Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	good_a	see_v	word_n	1,813	5	4.0812	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70256	The priveledge of the saints on earth beyond those in heaven in respect of gifts and graces exercised, duties and services performed, sufferings and tryals undergone by them which the glorified are not capable of : being the sum of a discourse upon a part of Hezekiah's Song of thanksgiving ... : to which is added A short discourse of the nature and extent of the Gospel-day : reaching from the destruction of the old to the erection of the new Jerusalem out of Zech. 14, 6, 7 / by William Hooke.	Hooke, William, 1600 or 1601-1678.	1673 (1673)	Wing H2628; ESTC R28112	66,910	165

doth rest in hope Not that their flesh doth hope but that resteth and their Souls hope for its rising again Accordingly it followeth That here in this life the Saints do exercise their patience which ceaseth in Heaven because our hope ceaseth there For patience is the servant of Hope 1 Thes 1. 3. called there the patience of hope For if we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it There is nothing in Heaven to put our patience to it It is true indeed what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. last Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Because Charity i. e. Love never faileth ver 8. that is Heavens grace in a Spiritual manner But yet notwithstanding even Love it self hath a larger Object here in this world than in Heaven For there is a Love here which cannot be exercised there And that is To love our enemies which is the Command of the Gospel and a great Duty and was one of the last Acts of Christ upon the Cross Luke 23. 34. And the very last Act of Stephen the Protomartyr who was never like to act it more Act. 7. last Lord saith he lay not this sin to their charge Here in this life you may love all Unregenerate men and shew it in your desires and endeavours for their conversion Here also you may exercise a Love of sympathy with all both good and bad in their sufferings But in Heaven there is no room for this Love And as these gifts of Grace forementioned do greatly glorifie God but cease in Heaven so do Parts and common-Gifts also cease there For whether there be Prophesies they shall fail or whether there be Tongues they shall cease or whether there be knowledge that is imperfect mediate and the communication of it to others it shall vanish away And yet Prophesying is much to God's glory For He that Prophesieth speaketh unto men to Edification Exhortation Consolation And Tongues do also edifie So likewise for knowledge So that put all this together and there is much to be done here whereby God may be glorified and men edified and benefited which cannot be done in heaven And thus you see the Point made good in several Instances That there are opportunities of service to be performed to the Lord in this life which are not to be enjoyed after death Quest But if it be thus why have some of the Saints mentioned in Scripture desired to dye Answer Some of the Saints have done ill in so doing but others upon good ground First Some of them have not done well in desiring death for they have passionately desired it and to their own loss if God should have answered their desires herein For instance 1. Moses he was the meekest Man upon the Earth yet he seems to be in a passion when he said If thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand Why was there no remedy but God must kill him and presently too if the burthen of the people lay a little longer upon him This was a passionate expression and desire of death And had he died there presently he had incurred a double loss to say no more in it 1. He had been cut short of the opportunity of doing that eminent service in conducting the people through the Wilderness For he lived 38 years longer and did much for God and his people during that time 2. If he had died then out of hand he had not dyed and been buried so honourably as he was afterwards upon Mount Nebo even by God's hand 2. And though Job was a patient Man yet he passionately desired death Oh! saith he that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Whereas God meant Job better than so viz. to turn his Captivity and to give him twice as much as he had lost and the full number of his former Children and so to double their number also shewing him that his first number was not last Moreover he shall yet live 140 years longer to serve and honour God in this world Again 3. Elijah was a Man subject to like passions as we are and being persecuted by Jezebel he requested for himself that he might dye and he said It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better than my Fathers Whereas God intended better for him viz. that he should live yet longer and finish his Testimony against Ahab Jezebel and Ahaziah and then be carried triumphantly to Heaven in a fiery Chariot So 4. Jonah would needs dye in a fret Oh Lord saith he Take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to dye than to live No Jonah was not in case to dye at present God would not take him at his word but he must live yet longer and repent Secondly As for some others of the Saints death hath been desired by them and not impatiently nor any way sinfully but very well and upon good ground You know 1. Just and devout Simeon when he had taken up Christ in his arms he blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace and the ground of this request lies in the words following according to thy Word His Prayer it seems was grounded upon a word from God For as God had told him that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ so he had promised him that then he should dye and so his Prayer was grounded upon a Promise 2. And as for Paul He desired to depart and to be with Christ which saith he is far better i. e. for me Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you And having this confidence I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of Faith So that 1. When he desired to dye he looked upon the benefit thereof abstractedly and absolutely but not comparatively 2. When he looked upon it on comparison with the benefits of life he was not so positive in the desire of death but having done great service and that too a long time for Jesus Christ for then he was Paul the aged Philem. ver 9. and being then in prison at Rome he hung for a time in Aequilibrio mid-way between two till at last the Scale turns to a desire to live further to serve Jesus Christ and his Church and people For though Paul was then in prison yet he did very much good there which had been lost had he then gone to Heaven For his bonds furthered the Gospel And they strengthned the Brethren and wrought upon several in Caesars Palace And there be converted Onesimus and there he wrote his Epistles to the