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
A55754	Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from severall texts of Scripture, opened and applyed. 1. A heavemly [sic] treatise of the devine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedome. 3. The deformed forme of a formall profession. 4. Christs fulnesse, and mans emptinesse. By John Preston, doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to King James, Mr. of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Two treatises, viz. The Christian freedome, and The deformed forme of a formall profession.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Plenitudo fontis, or, Christ's fulnesse and man's emptinesse.	1644 (1644)	Wing P3307A; ESTC R219005	93,300	192

the eye see hee that made the eare heare shall not hee that gave these perfections to the creatures have them in himselfe more eminently This perfection of his beauty is that which causeth the Angels so much to admire and adore him to bee taken up in the admiration of his excellencies Observe that in any man whom you love there is something not to bee beloved But CHRIST is wholly delectable there is nothing in him not fully to bee beloved See how the Spouse describes him in the Canticles how shee sets him forth in every part of him most to be desired If you could but see the Lord. If it did but please him to shew himselfe unto you as hee promised to shew himselfe unto him that loves him Iohn 14 21. If the Lord I say would give you a glympse of himselfe if by the light of the Spirit you could see him you would acknowledge him worthy of your love And this is the reason that some love him and others doe not because hee discovers himselfe to some and not to others As he did to Moses where let us see a little his expression of himselfe The Lord the Lord Exodus 34. this is but the Casket the Iewell is within If Gods Spirit should open these words unto you you would see him the fairest of ten thousand Iehovah Iehovah Of every creature you may say somewhat it was that it is not and samewhat it is that it will not be But God is unchangeable Iehovah in him is no alteration he is not a freind to day and none to morrow and such a friend you would desire to chuse as this Name signifies his immutable being so his omnipotency he is Almightie Now what a Loadstone of love is this All the power in men enableth them but to doe some things as patience enables them to beare injurious acts But the Lord hath all abilities all ornaments all excellencies all is comprehended in this Almightie So that well may such a friend bee desired True will the poore soule say he is well worth the having But hee will not match with such a match as I am Oh yes he is wonderfully pittifull and Mercifull as great a Prince of pitty as of any thing else Mercifull but I have no beauty no grace in me no worth no repentance But God is exceeding gracious Kings are said to be gracious because ther is supposed such a difference betweene them and their Subjects that they can deserve nothing of them So God is gracious hee doth not looke for any deservings in thee But I have provoked him by sinning and sinning often This will make him put mee off No he is of great forbearance But if he doe receive me I must carry my selfe well pray and doe that which I shall never bee able to doe Why no hee is very kinde Looke what a kinde Father a kinde Husband would doe to a Child or a Wife they are carefull to give content the like may you expect of the Lord. Hee will winke at many infirmities if your desires be found Though he say so how shall I know that he will doe it To confirme this He is true he keepes covenant and hath given ensamples of his mercy on thousands of them that feare him Oh but still my sinnes are many and great Be it so yet he forgives iniquities transgressions and sinnes originall sinnes sinnes of weaknesse and sinnes of wilfulnesse This glory God shewed to Moses This is the description of himselfe such a one is Iesus Christ O ye daughters of Ierusalem and is hee not worthy to be beloved When thou hast considered the worth that is in himselfe consider that hee sues to thee for thy love Suppose a Prince should come and aske this at thy hands wouldest thou deny him The weake should sue to the stronger but here the Lord God comes to thee for thy love This is that O Israel which hee requires of thee that thou love the Lord thy God Deuter. 10 16. When such a God shall aske thy love sue for it shall he be denied We the Ministers are but Christs spokes-men to wooe for Christ. See who it is that requires this it is thy Soveraigne Lord that might have required thee to sacrifice thy children thy life thy goods for his honour and can he not have thy love Now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare him to love him as if he should say the Lord hath done great things for you and might require great things of you againe This may melt thee then that hee requires nothing but thy love Againe consider he hath planted this love in thy heart shall hee not have his owne then when hee requires shall not hee which planted the tree eate of the fruit shall not hee which gave this fountaine of love taste of the waters of it Againe on whom would you bestow it if you will not give it to the Lord It must be bestowed on somewhat and it is the best thing you have to bestow It swaies commands al in you Doth thy wealth deserve it Do men deserve it Why they are not to bee compared to the Lord. Can any man doe for thee that which he doth besides he forgives thee thy sinnes day by day Thinke of his excellencies Againe you are engaged to love him you are married to him you have given up your names to him in your baptisme so that now well may I call you an adulterous generation if you love him not Yee are witnesses against your selves this day saith Ioshua Ioshua 24. if ye serve not the Lord. Hee takes great advantage of their promise that they had made to serve the Lord ye are now witnesses against your selves if you doe it not So all that heare me this day are witnesses against themselves For in their baptisme they tooke the Lord for their God Is hee not your Master where then is your feare is he not your Father where then is your reverence is he not your Friend where then is your love Againe he hath bought us yea he hath over-bought us If you should see a flocke of sheepe and heare that such a man hath paid such a price for them farre beyond their worth you will bee ready to say let him have them he is well worthy of them And shall Christ be denied that which he hath so dearely bought he hath bought you from the world from the power of the devill yea and from your selves so that they are not to set us on worke Wee are not our owne 1 Corinthians 6. wee are therefore to doe a mothers businesse and that is Christs who requireth love Besides all these generals thinke of the particulars which worke most upon us See all his passages to you how kinde he hath beene toward you See how he hath dealt with you from your youth hitherto Consider all his kindnesses bestowed

the sorrow commanded is that which followes beliefe for the more I beleeve the promises the more I shal grieve for displeasing him But what is the way to get assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes may some say I answer That that be done which is to be done on our part beleeved which God hath promised First The things to be done on our part are these 1. Confession plainely and truly we must confesse them to God and to man when we our selves cannot overcome them 2. Contrition which is when a man is not stubborne and resisteth Gods will and will please himselfe to get his heart broken and to say as S. Paul saith Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe and then we are subject to his will To him will I looke that is of a contrite heart 3. Desertion or forsaking of sinne for He that forsaketh not his sinnes shall not prosper which is when we having the like occasions yet will not give way to him but follow our owne lusts Secondly That that be beleeved which God hath promised and that is that as hee hath said He will forgive our sinnes upon such and such conditions so we beleeve it And to make us to doe this these motions may perswade us 1. Because he is mercifull in whose mercy there are three things all very materiall and moving 1. It is naturall to him hee is not weary of shewing mercy as the eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing no more is God in shewing mercie but in us it is not naturall but an infused quality and therefore wee are weary when men provoke us often 2. His mercy is infinite but in men it is not so therefore come within compasse of this quality and hee will exercise it for no sinne is beyond Gods mercy this keepeth us from despaire for though they be great yet God is able to forgive them As the raine watereth as well the great field as the little garden and as the Sunne shines as well on mountaines as on Molehills and as it disperseth the thick mist as well as the least thinne cloud so doth Gods mercy passe by great sinnes as well as little But if our sinnes be exceeding great aggravated with circumstances and often committed then we cannot imagine that God will forgive us This is answered by the Prophet Isaiah God is more mercifull than man can be sinfull he is more mercifull than we can imagine My thoughts are as much above your thoughts as the heaven is above the earth 3. We see much mercy in men and in the mother of a childe now it is but as a drop out of the ocean of Gods mercy but as a spark to the whole element of fire If you being evill can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father c. See what the Scripture saith I am mercifull forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne the first word signifies originall sinne the second actuall the third rebellion all which God can forgive Secondly because it is the end of Christs comming into the world now no man will doe any thing especially so great a matter as to kill himselfe for no end Christ then dyed for the forgivenesse of sinnes This S. Paul urgeth the end of Christs comming was to save sinners otherwise the crosse of Christ had beene of none effect and his mediation of no use if men did not commit sinnes or if God should not forgive them therefore God must needs be ready to forgive Thirdly because God beseecheth us to be reconciled unto him through Christ now if God doth this if wee seeke earnestly hee will heare us The Prodigall being willing to come home to his Father he met him and received him joyfully so doth God hee chargeth his Ministers to compell men to come in that is to preach Gods mercy that he will forgive their sinnes and therefore the most acceptable action to God is to bring a sinner to him Fourthly the charge laid on us to beleeve wee are charged on the paine of death to beleeve and therefore it is most profitable for us and most pleasing to him hee takes it wel at our hands that wee should beleeve and by the hand of faith lay hold on him which hee would not doe if he were not ready to forgive Fifthly from the examples of others let us see what God hath done for them and it will make us beleeve he forgave Manasses as well as Ioshua he pardoned Mary Magdalen as well as Elizabeth and Paul as well as Peter he hath forgiven the greatest sinnes as well as the least and he will also deale so with us Sixthly from the effects of it which are these 1. It glorifieth God much Abraham beleeved and glorified God much for the greater the sinner is the more honour is given to God as the Physitian hath the greatest glory by curing the greatest wound so God hath the greatest glory by forgiving the greatest sins which wound the soule even to death 2. It moveth us to love God the more Mary loved much because much was forgiven her 3. It mollifies the most it causeth them to relent and weepe much more This is plaine by that place where it is said that when God forgave the greatest sinnes then they mourned and lamented as in those Converts Act. 2. 37. 4. It purifies the heart for no man lookes to keepe his heart pure untill hee be assured of the forgivenesse of his sinnes for till then hee cannot looke on God as on a Father but on the contrary when the sinne is not forgiven God loseth the glory of being a Father and the glory of his truth and of his mercy and that hardens the heart from relenting Seventhly from the price which was payed and which no sinne can goe beyond indeed if Christ had payed but a finite price wee might feare that our sinnes should not be forgiven If a man were in debt two thousand pound and there were but one pay'd hee might be discouraged but when there is infinitely more pay'd than the debt is this should make us beleeve our sinnes are forgiven us whatsoever they be seeing they be all but finite Eighthly from the tenour of the Promises which proclaime that they that beleeve and repent and forsake their sinnes shall finde pardon for them as a King that proclaimes that all traytors and rebels shall be pardoned if they would lay downe their weapons Now Non est excipiendum ubi ●ex non excipit There is no exception to be made where the law makes none God faith yea therefore hath said and sworne it that he will forgive our sinnes that we may beleeve it But I have committed the sinne oft Yet God will forgive thee Though thou hast oft committed whoredome yet I will forgive thee if thou turne unto me saith the Lord by the Prophet of the house of Israel Ier. 3.

in every thing else almost a fulnesse in pleasure and delights a fulnesse in honour and preferments But this full Honey Combe is almost every where despised but happy hee the bent of whose heart God hath turned the right way to seeke a fullnes of Faith and Wisedome and a fulnesse of the Holy Ghost who cares not though he be empty of any thing else so hee bee full of these though a looser in other things so a Gainer in these Such a one hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from him Secondly If there be a Fulnes in Christ we should answer it with fulnes of affection on our parts fully beleeve and trust in him fully love and adore him fully delight in him for it is reason the affection should be answerable to the Object A little excellency desires little love and esteeme more excellency more love but wher there is a fulnesse of al excellencies that we shold procecute with fulnes of all our affections All the excellency in the Creature in comparison of this is but as a drop to the Ocean and a sparke to the whole Element of fire Therefore if we proportion our affections to the object which ought to be the Rule and square of them we should bestow on the Creature but a drop of love and delight but the full streame of our affections should be carried to him in whom is the fullnesse of all perfection It is true indeed that as men hide treasure from theeves under straw or baser covering so God hides this ful excellencie from the world under a base outside that his secret ones only might find it out and others seeing might not see but stumble at it Thus he hid Christ himselfe under a Carpenters sonne so hee hides Divine Misteries under the meane Elements of Bread and Wine so the wisedom of God is hidden under the foolishnesse of preaching and under Sheep-skins and Goat-skins as the Apostle speakes were hidden and such as the world is not worthy of yet there is such a fulnes of excellency notwithstanding for if ever wee saw beauty in Sun Moone Stars men women c. Or if ever wee found delight in musicke meates drinks friends c. All must needs be more abundantly in God who is the Author Maker giver of all these As Solomon reasons He that made the eye shal not he see so he that made all these things shall he not have them eminently in himselfe for as the worth of many peeces of silver is comprized in one piece of gold so all the petty excellencies which are scattered abroad in the Creatures are all united in God yea the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth is epitomized in him Why do we not then with Paul trample upon the Pompe and Glory of the world for the excellent knowledg of Christ Why do we not with David turn away our eyes hearts and affections from beholding vanity and pitch them all on him Why do we not re-collect our selves and gather up our affections and thoughts which are scattered and busied about a thousand trifles and bestow them all on him in whom is the fulnesse of all excellency beauty and perfection Thirdly if there be a fulnesse in Christ then let us be content with him having our hearts filled and satisfied with him First in regard of spiritual things Goe we not to the brookes of Teman the broken Cesterues and Pe●●ers packs of Rome as Saints Merrits Churches Treasury c. For if there be a fulnes in Christ hat needs not for in him we are all compleat Secondly for Temporal things let us be content with him alone for he is our fullnesse even in them also for the better conceiving of this we must know that the first Adam brought a generall Emptinesse through all the world for though the world be full of pomps and pleasures as Iohn calls them Lust of the flesh Lust of the eye c. yet it is properly empty because not full of that it should bee even as we say a well is empty though it be full of ayre because it is not full of water which should be in it for Emptinesse is not so much Absentia Entitatis as absentia Entitatis debitae Hence therfore not onely the hearts of men but the creatures are said to bee empty hence Solomon saith Ecclesiastes the 1. Chapter Vanity of Vanities all is but vanity that is emtine●●e and Rom. 8. The Creature is subject to vanity that is emptinesse through him that subjecteth it Hence the hea●ts of men are not satisfied with the world but as the Prophet speaks They eat and are not filled they drink and behold their soule is empty because the Creature is now but as the huske without the graine the shell without the kernell full of nothing but emptinesse and being empty in it selfe cannot give us satisfaction But Christ the second Adam hath filled all things againe Epes 1. last verse He ●●ls all in all things that is not only the hearts of men but the things also It is the Newter Gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence we may observe that many finde a want in the midst of plenty their hearts finde no rest or satisfaction in al they enjoy but with the holy Regenerate man it is much otherwise though he have but a little wealth a little food and rayment yet there is a secret fulnesse put into that little which makes it fit to give him satisfaction which is the meaning of that of the Psalmist Psal. 37 16. A little thing to the Righteous is better then great riches to the wicked because in that little it being filled with the blessing of the second Adam they finde a fulnesse whereas the wicked finde an emptinesse in the midst of their greatest a●oundance If there be a fulnesse in Christ then what though there be a fulnes of sin and guilt in us yet there is a fulnes of Grace in him able to remove it and take it away A fulnes of mercy to receive our Supplications a fulnes of merit to make an Attonement for our foulest sins a fulnes of Favour to prevaile with his Father in any requests If therefore there be a fulnes of grace in Christ as there is be not discouraged though thy sins abound yet his Grace abounds much more they cannot be so out of measure sinful as he is out of measure merciful Remember but the two Metaphors used in Scripture I wil scatter your sins as a mist and they shal be drowned in the bottom of the Sea Now the Sun by reason of its great force can scatter the thickest mist aswel as the least vapour The Sea by reason of its great Vastnes can drowne mountaines aswel as molehils So Christ by reason of that Vast Fulnes of Grace which is in him is as able yea as forward and willing to forgive the greatest sins aswel as the least I say as forward and willing for mercy though it be a quality in us yet it is a nature in God Now what is natural there is no unwillingnesse or wearinesse in doing that as the eye is not weary with seeing nor the eare weary with hearing Therefore though our sins be

never so great and many yet if this condition be observed that wee lie in no knowne sin that we have a ful and resolute purpose God bearing witnesse to our consciences not to doe the least evil nor omit the least good in a word that wee make our hearts perfect to God in al things for without this conditon there is no remission of sins But if this condition be observed I say that although our sinnes be never so great any many yet they are not gone beyond the price which hath beene paid for them nor beyond the Grace of him with whom we have to doe for there is a fulnes in him Now I beseech you take not this Exhortation in vaine for there is nothing more effectual to heale a rebellious disposition to instil saving Grace to cause a finner to change his course then to be fully perswaded that he shal be received to mercy and that his sins shal be forgiven in Christ Even as the Theese while the 〈…〉 e and Cry is after him never returnes willingly Rebels and Pyrates whiles the Proclamation of Rebellion is out against them never come in But if there be a Proclamation of pardon yea and of some great Advancement if that be beleived once that and noting else causeth them to come in and to become faithfull and loyall Subjects Therefore let this fulnesse of mercy in Christ be an effectuall motive to us all to come in to lay down the armes of Rebellion to choose God for our good and to give up our selves wholly to him to serve him with perfect hearts willing minds all our dayes So much for the first part The second part I wil as briefely dispatch and not meddle with the third left I be tedious Of his Fulnes weo have al received WHence the second Point is That al Grace is received For as al Stars shine in the light of the Sun So doe al the Saints through grace received What else distinguished Iohn from Iudas Simon Peter from Simon Magus but onely Christ who shone upon one and not upon another when they sate both alike in darknesse and in the shadow of death The Scripture is evident for this Phil. 2. 13. The Deed is wrought in us by God and not the deed onely but the Wil also which produces that deed nor that onely but the thought also which begat that wel For we are not able so much as to thinks a good thought of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that al grace yea al preparation to grace and ability to accept grace are al from God contrary to what Arminius affirmeth and not of our selves and that for theise reasons Because nothing can worke beyond the Spheare of us owne reach the eff●ct exceedeth not the Cause therefore it is impossible for corrupt nature either to beget Supernatural grace or to doe any Action preparing or bending or inclining the wil to it For as the water cannot heate which is an Action above the nature of it until an higher principle of heat be first infused into it no more can meere nature doe any thing tending to saving grace having no principle in it selfe whence it can raise it And if it be objected as it is by the Arminians that though Grace doe al yet to accept or reject it to wil or nil it is natural to man as a free Agent I answer that to wil is natural but to wil wel is supernatural and must rise from a higher wel-head than nature is For as an hatchet wil cut when handled but with a common hand but not make a chaire or stoole or any Artificial thing except it have Influentiam Artificis quatenus Artifex the influence of an Artificer as he is an Artificer So though to wil be natural yet to wil wel to doe a supernatural worke in a supernatural and holy manner it cannot except it have the influence of a supernatural Agent to direct and guide it If a man might accept Grace or refuse it as he would God were not God because he might be crossed by his creature and his own wil should not absolutely beare rule especially in that great matter of beleiving and not beleeving and in putting difference betwixt man and man in the matter of Salvation and Damnation For according to Arminius though God did heartily desire the conversion of such a man and offered him al the meanes of Grace that could be yet it is stil in the free choise of his wil to convert or not to convert Their onely answer here is that seeing God hath made a Decree that man shal be a free Agent though he doe most earnestly desire the conversion of such and such men yet because he cannot disa●ul his Decree he doth and must leave it to the liberty of the Creature to doe contrary to even that himselfe desires But what is this else but to put God into such streights as Darius was in who would faine have saved Daniel but because of his Decree he could not And if griefe in Spirits and Angels be but Renisus volunt at is a reluctancy of the wil as the Schoolemen affirme what is this else but to attribute griefe unto God and so to detract from his Blessednesse Thirdly if all Grace be not received but a man may accept it or reject it as he will how can it be solved but that a man must rejoyce and boast partly in himselfe contrary to Paul's rule and not wholly in the Lord for aske the question of all that are saved what is the reason that you are saved rather then another their answer must needs be I out of the liberty of my owne will did receive and use well the Grace offered when another did not So that according to Arminius the Saints in heaven are not a jot more beholding to God then the damned in hel for the offering of Grace on Gods part was a like common to both only he that is in heaven may thank his own wil that he chose it when onother refused it They have nothing here to answer but onely that the meanes of Grace are dispenced by God with some disparity But what is that when they maintaine such freedome of wil that he who hath the greatest meanes may reject grace and he who hath the least may accept it Other reasons there are but that I hasten as that Grace is not Grace without being received no more then a man can be a man without reason or a gift can be a gift without being given for no lesse doth it imply contradiction to suppose it to be a grace yet not to be freely bestowed by God and received by us Secondly bowing of the will is an effect of