Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	lord_n	spare_v	2,118	5	9.2354	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78621	Faith in Gods promises, the saints best weapon: or, The great use and availableness of faith, both for the support and growth of saints in times most perilous. Plainly discovering that the want of faith in the way of Gods promises, is the great cause of the want of Gods presence. With several considerations for the encrease of faith, tha[t] henceforth the saints may by faith so draw nigh unto God, and in faith so wait upon God, as with certainty of receiving from him. Whereunto is added something concerning the great errour and mistake of many men concerning the true Christ, and how he is said to be in his people; with other things very necessary to be known in order to saints resisting the temptation of the present times. / Set forth as (useful for all people, but) especially intended for the good of such as are returned to the good old way of the Lord, by Matthew Caffyn ...	Caffyn, Matthew, 1628-1714.	1660 (1660)	Wing C207; ESTC R170345	46,339	55

say upon sure experience with the Prophet that the Lord hath crowned them with loving kindness and tender mercies Psal 103.4 O let him then that readeth understand that every Soul that comes by Faith to be justified from their old sins have a great work to do requiring much watchfulness care and circumspection in order to their maintaining and keeping themselves in a justified estate But moreover let men consider whether they do not while wanting in their Applications to God for the Pardon of sin ignorantly go on in a way very dangerous while the true Fountain of Grace is neglected 't is greatly to be feared that they have hewed to themselves broken Cisterns that will not yea cannot answer their expectations that is to say persons being made sensible that they have sinned against God have thereupon resolved for the time to come to be more watchful and to walk more wisely before God and then having a little while in measure reformed themselves have thereby spoken peace to themselves thinking all is well And why Because they are reformed And thus do they as it were make their own works of Reformation the ground of their peace and satisfaction True it is that works of Reformation in such that have sinned is good for the Lord calls for it yet sure I am and I pray you to consider it that 't is not that no nor any work of Righteousness that they can do yea though they should for ever afterwards so exactly walk both in words thoughts and actions as not again to sin yet I say and confidently conclude that 't is not in the least that which can justifie or cleanse them from the sin already committed And therefore it remains a work none of the least for persons that have sinned against God speedily to draw nigh unto him that by humiliation attended with holy resolutions and Faith they may reach his promised Grace and Mercy the onely sure ground of peace and satisfaction which whosoever attains may understandingly with the Prophet say Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And so then as persons justified and quitted from sin are to endeavour with calling upon God for his Grace to help them some real and thorow Reformation answering to their former resolutions far exceeding what is or can be in such who neglect the true means of Justification in which Reformation of theirs they may rejoyce but not as imagining peace from thence but rather upon the account that God is thereby more honoured even God who hath justified them from all their sins Now forasmuch as 't is Saints great work to keep themselves in the way of Gods Grace and Mercy that they may alwayes stand quitted and justified from sin without which they cannot go to the Throne of Grace with confidence to receive the special presence of Gods Spirit I would pray all such who are in the godly sorrow because of their sin to weigh these following considerations that henceforth there may be a more apt and ready closing in with Gods Promises in reference to Pardon and Forgiveness of sins Namely that the Lord the Lord God against whom ye have sinned is a gracious God abundant in goodness keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin plenteous in mercy rich in mercy abundant in mercy that will abundantly pardon all which the Scriptures witnesseth Consider also That God delighteth in mercy Mic. 7.18 and taketh pleasure in such as hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 and is full of compassion ready to forgive Nehem. 7.19 but slow to anger Psal 145.8 Consider also That Gods mercies endureth for ever and is from Everlasting to Everlasting to such as keep his Covenant reaching over all his Works as the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his mercy even also as a Father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Psal 103.11,13,17 Psal 145.9 Consider also That God who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all will with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more shall we be saved and justified from sin by his being alive for evermore making intercession for us Rom. 5.10 Consider also That notwithstanding the great backslidings of Israel even playing the harlot with many lovers upon every high Mountain and under every green Tree and that after God had drawn near unto them in much mercy and love yet even to them after they had done all these abominations saith the Lord the gracious God turn thou unto me Jerem. 3.1,6,7 And that in a day when they called not for mercy even then said the Lord return O backsliding Israel for I will be merciful and not keep anger for ever v. 12. Much more therefore will God extend his mercies unto such who mourn in the sence of their sins and call upon him for mercy whereby to be healed Consider also That to believe the Record of God touching the forgiveness of sins is a setting to our seals that God is true John 3.33 But contrariwise not to believe is as much as in us lyes a making God a lyar 1 John 5.10,11 Consider also That if we confess our sins God is just and faithful to forgive us our sins 1 John 1.9 Shewing that we may as well question the justness and faithfulness of God as question his readiness to forgive the sins of such as confess the same but let none question the necessity of Faith in order to the forgiveness of sins because the Apostle here assures it to such as confess their sins without the least word concerning Faith let none I say question it upon that account for by the same reason they may question the necessity of Prayer for that neither is mentioned in this place To this therefore I say as in many other cases must be concluded that it is such that shall find mercy that are qualified not only as saith one Scripture but as saith the Scriptures compared together Consider also That we have an High Priest passed into the Heavens sitting at the right hand of God for that very end to shew mercy even to save to the uttermost by making intercession with his blood Heb. 7.25 That speaketh far better things than that of Abel not for vengeance but for mercy for all such as have Faith in his blood and therefore saith the Apostle Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy Consider also That we have not such an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like we Heb. 4.15 and being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted for he is a merciful High Priest to make reconciliation for the sins of the People Heb. 2.17,18 God knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust Psal 103.14 Consider also That in thy

of God who being almost if not altogether silent concerning mens following after Faith have thereby I greatly fear been a means to freeze up the desires of men and wholly to stop their endeavours after Faith which if so I could wish that henceforth they would hearken unto the Apostle who puts men upon following after Faith equally observe it as he puts them to follow after Meekness or Patience c. Which considered may be a means to thaw them out of that benummed and frozen estate even unto due considerations and serious stirrings on their parts in order unto the growth and encrease of Faith And withal be sure that your Prayers and Supplications be not wanting to the Lord that he would be pleased to encrease your Faith and so shall you in due time come to experience the being of Faith in you after special degrees wrought there by the operation of Gods Spirit according to Pauls words to the Galatians Chap. 6.22 while you diligently sought and carefully followed after Faith according to his words to Timothy Chap. 6.11 Together with these things let it not be thought a needless work or besides the business in hand to consider whether Saints are not now in these latter dayes wherein 't is evil as appears by the Apostle to depart from the Faith professed in former Apostolical dayes 1 Tim. 4.1 whether Saints I say are not now to seek for and in Faith to wait whereby to receive the Spirit with the same particular gifts and operations which Saints formerly enjoyed in order to their carrying on the great Work of the Gospel both among themselves and others Since God in his making Promise of pouring out the Spirit upon his People which Promise we in these latter dayes flye unto as the ground of our Faith makes mention also of several gifts of the same Spirit John 2.28,29 And withal considering that the Apostles exhorted the Churches earnestly to covet and follow after the several gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.28,29,30,31 14.1,39 Which exhortations if they reach us and speak to us 〈◊〉 much as any other Scripture-exhortations which for any to deny is hard then Oh then great need have all to pray Lord 〈…〉 Faith But in reference to the fore-mentioned drawing nigh unto God by Faith I suppose that which is a very general hinderance thereof is the great unworthiness that persons find in themselves by reason of sin by means whereof they are as it were afraid to draw near unto God or however if they do 't is very coldly having little or no hopes of acceptance with the Lord and so being not in a justified estate from sin are without Faith in reference to the special Graces of Gods Spirit but among these there are some much more worthy than others who by reason of the strength and subtilty of temptations sometimes as well as others transgress the Laws of God but not as such who overtake sin but rather are overtaken with sin Gal. 6.1 Not allowing themselves therein as their great trouble and Soul-heaviness with daily complaints because thereof plainly declares and yet these for want of a right understanding Gods Way to justifie sinners and his readiness to justifie them alas even these go mourning all the day long rather decaying than flourishing in the Way of God You even you in particular the beloved of my Soul do I hereby exhort First That ye alwayes abide watchful and abundantly careful that ye sin not But Secondly If any man sin that you remember there is an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous who is a propitiation for our sins by whom way is made for you boldly to come to the Throne of Grace that you may find mercy that is to say for all you that having sinned feels the stroke of sin and forgets it not as Sluggards do and so in the sence and godly sorrow for sin in particular attended with holy Resolutions with humble and hearty Confession of the same with fervent desires leading unto earnest Prayer to God for the Remission of the same you forgiving them that have trespassed against you and not onely this for one thing is yet lacking even that you in Faith also commit your selves to his Grace Believing that as he hath in mercy promised so in faithfulness he will perform what he hath promised even the Remission of sins for what things soever ye desire when ye pray saith Christ believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them Mark 11.24 And who then can lay any thing to your charge It is God that justifieth such Who or what is there then that condemneth It is Christ that hath died yea rather that he is risen again who also maketh intercession for you through Faith in his blood Rom 3.25 Thus you being very serious and diligent in your Applications to God laying hold on his Promises of Pardon and Remission of sin by Faith and so standing alwayes justified by Faith quitted and freed from all your sins through Grace have so considered no ground or plea because of your unworthiness being now made worthy in the Beloved the Lord Jesus any longer to mistrust or question the good Will and Pleasure of God in reference to your receiving from him the more special Discoveries and Operations of his Spirit but may now boldly go to the Throne of Grace for the same being such whom God waiteth to be gracious unto you having that Faith which his pleasure is to account unto you for Righteousness This being considered how speedily should every Soul not as a thing by the by but as their greatest work when at any time overtaken with sin to draw nigh unto God and that in the sence of every known sin with godly sorrow for the same not daring to delay heaping up sin like the wantons there being every way as much cause of Repentance and Faith for the latter sins as there was for the many former sins committed in ignorance which though persons are ready to acknowledge yet are I fear too apt to neglect the same upon the account that they have renounced their former wayes and their now being in the Way of God and that Christ is now a Mediator for them and the like not considering that the Soul-satisfying benefit of Christs Media orship is enjoyed according to mens Applications unto the Father by him But O what comfort can a Soul have in any thing or with what boldness shall he walk talk or commit himself to his Bed that having sinned against his God hath not as yee been with him and so by Faith received a Pardon from him True it is that such while they neglect the great Soul-searching work and are tossed up and down with the cumbrances of this life may have an imagined Peace and supposed Comfort and so may go on somewhat cheerfully in their thoughts and thinkings as if all were theirs but alas these though they may talk of Gods Love and Mercy are not able to