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
A13755	A treatise of faith, and of some principal fruits thereof Deliuered in two sermons, vpon the third chapter of the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, verse the 12. With some additions and enlargements, tending to the satistaction of such as are in doubt, whether they haue faith or no, and to the comforting of such as are troubled about the weakenesse of their faith. By G. Throgmorton, minister of the word of God.	Throgmorton, George.	1624 (1624)	STC 24052; ESTC S101278	55,089	232

of beleeuing the mysterie of the Gospel so farre aboue the capacity of Men and Angels being a commandement infinitely harder then all the commandements of the Lawe Morall which haue their ground in nature by creation But to beleeue that God will quicken the dead and iustifie the vngodly and saue sinners c. Is a commaundement against nature reason and sense and all creatures and all power and authority in heauen and earth commanding to beleeue the contrary Yet this honour doth Faith giue to God commanding vs to beleeue and this obedience that we renounce Nature and Reasons Rule and Authoritie and all creatures to obey God as most wise true and faithfull and King Prince only that by his Word creates and commands all things 1. Thes 2. Receiuing his Word not as the word of men but as it is indeede the Word of God of soueraigne authoritie with vs aboue all creatures Faith hath God for its obiect beleeuing God as first and chiefely for himselfe his Person and Authority sake so in the second place for the reasons and proofes giuen by him Some things we must beleeue simply and only vpon Gods commandement because he bids vs beleeue them though he giues vs no light of reason nor no proofe to our sense by experience as the principles of Religion Some we beleeue because he giues vs cleere reasons and prooues his words by sensible experience and vndeniable arguments to reason and sense Psal 119.140 Thy Word is prooued most true therefore thy seruant loueth it as Ioh. 20.29 Thou hast seene Thomas and beleeued blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued only vpon my commandement Ioh. 3.12 If when I tell you earthly things ye beleeue not that is doctrines demonstrated with naturall sensible proofes to your reason and sense here on earth How will ye beleeue when I shall tell you of heauenly things aboue reason and sense to conceiue commanding you to receiue them vpō bare diuine authoritie without reason grounds to beleeue If we beleeue not God nor honour him as true in his word proued by good reasons grounds reuealed to vs and light shining to our vnderstandings much lesse will we beleeue him vpon his bare word to honour him as God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first part of liberty by Christ is of heart our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which we goe boldly to God and to the Throne of his grace The second is that liberty of our mouth to spe●ke to God Maruailous largenesse of mouth and liberty of speech to speake to God freely in prayers praises and thankesgiuings Wee are all by nature dumbe and deafe to God by a dumbe and deafe spirit of Satan possessing and dwelling in vs till Christ redeeme vs to be his owne seruants we neither can nor dare speake to God But Christ our Lord giues vs in Redemption an open large mouth to speake to God to sing to him and praise him as Psal 51. Open thou my lips that my mouth may set forth thy praise Isa 51.11 The Redeemed of the Lord shall come and sing in the height of Sion Psal 40.2 Ezek. 12. Therefore God is said to put a new Song of praise in our mouths and to poure on vs a large spirit of supplication to take to vs words as Hos 14. For this is the principall End of our Redemption that we should haue libertie of speech to call on God and praise him that our mouthes should be open to him to set forth his glory as it was the chiefe end of our creation Isa 43.21 Rom. 10. This people haue I formed for my selfe they shall set forth my praise Therefore with the mouth we confesse vnto saluation and sing to the Name of the Lord. Therefore Dauid prayeth That God would not vtterly take the word of truth out of Psal 119. his mouth And this is Gods couenant Isa 59.11 As its the End of our creation and redemption and the chiefest part of our happinesse So the contrary is the chiefest part of our misery by our Fall to haue our mouthes shut vp as beasts from prayers or praises Reason The nourishing vertue of meate feeding the heart and strengthning it opens the mouth to ioyfull praise as Psal 22.26 Psal 63.5 Dan. 5.4 They ate and dranke and praised the gods of siluer and gold How much more then the Saints fed with Christs body and blood and that plenteous redemption that is in Christ praise him Reason Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is inlarged to poure out Math. 12.34 If the Treasure of the heart bee large the mouth will largely dispense Christ is a most rich Treasure in the heart of all store of good therefore the mouth must needs be answerable to open and confesse and vnfold the mysterie of Christ and to praise him Where there is nothing of God and Christ in the heart there is no mouth opened but shutte vp to confession and praises Vse Hereby we may know if our sinnes be pardoned and we redeemed in heart and soule considering how our mouthes are opened and tongues vnloosed to Apologize for our selues as 2. Cor. 7.11 and to plead our cleering and Iustification in Christ to pray and call vpon the Name of the Lord to praise and confesse his mercy and truth Heb. 3.1 consider the high Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is whom we all confesse as 1. Tim. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by ioynt confession of all it s a great mystery c. Haue we left booke prayer though I simply condemne it not but allow it in yong Christians while they are as babes and nothing differing from seruants but true Christians cōtinue not in this bondage but grow vp to this libertie to pray in the H. Ghost Iude 20. as the Spirit giues them vtterance haue we a naturall liberty facillity of mouth to speake of holy things not as Socrates taught by rote Can we speake more abundantly and fluently in the causes of God then of any thing else in the world and sing more ioyfully of Gods mercies waies and workes Vse This is also an euidence of our future Redemption and liberty in due time out of any misery if God before open our mouthes and inlarge the liberty of speech to prayer praises thankesgiuings The Spirit of Redemption and libertie is now in vs and hath begun our freedome and will perfect it If God were purposed to shut vs vp in prison of perpetuall bondage of perdition from him his face and presence hee would also shutte and seale vp our lippes that we should not haue libertie to speake and pray to him make any suite as Matth. 22.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if hee giues our soules liberty out of the Diuels prison from that dumbe and deafe spirit to come to him in prayer and to tender our petitions to him it s an euidence that he intends our perfect deliuerance

For its Christs commandement that whatsoeuer our sinnes and vnworthinesse our feares doubtings and infidelitie be and how great so euer our misery be that yet we should beleeue that hee will pardon and heale all Nay because our misery by sins and punishments of God on soule and body are great and desperate passing all created power to cure or helpe them therefore to beleeue and to goe to him ordained of God a Physitian to heale all that are desperately sicke and diseased and past all hope in reason and sense Yet there is hope in Christ and hee commaunds vs to beleeue it and vpon his commandement to goe to him to ease vs of the burden of our sinnes and miseries when they lie so heauy vpon vs and so fastned on vs as we conceiue no possibilitie of remoouing them nor of any ease and refreshing from any creature promising that he will giue vs rest Obey the commandement which commaunds thee to beleeue against all vnbeleefe and aboue all beleefe and to hope aboue hope that is in infinite doubtings to beleeue and in all despaires to hope and when all reasons grounds meanes and hopes are wanting yet to beleeue only because God commands thee so to doe Though nature reason sense and thy owne heart faithlesse feares all creatures forbid thee so to doe Lam. 3. saying That thy strength and hope is perished from the Lord yet obey and beleeue none of these but Gods commandement commanding thee to beleeue his promise against them all and so to honour him as God aboue them all in power mercy trueth and faithfulnesse Though they say thy case is desperate God saith it is not they say Thy daughter is dead Mar. 5.35 why troublest thou thy maister with prayers and suites any further now all hope is past But Christ saith Feare not onely beleeue and fight against all that perswade thee to the contrary euen Satan flesh reason nature and all the World For this commandement of beleeuing is contrary to all creatures All other commandements of the Morall Lawe of naturall equitie and Iustice are seconded and sealed by the testimony of all creatures to bee iust faithfull and true and they perswade to the obedience of them onely this commandement of beleeuing is contrary to all creatures Heauen and Earth are against it and bid vs despaire for there is no hope This therefore is the greatest obedience and the cheifest worke most pleasing to God and most honouring him as God aboue all creatures and against them all and therefore God will honour and saue such a soule against all creatures He that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue Iohn 11.25 Of all sinnes and sinfull passions it s the hardest to resist infidelitie feares doubts and of all combats against sinne to fight the good fight of Faith Because nature giues some strength and aide to resist other sinnes and naturall reason but onely God and his word to resist infidelity Nature and all creatures forbid this beliefe that a dead man should liue and rise againe When we feele sinne and dead workes which surely bring death in reason sense and conscience course of nature when wee feele a dead heart and see nothing but dead bones as Ezek. 37.3 that these dead bones should liue againe all creatures forbid vs to beleeue it yet Christ commands vs to beleeue that he is the Resurrection and the life to quicken the dead and to trust in his voyce that the dead shall heare it and liue whatsoeuer the death be in heart or conscience and whatsoeuer soule-murdering despaires and feares destroy the life peace and comfort of our soules and consciences yet if we will hearken to Christs voyce and obey his commandement to beleeue his promise of life comfort peace willing desiring and indeauouring to beleeue hee will quicken in vs the life of Faith and fill vs with ioy and peace in beleeuing and make vs to abound in hope Rom. 15.13 through the power of the holy Ghost Fulfilling the good pleasure of his goodnesse 2. Thes 2.11 and the worke of Faith with power in vs. Faith hath God for its obiect in two respects First of his Person and Diuine authoritie which it beleeues simply and onely because God saith so and commands him to beleeue his bare Word This is that speciall honour which Faith giues to God aboue all creatures that though all creatures should command vs the contrary vpon neuer such reasons arguments and probabilities yet wee will beleeue God vpon his bare Word and commanding vs so to beleeue because he is God ought so to be obeyed and beleeued though wee can see no reason for it For if he be Iehouah hee will giue Beeing to his Word and hath Wisedome Power and will to doe whatsoeuer hee saith else hee were not God Therefore because the Gospel a mysterie and hid wisedome aboue the capacitie of men and Angels is preached by Gods soueraigne commandment Rom. 16.26 and wee are commanded to heare and beleeue it therefore we wil so doe onely because God commands Rom. 10.16 17. Faith therefore comes by hearing and hearing by the word and commandement of God which commands preaching and hearing as the meanes to beget Faith Now all wicked men and vnbeleeuers doe not onely not beleeue when the Word is offered but by a rebellion of will they refuse to beleeue Psal 50. and cast the word behinde their backes and the commaundement to beleeue and will not submit themselues to the meanes of beleeuing in obedience to God because God commands them But if they heare it s when they list themselues whom they please and in such maner and measure as likes themselues as learned eloquent preaching and for such ends as they thinke fit and not in simple obedience to God as his commaundement and ordinance to get Faith and by Faith all sauing good in Christ but in obedience to their owne reason and lusts Such men their infidelitie is not in them an infirmitie but an obstinate rebellion as of enemies to God and despisers of his commandement and of Faith The Saints doubt and feare but against their wils highly prizing faith and earnestly desiring it they submit themselues to the commandement of beleeuing which they obey as well as they can at least in consent and earnest desire to obey and beleeue subiecting themselues gladly to all counsell and meanes of getting Faith as Rom. 7.16 I consent to the Law that it is good So they consent to this Lawe of Faith as singularly good and delight in it Rom. 7.22 concerning the inner man If this bee true Obedience to the Law Morall thus farre to obey though we cannot fulfill the commandement then also is this rather true obedience to the Law of Faith to be willing and desiring and to labour to beleeue vpon Gods commandement lamenting our vnbeleefe and striuing against it when we cannot beleeue as wee would Especially the commandement