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	speak_v	1,949	5	5.2428	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88578	A Christians duty and safety in evill times Delivered in severall sermons, upon four texts of scripture, viz. Christ's prayer the saints support, on Iohn 17 15[.] A divine ballance to weigh all doctrines by, on 1 Thes.5. 21[.] A Christians great enquiry, on Acts 16.30, 31[.] A description of true blessedness, on Luke 11. 28[.] By that faithfull messenger of Jesus Christ, Mr Christopher Love, late minister of Laurence-jury, London. Whereunto is annexed The saints rest, or Their happy sleep in death. As it was delivered in a sermon at Aldermanbury, London. Aug. 24. 1651. By Edmund Calalmy. B. D.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.; Calamy, Edumnd, 1600-1666. Saints rest.	1653 (1653)	Wing L3147; Thomason E1434_3-4; ESTC R209589	82,542	242

presumptuous confidence Paul saith Beleive and be Saved Faith and Repentane must bee joyned together to let you know that that Repentance which is not joined with Faith is but a legal sorrow Therefore one saith beleive the other saith repent to shew that ye must joyn both together Had only this answer bin given Beleive and be saved Men would then have said that it is but a short cut to Heaven it is but beleiving Peter saith Repent and bee Saved to shew that both must come into the Christians practise that Faith and Repentance must goe hand in hand together if ye do expect Salvation Now this I note the rather because there are some men that are all for beleiving on Jesus Christ and not at all for repentance and mourning for sin These make Peters answer to bee no answer at all Then there are others that are all for repentance they are troubled in spirit and distressed in mind they wish their heads were water and their eyes a fountain of tears they think by their sorrow for sin to make an attonement with God but they do not at all rest on Jesus Christ by faith Now these men make Pauls answer to be no answer at all But remember you must Repent and be Saved with Peter and you must Beleive and be Saved with Paul But I shall only breifly speak to the answer which Paul and Silas here give Doctrin And from thence observe That it is the duty of all those that expect Salvation to beleive in Iesus Christ But me thinks I hear some say If this be so surely then Salvation may be had on very easy terms for do not all beleive on Jesus Christ God forbid that any should be so wicked as not to beleive on their Saviour I answer Indeed there are many that have a kinde of beleife an historical notional common dead faith such a faith as Simon Magus had as the stony ground had as the Devils have who beleive and tremble This faith a man may have and goe to Hell But there are few in the World who have a lively precious unfained faith which the Scripture doth indeed account beleiving in Christ which whosoever hath shall never perish but have everlasting life Few there are that are willing to receive Christ as he is tendred in the Gospel to receive Christ as a King to rule them as well as a Jesus to save them Few that are willing to receive a naked Christ Christ with his Crosse as well as Christ with his Crown Few that are as ready to give up themselves to Christ for Sanctification as to take Christ for justification Most people love the Preistly office of Christ to purchase Salvation for them but they doe not love the Kingly office of Christ to conquer Corruption in them they would be willing to have Christ receive them into Heaven but they are not willing to receive Christ into their hearts In the day of their callamitie when they lie upon their sick beds and the terrours of death take hold upon them then none but Christ none but Christ But in the day of their prosperity when the World smiles upon them and Riches Health surrounds them then Christ is disesteemed by them they see no beauty in him why they should desire him For there is no wicked man in the World will take Christ upon Gospel tearms in the time of his health and outward prosperity And moreover most people think that it is the easiest matter in the World for to beleive that it is but Beleiving that it is in their power to beleive at any time when they will and that they can beleive time enough when they lie upon their Death-beds Not considering God puts forth the same almighty power when he workes faith in the soul as he did when hee raised up Jesus Christ from the dead as the Apostle shewes 1 Ephe. 19.20 Eph. 1.19.20 And what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who beleive according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead It is as impossible for a man by his own power to make himselfe to beleive as to create a world or give a being to himselfe And here consider that every assent unto the Word is not beleiving Bellarmine indeed saith that beleiving is only a bare assent to the Word but if saving faith did only consist in a bare assent to Scripture truth then there would bee multitudes of beleevers in the World but such beleivers God will never own 2 Consider that Faith is not a presumptuous confidence the nature of Faith doth consist in this It is a grace of God wrought in the heart of an humbled sinner What Saving ●aith ●● who doth discern his sins to be enough to Damn him and all his own Righteousnesse to bee too little to Save him therefore he goeth out of himselfe and rests and relies wholly on the Righteousnesse of Iesus Christ expecting Salvation only by him Now should wee take a Survay of all the sons of men where should we finde them that do thus beleive on Jesus Christ How few are there in the World that feele their sins pressing fore upon them that see all their Righteousnesse and Religious performances to be things of no vallue in point of justification that finde in their souls longing desires after Jesus Christ that they may bee found in Christ not having their own righteousnesse that roul their burdened souls upon Jesus Christ resolving that if they perish there they will perish Certainly Beloved should men try their hearts by this description of Faith there would be found but few beleivers in the World Vse Now for a word of Application And first from the Enquirie that the poor man makes Sirs what must I doe to be Saved Inference 1 Hence learn to take heed that you doe not make Enquiry after toyes and trifles and in the mean time neglect the great matters of Eternal Life It was a sordid spirit in that King Sardanapalus who would bee Spining and Carding amongst the women when hee should have bin Ruling and Governing his Kingdome There are many men that are of this base and ignoble temper they spend their time their strength and labour in base and sordid imployments and in the mean time neglect the great and important affaires of an heavenly Kingdom Inference 2d A second Inference is this If so be there are but few in the World that make Enquirie how to be saved Then hence wee may conclude that there are but few in the World that shall bee saved There are many in the World that never came so far as with that morall yong man spoken of in Math. 19. to ask this Question Math. 19 what good thing shall I doe that I may inherit eternall Life that never with the Jaylor enquired What must I doe to be saved Oh beloved if the most of the World doe never make

successe to attend their Ministry page 168 3 By comparing our times with the time in which the Gospell was first planted page 169 4 Because in these dayes more people are perverted from the truth of the Gospel then converted thereby page 171 Five Demonstrations that wee are in danger to have the Gospell removed from us It appears 1 By that implacable opposition that is in the professors of the Gospell against the Preachers thereof page 172 2 By the general wantonnesse and wearynesse of people in living under the Gospell page 174 3 By the tolleration of such opinions as are contrary to the Gospell p. 175 4 By the encrease of damnable errors and heresies p. 176 5 By that implacable opposition that is again●● the settlement of Church government p. 177 When the Gospel goeth from a people all goeth 1 Peace goeth p. 178 2 Plenty goeth ibid 3 Safety goeth ibid 4 Civill liberty goeth p. 9 5 The Dignity and splendor of a Nation goeth ibid. Object No man can keep what be heareth p. 180 Answer The Covenant of Grace doth not require a perfect but a sincere obedience page 181 Finis Christ's Prayer The Saints Support Text. 17 Iohn 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil THis chapter contains in it the last and most solemn prayer which we finde on Record that ever Christ made in the world with and for his Disciples when he was to remove his person from them even then he would leave a prayer behinde him the greatest Legacy that he could bequeath unto them This whole 17 chapter from the begining to the end is made up only of Christ's Prayer unto his Father And in this so sollemn a Prayer and the last Prayer that Christ made with his Disciples There are four things observable 1. The time when he made this Prayer 2. The Gesture he used 3. The Manner how he prayed 4. The Matter for what he prayed The time when he made this Prayer is set down two wayes 1. Circumstāce of the ●ime when 1 It was immediately after he had preached a publique Sermon v. 1. Hence observe That it is warrantable and commendable for Ministers to pray after their preaching 1 Observacion This I name the rather because in this age there are a generacion of men who judge otherwise But it is here set down to be the practise of Jesus Christ himself so to do after he had preached he lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed And it is Luthers note That a good prayer ought for to follow a good Sermon Luther And here by the way take notice that ye that attend upon the ministry of the Gospel must like wise go to God in prayer after ye have heard his Word when we have done preaching then you must begin your praying It is a good observacion of holy Greenham I am perswaded that one great reason why there is so little good done by all our preaching is Greenhā because though there is much preaching in the pulpit yet there is little or no praying in the Closet The other Circumstance of time when Christ made this sollemn 2 Circū of the time when and affectionate prayer is this It was the day before he was to die for assoon as he had done this prayer Iudas came with a band of men to betray him chap. 18. v. 1 2. hence observe from Christ's example That Christians should then have most holy 2 Observacion and ardent affections in their brests when they are even leaving of this World Iesus Christ prayed well at all times but he prayed most affectionately a little before he was to die Luke 22 4● That passage is observable 22 Luke 44. And being in an agony be prayed the more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Iesus Christ when he was in an agony and lay groveling up on the ground sweating drops of blood prayed yet the more earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or he prayed the more vehemently drawing forth his affections to the utmost And the Apostle Paul speaking hereof sayth Heb. 5.7 5. Heb. 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared Christ prayed with strong cries alluding to that earnest Prayer which Christ uttered in the Garden Luke 22.19 Luke 22.19 as appears by these words In that he feared viz. That bitter Cup those unspeakable pains which he endured in his agony when the whole power of darkness set upon him Here you see that lesus Christ prayed with most fervent zeale and holy affection just before he was to die for the Apostle is there treating of Christ's Priesthood and offering up himselfe a sacrifice for sin Now as it was with Iesus Christ Christs practice should be our paern so should it be with you before you come to die you should then have most holy most heavenly and ardent affections in your breasts Let heaven at that time especially posesse your souls when your souls are going to posess heaven O beloved in this regard you should be like the Swan which sings the sweetest songs before its death let your sweetest songs be like Simeons * Luke 2 29. when ye come to die then say Lord let thy servant depart in peace The second Circumstance considerable in this prayer of Christ 2 Circū the gesture Christ used is the Gesture he used therein He Lifted up his eyes to heaven and sayd Father c. It is true Gestures are not simply necessary in any duty It is not simply necessary to kneel in prayer yet Gestures may be helpful to us in prayer Christ lifted up his eyes to signifie that his heart was where his eyes were Beloved when ye lift up your eyes towards heaven in prayer it should note that your heart is in heaven I am sure with Christ it was thus though with you it may be otherwise It may be thine eye is towards heaven in a prayer when at the same time thine heart is towards thy shop towards thine evil company towards thy whores or wicked companions Remember O Man to keep thine heart as well as thine eye toward heaven in prayer let your hearts and your eyes be both towards the same place Christ lift up his eyes to heaven in prayer and his heart was there also and so should it be with you The third Circumstance in this prayer of Christ 3 Circu● the Maner of Christs praying was the manner of praying and that is expressed three ways in this chapter 1 He did aime at Gods glory 1. Christ aimed at Gods glory as the cheif End of all things he prayed for and this should be a directory for your prayers Iohn 17.1 Glorify thy Son that thy Son