faith is not onely good things but evill things also Faith beleeves the threatnings as well as the promises Faith doth beleeve there is an Hell as well as an Heaven but Hope onely looks at good things Evill things are the proper object of fear and hatred not of hope And then this differs in the spiritual object Hope onely looks at good things to come what a man sees why Rom. 8. 24. doth he yet hope for it hope that is seen is not hope That 's the difference between hope and vision But now faith looks not onely at things that are to come but also at things that are past and at things that are present It looks to things past We beleeve that the World was created that Adam fell that the old world was drowned that Christ was born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered that he dyed c. We beleeve also things that are present We beleeve that Christ is at the right hand of God that he makes present intercession And we also beleeve things that are to come We beleeve that Antichrist shall fall that Christ shall come to judge the World that our dead bodies shall be raised c. 6. Which God hath promised Herein faith and hope agree they have both the same Basis or foundation viz. The word of promise The Scripture asserts the promise to be the foundation of hope Tit. 1. 2. There could be no reason of expectation unless the thing expected were bottomed upon a divine promise It s loose fancy not well grounded waiting which is not erected upon a promise 7. And Faith beleeveth This holds out another difference between Faith and Hope They differ in their order Faith goes before Hope followes the stedfastness of hope is from the certainty of faith faith beleeves the truth of the thing and hope waits for the accomplishment of it The Apostle tells us that faith is the substance or ground of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Mother of hope and hope is the Daughter of faith faith discovers the treasure and hope gathers it and layes it up Faith is the fire of hope and hope is the flame of faith 2. Wherein the Resemblance between Hope and a Helmet Consider that in four things 1. The Helmet doth defend the head from violence offered either by sword pistoll c. The grace of Hope doth safeguard the soul from the violence of Satan 2. The Helmet is the highest of al the Souldieres Armour The grace of Hope is that which looks still upwards t is the highest of the graces it hath its eye fixed upon the things which are in Heaven 3. The Helmet doth make the Souldier of dreadful appearance to his adversary Polybius tels us that the Romane Souldiers had upon their Helmets garlands sticking upon spikes so high that they seemed of a double height and did appear very formidable to the enemy Men of low stature seemed exceeding high by reason of their Helmets and that dress which they wore upon them The Grace of Hope upon the head makes the Christian Souldier very formidable to Satan it doth lift him up even to Heaven Little David with his Helmet of Hope appeared of a greater height then Goliah though he had a Helmet of Brass Hope sets the Soul upon a Rock which is higher then all his Adversaries 4. The Helmet doth give warmth and heat to the head it hath a refreshing as well as a defending virtue in it The Grace of Hope warms and refreshes the Heart III. Wherein this Grace is usefull to a Christian in the time of Temptation 1. The Grace of Hope helps Christian Courage It sharpens the edge of Christian Valour faintness and fearfulness of Spirit gives a very great advantage to the enemy That was a good Martial Law which God gave his people Deut. 20. 8. If the heart once sink through cowardice and pusillanimity the hands grow weak Now the grace of Hope keeps the heart from sinking yea it adds courage to the heart We have a Proverb But for Hope the heart would break I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Psal 27. 13. Upon this he gives an Exhortation to others to hope in God with a promise of strength v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage c. The exercise of this grace kept the Apostles from sinking 2 Cor. 14. 16 18. For this cause we faint not c. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen c. 2. The Grace of Hope doth strengthen Faith Though Faith breed Hope yet doth Hope strengthen Faith It is as a staff to her aged mother as one well observes Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Faith makes things that are not seen evident and then the grace of Hope helps the Evidence of Faith 3. The Grace of Hope helps the Soul to persevere Victory is promised onely to such as hold out unto the end Be thou faithful unto the death c. Rev. 2. 10. Now without Hope there can be no perseverance He that hath lost his hope will either yield or run or make some unworthy composition but now Hope will carry on the Soul in its opposition There are two things which Hope doth to help us to persevere First It fastens the Eye upon the sight of the Crown it layes that at the foot of the Soul and encourageth it to continue Secondly It fetches in help from heaven it fastens the Eye upon Jesus Christ and lets it see that He is fighting for them while they are fighting for themselves It shewes the Soul Recruits marching from Heaven for its Relief and assistance Information 1. This lets us see the benefit and excellency of the Grace of Hope The Scripture speakes very much in the commendation of it It 's the second of those three choice Graces Faith Hope Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13. It 's that which brings heaven down to the Soul or raises the Soul to heaven even when the Soul is here on earth It 's the Soul's Comforter in all the troubles afflictions and evils which it sustains in this life It 's that by which we overcome Satan in the day of Temptations It 's the Soul's Anchor by which it rides safely in the tempestuous Sea of Temptations Of all the Graces it is that which promises least but there is no Grace that is of more use then this It 's well compared by one to an Egge that hath more in it then is seen An Egge hath nothing to be seen

Mercy This was that which strengthned the faith of Moses Heb. 11. 27. These are strong props which will keep faith from sinking when its ready to dye This is the first branch of the Exhortation which concerns Beleevers 2. That which I would say to unbeleevers is this That they would labour for this grace of justifying and saving faith There are many things which may be as motives to press you to it 1. All the promises of grace are to you of none effect They all run upon the condition of beleeving The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve 2. All the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ is of none effect to an unbeleever T is faith that gives the soul an interest in Christs blood 3. All their holy duties and religious actions without faith are displeasing unto God Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God Sacrafices without faith is no better than the cutting off a dogs neck Incence without faith is no better than the blessing of an Idol killing of an Oxe is no better than the killing of a Man offering of Oblation is no better than the offering of Swines blood c. Isa 66. 3. But I shall only urge it upon this ground you can never do any good against Satan in the day of temptation if you want this shield As it happened to the accusers of Daniel when they were cast into the Lions den so it wil happen to you in the day of temptation if you want this shield It s said the Lions had the mastery over them and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came to the bottom of the den Dan. 6. 24. So it will be with you the roaring Lion will have the mastery over you and break you into pieces if you want this shield But you will say what course should we take to get this grace 1. Study the mischief of an unbeleeving heart The Apostle calls it an evil heart of unbeleef Heb. 3. 12. 1. It s sinfully evil Hard dark dead impenitent filthy deceitful and false deceiving others and it self also 2. It s penally evil 1. It makes all the Ordinances ineffectual Heb. 4. 2. 2. It binds all a mans sins upon his own back It seals up all our sins because it keeps us from that which is the onely remedy against sin 3. It defiles every thing to a man To the clean all things are clean but to the unbeleevers and them that are defiled is nothing clean but even their Consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. 4. It brings certain condemnation As salvation is the end of our faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. So is damnation the end of unbeleef John 3. 36. He that beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him 2. Study the Insufficiency of Self Look upon the rottenness and nothingness of all Moral Civill righteousness Too high thoughts of Civill righteousness is that which hinders thousands from beleeving Remember that of the Apostle Phil. 3. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamine an Hebrew of the Hebrews c. Concerning the righteousness which is in the Law blameless c. But what were gain to me those I counted loss c. Yea doubtless I account all things but loss c. 3. Study thorowly the All-sufficient fulness of Jesus Christ who is the object of faith He is not a broken reed he is not an house of sand but a rock a corner stone upon whom whosoever beleeveth shall never be ashamed The ignorance of Jesus Christ is that which hinders many from beleeving in him Isa 53. init Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men c. Study him well therefore in Point of Merit in point of grace Study him in all his Offices of King Priest Prophet and then you will say as the Daughters of Jerusalem did Cant. 6. 1. Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest c. 4. Study the deep guilt of Adam in the polution of thy own Nature Those that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick Conviction of our guilt and misery is a necessary preparative to saving faith Now the Scripture doth clearly affirme that all men have sinned and are come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. And Rom. 5. 12. And then take in this consideration that neither your selves nor any other Creature is able to free you from that guilt that there is no other way of salvation but onely by hanging upon Jesus Christ alone He it is which God hath sanctified and set apart for the satisfying of his own Justice and reconciling the World to himself 5. Consider the willingness of Jesus Christ to ease and save and take of burthens Though the disease be never so desperate and the Physitian never so able yet if his willingness be not known little encouragement will be to any to go to him but Jesus Christ is as willing as able 1. He was sanctified for that work Vide Isa 61. 1. 2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me for he hath annointed me to preach good tydings to the meek c. The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost 2. Read and peruse all the solemn invitations which are given unto men to beleeve in him Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me c. Isa 55. 1. 2. And Christ is not in jest but very reall in making these tenders 3. Read and peruse seriously all the Asseverations which are used to assure men that if they will come they shall not be refused Vide John 6. 37. Verily verily I say unto you he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Never any was cast out never any will be cast out that comes to him after a right manner 4. Read and consider all the Lamentations and sad Complaints made by Jesus Christ of the backwardness and unwillingness of men to lay hold upon him Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life John 5. 40. And that in Luke 13. 34. of Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem c. How often would I have gathered thy Children together as an Hen doth her brood c. and ye would not 6. Wait constantly upon the publick Ministry which God hath appointed to be the ordinary means of working faith in the heart He that neglects this means and doth not conscionably attend upon it will

4. Freedom from all vexations and troubles of spirit All these things are necessarily required to the making good of this supposition And yet if any man could attain to this yet he might for ever be a cast-away and lose his soul There are many rich men now suffering the vengeance of eternall fire Luke 12. 18. c. Luke 16. 19 20 23. The best of men have and may want outward prosperity Heb. 11. 37. Some are there mentioned of whom the world was not worthy and yet were destitute afflicted tormented Most or all the Prophets and Apostles yea Christ himself must be excluded out of Heaven if this were an evidence of salvation 3. There would be no sin in covetousness if this were any ground of salvation The Scripture reckons covetousness amongst the grossest and worst of sins Col. 3. 5. Eph. 5. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 10. It s no sin for a man to get an evidence of salvation with all his diligence The love of money would not be the root of all evill as the Apostle brands it 1 Tim. 6. 10. but the root of all good if this were an evidence of salvation II. Outward Profession is no certain ground of salvation Many men build their hopes of salvation onely on profession They hear they pray c. That this is no infallible evidence of salvation will appear by these two Arguments 1. Because many who have been forward in profession have been rejected in regard of eternal salvation Luke 13. 26 27. Isay 58. 2 3. A naturall principle may carry a man to all the duties of outward profession 2. Because then there would be no such thing in the Church as hypocrisie whereas the Scripture makes a difference between the form of godliness and the power of godliness 2 Tim. 3. 5. III. Civill morall Righteousness is no infallible evidence of salvation Many persons build their salvation upon this that they are civilly just they are free from scandalous sins They are no Theeves Adulterers c. It were to be wished that all men were free from these grosse offences he that walks in any of these can certainly have no hope of salvation for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto men c. Tit. 2. 11 12. But yet there are many presidents in Scripture which prove that all this may be in such as are out of the state of salvation 1. That in Luke 18. 11. God I thank thee I am not as other men c. He was no swearer no Drunkard c. and yet in the Gall of bitterness c. 2. That in Mat. 25. 1. 2. They were Virgins not Harlots they kept company with the wise Virgins and were not only in their own apprehension but in the charitable judgement of others in a good condition and yet when the Bridegroom came they would not be admitted they wanted Oil in their Lamps and so were excluded the Mariage-Chamber and that with this sad word I know you not 3. That in Mat. 11. 12. He was no scandalous sinner As far as men could look he was very right none but the eye of the King who sees what is in man could discern any defect in him and yet cast out with shame into outer darkness verse 13. 4. That young man in Mat. 19. 18 19 20. He was not only free from scandall but he was very exact in many outward things All these have I kept from my youth There were so many common graces in him as were worth the drawing out of affection Jesus loved him saith another Evangelist Mark 16. 21. and yet out of the state of salvation for the present he went away sorrowful for he was very rich 5. That in 2 Pet. 2. 18. 20. The Apostle speaks of such as were not scandalous they had escaped the pollution of the world and yet far from salvation 6. The separation which shall be made at the last day Mat. 25. 32. is a proof of this It is not of sheep and Wolves but of sheep and Goats Sheep and Goats feed together and herd together and yet Goats shall be condemned as well as Wolves 7. That in Mat. 5. 20. How exact the Scribes and Pharisees were for all acts of externall righteousness will appear from that of the Apostle Phil. 3. 5. 6. concerning the righteousness of the Law blameless and yet at that time out of the state of salvation Sin may be restrained when it is not mortified A person may be under the raign and Dominion of sin who is not under the rage and fury of sin Sin may be restrained in men unconverted 1. By civill education Thus it was with Paul before his conversion Phil. 3. 5 6. 2. By outward affliction Psal 78. 34. when he slew them they sought him 2 Reg. 17. 25 26. God sent Lions amongst them Those devouring Creatures restrained their sin for a time 3. By the external power of Ordinances Humane Ordinances may restrain sin as Magistrates Rom. 13. 3 4. When the Angel of God came to Balaam with his dtawn Sword he put him to a present stop the Sword of Magistracy may do this Divine Ordinances The thundring of judgement and damnation from the publique Ministry may restrain sin for a time Go down saith God to Moses and set bounds Exod. 19. 12. vid. Cap. 20. 18. When the people heard the thundrings c. they removed and stood a far off 4. By common grace such was Abimelech's restraint Gen. 20. 6. Secondly For positive evidences I shall name but these three viz. 1. That in Col. 1. 27. Christ in them the Hope of Glory The Rule of evidence is this Jesus Christ is in that person who hath a well-grounded hope of everlasting glory No man hath any foundation of hoping for eternal salvation but onely he that hath Jesus Christ dwelling in him I might bring many concurrent testimonies of Scripture for the proving of this as 2 Cor. 13. 5. Hence it is that the Apostle calles Christ our hope 1 Tim. 1. 1. It is by Christ alone that we have hope As he alone is our peace so is he alone our hope Now we may know that Christ is in us by these two evidences 1. If Christ be in you the body is dead in regard of sin Rom. 8. 10. he that is withour Christ is dead in sin and he in whom Christ is is dead to sin The Dominion of sin is destroyed The love of sin is removed Sin doth not raign sin is not affected where Jesus Christ dwells in power Sin may be where Christ is but it doth not bear sway it hath not a quiet Being it is opposed it is lamented and that not onely that sin which breaks out in the life but also that root of bitterness which abides in the heart Sin undiscerned of the eye of man as well as that which is discovered to the eye of man Sin Dormant as well as sin Rampant sins of daily incursion and infirmity as well as scandalous sins