Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	pardon_v	sin_n	9,714	5	5.0242	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10916	The glory and happines of a true Christian A sermon preached by Master Rogers at Needham in Norfolke the 28 of Iune. 1617	Rogers, John, of Chacombe.	1618 (1618)	STC 21186; ESTC S100039	21,430	65

these stragling Christians The third sort are happie and blessed euen such as haue not defiled their garments such shal be with Christ in white that is in glory heereafter for they are worthy Oh that I had an heart and tongue that I might so speake and you so heare that such of you that be naught become good and those that be decayed and cold may become better Touching the first sort of men to be spoken of they haue a name to liue but indeede are starke deade that is they boast and bragge that they haue that which they haue not and are that which they are not such wee haue now and such were in the Prophet Esaie his time there were many that complained that they had ●asted and that they had sacrificed to him but it was not regarded But they were told by him that they had fasted to strife c. their sacrifice was as much esteemed of God as if they had cut of a doggs necke So likewise in Ieremie they did much boast of the temple of the Lord and of their seruice done there but yet saith the Prophet will yee lie steale Murther comit adultery sweare yet stand before the Lord in his house Also Iohn Baptist he told such as boasted that Abraham was their father that they were a generation of Vipers And our Sauiour told those that bragged they were free borne and Abraham his sonnes that they were of their father the diuell for his workes they did and did so much resemble him in their cōditions were so like him as if they had beene spued out of his mouth So likewise the Church of Laodicea did boast that shee was rich and needed nothing yet they were wretched miserable poore blinde and naked They deceiued their owne hearts through pride and ignorance as many others doe saying they were rich and did not knowe indeede they were poore Now besides these the diuell he commeth tels such kinde of persons that their state and case is well inough and would perswade some of the sorwarder sort that their condition is starke nought But be not deceiued for flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Againe be not deceiued for no fornicator c. 2 Cor. 6. 9. Againe Be not deceiued saith Iames the Apostle in seeming to be religious and yet canst not refraine thy tongue this man his religion is in vaine So I say be not deceiued for though a man refraine many sinnes and yet retaine one knowne sinne which he is loath to forsake that man cannot be saued till hee hath repented of it also But now to come to particulars there be diuers sorts of men that haue a name to liue who in truth are but dead The first sort are ignorant persons that want knowledg of God and of religion and of this kinde are many of the poorer sort but yet you shall neuer heare them complaine of this their wretched estate but will rather say they hope to be saued But how euen by their good meaning and good prayers and good seruing of God c. These men in their owne account are fish whole The second sort are such as liue in some grosse sinnes as Swearing Lying Cursing and banning Drunkennesse and Vncleannesse Pride Vsury and Couetuousnesse and such like damnable sinnes yet they thinke their estate good enough but if they be rebuked for their sinnes and told of Gods condemning of them then they hope they be not so great sinners but God can pardon them and doe make account to dispatch all in the end with a Lord haue mercie vpon mee The third sort of dead persons are the worldlings and such as d●● nothing else but busie th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worldly busines not respect●●g ●●●gion These men are like vn●● 〈…〉 ‑ les that run in the earth and are cunning to know euery muse in the ground but if they be taken out of it they are at their wits end and they be also like vnto fishes when they are taken out of the water The fourth sort bee ciuill men who hauing some restraining grace doe liue in a ciuill manner among men abstaining from common grosse sinnes which are breaches of the second table and can say with the old phrase I thanke God I am not as ther men But yet these men make no conscience to performe the duties of the first Table and yet are taken among their neighbours to be very honest men but yet for hearing of the word praying with their families they care not Notwithstanding such men doe not thinke that they haue any neede of Christ and indeed Christ hath no neede of them Now such miserable persons which thinke a ciuill life can bring them to heauen although ignorant of the grounds of religion these men are in a miserable condition howsoeuer their neighbours haue dubbed them to be faire conditioned men yet they are farre of as yet from the state of saluation yea Many Publicans and sinners may goe to heauen before them The fifth sort of dead Christians are such as though they doe heare the word of God diligently and thereby get knowledge and make much of their ministers yea are able sometime to beare checks for their profession of the Gospell yet bee like the thorny ground and doe retaine some vile sinne as Pride Vncleannesse Couetuousnesse c. They being neuer truely humbled and not hauing the gift of sauing faith such men may fall away from their former profession some sooner and some later and may be without true sauing grace to doe them any good All these fiue sorts before described shall not be seuered in their seuerall estates as sure as the Lord is in heauen and why because they are all borne dead in trespasses and sins and vntill they be ioyned to Christ who is the fountaine of spirituall life for there is no life but in him they be starke dead euen as the diuell sauing onely their possibilitie to be saued Thou art as a Toad yea as a rotten carrion and till thou hast true faith thou art starke deade Many haue common gifts others knowledge which may afterwards proue persecutors and fall away I can tell thee thou wert once dead now if thou canst tell me when thou wert made aliue If thou canst truely say thou liuest the life of grace and art dead to sinne and not in sinne then being dead aliue take heede this life of grace doe not decay in thee nor goe out like a Candle then shalt thou goe to heauen as sure as God is in heauen Thou Ignorant man prophane worldling ciuill person or Hyppocrite thou not hauing true faith and the spirit of sanctification learne to know as yet thou art in the state of damnation and if thou dyest in this condition thou must goe from this first death to the second death which is endlesse Now when you haue taken these fiue sorts of dead Christians out of your congregations I

principally followed Thirdly obserue from these words but a few names that God taketh particular note of the godly and zealous Christians by name and one of them bee better then an hundred drowsie Christians Hee knoweth them by name as he did Noah and Lot Before the destroyer went the Lord caused them all to bee marked on the forehead in Ierusalem that mourned for the iniquitie of the time Now good people labour to bee vpright in heart and though thou be neuer so poore yet if thou art godly the Lord surely hath a speciall care of thee and hee will in the ende take thee vnto himselfe therefore comfort thy selfe in this that God and his holy Angels doe loue and respect thee What though the world and the prophane sort hate thee scoffe and deride thee thou needest not care for it If a man bee loued and gratiously respected of the King and Nobles of the Court what neede he care for the skullery in the kitchin though they mocke and hate him Euen so thou mayest acccunt and esteeme of these vngodly mockers of Gods children though they weare a veluet coate yet they are but as the skullians and in base account before God That haue kept their garments from defiling c. In this the Lord commendeth these few godlie ones in Sardis namely for that they had not defiled their garments which indeede is a borrowed speech For heere is meant that either they had not spotted their soules with contagious sinnes or else stayned and blotted their profession of the Gospell by an vngodly conuersation and of this thing also we ought to be very wary and carefull to bemering or polluting of our garments We know we are to blame yong children if they defile their new clothes Let not vs then which professe the Gospell and thereby to be the children of God let vs not I say staine and blot our holy profession by a wicked conuersation But alack alack there be many who though they haue some goodnesse in them and haue receiued some graces from God yet now and then defile their garment few walke as Zacharie did iustly without reproofe Many heereby giue occasion to the profane to speake euill of the profession of the gospell But let vs consider this God hath giuen vs new garments which wee should not defile If a man had the Kings liuery he would keepe it well and cleane if it were but for the Kings sake that gaue it vnto him It cannot be denied but that a true christian his garments may as it were catch lint that is be soyled with some infirmity but let vs take heede that our garmēts be not defiled that is our profession stained with grosse sinnes as Pride Worldlinesse Impudencie and such like It is a comely thing as can be seene on Gods earth to see a Christian walke answerably to his calling I graunt that many haue slanderous reports raised against them but yet let vs be carefull to giue no iust offence or occasion to the wicked to reproach our profession and to say loe such a one for all his profession he is as much giuen to the world as others or bringeth vp his children as proudly as others And they shall walke with him in white for they are worthy Heere now he commeth to make an excellent promise to sincere and good Christians whom before he had commended which is this that they shall walke with him that is liue with Christ Iesus in ioy and happinesse heereafter which is to be vnderstoode by this borrowed speech of walking with him in white a fit promise to those which in their life time had care to keepe their garments from defiling Such as walke after Christ in holinesse shall walke with him in glory and happinesse This is an excellent promise to them which hold out to the end and an argument to encourage vs vnto this chearefull keeping our garments cleane in this life though it be somewhat painefull and troublesome Who will not be content to indure some crosses take some paines heere to liue godly Seeing such may be assured they shall one day raigne with Christ in glory Let not all the profits of the world or flesh or diuell make vs loose our white garments in heauen that is eternall glory holines happinesse with Iesus Christ there wee shall be paid for all our paines As for those which are vngodly they shall not vvalke in white but in blacke yea they shall goe to the blacknesse of darknesse for that they liued heere to commit the workes of darkenesse they shall partake of the tormēts in the lake of vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping for euer where as they on the other side are blessed that hauing cleane garmēts doe make conscience to keepe them cleane still such shall be sure that their labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. But let not lazie Christians thinke to haue the like portion of eternall ioy and happinesse as the other sort that be zealous Christiansas before said And as for such as are wholly giuen to walke after their lusts they shall not walke with Christ in white but with the diuell in darkenesse and torment For they are worthy This worthinesse is in regard that they are cloathed with the righteousnes of Christ Iesus But as for the Papists heere is nothing that will make for their meriting by workes for no workes can merit vnlesse first they be our owne secondly they must be perfect in themselues Indeede the wicked they shall haue torments giuen them so they are worthy because their workes are perfectly wicked As for the godly their worthines is onely in regard of Christ his righteousnesse There be many poore afflicted Christiās which thinke they be not worthy to walke vpon the ground yet indeede they are worthy of greater things because they are ioyned vnto Christ and accepted in and for him As for the former fiue sorts of dead ones they are worthy of all paines and plagues yet there is a way for them also to bee freed from that their estate and to become partakers of mercy for if either thou art ignorant or a liuer stil in some grosse sin or a worldling or but a meere ciuill person or an Hyppocrite canst yet bewaile thy sinnes loath them and craue pardon for them in Christ by faith apprehend his righteousnesse then thou maiest bee saued But if the ciuill man or any other stand vpon his own righteousnesse then wilt thou be confounded for such can no more stand before the flaming fire Oh that many men had grace to see into their vildenesse and how wretched they are if they be not cloathed with Christs righteousnesse First obserue if Gods children bee counted worthy of heauen what then shall become of this vilde world that doe iustle Gods children vp in corners or against the wals and hate scorne them A good man loueth them that feare the Lord but in the wicked vilde persons are most regarded