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
A36446	Theanthrōpos or The great mysterie of godlines opened by way of antidote against the great mysterie of iniquity, (now awork in the Romish Church.) In a sound and seasonable treatise; wherein 1. The incarnation of the Son of God (and evangelicall love, wisdome, humility, &c. expressed in that contrivance) is fully explicated and displayed. 2. Ceremonies in poynt of divine worship are concluded to be by Christ (the true Messiah) abrogated; and examined whether they are not since Christ, Jewish-anti-Christian; where the Jew and Judaizing Christian are deservedly taxed. 3. Christian liberty with its VIII steps and V boundaries, is modestly and briefly asserted; and many other matters of consequence and moment are imparted; but now published for vindication of the truth and its assertor. By Thomas Douglas, M.A. minister of the Gospel at Olaves-Silverstreet, in London.	Douglas, Thomas, fl. 1661.	1661 (1661)	Wing D2040; ESTC R212841	54,580	83

the Son of God hath in our Nature satisfied the Active demands of the Law for Believers as effectually as if they themselves had made perfect and personal satisfaction thereunto by vertue whereof they are exempted from the Rigid Exaction of the Law that is They are no longer obliged to the performance of Obedience Legally perfect nor obnoxious to vengeance of the curse for their Legal defects There is a two-fold Perfection to be considered viz. 1. A Perfection of Degrees Perfectio graduum Perfectio partium 2. A Perfection of Parts The former is Legal Perfection and it stands in opposition to Imperfection The latter is Evangelical Perfection and it stands in opposition to Hypocrisie only for this is that indispensable Gospel-Qualification Sincerity This is new and Evangelical Obedience Now Redeemed ones are by Christ who performed Obedience Personal and Perfect for them exempted from the former viz. the severe demands of obedience absolutely perfect upon pain of death O what comfort is that to poor sinners Though many weaknesses attend our duties and many enormities our life though it be as Natural for us to sin as for the spark to fly upwards for the Lord knows It is Natural for us to do that which without mercy would undo us Yet the poor sincere sinner is in Christ accepted his failings and defects being covered with the robes of the Lord Christ's righteousness God brings a Believers Obedience to the Touchstone rather then to the Ballance He tryes not weighs it He eyes the Quality more then the Quantity the thing more then the degrees He judgeth of Evangelical Obedience more by the Principle then by the Rule by the Heart then by the Law considered in rigore It is not this or that hast thou done this or that duty hast thou omitted this or that sin hast thou committed c. But thus and thus was thy heart If there be first a willing minde it is now accepted 2 Cor. 8. 12. c. 3. The third is Exemption from the guilt of sin This is the Remission of sin in Justification which is God's gracious Act of Oblivion and Juridical Acquittance so to speak wherein he pardoneth sin in the blood of Christ so as that it shall not redound to the sinners punishment This is a singular piece of the Lord Christ's purchase God gives his Son and God doth in him forgive sin As the Reigning power of sin is taken away in Reatus peccati Regnum peccati sanctification so the guilt of sin is taken off in justification that is the justified person is acquitted in Christ so that God will never deal with him as a * Christus suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam culpam delevit poenam Aug. de verb. Dom. serm 37. guilty person or by way of punishment properly for God doth remit both the guilt and the punishment so that the afflictions and crosses which justified persons are exposed to in the world to speak properly are not penal but rather probational as is shewed before Chastisements not punishments for probation not for reprobation Tollitur peccatum si non ne SIT tamen ne OBSIT O but this is matter of great comfort I am pardoned now the Articles of my peace are confirmed now God is reconciled I am acquitted Although there is a defiling power in sin yet there is not a damning power in sin c. 4. The fourth is Exemption from the Reigne and Dominion of sin As in Justification the vis Damnatrix and Guilt of sin is removed so in Sanctification the Vis Dominatrix and Reigne of sin is removed There tollitur peccatum ne OBSIT Here tollitur peccatum ne PRAESIT There sin loseth its * Jam non stimutus sed jubitus Bernar. Serm. 26. in Cant. sting Here sin loseth its strength A Person is in Sanctification exempted though not from the Presence yet from the Power of sin though not from the Tyrannie yet from the * Rom. 6. 14. Dominion of sin though not from the Rage yet from the Reigne of sin though not from the permanency yet from the predominancy of sin from the power of though not from a power to sin A sanctified soul is neither a Throne not a Sepulchre to sin though sin remains there yet sin reignes not there * Rom. 6. 1 2. though sin continues in It yet It continues not in sin O poor Soul though sin do sore press thee yet it shall not oppress thee the Spirit of Sanctification frees the soul from its Native Captivity and bondage to sin This is a special part of our Redemption 5. The fifth is Exemption from Satanical bondage and subjection Men are by Nature as Sins so Satans Captives but the Son of God made of a woman hath led captivity captive He is the Seed of the woman that should bruise the Serpents head He is the LYON of the Tribe of Judah who hath over powered that Roaring Lyon and hath spoiled Principalities and Powers The Son of God took upon him our Nature that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. The Son of God became Man that he might destroy the Devil in the same Nature that the Devil had destroyed Satan is now become subject to those who once were subject to him Lord even the DEVILS are subject to US through thy Name said the Disciples Luke 10. 17. O how is our captivity turn'd The Prince of Darkness is become subject to the meanest Disciple of Christ Besides the Natural tye that is upon Satan he being a creature and therefore of a limitted capacity by reason whereof he cannot do the evil he would there is a Providential tye by reason whereof he doth not the evil he can yea and a purchased exemption from subjection to him We must distinguish between 1. Subjection to temptation And 2. Subjection to the Tempter The least of Saints are freed from the latter though the best of Saints are not in this life secure from the former O what comfort is this to a Militant Saint What though Satan attempt thy ruine yet know that Christ will ruine the attempt He may disquiet thee but he cannot destroy thee he may bruise thy heel but is it not the work of the Seed of the woman to break his head Satan is Christ's Captive in chains 6. The sixth is Exemption from Legal terrors and fear of Wrath Hell Death c. The former was a freedom from bondage to Spirits this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 7. is a freedom from the Spirit of bondage O what fears and terrors is a Reprobate Conscience possessed withal The Law is violated Wrath is incurred Hell and damnation is deserved as condigne punishment the dreadful pursuits of sin-revenging Justice are unavoidable my own Conscience accuseth me O the condemnatory voice of Conscience that Bosome-hell Miserable

Nature is by vertue of its Personal Vnion with the God-head promoted as I may say to Regal Authority over the Angels 2. Upon their Persons for Men may be said to be of the Blood-Royal of Heaven and are so to speak more neerly related to the Imperial Crown of Heaven then Angels Now Beloved what is this other then the fruit of a Distinguishing Love This Distinguishing Love of God may be further illustrated from this consideration namely That Angels are Spiritual and men Corporeal Substances so that there was a greater conformity in Nature between God and Angels for both are Spirits then between God and Men Now that God should condescend to assume to himself a Body rather then a Spirit was meerly from the discriminating Love of God What And must Clay be encircled with the Rayes of Divine Majesty Would not the Angelical Nature have been a more proper Receptacle for the Deity Alienum erat a Natura Divinitate Dei sanguinem carnem suscipere propter nos autem ea quae sibi erant aliena suscepit vt domesticos sibi saceret qui sueromus alioni per peccatum Origen in Esaium Hom. 7. then Dust and Ashes that inferiour piece of the Creation Such was the Love of God to Mankinde that he * Illos neglexit Illos dilexit passed by the fallen Angels and took upon him the Nature of fallen Man being made of a woman Hence Angels and not Men are Divels to day O what an Impression should this make upon us What That Man by the Order of Creation Satan's Inferiour should be honoured with Consanguinity to the Son of God and neer Relation to the B. Irinity And that Satan once an Angel of Light should be the first Inhabitant of outer darkness That the Angels which kept not their first estate should be left irrecoverably in their lost and accursed estate and be reserved in everlasting chains under darkness Iude 6. Whereas the Son of God hath graciously condescended to unite to Himself the Nature of fallen Man that Man might be recovered out of a miserable estate and restored to a better estate then that from which he had fallen Is not that a distinguishing Love Though I could speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels yet should I fail in this so amazing an inquisation This is Soraphical Divinity Christians Eternity it self is little enough to admire and with praise to Comment upon this Theam of God's superlative and distinguishing love to Mankinde in 3. Evangelical Humility That the Son of the living God should be made of a woman was the greatest Instance of Humility that is imaginable Christ's Humiliation was gradual there were these two steps in it viz. 1. The Assumption of our Nature 2. Obedience Active and Passive in that Nature These were the two gradual parts of the Lord Christ's Self-denyal but the former was the greater of the two That God should become Man was a greater argument of Self-denyal in Christ then that God-Man should become Obedient even unto death in that there is an infinitely greater distance between God and man in respect of Being then there is between Man and death for God is of an Infinite Being and Man but of a finite and limited capacity whereas in a sense it is as Natural for Man to die as to live That He who for Nature was co-essential with God should become co-essential with man That He who for Dignity was co-equal with God should become a * Isa 53. 11. Mat. 12. 28. Phil. 2. 7. servant That He who for Time and Duration was co-eternal with God should condescend in the fulness of the time to be made of a woman That Christ should be made of Her whose Maker he was Is not that Humility That the Incomprehensible Majesty of Heaven * whom 1 Kings 8. 27. the Heaven of heavens cannot contain should stoop to nine moneths confinement in the wombe of a poor Virgin That the Glory of God should fill a Tabernacle of Clay That * the High and Lofty One should pitch in dust and Isa 57. 15. ashes That the Sun of Divine Glory should suffer an Eclipse by the Interposition of Earth O what a stupendious condescention was that Beloved Heaven seemed in this to have been wholly devoted to Man The whole Trinity ever admired be Free Grace seems to have been Self-denied here The Father was in a manner denyed to his Dear and only Begotten Son and the Son to Himself to his Connatural Glory which he suffered to be clouded for a time in condescending to become Man as he was to life it self in condescending to die like a Man though he thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet he made himself of no reputation he degraded himself and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men c. Phil. 2. 6 7. * Quo nate Dei Quo tua descendit humilitas c. Aug. lib. Med. cap. 7. pag. 698. Tom. 9. Basil 1569. Whither O Son of God! Whither descended thy Humility I have been proud and thou bast been humbled c. 4. Evangelical Wisdome That the Saviour of mankinde should be the Son of God made of a woman is an Instance of astonishing Wisdome What 1. That God should contrive such a method of salvation as that he could punish sin and yet spare the sinner What is that other then the plot of infinite Wisdome God did punish sin in the Nature of sinners and yet did spare the persons of sinners Justice received satisfaction in our Nature and yet Mercy was glorified in the salvation of our Nature and which is a glorious soul-refreshing truth the same Justice which obliged God to punish sin in our Nature doth now oblige him to pardon sin in our Persons 2. That God should at once glorifie both Justice and Mercy in a Saviour is the memorable product of Divine Wisdome Those two Attributes viz. Justice and Mercy are both at once glorified in Christ Justice In that God did indispensably require satisfaction in order to the sinners salvation Mercy In that God did from an impulse of free Love to sinners provide a Surety and Mediatour in order to satisfaction God satisfied Himself in Himself So that here is a sweet Attemperation so to speak of Justice and Mercy Those two Attributes however they may seem to represent God with a contrary Aspect yet are as it were reconciled in Christ Here Mercy is acted in the severest piece of Justice never was there a more severe Act of Justice then that God's own Son should become a sacrifice rather then Justice should not be satisfied Again Never was there a more signal Act of Mercy then that God's own Son should become a sacrifice rather then Mercy should not be glorified O the Wonder-working Wisdome of God! Had God called a General Assembly of the Peers of Heaven those Celestial Intelligences they could never have devised such

a method of salvation for poor sinners as God hath in love to their souls contrived in his own Son made of a woman O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Thus I have endeavoured to display matter of Wonder and thankful Admiration Beloved these are things which the very glorious Angels desire to look and pry into * 1 Pet. 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angelical Speculations And I dare say that it will be a great part of the work of Angels and Saints in glory to celebrate those Mirabilia Dei and Evangelical wonders with praises to all eternity Vse 2 2. Here is ground of Reprehension Was the Son of God in the fulness of the time made of a woman This may serve sharply to reprove two sorts of persons 1. The Jew 2. The Judaizing Christian 1. The Jew Although it is palpably manifest and clear as the light from the infallible Oracle of Gospel the visible accomplishment of Prophetical Predictions c. That the Son of God is already long ago come in the flesh that the Messias the promised Seed of the woman is come yet Jewes poor wretches will not believe it To this day do they continue in obstinate incredulity and a vain expectation of the Messias their King and so alas alas through a vain expectation of the Saviour they miss of a Saviour That which my soul most pities them for is That during these sixteen hundred yeers darkness and desertion hundreds of thousands of them yea for ought I know as many hundred thousands as there are centuries of yeers have dyed irrecoverably in their sins But just is God in all his wayes And if God in mercy to their souls hasten not their Conversion and the re-ingrafting of those * Native Branches into the common Root Rom. 11. 21. 24. Christ how many thousands more may yet perish the Lord knows For oh Lord they dye daylie Ah! Thus it fares with them who once were God's peculiar people his Portion the dearly Beloved of his soul Poor Nation Whose sweet sap and juyce Our Cyens have purloyn'd and left you dry Whose streams we got by the Apostles sluce And use in Baptisme while ye pine and dye Who by not keeping once became a Debter And now by keeping lose the Letter O that my prayers mine alas O that some Angel might a Trumpet sound At which the Church falling upon her face Should cry so loud until the Trump were drown'd And by that cry of her dear Lord obtain That your sweet sap might come again The Metrical Apostrophe of a * Mr. George Herbert of Cambridge in his Sacred Poems holy Poet to that Nation It is observable of that people that by adhering to the Law they lose the Gospel by cleaving to Moses the Typical Messias they miss of the Messias the true Moses Were I able by my voice to reach the land of Jewry or the dispersed Jewes where-ever they are scattered as forlorn Vagabonds to day I would a little expostulate with them Oh obstinate and incredulous Jewes Are ye in Covenant with perdition Are ye resolved to perish in Vnbelief But will ye not admit of Gospel which presents us with this great Evangelical truth viz. That in the fulness of the time God sent forth his Son made of a woman the only true Messiah What Are ye in league with Moses In love with servitude and bondage The Prophesies concerning the Messias are fulfilled yea as I have shewed above the Messias his own Prophesies and Personal Predictions are fulfilled O that ye would learn the belief of the Truth from the very Prophesied Ruines of your Temple City Lawes whole State Policy and Commonwealth Ah! poor Jew The Lord convince you that there is no possibility of Life for you but in him who dyed by you Ye cannot be saved but through him whom by wicked hands ye have crucified and slain The only possible way and method of salvation is that very blood which you are guilty of and hath these sixteen hundred yeers layn upon your heads through your crucifying of the Lord of glory and that direful Imprecation His blood be upon us and our children wherein the Curse of that execrable sin of blood-shed is entailed upon your Posterity And O how sad is it when Persons are guilty of that very blood which alone is effectual for the pardon of guilt for peace with God! for the salvation of precious souls c. 2. The Judaizing Christian By Judaizing Christians I understand those that contend for Ceremonies in point of Worship in a professed Christian Church For a Ceremonial kinde of Worship being peculiar to the Jewish Church as wholly Typical it followeth by necessary Consequence That an Introduction of Ceremonies in point of Worship into the Christ an Church is a Reduction of Judaisme Now such are lyable to a just Reproof from hence namely That the Son of God was in the fulness of the time made of a woman Where Adulterate Rome with her Jewish-Popish Trumpery falls shrewdly under the lash only what pity is it that so strong a weapon is in so weak a hand For the Jewish Rites and Ceremonies being but Shaddows and Typical Adumbrations of the promised Messias must needs be abrogated now since the Messias the Body and Substance prefigured by them is come When the Body is come the Shaddow evanisheth Types cease in the Anti-type So that to retain Jewish Ceremonies in the Christian Church were Antichristian Judaisme for that were virtually to deny that the Son of God is come in the flesh I lay down no other as to the sense then what a great D. Downam in his Treatise of Christian Liberty * Doctor of the Formalists hath asserted before me The Ceremonial Rites saith he they are his own words because they were principally ordained to prefigure Christ are so abolished that it is not lawful for Christians to observe them for that were to deny that Christ is come I confess I am of his judgement and he cites S. Augustine * Contra Faustum Manich. lib. 19. cap. 18. Ea non observant Christiani per quae Christus promittebatur nec adhuc promittuntur quia jam impleta sunt Christians observe not those things by which Christ was promised neither are they as yet promised because they are already fulfilled For my own part it's true I am less then the least of ten thousand and therefore no wonder that men in this Learned Age over-look me as little objects which escape the sense however it is a conclusion with me that Ceremonies in point of Worship are altogether unlawful in Gospel-times since Christ who was typified by them is come for when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman as blessed be God we read preach hear and believe to day I do not now plead either Conscience or Covenant that forbidden Argument But My ground is Scripture-Evidence For Was not