Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
mercy_n endure_v lord_n psalm_n 3,889 5 9.1870 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A89915 An exposition vpon the Epistle to the Colossians Wherein, not onely the text is methodically analysed, and the sence of the words, by the help of writers, both ancient and moderne is explayned: but also, by doctrine and vse, the intent of the holy Ghost is in euery place more fully vnfolded and vrged. ... Being, the substance of neare seuen yeeres weeke-dayes sermons, of N. Byfield, late one of the preachers for the citie of Chester. Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. 1617 (1617) STC 4217; ESTC S107140 703,811 512

There are 3 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

and boord but yet they will doe what they list Filij insuasibilita●is Filij incredulitatis Filij inobedientiae They will not be perswaded by the word spirit or seruants of God and so they are children of vnperswadablenesse They will not beleeue their fathers threatnings or promises and so they are children of incredulitie They will not conforme themselues to their fathers will and so are called children of disobedience 〈…〉 Now the estate of both these sorts of disobedient children is that the fearefull wrath of God is vpon them no father can so plague and cast off a wicked sonne as they are sure to be plagued and cast off of God As they are children of disobedience by their owne stubbornnesse so are they children of wrath by Gods iustice and if they continue thus they may proue children of perdition Q. Quest But how may the children of disobedience be knowne Ans Answ We may gather signes either from the consideration of these words or from other Scriptures From these words two wayes first he is a childe of disobedience The marks of a childe of disobedience that is led and ruled and hath all his thoughts and affections and his actions as it were framed and begotten and nursed vp by the corruption of his nature arising from the disobedience of the first man or by the temptations of Sathan the Prince of all darknesse and disobedience It is one thing to sinne by infirmitie to fall by occasion into a sinne and another thing to be led and ruled and to frame ones life and imployment after the rules and proiects that are hatched by the flesh or Sathan To be a childe to sinne that is to be ruled and mastered and led by it to be as it were at the command of lust and corruption that is not in a childe of God standing in vprightnesse Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here rendred disobedience imports vnteachablenesse such a disobedience as is wilfull when a man sinnes and will sinne and will not be perswaded either by Gods word or Gods spirit or Gods people that would aduise or admonish him To be of an incurable or inteachable disposition is a ranke signe of a childe of disobedience Further if wee marke the coherence in the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians vers 2. compared with the first wee may easily discerne that a childe of disobedience is dead in trespasses and sinnes His soule can lie at rest though he be guiltie of neuer so many sinnes Cast a mountaine on a dead man and hee will not complaine or aile any thing And sure it is a notable signe of a childe of disobedience to be guiltie of a multitude of sinnes and yet to be senselesse vnder them to be able to goe from day to day and weeke to weeke and moneth to moneth and neuer to aile any thing for any sound remorse he findes for his sinne Especially when men are at that passe that the Prophet Ieremy complained of that though God strike them yet they are not grieued yea though the Lord consume them they refuse to receiue correction and make their faces harder then a rocke refusing to returne i Ier. 5.3 Q. But may not the wrath of God come vpon his owne children Whether vvrath may not come vpon Gods children as vvell as the children of disobedience Is God neuer angry with his owne seruants Ans God may be angry with his owne people for when the Prophet Dauid saith his anger endureth but a moment k Psal 30.5 hee implies then that God will be angry And in the 89. Psalme though the Lord saith hee will not take away his goodnesse and his mercy yet if they keepe not his law he saith expresly he will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes l Ps 89.32.33 And thus he is angry with them sometimes for their couetousnesse m Esay 55.17 sometimes for their carelesse worship n Esay 64.5.7 sometimes for vnworthy receiuing o 1 Cor. 11. sometimes for their losse of their first loue p Reu. 2. but generally euery grosse sinne angers God by whomsoeuer it be committed But yet there is great difference betweene Gods anger towards his owne children and that wrath that commeth vpon the children of disobedience and that principally in three things First wrath comming vpon the faithfull is not eternall but temporary and in this life only for they are deliuered from the wrath to come q 1 The. 1. vlt. for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus they are already past from death to life But so are not wicked men For God is so angry with them in this life that his anger may continue for euer and not be extinguished in their very death And not only so but Gods anger with his own children euen in this life is not for all their daies but only a very short time of their life For as Dauid saith his anger endureth but a moment weeping may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning r Psal 30.5 And in another place he saith he will not alwayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for euer ſ Psal 103.9 And the Lord witnesseth by the Prophet Esay that he forsaketh but for a small moment he hideth his face in a little wrath but he hath mercy with euerlasting kindnes t Esay 54.7.8 When a child of God falleth he is sure he shall rise u Mich. 7.8 but it is not so with the vngodly Secondly as Gods wrath differs in the continuance so it differs in the measure it is milder towards his children then it is towards the children of disobedience Which appeares to be so two wayes For first Gods anger as it is manifested in outward iudgements vpon his owne people is euer proportioned to their strength he doth not consider what their sinne deserues but what their spirits are able to sustaine He will not suffer them to be tempted aboue that which they are able but will giue issue with the temptation that they may bee able to beare it x 1 Cor. 10.13 And the Prophet Esay sheweth that the Lord hath great care lest by contending ouer-long with his people the spirit should faile and the soule which he hath made y Esay 57.16 And the Prophet Dauid shewes that God deales not with his people after their sins nor rewards them after their iniquities but as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him z Psal 103.10 14. But now with the wicked it is much otherwise for the Lord neuer asks what strength they haue to beare it or how they will take it but what sinne they haue committed and how they haue deserued it Besides the affections of Gods children are sweetned with many mercies for though the Lord be angry for their sinne yet if they will seeke
of wicked men as their almes prayers teares sacrifices prophecyings preaching fasting and professing are not accepted of God for the fountaine is poysoned the flesh infects all it puts to either ill ends or ill effects or ill meanes besides that it keeps the person still loathsome to God Oh what cause haue ciuill honest men to know that though they come to Church and pay euery man his owne and bee no drunkards nor adulterers c. yet their case cannot be good for though they liued neuer so honestly outwardly yet the very vncircumcision of the flesh makes them miserable the inward corruption of nature is an abomination to God who searcheth the heart and reines yea what cause haue all men to be humbled and abased in themselues considering how vncleane a beginning they haue how can men bee so quiet and yet be so diseased with so filthy a leprosie as is originall sinne if this disease were in the body as it is in the soule how would men lament their distresse Hence also may we see what a wofull estate all wicked men are in that take care for the lusts of this leprous flesh and sow to it What should I say may we not see hence the necessitie of regeneration assuredly except wee be borne againe we can neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen this impure poysoned nature of ours may not enter into Gods holy place Secondly we may here discerne the fountaine of all actuall transgressions when we fall into euill courses wee must not cry out of our ill fortune or of ill company or of the Deuill only but especially we must lay the fault vpon our ill natures t was thy wicked disposition made thee so to sinne Lastly from hence we may learne to know our selues and accordingly to keep a narrow watch ouer our wretched natures and daily striue and struggle against this infectious corruption and disease that hangs so fast vpon vs e Heb. 12.1 yea we should by confession and contrition endeuour the daily crucifying of our wicked flesh with the lusts thereof f Gal. 5. condemning our selues by a daily verdict and sentence as wee are men according to the flesh g 1 Pet. 4.6 so suffering in the flesh that wee may cease from sinne h 1 Pet 4.1 yea wee should learne constantly to denie our selues and not to giue way to the reasons or obiections or desires or excuses or delayes of the flesh yea and to this end wee should be willing to suffer afflictions and to endure any hardship rather then the flesh should preuaile in vs. You hath hee quickned Hitherto of mans miserie and the state of corruption now of Gods mercy in the state of grace In two things is their happinesse heere described 1. In their quickning 2. In their forgiuenesse We are three wayes quickned We are quickned two waies 1. In Christ 2. In our selues when our head Christ Iesus was raised from the graue we were quickned in him In our selues we were quickned three wayes 1. Sacramentally in baptisme 2. By inchoation in our conuersion 3 Perfectly by hope of perfection in heauen by baptisme by conuersion by hope The quickning he heere speaketh of is the quickning of conuersion when we are begotten to God This life is called the life of God i Eph. 4.17 the life of grace the life of Iesus k 1 Cor. 4.16 the life of immortalitie It is begotten in vs by the whole Trinity the Father calleth vp these generations l Isay 41. the Sonne giueth this life m Heb. 7.16 so doth the Spirit quicken also n Ioh. 6. * The author meanes necessitie titles and priuiledges of spirituall quickning The meanes by which we are quickned is ordinarily onely the word and that preached also which is therefore called the word of life Psal 19.8 1 Pet. 1.22 Phil. 2.15 Ioh. 5. The necessity of this quickning is such as without it wee cannot possibly enter into the kingdome of heauen Ioh. 3.5 They that are thus quickned and conuerted are stiled by diuers names or titles they are called the holy seede o Esay 6. the called of Iesus p Rom. 1.6 the children of the most high q Luk. 6. the brood of immortalitie they that follow Christ in the regeneration r Matt● 19. and the heires of eternall life ſ Tit 3.7 Many are the singular prerogatiues of such as are conuerted and quickned in Iesus Christ godlinesse in generall hath the promises of this life and the life to come In speciall first great is the honour of their birth 11. Prerogatiues greater then if they were borne of the greatest blouds of men t Ioh. 1.13 These prolong the dayes of Christ vpon earth being begotten by the trauell of his soule u Esay 53. 2. They are sweetely comforted and tenderly vsed in the healing of all their sorrowes Ier. 31.25 Hos 14.5 Esay 57.15.16 61.1.2.3 Micha 7.18 Ezech. 11.19 Esay 50.4 Act. 3.19 3. All their sinnes are forgiuen as the coherence shewes and these Scriptures further confirme Esay 44.22 Ephes 1.7.6 Rom. 3.25 1 Cor. 6.11 Heb. 8.12 1 Ioh. 1.7 4. They are in great account with God * Esay 43.4 Rom. 1.7 5. They are deliuered from this present euill world x Gal. 1.4 euen from bondage vnder the custome of it from the practise of the vices of it from the fellowship with the men of it and from the plagues that belong vnto it 6. They are blessed with the seedes of all spirituall blessings in heauenly things y Ephes 1.3 Esay 61.10 7. They are happy in their heauenly relations to God to Iesus the mediator to the Angels of God to the spirits of the iust and to the faithfull euery where z Hebr. 12.22 8. They are assured of the successe of all the meanes of saluation Esay 12.3 65.15.23 and 56. 1 Cor. 3.21.22.23 Esay 55.6 9. They haue great promises of comfort audience protection and deliuerance out of all their troubles Esay 4.5.6 Rom. 8.17 c. 2 Cor. 1.3.4 Esay 41.12 42.13 49.14 10. The spirit of God is powred vpon them to assure them of Gods louing presence a Ezec. 39. vlt. To bring them foorth into libertie b 2 Cor. 3 1. To enlighten them c 2 Cor. 3.18 To sanctifie them d R●m 1.3 To make intercession and that by making them pray e Gal. 4.6 And by producing mighty successe in prayer f Rom. 8.26 Hos 12.5 6. And to make them fruitfull both in graces and duties h Ezech. 36.27 And to bee their seale and earnest of the inheritance purchased i 2 Cor. 1.22 Ephes 1.14 15. Lastly they haue an assurance of a most glorious inheritance reserued for them in heauen g Gal. 5.22 prepared from the foundation of the world k 1 Pet. 1.3.4 Signes of the new birth Now if any enamoured with these priuiledges aske how we may
is among Interpreters to find a difference in these some would haue Psalmes to be the songs of men and Hymnes of Angels some thinke they differ especially in the manner of Musicke Some are sung by voice some plaid vpon instruments but the plausiblest opinion is not to distinguish them by the persons that vse them or by the kinde of musicke but by the matter and so they say Psalmes containe exhortation to maners or holy life Hymnes containe praises to God in the commemoration of his benefits Songs containe doctrine of the cheefe good or mans eternall felicitie But I thinke there needs not any curious distinction it may suffice vs that there is varietie of Psalmes in Scripture and God allowes vs the vse of euery kinde Thirdly the propertie of the Psalmes they are Spirituall both because they are indited by the spirit and because they make vs more spirituall in the due vse of them From hence then we may learne these things 1 That singing of Psalmes is Gods ordinance binding all sorts of men Ephes 6.19 Iam. 5.13 Psalm 66.1.2 92.1 135.3 a part of our goodnesse and a most comely thing 2 That a Christian should cheefely recreate himselfe in singing of Psalmes Iam. 5.13 God doth not allow vs other recreations to shoulder out this as the most doe 3 That we should sing Psalmes in our houses aswel as our Churches both for daily exercise Psalm 101.1.2 and when Christians meet together 1. Cor. 14.26 Ephes 5.19 The manner followes Rules in singing of Psalmes there are foure things required of vs in singing of Psalmes First we should teach and admonish in the vse of them and that either our selues by considering the matter or others as the Ministers in appointing of Psalmes for the congregation or the Master of the familie or when Christians meet there should be choice of such Psalmes as may instruct or comfort or rebuke according to the occasion there is edifying euen in appointing of Psalmes 1 Cor. 14.26 Secondly we must sing with grace this is diuersly interpreted some vnderstand it of the dexteritie that should be vsed in singing to affect our selues or others some take it to be that inward comelinesse right order reuerence or delight of the heart in singing some would haue it signifie thanksgiuing But I thinke to sing with grace is to exercise the graces of the heart in singing we must sing with holy ioy Å¿ Psal 9.2 with trust in Gods mercies t Psal 13 5. with a holy commemoration of Gods benefits u Psal 47.6 yea with the praier and desires of our hearts that our words in singing may be acceptable * Psalm 104.33.34 Thirdly wee must sing with our hearts not with our tongues only outwardly for ostentation to sing with our hearts is to sing with vnderstanding x Psal 47.7 1 Cor. 14.14 with sense and feeling Hence wee are said to prepare our hearts before we sing y Psal 57.7 and it is to be obserued that Dauid bids his tongue awake z Psal 57.8 noting that hee obserued in men a lethargie not a hoarsnesse of voice but a slumber in heart when they vsed the voice Fourthly we must sing to the Lord a Ephes 5.19 that is both to Gods glory and in sense of Gods presence and vpon a holy remembrance of Gods blessings This is to sing to his name The vse is first for instruction when we are merry to sing Psalmes b Iam. 5.13 yea to account this as heauenly melodie c Ephes 5.19 a precious perfume for our chambers a holy homage to God the calues of our lips yea wee should resolue against all the prophane contempt of the world to praise God thus while we liue d Psal 156.2 104.33 and to this end wee should striue against the obiections and backwardnesse of our owne natures for the flesh will obiect against singing of Psalmes as well as against praying reading c. Secondly for reproofe of such as set their delight in fleshly lusts and sports in dancing gaming c. in singing of carols ballads filthy rimes c. all which delights are so farre from being spirituall that they make our hearts farre more fleshly and carnall yea it reproues the best of vs for want of the right manner in the vse of singing in all the foure things before which wee should bee humbled for as for any other our sinnes Thus of the 16. Verse VERS 17. And whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him THis verse containes the second generall rule to be obserued in our conuersation and it is an exhortation to the minding of the right end in all our actions In the former verse hee tooke order for the meanes of holy life here he takes order for the end of it Doct. In generall vnto the goodnesse of the action a good end is essentially required Vnto goodnesse of the action the goodnesse of the end is required for though a good intention make not the action good yet without a good intention the action cannot bee accepted as good in Gods sight It is a good thing to heare and follow Christ but not good in the Capernaits that follow for the loaues or in the Pharisies that heare to carpe or carrie tales and informe against him It is a good action to vse our knowledge but ceaseth to be good in vs when it puffeth vp and is done for vaine ostentation It is good to receiue the Sacraments but yet Circumcision was not good either as the sonnes of Iacob required it nor as the King and his sonnes receiued it Workes of holy and religious seruices are good but when men come to Church on the Sabboths to make amends for their sinnes on the weeke dayes it ceaseth to be good to them It is good to honour Gods Ministers but where men honour them either to keepe their owne credit with the people as Saul honoured Samuel or that they may excuse them as in the Parable e Luk. 14.19 such honour is not good Workes of mercy are good but being done for praise of men or to merit by them they come vnder a negatiue precept Giue not your almes It is good to forbeare one another but not good in such men as forbeare onely for want of power or opportunitie to reuenge and therefore we should informe our selues better Matt. 6. and as wee would haue God to accept or blesse vs to get good ends to our actions Thus of the generall In this verse the end of well-doing is two wayes considered First as it is the end of intention that is that wee should propound and aime at as the motiue and marke of our endeuours and that is ordered and required in these words Whatsoeuer yee doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus Secondly as it is the end of