Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	believe_v	faith_n	hope_n	2,425	5	7.9570	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41649	A word to sinners, and a word to saints The former tending to the awakening the consciences of secure sinners, unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadfull condition they are in, so long as they live in their natural and unregenerate estate. The latter tending to the directing and perswading of the godly and regenerate unto several singular duties. As also a word to housholders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their families, from Joshuah's resolution, Josh. 24. 15. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish, London by Tho. Gouge, late pastor thereof.	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1668 (1668)	Wing G1371; ESTC R222576	207,485	324

faithfull is he that promiseth We read how under the Law God commanded by Moses concerning him that voweth or promiseth any thing to the Lord that he shall not break his word but shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And shall the Lord say and not do it Shall he promise and not perform it Surely it is as possible for him not to be as not to keep his word and not to perform what he hath promised Indeed the Lord many times maketh his Children wait long for the accomplishment of his promises Yet he never faileth to be as good as his Word Which duly considered cannot but strengthen our faith in the firm expectation of all good things promised and enable us quietly and contentedly to rest and repose our selves in God for the accomplishment of what he hath promised and not to doubt thereof though he seem long to deferr the performance of them 3. His infinite Wisdom whereby he dispenseth the good things contained in his promises in their fitest time and season whenas they shall make most for his own glory and his Childrens good Farr be it therefore from us to prescribe unto God the time and season for the performance of his promises But let us rather resolve with patience to wait his appointed time and season who is infinite in Wisdom and so knoweth what is best and convenient for us even better than we our selves Thus did the Church Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us Therefore as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isay He that believeth shall not make haste because he is assured by faith that though he have not the thing he desireth at his own time yet he shall have it in that time which God in his Wisdom knoweth to be best for him whenas it shall make most for his good II. Consider the good success believers have found upon their living by faith how things have fallen out according to their hope and expectation It is recorded of Abraham that he lived by faith in Gods promise to him of a Son being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And God accordingly did perform the same unto him Look into the Histories of the Kings of Iudah and Israel and you shall find that according to their trust in God and faith in his promises was their success and deliverance Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they trusted in thee and were not confounded And saith David of himself The Lord is my strength and my Shield my heart trusted in him and I was helped What an encouragement must this needs be unto us to trust in God and live by faith in his promises Seeing he never failed such Faith in the promises being like the bow of Ionathan and Sword of Saul which never returned empty but allwayes finds what it seeks and enjoyes what it desires III. Take notice of the particular fruits of living by faith recorded in Scripture some whereof are these 1. Protection from things hurtfull Though Daniel was cast into a Den of Lyons yet it is said that no manner of hurt was found in him And this reason is rendred thereof Because he believed in Gods Word by faith relying on his power whom he knew was able to deliver him 2. Provision of needfull good things Therefore the Apostle exhorteth to trust in the living God and that on this ground he giveth us richly all things to enjoy namely all such things as he in his Wisdom seeth to be needfull for us And to set out Gods bounty in providing for such as live by faith in his promises the Wise man faith He that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat that is he shall not only have such a competency as is absolutely necessary to preserve life or to keep body and soul together but also such plenty and abundance as will make him fat and well-liking 3. Comfort in every condition is another fruit of living by faith in Gods promises The promises of God in his Word are the Christians Cordials to cheer up his fainting spirits when he is ready to sink They are his aqua-vitae to revive him when he is ready to swound They are breasts of consolation full of sweet nourishment for the faint and weak They are Sacred and sure Anchors in the tempestuous seasons of trouble and affliction to stay and six believers amidst all tossings whatsoever They are roses that blow in the Winter which with their fragrancy revive drooping and dejected souls in the sad Winter of their desertion when the verdure of all other comforts wither and drop like leaves that are bitten with the frost This David found in his own experience for faith he thy promises are my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me Whereas the best of the Worlds comforts are only applicable to some particular condition the comforts of the promises are universal such as agree with every estate and suit every malady and therefore apt to relieve the soul of a believer in every condition though never so sad and disconsolate So that the Christian who lives by faith in Gods promises many times walks more cheerfully under sore fiery troubles than others in the Sun-shine of Worldly prosperity The three Children walked to and fro with more joy in the fiery Furnace than Nebuchadaezzar in his stately Pallace 4. Contentment in our present state and condition is another Fruit of living by faith A Believer is like a dye that hath four squares throw it which way you will it falls upon a bottome Let God cast a Believer into what condition he pleaseth he still falleth upon his bottom of contentment he will be contented with his present state believing it to be ordered by God as in Wisdom so in much mercy and goodness unto him CHAP. XXIV Of Heavenly-mindedness ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is to be spiritually minded by a frequent contemplation of spiritual and Heavenly things It is not some few slitting transient thoughts on God or Heaven wherein this duty consists but thoughts resting and fixing on some spiritual subject The truth is the thoughts of all men fly up and down like birds in the aire or chaff in the wind and some of these may light sometimes on God or Heaven but they are soon off and fixed on some worldly matter or some impertinencies or other and therefore cannot denominate a man to be spiritually-minded which is another manner of business than many are aware of It 's a thinking with thought upon thought a reiteration and multiplication of the thoughts of the mind upon God and the things of God and this in order to the affecting the heart deeply with them It is not sufficient to think and think oft of the love and goodness of God but we must labour to get our hearts inflamed

which is the fiercest kind of torment that is and most intollerable 78. 4. A Worm which setteth out the sting or torment of an evil Conscience which shall lye eternally gnawing and griping the hearts of the damned 80. II. By the place where the Damned abide which is Hell 81. III. By the Perpetuity and Eternity of their torment there which is the very Hell of Hells that which most of all breaks the hearts of the damned 82. II. Another truth to be embraced in order to the work of Regeneration is That there is hope of mercy for the greatest Sinners 88. Which appeareth from a due consideration 1. Of Gods Power to save the worst of Sinners 90. 2. Of Gods willingness to save them 91. 3. Of the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice 103. 4. Of Christs readiness to embrace all Sinners who will come unto him and receive him upon the terms of the Gospel 105. The Duties to be practised in order to Regeneration 110. Several Objections of carnal and unregenerate men against the use of the formentioned Means answered 132. The second branch of the use of Exhortation unto the Regenerate which consisteth of divers heads 1. To admire and adore Gods special mercy and goodness in the work of Regeneration 146. 2. To be thank full unto God for the same with Arguments thereunto 156. 3. To walk worthy of that dignity by living singular and exemplary lives 158. The singular duties incumbent upon the Regenerate 1. To make Conscience of their precious time and to improve it to the best advantage 162. 2. To embrace every opportunity of doing and receiving good 164. 3. To be carefull of the manner of performing good duties 167. 4. To walk circumspectly and exactly which consisteth 1. In walking by rule 173 2. In having respect to the inward and spiritual part of the Law as well as to the outward and external ib. 3. In a careful avoiding all occasions of evil and temptations thereunto 174. 4. In abstaining from appearances of evil as well as from apparent and direct evil 175. 5. In a moderate use of lawfull things 177. 5. To beware of Covetousness and over-loving the World as being the root of all evil 180. 6. To live by faith 186. 7. To be spiritually minded by a frequent contemplation of Spiritual and Heavenly things 193. 8. To labour in the use of all good Means for the mortification of the whole body of sin with all its affections and lusts especially those which are most praedominant John 3.1 2 3. 1. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iews 2. The same came to Iesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him 3. Iesus answered and said unto him Verily Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God CHAP. 1. The Exposition and Observations arising out of the first and second verses FRom the beginning of this third Chapter to the 22. verse is set forth the conference between our blessed Saviour and Nicodemus In which are three things observable 1. A description of Nicodemus verse 1. 2. The occasion of the conference which was Nicodemus his coming unto Christ expressed verse 2. 3. The conference it self from verse 3. to 22. I. Nicodemus is thus described verse 1. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iews He is here set forth 1. By his name Nicodemus which is distinctly set down as for the truth of the history so for the honour of the man It is observable that in the holy Scriptures there is most care of setting ' down the names of good men that have in their life time some way or other set forth Gods glory and made themselves examples worthy of imitation For God will honour such as honour him he will have their memorial blessed As therefore we desire to have our memorial blessed let us now labour to honour God in our several places callings conditions and relations by a conscionable discharge of the duties belonging to them and then we may rest assured God will some way or other honour us 2. By his Sect He is expresly said to be a man of the Pharisees who were a select Sect among the Iews of highest account for their seeming sanctity and strict profession Whereas in truth they were very hypocrites for they did all to be seen of men Which because Christ discovered and made known to the people they proved his greatest enemies and persecutors 3. By his Office It 's in general said that he was a ruler of the Iews Which is not to be taken as if he were the only or chief governour of the Jews but to shew that he was none of the common sort but one of those who had authority and government amongst the Iews It is observable that few of the Pharisees and Rulers received Christs Doctrine and believed on him as appears by their own expression Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him which interrogation importeth a strong negation implying that none or few of the Rulers or Pharisees believed on Christ. They were so puffed up with the pride of their high-places so swoln with conceitedness of their strict profession and seeming sanctity and so possest with prejudice against the spiritual and heavenly doctrine of Christ that their hearts boyled with much envy and indigna●ion against him and thereupon sought many wayes to entrap and ensnare him Yea out of very malice they thirsted after his blood and never ceased till they took away his life Yet here we find one who was both a Pharisee and a Ruler become a Disciple of Iesus Christ whom Christ instructeth as in the doctrine of regeneration so in other main principles of Religion and thereupon became a true believer whence we may observe Observ. That the dew of Gods grace often falleth on the most graceless That the greatest of sinners are ofttimes received to mercy and embraced in the arms of free grace This God doth as for the magnifying the riches of his grace so for the encouraging great and notorious sinners to return from their sins and to look up unto him for mercy For are the greatest sinners ofttimes received to mercy then there is hope of mercy for thee how many and heinous soever thy sins are St. Paul speaking of Gods mercy to him who was not only an heinous sinner but the chief of sinners declareth how God shewed mercy to him that he might be a ground of hope and encouragement unto other great and heinous sinners For this cause saith he I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting Intimating that one special end Christ aimed at in shewing mercy to such a