Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	miserable_a	sinner_n	world_n	8,637	5	7.3111	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02762	The burning bush not consumed wherein (either vnder all deepe sense of wrath; or hardnesse of heart, one may iudge, whether he be the childe of God, or not, &c. Chiefly receyuing satisfaction concerning the sinne against the Holy Ghost. Perused by I.D. and diuers other diuines.	Hart, John, D.D.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639, attributed name.	1616 (1616)	STC 12891; ESTC S103842	61,708	194

vnto repentance that he came for the sicke and not for the whole that he biddeth all laden and weary sinners come vnto him yea and all such who are a thirst to come vnto the waters and drinke freely assuring them that though their sinnes were red as scarlet yet that hee will make them white as the Snow as also he himselfe hath sworne that as he liueth hee desires not the death of a sinner but rather that hee should turne from his wickednesse and liue promising that he will neither breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flaxe but will bind vp that which is broken with the comforts of his Spirit will make whole that which is wounded with the plaister of his precious blood and bring home the lost sheepe reioycing also at the returne of the forlorne sonne His loue also couers both the multitude of sinnes and the sinner with his owne shining righteousnesse he also quickneth and raiseth vp the dead soule that is stinking in the graue of sinne And to be short he saith He who beleeueth shall neuer be ashamed but shall be raised in that great day with a glorious body like vnto the most beautifull body of Christ Iesus and shall neuer be condemned but haue euerlasting life This is the rocke I spake of and on this rocke must the soule anchor when it is tossed betwixt the strong winds and deepe waues of sinne and euerlasting wrath For blessed is he who beleeueth though he neuer saw Iesus with his eyes Yea suppose one neuer had any feeling of him still waiting in hope and languor and resting vpon the loue and mercy of Christ Iesus reuealed in the word this is a sure ground to rely vpon that as God is trueth it selfe so he will most certainly performe all his promises in his owne good time being both mercifull and powerfull to performe whatsoeuer he promiseth Scholler Yet why may not one who doubteth of his Election reply It is certaine God is mercifull true and powerfull but what is that vnto me seeing that I cannot perceiue in particular that hee hath made a promise vnto me Minist First I would haue such a party to assure himselfe that this is but a iugling deluding Sophistrie of the diuell to make any to prie into the decree of God to see whether his name be written there or not before he vse the meanes for then this followeth that because I cannot see Gods decree therefore I will vse no meanes all are in vaine which temptation if the Deuill can once settle keeping such parties from the meanes then he knoweth they be sure his owne Next I would wish them to remember that the Lord is so aboundantly mercifull in making of his promises that hee excludeth no sorts of persons neither Iewe nor Grecian bonde or free high nor low rich or poore but the righteousnesse of God through Iesus Christ is in all and vpon all who beleeue That there is no exception of persons for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption made in Christ Iesus yea that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners whosoeuer they bee excluding no sort nor degree from laying holde on life much lesse any particular person Rather then must one gather the quite contrary arguments against the Deuill and carnall reason And thus returne their arguments All Gods children for the most part who in former times haue beene called and enlightned when they were dead in sinnes and trespasses at their departure from Sodom were not so curious as at first to prie into Gods decree to knowe whether their names were written in the booke of life before they would vse the meanes but they reiecting sense and carnall reason did by degrees vse the meanes to their power and so by the constant vse of the same and Gods blessing therewith by little and little at length found their eyes opened their hearts softned the whole man in part sanctified so attaining vnto the knowledge of his decree therefore I will also vse the meanes rather obeying God then the diuell which though by and by they proue not effectually yet I will waite Gods good time who knoweth but at length I may speed as well as others And so againe though I find not my name in the free Couenant of mercy yet since it excludeth none by name I will hope still though I bee most sinfull yet Christ he came into the world to saue sinners he iustifieth all those who beleeue in him how miserable soeuer they be yet his righteousnes apprehended couers all their infirmities But so it is I am a vile sinner laden and burdened with iniquities Therefore I will beleeue and my Lord will iustifie me and I will draw neere vnto God and he will ease me I will apprehend and cleaue close vnto his righteousnesse how vile and naked soeuer I be of my selfe and thus I shall escape in the middest of all tempests For God if I be penitent is more powerfull to foregiue and heale my rebellions then I am able to prouoke his anger Now the ground of this consolation is the reuealed trueth of God which is as sure as if we did see him in an extraordinary manner both feeling and hearing him speake vnto the heart and eare or rauishing vs in visions as he did to Adam Abraham Isaack Iaacob Moses the Prophets and Apostles or as vnto Paul out of heauen for heauen and earth shall passe away before any title of his word shall fall vnto the ground And hee who resteth vpon this word out and beyond his feeling he resteth vpon the arme of God and as God is true shall vndoubtedly find deliuerance but he who measures the promises of God by his feeling and thinkes that hee beleeueth not but when he feeleth he sinneth grieuously for hee compareth all vndoubted veritie grounded vpon God which shall be performed in Gods good time as certainly as God is truth it selfe with an vncertaine and vanishing feeling which may faile vs but the promises of God cannot Hee therefore who measureth his faith by his feeling deceiueth himselfe because neither is it permanent neither haue we any warrant of the measure time or continuance thereof seeing the Lord commeth when hee will and as he will as he seeth to be most for his glory and our good euen in our most need And as for the chiefe grounds of faith there is no neede to goe vp vnto heauen to seeke for them neither to digge downe vnto hell to find them out for as Moses speaketh the word of truth is neere into vs our eyes see it continually our hands handle it our eyes see it our eares haue the same read and preached vnto vs. And hee that beleeueth in his heart as the Scripture speaketh that Iesus Christ is dead

vnmercifull by nature and yet haue bin raised from the dead so may such a one be in Gods owne time 2. Because as when a King doth imprison any one for some offences As it were folly for any man to presume to say The king will neuer free such a one nor he shall neuer bee sorry for his faults Much more so were it a fit of extreame madnesse in such a hard-hearted party to presume to know Gods counsell or what in time he will work in the heart loosing the fetters wherewith hee is bound Since it is the Lords promise and couenant to take away our stony hearts and giue vs fleshy ones as also the end of Christs comming to open the eyes of the blind to bring out prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknes out of the prison house 3. Because God hath neither appointed any certaine manner or time of calling some being brought home at the 6.9.11 houre therefore though one haue not in effectuall calling obtained a soft heart at 20.30.40 or 50. yeeres of age he may not thence conclude reprobation 4. None but God knowes things to come seeing hee challenges this super excellencie as a proofe proper onely to the Deitie 5. There is a kind of softnes in that heart which knowes and feeles the hardnesse of the same though the party deny it yet sure corruption discouers not corruption nor nature nature and therefore hope remaines 6. Because where there is discontent trouble in minde there is hope by Gods grace repentance may come in which estate though the party plead contentation yet when we see former delights vanish sometimes beloued company displeasing temptations to appeare vnnaturall wishes vnreasonable mad desires in them Who will not confesse that heere is muddy water which when the stormes are past may cleare againe 7. The omnipotency and goodnes of God to other most miserable sinners in pulling them spite of their hearts from their sins without any cause in them as Manasses Nebuchadnezzar Saint Paul Marie Magdalen c. May giue hope of recouerie since many others in the like estate haue found Gods mercies exceeding great in their conuersion Lastly most certaine it is we must not beleeue or giue credit to any who so affirme for distempered men are not able to iudge of diseases no more can the distressed minde of the estate of the soule especially ioyned with a blacke diuellish melancholly humour which the diuell doth oftentimes abuse to breede causelesse feares in the heart of man Schol. Were it possible to perswade any in such an estate that they are tempted Minister It is impossible while the violence of the tentation remaineth Schol. Wherefore Minst Because of the strength of tentation and carnall reason which for that present hath dominion in them for then the field is neere wonne when the diuell is of the party discouered for a diuell the temptation being layd open to reason and iudgement Schol. Yet shew vnto me I beseech you how may we iudge when one is thus tempted or not Minist There be many signes but to be briefe three principally by their seruice language and vnnaturalnesse Schol. Explaine your meaning Minist First for seruice It is most certaine when they are so ready to obey the diuell in all things and disobey God to serue Sathan with pleasure and God by compulsion pulled to good duties viollently as by the haire of the head leauing them off quickly in that their actions shewe them to be tempted 2. By their Shiboleth we may iudge them to be in a strong tentation when in some certaine fittes some of them dare to affirme That they know their hearts shal neuer be moued that it is impossible that euer they should be soft hearted that because their hearts in time past could not be moued by any thing therefore they shall and can neuer be moued And which is more fearefull blasphemie that God cannot moue their heart which for all the world free from temptation they durst not affirme 3. By their vnnaturalnesse Nature doth seeke by all meanes the preseruation of Nature Nowe when they become so vnnaturall as to auoide humane societie to thinke their best friends their foes to scoffe at Religion because they haue no hope to disturbe and let by all meanes good duties like vnto that Maide who disturbed Paul and Silas as they were about to pray in Lydias house to seeke out wittie arguments for the diuell against themselues to laugh at and reiect all Gods arguments from his word bringing nothing against them but carnall foolish blinde reasons from the diuell to be desperate in aggrauating sinne beyond the mercies of God to reiect prayer affirming it is to no purpose to request not to be prayed for c. If these be not infallible signes of tentation then neuer creature was tempted Schol. What if the hardnesse of heart come after a precedent softnesse Minist Then there is good hope yea assurance that in Gods good time the heart may bee softer then euer the party so escaping from vnder this wrath because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Schol. In howe many conditions doe you include men in respect of this wrath Minist In foure Schol. Which are they Minist First those who feele deepe wrath and yet are farre from wrath 2. Those who haue not the deepe sense of wrath and yet are farre from wrath 3. Those who feele no wrath and yet are vnder the wrath of God 4. Those who feele the wrath of God and indeede shall perish in the same wrath Scholler Who are those who feele wrath and yet are farre from the same Minister Those who haue their conscience wakened to see their sinne and to feele the wrath of God for the same which they hate because it hath offended God They mourne for sinne likewise not so much for feare of torments as that they should haue offended so good a God They desire for reconciliation to be at peace with God through Christ They thirst also for the Spirit to cause their hearts to loue that God hungring for the grace of sanctification And lastly although they feele nothing to comfort them yet aboue hope vnder hope they waite still Schol. What should the exercise of the soule be vnder this sort of feeling Minist First it must haue recourse to God by strong cries in prayer 2. Practise repentance by powring out bitter teares vnto God 3. Exercise faith in resting vppon the promises of life euerlasting through Christ 4. Cleaue stedfastly to the loue of God in his mercie grace and goodnesse 5. Draw it selfe away from the wrath as fast as may bee least it bee deuoured thereof 6. Feede and meditate continually vpon the promise of life And lastly hold euer the eye of the soule vpon Christ Schol. Who are they who haue not a deepe sense of wrath