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
A75965	The male of the flock, or A sermon preached at St. Pauls, before the right honourable, the Lord Mayor, and the right vvorshipfull, the aldermen of the city of London, Septemb: the 9th: 1655. By Benjamin Agas, minister of Cheneyes in Bucks.	Agas, Benjamin.	1655 (1655)	Wing A758A; Thomason E861_3; ESTC R206648	27,438	38

Pauls exhortation is this Offer up your whole selves bodies and souls unto God in the way of sacrifice But now lest they should question what he meant he comes in with reasonable service that is serve God in your bodies and souls and so sacrifice your selves unto him Reasonable some questioning about this epithete some say spiritual service opposing this sacrifice of Christians to that of the Jews which was meerly flesh Others say reasonable that is rational as opposing it to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bruit beasts offered in sacrifice However it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which on all hands it is agreed to be servitus religionis viz worship homage service and those several duties we daily perform unto God So that at length to make an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to inferr our worship homage devotions in a word all Christian duties which daily we perform unto God is our Christian sacrifice And this is that sacrifice which must be the choice and prime of our Flock unlesse we would be accursed As under those carnal rites and administrations it was a thing hateful unto the Lord to bring a Sacrifice unto him of the refuse and worser Cattle and not of the fairest and best of the Flock so in the dayes of the Ghospel when more spiritual sacrifices are required it is equally abominable if these Sacrifices of our services be not performed in the best way which is within the compass of our power and utmost abilities Our next work will be therefore to shew what it is to bring the Male of our Flock and why it must needs be abominable if we do it not The first wil be explication the next confirmation and so way will be made for Application What is it to bring the Male of our Flock Explication Vt suprà to serve God in the best manner with our whole hearts Ans and souls Doubtless the Male of our Flock is our heart Prov 23.26 My son give me thine heart the rest is little worth and without that nothing worth But here I take heart for all the nobler powers and faculties of the inner man which are constantly to be brought forth and faithfully to be made use of in all our religious services and performances But more particularly to serve God in the best manner is to serve him with our best understanding with our best wil and our best affections for if our homage be not served up with one and all of these it wil be no better than a corrupt thing If not with our best understanding then the Lamb for Sacrifice wil be blind if not with our best wil the Lamb wil grow wild and run away if not with our best affections it wil be faint and sick heartless and wortheless But 1. With our best understanding we must beat our brains and muster up our wits to find out God and to have a clear apprehension in heavenly things especially those heights and depths those bredths and lengths of Gods free grace and Christs rich love to Man-kind and with a reference to perform all duties Be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is Eph 5.27 In malice be yee Children but in understanding be yee men ● Cor 14.19 This is that which makes the man and discriminates him from bruit Creatures But oh what cloudy muddy brainslo● with what an easiness of handknowledg do most men content themselves People generally are of the Colliars faith believing as the Church beleives and the Church believes as they believe but what themselves or the Church believes they know not Whereas it is our bounden duty to be able to render a reason of our faith from point to point and to know the ground we go upon tam in agendis quam credendis both in things we believe and in things we practise 1 Pet 3.15 I know the common answer and evasion viz T is for you Schollars who are book-learned and have nothing else to do but alas we are so taken up with other occasions that it cannot be expected from us But I answer this sive wil not hold water and therefore deceive not your selves t is not only for Schollars but for your Citizens and were I in my own Auditory I wo●ld say t is for you Countrymen and wherever I were I would indifferently presse it upon all who desire to serve God acceptably here and see God comfortably hereafter God taketh no pleasure in fools Eccles 5.8 And Christ will come with flaming vengeance to those who do not know God as to those who do not obey him to the ignorant as to the rebellious and disobedient 1 Thes 1.8 Think not your Callings can plead you guiltlesse for no Calling which is of God can in sound reason be thought to put a man upon a necessity of sinning and serving the Devil but if they unavoidably keep you in perpetual ignorance then are yee brought under such an hellish necessity Our Saviour saith Mark 9.49 Every Sacrifice must be salted with salt salt we know is a word of wisedom as in the verse have salt in your selves that is be knowing and intelligent The sacrifices of all our services must be seasoned with divine sapience and knowledg else the whole lump of our devotions wil be a corrupt thing as a tainted peece of flesh unsalted and ful of worms Wherefore Paul was resolved to sing with the spirit and sing with his understanding also to pray with the spirit and to pray with the understanding also 1 Cor 14.15 and well he might for it is the understanding which makes the praying words of a Penitent to differ from the prating words of a Parrat Here I might complain for never more darknes then in these dayes of light but I intreat hear read and pray make diligent search excogitate and often in your minds revolve the things of Heaven untill yee attaine the best understanding 2. With our best will I deem that the best will which is violently bent to the will of God and resolutely set to do that work When we come into the Command as a ship under full sail to the Harbor Could we suppose a chain of iron or steel lying crosse the kennel t would teare it in pieces as a twine thread and yet rush violently forward in her intended course The Apostle possibly hints at such a thing 2 Cor 8.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If there be in you a willing mind it is accepted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est omni studio aliquid conari to do a thing with a willing mind is to do it with all earnestnes of desire and indeavour The wil with its first and second power which for lack of better terms I shal make bold to call vellability and volition is very subtil and misterious I had almost said inscrutable hence all those endlesse endlesse controversies between the Arminians and their nervus and stout opponents Oh happy is that high understanding and deep