Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	hear_v	receive_v	word_n	3,147	5	5.3302	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12429	Foure sermons preached by Master Henry Smith. And published by a more perfect copie then heretofore; Sermons. Selected sermons	Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591.	1599 (1599)	STC 22748; ESTC S117441	74,212	106

for they haue none for themselues they haue not where with to relieue the wants of others for they haue not to relieue their owne When Martha had thus entertayned Christ as hee was man into her house Marie began to entertayne him as hee was GOD into her heart she sate at his feete to heare his preaching for no sooner was Christ come into the house but that hee tooke occasion to teach and instruct the family and instead of bodilie foode which they bestowed vppon him to giue vnto them the food of the soule Thus doth he alwayes shew himselfe a thankfull guest into what house soeuer he entreth he leaueth better things behind him than he findeth he loues not to be in Zachees debt for his dinner for instead thereof hee bringeth saluation to his house neither doth he leaue his suppervnpaid for here for in stead thereof he bestoweth vpon them an heauenly sermon This should be the exercise of faythfull Ministers when they are inuited to great feasts that as they are called the salt of the earth which serueth to season the meates to make them sauorie and preserue them from putrifaction so they shoulde season the table talke with some godly conference to minister grace vnto the hearers Ephe. 4. 29. These sisters were godly women and both earnest fauorers of Iesus Christ and yet in the manner of their deuotion there is such difference that the worldlie affection of the one may in some sort be misliked in respect of the godly exercise and practise of the other Martha is sore incumbred with much seruing where a little seruice had bin sufficient but Mary is attentiue to heare the word of God which neuer can be heard sufficiently Mary sitteth to heare the word as Christ vsed to sit when he preached the word to shew that the word is to be preached and heard with a quiet minde In a still night euerie voyce is heard and when the bodie is quiet the minde most commonly is quiet also But Martha is troubled with other affaires and therefore vnfit to heare the word as the ground that is surcharged with stones or ouergrowne with weedes and thornes is vnfit to receiue the seede or yeeld any fruite to him that tilleth it As often therefore as we come to heare the word of God we must not come with distracted minds wee must not trouble our selues with the cares of this life which as our Sauiour saith are thornes to choake the word and to make it vnfruitefull For Moses was vnfit to talke with God till he had put off his shooes and the blind man vnfit to come to Christ till hee had throwne away his cloake so wee must thinke our selues vnfit to heare the worde and vnapt for euerie heauenly exercise till wee haue put off our shooes that is our worldly cogitations and affections and till we haue cast away our cloake that is all lets and impediments which might hinder vs from profiting in our profession When our mindes are quiet we are fit to deale with heauenly matters therefore the Doctors conferred sitting in the Temple and God delighteth to deale with vs when we are most priuate he appeared to Abraham sitting in the doore of his Tent. The holy Ghost came downe vpon the Apostles and filled all the house where they were sitting The Eunuch sitting in his chariot was called and conuerted by Philips preaching Marie sate at Iesus feete yet sate she not sleeping as many sit at the Preachers feete but she sate at Christ his feete and heard his word As Paul was brought vp at the feete of Gamaliel and was perfectly instructed in the law of the fathers Her humility is commended in that she sate at Iesus feet to shew that the word is to be heard with all humilitie her diligence and earnestnes appeareth in that shee would not departe to helpe her sister to signifie that the hearing of the word must be preferred before all worldly busines Her diligence and humilitie serueth to condemne our negligence contempt of Christ and his word we do not sit at Christ his feete nay wee rather set Christ at our feete when we are so negligent in hearing of his word Wee are as slowe to come to the Church as the Rauen vvas to come to the Arke and as loath to spend any time in the seruice of God as Pharaoli vvas loath to let the Israelites goe to serue the Lorde If a commoditie were to bee seene whereout some profit might arise how carefull would vvee be to procure it what paines woulde we take to get it Absolon was not more desirous of a kingdome than the rich men of our time are desirous of golden gaine But if it bee a matter of cost or trouble if they cannot heare the worde preached without some hinderāce to their worldly busines and some extraordinary charge to their purse then like the Gadarenes they are content to take their leaue of Christ and his worde and had rather lose that heauenlie pearle than they would part from their worldly pelfe Thus in Christ wee haue the patterne of a good pastour and in Marie the patterne of a good hearer Let ministers learne by his example to take all occasions to preach the worde to be instant in season and out of season and let Christians learne by her example first to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes and then to prouide for the things of this life While Marie was carefull for the foode of the soule Martha was curious to prouide foode for the bodie her greatest care was to entertaine Christ to make him good cheere to testifie her thankefull minde vnto him that had done so great thinges for them hee had raised her brother Lazarus from death to life therefore he was worthy to bee well entertained If Elias deserued to bee well dealt withall at the hande of his hostesse whose sonne he had restored to life or Elisa deserued such entertainement for her sonnes reuiuing then surelie our Sauiour Christ was worthie to bee welcome hether where he had raised Lazarus out of his graue wherein hee had lien by the space of foure daies before It was well done therefore of Martha to shew her thankefull minde vnto Christ but it was not wel done at that time to shew her selfe thankefull in that manner it was then time to heare the worde for at that time Christ preached the worde it vvas no time for her to spend that time in other affaires and to neglect the greatest affaire the meanes of her owne saluation It was not vnlawfull for Martha to labour no more than it was vnlawfull for Peter to sleepe but when Christ was preaching it was no time for her to bee so busie in seruing no more than it was time for Peter to sleepe when Christ willed him so earnestly to watch and praie When Christ preached out of Simons shippe to the people that