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	verse_n	7,165	5	9.1513	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02367	The sacrifice of thankefulnesse A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, the third of December, being the first Aduentuall Sunday, anno 1615. By Tho. Adams. Whereunto are annexed fiue other of his sermons preached in London, and else-where; neuer before printed. ...	Adams, Thomas, fl. 1612-1653.	1616 (1616)	STC 125; ESTC S100425	109,673	188

THE SACRIFICE OF Thankefulnesse ¶ A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the third of December being the first Aduentuall Sunday Anno 1615. By THO. ADAMS Bern. in Cant. Serm. 35. Gratiarum cessat decursus vbi recursus non fuerit Whereunto are annexed Fiue other of his Sermons preached in London and else-where neuer before Printed The Titles whereof follow in the next Page LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1616. ❧ The Titles of the Fiue Sermons 1. Christ his Starre or the Wise mens Oblation Math. 2. verse 11. 2. Politicke Hunting Genesis 25. verse 27. 3. Plaine-Dealing or a Precedent of Honesty Genesis 25. verse 27. 4. The Three Diuine Sisters 1. Cor. 13. verse 13. 5. The Taming of the Tongue Iam. 3. verse 8. ❧ To the Right Worshipfull Sir Henry Mountague Knight the Kings Maiesties Serieant for the Law and Recorder of the Honourable Citie of London Worthy Sir WHere there is diuersitie of helpes leading to one Intention of good the variety may well be tolerated Who findes fault with a Garden for the multitude of flowers You shall perceiue heere different kinds whereof if some to some seeme bitter there is none vnwholesome It takes fire at the Altar of God and beginnes with the Christians Sacrifice the flame wherof by the operation of the blessed Spirit may both enlighten the vnderstanding and warme the affections of good men and in others consumingly waste the drosse and rust of sinne which must eyther be purged by the fire of Grace heere or sent to the euerlasting fire to be burned The Wisemens Oblation seconds it what is formerly commaunded in Precept is heere commended in Practise The Politicke Hunters of the world are discouered and Plaine-Dealing encouraged One almost forgotten vertue Charitie is praised and a busie vice is taxed In all is intended Lux Scientiae Pax Conscientiae Peccati ruina aedificatio Iustitiae Your noble endeuours are obserued by all eyes to bee distinguished into this method from your vertues there is a resultance of shining Light to information from your Office to reformation of others Goe forward so still to menage your Place in that honourable Citie and let the fire of correction eate out the rust of corruption You may punish euen whiles you pitie The good Magistrate like a good Chirurgion doth with a shaking hand search vlcers more earnestly desiring Non inuenire quod quaerit quàm inuenire quod puniat The God of mercie and saluation wrappe vp your soule in the bundle of Life and when the Lust of the earth shall to the Dust of the earth fixe you in the blessed Orbe of Glory Your Worships in all faithfull obseruance THO. ADAMS Ad Lectorem Senec. epist. 59. Cupio si fieri potest propitijs auribus quid sentiam dicere sin minùs dicam iratis THE SACRIFICE OF THANKFVLNESSE Psal. 118. 27. God is the Lord which hath shewed vs Light bind the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar THE first and the last wordes of this Psalme are O giue thankes vnto the Lord for hee is good because his mercy endureth for euer Thankesgiuing is the prescript and the postscript Hee that is Alpha and Omega the first and the last requires that our beginning and ending should be Prayse to the Lord. You see the head and the foote the bulke body members are not dissonant There is scarce any Verse in the Psalme that is not either an Hosanna or an Halleluia a prayer for mercie or a praise for mercie I haue singled out one let it speake for all the rest God is the Lord that hath shewed c. Heere is somewhat receiued somewhat to be returned God hath blessed vs and wee must blesse God His Grace and our Gratitude are the two Lines my Discourse must runne vpon They are met in my Text let them as happily meete in your Hearts and they shall not leaue you till they bring you to Heauen The summe is God is to be Praysed The particulars are Wherefore hee is to be Praysed Wherewith hee is to be Praysed Wherefore God is the Lord that hath shewed vs light Wherewith Binde the Sacrifice with Cords euen vnto the Hornes of the Altar In the For what we will consider the Author his Blessing The Author God is the Lord. His Blessing That hath shewed vs Light The Lord the Light The Author is called God and Lord which lead vs to looke vpon his Goodnesse Greatnesse GOD and Good LOe I begin with him that hath no Beginning but is the Beginning of all other Beeinges God And would onely tell you for I must not loose my selfe in this Mysterie that this God is Good In himselfe Goodnesse Good to vs. Psal. 100. The Lord is Good his mercie is euerlasting He is True Life saith August A Quo aucrt●● cadere in Quem conuerti resurgere in Quo manere vinere est From Him to turne is to fall to Him to returne is to rise in Him to abide is to liue for euer Dauid in the 59. Psalme calls him his Mercie Deus meus misericordia mea my God my Mercie Whereupon Augustine sweetely discourses If thou hadst sayd my Health I know what thou hadst meant because God giues health If thou hadst sayd my Refuge I vnderstand because thou fliest vnto him If thou hadst said my strength I conceaue thy meaning because he giues strength But Misericordiamea quid est Totum quicquid sum de misericordia tuá est My Mercie What is it I am by thy Mercie whatsoeuer I am Bernard would haue vs speake of God in abstracto not onely to call him Wise Mercifull good but Wisedome Mercie Goodnesse Because the Lord is without accidents at all For as hee is most Great without quantitie so he is most Good without qualitie Nil habet in se nisi se He hath nothing in him but himselfe God then being Good not onely formaliter good in himselfe but also effectiuè good to vs teacheth vs to loue him Wee should loue goodnesse for it owne sake but when it reflects vpon vs there is a new inuitation of our loue The LORD WEe haue heard his Goodnesse listen to his Greatnesse In this Title we will consider his Maiestie as wee did in the other his Mercie Lord implies a great State ● the Title is giuen to a great man vpon earth But if an earthen Lord be great Quantus est Dominus qui Dominos facit How great is the Lord which makes Lords yea and vnmakes them two at his pleasure This is an absolute and independant Lord. 1. Cor. 8. There may be many Gods and many Lords But this is Ille Dominus The Lord or that Lord that commaunds and controlls them all They are Domini titulares this is Dominus tutelaris They are in title and name this in deed and power There are Many

Goodnesse that he is willing to saue vs. Were hee neuer so Great if not Good to vs wee had litle helpe Were hee neuer so Good if not Great and of abilitie to succour vs wee had lesse comfort Hee would stand vs in small stead if either his Will or his Power was defectiue if either hee could not or would not saue vs. His Goodnesse without his Greatnesse might fayle vs His Greatnesse without his Goodnesse would terrifie vs. It is a happy concurrence when Mercie and Truth meet togeather when Righteousnesse and Peace kisse each other So sweetly singes the Psalmist Graciou● is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull Wherevpon S. Ambros. Bis misericordiam posuit semel iustitiam He is once sayd to be Righteous but twice in one verse to be Gratious It is sweete when both are conioyned as in the first and last verse of this Psalme O giue thaenkes to the Lord for hee is good for his Mercie endureth for euer The Lord is Good though Great yet also Good and his Mercie so well as his Iustice endures for euer Man hath no such assurance of comfort in God as to meditate that his great Power and good Will his Glory and Grace his Maiestie and Mercie met togeather These be Gods two Daughters Iustice and Mercie Let vs honour them both but let vs kisse and imbrace Mercie But alas wee haue dealt vnkindly with them both God hath two Daughters and we haue rauished them There is a Storie of a man that meeting in a Desart with two Virgin-sisters hee did rauish both of them Afterwards on his apprehension the former desired that he might iustly die for it The other did intreat as earnestly that he might liue and that she might enioy him for her Husband Man is that rauisher and those two Virgins are the Iustice and Mercie of God Against his Iustice we haue sinned and prouoked his indignation to strike vs yea euen his Mercie we haue abused For her sake we haue been spared and a longer day of repentance giuen vs yet we haue despised the riches of this Mercie and presuming on Mercie haue dared to multiply our transgressions Iustice pleades to God that we should die vrgeth his Law Who so euer sinneth shall die And Death is the wages of sinne Mercie intreats beseecheth that wee may liue and produceth the Gospell Who so euer repents shall be pardoned Who so euer beleeues shall be saued And for further assurance brings foorth that blessed Pardon sealed in the Wounds and Blood of Iesus Christ. God hearkens to Mercie for his Sonnes sake though wee haue rauished and wronged his Mercie yet for Mercies sake we shall be forgiuen But then we must be marryed to Mercie marryed in our Fayth beleeuing on Christ marryed in our good life being merci●ull vnto men The Blessing WEe see the Author let vs looke on his Blessing● Light Hee hath-s●●wed vs Light Wee are come into the Light and therefore haue light enough of an ample Discourse But my purpose is onely to shew you this Light as the word is in my Text not to dwell on it though I pray that all you and my selfe may for euer dwell in it LIGHT SVch as the Giuer is such is the Gift 1. Ioh. ● God is Light and in him is no Darknesse at all And S. Iames cals him the Father of Light God is So Glorious a Light that as the Sunne dazeleth the eyes too stedfastly fixed on it so his incomprehensible Maiestie confounds all those that too curiously pry into it So Cleare a Light that hee sees into all corners The eyes of God are in euery place beholding the euill and the good Hee searcheth more narrowly then the beames of the Sunne Hee sees Briberie in the Office Adulterie in the Closs●t Fraude in the Shoppe though the Pent-house makes it as darke as a roome in Bedlam So Good a Light that in him is no darknesse not so much as a shadow There is none in him there comes none from him Indeed hee made outward Darknesse of Hell the wages of sinne But he neuer made the inward Darknesse of the Soule which is sinne So Constant a Light that though the Sunne be variable in his Course somtimes shining bright often Clouded yet God is without change as the Moone without Eclipsing as the Sunne without Setting as the Starres So Spreading a Light that he communicates it to vs. This is the true Light which Lighteth euery one that commeth into the world Without whom we should haue beene wrapped in an eternall miserable Darkenesse but that he sent one To giue Light to them that sate in Darkenesse and in the shadow of Death to guide their feete into the way of Peace And this is the Light which he here sheweth vs. By the consent of all Expositors in this Psalme is Typed the comming of Christ and his kingdome of the Gospell This is manifested by an Exaltation by an Exultation by a Petition by a Benediction The Exaltation Ver. 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the Corner The Iewes refused this Stone but God hath Built his Church vpon it The Exultation Ver. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and be glad in it A more blessed Day then that Day was wherein hee made man when he had done making the world Reioyce we and be glad in it The Petition Ver. 25. Saue now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now Prosperytie Thy Iustice would not suffer thee to saue without the Messias he is come Saue Now O Lord I beseech thee Our Sauiour is come let mercie and saluation come along with him The Benediction makes all cleare ver 25. Blessed be hee that commeth in the name of the Lord. For what Dauid here prophecied the people after accomplished Math. 21. Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. The Corollary or Summe is in my Text. ver 27. God is the Lord that hath shewed vs light bind the Sacrifice with Cordes to the Hornes of the Altar It was truly sayd Lex est Lux the Law is Light But vnable to light vs to Heauen not through it owne but our deficiencie Hereon it did not saue but condemne vs. Lex non damnans est ficta et picta Lex That Law that doth not condemne vs is a faigned and painted Law The Apostle calles it the Ministration of death Let then the lesse Light giue place to the greater Legalia fuerunt ante passionem Domini vina Statim post passionem mortua hodie sepulta The Legall rites were before the Passion of Christ aliue straight after his Passion dead now buried Or as another The Ceremonies of the Law were in their prime Mortales in Christes age Mortuae in our time Mortiferae They were at first Dying in our Sauiours time Dead in ours Deadly The Law was giuen by Moses

and disposing all things is brought in as the preordainer of Iacobs lie that I say not the Patron But not without derogation to his diuine Iustice. For first it appeares not that this was the counsell of God but onely Rebeccaes deuice verse 8. Heare my voice my sonne in that which I commaund thee My voice not Gods what I command not what GOD approoues 2. If Iacob had receiued any oraculous warrant for this proiect hee would not haue had so doubtfull an opinion of the successe The matter was forseene of God not allowed for God neuer inspireth lies Gods wise disposition of this meanes affords no warrant of his approbation He ordereth many things which hee ordayned not The means were so vnlawfull that Iacob himselfe doth more distrust their successe then hope for their blessing He knew that good Isaac beeing ●o plaine-hearted himselfe would seuerely punish deceit in his sonne Men in office truely honest are the sorest enemies to fraudulent courses in others Hee therefore carries his meate in trembling hands and scarce dares hope that God will blesse such a subtletie with good euent Yet he did but how Heere was prodigall dissembling a dissembled person a dissembled name dissembled venison dissembling answere yet beholde a true blessing to the man not to the meanes Thus God may worke his owne will out of our infirmities yet without approuall of our weakenesse or wronging the integritie of his owne goodnes 2. Some haue confessed it a lie but a guiltlesse he by reason of a necessitie imagined in this exigent as if GOD could not haue wrought Isaacs heart to blesse Iacob in this short interim whiles Esau was gone a hunting for venison Origen sayes that Necessitie may vrge a man to vse a lie as sawce to his meate Another as Physicians vse Hellebora But that which is simply euill can by no apologie be made good Causa patrocinio non bona peicr erit 3. Some take from it all imputation of alie and directly iustifie it Augustine thinkes Iacob spoke mystically and that it is to bee referred to Iacobs bodie not to Iacobs person to the Christian Church that should take away the Birthright from the elder But wee may better receiue that Iacob fell into an infirmitie then the colour of an allegorie Neyther doth the successe iustifie the meanes As some Philosophers haue deliuered that Prosperum scelus vocatur virtus luckie wickednesse merites the name of goodnesse But Iacobs one act of falshoode shall not disparage wholly that simplicitie the Scripture giues him Hee was a plaine man To bee vniust condemnes a man not the dooing of one singular act vniustly therefore God casts not off Iacob for this one infirmitie but makes vse of this infirmity to serue his owne purpose If Esaus and Iacobs workes bee weighed together in a ballance one would thinke the more solide vertue to bee in Esau's Esau obeyeth his fathers will painefully hunts venison carefully prepares it heere is nothing but praise-worthy Iacob dissembles offers kids flesh for venison counterfets Esau beguiles his father here is all blame-worthy I will not heereon speake as a Poet Committunt eadem diuerso crimina fato Ille crucem sceleris pretium tu●it hic diadem But inferre with the Apostle The purpose of God shall remaine by election which standeth not in workes but in grace Therefore howsoeuer Iacob got the Blessing against Isaacs will yet once giuen it stood neyther did the father recant this act as an errour but sawe in it the mercie of God that preuented him of an errour so verse 33. I haue blessed him therefore hee shall bee blessed When afterwards Esau came in Isaac trembled his heart tolde him that hee should not haue intended the Blessing where hee did and that it was due to him vnto whom it was giuen not intended Hee sawe now that hee had performed vnwilling iustice and executed Gods purpose against his owne He rather cries mercy for wrong intending then thinkes of reuersing it Yet then may Iacob stand for our precedent of Plaine-Dealing notwithstanding this particular weakenesse Who hath not oftener erred without the losse of his honest reputation Not that his fact should embolden an imitation let vs not tell Iacobs lie to get Iacobs blessing It would be presumption in vs what was in him infirmity and God that pardond his weaknesse would curse our obstinatenesse There is yet one cauill more against Iacobs integrity concerning Laban ABout the parti-coloured sheepe whether it were a fault in Iacob by the deuice of the pilled and straked roddes to enrich himselfe The answere is threefolde 1. This was by the direction of God Genesis 31. 11. who being an infinite and illimited Lord hath an absolute power to transferre the right of things from one to another as he might iustly giue the Land of Canaan to the Israelites from the vsurping Cananites 2. Iacob apprehends this meanes to recouer his owne due vnto him by a double right first as the wages of twenty yeares seruice Genesis 31. 7. yet vnpayd Secondly as the dowry for his wiues whom miserable Laban had thrust vppon him without any competent portion Thirdly especially Gods warrant concurring it was lawfull for him to recouer that by policie which was detained from him by iniury So did the Israelites borrow of the Egyptians their best goods iewells and ornaments and bore them away as a iust recompence of their long seruice 3. Lastly hee is quitted by that saying Volenti non fit iniuria Laban sees that hee was well blessed by Iacobs seruice the encreasing his flockes makes him loath to part But Iacob hath serued long enough for a dead pay somewhat hee must haue or be gone His hard vnckle biddes him aske a hire you know Iacobs demaund Laban readily promoues this bargaine which at last made his sonne in law rich and himselfe enuious So sayth Caluine Tractatus est prosuo ingenio Laban is handled in his kinde Hee thought by this meanes to haue multiplyed his owne flockes but those few spotted sheepe and goates vpon this couenant as if they had beene weary of their olde owner alter their fashion and runne their best yoong into party-colours changing at once their colour and their maister So that this meanes which Iacob vsed was not fraudulent or artificiall but naturall not depending vpon mans witte but Gods blessing who considering his tedious and painfull seruice payes him good wages out of his vnckles foldes For foureteene yeares the Lord hath for Iacob enriched Laban therefore for these last six he will out of Laban enrich Iacob And if the vnckles flocke be the greater the nephews shall be the better Most iustly then is Iacob cleared from iniustice and no aspersion of fraud with Laban can be cast to discredite his Plaine-Dealing He dwelt in Tents TWo things are obseruable in the holy Partriarchs and commendable to all that wil be heires with them of eternall life 1. Their contempt of the world They that dwell in