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
A41142	Wilfull impenitency, the grossest selfe-murder all they who are guilty of it, apprehended, tryed and condemned in these sermons, preached at Rochford in Essex not long before his death / by ... Mr. William Fenner ...	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.	1648 (1648)	Wing F712; ESTC R14613	82,808	158

that his Disciples murmured at it that pleading of a cannot was a murmuring So when thou grumblest on this manner I cannot walk thus I cannot believe thus c. this is to murmur against God nay this will bring thee to Apostacy at last if thou suffer thy heart to plead thus May be now thou art a forward professor yet beest thou never so forward and favourest any lust and I cannot give it over I cannot root it out c. I say this will breake thy neck at the last if thou dost not looke to it So it was with those forenamed Disciples they were very forward Professors for they were the Disciples of Christ sayes the Text yet those Disciples they went away back and walked no more with Christ vers. 66. their pleading of their cannots drove them to Apostacy they went away back So thou wilt goe away back and fall into Apostacy if thou suffer thy heart to stand pleading of cannots in this manner Fourthly this is the sawsiest excuse of all excuses many sinners excuse their own selves but there is more mannerlinesse in all their excuses I pray thee have mee excused sayes one I have bought five yoake of Oxen and I pray thee have mee excused sayes the other I have bought a purchase I pray thee have mee excused These though wretched excusers and turned out from all mercy yet they were somewhat more mannerly but I cannot come sayest thou I have married a Wife and J cannot come Luke 14.20 this is a most sawcy excuse thou tellest Christ in plaine termes I cannot come q.d. yee may even save your labour to invite for this is the short and long as we say I cannot come This I put in only by the by I shewed you some of the deceits of the heart in pleading these cannots First How it lies unto God Secondly how it dallies with God Thirdly how hereby it puts off the word And then I shewed you the strong reason we have to be humbled under these will-nots First because heere cheifly lies the pride of the heart not in mens Cannots but in their will-nots Jer. 13.17 Secondly here lies cheifly the hardning of the heart Ex. 9.34.35 Thirdly here lies cheifly the stubbornenesse of the heart Deut. 21.18 Fourthly here lies chiefly the greatest despising of the Commandements of God Levit 26.15 Fifthly now to go on here lies the reason why Divines say that the conversion of a sinner is a harder worke then the Creation of Heaven and Earth for thus they do reason When God created Heaven and Earth hee had nothing to resist him as hee had nothing to helpe him he made all of nothing so he had nothing to resist him There was but one difficulty in the creation of Heaven and Earth but in the conversion of a sinner there be two difficulties First here is the same difficulty that was in creation for God makes a Convert of nothing he had nothing to helpe him not one thought not one desire not one good inclination and therefore the Scripture calles it a new creation whosoever is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor 5.17 that is is created anew And therefore there was nothing praeixistent no not one thought all the thoughts of men are onely evill and that continually So there is the same difficulty that was in the Creation of Heaven and Earth and then Secondly there is another difficulty more then there was in the Creation for as there was nothing praexistent to helpe so there was nothing to resist But here is something to resist the will it resisteth now the Cannot does not resist No the bestowing of the new powers is no more then another Creation But the changing of the will is more then another Creation for the will it resisteth yea and it sets all the soule a resisting Carnall reason resisteth carnall desires they resist all the soule it resisteth and the greatest resistance of all is the resistance of the will for the will is the utmost strength of the soule And therefore here lies the infinite difficulty of the conversion of a sinner namely in the turning of the will it requireth more power then was required to the creation of Heaven and Earth God puts himselfe forth more when hee converteth a sinner then when hee created a World and therefore the Scripture calles the day of conversion of mens wills the day of his power Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal. 110 3. In the day of thy power marke it s called a day of Gods power when hee converteth a people to be willing Why because the will did resist him nay God had his owne selfe to resist him anger steps in his way to resist him Convert him not Lord his wilfulnesse hath anger'd thee Justice stept in to resist him save him not Lord his sinnes have dishonoured thee Nay he had his mercy to resist him mercy steps in Lord hee hath abused mee save him not Indeed had a sinner yeilded as soone as hee sinned mercy would not resist him but mercy had bee dealing with him and hee abused all mercy And therefore hee had mercy to resist nay and wisdome one would thinke to resist too what a wilfull foole pitty him not Lord There is no reason hee should be pitied if hee will perish let him perish I say in the conversion of a sinner as there was nothing to assist him so there was all to resist The will does resist him nay God had himselfe as I may so speake to resist him yea and mercy to resist him it was not so in the Creation of Heaven and Earth The creature had never provoked God not to create it but the sinner hath provoked God never to convert him so that now God must have power over himselfe if hee meane to convert him Oh then what infinite reason hast thou to be humbled thou resistest God as Stephen told the Jewes you have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost Acts 7.51 so thou hast resisted Gods spirit yea thy will does resist him and that is the strongest thing to resist in the World His word comes to convert thee and thou dost resist his motions his mercies his corrections his ordinances and all holy meanes to convert thee thou dost resist them nay his spirit contendeth within thee and thou d●st resist him I gave you five things to consider what it is to sticke at your wil nots I beseech you consider yet further First If you will not Gods Ministers have discharged their duties and have left your blood on your owne heads they can goe no further if you will not the Groome can but carry the Steed unto watering as we say if he will not drinke he cannot helpe it so they can't helpe it your blood lies upon your owne heads they have discharged their duties When Abrahams servant objected and how if the woman will not Abraham he answers if the woman will not be willing then thou shalt be cleare

of base Pleas and Pretences 1. This same pleading is the cause why you are lazy and idle in the use of the meanes viz. because you suffer your hearts to plead oh we cannot do it p. 104 2. This same pleading brings up an evill report upon piety and godlinesse p. 105 3. This same pleading is a murmuring against God q. d. why does God give me such commandements that I cannot observe ibid. 4. This is the sawsiest excuse of all excuses p. 107 Nay fifthly here lies the reason why Divines say that the conversion of a sinner is an harder work then the creation of heaven and earth first because p. 108 Here is the same difficultie that was in creation for God makes a Convert of nothing ibid. As there was nothing praeexistent in the creation t● helpe so there was nothing to resist but here is something to resist the will it resisteth ibid. The danger of sticking at a will-not is further cleared 1. If you will not Gods Ministers have discharged their duties and have left your blood on your own hands p. 100 2. If you will not the Gospel hath delivered its errand ye are guilty of your own everlasting perdition p. 111 Nay thirdly if you will not The blood of Jesus Christ hath done that it came for p. 112 4. If you will not you murder your own soules ibid. A seasonable Item to the redeemed of the Lord that they take heede of will-nots for p. 114 1. We never sin against Gospel but onely upon wil-nots p. 115. 2. We never despise God but only upon wilnots ibid. 3. Conscience can never condemne us but only upon will-nots p. 116 4. God can never be angry with us but only upon wil-nots ibid. The end of the Table Wilfull Impenitency the grossest Selfe-Murder EZECH. 18.31 32. For why will yee dye O yee house of Israel THe wicked in this Chapter dispute against God the Fathers have eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge Our Fathers have sinned and we are punished a common cavill in every naturall mans heart when it s urged Adam fell and his poor posterity smart for it if God will needs damne us he may we have no power for to help it for who hath resisted his Will this is mans Syllogisme God who might send man to hell for an answer answers calmly 1. By abjuration as J live sayth the Lord ye shall not have occasion to use this proverbe any more as Israel v. 3. 2. By an assertion the soule that sinneth it shall dye v. 4. no soule shall dye but only the same that doth sin 3. By explication of himselfe if a man do that which is right he shall live vers. 5 6. if he have bin never so wicked yet if he returned he shall not dye v. 21. 4. By appealing to their consciences have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord and not that he should returne and live vers. 23. have I any pleasure I appeale to all your consciences have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye 5. By retorting heare now O house of Jsrael is not my way equall or are not your wayes rathere unquall v. 25. 6. By a conclusion therefore I will judge you O house of Jsrael every one according to his wayes vers. 30. 7. By a finall decision of the whole controversie repent and turne your selves c. so iniquity shall not be your ruine cast away from you all c for why will ye die c. Where we have these foure things 1. God disclaimes all cause of their damnation from his secret will I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth 2. He removes all cause of their destruction from his revealed will repent and turn your selves c. so iniquity shall not be your ruine cast away c. 3. He disavowes all cause of their destruction from his permissive will as though that were gilty accessary to it they can have no colour why they are not wrought upon make you a new heart and a new spirit Make the fault lie not at his dore no it lies at your dore make you a new heart 4. He casts all the cause of their destruction upon their own rebellious wills Why will ye dye O house of Jsrael 1. What is the cause yee live in your sinnes and die and perish in your sinnes is it because I am not mercifull you know I am gracious and full of mercy and ready to forgive why then why will ye die O house of Israel 2. Is it because I am swift to revenge you know I am slow to anger and give you a warning before I consume you why then will ye die O house of Jsrael 3. Is it because I will destroy you for Ahaz or Manasses or Zedekiahs or Adams sinne quasi canis peccatum sus dependeret you know that if the sonne walke not in the fathers sinne I use to receive him you can beare me witnesse I call you to a new covenant why then will ye die O house of Jsrael 4. Is it because ye have no Saviour you know that the Lambe of God Christ Iesus was slaine for you from the beginning of the World that you may be saved upon faith 5. Is it because ye have no power ye know I offer you grace and power and ye will not have it why then will ye die c. 6. Some Authors alleadge five whies more why will ye c. Is it for this cause or that cause or that or what cause is it no cause on Gods side no ye may thanke your own wils if you perish this this only accuseth you you will not be ruled you are carelesse of God Christ grace and you will be so ye are vaine and carnall and obstinate and ye will bee so woe unto thee O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be Jer. 13.27 he does not say woe unto thee Jerusalem canst thou not be made clean but wilt thou not be made clean Presuppositions not to be mistaken 1. It s true that a wicked man cannot repent nor be converted of himselfe but this cannot only do's not hinder him if a wicked mans cannot only did hinder him he might excuse himself before the tribunall of Christ Lord thou knowest I did my best I would have bin ruled by thy word but I could not I would have bin bumbled and reformed better then I was but J could not If a wicked mans cannot did hinder him he might excuse himselfe thus But alas he is not able to say thus without peremptory lying Lord I could not chuse but do wickedly I acted most wretchedly but I could not otherwise chuse though it was not in thy power not to be born in originall sinne yet who necessitated thee to commit such grosse actuall sins In Prov. 1.29 they hated knowledge they did not chuse