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	receive_v	1,549	5	5.5472	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12171	The bruised reede, and smoaking flax Some sermons contracted out of the 12. of Matth. 20. At the desire, and for the good of weaker Christians. By R. Sibbes. D.D.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1630 (1630)	STC 22479; ESTC S102404	79,256	424

Christs love and tender care over those that are humbled and besides the mercy that resteth in his owne brest hee workes the l●…ke impression in his Ministers and others to comfort the feeble minded and to beare with the weake Ministers by their calling are friends of the Bride and to bring Christ and his Spouse together and therefore ought upon all good occasions to lay open al the excellencies of Christ and amongst others as that hee is highly borne mighty one in whom all the treasures of wisedome are hid c so likewise gentle and of a good nature and of a gracious d●…sposition It cannot but cheere the heart of the spouse to consider in all her infirmities and miseries she is subject unto that shee hath a husband of a k●…nd disposition that knowes how to give the honour of milde usage to the weaker vessell That will be so farre frō rejecting her because she is weake that he will pity her the more And as hee is kinde at all times so especially when it is most seasonable he will speake to her heart especially in the wildernesse The more glory to God and the more comfort to a Christian soule ariseth from the beliefe and application of these things the more the enemy of Gods glory mans comfort labours to breed misperswasions of them that if hee cannot keepe men from heaven and bring them into that cursed condition he is in himselfe yet he may trouble them in their passage Some and none of the worst Sathan prevailes withall so farre as to neglect the meanes upon feare they should being so sinfull dishonour God and increase their sins so they lie smothering under this temptation as it were bound hand and foote by Sathan not daring to make out to Christ and yet are secretly upheld by a spirit of faith shewing it selfe in hidden sighes and groanes unto God These are abused by false representations of Christ all whose waies to such being wayes of mercy and all his thoughts thoughts of love The more Sathan is malicious in keeping the soule in darknesse the more care is to be had of establishing the soule upon that which will stay it Amongst other grounds to build our faith on as the free offer of grace to all that will receive it the gracious invitation of all that are weary and heauy lad●…n those that have nothing to buy withall The command binding to beleeve the danger of not beleeving being shut up prisoners thereby under the guilt of all other sinnes the sweet intreatie to beleeve and ordayning Embassadours to desire peace putting tender affections into them answerable to their calling ordaining Sacraments for the sealing of the covenant Besides these I say and such moving inducements this is one infusing vigor and strength into all the rest that they proceed from Christ a person authorized and from those bowels that moved him not only to become a mā but a curse for us hence it is that hee will not quench the smoaking wick or flax It addes strength to faith to consider that al expressions of love issue frō nature in Christ which is constant God knowes that as wee are prone to sinne so when conscience is throughly awaked wee are as prone to despaire for sinne and therefore hee would have us know that hee setteth himselfe in the Covenant of grace to triumph in CHRIST over the greatest evills and enemies we feare and that his thoughts are not as our thoughts are that he is God and not man that there is heights and depths and breadths of mercy in him above all the depths of our sin and misery that wee should never bee in such a forlorne condition wherein there should be ground of despaire considering our sinnes bee the sins of men his mercy the mercy of an infinite GOD. But though it be a truth cleerer then the Sunne beames that a broken hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced yet there is no truth that the heart shutteth it selfe more against then this especially in sense of misery when the soule is fittest for mercy untill the Holy spirit sprinkleth the conscience with the blood of Christ and sheddeth his love into the heart that so the blood of Christ in the conscience may cry lowder then the guilt of sinne for onely Gods Spirit can raise the conscience with comfort above guilt because he is only greater then the conscience Men may speake comfort but it is Christs Spirit that can onely comfort Peace is the fruit of the lips but yet created to bee so No creature can take off wrath from the conscience but he that set it on though all the prevailing arguments be used that can bee brought forth till the Holy Ghost effectually perswadeth by a divine kinde of rhetoricke which ought to raise up our hearts to him who is the comforter of his people that he would seale thē to our soules Now God dealing with mē as understanding creatures the manner which he useth in this powerfull worke upon their consciences is by way of friendly entercourse as intreaty and perswasion and discovery of his love in Christ and Christs gracious inclination thus even to the weakest and lowest of men And therefore because hee is pleased by such like motives to enter into the heart and settle a peace there we ought with reverence to regard all such sanctified helpes and among the rest this of making use of this comfortable description of Christ by God the Father in going boldly in all necessities to the throne of grace But wee must know this comfort is onely the portion of those that give up themselves to Christs government that are willing in all things to be disposed of by him For here we see in this Scripture both joyned together mercy to bruised reedes and yet government prevailing by degrees over corruptions Christ so favoureth weake ones as that he frameth their soules to a better condition then they are in Neither can it be otherwise but that a soule looking for mercy should submit it selfe at the same time to be guided Those relations of husband head shepheard c. imply not onely meeknesse and mercy but government likewise When we become Christ ans to purpose we live not exempt from all service but onely wee change our Lord. Therefore if any in an ill course of life snatch comforts before they are reached out unto them let them know they doe it at their owne perills It is as if some ignorant man should come into an Apothecaries shop stored with varietie of medicines of all sorts shold take what comes next to hād poyson perhaps in stead of Physicke There is no word of comfort in the whole booke of God intended for such as regard iniquity in their hearts though they doe not act it in their lives Their onely comfort is that the sentence of damnation is not executed and thereupon there is yet opportunity of safer thoughts