Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	bring_v	fruit_n	good_a	9,065	5	4.7327	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34597	The country-curate's advice to his parishioners, in four parts I. Directs us, how to serve God on the Lord's day, II. On the week day, III. How to discharge our duty in our several relations, as husband and wife, parents and children, masters and servants, IV. How to prepare for death / by H.C.	H. C. (Henry Cornwallis), 1654?-1710.	1693 (1693)	Wing C6333; ESTC R37664	30,893	81

may learn to redeem time and number all our days our Sabbaths more especially that so we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom that we may now get wise religious believing and Repenting Hearts O Lord give us Grace to consecrate this day as a day of delight holy and honourable to thee not doing our own Works nor following our own Pleasures nor speaking our own words but exercising our selves in duties of Piety and Mercy publickly and privately in thy House and in our own So that we may make this Season a day not only of reconciliation for the Sins of the Week past but also a day of Preparation and spiritual Provision furnishing our selves for the better performance of the duties of the Week to come And now O Heavenly Father we are going to thy House to partake of thy Ordinances we beseech thee to go with us thither and stand by us there and bring us back again rejoicing when we shall find our Faith encreased our Hope quickned our Zeal kindled our Hearts inflamed with the Love of thee and our Brethren Let us not we beseech thee make thy House which is an House of Prayer and Spiritual Exercises to be a Den of Thieves but let us look to our Feet that so we may be more ready to hear than to offer up the Sacrifice of Fools It is a fearful thing when this word which should he a Savour of Life unto Life does prove a Savour of Death unto Death as it does to many who regard not what they hear Grant therefore O Lord that we may take diligent heed what we hear and how we hear keep us we humbly pray thee that we be not like unto them that be compared unto the high way who do not so much as bend their minds to regard what is taught nor to them who are compared to the stony ground who do it but shallowly and superficially nor to them that be compared to the thorny ground that do choak and smother it with minding their ease pleasure gain and profit over much But give us Grace to be like the good ground who coming to the word with honest and good hearts bring forth good Fruit with Patience and in good Season So that keeping this day as we ought to do we may be translated to keep an Everlasting Sabbath in the highest Heaven Amen CHAP. V. Of the great obligation that lies upon every one of us to worship God in Publick NEglect not publick Ordinances upon pretence of serving God in private that God Almighty gives his Blessing both to private and Family-Duties is most certain but to put God off with these and neglect publick Worship is to rob him of a greater summ and pay him with a less It is worth our Observation that the Sabbath and publick Worship of God are by him joined together therefore let no Man put them asunder Ye shall keep my Sabbath and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord your God They then that despise God's Sanctuary cannot observe God's Sabbath Do but consider David's Tears for the want and his Prayers for the fruition of Publick Ordinances even then when he had opportunity for private Performances and surely then thou wilt esteem the Ministry of the word no mean mercy See his sorrow for the want of them I was driven saith he from the Sanctuary when I did but think of it my Soul was poured out like water for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God Psal 42.3 My Soul was poured out that is was over-whelm'd with grief and even ready to dye when I compare my present condition with my former happiness in the fruition of religious Assemblies How bitterly and passionately doth he plead with Saul If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me let him accept an Offering but if men Cursed be they before the Lord for they have driven me out this day from the inheritance of the Lord. 1 Sam. 16.19 How pathetically does he bemoan his own Soul Woe is me for I dwell in Meseck and have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar The loss of his Father Mother Wives Children Lands Liberty nay life it self would not have gone so near his Heart as the loss of the publick Ordinances As his sorrow was great for the want so was his Soul most earnest for the fruition of them How many Prayers does he put up for the liberty of the Tabernacle Psal 43.3 4. and Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will seek after viz. That I might dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord and visit his holy Temple And Verse 8. When thou saidst seek my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek David at this time was banished the Temple and he among other reasons useth this argument to restore him to his happiness as if he had said O God thou hast commanded me to worship thee in the Temple To appear before thee is my delight my heart desires to seek and see thy face there Thus he prays to God for the performance on his side that he might be enabled to obey God's Precept Peter and John went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer Acts 3.1 and St. Paul reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath day Acts 13.14 those that by their practices contemn publick worship have neither Christ nor the Apostles for their Pattern One of the Jewish Rabbies hath a saying he that dwells in a City where there is a Synagogue and cometh not to Prayers merito dicitur vicinus malus if thou forsakest the Assembly of God how useful thou maist be to others Bodies I know not but I am sure thou art neither to thine own Soul or theirs in neglecting God's service Consider the condition of Primitive Christians who were forced to serve the Lord with fear and attend his Ordinances with trembling who built Churches under ground rather than they would want the opportunity of serving God in Publick Consider also how David bemoan'd himself counting Swallows and Sparrows in this much better than he because they could build their Nests in the Temple while he was banished from it Psa 84.1 2 3. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Yea the Sparrow hath found an House and the Swallow a Nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God Did David being abridged thereof thus bemoan himself Surely then we should count it a great Mercy that we have Publick Churches and Oratories to go unto without any lett or molestation that we have no Tyrants no Foreign Enemies no Rods no Axes no noise of War to affright us from God's publick Ordinances what cause of rejoicing is here But yet if this liberty of ours make us wanton and the plenty God gives us tempts us to

many as soon as the Word is out of the Minister's Mouth to have the World in theirs The main Questions as soon as gone out of the Church are usually these What News do you hear How does Corn sell What a Crop have you upon the ground Such a Person has he not the best Corn in the Parish Poor barren Souls empty of Grace surely or your Discourses would be more savoury more seasonable more Heavenly Have you no better things to employ your Heads and Tongues about Ask rather what good Word you have heard to day How are we to provide for Eternity How strait is the Gate and narrow the Path that leadeth unto Life and how few there be that find it And alas how miserable shall I be if I miss thereof The Devil is always upon his Watch ever busy and labours continually to furnish Peoples Hearts with frothy and vain Discourse by that means to hinder the efficacy of the word and the good of many a poor Soul But alas The fourth Commandment tyes up the tongue as well as the hands Isai 51.13 not speaking thy own words The tongue is there commanded to rest from talking of Worldly matters as well as the hand from servile and Worldly Works How blame-worthy then are they who make the Lord's Day a Day of reckoning with Workmen and Servants a Day of idle talk about their Pleasures Profits or other matters As soon as you are come home before you refresh your Body enter into your Closet offer up this or such like Prayer I Do humbly and heartily thank thee O Lord Heavenly Father for that wholesome Doctrine and comfortable Instruction which this Morning I have heard out of thy holy word by the mouth of thy faithful Servant and I do heartily beseech thee that passing by my Sins and Infirmities of hearing thou wouldst so imprint the same in my memory and bless it unto me that I may believe it with my heart and practise it in my Life and Conversation Good Lord Let not the sweetness and savouriness of any bodily food which I am to receive of thy bounty put the relish and remembrance of thy Heavenly word out of my mind but grant that in feeding my Body I may feed my Soul by holy Meditation of the things I have heard and together with my bodily sustenance may call to mind the food that never perisheth And as it is thy will that I should use thy good Creatures with Wisdom and Sobriety every day So give me Grace this day especially to do so that they may not make me the more unfit to partake of the spiritual food thou hast prepared for me to the glory of thy name and the good of thy Saints and my own eternal welfare and Salvation through Jesus Christ my only Redeemer and Advocate Having finished your Prayer in the Closet depart to your Company and the necessary refreshment of your Body which this Day was not appointed to abridge you off While you are at Dinner appear chearful eating your meal in singleness of heart rejoice before God but let not your joy be by any means wanton idle vain intemperate At Dinner observe these few Rules 1. Beware of making the Lord's Day a time of Feasting your Neighbours For though it be lawful upon this day to make such Provision as shall be convenient for your own Family and for the relief of the Poor yet to make solemn Feasts upon it as is the custom of too too many whereby Servants are kept from publick Ordinances and our selves and Guests are more indisposed to the Duties of God's worship and service must needs be unlawful for though we be not forbidden upon the Lord's Day to kindle a fire for the dressing of meat yet we must take heed that we make not such a flame as shall kindle the fire of God's wrath against us 2. When you are set down to Dinner having begged God's Blessing on the food eat no more than will fit and enable you comfortably and lively to serve God If temperance be required in our Meals on the Week Day as Luke 21.34 much more on the Lord's Day Many fill their Bellies so full on this day that they are fit only to lay their drowsie heads on the Devil's Pillow of sloth and not at all in a capacity of repairing again to a spiritual repast in the House of God and to partake of his Heavenly Viands 3. Talk of God's Word sitting down and rising up Let your Hearts be heavenly and your Discourse savoury seasoned with Grace a Table without some good Discourse differs but little from a Manger One of the Fathers wrote this of the Primitive Christians that they were so holy in their Talk at the Table that one would have thought they had been at a Sermon rather than at a Supper And Luther has a large Book in Folio of the pious Expressions he used at his Table that indeed was his Pulpit where he read many profitable Lectures When therefore thou art at a full Table consider God's Mercy in feeding thee while there are so many Lazarus's that would be glad of the Crumbs that fall from the rich Man's table When thou eatest thy Bread with a good Appetite say thus to thy self If the bread be thus savory to an hungry Body how sweet how savory is that which comes down from Heaven to an hungry Soul and then pray O God give me evermore of this bread 4. Forget not God's Servants but invite the Poor to Dinner with thee that day The poor ye have always with you saith Christ and why have we this Memento think you But we should exert our Charity according to their Indigence and Necessity If we belong to Christ we are to relieve the oppressed clothe the naked and feed the hungry himself will do it though he works a Miracle for it Flesh and blood is not prone hereunto and therefore such munificence must needs argue a better and higher Principle than ordinary For as when we see the bank of a River and the ground next to it wet alone we gather that the River hath overflown there but when we see the furthest and remotest ground wet also then we know that the Rain hath done that so when we see a Man doing good to his rich Neighbors and Friends we think this proceeds but from good Nature in him but when we see him doing good also to strangers and unknown persons when feeding the poor and needy ones then we may well believe there is more than good Nature in that Man it is more than probable the Gift of Grace is there After you have eaten and drank I have now allayed the importunate craving of mine Appetite and my body is satisfied with material Food but nothing can satisfie my Soul but to behold the presence of God in Righteousness Therefore Dinner being over either respect the Word heard that day and read the Scripture or some other good Book and call your own Heart

acknowledge we have neglected thy Day we pray thee therefore pardon all our unchristian Sabbath-breaking for the time past and give us Grace to observe the Christian Sabbath better for the future Now shall we confess in the Forenoon and transgress in the Afternoon Will you beg pardon in the Morning and sin again the same Sin before Night Will you open your mouths to ask God's Grace to sanctifie and keep holy the Sabbath-Day and it may be prophane it in a graceless manner as soon as you are out of the Congregation But now to draw to a Conclusion You that God Almighty have blessed with Families I beseech you to take care of making any Visits on that day after Evening-Service for by that means you may become guilty of a double Sin 1. In neglecting to worship God your selves in your Family 2. In hindering others from doing that Duty But if the Weather invite you into the Fields let your Walk be such as Isaac's was to meditate and that you may not want matter to exercise your Thoughts about when you divert your self in the Field meditate on these Ten Particulars 1. The Greatness and Goodness of that God that you paid your Homage unto 2. With the Vileness of Sin and your selves because of it 3. With the Sweetness of Christ and the Greatness of his Love and Mercy 4. With the Excellency of that heavenly Work you have been about and the Gain of Godliness 5. With the Vanity of the World and all things therein 6. With the Worth and high Value of your immortal Souls 7. With the Rage Subtilty and Diligence of your Souls Enemy 8. With the Deceitfulness of your Hearts 9. With the Terrour and Torment of Hell 10. With the unspeakable and everlasting Glory of Heaven 2. Endeavour to spiritualize every Object you see As you walk and travail by the King's High-way say I am the way the truth and the life saith my blessed Redeemer the Way I must follow the Truth I must believe the Life I must hope for the Way which leadeth me the Truth which teacheth me the Life whereunto he bringeth me the Way is undefiled the Truth is infallible and the Life without end blessed are they that walk in this way that leads to everlasting life When you behold pleasant Grounds and variety of Objects O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches When you perceive a gentle Brieze of Wind Come Holy Spirit blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow out make my Mind calm serene and quiet breath upon me and revive me with the Light of thy Countenance When you hear a Clock strike or perceive by the Sun the Hour of the Day O how fast do hour after hour come on Time hastening to be swallowed up of Aeternity So teach me O Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom wisely providing for that long day wherein the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his Wings When you see an high place Thy Mercy O Lord reacheth unto the Heavens and thy Faithfulness to the Clouds When you perceive a Dunghill O make me to know my self and discover to me my false deceitful Heart and the Odiousness and Loathsomness of my Sins that I may hate them with a perfect hatred When you behold a stately House O God make me in love with that City which hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God Oh when shall this earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved and I received into that Building the House not made with hands aeternal in the Heavens When beholding any Children or Infants O Lord out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings dost thou prepare Praises for thy self When beholding a beautiful Woman O Lord let not this Creature 's Face be her Pride or the Beholder's sin or shame If you see any Cattle to stray think with your self O God how apt am I to go out of thy way I have erred and strayed O Lord like to a lost Sheep By such holy Ejaculations as these you may banish all Worldly thoughts out of your Mind and keep the Devil that is always busy to hinder the good Seed of the Word from taking effect better out of your heart than Teresa's holy Water or St. Anthony's Sign of the Cross When you come home observe the same Rules that were given you before to be practised after Dinner viz. to read the Scripture sing Psalms meditate repeat the Word c. but when you have done all look upon your selves as unprofitable Servants and that you come short of what God requires or deserves at your hands O what heavenly fervent and zealous Prayers doth such a God deserve such rich Mercy call for God is worthy a better Tongue to praise him and a better Heart to love him Disown therefore all your own Righteousness and expect all the Blessings you have prayed for through the alone Merits of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI Evening Exercise THE Day thus happily sliding away draws on the Night-season and there remains an Evening Exercise in order to even out Accompts with the great Father of the Family concerning our days labour in his Vineyard Before therefore you take your repose at night look over your days work search back into every hour of the day humble your selves and be heartily sorry for your miscarriage bless God if you have received any good Put these Questions to your Soul ere you betake your self to your rest First How did I ly down or rise up was God in my thoughts or no Secondly How did I put up my Prayers in my Closet did they proceed from my Heart or Lip only Have I gone this day with Joy into the House of Good have I heard ●he Word and treasured it up in my Heart Have not I aimed more at the information ●f my judgment than at the warming of my ●ffections was it curiosity or piety that led ●he thither have I gathered my thoughts ●ogether in the publick Prayers of the Church ●nd have my heart and desires gone along with the Supplications which the Minister of God put up to Heaven Have not I thought ●f my Farm Trade and Oxen while I have ●een repeating after him Have I read in pri●ate have I called my Family together read ●o them instructed them made them give ●e an account of what they did remember When I received the holy Sacrament were ●y thoughts fixed on the Cross of Christ ●nd were my Soul affected with the great ●ystery of God's Love and did I meditate ●n the Word as soon as I left the Church ●as not the World in my Heart as soon as ●e word was out of the Minister's Did not ●eat and drink at Table more to please my ●ppetite than to repair the decayed strength ●f my nature Was my Discourse holy at ●●e Table when I craved a Blessing was ●ot my mind more intent on the meat before