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	seed_n	word_n	3,547	5	5.5139	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23659	The Christians justification stated shewing how the righteousness of Christ, the Gospel-Covenant, faith, and God himself, do operate to our justification / by W.A.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1678 (1678)	Wing A1057; ESTC R20597	102,725	303

the same Apostle had used Verse 21. Where he calls the word which is able to save the soul an ingrafted word For if the word be able to save the soul but as it is an ingrafted word then it becomes an effectual means of salvation as it is fastened upon and let into the soul by serious consideration on For consideration answers the Metaphor of ingrafting here used If the juice of a Cyon the Branch of a good Tree turn the Sap of a Crab Tree Stock into it's own nature and cause it to bring forth better fruit than before it is by means of being let into it and bound fast upon it that it does so In like manner if the word turn the temper of the soul into its own nature by mingling with it it is by means of consideration which unites the word and the mind and binds it upon the soul For the word does not work after the manner of a Charm or Spell but operates in a way of rational consideration For this is the way of the Spirits working by the word When men with open Face behold as in a Glass the glory of the Lord they are changed into the same image as it were by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 The Holy Spirit works this change indeed but it is by the Gospel and by the Gospel looked into beheld and well considered This considering temper of mind seems to be signified by the good ground in the Parable by which those are resembled who when they have heard the word keep it to wit in their minds and under consideration in opposition to those other hearers of the Gospel who for a total want of consideration immediately lose all they hear as those do who are resembled by the high-way on which some seed fell where it had no covering at all And in opposition to those who for want of much consideration wither when persecution comes like those resembled by the rocky ground on which some of the seed was sown where there was not much earth to give it sufficient rooting and nourishment And also in opposition to those who through an insufficient degree of consideration have the word driven out of their minds or weakened in its operation by the over-powering thoughts cares and pleasures of this present life as those resembled by the thorny ground have and so bring forth no fruit to perfection but only the ear without the full corn in the ear Luke 8. In this thing then which we call Consideration seems to lie the difference between those who hear the Gospel so as effectually to believe it and those other several sorts of hearers who though they hear it yet do not believe it to the saving of their souls For which cause it may well be that the Author to the Hebrews presseth the Christians who were in danger of withering like the Corn which had not much earth through heat of persecution to give the more earnest heed to the things which they had heard lest at any time they should let them slip viz. out of their minds Heb. 2.1 David no doubt well knew of how great concernment it is to have good things kept warm upon the mind by often repeated consideration when he prayed thus unto God Keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chro. 29.18 We have seen now in part what men by advantage of the Gospel which is the preventive Grace of God antecedent to all endeavours of ours can do towards their own believing And likewise what that subsequent Grace is by which we are enabled to believe throughly and effectually unto Righteousness and Salvation There is yet one thing more to be taken into consideration before we can so well be resolved as then we may in what capacity men are of performing the condition of the promise of pardon and Life And therefore I shall add that one thing more which is this 4. We have assurance given us of having the subsequent Grace of God conferred upon us to enable us to believe unto Righteousness if we do not grosly neglect to do what we can do towards our believing in using and improving the antecedent Grace of God See this clearly proved by that of our Saviour Mark 4.24 25. Where he speaks to his followers and hearers thus Take heed what you hear with what ineasure ye mete it shall be measured unto you and unto you that hear shall more be given For he that hath to him shall be given and he that hath not from him shall be taken even that which he hath By which our Saviour seems to mean that men shall receive benefit by the Gospel according as they attend to and consider their own great concerns handled in it And that if by thus doing they do not neglect but use and improve this antecedent Grace that then more shall be given to wit more means and more help to believe which is the subsequent Grace I have been speaking of by which men are thorowly enabled to believe unto Righteousness and so unto Pardon and Life These words of our Saviour which according to our translation we read Take heed what you hear are rendred by Dr. Hammond Consider what you hear So that it seems Take heed what you hear does in this place signifie Take heed to what you hear or to give heed to it as those do who consider of it and weigh the import of it as whether they are concerned in it and if yea then how far And the reason which our Saviour adds to inforce this Precept and direction of his shews this to be the sense of it For he says With what measure we mete it shall be measured to us to wit in the blessing and benefit designed us by sending the Gospel to us which is to bring us to believe unto Righteousness that so we may be saved And he adds again that to those that hear viz. that thus hear more shall be given and backs this also with that general rule mentioned five times in three of the Evangelists for he that hath to him shall be given and he that hath not from him shall be taken even that which he hath Now what can the measure be which is meted in hearing the Gospel to which the promise of receiving more is made but an attentive consideration who it is that speaks what he speaks and of what concernment it is And what can that measure be which is meted in hearing which is threatned with a remanding of what had been deposited in their hands but a not minding regarding or considering the weight of what is spoken nor how they are concerned in it If this then be the meaning of our Saviour as I doubt not but it is then we see the promise of Divine assistance is made to such endeavours of ours as we are capable of using through that providence of God by which mans faculties