Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	work_n	work_v	worst_a	42	3	8.6345	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86450	The valley of vision, or A clear sight of sundry sacred truths. Delivered in twenty-one sermons; by that learned and reverend divine, Richard Holsvvorth, Dr. in Divinity, sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Master of Emanuel Colledge, and late preacher at Peters Poore in London. The particular titles and texts are set downe in the next leafe.	Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649.; Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649. Peoples happinesse.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2404; Thomason E631_1; ESTC R202438	355,440	597

cannot be done but by the bath that is taken from Christ and the mercie of God The Jewes that were ignorant and knew nothing in the time of Christ they knew that who can forgive sinnes but God Though they misapplyed it yet it is was true in the thesis and in the generall who can forgine sinnes out God And Christ unlesse he had been God could not have forgiven sins who can forgive sinnes but God Cyr●l well upon the place gives the reason it must needs be so because God is the Law-giver and the Judg saith he to whom can it possibly belong to pardon and passe by and wipe away the transgressions of the law but to him that is the giver of the law Therefore none of the Prophets or Apostles durst ever arrogate this priviledge Nathan when he was sent to David though he had a commission from God durst not speak in his own name but the Lord hath pardoned And if there were no Prophet or Apostle durst assume so much shall we that are men far inferiour in place and piety and those speciall intercourses of the love and knowledge of God It is true there is a power given to Ministers declaratorie to publish and pronounce pardon to the truly repentant but the power of absolution properly so called and the power of taking away and pardoning that onely God keeps in his own custodie Saith Ambrose well the Minister of God doth that that belongs to his duty when he declares and publisheth pardon to the repentant but he exerciseth not any power and authority it is but Ministeriall Therefore Saint Austin observes well that when Christ gave this power to his Apostles and Disciples whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted he first premiseth he breathed on them and said receive yee the holy Ghost Saith he first they received the holy Ghost and then whose sinnes yeremit they are remitted For it is the holy Ghost that puts away sinne and not you It is Austin's observation And we may further observe that Christ when hee healed any commonly hee pronounced forgivenesse of sinnes but the Apostles though they healed many yet we never read that they used this word To note that Christ gave the power of healing to them but he kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Further then it is ministeriall hee kept the power of putting away of sinne to himselfe for it is an act of Majestie it cannot be so to others God may make Angels to declare it or men but the power is proper to him Christ gave the power of healing to the Apostles but hee kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Saint Austin presseth it against the Donatists sweetly who would faine have got the power to themselves Austin askes the question tell me the vertue of whose name takes away sinne He speaks of himselfe is it the name of Austin is it the name of Donatus it is neither the name of Paul nor Peter who is Austin who is Donatus And the Apostle presseth it who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers of CHRIST But who is it that takes away sinnes GOD Himselfe This is the second thing the Prophet would bring them to know and acknowledge in this word O Lord to thee belongs mercie and forgivenesse thou art the Father of mercie we can feel the smart of sinne but cannot remove it thou must either take it away or else it will not be taken away therefore shew mercie and come among us either take it from us or else it will take us from thee remove it from us and remove it from thee Take away sinne and receive us graciously I have done with the first part the precatory part which concernes Malum tollendum the evill to be removed the evill of sin The second is bonum largiendum in these words ●●ke away all iniquity and receive us graciously It is in the Originall and shew us good Yet in the Originall a little further Take away iniquity and receive good Like that phrase in the Psalm He received gifts for men that is he gave gifts to men Receive good that is shew good shew thy grace that is as it is well interpreted in English receive us graciously Two things are to be considered in it One that I propounded in the forenoon though I came not to it that is the connexion of this part to the other The other is the order of this part with the other why it is joyned or added to the other clause and why it followes it I shall hardly speak of all But let us looke upon the connexion why is this clause added to the other Is not this enough take away all iniquitie It seemes this is superfluous for where-ever sinne is pardoned grace is conveyed where GOD takes away sinne he discovers grace and where hee crucifies the old man he stamps the image of the new where hee frees from death he gives interest to life where sinne is pardoned salvation is stated upon the soule what need this follow this one word take away all iniquitie is all the expression that need to be used But the Prophet would bring them to a greater enlargement and it is added for speciall reasons I will bring them to these three First it is added as a clause of illustration Take away all iniquitie so shew thy self gracious favourable Noting this that there is nothing doth more magnifie the goodness glory of God then the pardon of sin nothing doth more shew his grace then that As if he had said thou art the Father of mercie we have need of mercy thou hast mercy for thousands and we are thousands that beg it we pray thee to pardon our sins and manifest thy mercie in pardoning by receiving us graciously shew us grace in the pardoning our sins It is the greatest evidence of the mercie of God in the pardoning of sinnes it is that that glorifies God most It is well said by the Psalmist that his mercie is over all his works and we may say of the grace of pardoning that it is over all his other mercies There are other mercies that God shewes us that concerne our temporall estate O these come not within compare Nay spirituall mercies if he preserve any it is the grace of custodie If he deliver any from danger it is the grace of liberty If he accept our prayers and receive them at our hands that is a testimonie of mercie the grace of acceptation but if he pardon sinne that hath all in it that is Gods tender mercie in that he shewes bowels of mercie He opens his casket of mercy in all favours but hee opens his owne bowels when he pardons sinne that includes all mercies that David calls his tender mercies Over all our works it is even over the worst workes of ours which is sinne Over all Gods works it is euen over all the best of Gods works besides in creating preserving and keeping It is that that shines and breakes

forth and surpasseth all other his attributes it is that that glorifies God most that honours him yea that God himselfe hrnours most His grace and goodnesse appeared in the creation of the world that was a great mercy mercie budded out then but that was not so great a mercy as the pardon of sinne For nullitie though it be farre off from God yet it is nearer God then sinne and iniquity is because that is more repugnant and contrary to his nature it is more to pardon a sinner then to create a world it is more to pardon one sinner then to make a million of men It is over his works of power over his works of justice Justice is seen in punishing of sin God shews his power in that but there is a greater power seen in the pardoning of sinne it is plain His power in executing of justice it is as the strong man but his power in magnifying his mercy is as the stronger man for it binds the hands of justice the stronger man comes and binds the strong man Grace and mercie are the stronger attributes stronger then justice though both be the same in God yet in manifestation it prevailes and exalts it selfe against justice If Gods power be seen in punishing much more in pardoning because mercie conquers justice Besides see it in our selves for a man that punisheth another it argues he hath power over another but he that pardons him that deserves to be punished shews 〈◊〉 ●ee not only hath power over another but over himselfe because pardon is both an evidence of that power that should have been in punishing and of a further power in sparing So the force of mercy is double to that of justice it magnifies Gods power more it is the last act of divine justice the pardon of sinne Therefore in Scripture mercie hath the prerogative above all other attributes in many respects Of antiquity it is older in regard of manifestation we speake still for mercie and love budded out in the creation of the world we speak of the effects of it but justice was not manifested till man had transgressed It was one day older in the manifestation then judgement was then judgement took place when Adam transgressed mercie was before It hath the prerogative of alliance for though the justice of God be himselfe as well as his mercie as all is but one act in God his justice and wisdome and power and merci● all are himselfe yet mercy is his more proper work Therefore in Scripture judgment is called his strang● work I will bring a strange worke that is I will execute justice He calls it a strange worke as hetrogenicall and contrary to his nature he is forced to execute judgement our sinnes compell him If it were not for sinne he would not manifest judgements Though both be naturall yet mercy is more naturall in regard of the effect of it It is nearer Thirdly It hath the prerogative of latitude it hath a greater extent he executes justice seldome and upon some few all men tast of his mercie There is no judgement that God executes but mercie is mingled with it Goe over any that were executed since the beginning of the world still there was mercy in it but there is mercie often manifested when there is no judgement in it Here is the difference judgement is never entire but there is some mercie in it mercie is alway entire and there is no mixture of judgement in it See the effects in regard of extent God saith he will punish to the third and fourth Generation the Fathers upon the Children that is a long time but it is nothing to his mercie I will shew mercie to thousands of generations A thousand Generations is longer then the world shall last For there were but 42. generations from the Creation to Christ a hundered generations is like to be longer then the world shall last yet God will be mercifull to thousands of Generations if it last so long or if not hee will be so for ever a large periphrasis Mercy hath the prerogative of extent It hath the prerogative of honour it honours God more and God honours it more He makes mention by his spirit in Scripture when he mentions judgement and mercie mercy goes first My song shall be of mercie and judgement Mercie and truth are met together still mercie is first God gives it the prerogative Nay usually he mentions mer●●twice for once righteous Gracious and mercifull is God and righteous And at the last day when these two attributes shall be placed at the two hands of God wee shall see which attribute hath preheminence that hath the highest honour to stand at Gods right hand judgement shall stand at his left hand among the vessels of wrath mercy at his right hand among the sheepe and the elect Last of all it hath the prerogative of duration for though condemnation speaking of eternall condemnation and eternall life though condemnation be a line of as great length as eternall life that lasts for ever yet speaking of temporall punishment compared with the mercie of God so we see mercy out-lives justice in all the expressions of it and that by a great disproportion It is a great disproportion between yeares and months In Rev. 11. The holy Citie shall be trodden down 42. months but they shall reigne with me for a thousand yeares Though moneths be not moneths in that place I come not now to examine the meaning of moneths but see the comparison there is mercy for a thousand yeares there is judgement for 42. moneths they shall be troden under foote but they shall reign a thousand yeares It is a greater disproportion that is betwixt weeks and yeares see that in Dan. 9. Seventy weekes are determined for the transgression of my people that I may compasse them with everlasting kindnesse Seventy weeks are determined for transgression God measures judgements by weekes but hee reckons the continuance of his mercy by many yeares by ages by everlasting duration there shall be everlasting righteousnesse Yet further there is a greater disproportion between yeares and dayes yet in Isa 63. The day of revenge is in mine heart and the yeare of my redeemer is come Here is the day of revenge the yeare of redemption The day of revenge is in mine heart There days are years and years are dayes but in the expression of them God exalts mercie that wee may see it hath a larger sphere to move in Yet further there is a greater disproportion between a moment and a yeare nay between that and eternity For a small moment have I corrected thee but with everlasting mercie I will receive thee as it is in Isaiah God threatens to punish for a small moment but his mercy endures for eternity Now to sum it up the Prophet would make them understand thus much that nothing magnifies Gods grace and goodnesse more then the pardon of sinne that they might professe it that they might make it

justification in our hearts yet that grace of sanctification is imperfect and no man makes a perfect improvement of Gods gifts no man lives according to the measure of grace that God bestowes Therefore when we have done all we can we come short of what we ought Nay if we had done all we should all that God requires say you cannot merit you are unprofitable Servants you have done but your duty you have done but what God requires If the state of restitution cannot merit sin and impiety cannot merit There is in the best action that we performe in the work of Preaching and praying and alms and charity and deeds of piety so much Leaven so many infirmities that he that knowes the nature of sin and the latitude and small extent of piety in his heart when he Prayes he prayes not onely for the pardon of his sins but of his Prayers And when he preacheth he prayes not onely for pardon of his silence and neglect but of his performance if there be infirmities in the best there is no plea of merit Our work is onely this to flie to the Throne of grace in the name of grace that is it that is a prevaling forcible word with God to plead for mercy and beg for pardon because he is gracious It is a word that so prevailes that it carries alway mercy with it from Heaven it is that word that God delights in it is that word about which prayer clucks as the Wings of the Cherubims about the Mercy-Seate The Wings of Prayer must flutter about the Mercy-seate about mercy That is the second thing to shew what the foundation of the pardon of sin is none but mercy it is founded in grace therefore he adds it to the former Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously as an inducement to perswade God to take away all iniquity That is the second I will but touch the third The Third is he adds it as a clause of perfection that makes up the perfect enumeration of the graces Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously There is nothing that a Christian can beg in this World but it may be brought in the compasse of one of these two These two words are as the two Tables of Prayer like the two Tables of the Law in these two there are all kind of Petitions all the evill that is to be removed is in that Take away all iniquity and all good that is to be conveyed in that Receive us graciously So that he might make a Perfect Prayer for them yet very short and compendious and yet full Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously this is a Prayer that the Prophet studied this was the Prayer that the Spirit guided him to make for them Here are the two hands of Prayer Take away iniquity and receive us graciously If we divide Prayer as the Apostle doth into foure sorts that are rather parts then kinds of Prayer 1. Tim. 2. I beseech that Prayer and intercession and giving of thanks be made to God for all men they are all in this forme that the Prophet prescribes them Here is the deprecatory part for the removing of ill Take away all iniquity here is the supplicatory part for the pouring out of all good Receive us graciously Here is the gratulatory part We will give the Calves of our lips Take the division of Prayer according to that scantling that David makes Psal 34. For obedience gives the Law to Prayer he refers the duty of a Christian to two heads Eschew evill and doe good upon that hangs all the Law and the Prophets according to these two are the parts of Prayer one for the removall of evill another for the infusion of grace here are both the removall of the greatest evill take away iniquity and powre the choicest of thy mercies on us that is mercy Receive us graciously One part of the Prayer is for expelling of darknesse Take away iniquity the other for the shewing of the light of his Countenance Receive us graciously Lastly if we divide it as David divides prayer Psal 25. there he makes his Prayer Remember Lord and remember not these are the two heads an affirmative and a negative remember not my sins but remember me He desires God both to remember and yet to forget here are both these here is one part of the Prayer that God would be mindfull receive us graciously Another that he would not be mindfull Take away iniquity remove it out of thy sight forget our sins Here is one part that God would open his eyes and another that he would shut them shut them upon our sins open them upon our persons The one part of the Prayer fits the sin the other the sinner For sin they pray that God would put it from them and remove it for themselves they pray that God would take them to him and receive them to mercy Men when they punish sin they cut off the Sinner but they cannot take away the sin God is otherwise in his proceeding he takes away the sin and spares the Sinner To make up the perfect part of Prayer here is the evill to be removed and the grace to be bestowed Take away iniquity and receive us graciously here is that that concernes the time past Lord take away iniquity what we have done thou knowest here is that that concernes the time to come that we fall no more strengthen us by thy spirit receive us graciously As Cyprian speaks in another place it is the breviary of the whole Gospell as Tertullian saith it is the Compendium of all Heavenly Doctrine This text here is all the Gospell and all that is good in the Law it is the summe of the Gospell it is like the Lords Prayer here are six words in it answerable to the six Petitions Take away iniquity and receive us graciously as Christ divides that Prayer he refers all to two heads one for deprecation of ill Forgive us our Trespasses and lead us not into temptation deliver us from evill The other for the powring out of all good Hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done and give us dayly bread So here is for the removall of evill and the strengthning to grace take away iniquity and receive us graciously Here is a Patterne for us one halfe of his Prayer is spent for the pardon of sin the other halfe for the powring out of grace For a man to neglect to beg pardon that is to be unmindfull of the time past he that begs not grace is unmindfull of the time to come By pardon we returne and by grace we stand He that hath the consideration of Hell that will stir him up to beg pardon and he that sees the joyes of Heaven will beg grace for that is the path that leads thither to make a perfect prayer joine both The Prophet to give them a full forme he joynes these though briefly None of them could plead that they

Strength of the faculties of his mind and of the parts of his body when he gives the glory of all his actions and intentions when he learnes to deny himselfe He that Sacrificeth he parts with that which he Sacrificeth and he that Sacrificeth himselfe parts with himselfe and denies himselfe He that will come after me let him denie himselfe A man that gives himselfe in sacrifice goes out of himselfe and keeps nothing back when a man brings carnall reason and opens his affections and will to be Subject to God when he brings all those sins which he was addicted to by nature or hath contracted by custome when he brings all to the obedience of Christ and layes them upon the Altar of a penitent contrite heart such a man offers himselfe to God It is a thing most precious with men themselves and it is a thing most precious with God too There is nothing of that value that we can give to God as our selves he that gives his whole selfe gives all the duties that can be performed by man He gives the Sacrifice of praise and Prayer his hands are Dedicated to God in works of Charity his eyes in Chastity his heart in repentance every faculty of his mind all his whole selfe is consecrated to God That is to make a true devotion sayth St. Austin O si quis bene c. If any man will make a perfect vow and Sacrifice to God let him make a dedication of himselfe Hoc est quod debetur imago this is that that God demands this is that that we owe the Image of Caesar to returne to Caesar and the Image of God to God God made man for himselfe therefore we should give our selves See how farr we doe it Christ he gave not any thing of himselfe but himselfe for us his whole selfe we must make such a retalliation to give to God againe not any thing of ours but our selves that God requires If we give any thing to the World we give not our selves to God if any thing to the pleasures of sin if any thing of our selves to our selves we give not our selves to God The way to keepe our selves is to give our selves to God A man never keeps himselfe till he loose himselfe then he is kept sure when he is laid in Gods armes The presumptuous man gives not himselfe to God he gives not God his feare The doubtfull dispairing Christian he gives not himselfe to God he gives not God his hope The covetous man gives the World his desire the World hath his love and his joy He that consecrates himselfe to sin let him see to whom he gives himselfe not to God who is one hat abhors iniquity and transgression You know who was the first author of sin he that dedicates himselfe to sin gives himselfe to him that is the Author of it I abhor to name it to whom we consecrate our selves Christians Baptise themselves into the name of Satan they give themselves in Sacrifice to the Devill To consecrate our selves to sin is to doe so it is plaine the Prophet puts not in the heart here because the whole man is included therefore he sayth not We will give thee the Calves of our hearts but We will give thee the Calves of our lips This for the meaning of it Now look in the second place why the Prophet makes choise of it for there was a large Field of expressions that he could have used David hath this work set downe in much variety of Language so we will praise and glorifie thee and give laud to thy name so will we sing to thy praise and honour thee in our actions any of these would have served yet he chooseth this we will give the Sacrifice of our selves The reasons that make it full for the understanding of it are these three why he passeth by literall phrases and expressions and instanceth in a Metaphoricall So will we render the Calves of our lips First to shew them and to teach to us that thanksgiving and praise is a Sacrifice Every duty of Christianity in which a man consecrates himselfe to God is called a Sacrifice Righteousnesse that is a Sacrifice Psal 4. Offer to God the Sacrifice of righteousnesse Prayer that is a Sacrifice or oblation Psal 141. Let my Prayer be as incense So the Apostle sayth Christ offered up Prayers in the dayes of his flesh Thirdly repentance is a Sacrifice Psal 51. The Sacrifice of God is a humble contrite heart It is not onely one Sacrifice but the Sacrifice the eminent Sacrifice that God delights in a humble heart Fourthly Almes-deeds that is a Sacrifice Heb. 13. To doe good and distribute forget not for with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Againe praise is called a Sacrifice By him that is by Jesus Christ let us offer the Sacrifice of praise Lastly thanksgiving that is a Sacrifice Psal 116. and diverse others I will offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay my vowes to the Lord. Nay and the Apostle St. Peter 1. Pet. 2. he sets downe all Christian duties under this metaphor we are made a holy Priesthood in him we should offer the duties of Christianity there set downe to make an oblation of them they are every duty called there a Sacrifice or oblation The Prophet therefore would draw them to this Consideration that whereas they were much busied and imployed in offering legall Sacrifices that they would look to the spirituall Sacrifices Here are the Sacrifices that are perpetuall the other vanish these continue under Christianity And these are not onely not taken away but perfected in the time of the Gospell The spirituall Sacrifices are Sacrifices that continue still but they are spirituall ones that we offer to God Every Christian duty is as a Sacrifice nay as a severall Sacrifice We may paralell it Repentance is as a Trespasse-offring Zeale is as a Burnt-offring and praise is as a Free-will-offring and thank fullnesse that is as the offring of the first-fruits He that brings sincerity to God there is the oblation of unleavened bread The Apostle sets it out 2 Cor. 5. The unleavened bread of sincerity He that honours God in the works of Charity gives the two young Turtles his hands are as Turtles mercy is as the young turtles offered to God I might instance in other perticulars The incense of prayer the Calves of praise here the Lamb of a humble heart There is no Christian duty but hath some proportion to some Sacrifice it is that in truth and effect that the Sacrifice typified Therefore the Prophet to draw them from looking on their Sacrifices with a carnall eye he instanceth in this to teach them that every duty and in particular the duty of praise is a Sacrifice to God That is the first thing Secondly he would not onely teach them that thankfullnesse was a Sacrifice but that it was a better Sacrifice as I shewed out of the Scriptures that it is reputed

a Sacrifice so I shall shew out of the same Scriptures that it is a better Sacrifice every one of them For righteousnesse sayth Solomon ●o doe judgement is more acceptable then Sacrifice righteousnesse is a better Sacrifice For mercy the Prophet Hosea tells us I desire mercy and not Sacrifice and the works of piety more then Burnt offrings Mercy is there preferred before Sacrifice For obedience Samuel tells us in 1 Sam. 15. I will have obedience and not Sacrifice and the knowledge of God is more then the fat of Rams There is the knowledge of God more then Burnt offrings more then the fat of Rams that is it is better For repentance David sayth Thou delightest not in burnt Offrings thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thee thou delightest not in Burnt offrings Then followes The Sacrifice of God is a contrite heart it is farr beyond Burnt offrings Lastly for the duty of thank fullnesse the Psalmist sayth Psal 69. there it is plaine that the work of thankfullnesse is more acceptable to God it is better then Sacrifice I will praise the name of the Lord with a song and magnifie him with thanksgiving this also shall please the Lord better then a Bullock that hath hornes and hoofs The Calves of their Stall and of their Fold were not so acceptable to God as the praising of God with Songs the Sacrifice of thanksgiving The Prophet would teach them this that thank fullnesse was not onely a Sacrifice but a better Sacrifice The use I will make of this is that that St. Jerome makes of it Let all the Jews give eare to this their legall Sacrifices are vanished they are not able to stand before the spirituall Sacrifices all the Sacrifices of obedience are better The reasons are weighty First he that offers a Bullock offers somewhat out of himselfe he that gives obedience gives himselfe sayth Gregory in the Sacrifice there is the flesh of Beasts offered but in obedience and in praise there is our owne will our owne rebellious will the untamed Heifer of our owne stubborne hearts they are offered to God It is better in that respect Secondly it is better in this respect also all those that they offered in the time of the Law they were dead Sacrifices if we speake according to the Letter and dying according to the institution They were alwaies to vanish they were alwaies Mortalia now they are Mortifera they were to die in time and now they are deadly then they were abrogable now they are abhominable But he that offers duties of piety gives God a living Sacrifice he that offers himselfe I beseech you Brethren give up your selves a holy living Sacrifice Rom. 12. There is a great deale of odds therefore let the Jews give eare to this God looks not to the Sacrifice but it is the Offerers that God looks to not to the Offering not to the Sacrifice that is offered It is recorded by some Interpreters that there is no place of Scripture that the Jews mistake more then this that I have in hand For they hold that this part of the Prophecy was a prediction not onely of the Babilonish captivity the misery that did befall them then but of their dispersion that doth befall them now and hath continued ever since the time of Christ because now they are in this great misery of their dispersion they hold this to be the meaning of the place We will give the Calves of our lips when they meet in their Synagogues to this day they read alwayes the Law of Moses and perticularly those rytes of Sacrifice and because they have not a Temple now to offer Sacrifice in they read the Law and they think that God accepts that for a ful offering of Sacrifice because of this We will give the Calves of our lips because they read the rytes of Sacrifice mistaking this place that is intended by the Prophet for spirituall Sacrifices The Sacrifice that God accepts consists not in reading but in praysing Take away iniquity and we will praise thee It is not reading of words of praise but powring out the Spirit of praise that God accepts that is it that David calls the Free-will-offering of his mouth Therefore to convince the Jews that their Sacrifices should end in time the Prophet shews by this that they should be abrogated They boast of their Sacrifices and even now God accepts spirituall Sacrifices far beyond them and in time he will not look on them at all therefore bring God the Calves of your lips Secondly let Christians give eare to this as here is the Jews conviction so here is the Christians inlargement the Christians happinesse Here we see the vertue and strength of the Law continues when the letter of the Law is killed the morallity of the Sacrifice continues though the ceremony be taken away Let no man say he will not offer spirituall Sacrifices to God lest he should seem judaicall nay we must judaise in this perticular But how In a spirituall sence we must offer God the Sacrifice of the inward man these Christian Sacrifices unbloody spirituall Sacrifices Doe not think that we are acceptable to God in outward performances in things of ceremony and things of rytes it is the substantiall duties that he looks to to give him not unleavened bread but sincerity and simplicity of heart not Doves but innocency not the LAMBS of our Fold but simplicity and humility and meeknesse not the Sacrifice of Beasts but of obedience God expects not the dividing of the Creatures but of our hearts In a word not the Calves of our Folds but of praise and thanksgiving that is the second reason why the Prophet instanceth in this phrase He would teach them First that thanksgiving is a Sacrifice Secondly that it is a better Sacrifice Thirdly there is another reason yet he would teach them that thanksgiving is a daily Sacrifice by this metaphor The Calves of the lips For Calves were such oblations as were taken in to all kind of Sacrifices At the Consecration of their Priests Exod. 29. they offered Calves for the Burnt-offering this Creature was taken in Levit. 1. This Creature was taken in for the Trespasse-offering Levit. 4. For the Peace-offering Levit. 9. At the solemnity of their Purification this Creature was Offered Numb 19. Then put it together they used daily to Offer the Calves of their Stalls and of their Folds to shew them therefore that more frequently they must give God prayse and thanks that it must be a daily Sacrifice he instanceth in this The Calves of our lips to shew that thanksgiving must be taken in to all the spirituall Sacrifices we offer If a man humble his soul in repentance thankfullnesse must come in that God gives him a heart to repent If a man distribute his goods to the poore thank fullnesse must be taken in that God hath enabled him to give If a man pray to God thank fullnesse must goe along that God

to receive their direction We must not prescribe God leave God to his way though we see things improbable God can work it out we must leave him to his wisedome he will bring things to passe we must not put trust in meanes and rules but leave God to his prescriptions Lastly good Servants beare their Masters name and not onely apply themselves to the Commands of their Master but to the desires of their Master They alway consider themselves to be in that condition that they look to give an account Good Servants they are not onely tender of their Masters temporall goods but of their Masters safety A good Servant will venture his life for his Master especially in a good cause O then let us goe and be like minded put all these together and by the consideration of these things provoke our selves to the faithfull obedience and service that belongs to God Let us mold our selves with these resolutions If we be Servants for shame for shame doe somewhat that belongs to Servants Let us not be content to equall the Coppie but labour to exceed it not onely to say As the eyes of Servants so our eyes but as the eyes of Children to their Parents so are our eyes to God As the eyes of Subjects are to their Prince so are our eyes on God and as the eyes of Sheep are fixed upon the Shepheard so are our eyes on God As the eyes of Creatures are upon their Creator and the eyes of the redeemed upon their Saviour so our eyes are fixed upon the Lord our God In all these relations we will not onely labour to equall the duty but to exceed it and not so onely but more So I have done with the first thing the paralell wherein David endeavours to match the Coppy he had propounded As the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters so are our eyes on the Lord our God And the reason of every word Now the last thing is the date and duration Vntill he have mercy on us There are but two words they are not long in pronunciation but they are very long in signification They are so long that they reach to perpetuity both wayes For first there is no end of Gods mercy that is one word And then there must be no period set of our duty and waiting Vntill he have mercy on us That word seems to be as long as the other Indeed it is true in it selfe it is not long because God is not long in shewing mercy he is quick if we should wait upon him onely till he shew mercy we should wait now and no longer we should cease presently for he shews mercy alwayes No but it is to be continued by many enlargements therefore briefly the sum of both words is this In one word the word mercy David sets downe the scope at which every Christian aimes after the glory of God in shooting up all those Arrows of love and obedience and feare that he sends up to God the end and aime of all is this that he may attaine mercy he looks up to God for mercy Mercy that is of a larg signification we can beg nothing of God which is not mercy If a man be disconsolate he looks to God for comfort If there be a doubtfull heart that looks up to God for resolution If there be a blind heart that looks for illumination of a wavering heart that looks for stablishing all these are mercies because they are all given in mercy Every good thing is a mercy because it is given in mercy If a man be in persecution peace is a mercy If he be in trouble of Conscience ease is a mercy If he be in anguish if he be in any exigent deliverance is a mercy If he be in pangs of Conscience quiet is a mercy All is mercy he that waits on God for mercy waits for every good thing Secondly the other word Vntill shews us thus much what the period is that a Christian sets himselfe in the line of obedience It hath the same period that Donec untill untill he shews mercy Shall we think that David did meane to wait on God untill he had mercy and then to fix his eyes upon the Earth againe No much more then therefore know that the word Donec in Scripture doth not alway signifie a determinate time but an infinite time untill signifies eternity in two places One in the Gospell Joseph knew not Mary untill shee had brought forth her first Borne Son not then nor after because shee continued alway a Virgin But more plainly in Psal 110. The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy Foot-stoole Doe you think that Christ shall sit at Gods right hand no longer then till all things be subdued in the end of the World and that then he shall give over his session and his Kingdome cease God forbid but untill is for ever So here Our eyes wait on the Lord till he have mercy on us Not as we should make a cessation then when God hath shewed mercy But as St. Chrysostome very well he speaks not onely for a short time as long as God shews mercy but for all times What doe I take Chrysostome heare David expound himselfe Psal 62. My throat is dry my heart is weary mine eyes faile with waiting He looked on God so long till his eyes failed and he gives not over then he waits still A Christian must wait alwayes upon God So that word hath both an inclusive and an exclusive force So shall our eyes wait on the Lord untill he shew mercy That is if he doe shew mercy we will wait or if he doe not If he send it speedily or if he doe not still God is to be waited on We now if God doe not send mercy we will wait on him with contentation or if he doe shew mercy we will wait on him with acknowledgement If God delay mercy we will wait with patience if he speedily send mercy we will wait on him with thankfullnesse we will wait on him till then and much more after Vntill that is I will wait on him then and now and alway we will never end this work So the point is this A● true Christian must not let goe his hold his hope his confidence he breaks not off his Service he breaks not off waiting upon God though God deferre to shew mercie He waits on God in his owne occasions though God suspend and seeme to absent himselfe He waits in all the occasions of the Church If God correct he waits that things may be better if God send blessings he still waits on him that God may continue the mercies Here is the point a Christian must not give over waiting on God especially in cases of extreamity When we come to beg any mercy spirituall or temporall of God if God bestow it on us then we are said to wait till then because then we obtaine our desire we wait for