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
A71231	Enter into thy closet, or A method and order for private devotion A treatise endeavouring a plain discovery of the most spiritual and edifying course of reading, meditation, and prayer; and so, of self examination, humiliation, mortification, and such most necessary Christian duties, by which we sue out the pardon of our sins from Heaven, and maintain an holy converse with God. Together with particular perswasives thereunto, and helps therein.	Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713.	1666 (1666)	Wing W1495B; ESTC R217163	97,436	340

through Christ according to the promise of the Gospel that I doing thus my sins shall not be laid to my charge as being taken away by the cross of Christ in whose merits I have through this my faith and the mercy of God to me a share Sect. 9. Of Prayer upon such Fasting dayes THat which will much heighten my affection in this my repentance and further complete all its parts yet remains to wit prayer which as it must on this occasion and day be more large and particular than ordinary so I cannot now want matter for it after such consideration of my condition and of the way how I am to seek for pardon of sin as is supposed if the former rules have been observed to have foregone particularly I am to frame my prayers or at least to alter them as neer as I can to my condition 1. Confessing my several sins and that not without those aggravating circumstances in which I formerly considered them 2. Representing before God my sorrow my resolution of heart against them 3. Begging his grace to assist me in the fulfilling my godly purposes and pardon for all my sins whether known and confessed or as yet unknown to me To these heads my Christian discretion may add more according to my particular condition To wit if any judgment rest on me or mine or is feared by reason of these my sins I may implore deliverance from it If any mercy is expected or by me aimed at which I fear my sins may most justly hinder or blast I may importune God for the granting it or otherwise apply my self as occasion serves Now as to the form or outward manner of my prayer if I am able to pray otherwise I shall not haply on these occasions see it alwaies fit or convenient to use set or composed forms for that there may be many particular affecting circumstances of my sins which no form will express so plainly as I have need to express them for the moving my sorrow If therefore I find my heart ready and so composed that I dare venture upon what we call a conceived prayer which being of mine own invention by the assistance of the Spirit may more perfectly suit with my condition in all than one framed by another to my hand having either noted in a paper before me the substance or matter of my Confessions Petitions and Thanksgiving which paper for memories sake I lay before me when I kneel down to prayer o● else so considered of as that it will be ready I may spend a few thoughts touching the particular expressions by which I intend to represent this my mind to God To this purpose these two practices may be helpfull 1. To read any part of the wo●d of God which being I dayly read some of it I may know to be suitable to my present case If I find mine heart hard let me read some affecting working place Such I may be presumed to have noted as I have read in my course If I find it tender let me read such place or places as may nourish this tenderness or raise me to to an holy joy and delight in God and these duties which I perform to him And in like manner in other cases 2. To recall and consider such fit expressions of the particular materials which I am to set forth before God as I may be presumed to have observed and treasured up in my memory or book in my ordinary course of reading After such premeditation with an holy fear I am to endeavour to pour out my inward conceptions before God as fitly and as fervently as I can But I must not think that fervency lies in loud speaking but in the inward affection of the soul notwithstanding if my closet be so situate that I may judge I cannot be heard without I may many times find that it will conduce if not to the affecting me more yet to the keeping my mind more close to my business for me to speak in a voice exceeding a private whisper But let me be never so able a person and my heart never so fixt to use a form so far as where occasion shall serve to leave it a while to wit where I would confess or ask more particularly may keep my prayers from being loose imperfect broken and disorderly and consequently make my devotions riper Now such an one is this which followes O Thou Great Holy and Fearful God unto whom all things are naked and open and before whom as being of purer eyes than to behold iniquity nothing that is unrighteous shall stand I even blush and dread to appear before thee For in me there is nothing but iniquity that thou canst behold Iniquity indeed is too soft a word I am nothing but filth I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am so far unworthy of being called thy son that I am not fit to be called thy servant but deserve rather as a rebell as a faithless and treacherous wretch against thy Majesty to be destroyed of the Destroyer to have all thy wrath and plagues to meet in me and to be made unto the world an example of thy severity and revenging justice that by me men might learn no more to presume and backslide But there is mercy with thee O Lord that thou mayest be feared and sought unto Nor hast thou as thou hast protested any pleasure in the death of sinners but art so desirous that they might return and be healed that thou hast not spared thy very onely begotten Son but hast given him to seek and by death it self to save the lost sons of men promising that of all those who through him come home unto thee thou wilt by no means cast off any I come O Lord at least I have here set my self in the way to come and bewail my departures And let not my Lord be angry and I will consess I have O God a most corrupt nature and heart full of impurities and abominable things as a cage of unclean birds She was innocent in comparison of me out of whom came but seven devils I may most truly stile my self Legion such swarmes of lusts do possess me The Wheresoever in this prayer the mark † is found the Reader must not forgot to consider particularly touching those expressions whether they fit his condition lusts of the flesh † Intemperance Idleness Uncleanness the lusts of the eyes † Covetousness Envy the Pride of life † conceitedness of my self Ambition and proud Wrath are things familiar to me rooted and grounded in my heart And that truly Lord not so much by nature as by continued custome and wicked practice I have my self made my soul more depraved than I ever received it from corrupt nature That I am dull and heartless in the performance of all holy duties that I am vigorous and active in the serving my lusts and pleasures and the fulfilling the desires of my flesh and mind that I am vain heedless and

keep all his life as a perpetual Sabbatism Hebr. 4. 10. or holy rest unto God it must needs be an argument of a very profane worldly and unchristian spirit not to afford God this day free from sensual pleasures and worldly cares or labours Wherefore I say the keeping holy of the Lords day I put out of all question and would have no man flatter himself that he is a devout Christian who useth either by idleness or pleasures or unnecessary worldly business to profane what the Church and being that the Church hath done it by good warrant and power transmitted to her by Christ God himself hath allowed Profanation I call it for if the spending it to holy purposes be to sanctifie it then the spending it contrarily upon ordinary or unworthy practices is to profane it And if we may not give that which is holy unto dogs it is then surely most intolerable to take that time which by divine Law ought to be holy unto God and give it to his enemies the devil this world and our own lusts which we do when we spend the Lords day either in idleness pleasures or needless worldly matters Works of charity or mercy are acts of holiness and works of necessity so far forth as they are works of necessity are acts of mercy and consequently the doing of either of these that is works of Charity or Necessity when due occasion calls me thereto is rather sanctifying than unhallowing the Lords day especially if I do them out of duty towards God and in his fear and for this I have his warrant who tels Mat. 9. 13. me that he better accepts Mercy than Sacrifice Chap. VII Of Preparation for the Lords day A preparatory Prayer thereto SEeing then that the Lords day is to be kept holy that is to be spent in the worship and service of God for which it is set apart it concerns me to consider how I may spend it in a way most complying with this its design or intendment And I shall easily upon the very consideration of the nature of Gods worship be convinced that it is in a manner impossible for me duely to sanctifie it if I come unto it hot and wreaking from my worldly business For being I am to worship God in spirit and in truth with all my mind soul and strength and in a word with my whole man evident it is that I am unable so to do while my heart yet remains unemptied of the world and being unfit to worship God I am not while so in a due state to sanctifie this day Wherefore the right sanctification of the Lords day is to begin with Preparation And it is a right wholsome institution that upon the Evening before it there should be Prayers in every Parish Church which is grown now too much into disuse by reason onely that I can imagine of the degeneracy of the age If there be such custome kept up in my Parish I would not but upon necessity be absent from those preparatory prayers At which though I should be supposed to have been present yet would I not content my self therewith but whether I have been imployed publickly in preparations or not in my course of devotion on Saturday night take so much more time than I do ordinarily as might serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers The least which I can do to this purpose in my Meditations is First To examine whether there be not some sin or sad miscarriage of the week past which lies unrepented of and so may blast my next daies performances And if any there be secondly to consider of it more particularly its aggravations its nature whether it be not such an one part of the Repentance for which must be Reconciliation Restitution or somewhat like and accordingly to apply my self to what I in my conscience and in the fear of God do judge due repentance Thirdly to endeavour the emptying my head of worldly at least distracting cares to bid them be gone now till a day for them return And lastly so to contrive as neer as I can all my affairs for the next day that both I and my family may have as little avocations or matters to call away our minds from holy duties as may be This by way of Meditation My Prayers must be suitable to my condition If any such sin as before mentioned be found that must be confessed bewailed and pardon craved together with grace for the future against it which may be done by putting in the mention of that sin in the proper space left for such purpose But besides this it will be necessary to add some particular petitions for due preparation or disposition of heart for the duties of the next day First for a quiet setled and composed mind so that I may attend with all my soul my holy concerns or business Secondly for enlivened affections that I may not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting spirit Thirdly for a pliable ductile yielding and easie mind that I may mix the word with faith and render the obedience of faith Lastly because both my own and the Congregations benefit and edification much depends upon the Ministers due and affectionate discharge of his office it is therefore fit I forget not him but commend him to the assistance of the Spirit To which purpose the following prayer may be either inserted in some fit place towards the end of my prayers or added to them O Lord from whom the preparations of the heart are The day now approacheth which being holy unto thee I am to spend in thy more solemn worship Many sins there are by me not duely repented of which may justly bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing Especially my * Here insert the mention of such particular sinnes which thou hast found thy self guilty of c. may make my very prayers an abomination to thee But accept thou I beseech thee of this my confession of them and at least desired sorrow for them Turn my heart from them for the future and through the bloud of my Saviour so remove the guilt of them that they may not hinder good things from me Let the effusions of thy grace both upon me and all the Congregations of thy people be plentifull Let my heart be fixed and none either vain or worldly thoughts lodge within me this night Quicken me by thy Holy Spirit that I may draw neer unto thee with a true heart and be fervent in Spirit in thy service and with a good and honest heart receiving thy word may understand and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience and unto perfection Remember thou thy servants who are to dispense thy Mysteries unto thy people and especially him upon whose teaching I am to wait Pardon their sins and frailties Open their mouths guide their minds and tongues that they may deliver thy truths in the demonstration of thy Spirit and let thy work so prosper

should pray with my Soul and all that is within me and not be cordial honest and sincere in those prayers which I so make And therefore as God doth so I say every Christian ought to look cheifly to the inward disposition of his soul in his Devotions We may note further for our quickening herein that God not onely requireth the heart in prayer but hath accepted and often doth accept the inward breathings of it and answer them as fully as if all other circumstances belonging to the outward manner of prayer had been observed As in the case of Hannah who in that so successfull and effectual prayer of hers spaks in her heart onely Now prayer is then right as to its inward manner when there is an hearty excercise of Christian graces and affections suitable to the substance of the prayer which we offer up to God That is to say to go through the parts of prayer I adore and call upon God as I ought when in my calling upon him I really believe that he is and that he is such as he hath revealed himself to be and as I now expresse or conceive him and therefore with reverence humbly submit my self before his majesty It is a piece of holy skill worthy taking notice of which is observable in the prayers of holy men in Scripture They usually so frame their invocations or callings upon God as may suit with their main business at the throne of grace and strenghthen their faith for those particular mercies which they aske Thus in that sorenamed prayer of Hezechias's against the Assyrian Armies O Lord of hosts for he prayed against a mighty host and for deliverance from it God of Israel he therefore so cals God to put him in mind of his covenant with Israel that he might stretch forth his hand for the deliverance of his own people who dwellest between the Cherubims that is who hast here recorded thy name and promised to meet and blesse and from thy mercy Seat to answer thy people He therefore makes mention of Gods promised presence or dwelling between the Cherubims that he might prevail with God to save that City where his Temple and this his mercy Seat was placed Every expression in this his invocation hath somewhat in it proper to his suit and of force to strengthen his faith and dependance upon God that he might the more surely prevail In short then the graces to be exercised in adoration or calling upon God cheifly are Faith Fear or Reverence of God and Humility I then confesse my self to God as I ought when with hearty sorrow and repentance which if earnest will be accompanied with a kind of indignation against my self I lay open impartially my sins before him not sparing the sweetest or closest and with an humble sense of my own vilenesse impotency and emptinesse acknowledg my wants or his just judgments upon me for any of my sins So that the chief grace to be exercised peculiarly in confession is repentance or Godly sorrow an humble and tender sense of what we confesse accompanied with shame of our selves Further then I aske as I ought when as sensible of mine own unworthinesse out of an humble trust in God through the merits of his Son which trust his gracious promises and declarations of good will through him by me ever had respect to do encourage me to take up I heartily desire what I aske at his hands or at least am heartily sorry if I cannot say I heartily desire all I aske Now because while I am asking it so cometh to passe that I often intermix somewhat of vow as in asking the pardon of some past sins many times I engage to diligent and watchfull opposition for the future against them therefore is it necessary that if I would ask aright I ask with resolution and purpose of endeavouring a new life And further for that I cannot expect forgivenesse from God except I forgive from my heart my brethren therefore I must ask in charity So then the Graces cheifly to be exercised in Petition are First Faith or an humble trust and hope in God through Jesus Christ that I shall speed which is most truly Praying in his name Secondly Love towards God and holinesse Thirdly a stedfast purpose of obedience which is the most considerable part of repentance Fourthly Charity towards my Brethren Lastly I then praise or give God thanks for his mercies as I ought when I have an inward acknowledgement and sense that it is him alone and through his meer savour that I enjoy these mercies and when not onely I my self do admire but desire that heaven and earth may admire him for his goodness when also I do all this with a resolution of improving the mercy given that is of walking as it becometh one who hath been vouchsafed of such a blessing So that the graces to be exercised in thanksgiving chiefly are 1. Humility or a sense of our own unworthiness and of Gods free mercy and grace the onely fountain of all received or hoped for benefits 2. Love or an administration of his goodness accompanied with a desire that he may receive all possible glory for it 3. Resolution and study of greater and more suitable obedience and duty to him These are those graces in the exercise of which the due inward manner of prayer or a praying temper consists a composition so amiable as that it will ever where it is send up an odour of a sweet savour unto Heaven and delight shall I say or overcome the Almighty Majesty Chap. VIII Of the best outward manner of Prayer in sit postures and sit words Of praying by gift and the inconveniences alledgeable against it Of praying by a form and the inconveniencies alledgable against it An accommodation and reconcilement of both IN the outward manner of prayer the chief points considerable are the use of sit postures and meet words Now though the posture of the body seem to be a small matter yet methinks my prayers wants their due solemnity if not performed in a posture of worship True it is many a devout prayer a man may make riding upon his horse back walking in the fields and the like and right Christian is it thus to sanctifie my necessary journies or the time which otherwise would be wholy lost in travel or stoln away by such recreatory obambulation But these are occasional and not my set and solemn devotions Here my body being otherwise necessarily imployed the most which I can give to God is my soul or if to my thoughts my words be added it is as much as well can be But in my fixt course of devotion it is not to be supposed that I worship God aliud agens imployed with any thing but his worship and therefore herein let my body as well as my soul be taken up in meet acts of worship Now that I account to be the best posture of worship which best expresseth an inward reverence of that Majesty

possible that such a backsliding wretch as my self should ever be renewed again unto repentance or thereby restored But forasmuch as I understand that to turn thus desperate and to neglect repentance and amendment of life would be worse than all the wickedness which I have hitherto wrought I am here prostrate before thee to bewail my self and with sorrow and grief of heart for my former wayes do I here cast my self upon thee If thou wilt have mercy thou canst still save me If thou wilt not Lord I perish But doest thou use to suffer those to perish who thus with such repentance as they can submit and humble themselves at thy footstool crying unto thee for help Far be it from thee thou Father of Mercies Notwithstanding inasmuch as I being much worse than ordinary sinners do more justly deserve to find no place for repentance and have therefore more reason to fear how thou maist deal with me deal with me as thou wilt † through thy grace I will sin no more no more knowingly and presumptuously as I have done And to that end I have here in thy presence this day considered my wayes † I have endeavoured to find out those wiles and methods by which the Devil and mine own lusts have ensnared me in such grievous sins † I have resolved upon impartial diligence as well in my endeavours against these particular evils as against all other and in performing unto thee hearty and intire obedience These Resolutions I here humbly present before thee sacredly engaging my self to do my utmost to keep them and beseeching thee by thy grace to engage my heart more firmly to them And Lord let not any dulness or want of that affection with which I ought to have confessed my sins to have bewailed my guilt and to have passed these resolutions hinder that this my serious humiliation of my self should not be accepted before thee Such contrition as thou hast enabled me to I have endeavoured sorrowing that I am not more deeply humbled Such which is wanting do thou bestow For it is no less thy property to bestow than to accept the contrite heart The broken spirit is O Lord from thee When thou of old commandedst water out of the flinty Rock it forthwith yielded obedient streams nor can my heart dry and hard as it is but dissolve into holy tears if thou wilt bid it melt Give forth then the word O God Speak thy servant is here ready to hear Turn thou me and I shall be turned Send out thy good Spirit let it inlighten the eyes of my mind in the knowledge both of my self and thee let it savingly perswade me of the truth of all that thou hast spoken and especially of the defiling cursed and damning nature of sin of the sufficiency and efficacy of the merits of Christ Jesus unto all those who by a right faith apply themselves to thee through him I do O Lord believe help my unbelief And grant that this sight and perswasion both of my sin and Saviour may affect mine heart so that I may sorrow after a godly sort and that sorrow may bring forth in me those wholesome fruits which after all my endeavours of repentance I cannot but lament to be much wanting in me to wit carefulness against sin vehement desire and zeal of holiness indignation and an holy revenge against my self by all which I may for the future clear my self and ever approve mine heart honest upright and sincere before thee Suffer not this my righteousness to be onely as a morning cloud or early dew soon passing away but let thy grace alwayes dwelling in me keep open in my soul an ever flowing fountain of such penitence that I may go on thus mourning to mourn over my sins and perfecting holiness in thy fear accounting all little enough if so be I may but in the end obtain mercy And this my penitent return at least hearty endeavour of such return accompanied with persevering study of impartial obedience to thee do thou however most unworthy in it self through the perfect merits of thy Son accept washing away all my sins both the iniquities of my youth and transgressions of my riper years as well known as unknown especially Here mention thy chiefest sin or sins my ** in his bloud and reckoning according to thy gracious Covenant this my faith which by such works as these shall discover it self to be alive and true unto me for righteousness And if thine infinite Wisdome shall see it to be good for me do thou grant me this further happiness that I thus living in thy fear may be ever filled with peace and joy through a comfortable assurance of thy favour and hopes of eternal glory As to all my outward affaires by thy good providence be thou pleased so to overrule all events that whatsoever befals me may work together to me for good My sins indeed O Lord deserve quite contrary even the severest inflictions of thy wrath and fiery displeasure And I do most seriously acknowledge that in all the judgments which thou hast at any time laid upon me thou hast used much mercy All the paines which my body hath felt all the losses which have impaired my estate all the slanders which have blasted my name particularly ** I embrace as infinitely less than my deserts That † I am in any straits ** that I Here mention any particular afflictions suffer otherwise in my body relations c. ** were all a thousand sold to what it is I should confess it to be most just Were I to enjoy no more good than I do deserve I should have just nothing Righteous therefore art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Yet if thou wilt be intreated by thy repenting servant to † withdraw * These and such like expressions are to be used according to persons particular conditions or withhold thy hand to remove the punishment I feel or not to inflict the punishments which I fear but through the bloud of Christ to deliver me from thy present wrath as well as from the wrath to come thy servant shall ever bless and praise thee and be able to serve thee with more chearful diligence However Lord thy Will be done Bring me surely to thy self let it be by what means thou wilt Please thy self thy servant will endeavour to be content Deny me what things thou wilt onely deny me not Grace Pardon and thy Self And not onely upon me O Lord but upon all men do thou have mercy according to the gracious pleasure of thine own most holy Will Especially upon the universal Church Enlarge thou its bounds provide for its safety and purity delivering any part of it which is in danger and reforming whatsoever of it is corrupted Do thou with all suitable mercies bless this particular Church Forgive the publick sinnes ** Heal the publick Here mention such sins or calamities Calamities ** Preserve and every way be gracious unto