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	heart_n	word_n	6,783	5	5.4992	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86356	The good old vvay, Gods vvay, to sovle-refreshing rest: discovered in a sermon preached to the Right Honorable the Lord Maior and court of aldermen of the citie of London, at their anniversary meeting on Wednesday in Easter weeke at Christ-Church, Apr. 24. 1644 being the day of the monethly publike fast. By Thomas Hill B.D. Pastor of Tychmersh in Northampton shire. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.	Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.	1644 (1644)	Wing H2023; Thomason E48_4; ESTC R11496	52,548	61

of our happinesse this the Patriarchs and Prophets have beene discovering from time to time our thoughts should bee active how to find it out Herein we must not sodainly take things upon trust but with much circumspection consider and enquire after it the necessity whereof will appeare by these following Reasons The Lord would have you carefully inquisitive after the good way because there are s● many wrong and by-wayes wherein you may miscarry Matth. 7. 13. Our Saviour tels us the gate is strait the way is narrow which leads to Heaven the passage is so difficult the passengers are but few But the way to Hell is a broad way having a d●c●itfull latitude naturally we love elbow-roome for our lusts in this broad way there are by-paths and secret turnings many poore soules too too many walke herein A thousand crooked paths into which deluded sinners turning aside like lost Sheepe goe wandring up and downe till at last they bee irrecoverably intangled in a Wildernesse It is observed by the Learned if you divide the world into thirty equal parts nineteen of those thirty according to their computation are still over-grown with Heathenish Idolatry Six of the eleven remaining are overspread with Mahumetisme then there remaine but five parts of thirty where christianity hath taken possession Amongst those Christians many seduced Papists who are led captive in by-wayes and of the remaining Protestant Party how few that are Christians and Protestants indeed Some have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power others though they glory in the name of Christianity yet scarce so much as any externall shew of Pietie still the most walk in a way that is not good This more fully appeares in that excellent parable of Christ concerning the sower who went out to sow his seed upon foure sorts of ground some fell by the high-wayes side upon prophane Atheistical spirits where it made no impression this word sunke no more into their hearts then seed into a troden path ver. 19. some fell upon stony ground they receive the word with some joy ver. 20. yet because they were not deeply humbled to make sin their greatest sorrow and Christ their greatest joy in time of persecution they are offended and fall off vers. 21. some seed is sowne upon thorny ground a generation of Professors that make some further progresse in entertaining the Gospell for a time yet at last the riches and cares of the world choakes the word in them they become unfruitfull prosperity is as great a snare to them as adversity was to the stony ground The fourth which is the good ground is but one quarter I wish it were so much in every Christian Congregation few receive the seed of Gods word with good and honest hearts bringing forth fruit unto perfection This is but a little spot in comparison look into most Families most Congregations not a fourth part ordinarily that lookes like good ground enclosed and set apart to bring forth fruit to God but rather like a common wast over-growne with weeds like a Wildernesse sine cul●u sine fructu sine ornatu Here is a multiplicity of by-wayes wherein the most doe lose their God their Soules their Hopes their Happinesse therefore you should bee carefully inquisitive There are many false guides as well as crooked by-wayes which will cunningly indeavour to mislead you into self-undoing courses upon this ground also you had need bee the more carefully inquisitive after the good way The Apostle Pete● assures us there were false Prophets among the people even among the people of God there shall also be false Teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable heresies they mingled noisome weeds with some sweet flowers scattered their poison upon Gospel truths And ver. 2. many shall follow their pernicious wayes scil. their corrupt doctrines and evill examples they loose the reines to all manner of licentiousnesse of the flesh under the pretence of Christian liberty ver. 18. by reason of whom the way of Truth shall bee evill spoken of the Gospel much reproached by the adversaries and so others diverted from the right way as long as the Devill hath a Kingdome here hee will send abroad his Emissaries acting this part to draw people into pernicious wayes How came the man of sin to rife from so small beginnings to so great an height looke into 1 Tim. 4. 1. the spirit speaketh expresly in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits The Devill and the Pope have had many industrious Chaplain● who boasting as if they were inspired and sent by God pretending devotion and by insinuating straines of Rhetorick have first scrued themselves into mens consciences then pickt their purses first cheated them of their Religion of their Salvation and then consened them of their Estates got their Kingdoms to enlarge the Popes Territories And all this carried on {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by the Hypocrisie of those who speake lies with most cunning devices deluding many poore creatures obtruding guilded errors upon them in stead of Truths Possibly you may bee seduced by such spirits unlesse you bee vigilant and inquisitive It 's worthy your observation in 1 King 22. 20 when ever the Lord intendeth to suffer any poore creature to bee deluded you shall find the Devil is alway at hand No sooner did God speak these words in Verse 20. The Lord said Who shall perswade Ahab that hee may goe up and fall at Ramoth Gilead God had a quarrell against Ahab and he was resolv'd to suffer him to engage himself in such a Warre and to goe up that he might be there undone But the Question is now how this should bee brought about In Verse 21. There came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will perswade him No sooner doth God expresse any intention to suffer any one to bee seduced but the Devil is most ready to bee imployed in the service The Lord saith unto him Wherewith In Verse 22. hee saith I will goe forth and I will bee a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets And hee said Thou shall perswade him and prevaile also goe forth and doe so The Devill knew Ahab had a company of Trencher mercenary Chaplaines that would easily bee wrought upon to say any thing to the King so the Devil undertakes them and hee knowing the length of their foot that hee could prevaile with them saith hee I will goe and bee a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Hence it commeth that Ahab himselfe was seduced to those waies that lead to his owne destruction Vnhappie King hee had such corrupt Chaplaines that were false guides and there was a Devill that was very ready to make use of all advantages how to mis-lead them that they might mis guide Ahab Such engines as these are the Devil in all ages sends abroad who come like ignis

have confuted his principles over-turned his thoughts and then you may soone perswade him to forsake his wayes and both these must be done before he come into the good way Therefore you shall find in Isa. 65. 2. the Lord tells you I have spread out my hands all the day long to a rebellious people that walke in a way that is not good after their own thoughts There is not a man or woman in this Congregation that hath outstood the ministery all this while and per●isted in their owne wicked wayes but they walke still after their own thoughts and let the Minister say what hee will they will hold the conclusion and resolve to keepe to their owne principles and their owne thoughts Now when you are come to this resolution My own thoughts shall not guide mee my own way cannot save mee but I will apply my selfe to Gods way this is the first step towards walking This is presupposed indeed before you can walke in this good way it must be done You must turne your backe upon your own evill waies Secondly Walking is a moving forward taking step after step as travellers use to doe so that you make some progresse Though you bee in the right way yet if you stand still you doe not walke But in that you hold compliance with the Commandements of God and go along with them maintaining a correspondency to Gods will this is walking En●●h walked with God in Gen. 5. 24. And so likewise in the Epistle to the Hebrewes 11. 5. Hee was then translated going along with God in well-pleasing wayes Whatsoever duty God prescribed him his Spirit closed with it whatsoever lesson was commended to him hee tooke it out acted over the truthes that were proposed And this is indeed walking with God in the good way continually improving of his Ordinances observing of his daily providences obedientially delivering up your selves to his Commands moving according un●o them Thirdly This walking must bee a voluntary a willing motion There is much in that expression Prov. 20 7. A righteous man walketh in his integrity it is in that conjugation in the Hebrew that signifieth hee sets himselfe going Every godly man hath an inward principle hee moveth not like a terrifyed hypocrite from outward motives hee is not whipped to duties by feare hee is not carryed on onely by carnall hopes as many a man doth worship the rising Sunne and love reformation when it is a plausible thing but now a godly man hath a new nature and there is an internall principle and a motive within himselfe that hee walketh in this way hee is not drawn nor driven but he spontaneously moveth and this it is that God here expects therefore you should inquire what is the good and the right way and then walke in it Gods people are voluntiers a willing people And the very tenor of the Covenant is this Gods people should bee a repenting people a beleeving people an obeying people By repentance wee seek the way by faith wee finde the way and by obedience wee keepe the way this would discover you indeed to bee such a people as walk with God had you but the exercise of these three Cardinall substantiall graces such repentance as to renounce your sins your former wayes and seeke the way of God such faith that you close with Gods way and then withall such obedience as to fix and continue in the way and all this with a willing mind as David directed Solomon 1 Chron. 28. 9. This is walking in the good way After the discovery of the nature of this walking the next thing is what Rest is here offered Here is a plaister every way as broad as the wound a satisfaction proportionable to the exigents and necessities of poore travellers towards Canaan First Rest from terrours of Conscience Sometimes a Servant of God lyeth under such and those are sad and blacke troubles indeed to bee under the accusing of a condemning conscience you need not dispute where hell is for they that know what terrours of conscience meane they will tell you God can make a Hell in a mans bosome in his heart if any spark of Gods wrath fall on Conscience there is an Hell Who giveth rest from these terrours of conscience God himselfe hee being satisfyed by the blood of Christ can easily satisfie conscience If our owne hearts condemne us 1 Joh. 3. 20. God is greater then our hearts who knoweth all things Oh it is a sad thing when wee have a condemning conscience Our blind consciences know but little evill by our selves in comparison of what God sees and if that condemne us what will God doe then that is much greater then our consciences and knoweth all things On the other side If our conscience condemne us not then have wee confidence towards God as it is there expressed ver. 21. Here is heaven on earth here is sweet rest walking in the good way thou hast a good conscience purity is the ready way to Peace When thou hast a conscience that doth not condemne thee but a conscience that doth absolve thee and a conscience that doth approve thee a conscience that is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ then hast thou confidence towards God such a soule dares come to Prayer with boldnesse and come to Gods Table with confidence such a soule is not afraid of death nor terrified with thoughts of the day of Judgement If all bee well at home it argues all is well in Heaven if conscience bee at peace upon good grounds then thou mayest bee sure God is at peace Here is sweet Rest Secondly as there is rest from terrours of conscience so there is rest from scruples and doubts and feares Sometimes though the mind lye not under such Hellish terrours yet it is in a sad dejected scrupulous unsetled condition knoweth not what to doe nor what course to take Conscience is a tender part a little bit of gravell in a narrow shoo oh it will much pinch and trouble the foot and so a little scruple in conscience much perplexeth the spirit Scruples are indeed like Thistles though very bad weeds themselves yet they argue the ground to bee good where they grow in many honest hearts there may bee abundance of them Poore soules sometimes they are so miserably puzzled they dare not pray they dare not come to the Lords Table Where shall they now find Rest The more they yeeld to scruples the more they are involved Why the knowledge of the good way revealed in the Scripture the Doctrine of grace stablisheth the heart in the midst of all doubts Heb. 13. 9. The more wee walke in this way the more wee conquer scruples Wee must not give way to scruples against a duty but rather doe duty even contrary to scruples neither is this to doe against conscience but according unto conscience This will bring rest and sweet tranquillity of spirit when Gods way the good way