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	testimony_n	1,573	5	8.5071	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08305	A sinfull mans solace most sweete and comfortable, for the sicke and sorowful soule: contriued, into seuen seuerall daies conference, betweene Christ and a carelesse sinner. Wherin, euerie man, from the highest, to the lowest: from the richest, to the poorest: and aboue all, the sorowfull sinner: maye take such sweet repaste of resolution, to amendment of lyfe, and confirmation of fayth: that (in respect of the heauenlie solace, therin faithfully remembered:) all the pompes and pleasures of this wicked worlde, shall be plainely perceiued to be meere miserie. Writcen [sic], by Iohn Norden.	Norden, John, 1548-1625?	1585 (1585)	STC 18634; ESTC S110181	160,012	334

holy Ghost being y e third person of the Trinitie is a diuine person coessentiall and coeternall with my father me who proceedeth from mine heauenly father and mee It is the comforter and spirite of trueth the very pledge and earnest penye of thy saluation whereby thou art sanctified and assured in thy conscience that thou art the child of mine heauēly father and heire of eternall life and by it dwelleth mine heauenly father in thee It is the directiō to all goodnesse whatsoeuer whereby the Prophets haue prophesied mine Apostles preached all auncient Fathers written and al godly men tasted of the sweete and comfortable message which I haue brought into this worlde It is the water of life which by no meanes will flowe into the hearts of the wicked nor abide in the hearts of y e vnbeleuers but delighteth to rest in the hearts and to guide the soules of thē tha beleeue and cleaue vnto righteousnesse and thereby mayst thou answere the aduersaries of my worde and Gospel It is the holy Ghost that calleth men from darknesse to walke in light that procureth newnesse of life and that mortefieth the old man the world and the flesh and maketh thee strong against sinne death and Satan and that giueth knowledge of the trueth and power to imbrace it and which maketh my yoke easie and my burthen light that strengtheneth the weake hearts and feeble consciences to serue mine heauenly father whereby thou art conducted and guided the way that leadeth vnto the blisse that neuer shall cease It measureth all thy doings by the rule of my worde reformeth errors and reproueth the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of Iudgement and beareth witnesse in the hearts of all beleeuers that their sinnes are freely forgiuen thē in me It was the guyd whereby mine Apostles folowed me without the which no man can say that Iesus is the Lord. Thou must also faithfully beleeue in one Catholique Church vniuersall dispersed throughout the whole worlde being the whole companie of the faithfull beleeuers in mee who notwithstanding they are not of one vnite companie in bodily societie yet in respect of their mutuall and ioynt agreemēt of their faith of their life their Baptisme their holy Table and true Religion they are one Church and Cōgregation of those y t of the free grace and mercy of God mine heauenly father are chosen and predestinat to eternall life of which Church Congregatiō I am the head and whom the holy Ghost hath sanctified made holy and whome I commende vnto mine heauenly father to enioye that inheritaunce which I haue purchased with my blood who as long as they are conuersaunt in this miserable worlde and beare about them the heauy burthen of the flesh cannot do that which they should and therfore cannot be of such perfection nor be so purged from their originall corruption and infirmities which abideth in all flesh as is requisite vntill such time as I their head shall appeare whē they likewise shal appeare with me in glorie which Church godly Cōgregation y u must likewise beleeue to be so knit vnited together in the band of mutuall loue godly agreemēt that whatsoeuer good gift mine heauēly father bestoweth vpon them perticulerly they imploye it to the cōmon behoofe of all in generall And that as this Church and Congregation of al faithfull beleeuers in me is the true Catholique and apostolique Church so for them I haue purchased free forgiuenes of al their sinnes and that of y e mere loue of mine heauenly father and mine obedience vnto the death and nothing of their deserts in so much as there remaineth none other satisfaction or attonemēt to bee made with mine heauenly for the sinnes of y e world but my self only that none can obteine remission of their sinnes but such as bee made true mēbers of the same Church by me for besides the same Congregation there be none but such as work iniquities to whō I will say depart from me I know you not for whom there is a place of endles woe prouided Also thou must beleeue that although the corruptible bodies of mākinde must perish putrefie returne againe to dust of which it was first created yet that in the last day they shal rise again with the same bodies and couered with the same skinnes which now they haue and which thē shall be renewed and glorified they that are departed this life alreadie shall take againe their owne bodies which then shall bee of farre greater glorie then either in this life they were or that any heart can imagine And those that at my comming shall be founde liuing in this worlde shall suddainely bee chaunged and those that bee of this Congregation the true members of this Church shalbe placed in the vnspeakeable ioyes of eternall blisse but those that haue giuen them selues in this world to the fulfilling of the lustes and desires of the flesh liued in wantonnes chambering the Couetouse persons the Usurers Drunkardes Gluttons and vngodly persons shall not enioy the benefite of that sacrifice which with mine owne body I offered on the Crosse once for all but shalbe cast into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth THese things must thou faithfully and vndoubtedly beleeue to be the very trueth and groūd of true religion which who so beleeueth not is no true member of that holy Catholique Church which is predestinate to be saued And therefore by a firme and constaunt faith thou must take holde of these things which I haue declared vnto thee being the ground of thy saluation freely promised in me of which faith the holy ghost is y e giuer who frameth the hearts of all men to beleeue the promises of my heauenly father touching their saluation in mee sealeth vp the sam● promises in their hearts whereby they perswade themselues to be members of the same true Church and of the company of those that are predestinate to be saued which fayth bringeth forth the fruites of a godly life the beginning whereof as I sayde before is vnfeyned repentance grounded vpon this true and vndoubted fayth in which two Faith and repentance is conteined the whole summe of my Gospell wherefore as thou hast heard what this faith is howe it worketh and what it should bee exercised in So must thou reteine it and bring foorth the fruites thereof that it may appeare a liuely an effectuall and not not a dead fayth And forasmuch as the night is so neere I will for this day here make an ende And in the meane time woulde haue thee to meditate of my former wordes not forgetting them but diligently inclyning all thy studie will and whole heart effectually to followe that which may testifie in thy conscience that thou art

Voluptuousnes Riches Ambition Coueitousnes accompaned with many euils See the corruptiō of nature that imputeth the cause of his griefe to him that would cure his deadly disease Prouerb 13.1 Pro. 9.7.8 The wise whē they are reformed depart frō their euill but the foolish will not amende The vngodly to excuse their faults doe by circūstance endeuour to laye the cause of their euil vpon God him selfe Eccle. 32.18 Gen. 3.7 He that by vayne excuses goeth about to hide his offence from God encreaseth his fault Sathan setteth a vale before our eyes that wee should not see the light of the trueth Iohn 1.5 2. Cor. 6.14 Eph. 5.14 Io. 8.12 Christ the lābe of God that taketh away the sinns of the world Although our sinne be as red as Scarlet Christ can make it as white as Snowe The deuill rocketh men a sleepe with worldly pleasures that seeme sweete but are in deed deadly poyson Sathā is most busie to leade vs to euill when we be most willing to apply vs to goodnes The seruants of God shall haue the kingdome of heauen for their inheritance Sathan bestowes all things in this life on his seruāts to please them but after this life eternall paines in hell Christ came into this world to call vs out of the seruice of Sathan to serue th'almightie God Sathan the master of all mischiefe He that is not reconciled to God by Christ is dead in this world Ephe. 2.1.15 Col. 2.14 Christ the sacrifice for sinne Dispaire Sathan the author of all dispaire Those that yeeld themselues seruāts to sinne are in great subiection to Sathan The vnspeakeable power and mercie of God towards man Christ the reconciliation to God for sinne Heb. 5.9 Christ hath subdued Sathan and bereft him of all his power Christ hath discharged by his death all that was due for sinne Gen. 3.10 Beliefe in Christ is the meane to be at one with God Ioh. 12.6 2. Cor. 12.7 Rom. 5.20 He that perseuereth in wickednesse hath no hope of grace Gen. 3.15 Io. 12.31 Za. 13.1 Sathan stands at our elbowes to preuent vs if he could from doing good and to procure vs to do euill The world the flesh the spurres to sinne Io. 13.2 Mat. 4.6 Christ obedient vnto his fathers will Innocent Christ condemned and a thiefe discharged Christ by his death subdued Sathan Gen. 3.7 Sathan with an apple won Adam Eue to breake the precepts of God Though Sathan be subdued he seeketh still to beguile vs. The deuill preuaileth not against the faithfull The power of the deuill of it selfe is nothing but such as obey him make it strong Man doth all things that may displease but nothing to please God Ioh. 8.44 Iob. 41.25 Sathan is a lyar and a murtherer Christ the true Samaritan to heale our wounds Luke 10.33 Christ healeth what Sathan hath hurt Hard winning of a desperate man Such is the loue mercy of Christ that he seeketh by all meanes to winne vs frō Sathan Act. 10.45 Testimonies of Christes victorie Gen. 3 15. Esay 7.14 Ier. 31.22 1. Io. 5.7 1. Io. 5.11 Mat. 11. They that are loden with the burden of their sinnes may come freely to Christ and be comforted The deuil wil promise ease but the end is paine and lasting woe The coūsaile of Christ eternall trueth the way of life Sathan seekes to draw men first into dispaire and thē to cut of their owne dayes Sathan most diligēt to deceiue vs when we be most desirous to returne vnto God Ioh. 13.2 Zach. 3. ● The Deuill went about to let the prai●●s of Iosua Math. 8.12 Peter denied Christ by Sathās meanes Mat. 26.34 Marke 14.32 Mat. 4 3. Sathan tempted Christ. The deuil seeketh many meanes to destroy vs. Num. 21.6 The brasen serpent a figure of Christ Io. 3 14. When sathan hath stung vs with sinne we must looke vpon Christ that is we must beleeue in him bee saued Zech. 3.2 Reue. 2.10 Ephe. 6.10 Christ hath ransomed vs out of the hands of Sathan euen with his own blood We must take opportunitie when we may haue it to turne to the Lord. Make no delay to returne vnto God The wise and foolish virgins Infidelitie the greatest let to come to Christ. Psal. 27.13 Heb. 4.15 Mat. 4. ● Phil. 2.8 Faith the chiefest weapon to resiste Sathan Heb. 4.16 Gal. 5.1 Christ the foūtain of al true helpe 2. Cor. 5.14 Colos. 20. We are in Christ made at one with God Ephe. 1.13 Ephe. 1.17 Col. 2.14 1. Io. 3.8 Io. 2.4 6. Heb. 2. Christ hath deliuered all men from death that beleeue in him Ephe 2.18 Iewes and gentiles haue accesse to God the father through Christ. Rom. 5.19 Gal. 3.13 2. Cor. 8 9· Rom. 10.9 Luke 19.10 Io. 6.40 Rom. 2. There is saluation in none but in Christ. Ioh. 18.17 Luke 22.57 Marke 24.6.8 We may not presume to stand least we fall 2. Pet. 2.22 Faith and repentance the g●ound work of a new life Heb. 11.1 The definition of faith 1. Pet. 1. It is impossible to please God without faith Ioh. 8.2.3 Luke 10.39 Christ cast 7. deuils out of Mari Magdalene Ioh. 11.2 Matth. 16.16 Ioh 6.65 Gen. 15.6 Gen. 22.2 Abrahā was accompted righteous by reason of his faith Luke 1.38 Act. 8.37 2. Luke 6.18 The enemies of Elisha striken with blindnes 1. Sam. 14.13 1. Sam. 17. ●6 Dauid by faith ouercame great Goliah Dan. 3. ●7 1. King 17.12 Eliah fed with Rauens 1. King 18.38 Fire from heauen consumed Elias Sacrifice Iosh. 10.12 The Sunne Moone stood still at the faithful prayer of Ioshua Ioh. 1.30 Ma 4 1● Through faith the Apostles followed Christ. Luke 23.43 1. Tim. 1. Faith the weapon to withstand Sathan Psal. 18.2 Psal. 5.12 Ioh. 5.24 Psal. 37.2 The Lord wil roote out cōsume those that put not their trust in him 2. Cor. 4.4 2. Thes. 2.12 2. King 7.17 The vnbeleeuing prince troden to death Gen. 19.24 Gen. 2.17 Mar. ●6 16 He that beleeueth shalbe saued but he that beleeueth not shalbe damned Cursed is hee that putteth his trust in man and not in God Iud. 20.21 The children of Israel slain in putting their trust in their owne strength 2. Chron. 13.18 2. King 1● The faithful are compared to mount Syō that shall neuer be mooued Psal. 20. Ier. 57 5. The wonderfull blessings that are promised to the faithfull Isay. 57.13 The Iust shall liue by faith We must beware that we be not led by worldly reason for it often deceiueth Sathan layes naturall reason often ●efore the eyes of men to the end that stūblinge vpon the same to hinder their fayth Mat. 15 33. Io. 4 9. Io. 8.56 Naturall reason could no● conceiue how Abraham saw Christ lōg so before he came into the world The eye of fayth taketh his light frō the worde of God The eie of reason hath his 〈◊〉 frō wor●dly wisdome which is foolishnes Gall. 5.2 Rom. 1·16 The gospell is the instrument of saluation All that we are bound to

Meale that the more she spent the more she had And mine heauenly father at the faithfull prayer of Eliah sent fire from heauen vpon his sacrafice to manifest my fathers power and to confound the false Prophets of Baall Ioshua the King to bee reuenged of his enemies prayeth vnto mine heauenly father in a strong faith that the Sunne and Moone should stay and stand still so they did vntill he had ouercome fiue Kings and hanged them This faith was the guide of mine Embassadour and forerunner Iohn Baptist wherby he executed and performed the will of mine heauenly father and by the eyes of the same faith saw before what should come to passe afterward preparing that path by Baptisme by water vnto Repentaunce which represented that heauenly Baptisme wherewith I afterward Baptised with the holy Ghost to eternall saluation Peter and Andrewe his brother mine Apostles being poore Fishers when I willed them to follow mee euen by this faith left their Nettes and followed me so did the rest of mine Apostles And through this faith Aarons Rod budded did beare blossomes ripe Almonds for a testimonie against the rebellious children who grudged to haue him to serue y e Lord in the Tabernacl efor the people The theefe that hūg on the Crosse with me beleeued in me and was saued So excellent a thing is faith that by it are all the fierie darts of Sathan the deuices of the wicked all impediments of the mind quēched ouercome And they that want the same are in most miserable and hard estate for that without it they are not able to resist the deuill the Prince of darknesse who draweth thē headlong into endles distruction This faith I say is the sure defence shield of thy saluation my right hand vpholdeth all thē that put their trust in mee They that beleeue in mee shall alwaies reioyce they shalbe alwaies giuing of thankes I will blesse them and with my fauourable louing kindnesse I will compasse them about as with a shield Verely verely I say vnto thee if thou heare my wordes and beleeue on him that sent me thou hast euerlasting life and shalt not taste of death but shalt liue But those that put not their confidence in mee but goe on still in their wicked waies them I say will I roote out of the earth I wil consume thē with the breath of my mouth I wil cut them off like grasse and they shal wither like the greene hearbe They that forsake me beleeue not my sayings though for a time they florish make a shewe of prosperitie yet they shall perish consume away as y e fat of Lambes euen like smoke shal they vanish away for the God of this world hath blinded their hearts that the light of my glorious Gospel should not shine vnto thē who shalbe damned for not beleeuing the trueth but tooke delight in vnrighteousnesse in vanities and lyes The Prince that would not beleeue the words of Elisha the Prophet of mine heauēly father who promised plentie of victual to Samaria was troden to death by the people The sonnes in law of Lot beleeued not the words of Lot were destroyed among the Sodomites with fire and Brimstone This vnbeleefe was the ground of the fal of Adam and Eue for had they beleeued y e words of mine heauenly father which he told thē that in what day soeuer they eate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill they should dye the death they had liued but they did not beleeue it but hearkened to the Serpent and lost the freedome of the Garden Verely I say vnto thee he that shall beleeue and bee Baptised shalbe saued but he that will not beleeue shalbe damned and loose the freedome of eternall blisse The sinfull man A sharp cōclusion which doth seeme the summe of all whereby The faithfull ones shall liue for aye and vnbeleeuers die Solace THou conceiuest it aright for they y t beleeue not my gospel they that despise my cōmandements work not my wil though they make a shew of feined holines for a time in the world they doe but beguile themselues whose ioye in the ende shalbe weeping and mourning whose estaste is resemblable to the great and mightie trees of the earth y t men grub vp by the rootes the printe of whose place can be no more seene Yea cursed is that man that putteth not his trust in the helpe of myne heauenly father but reposeth his confidence in fleshly and transitorie meanes as in his owne strength in th'abundāce of his riches in the multitude of his great and wealthy friends and in the ayde that commeth of flesh for he shall wither like th●e grasse consume away like y e greene hearbe whose strēgth is meere weakenes whose wisdome is meere foolishnes The Childrē of Israel putting their trust in their owne strength were slaine of the childrē of Beniamin Abiiah putting his trust in the helpe of mine heauenly father disstrusting in the power of his owne people preuailed and slewe fiue hundred thousand chosen men of Israel Hezekiah king of Iuda put his whole confidence in the help of mine heauenly father and all that he tooke in hand prospered God is the strength the buckler strong shield of them that faithfully beleeue in him he that vnfeinedly trusteth in God mine heauenly father shal be as the mount Syon which can neuer be moued but remaineth stedfast sure for euer whom no tribulation no storme tempestes of aduersitie nor worldly vanitities can remooue frō holding fast and surely depending vpon the prouidence of mine heauenly father They that trust in Chariots horses are soone ouercome but those that faithfully depend vpō mine helpe and strength stād fast inuincible for euer and shalbe like the tree plāted by the riuers side that bringeth forth his fruit in due season whose leafe shal neuer wither away and whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper he shall florish like an oliue tree in my fathers house that neuer decaieth he shal inherite the lād and possesse the holy mountaine that is he shalbe fed releeued while he liueth vpō earth and in y e end be partaker of mine eternall inheritaunce which by the shedding of my blood I haue purchased for all them that beleeue which blood of mine remaineth alwaies fresh in y e sight of mine heauenly father to whō thou hast thorowe me free accesse with him my self a continual Mediatour for thy sinnes wherfore come boldly vnto the throane of grace come w t a true heart ful assured faith be sprinckled with my blood from an euil conscience keepe the possession of a sure hope of saluatiō in me without wauering The iust shal liue by faith for if thou withdrawe thy self from trust in mee my soule shal haue no pleasure in thee and

effect in many whom he withdraweth from hearing my ministers messengers to pronounce my Gospel as he seeketh to withdrawe thee frō hearing mee saying to some why what wilt thou stande hearing of this man to prate in the Pulpit he hath no learning he hath no vtteraunce he hath this imperfection or that and so pluckes thē by the sleeue to goe gad to walke and to wander in their wonted wātonnesse and wicked waies in such abhomination as the stincke of their filthintsse hath infected many Some he sendeth to the hearing of the worde but why to heare for profite no but to cauell and to descant vpon the Preachers words and interpretation of this worde of that sentence so fall into a deuillish disputatiō wresting the trueth to their owne corrupt imaginatiōs bringing into the Church scruples doubtful questions as the ministers of Satan to be stūbling blocks lets vnto y e passage of the deuine message of my heauenly father whereby hath growen so many Sects Scismes Heresies false constructions and deuillish doctrines that my Church is nothing so great as the most damnable Chappell of Antechrist And I see that of set purpose to hinder thine amendment hath he whispered thee in the eare and tolde thee that thou art cunning enough and that thou maist worke and accomplish al things by thine owne free will But thou art greatly deceiued for I will be knowne to be only righteous thy self to be ful of wickednesse not knowing what my righteousnesse is and yet takest vpon thee most arrogantly a perfection of wisedome and abilitie to know and doe all good thinges when in deede thou art mere foolishnesse and corruption it selfe Wherfore I say cast downe thy self in thine owne conceipt put of al presumption and hope of thine owne strength hearken not to Satan but consider that thou hadst vtterly perished in thy sinnes and beene quite and cleane cast away by reason of thy desease hast thou not had this meane to bee healed and to be purged and made cleane by my blood And therefore I say againe be warned and looke vnto thy selfe be watchfull to the ende least thou growe ouerbolde and so heape a more horrible vengeaunce of my heauenly father vpon thee The sinfull man Alas what must I sinner doe whereto poore wretch must I Imploye my self I thinke there be no shift but I must dye I will like wofull wight in hast of hayre-cloth make my bed And clad my carefull corps in sacke and cast dust on my head In mourning wise to pas my daies and pinch my self with fast As my forefathers did that I may purchase blisse at last Solace IN deede that hath bene the maner in the olde world as ceremonies vsed as shewes of great heauinesse and argumēts of humilitie and outward tokens of repentance But consider this that these outward shewes are not alwaies accompanied with that inwarde working which cauleth repentaunce vnto saluation but rather a worldly shew of sorrowe vnto death for that that vnder this kind of disguising outwarde shew there may lurke deepe dissimulatiō hipocrisie making an outward shew of heauines and yet not ceasing inwardly to laugh to reteine their former wanton desires like a theefe that when he is brought before y e Iudge or Magistrate vpon hope to be acquitted can crye out and make a great shew of outward lamētation kneeling crouching and other hypocriticall meanes to be discharged and when he hath his libertie he cā fal to his old wickednesse a fresh like vnto the sturdie Begger that feineth him selfe lame his armes mayned his body crippled in this warres or in that worke by such a mishap and halting before men in hope to be releeued with other mens sweate shewing him self impotent who when he hath obteined his purpose and gotten his game he can turne his face and fleere to his fellowe hipocrites leape and skippe like lustie Uagabondes and vnder colour of this hypocrisie not onely deceiueth many with the outward dissembling shewe but when he seeth a bootie and oportunitie serueth hee can play the kindly Ruffian and take it by violence whose dissimulation deserueth dubble punishment Thus thou seest that the outwarde shew is often deceiuable but the true sorrowe the acceptable repentaunce is inwarde according to the wordes of the Prophet Ioell who cryeth out and sayth Rent your hearts not your garments and turne to the Lord your God and not to looke outwardly sowre as hypocrites disfiguring your selues with this or that kind of outward Ceremonie that the shew of your repentaunce may appeare more outwardly then in deede it is inwardly to which words of Ioell is added that it must be with fasting weeping and mourning in Sackcloth and Ashes prostrate on the grounde which in those daies was in deede a testimonie of repentaunce yet that outward shewe without the inward compūction and renting of the heart with a godly and continual sorrowe and zealous lamentation for sinnes was mere hipocrisie And yet were not this visible shewes of Sackcloth and Ashes with many other like rites and ceremonies to be condemned in those daies for that they were giuen and accustomed not y t through the visible and externall shewe onely which was but the shadow could sufficiently appease the wrath of mine heauenly father but that therby they might so much the more eleuate and lift vp their mindes aboue the thing seene to a further and more higher consideration both of their owne corruption weakenesse and blindnesse and of the mercies and most louing promises of God mine heauenly father of which faithfull consideration of the visible shew grew an inward godly sorrowe causing repentaunce vnto saluation but the externall Ceremonie without faith in God mine heauēly father was then not only not auaileable but very abominable But since the sacrafice of my body vpon the Crosse for sinne once for all was offered that outwarde Ceremonie is not materiall who by my death haue fulfilled and performed y e whole somme of all the lawe And therefore not onely such ceremonies as haue been in the old world but peeuish Pilgrimages Ceremonies Penaunce and such like foolish fantasies are now of none effect and are no parte of that true repentaunce which I require of thee to be an inward renting of the heart and an vnfeined continuall godly griefe for thy sinnes and a faithfull endeuour to frame thy life according to the wil of mine heauenly father Now as touching fasting knowe that the true fast is a member of thy true repentaunce wherein it behoueth thée to haue great regarde being a work as it is necessarie so not seldome abused as of hypocrites who chastice their bodies and afflict their so●les for a day bowing their heads like a Bulrush and making their bed with Sackcloath and Ashes as afore is said standing vpon their cinceritie and strickenes of life euen to