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	save_v	1,472	5	6.9646	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03268	The abridgement of the gospell: or The order and course of mans saluation as it is set foorth by Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist, Luke 1. 67. &c. and further opened in ten sermons thereupon: by Sam. Hieron.	Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.	1609 (1609)	STC 13386; ESTC S118877	96,426	126

If thou didst dwell in an estate of land of which thou couldest shew no better euidence thou wouldest thinke to bee quickly shut out of doores The Lord hath precisely set downe particulars such hath beene his care to establish our faith if wee let the Scripture lie like some needlesse Historie turning ouer as too many doe the cardes oftner than the leaues of the Bible that wee might be able to say as euery Christian ought Thus it is written and thus I beleeue well may wee talke of faith but that faith should be where there is such little experience in the rule and life ground of faith which is the Scripture it is vnpossible These things were written that we might beleeue x Ioh. 20.31 Doest thou not know what is written how shouldst thou then be able to beleeue The second doctrine of the place is The 2. Doctrine That God from the worlds beginning foretold by Prophets all things concerning Christ This is manifest out of the course of the place in hand is easily confirmed First in generall it is said that vnto Christ al the Prophets giue witnes y Act. 10.43 Christ appealed to the Scriptures of the old Testament z Ioh. 5.39 and in his discourse with the two disciples iourneying to Emmaus he found in euery of the prophets something touching himselfe a Luk. 24.27 Secondly if any shall exactly peruse the old Testament he shall finde euery specialty touching Christ distinctly set downe as namely when he should be borne b Gen. 49.10 where he should bee borne c Mic. 5.2 of what stocke d Psal 132.11 of what kinde of woman e Isay 7.14 what maner of person both God f Isay 19.6 and Man g Gen. 3.15 how he should bee entertained h Isay 53.2.3 c. for what end hee should come i Isa 61.1.2.3 by whom he should be betraied k Psal 41.9 what maner of death he should die l Numb 21.9 with Ioh. 3.14 how he should be vsed in his execution m Psal 22. at large where he should be buried n Isay 53.9 how long hee should abide in the graue o Ioh 1.17 with Math. 12.40 that he should rise from death p Psal 16.10 that he should ascend into heauen q Psal 68.18 with Eph. 4.8 These many more circumstances than these the Prophets from the worlds beginning did set downe very exactly so that there was nothing befell Christ from the first moment of his conception vntill the last period of his time heere on earth I meane of those things which are reuealed to haue befallen him and which befell him as our Mediatour of which a man experienced in the Scripture might not truely saie Thus and thus it hapned as the Lord spake by his Prophets c. Besides the ceremonies in the Temple and Tabernacle in the daily Sacrifices and Sacrificers all of them shadowing out something or other in the Christ to come who was the substance of euery type and the bodie of euerie representation It is woorthy any mans paines to marke and obserue how the whole mystery of Christ is lapped vp in the Prophecies of the old Testament and how the same is explaned laid open and vnfolded in the storie and application of the new The pith and marrow and substance of both being this Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer r Heb. 13.8 The reason heereof on Gods part is twofold First the confirmation of our Faith These things were written that we might beleeue Å¿ Ioh. 20.31 Our faith by this course is strengthned after this maner we see by this exact foretelling of the Prophets that the whole course of our saluation is a matter framed by God and the whole order thereof in euery part and limme set downe in his eternall wisedome and prouidence out of which wee may gather and conclude the certeintie thereof inasmuch as a plot which God hath laid all the power of Sathan cannot alter Secondly many base wrongs many vile vsages and indignities befell our Sauiour in the daies of his flesh the consideration whereof might make a man to doubt whether he could be the Sauiour of mankinde But when we see that euerie such specialtie is foretold by the Prophets and so that nothing came to passe but according to Gods appointment and that for some speciall end that doubt is remooued and those particulars of his debasement become grounds of comfort and of reioicing vnto vs. The Vse Now for a vse of this doctrine wee see heere as in a glasse the care which God hath had in all ages from the verie cradle as it were of the world for the good and comfort of his Church Hee hath not kept a word backe which might be for the necessarie information thereof Euerie age hath beene furnished with Prophets and euerie prophet furnished with gifts to instruct the Church in the mysterie of Christ It is a true saying that the Lord did still reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets t Amos 3.7 And the Prophets were all like Moses faithfull in all Gods house u Heb. 3.5 and like Paul they kept nothing backe that was profitable but shewed all the counsell of God x Act. 20.20.27 Wherefore may not God then say as of old What could I haue done anie more y Isay 5.6 If wee now remaine ignorant and vnsetled in religion ready to bee caried about with euery winde of doctrine z Ephe. 4.14 Where is the fault and against whom will yee plead God hath not beene wanting to vs neither yet is but heere is the miserie of it and that which will make hell euen readie to burst with damned soules My people will not heare my voice Israel will none of me a Psa 81.11 Light is come but men loue darknes more than light b Ioh. 3.19 The Sermons of the Prophets are recorded read expounded but we will not heare them we say rather with those wicked ones Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies c Iob. 21.14 Let vs remember what is said Vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shal be much required d Luk. 12.48 We haue the mystery of Christ foretold by the Prophets explaned by the Euangelists applied and enforced by the writings of the Apostles pressed neerer to vs and made more familiar by continual preaching our ignorance is without excuse our blood will be vpon our owne heads our portion will bee deeper in the pit of hell than the Indians and Moores and Tartars which neuer had the like meanes of spirituall information The third instruction stands thus The 3. Doctrine That that which was vttered by the mouth of the Prophets God spake so are the words As he spake by the mouth c. The mouth of the Prophets deliuered those things but it was by direction and inspiration

that if there bee some shew of deuotion and care to serue God on the Sabbath day then vpon other daies men may be left free to themselues and may take a little more libertie to be secure If matters of godlinesse be banished from their thoughts and tongues and liues all the whole weeke long they thinke it to be no great offence This opinion is ouerthrowen by this place Wee were redeemed to serue God euery day Though the Sabbath bee to be imploied more especially God then vouchsafing more plentifull helpes to godlinesse yet all euill is to bee auoided euerie day and all such good is to be done as in our callings and liues we shall be occasioned Endeuour wee must to walke in the sanctification of our hearts and innocency of life in other daies as well as on the Sabbath day Secondly this must be a motiue to vs euery day The 2. Vse euen at our first awaking to deuote and consecrate our selues to the Lord and to arme our selues with a holy resolution to striue against sinne This will be a matter of no little benefit For by this meanes God will enable vs to be blamelesse and pure without rebuke y Phil. 2.15 and we shall be kept from presumptuous sinnes z Psal 19.13 The want heereof draweth manie of Gods children sometimes into great inconueniences namely when as not considering the slippery path which they walke in heere in the world and being without feare of their owne frailtie they doe not couenant with themselues to bee very watchfull and to commit their way vnto the Lord and to stand vpon their guard against euerie sinne We haue an example of this in Peter Doubtlesse hee had no setled purpose to denie his Master yet to what a case did his owne rashnesse bring him while he did not seriously cast with himselfe what danger might arise by the place and persons neither yet waighed his own weaknesse how easily he might be snared hauing no warrant to bee there This draweth many into ill company to swearing drinking gaming c. I will not say that these euils in some do alwaies proceed from a purpose so to do but rather from the want of a purpose to withstand them and to giue vp themselues vnto God I would this were written in euerie ones heart that euery day must be consecrate to God euerie day must be a holy day to a Christian though not according to our sense in respect of cessation from labour yet in respect of watching and striuing against sinne The 3. Vse Thirdly if euery day must be giuen to God what shall we say of those which spend so many whole daies in the seruice of Sathan who le daies I say or the better part of the day in drinking and reuelling in sports in pranking vp themselues in plotting to defraud reuenge and eat out others How doe these consecrate their daies to God What religion or godlinesse is in these fashions When men make euery day either for vaine pleasure or sensualitie or Epicurisme or worldly benefit what is become of Gods part Thinke vpon it I doubt not but the serious thinking vpon this that God challengeth euery day will reforme many corruptions Thus much touching the dailinesse of seruing God Now followeth the perpetuitie The 3. Doctrine The doctrine then is this That as we must make conscience of diligence in good duties for the present time so we must haue a care of continuance and perseuerance also All the daies of our life saith Zachary therefore the last day as well as the first The Scripture is full in this point Christ expounds the seede which fell into good ground of those which bring foorth fruit with patience a Luc. 8.15 That only is good fruit which is accompanied with continuance Often times we shall find the condition of perseuerance put in He that endureth to the end he shall be saued b Matt. 24.13 In due season we shall reap if we faint not c Gal. 6.9 Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life d Reu. 2.10 The laborers in the vineyard none of them had wages vnlesse he wrought vntill the euen e Matt. 20.8 We must not only obey the call of Christ Come to me f Matt. 11.28 but the charge also which he giueth Abide in mee g Ioh. 15.4 If ye continue in my word then are ye verily my disciples h Ioh. 8.31 The vse is to mind vs of the Apostles counsell which is The Vse not to be wearie in well doing i 2. Thes 3.13 Our nature is apt to recoill and to fall backe like a broken bow k Psal 78.57 A kind of sacietie will quickly creep vpon vs and those good duties which at the first seeme pleasing will without great care be a wearines l Mal. 1.13 vnto vs according as we see in many I haue knowen some to whom the preaching of the word was more welcome than now it is who were more carefull to vse priuate meanes to profit by it than now they are who had a little restrained some corruptions to which now they are caried with full streame They looke backe vpon Sodom and they could almost be content to be in Egypt againe Looke to it thou which art guilty to thy selfe of thine owne backesliding remember thou owest vnto God All thy daies The trees planted in the Lords house bring foorth fruit in their age m Ps 92.13.14 and they which doe not so shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire n Matt. 3.10 It must not be in religion as in bankets In the beginning good wine and then after that which is worse o Ioh. 2.10 but rather like those of Thyatira our Workes must be moe at last than at the first p Reu. 2.19 The fourth generall point in this passage of speech is what be the special duties in which this our seruing of God stands In holinesse and righteousnesse These two words answer to the two tables of the morall law By holinesse are vnderstood those duties which are owing immediately from vs vnto God and are set downe in the foure first commandements namely a holy regard to the truth and maiestie of his Godhead in the first commandement a holy maner of worshipping him according to his will in the second a holy vsage of his name in the third a holy keeping of his sabbath in the fourth By righteousnes are meant those duties which we owe to our neighbor of all which the summe is to giue to euery one his due to wrong no man in his honor or in that precedence which God hath giuen him in the fift precept nor in his life in the sixt nor in his chastity in the seuenth nor in his goods in the eight nor in his good name in the ninth nor to entertaine a thought which may draw to any of these breaches in the