Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A25466
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Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume / by several ministers in and about London, preached in October, 1689.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing A3225; ESTC R614
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480,042
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449
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did Josiah in reading the Law and comparing Judah's former behaviour how that people had sin'd against the Law of God and by this he discovered what Sins 1. Brought them into the danger of Captivity and utter Desolation 2. Which were likely to increase their danger or continue it 3. Were likely to lessen the deliverance expected and pray'd for 4. Which God hath long born with and at last pardon'd that he might deliver a sinful and unworthy people though his own This will in all probability bring the Enquirers on their knees to confess their own and their fathers Sins to be throughly apprehensive what need of earnest prayers that the Lord would purge pardon deliver and fully save his Churches This will make them admire the Lords long-suffering justifie his Righteous Judgments and give him praise due to him for leaving us a remnant that at last shall see his full Salvation VI. Would you as Christians Enquire into the News of the present times the better to manage prayer and praises for the Church Enquire then what are the effects of either Good and Welcome or of Sad and Mournful News upon such as are nearest concern'd in both Do Judgments awaken and frighten Sinners in Sion from their Sins Do the punishments of their Sins work them to deep Humiliation to publick Repenting and Reforming Do they return to the Lord that smiteth them Or are they as sinful secure and as fearless as ever What effect have Gods Mercies upon his Churches Do his Mercies prevail with them not to Conform to the present evill world but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds Doth prosperity make them now as it did between 47. Rom. 12.1 2. and 60 make professors worldly proud quarrelsom unjust persecuting one another irreconcileably divided one from another enraged one against another with that mad unreasonable fury as to venture the ruining of the whole Church to satisfie the revenges of a Party When I think on these and such like sad miscarriages I can see little cause given by the Church to Rejoyce but much to Mourn Here 's need of prayer little matter of Thanksgiving in the deportment of the Church Indeed we ever ought to praise the Lord for his Mercies to his people but we still want that proper subject of praise to God which a Reformed United Holy and Heavenly Church would be to us When unexpected and stupendious revolutions make the generality of Christians to leave their sins and return to God and live more suitable to their Heavenly Calling and love one another as Christ commandeth Then we have abundant cause to bless and praise our God and continue our prayers for a people near to a full Salvation VII Would you as Christians better manage your Prayers and Praises for the Church on any New Occurrences Then Enquire what is the Temper and Deportment of the Churches Enemies Are the Enemies of the Church 1. Atheistical and Blasphemous as he was who spakes as contemptuously of the Lord of Hosts as of the Idols of the Nations whom his Father had destroy'd Are they grown up to Sennacherib's height of Atheism and Blasphemy Do then as Hezekiah Isaiah and the people of Judah did It is probable the Enemy is near his fall you near to the Answer of your Prayers and the Church near to the days of Thanksgiving and praise to God Read the Story in 2 King 18.1 and 2 Chron. 32. and Isaiah 36. and 37. chap. Atheism and Blasphemy are the Temper and Deportment of the Antichrist which we expect shall be destroy'd Rev. 13.1 5. ver 2. Combined and Confederate against the Church So was Moab Ammon and Amalek Psal 83.6 to cut off the name of Israel So did Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. if that refer to Antiochus Epiphanes or to any other already past So will the Gog and Magog mention'd in the Rev. 20. So hath the Antichristian Papal Kingdom done against the Church and its probable such a confederacy may be again made against the Church of God Now when rooting out of Israel is the end of the confederacy the Church is furnisht with many prevailing Arguments to use in prayer for the Church 3. Confident and proud promising themselves an assured Success answerable to their preparations and resolutions So Sennacherib as I have done so I will do c. and Gog and Magog I will go to the unwalled Villages and I will take the spoil c. Ezek. 38.11 12. So will the pride and confidence of Babylon the Enemy of the Church Babylon that will say I sit a queen I shall not be a widow c. Rev. 18.7 How seasonably may the Church plead with the Lord to execute his just Threats upon her and bring her Sorrows on her in a moment 4. Cruel and merciless so was Babylon of old so is Babylon at this day this ministred occasion to the captive Jew to pray and move the God of Mercy to remember their low and sad condition and rescue them from those cruel hands which delight in Blood In the temper of those who have for many Ages wasted the Church of Christ and in these last three or four years have labour'd to destroy it in France most unparallel'd cruelty hath been practised upon the members of Christ How long holy and true Rev. 11. VIII And lastly Would you as Christians Enquire in order to the better management of your prayers and praises then whatever News of Moment you hear concerning the State of the Churches of Christ be sure to your best knowledge compare those News with these things that are signs of approaching deliverance and fuller Salvation from its own sins and self-created troubles and from the furious rage of Enemies 1. Compare the state of the Church and your News of it with the Divine Providences over the Church in the like Circumstances in times past Find out some instance parallel to your present case in the Scriptures and in prayer plead it with God for the like nay for greater help The various cases of the Church recorded in Scripture are glasses in which we may see what troubles we must expect and Gods Providences to his people are exemplaries for us to conform our Hope and Confidence unto We may read his Deliverances and in like cases say This God is our God as theirs he will lead us preserve and deliver us as them Hence it is you do so often find the people of God concluding and expecting Relief because he did in like case hear prayer and give his people matter of praise in times past 2. Compare the News you hear with the expectations of the Generality of the observant praying meditating Scripture-wise Christians Consider well what the body of these look for whether good or evil A single Man or a few of them may easily mistake in their Conjecture but it is seldom that the whole body of them mis-time their Expectation Deliverance out of Egypt was expected by the best and wisest
may not be expected to cleanse a Young Mans way nor any others Get a Promise from him to lend you his best Direction to thorough Conversion A Youth without a Pastor is a Child without a Nurse Direct 2. Vse him whom you chuse your Guide for your Soul and follow him as far as he follows Jesus Christ Hear him ordinarily a Child 's own Parents Milk is commonly best for it Write after him the Heads of his Sermon I mean and his Chief Notes Incomparable King Edward the Sixth used to write Sermon Notes Go often to his House and always to ask things worth his time and your own Little rest give him till Grace has blest his labors to fit you for the Lords Table Plainly tell him you shall count small good gotten by the Word till you are qualified for the Sacrament And that it is to you a dolorous thing to have but a Place in Gods House and no Room at his Table It looks as if you were but a Dog and not a Child Direct 3. Look alway and adhere closely unto God's Son and Spirit Without these the Holy Bible can no more make you wise unto Salvation than the Fables of Aesop that Papists dare compare it to The Word of Life is a Word of Death to you without these to make it beneficial These without whom you can expect no more Edification from the best Minister than from a blind Harper In all things ye want Jesus Christ for Acceptance in all you want the Holy Ghost for Assistance in all things and at all times Without right use of them no Soul can fetch a Breath of Divine Life or take a Step of Holy Walk Nature indeed shews you an Heavenly Father and ties all of you unto him But 't is only special Revelation Jupiter q. Juvani Pater reveals a Redeeming Son of God and an Holy Sanctifying Spirit of God And 't is much Grace and that much used too that can keep you close unto these VVithout which you may be great Socinians but no Christians Direct 4. Beware of setting against each other Gods Mercy Christs Merits Holy Faith and Good Works VVe cannot say to either of them we have no need of thee All are truly necessary and unspeakably But in the Countrey I saw it and in this City I see it most people do fix on some one of them and cry it up to the Exclusion of the rest To the virtual Exclusion Of so Epidemical and fatal a hindrance of Conversion beware you The Mercy of God! All the Rhetorick of Heaven cannot praise enough but wo be to you if you expect the Pardon of the least Sin by it otherwise than through Christs Merits The Merits of Christ These without question are infinite But you are undone if you dream you shall have the saving benefit of them Living and Dying without Marriage unto him by Faith Holy Faith Is a Grace most Precious by God most highly honoured and of all most honouring God Honouring him in some respects more than Adam's personal Obedience did before the Fall But mortally you erre if you look to put off God with it without Obedience And slight good VVorks as Supererogations Good Works Are the blessed Fruit of God's indwelling Spirit and the very end of our Election Redemption and Conversion But what then they be neither acceptable to God nor profitable to us but through the Gift of the Mercy the Purchase of the Merits and the Means of the Faith aforesaid If you rest on VVorks and imagine them otherwise good your Eternal Lodging will be among Evil-workers Young people make your Pastor set you well at rights about these things And let the Excellency Connexion Order and Necessity of them be judged worthy of your frequent and serious thoughts Direct 5. Be very Critical in the Choice of your Company Be sowre and unkind unto none Affable to all but pleased with Few to wit the Best Which are those that will either best teach you or best learn from you Companions of Fools are doomed to destruction But where ere you are walking with wise Men you are on your way to Heaven Prov. 13.20 Souls the most thoughtful of Eternity are still the most careful of their Company And it is certain the Company of your Choice in this World is both that which you would have and shall have in the next Direct 6. Besides the Holy Scriptures read ye such good Books as shall be commended to you by your Pastors 'T is not every good Book that is for you good Nor every one that will hereafter be good for you that is good Now. Your Pastors can judge best which are most sutable I think it Soul-Felony for you to be without the Westminster Assemblies Catechisms And I should think it as little needful to commend Mr. Baxter's Call or Mr. Alleyn's or Mr. How 's very Jewel of Yielding unto God or Mr. F. Fuller's Words to give Wisdom with his piece of Repentance and Faith or Mr. Lawson's Magna Charta England is blest with the best in this World and I do not light upon any that excel or equal them in England You must search farther than I have done young people if you find things better worth your most careful reading Books be dead things but God makes them oftentimes Lively Preachers These several last years many have acknowledged to me that they have been blessed Stars to lead them unto Christ Yet do not for your Lives ever neglect reading the Scriptures Take some portion of God's Word as daily as you eat of his Bread 'T is very honourably that I do remember a poor Soul who sometimes burned the Thatch of her House to read her Bible by the Light of it And no less a Saint than Mr. Richard Fairclough told me she died a glorious one It was Luther's saying The reading of the Scriptures is the terror of Devils Direct 7. Examine often the state of your Souls Scrupulousness it self is as much more safe as 't is less sweet than Audaciousness But humble and careful Inquisitiveness is sine naevo Venus as unspotted a Virtue as the state of Grace is adorned with Humility one calls the Violet of Graces of sweetest scent though lowest place And Care is the commanded Fear of falling short of Gods rest Heb. 4.1 The Exertion of humble Care in heart-searches doth answer many Gospel-precepts And when it is much and often it is not the least Evidence of truest grace For Bankrupts can no more endure much looking into their Count-books than sore Eyes can bear long beholding of Sun-shine And as impatient be Hypocrites of very much conning the Scriptures and their Hearts But I conclude Young people Mahomet gat the Turkish Empire by making extraordinary hast And Alexander Conquered the World by the same Policy Never Delaying Go you and out-do them Conquer VVorld Flesh and Devil And take by violence the Kingdom of Heaven by your hasting to Remember and Convert just now VVith great