Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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B09729
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An antidote against desperation and presumption. or, A consideration of that most solemn oath of the Lord God in Ezek. xxxiii. by Charles Phelpes.
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Phelpes, Charles.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing P1971D; ESTC R181759
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103,519
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256
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the people and among the heathen Psalm 108. 3 4. And when he thus saith Thy Righteousness is like the great Mountains or Mountains of God thy Judgments are a great deep He presently adds thereto by way of Admiration How excellent is thy Loving-kindness O God! To wit toward the Children of Men As if he would intimate to us and to our shallow Capacities That though he could compare Gods Righteousness and Judgments to somewhat yet his Mercy or Merciful-kindness is admirably inconceivably incomparably Great so as he knew not what to compare that unto Psal 36. 6 7. and 144. 3 4. and 145. 8 9. And doth not our Blessed Saviour speak also after such a rate when he saith So God loved the World c. John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 11. So that from what hath been said we do and may safely conclude That the LORD GOD hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked none at all Not onely no Revealed pleasure therein But also no Secret or hidden Will or Pleasure therein as he swears unto us And what hath been said about this Third Enquiry meets with and gives Answer unto another evil Distinction and Opposition of some against the Current of the Gospel Namely say some It is true indeed God hath no delight or pleasure in the death of the wicked simply considered But he hath pleasure therein Respectively to wit in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Justice Answer Now to this I say briefly If he hath pleasure in their Death or in the Death of some of them in order to the manifestation of the Glory of his Righteousness or Justice then he hath some pleasure in their Death for as is usually said He that wills the End wills the Means conducing thereto And so also it is in this particular if their evil Distinction were true as indeed it is not But in their so saying they contradict this Text and deny the truth of Gods Oath who swears by himself by his life That he hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked And besides God needs not the Destruction of any of Mankind for the Glory of his Justice for the Glory of his Righteousness is manifested in giving to every One according to his works And so in Acts of Grace and Mercy toward men that they might Repent and towards such as do turn to him from their Iniquities Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful Ps 116. 5. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 9. 2 Thes 1. 5. And his Mercy is magnified in destroying implacable and impenitent sinners As it is said He over-threw or shaked off Pharaoh and his Host in the Red-Sea for his mercy endureth for ever Who smote great Kings for his mercy endureth for ever And slew famous Kings for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136. 15-20 But we shall add no more unto the Third Enquiry but consider the next namely 4. When or during what time hath he no pleasure none at all neither Revealed nor Secret in the Death and everlasting Destruction of the wicked Indefinitely considered And to that we may say It is plainly intimated to us in the Words as they are rendred with us During what time he hath no Will Pleasure or Delight in their Death namely Now in this present Day of his Grace and Patience As it is here expressed I have no pleasure c. To wit while it is called to Day As the Holy Gost saith To Day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation c. Heb. 3. 7 8. and Ch. 4. 7. All the time Christ is interceding for Transgressors in Heaven and that is while he is vouchsafing Gracious Means to them on Earth Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 5. 20. with Chap 6. 1 2. According to what the Apostle Peter saith The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Indeed this time or season will not last always his Spirit will not always strive with men as Gen. 6. 3. When once the Day of Grace is fully ended he that now swears he hath no pleasure in their Death will swear in his wrath that they shall not enter into his rest as Heb. 3. 7-11 He will then have pleasure in their Destruction As it is said Because ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they depised all my reproof Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own ways and be filled with their own devices Prov. 1. 24-26-31 Then He that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour as Isa 27. 11. And when he pleases he can put an end to that Day and to mens Lives for their times are in his Hand to continue or cut off as is good before him The Consideration whereof is proper and powerful to excite us all to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is near Isa 55. 6. To make haste and not delay to keep Gods Commandments For if he cut off or shut up or gather together then who can hinder him No man hath power over the Spirit his own or God's to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of Death And there is no casting of Weapons in that War neither shall wickedness deliver them that are given to it Eccl. 8. 8. Now therefore in the opportune season turn we from our Iniquities that we may understand his truth For in the Grave whither we are a going there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom Eccles 9. 10. Then there will be a great Gulf fixed so as there will be no possibility of passing from one state to another What-ever our hand therefore finds to do let us do it with our might in the present opportunity To this purpose and upon this account our Lord thus instructs and counsels Strive saith he to wit in the present time to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in namely when it is too late and shall not be able When once the Master of the house is risen up and shut to the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open unto us
which notwithstanding any thing there said may yet be done 1 Joh. 5. 16. Joh. 16. 26. Now what hath been said to this Objection is not said That men might continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid But to the end That such as conclude against themselves that there is no hope for them might not be discouraged from turning from their evil ways unto God For when God saith in any place of Scripture to the wicked Thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin c. he shall surely live he shall not die Ezek. 33. 11-13-16 Nay when the Lord said unto Jeremiah Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my mind could not be toward this people c. Jer. 15. 1-3 and Ch. 16. And The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond c. for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger which shall burn for ever Chap. 17. 1 2 3. Yet after all this he thus commands the Prophet Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying Behold I frame evil and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good Jer. 18. 1-6-8-11 Oh then however you have sinned do not say as Cain did that your iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven Gen. 4. 13. Do not so dishonour the Father of Mercies as to conclude he cannot redeem you from your iniquities or deliver you from your transgressions as Isa 50. 1 2 3 4. but return unto him and he will return unto you Mal. 3. 7. And consider thereto that God hath reserved this to himself as his Prerogative To shew mercy to such sinners as unto whom men cannot lawfully shew mercy They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shall he return unto her again Shall not that land be greatly polluted But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the LORD Jer. 3. 1. Oh then though thou art in the belly of hell as it were yet cry unto the God of Mercy Though thou sayest thou art cast out of his sight yet look again toward his holy Temple And when thy soul faints within thee then remember the LORD and let thy prayer come in unto him into his holy Temple even Christ in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily and who came into the world to save sinners sinners indefinitely and the chief and most notorious sinners Jonah 2. 2-4-7 8. with Col. 2. 9 10. and 1 Tim. 1. 13-15 And him that cometh unto him in this day of grace he will in no wise cast out what-ever he hath been or done Joh. 6. 37. Matth. 11. 27 28. 3. Let me proceed on and say Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die Why will we die May another generation say Why the pleasures of sin are so sweet and delightful to us that we know not how on that Account to turn from them Stollen waters are sweet and bread of secrecies is pleasant We cannot deny but that God calleth us to repentance and there-with inables us to turn from our iniquities But the ways of sin are so grateful and pleasing that it is as the cutting off our right hand or the plucking out of our right eye to bid adieu thereto and turn our backs thereon Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Then may we also do good that are accustomed to do evil Jer. 13. 23. Answ Now to this generation I might say many things but having much exceeded mine intention at first already shall therefore be the briefer and propound to these Objectors that saying of the Apostle Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end or reward of those things is death Here the Apostle propounds three weighty Considerations to take men off from their sinful courses namely They are unfruitful shameful and eternally hurtful and pernicious 1. What fruit had ye then Even when you did commit sin and were servants of it And so what fruit have you now therein who sow to the flesh and serve sin What fruit may you say We have said already Sin is most sweet and delightful to us Well but yet let me say to you 1. Though the ways of sin are delightful or as the Apostle expresses it though you count it pleasure to riot in the day-time 2 Pet. 2. 13. yet sin is not delightful and satisfactory to the whole man It may appear so to the Body and to the Bruitish and Sensual Appetite but not so to the Superiour Eaculties of the Soul which are not delighted with these low and carnal things 1 Joh. 2. 16. They will not satisfie mens souls for they are the stumbling-blocks of their iniquity Ezek. 7. 19. The most noble part of man as Psal 22. 20. is not delighted herewith but contrariwise sadned and filled with horror and dread thereby while mens Consciences are not so seared as to be past feeling and when they consider and lay these things to heart To this purpose speaks the holy Scripture Though wickedness saith Zophar be sweet in his mouth though he hide it under his tongue though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still in the midst of his palate yet his meat in his bowels is turned it is the gall of Aspes within him That is Wickedness is the very quintessence of bitterness to his soul how sweet soever it be oâ— appear to be in his mouth Surely he shall not know or feel quietness in his belly to wit in the spirit of his mind Job 20. 12 13 14-20 The wicked man travelleth with pain all his dayes and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor a sound of fears is in his ears In prosperity or peace the destroyer shall come upon him Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid they shall prevail against him as a King ready to the battle because he stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty Joh. 15. 20-25 c. And though such may appear very merry and jocund yet as the crackling of thorns under a pot so is the laughter of fools Eccl. 2. 2. and Chap. 7. 6. Nay even in their laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness however to the soul Their soul within them shall mourn Prov 14. 13. with Joh 14. 22. How oft do terrors make them afraid on every side and even drive them to their feet as Job 18. 11. and Ch. 20. 23-25 How doth their heart smite them 2 Sam. 24 10. And how are they pricked in their reins when God is reproving them and setting their sins in order before them Now how can any considerate and sober-minded person call or count that truly delightful which doth so wound