Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	israel_n	lord_n	redemption_n	2,132	5	10.1091	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01252	The comforter: or A comfortable treatise wherein are contained many reaso[n]s taken out of the word, to assure the forgiunes of sinnes to the conscience that is troubled with the feeling thereof. Together with the temptations of Sathan to the contrarie, taken from experience: written by Iohn Freeman sometime minister of the word, in Lewes in Sussex.	Freeman, John, fl. 1611.	1606 (1606)	STC 11368; ESTC S113774	85,859	215

by sorce vsurpest the inheritance of Iacob an Achab that oppressest Naboth with his vineyard a theefe that takest the goods of other men a dogge that eatest vp the childrens bread The curse of the law together with the threatnings therof ar● those things that are proper vnto thee First therfore clense thy hands thou hypocrit thy hart thou doble minded man then come talke with the Lord an● then though thy sins be as the skarlet the Lord wil make thē as the snow thogh they be as the purple the Lord wil make them as the wooll then shalt thou finde comfort in the comforts of the Lord be comforted in deed It lyeth therfore in thee that both that which thou readest may b● comfortable that that which I haue written may be profitable The framing of thy self to the obediēce of faith together with the right vse of these other the cōforts of the Lord may both stop the mouths o● those that inueigh against ouermuch comfort as that which wil lay opē as they say a gap to al sin Epicurisme also cause me not to repent my selfe of my labor whē I shall see thee bettered the weak comforted thee cast downe the humble lifted vp thee to be full of obedience the mourners ful of comfort when God shall be glorified man shal haue cause to glorie in the liuing Lord. For these causes good brother haue I entred into this actiō contriued cōpiled this discourse concerning the forgiuenes of thy sins A matter though plentifull full of comfort insomuch that it might in either regard haue excited many to haue handled the same yet either with such breuity or with so light a hand passed ouer as that I feared not least I should as they say wash a tile sow of another mans seed if I wrote any thing therof I therefore although I acknowledge my selfe to be thē most vnfit of many or rather any other to wade in a mater of so great importance yet not at the least experiēced perchāce of all other haue vndertaken this whether labor or losse haue committed to the presse that which I haue writte● here not preuenting any man hereby that meant to vndertake the managing of the matter for I haue left a sufficient large field for any other th● is better able to exercise himself hauin● only dilated at large that but rudel● in this discourse but those few principall reasons that I deliuered before i● one of my sermons vpon the Colossians frō vvhich by reason of the length I haue seuered this discourse into a seueral booke as that which exceedeth the length of a sermon but rather giuing an example by mine example to others of greater giftes to wade in this argument as that whic● requireth by reason of the depth of sathā and the weaknes of many the care of ● saithfull the paine of a diligent the gift of a learned the feelings of an experienced man vntil the performance wherof accept of this my labour of loue vsing the same as to the glo●y of God so t● thine own cōfort that this whi●h is written for thy comfort be not vnto thy condemnation either through the contempt or abuse thereof Now the God of al glory sanctifie thy heart throughout an● make thee to abound in all full and sound feelings of the manifold benefits graces of God in Iesus Christ our Sauiour and Redeemer Iohn Freeman The first Chapter Wherein it is declared that there is liuely hope of comfort left vnto all them that mourne vnder the burden of their sinnes As there is no estate either in bodie or soule more dangerous or more miserable than that which is desperate so there is no speech either more lamentable or lesse true thā that which commeth therefrom which in effect is either the same that came from Cain that crieth out that his sins are greater than can bee forgiuen or that which came from Ieremie inferred as it were vpon the former that concludeth that there is no hope left for him in the lord Wherein albeit they speake according to the sight of their sinnes that seem to be monstrous and therefore vnpardonable or according to the feeling of the wrath of God which seemeth vnremoueable therfore intollerable yet not according to the verie truth it selfe For it is not to bee denied but that the blood of Christ which is that price wherwith they were redeemed frō their sins far excelleth the value of all sinne whatsoeuer in the sight of God that the holy ghost which is that sanctifying spirit that washeth vs from all our sins being God therfore of infinit power is able to clense vs and wipe away as all teares from our eies so all sins from our soule to make those offences that are as the skarlet that is the most bloody as the skarlet is mostred to be like vnto the snow and them that are as the purple to be like vnto the wooll For the Lord is rich in mercie to all them that call vpon him faithfully and abundant in kindnes And therfore as the Prophet Dauid cōcludeth there is mercy with him that he may be feared and with the Lord there is plenteous redemption It followeth therefore that howsoeuer it appeareth not vnto that soule yet there is hope of cōfort left vnto him so to all thē that come vnto the father by Iesus Christ our Lord. For euen God the Father is called by the spirit the God of all comfort and the Father of all mercy consolation and Iesus Christ is that fountaine of gardens as the spouse calleth him in whom all fulnes yea euen of the comforts of God dwelleth without measure and the spirit of God is called by Christ himself the comforter So that we being by the spirit which is the comforter lead through Christ the fountaine of the gardens of the comforts of the Lord vnto God the father the father of all comfort and consolation how is it possible that wee should want either comfort or spirituall consolation Aske them that haue been heretofore as thy selfe afflicted therfore for the present as thy selfe perswaded aske them I say whether though they spake according to their present feeling yet whether they spake according to the words of truth yea or no. They can tell thee and that both out of the word and by experience that although sorrow lodge with thee for a night yet ioy shall come in the morning that they are al blessed that now weep for they reioice that they are blessed that mourne for they shall be comforted that a broken contrite hart is a sacrifice sweet smelling vnto God the Father and acceptable in Iesus Christ our Lord and that both this thy sorrow which is for thy sins if it be so great as that it breed repentance and so little as that it breed not despaire is that godly sorow which is a notable

go back for Ezek ah and will it not suffice thee to haue not once b●t often one signe giuen nay to haue not one but two signs to cōfirm nay to performe vnto thee the thinges that are promised For the other were but signs cōfirming but these are more euen signs confirming and conferring signa confirmantia conferentia For that which is signified is giuen conferred so ioyned together with the sign it selfe And therfore the Lord to teach this soundly vnto vs calleth the outward signe by the verie name of the thing it selfe that is signified ca●ling circumcision the couenant the Paschall lambe the Passeouer the water in Baptisme the fountaine of regeneration the bread in the Supper of the Lord the bodie of Christ and the wine the verie blood of Christ to teach vs that these signs are not as the raine-bow is or the going backward of the sun or the fleece of Gedeon which were bare signes that serued onely to confirme vs but that they are more euen such as alwaies haue the things themselus that are promised and signified annexed knit and ioined vnto thē in regard of the Lord. And therefore as verily yea and euen then when the water washeth thy body in Baptisme euen as veri●y yea and euen then when the bread is broken the wine poured out in the supper of the Lord and giuen vnto thee euen so verily yea and euen then if thou be rightly prepared doth the spirit of God wash thee by the blood of Iesus Christ from all thy sinnes and thine offences For these signes are not only significant but effectua●l also they doe not only confirme but giue that which they should confirme thee in I meane not that the Sacrament ex opere operato that is by the verie bare worke therof giueth this grace but that the Lord giueth with by these signs his forepromised graces euen the forgiuenes of thy sinnes And so as hee giueth the signe to confirme thy faith so the thing signified to comfort thy conscience although perchance thou presently feel not the power therof So that sith the Lord is so gracious as by two continual visible signs which he will haue often shewed vnto thee euen as it were wonders more precious and of greater power and force than any signs or tokens in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath sith the Lord I say is so gracious as by two such signes to confirme vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes nay to giue thee forgiuenes of thy sinnes with what reason canst thou doubt thereof For hee giueth it vnto thee verily and indeede if thou wilt receiue it together with the signe it selfe and then why doubtest thou whether thou shalt haue it when alreadie thou hast it What could the Lord doe more or thou require more than this Thou desirest forgiuenesse of thy sinnes and assurance thereof the Lord promiseth nay sweareth nay indenteth to giue it He sheweth and giueth thee two signes to assure thee thereof and that which is more with the signes hee offereth the thing it selfe And this is the first reason taken from the promises of God confirmed by so many vndoubted meanes The 3. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sinnes is prooued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substance and nature The first Section THe second reason to prooue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes is taken from the cōsideration of the essence and the substance euen the natures of the Lord which are part of the essence the substance and the being of God yea God himselfe For whatsoeuer is in God is God and in him there is no accident nor qualitie but whatsoeuer is in him is of his essence and his substance And therefore his nature as his mercie patience iustice and such like are of his essence and are euen very God His mercie therefore is verie God and God is mercie it selfe Hee therefore that denieth mercie vnto God which is to forgiue our sinnes denyeth God to bee God denieth one speciall nature which the spirit of God ascribeth vnto God that verie often in the Scriptures and the written word of God As namely in the second of Ioel whe●e the Prophet speaketh thus of the Lord saying The Lord your God is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes such a one as repenteth him of the euill And again in the 34. of Exodus the lord himselfe proclaimeth his name before Moses all the children of Israel saying crying The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnes truth reseruing mercy for thousāds forgiuing iniquity sin transgressiō so forth as there followeth more at large again in the 103. Psalm the Prophet Dauid saith that the Lord is ful of compassion and mer●ie slow to anger of great kindnes Many and manifest are those proofs that proue the Lord to be by name nature merciful Now we know that the nature work of mercie is to respect to pitie and to help our misery For euen as the eie hath colors the tongue tasts the eare sounds the nose the sauors for his obiect to be busied in to respect and worke vpon so the mercy of God hath mans miserie sinne the principall cause thereof as his obiect to worke vpon to cure and to remedie insomuch as if there were no miserie there could be no vse of Gods mercie And therefore the Lord shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Romās that he might haue mercie vpon all and so by that meanes made away for his mercy which else could not so euidently haue manifested it selfe vnto our vnderstanding Herein therefore appeared the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God so much admired of Paul in the same place in that he would rather haue man fall than his mercie faile he would rather haue man cease to be righteous than himselfe cease to be mercifull he would rather haue man cease to shew obedience than himselfe cease to shew mercie hee would that man should sin that he might appeare to be a gracious God in the forgiuing of his sin True it is that there appeared a notable euidence of the mercy of God in framing this beautifull world out of that deformed Chaos and rude ea●th in the begi●ning in making the Sun to rule the day and the Moone to gouern the night as the Prophet at large describeth in the 136 Psalme But the Lord not contented therewith as a sufficient manifestation of his mercie thought it not ynough to create except he did recreate man to giue life except he redeemed life to giue life to them that were not except he gaue life to them that were dead to make man righteous of nothing except he made him righteous of a sinner to giue him righteousnes except he did also forgiue him his vnrighteousnesse his disobedience and