Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	abel_n	blood_n	cry_v	2,397	5	9.4770	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04187	Iustifying faith, or The faith by which the just do liue A treatise, containing a description of the nature, properties and conditions of Christian faith. With a discouerie of misperswasions, breeding presumption or hypocrisie, and meanes how faith may be planted in vnbeleeuers. By Thomas Iackson B. of Diuinitie and fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford.; Commentaries upon the Apostles Creed. Book 4	Jackson, Thomas, 1579-1640.	1615 (1615)	STC 14311; ESTC S107483	332,834	388

was exactly figured in the sacrifices of the Law daily offered euen for such as by the Law were cleane and obserued Gods commaundements with as great constancy and deuotion as any now liuing doe This might instruct vs that our persons become not immediately capable of diuine presence or approbation by infusion of habituall grace or freedome from the tyrannie of sinne these are the internall characters of our royall Priesthoood whose function is continually to offer vp the sweete incense of prayers from hearts in part thus purified by faith For by such sacrifices are wee made actuall partakers of that eternall sacrifice whose vertue and efficacy remaines yesterday to day the same for euer It being so perfect and all sufficient could not be offered more then once but through the vertue of it the offrings of our Priesthood must be continually presented vnto our God Nor can we so often lift vp our hearts towards heauen but the voice of CHRISTS blood neuer ceasing to speake better things then that of Abels still ioines with our praiers and distinctly articulates our imperfect sighs or mutterings alwaies crying father forgiue them father receiue them to thy mercy seeing they are content to bee partakers of my sufferings and seeke to bee finally healed onely by my wounds As the Apostle teacheth vs that there is giuen no other name vnder heauen besides CHRIST whereby we may be saued so was it foretold by the Prophet that this saluation must be by calling vpon his name not by mediation of grace or other fruites of the spirit obtained by inuocation but by inuocation of it in truth and spirit seeing his spirit was poured out vpon all flesh to this end that all should call vpon his name and by so calling be saued This though vsually expressed in other tearmes is the opinion of orthodoxall antiquity in this point and if my coniecture faile me not the dreaming fancies of a daily propitiatory sacrifice in the Masse was first occasioned from dunsticall or drowsy apprehensions of the primitiue dialect wherein as all the●● speeches of the auncient are full of life Christs body and blood are said to be often offered not in scholastique propriety of speech but in a rhetoricall figuratiue or exhortatory sense because our daily sacrifices become acceptable to God throught it because the benefits of it are as effectually applied vnto vs by our faithfull representations of it as if it were daily offered in our sight The error of moderne Romanists hence occasioned is the same with that of the old Heathens which dreamed of as many Gods as they had seuerall blessings from the Authour of all goodnesse who is but one The Prebendes of Colen notwithstanding haue made a declaration of the third sacrifice in their masse much what to our purpose so much of it as I haue here set downe needes little correction in fauourable construction Howsoeuer it sutes verie well with their forecited opinion concerning iustification How farre dissonant or consonant that is vnto the truth I leaue it to the Readers censure As for the Iesuites resolution of the same controuersie by the Trent Councels determination it is but a further document of his Magicall faith and that hee finally vseth the grace of God but as a charme or Amulet able to expell death by the ful measure of it onely worne or carried about not by actuall operation or right vse But what marueill if hee openly renounce CHRIST for his Mediatour in the principall act of redemption when as he hath chosen the Pope for the Lord his Rocke and Redemer euen for that Rocke whereon that Church against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile must be founded CHAP. IX That firmely to belieue Gods mercies in CHRIST is the hardest point of seruice in christian warfare That our confidence in them can be no greater than our fidelitie in practise of his Commaundements That meditation vpon CHRISTS last appearance is the surest method for grounding true confidence in him 1. LEast the end of this discourse should misse the end and scope wherto the whole was purposely directed I must intreate the Christian Reader to pardon my feare and iealousie which from the reasons mentioned in the first chapter of this section too well experienced in the temper of this present age is alwaies great least disputation against Romish heresie cast vs into a relapse of that naturall carelesnesse or hypocrisie whereof all more or lesse haue participated But for whose auoidance hereafter if thine heart be affected as mine now is and I wish it alwaies may continue let this meditation neuer slip out of thy memory That seeing the last and principall end of all graces bestowed vpon vs in this life is rightly to belieue in CHRIST this cannot bee as the drowsie worldling dreames the easiest but rather the most difficult point of Christianity The true reason why vnto many not otherwise misaffected it seems not such is because in this time of his absence from earth our imaginary loue of his goodnesse wanting direct opposition of any strong desire or resolution to manifest the leuitie or vanity of it fancieth a like affection in him towards vs. And seeing loue is not suspicious but where it is perfect excludes all feare the very conceipt of great mutuall loue betwixt CHRIST and vs not interrupted expels all conceit of feare or diffidence Hence wee vsually rest perswaded our assent vnto Gods mercies in Him is more strong then vnto most other obiects of Faith when as indeed these being the highest it would appeare to bee in respect of them the weakest had it as many daily temptations to encounter it as wee finde in practices of other duties whose habituall performance is the necessary subordinate meane to support it All the difficulties we daily struggle vvith are but straglers of that maine armie with whose entire ioint force we are to haue the last conflict about this very point which vntill the hower of death or other extraordinary time of triall is seldome directly or earnestly assaulted But then whatsoeuer breach of Gods commaundements loue either to the world or flesh hath wrought in our soules will affoord Sathan aduantage and opportunitie for more facile oppugnation of our confidence For as euerie least sinne in it owne nature deserueth death so doth the consciousnesse of it more or lesse impell the minde to distrust of life Yet euen the greatest will be content in these dayes of peace and securitie to sleepe with vs and lie quiet in hope to preuent vs in the waking and with the ioint force of lesser to surprise the soule or gaine the start or first sway of the spirit an aduantage much preiudiciall to strength otherwise more then equall Much harder it is to retract a bodie after actuall motion begun then to restraine propensions or inclinations from bursting out into actuall motions Our often yeelding vpon fore● warning of their assaultes in manie pettie temptations or

them and shall his goodnesse in giuing them flake the feruency of our wonted desires or supplications when as we seeke grace onely to the end we may finde and truly taste his mercie Thou hast taught vs Not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but such as doe the will of thy Father which is in heauen and his wil as the Apostle witnesseth they only do which obey it in all things omitting no commaundement when occasion is giuen taking no occasion to breake or violate any Shall we then enter into the kingdome of heauen because we thus farre do thy fathers will and in some measure obserue his Commaundements Rather without such obseruance we shall not we cannot enter therein yet when we haue done all this wee are still vnprofitable seruants To what vse then doth our inherent righteousnesse or obseruance of Gods Commaundements serue vs If sincere that haue been and vnfaigned though imperfect yet the faith which brought it forth will make a sincere and faithfull plea for mercy in the day of triall in which he that hath been an hearer only and no doer of the lawe or hath done in part what God would haue done but not sincerely nor faithfully because it was his will and pleasure but out of humour naturall affection or hipocrisie shall cry Lord Lord and shewe many tokens of Gods loue and fauour towards him in hope to better this present sute for mercie yet shall not be heard Why Either because he neuer had any true pledge of Gods fauour or did not vse such as hee had aright because as his workes haue been such now are his prayers presumptuous vnfaithfull or hypocriticall such as cannot obtaine any other answere of God then that depart from mee I neuer knew thee It shall not boote him to make proofe that hee hath giuen his goods to the poore or his body to the fire that he hath healed the sicke cast out diuels and wrought other wonders in CHRISTS name vnsesse his faith haue quelled all trust all pride or glory in these gracings wholly set on Gods mercies in CHRIST from whose apprehension vnlesse these other acts or exercises though of mercie sprung they are not truely done in faith but springing thence we cannot be so ready to doe them as hauing done them to renounce all trust or confidence in them For whiles we compare these slender yet sincere effects of our loue and thankfulnesse to him with his infinite loue and mercie towards vs wheron true faith alwaies lookes whiles it conceiues them the sight of them causeth greater humilitie for the present more hearty sorrow for sinnes past then we could haue conceiued if wee had not done them as the sight of Zorobabels temple finished did make the auntients of Israell weepe because the perfection and glorie of the former was more liuely represented to their senses by this visible and semblable model then by the ruines meere absence or imperfect reparations of it To be able to sound the depth of many conclusions better then others can giues stayed and setled iudgements a more distinct and compleat measure of the knowledge they wanted then fantasticke or shallow wits can haue For this cause solid learning alwaies contracts verball knowledge and superficiall skill in any facultie dilates mens estimates of thēselues puffes them vp with preiudiciall conceits of their owne worth And seeing all our knowledge in this life though of matters naturall and neere at and is euery way imperfect the increase of it is alwaies vnnaturall and monstrous vnlesse the more we know the better we know our imperfectious and be humbled with a more sensible feeling of our wants Now in as much as the fruits of life do neuer take so kindely as the fruites of knowledge in any sonne of Adam since he made that impious and crroneous choice and euery mans owne experience can teach him that his practique faculties or performances come still short of his speculatiue notions or apprehensions of what is good and fit to be done we are by this twofold reason enforced to take the vnfained acknowledgement of our imperfection in working and serious distrust both to our works and our selues as no way iustifiable or approueable in the sight of God but for the perfect and compleate righteousnesse of CHRIST IESVS for an essentiall branch of that vniformity before required in true and sauing faith The growth of these particulars is like the growth of twins the more firme and liuely faith we haue the better and more sincerely we worke the bettter and more sincerely we worke the more vnfaignedly and faithfully wee renounce all confidence in our workes and our selues the more faithfully we renounce all confidence in these the more ca●tiestly we seeke after saluation only by CHRIST of whose allsufficient sacrifice and righteousuesse fully satisfactory of Gods law and meritorious of mercy our righteousnes inherent though imperfect giues vs a truer tast then vnbelieuers can haue Thus the weaker we are in our selues the stronger we are in Him 4. The former question about the vse of grace depends vpon another betwixt the Romanist and vs about the measure of inherent righteousnesse They make the encrease and growth of grace not to perfect but vtterly to abolish the nature of it by conuerting it into righteousnes inherent as well for quantity as quality acceptable of it selfe to God without his fauour or indulgence We as the name imports make it alwaies subordinate vnto gratious acceptance and seeing we take it onely as a pledge of diuine fauour whereof wee stand perpetually in need as it is first giuen so we desire it may be increased onely to the end we may more constantly and faithfully sue for mercie and seeke diuine approbation aright Of our edification in CHRIST faith is not the foundation onely but the roofe vnto which all other graces haue the same reference that Hur and Aaron had vnto Moses The best seruice euen charitie it selfe can performe is to vnderprop the hands of faith lifted vp vnto the throne of grace from which the sentence of absolution must proceed Directly contradictory to this declaration saith the Romanist faith iustifies onely as it disposeth vs to the attainment of charity which is the formall cause of iustification the complete forme of such perfect righteousnesse inherent as is the onely immediate cause of saluation Charitie though giuen for CHRIST is to him the Crowne of faith reaching heauen by it owne perfection to vs not charity onely but faith it selfe as it is part of our imperfect righteousnesse inherent is footstoole to it selfe in the act of iustification or whiles it pleads for mercy Nor vas any sonne of Adam for the least moment of time euer so righteous but the actuall mediation of Christ or interposition of his sacrifice secluded from his triall at the tribunail of Gods iustice he might besides all his other sinnes iustly haue beene condemned for not stirring vp