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
A75538	Instructions about right beleeving: severall sermons leading unto Christ, directing unto faith, and incouraging thereto. Shewing the nature, measure, and necessitie of the sense of sinne. Christ the bread of life, a sufficient remedy for mans misery; with the way and meanes to obtain him; as also incouragements to come to him, from his abilitie and readinesse to give full soule-satisfaction. / By John Archer, Master of Art, sometime preacher of All-hallowes Lumbard-street. London.	Archer, John, Master of Art.	1645 (1645)	Wing A3613; Thomason E289_8; ESTC R200123	50,561	92

receives him could not have prerogative to be Gods Sonne as that Verse affirmes of him And else where it is called a takeing Reve. 22. 17. So that the Meanes by which Christ this Remedy of Mans misery may be had is Comming to Him Beleeving on Him Taking or Receiving of Him Hence observe DOCTRINE Doctrine The all onely MEANES of and that GOD requires for the Obtaining of CHRIST and Salvation by CHRIST Is the Comming to HIM Taking Receiving of HIM or Beleeving on HIM This is expresse in the Texts whence we now raise it there is no more to be done and Christ is injoyed If God required more or more must be done Then this Verse of my Text doth not fully direct how to get the Bread of Life But that it doth Therefore let a Man come to Christ and he shall have Christ This is all that God requires for the obtaining Christ and therefore our Saviour expresseth Christ by a Feast ready prepared and to be pertaked by all that come Pro. 9. 1. 2. 3. Wisdome hath builded her House She hath killed her Beasts She hath mingled her Wine She hath furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maydens She cryeth Who so is simple let him turne in hither She saith come eate of my Bread and drinke of my Wine which I have mingled Luke 14. 17. He sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden come for all things are now ready And they that eate not of it miste it because they came not Verse 24. And however there was One that came and yet was not permitted to eate at the Feast Math. 22. 11. 12. 13. yet it followes not that there is some what more required then Comming for he miscarried because he came not had he come indeed he had obtained but he did but seeme to come though it is called a Comming for the want of the wedding garment was onely a want of Comming as ye shall see heerafter when we shew what Right comming is This allso is farther proved by these Scriptures Iohn 5. 40. Chap. 6. 37. Chap. 7. 37. Math. 11. 28. And as the Scripture is expresse for the proofe of this under the expression of Comming So also is it as expresse under the Phrase of Beleeving Math. 21. 31. The Publicans Harlots goe into the Kingdome of God before you Why For Verse 32. Yee beleeved not but they did Therefore Faith is the Way Therefore when the People askt Christ What they should doe to worke the Worke of God that is to get Salvation He prescribes them this onely Iohn 6. 39. This is the Worke of God that ye Beleeve Hence that Marke 16. 16. He that beleeveth shall be saved This is taught by our Saviours making Faith the Instrument onely Meanes of Curing Helping all them He cured in the Gospel and where He found not Faith He did no great Cure Math. 13 58. Also hence it is that Unbeleefe is made the onely Ground Reason of Mens Damnation Iohn 3. 18. 36. Chap. 8. 24. Though Men shall be punished for all other Sinnes Yet not Beleeving is the Ground Reason why they perish by their Sinnes Because Beleeving is the onely Meanes of Salvation And this was typified by the Isralites not entering Canaan because of their Unbeleefe Heb. 3. last And hence also it is that Beleeving is in Scripture made the Fruite Signe Pledge of Gods ordaining People to Eternall Life Acts. 13. 48. And not beleeving is made the Fruite Signe of Gods not purposing to Save People Iohn 12 39 40. Because Beleeving is the onely Meanes of obtaining Salvation Lastly It is hence also that all the Requisites to Salvation are made in Scripture the Consequents Workes of Faith Namely The Righteousnes of Christ for our Iustification Rom 3. 22. And the Spirit of Christ for our Sanctification Gall. 3. 14. Thus ye see how the All and Onely Meanes of and all that God requires for Our obtaining Christ and Salvation by Him is to Come to Him Or Beleeve on Him And this was typified by the Brasen Serpent as it is expounded applyed by Christ Iohn 3. 14. as All that God required and was the Meanes for obtaining Cure from the Brasen Serpent was the Looking on it as you may reade Num 21. 8. 9. There are two Propositions of necessity to be knowne by all that would be saved One is that Christ is the All onely Remedy of our Salvation The other is that Comming to Christ or Beleeving on Him is the All onely Meanes whereby Christ saues us There is no Salvation but by Christ onely and there is no having Christ Salvation but by Faith onely As God conveyes Salvation onely by Christ So Christ Salvation are had onely by Comming to or Beleeving in Christ The former of these hath been taught you in the former Point and now the latter is as clearely taught For the better understanding and making use of this Doctrine It is fit to open shew What this Comming to Christ Receiving Taking and Beleeving on Him is They are as ye heard before severall Words expressing one and the same Thing And that is this The Act of the whole Man that is of every part and faculty of Man entertaining Christ offered in the What comming to and beleeving on Christ is Gospel and resigning up himselfe to Christ in all the Offices of Christ as a King Preist Prophet to be saved by Him through those Offices To Beleeve in Christ is not in Generall to phansy conceite that I shall be saved by Christ and he dyed for me as the Worlds Faith is Ye shall find Divines giving other descriptions of Faith As namely a perswasion of the forgivenes of my Sinnes Salvation of my Soule by Christ Or a Confidence Trust in Christ for Salvation which with all other descriptions of Faith I conceive to be Venire ad Christū est cum servatorem recipere se illi consecrare totum Bucer in hunc locum And see Bucer on Rom 4. 3. in Malorets Comment the expressions of some higher Degrees Effects Consequents of Faith and not to be the first act of Faith But as for this which I have now given so farr as I can find by Scripture it is the first act of Faith and that which truely gives title to interest in the Lord Iesus and Salvation by Him And being the first act it may be where other farther acts degrees of Faith cannot presently be found This is it which Bucer explaines the Comming to Christ to be To Come to Christ saith he is to receive him for a Saviour and to resigne give up his whole selfe to him The eateing this Bread is by Faith to receive him Calvin And therefore I thinke Beleeving is exprest by the phrases of comming to Him taking receiving of Him because it is a so doing as is before described For

Salvation by Workes also and not by Faith onely and so make it neither Free Grace Gift nor sure nor shutt Man out from all beasting And also the Error of many among us even that have some good thing in them who to the end they may get Christ Salvation labour most for Humiliation or for Holynes and least of all to Come to Christ beleeve on Him wheras onely Faith is the Meanes and All that God requires for our obtaining Christ Salvation There are Two Snares which the Devill sets for People One is when they hope to be saved by Christ and never looke to be humbled nor to be sanctified thus the Profane are caught which is a most silly thing to thinke that any can be Saved that be not regenerated sanctified or to thinke that one can beleeve not hate all Sinne study all Holynes or that any one can be brought to Heaven by Christ and not to Holynes first It was a good speech of Francis Spira lying in the distresse of Spirit I will not saith he detract from the Gospel it is most true that by Faith in Christ we be onely saved but yet take heede of resting on Faith and neglecting the Workes of Faith Faith requires not that we be Christians in word onely Beleeve me qouth he who have fully tryed the matter and therefore he much commended to them the Epistles of Peter which presse Sanctity Chastity c. This was good Counsell and very usefull against this Snare by which Satan intangles the most of People who rest in a Conceite that they beleeve and never care for the Workes of Faith but the Error of this hath been opened before There is an other Error which is a second Snare of Satan Viz To labour for Humiliation Mortification Holynes Obedience and not to labour to Beleeve this is the Snare in which many well disposed People are caught And the Error of it appeares by this Doctrine Because there is no other Meanes required by God for our obtaining Christ Salvation but onely Faith Indeed some measure of Humiliation must be had before we can beleeve as ye have heard before Viz So much as may make one hunger after Christ and be willing to receive Him on any Conditions But when thus much is obtayned which is when there is a serious labour after Mortification and all Obedience Yet then to labour for more Humiliation or Holynes and not first cheifly to labour to beleeve in Christ this is a great error for there is noe other meanes to get Christ Salvation but Faith So that all the other Labour is in vaine and for that which never can bring Christ or Salvation as if a Man that desires to bring his dead Freind to Life should onely labour to bring him to the acts of Life as to speake walke c. and not to the onely Meanes of Life to have his Soule joyned againe to his Body and that Satan knowes and therefore putts them on it to make them spend time paynes to noe purpose To such therefore I may say as Elisha in an other case to the Syrians 2. Kings 6 19. This is not the Way Ye seeke Salvation and Christ but by farther measure of Humiliation having enough allready to make you willing or by Holynes you can not get them there is but one Way one Thing that God requires and that is to Beleeve Therefore as Christ said to Martha in an other case Luke 10. 41. 42. Ye are carefull about many things but one thing is necessary Viz to Come to Christ and Beleeve in him to Entertaine him and Give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices doe this and you shall be saved When this is done then shall ye be able to attaine Mortification and Victory over your Lusts Sanctification Ability to Duty and not before These be the Fruites Effects of Beleeving and you must Beleeve before you can have these As the Woman must be marryed to the Man before shee can have lawfull Children by him And the Science must be ingrafted into the Tree before it can beare Fruite Were it not a simple thing for a Woman to expect Children Legitimate by a Man and then shee would marry him Or to expect that a Science should first beare Fruite by the Sap of a Stock and then ye would ingraft it to it Or to expect that a Roome should be first inlightned and warmed in the cold Winter and thē ye would bring in a Candle Fire As absurd is it to expect first to be Sanctified and then to Beleeve in Christ For Faith in Christ is the Cause of all Mortification Holynes It is Christ that sanctifies People Heb. 2. 11. And of His Grace conveyes to us Iohn 1. 16. and he never doth it but by our Faith in Him for it is by Faith that He lives in us dwells in us as ye have heard Holynes is the Meanes by which Christ after he is beleeved in brings them that beleeve in Him to Salvation It is therefore a most preposterous and wholy unprofitable way for People to labour for Holynes or Heaven or Christ and not first cheifly to labor to Beleeve in Christ The Right and onely Way is being soe farr humbled as I said before as to hunger after Christ and be willing to have him on any Tearmes thē to labour to Beleeve and after that is done to labour for Mortificatiō Holynes By From Christ to get it Whome thou hast made Thine owne by Faith Wherefore I beseech you see your Error who will not beleeve till first you have the Spirit quickning you Grace strengthing you to Duty and subduing Sinne in you if you could thus find it in you then you could beleeve and not else This is the inverting Gods Order and a way that will never bring you to Christ or Heaven Indeed and I pray observe it there is an Act of Faith which cannot be had till this be had and that Divines calls a reflect Act where by a Soule beleeves that it doth beleeve Before this can be there must be Repentance Holynes c. This is a knowing that we have Faith this is not the necessary Meanes to Salvation but to Assurance Comfort But there is an other Act of Faith Viz. the direct Act which is Beleeving not a Beleeving that I doe Beleeve but a Beleeving and this must be before we can repent or have or doe any good this is the Meanes and onely Meanes to be saved Now consider the absurdity of your Error before you labor to Beleeve you labor to knowe you doe Beleeve you will be sure you doe Beleeve before you will Beleeve you labor for the Evidence of Faith before you labor to have Faith it Selfe you more and first care for the Meanes of Assurance Comfort of your Salvation then the Meanes of being Saved And one maine Ground of your doing thus is partly Pride

then as any one in reason knowes is Christ come to tooke and received when he is entertained as He is and as He is offered by God A King Preist Prophet for the Ends for which God tenders Him Viz To be saved by Him And whereas it may be objected that the Word Beleeving in or on Christ implyes a Confidence or Trust in him a relying on him I Answer it is most true and therefore the phrase is extreordinary not to be found as some have observed in any Writers but the Scriptures and Such as take it from them Others using onely this phrase to beleeve a thing and not to beleeve in it or on it So that the phrase implyes relying on it with a Confidence Expectation of the Thing And so I thinke that there never is nor can be a Comming to Christ or Receiving him without a Trust Confidence or Relying on him And the Comming to Him or Receiving of Him is the Effect of this for therefore they Come to Him Entertaine Him because they Trust to be Helped by Him but this may not allwayes be Evident as the Cause is oft more obscure then the Effect And so a Man may Entertaine Christ when he thinks he cannot Relye on Him Trust in Him But yet there is a double Trusting or Relying on Christ The one is at a Venture without a Perswasion of an Interest in Him grounded on Gods free offer of Him to all Sorts of People this is the Ground of comming to him and entertaining of him for if this were not People would never receive Him this seemes to be no more then a confidēce in his ability willingnes to save all that come unto Him and in the truth of Him gives record of Him The other is a more Certaine Thing grounded on the Knowledge of an Interest in Christ Because a Soule knowes it hath Christ for Its owne Therefore it rests on Him confidently for Salvation This followes the Knowledge of our Beleeving and is a farther act and degree of Faith and comes after our Comming to Him and Receiving of Him The former may not appeare though it ever is where Christ is beleeved on and is weaker according as the the act of Faith is weaker And that makes some Divines make Faith to be a resting on Gods Authority or a trust in the Truth of God that speakes for this ever is where Faith is Thus all Things considered wee see Faith may be so defined as I have done Viz The act of the whole Man c. It is an Entertayning Christ and Resigning himselfe to Christ Therefore it is called an acknowledging Christ 2. Pet. 1. 3. as it is in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore exprest by a Womans marrying a Man Rom. 7. 4. which is an entertaining by covenāt of a man resigning up hir selfe to him And it is exprest by Ingrafting Rom. the 11. whereby the Science embraceth the Stock for its Roote Meanes of Life Fruite and is given up to the Stock to be preserved furnished with Sap and made fruitefull by it Onely in this there is this difference The Fruite followes the Science Impe and not the Stock But the Beleevers Fruite is Christs the Stocks and not Its owne And this seemes to be Paules beleeving For Acts. 9. 6. when he perceived that Iesus was God in Heaven and so raised from the dead c. as appeared by that Vision Voice then Paule entertaines him and resignes up himselfe to him in those Words Lord what wilt thou have me to doe as if he had said Lord save me and rule thee I become thine c. And this seemes to be Faith for the Fruite of Faith is found in him Vers 11 He prayeth saith the Lord of him and Verse 17. Ananias calls him Brother and together with this sight he was to receive the Holy-Ghost which was a signe of his beleeving And in the 22. Chapter where the Story is repeated Verse 16. Ananias hastneth him to be baptized therefore he tooke it for granted that He beleeved or else he would have said as Phillip Acts. 8. 37. to the Eunuch If thou beleevest with all thy Heart thou mayst be baptized And thus it is a Perticuler application of Christ to a Mans selfe for one cannot entertaine him and resigne up ones selfe to him but we doe perticuletly apply him as the marrying a Man or ingrafting an Impe is a perticuler application of them So there is a perticuler application of Christ that is not ever with the first act of Faith and that is an assurance that Christ is mine for this followes the reflect act whereby I knowe that I beleeve There is another and that is a taking Christ for mine and giving up my selfe to Him and this is ever where there is Faith Againe as it is an entertaining Christ and resigning up ones selfe to him So it is an entertaining and resigning up to Him in all his Offices whole Christ not some part of Christ Therefore Iohn 1. 12. a receiving him not some part of him Psal 2. 12. a kissing Christ As the Woman in marriage takes the whole Man as Exodus 12. the whole Lambe was to be roasted eaten This is the difference twixt falce Faith true And the reason of so many Peoples miscarriage They re-receive apply Christ in some one Office as to be a Preist But not in all his Offices to be a King Prophet whereas God hath joyned them alltogether they cannot be parted God conveyed Helpe to Israell by all those three Offices Kings Preists Prophets So doth he Salvation to Soules Therefore that Isay 33. 22. Christ must be entertained resigned up to As to our King to be wholly ruled by his Lawes As to our Prophet to be onely taught by his Directions Aswell as to our Preist to be onely reconciled to God and inabled for performance with acceptance in all Services by Him This was it that he wanted who is said to want the wedding garment Indeed none can be actually perfectly subject to Him as King Prophet but this must they be willing covenant indeavor to doe and so to expect Salvation by Christ through his execution of all those Offices when he shall be in us aswell as for us a King Preist Prophet This is to Beleeve Now the Ground of thus doing and so of Faith is Gods free offer of Christ on these Tearmes thus to be had with his promise of Salvation by Him to all that so entertaine Him therefore the doing this is called the setting to a Seale that God is true and the not doing it is called the Making God a lyer THE REASONS of this DOCTRINE Reasons of the Doct. Why thus to doe as hath been explained is All that God requires and the onely Meanes of obtaining Christ and Salvation by Christ Are. First Because Christ Salvation are Gifts of God Iohn 4. 10. Rom.