Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,110	5	7.5131	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91475	Good tydings for sinners, great ioy for saints; or, A word to the world, and two to those that are chosen out of the world. Wherein is held forth, first, the sweet tenders of grace from the father through the son to all dejected sinners; he invites them, he woes them, he intreats them, nay, he beseecheth them to accept of mercy. In the second part of this book, called, Two words to those chosen out of the world, is spoken to the saints under their severall forms, taking notice first of the things commendable in them: and in the second place reproving them for things amisse among them. With a short prophesie of the downfall of presbyterie, independencie, anabaptismie, vaine notions, free-will. With a brief description of a true church-state, against which the gates of Hell shall not prevaile; it being founded upon a rock, it will stand against all waves and storms, that either men or devils can raise against it. I will give you all one heart, and one way. Then the Lord shall be one, and his name one. / Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.; Parnell, Robert, attributed name.	1649 (1649)	Wing P542; Wing P4234; Thomason E557_12; ESTC R27528	60,728	77

remembrance let us plead together Declare thou that thou mayest be justified as if the Lord had said If thou canst declare any thing why thou doest not come that lyeth in thy way I will remove it and thou shalt be accepted Ier. 2.5 Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone farre from me Vers 31. Have I been a barren wildernesse to Israel Ezek. 18.25 Hear now ô house of Israel are not my ways equall are not your waies unequall as if the Lord had said doe you think in your conscience that these wayes that you walk in are right Is this equall that sinners should go on their dayes and passe their time in sin and when they can sin no longer then to plead for mercy Is this equall If this will not doe the Lord will say Conscience let him alone So conscience may be quiet but the Lord hath left pleading with him 15. Again the Lord hath many times brake forth into tears to see the stubbornesse of m●ns hearts O Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. if thou hadst known in this thy day the things that make for thy peace Now suppose that Christ should come and weep over a company of poore sinners as he did over Jerusalem saying ô thou sinfull soule hadst thou known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace and suppose thou shouldest see one tear trickling down after another and he should say Oh that this people did but know the things that belong unto their peace If thou hadst a heart of stone it could not but melt 16. The Lord doth foresee what a little honour hee shall have of this sinner when he hath brought him home he seeth still that thou wilt have abundance of corruption in thy heart and that thou wilt grieve his holy Spirit and walk very offensively dishonour the way of Religion and open the mouths of the enemies as David I say God doth foresee that after he hath taken all this pains to bring thee unto himself what a little honour he shall have by thee and yet he doth perswade thee to come This also doth note his willingnesse to save thee Lastly consider that after the Lord our tender Father hath used all these means and many more to bring in sinners yet he is contented to waite a long time upon sinners and to take advantages to win them Isa 30.18 The Lord doth waite that he may be gracious unto you O how many years hath the Lord waited upon me and thee and other sinners How long hath he knocked and yet we let him stand at the doore O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be Isa 51.17 18. I smote him and he went on frowardly but I have seen his waies and will heal him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners Though he went on frowardly I will restore comfort to him Now put all this together and see how infinitely willing God is to save thee ô thou drowping sinner Quest If any should ask a reason why God is so importunate and desirous to draw up sinners to himself Answ 1. The ground of this love is in himself and I can give no reason of it but the same that he hath left upon record Exod. 33.19 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy 2. He doth this because mercy pleaseth him Micah 7.18 I will pardon because mercie pleaseth mee saith the Lord Now then that that doth please a man he is ever desirous after The scripture saith He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men but hee sheweth mercy willingly because he delighteth in it 3. The blood of Christ his onely sonne doth cry aloud in the ears of the Lord for mercy and that obedience of Christ wherewith the Lord is satisfied is so well pleasing to him that whatsoever this blood doth plead for God must needs grant Now the blood of Christ cryeth mercy mercy Lord for sinners the blood of Abel cryed vengeance vengeance but the blood of Christ speaketh better things and cryeth pardon pardon Nothing in the world can stop the current of Gods mercy to a people when it doth come to the blood of Christ Then saith the father of mercies open all the flood-gates now and let mercy be shewed in the highest degree seeing the blood of my sonne cryeth for this though this be wonderfull mercy to pardon such a great sinner there is not a drop onely but a Sea of mercy to cleanse thee throughly Come saith the Lord let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow Isa 1 18. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own name sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 43 25. Put me in remembrance saith the Lord put me in remembrance of this my promise and let us plead together saith the Lord Declare these words with thy mouth that I have put into thy heart that thou mayest be justified Isa 43.26 O thou troubled sinner for to thee I speak I mean thee to whom sin is a but then See how our tender father hath dealt with our brother prodigall Luke 15 28. He arose and came to his Father but when he was yet a great way of his Father saw him and had compassion on him and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him 1. Take notice his father sees him before he sees his Father No sooner doth a sinner think of looking toward heaven but the Lord spyes him and pities him 2. He saw him whiles he was a great way off he was but in the beginning of his way to come his father might have let him alone till he had been come quite home to his house and it had been singular mercy to have bid him welcome then but it is done whiles he is a great way off So thou art at a great distance from the mercy of God in thy apprehension that is thou canst not believe nor scarce hope in his mercy yet he will draw nigh to thee 3. The scripture saith his father had compassion on him I see the Lords bowels yearn work and stir within him at the sight of his son Jer. 3.20 Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Jer. 9.24 I delight in loving kindnes Mich. 7.18 He pardoneth because mercy pleaseth him 4. It is said that his father ran How rich abundant mercy had it been in his father though he had stood still till his son had come to him But what mercy is this he will go towards him and give him a meeting O mercy that his father ran not from him but what mercy call you this that he runs to him Why would it not have served if he would needs go meet him to have walked toward him with a soft and grave pace No no

a duty well becoming the Saints to endeavour as instruments in Gods hands to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith the Lord hath comforted them Come saith David I will tell thee what the Lord hath done for my soule Againe Oh thou drooping sinner listen a little unto the voyce of Christ and thou shalt heare him calling to thee and saying Come come unto mee all yee that bee weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Hee cals thee hee invites thee hee entreates thee hee beseecheth thee to come in and to bee reconciled unto the Lord thy God See and consider well that Scripture 2. Cor. 5 20. Now then wee are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christ stead bee you reconciled unto God you see hee is willing to have sinners reconciled to him and that hee doth manifest by many demonstrations or evidences First His patience towards thee all this while he is long suffering not willing that any should perish 2 Pet. 3 9. Rom. 2.4 The goodnesse of God or the patience of God doth or should lead thee to repentance Secondly Hee doth manifest his willingnesse in that hee hath made this the master-piece of all his works to provide a Saviour for us in sending his Son and making him a curse for us in this great worke the Lord doth proclaime to all the world Oh all you people of the world if I had not beene willing to bee reconciled to you or rather to have you reconciled to mee as I have for ever beene I would never have sent my dearest Sonne from the bosome of my love to die for you So that this is the greatest worke all my other workes are subordinate to this In this was the love of God manifested to us that he sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world that we should live through him 1 Joh. 4.9 Thirdly The Lord doth professe this to the people That there is no one thing wherein hee doth more glory than to shew mercy to poore sinners yea to his enemies Micah 7.18 Hee delighteh in mercy Exod. 34. The Lords glory passed by and what was that The Lord the Lord most mercifull and gratious long suffering c. Pardoning iniquity transgressions and sinne Here is my glory Hence it is exprest Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord waite that hee may bee gratious and therefore will hee bee exalted that hee may have mercy upon you So then the Lord doth accompt himselfe an exalted God when hee hath brought in a sinner to accept of mercy Fourthly The Lord doth expresse his willingnesse even with a sigh as it were which doth much denote his willingnesse Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare my Name and keepe my Commands and that for one good too for so the words follow that it might be well with them and with their children for ever Now these people had said before whatsoever the Lord hath spoken wee will doe Oh that there were such an heart in them saith the Lord. Fifthly The Lord doth expresse his willingnesse with an oath too and that the greatest that ever hee tooke That sinners shall not dye Ezek. 33.10 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live Turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will you die oh house of Israell c. Sixthly God doth manifest his willingnesse in this that above all other workes this worke of beleeving on him is most pleasing to him and our not beleeving is the greatest offence that wee can give to God Joh. 6.29 This is the worke of God that you beleeve on him whom he hath sent as if the Lord had said This doth please mee better than any other worke Let a poore soule come in and rowle himselfe upon the love of God in Christ for reconciliation This is a more glorious worke than the conquering of a whole world If you give all your goods to the poore and your bodies to be burnt all is nothing if this be wanting Joh. 3.19 This is condemnation that light is come unto the world and men love darknesse more then light In a word binde all your sinnes together in a bundle except this sin of unbeliefe and put them in a ballance together And put this sin of unbeliefe in the other ballance you shall finde that unbeliefe will weigh downe all the rest and from this unbeliefe as the roote springs all other evils as the branches Seventhly Consider further God doth seeke to sinners first Therefore it is said The Lord Christ came to seeke and to save them that were lost Isa 45.22 Looke unto me and be you saved all yee ends of the earth the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that is a thirst come and take of the waters of life freely Eightly Consider the Lord sends forth his grace to allure thee and to entice thee a sinner to come to him Hee doth with cords of love draw the heart to come Hee sends forth his mercy to stand before the soule and tender its service as it were to the sinfull soule Hosea 2.14 Therefore will I allure them saith the Lord. There was a great breach betweene this people and God as you may see at large in this chapter And yet saith the Lord I will allure them Hosea 11.4 I will draw them with the cords of men with the bands of love Ninthly The Lord is so yeelding unto his creatures th●t to keepe his owne honour and glory he cannot yeeld further At first wee are all going astray the Lord cals us backe 2. Wee were going to prison The Lord steps in saying I will provide a surety The Covenant of workes requires satisfaction saith the Lord I am contented to take this in a surety Wee are like a Beggar begging an almes of one that passeth by to whom it is answered I will give thee oh Beggar that which thou desirest but thou must come and fetch it I cannot come saith the Beggar I want legs I will give thee legs saith the giver that thou mayest come But saith the Beggar when I am come I have no hands to receive that which you will give me I will give thee hands also Oh! But I want wisedome to make use of that gift I will give thee wisedome saith the Lord. Oh that ever so glorious a God should so farre stoope and yeeld to his poore creatures as to answer all questions cleare all doubts and take away all scruples Tenthly He yet comes nearer to a sinner as it were and doth professe that the greatest sins that ever they have committed against him shall not hinder them from comming to him nor him from pardoning them Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. though your sins be as Scarlet they shal be as white as Snow Oh here the Lord

that will not serve the Lords turn if a sinner will but go towards the Lord mercy will not go a foot-pace but runs to meet him yea mercy draws him and puts him upon comming at first-step The sonnes pace is he arose and came he came walking towards his father this is the fathers pace he ran the sonne most needed to have run his belly was pinched with hunger yet hee onely walkes but his father runs bowels full of mercy out-pace bowels pinched with hunger 5. I see him falling upon his necke that is he hugg'd and embraced him How fall on his necke Who would not have beene loath to have touched him yea to come neare him Is he not in his loathsome stinking rags Smels he not of the Swine hee kept Could a man come neare him without stopping his Nose Would not a man bee ready to cast up his Stomach upon such an embracement Mercy is not nice and dainty will God thus embrace a Prodigall in his loathsome rags Oh sinner be encouraged to draw neare to God for the worst of all wickednesse and basenesse in the world cannot make him rejct thee Ezekiel 16.4 5 6. 6. But yet behold a greater wonder than all the rest I see him kissing his Sorne who could have brooked to have imbraced a person in so futhy a pickle Much lesse would any one kisse such a one what kisse those lips that had beene so lately lapping in the Hogs-Trough Those lips that had so often kiss'd those base and beggerly Harlots Kisse him A man would rather have thought he would have kick'd him and yet his Father kisseth him There is a passage somewhat like this Gen. 33.4 And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his Neck and kissed him A strang and wonderfull thing that hee that had threatned to kill him and came now upon that errand to kill him and all his That his heart should bee so strangely altered by God that killing should bee turned into kissing It was very strange that Esau should kisse Jacoh but it is more strange here that this Father should kisse this Prodigall Read and consider well these Scriptures Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the World Luke 2.10.11 Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy that shall bee to all people That is That unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son to this end that all that beleeve in him should not perish but have life everlasting John 3.17 God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Heb. 13.12 Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the Gate 1 John 2.1 2. If any man sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also the sinnes of the whole world Rev. 5.8 Thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God out of every kindred tongue and people Psalm 145.19 Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Zach. 13.1 The Lord hath opened a Fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse He every one that thirsteth come then Isaiah 55.1 Blessed are they that bunger and thirst for they shall be filled Math. 5.6 If any man thirst let him come unto mee and drinke John 7. ver 37 38. And hee that commeth to me I will in no wise cast off oh marke I will in no wise cast him off John 6.37 that is there is no corruption in thee nor all thy enemies without thee that shall so farre prevaile with mee as that I shall forsake thee Oh then come unto mee come unto mee all you that are heavy laden and I will undoubtedly give you rest 1. Consider Hee that hath made these promises is able to make them good 2. Hee is not onely able to doe it but hee is willing to doe it hee delights in it 3. Hee is not only able and willing but he is faithfull too in keeping promise In so much that not one title shall faile of all that he hath promised He never saith Seeke yee me in vaine 1. Take notice the Lord keepes open house Rev. 22.17 Let him that will come and take of the water of life freely 2. Because of our backwardnesse to come he invites Isa 55.1 He every one that thirsteth come 3. Hee answereth objections and taketh away all excuses in these words come without money and without price though thou hast not righteousnesse to commend thee to mee yet come without money and without price 4. He assures thee thou shalt be welcome John 6.37 Him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast off 5. Hee tels thee that if thou come thou shalt not loose thy labour He will give thee rest Mat. 11.28 Hee will give thee rest from thine owne righteousnesse that thou shalt see thy acceptance in the righteousnesse of another and so cease from thine owne Hee will give thee rest that is hee will still those troubles that arise in thine heart and take off those veiles from thine eyes and the bondage that lay upon thy heart and shew thee that he hath set the free from hell death law sinne past present and to come and so gives thee faith which is the evidence of things not seene which will evidence this to thy soule Thy soule no sooner apprehends this but presently it wil be ready to break forth in these words of Mary Luke 1.46 47 48. My Soule doth magnifie the Lord my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaid c. And now to draw to a conclusion for as I said in the beginning I have but a Word to the World 1 He gives free liberty to come 2. Hee invites thee 3. He will bid thee welcome 4. He will case thee of all thy troubles Object But thou wilt say Heare are indeed sweet rules and blessed promises amongst these things that you have layd downe But I have no abillity to walke in the one nor heart to embrace or beleeve the other and I finde it written Jer. 10.23 The way of man is not in himselfe It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Answ But consider hee requires nothing of thee but what he hath promised hee will inable thee to doe For instance Isa 1.16 He requires thee and saith wash thee and make thee cleane put away the evill of thy doings cease to doe evill Learne to doe well Here is his precept and thy duty Now turne from this precept to that promise Jer. 3● 8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against mee Now

Good Tydings for SINNERS Great Ioy for SAINTS OR A Word to the World and two to those that are chosen out of the WORLD Wherein is held forth First the sweet tenders of grace from the Father through the Son to all dejected Sinners he Invites them he Woes them he Intreats them nay he beseecheth them to accept of mercy IN The second part of this Book called Two words to those chosen out of the World is spoken to the Saints under their severall Forms taking notice first of the things commendable in them and in the second place reproving them for things amisse among them With a short Prophesie of the downfall of Presbyterie Independencie Anabaptismie Vaine Notions Free-Will With a brief description of a true Church-state against which the gates of Hell shall not prevaile it being founded upon a rock it will stand against all Waves and Storms that either Men or Devils can raise against it I will give you all one heart and one way Then the Lord shall be one and his name one Robert Purnell Printed at London for Giles Calvers and are to bee sold at the Black-spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1649. To the Reader COurteous Reader I shall in few words give thee a just accompt why I have written this little Book In these latter daies many books are published some good and wholesome but few to ends not carnal for with every man is imperfection more or lesse I must own it also Yet I faithfully professe that had my own credit or advantage been my inducement hereunto these thoughts had been buried in the wombe because I know I could reap no such fruit or if I did it were but vanitie He that gave me my being hath given me a command to learn of him not onely to love his people but also to love his enemies Matth. 5.44 God having kindled in me a love to you both Saints and Sinners I have here written a word to the one and two words to the other Rom. 1.14 I am debtor to the Greek and to the Barbarian both to the wise and to the unwise And to thee fellow sinner is the first word because I see many of those that undertake to teach thee shutting the door of the kingdom against thee and instead of the Gospel of Christ they preach to thee Moses at least Elias and that in the letter The things I lay before thee and commend unto thee are such and onely such as I my self have past through and found aboundance of comfort in And looking upon that place 2 Corinth 1.4 I finde it my duty to endeavour to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith I my selfe have been comforted of God Expect not heare a pleasing methode sugard words nor scholasticall expressions for that savours more of the wisdome of man than of God Though it be not scholastick yet if thou findest it authentick let it have acceptance with thee First read and then judge of what I have said and the Lord that hath power give thee understanding in all things In the first part of this ●o●k called A Word to the World is held forth in few words the sweet tenders of grace from the Father through the sonne to the poore dejected Sinners wherein God 〈…〉 woes and entreates them to be reconciled to himselfe He ●●swers all the Objections that lye in the way he useth very strong and powerfull arguments He not onely saith but swears he delights not in the death of a sinner Ezek. 33.11 In the second part of this Book called Two Words to those chosen out of the World I my self having had communion with the Sain●s in each of those forms more or lesse their principles and practises I have in some measure weighed examined and tryed with an unbyassed affection And I finde among all these except those in this book excepted many excellent sweet and sound truths both in Doctrine and Discipline Principle and Practise worthy not onely of commendation but also of our imitation But notwithstanding there are many things that savour more of the flesh than of the spirit among all these Assemblies which are rather of mans invention than of Gods institution as their knowing Christ and Saints after the flesh crying Lo here lo there is Christ and most in a sence building upon the Sand. Wherefore I have here Prophesied of their fall in which I mean not that they shall be without Church-order but they shall have Pastors and Teachers Elders and Deacons Helps and Governments But the ground of this communion shall be spirituall union and when this day is dawned and this day-star risen in our hearts Ephraim shall not envy Judah nor Judah vex Ephraim Presbyterians shall not so bitterly cry out against Independents nor Independents have such hard thoughts of the Presbyterians Yea they will be ashamed to own one another by these fleshly titles but look upon and love one another as Christians members of the same body heires of the same Promise children of the same father having all the same spirit all clothed with the same robe inclined to the same work ruled by the same Word and Spirit And so their love to each other shall arise from the Vnion in the Spirit And against this Church-State the gates of hell shall not prevaile A WORD TO THE VVORLD THat Sin had its first entrance into the World by Adam we all know What sin is in it own nature most of us doe know But that sin is clearly taken away by the second Adam Christ Jesus that very few doe know Poore sinner why dost thou lye groaning come along with me and hear Christ thy Lord speaking to thee Quest What is that that doth so trouble thee Answ Oh! my sins my sin Quest What is sin Answ The breach of a command or the transgression of a law Chr. Though thou hast broken this law yet consider that there is one to be found that hath kept it first in thy nature secondly for thee and imputes the keeping of it to thee as really as if thou hadst fulfilled it thy selfe Art thou a sinner Christ saith He came to call sinners and why not thee Sinner Oh but I am one of the greatest of sinners Chr. Yet consider what the Lord saith in these Scriptures Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World 3. Joh. 16. God so loved the World that he sent his onely begotten Son to take away the sins of the world 1 Tim. 1.15 He came into the world to sinners of whom I am chief Object Oh but though he came to save sinners it is a question whether he died for all sinners and therefore I question whether he came to call me or to take away my sins I see no ground why I should believe nay I cannot believe Faith is too high a thing for me to attain unto Answ But consider God is the alone worker of it Heb. 12.2 And when thou lookest upon Faith

and seest it too hard a thing for thee yet consider that nothing is too hard for God who hath undertaken to work it Ob. It I could see a promise wherein God had promised to work it that were something Quest What art thou A Jew or a Gentile Scythian or Barbarian Ans I am a Gentile a sinner Chr. Thou these are promises for thee see Matt. 12.21 Rom. 15.12 In him shall the Gentiles trust in him shall the Gentiles trust Sin But all Gentiles doe not neither shall they believe therefore if I could see my name written in Scripture and a promise made to me in reference to that name then there were hope indeed Chr. Thou art just like Thomas Joh. 20.25 Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe Well saith Christ thou shalt see the print of the nailes reach hither thine hand c. Wilt thou see thy name inscripture indeed Sin Yea with all my heart But I fear it is not there Chr. Why dost thou doubt all things are possible to him that believes wilt thou see thy name Then what is thy state How is it with thee Sin My state is miserable I am full of blindenes and ignorance and can understand nothing in a spirituall way Chr. Here is thy name then recorded Isa 50.10 Who so walketh in darknes and seeth no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon God Sin But I am dead almost my heart and my flesh do faile me Chr. Why canst thou read the beginning of the verse with David and not the latter end of it and God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 7● 26 Sin But I am weak faith another poore soule where is my name Chr. The weak shall be as David there is thy name Sin But saith another distressed soule I am quite dead where is my name Chr. Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light There is thy name Sin But I have not ears to hear Christ voice nor strength to arise if I could hear Chr. But Christ can give strength with his voice as to Lazarus come forth and he came forth Sin Here is comfort for these indeed But oh that you could shew me my name in scripture and God speaking to me by name Then I should believe and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Chr. Well What is thy name Sin Rebell That is my name for I have rebelled against the Lord ever since I was born I have lived in a continuall breach of every command Chr. Yet behold thy name Psal 68.18 Christ hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious that the Lord God might dwell among them Read thy name in every promise endeavour to see thy name enrolled in the book of Life where all the Devils in Hell and all the wicked men in the world can never blot it out Sin Oh! saith another poore distressed soule I have no minde nor heart to seek after God Where is my name Chr. Isa 65.1 I am found of them that sought me not There is thy name though thou wilt not seek for him yet he will seek and finde thee Sin But I cannot believe Where is my name saith another Chr. 2 Tim. 2 13. If we believe not yet he abideth faithfull he cannot deny himself Sin But I have called and cryed for mercy and that often yet God would not answer me Where is my name 2. Saith another others have prayed for me and the Lord gave them an answer he was not sent to save me Where is my name 3. A third poore soul steps in and saith I spake with the Lord as it were and he told me I was a Dog and that Dogs have nothing to doe with Childrens bread oh where is my name Chr. Will you see all your three names together Sin Oh that it might be so faith the troubled soule Chr. Then read and well consider that 15. Matt. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David But he answered her not a word There was the first step of his deniall Secondly His Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house Israel There is the second branch of his deniall Thirdly Then came shee and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said it is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs There is the third branch of his deniall And she said truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their Masters table Then Jesus answered and said unto her ô woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Oh the unsearchable love of a tender father to a prodigall Son To summe up all in a word Search diligently in what state thou standest examine well thy present condition what it is and when thou hast found out the true temper of thy soul that thou canst truly say thus and thus it is with me Then search the Scriptures for they were written for thy learning and thou shalt finde upon serious consideration that some one or other of the Saints gone before the hath been in the same condition and yet hath found mercy Then thou wilt break forth with Paul and say There is no tentation hath befaln me but such as is common to all men and the Lord will deliver mee 1 Cor. 10 13. c. Are thy sins so many that thou canst not look up so it was with that pretious saint David Psal 40.12 Psal 38.4 Deare friend who ever thou art that readest these words let me tell thee I speak by experience I have been in so sad a condition even as it were in despaire And when I have read or heard these words that such and such of the Lords own children were in the same condition my heart hath begun to revive and say well The Lord hath dealt no otherwise with me than he hath with such a Saint left upon record now I see I am not alone in this heavines I cannot now say Was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow Lam. 1.12 But I can now say with Ieremiah Lam. 3 32. Though he cause griefe yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies I remember that sweet place of Scripture 2 Cor. 1 3 4. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulations that saith he we may be able to comfort them that be in trouble by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God Here by the way wee may take notice that it is

proclaimes that all thy sinnes past shall bee done away Thy continuance in sinne will be thy undoing if any thing Eleventhly Againe Consider The Lord doth in his Word use very powerfull arguments to draw the heart to bee reconciled to him Hee doth not onely offer mercy and set it before the soule but he doth labour with strong reasons and arguments and motives to draw the soule to himselfe and doth use these arguments that will take the heart most Sometimes hee doth draw arguments from his equity Ezekiel 18. ●5 Are not my wayes equall saith the Lord. Sometimes from our nec●ssity Joh. 3.36 Hee that beleeveth not the wrath of God abideth on him Sometimes from the benefit and profit we shall have if we do come in Prov. 1.23 Turn yee at my reproof and behold I will powre out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you Oh blessed promise one would think this should break the heart of Devils as if the Lord had said well though thou hast been a great sinner and though thou hast rebelled against me ever since thou wast born yet if thou wilt but turn at my reproof or say to thy God Turn us and we shal be turned for I must doe it I will powre out my Spirit upon thee I will give grace and ●●ory a House a City a Kingdome Light Life and all things The Lord doth seem to out-bid all other comforts that we have in sin therefore he doth tell us of honey milk raiment such things as do most take with our hearts that so he might gain us to come in and be at one with him Now I shall appeal to your consciences that have felt this in some measure Doth not the Devill come with strong arguments The World with the like And wicked men with strong perswasions The corruptions within you with strong motives And yet doth not the Lord out-bid them all and so win the Soule to himself Twelfth Consider further The Lord comes and answers all objections that lye in the hearts of sinners Ob. 1. Saith one I am unworthy I have nothing in me that good is Ans The Lord saith Isa 55. Come and buy milk and wine without money and without price three times it is spoken in one or two verses So that God doth set forth his kingdome by milke wine and bread things usefull for the body sometimes by a marriage sometimes by a supper wherein are all kindes of dainties sometime he doth invite them to the supper and to the marriage of his Sonne and sometimes doth compell them to come in Then the Devil working with our corrupt nature doth what he can to make the Soule slight the Gospel and to look upon the blood of the Covenant as a mean thing When the soul doth begin indeed to apprehend the greatnes and sweetnes of the Gospel of glad tidings then steps in Sathan What such a one as thou have such mercy Fellow sinners mark the policy of the subtle Devil he doth at first labor to set at naught the Gospel accounting it as a mean thing But when the Lord doth shine through that mist and shew the soul the excellency of his son and the glory of the Gospel Then comes the devil the other way saying with thee these be great things indeed But thou art vile and base both in thy principles practice and canst thou think that God ever intended these things to thee What to such a one as thou art Then the Lord answereth for thee Come without money and without price as if he had said though thou hast no ability to doe any thing yet come I will make thee rich enough thou hast no money that is no self righteousnes let not that hinder Revel 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that bears come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Ob. It may be saith the Soule though the Lord doth require nothing before hand yet when I am come he will require hard things of me I must live so strictly and abandon all my pleasures what shall I leave all those pleasant wayes and have nothing but according to the word and according to conscience Then farewell all the comfort and joy of all our life if we come to this once Ans I appeale to you whether your hearts have not been kept of by such things as these But now ó fellow sinners mark how Christ doth take off these objections Matth. 11. Come unto me and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and mark what follows my yoke is easie and my burthen light As if Christ should say I will lay no yoak upon you but what is easie nor any burthen but what is light And this I affirme though this may seem to be hard to you at first you will finde the wayes of God more easie than ever you found the wayes of sin Do but ask them that have any experience of the love of God to them and they will tell thee that they have found more sweetnesse in one day in following of God than they found in the wayes of sin many years Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peaceable paths Now if you will believe the spirit of God you see there is more peace more joy more sweetnesse more comfort than ever you had before 13. Again consider The Lord doth not onely use strong arguments and answer all objections But he is importunate too as first He doth cry out after sinners Prov. 1. Wisdome cryeth in the streets and so Prov. 9. and Isa 55. He doth make Proclamation Ho every one that thirsteth come He doth importune and bid come over and over again and again Come come come three times together So that God doth seek more earnestly to sinners than they doe to him It may be thou wilt seek to God once for a mercy thou wantest and give over But behold God cals to thee again and again come come come 14. If all this will not prevaile with sinners to come in yet the Lord leaves them not but appeals to the very Consciences of sinners deals with them that way If you were in great distresse concerning your estate or life and you go to a man that hath both wisdom and power to help you and open the case to him but cannot prevaile then you bring strong arguments and they do not move then you take away all objections but yet prevaile not then you importune him and urge your arguments againe and again and all this doth not prevaile then you appeale to his own conscience whether you have not spoken right to him saying I will even leave this to your own conscience to judge of it and this many times doth prevaile when no●hing else will even thus of all the world doth God deal with sinners and appeals to their own consciences Isa 43.26 Put me in