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
A77614	Precious remedies against Satans devices or, salve for believers and unbelievers sores. Being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ; that are high, or low, learned, or illiterate, staggering, or wandering; that slight, or neglect ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; that are growing (in spiritualls) or decaying; that are tempted, or deserted, afflicted, or opposed; that have assurance, or that want assurance; that are self-seekers, or the common-wealths caterpillars; that are in love sweetly united, or that yet have their spirits too much imbittered, &c. By Thomas Brookes, a willing servant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious gospel of Christ, at Margarets fish-street hill.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4954; Thomason E1426_1	231,671	413

Christ from receiving of Christ from embracing of Christ from resting leaning or relying upon Christ for everlasting happinesse and blessedness according to the Gospel and Remedies against those Devices Now the first Device that Satan hath to keep the soule off from believing in Christ from closing with Christ c. is BY suggesting to the soule the 1 Device greatnesse and vilenesse of his sinnes what saith Satan dost thou think that thou shalt ever obtain mercy by Christ that hast sinned with so high a hand against Christ that hast slighted the tenders of grace that hast grieved the spirit of grace that hast despised the word of grace that hast trampled under feet the blood of the Covenant by which thou might'st have been pardoned purged justified and saved that hast spoken and done all the evill that thou couldst No no saith Satan he hath mercy for others Ierem. 3. 5. but not for thee pardon for others but not for thee righteousnesse for others but not for thee c. therefore 't is in vaine for thee to think of beleeving in Christ or resting and leaning thy guilty soule upon Christ Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device Remedy of Satan is to consider that the greater your sinnes are the more you stand in need of a Saviour the greater your burthen is the more you stand in need of one to help to beare it the deeper the wound is the more need there is of the Surgeon the more dangerous the disease is the more need there is of the Physitian Who but mad men will argue thus my burden is great there-I'le not call out for help my wound is Mad Logick deepe therefore I 'le not call out for balm my disease is dangerous therefore I 'le not goe to the Physitian Ah! 't is spiritua●●adnesse 't is the Devills Logick to argue thus My sinnes are great therefore I 'le not goe to Christ I dare not rest nor leane on Christ c. whereas the soule should reason thus the greater my sins are the more I stand in need of mercy of pardon and therefore I will goe to Christ who delights Mica 7. 18. in mercy who pardons sinne for his owne name sake who is as able and as Isa 43. 25. willing to forgive pounds as pence thousands as hundreds The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that the promise of grace and mercy is to returning soules and therefore though thou art never so wicked yet if thou wilt returne God will be thine mercy shall be thine pardon thine c. 2 Chron. 30. 9. For if you turn again 2 Chron. 30. 9. unto the Lord your brethren and your children shall finde compassion before them that lead them captive so that they shall come againe into this land for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull and will not turne away his face from you if ye returne unto him So Jer. 3. 12. Goe and proclaime Jer. 3. 12. these words towards the North and say returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not keepe ang 〈…〉 for ever So Joel 2. 13. And rent you●●●rts and not Ioel 2. 13. your garments and turne unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill So Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as the Hebrew read● it he will multiply pardons So Ezek. Ezek. ch 18. Chap. 18. Ah sinner 't is not thy great transgressions that shall exclude thee from mercy if thou wilt break off thy sins by repentance and return to the fountaine of mercy Christs heart Christs armes are wide open to embrace the returning Prodigall 'T is not simply the greatest of thy sins but thy peremptory persisting in sinne that will be thy eternall overthrow The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that the greatest sinners have obtained mercy and therefore all the Angells in heaven all the men on earth and all the Devils in hell cannot tell to the contrary but that thou mayest obtain mercy Manasseh was a notorious sinner 2 King Chap. 21. he erected Altars for Baal he worshipped and served all the hoast of Heaven He caused his sonnes to passe through the fire he gave himselfe to witchcraft and sorcerie he made Judah to sinn more wickedly then the heathen did whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel hee The Hebrew Doctors write that he slew Isaiah the Prophet who was his father in law caused the streets of Jerusalem to run downe with innocent blood c. Ah! what a devill incarnate was he in his actings and yet when he humbled himselfe and sought the Lord the Lord was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him to Jerusalem and made himselfe known unto him and crowned him with mercy and loving kindnesse as you may see in 2 Chron. 2 Chron. chap. 33. chap. 33. So Paul was once a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious yet he obtained 1 Tim. 1. 13. mercy So Mary Magdalen was a Luke 7. notorious strumpet a common whore one out of whom Christ cast seaven Devills yet she is pardoned by Christ and dearly beloved of Christ Luke 7. So Mar. 16. 9. in Mar. 16. v. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom he had cast seaven Devills Jansenius on the place saith 't is very observable that our Saviour after his resurrection first appeared to Mary Magdalen and Peter that had been grievous sinners that even the worst of sinners may be comforted and encouraged to come to Christ to believe in Christ to rest and stay their soules upon Christ for mercy here and glory hereafter that is a very precious word for the worst of sinners to hang upon Psal 68. v. 18. The Psal 68. 18. Psalmist speaking of Christ saith Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them What though thou art a rebellious child or a rebellious servant what though thou art a rebellious swearer a rebellious drunkard a rebellious Sabbath-breaker c. yet Christ hath received gifts for thee even for the rebellious He hath received the gift of pardon the gift of righteousnesse yea all the gifts of the spirit for thee that thy heart may be made a delightfull house for God to dwell in Bodin hath a story concerning a great Rebell that had made a great strong party against a Roman Emperour the Emperour

that he rises by repentance Behold I am vile saith he what shall I answer thee Job 40. 4 5. ch 42. 5 6. I will lay my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ●are but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my Tertullian saith that he was Nalli rei natus nisi penitentiae borne for no other purpose but to repent selfe and repent in dust and ashes Peter fals dreadfully but rises by repentance sweetly a look of love from Christ melts him into tears he knew that repentance was the key to the Kingdome of Grace As once his Faith was so great that he leapt as it were into a sea of waters to come to Christ so now his repentance was so great that he leapt as it were into a sea of tears for Luther confesses that before his conversion he met not with a more displeasing word in allhis study of Divinity then Repent but afterward he took delight in the work poenitens de peccaio dolet de dolore g●udet to sorrow for his sin and then to rejoyce in his sorrow that he had gone from Christ Some say that after his sad fall he was ever and anon weeping and that his face was even furrowed with continual tears he had no sooner took in poyson but he vomited it up again ere it got to the vitals he had no sooner handled this Serpent but he turned it into a rod to scourge his soule with remorse for sining against such clear light and strong love and sweet discoveries of the heart of Christ to him Clement notes that Peter so repented that all his life after every night when he heard the Cock crow he would fall upon his knees and weeping bitterly would beg pardon of this sin Ah soules you can easily sin as the Saints but can you repent with the Saints Many can sin with David and Peter that cannot repent with David and Peter and so must perish for ever Theodosius the Emperour pressing that he might receive the Lords Supper excuses Theodorit hist l. 4. c. 17. his own foul fact by Davids doing the like to which Ambrose replies Thou hast followed David transgressing follow David repenting and then think thou of the Table of the Lord. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that these Saints did not make a trade of sin they fell once or twice and rose by Repentance that they might The Saints cannot sin voluntate plenâ sed semiplena with a whole will but as it were with an halfe will an unwilling willingnes not with a full consent but with a dissenting consent keep the closer to Christ for ever they fell accidentally occasionally and with much reluctancy and thou sinnest presumptuously obstinately readily delightfully and customarily thou hast by thy making a trade of sin contracted upon thy soul a kind of cursed necessity of sinning that thou canst as well cease to be or cease to live as thou canst cease to sin sin is by custome become as another nature to thee which thou canst not which thou wilt not lay aside though thou knowest that if thou dost not lay sin aside God will lay thy soul aside for ever though thou knowest that if sin and thy soul doe not part Christ and thy soul can never meet if thou wilt make a trade of sin and cry out did not David sin thus and Noah 2 Pet. 2. 14. Pro. 4 14. 16. Though sin doe habitare dwell in the regenerate as Austin notes yet it doth not regnare reign over the regenerate they rise by repentance sin thus and Peter sin thus c. No their hearts turn'd aside to folly one day but thy heart turns aside to folly every day and when they were fallen they rise by repentance and by the actings of Faith upon a crucified Christ but thou fallest and hast no strength nor will to rise but wallowest in sin and wilt eternally dye in thy sins unlesse the Lord be the more mercifull to thy soul Dost thou think oh soule this is good reasoning Such a one tasted poyson but once and yet narrowly escapt but I doe daily drink poyson yet I shall escape yet such is the mad reasoning of vaine soules David and Peter c. sinned once foully and fearfully they tasted poyson but once and were sick to death but I tast it daily and yet shall not tast of eternall death Remember oh souls that the day is at hand when self-flatterers will be found self-deceivers yea self-murtherers The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though God doth not nor never will disinherit his people for their sins yet he hath severely punished his people for their sins David sins and God breaks his bones for his sin Make me to Psalm 51. 8. Josephus reports that not long after the Jews had crucified Christ on the crosse so many of them were condemned to be crucified that there were not places enough for crosses nor crosses enough for the bodies that were to be hung thereon hear joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce And because thou host do●e this the Sword shall not depart from thy house to the day of thy death Though God will not utterly take from them his loving kindnesse nor suffer his faithfullnesse to faile nor breake his Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth yet will he visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89. 30. 35. The Scripture abounds with instances of this kind this is so known a truth among all that know any thing of truth that to cite more Scriptures to prove it would be to light a Candle to see the Sun at noon The Jewes have a Proverb that There is no punishment comes upon Israel in which there is not one ounce of the Golden Calfe Meaning that that was so great a sin as that in every plague God remembred it that had an influence into every trouble that befell them Every mans heart may say to him in his sufferings as the heart of Apollodorus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the kettle I have been the cause of this God is most angry when he shewes no anger God keep me from this mercy this kind of mercy is worse then Qui non est crucianus non est christianus saith Luther there is not a Christian that carries not his crosse all other misery One writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappinesse not to know adversity I judge you to be miserable because you have not been miserable 'T is mercy that our affliction is not an execution but a correction he that hath deserved hanging may be glad if he scape with a

that he might be cast down would be set higher then others when 't is but in order to his being brought downe lower then others There is not a wicked man in the world that is set up with Lucifer as high as Heaven but shall with Lucifer be brought down as low as Hell Canst thou think seriously of this oh soul and not say O Lord I humbly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world that I may be great in another world and low here that I may be high for ever hereafter Let me be low and feed low and live low so I may live with thee for ever let me now be cloathed with rags so thou wilt cloath me at last with thy Robes let me now be set upon a dunghill so I may at last be advanc'd to sit with the● upon thy Throne Lord make me rather gracious then great inwardly holy then outwardly happy and rather turn me into my first nothing yea make me worse then nothing rather then set me up for a time that thou mayest bring me low for ever The seventh Remedy against this Device 7 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God doth often most plague and punish those whom others think he doth most spare and love that is God do's plague and punish them most with spirituall judgements which are the greatest the sorest and the heaviest whom he least punishes with temporall punishments there are no men on earth Psal 81. 12. Psal 78. 26 27 28 29 30 31. Psal 106. 15. He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule 'T is a heavy plague to have a fat body and a lean soul a house full of gold and a heart full of sin so internally plagued as those that meet with least externall plagues Oh! the blindnesse of mind the hardnesse of heart the searednesse of Conscience that those souls are given up to who in the eye of the world are reputed the most happy men because they are not outwardly afflicted and plagued as other men Ah souls 't were better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men since the fall of Adam should at once meet upon your souls then that you should be given up to the least spirituall plague to the least measure of spirituall blindnesse or spirituall hardnesse of heart c. nothing will better that man nor move that man that is given up to spirituall judgements let God smile or frowne stroke or strike cut or kill he minds it 'T is better to have a sore then a seared conscience 'T is better to have no heart then a hard heart no mind then a blind mind not he regards it not let life or death heaven or hell be set before him it stirs him not he is made up on his sin and God is fully set to doe Justice upon his soule this mans preservation is but a reservation unto a greater condemnation This man can set no bounds to himselfe he is become a brat of fathomlesse perdition He hath guilt in his bosome and vengeance at his back where-ever he goes neither ministry nor misery neither miracle nor mercy can mollifie his heart and if this soul be not in hell on this side hell who is who is 8 Remedy The eigth Remedy against this Device of Satan is to dwell more upon that strict account that vain men must make for all that good that they doe injoy In this day men shall give an account De bonis commissis de bonis dimissis de malis commissis de malis permissis of good things committed unto them of good things neglected by them of evils committed by them and of evills suffered by them then upon the outward good they doe injoy Ah! did men dwell more upon that account that they must ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed and for all the favours that they have abused and for all the sins they have committed would make their hearts to tremble and their lips to quiver rottennesse to enter into their bones it would cause their soules to cry out and say oh that our mercies had been fewer and lesser that our account might have been easier and our torment and misery for our abuse of so great mercy not greater then we are able to bear O cursed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was set upon our heads and the treasures of this world were cast into our laps O cursed be the day wherein the sun of prosperity shin'd so strong upon us and this flattering world smil'd so much upon us as to occasion us to forget God to slight Jesus Christ to neglect our souls and to put far from us the day of our account Philip the third of Spaine whose life was free from grosse evills professed that he would rather loose all his Kingdome then offend God willingly yet being in the Agony of death and considering more throughly of his In die judicii plus valebit conscientia pura quam marsupia plena Bernard Then shall a good conscience be more worth then all the worlds good account he was to give to God feare struck into him and these words brake from him Oh! would to God I had never reigned oh that those years I have spent in my Kingdome I had lived a life in the wildernesse oh that I had lived a solitary life with God! how much more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God What doth all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death God keeps an exact account of every penny that 's laid out upon him and his and that is laid out against him and his and this in the day of account men shall know and feel though now they wink and Hierome still thought that that voyce was in his ears Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise you dead and come to judgement As oft as I think on that day how doth my whole body quake and my heart within me tremble will not understand The sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflowing of sin and the overflow of sin causeth the awaking of vengeance abused mercy will certainly turn into fury Gods forbearance is no quittance the day is at hand when he will pay wicked men for the abuse of new and old mercies if he seem to be slow yet he is sure he hath leaden heels but iron hands the farther he fetcheth his blow or draweth his arrow the deeper he will wound in the day of vengeance Mens actions are all in print in heaven and God will in the day of account read them aloud in the ears of all the world that they may all say amen to that righteous sentence that he shall passe upon all the despisers and abusers of mercy The ninth Device that Satan hath to 9 Device draw the soule to sin

when something is parted with to gain more he applyeth it to their sufferings wherin though the flesh lost something yet the spirit got much more the comfort the rest that Saints meet with in the wayes and service of God they find that Religious services are not empty things but things in which God is pleased to discover his beautie and glory to their soules My soul thirsts for God saith David that I might see thy beauty and thy glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary Oh! the sweet looks the sweet words the sweet hints the sweet joggings the sweet influences the sweet love-letters that gracious soules have from Heaven when they waite upon God in holy and heavenly services the least of which will darken and outweigh all the bravery and glory of this world and richly recompence the soul for all the troubles afflictions and dangers that have attended it in the service of God oh the Saints can say under all their troubles and afflictions that they have meate to eate and drinke to When the Moble Generall Ze●slaus had lost his hand in the Wars of the K. of Poland the King sent him a golden hand for it what we lose in Christs service he will make up by giving in some golden mercies drinke that the world knows not of that they have such incomes such refreshments such warmings c. that they would not exchange for all the honours riches and dainties of this world Ah! let but a Christian compare his externall losses with his spirituall internall and eternall gain and he shall find that for every penny that he loses in the service of God he gaines a pound and for every pound that he looses hee gains a hundred for every hundred lost he gains a thousand wee loose pins in his service and find pearls we loose the favour of the creature and peace with the creature and happily the comforts and contents of the creature and we gain the favour of God peace with conscience and the comforts and contents of a better life Ah! did the men of this world know the sweet that Saints injoy in afflictions they would rather chuse Manasses iron chaine then his golden Crown They would rather be Paul a prisoner then Paul rap't up in the third Heaven for light afflictions they shall have a Though the Crosse be bitter yet 't is but short a little storm as one said of Julians persecution and an e●e●nall calm follows weight of glory for a few afflictions they shall have those joyes pleasures and contents that are as the stars of heaven or as the sands of the sea that cannot be numbred for momentany afflictions they shall have an eternall Crown of glory 't is but winking and thou shalt be in heaven presently said the Martyr oh therefore let no afflictions nor troubles work thee to shun the wayes of God or to quit that service that should be dearer to thee then a world yea then thy very life c. The third Device that Satan 3. Device hath to hinder soules from holy and heavenly services from gracious and religious performances is BY presenting to the soule the difficulty of performing them saith Satan 't is so hard and difficult a thing to pray as thou shouldst and to wait on God as thou shouldst and to walke with God as thou shouldst and to be lively warm and active in the communion of Saints as thou shouldst that you were better ten thousand times to neglect them then to meddle with them and doubtlesse by this Device Satan hath and doth keep off thousands from waiting on God and from giving to him that service that is due to his name c. Now the remedies against this Device are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1. Remedy of Satan is to dwell more upon the necessity of the service and duty then on the difficulty that doth attend the duty you should reason thus with your soules oh our soules though such and such duties and services be hard and difficult yet are they not exceeding necessarie for the honour of God and the keeping up of his name in The necessity of doing your duty appears by this that you are his servants by a three-fold right you are his servants jure creationis jure sustentationis jure redemptionis by right of creation and by right of sustentation and by right of redemption the world and the keeping under of sin and the keeping under of weak graces and for the reviving of languishing comforts and for the keeping clear and bright your blessed evidences and for the scattering of your fears and for the raising of your hopes and for the gladding the hearts of the righteous and stopping the mouths of unrighteous souls who are ready to take all advantages to blaspheme the name of God and throw dirt and contempt upon his people and wayes oh never leave thinking on the necessity of this and that duty till your souls be lifted up far above all the difficulties that doe attend religious duties The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the Lord Jesus will make his services easie to you by the sweet discovery of himselfe to your soules whilst you are in his service Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes as the Prophet Isaiah saith if meeting with Isa 64. v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paganta is diversly taken but most take the word here to meet a soule with those bowells of love and tendernesse as the Father of the Prodigall met the Prodigall with God is pater miserationum hee is all bowels he is as swift to shew mercy as he is slow to anger God who is goodnesse it selfe sweetnesse it selfe beauty it selfe strength it selfe glory it self will not sweeten his service to thy soule nothing in Heaven or Earth will Jacob's meeting with Rachel and enjoying of Rachell made his hard service to be easie and delightfull to him and will not the soules enjoying of God and meeting with God render his service to be much more easie and delightfull doubtlesse it will The Lord will give that sweet assistance by his Spirit and grace as shall make his service joyous and not grievous a delight not a burden a Heaven and not a Hel to believing souls the confidence of this divine assistance raised up Nehemiah's spirit far above all those difficulties and discouragements that did attend him in the work and service of the Lord as you may see in that 2 Nehemiah vers 19 20. But when Sanballat Luther spake excellently to Melancthon who was apt to be disconraged with doubts and difficulties feares from foes and so ●ease the service they had undertaken if the work be not good why did we ever own it if it be good why should wee ever decline it why saith he should we feare the conquered world that