Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A20531
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Anwick his meditations vpon Gods monarchie and the deuill his kingdome And of the knowledge that man in this life may obtaine of the almightie, eternal, and most glorious godhed: with other thinges not only worth the reading but also the marking and the retayning.
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Anwick, I.
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1587
(1587)
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STC 694; ESTC S108317
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93,450
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132
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him appoynted in his holy worde by which wee are to receaue his giftes and spirituall graces which lye hidden in many people for want of Godly exercises wherin wee ought to bee occupied Therfore * wee must stirre vp the giftes of God that are in vs as Paule admonished Timothy the meanes are hearing 2 Tim. 1. 6. reading and folloing the holy scriptures and holy wrytings and preachings grounded thereon For as God is the soueraigne goodnes it selfe euen so all goodnes cometh from him * euery good gifte and euery perfect gift cometh downe Iam. 1. from the father of light and his holy spirit mouing vs wee thinke good thoughts speake good words and do good dedes and not otherwise For when soeuer we thinke speake or do if it bee good * it is God that worketh in vs both the will and Phil. 2. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 6. the deede * For of our selues wee cannot thinke a good thought And contrarywise Satan is the capitall euil and the extreme euill it selfe * for hee is the tempter which by his Angels and worldly adherents puts all euill thoughts into meÌ„s Matt. 4. 3. Gen. 3. 1. 2. Iohn 13. 2. hartes * Thus hee delte with Eue and so disceaued Adam * hee put in the harte of Iudas Iscariote to betray his maister Therefore all wicked motions and filthy thoughts are stirred vp by the Deuill in our corrupt nature wee being his subiects For by Adams fall wee are all in Satans possession And it is the batayle of mans lyfe to striue agaynst his temptations agaynst infidelity pryde of the minde and lustes of the flesh Therfore our sauiour hath taught vs to pray to bee deliuered from euill from which wee cannot kepe our selues without God his especiall grace gouerning vs by his Spirit OF GODS ETERNALL PVRPOSE of chosing and refusing of mankind of the anoiance that it receiueth by Satan and his angels CAP. 6. NOw to proue Gods eternal purpose of election and reiection of man Male and Female * wee know that all thinges worke for the Rom. 8. 28. 9 11. Gen. 25. 23. Exo. 33. 19. Malac. 1. 2. best to them that loue God euen to them that are called of purpose * And of the children not yet borne hauing done neither good nor euil it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esaw that the promise of God might stande according to the election and not by woorkes but by him that calleth what shall wee say then is there vnrighteousnes with God God forbid For hee sayth to Moses I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy and haue compassion on whom I wil haue compassion So then election is not in him that willeth nor in him that ronneth But in God that sheweth mercy on whom it pleaseth him Psalm 107 8. 15. Rom 9 16. Exo. 9. 16. * Oh that men would therefore feare the Lord and declare the woonders that hee doth amongest men * For hee sayeth vnto Pharao for this purpose haue I raysed thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that my name might bee declared through al the Earth Behold to what end God hardned Pharaos heart euen to the same ende as hee before the world was had ordeined the fall of Angels and of men to shewefoorth his glorye and himselfe to bee the wonderfull God of mercy and iustice Then thou wilt say why doth hee yet complayne who can resist his will Saynt Paul correcteth that question saying Rom. 9. 20. * Oh man what art thou that disputest agaynst God Shall the thing formed say vnto him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus hath not the potter power ouer the clay euen of one and the same lumpe to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor What if it please God to shew his wrath to make his power knowen in suffering with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned and prepared to destruction and damnation and that hee might declare the ritches of his mercy vpon the vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory The text is playne inough that some are ordayned and prepared to saluation and other some to damnation And our Sauiour Christ sayth of the reprobate whom God hath refused * that God hath blinded their eies and hardned their Iohn 12. 40 hartes least they should see vnderstand and beleue and be conuerted that hee might heale them Moreouer * God did Ephe. 1. 4. elect whom pleased him euen before the foundation of the World was layed and those hee did forepoint to be adopted in Christ Iesus vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will that they might loue him For * all things work for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called Behold the purpose of God Rom. 8. 33. of purpose And those whom hee knew before hee did forepoint and called them effectually and those he iustified those he also glorifyed * Who shal then lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen whoÌ„he doth iustify And that which the Lord hath decreed who shal make it void Thus it is manifest Esai 14. 27 46. 10. by the holy Scriptures that God did elect and reiecte whom it pleased him aswel of Angels as of men euen before the world was And al for his own purpose to shew forth his own glory himself to be the glorious God of mercy and iustice For God is glorifyed and magnifyed as much in his iustice as in his mercy for if both Angels and men had not sinned and by sinne fallen from theyr blessed state the mercy and iustice of God had neuer bene fâ—lonor spoken of amongst men But so it pleased God to deale with his own And what shal any man get to reason why or wherefore hee hath done this or that It behoueth men rather to feare him and prayse his holy name in beholding his wonderfull and passing terrible workes For hee being Monarch of all power and dominion hath all thinges in euerlasting possession therefore hee only and none but hee may doe with his owne what hee list No man can iustly say that any thing which hee possesseth is properly his owne because God hath but lent it him for a tyme. And yet there are few so ill mannered as to control any man for vsing that which God hath lent him because it is called his owne and shal wee vse lesse reuerence to God theÌ„ we do to men God sayth by his prophet * the sonne doth honor his father Malac. 1. 6. the seruant doth feare his Lord If I bee then your father where is then myne honor If I be your Lord where is the feare yee ought to haue of mee our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs by the example of the * murmuring labourers who were Mat. 20. 11 sharply rebuked for grudging agaynst the liberality of the Lord of the vineyard which is this almighty Monarch and bountifull God that dealeth so frankly and
louingly with all creatures namely men both good and bad Therefore let all people feare to reason why God hath dealt so or so with Angels and men further then is probable and allowable by holy Scripture In holy scriptures I find certayne aunswers to those curious How to answere the wicked questions why God doth this or that namely in this hard matter of choosing and refusing commonly called predestination First hee hath done it for the full accomplishment of his eternall purpose decreed in him selfe before the world was * To the end that his glorious name might be knowen Exod. 9. 13. 33. 19. and his almighty power magnifyed all ouer the Earth * To the end hee might haue compassion and shew mercy on whom it pleased him * To the end that his wayes might be knowne Psalm 67. 2 vpon the whole Earth and his sauing health among all Nations * For when hee hardned the hartes of Pharao and his Exod. 14. 7 subiectes to follow the Israelites through the redde Sea hee did it to that end to bee glorifyed in their distruction for God sayd I will get mee honor vpon Pharao and his hoâ—st his chariots and horsemen by confounding them that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. * He hath done it Ro. 9. 22. 23 to the end to shew his wrath and make his power knowen on the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction And to declare the ritches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy prepared vnto glory To the end wee might know the fayth of Gods elect and haue the knowledge of the truth which is according to godlines vnder hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised to his elect before the world began and hath declared it in his word through preaching and writing The finall end of his eternal purpose inchosing and refusing both Angels and men and in ordayning the matter and the meanes to bring euery thing to his forepointed end euer was is now and euer shall bee to shew himselfe to bee the wonderful and glorious God of mercy and iustice For if man had not fallen from his first blessed estate into sin there should haue bene no declaration as now is for mercy and iustice Neuerthelesse fantasticall wits demaunde freuolous and Curious questions curious questions as this with what equitie and iustice could God condempne such infinite nombers of multitudes of people for the offence of one and yâ— for so sleyght a maâ—ter as tasting the fruicte of a tree I graunt that in mans iudgement the offence seemeth small And the punishment most seuere and horrible But what remedy get wee by disputing agaynst him whose will is an euerlasting lawe neyther is any able to resist his decrees dispute with him who list for I will no more I haue done to much alredy From hence forth this sentence shall satisfie mee So it pleased him to deale with his owne to make iust matter vnto himselfe to execute both mercy and iustice Indeede by mans corrupt reason and defiled conscience euer fauouring himselfe in his sinne the valew of the offence was litle but to Gods elect the wayght of the precept was of great importance the infidelyty most horrible the pryde and disobedience out of measure sinfull Because it was agaynst the most mighty Monarch of all power and dominion in Heauen Earth and Hell So infidelity pryde disobedience and negligence by the wâ— God his holy precepts are not only lightly esteemed but also wilfully dispised and stubbernly broken are the things where with Gods maiesty is so greatly offended and taketh it most vnkindly to bee so vnthankfully dealt withall of his principall workmanshippe his owne ymage for whom hee hath made and prepared so many good and precious thinges And when the matter shal be examined wee shall finde all the right on his side For which of vs of the basest degree can take it well to haue our precepts broken or to bee disobayed and vnthankfully vsed of our vnderlings when we coÌ„maund but in trifles especially of those that depend vpon vs for cloth and foode Behold the poorest man or woman will not endure quietly such disobedience and vnthankfulnes And euery one hath great reason not to suffer it so farre forth as nothing be commaunded but lawfull and honest things Because disobedience procedeth of infidelity and pryde in which enormicies are included all other vices Yea they are the very rootes of all the euils done vnder the Sunne what soeuer How much more then may our good God be iustly offended with vs his creaturs wholy depending vpon him albeit few confesse it as they ought to do not only for cloth and food but for creation lyfe and all other benefites namely the soule the ymage of God and the most precious Iewell geuen euery one to kepe and to looke well to it so comaunded of God Take heede to thy selfe and kepe thy soule diligently c. that thou forget not Gods infinite benefits * And kepe his comaundementes Deut. 4. 9. 40. that it may go well with thee and thy children after thee Example if one of vs commit a precious Iewell of great vallew into the keeping of one who is bounde vnto vs for benefits receiued of vs if the party trusted neglect that precious Iewell so that by his default it perish will not euery one vtterly disâ—ike of such beastly dealing how much more then may our good God dislyke of such as by wilfull stubbernes disdaynfully blot out his glorious ymage in themselues by shamfull disobedience breaking his holy lawe Behold we can do nothing to please God except we beleue and obay his worde * Obedience is better then Sacrifice and disobedience is as the sinne of Witchcrafte Here may be 1 King 15. 22. The dffereÌ„ce betwene the elect and reiect concerning the law a cauell because to obay and kepe the law is not in mans power and that is most true But whoso hath the grace to examine the one by the other shall find such difference as betwene light and darkenes I meane thus Gods elect whom hee hath chosen being led and guided by the holy Ghost and his holy Angels loueth the lawe and hath a continuall desire in his soule to obserue it sory when he breaketh any iot thereof more sory that hee cannot do all thinges as it requireth And therewithall hee seeketh for refuge in crauing mercy in the name of Christ Iesus who hath satisfyed the rigour and strayghtnes of that lawe in his owne person being very man euery way sinne except And therefore not for his owne soule but for al that truly trust to receaue saluation only through his desertes which are only all those that God choose and seperated to that end before the world was made The other sorte the reprobate which God hath refused being led and guided by Satan his Angels and theyr owne corrupt nature they hate the lawe they haue no desire in theyr soules