Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	david_n	lord_n	psal_n	5,760	5	7.2128	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77498	The drinking of the bitter cup: or, The hardest lesson in Christ's school, learned and taught by himself, passive obedience. Wherein, besides divers doctrinall truths of great importance, many practicall directions are held forth, for the teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly father in suffering his will, both in life and death, patiently, obediently, willingly. / As it was lately presented to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4713; Thomason E1838_1; ESTC R210133	201,893	311

Exod. 15.24 and so against God in him as Moses tells them Exod. 16.7 and the Lord himself interprets it Numb 14.29 And the like they did upon other occasions as in the want of bread Exod. 16.2 Thus did they murmure in the Wildernesse And the like are the best of Gods Saints subject to If God bring them to the waters of Marah bitter waters giving them some bitter Cup to drink exercising them with some sharp afflictious their gestures their speeches their actions are too ready to bewray the secret discontents and impatience of their spirits Those instances of Eliah Jeremy Job Jonah are all obvious All eminent servants of God and yet how were they surprized with this distemper Now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers saith Eliah in the Wildernesse 1 King 19.4 Why is my pain perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Wilt thou be unto me altogether as a Lyar or as waters that fail saith Jeremy to his God in a distempered Passion Jer. 15.18 And again O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger then I and hast prevailed I am in derision daily every one mocketh me cap. 20.7 And again v. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed and so he goeth on to the end of the Chapter in a great deal of passionate language bewraying a strange distemper that was upon him by reason of the contempt and treachery and ill use which he met with And the like we finde in Job Though looked upon and that deservedly as a pattern of patience yet we may hear him venting his Passion in the like language cap. 3. where from the 3d verse to the 16th he spends himself in such passionate expressions Let the day be darknesse wherein I was born c. And so Jonah when his gourd was withered and the Sun lay hot upon his head he breaks forth in Passion not sparing to tell God to his face that he did well to be angry even unto death Jon. 4.9 Strange distempers to be found in sanctified hearts Is it so that any of us have found or at any time shall finde any spice hereof in our selves as who can say he is free take we the reproof to our selves taking notice that it was far otherwise with our blessed Saviour our heavenly pattern Though his Cup was a bitterer Cup then ever any man upon earth tasted yet we finde him far from murmuring or repining when he was to drink it There are yet a third sort who drink this Cup Sort 3 but they faint in the drinking of it Such as faint un●● afflictions As the first sort make their sufferings too light so these make them too heavy their spirits drooping and sinking under their burdens A weaknesse very incident even to Gods own people yea to the best of them It is that which Jeremy saith of himself Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart is faint in me And the like we may hear from the Church in her Captivity Lam. 1. last My sighes are many and my heart is faint Such deliquiums such despondencies and faintings the strongest of Saints as I said are subject to It is that which David saith of himself when he was in some eminent danger My soul is bowed down viz. through fear Psal 57.6 and elsewhere being pursued by his implacable enemy King Saul hunted as a Partridge in the Mountains as himself expresseth it we finde him giving up himself for a lost man He said in his heart I shall now perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 An infirmity arising partly from the weaknesse of nature An Infirmity from whence arising which contributes much to these despondencies but chiefly from the weaknesse of grace If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small saith the Wiseman Prov. 24.10 thy spiritual strength it argues Faith to be weak This it is which supporteth and beareth up the spirit under afflictions keepeth it from fainting I had fainted saith David unlesse I bad believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Psal 27.13 Faith in God believing his Promises and resting upon his power mercy truth it boyeth up the soul keepeth the head above water Where Faith faileth no wonder if the heart fainteth And it is often helped forwards by looking upon afflictions through false Glasses which represent them greater then they are As also by neglecting or refusing means of Consolation and comfort As it is said of Rachel the Benjamit●sh women descended from Rachel when her children were carried into Captivity she w●pt saith the Text and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2.18 Thus it is sometimes when God withdraws one blessing men overlook all others they enjoy and will take no comfort in them Like Children who if one of their toyes be taken from them they presently throw away all the rest But from what ground soever it ariseth or by what means soever it is procured or promoted it is a weaknesse and that such a one as deserves a just Reprehension It was not so with our blessed Saviour Never was there Cup like this Cup which he was now to drink yet behold here how he beareth up under it betaking himself to his suffering work with a holy and steadfast resolution The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Thus much by way of Reprehension From which passe we in the second place to that which I principally aim at Vse 2 Exhortation to follow this Pattern Exhortation Where let me set this pattern before you propounding it for your imitation exciting and stirring up all who professe themselves the Disciples of Jesus Christ that herein they would endeavour to shew themselves conformable to this their Head Conformity to Christ is that which God hath predestinated all his Elect people to So the Apostle infoms us Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son to be made like him and that as in glory so in grace Now as we desire the former have we an eye to the latter see that we imitate Christ in what was imitable in him following his steps So suffering as Christ did Which do we as in his Active so in his Passive Obedience so drinking those Cups which our heavenly Father shall give unto us as he here did this which was given to him not despising of not murmuring at not fainting under whatever Afflictions and Chastisements God shall please to exercise us with but bearing and suffering them patiently obediently willingly Every of which particulars give me leave to spend a little time upon The three former whereof are Negatives shewing us what we are not to doe the three latter Positives shewing us what we are to doe Begin with the former the

the promises and assurances which we meet with in Scripture to this purpose The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and Widows Psal 146.9 A father of the Fatherless and a Judg of the Widow is God in his holy habitation Psal 68.5 Leave thy Fatherless children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Jer. 49.11 In thee the fatherless findeth Mercy Hos 14.3 Thus when Father and Mother forsake their Children as in death they do now as David speaketh it of himself Psal 27.10 The Lord taketh them up exercising a speciall providence over such This will he doe being left a God in Covenant with them And therefore no just ground why this consideration should so far prevaile with any that are in Covenant with God as to make them unwilling to dye upon this account which too often they are In this obey God and then trust in him As for that other part of this Allegation p●rting with friends and the loss of their society Friends upon earth not to be compared with those in heaven it cannot sway much Alas what are thy friends upon earth which thou art to leave in comparison of thy friends in heaven whom thou art to go to viz God and Jesus Christ his blessed Saints and Angels with whom thou shalt now have an everlasting Communion Besides thy friends and thou are not by this means for ever parted It is but for a time a little time Though thou shalt not return to them as David said of his Childe 2 Sam. 12.23 yet they shall come to thee meeting where you shall never part But saith another I am not unwilling to dye upon any such account Obj. 3 Dying without issue to continue the name but rather the contrary I have no issue to leave behind me which might succeed in my place inherit my estate or continue my name This was the thing which was conceived to have wrought so upon that good King Hezekiah that made the message which the Prophet brought him concerning his death so unwelcome unto him so as he wept when he heard it of which we heard before this he did as having yet no issue to succeede him to bear his name and sit upon his throne after him And the like consideration oft times after the like manner worketh upon others But was not this also the case of our blessed Saviour here A. The case of our blessed Saviour When as he was now to leave the world being a single person he had no issue of his Body none to succeed him to bear his name his naturall name after him True indeed as for his spiritual name he left enough to bear that viz. his Apostles and Ministers whose office it is to bear the name of Christ as he tels Ananias that Paul should doe Act. 9.15 By preaching and publishing of his Gospell But as for his natu●al name that dyed with him he leaving neither Child nor yet Brother to succeed him Yet was this consideration of no avail with him Notwithstanding this he knew that his name should be continued upon earth and withall that he should have a better name in heaven even that name above every name as it is called The good name of Gods Saints living when they are dead Phil. 2.9 And the like may all Gods Saints assure themselves of Having by their Godly and examplary life and conversation got them a good name whilest they were alive that shall be to them a precious ointment as the Preacher makes the comparison Eccl. 7.1 preserving and perfuming their memories when they are dead Such is the name of Jesus Christ Thy name is as ointment poured forth saith the Spouse of her well-beloved Cant. 1.3 And such shall the names of his Saints be When the name of the wicked shall rot rot above ground as their bodies do under it they having left nothing but a stinking savour behind them the memory of the just shal be blessed Prov. 10.7 But however They have in heaven a name better then of Sons and Daughters though they be forgotten upon earth yet they shall have a name in Heaven Yea and that a name above every name above whatever name upon earth A name better then of Sons and Daughters an everlasting name that shall not be cut off as the Lord promiseth his people Isai 56.5 As for the name of Sons and Daughters a name by issue continued it often faileth seldome lasteth to many generations But the name of Gods people is an everlasting name being a name written in heaven As for those names which are written in the earth which the names of worldlings are they are written in the dust and so shall perish But so shall not the names of Gods Saints which are written in heaven written in the book of life Having then assurance of such a name let not them be over ambitious of any other I but saith another Obj. I am not unwilling to dye but I would not dye yet And why not yet Why Being in the flower of age as yet I am in the flower of my age having lived but a little while upon earth so as to me death seemeth untimely A. A. T●e case of our Saviour And was it not thus also with thy blessed Saviour was not he cut off in the flower of his age about the thirty third or thirty fourth year of his life And yet doth not he look upon his death as untimely now that the hour appointed by his Father was come Though thy time be not come yet if Gods be do not think it untimely I Obj. 5 But I might live to do God a great deal of service upon earth Desire of doing more service to God and upon that account I desire a longer date of daies And might not thy Saviour have done so too A. Yet when his Father calleth him from his work So might Christ have done he is not unwilling to leave off Repl Repl. I but he knew that his work was done I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do He knew that his work was finished saith he Joh. 17.4 And upon that account was he so willing to be gone But so cannot I say A. A. But this thou maiest say If God calleth thee hence So is ours when God calleth us from it the work which he hath given thee to do is finished though not the work which thou wouldest do to him And therefore be not averse to his call He who setteth thee to do his work knoweth how long it is fit for thee to be at it And if he cal thee off by that time thou hast wrought a few houres in his vineyard and giveth thee thy peny thou hast no cause to repine at it or be unwilling with it I Obj. 6 but saith another I know not how bitter how painfull The bitterness of Death my death may be As for death it self considering the miseries

Cups Metophoricall Cups so called by way of Allusion and Resemblance Of these we meet with two kindes in Scripture A sweet Cup and a Bitter Cup. 1. A sweet Cup a Cup of Prosperity an happy and prosperous state and condition in the world A sweet Cup. when men abound with temporall comforts and contentments Of this Cup speaks David Psal 23.5 My Cup runneth over God had given him a large portion as of spirituall so of temporall mercies so as he had not only for necessity and conveniency but even for superfluity But this is not the Cup which here we meet with in the Text. Surely had such a Cup been presented unto Christ Peter who was so ready to bid him favour himself and consult his own security which he doth Math. 16.22 and had so many thoughts about a Temporall Kingdome that his Master and his Followers should enjoy upon earth would not have been so forward in putting it from him 2. Besides this there is also a Bitter Cup. A Cup of Wormwood and Gall A Bitter Cup. a Cup of Affliction and Suffering This in phrase of Scripture we oft times finde set forth under the name of a Cup and that both in the Old Testament and New Of this speaketh the Psalmist Psal 75.8 In the hand of the Lord there is a Cup that is a Cup of wrath and vengeance Such was the Cup which the Prophet Jeremiah received at the hand of the Lord to carry it to all the Nations Jer. 25.15 viz. a Cup of fury as it is there expressed And such a Cup it is which the Spirit threatneth that all those who have received the mark of the Beast shall drink of Rev. 14.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cup of wrath The Cup of Gods indignation And such a Cup it is that our Saviour speaketh of once and again As Matth. 20. vers 22. where he puts this Question to the sons of Zebedee Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of So again Cap. 26. vers 39. If it be possible let this Cup passe from me And so here again in the Text The Cup which my Father hath given me meaning a Cup of suffering that Bitter Cup of his Passion the bitterest that ever was drunk upon earth Of this Cup our Saviour had already tasted in that bitter Agony of his in the Garden Hoc loce nihil est unde certe coll●gas sudori huic sanguinem suisse p●rmistum Nom non dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Theophilac Euthym. ad loc Sudor vix solet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. ibid. where conflicting with the apprehension of what he was ere long to undergoe it put him into a strange bodily distemper an unheard of sweat insomuch as he sweat either drops of blood as it is generally received or rather as it were drops of blood so the Originall hath it Luk. 22.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a thick sweat as it were clottered and congealed blood And made him to break forth into that thrice-repeated Deprecation Father if it be thy will let this Cup passe from me And this Cup he was now to drink to drink it off to wring out even the dregs thereof which he did in that painfull shameful accursed death upon the Cross And this bitter Passion it is which our Saviour here calleth a Cup 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Cup. Q. And why so called A. Christs Passion why called a Cup. The expression as I told you is Metaphorical and borrowed Reasons and grounds of the Metaphor held forth by Expositors are divers Dicendo autem poculum insinuat mortem dulcem desid●rabilem in salutem h●minu● Theophyl ad loc To let passe that of Theophylact who conceives our Saviour here to call his Passion a Cup to intimate how acceptable and welcome the work of Mans Redemption was unto him and in order unto that his Passion even as gratefull as desireable as a cup of drink is to a thirsty man In which sense some understand that word of his upon the Cross Joh. 19.28 I thirst viz. after the Redemption and Salvation of lost Mankinde As also that other of a later Expositor Id●ò calicem nominat ut estendat ●●am g●avissimas affūctiones in hoc mundo nihil esse ut uà dicam ●isi unum hauslum statim ●●im cessahunt Ferus in loc who conceives in and by this word to be insinuated the momentaninesse the short continuance of all afflictions and sufferings upon earth which be they never so bitter and grievous yet they are but as it were one draught a cup soon swallowed down soon put over according to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Affliction which is but for a moment c. To let passe these with some other which I look upon as more witty then weighty With more probability the Metaphor may be conceived to be borrowed from one of these three Heads A threefold ground of the Metaphor all taken notice of by Aretius writing upon this Text. 1. Some fetch it from a custome among some of the Heathen From a deadly Cup given to Malefactors Formula petita â ritu Gentium quo noxios poticnibus missis in corcerem to●libant è medio Atet Com. in loc who were wont sometimes to put malefactors to death by giving them a deadly cup a Cup of Poyson to drink So Historians tell us of Socrates that famous Moralist that being condemned to dye a poysonous potion a Cup of the juice of Hemlock was sent him to drink which having done he ended his dayes To this custom some conceive that forenamed passage to allude Jer. 25.16 where the Prophet is sent to the Nations with a cup to cause them to drink it Vid. New Annot Engl. in Mat. 20. vers 22. And so they look upon the word here in the text And it must be acknowledged the allusion is very proper and fit Christ having taken upon him the sins of the World he was now by Imputation a grand Malefactor a great sinner the greatest that ever was having the sins of the World charged upon his account Hereupon God the Father as a just and impartial Judge for the satisfying of his Justice giveth him this deadly cup this poysonous potion of an accursed death to drink to undergoe But I shall not insist upon this though a truth and an usefull one Applic. Usefull as to other ends Sin continued in will be biternesse in the la●ter end so to deter all presumptuous sinners from daring to go on in any known evill which if they shall dare to do let them know that it will be bitterness in the latter end As Abner once said to Joab concerning his over-eagre pursuit of his Brethren 2 Sam. 2.26 Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end So may I say to all wicked and ungodly men who are so eager in the

covetous and self-ended may the wise and faithfull Physician will not hold his Patient in a course of physick longer then need is If he still prescribe potion after potion surely he seeth there is a cause for it And thus is it with our heavenly Physician if he do keep his people in a course of afflictions it is not that he taketh any delight in it No though earthly Parents may sometimes chasten their children for their pleasure as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.10 our heavenly Father doth it not He seeth that there is a cause for it Con●inuance of Afflictions sometimes needfull He seeth that they have need of it need of those afflictions wherewith he exerciseth them and under which he holdeth them Need either for the cure of some old Malady or for the prevention of some new one which he seeth them in danger of 1. For the cure of habituated lusts For the cure of some old Malady Possibly there may be some old habituated Lusts which through a long custome and continuance have taken a deep rooting in the soul Now these are not easily or suddainly wrought out There must be a course of physick to cure an inveterate disease M. Paul Bayne Christian Letters 33. It may be as I remember a reverend and holy man writes to a friend concerning himself the sweet wayes of youth have bred such a bed of Worms in our souls that our heavenly Father seeth it necessary for us to continue our Wormwood and Aloes Thus God doth this sometimes by way of cure 2. And sometimes by way of prevention Though for the present it may be the soul may be in a sound and healthfull plight For the preventing of spiritual maladies yet he foreseeth what infirmities it is subject to and in danger of and hereupon it is that he followeth his people with a succession of Afflictions Even as the Physician that purgeth his Patient every Spring and Fall that so by those seasonable Evacuations he may prevent the sicknesse which he is inclined to Thus doth God knowing the temper of his people he often followes them with afflictions and tryals to prevent those spiritual Maladies which otherwise he seeth would breed in their souls To which end he keepeth them it may be continually under his correcting hand holding them as I may say in a course of physick even all their life long And shall he be pleased so to deal with any of us let not us repine or murmur True it is Applic. 1 Repine not under long afflictions to be held long much more continually under affliction it is a wearisome thing to flesh and blood As we say of physick Qui medicè vivit miserè vivit To be alwayes in the Physicians hands it is a miserable course of life And truly so it is to be continually under Gods afflicting hand to nature it is a wearisome condition But here let Grace correct and help Nature by minding us that this is the condition which our heavenly Father seeth fit for us And therefore quietly and contentedly submit unto him to the drinking of whatever cup or cups he shall prescribe unto us Only labouring to finde the kindely working of every of them Labour to find a kindely working of them that we may be bettered by them as to our spirituall condition that we may finde all sinfull and inordinate lusts more and more purged out of our souls and the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse brought forth So shall we have cause to blesse God for this his dealing with us acknowledging with David that it is good for us that we have been afflicted that we might learn his statutes Psal 119.71 which is a sweet and blessed fruit Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy Law Psal 94.12 When Nocumenta thus prove Documenta when chastening and teaching go together this is a blessed thing But I am not come where I intend to fasten There is yet a third head a third rise of the Metaphor A third head of the Metaphor From Governours at Feasts which is looked upon as most genuine and proper which is to fetch it either from a custome among the Ancients who in their Banqueting and Feasting being wont to drink by measure they had one who was appointed to be the Moderator or Governour of the Feast Sumpta est Metaphora vel a more convivantium Veteres enim in conviv● is singulis portionem suam per dispensatorem assignabant Latinis Modiperatores erant c. Aret. in loc as you shall finde it at that Marriage Feast in Cana of Galilee which our Saviour graced with his presence Joh. 2.8 9. Him the Greeks called as it is there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so after them the Latines Modiperatores quasi modum imperantes Architriclinus or Symposiarcha whose Office it was to order all things at the Feast and in speciall to see a measure kept in drinking from whence he was called Modiperator to which end he appointed every one his cup which he must drink and no more Or from Masters of Families Or else more plainly and simply as others conceive of it from a Master of a Family Metaphora sumpta a more Veteri secunáum quem Pater-familias singulis domesticis ut certam cibi partionem edendam sic etiam certam poculi id est vini seu potus mensuram bibendam distribuebat c. P. Ravanell Thesaur Calvin Piscator c. ad loc whose manner anciently was to give to every one in the Family children and servants their severall portion as of Meat so of Drink to every one their cup. Even so doth God the great Moderator the wise Disposer and Governor of all things and the Father of all the Families in heaven and in earth distribute to every of the sons of men their portions as of mercies and blessings so of sufferings which in phrase of Scripture is called their cup. Whence it is that we finde these two sometimes put together as Psal 11.6 This shall be the portion of their cup And again Rectè à viris doctis annotatum est per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraeum cut respondet Hellenistarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significari sortem prosperam aut improsperam quae Deo inspectante ac moderante cuique obtingit Unde vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interdum adjuactam legimus Grot. Annot. in Math. 20. vers 22. Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. So then by Cup understand we that portion of sufferings which God by his providence layeth out unto the sons of men which he doth not at randome but by measure Mark it This is the Doctrinall conclusion which I shall from hence take up Afflictions Doct. sufferings are dispensed by God unto men by measure Sufferings dispensed by God by measure Perindè ac Pacerfamilias cibum