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
A25827	Sermons preached upon several occasions by Timothy Armitage.	Armitage, Timothy, d. 1655.	1678 (1678)	Wing A3702; ESTC R25891	316,267	489

comfort that God hath given or helps to prolong life if a mans hand be found against his own life it proceeds from a sinful and wicked desire of death There 's great evil in this let me shew you the evil For 1. First It doth pluck that out of Gods hand which God hath challenged as his right the issues of life and death they belong to the Lord my times are in thy hand saies David now it is wicked boldness for a man to pluck times out of Gods hand when a man will have them in his own hand and not that God should have the disposal of them 2. Secondly Besides There is this evil in it A man casts away the most precious Jewel when he acts against his own life he casts away the most precious Jewel in nature Life is the preciousest of all natural gifts Life is a Talent a great Talent it is a Talent given thee for to improve it for God not to waste it away God gives thee this Talent that it may be laid out for him that thy life may be laid out for his name and glory and not to cast it away at thy own pleasure or displeasure know therefore that if any man shall at any time act any thing against his own life God will call him to account for it if the wicked servant was condemned because he did not improve his Talent what shall become of him that threw away his Talent Life is precious when a man shall act any thing against his own life it proceeds from sinful desires of death 3. Thirdly Again Desires of death are sinful When a man shall desire to die before he knows what it is to live or to die when a man desires to die before he hath begun to live or before he knows what it is to die There is many a poor creature will be speaking against his life O that my life were at an end O that God would take me out of the World But hast thou begun to live yet to God Many a poor creature will speak against his own life before he knows what God hath done for him hast thou done the work God hath sent thee into the World for Hast thou glorified his name on earth Hast thou finished thy course Hast thou considered these things before thou desirest to die Dost thou know what it is to die Hast thou considered that death is a door that opens to Eternity It opens to an Eternal condition to a place whence there is no return Hast thou considered what door death will open to thee whether to the inheritance of the Saints in light or to an inheritance with the wicked in utter darkness If thou hast not well considered of these things before thou desirest to die then these desires of death are sinful desires No rather go first to God and desire him to teach thee to live It may be thou hast been twenty thirty forty fifty years in the flesh hast thou begun to live hast thou made him the end of all thy services dost thou bring forth fruit to him and not to thy self is it he that strengthens thee and carries thee out to all thy duties and services is Christ thy life Thou hadst need know what it is to live desire that God would teach thee what is the end he sent thee into the World for the cause of thy coming rather that thou maist know how to live and when to die that when death comes it may be gain for if thou dost desire death before thy desires are sinful 4. Again Fourthly Desires of death are sinful When a man desires death in a passion It is a failing that is incident unto Gods own people and therefore you had need take heed of it It was Jonah's fault and also Elias failing in Jonah 4. 3. saies he Take away my life it is better for me to die than to live and when Jonah spake this he was in a great passion saies God in Verse 9. Dost thou well to be angry I do well to be angry even unto the death Was Jonah fit to die now to die in an anger to die in a passion Certainly if at any time Jonah was now unfit to die It was a strange passion he was now in and at this time he was angry with God himself and yet this man will needs die did he know what he said O passion passion is blind and unreasonable he will go to God he will go to the Throne of God to dwell with God for ever when he is angry with him he is angry with the grace and mercy of God in Jonah 4. 2 3. For I know that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil Therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live Certainly Jonah was now unfit to die to go to God whenas there were such contrary distempers prevailed in his spirit such a distemper as was most contrary to God God was full of love full of bowels and pity full of meekness patience compassion calmness and quietness of mind contrary to all this Jonah must and would needs die here 's a passion which is a sinful desire of death and so Elijah in 1 Kings 19. 4. But he himself went a daies Journey in the Wilderness and came and sat down under a Juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die and said It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my Fathers Jonah will die in a passion of anger Elijah would die in a passion of fear he was afraid of Jezebel afraid that she should cut him off but it was his failing what was Elijah loth to be made a Martyr would he die and is he loth to die in Gods cause to die for the truth why would Elijah die yet afraid that God won't support him and uphold him in his way This is his infirmity like unto those of Moses's therefore Brethren take heed of Elijah's fears and Jonah's passion It is common if they meet with any discontent O then that God would take away my life O that I were out of the world thus to desire to die when in passion thou art least fit to die and therefore it is a sinful desire That 's a Third Again 4. Fourthly Desires of death are sinful when a man shall desire to die only to gain ease to the Flesh to be rid of some troubles or afflictions that lay upon him When a man saies O I lye under a heavy burden and I know not how to get rid of it O that God would make an end of my daies for I see if such or such affliction comes upon me I know not how to bear it when it comes O that God would take away my life before-hand this is a desire of the flesh which is a sinful desire I will shew you the

Shimei's head might not go in peace to the Grave You see then that the point is made good that the thoughts of the Lord and the waies of the Lord in the matter of forgiveness are far above the thoughts and the waies of man Peter thinks seven times to be a great matter but Christ saies not seven times but seventy times seven A word for Application in brief to shut up all 1. Vse Here is incouragement for poor sinners to come in to Christ there is mercy and forgiveness with him that he may be feared and the thoughts and waies of the Lord in this particular they are as far above your thoughts and waies as the heavens are above the earth and oh what a wide open door is here That the Lord would perswade some poor guilty soul to come in to Christ by this door of mercy forgiveness and plenteous redemption though you have been enemies and though your hearts be still filled with enmity against God yet know that the Lord is able to forgive enemies and though you have nothing in the world to procure your acceptance you can do nothing that should commend you to God yet know that the Lord he forgives freely and though your transgressions have been multiplied though very many though very great though you have made the Lord to serve with your sins and wearied him with your iniquities yet he is able to blot them out freely for his own name sake Oh then that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come and to submit to Christ and not to go on in the way of rebellion and take hold of that great propitiatory sacrifice and then you shall know that the Lord forgives for he forgives you cordially and sincerely he doth so forgive your transgressions as he will never remember them more 2. Vse And it speaks a word of comfort and refreshment unto such poor souls as are in dark and sad conditions some poor souls that have look'd to Christ for righteousness and yet are found sitting in darkness and oppressed with the weight of sin and becaus it may be when you look into your own hearts you find they are very narrow when you are put upon this work of forgiving another you are hardly brought off to it and certainly the Lord may for this withdraw himself Oh know you have sinned after profession and you have sinned much yea you have sinned much against light and that is that which cuts and makes great gashes but yet know that the Lord gave Commandment to Peter and his Disciples to forgive seventy times seven certainly that command which the Lord gave to man to forgive seventy times seven he will certainly forgive poor creatures though their sins be numberless This is not to spur on to sin this is no word to invite to sin but this word of forgiveness is to the end the Lord may be feared and admired for his great grace and take heed poor creatures you wrong not God of that which is his greatest glory It is the glory of a man to forgive seventy times seven and the oftner the more like unto God now do not rob God of his glory that infinite mercy which put him upon it to forgive seventy times seven say therefore as the Church did in Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depth of the Sea You may look upon your transgressions nay you ought to look upon your sins nay and to lye low because of your provocations and abhorr your selves in dust and ashes you can never lye too low in the consideration of your own vileness none have sinned against so many aggravations and sinned against so much light and conviction when you have thus aggravated your sin do not rob God of his glory but say with the Prophet Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that forgiveth great iniquities and many iniquities who forgives seventy times seven 3. Vse Lastly This should be matter of great humiliation that our thoughts and our waies are so beneath the thoughts and waies of God in the matter of forgiveness Peter thought it a great matter What to forgive seven times Peter's number is very short of Christs number Yet where is the man or woman that is come to Peter's number and yet Peter's number was short of Christs number Oh what cause have we to be humbled One of the Evangelists hath it If thy brother offend thee seven times in a day and say I repent thou shalt forgive him Oh how far are we from forgiving seven times in a day We are so far from forgiving seven offences in one day as we many times remember one offence seven daies nay seven years together Oh how unlike is this to Christ Oh let us therefore labour to walk up to the rule or else never profess our selves to be Christs Disciples And so much for this time SERMON II. MATT. 18. 21 22. Then Peter came to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven I Made entrance before into these words Here is Peter's Question and Christs Answer concerning the forgiving of offences particular wrongs and personal injuries which are done to any man or woman Peter propounds the Question and seems to forestall Christs Answer by giving an Answer to it himself which Christ did not approve of But I proceed to the main Doctrin which is this Doct. That the often forgiving of wrongs and injuries is a duty which Christ commends unto and commands all his Disciples to follow I say until seventy times seven 1. First I shall clear this Point to you from Scripture and shew you from the word of the Lord That this is a duty that is incumbent upon all that profess themselves to be Christs Disciples 2. Secondly I shall hold forth unto you divers Examples of worthy and gracious men who have practised this Duty 3. Thirdly And then shew you upon what ground Christ doth commend and command this Duty 1. First Look into the Proverbs of Solomon where Wisdom speaks which is Christ Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me I will render unto a man according unto his works Mark here is the Counsel Wisdom gives unto all her Children Say not I will do so to him as he hath done unto me Do not say I will be revenged of him for the wrong he hath done to me do not say I will give to him as good as he brings I will recompence him according to his work say not so no Christ will tell