Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	faith_n	good_a	life_n	1,751	5	5.0741	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42544	A caveat to the standing Christian, and to him that thinketh he standeth by William Gearing ...	Gearing, William.	1666 (1666)	Wing G433; ESTC R14121	41,281	62

Apostle saith of such that they tread under foot the Son of God Heb. 10.29 a sin beyond the sin of Judas who betrayed him beyond the sin of Pilate who condemned him beyond the sin of the Souldiers who crucified and pierced him beyond the sin of the Jews who mocked him they offered not such contempt to him as to tread him under their feet The phrase alludeth to our custom things which we detest and abhor we cast them under our feet and trample upon them thus these men cast away Christ as if he were the off-scouring of the world When Pompey's Souldiers made a mutiny against him for restraining them from going to a certain place they desired to go to and were resolved to go in spite of him when no perswasions could prevail but go they would he laid himself down on the ground speaking thus unto them If ye will go then tread on me your Emperour and General So Christ saith to backsliders will ye go away from me then tread on me your Saviour trample on this body of mine that was broken for you reject the blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing and do despite to the Spirit of grace that is offer injurious rebellions against his motion on your hearts against his holy gifts and workings such men do interpretatively say to the Spirit of grace Let me alone I am joyned to the world and I will be joyned let me alone move no more upon the face of my heart depart and take thy gifts with thee for I will have my will I will fulfill my lusts 3. They bring an ill report on Christianity it self on Religion on all the Ordinances as if there were no goodness in Religion no pleasantness in the ways of God no excellency or efficacy in his Ordinances and by this their falling off harden the hearts of men against the ways of God against Religion and the Professors of it Hoord Serm. in Eph. 4.30 The Hebrews call the Winter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is a reproach either actively to the earth as if it had no fructifying power in it and to the other Seasons of the Year as if they were all like to the Winter or passively to it self because it is a time by reason of the sad face of it the cessation of the fruitfulness of the earth leaves blossoms and comeliness of trees and of the warmth of the Sun that is evil spoken of It is a name that befits a backsliding Christian he is a reproach to the Ordinances of God as if they had no quickening and fructifying virtue in them he is a reproach to all his Society as if all Christians were like himself and he is a great stumbling-block to others many in Hell take their damnation upon it that the falling off of a Professor from the ways of God was the stumbling-stone at which they stumbled and fell into Hell Math. 18.7 Wo to the man by whom the offence cometh The greatest offence that falls out in the world is the falling away from the profession it is a scandal with a witness it is scandalum magnatum of God of Saints of the Gospel of godliness Wo to the world because of offences 1. Because their falling away is the great stumbling-block that rock of offence at which the world of wicked men stumble and fall eternally into destruction they make men doubt whether that way of profession which they took up be a good and safe way or not hereupon many grow resolute to continue in their wicked and ungodly life rather then to receive that faith or walk by those rules of life which such backsliders make professi●n of Salvian in his time doth often aggravate the sins of Christians on this very ground It cannot be said saith he of the Gentiles Non potest dici de Gentib●● Evangelia legunt impudici sunt Apostolos audiunt inebriantur Christum sequuntur rapiunt vitam improbam agunt probam Legem se habere dicunt In nobis igitur Christus patitur opprobrium in nobis patitur Lex Christiana maledictum Vide Christianos quid agunt evidenter potest de ipso Christo sciri quid loceat Salvian lib. 4. p. 139. they read the Gospels and are unchast they hear the Apostles and are drunk they follow Christ and plunder they lead a wicked life and have a good Law as they say but it may be said of us well what of this he tells us In us therefore doth Christ suffer reproach in us doth the Christian Law endure some disgrace for they say of us Lo what manner of men they be that worship Christ it is false that they have a good Law as they say they have for if they learned good things they would undoubtedly be good persons such is the Sect as are the Sectators and Followers of it And a little after he brings in the Pagans thus speaking Look upon the Christians see what they do and by that you may easily know what their Christ teacheth But why do they charge us Christians and our God thus he answereth Why only for their sakes who are called Christians but are not who by their flagitious and filthy lives do defame the Christian name By these speeches we may collect how ill the bad lives of Christians made Pagans judge of the way of Christianity and consequently what a blemish the evil conversation of Professors may occasionally cast upon their profession though never so pure and glorious in it self But wo to the man by whom these offences come 2. Because not only the guilt of his own falling away but the damnation of others will lye upon him also as a milstone to sink him down to the bottom of Hell Vide Heylin's Geograph of America I have read a story of Hathvey an Indian Nobleman who by the cruelties and insolencies of the Spaniards of which his miserable Country had woful experience was so much prejudiced against the Christian Religion Barthol Cass Narrat Region Ind. that he refused to be baptized They perswaded him by many arguments to become a Christian He demanded first what place was appointed after this life for such as were baptized answer was made Heaven and its joys secondly what place they that were not baptized should go unto it was answered to Hell and its torments thirdly he asked which of these places was appointed for the Spaniards answer being made that Heaven was he resolved against his intended Baptism protesting that he had rather go to Hell with the unbaptized then to Heaven with so cruel a people Whosoever sinneth greatly saith Salvian Salvian without the offence of others doth purchase damnation only to himself but he that causeth others to blaspheme casteth very many together with himself into destruction Wicked men have little cause to scoff at such men and at Religion for their sakes because their falls are a wo to them also CHAP. X. Reas 3. IN respect of your selves