Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	death_n	lord_n	sinner_n	2,648	5	7.4070	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03336	A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the third of March, 1610. By Theophilus Higgons. In testimony of his heartie reunion with the Church of England, and humble submission thereunto. Published by command	Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.	1611 (1611)	STC 13456; ESTC S104096	44,137	62

other the one negatiue he maketh not the wicked innocent the other affirmatiue he visiteth iniquitie Consider secondly the extent of the one and other His mercy extendeth vnto thousands his iudgement vnto three or foure generations Here is mercie and riches of mercie This therefore being so peculiarly annexed vnto the diuine nature the Church for many hundred yeeres harh vsed that excellent Collect O God whose nature and property is euer to haue mercy c. And this bringeth vnto my remembrance the saying of Tullie so much applauded by S. August lib. 9. de Cruit Dei when hee pleaded before Caesar for the life and liberty of Ligarius his friend O Caesar saith he none of thy vertues is more admirable or gracious then thy MERCIE Men come neere vnto God in nothing so much as in sauing the afflicted Thy fortune hath nothing greater then that thou hast power thy nature nothing better then that thou hast will to shew mercie and to saue others So I may say of all Gods proprieties none is more admirable and gracious then his mercy It is not his power it is not his knowledge it is not his wisdome but it is his Mercy wherein we chiefely reioice I should despaire if there were not mercy in him since there is so much iniquity in me But because of sinners hee shall be called mercifull 2. Esdr 8.31 Thus his mercy hath an aduantage by our sinnes to declare and to expresse it selfe For though in him there is an habit if I may so speake of mercy alwaies yet the act of mercy requireth sinne precedent in vs which giueth matter and occasion vnto the same There is a double matter of mercie the one whence it proceedeth the other where it is shewed The first is in God onely the second in vs. The heauens neede not the mercy of God saith August in Psal 32. because there is no misery in them but the earth needeth it and where the misery of man hath abounded there the mercie of God hath abounded much more If therefore I haue committed sinne then I haue fit matter for the declaration of his mercy In this ô Lord thy goodnesse shall be praised if thou be mercifull vnto vs who haue not the substance of good works 2. Esdr 8.36 In truth many haue the shadow not the substance of good works Now though it is an euill cause saith Seneca which requireth mercy yet there is no cause so euill which can despaire of mercy For as I haue the matter of or for mercy in me to wit my sins so if I haue the means to apprehend this mercy which meanes is faith alone the mercy of God shall bee commended through mine iniquity and my owne sinne shall turne to my owne safety All things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euen to them that are called of his purpose Rom. 8.28 Omnia cooperantur saith S. Augustine all things worke etiam peecata Domine euen our sins also ô Lord. For by sinne we haue experience of our infirmity our infirmity draweth vs vnto humility humility lifteth vs vp vnto God in God euery man hath his quietus est perfect rest and endlesse peace Thus it is true that sinne which naturally and of it selfe worketh damnation may occasionally and by accident worke saluation also but by his power who brought light out of darkenesse and worketh our good out of our own euill I dare not therefore adde this grieuous sin vnto my other sinnes to despaire of mercy For as to commit a sinne it is the death of the soule so to despaire of mercy it is to descend into hell And some feare not to affirme that Iudas sinned more by despaire of mercy then by treason against his Lord. For what is more sacrilegious saith Fulgentius then to deny Gods mercy in forgiuing our sins If he be a skilfull physitian he can cure all our infirmities if a mercifull God hee can forgiue all our sinnes Therefore Dauid Psal 103. exhorteth his owne soule to praise the Lord and again to praise the Lord. Why He forgiueth all thy sinne healeth all thine infirmities If this be so let no man despaire of the physitian and remaine in his sicknes let no man extenuate Gods mercy and pine away in his sinnes For Christ died for sinners Rom. 5.8 And Christ came into the world to saue sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 If I were not a sinner he were not a Sauiour Qualecumque fit ergopeccatum c. Whatsoeuer then thy sinne be God can and will pardon it if thou by despaire doest not close vp his hands and shut vp the gate of indulgency against thy self Finally he concludeth his exhortation out of the prophet Esay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgiue Yea multus ad ignoscendum as he rendreth it neerer vnto the originall text In hoc multo nihil deest in quo est omnipotens misericordia omnipotentia misericors He can pardon for his mercy is omnipotent he will pardon for his omnipotency is mercifull Therefore let no man despaire Thus much of the first motiue or cause to wit the mercy of God And so I come vnto the second which is his LOVE as it followeth here in my Text through his great loue wherwith he loued vs euen when we were dead by or in sins Here is loue the cause of mercy I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therefore with mercy haue I drawne thee Ierem. 31.3 The riuer of mercy issueth from the fountaine of loue But of this I haue spoken * Pag. 8. before Now for the Text it selfe you may obserue First that this affection or attribute is comfortable because it is loue specially in God Secondly that this loue is commendable because it is great Thirdly that this greatnes is admirable because it is toward vs. Concerning the First to wit the affection or attribute loue in God the beloued disciple teacheth vs that God is loue 1. Io. 4.8 And so loue is attributed vnto him in the abstract because it is in him not as an accident and by participation but by essence as S. Bernard speaketh diuinely of this other properties in God He loueth as charity he knoweth as truth he fitteth as equity he ruleth as maiesty he gouerneth as the beginning he defendeth as health he worketh as power he reuealeth as light he assisteth as piety All these things the Angels doe yea we also doe but yet in an inferiour manner not by that good which we are or haue in our selues but which we participate of him But it is otherwise in GOD whatsoeuer is attributed vnto him is God himself For he is a simple vncompounded being in whom all things are one So that the variety of his attributes is not from a diuersity of affection in him but of effects vnto vs. But J