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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51254	Breach upon breach, or, An acknowledgement of judiciall breaches made upon us, procured by sinfull breaches found amongst us with instruction, admonition, and encouragement yet to turn to him that smites us : as the sum of it was delivered at the funerall of Mr. Jeremiah Colman, late preacher of the Gospell at Hetherset in Norfolk, February 18, 1658/9 / by Tho. Moore, Junior.	Moore, Thomas, Junior.	1659 (1659)	Wing M2598; ESTC R9514	106,307	114

that so we may be found in him for the knowledge of him in what he hath done and is become for us while we were yet out of him being heartily imbraced leades the heart and mind into him and to be stayed in him See Phil. 3. 8 10. 1 Joh. 5 20. And to that purpose the first thing in all the commandements as brought to us by the glorious Gospel is to hear that word or doctrine of faith that presents the Lord our God to be one Lord as evidenced in that one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all a testimony in due time which shews him to be light and in him no darkness at all See and compare Mark 12. 29. 1 Timothy 2. 4 5 6. 1 John 1. 5. Whence also we are exhorted to be swift to hear that word of truth in what condition so ever we be come as we are to it listen to and receive it with all acception as a faithful saying full of truth and goodness for us at all times that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners To hear alwayes before we speak or do that thence we may be rightly taught strengthned and qualified so to speak and do as those that shall be judged by that royal law of liberty Be more ready to hear then to offer the Sacrifices of Fools James 1. 19. Eccles 5. 1. Prov. 22. 17 21. And so the way to seek righteousness profitably that we may attain it is to seek it by faith in Christ Romans 9. 30 32. To believe in him that we may be justified by the faith of him Gal. 2. 15 16. For as by his knowledge or skill so also through the knowledge of himself through his name he gives the forgiveness of sins and justifies the believer Isaiah 53. 11. with Acts 10. 43. and 13 38 39. And so likewise if we would get victory over sin and Satan cleanse our hands from sins our hearts from guile be made partakers of his holiness without which no man shall see him The way to seek it is also in the knowledge and faith of him and to that purpose to be exercised in beholding the glory of the Lord as shined in that glass even in the face of Christ through the glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 3. 18. with chap. 4. 6. Whence the Psalraist tells us That they that have clean hands and a pure heart are onely the Generation of them that seek his face and so seek righteousnes and strength there Psalm 24. 4 6. with Isaiah 45. 24 25. And therefore also calling upon us to seek the Lord and his strength leads us to this as the way to it in his fundamental instruction seek his face evermore Remember his marvellous works that he hath done his wonders and the judgments of his mouth Psam 105. 4 5. They then seek him not after the due Order that first seek to frame or work up their own hearts to a belief or hope in God or confident expectation of good from him before they hear or dare receive and consider the word of faith as true for them but seek to find the act or grace of faith first in their own hearts that from thence they may conclude the truth of the word of faith to themselves that first seek to work up their own hearts to love God before they will know or believe his love to them in Christ as and while sinners and enemies which onely is fit and able to get true love and good affection to him that so from the imagination of their love and good affection to him they may conclude his love and good affection in Christ ●o them Now herein is not love saith the Apostle that we have loved God herein Gods love is not rightly perceived But in this that he fi●st loved us even while enemies and sent his Son the propitiation for our sins And therefore and from thence we indeed love him because he fi●st loved us and from thence also that being first known and believed springs true love one to another 1 John 4. 9 10 19 and 3 16. They therefore do greatly err as likewise in seeking to get victory over sin and strength against their corruptions before they dare receive the report of his comming into the world to save sinners and the victory and conquest obtained in his resurrection over sin and Satan as faithful and true for them And then from what they imagine they find in themselves they conclude the truth of that done in him for them In this preposterous and disorderly way of seeking the Lord men make i● their first and great inquiry whether they be elected or in a good condition before God which they strive to guess and to conclude to themselves from some imagined gracious frames good affection victory over sin or the like or from some particular assurance that hath no better ground for the bottom of it then some testimony of their own or some private spirit before they will believe Gods testimony of his sending his onely begotten Son by his grace to taste death for them and giving him glory that their faith and hope might be in God And then gather up conclusions of the truth of that for them from their imagination of the truth of the former Namely that Christ by the grace of God tasted death for them because they find themselves such as before Hence it is that the way men too generally walk in to comfort themselves and others in distress is to labour to perswade them that they are in a better condition then they think they are Their sins less their Hearts Desire Frames and Works better or else from some signs or testimony of their owne spirit or of others that they are of the Elect and that therefore Christ and all his things belong to them Behold a more excellent way then any of these crooked paths in which who so walketh shall know no true or lasting peace First inquire in the light of Gods testimony and consider diligently what Jesus Christ by the grace of God hath done and what an infinite rich provision of all things pertaining to life godliness is in him for such vile sinners and wretched ones as at the worst thou mayest suppose thy self to be even for such as ye● are not of the Elect or chosen Generation that through him they might be saved and in finding him find Life Election Sonship and priviledges of Sons in him and so be made of that Generation that were chosen in Christ from the beginning of the World to be his peculiar treasure even of the chosen generation the Holy Nation Beloved with peculiar manner of love who before were not so as Rom. 9. 24 25. 1 Peter 2. 9 10. Instead then of striving to conclude thy self in a good or safe condition see and consider in the testimony of Christ what there is for such as are in a bad and lost condition like

that yet they may have space and opportunity to repent and seek him while he may be found and God shall give us life of sparing to a farther gracious end for them that sin not unto death compare 1 John 5. 14 16. with James 5. 15. 16. See also Luke 23. 34. Acts 7. 40. Romans 9. 1 2 and 10 1. with Psalm 35. 13 14. And for other things pertaining to this life concerning which we know not by the light of his testimony whether this or that may be best for us or for others or most conducing unto life and godliness Even so without carefulness earnestness or fervency for this or that to present our needs wants affliction case and matters to him and leave it with him waiting and seeking for his good will to be done and that however he deal with us he will not correct us in anger that we may earnestly beg of him as Psalm 38. 1. and 6. 1. Jeremiah 10. 24. And so committing our matters wholly to him without a will or fervent spirit for this or that of all such things as before that he may add and dispose to us what is good before him Phillippians 4. 5 6. Matthew 6. 32 33. with James 4. 13 15. 2 In the incouragement and strength of his name always retaining in the midst of the heart the believing remembrance and consideration of that which he hath already done for us in not sparing his own Son but delivering him up for us all when we were yet sinners enemies and without strength and of the plenteous redemption in him through his blood not forgetting all his benefits through that precious sacrifice of the body of Christ once for all and the powerful mediation of the sacrifice● who is the Great Apostle and High-Priest of our profession bestowed upon us But calling them to mind and considering how they lead into that good name and commend to us that unspeakable gift and the infinite grace in and through it there seeking our strength and incouragement and thereby ingaging our hearts to approach to him and seek his f●ce for such things and in such wise as is according to his will therein declared as afore-said And so waiting and staying on his name because it is good yea even when by any tryals or difficulties that befal us we are in darkness and see no light yet staying upon that and trusting in him according to it till he make that in every such case a light to us and give us to behold his righteousness according to it with hearty submission to his Government though sometimes he makes us to wait for that Alwayes relinquishing all other lights rejoycings and incouragements that may offer themselves from sparks of our own kindling or from any private grounds to come in that onely and as that ingageth and incourageth So in and unto all our seekings and striving for the faith of the Gospel standing fast in that one spirit that is in the testimony of Jesus seeking our strength in the Lord and in the power of his might even in the grace that is in Christ Jesus as revealed in the glorious Gospel and going in that strength of the Lord God making mention of his righteousness as our support incouragement and stay And of his onely Psalm 71. 16 and 4 1 and 50 14 15 and 52 9 and 95 1 7 and 100 and 103. 2 Cor. 1. 9 10. 1 Tim. 2. 1 8. Isa 50. 10 11. with Mich. 7. 7 8 9. Isaiah 26. 3. with Philippians 4. 6. and 3. 3 Romans 5. 1 11. And so in the strength and incouragement of that grace and name of God in Christ to perswade others to be reconciled to God in the publishing his name because God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their trespasses to them and hath given us that word of reconciliation instructing moving and strengthning to such in deavouring the good of others in hope There seeking our strength and incouragement and not in any of our gifts parts or excellencies to the Discipling the Nations baptizing them in his name and going in that might according to our capacity because all power is given to him as Lord and Saviour and by him the word of his Grace made able especially in the faithfull ministration of it to give them repentance and the forgiveness of sins Likewise to suffer the little children to come to him and receive them in his name because of such is the Kingdome Mark 10. 14. with chap. 9. 37. And on that ground and in that encouragement instructing others according to their capacity to rejoyce with his people pray to him and seek him while he may be found and call on him while he is near observing what Christ commanded his Apostles Proverbs 9. 1 6. Isaiah 55. 1 6. 2 Cor. 5. 14 21. Matthew 28. 18 20. Rom. 15. 6 12. And whatever we do in word or in deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Col. 3. 17. 3 In and with a hearty confession and acknowledgement of his name and of the goodness and truth of it in all that it saith so as therein acknowledging our own vileness and sins and knowing every one the Plague of our own heart as by the light and instructions of his name discovered and reproved or by his corrections according to the instructions of his name witnessed against Confessing our faults to him and one to another as discovered and reproved that so he may be justified in his sayings and proceedings and glory given to his name by us as 1 Kings 8. 33 35 38 46 48. James 5. 16. Psal 32. 5 and 51 5. Jer. 13. 15 18. And in such wise seeking pardon and healing in his name willingly giving up to him and laying apart in the light and strength of his gracious reproofs what ever secret purpose idol or way of iniquity he discovers and reproves not secretly hiding it under our Tongue or in our Heart that we may still hold it and find pleasure in it even while yet we are praying to him for help and healing of the breaches or evils procured to us by it nor shunning the light least som secret deeds and wayes of our own heart which we love should be detected by it but coming to the light giving earnest heed to the instructions of his name and searching and trying our wayes thereby that we may yet be taught to see what we see not as Job 34. 31 32. Psalm 19. 11 12 c. and 139. 23 24. Lam. 3. 39 40 c. Jam. 1. 21 25. Our unwillingness to see and confess our fins our secret designs and purposes for vain things that cannot profit us our loathness to acknowledge or be made sensible of our idolatry let go our idols hinder us from knowing and proving what is the good and acceptable will of the Lord Romans 12. 1 2 3. from reaping the peaceable fruit of his righteousness