Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	bless_a	father_n	miserable_a	3,490	5	9.7884	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17683	The lectures or daily sermons, of that reuerend diuine, D. Iohn Caluine, pastor of the Church of God in Geneua, vpon the prophet Ionas, by N.B. student in Diuinitie. Whereunto is annexed an excellent exposition of the two last epistles of S. Iohn, done in Latin by that worthy doctor, August. Marlorate, and englished by the same N.B.	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Baxter, Nathaniel, fl. 1606.; Marlorat, Augustin, 1506-1562. Novi testament Catholici expositio ecclesiastica. aut	1578 (1578)	STC 4432; ESTC S109621	135,321	202

true prescript or ordinaunce thereof For they know that saying of Iohn Hereby are we sure that we haue knowne him if wée kéepe his commaundements He that sayth I know him and kéepeth not his commaundements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Paul also speaketh thus of the knowledge of Christ you haue not so learned Christ if so be you haue heard him and haue bene taught by him as the truth is in Iesus that is that ye cast of concerning the conuersation in tyme paste that oulde man whiche is corrupt through the deceyuable lustes and be renewed in the spirite of your mynde c. Out of the which words we learne that in vaine doo all they bost of the knowledg of the truth which endeuour not themselues to newnesse of lyfe Vers 2 ¶ For the truthes sake which dwelleth in vs and shal be with vs for euer FOr the truthes sake He meaneth the truth of the Gospell which they by the preaching of the word had learned as if he shoulde saye Not for any other cause doo the godly and faythfull which are with vs loue thy sonnes but because they vnderstande that the sinceritye of the profession of the gospel pell which wée followe doth dwell in you In this place maye we obserue the difference betwéene worldlye loue and Christian loue Many loue other men for their ritches substaunce honour and goods which they hope to receyue at their hands Such loue is not true loue but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe loue But Christian loue euen as it is founded in Gods verity respecteth first the only glory of God and secondly the profit of his neighbor Therfore is this trueth alwayes ioygned with the feare of God so that no man can truly boste of this truth but he which hath geuen ouer himselfe obedient to the wil of of God. It followeth VVhich dwelleth in vs. That is which is firme true among vs of the which none of vs can doubt If so be that we most stedfastlye holde Christe speaking to the Father with his owne mouth vttered Thy worde is trueth It foloweth And shal be vvith vs for euer These words pertayne not so muche to the confirmation of the doctrine as vnto the certaintie of their perseueraunce Here the Elder affirmeth both himselfe and the rest of the faythfull amongst whome he was conuersant to perseuer in the truth Which thing ought not to bring a little comfort to all godly men For lytle were it that we are placed in the waye of trueth except we had hope of perseuering to the ende But they which are indowed with the celestiall spirite and being taught of Christ haue learned the trueth doo knowe for certaintie that they are not called in vaine into the flocke of Christ that is not for this cause onelie that they may heare the voyce of the Pastor Christe but that they maye folowe him vnto the ende as he sayde My sheepe heare my voice and I knowe them and they follow me And in another place If a man loue me he will keepe my worde and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him And when he speaketh of the holie ghost who him selfe teacheth this trueth I sayth he will praie the father and he shal geue you another comforter that he maie abide with you for euer euē the spirit of truth whome the worlde cannot receiue because in seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye knowe him for he dwelleth in you and shal be in you Wherevnto also pertayneth that most excellent promise of Christ Beholde I am with you alwaies euen to the ende of the worlde Beholde howe the trueth dwelleth alwayes with the faythful If a man obiect that there be many which depart from the flocke of Christ euen as we may gather out of many places of scripture we haue a ready aunswere that they neuer truely beléeued nor acknowledged the trueth Wherfore the spirite of God thinketh them not of the number of the faithfull but rather when it seemeth him good he abiecteth them out of the sacred flocke of God as vnprofitable outcastes and méere hypocrites Whervpon Iohn speaking of Antichrists sayth They went out from vs but they were not of vs For if they had bene of vs they had remained together with vs but this commeth to passe that they might appeare that they are not all of vs For the holie Apostle knewe right well what Christe had sayde of the Electe shéepe I geue vnto them life eternall neither shall they perish for euer neither shall any man take them out of my hande My Father which gaue them vnto mee is greater then all and no man can take them out of my Fathers hande They therfore which truely belong vnto the flock of Christ shal in him perseuer vnto the ende according to that saying of Paule the Apostle I am perswaded of this same thing that he which hath begune this good worke in you wyll performe it vntyll the daye of Iesus Christ Vers 3 ¶ Grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from the Lorde Iesu Christ the sonne of the Father shal be with vs in trueth and loue GRace c. He wisheth to the faithfull Grace which is geuen to vs by Christe wherein also he declareth himself to be the faithfull dispensor of the mysteries of God. And he comforteth vs when he sayth that Grace shal continue with vs whereby we are saued through fayth For by the worde Grace he signifieth the fauour of God which he sheweth towardes vs for his sonnes sake in that he imputeth not our sinnes vnto vs but remitteth them for our mediatour Iesus Mercie This is the cause of that Grace into the which God receyueth vs concerning the which Peter wryteth Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ which according to his abundaunt mercie hath begotten vs againe into a liuelie hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And Paule Not of the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs Peace This also springeth of the grace of god That Peace sayth he wherewith God the Father reconciled vs vnto him selfe shall continue for euer for the counsaile of God is firme and stedfast and is not chaunged as a man This Peace Christe wisheth and leaueth with his Disciples They therfore that loue the Lawe of the Lorde shall haue great peace and shall haue no hurt And blessed shall they be because they confesse Christe the true Peace and retaine him for the author of their fayth But from whome are all these thinges to be looked for From God the Father For he is the fountaine and originall of all goodnesse as Iames testifieth saying Euerie good geuing and euerie perfect gyfte is from aboue descending from the Father of lyghtes with whome is no

that with some solace he might lighten his eares and griefes For it followeth immediatly that His praiers piersed or entred in euen vnto God. We sée therfore that Ionas so remembred his God that with faith he acknowledged that he woulde be mercifull vnto him And from this procéeded his desyre to praye Nowe that he sayth that his prayer entered into the Temple there is no doubte but that he alludeth vnto the rytes of the Lawe For the Iewes were accustomed to turne them selues as often as they prayed towarde the Temple and this Ceremonie was not superstitious because we knowe that Doctrine was propounded vnto them which inuited them vnto the Sanctuarie the Arke of the Couenaunt when as therefore this manner was vnder the Law Ionas sayth that his prayer came in vnto the Temple of God because the Temple was a visible token whereby the Iewes might conceyue the God was amongst them not that they might with a wicked imagination fastē or ioygne God to the outwarde signes but because they knewe that these helpes were not in vaine geuen vnto them After this sort therefore Ionas not onelie remembred his God but also called to minde the signes in which he had all his lyfe long exercised his fayth as we sayde of late For they which take Temple for Heauen altogether straye from the minde of the Prophet I know very wel that Heauen is somtime called the Temple but the sense agréeth not here with this place Ionas therefore meaneth that although he were most farre from the Temple that yet God was at hande vnto him for he ceased not to make his prayer vnto that God who had manifested himselfe in his lawe geuen and who woulde be worshipped at Ierusalem and who woulde that the Arke of the Couenaunt shoulde be a testimony of his presence that the Iewes might cal vpon him with a sure faith and might not doubt that he was in the middest of them syth they had there a visible mansion place ❧ The Prayer GRaūt almighty God seeing thou once hast declared such a notable shewe of thy immeasurable power in thy seruant Ionas that when he was sunke down almost euen vnto the verie hel yet thou diddest erect him vnto thee and so with fyrme constancie dydst sustaine him that he ceased not to praye and crye vnto thee graunt I saye that in the temptations wherein it is necessarie for vs daylie to be exercised we may rayse vp aloft our myndes vnto thee and againe that we cease not to thinke that thou art at hand vnto vs euen when there appeare manifest sygnes of thine anger towarde vs And also graunt that when our sinnes do thrust in them selues in our syght which maye cast vs into desperation that yet we maye striue constantlie and neuer departe from the hope of thy mercie vntyll wee hauing ended all our stryfes maye at the lengthe freelie and with open mouth geue thankes to thee and celebrate thy immensurable goodnesse whereof we daylye haue experience vntyll we being ledde along through daylie experimentes maye come at the last into that blessed rest which is layde vp in heauen for vs through Christe our Lorde Amen vers 8 The text ¶ They that wayte vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercie vers 9 But I wyll sacrifice vnto thee in the voyce of prayse I wyll paye that which I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lorde Caluin HEre first Ionas sayth that men doo miserablie erre when they decline vnto their superstitions because they depriue themselues of the chiefest felicitie For he calleth the Mercie of men whatsoeuer ayde or helpe to attaine saluation is to be wished The sense therefore is that as soone as men turne backe from the true God they are immediatlie enstraunged also both from lyfe and saluation neyther remayneth there with them any hope because of their own accorde they cast from them whatsoeuer good thing may be hoped or wished for Some gather here a contrary sense that superstitious men when they returne vnto goodnesse leaue their shame behinde them For the Hebrew worde sometime is taken for Reproche These therefore thinke that here is described the manner of true repentaunce euen that when God calleth men backe from their error into the waye of saluation and geueth vnto them a sounde minde that then they throwe from them all their vices This trulie is true but the sense is to much wrested Others restraine it vnto the shypmen which vowed Sacrifice vnto God as if Ionas shoulde saye that they fell backe againe by and by into their former doting toyes and let God goe who with his mercie had deliuered them from shypwracke and so doo these expositors interprete their Mercie to be taken for God and this is also to much restrained I doubt not but Ionas here setteth his pitie against the wicked inuatiōs of mē because a lytle after it followeth But I will sacrifice vnto thee in the voice of praise Therefore before Ionas professeth that he shal be acceptable to God he triumpheth ouer all faigned inuentions which men haue wickedlie deuised for them selues and with the which they are drawne awaye from the true God and his sincere Religion For lying vanities he calleth all the deuises of men wherewith men deceyue them selues for certaine it is that they be meere falacies and decepts that men frame vnto them selues without the worde of God because there is one onely and simple trueth which the Lorde hath reuealed vnto vs by his worde Whosoeuer therefore declyneth from it hyther or thether yea but one iote he vpon purpose bringeth vpon him a kinde of deceypt euen whereby he destroyeth him selfe They therefore which follow such vanities sayth Ionas they forsake their owne mercie that is do cutte of them selues from al felicitie For there is no ayde or helpe else where to be hoped for but from God alone but this place is diligentlie to be noted For from hence we gather what accoumpt all superstitions that is al opinions or imaginations of men are to be made of whē as they wyll at their pleasures institute a Religion for Ionas calleth them lying or deceyptfull vanities Therefore there is one onelie true Religion which the Lorde hath delyuered vnto vs in his worde Againe this is to be noted that in vaine do men busie them selues whyle they follow their owne inuentions For looke how much the more couragiouslie they runne so much the farther depart they backe from the waye as sayth Augustin But Ionas here taketh a more highe principle euen the God onely conteyneth in himselfe all fulnesse of good things Whosoeuer therfore séeketh after God godlie with a sincere Religion he shal in God al whatsoeuer is to be wished for vnto saluation But God is not trulie sought but in obedience and faith whosoeuer therefore dare so lose the reyne vnto them selues that they doo followe this or that without the worde of God they because they depart from God do also

of his infirmity because Ionas might more simply haue set downe and noted his ioye then his sorrowe But he playnely expressed his vehemencie and excesse in eyther affection that we might know that hée was carried away with his passions so that in the smallest matters he was to angrye or els being putt vp with ioy he kept in that also no measure and thus muche both of his ioye and sorrowe Nowe in that he sayth that he prayed as he sayde a little-before he onelie vseth that Hebrew word which signifieth to wish He wished sayth he in his harte that he might die It is therefore credyble that Ionas was so ouerwhelmed with sorrowe that he lyfted not vp his mynd any more vnto God and that we sée that he was not forsaken and vncared for of god Now by and by it followeth vers 9 The text ¶ And God saide vnto Ionas Doest thou wel to be angrie in thy selfe for the Gourde and he saide I do wel to be angrie euen to the death Caluin HEre we sée that thus God kept himselfe close for a tyme and yet forsooke he not his seruaunte euen as he oftentymes looketh backeward vpon vs that is while we thinke that he hath forgotten vs he yet marketh what is done with vs to the ende that he may succour vs in tyme And therfore oftentymes when we are falling downe he withdraweth vs and setteth vs vp before we thinke that he is nere vs Such was the cace when he beganne to speake vnto Ionas For as we haue sayde dolour had so choked the mynde of the holy Prophet that he could not any more be lyfte vp vnto god Now therefore with himselfe he desired to dye and yet God forsaketh him not This is a rare example and shewe of the inestimable mercy of God which he vouchsafeth vnto hys people although they yet do cast themselues downe hedlong euen as Ionas here rushed into desperation and was not carfull for any remedye But God wayted not tyll he was sought vnto but he preuented that miserable Ionas yea and the destruction which he beganne to bring vpon himselfe saying Doest thou well to be so angrie for the Gourde As if he should saye that Ionas was to vehementlye troubled and disquieted for so small a matter And this manner of speaking is alwayes to be noted wherof we intreated at large yesterdaye because God doth not simplye chide Ionas or that he tooke it grieuousely that the Gourd was wythered For what then forsooth euen because he was angrye For in anger there is alwayes excesse when as therefore Ionas without any measure or moderation s● raged God worthely in him chastiseth this great vice Wel I will not now repete that which I spake yesterdaye howe that the faulte was made the greater because that Ionas not onely murmured for the perishing of the herbe but also because he geueth ouer himselfe and boyleth in anger without measure Which thing the aunswere of Ionas approueth when he sayde I doo well to be angry euen to the death Where we sée howe impudentlie the holie Prophet repelleth that admonition of God wherewith he ought yet to haue bene reuoked to a better minde He is not ignoraunt that it is God that speaketh Why is he not immediatlie stroken with feare why is he not moued with the authoritie of him that speaketh by and by to laye downe that crueltie of minde But certainelie euen thus is it wont to be when the mindes of men are once blinded with some preposterous affection although the Lorde thunder or lyghten from heauen they wyll not heare at least they wyll not cease violentlie to runne on euen as here Ionas doth When as we sée therfore an example of such contumacie in so holy a man howe much more ought eache of vs to feare let vs therefore betymes learne to kéepe in and quenche our affections and at the verie beginning to brydle them least if it shall come to passe that they burst out any long whyle we be also at the length euen to the last howre obstinate vnreformeable I do wel sayth Ionas to be angrie euen to the death God obiected onelie vnto his seruaunt Ionas the vice of anger Now Ionas so farre kotchelleth him selfe in his madnesse that he sayth that desperation is without sinne I sayth he doo not offend although I despayre yea although with a rageing furie I geue ouer my selfe vnto death yet I doo not offende Who would haue saide that this could haue come to passe or fallen out in that holie Prophet But by this so notable an example we are admonished what furious bruite beasts the affections of our flesh bée Nothing therefore is better then to restraine them before they gather any more strēgth then they ought For alwayes when any man hath cheryshed his sinnes this contumacie and obstinacie wyll follow But to be wroth or angrie euen to the death is so to lothe lyfe that of our owne accorde we geue ouer our selues vnto death Yet it was not the purpose of Ionas to kyll him selfe but although he abstayned from such violence he yet with settled mind wrought his owne death because he submitted not himselfe vnto God but with a blinde motion or affection was caried away Nowe it followeth vers 10 Text ¶ And the Lorde sayde Thou hast pittied the Gourd for the which thou labouredst not neyther madest it to growe it was the daughter of one night and as the daughter of one nyght it passed awaye That is it sprang vp in one night and in one night also it wythered away vers 11 And should not I spare Nineueh that great Citie in the which are sixe score thousande persons which cannot discerne betwene their right hande and their left and also much Cattell HEre God reuealeth for what purpose he sodainly brought vp the Gourde and then woulde haue it to perish and wyther awaye by the byting of the Worme euen that Ionas might learne that he dealt to vnnaturallie toward the Nineuits And although we sée that the holie Prophet fell into horrible affection yet after a sorte God hauing scorned him admonished of his follie For vnder the figure of the Gourd be declared howe vngentlie he desyred the destruction of so populous a Citie as was Nineueh But this simylitude séemeth not in all poyntes to agrée to the matter For Ionas sorrowed not for the Gourde but onelie had respect to him selfe and therefore he tooke it gréeuouslie that the comfort wherewith he was delyghted was taken awaye from him Therefore when it was discommoditie that so compelled Ionas vnto anger the similitude seemeth not wel to be applyed when as God thus reasoneth Thou wouldest haue the Gourde to be pittied and shoulde not I spare this great Citie Nay he was not carefull for the Gourd For if all the Gourdes in the worlde had there wythered he had neuer bene touched with any sorrowe but because he felte extreame daunger being parched with the excéeding heate of the Sunne therefore