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	salvation_n	2,229	5	7.5228	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13014	A forme of wholsome words, or, An introduction to the body of divinity in three sermons on 2 Timothy, I.13 / preached by John Stoughton ...	Stoughton, John, 1593-1639.; Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.	1640 (1640)	STC 23307.5; STC 23307A_PARTIAL; ESTC S100140	52,852	122

grounds As before a dye that is perfect and durable there must be some preparative that makes the ground if you would have it a good colour if you put your cloth to receive it at first the first tincture though it be that which will properly give the dye will not doe it if that it be not prepared before so it is in this case if a man have not some forme of sound and wholsome words if a man have not laid some foundation all things will be like an Iland in the sea and he cannot come neer it to comprehend it But if he have laid a ground-work before he can reduce what he heares to that and so by the helpe of it standing upon his forme as on his bottome hee can come to reach and comprehend all other particulars 2. It helpes a man to mention no more as to profit by others so to be profitable to others and this is a thing which concernes not onely Ministers whose office it is to teach and instruct others but it also concernes every one in their place thou shalt teach thy children and thy family Deut. 11.19 There is some teaching and some conveyance which every Christian is bound unto in their place Now how shall any man teach that hath not learned He that never was in a shop cannot set up at first upon the score but hee must have something of his owne and it is impossible for him to teach another well that hath not himselfe some acquaintance with the platforme of sound and wholsome words that hath not taken some paines and made some progresse in that it will be impossible to teach I say at least judiciously or profitably to convey any thing to another But this now if a man had it would be a continuall treasury a store-house to furnish a man on all occasions to bee communicable profitably to others and withall not make any diminution at all of his owne store but rather adde to and increase it To come now to the Application There be two things that I intend to doe in the application of this point First to draw those inferences out of it according to my ordinary course of application which naturally arise from the consideration of the point and that being done In the second place to take the limit and occasion for you know I take this text to be as a porch and entrance to the discourse that I desire to prosecute to acquaint you in the generall with the whole platforme to carry it as it were over the stage which if God grant life and liberty which I doe not promise I intend to goe thorow only before I will acquaint you generally I say with the whole view and prospect as it were as Moses he had a prospect of the land of Canaan from mount Nebo so though happely I shall not live to be able to carry you to all the particulars in the whole platforme yet to set you as it were in sight to carry you on the mount to let you see the view and description of all that which I intend to goe thorow if God give ability and life which thing I conceive will bee very usefull and profitable to make way to that which I intend to handle in the particulars but I shall purposely omit this till the next time and only for present dispatch the generall application And in a word there be these three things I shall inferre hence 1. Here is a justification of the observers of this Rule and that is 1. Of persons whether Paul or Timothy or the Church If this be so then this justifieth the wisedome and fidelity and zeale of all the Churches of God and all godly men Paul and Timothy and others in all times that have been carefull to establish and preserve the forme of sound and wholesome words that it might receive no tincture of any corruption But as the Apostle Iude giveth an intimation and an item to Christians did contend for the faith once received Secondly of the manner of observing of it for this hath beene the care of the godly in all times who have beene carefull to walke according to this rule and have had plat-formes and that in many kinds I will give some taste of some few in a word It hath beene more publikely observed in their Creeds and Confessions Hence it was that the Church of God did gather together and compile as it were in a bundle in the short compasse of the Creed the summe of faith as the epitome of those things they beleeved and the ground worke of those things that are to be beleeved as necessary to salvation according to the measure of those times and the light and growth of those times judiciously and exactly for it is not to be supposed that the Apostles themselves did it but some others And this hath beene the ground that there is no Church of God but generally hath had and usually have their confessions of faith the summe of what they professe in their doctrines of Religion compiled together in so many articles as their wisedome thought meet to comprehend the most necessaries in and so to discharge that which the Apostle injoynes them to preserve a forme of sound words More privatly it hath beene the care of men and a commendable care according to this rule to deliver a forme of sound words both to unlearned and beginners in a way of Catechisme expressing the fundamentall things of Religion to the unlearned and in a systematicall way for the learned proficients to compose a body of Divinity in as narrow a compasse of substantiall and pithy principles from the top to the bottome as they could This hath beene the care of all the Churches publikely and privatly they have discharged their fidelity in this charge by their faithfull care that there might be still preserved and kept in the Church of God a forme of sound and wholesome words And it hath it been their wisedome to doe it for by this care they have not onely built up the godly with a trowell in one hand as it were and withall as with a sword did cut downe and stop the gap by which heresies would creepe in and it hath beene their praise to do it with zeale if it be such a sacred depositum such a choise jewell they are not at least to be blamed that Sacrifice themselves for it who may as David say The zeale of thy house hath eaten us up that have spent themselves in defence of it from all errors and heresies what soever 2. But then secondly this may be a just reprehension to all that either 1. Perfidiously deale with the truth instead of taking care to preserve sound truths doe sit upon their desks and beat their heads in studying how they may cunningly pervert sound and wholsome truths and how they may bring in darke errours and corruptions to poyson the people of