Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abundant_a	gracious_a	lord_n	1,650	5	4.2037	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39678	The reasonableness of personal reformation, and the necessity of conversion; the true methods of making all men happy in this world, and in the world to come Seasonably discoursed, and earnestly pressed upon this licentious age. By J.F. a sincere lover of his native countrey, and the souls of men.	Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing F1180B; Wing F1466_CANCELLED; ESTC R214634	80,393	172

I hope it shall effectually lead me to repentance and dissolve for ever the strongest tyes betwixt me and my lusts SECT II. Conversion of the vilest Sinner possible THAT it is possible for the greatest and most infamous Sinner to be recovered by Repentance and Conversion and thereupon to find mercy and forgiveness with God is a truth as sure and firm as it is sweet and comfortable Three things will give full evidence of it 1. That their Sins do not exceed the power and sufficiency of the causes of Remission 2. That such Sinners are within the calls and invitations of the Gospel 3. That such Sinners are found among the instances and Examples of pardoning mercy recorded in the Scriptures And if the Causes of Pardon be sufficient and able to produce it if the Gospel-invitations do take them in and such sinners as these every way as vile and wicked have not been shut out but received to mercy then 't is beyond all doubt that there is at least a possibility of mercy for such sinners as you are I. 'T is past all rational doubt that the Causes of Remission are every way sufficient and able to produce the forgiveness of such sins as yours are For consider with your selves The power of 1. The Impulsive Cause 2. The Meritorious Cause 3. The Applying Cause 1. The sufficiency and ability of the Impulsive Cause of Pardon which is none other but the Free-grace of God the immense riches and treasures whereof do infinitely exceed the accompts and computations both of Angels and Men Exod. 34. 6 7. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Mic. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea Once more Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded grace did much more abound So that whatever thy sins have been they do not they cannot exceed the ability and power of the Grace of God the all-sufficient Impulsive Cause of Remission That infinite Abyss or Sea of mercy can swallow up and cover such mountains of guilt as thine have been 2. Nor do thy sins exceed the power and ability of the Meritorious Cause of Remission namely the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for that Blood is the Blood of God Act. 20. 28. He is the Lamb of God whose blood is sufficient to take away the sins of the world John 1. 29. There is but one sin in the world exempt from Remission by this blood and if thy heart be now wounded with the sense of sin as I here suppose it to be that 's none of thy sin how heinous soever thy other sins be 3. Nor do thy sins exceed the ability and power of the Applying Cause of pardon namely the Spirit of God For though I should suppose thy mind to be clouded and overshadowed with grossest ignorance thy Heart to be as hard as an Adamant or Nether Mill-stone thy Will stiff and obstinate thy Affections enchanted and bewitched with the pleasures of Sin yet this Spirit of God in a moment can make a convincing beam of light to dart into thy dark mind make thy hard heart relent thy stubborn will to bow and all the affecti●ns of thy Soul to comply and open obedientially to Christ John 16. 9 10. The Spirit when he cometh he shall convince the world of Sin c. Thus you see whatever your guilt be it does not exceed the abilities of the Causes of Remission On what an Encouragement is this II. And there is yet further Encouragement in this that if you will open your Bibles you may find your selves within th● Calls and Invitations of the Gospel And no man can say that man is without hope that is within a Gospel-invitation Consider Isa. 55. 7 8. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts c. Here you have the nature of Conversion described Negatively and Positively by forsaking your ways and thoughts and turning to the Lord The way notes the external course of the Conversation the thoughts denote the internal frame and temper of the Mind both these must be forsaken And turning to the Lord denotes the sincere dedication of the whole man to God all which is possible and easy for the Spirit of God to do and this being once done abundant Pardon is assured If you say you cannot think it God tells you in the very next words That his thoughts are not your thoughts but as far above them as the Heavens are higher than the Earth Read to the same purpose Isaiah 1. 18 Rev. 3. 20. John 7. 37. III. And to make the possibility of Remission yet clearer know for your encouragement that as vile infamous and prodigious Sinners as your selves are recorded and found amongst the instances and examples of forgiven sinners in Scripture Paul was once a fierce and cruel Persecutor and Blasphemer yet he obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. That sinful Woman recorded Luke 7. 37 38 was an infamous and a notorious sinner yet her sins which were many were forgiven her v. 47. Manasseh was a Monster of wickedness as you may read 2 Chron. 33. yet found mercy And if you view that Catalogue of sinners given in 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. you will seem to find among them the very forlorn-hope of desperate sinners advanced nearest to Hell of any men upon Earth yet see ver 11. what is said of some of them And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are justified All these things plainly shew I say not the Certainty that you shall be but the Possibility that you may be pardoned which is a mercy and encouragement unspeakable SECT III. The Conversion of prophane ones highly probable AND because Satan labours to discourage them that are gone in sin so far as you are by cutting off all hope● of mercy from them and bringing them to this desperate Conclusion Damned we know we shall and must be and therefore as good be damned for more as less If we had lived sober and civil lives we might have had some hope but because we have no hope 't is as good for us to take our full swinge in sin as to think of returning by Repentance and Conversion so late in the day as this is To obviate this deadly snare of Satan I shall here further add That there is not only a Possibility of your recovery but in some respect