Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	good_a	hear_v	heart_n	3,879	5	6.4623	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92857	The riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of salvation to poor sinners. Wherein is set out, the gracious behaviour of Christ, standing at the door and knocking for entrance. The dutiful behaviour of sinners in hearing Christs voice and opening to him. And the comfortable event upon them both. / By Obadiah Sedgwick. B.D. and late minister of the Gospel in Covent-Garden.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1657 (1657)	Wing S2379; Thomason E1683_2; ESTC R209163	87,999	316

maintained by infinitenesse and prolonged to eternity our life will end and the world will end and time will end but this communion shall never end Nay and contrary to all other communions which like wine is quickest at the first drawing the longer that this communion holds the sweeter and the fuller and the purer it becomes In this life you by reason thereof partake of glorious and unspeakable good from Christ but all is little to what he reserves for another world All in this life is but as the first fruits the harvest is to come but as the earnest penny the full reward is to come but as the contract the marriage is to come After a few dayes you shall come to an immediate and perfect communion not at second hand by means not by tokens not by droppings not by mixtures but by a glorious and absolute fulnesse by compleat fruition and vision Christ will let out his strength of holinesse and glory upon you and you shall let out the strength of love to Christ you shall enjoy him to the utmost capacity of fruition and you shall love him with the utmost possibility of affection for ever and ever This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord this is that admirable and blessed communion which is and shall be 'twixt Christ and all beleevers Rev. 3. 20. Serm. 7. Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me THe next Use shall be of Instruction to such persons who upon good grounds finde themselves to have communion with Christ and Christ with them Their dignity I confesse is great so the duty thereupon is manifold 1. Walk with cheerful thanfulnesse Two sights are very incongruous one is a wicked man inflamed with joyes another is a good man almost drowned in teares 1 Sam. 1. 8. Hanna said Elkanah why weepest thou and why is thy heart grieved am I not better to thee then ten sonnes So say I to thee a beleever why doest thou walk with so many habitual cares in thy head and with so many continual fears in thy breast hast thou not communion with Christ Obj. Perhaps thou hast but little of the world yet even at the lowest thou hast communion with Christ Sol. And should not the shining of the Sunne satisfie thee though all the candles were put out If thou hadst nothing but a naked Christ thou hadst as much as happinesse comes to How many have quitted all to enjoy Christ alone and have rejoyced too why then shouldest thou be troubled who at once hast as much of earth as is necessary and as much of Christ too as will make thee blessed Remember him who sold all for the pearle and forso●k all for Christ A little with contentment is great gain what then should a little nay any thing be with Christ When a fit of sadnesse once surprized Caesar he strook himself on the breast saying Cogita te Caesarem esse why man art thou not Caesar So when melancholy thoughts about external possessions surprize thy minde rouze up thy self Cogita te Christianum esse remember and say am I not a Christian have I not communion with Christ and cannot communion with him eke out that little portion of other things It was wont to make the prison a Palace the flames of martyrdome a bed of roses why should it not be able to make thy bit of bread a feast and thy cup of water sweeter then wine it self Obj. Or perhaps it is but little which Christ as yet hath imparted to thee of himself little grace little assurance little joy Sol. O friend let that little be never so little if it be aliquid Christi it is great in worth though small in bulk A little issuing from communion with him is the fruit of highest love and the pledge of fullest glory The ring of gold is little but it with a pearle is very much A little grace with a full Christ is a condition very high If the Christian were truly humble and wise who had the prizing of it nothing is little which drops from Christ the least ray of gold is precious For my part I judge that wife abundantly estated whose husband is so O Christian be contented be thankful be cheerful Consider 1. The least which comes from Christ is enough to save thee and should not then the much which comes from him be enough to comfort thee 2. Where Christ communicates a little there he will communicate more 't is a gift not a portion There are showers which gush out of a cloud but they quickly cease they grow lesse and lesse There are drops which distil out of a fountaine and they still increase Thou hast no sooner received one degree of grace but Christ is ready to adde another Methinks the child should suck quietly when although it takes not in the whole breast at once yet the milk is spinning out to renue a further drought after the former is gone down 3. Christ imparts not alike to all nor all at once to any He so gives as that still he reserves more to give I feare our condition would not be sure were there not some good still in Christs hand to bestow communion would cease if communication did cease It is an unspeakable comfort to me that Christ is mine no man ever enjoyed him but he shall enjoy more from him I blesse his goodnesse for the former I will wait on his wisdom for the latter 2. Live like those who have communion with Christ Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dreame an image whose head was of gold but the feet were part of iron and part of clay Dan. 2. 32. 33. Truly that Christian is but in a dreame who fancies a golden communion and yet wallows in a wicked conversation If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darknesse we lie 1 John 1. 6. The forty four thousand with the Lamb had his Fathers name written in their foreheads In communion there is alwayes similitude and conformity and this is twofold in a Christian to that in Christ 1. Of holinesse when the grace of Christ appears but doctrinally it teaches us to live holily Titus 2. 12. much more when it appears effectually in communication from Christ Surely they are much mistaken who can exalt the Gospel and despise the Law who can magnifie the merit of Christ and withal contemn the Spirit of Christ As if a good Christ and a good life were inconsistent or as if the blood of Christ purchased this unhappy favour for us to live licentiously will you shame your head and deny that Christ that bought you Is this a Christ communication Is this to shew the vertues of him who hath called you Brethren be not deceived God is not mocked An evil conversation is incomplyable with the learning of Christ in truth Eph. 4. 21 22. For what fellowship

when Christ takes possession of a poor soul he doth apply himself to it not onely in a way of affection wishing well to it not only in a way of consent I do yeild my self unto it not only in a way of consent I do yeild my self unto it not only in a way of union I take this soul as mine and will own it as my own self not onely in a way of promise I will bestow some good upon it but also in a way of unction that is he doth set up himself in this his possession He doth qualifie he doth sanctifie he doth beautifie every roome of the soul with the graces of his blessed Spirit As when the Lord entred into the Temple which Solomon built he then filled the same with his glory 1 King 8. 11. So when Jesus Christ enters into a soul he fills that soul with the glory of his grace with his influence as well as with his presence When the first Adam enters into us he enters as a contagion and as death so when the second Adam enters into us he enters into us as a renovation and life Therefore is Christ said to be formed in us Gal. 4. 19. The Papist talk of the figure of Christs body sticking in the garments c. that 's a vanity but this is a truth that Christ doth forme himself in the soul of a beleever he formes himself in us by conforming us unto himself implanting in us all holy graces which 1. Alter 2. Enable 3. Dispose and incline as if he should say this heart shall love sinne no more it shall be enflamed with love to me this heart shall trust vanity no more it shall trust on me this tongue shall blaspheme no more it shall praise me this person shall be a slaye no more he shall be a servant unto me Behold O soul thou art become mine and I must now adorne thee to be a delightful Mansion for my self therefore we are said to be new creatures and his workmanship and to put on Christ Blindnesse vanity folly pride be gone come in knowledge wisdom soundnesse of judgment truth regard of me and it come in and possess the upper roome of this soul the minde Unwillingness stoutness rebellion hardness hypocrisie be gone come in plyablenesse softnesse tenderness sincerity readiness compliance with my will dependance on my self come in and possess the royal chamber of the soul the will Irregularity vileness inordinatenesse be gone Come in purity order quickness come in and possesse the lower roome of the soul the affections All ye graces of my Spirit be ye set up in the inward rooms and spread and act in the outward rooms of the life in all spiritualnesse of behavior towards God and man c. 3. A sweet gubernation for Christ possesseth the soul as a Lord possesseth his Mansion to do what he pleaseth and to rule after his own will in it and therefore he is called the Lord of his Temple And the housholder who employs and sets every servant his work having first given unto them several talents He must have and hath the command and disposal of the soul As the Centurion said to one servant go and he went do this and he did it come and he came Matth. 8. So saith Christ to the soule which he takes possession of I will have you sometimes to abound and then you must be thankful and sometimes to want and then you must be contented now I will have you to do for me with your graces or with your estates and you must then be ready to do and another time now I will have you to suffer for me in your Name in your comforts in your possessions in your liberties perhaps in your lives and you must then be willing to forsake all for me Sometimes your lusts will be commanding but do not hearken to them sometimes Satan will be tempting but do not yeild to him sometimes your carnal friends will be trying of you but do not regard them you are none of theirs nor none of your own you are my possession and therefore must be only at my disposal 4. A watchful provision when a man takes possession of house or houshold or lands he is thereupon engaged to take care and charge over all He must Till the ground and manure it and mend it and keep it in heart and he must keep and repaire the house if it be sinking and he must maintaine the servants with all necessaries of food and rayment he must look to them when they be well and when they be sick just so doth Christ when he takes possession of a soule he takes upon him the full care of that soul he will be a sufficiency unto it By preserving the graces given unto it By adding sutable degrees and helps of grace for greater and further services By repairing and recovering a fallen or sinking soul There is a rich store-house in Christ for the soul which he possesseth He will give renuing grace and justifying grace and then he will keep that grace given And he will yet adde more grace and help And if the soul be drawn aside and falls he will not lose it he will seek after it he will find it again and recover it again 5. A sure protection when one hath possession it behoves him to keep possession he is to defray all the rents or dues wherewith that possession is charged and he is to answer and take off all claimes and titles made against his right of possession Go to my Master saith the servant to my husband saith the wife So doth Jesus Christ when he enters and takes possession of the soul This soul saith Christ is mine I own it I will provide for it plead for it or against it who will or can I will answer him I will answer for it I will stand 'twixt it all pleas 'twixt it and all claims 'twixt it and all hazards I will take all upon me and as long as I am Christ and as far as my blood will go or my intercession will go or my merits can go or my Spirit can go I will maintain and defend mine own John 17. 12. Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost John 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice c. Ver. 28. And I give unto them eternal life neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Rom. 8. 38. Neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities 〈◊〉 powers nor things present nor things to come Ver. 39. Nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died c. As if he should say come who will and do your utmost yet I will be possessour and Saviour still Satan stands out and saith this soul belongs to me I have had possession of it a long time too