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
A73885	Divers select sermons on severall texts Viz. 1. Of quenchiug [sic] the spirit. I Thessalon. 5.16. 2. Of the sinners suite for pardon. 2 Sam. 24.10. 3. Of eating and digesting the Word. Ier. 15.16. 4. Of buying and keeping the truth. Prov. 23.23. Preached by that reverend and faithfull minister of the word, Ier. Dyke, late preacher of Epping in Essex. Finished by his owne pen in his life time, and now published by his sonne Dan. Dyke Master of Arts.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Daniel, 1617-1688.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Heart-smitten sinner's suite for pardon.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Of quenching, and not quenching of the spirit.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Purchase and possession of the truth.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Right eating and digesting of the Word.	1640 (1640)	STC 7414; ESTC S124520	150,541	441

with a great deale of anguish And what will a man doe in such a case The first thing hee will doe for his ease is to plucke out the sting the Hornet hath left behinde For if a man apply medicines for ease yet if the sting be still sticking in his flesh medicines are in vaine So when the conscience is stung and throbs and rages the way is first to plucke out the sting out of the conscience Nothing can take away the sting out of the conscience but pardon Pardoning grace onely can fetch that out therefore when thy conscience is stung and doth paine and vex thee let that be the first thing and let is bee done speedily too to seeke to God for the pardon and remission of thy sinne That will take out the sting and when the sting is out there will follow present ease Secondly marke what Davids suite Doct. 2 to God is Take away I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant Learne then what is a maine thing that concernes every sinner to looke after and labour for A maine thing that above all others a sinner should looke after and take thought and care for is the pardon and remission of his sinnes Our Saviour in the forme of prayer by him prescribed teaches us to pray but sixe petitions and amongst those sixe the fift is forgive us our trespasses and observe with what petition it is coupled Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us Two things may be there observed 1. First hee subjoynes petition for pardon to petition for bread 2. Secondly hee couples and conjoynes them In the three first petitions one petition is subjoyned to another but not conjoyned to the other Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdome come c. hee saith not And thy Kingdome come And thy will be done But here these are coupled Give us c And forgive us And this to teach us that there is as great necessity of pardon for eternall life as of bread for temporall That we stand in as much need of a forgiving God for our soules as of a giving God for our bodies So also that wee should bee no lesse thoughtfull and carefull for pardon of sinne than men are for bread That wee should beg as hard and toyle as hard for the pardon of sinne as for bread to maintaine life The Lord Hos 24.2 prescribes his people a prayer and that hath but two petitions and this is not onely one of them but the first of them Take away all iniquity and give us good Agur put up but two petitions to God and these were the petitions that he meant to put up to his dying day Prov. 30.7 Two things have I required of thee deny them mee not before I dye that is two things I have beg'd and will not leave begging to my dying day and one of these two and the first of these two things that he would beg to his dying day was the pardon of his sinnes v. 8. Remove farre from me vanity and lyes As if he should say Lord be mercifull unto mee in the pardon of my sinnes So that there is no thought nor care that should take up a mans time and paines all his life long as this how to get the pardon of our sinnes It is the greatest mercy that can be showne us It is true that wee live wholly upon mercy that we have a being it is mercy that wee have any comfortable being it is mercy mercy that we have food to put into our bellies mercy that wee have clothes to put upon our backs mercy that we are freed frō many sorrowes sadnesse and heavy crosses that others lye under all is mercy but yet lay all together and they are nothing to the mercy that is in pardon of sinne that is the greatest mercy that can be shewed Psal 51.1 According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions See then that it is mercy that must blot out transgressions nay it is tender mercy nay it is a multitude of tender mercies that blots out and forgives sinne And therefore it being so great a mercy our cares should be suitable and proportionable to it The greater the mercy is the greater should a mans care be to get a share in that mercy Vse 1 First if pardon of sinne be a thing of such concernement the maine thing that a sinner should looke after then let us make it our great care and the great endeavour of our lives to get the pardon of our sinnes It is wofull to see our negligence and security in this point What is there in all the world that concernes men to looke after more and yet what is there that men looke after lesse than the pardon of their sinnes No care no thought no time no paines too much or enough for getting goods riches and the necessaries of this life but how rare and infrequent are mens cares thoughst for the pardon of sin All our cares are wasted and expended upon these trifles but for this one thing that is necessary scarce one serious thought in the whole yeere Who will shew us any good that string men harpe upon But who will shew us the way to get the pardon of our sinnes that 's a question rarely asked It is too true that men have not that care for their soules they have for their bruit beasts for their very Hogs and Dogges Luc. 14.5 Which of you shall have an Asse or an Oxe fallen into a pit and will not straight way pull him out Nay if it were a Swine nay if a Dogge hee should be pul'd out and pull'd out straight way Such care and such compassions would wee with haste shew unto these vile and base creatures But how often doe mens soules fall into the pit even into the pit of Hell and Death by their sinnes and yet no care nor compassion to pull them out much lesse to pull them out straightway But for any care or conscience is taken there their poore soules may lye and rot in the pit A miserable thing that a man should shew more care and pitie to his Swine than to his soule It being therefore the maine thing a sinner should labour for to get his sinne taken away be we exhorted in Gods fear to make this our maine care Spend lesse time and care upon the world upon your profits and your pleasures squander not out your cares time and paines upon these vanities these nothings Spend some time spend some care some paines upon your poore soules in getting their sinnes pardoned Let Job's thoughts be ours Job 7.20 21. So say wee Alas I have sinned and am a guilty person before God What shall I doe unto God What course shall I take that my sinne may be pardoned Oh Lord that I had an heart to seeke out for my pardon Sayes Job And why doest thou not pardon my transgressions and take away mine iniquity Hee speakes as if hee had beene

thoughtfull and painefull about that businesse and wonders that after all his endeavour hee cannot get his pardon sealed As if hee should say Lord what is the matter that I cannot get my pardon Now if many of us should put Jobs question to God and say And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity might not God answer us And why doest thou not seeke for thy pardon and why doest thou not labour for the taking away of thine iniquity Why should I pardon your iniquity that take no care for your pardon Why should I forgive your iniquitie that seeke not for the forgivenesse of it Let us therfore make it a matter of greater care and thoughtfulnesse than ever yet wee have done Martha Martha thou cumbrest thy selfe about many things but one thing is needfull and thou takest not the care for that thou shouldest doe So it may be said of most men We cumber our selves with thoughts for food for rayment for our selves and for our children for our backes and our bellies for wealth and for riches and all these cares are but cumbers But there is one thing necessary one thing so necessary as that ye are undone and perish for ever unlesse you get it viz. The pardon of your sinne and as if it were a trifle a matter scarce worth the looking after as if it were that which hung upon every hedge you never minde it nor once looke after it That therefore men may bee awakened out of this grosse supine negligence and be stirred up to looke after this so great a matter Consider these motives following First our very life lyes upon it Every sinner in his guilt having his sinne unpardoned let him be what he will hee is no better than a dead man That as God spake to Abimelech Gen. 20.3 Behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken So behold thou art but a dead man and a dead woman for the sinne which thou hast committed if thy sinne be not pardoned An unpardoned sinner is but a dead man Ephes 2.1.5 Wee use to say of a condemned person that hee is a dead man But now when a mans sinne is pardoned then hee hath his life as when the King gives a condemned man his pardon wee say hee gives him life Our Justification is called Justification of life Rom. 5.18 A maine part of our Justification is the pardon of sinne So that pardon of sinne it is our life I said unto thee in thy blood live c. Ezek. 16.6 and Ephes 2.5 Wee which were dead in sinnes hath hee quickned made alive How come wee to be made alive for by grace wee are saved God of his free grace hath pardoned us our sinnes and thus are wee quickned that are dead Now if our life lies upon our pardon and wee be no better than so many dead men without it doth it not concerne us to looke about us and to get our pardon Is there any thing of that concernement that our life is Therefore as Moses in that case urges them Deut. 32.46 47. And hee said unto them set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which yee shall command your children to observe to doe all the words of this Law For it is not a vaine thing for you because it is your life and thorow this thing yee shall prolong your dayes in the land whither yee goe over Jordan to possesse it So in this set your hearts upon this businesse and make it the greatest of all your care to get pardon of sinne it is not a vaine thing nor a trifling businesse it is your very life If yee get not your pardon yee dye yee perish yee are undone unto eternity When a man is condemned to dye if he have any friends that can doe any thing with those about the King hee sets them all on worke and there is great mediation great and earnest suing no paines nor cost spared riding and poasting to and againe Now what is the reason of all this adoe Because the mans life lyes upon the Kings pardon if that businesse be not plyed and effected the man dyes and is sure to be executed And therefore life lying on it no marvell hee bestirres himselfe and sets his wits and his friends on worke with all their might It is our case if sinne unpardoned wee are but dead men and undone men our life lyes upon Gods mercy in our pardon And our life lying upon it how doth it concerne us to bestirre our selves and to give our hearts no rest till wee have prevailed with God for this favour the taking away of our iniquity Our life stands in our Salvation our life stands in our Redemption our life stands in our Reconciliation to God And all these stand in the pardon of our sinnes Our Salvation stands in it Luc. 1.77 Where the end of John Baptists going before the face of the Lord is said to be To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sinnes As a man is said to bee saved when the Kings pardon comes Our Redemption stands in it Ephes 1.7 In whom wee have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins We may talke of Christs blood and redemption by him but redemption wee have none and benefit of Christ wee have none till wee have the pardon of our sinnes Our Reconciliation with God stands in it 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World not imputing their sinnes And therefore since our Salvation our Redemption our Reconciliation stands in it our life stands in it And since our life lyes upon it it ought to be our greatest care above all things to get the pardon of our sinnes Secondly it is the in let to all other mercy and that which ushers in all other good Hos 14.2 Take away all iniquity and give us good They must pray for good to be given I but your iniquities with-hold good things from you Jer. 5.25 Therefore their first petition is Take away all iniquity So that wee can looke for no good to be given till sinne be forgiven And when sinne is forgiven then that is removed that with-holds good from us and then way is made and the passage cleered for the entrance of good And therefore when God intends any mercy or a speciall good to a people hee first makes way for it by the taking away their iniquity Hee prepares a way for his blessings by the pardon of our sinnes So when God intended the mercy of peace and liberty to his Church deliverance from the sorrowes see what hee doth withall Isa 40.1 2. Speake comfortably to her that her warfare is accomplished all her troubles and afflictions shall have an end I but alas might they say wee have so many sinnes and so great guilt upon us that wee cannot hope to have that comfort Therefore see what followes an answer to that objection That

her iniquity is pardoned As if hee should say I will take away your iniquities and so make way to that mercy your sinnes shall be pardoned and so shall be no hindrance to you And so when the palsey man came to bee healed what was it that made the way to that mercy So soone as Christ sees him hee sayes not Sonne be of good comfort thy palsey is cured but Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee and then when that is done then Arise take up thy bed and walke The pardon of sinne made way for the cure of his palsey And so David makes that the in-let of his bodily health Psal 103.3 Who forgives all thine iniquities who heales all thy diseases Davids diseases were healed and what made way for the healing of them who forgives all thine iniquities Pardon of sinne makes way for this blessing See Isa 38.17 where King Hezekiah confesseth it had made way for the same to him Behold saith hee for peace I had great bitternesse but thou hast in love to my soule delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Nay for health to an whole Land Isa 33.24 The inhabitant of the Land shall not say I am sicke The Land shall be free from contagious infectious pestilentiall epidemicall diseases That 's a great blessing but what shall make way for such a mercy The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity And therefore when David sets himselfe to praise God for being a God that heard prayer hee makes this the ground of it Psal 65.2 Blessed be thy name that hast heard my prayer Oh how could God heare thy prayer when thou hadst many sinnes which covered God with a cloud that thy prayer should not passe thorow as Lam. 3.44 Answ It is true vers 3. Mine iniquities had prevailed against mee and they had kept good things from mee and brought evill things upon mee but yet for all that God heard my prayer and to make way for hearing my prayer As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away and so make way for hearing prayer and doing mee good This should be a strong motive to us to get our sinnes taken away and pardoned Wee stand in need of good to be given us daily To have the Gospel and peace continued it is a wonderfull great good and happinesse to have the land healed and the plague removed and stayed from rising and spreading it is a good wee begge of God and faine would have it There is a way to have it and to have God give us this good but men doe not will not take the course to get this good If our sinnes were pardoned God would give this good of the continuance of the Gospell and peace If our sinnes were pardoned God would give this good of good and seasonable weather would give this good of healing the Land and staying the plague Now then as we would have God doe these things for us so let us get the pardon of our sinnes We pray for these mercies if wee would have them let us take heed that our iniquities prevaile not against us And as wee would not have our iniquities prevaile against our prayers so let our first care be to have them purged away and pardoned Wee may pray for such mercies as wee neede wee may pray for the staying and removing of the plague till our hearts ake and we shall never prevaile so long as our iniquities prevaile against us And they will prevaile against us to bring on the plague and other judgements if wee doe not get them pardoned So long as the people of the Land have not their iniquities forgiven them wee cannot looke for it that the inhabitants of of the Land of the Citie should not say we are sicke But so long as wee get not sinne pardoned so long as that reignes untaken away so long we shall say wee are sicke that our Townes and Cities are sicke of the plague of pestilence Behold I will bring it heatlh and cure and I will cure them and will reveale unto them the abundance of peace and truth And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against mee and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Jer. 33.6.8 That 's the way to get health and cure Thirdly it is that which seasons and sweetens all other mercies comforts and contentments wee enjoy which makes all mercies sweet which makes all comforts savoury The want of pardon imbitters all comforts and makes a mans soule abhorre them all Looke upon a man that is in distresse of conscience under the sense of Gods anger and in feare of condemnation what joy and contentment takes that man in any thing hee hath wife children houses lands wealth riches what comfort takes hee in them all It is with a man in this case as it was with that of Haman Esth 5.11 12 13. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how hee had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover Yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that shee had prepared but my selfe and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth mee nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate All gave him no content so long as Mordecai sate at the Kings gate So here though a man have all these comforts and be up to the chin in them all yet will a mans conscience that wants pardon be working and speaking thus if it be awakened I have such and such comforts yet all this availes me not so long as sinne lyes before the doore so long as my sinne lyes unpardoned I stand in a state of guilt and wrath and what know I but I shall goe to Hell and bee damned and so long as my condition is such what am I the better for house land wife children what tell you me of riches and wealth and these trifles when Gods curse and vengeance hangs over my head and is ready for ought I know to fall upon mine head every moment and to arrest me and drag me to hell there to be in torment for ever But then mercies are mercies indeed then they are sweet indeed when they come swimming to us in the streame of Christs blood when they come with a pardon in their hand Behold sayes David to Ziba Thine are all that pertained to Mephibosheth Take thou all his lands and see how hee answers 2 Sam. 16.4 I humbly beseech thee that I may finde favour in thy sight c. As if hee should say I had rather have the Kings favour than the Lands what good will the Lands doe mee unlesse I may have the

Kings favour So in this case it is the favour of God in the pardon of sinne that sugars all outward comforts See Isai 40.1 2. Comfort yee my people c. Say unto her that her warfare is accomplished Is that all No And that her iniquity is pardoned It is a comfort to have peace liberty freedome from enemies molestations and oppressions I but then it is a comfort indeed and then it is sweet indeed when it comes with the pardon of sinne When the conscience hath peace with God then there is comfort great comfort in outward peace So when the palsey man came to Christ hee came for cure and it had beene a great mercy to have had his health and recovery from that disease But marke Christ sayes not Be of good comfort thou shalt have thine health that hee tells him after hee shall have but be of good comfort thou shalt have thy pardon To teach that then health and recovery is a sweet comfort when a mans sinne is pardoned Give us our bread forgive our sins teaching us that there is little comfort in having bread without pardon and that that which makes bread comfortable and sweet is when it comes with pardoning mercy A man that lyes in prison and is a condemned man cloath him with rich apparell feed him with delicious fare let him have the sweetest Musicke yet so long as he is a condemned man and lookes every houre to be fetcht out to execution all this gives him no content His heavy heart puts the Musicke out of tune takes away the rellish of his dainty foode But if now a pardon might but come from the King to such a man this would make the Musicke sweet the fare pleasant indeed Nay though hee had nothing but bread and water yet a pardon would so rejoyce him that hee would thinke his bread and water good cheere it would turne his water into wine This is the mercie that crownes all other mercies it is a crowning and the chiefe of all other David Psal 21. Had a crowne of pure Gold set upon his head But when David comes to blesse God for all his benefits Psal 103. Blesse the Lord c. Hee sayes not which hath set a crowne of pure gold upon thine head but vers 4. Who crownes thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Hee blesses God for crowning him with mercy tender mercy for setting not a crowne of gold but a crowne of mercy upon his head But how did hee set it on his head vers 2. Who forgives all thine iniquity Pardoning mercy is crowning mercy and David more joy'd in that than in his crowne A crowne without pardon is but a crowne of thornes Davids greatest comfort is in his crowne of loving kindnesse and tender mercies Fourthly it is that which fits for duty for the duties of praying hearing receiving of the Sacrament A man is never fit for any duty till his sinnes be pardoned So long as a man stands guilty before God as hee doth till sin be pardoned all his duties are turned into sinne That 's an heavie imprecation Psal 109.7 Let his prayer become sinne But marke the ground of it and how it comes about When he shall be judged let him goe out guilty and let his prayer become sinne When therefore a man stands guilty then his prayer becomes sinne and every man whose sin is not pardoned stands guilty The person being in his sinne hee turnes his duties into sinne Not only the plowing of the wicked is sinne Prov. 21.4 but the praying of the wicked is sinne Plowing is an honest worke and praying is an holy worke but sinne unpardoned marres both plowing and praying turnes the honest worke of plowing and the holy worke of praying into sinne It is bad enough and sad enough that a man sinnes when hee sweares that his oathes are sinnes how much more sad is it that a man sinnes when hee prayes that his prayers are sinnes That is the sad condition of every man who stands guiltie and hath not his sinne pardoned The end of all duties is communion with God And a man is never fit for a duty till hee be fit to have fellowship and communion with God And a man is never fit for fellowship and communion with God till his sinnes be pardoned and so never fit for duty till sinne be pardoned There is no fellowship and communion to be had with God so long as there is a separation betweene God and us Now a mans sinnes unpardoned set God and us at a distance make a separation betweene God and us Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither is his eare heavie that it cannot heare But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare As if hee should say therefore ye pray and God heares you not yee pray and yee have no fellowship with nor answer from God because your sinnns are upon you and they being unpardoned separate betweene you and God and they hide his face from you In vaine doth a man seeke communion with God when separated from him Sinne unpardoned makes the Lord a separatist he will not joyne with us nor have any fellowship with us in any of our duties Till sinne be separated from us God will separate and then sinne is separated when it is pardoned and when pardoned then fit for duty because then so qualified as God will have communion with us Wee are never fit for duty till wee can so doe duty that wee may expect good from duty Then fit for prayer the Word the Sacrament when so qualified as that we may receive good from God in them and by them And that is then when wee have our iniquities taken away Hos 14.2 Take away all iniquity and give good Why pray wee but that God may give good by that ordinance Why heare wee but that God may give good by that Ordinance Why receive wee the Sacrament but that God may give good by that Ordinance I but if wee will receive good by these wee must be fit to pray heare receive let us be qualified aright and God will give good But what is that qualification Take away all iniquity and give good Therefore men doe these and no good is given them because they first take not a course to have iniquity taken away Prayer would give good preaching would give good and the Sacrament would give good if wee would come fitted for these duties and this is the maine thing that must first be had to fit us the pardon of sinne No duty is accepted till a mans person be No mans person is accepted so long as he is in his guilt hee is in his guilt that hath not sinne pardoned but when sinne is pardoned then guilt is taken off when guilt is taken off then a mans person is accepted when a mans person is accepted then his duty is accepted

if it would so easily have beene had See how difficult a work Job found it Job 7.20 21. I have sinned and what shall I doe unto thee O thou preserver of men I have done what I can to get my pardon and I am willing to do any thing in the world what shall I doe more than I have done And why doest thou not pardon my transgression and take away mine iniquity Hee had done what hee could hee had confessed prayed hee had laboured and striven with all his might and as yet hee could not get his pardon and the assurance of it Job then found it not so easie a matter to get pardon as many doe imagine it to be Prov. 30.7 8. Agur would beg for his pardon and labour to get that even to his dying day It is a thing a worke that will take up all a mans life it will finde him businesse to his dying day to get the pardon of sinne It is a mans whole life time well spent too if hee speed in that businesse Alas if it were a work so easily done as many dreame what needed Agur have spent so much time about it why could hee not follow the world and follow his lusts and take his pleasure as hee saw good and then when hee was ready to dye when hee was at his last gaspe have fetcht his pardon from Heaven with a Lord have mercy upon mee why sayes he not One thing I would have of thee which I will beg when I dye when I am dying Remove from mee all my guilt No Agur knew that pardon was not so easily purchased hee knew it was a great worke and an hard work and therefore would be sure to take time enough to doe it hee saw it was worke enough for his whole life and therefore would not make it his worke at his dying day but till his dying day This one thing shewes the difficulty of the pardon of sinne to consider what God doth on his part On Gods part for our pardon is required First not onely mercy and grace but great and wonderfull grace and mercy Psal 51.1 Mercy tender mercies multitude of tender mercies Psal 86.5 Ready to forgive I but it is out of mercy that hee forgives And what will any mercy serve the turne No ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy So that unto forgivenesse is required not onely mercy not any ordinary and common mercy but plenty of mercy The Apostle speakes of the riches of Gods grace and Ephes 2.1 You hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and in sinnes But whence was it vers 4. From God who is rich in mercy Therefore to the pardon of sinne is required not only grace and mercy but riches of Grace riches of Mercy And God in the pardon of a sinner layes forth the riches of his mercy the riches of his grace When a rich man gives a poore man an almes hee gives him somewhat of his riches but brings not out his whole riches layes not out his treasures upon him Riches is an abundance of things pretious But now God in pardoning a sinner layes out his treasures and riches Ephes 2.7 That hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace Now some pence some shillings are not so hard to be had common mercies of food and rayment preservation these be but penny mercies shilling mercies but pardon of sinne that is riches of Grace And it is not so easie to get riches of mercy in pardon as it is to get the penny mercies of food and rayment Is it thinke wee so easie a thing to get multitude of mercies plenty of mercy riches and treasures of grace which are to be brought forth and laid out in the pardon of sinne Secondly not onely power and might but his infinite power his Almighty power Psal 99.8 Deus fortis condonans eis not onely is hee a mercifull God forgiving but hee is a strong God in forgiving not onely his infinite mercy but his infinite power is required and hath a concurrence in the pardon of sinne And therefore see Psal 86.5.8 No God like him no works like his as being of God of that infinite power as to pardon sinne And therefore hence that same Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercy So that to pardon sinne is as great a worke as to shake heaven and earth yea as to make heaven and earth Is it an easie thing to shake heaven and earth It cannot be done but by an Almighty power because it cannot be done but by an Almighty power Therefore it is not an easie worke and therfore by the same reason no easie worke to have sinne pardoned because an Almighty power is required thereto So then wee see that it is no such easie thing to get pardon Now these things are not spoken to discourage and dishearten men from seeking pardon but to quicken and awaken men to take paines for it Slothfull and lazie endeavours will never get things that be hard and difficult The harder things are to be gotten the harder must men labour to get them There is no discouragement in the difficulty of obtaining pardon because though it be hard yet Secondly it is possible and the worke feasable All the paines in the world will not effect impossibilities But though things be hard and difficult yet so long as possible there is roome for and encouragement to endeavours There is therefore a possibility of pardon David that so struggles for it Psal 51.1 2. Hee else-where blesses God for it Psal 103.2 3. Blesse the Lord O my soule saith hee and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases And so that iniquity for which hee had beg'd pardon so hard Psal 51. was then forgiven So that the work was done hardly but yet it was done Pardon came hardly but yet it came There was a time when David roared was disquieted in his spirit and hee could have no quiet Psal 32.3 4. But yet there came a time when David could say Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne vers 5. Hezekiah chatters like a Crane or Swallow mournes as a Dove his eyes faile with looking upward Isa 38.14 But vers 17. Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe David here prayes that God would take away his iniquity It is idle to pray for impossibilities if it had beene an impossible thing it had beene weakely done of David to have prayed for that which could not have been Prayer is grounded upon promises all things promised are things possible So then though it be an hard thing yet being possible it being a possible thing yet an hard thing Let it make us shake off both all slothfulnesse out of a conceit of easinesse and all despondencie of spirit out of a conceit of the

Upon the condition of their repentance hee would give them the pardon of their sinnes And upon the same condition is the same promise Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for hee will abundantly pardon hee will multiply to pardon And wee finde that God upon such condition hath made good his promise Psal 32.5 I acknowledged my sinne unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne That is I did repent and humble my soule in the confession of my sinne and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Not that repentance fetches in pardon by way of merit as monie buyes pardons at Rome nor yet that repentance layes hold on pardon which is the worke of faith alone But for two reasons pardon followes upon repentance First Because the faith that lookes on Christs blood lookes at the same time on its owne sinne and every beleeving sinner is at the same time a repenting sinner Zech. 12.10 They shall see him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne So that faith not onely sees Christ but sees him pierced pierced by its owne sinne They not onely see Christ pierced but Christ who they themselves have pierced They see him and mourne Faith lookes upon him with a mourning eye The faith that lookes upon Christ is a repenting faith and never repents and mournes more then when it lookes most on Christ So that repentance being so necessary attendant upon faith therefore the promise of remission is made to repentance Secondly the want of assurance of pardon doth no lesse disquiet the heart then the want of pardon it selfe Now suppose a man upon his faith have his pardon yet hee cannot bee assured of it till hee doe repent Upon repentance God gives the assurance and seales it to the conscience And therefore upon repentance it is that pardon is promised So then would wee have the pardon of sinne would wee have iniquity taken away See then what is to be done As thou wouldest have pardon so fall close to the taske of repentance So humble thy selfe for thy sinnes mourne and be in bitternesse of spirit judge thy selfe and turne from thy sinnes and God will then shew mercy to thee in thy pardon So long as thou livest and lyest in thy sinnes and goest on in thine impenitency and hardnesse of heart thou canst not have the pardon nor the hope of pardon of thy sinne You have many that hope their sins are pardoned and that God hath taken away their injquity and why so Why they thanke God they beleeve in Christ and that with all their hearts It is well if they doe so But yet they that will have pardon must repent as well as beleeve You thanke God you beleeve but in the meane time where is your repentance Though I had all faith so as I could remove mountaines and yet have not love I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 So in this case though thou hadst all faith so as thou couldest remove mountaines yet if you want repentance in this case thou art nothing thou hast not nor canst have any pardon at Gods hand Thou sayest thou beleevest and therefore thou hopest thou hast thy pardon I but the faith that helpes to pardon is a repenting and a mourning faith Thy faith is no such faith Thou sayest thou beleevest I but yet thou art a drunkard a swearer an uncleane a covetous person Thy faith is a swearing faith thy faith is a drunken faith thy faith is a whoring faith a covetous faith Now doest thou thinke that a whoring drunken swearing faith is a faith that will help thee to the pardon of thy sinne No such matter In that day a fountaine shall be opened for sinne Zech. 13.1 But in what day They shall see him whom they have pierced and they shall mourne and be in bitternesse Not simply in that day when they have a faith to see him but in that day when they shall see him and mourne for him the promise is not made to any faith but to a mourning faith to a repenting faith Doe but marke that passage Act. 8.13 Then Simon himselfe beleeved also yea and was baptized and continued and kept company with Philip. Here was a faith that Simon Magus had But see vers 22. Repent thee of this thy wickednesse if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee and vers 23. Therefore there is a faith that men may have and yet they may be guilty of wickednesse there is a faith that men may have and yet be in the gall of bitternesse yet be in the bonds of iniquity And such a faith will not serve for pardon but if men will have pardon they must repent of their wickednesse The faith that must helpe to the pardon of sinne must be a repenting faith And though thou talke of faith whilest thine heart akes yet if thy faith be not a mourning repenting faith thy sinnes are not pardoned thine iniquity is not taken away Apoc. 2.17 To him that overcomes I will give a white stone that is I will give him the pardon of his sinne as a white stone was a token of absolution and discharge to a man questioned for his life So long as men live in their sins they are all blacke and filthy they are Ethiopians in their blacke skins Doe you thinke that God will give the white stones to such as have blacke soules They must be white that will have the white stone How shall men become white Dan. 11.39 They shall be afflicted that they may bee brought to repentance and so be made white Repentance makes white and when men are made white by repentance then God gives them the white stone seales to them the pardon of their sinnes Therefore as ever wee desire to get the pardon of sinne so be wee humbled and repent for sinne Vse 2 Secondly if pardon of sinne bee a thing so much to be looked after and of such concernement then give thy soule no rest till thou hast gotten assurance of the pardon of sinne and till thou knowest that thy sinne is taken away For God doth not onely pardon sinne but God assures a sinner of his pardon not onely gives but seales a pardon and this is properly the white stone the seale and token of absolution and pardon What is a man the better for a pardon if he know it not A condemned Malefactor may have a pardon but so long as hee knowes it not he is in as much feare and perplexity of spirit as another Malefactour that hath none There is no difference betweene them in regard of quiet and peace of spirit Therefore the Lord not onely pardons sinners but when hee pardons them hee makes it known unto them and assures their consciences of it that so they

for it So I may say of Gods Spirit yet a little while he is with thee yet a little while hee is striving with thy conscience and urging thee seriously to labour for grace yet a little while he is with thee knocking and rapping at the doore of thine heart yet a little while he is with thee to woe thee to allure thee to worke on thee in the Word and the rest of the ordinances But if thou quench him in these his gracious dealings with thee hee will goe unto him that sent him And then thou shalt seeke him oh that I had but one of those gracious motions I was wont to have that I might but once more once more heare the voyce of Gods Spirit thus shalt thou seeke him but shalt not finde him for ever a world if thou couldst give it shall not purchase one whisper more not a syllable more from the Spirit of grace so unkindly quenched Consider now how dangerous such a case will bee and as thou wouldest feare it should be thy case so feare to quench the Spirit It is a great mercy of God to give us his Spirit in this kinde to have these Eagles wings fluttering over us Nehem. 9.19 20. Why then for God to call home his Spirit and to forbid him to strive with us to call upon us to instruct us how heavie a judgement is it It is a judgement to have a good Minister silenc'd what is it then to have the Spirit of God silenc'd It is a sad thing to have Ministers mouthes stopped what is it then to have the Spirits mouth stopt Quenching the Spirit will prove silencing the Spirit Quenching the Spirit will prove the stopping of his mouth So much for the danger of quenching the Spirit in the motions 2. Second danger of quenching the Spirit The Spirit being quenched in the graces thereof is quenched in the offices therof is in quenching the graces of the Spirit And the dangers of quenching in this kinde are many 1. The Spirit quencht in the graces thereof is quēcht in the offices therof The spirit of God doth us many good offices which hee will cease to doe if hee be quencht 1. First the Spirit of God is a spirit of prayer Hee is called the Spirit of grace and supplications The Spirit helpes to pray Zech. 12.10 Jude 20. praying in the Holy Ghost and Rom. 8.25 26. It helpes our infirmities it makes intercessions for us with groanings c. Prayer is a worke which cannot bee done without helpe not without the helpe of the Spirit 1. The Spirit affects our hearts with the sense of our own wants 2. It sheds Gods love into our hearts that so with boldnesse wee may appeare before him 3. It excites and confirmes those graces in us which are required in prayer as faith humility fervency zeale by this his work assistance inlarges our hearts 4. Hee suggests holy meditations and kindles holy desires in the act of praying 5. It restraines Satan and the flesh that they molest interrupt and distract us not All these helpes wee have from the Spirit of God in prayer Therefore saying v. 17. Pray continually he addes vers 19. Quench not the spirit Now quench the spirit and all this helpe is lost and this assistance is lost Hee is a spirit of grace and supplications Zech. 12. Quench him as a spirit of grace and you quench him as a spirit of supplicaon Quench him and you quench him from making intercessions quench him and you quench him from crying Abba father and stop his mouth from crying And if he cry not we cannot cry and if wee cry not wee pray not So dangerous a thing in that respect it is to quench the spirit 2. Secondly The Spirit assures us of audience the acceptance of our prayers the spirit of God doth not onely help us to pray and doe us that good office but he doth us another gratious office in assuring us of audience and the acceptance of our prayers 1 Joh. 5.15 Therefore Gods people may know that God heares them and accepts their services David Psal 6. begins it with a sad complaint but yet see how on a sudden his heart cheeres vers 8 9. and that upon this that he knew God heard and accepted his prayers So then men may come to know that God accepts their prayers Now how come men to know it Answ I finde that God hath assured his servants of the hearing of their prayers these severall wayes 1. First sometimes by the testimony of an Angel sent from heaven Luc. 1. Zachary thy prayers are heard Acts 10. Cornelius thy prayers are come up in remembrance c. 2. Secondly sometimes by the testimony of a Prophet Isa 38.5 Goe and say to Hezekiah J have heard thy prayer 3. Thirdly sometimes by a visible sign as Act. 4.31 And whē they had prayed the place was shaken That was a signe from heaven assuring acceptance of prayer And so God did assure by fire comming downe from heaven So God gave evidence of acceptance when the first sacrifice was offered on the Altar in the Tabernacle Levit. 9.12 And thus it is thought that God by fire from Heaven did shew his acceptance of Abels offering before Caines And to that former alludes that prayer for the King Ps 20.4 The Lord turne thy burnt offering into Ashes which is translated The Lord accept c. because God had sometimes witnessed his acceptance by sending downe fire to burne the Sacrifice Now wee must not thinke that God deales not as well with his people now as hee was wont hee is still as gracious as ever in assuring his people of his Acceptance Now looke what God was wont to doe by Angel Prophet or visible fire hee now doth the same by his spirit His Spirit sayes as the Angel and the Prophet thy prayers are heard God sayes to his Spirit Goe to such a man and say I have heard thy prayer God assures men of his acceptance of their prayers by fire sent downe from heaven When a man in prayer feeles his heart mightily inlarged when hee feels his heart set on fire with fervency of holy affections this is the fire of the spirit And this fire this fervency and heate of the spirit with which the heart burnes in prayer is fire that comes downe from Heaven a sensible testimony of Gods acceptance thus God turnes our Sacrifices into ashes And when it is thus with a man how comfortable a condition it is Thus David knew that God heard him Psal 6.8 9. Fire came downe from Heaven and burnt his Sacrifice and by that inward fire in his heart he as well knew that God accepted his prayer as Abel by that visible fire knew that God accepted his Sacrifice Surely when a man feeles this fire burning in his heart in prayer well may it be said unto him as Eccles 9.7 But now on the other side when a man shall pray and shall have