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	sinner_n	2,337	5	7.5568	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55226	A commentary on the prophecy of Malachi, by Edward Pocock D.D. Canon of Christ-Church, and Regius Professor of the Hebrew tongue, in the University of Oxford	Pococke, Edward, 1604-1691.	1677 (1677)	Wing P2661A; ESTC R216989	236,012	119

approved of such things or persons which he had formerly declared his dislike unto This while with them we look on as the import of the word here we cannot but wonder at the impudence and folly of that railing Jew Lipman who saith that Christians go contrary to the meaning of what is here said in affirming that God who before had not flesh and blood was changed to be flesh and blood or as another Copy hath it who was before only the Father and the Holy Spirit was afterward changed to be the Son In which objection of his is only much malice and impertinency inasmuch as by nothing that the Christians say nor by any consequence that can be drawn from what they say can it be concluded that they affirm any change or alteration in God or the Godhead with whom they profess to be no variableness neither shadow of changing either in his nature or any of his attributes all things remaining in him the eternal Trinity one God in three Persons as they were from eternity nor by Christs taking the Manhood into God was there any change of God into Man nor confusion of substance or alteration of person Again inasmuch as that he might pick a cavil against Christians he takes the word which here denotes Gods immutability in his Will Word Decree and purpose which with the Jews the Christians absolutely affirm as if it imported here immutability of nature or substance though that be most true also so that it is a cavil sought not offered to him either by the word as here used nor any thing by the Christians affirmed He had no occasion to say this but he having said it it was convenient to take some notice of it lest others of his Sect might applaud him in it and think to be true what he feigneth But of the concurrence of the other Jews in rendring the latter Verb in the same notion that our Translators do who render it are not consumed we take more notice because some learned Christians take it in another signification and would have it rendred And ye sons of Jacob do not desist or leave off to do evil so in Munster and the Tigurin Translations more lately And the Septuagin● of old seems so to have taken the word to signify reading this word with the two first of the following verse And ye sons of Jacob have not r●c●ded from the unjust dealings or wickedness of your Fathers as likewise the printed Arabick Version following that and the Syriack also And from the word in that notion rendred would flow a very convenient sense taking the whole verse as a confirmation of what is before said and that they certainly must expect that judgement denounced to come in its appointed time inasmuch as the Lord is unchangeable in his purpose of punishing incorrigible unrepenting sinners and they would not leave off their evil courses nor repent them of their sins nor desist from them But others and they the major part viz. all that follow the vulgar Latin and diverse others also of modern Interpreters prefer with the forementioned Jewish Writers the other notion of being consumed as more usual to the Verb in the Conjugation or form here used according to which our Translators render are not consumed but then in giving the meaning and connexion of the whole verse there is among those who embrace this signification of this word some difference Some taking it as speaking of the time past or present make the coherence with what goes before and the meaning to this purpose as may be collected out of them put together that doubtless it shall be so as he said he will come in judgement to those sinners For he the Lord who hath determined and pronounced that he will not leave impenitent sinners unpunished doth not change his will and purpose But how then is it that the Sons of Jacob whose Fathers and themselves have been great and obstinate sinners have not long since been or are not yet consumed It is from the same unchangeableness in God who as he is just so is likewise merciful and long suffering not willing the death of sinners but rather that they should come to repentance and therefore determined as to execute justice so not to be hasty in executing it but to give space for repentance that so the necessity and equity of his judgements executed on such as would not lay hold on his mercy by repentance while they had time allowed for it may appear and besides that he might shew how just he was in keeping promise and his Covenant made with their Forefathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in so long sparing for their sakes their rebellious posterity who would make no end of sinning So that it was not through any change in him that they have not yet been consumed but shall now be severely punished but from his mercy and their obstinacy opposing and rejecting it So that they cannot but say if they will rightly consider the matter it is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Great is thy faithfulness Lam. III. 22 23. This however they differ in expressions seems to be the scope that the most of Expositors will have these words to aim at There are that read them by way of interrogation or admiration For I the Lord change not and are not ye O Sons of Jacob consumed how wonderful a thing is it that the Lord being immutable in his judgement against refractory sinners they should not yet be consumed how hath mercy prevailed against judgement This falls in with what hath been already said and requires the same answer There may be proposed another way thus Expect certainly the execution of the judgement spoken of and that I will in due time call to an account sinners for I the Lord change not Of which that you may not doubt you have from a contrary effect and evidence of my immutability a proof for therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed though the wicked have hitherto domineer'd and wickedness reigned yet you true Sons of Jacob that fear me as Jacob did have been preserv'd by virtue of my promise and mercy they have not been able to root you out But as we saw before that by a learned Jew it is noted that this Verb is to be rendred rather in the signification of the future and with respect to what was to come not to what was past or present so it is by some of good judgement and learning among Christians also taken that the words may be rendred Therefore or and ye Sons of Jacob shall not be consumed as part of the Prophecy of what should be to the godly when the Lord should come to execute his Judgement spoken of on the wicked and for making out the meaning to this purpose they understand by the Sons of Jacob the godly amongst the Jews they who being of the Faith of Jacob

the receiving of his Eliah that they might be converted by him and so prevent the evil of that day wherein he would smite with a curse those that did not prepare then to meet him This being plainly the intent of the words to raise from them a question concerning the perpetuity of the Law or hence to think to prove it in all parts unalterable is quite besides the purpose As they were given they are manifestly a command to them of that time to an observation of all the parts thereof and the meaning of them is evident thus Look not henceforth for an ordinary or continued succession of Prophets as you hitherto have had but that you may prepare your selves for meeting the Lord in that day by Malachi told you of remember duly the Law of Moses with the Statutes and Judgments thereof take that for your rule and direction whereby to square your lives and actions Necessary was it that they should remember and duly attend to that all of them for though it was delivered to them by the hand of Moses the Servant of God and therefore called his Law yet was it by God himself commanded unto him for all Israel all of it with all the Statutes and Judgements therein contained all the parts thereof By the Law some will have meant the moral precepts of the Law by Statutes the ceremonial by Judgements the Judicial Abarbinel as the Jews commonly by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chukkim Statutes will have to be understood such things for which no other reason is to be given but Gods command by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishpatim Judgements such the reason of which was manifest But without farther enquiry into the notion of the words we take to be in the words as here put all the parts of the Law whatsoever and of what nature soever even every jot and title thereof as our Savior speaks to be comprehended inasmuch as every one of them was then when this was spoken in force not any of them completed by having had its due end And therefore by being bid to remember them they are told what was a duty necessarily incumbent on them For all of them were commanded to all Israel and they ought to observe all and not forget or neglect any of them and as this was a duty necessary to them so was it a thing that would be greatly beneficial to them So that it was the great kindness of God to call upon them to remember that which he had made formerly their duty and might in justice without farther delay or warning have proceeded in Judgement against them for their many neglects and breaches of it which by this Prophet he hath convinced them guilty of The benefits of remembring of it would have been the rectifying of them in their waies which they had greatly perverted the restraining them from and warning them to repent of those many sins which he hath convinced them to be guilty of whereby they had greatly provoked him as he hath shewed and to set them in such waies wherein walking both they and their services should be accepted by him and farther to instruct them concerning the Lord the Messiah whose coming he hath here warned them of and how to receive him and his Messenger that he would send to prepare the way before him And this especially some will have to be understood as that for which he would have them remember the Law of Moses That indeed did both point him out before hand in many types and figures and expresly command obedience to him when he should come as Deut. XVIII 15 as that place is cited by S. Peter and shewed to be meant of him Act. II. 22 and our Savior himself tells us that Moses wrote so plainly of him that if they had believed Moses they would have believed him And that the cause that they believed not his words was because they believed not the writings of Moses Joh. V. 46 47. The Law with which it may not be amiss with some to take in the Prophets as appendages for exposition thereof as our Saviour joyns them They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Luk. XVI 29 in these and other regards was plainly a Schoolmaster as S. Paul calls it which attended to would have brought them to Christ. And so the remembring of it would have been eminently beneficial to them But we look not on this only though of chief regard and including the rest as that wherein it would have been advantageous to them to have remembred the Law of Moses but with this on all the other mentioned By so doing they should have been so prepared for the coming of the day of the Lord so often before and immediatly again spoken of that it should not have for destruction come upon them and their not remembring it would as in the event manifestly it did bring it with all its dreadfull effects on them It was then Gods great kindness to call on them to remember it for their own good Yet is not that the utmost of his loving kindness That they may see his mercies never cease where men do not obstinately reject them and forsake them though they may not expect any more Prophets of an ordinary rank to warn them when they forget the Law by observing which they should prevent the terrors of his day yet that they may not have any excuse or pretence at all to say that it came on them unawares he promiseth hard before the coming thereof an extraordinary one whom he calls Eliah to endeavor even then to convert them if they would be converted So follows it in the next verse 5 ¶ Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet c. As to the connexion of these words with the former in such manner as we have said Kimchi thus notes Although I warn you to have recourse to the Law of Moses in every generation yet notwithstanding for your good I will send to you Eliah the Prophet But concerning the person who is here meant by Eliah is no small controversy and difference betwixt Expositors The Jews agree not among themselves the forementioned Kimchi with several others of them think it meant of that Eliah himself in person who lived and prophecyed in the time of Ahab King of Israel I Kings XVII c. The meaning saith he is That he will put again his soul which ascended into Heaven into a body w ch shall be created like his first body because his first body turned to earth at his Ascension every Element to its like element and after that he shall cause him to live in his body he shall send him to Israel before the day of Judgement which is the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and he shall warn both Fathers and children together to turn with all their heart unto the