Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	fruit_n	good_a	word_n	4,456	5	5.3399	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44826	The benefit of a well-ordered conversation as it was delivered in a sermon preached June 24th. 1682. On a day of publick humiliation. As also a funeral discourse upon the three first verses of the third chapter of Isaiah; occasioned by the death of the worshipful Major General Denison; who deceased at Ipswich, Sept. 20. 1682. By Mr. William Hubbard. To which is annexed an Irenicon or a salve for New-England's sore: penned by the said major general; and left behind him as his farewell and last advice to his friends of the Massachusets.	Hubbard, William, 1621 or 2-1704.; Denison, Daniel, 1613-1682. Irenicon.	1684 (1684)	Wing H3208; ESTC W9576	81,919	262

committed any Errors let them be buried with him in his Grave as in a Sepulchre of oblivion The memory of the just shall be blessed who only of all others are ascended out of the reach of Fate and Corruption Vlt. Let all hence learn seeing all sorts of persons are like to be taken away out of this world sooner or later to be ready and prepared for such a change when that time is once come at which we must all go to that place whence we shall not return it will be to no purpose to linger or delay as Lot who was loth to go out of Sodom or to say with Hezekiah we are not ready Death the King of Terrors who holds his assignment more certain than any other Monarchs will have no denial when he comes with his Writ of Habeas Corpus happy will all they be who then have their Quietus est granted them and Sealed in the Court of Conscience Time or rather Providence that orders it is truly said to be the Mother of all things in whose fruitful Womb they are all conceived both persons events and actions that now are upon the stage or ever were or shall hereafter be And what ever is conceived there will surely be brought forth in its appointed season And therefore as the birth of all sorts of persons that are at any time brought forth into the World had their original conception there in thy Book saith David were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them so also is their death and dissolution written there which shall fall out exactly in the season fore-appointed of the Father who hath all in his own hand And when one Generation is gone off another Generation is coming yet the same stage and when they have acted their part they must all in like manner withdraw and give place to them who are to succeed The Righteous and the Wise and their Works are all in the hand of God as Solomon tells us Eccles 10.1 that is as our Interpreters give the sense of it The persons of the best and most prudent men are not in their own power or at their own disposal but are guided by a Divine Providence and by a secret invisible and unpreventable direction from above by him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will ruling them by his powerful though somtimes secret and invisible Government Our works are transient things and as they come from us seem to vanish away and to be no more they are quickly out of our hands but they are alwayes in Gods hands and written in his book he reserveth them unto the time of Retribution and keepeth an exact Record and Register of them so that no one of them shall be unrewarded Men cannot do to us or dispose of us as they will neither can we dispose of our selves as we please but he who is wisest and knows what is best for us and what uses we are fittest for doth as it pleaseth him order both our persons our times our places our callings our work and our wages as may be most for the glory of his Name whose we are and whom it is our happiness to serve in whatsoever station he shall be pleased to place us in all our care and solicitude should be to be faithful and diligent therein that when our Lord shall come we may be found so doing Hezekiah in his solemn Song of Thanksgiving after his recovery compareth mans life to a Web in the Weavers Loom I have cut off as a Weaver my life Isa 38.12 The Weaver is forced oft times to cut off his Web before it is finished for want of matter to weave it up to the end of the Warp or by some other occasion Frail men too oft cast their designs in a larger and more spacious mould than was ever yet granted to any Mortals and purpose this day what they will do many years hence whereas they should consider the time is short and therefore should so set about inferiour things as not to be hindred in the managing things of the highest nature such as are the concerns of the other World while they are in the Loom of life their care should be to make good stuffs for every mans work shall be tried and nothing but what is perfect will pass for currant in our last account and be accepted of God To build Hay or Stubble upon the true foundation will be to our loss Let our works be such as are wrought in God and then we need never be afraid to give up our account Such they are only that will follow us into the other world and for the sake of such only will they be declared blessed that die in the Lord. These are the only ground of that hope which makes Christians not to be ashamed I have not so lived said one of the Antients that I am ashamed to die Another amongst our Modern Divines with a little alteration repeated the words I have not so learned Christ as to be afraid to die The two great works of a Christian are Faith and Repentance By the one we receive life from God and a principle of new obedience by the other we return all unto God again by love and an holy life Those that are clear in either of these for they are both inseparable twins and companions in the state of the new life need never be afraid to appear before their Judge You that are Souldiers know the last Enemy you have to conflict with is death which you can never overcome but by Faith in him who overcame both death and him that hath the power of Death that is the Devil And that Faith which is sincere will alwayes work by love and manifest it self by the fruits of Repentance and exercise of a good Conscience This was the ground of Paul's rejoycing the testimony of a good Conscience which made him so careful to maintain a Conscience void of offence both toward God and man the thought of this will be the best preservative against the corruption and temptation of this evil World Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time This will be the murus aheneus which none of our infernal Enemies will ever be able to scale This is the only Armour of proof which none of the Adversaries Darts will ever be able to enter He that hath not the Breast-plate of Righteousness as well as the shield of Faith will never be able to stand in the last conflict There is nothing more scandalous to the Christian Name than the timorousness of its Professors when they come to die Is it not a shame and dishonour to him whose followers they pretend to be or really are that meer Heathens should out-do them in that point Some of them could say Dulce decorum est pro patria mori The Souldier takes his life in his hand and the Mariner places it in the Planks of

Tema to be dryed up but wells are living fountains and if one should fail yet there are many wells of Salvation prepared for such as order their way aright Say not these wells are deep and we have nothing to draw for those that walk arigh● shall find a bucket as well as a well and strength also to draw It was a joyfu● time with Israel when they encamped in the Wilderness at Elim where were seventy Palm trees and twelve wells of water A well for every one of the tribe● in particular yet this was but at one station but there are wells of Salvation now under the Gospel in every station of their Pilgrimage such considerations as these that follow may furnish us with this Salvation 1. God who is the God of all such as order their way aright is the God of Salvation Psal 68.20 which implies these things 1. That he is able to save his People No Enemy so potent no difficulty so great no sickness so dangerous but he is able to save his people from He is also said to be a God to whom vengeance belongeth God will then avenge his people of their Enemies These are dreadful speeches to the enemies of Gods People and more comfortable to themselves which ye have Deut. 32.39 c. I even I am he and there is no God with me that glorious great and supreme God his glory is spread over all the World I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hands c. If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold of Judgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies and reward to them that hate me c. From the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy Rejoyce O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his Adversaries and will be merciful to his Land and to his People i. e. beginning at the head the Devil who is the prince of this world as Diodati notes on the place or as the prince of the great worldly Empire enemy to the Church seeing those great Empires which have named themselves universal have alwayes warred against God and his Church let none say that these speeches concerns the nation of the Jews only for though it might respect them primarily yet secondarily it includes the Church and people of God in all following ages and all those who have opposed them and hath accordingly been made good upon them as is evident in the vengeance of God upon Antiochus Dioclesian Maximinus Maxentias and Julian afterwards who were all destroyed by some more than ordinary hand of God in a way of vengeance upon them They are saved also from their sins the worst of their Enemies for now under the Gospel the People of God for all such are supposed to order their way aright being delivered from the hand of their Enemies shall be enabled to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of their life 2. It is here implied that he is willing to save them He taketh pleasure in this work of Salvation Who is a God like unto thee saith Micah that delighteth to pardon iniquity or that passeth by transgression because he delighteth in mercy he will subdue their Iniquities If sin be subdued that is the worst and most dangerous of all our Enemies there is no great fear from any of the rest And if the malady of sin be taken care for there is no other disease insident to such a people that will prove deadly The Inhabitants of Sion shall never complain of any sickness when once their sins are forgiven them 3. That he is wont to save them Such titles come to be appropriated to Rulers from their usual custom to do such or such things He is wont to be the hope of Israel and Saviour of them in the time of trouble did they ever miss of Salvation in one regard or other that waited upon him for Salvation Idolaters Hypocrites and Vnbelievers in time of their distress shall curse their King and their God and look upward Isa 8.21 i. e. to see if any help will come to them from Heaven they may look indeed but there will be none to save even unto the Lord but he will give them no answer Saul was one of these therefore God gave him no answer neither by Urim nor Thummim nor yet by Dreams or Visions 2. God hath appointed a Saviour for his People and hath imposed a Name upon him that declares it His name shall be called Jesus Mat. 1.21 for he shall save his People from their sins He is also said to be able to save unto the utmost all that come unto God through him when the question is asked who is this that cometh from Edom glorious in his Apparel it is answered I that speak in righteousness mighty to save i. e. The Lord Jesus Christ who hath promised everlasting Salvation to his Church and will powerfully perform it If this seem a difficult thing his other Names make way for the belief thereof The Government shall be upon his shoulder and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace i. e. as is interpreted the everlasting Son of God and hath taken our nature upon him by being born of the Virgin and defends the Churches right against all her Enemies in quality of a Mediator and head of the same who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who hath made peace betwixt God and his People and Reigneth thereby to Life and Salvation for ever 3. God hath promised to be the Salvation of his People There is a ground for Faith to work upon Salvation is said to be the end of our Faith there is no other ground for Faith to build hope of Salvation upon but the Word of God Faith is the substance of things hoped for It gives Subsistence Being to the things that are hoped for such as walk before God in a right way may conclude he is faithful who hath promised who also will do it It was said of Archimedes the great Mathematician of old that he would undertake by the force of Engines which he would invent that if he had a Foundation to place his Engine upon he would raise the whole body of the Earth out of its Center it was a great speech but natural Ingeny will never be able to out-vye Theology Faith can do greater things than natural strength or skill Gods immutable word is a foundation for Faith to rest upon while it accomplishes all things that are needful for Salvation God is our strength and refuge sayes David Psal 46.1 2. a present help in time of trouble therefore we will not fear though the Earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea what is this great mountain before Zerubbabel the least degree of Faith as our Saviour tells