Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	glory_n	vessel_n	wrath_n	3,740	5	9.3244	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57064	The lightless-starre, or, Mr. John Goodwin discovered a Pelagio-Socinian and this by the examination of his preface to his book entituled Redemption redeemed : together with an answer to his letter entituled Confidence dismounted / by Richard Resbury ... ; hereunto is annexed a thesis of that reverend, pious and judicious divine, Doctor Preston ... concerning the irresistibility of converting grace.	Resbury, Richard, 1607-1674.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. De gratia convertentis irresistibilitate.	1652 (1652)	Wing R1134; ESTC R18442	131,505	254

Ministers who give diligent heed to the worke of the Ministery which they have received of the Lord their increase is the fruits of their labours in the conversion and edification of soules in planting and propogating the Churches of Christ By the faithfull discharge of the Gospell ministery the Kingdome of Christ in the world increaseth as when leaven is put into dough the Masse encreaseth or as when a graine of Mustardseed growes into a spreading tree The third diggs into the earth and hides his Lords money this is the unfaithfull Minister who neglects the charge committed to him the doctrine of the Gospell by Christ committed to his hand as a lighted candle which he puts under a bushell or under a bed so that it gives no light to the house the unfruitfull Steward that gives not the family their meat in due season too sloathfull to endure the labours of the Ministery too fearefull to abide the hazards and undergoe the sufferings too worldly and sensuall to minde the spirituall concernments thereof with the necessary neglect of the things of this life Now ensues the third part of the Parable the returne of this Noble man his calling these servants to account and rendring to them according to their carriage in his absence v. 19 to the 31. The returne of this Noble man is the coming of Christ to judgement his reckoning with his servants his calling the Ministers of the gospell to account A word of weighty caution here to them with them shall Christ begin in the day of judgement The accounts of the first and second here are the accounts of the faithfull ministers the ministery in their hands hath been fruitfull the recompence rendred them by their Lord making them rulers over many things and receiving them into his joy is the State of glory conferd upon them a state of highest honor and fullest joy agreeable hereunto is that of the Apostle 1 Thessal 2. 19 20. The account of the third servant is the account of the evil and unfruitfull Minister who to colour his own sloath and wickednesse chargeth the Lord with austerity and unrighteousnesse the manner of hypocrites and wicked ones to cast their faults upon the Lord guilty at once of disobedience and insolence The labours and hazards which are indeed required of the faithfull Minister he looks at as intollerable and therefore takes and easier course but to the destruction of himself and his hearers repining in his spirit against the Lord who hath made the ministeriall charge so laborious and hazardous vers 24 25. The answer of his Lord unto him vers 26 27. is such as makes way for his condemnation out of his own mouth Lu. 19. 22. Because he had such hard thoughts of Christ to whom he must give account he should therefore have used his utmost diligence to have fulfilled his ministry Christ shall need no other testymonies against the wicked then their own at the day of judgement nay their own mistakes evil apprehensions of him shal yet be testimony sufficient against them to condemn them and justifie him in their condemnation But who are these exchangers here the hearers of the gospell preached by the faithfull preaching of the gospell many hearers are gained unto the Lord others are left more inexcusable both making for the glory of Christ at the great day and therefore the faithfull Ministers a sweet savour of Christ unto God in them that are saved and in them that perish 2 Cor. 2. 15. The sentence of judgement is begun ver 28. That trust and honour which was conferd upon him shall be taken from him and conferd upon the faithful minister what is that the glory of the faithfull minister in the fight of men and angels shall receive increase from the condemnation of the unfaithfull Stript of all that honour which sometime was vested in him the confirmation of this sentence vers 29. He that hath not onely what the Lord committed to him but what he required of him the encrease of his talents to him shall be given glory as a a recompence of his faithfulnesse and he that hath this recompence of glory shall receive encrease and it shall be abundant to him from the condemnation of the wicked and unfaithfull servant as by the destruction of the vessels of wrath is made knowne so much the more the riches of glory on the vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 22 23. On the contrary from him that hath not viz. that which the Lord required the encrease of his talent shall be taken away even that which he hath viz. that honour which he received from Christ committing to his trust the Gospell Ministry and which in the eyes of men by vertue thereof he bore in this world which now shall end for ever in utmost shame and torments v. 30. and so as from the Glory of the faithfull Minister his misery shall encrease as hence weeping and gnashing of teeth to the wicked Iewes that they see Abraham Isack and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and themselves thrust out Luke 13. 28. so that every way to him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath And now I appeale to the Judicious reader if this be not a naturall interpretation of this Parable and what is there now in it for the improvement of naturall indowements to the obtaining of regenerating Grace This Section he closeth with a false charge as if his adversaries taught men so to lay aside reason and understanding as to be meerly passive in matters of Religion with avile slander as though they consulted their owne worldly concernments in holding the truth against him and his fellowes with Laodicean pride assigning unto man his excellency upon these termes that upon the improvement of his natural abiilites preventing regenerating grace he is made great by God If I should now shew what by regenerating grace the men of his Confideracy understand his errour would yet further appeare but the digression would be● too long Onely this passeth as an Article of Faith amongst them That all the operations of God being performed which he useth for working Conversion in us yet so doth Conversion remain in our power as that we may not be converted So that all the efficiency they acknowledge in converting grace is to give us a power of Conversion not Conversion it selfe which how contrary it is to the truth and with how much clearnesse the efficacy of grace certainly and infallibly working Conversion it selfe is by the Fathers in the Pelagian controversie demonstrated I shall not need here to say if the Reader beare in minde what hath been said above CHAP. XIX We have done with his Motives to read his Book Now follows the third part of his Preface viz. A prevention of Objections against the reading thereof In this and the next which is likewise the last part we shall not need to spend much time there

Lord But nothing is so contrary to this intention as for any man so to boast of his merits as though he had done them to himselfe and not the Grace of God but that Grace which differenceth the good from the bad not that which is common to good and bad From Election many heare the word of truth some beleeve others gaine-say these therefore will beleeve these will not who knowes not this who denies But for as much as in some the will is prepared of the Lord in others it is not prepared verily we must distinguish what comes from his Mercy and what from his Judgement What Israel sought saith the Apostle he obtained not but the election hath obtained and the rest were blinded Behold Mercy and Judgement Mercy in the election which hath obtained the righteousnesse of God but Judgement upon the rest which were blinded and yet these because they would beleeved these because they would not did not beleeve therefore Mercy and Judgement are done even in the wills themselves for Election is of Grace not verily of Merits Therefore freely hath the Election obtained what it hath obtained there was not something of theirs that went before which they first gave and recompence was made to them for he saved them for nought but to the rest who were blinded as it is not there concealed retribution was made All the wayes of the Lord are Mercy and Truth but his wayes are unsearchable unsearchable therefore are his Mercy whereby he freely acquits and his Truth whereby he justly condemnes cap. 7. But haply they say the Apostle distinguisheth faith from workes and Grace he saith is not of workes he doth not say it is not of faith true but Christ saith Faith likewise is the worke of God Joh. 6. So therefore the Apostle distinguisheth Faith from Workes as in the two Kingdomes of the Hebrewes Iudah is distinguished from Israel when as yet Iudah is Israel for yee are saved by Grace through faith and that not of your selves it even faith is the gift of God and faith is not of workes lest any one should boast and all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me What is this shall come to me but shall beleeve in me but that it may be done the Father gives No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And they shall all be taught of God and every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes to me If every one that hath heard of the Father and learned comes truly who comes not hath not heard of the Father nor learned for had he heard and learned he would come Farre removed from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which the Father is heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne There is likewise the Sonne himselfe because he himselfe is the Word of the Father whereby he so teacheth neither deales he with the eare of the flesh but of the heart there is together likewise the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne for neither doth he not teach nor doth he teach apart because we say the workes of the Trinity are inseparable and he is verily the Holy Ghost of whom the Apostle saith Having the same Spirit of faith Farre removed I say from the apprehensions of the flesh is this Schoole in which God is heard and teacheth we see many come to the Sonne because we see many beleeve in Christ but where and how they have learned this of the Father we see not verily this grace is secret but that it is grace who doubts This Grace therefore which by Divine bounty is after an hidden manner given unto the hearts of men is by no hard heart refused because it is therefore given that the hardnesse of the heart may first of all be removed when therefore the Father is inwardly heard and teacheth to come to the Sonne he takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh as he promised by the Prophet Ezek. 36. for so doth he make the sonnes of the Promise and the Vessels of Mercy which he hath prepared unto glory why therefore doth he not teach all that they may come to Christ but because all whom he teacheth in mercy he teacheth but whom he teacheth not in Judgement he teacheth not because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens but he hath mercy bestowing good he hardens recompencing according to desert But why he teacheth not all the Apostle opens so farre as he thought fit to be opened Rom. 9. 22 23. Hence it is that the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse unto them that perish but to those that are saved the power of God All these God teacheth to come to Christ all these he will have saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth for if he would have taught those to come to Christ also to whom the word of the Crosse is foolishnesse without doubt even they had come too for he neither deceives nor is deceived who saith Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me farre be it therefore that any man should not come who hath heard and learned of the Father When therefore the Gospel is preached some beleeve some doe not beleeve but they that beleeve whilst the Preacher sounds without they heare and learne of the Father within but they that beleeve not they heare without not within neither doe they learne that is to the one it is given to beleeve to the other it is not given which afterwards is more openly spoken No man can come to me except it he given him of the Father Therefore to be drawne by the Father to Christ and to heare and learne of the Father is nothing else but to receive the gift of the Father whereby to beleeve in Christ. For he did not distinguish Hearers of the Gospell from no Hearers who said No man can come to me except it be given him of the Father but Beleevers from unbeleevers Faith therfore both begun and finished is the gift of God and that this gift is given to some and not given to all he cannot doubt who will not oppose most manifest holy Scriptures Chap. 12. When we come to little ones and to the Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus all assertion of humane merits going before the Grace of God falls to the ground because they are not distinguisht from the rest by any good preceding merits that they should belong to the deliverer of men nor he by any preceding humane merits when he is a man also was made the deliverer of men For Infants Originall sinne being by the Grace of God forgiven or by the Judgement of God not forgiven when they dye they either passe by Regeneration from an evill to a good state or by Originall corruption from an evill to an evill state And Lib. de bono persever

Scriptures though they were enemies not the work of the same doctrine which whoso hear and read without the grace of God are made worse enemies thereof Whence the Lord Iesus distinguishing beleevers from unbeleevers that is the vessels of mercy from the vessels of wrath No man saith he can come to me except it be given him of my father and presently as he said this his disciples were offended at his doctrine who afterwards followed him no more let us not say therefore that Doctrine is Grace but let us acknowledge Grace which makes Doctrine profitable which Grace if it be wanting we see that doctrine is even hurtfull Lib. de praedest Sanct. c. 19. The Apostle gives thanks to God for those that believed not verily because the Gospell was preached to them but because they beleeved I saith he having heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and love to all the Saints cease not to give thanks for you c. Ephes. 1. their faith was new and lately begun by the preaching of the Gospell which faith being heard of the Apostle gives thanks to God for them if he should have given thanks to man for that which he either knew or thought was not performed by him it would have been rather flattery or mockery then giving of thankes Let us not be deceived God is not mocked faith even beginning is his gift that the Apostles thanksgiving be not deservedly judged false or of false glorying The like instance for thanksgiving he brings from 1 Thes. 2. Then for Prayer c. 20. That the beginning of faith is the gift of God the Apostle admonisheth us saying withall praying for us That God would open unto us the doore of his word to speake the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds that I may make it manifest as Iought to speake Col. 4. How is the doore of the word opened saith he but when the sence or understanding of the hearer is opened that he may beleeve and faith being begun he may admit those things which are preached and disputed for building up of wholesome doctrine least the heart being shut up by unbeleefe he may disallow and reject the things that are spoken whence to the Corinthians I will stay at Ephesus saith he till Pentecost for there a great doore and effectuall is opened unto me and there are many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. What may we here understand but that the Gospell being there first of all preached by him many beleeved and there were many adversaries of the same faith according to that of the Lord No man comes unto me except it be given him of the father and to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven to them it is not given The doore then is open in them to whom it is given but there are many adversaries of them to whom it is not given More fully yet Epist. 107. to Vitalis wilt thou forbid the Church to pray for unbeleevers that they may be beleevers for those that will not beleeve that they may will to beleeve for those that dissent from his Law and doctrine that they may consent thereto that God may give unto them what he promised by his Prophet an heart to know him and hearing eares which they had certainly received of whom our Saviour saith he that hath eares to heare let him hear What wilt thou not when thou hearest the Minister exhorting the people to pray to God or himselfe with a loud voice praying that God would compell the unbeleeving Nations to his faith say Amen What wilt thou blame the Apostle Paul for having such desires for the unbeleeving Iewes Brethren saith hee my hearts desire and Prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved The same Apostle to the Thessalonians 2 Epist. 3. Finally brethren pray for us that the word of God may run and be glorified even as it is with you and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith How should the word of God run and be glorified but by the conversion of them to the faith to whom it is preached since he saith to beleevers as with you surely he knowes that this is done by him whom he will have prayed unto that he may doe it as likewise that hee may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men who should not beleeve notwithstanding their prayers wherefore he addes for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Because they were to beleeve who were ordained to eternall life but God makes such as doe not yet beleeve to beleeve by the prayers of beleevers that he may shew i● i● he that doth it In the same Epistle more towards the ●…ginning In vaine and for fashion sake rather then truely doe we poure out prayers to God for such speaking of Infidels if it belong not to his Grace to convert to his Fai●● the Wills of men contrary to the Faith 〈◊〉 vaine and for fashion sake rather then truely doe we give thanks to God with gr●●● representation of joy when any of them beleeve if he doe not worke this in them Wee pray not at all but make a feigned show of prayer if we beleeve that not he but we our selves doe the things we pray for we give no● thanks at all but make a feigned shew of thanks if we doe not think that he doth that for which we give thanks And whilst with men we ●…fend free-will with God we loose the benefit of prayer and wee doe not render tr●● praise whilst we do not ackowledge true gr●●● If we will truly defend Free-will let us no● oppose that whereby it is made free for he that opposeth Grace by which our Will is freed to decline from evill and to doe good he will have his Will to be still captive A little after upon that Text who hath delivered from the power of darknesse So it com●●●o passe th●● neither are they made beleevers but by fre● Will and yet by hi● Grace are they made belee●ers who from the power of darknesse freeed their Will So the grace of God is not denied but is shewed to be true without any humane merits fore-going and free Will is so defended as that it may be well settled with humility not by haughtinesse cast headlong and he that glories not in man whether any other or himselfe but in the Lord he may glo●… CHAP. XI To this l●st state of Pelagianisme in the hands of the M●ssili●ns we may subjoyn the Doctrine of a certain Abbot in his thirteenth Collation published by Cass●an against whom Prosper hath vindicated the truth according to the Doctrine of Austin in his book● contra Collatorem we shall glean a little ●ere yet so much as shall state the error and refu●e it Collator TH● beginning not onely of acts but even of good thoughts is from God who both inspires in us the beginning● of an holy Will and withall gives us the strength and