Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	anger_n	lord_n	slow_a	2,036	5	9.7827	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20735	A godly and learned treatise of prayer which both conteineth in it the doctrine of prayer, and also sheweth the practice of it in the exposition of the Lords prayer: by that faithfull and painfull servant of God George Downame, Doctr of Divinity, and late L. Bishop of Dery in the realm of Ireland.	Downame, George, d. 1634.; Downame, John, d. 1652.	1640 (1640)	STC 7117; ESTC S110202	260,709	448

signifieth his attributes which are nothing but himself For the justice of God is the just God the wisdome of God is the wise God the mercy of God is the mercifull God c. And these also are the name of God as appeareth Exod. 33. 19. and 34. 5 6 7. For this is the name which he proclaimeth The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. Secondly the name of God signifieth that whereby God is named whereby he is either renowned or known The name of renown is his glory which is as it were his good name For so in great persons their good name is their glory and renown and therefore they are said in the Scriptures to be men of name Gen. 6. 4. In this sense the word name is used Gen. 11. 4. That we may get us a name Gen. 12. 2. I will make thy name great Jer. 13. 11. name praise and glory Deut. 26. 19. The name of God therefore signifieth that whereby he is renowned and acknowledged to be glorious that is his glory So Exod. 9. 16. Psal. 8. 1. Again the name of God signifieth that whereby he is known to wit not onely his Titles which more properly are called his name and by which he is known but also the Means whereby he is known The titles are the names of the Godhead of the attributes and of the Persons Of the Godhead as Jehovah Lord God c. Exod. 3. 15. This is my name Exod. 6. 3. Psal. 83. 18. Attributes as Wisdome Mercy Justice Majesty c. Persons as Father Christ Jesus Saviour holy Ghost c. The means whereby God is known are either peculiar to the Church or common unto all Of the first sort are his word and religion therein prescribed The word of God is called his name as Acts 9. 15. to carry my name c. and 21. 13. 1. Tim. 6. 1. with Tit. 2. 5. Rom. 2. 24. Psal. 22. 22. Heb. 2. 12. So is the doctrine of religion and worship of God Mich. 4. 5. We will walk in the name of our God 1. Kings 5. 3 5. to build a house unto the name of God The common means are the works of God The works of Creation Psal. 19. 1. Rom. 1. 19 20. In respect whereof he is called the Creatour of heaven and earth As also of Administration as his blessings and judgements In respect whereof he is called the Governour and Judge of the world Exod. 34. 7. All these doth the name of God signifie To sanctifie signifieth either to make holy or to acknowledge declare holy In the first sense things are said to be sanctified and in themselves being not holy to be made holy which are set apart to holy uses as the Sabbath the Temple Priests Christians consecrated and set apart to the worship and service of God In which sense the name of God which is most holy Psal. 111. 9. cannot be said to be sanctified 2. To sanctifie is to acknowledge declare holy as wisdome in the like phrase of speech is said to be justified Luke 7. 35. and God to be magnified and glorified And thus the name of God is sanctified either by us or by God himself Num. 20. 12 13. By us I mean our selves and others for whom also we pray when as the name of God is most holy and reverend so we in our hearts acknowledge and that effectually in our tongues professe in our deeds use it as most holy reverend By God himself his name is sanctified when either he manifesteth the glory of his mercy and justice or else freeth it from the pollutions of men especially when men neglect it and removeth the impediments Num. 20. 12 13 First we pray that Gods name may be sanctified of us that is That God would vouchsafe unto us his grace that we may give unto the Lord the honour due unto his name Psal. 29. 2. that as his name is most excellent holy glorious and reverend so his prayse may be unto the ends of the earth Psal. 48. 11. We sanctifie the name of God which is most holy and reverend and glorious Deut. 28. 58. whenas in our hearts words and deeds we do use it holily and reverently But to speak more especially according to the significations of the name of God The names of God first signifie himself and his attributes which are himself which we desire in this prayer that we may sanctifie in our hearts tongues and lives In our hearts we sanctifie God as Peter exhorteth 1. Epist. 3. 15. when as 1. we do acknowledge and that effectually That there is a God That this God is such an one as he hath revealed himself in his word most wise most just most mercifull infinite in power essence and continuance c. 2. When in our minds we think and conceive nothing of God but that which beseemeth his glorious majestie that is when we alwayes think and conceive of God most holily and reverently In our mouthes 1. When we confesse and acknowledge and professe God and his attributes c. Rom. 10. 10. 2. When we speak of God and his attributes holily and reverently In our lives when the knowledge of God and his attributes is effectuall to bring forth in us a conversation answerable thereunto Knowest thou there is a God worship him That he is a Spirit worship him in spirit and truth That he is just fear him That he is mercifull love him That he is omnipresent behave thy self as in his presence That he is omnisufficient repose thy trust in him That he is omniscient and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a searcher of the heart approve thine heart to him c. Thus then we desire that the name of God in the first sense may be sanctified by us The uses 1. Concerning prayer THat we may pray fervently we must have a feeling of our want as our ignorance of God here we pray for knowledge of God without which we cannot acknowledge him the vanity of our minds thinking amisse of God Job 1. 5. our irreverent speech of God our not sanctifying of God in our lives a fault incident to the best Num. 20. 12. For who can say that he hath loved and feared God c. as he ought and behaved himself alwayes as in Gods presence 2. Concerning our lives The use concerning our lives That as in our prayers we desire so in our lives we endeavour thus to sanctifie God For if we our selves will not endeavour thus to do it sheweth that we have no true desire hereof but pray in hypocrisie with feigned lips Their hypocrisie therefore here is detected who desiring with their mouth that they may sanctifie God will think that there is no God Psal. 14. 1. will think basely of him Psal. 50. 21. or deny his providence mercy and justice Psal. 10. 11. who use to speak unreverently of God and his attributes to murmure against his justice

which we in our selves are not able to give them So that the oration of an oratour is efficax in respect of the inward efficacie when therein is performed what art requireth in respect of the outward when it perswadeth and that efficacie dependeth on the hearers pleasure But prayer which is effectuall in it self alwayes prevaileth with God In particular that we pray in truth fervencie and faith In truth for to that is the promise restrained Psal. 145. 18. In fervencie Jam. 5. 16. In faith Mark 11. 24. Jam. 1. 5 6 7. Without the first prayers are dead without the second cold without the third uneffectuall for it is the prayer of faith which is effectuall Jam. 5. 15. For the end Jam. 4. 3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye might consume it on your lusts The end must be good or the prayer is bad The end must be that God may be glorified Psal. 50. 15. The third limitation is in respect of things God hath promised to give good things to them that ask Matth. 7. 11. But if the thing which thou desirest be not good either in it self as if it be unlawfull or not to thee as if it be unprofitable it is not within the compasse of the promise nor ought to be within the compasse of thy desire Or if it be good perhaps it is not yet good for thee to have it but in due time thou shalt find grace In the former case the Lord seemeth to denie in the letter to delay our suits and yet in both he doth grant our prayer if it be rightly conceived For first we must not circumscribe God or prescribe unto him the time and means but so desire that our request may be granted as he shall judge most fit both for his glorie and our good Secondly when as the good things which we ask are either necessarie to salvation or otherwise the former we are to ask absolutely and absolutely we are to believe that we shall obtein them Yea know this for thy comfort that if God hath given thee grace to ask spirituall and saving graces effectually thou hast alreadie obteined for the 〈◊〉 desire of any grace is the beginning of that grace which is so desired But those blessings which are not necessary to salvation whether spirituall or ●…emporall we are not to ask absolutely but with condition if the obteining thereof may be for Gods glory and our good So shall we be sur●… to obtein our desires of the Lord who alwayes heareth his children if not ad voluntatem according to their will yet ad 〈◊〉 for their profit as wise parents deal with their children seeming many times to denie to his children in fatherly love that which in anger and indig●…ation he gran●…eth to others Perhaps therefore as Augustine saith negat tibi propitius quod allis conc●…dit iratus In mercie he denieth that to thee which in anger he granteth unto others And therefore the hearing of our prayers is not to be measured by sense but by faith CHAP. VII Of the profit of prayer THe third question Whether any further profit is to be expected from prayer besides obteining our requests The profit is twofold the one of reward freely bestowed by God on him that calleth on his name the other the increase of grace wrought in them by Gods Spirit who give themselves to prayer As touching the former Though by reason of our wants and imperfections in prayer the Lord if he should deal in rigour with us might justly reject our prayers yet such is his mercie that he doth not onely cover our wants and for the intercession of Christ accepteth our prayer but also granteth our desire and not onely that but because prayer is a dutie of pietie and a principall part of that worship whereby we glo●…lfie God he doth graciously reward it godlinesse having the promise of this life and that which is to come Our Saviour therefore promiseth Matth. 6. 6. that when we call upon God though it be but in secret and private prayers and much more in publick our heavenly Father will reward us openly The Lord is rich to all that call upon him for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 12 13. For the other By the frequent and religious exercise of this dutie our faith and affiance in God is increased our experience of his bountie and goodnesse towards us in hearing us confirmed our love to his majestie augmented Psal. 116. 1. our hope nourished our patience exercised By it we grow in acquaintance with God and tast how good and gracious the Lord is By it we learn being Gods daily suiters so to behave our selves as not to be ashamed to appear before him By it we elevate our minds above earthly cogitations to mind things that are above and to have our conversation in heaven By it we grow into assurance of our election because the same spirit which is the spirit of supplication is also the spirit of adoption whereby we cry in our hearts Abba Father and which testifieth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God and if sonnes then also heirs c. But the Papists not content herewith ascribe two other fruits to their prayers that they are also Satisfactorie for their sinnes and Meritorious of eternall life Satisfactorie as being penal works and therefore both voluntarily undertaken and by their Priests injoyned by way of penance So that this exercise which is so honourable and so profitable as you have heard being also a chief prerogative to the faithfull to have free accesse to God is to them a punishment or work of penance to satisfie for sins But their prayers performed with these conceits of satisfaction and merit are sacrilegious and derogatorie to the all-sufficient satisfaction and merit of Christ though otherwise they were commendable But the impietie of their assertion will better appear if we take a brief survey of their prayers For first whereas our prayers ought to be directed unto the Lord alone they pray to Saints and Angels yea before images and crosses and by their prayers commit most horrible idolatry 2. Neither do they pray in the name and mediation of Christ alone but unto him joyn other mediatours of intercession by whose merits and intercession they desire and hope to be heard 3. The most of them pray without understanding for that which they utter in prayer as praying in an unknown language and consequently pray without attention or actuall intention which they say needeth not without faith or hope without reverence 4. They number their prayers upon beads oftentimes by most grosse ●…attologie repeating the same words perswading themselves that the more Pater nosters Ave Maries and Creeds for those also are prayers with them they shall mumble upon their beads the more satisfactory and meritorious their prayers be Now their prayers being thus every way abominable and odious

his power to do but when he doth abandon all purpose and desire of revenge all hatred and ill will towards his brother in respect of the offense If this be true then belike no man may complain to the Magistrate or seek his remedy by law when he hath susteined injury or wrong Although we are to forgive from our heart every one that o●…endeth us yet we may in some 〈◊〉 complain unto the Magistrate and seek remedy by law if these cautions be observed 1. That it be not done in anger or malice or desire of revenge which commonly are the grounds of mens going to law but that it be done with a charitable mind towards the society where we live towards our brother who hath offended us and towards our selves First towards the society 1. If the offense be such as according to the laws of the society is to be punished by order of justice for that punishment it is not in our power to remit 2. If the offense be dangerous to the society either in respect of Gods judgement or in respect of contagion then is it good the fault should be punished that evil may be taken from among us and the judgement of God prevented and others may see and fear and fearing their punishment may not follow their example in which respects most meet and necessary it is that the insolency and outrage of wicked men should be restrained Secondly as touching the party If he cannot be reclaimed by private means we are to seek that by publick authority he may be reclaimed and brought to repentance and we are to take heed lest by our patience our neighbour become worse Thirdly concerning our selves We may provide for our safetie for the time to come rather then by too much bearing to expose our selves to the wrongs and injuries of the wicked For if it were not lawfull for godly men to complain to the Magistrate c. there would be no measure nor no end of indignities offered unto them And albeit we are to esteem every wrong offered unto us as an affliction laid upon us by the Lord and are therefore to bear it patiently not seek to wreak our selves upon our brother who is but the instrument or rod by whom the Lord doth correct us yet we are in this as in all other afflictions to use such means as the Lord doth offer unto us of deliverance out of the same and not be like wayward children which having taken a fall will not rise The means which God hath appointed in this behalf is the publick authoritie of the magistrate who is the minister of God for the good of them that do well as for the rest he beareth not the sword for nought but is the minister of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an avenger unto wrath unto those that do evil Rom. 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As signifieth not equalitie For as the heavens are higher then the earth so doth his mercy excell the greatest love amongst men as the love of the father Matth. 7. 11. and of the mother Isai. 49. 15. And by how much his love is greater by so much he is the slower to wrath or revenge Hos. 11. 9. I will not exercise my fierce wrath in destroying Ephraim for I am God and not man Had our Saviour been but a man as his Apostles were but men although good men he would perhaps have been as ready to call down fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes as they Luke 9. 54. Had the Lord who was offended been no more mercifull towards Niniveh then the Prophet Jonah whom they had not offended Niniveh had been destroyed Jonah 4. 1. Therefore equality is not here to be understood but likenesse For although we cannot be equall with the Lord yet we must be like him And as it is Matth. 5. 48. ●…e ye perfect as your heave●…ly Father i●… perfect But our perfection consisteth in uprightnesse And therefore although we cannot forgive and love in the like measure yet we must in like quality that is in truth So that the meaning is We des●…e the Lord to forgive us for even we also unfeig●…dly forgive our brethren Whenas therefore we do professe that we do so forgive as we desire to be forgiven and that we desire so to be forgiven as we forgive this teacheth us that our forgivenesse and reconciliation with our brethren should not be from the teeth outward and by halves but sincere intire Many men will speak friendly to their neighbour when malice is in their hearts Psal. 28. 3. and are contented that a skin should be drawn over their festred malice making out wardly a shew of reconciliation and forgivenesse whenas inwardly they retein a secret grudge in their hearts And again others will say Well I may forgive him but I shall never forget him c. But these men rather call for vengeance then mercie at Gods hands desiring so to be forgiven as they forgive And therefore as we desire the Lord not onely in word but also in deed and in truth to forgive us so must we forgive our brethren that have offended us even from our hearts Matth. 18. 35. And as we desire that the Lord would not onely forgive the punishment but also forget the fault it self and cast it into the bottom of the sea Mich. 7. 19. so must we also forgive and forget the wrongs done unto us So much of the words Vses The use which from hence ariseth is threefold viz. of Instruction Consolution and Reproof For I. those who either desire to make this prayer aright or hope to have their prayer heard are here taught how to behave themselves towards their brethren namely that they be in charity with all men and if it be possible and as much as in them lieth to be ●…t peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all men Rom. 12. 18. For whereas it cannot be avoided but that in this life we shall both sinne against God and offend one another therefore our Saviour hath taught us to joyn these two together the desiring of peace of conscience and reconciliation with God and the seeking of outward pe●…ce and reconciliation with men And first he that hath offended his brother his duty is to seek reconciliation with him before he can look for reconciliation with God as our Saviour teacheth Matth. 5. 23. 24. If thou bring thy gift to the ●…tar seeking reconciliation with God and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee that is that thou hust offended thy brother for which thou hast made him no satisfaction leave there thine offering c. So in the Law the Lord ord●…ined that whosoever had offended his neighbour and came to seek reconciliation with God by offering sacrifice he should first make his brother amends whom he had offended the same day that he offered for his trespasse Lev. 6. 5. and then forgivenesse is