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	lord_n	merciful_a	1,635	5	8.8351	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01252	The comforter: or A comfortable treatise wherein are contained many reaso[n]s taken out of the word, to assure the forgiunes of sinnes to the conscience that is troubled with the feeling thereof. Together with the temptations of Sathan to the contrarie, taken from experience: written by Iohn Freeman sometime minister of the word, in Lewes in Sussex.	Freeman, John, fl. 1611.	1606 (1606)	STC 11368; ESTC S113774	85,859	215

go back for Ezek ah and will it not suffice thee to haue not once b●t often one signe giuen nay to haue not one but two signs to cōfirm nay to performe vnto thee the thinges that are promised For the other were but signs cōfirming but these are more euen signs confirming and conferring signa confirmantia conferentia For that which is signified is giuen conferred so ioyned together with the sign it selfe And therfore the Lord to teach this soundly vnto vs calleth the outward signe by the verie name of the thing it selfe that is signified ca●ling circumcision the couenant the Paschall lambe the Passeouer the water in Baptisme the fountaine of regeneration the bread in the Supper of the Lord the bodie of Christ and the wine the verie blood of Christ to teach vs that these signs are not as the raine-bow is or the going backward of the sun or the fleece of Gedeon which were bare signes that serued onely to confirme vs but that they are more euen such as alwaies haue the things themselus that are promised and signified annexed knit and ioined vnto thē in regard of the Lord. And therefore as verily yea and euen then when the water washeth thy body in Baptisme euen as veri●y yea and euen then when the bread is broken the wine poured out in the supper of the Lord and giuen vnto thee euen so verily yea and euen then if thou be rightly prepared doth the spirit of God wash thee by the blood of Iesus Christ from all thy sinnes and thine offences For these signes are not only significant but effectua●l also they doe not only confirme but giue that which they should confirme thee in I meane not that the Sacrament ex opere operato that is by the verie bare worke therof giueth this grace but that the Lord giueth with by these signs his forepromised graces euen the forgiuenes of thy sinnes And so as hee giueth the signe to confirme thy faith so the thing signified to comfort thy conscience although perchance thou presently feel not the power therof So that sith the Lord is so gracious as by two continual visible signs which he will haue often shewed vnto thee euen as it were wonders more precious and of greater power and force than any signs or tokens in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath sith the Lord I say is so gracious as by two such signes to confirme vnto thee the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes nay to giue thee forgiuenes of thy sinnes with what reason canst thou doubt thereof For hee giueth it vnto thee verily and indeede if thou wilt receiue it together with the signe it selfe and then why doubtest thou whether thou shalt haue it when alreadie thou hast it What could the Lord doe more or thou require more than this Thou desirest forgiuenesse of thy sinnes and assurance thereof the Lord promiseth nay sweareth nay indenteth to giue it He sheweth and giueth thee two signes to assure thee thereof and that which is more with the signes hee offereth the thing it selfe And this is the first reason taken from the promises of God confirmed by so many vndoubted meanes The 3. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sinnes is prooued by the consideration of Gods mercy which is one part of his essence substance and nature The first Section THe second reason to prooue vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes is taken from the cōsideration of the essence and the substance euen the natures of the Lord which are part of the essence the substance and the being of God yea God himselfe For whatsoeuer is in God is God and in him there is no accident nor qualitie but whatsoeuer is in him is of his essence and his substance And therefore his nature as his mercie patience iustice and such like are of his essence and are euen very God His mercie therefore is verie God and God is mercie it selfe Hee therefore that denieth mercie vnto God which is to forgiue our sinnes denyeth God to bee God denieth one speciall nature which the spirit of God ascribeth vnto God that verie often in the Scriptures and the written word of God As namely in the second of Ioel whe●e the Prophet speaketh thus of the Lord saying The Lord your God is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes such a one as repenteth him of the euill And again in the 34. of Exodus the lord himselfe proclaimeth his name before Moses all the children of Israel saying crying The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnes truth reseruing mercy for thousāds forgiuing iniquity sin transgressiō so forth as there followeth more at large again in the 103. Psalm the Prophet Dauid saith that the Lord is ful of compassion and mer●ie slow to anger of great kindnes Many and manifest are those proofs that proue the Lord to be by name nature merciful Now we know that the nature work of mercie is to respect to pitie and to help our misery For euen as the eie hath colors the tongue tasts the eare sounds the nose the sauors for his obiect to be busied in to respect and worke vpon so the mercy of God hath mans miserie sinne the principall cause thereof as his obiect to worke vpon to cure and to remedie insomuch as if there were no miserie there could be no vse of Gods mercie And therefore the Lord shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe as Paule teacheth in his epistle to the Romās that he might haue mercie vpon all and so by that meanes made away for his mercy which else could not so euidently haue manifested it selfe vnto our vnderstanding Herein therefore appeared the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God so much admired of Paul in the same place in that he would rather haue man fall than his mercie faile he would rather haue man cease to be righteous than himselfe cease to be mercifull he would rather haue man cease to shew obedience than himselfe cease to shew mercie hee would that man should sin that he might appeare to be a gracious God in the forgiuing of his sin True it is that there appeared a notable euidence of the mercy of God in framing this beautifull world out of that deformed Chaos and rude ea●th in the begi●ning in making the Sun to rule the day and the Moone to gouern the night as the Prophet at large describeth in the 136 Psalme But the Lord not contented therewith as a sufficient manifestation of his mercie thought it not ynough to create except he did recreate man to giue life except he redeemed life to giue life to them that were not except he gaue life to them that were dead to make man righteous of nothing except he made him righteous of a sinner to giue him righteousnes except he did also forgiue him his vnrighteousnesse his disobedience and

the sicknes and weaknes of thy bodie The Lord is mercifull euen towards his enemies euen to the froward and vngodly man he maketh his rain to fall vpon the good and the bad his sun to shine vpon the iust and the vniust He giueth foode euen vnto the godlesse and vnrighte●us man euen to him that stubbornly opposeth himself against his maiesty If the Lord be so mercifull to his enemies how merciful will he be to his friends If to the reprobates what mercy will he shew to his elect If to his slaues what to his sons If to the vessels of wrath what to the vessels of mercie If to the froward what to the meeke If to the obstinate what mercie will hee shew to the mourners especially sith all the promises of God are made either only or especially to them that are filled with sorrow for their sinnes Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Mat. 7. Blessed are they that weepe for they shall laugh and reioyce Luke 6. And againe to whome shall I looke saith the Lord Es 66. euen to him that is poor that is broken in spirit and that trembleth at my wordes and for the most part all other the promises of God are made to the sicke to the sinners to the lost and to them that are heauy loden Thou therfore that mournest that tremblest and art grieued with thy sinnes maiest after a more especiall manner assure thy selfe of Gods mercie to releeue thy miserie euen the miserie of thy soule and thy sinne Thou thy selfe shewest mercie euen vnto thy brother thy seruant offendeth thee and thou pardonest him thy sonne dishonoreth thee and thou for bearest him thy neighbor despiseth thee and thou forgiuest him yea thy dogge and thy beast resisteth thee yea displeaseth thee and yet thou passest by it is there more mercie in thee to thy neighbour than is in thy God to thee Art thou more kinde to thy se●uant nay to thy dog than God is vnto thee Canst and doest thou forgiue thy brother that offendeth thee a●d will not God forgiue thee offending his Maiestie Is there more mercie in man than in God Nay is not this mercy in man an image of the mercie of God according to the which wee were framed So that thou maiest behold the mercie of God towards thee in the vse of thy mercie towards thy brother Dooth not Christ plainly teach vs that if we forgiue men that trespasse against vs our heauenly Father will and shall forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs If therfore thou being greeued for thy sinnes desirest to be assured that they are forgiuen reioyce when thou seest any man offend thee Knowing that thereby the Lord hath offered vnto thee an outward signe and an assured argument to prooue the forgiuenes of thy sinnes vnto thy owne soule and conscience For if thou forgiuest thy brother thy God also will forgiue thee For the Lord will contend and striue with thee in the forgiuenesse of sinnes as whether thou shalt forgiue more offences to thy brother or thy God vnto thee and the Lord will ouercome and goe before thee herein For as he is infinit so his mercy is endlesse And as in a line one poi●t is continued to another so in the me●cies of God the end of one is the beginning of a new mercie from the Lord. It is therefore a very profitable way to feele the mercie of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euē to p●ouoke the Lord to mercie towards our selues by shewing mercie towards our brethren For if wee shall contend with the Lord in shewing mercie namely whether we shal shew more mercy to our brethren or our God to vs we shall be sure to be ouercome and the Lord will get the victorie And herein it is both glorious and profitable and also comfortable for vs to be ouercome of the Lord for his victorie is our triumph The wicked and those that are lulled asleepe in the depth of their owne sins can confesse and acknowledge the truth of the mercie of the Lord and can say though in the flatterie of their owne soules that God is mercifull that God is mercifull Can the Scorners to whom the mercie of the Lord doth not appertaine acknowledge the mercie of God and the forgiuenesse of their sins And canst not thou to whom all the promises of me●cie do belong apply the same vnto thy selfe and acknowledge with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart that thy sins are forgiuen Why shouldest not thou doe that fruitf●lly which those men doe vnprofitably Why not thou do that truely which they do falsly Why not thou do that comfortably which they do but flatteringly Imitate the Bee that sucketh honie out of that flower out of the which the Spider draweth poyson This is the first reason that is taken from the mercie of God which is naturall vnto him The 4. Chapter VVherin the forgiuenes of sins is proued by the ●onsideratiō of Gods iusti●e which is a●other nature essentiall vnto him by three speciall wayes First by reason that the Lord both promised to forgiue our sins in regard whe●eof it standeth with hi●●ustice to performe the same Secondly for that he hath already punished Iesus Christ for our offences and therefore cannot in iusti●e punish them in vs also And lastly because he hath alreadie punished our persons in Christ so cannot iustly punish vs againe THe second kinde of reason is taken frō the iustice of God which is another nature essentiall to the Lord. From which also as well as from his mercy there ariseth a necessarie reason to perswade vnto vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and that many waies The first Section First for that the Lord hath promised to forgiue our sins as before hath been sufficiently proued in regard whereof it standeth with his iustice to performe the same And that also in such a necessitie as that either he must forgiue vs our offences according to his word or els wee must account him vnfaithfull in the breach of his promises or els which were horrible to think or iudge him to be an hypocrite or a dissembler in pretending one thing and intending another or else inconstant in altering that which he hath spoken with his lips he must be thoght which were mōstrous to be vniust in lying against his truth For iniustice dooth not consist onely in workes but in words also and it appertaineth vnto a iust man to deale not only vprightly but truly also This iustice therefore of the Lord either must flatly be denied which were to denie God to be God or els the remission of our sins must of necessitie be both enforced and inferred And therefore Iohn in his first Epistle and first Chapter vrgeth this especiall reason saying If we confes out sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sins and to purge vs from all iniquitie And Dauid in his 103 Psalme in effect vseth the same reason