Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	wrong_a	wrong_n	wrong_v	23	3	10.2084	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40515	Select sermons preached upon Sundry occasions by John Frost ... ; now newly published together with two positions for explication and confirmation of these questions, I. Tota Christi justitia credentibus imputatur, 2, Fides justificat sub ratione instrumenti.	Frost, John, 1626?-1656.	1657 (1657)	Wing F2246; ESTC R31718	315,416	365

D. late Fellow of S. JOHNS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Justitia non novit patrem non novit matrem veritatem novit personam non accipit Deum imitatur Cass in Psal CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the Universitie Anno Dom. MDCLVII To the right WORSHIPFULL SIR HENRY FELTON BARONET All increase of true Honour with God and man RIGHT WORSHIPFULL THere is store of Sermons extant the Pulpit scarce affordeth more then the Press neither know I which is more advantageous The sound of the Word pierceth more the letter written endureth longer the voice extendeth but to some few present the writing to many absent the Authour though dead yet speaketh Here are two added to the number and by the relict of the deceased presented to the publick view which I crave leave to honour with your name Why I do so I need not give account to the world which alreadie knoweth your worth and deserts and shall know by this that I acknowledge them besides my special obligations to you for your favour to me and my son unknown to the world Sir you were willing to have been his Patron whilest he lived be pleased now to vouchsafe the Patronage of this his Posthumous issue which I humbly commend to your care and you with your vertuous Ladie to the grace of the Almightie wishing you both all that little happiness the earth can afford you and fulness of glorie in heaven Your Worships most humbly devoted JOHN FROST COLOS. 3. 25. But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons SOme of the ancients have charitably excused the Heathens Polytheisme by that probable conjecture that they worshipped not divers gods but one and the same according to those various benefits they received from him or those divers apprehensions they had of him As Lipsius speaking Lipsius dissert 9. of the gods of the Stoicks saith they were rather multitudo nominum then numinum a multitude of names rather Lib. 4. de Civit. Dei cap. 24. then of natures And Augustine in his book de civitate Dei brings in the Heathens pleading for themselves that they were not so ridiculously ignorant as to think virtue or fortune and the rest gods but onely divers expressions of the same deity Which opinion may gain further probabilitie if we consider what unworthy unsuitable apprehensions men are apt to entertain of God Most men like that Roman painter Arellius who was wont to draw the faces of all his images according to the likeness of that beautie which himself most affected framing a god to themselves suitable to their own carnal interests and corrupt affections not conceiving of him as he is and so truely making God an Idol Thus some fancie a god to themselves all of justice breathing out nothing but fire and brimstone against sin armed with nothing but vengeance and terrour and they can by no means frame to themselves one conception of his mercy and this is the misapprehension which the humbled despairing sinner lies under who can speak no other language of God then that of Job The arrows of the Almightie are within me the poison Job 6. 4. whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of the Lord do set themselves in array against me Others which indeed is the more frequent and the more dangerous mistake fancie to themselves a notion of God as all love and mercie all tenderness and compassion in the mean time either through unbelief not crediting or through inadvertencie not actually considering the justice of God and this is the misperswasion and errour of the presumptuous secure sinner and that which encourageth him to a constant and confident continuance in sin against God and wronging his neighbour this prompts and encourageth the superiour to oppress his inferiour and him to rebel against his superiour Therefore the Apostle here undertaking to press upon these Colossians a just and suitable deportment to every subordination God shall set them in which is the relative importance of the words having verse 24. allured them by the hopes of mercie or a reward he here perswades them by the terrours of the Lords justice against those who in any capacitie or rank whatsoever for so Zanchy extends the words wrongs or injures another But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done c. As if he had said Let none lay aside the belief of the justice of God or encourage themselves Paraphr in sin by hopes of impunitie let not the poor inferiour servant for the words are peculiarly spoken for the comfort of such by the general consent of expositours repine despairingly because here perhaps he suffers wrongfully nor yet the superiour triumph proudly because he can at present oppress securely for there will come a time though now the poor and inferiour are oppressed without relief and great ones Tyrannize without controle when he be he Prince or Peasant honourable or despised rich or poor be he what he will be these circumstances of the persons are not valued or considered by that impartial justice of God from which he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done c. The words you see are the description of Gods severitie against sin their terms may briefly be explained thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that doth wrong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Budaeus Or if you will take the Philosophers account of it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to injure another knowingly contrarie Steph. ex Arist Rhet. to some law either the superiour law of God or the subordinate so far as just laws of men agreeing with the law natural and eternal so that every sin as it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Apostles phrase 1 John 3. 4. so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too a wrong to God our neighbour our selves and in this latitude I shall here consider it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall receive The word properly signifies such a receiving as is by way of return or recompence that is He shall have the just reward of that injurie whereby he wrongs another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non personam significat sed personae attributa circumstantias Stephan Scripture speaks of God as having a gratious respect to some men more then to others Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Rom. 9. 13. Thus God had respect to Abel not to Cain Gen. 4. 4 5. But the persons here signifies the outward circumstances and qualifications of men those which make men glorious and valuable in the world such as Honour Riches Authoritie Greatness Learning Parentage Countrey which are the admiration and terrour of men yet can neither procure Gods favour for nor secure the sinner from the stroke of Divine justice Which interpretation is evident from the context and I shall further clear it anon

his devotions was solicited to pardon a Malefactour condemned to die he as willing to shake off such an unseasonable importunitie granted the request but Psal 106. 3. suddenly meeting with that passage of the Psalmist Blessed are they that keep judgement and be that doth righteousness at all times recalled the Malefactour and revoked his former grant of mercie upon this reason Principem qui punire potest crimen nec punit non minùs coram Deo reum esse quàm si id ipse perpetrâsset that Prince or Magistrate which can and will not punish sin is in the judgement and sight of God as guiltie of it as if he had commited it There are no men in the world more guiltie of other mens sins then Ministers and Magistrates the first by not reproving the other by not punishing 3. In faithfulness to the offendour to him that doth wrong the Magistrate by punishing him may do him a real courtesie as certainly they did the thief who condemned him to the same Cross with our Saviour and his receiving punishment by the hand of the Magistrate may be a means of his repentance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch and so prevent his receiving it from the just hand of God Magistrates in Scripture are oft called Fathers as Pater patriae among the Romans and we know what Solomon saith of them Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth his rod hateth his son and severitie and justice against the sin may oft in the event prove mercie to the sinner but however He that doth wrong shall receive c. 4. In order to the common and publick securitie that by one mans punishment others may fear to sin Which is the account Moses gives of Gods appointment of capital punishments under the judicial law as the seducer from the true worship of God was by Gods command to be stoned Deut. 13. 10. and the end is expressed verse 11. that all Israel might hear and fear and do no more such wickedness And the false witness to be punished Deut. 19. 19 20. That those which remain may no more commit any such evil amongst you That which is a punishment to one becomes a terrour to all Besides punishments are necessarie for the protection of weak and unarmed innocencie to which Magistrates are or should be a refuge and shelter and which is chief for the securitie and defence of the Laws which would be every villains scorn and derision if they were not hedged in with thorns as I may say and secured by punishments For though the most ingenuous principle of obedience be love yet the most common principle is fear and those who will not for conscience sake as the Apostle commands Rom. 13. 5. conform to the Laws yet will for wraths sake for fear of punishment and many whom Religion will not Policie will oblige to obedience God sees it necessarie to secure his own Laws by annexing punishments to them mans corrupt nature is become now servile and with those in Psal 2. 3. would think of breaking all bands in sunder and casting away the cords of Gods commands from them did they not fear as it follows there v. 9. to be bruised with the rod of iron Many keep Gods Laws more out of fear of Hell then out of any love to Holiness and much more invalid will any humane Laws be without punishments annexed If men could promise themselves securitie from the punishment which the Law threatens they would quickly indulge themselves the libertie of violating what the Law commands I like not indeed Draco's Laws which were so cruel that they were said to be written in bloud not with ink nor approve of Caligula's decrees which were termed furores non judicia and surely capital punishments should then onely be inflicted when the Laws cannot be secured nor the publick safetie and peace preserved without them But without some punishment neither can be safe the Magistrates authoritie would be contemned and the Laws like Cobwebs swept down by every hand and therefore those same men I mean the Socinians and others who inveigh against all punishments especially if capital as a breach of charitie charge the Laws too as a violation of Christian libertie these are timely to be looked too Magistrates in Scripture are called Physitians it is a cruel pitie in a Physitian to Isa 3. 6 7. spare an ounce or two of corrupt bloud and thereby endanger the health of the whole bodie A Gangren'd member must be cut off that the whole be not corrupted immedicabile vulnus ense rescindendum est Nè pars sincera trahatur so must a corrupt member of the Common-wealth and however this may seem crueltie to the Offendour yet I am sure it is mercie and pitie to the Publick which can oft no otherwaies be secured and preserved from danger By this time I hope you see the Magistrates right to punish them who do wrong but lest the great Nimrods of the world might here take sanctuarie and because of their own power or policie or of the Magistrates cowardize or partialitie they may hope to escape the stroke of the civil sword and so be encouraged to tyrannize and wrong others let them know they shall certainly receive at the hand of God for what ever wrong they do c. that brings me to the II. The indispensabilitie of divine justice A truth very necessarie to be demonstrated because though the worst of Atheists fear it a clap of thunder strikes a Caligula under his bed as fearing the stroke of a revenging justice and a discourse of it strikes a cruel Felix into a fit of trembling yet many would go for Christians who do not believe it or at least do not express the power of such a perswasion in their lives Would there be so many mightie Nimrods hunters after their neighbours estates and lives so many unjust Ahabs and the like if they really believed they should receive for that wrong they do from the hand of an indispensable impartial justice Truth is men must offer violence to the principles of natural conscience in which there are strong impressions of this truth as being that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that judgement of God which the Apostle saith the Heathen though given over to a reprobate sense had a Rom. 1. 28 32. knowledge of before they can cast off all thoughts and jealousies of a revenging justice but few live under the actual belief of it the fear of it scares them but the belief of it doth not reclaim them Truth is most men have many carnal prejudices against it as to do thus is the mode of the world and I shall escape as well as others and not to do it will cross my gain and profit and that which indeed is the chief and makes most Atheists is present prosperitie they can do wrong and yet thrive and prosper and this makes many think God rather likes and approves of the sin then intends to punish