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
A29090	The doctrine of free-grace, no doctrine of licenciousnesse, or, That Gods free unconditionall pardoning of sinne is the best way to mortifie the power of sinne in believers asserted and cleared by Edward Bagshawe ...	Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.	1662 (1662)	Wing B410; ESTC R5497	30,451	48

more I will not say Meritorious but Pleasing and Acceptable is our Obedience Having thus dispatched that Observation which the Objection in my Text did lead me to I come now to the Doctrine which I first raised and which takes in the whole Scope and Design of the Apostles arguing viz. That the Best and most Effectuall Way to mortifie the power of Indwelling Sinue is rightly to consider how Free Absolute and Unconditionall Gods Grace is in pardoning it In which there are these three Points to be explained 1º That Gods Grace in pardoning Sinne is Absolute Free and Unconditionall Observ 2 2º That A Considerate and fixed Belief of this is the best way to mortifie the Power of Indwelling Sinne. 3c That A Believer must never think he hath arrived to the Truth of his Profession till Sinne is mortified in him or in the Apostles words Till he is dead to Sinne. Doct. 1 The first Point is That Gods Grace in pardoning Sinne is Absolute Free and Unconditionall I mean respecting nothing in requiring nothing from the creature as that which may merit and deserve such Favour Thus all the Promises run I will take them saith God speaking of the New Covenant or Gospell-Times to be my People and I will be their God Jer. 31.33 For I will Forgive their Iniquities and I will remember their Sinnes no more So speaking of the same Covenant by the Prophet Ezekiell Ezek. 36.25 I will saith he sprinkle clean water upon you and from all your Filthiness will I cleanse you Which gracious Promise least it should seem to respect any thing in them as meritoriously exciting it God doth expresly premise I doe not this for your sake vers 22. O house of Israel but for my holy Names sake And again concludes it thus Not for your sakes doe I this vers 32. saith the Lord God be it known unto you Therefore in that Form of Words which God prescribes unto Returning Backsliders he commands them to say Hos 14.2 Lord take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously To which God presently replies vers 4. I will heal their Backslidings I will love them Freely But besides what may be deduced from the whole Tenour and Current of Scripture-Promises this will yet farther appear from these three Considerations Reason 1 First From the Nature of God who pardons Sinne who cannot be moved or altered by any condition in the Creature since he himself is the sole Author and Bestower of whatever good condition the Creature is able to perform For according to the Question of the Apostle Paul Rom. 11.33 Who hath first given unto him and it shall be recompenced to him again or as the words are in Job from whence the Apostle took them Job 41.11 Who hath prevented me sc by doing for me that I should repay him Hereby intimating that none hath or is able so to doe any thing for God as that he should thereby challenge any thing from him by way of Recompence As the words following in that place imply For whatever is under the whole Heaven is mine When therefore the Holy Men doe begge pardon of Sinne their finall resort is to Gods Mercy or Power as Moses when he intercedes for Israel And now let the Power of my Lord be great Numb 14.17 according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is long suffering and of great Mercy forgiving Iniquity and Transgression And so he goes on Forgive I pray thee the Iniquity of this People according to the greatness of thy Mercy Mic. 7.18.19 So the Prophet Micah Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage because he delighteth in Mercy Whereas did consideration of any thing in the Creature move God to shew Compassion Forgiveness from him would no longer be Grace but Debt and God in pardoning Sinne would not exert an act of Power but an act of Justice and Men might challenge not onely Pardon of Sinne but likewise Heaven it self as a Reward of their Performances Which is quite contrary to the whole Current of Scripture and to all those Conceptions which the Majesty and Greatness of God together with the Vileness and Despicable meanness of the Creature must needs enforce upon all Rationall and Considerate Men. Since therefore the Promises of God run Absolutely since the Nature of God is Inalterably i. e. Freely Gracious they neither consult Gods Honour nor the Comfort of doubting Christians who interpose the Clog of any preceding Condition They are very unfaithfull Embassadours to the King of Heaven who streighten their Commission and speak Peace and Pardon in Terms less generall than they have received Reason 2 Secondly This will appear yet farther from Consideration of the Price which was paid for Sinne. For though God pardons sinne Freely in reference to us since we neither did nor could deserve it yet it was not Free in reference to our Surety by Christ this was dearly bought and whatever we enjoy thereof was first sealed and comes down streaming to us in the Blood of the Mediator Now to know the Greatness of the Price the best way will be to consider the Greatness of the Person who paid it Joh. 1. In the beginning of Johns Gospell we read of one whom he there stiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Reason or the Eternall spring of Wisdome of him it is said that he was with God nay that he was God and as God did make the World If we look a little farther we shall find that this very Person this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. became Flesh or frail Man and laying aside the Glory of his Divinity for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tabernacled or pitched his Tent among the sonnes of Men. It was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this assumed Nature of his which he sacrificed as a Victim to appease his Fathers Anger and to expiate the sinnes of the world according as he speaks himself The Bread that I will give you Joh. 6.51 is my Flesh or my Humane Nature which I will give for the Life of the World Where by World is not nor cannot be meant the Generality of Man-kind of which the greatest part perish which could not possibly be had Christ actually shed his Blood for them but as our Saviour explains himself in another place Joh. 10. c. 11. v. 52. His Sheep or the Generality of Believers scattered throughout the world so that the word World is of the same Extent with the word Many Mat. 20.28 which our Saviour else-where useth As in Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.28 the Sonne of Man came to give his life a Ransome for or in stead of many And afterward This is the Blood of the New Covenant which was shed for Many for Remission of Sinnes That we may know the inestimable value of this Blood it is called