Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	bread_n	lord_n	wine_n	3,679	5	7.3104	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41840	Great precious promises, or, Some sermons concerning the promises and the right application thereof whereunto are added some other concerning the usefulnesse of faith in advancing sanctification, as also, three more concerning the faith of assurance / by Mr. Andrew Gray ... ; all being revised since his death by some friends, the last impression carefully corrected and amended.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.	1669 (1669)	Wing G1609; ESTC R39446	117,294	219

thou art turning unto the right hand or to the left thine ears shall hear a voice behind thee crying this is the way walk in it And it may be clear that our convictions are the accomplishment of promises because it is a work of the Comforter as well to convince Iohn 16.9 as it is for him to make one rejoyce and if a Christian could believe that his challenges were the accomplishment of a promise he might imbrace his challenges he might see the faithfulnesse of God in his challenges and he might see much love in his challenges 2. A Christians crosse is within a promise so that when a Christian meets with such affliction he may sit down and cry out this is the accomplishment of a promise and this is clear from Psal. 89 31 32. wherein in the midst of the promises of ●he Covenant of Grace that promise of visiting their iniquities with rod● is put in the bosome of them and from Psal. 119.77 In faithfulnesse hast thou afflicted me Why doth David say in faithfulnesse It was this because his crosse was the accomplishment of a promise and it may be clear also from that word Heb. 12.7 Forget not the exhortation speaking of the crosse the word is Forget not the consolation that speaketh unto you As if the holy Ghost did say crosses do yeeld much consolation as in vers 11. They yeeld the peaceable fruits of righteousn●sse And if this were believed that our crosses were the accomplishment of the promises it would help a Christian unto much humble submission and there would not be murmuring under them if once we did believe that they were the accomplishment of a promise Yea there is this advantage further that if we did believe that our crosses were the accomplishment of a promise we would be much in advanceing holinesse under our crosse There is nothing that obstructeth the sweet fruits of righteousnesse under a crosse so much as impatiency and I would say this to commend the crosse a Christian never moveth so swiftly to heaven as when he is under a sanctified crosse a crosse when it is sanctified will prove a Christians motion to Heaven more then ten enjoyments for our enjoyments ordinarily do retard our way as much as further it And there is this Thirdly that is within the promises even your daily food and the hairs of your head the hairs of a Christians head are numbered and within the Covenant So that ye may see what a high respect Christ hath put upon Christians that is clear from that word Psal 111.5 8. He hath given meat unto them that fear Him He will ever be mindfull of His Covenant Our fourth consideration shall be to point out a little these grounds upon which Christ doth delay his accomplishment of the promises It is certain that a Christian is oftentimes put to this Doth his promise fail for evermore and cryeth out Why art thou become unto me as a liar and as waters that fail and the grounds of this delay are these 1. Christ knoweth that a Christian can often better improve the delay of the accomplishment of the promise then he can improve the accomplishment it self we might find this in our experience it being for the most part easier for a Christian to bear his crosses then to bear his enjoyments I think David never had so sweet a time as then when he was pursued as a Partridge by his son Absolon then grace did breath forth most sweetly in his actions but let David be under prosperity and then we see he falleth in the sin of Adultery And therefore never repine when ye are under a crosse for certainly if we had spirituall understanding we would not judge it so great a hazard to be under a crosse as under prosperitie since we have greater strength to bear the one then to endure the other 2. The slothfulnesse of a Christian ●o whom the promises are made this makes the promises to be delayed in their performance as was clear in the people of Israel they are fourty years in a wildernesse before that promise of entering into Canaan is accomplished It was a promise that could have been accomplished in a few dayes and yet because of their sin it was not accomplished for fourty years as ye may see from that word in Numb 14.33 34. 3. The accomplishment of the promises is delayed that Faith may be more put in exercise this is clear from that remarkable word Psal. 105.19 Vntill the time that his word came that is un●ill the word of the Lord was accomplished The word of the Lord tried him that is it was the matter of his exercise an exercise espe●ially unto Faith for indeed it is much for a Christian to believe upon a word when it is delayed in its accomplishment The fourth ground of delay is that the exercise of prayer may be more and it is certain that the best improvement of delayes is to be much in prayer the promises they do occasion prayer as is clear from Exod. 4. last They believed and bowed down their heads and worshipped and from 2 Sam. 7.27 where the great promises being made to David he cryeth out Therefore have I found in my heart to pray this prayer unto God and it is clear from Psal. 119.49 Perform the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It is a bad improvement of delayes when we turn impatient and it is a bad improvement of delayes when we quite our confidence Know that promises are accomplished after delayes and they have a luster upon them that may compence all the delay 5. There is this other ground of the delayes of accomplishment of the promises even that the thing that is promised may be more sweet to a Christian when it cometh this is clear from that word of Solomon Prov. 13 12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire doth come it is as a tree of life O but a mercy that cometh to a Christian through a promise it is sweet yea a drink of cold water taken up as the accomplishment of a promise is more sweet then a feast of fat things full of marrow and wine on the lees well refined to take up your bread and your dink as the accomplishment of your promises it would make them refreshfull to you 6. The Lord delayes his promises that a Christian may be more in the exercise of dependency and may be alwayes keeped about the throne A Christian goeth to God from a threefold principle he goeth to God from a principle of Faith from a principle of necessity and from a principle of love but would you know that which putteth the Christian oftenest to God it is a principle of necessity and believe it that if necessity did not drive a Christian unto the foot of the Throne we would seldom go from a principle of love or from a principle of faith And there is this last ground of the delay of the

4.19 We loved him because he loved us first our hearts are naturally cold but love kindleth love the sense of his love to us putteth our hearts into a heavenly flame towards him again 2. Assurance keepeth up the exercise of prayer it is the assured Christian that can p●ay best and to best advantage and in these three things especially is prayer helped by assurance First It helpeth in the point of boldnesse O but the assured Christian can go boldly to the Throne of Grace Crying Abba father and my Lord and my God Secondly It helpe●h our diligence in prayer Psal. 63 1. O my God there is assurance early will I seek thee there is his diligence as the fruit thereof Thirdly It helpeth the fervency of prayer as in that same place my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee there is his fervency as another fruit of his assurance 3. Assurance keeepeth in exercise and life the grace of mortification ●s is clear by comparing 2 Cor. 4. vers last with 2 Cor. 5.1 We look not after the things that are seen O Paul what aileth you may ye not take a look of the world O saith Paul and would ye know the ground of it Wee know if this house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a house not made with hands eternally in the heavens my house and my treasure is in heaven I must have my heart there and my eyes also Would yee know what would stay your pursuit after the world study to have the assurance of your interest in Christ continually with you And 4. It keepeth in exercise the grace of humility there is nothing will keep a Christian so humble as assurance Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee Eph. 3.8 there hee is all in exalting grace and debasing himself It is the misbeliever and discouraged person that dwelleth nearest pride Believe it misbelief is big with childe of pride and apostacy these are the two children which that fruitfull mother will bring forth And 5. It will help the grace of Repentance Would yee know what would make the Christian to repent it is even this to take Christ in our arms and call him ours Zech. 12.10 They shall look unto him that is their faith and and they shall mourn as one mourneth for his only Son I think it is known by experience the soul never weeps more tenderly under the conviction of sin then whe● he hath Christ in his arms and can see Hee is mine O how sweetly doth they then complain there is not a sight of Christ as their own when they have offended but it breaketh all their heart in pieces and it is as a sword piercing into the bones when they cry out O what a fool was I to offend such a precious One in whom I had so much interest Was it not sense of interest that made Mary wash the feet of Christ with her tears Lastly It will keep in exercise the grace of Joy 1 Pet. 1.8 It is faith which maketh one to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Would yee know why your graces are withered would ye know why all the pleasant plants of God within your soul are decayed It is this ye live without sight of your interest in Christ believe it if so I may speak assurance will be a watering to your graces every morning and ●●fresh them every hour it being as a ●hannel through which divine influence is conveighed to the increase of grace and especially of joy The sixth advantage that cometh in to the Christian by assurance of his interest in Christ is That it maketh death exceeding pleasant and comfortable to the soul what maketh death the king of terrours and what maketh it so unto us Is it not this wee go to heaven under a cloud the assured Christian can take death in his arms and cry out welcome O friend the assured Christian when he seeth the chariots his father sends for him doth with old Iacob rejoyce and Psal 23. When I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death I will fear no evil What brought you that length David I tell you why saith he for God is with me ver 4. I think I need not feas any thing when I have God in my company It is the assured Christian that can cry out Why should I fear death should I not laugh at destruction I think indeed the assured Christian needeth no● fear death because death to him is the death of all his lusts the funerall of all his sorrows and is not the day of death his coronation day his marriage day the day of his triumph and of his entering into rest and why then should he fear it The seventh advantage is That a Christian being in the state of assurance can put the highest account upon the smallest mercy that hee meets with from God the assured Christian looketh upon every mercy as a wonder it is the assured Christian that cryeth out I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies there is not a mercy he meets with were it but a drop of cold water but if hee can read this on it that it came from my Husband and from my Father it will be better to him then the sweetest wine Lastly Assurance doth exceedingly help us to chearfulnesse in obedience O that is a remarkable connexion that Paul hath Act. 27.23 The Lord whose I am and whom I serve That passage also 2 Cor. 5.14 is very observable The love of Christ constrained us c. Why art thou so painfull a Minister Paul Why Knowest thou no man after the flesh are not led by carnal interests nor affections art so busie and diligent as all the world counteth thee mad Why saith hee love will not let me rest if I would be lazie or carnal or fold my hands to sleep the love of Christ doth alwayes sound that in my ears that I was dead and he hath died for me that henceforth I should not live unto my self but to Him who died for me Now to him who is the first and the last who was dead and is alive for evermore Wee give praise FINIS