Selected quad for the lemma: son_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
son_n	mercy_n	miserable_a	sinner_n	20,907	5	11.5690	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08447	Certaine godly and very profitable sermons of faith, hope and charitie. First set foorth by Master Barnardine Occhine, of Siena in Italy, and now lately collected, and translated out of the Italian tongue, into the English by William Phiston of London student. Published for the profit of such as desire to vnderstand the truth of the gospell.	Ochino, Bernardino, 1487-1564.; Phiston, William.	1580 (1580)	STC 18769; ESTC S103131	141,223	250

be moued to goe séeke for grace at Gods hande Lastlye he vsed with vs great mercy in sending Christ his onely begotten sonne who albeit for the space of thirtie and thrée yeares he shewed himselfe most pitifull vnto sinnners yet they alwayes persecuted him so that at last wyth very great ignominie and shame they crucified him And he of that death which they put him vnto wrought meanes to giue vs lyfe shewing himselfe still pitifull vnto man when man was most cruellye bent against him And besides all this arisinge agayne hée shewed himselfe oftentimes vnto his electe more amyable godlye and pacified hée lightened them with diuine matters with bestowinge on them many gracious benefites Hee ascended visibly into heauen that our hope might be lifted vp on high abiding therefore with his spirit vpon earth He sent the holy ghost vpon his Apostles visibly at the day of Pentecost like as he sent it vnto his alwaies inuisibly He prayeth for vs cōtinually bestoweth new graces vpō vs although we be most vnworthy There is no man that can deuise greater mercy then that which God hath vsed with vs. Séeing that we offend him he should haue vsed great mercy with vs if he should but once haue had remembraunce of vs but that he sent not a seruant but his sonne to heale our sicknes with his own bloud yea toke our infirmitie vpon him suffered the which of duetie we ought to haue suffered this was a very great mercifulnes that after sinne committed hath saued Adam all his posteritie Be our sinnes neuer so great innumerable that if we do hartely craue pardō at gods hand we shall immediately be pardoned His mercy it is that preserueth vs frō innumerabe sinnes and euills into which we should fall if that were not ready to helpe vs that preuenteth vs maketh vs riche deliuereth and saueth vs. If tenne onelye righteous men had bene in Sodome God woulde not haue destroyed the filthy citie so euer is his mercy Somtimes God punisheth euen to the third and fourth generation and sheweth mercy vpon a thousand The sin of Dauid was great therefore with his heart he sayd I haue sinned and immediately he was pardoned The holy Ghost doth extoll in the holy Scriptures no perfection of God so highly as his mercy to the intent that wée should not dispayre and nothing doth so much displease him as when we distrust in his goodnesse and mercy so that I would choose rather if it were possible to haue committed all sinnes to haue hope in God then to haue this one sin of desperation We al haue néede of the mercy of God therefore we all ought to gaspe after it chiefly marke that it is offered vnto all and he that hath the eyes of fayth shall sée that the works of god be full of mercy not only when he chastiseth vs but also when he suffereth vs to fall into any sinne He suffered as Paul did write euen the Iewes to fall that he might saue the gentiles Hauing then to bring vs vnto the mercye of god one so mighty pitifull an high Priest as Christ is who preuenteth vs with his mercye we ought in him put all our hope and forasmuch as he hath already deliuered vs from all sinnes therefore also from all miseries He as Ioseph the Patriarch although he had bene hurt by his brethren could not in any wise refrain but that with his mercy he would embrace vs. He alone was that Samaritane who truely had pitie vpon vs. He also hath bene and is that diuine shephearde which came downe from heauen for his lost flocke He together with the father of the prodigall sonne receiueth embraceth with great ioy the miserable sinner when he humbly turneth vnto him He without béeing many times requested rayseth againe the dead sonne of the Church militant as before time he raysed vp the widowes sonne And what néede I say more he hath turned all the world vp side down for to finde againe the groate that was lost Séeing thē that the mercie of God is so great let vs labour by al meanes possible to put all our trust in him so that we may render vnto him all praise honour glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of the good Thiefe Sermon 7. WHo is it that is not astonied in considering the bottomelesse profunditie of Gods diuine Iudgement Séeing Christ vppon the Crosse altogether tormented next vnto deaths dore betrayed of Iudas denyed of Peter forsaken of the rest of his Disciples persecuted of the Iewes scorned of the Gentiles euery bodye fell from the Faith and euen then a poore Théefe opened his eyes and began to haue Faith when all the world had lost their Faith The others had talked with Christ heard the Gospell his doctrine seene his innocent lyfe his excéeding charitie his excellent wisdome profound humilitie and other his diuine vertues his so great wonders signes and miracles they had read the Prophets studied the Scriptures séene the figures and all to be fulfilled in Christ and yet for all this they beléeued not on him not onely whilest they sawe him hang vppon the Crosse but whilest he shewed himselfe glorious vppon the earth and on the other part a Thiefe or robber béeing blynde and ignoraunt without peraduenture euer hauing séene or read the holy Scriptures with out miracles being with such great paine and sorrow vpon the Cross euen ready to dye and séeing that Christ dyed vppon the Crosse beléeued that he was the Sonne of God and hoped for Heauen by his meanes who hanging on the Crosse said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It cannot be sayd but that his conuersion was a singular lyght and grace which he had from God so that as his conuersion was the last miracle that Christ wrought vppon the earth so it was of all other the greatest He was a figure of al the elect who are saued onely thorough grace as he was He is set for an exāple to all the world to the intent that none shoulde euer dispayre of the grace of God seing that a Théefe who for his wickednesse was punished euen with death and for his vngraciousnesse was crucified is saued Was it not a great matter that in the same day when Christ with so great zeale shed his bloud that then he opened the windowes of his diuine treasures and rayned downe grace in such aboundaunce that a Théefe was illuminated and is saued The good Théefe perceiuing that Christ with great pittie prayed vnto the Father for those that crucified him more-ouer excused them with saying that they knewe not what they did wondering at this so great loue hée tourned his eyes vnto Christ and sawe that he suffered so great euills without any perturbation hée sawe such pitifull teares fall from him to the grounde and such feruent and kindeled groanings mount from him vp to the Heauen he heard his wordes so full of loue he behelde such his gestures

vs. For which cause Christ did not only preach work miracles but also praied not only dyed rose again ascended into heauen but sent the holy Ghost as was necessary to the ende that we might haue Faith It is séene by the Apostles that they neuer did beleue perfectly vntil they were filled with the holy Ghost We must with Mary conceiue Christ not with humane reson but with the holy Ghost Then the diuine supernatural Faith doth not depend vpon our own strength nor on our own wil neither on our own studie good wit wisdome knowledge or humane prudēce And this bicause ther is no certaine imprinting made in our fātasie by seing hearing or féeling nor yet is it an acte of humane reasō neither an allowing of the vnderstanding wrought by the gouernaunce of that wil but it is an imprinting of matters reuealed supernatural wrought in the spirit an acte of diuine reason an agréement made by the inward inspiratiō perswasion of the holy Ghost wherefore it dependeth not vpon any outward sensible matter Thou wilt peraduēture say seeing that it depēdeth not on me I may ought to dispaire of euer hauing it I aunswere thou oughtest so much to hope that thou shalt obtaine it as God of his great liberalitie on whō Faith dependeth without any proportiō doth loue thee more then thou louest thy selfe And woe vnto vs if it were our partes to purchase it with our owne strength or if it should depende in any part vpon vs it is better so that it be wholly in the hande of God If thou wilt say this is manifest that seing it dependeth not on me I ought not dispose my selfe to haue it nor yet to prepare me nor take any paine thereabout if that doing what I could all should be in vaine It must néedes be that God giueth it to whom it pleaseth him We on the other side may stande wayting with a curteous hande till God giueth Manna from heauen And I say that although it be the gifte of God yet the wicked who haue not Faith ought to doe all things they possibly can to haue it to assay euen things which séeme to thē impossible And the like ought the godly to doe that they might bée preserued in Faith grow therin Ioan. 15. Mat. 7 Rom. 14 Not that the wicked while they are in their impietie can do any déede meritorious or worthy in any sort of it selfe that God should giue him Faith Inasmuch as being without Christ no man can doe any good work yea for that being euil plants they can bring forth none other but euil fruits sinnes then be al their fruits wherfore they be in no wise meritorious of so rich a gift present at the hands of God as Faith is Yea the works of Saints whē they haue not ben or shal not be in this present life were not neither shal be worthy of such merit in any wise that God should increase or preserue their Faith And further I say that if God were willing to enter into iudgement with them with-out Christ to examine their life and to weigh their workes with thy ballaunce of his Iustice it should be soūd that they were worthie of great punishment for that they haue sinned at least in leauing things vndone inasmuch as in all their actions déedes in all their life through euery estate place time they haue ceased to honour God most highly as was cōueniēt for his infinit diuine goodnes as was due vnto him according to the vndispēsable diuine natural law Rom. 3. It is very true that being the mēbers of Christ their sins not onely were not imputed vnto thē but they with al their works done in faith were grateful accepted before god not for that they were in any wise worthy but thorough Christ thorough the méere mercie of God Psal 31 Ther is thē for the world offered vnto god no other merits but the merits of Christ And it is a most wicked matter to attribute vnto the Saints that which is fit for none but for the son of god he alone it is who hath purchased for the elect heauē all good things al men be saued in no wise thorough their works but through Christ through grace Ephes 2. as Paul declared Faith thē is the gift of God which bicause no man should glorie of himselfe is giuen thorough Christ and is by no meanes purchased thorough workes Neuerthelesse God will that we should doe whatsoeuer we could to haue it with accounting our selues alwaies vnworthie So that our trauayling to haue Faith must not be for that we should thinke that we coulde merite it but bicause without it we cannot honour God therefore it is our duetie to desire it to craue it of God by grace and to assaye all meanes possible to obtaine it Thou wilt say and what can we doe to haue it I aunswere and say that first we ought to labour to haue a certeine feruent desire and longing for Faith without which we cannot heartely séeke for it nor craue it of God And to haue this we must consider how noble a thing Faith is how rich fortunate mightie and needful to saluation forasmuch as without it not only we can not please God but we be most damnable It should also be néedful for the wicked to know that they be ignoraunt thereoff for that they appearing to haue it as it chaunceth with the Hipocrites superstitious people and false Christians do not séeke nor desire it yea they do not humble themselues to craue it of God so the godly ought to consider that their faith is small for that a man doth not breathe toward grace inasmuch as he doth not come to the knowledge of his miseries and of his weakenesse to ease him selfe And to this ende serueth this consideration that all our strength is not sufficient to obtaine Faith nor yet our wit our studies nor the learning knowledge wisdome of the world yea a carnal man by his corrupt nature is most ready to distrust in God is so blinde proude and affected to himselfe that with his foolish reason of an enuious Faith not onely he doth not goe vnto Faith but maketh a bulwarke against it Iam. 1. Thou oughtest therefore beléeue that onely God who is the Father of light can giue and wil giue it thée most largely And to this ende serueth the consideration of his great goodnesse and large liberalitie which is shewed vs in his creatures Then if God ceaseth not to administer vnto the moste vyle wormes continually that which is necessary so that they goe foorth and serue to that ende which he hath created them it must néedes be beléeued that hée will not forsake the soule for which hée created and conserueth al things yea for the saluation thereoff be dyed vpon the Crosse and he with the materiall Sunne lighteneth the carnall

such pitie towardes him that for to raunsome him to satisfie for his iustice appoyntinge in his place his owne beloued and onelye begotten sonne caused him to dye and afterwardes all this notwithstanding that seruaunt woulde not trust or put any confidence but dispayred to haue or euer obtaine mercye at his handes in such a case the Lord woulde be more offended at this last iniurye then by all them that be passed and that bicause he should sée that all the meanes which he had wrought to saue him and that the death of his sonne for him was in vaine and also for bicause he coulde haue no more any remedy to saue him euen so wée if we dispayre of the mercye of GOD seeinge that he hath appoynted his owne sonne vnto the crosse for to satisfie for our sinnes we doe vnto GOD a most great iniury for as much as it is by our own meanes we make vnprofitable and vaine the passion and death of Christ all that which God Christ hath wrought Neither remaineth there any more remedy for our saluation except the passion of Christ be profitable to him Chiefly for that like as if a sicke man who might easily be healed with medicines being frantick or out of his wits thought himselfe to be haile would take no medicines that his madnesse should more hurt him then all other sicknesse so likewise vnto a desperate person the onely phrensie of desperation doth more hurte then all other his vices So that if it were possible thou might better choose to haue committed all the sinnes of the worlde and to trust in God then not to haue committed any other sinne but to distrust in God Desperation also is most euill not onely bicause a desperate person doth not allow any remedye but also bicause he giueth the bridle at wil vnto al wickednesse with saying why not in any wise I cannot be remedied I must néedes be damned seeing it is so it is best that while I am in this present lyfe I take my pleasures without hauinge any respect vnto God Seeing then that desperation is so horrible a vice let vs pray the Lord that he would deliuer vs from it with giuing vs grace that we may haue stéedfast hope in him so that we may render vnto him all praise honour and glory thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ How that in God alone euery one ought to put their whole Hope and confidence Sermon 2. THe comfort of the wretched whilst they be in their miseries is Hope the whiche vpholdeth them comforteth nourisheth maketh them happie so that it bée a true Hope for that a deceitfull Hope maketh them so much the more miserable as that it beguileth thē the more And forasmuch as ther is no true Hope but only the which is groūded vpō god therfore like as by him alone we must cōfesse that we haue al good things whatsoeuer we possesse to him alone we ought to render all thāks so also in him alone we ought to hope And this bicause al those things that can be desired in any persō to the intent that in the same person all our hopes ought of vs to be placed are founde in God Inasmuch as God is omnipotent most wise most rich most liberall most good of infinite charitie and most méeke And although he be righteous and we continually offende him yet notwithstanding he is in Christ and thorough Christe pacified and that in such sorte that although we haue cause to feare yet we may hope that he chastiseth vs as a Father we haue not therefore any cause to feare that he forsaketh or condempneth vs but alwayes to trust that we shall be saued and that all that which he worketh with vs is for his greater glorie and our felicitie He striketh vs vppon the handes with his rodde to the intent that we may leaue these wordly thinges and so may be constrayned to tourne vs vnto him and to taste of the great deintinesse of his loue He plucketh vs back sometimes with his benefites mouinge his creatures agaynst vs to the ende that we maye so much the more stricktly embrace him yea he suffereth vs oftentimes to fall bicause that the better knowing our owne infirmitie and his goodnesse we may depend alwayes vppon him Besides all this God from euerlasting hath determined in time promised to saue vs and not with this condition if we shall do good woorks but by béeing sure of our saluation and to the intent that it shoulde not depend in any wise vppon vs and that he may bée stéedefast in his wordes and firme in his promises he hath made an vnchaungeable determination to saue vs absolutely which trust in him although we haue bene contrary vnto him he hath vtterly purposed to chaūge our wills to giue vs a newe heart to make vs walke thorough his pathes to cause vs to obserue his preceptes to make vs doe good woorkes and to saue vs. And moreouer to haue of vs such a most singuler care that all things that we shall doe and that shall happen vnto vs shall serue to our saluation Hée hath also not onely promised vs all the foresayd things and that absolutely as it is euident in diuerse places of the holy Scriptures but already in Christ and thorough Christ hath obserued the same as may be séene in so many Saints as haue bene saued Séeing that we haue experience which is such a Mistres that maketh vs sée playnly the truth with making vs in the ende to féele the same If a Prince besides his abilitie that thou knowest certeynly he is a good man knoweth howe and will helpe thée asmuch as he can that he is determined to take thée for his sonne and hath promised thée so that he hath also bestowed vpon thée many benefites and still dayly doth in the ende for thy benifite he offered his owne sonne to dye in such a case wouldst thou not trust him yes truely And if any should perswade thée to distrust the sayd Prince by and by thou wouldst say and why I haue tryed his goodnesse so many times and in suche sort that I ought not nor can doubt of him any more Now we ought much more to doe and saye the same of God in as much as his loue is greater then all the loue of men his wordes more stéedfast his promises more firme and his benefites greater continuall more durable If God should but onely the twinklinge of an eye leaue off to preserue vs and to do vs good we should sodainly come to naught And what néede I speak any more we trye by a thousand wayes and continually his goodnesse and shall we doubte thereoff But it happeneth vnto vs I will not say as vnto Ionas but much worse bicause that although Ionas when he was on the earth felt not the goodnesse of God and therefore was disobedient vnto him it séemed vnto him that the earth not god susteyned him

with his wisedome moueth vs wyth his truth and bindeth vs with his benefites draweth vs with his Charitie vnto him with forcinge vs violently Neyther ought any bodye to wonder héereat forasmuch as GOD béeing not onely the first beginning of all things but also the last ende and this bicause that lyke as all thinges depende on him so also they wayte vppon him it must néede bée sayde that hée vpholdeth them all moueth and gouerneth them not onely as theyr first efficient cause but also as their last ende And forasmuch as the finall mocion béeinge voluntary and louing is more swift and forcible then the motion of the efficient cause agaynst the whiche whilest that it pricketh vs we repugne and resist Therefore GOD béeing willing to cause man that he shoulde come vnto him he chose not onely to moue vs with our first beginning with impulsion of his spirite but also wyth our last ende hée woulde drawe vs vnto him by the meane of Christ crucified Wherefore if the celestyall bodyes bée moued with so great force by the Angells by what force and violence maye wée thinke that the noble spirites of the elect of GOD hée moued when as béeing regenerated loosed from the affections of creatures béeinge actiue and liuely are not onelye driuen by the holy Ghost but drawen with great violence by CHRIT crucified And if thou wouldest sée how great the force of the loue shewed to vs in Christ vppon the Crosse is consider that if in the earth there were a man most sensuall with all his affections moste stricktly bounde vnto treasures pleasures honours and benefites of the worlde if in any wise it should bée graunted vnto him to open his eyes but for very short time to Christ vpon the Crosse to sée him with a lyuely light and to féele him with the spirite that he was so crucified for him he should be by his loue in suche sorte rauished in the inwarde partes of his heart and with such violence and force drawen that shaking in péeces all the fetters wherewith he was bounde vnto worldly thinges he should immediatly be found with all his heart soule minde and spirite eleuated rauished and transformed in God And héereoff we haue example in Paul who whilest that hée had tourned his shoulders against Christ whilest that with great force he ran to séeke the dishonour of God béeinge called and illuminated by Christ was drawen with suche violence to the glory of God that he was rauished vp euen to the third heauen And albeit that afore time euen vntill his conuersion he had bene most vehement agaynst Christ yet béeing conuerted he was drawen to honour him with a greater vehemencie inasmuch as CHRIST was to hym more effectuall then all other obiects which had before time moued him to the contrary When that sinfull woman came to bewayle hir sinnes at the féete of CHRIST shée was drawen with so greate a vehemencie and force that if there had bene offered hir a thousande worldes with all the possible treasures pleasures honours and felicyties of the worlde she could in no wise haue bene hindered nor stayed Christ himselfe sayde vnto the Apostles you haue not chosen mée but I haue chosen you as if he woulde saye you are not come vnto mée by your owne accord but bicause I haue drawen you As concerninge you yée bée none such that yée haue hadde power once to thinke of comminge to mée yea as those whiche bée carnall yea haue alwayes resisted and fought against mée Lyke as Christ expressed an other place when talkinge wyth the Citie of Hierusalem he sayde Howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children together as the Henne gathereth hir chickens vnder hir winges and thou wouldest not vnto the whiche wordes Augustine adioyneth speakinge of the elect and sayeth and hath gathered them together agaynst thy will forasmuch as lyke as Augustine himselfe sayde in his Enchiridion there is none so wicked which dare saye that GOD can at any time when hée will conuerte the wicked and drawe them vnto him Although hée were vngratious and obstinate GOD can when he wyll mollyfie his heart and make him of wicked godly There neuer was any holy man who in any wise by his owne accorde went vnto CHRIST They all haue bene by him drawen with the violence of loue Thou thinkest peraduenture that CHRIST for to sée him so vppon the Crosse as a weake and féeble person and I say vnto thée that as Paul did write hée is the vertue and power of GOD which draweth vnto him and saueth euery one that beholdeth him vppon the Crosse with the eye of a lyuely fayth wherefore he sayd If I shall bée exalted vp I wyll drawe all thinges vnto mée that is if béeinge fastened and lyfted vp on the Crosse I shall bée exalted in the heartes of menne so that they shall sée mée wyth a liuely fayth for the sonne of GOD crucified and deade wyth greate Charitye for the loue of them I shall drawe euery thinge vnto mée inasmuch as I shall drawe vnto mée not onely the spirite of suche as they bée the minde the vnderstandinge wyth all the thoughtes the will with al the affections the soule with all the powers vertues and operations but also all other creatures inasmuch as seruinge vnto man and he béeing by Christ drawen to the glorye of GOD they also shall bée thorough Christ drawen in man to serue vnto the glory of GOD. Man in Adam was fallen a straunger from GOD and in suche sorte drowned in the worlde and bound with yron cheines of humaine affections vnto creatures that by himselfe not onelye he coulde not come vnto GOD yea his forces were all vnto worldly thinges It is not sufficient that God sent the Patriarches the Prophets and the other Saynts with bidding vs to his diuine wedding wherfore béeing willing to drawe vs vnto him he at the last sent his owne sonne in the forme of a seruaunt and appoynted that he dying vpon the crosse should giue vs such and so greate light of his goodnesse and should so make manifest vnto vs his loue that we should be constrayned and forced to come vnto him Neither is it profitable that man should bée suche a straunger from God so drowned in the worlde vngratious and obstinate that he myght not bée immediatlye drawen by Christ if hée sée him to bée the sonne of GOD and dead for hym yea as calamytie draweth vnto it especially hardnesse lykewise Christ draweth vnto him the great sinners so that they acknowledge them to be such All they therfore which be gone vnto Christ and climed vp into heauen are gone and climed thether by the force of loue and likewise by force they doe abide and shal abide there for euer Christ then would chiefly suffer for to declare vnto vs his most high loue and therewith as with a most mightie thing and most déere vnto the heart to enforce and draw vs vnto him Forasmuch as loue is a spirituall fire