Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	root_n	seed_n	small_a	3,122	5	5.7726	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20752	The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...	Downame, John, d. 1652.	1604 (1604)	STC 7133; ESTC S1536	575,484	731

and perishe though for a time it haue made a flourishing shewe as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs in the parable of the Sower Mat 13. And therefore it behooueth euery one of vs to take no lesse paines after the hearing of the word to keep it from deuouring and to preserue and nourish it that it may take deep roote and bring forth much fruit then we did in the time of preparation and in the time when we receiued it for as the carefull husbandman taketh great paines in stirring vp his fallow grounds and preparing it for the seed as also in the seed time in sowing it in the ground thus prepared and yet all this were to no purpose if hee did not afterwards harrowe it and couer it in the ground so though we take greate paines in breaking vp and preparing the fallowe grounds of our hearts and also in receiuing the seed of Gods word yet if we be not as carefull after all this to couer and hide this seed in the furrowes of our heartes that it may take deepe rooting it will neuer bring forth any fruite of true godlinesse Now the meanes to preserue and nourish this heauenly seed of Gods word is first serious mediation wherby wee call to mind that which wee haue heard in which it it is very requisite that wee examine the doctrines which were deliuered according to the touchstone of Gods word and turne ouer the bible to those proofes which we remember alledged as most principall for the confirmation of the doctrines which were deliuered a notable example whereof we haue in the noble men of Berea Actes 17.10.11 Who though with great readinesse they receiued that doctrine which Paul had deliuered yet when they came home they searched the scriptures to see if those things which they hard were consonant and agreeable with them or no. Secondly we must vse holy and Christian conference one with another about those matters which we haue heard for hereby it will come to passe that what one did not obserue or hath forgotten the other remembreth and repenteth and so likewise the other helpeth out in another point where his neighbourfaileth till at last they recall al the material points to their remembrance euen as many meeting together at a feast do euery one cast in his shot til the reckoning be made so many ioyning their heads together for the recalling of a sermon to mind one repeateth a little and another as much more till at last all be repeated And secondly this benefit redoundeth hereof that all which euery one remembreth by this repetition is more surely imprinted in his memorie and is not afterwards easily forgotten Lastly the best and surest way to imprint things in our memorie neuer after to be blotted out is vpon all occasions to practise it in our liues and cōuersation for as we only truly know that in christianitie that which we practise so likewise that is onely well remembred which is well practised CHAP. XXVII Sathans tentations whereby he perswadeth men to delay their repentance answered § Sect. 1 The tentation alluring to deferre repentance ANd so much concerning the subtill tentations of Sathan whereby he laboureth to make the word of God fruitlesse and vneffectuall for our conuersion wherewith if he cannot preuaile being repelled by the meanes before spoken of if men by their hearing of the word haue learned thus much knowledge that their cōuersion and turning to God is necessarie to saluation then he will in the next place labour to perswade them to deferre their repentance for a time till they haue better opportunitie and are more fit for this purpose Let it be graunted will he say that it is necessarie that thou shouldest repent turne vnto God yet thou mayest deferre thy repentance vntill thine old age or at least till the time of sicknesse for then thou wilt be more fitte to perfourme this dutie then in the flowrishing prime of thy youth when as the exercises of religion are so tedious and vnpleasant and the pleasures of the world so sweet and delightfull neither needest thou to feare any in conuenience which will come hereby for God is so gratious that whensoeuer thou returnest vnto him he will receiue thee to mercy for he hath promised in his word that whensoeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes he will blot all his wickednes out of his remembrance And therfore thou mayest inioy both the pleasures of this life and the life to come thou mayest repent time inough hereafter and liue a strict and religious life when the heate of youth is past and old age drawes on which is farre more fit for these exercises for what folly is it so to dote vpon the heauenly ioyes to come as that thou shouldest depriue thy selfe of those worldly pleasures which are present seeing thou maiest inioy both This tentation most dangerous Against which tentation it behoueth euery man most carefully to arme himselfe as being in it selfe most daungerous and pernicious to great multitudes as may appeare by too too lamentable experience for when as Sathan can no longer hudwinke their eyes with the vayle of ignorance but that they plainly see that it concerneth their eternall saluation to harken vnto the Lord calling them to repentance then not withstanding thus farre he preuaileth with them that they are content to delay their conuersion and turning vnto God either vntill the time of sicknesse or till their old age And therefore it shall not be amisse to set downe briefly some waighty arguments whereby euery Christian may be moued to speedy repentance and not to deferre their conuersion from day to day Motiues to perswade vs to hastenour repentance but to turne vnto the Lord when he first calleth them § Sect. 2 The first motiue to perswade vs to the hastening of our conuersion is Gods commandement whereby he inioyneth vs speedily to turne vnto him that we may doe him seruice all the daies of our life to which end he hath created and redeemed vs and doth continuall preserue vs. Psal 95.7.8 To day if you shall heare his voyce harden not your hearts so as he chargeth vs not to resist his calling no not till to morowe for if today we will not harken vnto him he hath not promised to call vs againe vnlesse it be to iudgment So Eccl. 12.1 Remember now thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approch wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them that is their old age as afterwards he expoundeth himselfe And Esa 55.6 Seeke yee the Lord whilest he may be found call yee vpon him whilest he is neere Matth. 3.2 Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Act. 3.19 And our sauiour Christ doth inioyne vs first to seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6.33 If therefore we wil not wittingly and wilfully breake Gods cōmaundement let vs offer vnto him the

and prayest continually and beatest thy braines with daily care to the end that thou mayest attaine vnto some perfection in christianitie yet dost thou not see how little thou profitest by all thy labours seeing thy knowledge is still small thy faith weake thy charitie cold thy heart dull and hard thy good workes few and imperfect and all thy zealous resolutions easily hindred and quite ouerthrowne with euery small temptation Why then dost thou striue against the streame and vndertake a taske which is to thee not onely hard but euen impossible for doe what thou canst yet all will bee to little purpose seeing this worke is full of great difficulties thy selfe disabled with manifold corruptions and thy enemies which oppose against thee exceeding strong and mightie as thy selfe findest by lamentable experience and thy much laboring and little profiting doe clearely proue Cease therefore thy bootlesse trauaile and rather imbrace thy pleasing delights than turmoyle thy selfe with vaine labour § Sect. 2 For the answering of which temptation we are to know That the dislike of our dulnesse and backwardnesse is accepted of God that if we dislike our own dulnesse and backwardnes in profiting and growing forward in sanctification if we be truely sorrowfull and bewaile our great wants and imperfections and labour earnestly in the vse of the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto knowledge faith and all other sanctifying graces and also be enabled to bring forth the fruites of holy obedience then are we accepted of God and shall in the end most certainely obtaine our desire though yet we can see but small profit of all our labours neither shall all the power of our spirituall enemies so farre preuaile against vs as vtterly to hinder vs in this worke but that we shall vndoubtedly goe forward although not so speedely as we desire For this holy desire of profiting in godlinesse this indeauour and carefull vse of those meanes which are ordained by God for this purpose are not naturall but the worke of Gods spirit begun in vs and we are with the Apostle to be perswaded of this same thing Phil. 1.6 that he that hath begun this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Phil. 1.6 We are to assure our selues with the Prophet Dauid that the Lord will fulfill these holy desires of those that feare him Psal 145.19 Psal 145.19 We are vndoubtedly to beleeue that the Lord will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power 1. Cor. 10.13 but will giue a good issue with the temptation 1. Cor. 10.13 We are not to imagine that he will breake this brused reede nor quench this smoking flaxe seeing he hath promised the contrarie Matth. 12.20 Matth 12.20 And though this little graine of mustard seede for a time lie hidden in the earth and when it sprouteth vp springeth so slowly that wee cannot sensibly discerne the growing thereof yet in Gods good time being watred with the dew of his holy spirit it will become one of the greatest trees in the Lords garden For seeing the Lord hath giuen vs this grace not to be wanting in the vse of all good meanes we may most certainely assure our selues that the Lord for his part will not be wanting in giuing his blessing and graunting the assistance of his holy spirit which he hath promised to those that desire it Luk. 11.13 § Sect. 3 Secondly That Gods spirit dwelling in vs will in the end perfect this worke let vs consider that these small beginnings of grace and first fruites of the spirit are most vndoubted signes that he dwelleth in vs now wheresoeuer he dwelleth he sanctifieth his own lodging and is not idle till he haue effected this worke which he hath vndertaken and begun Though therefore this worke in regarde of thy slowe proceedings seeme hard yea euen impossible yet consider that that which is possible to man is impossible to God though thou seest many difficulties and mighty oppositions by thy powrefull enemies yet let not this discourage thee seeing the Lord who is with thee is almightie and therefore able to repell the violence of all opposers and to make the most heauie and pinching yoke light and easie Though in thy selfe thou art most weake and feeble Matth. 11.30 Eph. 6.10 Phil. 4.13 yet thou art strong in the power of Gods might and enabled to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth thee § Sect. 4 Thirdly let vs consider that as the Lord hath decreed our saluation and promised vnto vs eternall life so he hath also as certainly decreed and promised the meanes tending thereunto That the Lord hath as certainly decreed and promised our sanctification as our saluation which are the effects of his election and the forerunners of our saluation but one especiall effect of his election is our sanctification and the way to saluation is the path of righteousnesse and holinesse and therefore this is no lesse certainely assured vnto vs that we shall be sanctified and enabled to walke in this way of righteousnesse and holinesse then that we are elected and shall be saued Though then we are weake and vnstable 2. Tim. 2.19 yet the foundation of God remaineth euer sure though in regarde of our owne feeblenesse and manyfould imperfections the worke of sanctification seeme altogether impossible yet this should not moue vs to doubting nor discourage vs in our course seeing it hath not any ground vpon our owne strength but vpon Gods immutable decree and neuer failing promises Eph. 1.4 Ioh. 14.16.17 Ezech. 11.19 and 36.26 Ier. 31.33.34 Ioel. 2.28.29 When then our small progresse in true godlinesse caused through the violence of our corruptions and oppositions of our spirituall enemies discourageth vs making this worke of sanctification seeme impossible let vs cal to minde that the Lord hath as certainely decreed that we should be his saints here vpon earth as his saints in heauen that he hath most faithfully promised that he will direct vs with his holy spirit take away from vs our stonie hearts and giue vs fleshy hearts illuminate our blinde vnderstandings with true sauing knowledge indue vs with a liuely faith and with all other sanctifying graces enable vs to performe in some measure holy obedience to his heauenly will mortifying our corruptions and enabling vs to serue him in newnes of life all which gracious promises we are as vndoubtedly to beleeue as those which concerne either the remission of our sinnes or euerlasting happines And therefore though our owne dulnesse backwardnesse and little profiting in sanctification should worke in vs true sorrow yet this should not discourage vs doubting of the issue of all our labours but knowing that God is alike true in all his promises let vs setting aside all difficulties beleene against beliefe and vndoubtedly perswade our selues that the Lord will finish that good worke which hee hath begun in vs though as yet it hath but small