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	sufficient_a	1,462	5	7.5981	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95352	None but Christ, or A sermon upon Acts 4. 12. Preached at St. Maries in Cambridge, on the commencement Sabbath, July 4. 1652. To which is annexed, an enquiry after what hope may be had of the salvation of [brace] 1. Heathens. 2. Those of the old world, the Jews and others before Christ. 3. Such as die infants, and idiots, &c. now under the Gospel. / By Anthony Tuckney, D.D. and Master of St. Johns Colledge in Cambridge.	Tuckney, Anthony, 1599-1670.	1654 (1654)	Wing T3217; Thomason E1523_3; ESTC R208588	57,811	146

I do not now particularly enquire into The Heathens I am sure came short of them in these advantages nor will the pity or piety of the Saints or their Tutelary Angels to which Collius hath recourse as to an Anchora sacra for De animabus Pagan lib. 2. ca. 14 their safety save them from a wrack which he thinks they may although they did not pray to them This difference between them and children of believing Christians is evident that these by virtue of the Covenant they are in may and ought to be baptized which no Heathen till he professe his faith can lay any claim to no more then till he believe he can to the Covenant And if God did not vouchsafe him sufficient means of salvation it is a misgiving sign and ground of fear that in his just Judgement he let him fall short of salvation which both by his original and actual guilt he had justly forfeited And whereas mention was made of an anticipating and preventing grace of God by which without faeith he might be saved I conceive and believe that it is abundant anticipating and preventing grace when either in Him or in any God beginneth and worketh faith to lay hold on Christ But such a preventing grace as to accept us for Christs sake without faith in Christ the Scripture mentioneth not is a new notion of a young Divine which without better proof must not command our belief or impose upon our credulity And the like I may say of imputing Christs righteousnesse and satisfaction to them without their receiving of it and him by faith For it is that which the Scripture owneth not It maketh account that it is indulgence enough to impute Christs merits to us in and upon our taking hold of him by faith which is therefore said to be imputed to us for righteousnesse Rom. 4 5. 22. And whereas it was said that God could do it if he would we do not dispute of his extraordinary or absolute power and what by it he can do but what in the dispensation of grace he doth and declareth in Scripture he will doe And as for that although he is able to doe more then we can think yet his will must not Eph. 3. 20 be measured by our thoughts nor may we pitch upon ways of salvation of our own devising for what rare contrivances here would self-love and a luxuriant phansie make But must hold to what he in his word hath revealed to be his own way which in the matters as of his worship so of his free grace he will have the liberty of making the choice and appointment of And therefore in the last place for that Pleonasme of love by which this way it was said they might be saved I with Paul thankfully acknowledge not only a Pleonasme but even an hyper-pleonasme of love as the Apostles word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1. 14. but I pray read on and see what immediately followeth there in the very same sentence where it is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in Christ Jesus with faith and love but to extend it to them especially in this way that were wholly strangers to Christ never knew him never believed in him or loved him savingly and above all whatever Collius weakly dispute's to the contrary is a Pleonasme indeed of a sparkling wit and pen according to Quintilians description of a Pleonasme Qui Lib. 1. cap. 15 16 17. fit quoties verbis supervacuis oneratur Oratio a neat expression and a piece of a strong line but no solid Divinity which in the Text telleth us that besides or without Christ we must look for no salvation Which therefore 1. As before should teach us with an holy and awful trembling and reverence to adore Gods holy counsels and righteous dispensations towards those Heathens which by what hath been said appear to be in a very doubtful and dangerous condition which though to us may seem severe yet take we heed of blaspheming them for being unjust lest God at the last clear his righteousness in our confusion His Justice is as infinite and incomprehensible as his Mercy and therefore we who easily grant that his mercy is more then we can comprehend shall then as plainly be made to see that his Justice is more then we can fathome which yet because we cannot now comprehend we too presumptuously take the boldness to implead and blaspheme to be sure God will be cleared Psal 51. 4. when he is judged therefore we had need take heed that we be not condemned when God shall at last come to judge us as for other matters so for those hard speeches which some Jude v. 15 have spoken against him and those horrid imputations which they not more frequently then boldly load his decrees and proceedings in this kinde with which although they blaspheme as none of his yet should they at last prove indeed to be so as many as gracious and able as themselves judge they are such a question as you read 2 Kings 19. 22. will not be then to be answered or not without confusion when God shall ask Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high if with him thy conscience shall then be enforced to make that answer there following even against the holy One of Israel Such I say therefore had need be more wary and forbear such horrid expressions and imputations lest their present confidence do not happily or rather most unhappily end in confusion 2. This should rather teach us with all humble thankfulness to admire Gods distinguishing mercy to us under the Gospel who by the revelation of it hath removed those difficulties which made their estate at the best so extreamly doubtful Hath so ordered that we should be born and live neither in the midnight of Heathenisme where no light of salvation by Christ shined nor in the twy-light of the Law under whose veils this saving light appeared so obscurely Hath not suffered us to die Infants but hath let us live till we could put forth acts of Reason that so also we might act faith in a revealed Saviour Hath not bereaved us of the use of of our Beason as in those distracted ones instanced in or of our Senses as those who are born deaf and blind c. but that we may read the Scriptures hear the Gospel preached and know the mysteries of our salvation 3. Which therefore should be our serious care and endeavour so to improve these blessed helps and advantages in laying hold on Christ by faith thus revealed and in working out our salvation by him purchased that as we are the children of the light so we Ephes 5. 8 Matth. 11. 20. to 25. Heb. 2. 3. may walk as such lest our condition prove far worse then the Heathen● whilest we so manifestly neglect so great salvation concealed from them but openly manifested to us for which with the Psalmist let us humbly Psal 147. 12. and heartily bless the Lord and so let the last word of his Psal● be the last of this Discourse Halelujah Ps 147. 20 Halelujah Salvation glory and honour and Rev. 19. 1. 2. Ver. 3 4. power unto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgements Halelujah Amen Halelujah FINIS