Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	apostle_n	church_n	time_n	1,642	5	3.9468	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55308	Speculum theologiæ in Christo, or, A view of some divine truths which are either practically exemplified in Jesus Christ, set forth in the Gospel, or may be reasonably deduced from thence / by Edward Polhill ..., Esq.	Polhill, Edward, 1622-1694?	1678 (1678)	Wing P2757; ESTC R4756	269,279	440

time He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ According as he hath chosen us in him Eph. 1.3 4. Divine Graces which are choice spiritual blessings issue not out of common providence but as St. Bernard speaks ex abysso aeternitatis out of the great fountain of Election The eternal Love which lay in Gods bosom comes forth in the production of those Graces Nay and in the duration of them God fulfills all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 Whom he did predestinate them he also called whom he called them he also justified whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 We see clearly Predestination carries them through the other links unto glory It is observable that when God expresses his fresh mercies to his people he doth it thus I will yet chuse Israel Isa 14.1 God gives such supplies of Grace to his Saints to make them persevere That it is as if he chose them again When the Saints are drooping and dying as it were away electing love gives them another visit and makes them live when their love cools and slacks his love is ever the same and inflames theirs afresh And how should their Graces fail The purpose of God according to election doth stand Rom. 9.11 The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 And how should the rivulets or superstructures of Grace fail They can no more do it than the great design of a Church can their lamp never goes out their seed never dies the false Christs and false Prophets cannot seduce them Mark 13.22 The Canker of Hymeneus and Philetus cannot eat into them 2 Tim. 2.19 Election which is the fontal love still gives a fresh supply of Grace 2. Their Graces depend upon Christs merit and intercession Christ prays for Peter that his Faith may not fail Luk. 22.32 neither doth it concern Peter only In his solemn praier on earth which was the Canon and pattern of his intercession in Heaven he prays to his Father for all believers thus keep them from evil Joh. 17.15 If they are kept from evil they do not fall away which is the greatest of evils if they are not kept from evil Christs intercession ceases or becomes powerless neither of which can be cease it cannot because he ever lives to make intercession become powerless it cannot because he is a Priest after the power of an endless life what he intercedes for must be done And this is yet the stronger if we consider for whom he thus intercedes It is for believers parts and pieces of his Mystical body such as he cannot tell how to part from Notable is that of the Apostle The God of peace who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus make you perfect Heb. 13.20 21. That God who would lose nothing of Christs human nature no not in the Grave will perfect believers as mystical parts of him not suffering their Graces to see corruption in an utter decay nor leaving their souls in the hell of Apostacy This is another foundation of perseverance Hence Bishop Davenant saith De just hab 226. Amor Dei in renatos non fundatur in illorum perfectione aut omnimodâ puritate sed in Chrisio Mediatore The love of God towards the regenerate is not founded in their perfection or absolute purity but in Christ the Mediator As long as he intercedes their Graces fail not 3. Their Graces depend upon the holy Spirit and that upon a double account the one is this The Spirit dwells in believers it is an abiding Unction such as abides with them for ever Joh. 14.16 It is as a Well of water springing up to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 Continual irrigations of Grace issue from it to cherish the heavenly nature in them The Holy Spirit will enliven them as being parts of Christ Hence our Saviour saith Because I live ye shall live also Joh. 14.19 As long as the Spirit of life is upon the head it will flow down upon the members and whilst it is there there can be no such thing as Apostacy but on the contrary a sweet liberty to all the holy ways of God The other is this The Spirit witnesses to believers at least to some of them That they are the Children of God and by consequence heirs of him Rom. 8.16 17. And how high an evidence is this May such a Testimony fail or be reversed Or may believers cease to be children and fall short of the inheritance Far be it from that holy Spirit The Apostle calls the Spirit the earnest of our inheritance not for a time but till the redemption of the Church be compleated Eph. 1.14 till the whole sum be paid in glory the earnest goes along with the believer to Heaven his Graces therefore cannot fail by the way This is another ground of perseverance 4. Their Graces depend upon the promises In the Covenant of works there was no promise of perseverance but in the Covenant of Grace there are many such God shall confirm you unto the end 1 Cor. 1.8 He will put his fear in your hearts that ye shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 He which did begin the good work in them will perform it till the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 He will put his spirit into them and canse them to walk in his statutes Ezek. 36.27 In such promises as these the believers state of Grace is secured Shall we now say that all these promises are conditional If we will persevere or which is all one do our duty Is not this to turn the Covenant of Grace into that of Works Is it not to evacuate all these promises touching perseverance as if God spoke in such contradictory terms as these If you persevere I will make you persevere as if perseverance could be the condition of it self After these promises the believers are but where they were before Without these promises it would have been true That if they persevere they do so and with them so interpreted what have they more What do they contribute to believers when the main stress of perseverance is laid on mans will and not on Gods grace These promises were penned to be great comforts to believers that God would establish them by his grace but what comfort can they take in them if the matter be left to their own lubricous will It is in effect as if God should say I will preserve you from all evils and dangers only for that greatest evil of all which is in your own hearts and wills I will not undertake What is this but to take away the spirit and life of the promises to leave the Saints in a dead and comfortless condition Our Saviour tells us to our comfort That his sheep shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of his hand Joh. 10.28 not unless they themselves will Prael Theol. cap. 12. saith Socinus but what is this but to nullifie