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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	faith_n	good_a	tree_n	12,463	5	9.4505	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02698	Gods goodnes and mercy Layd open in a sermon, preached at Pauls-Crosse on the last of Iune. 1622. By Mr Robert Harris, pastour of the church of God in Hanvvell in Oxfordshire.	Harris, Robert, 1581-1658.	1622 (1622)	STC 12831; ESTC S116602	18,118	38

not merit not satisfaction not impetration as they Thirdly a good rule the word must order vs both for persons and things for persons wee must begin with God and with the Macedonians giue our selues to him 2. Cor. 8. v. 5. that done wee must proceede to the Common State then to those next that touch vs nearest in the strongests ties and so passe on till like good stomacks wee haue dealt something to the most removed members For things respect must bee had to the Soule first then to the Name then to the bodie then to the estate Fourthly our Almes must be good for the matter of it first in it selfe being wholesome and our owne next for the receiver being suted to his needs for the purpose comfort if tempted Counsell if distracted succour if oppressed clothes if naked eyther worke or a whippe if Idle Would you knowe in the third place what mercy you must shew I answere such a mercie as God shewes first vniversall mercie to mens soules bodies estates and that which the worlds is little acquainted with specially towards Rulers mercie to mens Names Secondly Everlasting mercie the righteous saith David is ever giving lending c. Alasse Mercie breakes now as fast as trading faire houses be shut in mercy is runne the Countrie and is like to perish for it will hardly line without a house where a poore house is kept there is something for mercie to feede and worke vpon some raggs some scraps some fewell some thing but when Midas-like all wee touch is gold our bread gold our fewell gold all turned into the penny I meane so that we cannot giue till wee haue past through three or foure Lockes and scene and felt our almes then certainely wee shall part with it most vnwillingly The house-keeper if he want not an heart hath opportunities more then any for the exercising of mercy be not yee wearie of this well doing the World I know is importunate in Comparisons and impudent in pressures vpon the free hearted but doe you your duties and feare not Swine that are well neyther full nor fasting Now as House-keepers so others in their places must be ever mercifull all ever receiue mercy Let all ever shew all haue opportunities let all apprehend them the poore sayth our blessed Saviour are ever with you if ever now Mercy needes not ride abroad to seeke worke in these dayes step but into thy Neighbours house and thou shalt finde povertie in the Chimney in the Cupboard leanesse sitting on the Cheekes and cleaving to the ribbs of old and yong O but wee haue not for them Why where 's the want your houses be as trim as ever your Children as fine your Tables as full your wastfulnesse as much as ever and can you be ever near nay ever prodigall and not ever mercifull What 's become of Religion now Is all turned into words as once in Saint Iames his time Time was when Christians would sell their plate Chalices their Roabes and Iewels their Lands and possessions to relieve the Churches necessity and shall not we parte with superfluities tell mee you that reade Saint Iohn how you satisfie his question and your owne Consciences 1. Iohn 3.17 if any Man hath these worlds goods and sees his Brother ther want c. how dwels the loue of God in him Will you say wee haue not this Worldes goods Then dissemble not now yee stand in a crosse poynt to good Araunah hee spent like a Subject gaue like a King 2. Sam. 24.23 you build fayre goe like Princes and will you giue like Bankrupts Nay your Tavernes your Feastes and Playes will rise vp against you you haue meanes to feast the Rich and doe not you remember Christs Cavear Mercie before kindnesse You haue a pinte of wine for any Friend and not a penny for Christ you can finde a Tester for some game some shewe some stage Play and what nothing for Mercy Or will yon say wee see no neede Why what else can you see Men want stocke want bread want worke want money and when that is deare nothing is cheape and is not heere neede but there is no extremitie Woe is mee there be many at her stay I haue a little meale and oyle in a Cruyce 1. Reg. 17.12 I will bake eate die they are now sinking sinking if you come not quickly to their succour they are loft is not this an extremitie But where bee meanes finde you hearts I will yet finde meanes First the Backe may lend you something your golden fingers might cloath some and bee never the Colder your great Ruffes might feede others and be never the vnhandsomer the Groues and Grownds vpon your backes as Tertullian speakes might lodge others De habit mul li. de cult Faem and yet sitt never the worse vpon your owne and childrens backs Secondly the Belly might spare you something with advantage to your health and strength one meale saved in a weeke one dish at a meale one cup of wine one pipe of Tobacco in a day would come to something in the yeare I quake to thinke what Christians wee be some surfet some starue all at once rather then we will not pine the poore wee will cramme and choake our selues Thirdly our Houses might lend vs something for howsoever with them of old wee feede as if wee would die presently yet wee build as if we would liue for ever It is a world to see how curious wee be in suting every Roome whilest the members of Christ goe not like one Fathers children nay it is not necessary they should bee all in a Sute onely if Christ may be heard hee that hath two coates should giue one to the naked Fourthly borrow of our Enemie Sinne and here if you will not hold I know not what to say but that the Heathen sayth Senec. hee is a bad Phisitian that despayres of his cure wee haue money for braules for bribes for the feeding of pride revenge ambition lust and shall we feede foes starue friends let me speake it once for all had we as much zeale to mercy as to sinne to men as to birds and monkies to Christians and Preachers as to Claw-backs Iesters Fidlers Fooles we would finde meanes to relieue them meanes for the present but how shall our owne doe hereafter Why is not mercy as sure a graine as vanitie Is God like to breake sayth not he Hee that giues to the poore lends to the Lord and he will pay him I haue nothing to spare thou hast for thy friends for Gods Enemies Pride Vanity if none for Christ receiue thy doome Hee that stops has eare at the crie of the Poore c. Pro 21.13 Iames 2.13 Iudgment without mercie to him that shewed no mercy depart from mee yee cursed you had meate drinke cloath house-roome for sinfull men horses doggs carts none for mee But the poore bee as sine as my selfe I pray thee be sayd with reason if others be not sit to receiue thou art not tyed to giue If thou bee fit to giue and they to receiue dispute no longer rather heare the Apostle Put on the bowels of mercy Col. 3.12 verse 5. and to that ende take his directions first slay vnmortified lusts next steepe thy thoughts in the Mercies of God and they will dye thine Ephe. 318.19 as the dye-fart doth the cloath that done be rich in faith and good workes first in the Inwarce actes of mercy pittie the afflicted bleede with them mourne with them thirst their good cast their good Secondly In outward acts of mercy goe to them sitt with them pray for them lend them speake for them giue them forgiue them and if all thy abilitie amount but to one cupp of cold water it shall bee accepted rewarded Math. 10. Lastly God is ever mercifull let vs then leaue the labouring Church in his everlasting armes as Moses speakes Deut. 33.27 Le ts recommend our Israell to him whose mercy hath prevented and will preserve vs if wee constantly flie vnto him and let every one that is capable of mercy being Fatherlesse that hath obtained mercy Hos 14.3 being Penitent and Mercifull stay himselfe here The Mercy of God endureth for ever my strength may faile my estate may my friends may my outward comforts my inward feelings may but the Mercies of God never fayle all miseries haue an ende Gods Mercie which is my Mercie is endlesse is boundlesse It endures for ever ⸫ FINIS

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. li 1. c. ● inde of these God is the cheife nay all these in one like an absolute pearle that containes all beauties in it selfe no Marcion will denie goodnesse where he yeelds a Godhead wee haue therefore sayd enough for proofe when we haue once sayd what goodnes is and how it is affirmed of God For the first Goodnesse is the perfection of things for which they are desireable perfection imports freedome from all defects and fulnes of all excellencies and is cheifely seene in the being working end of things that which hath the noblest being and therefore ende and therefore operations is ever best and most desireable Desire is the reaching of the Soule after that that likes vs because it is like vs Now the All-sufficient God is his owne Being his owne Act or rule in Action Bonum onmis boni Aug. de Trinit li. 8. yea he is the Author of all good and ende desire in naturall respects and therefore the perfection of all and all perfection and goodnesse For the second God is first essentially good good without goodnesse saith Austin Creatures be good but not goodnesse their nature is good but goodnesse is not their nature but the nature and substance of God sayth the Christian Phylosopher is goodnesse nature and goodnesse differ not in him but onely in a respect Secondly causally good v. Aqui. quast de bon● not as the forme of particular goods but as the worker of all the ende that terminates and perfects all Thirdly which followes vpon the former eminently good first in Order Nature Worth and lastly originally and absolutely the onely good This Doctrine cals more for practise then proofe because as in nature so here the sweetest things are most abused and being abused proue most dangerous God is good let vs put it to a good vse Vse first for Humbling see what we were once good for of goodnes can come nothing but goodnes secondly What we are now by nature bad for first we are sunke as farre from God as Hell is from heaven hee is holy we profane he wise we foolish he true wee false he good we naught Secondly from this disproportion growes hatred of Gods holinesse in his word worship people presence every way Thirdly from this hatred springs loue to his Enemies the World Flesh Satan Fourthly from this loue a listning to what flesh shal propound and Satan suggest and thence a capacitie and possibilitie of being monstrous in life and blasphemous to the death Oh what a peece of ground is mans heart nowe become wherein no spiritualnes thrives vnlesse Power it selfe plant it wherin Pride Murther Whoredome Sodomy Blasphemie Atheisme eyther doth or soone may seede this cursed nature this renders vs as odious as goodnes doth amiable and this must be seene if ever we will be saved Now the glasse that detects badnes is Gods goodnesse by his nature and workes we see ours as by the sunne wee see motes and filth by light but God is a light too strong for our sence Strato apud Iustin lib. 18. True therefore we must with him in the story looke for the Sunne in the West not in the East behold the Lord as he is reflected and refracted first in the glasse of his creatures and his workes Secondly in the face of his dearest Son so wee shall see at one view vnspeakeable beautie and deformitie that in God this in vs so way and overture will be made for that first second and third of Christianitie true humilitie Aug. Epist so Gods goodnesse will be admired mans wickednes abhorred all the errours of the times and incongruities of action will be soone resolved into their first principle estrangement from and distrust in this goodnes of God Secondly see what we should be good goodnes is even admirable Plut. and therefore sayth the Philosopher imitable Now the 119. Psal vers 68. tels vs that God is good and duth good and he is our Coppy and rule First therefore wee must bee good and then doe good first the sap must be good and then the fruit for as things be so they worke the effusion of the sap the first act of our conversion is Gods act our will prevents it not but followes it The second act of fructifying is ours vnder God for when God hath tuned and doth touch vs we doe moue and whilest the spirit imbreathes vs we turne about like the Mill in neither wee must bee wanting to our selues but concurre in this as agents in that as patients and as our liberty in externall acts is still some so must our endevours be answerable Quoad externā disciplinam as to come to Church to heare c. First we must haue the patience to heare what soever wanton wits may talke of the wills virginitie or other exemptions of the higher faculties that in our flesh dwels no spirituall goodnes all our goodnesse dwels out of our selues in Christ Secondly that it is Gods owne hand that slends vs from the first and sets vs in the second Adam And thirdly that he doth this by his owne meanes therfore we must tender our selues to his meanes waiting till hee who speakes in working and workes in speaking shall please to speake life into the Soule by the eare Thus are we made trees Esay 55.3 being such wee must in the second place beare and heere lies our busines our errand hither is not to please or preach man but to call for fruite Mat. 21.34 you are trees in Gods vineyard well planted fenced husbanded what is your fruite your Land is good your Law is good your Cittie good your Sermons good what be you Is your truite none Heare our blessed Saviour every Tree every Man House Citty Nation Math. 7.19 that beares not fruite is for the fire Is 18. your fruite bad Heare againe a good Tree can not bring foorth bad fruite and the ground that brings forth briers after showers must be burnt Heb. 6.8 You haue received the raine of Heaven and must be as the raine and dewe Mic. 5.7 els the curse is neare Is your goodnesse onely Morall heare your Saviour Every branch that beares not fruite in me he takes away Ioh. 15.2 Your workes must be the workes of God wrought from God for God in God according to God else they are but shining sins Is your goodnes spirituall heare againe vnlesse a man abide in me he is cast out cast into the fire and burnt Iohn 15.6 Behold if an other should crie fire fire fire thus in your streetes you woulde be all awakened our blessed Saviour cries fire if your fruite be none fire if bad fire if not spirituall fire if not lasting Oh be afraid of this consuming fire and as you heare the words so doe the workes of God Religion we must know is not a name goodnesse a word it is actiue like fire communicatiue like light as the life of