Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	church_n	paul_n	pillar_n	1,964	5	10.5066	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77022	The churches glory, or, The becoming ornament being a seasonable word, tending to the provoking, encouraging, and perfecting of holiness in believers ... : whereunto is added, A glasse for the unconverted ... as also, several articles of faith briefly laid down for the further establishment and confirming of the faithful / by Josias Bonham, sen. of Byfield in Northamptonshire.	Bonham, Josias.	1674 (1674)	Wing B3592; ESTC R42680	146,195	373

quickning to act in holy Duties assuring and confirming the Soul in the Favour of the Father and the Son unto eternal Life according to that Promise of God held forth by Ezekiel 11.19 20. I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within them and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh whence note by the way that the Spirit is here said to be a new Spirit not because it is any new erected thing in it self for it was of old from eternity but first because by its powerful influences and operations it doth take up its residence in that Creature that was formerly destitute thereof and so it is new to the Creature And secondly because it doth erect a new Work in the Creature so as to alter and change the Inclinations and Dispositions of the Heart by destroying the Carnality Earthliness and Rebelliousness thereof towards the things of God which is signified by the stony Heart and making it tender and pliable to yield a cheerful conformity to the Will of God which is signified by the Heart of Flesh This great Promise as to the end of it is further expressed in these words That they may walk in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them and they shall be my People and I will be their God To the same effect are the Words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.11 12 13. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Therefore Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye But if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Hereby saith John We know that we dwell in him 1 John 4.13 and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit The Apostle Paul giving Instructions to Timothy concerning the qualifications of Church-Officers maketh this application to Timothy These things Write I unto thee that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 So that first Gods people are called the house of God as they have the in-dwelings of God by his Spirit in its Influences Operations and Laws residing in their hearts Secondly They are called the Church of God as they are a company or Congregation of people imbodied together by the Ligaments and Nerves of Gods word and walk together in the observation of all his Laws and Ordinances according to his Will Thirdly such a people or Congregation are called the Pillar and ground of the truth as they perform the office of a Pillar in upholding and propagating truths interest before the men of the world by doctrine and practice answerable thereunto as the Apostle to the Ephesians teacheth To the intent saith he that now unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 So that Gods people within the Evangelical Covenant of Grace believing on Christ and conforming to Christ in his holy Laws Orders and Ordinances according to the Gospel-dispensation and improving the same to the obtaining Victory or overcoming of their own Corruptions and inordinate affections to self and the World in its Vanities and live to God in holy Sanctity by the indwellings of God by his Spirit in the heart Such a people are by the Spirits demonstration called the House of God the Church of God and the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16 17. And such as overcome Christ makes Pillars in the same Rev. 3.12 In which Temple God doth dwell by his Spirit as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What know you not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which is Gods chap. 3. ver 16 17. Know you not saith the Apostle that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are The Temple which Solomon built was called the Lords house upon four Considerations First He made choyce of that house above all other for an house of Sacrifice 2 Chron. 7.12 verse 16. Secondly He Sanctifieth that house to himself for that purpose Thirdly He placed there his name that his eyes verse 16. and his heart might be there perpetually Fourthly He promised such acceptation of the Worship there performed according to that dispensation that his eyes should be open and his ears attentive to the Prayers there made ver 15. and for a clear Testimony thereof he filled the house with his glory ver 2. In all these Considerations Gods faithful people may be accounted his house For first God hath chosen them and builds them up a Spiritual House 1 Pet. 2.5 A habitation for God through the Spirit Eph. 2.22 to the use of spiritual Service and the offering up the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving to his name Secondly He sanctifieth them and fitteth them thereunto 1 Cor. 6.11 Eph. 5.26 Thirdly His eyes and his heart are upon them beholding with delight their Sacrifices and Services performed in Faith and Love Fourthly He so accepts of their worship performed in Spirit and Truth that his ears are open to their Prayers and for their consolation and assurance he fills them with Joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Whence note by the way that when a peoples Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise and other obedience doth arise from an in-dwelling of the Spirit of Faith and Sanctifying grace and is offered upon the Altar Jesus Christ in the golden Censer of his merits this doubtless is highly accepted of God in what place soever it be performed according to the words of Christ Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the mid'st of them Math. 18.20 The Conclusion drawn from these considerations is this That although God doth dwell in Heaven by his divine Essence and all-glorious presence and so Heaven may properly be called his house and dwelling-place yet God dwelleth also spiritually in and among his people who may be called his house or dwelling-place where he doth Record his Name and where he doth give his Blessings of Grace and Mercy as the Apostles in their Epistles to the Churches do declare and the Author to the Hebrews doth testifie in these words But Christ as a Son over his own House whose House are we if we hold fast the Confidence and the Rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Thus

with the Laver of brinish tears and lamenting sorrow yet had not infinite Mercy come in to his help how had he been foyled under the same wherefore admire God's Mercy but presume not upon the same for any allowance to sin for he hath said Rom. 9.15 I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy Esau found no place of Repentance although he sought it carefully with tears Heb. 12. Therefore of Sin in time beware If you 'd prevent an after care But Secondly All ye that have begun in the spirit and set your faces Sion-wards O be very cautious and take great heed and be very watchful against sin because as it is of a defiling nature so is it also of a depriving nature Sin in God's people many times deprives them of many comfortable enjoyments which otherwise they might happily enjoy Sin depriveth Angels of their Heaven Man of his Paradice Israel of his Canaan and many a poor soul of the manifestation of God's favour both in temporal and spiritual enjoyments as is evidenced by the word of the Lord in many Testimonies whereof let us consider one testimony Jer. 2.2 Thus saith the Lord concerning Israel I remember thee the kindness of thy Youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown Israel was Holiness to the Lord and the first-fruits of his increase all that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. In which words the Lord puts them in mind of their former kindness and love unto him and their walking with him in that their former state then Israel was holiness unto the Lord and yet in the next verses the Lord is taking up this complaint against them What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and become vain and in chap. 5. he saith Your sins have with-holden good things from you From which words we may note four particulars First That God's people are very apt to decline from their first degree of holiness obtained in their first Illuminations and Experiences of God They were holiness to the Lord in their first Espousals but now become vain and gone from God the Church of Ephesus was eminent for God but now fallen from her first love Rev. 2. Secondly Note that the people of God are usually most holy and walk most close with God when they have but little of these outward things to depend upon When thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown then Israel was Holiness to the Lord. Thirdly Note that the more close God's people keep to him in the way of Holiness the sooner shall their Adversaries in their enterprises be defeated All that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. Fourthly Note that God's people declining the way of Holiness deprive themselves of comforts very great and not their Enemies but themselves do oft thereby defeat Hos 8.3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the Enemy shall pursue him But Thirdly by way of Caution As God's people are greatly concerned to take heed and be very cautious of medling with sin because it is of a defiling nature and also of a depriving nature so is it also of a destroying nature Sin suffered in the Creature and not washed out by true Repentance and rich Mercy as aforesaid and especially when entertained with delight O how will it not only stain our Ornaments of Grace and Holiness but also eat up and destroy by degrees like the Moth in the Garment and the Worm in the Nut the very life marrow and quintescence of Christianity or power of Godliness even that love zeal reality and sincerity of heart with all those gifts and spiritual endowments and enjoyments formerly attained until there be nothing left but an out-side form of Godliness if that so that the Creature becometh as to spiritual performances and acts of grace in the life and power thereof but like unto a man whose soul is departing or departed little left but an out-side Carkass and if a little yet but weak in motion as the Holy Ghost doth seem to testify concerning the Estate of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1 2. I know thy works saith the Lord Thou hast a name that thou livest but art dead be watchful and strengthen the things that remain and are ready to dye Whence observe here was only a name that is to say an out-side form or shew of Godliness but as for the power of Godliness the very marrow and quintescence of Christianity that was as it were even at the last gasp in a dead or a dying condition and this seemeth to be the state of most in that Church excepting a few names saith the Lord that have not defiled their Garments from whence we are given to understand that the main ground and reason that the life and power of Godliness were thus destroyed in them was their want of watchfulness against sin but suffering it to grow and increase in them either by omision of duties required or committing sins forbidden or both they being allowed and continued without a true Repentance to a Reformation To this doth the Estate of the Churches of Ephesus and Laodicea witness as also many other presidents in holy Scripture the which to run over so large a field my present time and occasions will not permit wherefore let us be very cautious how we meddle with it but watch against it take heed and be ware of it and the occasions thereof whether they be sins of Omission or Commission all sins are of a destructive nature and especially sins against Knowledge and Grace received being allowed and approved of or winked and connived at How plentifully doth the Scripture set forth the destructive nature of sin and particularly those Grandees Infidelity Hypocrisy Heresy Drunkenness and Gluttony prophane Swearing and Blasphemy Whoredom and Adultery Coveteousness and Idolatry Pride Presumption and Oppression and the like The which sins are with many other not only destructive to soul and body gifts and graces but also unto Families and Church-fellowships Cityes and Countrys Kings and Kingdoms as the Scriptures do plentifully evince as saith the Lord by Samuel chap. 12.25 But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both you and your King in which words are intimated as to Israel so to us that if a people do live in such a wicked vicious life as highly to provoke God's Justice against them that then God would consume them with such Judgments as they nor their King should be able to withstand Whence note by the way that men of a wicked vicious Conversation thereby endeavour ruine to their King Nation concerned therefore is the Kings Authority for to suppress such wickedness and grand impiety Secondly Note by the way that men in whom is civil honesty and Godly sincerity are the best Subjects