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
A58905	A sermon preached before the King at Chester, on August xxviii, 1687, being the feast of S. Augustin, Doctor of the Holy Catholic Church by ... Lewis Sabran ...	Sabran, Lewis, 1652-1732.	1687 (1687)	Wing S221; ESTC R1786	28,293	35

to that Church which alone gives you an Infallible Guide Think well of God's infinite mercy and true desire that you should be saved and never despair to find an Authority established by God Non est desperandum ab codem ipso Deo auctoritatem aliquam constitutam qua v●lut certo gradu innitentes at●ollamur ad Deum Epist 56. Immobili authoritati himself from which as from a secure step we may take our rise to God. Heretics offer Reasons and Arguments for proof of their Belief and pretend by them to be preferr'd to the unmovable Authority of the Church which is so firmly established therein lies the rashness common to all Heretics But the most meek Lord of our Faith hath been pleased to strengthen his Church with an Authority far weightier than that of all others into this Castle of the Faith all the weaker ought to withdraw Vere illa rectiffima disciplina est in aciem fidei quam maxime recipi infirmos ut pro illis jam fictissime positis firmissima ratione pugnetur themselves whil'st for them thus secure others fight with invincible Reasons and Proofs You are willing to be guided by so weak an Authority as that of your Father and Mother and will you refuse to be guided by the pious Examples of all their Ancestors and of the whole Church for fourteen hundred years As for your Baptism in it you were christened a Catholic whoever baptized you and by declaring your self a Catholic you restore your self to the Religion you were christened in For the Catholic Church is like unto Paradise the Waters of whose Fountain could be drunk out of it in the Rivers that streamed out but that Baptism being given and belonging only to the Catholic Church as in Paradise only could be enjoyed temporal happiness Salutem beatitudinis extra cam neminem vel percipere vel tenere De bapt cont Don. l. 4. c. 2. so no one purchases or maintains a Right to eternal happiness out of that Church Thus did this holy Saint endeavor to draw back to the true Church's Communion those more stubborn Heretics creating in them that holy Fear of God which is the beginning of Wisdom Christian Brethren you who are so happy as to have been born in or early called to the Bosom of this holy Catholic Church and thereby to enjoy that Blessing with less toil and labor than it cost S. Augustin Be ever thankful for so great a Mercy wonder not when you see knowing Men sober Enquirers who even after a studious search have so thick a Veil yet over their eyes as not to see those glorious evident Marks God hath distinguished this Church by nor their Obligation of rendring themselves Members of it For twenty years Augustin a man of far greater Parts and a more diligent Searcher was thus blind Pity those 〈…〉 who pin their Faith on the Sleeve bottom it on the Authority of some such particular men whil'st they refuse to give ear to the whole Catholic Church which assures them that they go astray Pray for both obtain a Ray of Grace for them and they will see as you do judge as you do and equally bless God for it If any here present enjoy not yet that happiness may the Example and Motives of this Saint's Conversion prevail with him Let him weigh whether he be not unhappily under the same prejudices this Saint was so long prepossess'd with 'T is in vain to consult many Books or Persons on each point of Belief Alas says the Saint taught by twenty years De Doctrina Ch. c. 16. experience the helps of all sorts of Instructions received from Man avail little if God work not in us that very effect which we expect from them Seek then Knowledge from God by a devout and humble Prayer but expect not that he should give you a new Revelation or lead you to Truth but by those Guides his admirable Providence hath provided for you Resolve your Faith finally into God's Word but that you may not be deceived hear it from the Mouth receive it by the Authority of that Church you are commanded to hearken unto Thus did this holy Doctor offering to those Heretics who questioned the Grounds of his Faith these evident Marks by which God hath character'd his Church that Pillar of Truth on which all the Faithful are to lean If any stubbornly refuse to observe them they will allow me however to offer them to the Catholic part of my Auditory for their comfort This is then the account he gives of his own and our Faith Many things do most justly detain In Epist Fund cap. 4 5. me in the Bosom of the Catholic Church First the Vnion in Faith and consent of many Nations 'T is the common misery of all Heretics not to see what of all things Fo. 2. l. 7. contra Parmen c. 3. in the world is most patent and seated in the very eyes of all Nations to wit the Church out of the Unity whereof whatever they do can no more cover their Souls from the anger of God than a Cobweb could preserve their Bodies from cold That Church which every-where 1. de Symbol● cap. 5. opposing different Heresies can never be conquered by them They all went out of Her like unto so many withered Branches cut off from and cast out of the Vine whil'st She remains in her own Vine adhering to her own Root enjoying her Charity or perfect Tract 3. in Ep. Joann Union In her alone we hold the Inheritance of Christ all Nations They have it not whose Communion unites not the whole Circle of the Earth who is not in Communion with that Inheritance is gone out of it Such may challenge Christ but to as little purpose as he who in the Gospel made this address to him Say O Serm. de temp 169. Lord to my Brother that he divide the Inheritance with me Christ refused to divide it amongst them Paul was as great an Enemy to Division when he said I beg of you Brethren that you say all of you the same thing and that there be no Schisms amongst you He wept for those who tho' on his account divided Christ See then how wicked those men are who will be divided They Brevic. contra Donatistas Acutum aliquid sibi dicere videntur cum Catholicae nomen non ex totius Orbis communione interpretantur sed observatione Praeceptorum omn●um L. contra Parm. multa Frusta de Uno Frnsto think themselves witty when seeing their Congregation restrained within the bounds of some Province or Kingdom they pretend that they be a part of the Catholic Church that hath all things commanded and necessary for Salvation as if to be a Catholic did not import a Communion or Unity in Faith and Sacraments in a Church diffused the whole World over They cut off a part and that again falls into many pieces tho' no necessity can warrant

'T is I my self that would and I my self that will not God's merciful Graces pursue him with quick remorses by a saving severity and tender cruelty press him with shame with fears suggesting to him That now was the fatal moment of which Eternity depended now his Chains were to be broken whil'st they were slackened or never in case he let his Passions streightten Plagella ingeminans timoris padotis ne ●●●sus cessarem non abrumperetur ●d ipsum exiguum te●●e quod remanserat revalesceret iterum me robustius alligaret them again He strove and said to himself Ay now be it now done yet it was not done Being now within one step of Peace of Mind Joy and Security by a final Victory he suffered in his Soul the most violent pangs he fell not back nor yet dared to advance In this critical minute his ill Customs those old Acquaintances as he terms them his past Vanities sinful Pleasures and now-expiring Liberty faintly pulling him as by the Sleeve said And wilt thou quit us From this moment for ever And canst thou think'st thou live without us Ever hereafter under a constraint ever checking ever denying thy self Grace for a last supply offered to his thoughts the Example of so many Servants of God even of the weaker Sex of tender Years who had sacrificed and suffered more to purchase Eternal Bliss These and these could said he and thou canst Quid in te stas non stas projice te securus in cum non se subtrahet ut cadas projice te in cum excipiet te sanabit ●e not Did God prevent them by his Grace co-operating with them and art thou the only One whom God will abandon returning to him Why dost thou rely on thy own Strength or fear thy own Weakness Cast cast thy self into his Arms who calls thee he will not draw back and let thee fall Cast thy self into his Bosom he will receive thee there and cure thee The Storm grew higher two Showers of Tears followed a sign that it was nigh clearing up He could not bear the presence even of Alipius alas he could not brook his own He runs under a Figtree with such Leaves Adam covered his Nakedness there prostrate on the ground bathed in his Tears he sobb'd and sigh'd then gave vent to his grief in these broken words How long my God shall I be the Object of your Anger the Butt of your Justice When will the Ray of Mercy shine How long shall I say to morrow to morrow Why not now Why not at this instant an end to my sinful life Augustin Jesus sees thee under that Figtree as well as he did Nathaniel before thou seest him His Mercy it is sounds there so deep thy Wound only that the Cure may be perfect that hereafter fruitful in Pious Deeds thou maist escape the Curse that fell on the barren Fig-tree The happy moment is come written in the Book of God's Mercy from all Eternity A Voice is heard Take up and read Take up and read He obeys finding S. Paul's Epistles by him he lights on the 13 Rom. 13. God guiding his hands and eyes there he reads Not in Feastings and Drunkenness not in Chamberings and Lechery not in Strife and Emulation but put on our Lord Jesus Christ and pamper no● the Flesh gratifying its Desires These words he had read often but now a Ray of Grace writ the sense of them in his mind and stamped them in his heart In a moment a comfortable Light breathing Security and Joy spread it self into his Soul His Tears were wiped off his Doubts resolved his Fears and his Anxiety vanished he rose a SAINT inflamed with the Love of God begins his Apostolical Labors by inviting his Friend Alipius to a like zealous Conversion who had been all the while a dumb Spectator and who to shew the Riches and Varieties of God's Graces sitted to all Tempers without reluctancy without strife or difficulty surrendred himself at the reading only of the Sentence following in S. Paul Receive Infi●●um in Fide assamite and take him along with you who is weak in Faith. I should now open unto you Christian Brethren the Riches of God's Mercies heaped on this Saint shew you his great steps towards an eminent Virtue and the fulness of the Reward that attended it even here by Numquid hoc esse● intra in gaudium Domini tui Con. l. 9. that serenity of mind those interior Joys which he often conceived to be of the same Nature with the Bliss of Saints in Heaven and short of them only in Length But my Glass is at the lowest ebb my time expired I shall trespass no longer on Your Sacred Majesty's Royal Patience I will end with a transient consideration on the Fruit of this whole Discourse which hangs on these three Truths First That we can do nothing without a continual supply of God's Grace and therefore ought with assiduous Prayer to press upon God's Bounty for it Secondly That Divine Grace once granted enables us to do all things and that it is never denied when duly asked whence it follows that we ought without the least fear to undertake whatever God moves us unto Thirdly That Grace requires a speedy and diligent co-operation or is soon withdrawn and consequently that nothing is so dangerous in the great concerns of our Eternal Salvation as delays on whatever account No certainly nothing available to Virtues here or Happiness hereafter can be had without the help of Grace S. Augustin is a plain Instance for it Twenty years continual endeavors a studious application of so many Eminent Parts the Tears of a pious loving Mother the endeavors of the ablest Divines of Europe and Africa could not help him to see an almost self-evident Truth what way of Worship God hath appointed us to honor him by and where those means lie which his Mercy hath allowed us to attain that Bliss we are created for This Truth being laid open his Will passionately moving him to declare himself of the Catholic Church he had not yet the strength to raise it to a Resolution Oh how truly are all the Crowns of Qui coronat te in mise●i●ordia miscrationibus Psal God's Saints the Works of his Mercy and his Commiseration on our Weakness How truly are all the Merits we can boast of God's meer Gifts His own sad experience did teach S. Augustin how to express this Truth so fully so admirably in his Book of Widows To will Coronat munera s●● saith he is certainly our own Work if it be true of any thing it is certainly so of our Will that 't is such because we will and yet what little influence have we over our own Wills relating to good It must be awakened and stirr'd or it lies as in a Lethargy when awake it must be healed and strengthened or the least difficulty and pain overcomes it when applied it