Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A60132
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An exhortation to youth to prepare for judgment A sermon occasion'd by the late repentance and funeral of a young man. Deceased September 29. 1681.
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Shower, John, 1657-1715.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing S3664; ESTC R214018
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26,182
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49
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he had indulged to youthful Lusts delighted in wicked company liv'd in the prophanation of the Sabbath and made a mock of every thing almost that was Serious And this notwithstanding the counsels of his Friends and some checks of his own Conscience sadly bemoaning his forlorn state as having little or no hope to find mercy at the hand of God and penitently confessing his own willfulness and folly that procur'd it to himself and thereupon cry'd out in the bitterness of his Soul Oh! had I believ'd and known what now I do I would have been more concerned to Secure my Everlasting Intrest I would have taken more care to avoid Temptation I would have imploy'd my Time to better purposes and attended the ministry of the Word in another manner c. But I fear 't is now too late And then with the greatest importunity did beg of God to pardon and forgive him for the sake of Christ then tossing from place to place wringing his hands and lifting up his eyes to Heaven with the affecting vehemence of a despairing Soul did beseech the assistance of those about him to seek to God on his behalf Oh pray for me pray for me for Christ's sake pray for me That if yet Mercy may be had the Lord would take pitty on a miserable Sinner O my Sins are a burden too heavy for me to bear I have Sin'd tho' God stood by and saw me I have Sin'd tho' my Conscience did rebuke me for it again I have Sin'd tho' I resolv'd to Sin no more I know not what to do or which way to turn c. for with such words as these did he bewail himself and signifie the horrors of an accusing Conscience Nevertheless for the support of his Relations and the encouragement of all returning Sinners I am willing to add That a little before his change which was suddain and unexpected when his Friends began to entertain some hopes of his recovery his Spirit was more compos'd and calm his distracting Terrors much abated and the overwhelming fears of Death and Judgment very much subdu'd and overcome In his confessions of sin he own'd and aggravated his crimes with the greatest freedom with a deep remorse of Spirit and an hearty serious sense and feeling of what he spake He did not go about to palliate or excuse his former wickedness to lessen or diminish it by shifting the blame on the subtilty of the Devil the bias and inclination of a bodily Temper the Corrupution of humane nature or the persuasions of Evil Company c. altho' this last he did very much lament as the greatest snare to his Soul and a principal occasion of his youthful sins and apprehended Ruine Among other sins which an accusing Conscience told him of one that did more particularly affect his heart and burden his soul was the sin of Lying I mention this with an unfeigned desire that all young Persons Apprentices especially would remember this Example and resolve against it There is one thing more which I named first and would here take notice of I mean his Scoffing Humour and this he acknowledged with a great deal of remorse and shame that when first he was an hearer in this place he came with a design to droll upon the Sermon and deride the Preacher But not meeting with any thing on which to break a Jest or occasion mirth and laughter nothing but what was serious becoming the reverence and awfulness of holy things and suited to the solemn work and service of a Sabbath he resolv'd to come again and accordingly for some time did so I cannot say how long with other thoughts of my Brethren and me and of the serious plainness of this our way of worship than his former Ignorance and prejudices would suffer him to admit and thanks be to God he is not the only Instance of this kind Therefore I cannot but subjoyn that as Religion is not the less excellent because some Fools despise it nor sin the less destructive because there be some Atheistical Scoffers who make a mock of sin neither is plain and serious Preaching with the purity and simplicity of Gospel-worshiop any whit the more Contemptible because some that sit in the chair of Scorners deride and run it down since these kind of Scoffers are usually such as cast off all thoughts of God and an after-reckoning and are no way influenc'd by the consideration of a future Life to whom Heaven and Hell are words of sport and the Sacred Scripture matter of derision For none methinks who are serious in the practice of Religion and make a conscience of their words and actions should dare to make a mock of the worship of God or those that joyn therein whether Ministers or people only upon the account of some little difference from that method and way of worship which they like best when the substance and design of both is apparently the same and believ'd to be so Did men but understand what they profess by owning Christianity did they but believe what they understand and practice what they pretend to believe a meer Reverence and Just regard to holy Things would most certainly give a check to this Scoffing Humour in reference to those who cannot in all respects conform to their measures 6. Lastly Consider the dreadfulness and the Terror of this final Judgment in its self and its certain and immediate Consequences to every unprepared sinner whether young or old When the blessed Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels to take the Throne by his Father's order and Judge the World in righteousness when he that stoop'd from Heaven to Earth to be a sacrifice for sin that watcht and pray'd and sweat drops of blood for you and me that endured the Contradiction of sinners against himself in the days of his flesh suffer'd the Cruelty of men and the Wrath of his Father and the Cursed Death of the Cross upon our account shall come again as the Judge of quick and dead we shall then have other thoughts of him and of our selves than now we entertain Sirs he now offers you a pardon as the purchase of his Death on easy honourable and advantageous terms But it will be then too late and in vain to beg it He now warns you of your danger and tells you that the end of youthful lusts is Death and Judgment and eternal Wrath. And then you shall know that he spake in earnest and his words were true Now as a merciful Redeemer he entreats you to be reconcil'd he shall then be clothed with vengeance and appear to your confusion as a Terrible Judge At first he came in the form of a Servant to make our Peace with God and was thereupon despised and rejected of men But he shall shortly come again to render vengeance to those that would not know him as a Prince and a Prophet receive his message and yeild obedience to his Holy Gospel Now he offers