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	know_v	3,423	5	4.6161	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54073	A touchstone or tryall of faith by the originall from whence it springs and the root out of which it grows : held out by way of expositions of the 12 and 13 verses of the first chapter of Iohn's gospel and of the six former verses of the third chapter which treat expressly about this point ... : to which is added The spirituall practice of Christians in primitive times.	Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679.; Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. Spirituall practice of Christians in primitive times.	1648 (1648)	Wing P1216; ESTC R27464	24,581	40

by night acknowledging him to be a Teacher from God one who had the will of God revealed unto him by God himselfe and came to make it known unto the sonnes of men Hee giveth Christ the ground which induced him thus to believe which was because of the signes hee shewed the wonders hee did which no man could doe unlesse God were with him Those things he did were beyond the working of any humane power therefore God must needs be with that person who doth them he comes as one that would be a disciple though hee comes not so openly as others did and at his first salute hee acknowledgeth Christ to be a Teacher sent from Heaven by God rendring his reason withall whereby hee could not chuse but so judge which was no meane one neieher but drawn from the mighty things Christ did wherein the very power of God did appear to the eye of reason evidencing unto it that living Spring from whence he came and the Pres●●●● of that living Spring with him This is expressed in the first and second verses In the third verse Christ applyeth himselfe to his particular state wishing him to consider the ground whence this acknowledgement of his did arise telling him plainly that true Faith must arise from another root then sight of his miracles Iesus answered and said unto him verily verily c. as if hee had said Mark what I say I know what I speak Verily verily it is most certainly so unlesse a man be born againe he cannot see the kingdome of God What is the Kingdome of God The kingdome of God is that state of life and blessednesse which God hath brought to light by Iesus Christ As the kingdome of the Devill is that state of death and misery man lies in by nature so the Kingdome of God is the state of life and glory man is advanced to by grace Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the Name of Iesus Christ Act. 8. 12. He opened the life and blessednesse that belongs to this Kingdome and the name of Christ who is to bring us into it To see this Kingdome is an act of Faith which is the eye wherewith wee behold every spirituall thing this eye no man hath but he that is born againe he that is born from above This eye doth not lie hid in nature and so only wants somewhat to cleare it and draw forth the act of it but it belongs to a new birth he that is begotten and born of God hee hath this eye in him and none else Therefore Nicodemus consider thy mistake Thou thinkest because thou seest by an eye of reason that I am come from God and art drawne by thy reason and ingenuity to acknowledge and owne it that therefore thou believest No no Nicodemus if thou hast Faith it ariseth from another ground then the sight of my miracles it comes from a new birth in thee though God may make this usefull to thee also to help thee to believe but if thy Faith have no better ground-work then this it is like the fore-mentioned Faith of those in the former Chapter vers. 23. whom I dare not I cannot owne as Disciples Oh weigh and consider this all wise and ingenuous men behold your snare and take notice of this also which may help to enervate the force of it That sight and acknowledgement of any spirituall thing which wee are drawn to by a power of reason by such evidences as reason it selfe cannot withstand as miracles were wee have just cause to suspect as not true and spirituall It is the sight of reason not of Faith it is such an act of Faith as proceeds from the naturall man not from the spirituall man it is that act the eye that was in us before puts forth not the new eye Oh see how men are quite out in seeking after the truths of God in every kind They call for reason for evidences to have it brought by such hands as no man could justly refuse Ah! they should call for new eyes or least for Gods discovering his truths in a spirituall way to their eyes which all the miracles in the world cannot doe They may by miracles bee brought to a rationall sight and so to a present acknowledgement of truths but never to a spirituall sight which alone ●s satisfactory and which alone w●ll be lasting Verse 4. Nicodemus apprehends this spirituall truth very carnally and grossely of a fleshly birth of the fleshly part and it seemeth a direct absurdity to him what Christ had now affirmed He thinks he hath caught the great Master whom hee acknowledged just now a Teacher come from God in a trap and hee so expresseth it as if Christ had overshot himself and could not tell how to make good what hee had laid downe How can a man be borne againe when hee is old is there any possibility of this can hee enter the second time into his mothers wombe and bee borne Verse 5. Christ doth not abate any thing of what hee hath said but affirmeth it againe with the same vehemency further opening and confirming it Iesus answerd Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be borne of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Doest thou come to be a Disciple to learn the way to happinesse wouldst thou enter into that state of blessednesse that I come to preach thou must be born againe and not carnally not of carnall things but of water and of the spirit For the better apprehending of this let us enquire a little into these ensuing particulars 1. What is meant by water 2. What it is to be borne of water 3. What it is to be borne of the Spirit 4. What this entring into the Kingdome of God is which none none can doe but that person which it born of water and of the Spirit 1. What is meant by water By water is meant the knowledge of God in Christ the sight of God in the face of Christ wherein eternall life consists If thou hadst known the gift of God c. thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Ioh. 4. 10. What is this living water Why this is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ioh. 17. 3. The heavenly doctrine of life and salvation is often expressed in Scripture by this tearm of water My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew Deut. 32. 2. Is. 55. 10. Heb. 6. 7. As God is the fountaine whence all the life and sweetnesse of the creature flowes whether naturall Is. 65. 9. or spirituall Ier. 2. 13. So those beames of eternall light those streamings forth of life which issue out from God in the knowledge of Iesus Christ they are waters from this fountaine 2. What it is to be born of water It notes that fundamentall and radicall change which is made in the