Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	call_v	lord_n	sin_n	6,583	5	4.5982	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35545	The workes of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honovrable House of Commons at their late solemne fast, April 27th 1642 / by Ioseph Caryl ...	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1642 (1642)	Wing C790; ESTC R3989	40,178	69

Oracle of theirs came downe from Heaven Nosce teipsum know thy selfe I am sure no Christian can ascend to Heaven unlesse he know himselfe Unlesse he both know himselfe to be a sinner and desire to know according to his light in what he hath sinned Secondly The duty of this day moves us to the free full and sincere confession of sinne vvhich is the putting of our selves into the hands of Iustice in hope of mercy This is one of the essentials in a Fast and vve finde a fourth part of the day allovved to it in Neh 9. 3. the 9. of Nehemiah The Doctrine moves as strongly for confession as this daies duty can What more prevailing Argument to confesse our sinnes unto God then this that we cannot conceale our sinnes from God God cals for confession but not for information Why doe we make such long Narratives in Prayer Why doe we tell the story of our sinfull lives in the eares of God What is it to teach or instruct the Almighty O no God knowes our sinnes enough to punish them though we doe not confesse them but he will never know them so as to pardon them unlesse we confesse them Take then that excellent counsell of the Ancient Fac confitendo propitium quem tacendo non facis August To. 8. in Ps 74. nescium make him willing to pardon thy sinne by confessing whom thou doest not make unknowing of thy sinne by concealing For though thou sittest as close this day upon the Idols of thy heart and the evils of thy way as Rachel did upon her Fathers Images yet thou doest not hide thy sinne from God but the mercies of God from thy sin Thirdly the duty of this day cals us to Self abasement and blushing to shame and confusion of face before the Lord. Thus Ezra in the day of his mourning cryes out O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up Ezr. 9. 6. my face to thee So Daniel in his Fast O Lord to us belongeth Dan. 9. 8. confusion of face that is as I conceive we have great reason to be ashamed and blush For those naturall tinctures of the face the white and the red are so confounded in a blush that while it lasts no man can distinguish the Complexion The present doctrine cals us to this gracefull shame and becomming confusion of face Shame ariseth two wayes first from the doing of somewhat against common light and ordinary Principles Secondly from an apprehension that what we have done is knowne The very sight of a man who to our knowledge knowes such a thing by us fetches a blush from bare ingenuity How should this make us ashamed this day while we consider our selves in his presence who knowes every sinne of our Lives or rather our whole Lives to be a sin Who knowes all the errour of our works or rather all our works to be an errour Who knowes the lightnesse and vanity of all our wayes or rather all our wayes to be but lightnesse and vanity Any but a whores forehead a forehead steeled with impudence will be ashamed of such works as these when we heare God knowes them For none can heare and beleeve and not be ashamed O let not the shew of our countenance witnesse against us as it did Isa 3. 9. against those Jewes that we have this day declared our sinne as Sodome If we be not ashamed it will there was no shew of shame in their countenance and that was to declare like Sodome To confesse sinne in the sight of God and not be ashamed is an act of impudence not of repentance It is better to hide our sinnes for shame then not to be ashamed of them when they are not hid O let the shew of our countenance witnesse for us that we have this day declared our sinnes as Sion as the mourners in Sion Let us be ashamed that we may never be ashamed Fourthly this duty bids us be very cautious and watchfull When we come to be humbled for all our old sinnes we had need take heed we doe not renew our sinnes and make debts while we come to get discharges Our miscarriages in this duty may be such as will provoke God while we come to pacific him and fasten those judgements upon the Kingdomes which we are seeking to remove As therefore we are called to the duty of fasting so the duty cals to us take heed how ye fast This motion the Doctrine brings also and cryes with a mighty voice take heed how ye fast Why Fasting and Prayer are a worke I strong worke spirituall worke Therefore Christ who knowes all our works knowes these above all In a sence all our Services in reference to God are eye-services but on this service his eye is fixed 1 King 8. 29. Mat. 18. 20. as it was prayed about the Temple Let thine eyes be open toward this house night and day Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them To be in the midst notes a Speciall presence I will not onely stand at the doore and looke in but I will come in amongst you and into the midst of you to take a view what all doe of all your Services as well as to take delight in and give assistance to or concurrence with my faithfull Servants In the two and twentieth of Matthew it is said That the King came in to the Feast to see Mat. 22. 11 12. the guests And there quickly espyed out a man a single person though but one he could not escape in the throng unseen that had not on a wedding garment Surely Christ that King is come this day to the Fast to see his mourners and he will quickly espye every man in this Congregation that hath not on him a mourning garment that hath not in him a mourning heart He knowes when it is a Fast and when not when it is his Fast and when it is our Fast As he questions or rather upbraides the Jewes did ye at all fast unto me even Zach. 7. 5. to me As here he discovers it none of his Fast by a failing in the end So in the 58. Chapter of Esay he discovers it to be none of his Fast by their failing in the manner Is it such a Fast that I have chosen He knowes Isa 58. 5. when we are but as a people that seeke and when we seek indeed When we onely act a part and personate a holy Praying Fasting humbled people and when we are really such He knowes whether we are come together by the Order and Law of our owne hearts or only by the Law and Order of the State He knowes when we make a worke of Fasting and when but onely a talke of Fasting But when is Fasting a worke you may learne that in the Fast of Niniveh In the close of which it is Ion. 3. 10. said that the Lord saw their works And what were their