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	sin_n	transgression_n	3,082	5	10.1157	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16506	The true vvay of a Christian, to the nevv Ierusalem Or, a three-folde demonstration: first, of the excellencie of the true and sauing knowledge of Christ; and the meanes to attaine it: with the antiquitie, necesitie, and benefit of catechisme. Secondly, of our vnion and communion with Christ, and his Church. Thirdly, of our new creation in Christ, by the blessed Spirit. With diuers questions, and cases of conscience, most comfortable for a Christian. Deliuered first in briefe, in a sermon preached at Paules-Crosse, the first Sunday in the new yeere, 1617. And newly reuised and enlarged by Immanuel Bourne ...	Bourne, Immanuel, 1590-1672.	1622 (1622)	STC 3419; ESTC S106545	102,817	130

not make thee ashamed Rom. 5.5 Yea by this Hope thou art and shalt be saued Rom. 8.24 Conclude not thy selfe then to be out of the fauour of God because thou art not yet free from sin and Satans temptations but comfort thy selfe in hope that as Christs prayer for Peter was heard 〈◊〉 22.32 that though he failed in faith and that fo● a time yet he could not faile totally and finally so it is heard also for thee For he hath prayed for thee as eff●ctu●lly as he did for him yea for all that shall beleeue on him Iohn 17. I●h 17.20 And th refore as Iob Iob 19.25 in the middest of his mis●●e did co fort himselfe with this meditation that his R●d●mer un●d so doe thou comfort thy selfe in C●ri●● th●● one droppe of his blood is of vertue to procure pardon for all thy sinnes if the sinnes of all the men in the world were thine And therefore waite with pati●●ce 2. Cor. 22.9 a●d b● content with Gods answer to Paul My g●a●e is su●●●●ient for thee and my strength shall be made man●fest in thy we●●●nesse It is not for our merits b●t for the me●i s o● C r●●● that God freely accepts vs. And this is th● pr●mise of God to those who are once his ch●ldren on whom h● hath ou●e bestowed these graces of the knowledge of Christ of faith of repentance of ●egeneration and newnesse of life which thou canst not deny once to haue beene in some measure in thee though he suffer them to fall into diuers great and grieuous temptations yea temptations of this nature yet he will lay no more vpon them 1. Cor. 10.13 then he will make them able to beare and if he suffer them to be ouercome for a time yet will he make a way to escape he will giue them the grace of repentance and faith by which they shall bee reconciled and reassured of the loue of their heauenly Father Doubt not then to apply the promises of God in particular into thy selfe vpon repentance and comming to Christ because their is no kinde of sinne which thou canst commit but the mercy of God in Christ is farre greater For that sinne against the holy Ghost thou canst not commit which is not any transgression of the morall Law either in generall or particular either of ignorance or infirmitie or a sinne committed wilfully presumptuously and against a mans conscience though these bee grieuous sinnes Bucan loc Com. But an vniuersall and a finall Apostacie or falling away from Christ it is a voluntarie renouncing of the knowne truth of the Gospel and a rebellion proceeding from the hatred of it being ioyned with a tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall oppugnation of the same when a man that hath beene enlightened with the true knowledge of Christ and conuinced in his conscience of the truth of it by the blessed Spirit Heb. 6.5 and hath tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come but it is onely a taste for they that doe feede of these graces spiritually and doe digest them and are nourished by them to newnesse of life God will neuer suffer them to fall into this sinne when such an one I say shall afterward vniuersally and with a full consent fall from the truth deny Christ persecute him with reproaches despising the sacrifice of his death and passion and continuing thus without repentance to the end this is the sinne against the holy Ghost Thus did Iulian and other Apostates sinne and of these is that of the Apostle to be vnderstood Heb. 6. verse 6. This sinne I say thou canst not fall into beeing ingrafted into Christ by faith and for all other sinnes bee they neuer so grieuous remission is promised vpon faith and repentance and that freely not for the merit of thy faith or repentance but for the merit of Christ Why then shouldest thou not apply the generall promises of grace vnto thy selfe in particular Come vnto me saith Christ all ye that be weary and heauy leaden and I will refresh you this promise is generall Mat. 11.28 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art weary and heauy loaden with the burden of thy sinnes and therefore thou mayest well conclude that comming vnto Christ the promise of mercy belongs to thee Whosoeuer shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued this is a generall promise Mark 16.16 But thy owne conscience will tell thee that thou art baptized and that thou beleeuest though it may be thy faith is but weake but like a graine of mustard-seede that is very small Matth. 17.20 yet if thou canst but say with the man in the Gospel I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Marke 9.24 If thou canst but touch the hemne of Christs vesture with the finger of faith if the hand of faith by which thou mayst lay fast hold on him be wanting yet by this touch of Christ euen with the finger of faith the vertue of Christ may flow forth sufficiently to stop the bloody issue of thy sinnes and to cure the maladies of thy soule and with this thou mayest truly apply the promises of grace vnto thy selfe To conclude this then since thou art and must bee a souldier while thou liuest in the campe or field of the Church faint not at the sight of thy enemies though they be many and terrible 2. King 6.16 but comfort thy selfe with this that as Elisha said to his seruant There are more with thee then with them yea and though thou be weake yet the strongest part is on thy side thou hast God thy friend to send thee more ayde of grace if at any time thou art decaied in thy strength thou hast Christ a conquerour thy Captaine vnder whose banner thou dost fight thou hast the blessed Spirit to encourage thee and though he may leaue off to shew his fauourable presence for a time yet will he not long be absent from thee though for a moment he hide his face yet with euerlasting kindnesse will he haue compassion on thee Esay 54.7 8. In a word thou hast myriades of Angels to accompany thee and the prayers of the Saints of the whole Church yea of Christ himselfe at the right hand of his Father like the showting of the Israelites Iosh 6.20 to make the walles of Iericho the strength of thy enemies to faile And therefore goe on with faith and constancie to endure the combate and faint not though thou hast many losses of grace many wounds by sinne by thy spirituall enemies for Christ being thy Captaine thou shalt certainly be conquerour in the end But if with all this thou findest that thou art vnable to apply the promises of mercy and free grace vnto thy selfe or to doe it so weakely that feare is not yet remooued Confession and Absolution an excellent meanes of peace Then as in the sicknesse of thy body thou art ready to seeke to the Physitian for helpe

and counsell that he may apply somewhat vnto thee to cure thy disease so must thou doe in this sicknesse of thy soule Thou must flye to the Minister of God whom he hath appointed for thy helpe herein The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge Malac. 2.7 and thou must seeke the Law at his mouth To him thou must open the wounds of thy soule Iam. 5.16 the causes and occasions of thy feare whether they be thy sinnes if any trouble thy conscience or thy temptations to sinne thy weakenesse of faith and holinesse or the like that hee vpon sight of thy estate and arguments of thy faith and repentance though they be weake may apply the promises of mercy the refreshing oyle of the Gospel vnto thy soule Thou must confesse thy sinnes and weaknesse as that reuerend Diuine Mr. Perkins Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 1. sect 1. well obserueth that the Minister of God may pronounce the sentence of absolution of thy free remission and reconciliation with God in Christ vnto thee that hence thy hope and confidence in God may be confirmed which he may truly doe if by thy confession he finde in thee the grounds and signes of faith and repentance of which thou mayest finde many signes in this Treatise and no doubt but some in thy selfe if thou be called brought to repentance and faith in Christ I will here put you in minde A most comfortable ground of assurance that our sinnes are pardoned in Christ but of one ground of comfort for many And this is that A desire to repent and beleeue in a touched heart and conscience is faith and repentance it selfe though not in nature yet in Gods acceptation by Christ This is euident in Scripture First because If there be a willing minde it is accepted not according to that a man hath not but according to that he hath 2. Corinthians 8. verse 12. Againe God doth not onely call all that thirst and desire to the waters of life and offers them freely Esay 55. verse 1.2 but if they doe but desire and thirst for it he promiseth to giue it them freely Reuel 21.6 Reu. 22.17 And he will be as good as his word to thee thou shalt be sure to receiue and taste of these waters of comfort if thou wilt pray for it and desire it and expect with patience and tarry the Lords leisure for it Thou art blessed in the desire of it Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for first or last they shall be satisfied Matth. 5.6 and then blessed shalt thou be in the happie possession of it A bruised reede will he not breake and smoaking flaxe will he not quench that is the least sparkes of grace but kindle them to thy comfort Matth. 12.20 The Lord saith Dauid heareth the desires of the poore the poore in Spirit especially who are blessed though they be poore in their owne eyes seeing but little or no faith or holinesse in themselues yet they are rich in Christ in whom God accepteth them for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Matth. 5 3. If thou confessest that thou hast but this desire in thee as thou thy selfe mayest apply to thy selfe with the help of thine own co●science spirituall vnderstanding so may the minister also boldly and certainly apply the promises of grace and mercy to thy soule M. Perkins Cases of Conscience lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 5. And that with this or the like argument He that hath an vnfained desire to repent and b●leeue in Christ hath remission of sinnes and life euerlasting But thou hast an earnest desire to repent and beleeue in Christ as thy owne conscience cannot choose but tell thee and as thou confessest vnto him and therefore as thou mayest apply and conclude so if thou canst not he may certainly conclude to thee and for thee That remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs to thee and therefore he may assuredly and boldly for to procure thy peace the better pronounce vnto thee that excellent sentence of Absolution The Booke of Common Prayer in the visitation of the sicke appointed by our Church for the comfort of sicke and distressed soules Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truly repent and beleeue in him of his great mercy forgiue thee thine offences And by his authoritie committed to me I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen And if thou be as thou oughtest to be perswaded of the power of this absolution thou mayest after this possesse thy soule in peace with assurance that thou art iustified freely in Christ and labouring to increase in holinesse thou needest not doubt of happinesse in the end For this is one end why Christ hath giuen that power of binding and loosing vnto his Ministers those keyes of the kingdome of heauen That whatsoeuer they doe binde on earth Math. 16.19 should be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they should loose on earth should be loosed in heauen And withall gaue them the holy Ghost to direct and guide them Receiue yee the holy Ghost saith Christ whose soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. verse 22 23. And this power though it be not absolute but ministeriall Christ absoluing by his ministers yet as no water could cure Naamans leprosie but the waters of Iordan 2. King 5. because God had giuen a speciall gift vnto them So the same words of absolution being pronounced by any other cannot haue that power to worke on the conscience or to perswade to peace as when they are pronounced by him that hath this ministeriall office because the promise only is giuen to Gods Ministers who are sent forth to this end Ioh. 20.12.13 And being pronounced by them in this forme and manner Christ doth as certainly loose thee from the bonds of thy sinnes by his Ministers as he did loose Lazarus by his disciples from the bonds with which he was tyed when he had raised him to life Iohn 11.44 Be at peace therfore quiet thy conscience with diuine Answ 3 Hope and confidence in Christ and the God of peace shall be with thee 2. Cor. 13.11 And yet further thirdly for thy decay in grace Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle to the Christian Thessalonians Against decay in grace 1. Thes 5.19 in whom no doubt the grace of Gods Spirit was in good measure The Spirit therefore may bee quenched and Gods dearest children may lose grace for a time though not finally and totally because God in his mercy doth in due time renue the vigour and strength of his graces in them Thou must not conclude then by thy decay in grace for a time or want of holinesse that thou art excluded from the fauor of God in Christ The best wheate hath