Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	seed_n	sow_v	word_n	3,227	5	5.0642	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18707	The true trauaile of all faithfull Christians, hovve to escape the daungers of the vvicked vvorld VVhereunto is added a christian exercise for priuate housholders.	Chub, William.	1585 (1585)	STC 5211; ESTC S117145	53,782	143

that in all ages and times we haue seene that all sorts of people haue vayled theyr chéefest top sayle vnto death haue shewed that they haue had no strength at all to striue against him In consideration whereof let vs goe farder sée the second poynt which is what fruite this frailnes yéeldeth As we haue prooued the very substaunce of man to be but earth 2. Consideration so let vs consider that the very earth of it selfe without great trauell bringeth foorth nothing but thornes and bryers and wéedes according to the curse of God which happened to it for mans disobedience as appeareth in Genesis Gen. 3.18 Et spinam et carduum proferat tibi It shall bring foorth thornes and thistles vnto thée Euen so if we behold the fruite of mans nature it bringeth foorth vnto vs nothing but thornes and vnprofitable wéedes as it is recorded in the Prophet Ezechiell Ezech. 2 when he was wylled to goe vnto a stony harted people and such as had a harlots face and whether they will heare or no goe thou vnto them and be not rebellious as they are for thou shalt goe amongst thornes and Scorpions sayth the Lord nowe we must consider that the nature of the thorne is to choke vp euery good séede that is sowne néere him Math. 13. as appeareth in the Gospel where some séedes fell among thornes and the thornes grew vp and choked it so when this ground of mans flesh is such that can bring foorth nothing but thornes that is worldly care couetousnes iust or any such vice it wyll not onely choke vp the good seedes of vertue and honesty that are sowen in mans eares but whē the same thornes are rooted vppe to bee cast into the fire then shall it draw vp by the rootes such séedes as haue hadde but small roote growing among the same thornes and to the fire they shall bothe together O woefull life when honesty and godlines shal be sowen among such thornes as shall choke it vp and bring it to the fire of eternall damnation such there be a great many which haue sowen their godlines among thornes of whom S. Paule maketh mention hauing a taste of godlines but denying the vertue thereof furthermore we sée that if a man goe among thornes as he trauelleth sometimes this twig catcheth his clothes on this side sometimes a twig on that side that it doth not onely rent his clothes but his very skinne also Euen so when as wee passe through the thornes of this world sometimes our mindes sometime our conscience is tyed by a twig but eftsoones our harte is rent and defaced in so much that beholding some men ●re laketh ●ogenes ●th hys ●ndle at ●one day they are so defaced that you shall scarce know a man from a monster Besides these thornes our corrupt nature or rather cursed ground is such as doth bring foorth so many bad wéedes if we looke into nature it selfe that we cannot as much as thinke one good thought but as the Euangelist sayth euen from the seate of our thoughtes and affections ●ath 15. that is from our hart procéedeth euill thoughts adulteries fornications thefts murders c. yea such aboundaunce and so continually that of our selues we may well hée called a barren ground 〈◊〉 4.4 not able to yéeld any one good fruite vnlesse the dewe of heauen euen the manifold graces fauour and goodnes of God be powred vpon vs. And yet because I will approch to the thirde consideration notwithstanding Considetion we finde our substaunce but fraile earth and our fruite vnprofitable thoughts we séeke dayly to pamper the same as though it were made of pure nobility or of a heauenly and imaculate substaunce for we must haue it cased in silkes veluets rich robes of dyuers colours and straunge fashions we must haue it stuffed with tostly and delicate choises of meates and drinkes with diuers confections of ●●ly deynties we must haue it preserued in huge houses and rested on easy be●● with all as they are appointed to man so are they necessary for man if man would vse temperancie and not forgetfulnes which forgetfulnes maketh him many times that he neither knoweth his substaunce whereof it is made nor his creator wherfore he made it that in the one he myght bee humble and lowlie in the other alwaies thankfull by reason whereof we finde our vnderstanding darkned our conscience hardened and our harts translated in so much that if we shold reason with our selues in this our prowde eleuation of minds what if the poore creatures of the worlde did sée and know our boasting heartes and had reason to discerne it would not the silke worme whose web we weare or the shéepe whose fléece we put on or the byrd on whose feathers we easilye laye our carcases rather perceiuing a superfluity then a necessary vse and therewith a monstrous fashion rather then a contented mind would they not laugh more at vs then the byrds did at the Chough which did put on the Peacockes feathers yes no doubt and tell vs of our naked comming into the world and of our naked departure ●clesi 1. yea and say that all is but vaine vanity better then we our selues do expresse in our selues Thus much for the first name of man wherein I haue set foorth his substance with the fruites thereof now to the second man Enosh This word Enosh which in English signifieth a man ●osh ●sterus commeth from the Radicall Anash which betokeneth a persone or a thing so ouercome with euill that it is in a manner desperate or void of any hope of safety euen so mankinde after hys fall did first sée his substaunce whereof he was made as I haue sayde before then he felt the rewarde of his disobedience which is signified by thys word Enosh which is as much to say as a miserable man mortall and desperatly lost and although the name was first giuen by Seth vnto his sonne 3727. yeeres before Christ and after Adam 236. yeeres yet so was the inuocasion of Seth vnto God and likewise the wyll of God vnto man Ally as to signifie vnto Seth being not onely a member but a head of the generation of the godly that in the whole members of the Churche should be séene among the elect as long as they liued in this world nothing but misery affliction trouble calamitye and persecution according to the saying of the Apostle As many as wyll liue godlie in Christ Iesu 2. Tim. 3. shall suffer persecution Since which time the godly haue very well séene not onely the disobedience of Adam but tasted the inheritaunce and lot of his fall for many miseries persecutions troubles and changes haue béene so heauy and burthensome to the godly Phil. 1 that they haue wished themselues to bee released of thys life for to be with God some haue suffered such imprisonment such bondes such banishment such torments sometimes to be

obedience because it procéedeth from so good a fountaine Also the prophet Dauid called it a Lanterne A Lanterne or Lyght Psa 119 105 saying Thy word O Lorde is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes that forasmuch as wee walke in a darke sinfull world by the word of God we should be directed how to goe and which waies least we knock our selues in euery blocke of sinne our sauiour Christ by the same light giueth light to them that sit in darknes Luk 2 and in the shadowe of death and to guyde our féete into the way of peace What greater comfort vnto trauellers then the day light and what greater discomforte to wayfaring men then the darke night God be thanked that hath giuen vs the light of hys holy worde therefore while it is day let vs not harden our hartes as in the prouocation Power of GOD. Rom 1 16 and in the day of temtation Likewise S. Paule dooth call the word of God the power of God to saluation to euery one that beléeueth hée saith not that it is a secrete reuelation or the Hystorye of prophane matters but that it is the same wherein the vertue and power of God is hidden to helpe succoure defende and comforte the beléeuers Also it is called a mighty worker as S. Paule sayth A mighty worker Hebr. 4 12 The worde of God is louely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde and entereth through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioynts and the marowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intentes of the hart so that as we haue many maladies sores byles aches and inwarde diseases Euen so God hath ordeined such an excellent oyntment euen the oyntment of his holy word to pearce through euery artery ioynt sinewe and bone to purge vs ease vs and cure vs. So that nowe what greater comfort then wysedome to our knowledges light vnto our darke pathes defence for our poore vnshielded bodies and health for our sicke soules which the Lord of his mercy hath imparted vnto vs by in his holy word Now it reasteth howe we heare the word of God and vse it First we must consider that we vse all diligence and humility in hearing the word of God and put of all phantasies cares heauines and worldly imaginations and that wée put on true vnderstandinge and knowledge as it is sayde Hée that receyueth the séede which is Gods worde in good ground Mat 13 23 is hée that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it Otherwise if we endeuour not to vnderstand if the Trumpet sounde an vncertaine sounde 1 Cor. 14 ● who can prepare himselfe to the battell there may be a fault in the Trumpettor there may be a fault in the hearer therefore let the one be diligent to teache truly and sincerely let the other heare attentiuely and vnderstand fruitfully and when we haue so doone it is not inough to learne and to leaue off but to followe the rule of Moses in Deutronomy who sayth These wordes which I commaund thée thys day Deu. 6 6 shal be in thy hart thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tarriest in thy house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou rysest vppe and thou shalt bynde them for a signe vppon thyne hande and they shall bée as frontlets betwéene thyne eyes also thou shalt write them vppon the postes of thy house and vppon thy gates It is not inough to heare the worde of GOD but to exercise it to the building vppe of the menne of GOD and for the preseruation of hys Temple in safety The Euangelist saith Whosoeuer heareth the worde of God Math. 7 24 and doth the same I will liken him to a wise man which hath builded his house on a rocke But now because there are many doubtes and repugnances in scripture that it séemeth to be harde and obscure which wyll lothe many a man to the reading or hearing of it It followeth not that therefore he should be wearie or shrinke backe for he is wylled to séeke and shall find to knocke and it shall be opened and againe on the other side the Lord wyll not leaue his church desolate and comfortles for he willed Phillip to ioyne vnto the Eunuch that was doubtfull he caused all his Apostles to goe preach in all the worlde and sayth that he wyll rayse vp prophets vnto hys people yea and hath truely sayde him selfe Ero vobiscum I wyll be wyth you vnto the worlds ende Last of all we must consider what is to be gathered out of the worde of GOD which is the fruite and benefite that wée receiue by it Whereof the firste is knowledge by the which wee may discerne thynges and knowe our creator Knowledge and what he hath and dooth for vs and also our owne duty how we should behaue our selues in his seruice this knowledge did Saint Paul wishe and pray to be increased in the Collosians Col. 1.10 When he sayd For this cause we also since the day we heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled which knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Likewise the prophete Hosea sayth I desired mercy Hos 6 6. and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more then burnt offeringe The second benefite is fayth by the which we are assured of the promises of God Fayth and eternall saluation in his sonne Christ Iesus Heb. 11.1 Saint Paul dooth call it the ground of thinges which are hoped for and the euidence of thinges which are not séene which is as muche to say as the certaintie of those things to come That is acceptation redemption sanctification euerlasting life and the kingdome of heauen which things we do expecte and it is the writing or euidence of the same hold and we are perswaded that though we are vnworthie of our selues of those heauenly riches and graces to be bestowed vpon vs yet by the death of Christe Iesus and by his onely sacrifice we shall enioy them which writing an euidence of fayth he hath written in our hearts and sealed with his owne blood so that as in euery euidence or indenture hold the tenant oweth due loyalty vnto his Lorde and consenteth vnto and obeyeth all couenaunts comprised in the same writinges so we should obeye serue and assent vnto the Lorde and his statutes and couenauntes For so is the nature of fayth according vnto the Gréeke word to assent vnto the word of God and to haue a sure truste in God that he will of his owne mercy perfourme all those thinges that are written in the word of God so that to haue fayth or to be faythfull is spoken by correlation that is that God simply and absolutely offereth not his mercy and grace vnto