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
A88645	The practice of godlines or brief rules directing Christians how to keep their hearts in a constant holy frame, and how to order their conversation aright. With an addition concerning self-examination, and the nature of faith. / By Henry Lukin minister of the gospel.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1659 (1659)	Wing L3479; Thomason E2107_2; ESTC R210051	38,795	129

very obvious I would not interpret that place Eccles 7.16 in favour of lukewarmness or to allay mens zeal with the base mixture of carnall policy yet doubtless men do sometimes destroy themselves by too much opinionativeness and self-conceit or over-rigidly insisting on some things where God allows them a greater latitude See Dr Reynolds on this place in his most excellent Commentary on Ecclesiastes in the larger English Annotations But Christians do usually most wrong others hereby First In judging them and casting them out of their charity for those things which they have liberty in or which they may lawfully do strong Christians are not more ready to despise the weak then the weak are to judg the strong Rom. 14.3 and I know not which is the greater sin the former for the most part is worse in respect of its principle from whence it proceeds but the latter in respect of the effects of it But secondly We further wrong others in that we do not leave our selves a liberty where God hath left it us for accommodating our selves to them and pleasing them for their good to edification or as others have it in that which is good where we have the true bounds set to man-pleasing for the matter it must be in that which is good we must not please their sinfull humours or comply with their corrupt lusts Then there must be a right end it must be for their edification Rom. 15.2 and this rule the Apostle himself put in practice 1 Cor. 9.19 Chap. 10.33 Direct 7. Labour to make the best improvement of your time The Apostle indeed exhorts to redeem time Eph. 5.16 which is an expression of doubtfull signification and capable of various interpretations but in propriety of speech time that is lost is not to be redeemed we cannot possibly recover mispent time redeeming time is alike impossible as merit Luk. 17.10 because all that we can do in our time is our duty and it is not in morals as in naturals where by resting one hour we are able to work more vigorously another but the more remiss we are the greater indisposition we bring upon our selves If a man suffer weeds to grow in his field though he pluck them up before they seed or spoyl his corn yet he loses so much ground as they grow upon so though God should pardon the mispending of our time yet we shall lose the fruit of what we might have in that time sown to the Spirit and as good husbands will lose none of their ground but have every parcell bring them forth something so we should endeavour that every parcell of our time may be sown with some seed of righteousness yea we should make some improvement of that time in which we do the works of our particular callings to some spirituall advantage if our imployments be such as exercise the hand and not the head by some usefull meditations as some will plant their hedg-rowes with fruit trees reckoning that what they get thereby is clear gain because they take up no room which might be put to any other use so what we get by such meditations is clearly gained because it doth not hinder any other imployment But as it is not enough for the husbandman to sow all his ground but he must observe what agrees best with this or that grain and as it is not sufficient that he be alwayes employed unless he observe the due season for his severall affairs so it is not sufficient that we be alwayes doing that which is materially good but there must be a prudent choice of the fittest season for every action for there is for every purpose a time and judgment therefore is the misery of man great upon him because some few men have the wisdome to know time and judgment Eccl. 8.5 6. but he is the blessed man that brings forth fruit in its season Psal 1.3 Yet let not your souls enter into the secrets of those who seeming to themselves to have a perfect understanding of the times and seasons wherein the things foretold in Scripture shall have their accomplishment think themselves bound to attempt such things as they suppose may be helpfull to the bringing forth of that which divine providence seems to be travelling with calling this the work of the day or of their generation The good man Moses ran into this mistake but he was glad to flee for it and keep sheep fourty years till he had a more cleer call from God to undertake that work which he before knew God had designed him for Acts 7.23 c. More particularly let us endeavour to improve our time well when we are in company and when we are alone for society and solitude share our time First In company let us labour to do good or to get good at least that we do no hurt nor receive any and to that end avoid as much as may be the society of those with whom we are like neither to do or receive good and those are such as are prophane scorners and such as are meerly carnall and are much our superiours And when you are in company make conscience of your words 1. Because we are very apt to offend in them Jam. 3.2 6. We may complain of most mens discourses as Bernard Apolog. ad Guil. Abbat Nihil de Scripturis nihil de salute agitur animarum sed nugae risus verbae proferuntur in ventum they are all froth and vanity there is nothing in them of the Scripture or of the salvation of mens souls Ita fabulantur ut qui sciant Dominum audire saith Tertullian of the ancient Christians Apol. cap. 39. they so talk as those who know that God hears them So Psal 139.4 Remember the story of him that heard a pen writing behind the curtain while he was under examination which made him look more narrowly to his words 2. There is speciall notice taken of them Mal. 3.16 And 3. We must give an account of them Mat. 12.36 37. and that we may never want matter of usefull discourse let us alwayes be furnished with some profitable questions to propound 1 King 10.1 c. which we may be supplied with either from what we hear or read daily of the Word of God or some passages of Gods Providence or our own experience and this will be usefull both to our selves and others we may hereby increase our own knowledg and give others occasion for imploying their Talents which many times lye wrapped up useless either through too much reservedness or slowness of speech or an over-awing modesty or because men know not so well how to suit their discourses to the conditions and capacities of others and it will not be altogether in vain to propound questions to those that are our equals or below us in understanding We may likewise take occasion from ordinary occurrences to raise spirituall discourses which was Christs usuall practice Joh. 4.10 6 26. but it is ever necessary that we

hereto the oftner we come to God the more welcome Cant. 2.14 Jer. 2.32 and the more boldness and liberty of access we shall have disuse and infrequency breeding a strangeness betwixt God and the soul and deading the heart to communion with him Direct 4. Be very serious in the performance of holy duties be carefull to joyn therein attention of mind Ezek. 33.32 sincerity of heart Psal 145.18 intension of affictions Rom. 12.11 Acts 27.7 and holy fear and reverence Heb. 12.28 Christians are very faulty in this particular for besides their rude irreverent behaviour in holy duties when the best supply that we can make to the defect of our prayers after our hearts have been roving and wandering therein notwithstanding the strictest hand that we can keep over them is by recollection of all the strength of our souls to enforce them by an hearty Amen You shall have men off their knees if ever they were on them or ready to run away from the duty when it grows towards an end as if they were glad that such a task were done Verily I have oft wondered how such prophaness in divine worship should be consistent with the fear of God and yet been loath to condemn those that are guilty of it I can scarce think of this but I am in Pauls case Acts 17.16 for as Mirandula saith in another case That its a wonder that any should doubt of the truth of the Gospel after so many proofs of it but a greater wonder that any should believe it and live as if it were not true Ep. 1. ad Nepot So it is a wonder that any should be so bruitish as to worship a false god but a greater wonder that any worshiping the true God should worship him as if he were no God We ought to give the more diligent heed herein because there is the same time spent in the slight performance of duties which is spent in a right performance of them and a man had better sow his ground with good seed though it cost him dear then with darnell or cockle though he can have it for nothing and as we lose the fruit of our duties and answer of our prayers when we are slight in them so we lose the sweetness that is to be had in communion with God in them and that is the reason we come with such dead hearts to duties and we had need be watchfull herein because Satan is very busie to interrupt us in holy duties Luk. 8.12 Zach. 3.1 and our own hearts are very apt to wander therein Bennard sadly complains of this in his Meditations cap. 8. and de demo interiori cap. 29 33. how he scarce could attend to his own prayers or mind what he said in them himself and so lost the fruit of them See Dike on the Heart cap. 21. Cyprian de Orat. Dom. Now for our help therein let us first consider the nature of God with whom we have to do he is a great King and his Name is dreadfull Mal. 1.14 read that Chapter throughout he will not bear it to be put off with slight services he will have none of his work done negligently Jer. 48.10 he will be sanctified of all such as draw nigh to him Lev. 10.3 he will be served with fear and trembling Psal 2.11 trembling at the Word of God is the Character of a godly man Isa 66.2 4. Ezra 10.3 Secondly Let us consider the nature of the services wherein we have to do with him and we may consider them under a threefold notion First as duties this will lay an awe upon our consciences and keep us to a due constant observance of them it is dangerous to free our consciences from this obligation by laying aside the opinion of duty for we see by experience how easily men are tempted to a neglect of those things which they look upon as only matter of liberty and not as necessary duty 2. Let us consider them as priviledges this will keep us from that weariness which is ready to grow upon us in them while we consider them only as burdensome tasks Mal. 1.13 And from resting in the work done which we shall be apt to do if we look upon them only as duties 3. Let us consider them as Talents which we must give an account of for so they are if we look upon them as means of grace Luk. 12.48 this will quicken us up to more earnest diligence in the improvement of them And for prayer in particular let me add this one word whenever we draw nigh to God in it let us but consider what it is or what we are about viz The making our requests known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving Phil. 4.6 that so we may be furnished with expressions not from our heads but from our hearts that our words may not be fetched from our memories or inventions but from our reall desires and inward affections Direct 5. Be very carefull net to neglect known duties We use to observe in polemicall Divinity that the plainest truths are least studied because they are taken for granted and so men think they need not busie themselvts about them I wish we could not make the like observation in practicall Divinity though there is not the like reason for the neglect of the practice that there is of the study of those things which we know the end of knowledg is practice Deut. 29.29 But so it is usually that men are very inquisitive into those things which are doubtfull as if they wanted matter for the exercise of their zeal or as if they would complement with God as they sometimes do with men telling him in effect that they do but wait for an opportunity to serve him when they overlook ordinary acknowledged duties like the Jews which were very forward to enquire whether they should fast as they had done formerly and in the mean while they neglected the duties of morality Mic. 6.7 the greatest questionists are many times the least doers but as Luther would say God loves not Quaeristas but Curristas not such as will be alwayes enquiring but such as will be active or doing if you would know more of the mind of God in things that are doubtfull do more of what you already know Joh. 7.17 Mind what is your present duty what is the next step you are to take in the way to Heaven as the evil of the day so the duty of the day is sufficient for it Direct 6. Labour to know the true bounds of your Christian liberty Not that you may walk to the utmost extent of it for the satisfying of your naturall desires nor that you may for any carnall interest basely comply with mens humours but yet there may be great use of this both in respect of our selves and others men do oft lay unnecessary burdens upon themselves binding themselves where God hath loosed them to their own great prejudice like those 1 Cor. 8.7 instances whereof are