Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A09319
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The sinners safetie, if heere hee looke for assurance by Richard Barnerd ...
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Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 1963.3; ESTC S1489
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43,261
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108
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decline from the right way what trouble is in the recouery if euer we returne back at all Before we come to God sure wee are Iohn 8. Ephe. 2. 1. 2. 3. 2. Tim. 2. 26 the diuels no child so like his father as we be like Satan our grād fire who doth rule vs that as he pleaseth strong hold he hath of vs easily he wil not let vs go In our sauiours time he tormented rent tore the bodies of men whom he possessed before he would let go his hold so loth is he to lose vs not of loue but to deuoure vs. If thus he striue to keep possession of the body how hard it is to win out of his hands bodie and soule wherto if wee adde our owne madnes herein that we vnwillingly are deliuered rather resisting the meanes and persecuting the messengers sent to recouver vs that would bring vs into the state of grace then any way willingly yielding our selues for our bettering wee cannot but graunt it true that it is hard for vs to enter into the way of saluation We are naturally like wilde beasts Hard to win men to God loth to be tamed we can better away to be sauages to liue in our corruptions after our lusts then walke in any orderly course if vnpleasing to the flesh What adoe is there to winne men from their wickednes some of vs from our whordome some from drunkennesse some from blasphemous oathes some from greedy couetousnes some from superstition some from one thing some from an other but especially from our beloued personall sinne God may thunder from heauen against rebellious Israelites but they will not amend Christ may lay lode vpon the conscience of Iudas and tell him that it were better he had neuer beene borne then to bee a traytor to the sonne of man but it cannot stay him couetousnes so hath taken hold vpon him Iohn Baptist may call the Pharises a generation of vipers yet will they still eate out their Mothers side and keepe their conditions And he may perhaps by long and much labour bring Herod to doe this and that but Herodias will he not forsake So loue we to liue in sinne least Sathan should wholy lose v 〈…〉 nd God fully enioy vs. Wee neede n 〈…〉 her confirmation herein but the witnes of our owne hearts Many Sermons haue we heard some after one manner some after an other to bring vs into the right way our consciences haue accused vs often caused vs to feare wrath and destruction good exāples of other before vs Gods mercies motiues ouer vs his chasticemēts vpon vs the rule of reason within vs to reduce vs yet haue we not left off to doe wickedly as if wee had sworn with a high hand to resist both God and all good men to bring vpon our selues deserued damnation forlorne caitifs accursed wights may wee thinke our selues and hence condiscend to this infallible truth that it is very hard to begin to be good As it is not easie to enter into the Men hardly abide in the way when they are entred straite gate so is it a thing of no lesse difficultie to abide hauing set foote into that path of peace For we beeing in the state of grace though wee haue true graces yet are we not therein perfect and the imperfection of good argueth so much of corruption this affecteth corrupt things and pulleth vs from the desire of that which is holy Hence is it that a man findeth in him a continuall combat sometime the flesh preuailing sometime the spirit with faith is doubting with will is an vnwillingnes a pronesse to euill but to doe good is not present with vs whereupon it commeth to passe that we sinne often and euery sin interrupteth the comforts of a peaceable conscience which maketh vs call into question the assurance of saluation and worketh much sorrowe of heart so that euery man may with the Apostle cry out saying O miserable man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Vpon this our imperfect state corruption Satan doth take aduantage hee layeth baites to allure vs and snares to entrap vs according to our personall infirmities from our natural disposition he maketh motions by internall suggestions or else prepareth externall obiects for the senses to drawe away the heart by both or either are wee deceiued hee tempting and wee either yielding or but weakely resisting Thus brought he out of the way perfect Adam iust Lot faithfull Abraham meeke Moses holie Aaron zealous Dauid strong Sampson and that wise Salomon What man was euer encountred and not ouercome if GOD did not aide the best graces with his second grace We then see it to bee as hard to abide as to make entrance into the way of saluation Easily wee slippe out of the way Hard to recouer after relapse hardly go wee on back can wee run fast but when wee are gone from home wee make small haste to returne againe long lay Dauid in his sinne ere hee recouered till the Prophet Nathan came and awoke him in these plaine tearmes saying thou art the man Sathan giueth such attendance 2 Sam. 12. 7 if a childe of God bee taken wandring as he can scarcely finde the way home againe He either bewitcheth vs so with pleasures that we cannot returne or affrigheth vs with feare as Adam that we dare not If we get out of his hands againe and by Gods good mercie outrunne him yet is it with such striuing as wee almost faint betweene feare to be held and hope to escape weighing Gods iustice with our sinne we dread damnation considering our back slyding scarcely dare we looke for mercy but with sighs grones teares wee come lamenting to the throne of grace confessing sometime with the prodigall sonne Father I haue sinned against Luke 15. heauen and against thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hyred seruants sometime confessing Luke 18. with the Publicane and crying Lord haue mercie vpon me a sinner acknoledging with Esra our vnworthinesse saying O my God I am confounded and ashamed Esdra 9. 6. 7 to lift vp mine eies vnto thee ô my God and praying with Dauid Haue Psal 6. 2. 4. mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake And thus it may be after many teares lowd cries bitter weeping and long sute made we find at the length fauour and pardon Hee that commeth the easiliest returneth with confession of vanity of vanities all is but vanitie in his mouth and with vexation of spirit in the heart but many cry and weepe powring downe many a salt teare from the eie for their former folly before they obtaine mercie Much trouble then and difficulty is in the recouery of a sinner To conclude many men of excellent
THE SINNERS SAFETIE If heere hee looke for assurance By Richard Barnerd Preacher of Gods word at Worsop in Nottingham-shire Coloss 3. 1. If yee then be risen with Christ seeke those thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God AT LONDON Printed by H. L. for T. M. and Ionas Man and are to be sold at his shoppe at the West doore of Paules Anno Dom. 1609. To the Chiefe Officers the Gentlemen domesticall Attendants and to the rest of the Familie of the most Reuerend Father Tobias the Lord Archbishop of Yorke his Grace the chiefest good is hartily wished GEntlemen I vvish you vvell I hope you doubt not in my loue to you all I offer this my labor to some as desired in lieu of good vvill and kindnesse receiued My best thoughts are tovvardes you in the best things Naturall fauorits vvorldly friends wish good to the body that doe I but vvithall the soules safety vvithout vvhich no good You do heare the excellent truths of God by one of whom it hath been said He doth regnare in pulpitis I doe graunt it vvho can deny those gifts yet let your loue pardon my folly and reiect not my well meaning though I set before you a candle at noone The matter is not amisse if the rudenesse of speech make it not distastefull if so it were a fault Loue doth not loath vvhat is good wholsome meat meanely cookt is acceptable to a hungry stomacke What hath been heard vvith the eare may nowe bee seene with the eye a double remembrance the other lesse this of more continuance I hope the fruit vvill bee answerable The text is a speciall iewell set forth with precious pearles The argument is of weight How a poore sinner may haue assurance of the greatest happinesse The exhortation sheweth our slowness but the necessity of the thing requireth our diligence good reason therefore What matter so vvoorthy our trauel to gaine all vvithout this is but loss We liue here in pleasure and ease is this our comfort are vve at home then is there not to come a weal vnspeakeable or a woe intolerable vvith sorrovve to liue in paine both in time and euer beyond all time Sinners vve be hence conclude vvâ—e must death and that double By this apprehension is nothing but horror of Hell Assurance of happinesse concludes safety and ioy of Heauen One of desert but this not vvithin compasse of merit it is Gods gift in mercy comfortable a ioy vnspeakeable Wee all shall see the Lord in the last day albeit Atheisticall Athenians mocke at the doctrine of the Resurrection but we al shal not alike behold him as vvee doe not alike desire his coÌ„ming Some shall see him a lamb and apprehend fierce vvrath and say Oh mountains couer vs. Some the lyon of Iudah and conceiue ioy and in comfort cry aloude Hosannah Good cause vvhy they haue peace by assurance of pardon and it is the day of their redemption that did they seeke for diligently this they expected desired earnestly and in the end enioy the revvard To stirre you vp heerevnto is the drift of my present endeuour VVe all need spurring heauie harts and leaden heeles loaden we are with iniquitie so slovve to goodnes that all our daies vvee hardly get any grace permanent Gentlemen accept I pray you my kindness read vvith a mind ayming at the end which I propose Serious meditation helps memory and settles iudgement but in practise stands the life vvhich getteth also commendations You are in eminent place tongues on both sides talke at liberty our defence is innocencie No way can ye so glorifie God as by practicall professioÌ„ nor advaunce before the enemie the honour of the most Reuerend your Lord and Maister more then by a holy conversation so doe and it shall bee also your glory If heerein my labor further any thing it shall be my ioy and if we continue in vvell dooing it it doubtlesse wee shall obtaine mercie Which the Lord grant euen so Amen From my Studie at Worsop Nouemb. 12. Your louing Friend euer in the Lord Richard Bernard The Sinners safetie if here he seeke for assurance 2. PET. 1. 10. Wherefore Brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall THE Apostles desire The Apostles drift with the coherence is that with Profession men should ioyne Sanctification therfore in the 5. verse he exhorteth those to whom hee writ that they should giue all diligence to fly the corruption which is in the world through lust this is the maine proposition or lesson intended And to bring theÌ„ therunto he first teacheth them the meanes how to attain to a holy conuersation by adding vertue to vertue one grace to another as hee sheweth in the An instruction to ministers 5. 6. and 7. verses A duetie of a minister who is a spirituall PhysiciaÌ„ of the soule not only to shew the malady or aduise his Patient to haue care to his health but also to prescribe the meanes how diseases may bee remoued and health preserued Salomon commendeth the feare of God Pro. 1. 7. The feare of God is the beginning of Wisdome and in Chap. 2. prescribes the meanes to come to the vnderstanding thereof in the 1. 2. 3. and 4. verses My sonne if thou wilt receiue my words and hide my commandements within thee c. In the fifth verse hee concludeth and saith Thâ—n shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God In like manner Peter in Act 2 after he had accused the Iewes for putting Christ to death resteth not in manifesting their miserie but readily teacheth them how they may acquite themselues and escape the deserued iudgement for such a sinne To shew miserie without remedy is to lodge the heart in sorrowe without reliefe meanes must be shewed with the matter the way with the appointed iourney the minde possessed with the one testeth not content without the other Therefore must ministers after the Apostles example obserue this order as both reason and necessity it selfe requireth After the Apostle hath prescribed the meanes hee vrgeth reasons to inforce the practise of the doctrine by vse of the meanes the reasons are because wee should not be idle and without fruit in our profession verse 8. because else we are blinde and cannot see afarre of and also forgetfull of a great and incomparable benefite that wee are purged from our old sinnes verse 9. because otherwise wee cannot haue assurance of our saluation which reason is in my text verse 10. In which againe to vs ministers is An other instruction to ministers commended with the Apostles wisedom to be able to shew meanes to attaine to that he would haue them doe his godly care also to haue them to vse and not to neglect the meanes which hee hath prescribed vnto them Therefore doth hee presse them with so many reasons