Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	ghost_n	holy_a	redeemer_n	2,615	5	10.3339	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59247	Solid philosophy asserted, against the fancies of the ideists, or, The method to science farther illustrated with reflexions on Mr. Locke's Essay concerning human understanding / by J.S.	Sergeant, John, 1622-1707.	1697 (1697)	Wing S2594; ESTC R10237	287,445	528

means to dim the Appearance those Objects would otherwise make lest if it be too Lively they should overcome the Motive Force of those Objects which are Spiritual But it is to be noted that the multiplying or frequently repeating those Reflex Impressions are not so necessary to every Person nor always the best For a Wise Judicious Christian who out of a Clear Sight of Spiritual Motives has by a thorow-Penetration of their Excellency and Preferribleness his Speculative Thoughts so Lively that they fix his Interior Practical Judgment to work steadily for the Attainment of Eternal Happiness is a far more Manly and Strong Christian than those who arrive at a high Pitch by the frequent Dints of Praying or other good Exercises almost hourly continued For those Well-knit Thoughts and Rational Judgments are as it were an Impenetrable Phalanx and being Connatural to our Reason no Assault can shock or break their Ranks Yet even in those firmest Souls Christian Discipline and Vigilance must be observ'd lest not having those strong Thoughts or Judgments still in readiness they be surprized by their Ghostly Enemy which I take to have been King David's Case when he first sinn'd 11. Secondly It is seen hence that Man determines himself to Action or is Free For 't is evident both to Reason and Experience that all those Thoughts Discourses Judgments and Affections he had in him before naturally or supernaturally are the Causes of the Determination of his Will Wherefore all these being Modes or Accidents belonging to him and Modes not being Distinct Entities from the Thing to which they belong but the Thing it self or the Man thus modify'd it follows that Man determines himself to Action or is a Free Agent 12. Thirdly Since Man has neither his Being his Powers his Actions nor consequently the Circumstances by which he came to be imbu'd with his good Thoughts from whence he has the Proposals of his true Good and of those incomparable Motives to pursue it from Himself but had all these from the Maker and Orderer of the World And since this Series of Internal and External Causes called in Christian Language God's Grace did produce this Determination of himself 't is manifest that he was Predetermin'd by God the First Cause thus to Determine himself as far as there was Entity or Goodness in his Action 13. Fourthly Since all our Powers are by the Intent of Nature ordain'd to perfect us and that Power called Freedom does not perfect any Man while he determines himself to that which will bring him to Eternal Misery it follows that the more he is Determin'd to Virtue and true Goodness the more Free he is Again Since a Man is Free when he acts according to the true Inclination of his Nature and the true natural Inclination of a Man is to act according to Right Reason that is Virtuously it follows that Freedom is then most truly such and the Man most truly Free when he is Determin'd to Virtuous Actions Whence Irrationality or Sin is by the Holy Ghost called Slavery which is opposite to Freedom From which Slavery the Mercy of God meerly and solely through the Merits of his Son our Redeemer has freed us 14. Fifthly We Experience that the Lively Proposal of Temporal and Eternal Goods when it arrives to that pitch that there is hic nunc such a Plenitude ex parte Subjecti of such Objects or Motives that it hinders the Co-appearance Co-existence and much more the Competition of the Contrary Motives does always carry the Will or the Man along with it For the Object of the Will being an Appearing Good and no other Good in that Juncture at least Considerably appearing because the Mind is full of the other it follows that the Inclination of the Will to Good in Common which Man is naturally determin'd to must needs carry the Soul no other as was said then Appearing Whence Mr. Locke's Position that Uneasiness alone is present and his Deduction thence that therefore nothing but Uneasiness determines the Will to act is shewn to be Groundless For an Appearing Good cannot but be always Present to the Soul otherwise it could not appear or be an Appearing Good 15. Sixthly Hence wrong Judgments arise either thro' Want of Information as when Men are not imbu'd with sufficient Knowledge of Eternal Goods or else thro' Want of Consideration whence by not perfectly weighing and comparing both they come to prefer Temporal Goods before Eternal ones 16. Lastly 't is to be noted that Sin does not always spring from False Speculative Judgments but from their being Disproportionate For 't is a Truth that Temporal Goods are in some sort Agreeable to us nor would they hurt us for loving them as far as they merit to be lov'd provided we did but love Eternal Goods as much as they deserve to be loved too Sin therefore is hence occasion'd that thro' too close and frequent a Converse with them we too much conceit and make vast Judgments of these Temporal Goods in proportion of what we make of Eternal ones And were not this so no Sin would remain in a bad Soul when separate or in a Devil nor consequently the proper Punishment of Sin Damnation because they know all Truths Speculatively Wherefore their Inordinate Practical Judgments in which Sin consists springs hence that they do not conceit or as we say lay to heart the Goodness of True Felicity because they over-conceit or make too-great Judgments of the Goodness found in some False Last End which they had chosen Yet these Disproportionate Judgments tho' Speculatively True are apt to beget wrong Practical Judgments and wrong Discourses or Paralogisms in the Soul of a Sinner to the prejudice of his Reason as has been shown in my METHOD Book 3 Less 10. § 18. 17. Mr. Locke's Discourse about Uneasiness lies so cross to some part of this Doctrine that it obliges me to examin it He endeavours to shew that Uneasiness alone and not Good or the Greater Good determines the Will to Act. His Position tho' new and Paradoxical is very plausible and taking it in one Sense viz. that there is always some Uneasiness when the Will is Alter'd in order to Action has much Truth in it and it seems to have much Weight also by his pursuing it so ingeniously Yet there is something wanting to render his Discourse Conclusive For 18. First If we look into Grounds and Principles they will tell us that 't is the Object of any Power which actuates or determines it and the Object of the Will cannot be Uneasiness All Uneasiness being evidently a Consequence following either from the not yet attaining the Good we desire and hope for or from the Fear of Losing it And if we should ask whether Uneasiness does affect the Will otherwise than sub ratione mali or because it is a Harm to the Man and Ease otherwise affect it than sub ratione Boni that