Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
mercy_n great_a lord_n see_v 9,072 5 3.5745 3 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
A29419 A Brief and plain discourse upon the decrees of God wherein Mr. Grantham's query is considered and answered with some short reflections upon a few expressions in his book &c. 1692 (1692) Wing B4530; ESTC R35786 10,137 16

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

and Earth whatsoever pleaseth him neither is there any Greater than he to command him Thus far Bishop Vsher Now answer this if you can I know you may make A Reply to it in some few Cavilling words being nothing to the purpose I might say something more to the answering this Objection But what has been said shall suffice as believing it is more than you truly can answer c. Secondly As to the other part of your Question viz. Whether God did from Eternity Decree that Mr. Toathby and Mr. Willet should come to Norwich to slander and abuse you and others as they have done by those horrid Lies and Forgeries I answer 1. That there thus vilifying and reproaching of you by such Wretched Lies and Forgeries of their inventing was their great sin and wickedness Lev. 6.2 3. Prov. 12.22 Mat. 12.36 37. Rev. 22.15 16. and they will see it to be so sooner or later I do wish they might see it in Time that they may repent of this and other their sins before to be too late 2. I say that God decreed to permit it but not as it is a sin but a Punishment or Correction to you for some sin tho God decreed sin yet we say he did not Decree it as sin but as a means of the manifestation of his Justice on the Wicked and his Grace on the Saints his Justice in punishing the one and his Mercy in Pardoning and saving the other Act. 2.23 and 4.28 1 Cor. 10.13 14. Eph. 1.4 and also we say that God is not the Author of sin Jam. 1.14 15. tho he is a wise permitter of it and the Powerful Disposer and Eternal Avenger of sin yet in no ways the Cause and Author of it But the proper and only cause of sin is the Will of Devils and Men whereby they fell from God c. Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.8 Jude 4. There is by Gods Decree no violence offered to the Will of his Creatures but men go on as freely and willingly in their sins as if there were no Decree of God to give them leave Reverend Mr. Finch c. to be sure this we may and ought to hold and believe that God doth no sin at all tho he permit it to be done or else it could not be in the World and also that he hath a providence about it but for the manner how it is hard for to find but and determine you know it is said 2 Sam. 16.10 11. That God bid Shimei to Curse David we must not understand as if God did expresly Command Shimei out of his good Word so to do for this was an improper command and implies only that God did make use of Shimei's Tongue as a Whip to scourge David for his sins and thus far God did Decree to permit it as a punishment or correction to David for his Iniquities against God punishment you know is counted a Mortal good in that it is the part of a Just Judge to punish sin and thus saith Reverend Bishop Vsher p. 112 and 113. In his Body of Divinity p. 112 113. God Willeth the sin of the Wicked for their Punishment and this without sin in himself Rom. 2.26.3 and the last And he saith farther That that which is evil hath some respect of goodness with God and that 1. As it is a meer Action God being the Author of every Action Act. 17.28 But the Devil and our Concupiscence of the Evil in it and he gives this comparison that he which Rideth upon a Lame Horse causeth the Horse to stir but he is not the Cause of his Halting See also the same in Mr. Perkin's Order of Causes chapter the 6. p. the 16. So that tho God hath a Hand in meer Actions Yet he is in no wise the Cause of the Evil in any actions But the Devil and our selves are the cause of it 2. As it is a Punishment of and for sin but this I hinted before as you may find if you look a little back 3. As it is Chastisement a Tryal of Faith as Martyrdom or Propitiation for sin as the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ Act. 2.23 and 4.27 28. where saith he Acts 4.24 although the giving of Christ to the death of the Cross be attributed in the same words to God and Christ to Judas Pilate and the Jews yet diversly and in several respects they are declared to meet in one and the same action whereby there appeareth no less difference between God and Christs purpose and theirs than between Light and Darkness and he farther declares how God hath a hand in the things before named and yet be free from sin but let this suffice that hath been already named I shall need say no more to your Question only this which I hinted before that as this is a Punishment or Correction God did Will or Decree to permit it that it might be as a Whip to scourge you with for your sins and I hope you look upon it as such it 's a mercy to be kept from the strife of Tongues and it is the Promise of God if we hearken and be obedient to him to keep and hide us from it see it in Job 5.21 22. now whatever afflictions we meet withal and undergo if it be not as an evil doer but for well doing then happy are we 1 Pet. 3.19 20 21. and the 4. from 13. to the end and saith Christ Matt. 5.10 11. Rejoice and be exceeding glad Why for great is your reward in Heaven c. Now the Lord of his Mercy grant that whatsoever we suffer in this World from the wicked we may suffer it for Christs and the Gospels sake And thus I have done with your Question Matt. 5.10 11. The Lord grant that you may not Quarrel with the Truth any longer for you have fought against it with foolish Notions to long There are a few expressions in your Book that I shall a little take notice of and so conclude this discourse with a short word of Caution to the Reader First Your silly or rather wicked expressions are these viz You call us Rigid Calvinists who oppose those that Preach Gods Love to Mankind They are Rigid indeed that set themselves to oppose the Truth as it is in Jesus but I hope we are so far from opposing those that Preach Gods Love to Mankind as that we rejoice in it and desire to do it our selves tho may be not as you would have us viz. that God hath the same Love to all Mankind as he hath for some of them if he hath Why are not all Saved Surely that love that saves some may save all if it be alike to all but oh Mr. Grantham let You and I leave God to do what he will with his Creatures that he has made And let us Preach the Word to all as we desire to do and must do because we do not know who they be that God will save and