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	seed_n	word_n	4,972	5	5.3021	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02360	A yong mans inquisition, or triall VVhereby all young men (as of all ages) may know how to redresse and direct their waies, according to Gods word, and if they bee in the way of life to saluation, or in the way of death, to condemnation. Together with a godly and most comfortable meditation and praier ioyned thereunto. By William Guilde.	Guild, William, 1586-1657.	1608 (1608)	STC 12494; ESTC S103544	93,895	285

displease him from his childehoode to s●y Why hast thou done so I remember one example in the Scripture of children carelesly euilly brought vp which may make all fathers tremble quake to heare the fearefull punishment thereof and may teach them by carefull and godly education of their children to preuent the like wrath iudgement of God for hee is the same in all ages both in iudgement and mercy When the Prophet of God Elisha was comming vp to Bethel there came out of the City certaine children and mocked him calling him Balde head balde head therefore God in his wrath sent out Beares out of the wildernesse at the Prophets desire and they tore rent 42. of these children in peeces a lamentable spectacle young children before their tender parents eies to be so deuoured and torne of wilde beastes But consider their carelesse and loose educatiō which deserued this they were not kept in at vertue or learning but suffered to runne abroad in the streetes idlie they were not brought vp in the reuerence neither of God his word or his Prophets but to mocke Gods seruants and scornefully to ieast at old age which they should rather beene taught to honour and reuerence in all dutie and in all persons therefore because their parents neglected to correct them in time and to take no more care for their instruction God sent wilde Beares out of the wildernes to teach them more humanitie and at the Prophets request whom they so mocked and contemned to bee their correctors to their destruction There are too many such carelesse and indulgent parents nowadaies which maketh so many proue wilde and vndutifull children both to God them and their owne wicked and vuruly affections oft times proueth these wilde beares which Sathan hunteth out and God suffereth to teare their soules more precious and lamentable to see and at last to bring body soule to a most miserable estate both here by pouerty dispaire hereafter by death endlesse condemnation The Lord auert such iudgments from many conuert their hearts to him againe that they may preuent his fierce wrath while the acceptable time is to day while we heare his voice and as yong men should not so neither let their parēts think the faults of youth to be but small and rather to be imputed to the nature of the age the former searefull example teacheth the contrary they being but children and their fault mocking yet their punishment most greeuous that God inflicted vpon them as Dauid also calleth the sins of his youth not smal but rebellions which is highest treason against our God the King of Kings and Prince of all Princes Therefore let all parents be carefull in the good and godly education of their children Euery tree is knowne by his fruite the fruite of the parents is their Oliue branches their children Let them shew then their godlinesse and religion in the godly education of their children prouing thereby that themselues are the good tree by sending forth liuely branches to bee ingrafted as themselues are in the stocke Iesus Christ not being too indulgent to them nor wincking in a manner at their faultes neither with olde Eli saying onely My sonnes doe so no more but to shewe their loue to their children in correcting them for their faultes For whom the Father loueth him hee chastiseth and hee that spareth the rod hateth his sonne but hee that loueth him chasteneth him bet●●e Therefore as the Wiseman counselleth Correct thy sonne and hee will giue thee rest and will giue pleasures to thy soule And as the vessel which a man maketh most of and deareliest esteemeth that vseth he oftest to scoure and make cleane from the least spot or staine so a wise and louing father will not suffer his sonne to be polluted with the least spot of vice for chastising is the fathers honour and the life of the childe So that correction is like Ionathans arrowes not in anger but in loue not to harme but to warme not to put in perill but to preserue from perill not to deforme but to reforme like a good corrasiue to eate away the rottennesse of vice and a bitter potion to make their childrē vomit out from their soule heart the poison of sinne lest hauing taken deepe roote and growing vp with them they be so indured and hardned therein that they breake first by finall destruction before they will bow by timely instruction or holesome correction Therefore so plant them in vertue and vertue in them while they are tender and flexible in youth that in the haruest of age their tops may bow downe in Gods obedience loaden with the pleasant fruite of godlinesse and good workes Teach a childe in the trade of his way saith Salomon and when he is olde hee shall not depart from it Youth is the seede time in the spring wee must not sowe popple and in haruest looke for good wheate but as wee sowe so we shall reape The Nurse frameth the body while it is young tender so must parents their childrens minds while they are greene and flexible If we see a fault or euill manners in any man we iudge that he was euill brought vp and if he haue vertue we adiudge it to his good education yea in an old prouerbe we say that nurture changeth nature as Lycurgus proued before the Lacedemonians to be true by taking two young whelpes of a like nature and of one damme and bringing vp the one according to it owne nature in a kitchin and the other besides it proper nature to hunting so that at a certaine solemne assembly of the Lacedemonians Lycurgus brought forth his two dogges before them placing before the one who was brought vp to hunting a pot and before the kitchen dog a hare but the hunting dogge in sight of them all refused the pot and ranne after the hare where the other according to his education refused to follow the hare betaking himselfe to licke the pot Whereby it was shewed the altering power efficacy of educatiō which is a second nature as it were vnto a mā for by euil educatiō a good nature may be corrupted as by good an euill nature may be rectified a good groūd vnplanted with wholsome hearbs or vnsowed with good seed in time doth soonest bring forth vnprofitable and euill weedes where on the contrarie a barren ground wel laboured and sowed produceth pleasant flowers and sauorie fruits The right blessing which Parents should bestow vpon their childrē is when bringing them vp in the feare of GOD they make God blesse them also for if thou blesse thy child God curse him what auayleth thy blessing but if thou bring him vp in the true knowledge and obedience of Iesus Christ to thy blessing God and Angels shall say Amen and hee shall heape both vpon thee and thy seede after thee manifold and great blessings as hee blesseth all those who doe his will

Gods word is a looking-glasse wherein we may see all our spots from the greatest to the least where they are and how they may bee wiped away with the blood of Iesus Christ and teares of true repentance It is the sweet Manna and foode of our soules Milke to the weaker and stronger meat for those who are more confirmed A Directer in prosperity an vpholder in aduersitie and aboundant comfort in both It is a Fire to purge our wayes to burne vp the earthly or rather hellish drosse of sinne and stubble of iniquitie to refine vs as pure gold to bee vessells of honour in Gods house before our heauenly Father It is that Raine or Dew that descended from Heauen and neuer returneth vndone that for which it was sent it fructifieth eyther the heart to bring forth pleasant fruit and softneth it to repentance or as water cast vpon Iron or Steele hardeneth the same so it indureth the obstinate and reprobate hearts of them who are inflamed and burned in their owne sinfull lusts Our soules and hearts are made sauoury Sacrifices with all that proceedeth therefrom to present before the nosthrills of God our heauenly Father by this preseruing Salt of his word whereby no stincking corruption of the flesh and of sinne taketh hold vpon vs but thereby we are made sauourie meat to bee presented and accepted before our heauenly Father such as he euer loueth It is that Water of life wherof whosoeuer drinketh in his belly shall spring riuers thereof aboundantly It is a Cloud to refresh vs in our iourney in the day a firie Pillar in the night time to direct our wayes by the light thereof in the darke desart of this world and to consume all our enemies to thē it shall bee darkenesse but light to the hoste of Israel it shall bee hid and is so onely to them that perish It is that bright Light that shall euer shine in the little G●shan of Gods Church when all the Egypt beside of this world with the Pharao thereof shall be ouerwhelmed with thicke darkenesse It is the Rudder of our Ship which must direct vs aright thorow the raging beating waues of worldly persecutions and our Compasse to keepe our course by vntill wee come to the hauen of heauen and port of that new Ierusalem It is that Rod which must diuide the redde sea of temptations thorow which narrowly we must passe to the spirituall land of Canaan when in them we shall see the worldlings wicked ouerwhelmed and altogether drowned It is the Arke and couenāt of God at which we only must aske counsell and it must diuide the Iorden of death to vs making a way whereby wee must follow our Ioshua Iesus to the land of rest and our promised inheritance It is true Riches and seuen times more pure then the refined gold of Ophir It cannot corrupt for heauen and earth shall perish before one iotte of Gods worde perish It is the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen whereby the gates thereof are opened to euery penitent and beleeuing soule and shut to euery obstinate and indured wicked heart It is the Sauour of life vnto all those that are appointed for life and hath the life of Iesus Christ to righteousnesse in them It is the chiefe Shepheards Hooke that pulleth backe our straying soules in the by-wayes of iniquitie and bringeth vs in the right way again subjecting vs to the obedience and light yoake of Iesus Christ in the sheepefold of his Church By it wee are fished and drawne out of the salt and stincking sea of this world to Iesus Christ. It is the Sword wherewith wee must fight valiantly the Lordes battels A Trumpet to encourage vs thereto at whose sound the walls of euery proud Iericho shall fall and which subdueth powers and scepters to it selfe It is our Pilgrims staffe which must vphold and defend vs in our iourney It is a most bright Starre which leadeth not onely wise men but fooles also to Christ where now he lyeth not in a kribbe but sitteth on a Throne and happy are those starres or Ministers whom Christ holdeth in his right hand whose onely care is by preaching and practising this Star to shine before the flocke And finally the Word of God is the sound of that Trumpet blowen by the Angels of his Church which giueth vertue and power quickening and resurrection to euery dead soule in sinne to rise out of the graue of securitie put on a sanctified bodie that in bodie and soule at the last resurrection of all flesh to iudgement they may passe with Christ to eternall glory It is that Finger which pointeth out the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and as Andrew brought Simon his brother Philip Nathaniel to Christ so the word of God bringeth and leadeth vs by the hand to him on earth and shall bring vs to eternal glory with him in heauen for euer if we beleeue the same and according thereunto take heede to redresse our wayes Secondly seeing the excellencie of Gods Word is such of it selfe wee may learne what great estimation and value it should bee of with euery Christian as we see the value thereof in it selfe so our estimation should bee corespondent wee should desire nothing so much esteeme nothing so much loue nothing so much nor hunger or thirst after nothing so much This estimation we may see in Dauid to haue been great and his loue ●eruent he saith I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as in all riches Also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers Behold how I desire thy command●ments The law of thy ●●uth is better to me th●● thousands of gold and siluer I will neuer forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me O how I loue thy law it is my meditatiō continually How sweet are thy promises vnto my mouth yea more then honie vnto my mouth The Marchant in the Gospell when he had found the Iewell in the field he went and sold all that he had that hee might buy that piece of ground wherein that Iewell was Of all Iewels that euer man could thinke vpon this of Gods word is the most precious in it is eternall light euerlasting life continuall ioy comfortable contentment infinite true riches Let vs therefore follow the example of this wise Marchant so that we may haue it and enioy the comfort therein contayned care not what wee loose if wee haue it we haue all things if wee haue all things and want it wee haue nothing It is not like other Iewels for cōmonly a man that possesseth them not can oftentimes know the value of thē better then they who possesse them but with this Iewell it is not so the Marchant was neuer in loue with it vntill hee found it wee can neuer nor will euer know the estimation of it vntil we haue it in our hearts Peter when Christ before his last