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
A93368	Soule-reviving influences of the sun of righteousnesse, or Some bright beames of light and love, sparkling from Christ upon the darke and drooping hearts of sin-weakend and clouded believers, even while we are in this solitary wildernesse, not yet arrived at the land of spirituall Canaan; but taking a turne in the darke and dampe valley of the shadow of death. With several evangelicall and heart-winning incouragements to the life of faith in the Sonne of God, notwithstanding our manifold weaknesses and hainous provocations; yea to the keeping up of the same comfort, hope confidence, and joy in him in the sadest straights, of the sorest darknesse.	Smith, John, of Badgworth.	1654 (1654)	Wing S4091A; Thomason E1485_1; ESTC R208761	97,631	237

manifests himselfe to others of our Brethren and fellow Members he rises in their Hemispheare And what though thy sinnes have eclipsed the love of thy God unto thy soule The Lord onely bids thee to acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord c. What a poore recompence is this Turne oh backsliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you c. Poore soule the love of God remaines still as sure and as great as ever and in his due time shall shine forth againe upon thy soul the thick clouds will blow over and the soule reviving light of his love will arise upon thee He will take away all iniquity and receive us graciously I thought I had true faith but since I fell into an hainous transgression I am perswaded that if I had beene the Lords he would not have left me to sin as I did This is a deplorable case indeed and the fruit of unbelief and of the want of watchfulnesse yet consider the Lord hath suffered such or as great if not greater spots to overtake his own dear children David sinned in adultery and murder Solomon sinned greatly after hee had obtained mercy and Peter denyeth Christ with an oath these examples are recorded to hold forth the glory of the riches of Gods free grace that men may be acquainted with the mirrour of his grace long sufferance and forbearance that so great sinners might not despaire and faint under their sinnes 2. To despair of the mercy of God because our sins are great were to limit God in his mercy which is to add sin unto sin and a greater sin then the former The Lord Jesus takes much pains and le ts out merciful power for the raising of sin-weakened souls and for the gathering of wandring Lambs Poor soul know this that the greatest sin a believer can commit ought not to make him mourn without hope for no sin can put him in the state of condemnation or bring him under the curse While we live here below God healeth not our sinfull nature wholly nor takes it quite away the flesh lusteth God ever looks upon his as they are in Christ and not simply as they are in themselves saith Paul I my selfe keepe the Law of God but with my flesh the Law of sin flesh and sin do the evil Consider Nehem. 9. 16 17. The Spirit also tells us in another place that he knowes our frame and remembers that we are but dust God hath in much wisdome and love left sinne in his to humble them and to exercise the fruits of the Spirit in them and that we might long to be where we shall not sinne also that we might the more dearly love Christ in that it is pardoned and depend upon him to subdue it and that we might not scorne nor insult over any poore sin● weakned ones but restore them with the spirit of meeknesse and that we may admire the more that rich grace of the Lord Jesus whereby notwithstanding all our provocations we have accesse unto the Father by him The Lords people are indeed taught by his spirit not to sinne that grace may abound but to love and to love with the more vehemency of affection the God of their incomprehensible mercy and to use all means against sinne and not to be over-pressed and sunk in despaire under it They also know that they are the more happy in that they were sinners else how could they be capable of union with God of mercy and heaven If there were not evil it would not be known what is good Justice and mercy had not beene known the wisdom of God could not have been known in drawing good out of evil or his love in sending the dearly beloved out of his bosom to die for us man had not come unto that happness in Christ which the Saints have and shal enjoy 3. God is never an enemy to his though they greatly sinne against him Wee are not beloved for our owne sakes nor for any thing in our selves but in Christ Who hath made us acceptable in the beloved Therefore nothing wee doe can cause God to love us more or lesse his love is as himselfe ever the same therfore a belivers hope joy and confidence is to bee ever the same in Christ Hence it is that such are alwayes to reioyce Reioyce alwayes Reioyce evermore Againe I say rejoyce Let them exceedingly rejoyce The joy of the Lord is our strength Oh there is enough in the Lord to satisfie● thee at all times he is an unchangeable object of true joy in him is all our hope and happinesse therefore let not thy fall cause thee to question the love of God unto thee thy salvation depends not upon thy repentance and holinesse See Rom. 9. 15 16. Isa 43 24 25. Ezek. 16. from 1. to ver 9. See also and mind what the Apostle saith in this case My little children these things write I unto you that you sinne not And if any man sinne we have an advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins c. These things are written unto us indeed that we sinne not But as for such as turne the grace of God into wantonnesse whom the mercies of God encourage in their sinful practise these are led by the spirit of the divell he is their father and his works they doe these are not at present in any wise to be numbred with those who through temptations and weaknesse are overtaken with the sin they hate if fallen be not out of hope If the Lords children have fallen into sinne they are to rise by faith Shal a man fall and not arise Who is a God like unto thee that pardonest the transgression of the remnant of thy people God subdues the corruption that is in his not all at once but by degrees and thereupon saith I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and iniquities I wil remember no more God hath nothing in charge against those who are in Christ and therefore commands us to goe boldly to the throne of grace in full assurance of faith If I were fitted with Qualifications as humblenesse brokennesse of heart c. and tooke delight in hearing and praying as others I could then entertaine hope that God hath thoughts of love and mercy towards me but it is not so with me Such an objection in some may be the product of the sweet operation of the Spirit of grace which hath shewed them some amiable and desirable thing in the precious promises and wayes of God so as they pan● after them But more usually this is a whining because the worke of preparation is more sensible then the worke of

past finding out and wonders without number Fear not the Lord will do great things Worlds of sinne are in the vast Ocean of Gods love swallowed up as nothing But saith the poore soul my sins are many So were Israels and Judahs yet God notwithstanding pardons them all But mine are great and hainous So were Israels and Judahs and Manasses and so were the woman 's mentioned in Luke so were Pauls yet God pardoned them all as he hath also many others if thou art a wonderful sinner Christ is a wonderful Saviour But mine are after the receiving of many mercies So were Solomons his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice But I have sinned against Gods entreaties to returne So did Israel and Judah aforementioned I said after shee had done all th●se things saith the Lord turne thou unto me but shee returned not But I have sinned against the reproofs of the Lord. This was their transgression still Thou hast a whores forehead thou wouldst not be ashamed when I saw how that by all occasions rebellious Israel had played the Harlot I cast her away and gave her a bill of divorcement yet her rebellious sister Judah was not afraid but shee went also and played the Harlot But I have sinned not only against the mercies of the Lord but against his fatherly corrections and chastisements So did they In vain have I smitten your children They have received no correction Thy bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away For his wicked covetousnesse I am angry with him and have smitten him I hid me and was angry yet he went on frowardly in the way of his owne heart yet for all this the Lord saith I have seene his waies and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and his mourners But I have committed one sin often So did they Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers But I have continued a long time in sin So did they We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord from our youth unto this day But my sins are against knowledge and conscience So did David concerning Bathsheba and in putting Vriah to death and so did Peter sin when he said and sware That he knew not the man and that he was not with him But I am fallen back from what I have beene So were they Return thou backsliding Israel But I have willingly and resolvedly forsaken God So did they Oh generation take heed to the word of the Lord. Have I beene as a wildernesse unto Israel or a land of darknesse Wherefore saith my people wee are Lords we wil come no more unto thee But I have willingly chosen sin So did they saying Wee have loved strangers and after them will wee goe But I have seduced others and caused them to sinne So had they Thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy wayes And King Manasseh seduced the people to doe more evill then did the Nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel and made Judah also to sinne with his Idols Yet Manasseh obtained mercy when Amon his sonne a lesser sinner perished in his sinnes That men may know that the Lord will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy and whom he will hee hardeneth But I have sinned as much as I could So had they Behold thou hast spoken and done as evill things as thou couldst But my sinnes are committed notwithstanding many vowes and Covenants against them So were theirs Thou saidst I will no more transgresse but like an harlot thou runnest about upon every high hill and under every greene tree thou wanderest playing the Harlot But I have justified my self in all my sins So had they yet thou saist because I am innocent surely his wrath shall turne from mee Behold I will enter into Judgement with thee because thou saist I have not sinned But I despaire having no hope of mercy This is worst of all yet so did they Thou saidst there is no hope c. And saith Jeremiah in his Lamentations when I cry he shutteth out my prayers And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord and Job saith My Hope hath he removed like a tree Abraham believed in hope against hope Ye were sometimes without hope and without God in the world saith Paul to the Church of Christ in Ephesus these had been in thy condition and yet found mercy be therefore of good cheare saith David concerning his and thy God I was of his low and hee helped me The riches brought grace is unsearchable All that know his name will trust in him c. 2. Consider that it is thy selfe-deceit which dictates unto thee that thou mightest pleade for mercy if thy sinnes were fewer and smaller or thy selfe better the sicker thou art the more standst thou in need of such a Physician as Christ is oh make the more hast unto him he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He will save none but the ungodly and these without works or any of their previous Qualifications 3. Consider that God makes his grace to superabound where sinne did but abound And if thou art a greater sinner then David then art thou dearer to Christ then him for he paid more for thee then for him As Jacob loved Rachel more then Leah because he suffered and endured most for her And as the Prodigals father rejoyced most in his lost and dead sonne though he had spent his owne and his fathers substance with Harlots Even so thou who art the greatest sinner didst cost Christ most and art certainly become dearest unto him we have an eminent example of this in the Prophesie of Jeremiah Is Ephraim my deare sonne he is a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels earne towards him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. 4 Consider that for a regenerate person upon commission of sin immediately and directly to have an eye to the covenant of grace and to believe the pardon of his sinns is the way to get such assurance as brings true and solid comfort such a course was taken to heale men stung of the fiery scorpion they were to looke upon the brazen serpent if once twice yea seaven times a day so often as they were stung so often looking were healed This the Apostle Paul exhorted the Hebrewes to in the like case they had backsliden and come near to the sin against the holy Spirit and the roote of

himselfe freely in Christ to be the God of a poore sinner Christ undertaking all both with the Father and the soule It is not the way of a Covenant that the Gospel uses but rather the promise or grace or Salvation and the Doctrine of it in Hebr. 8. 10. Jer. 31. 31. Ezek. 36. 26 27. It is cleared to be onely promise grace and free love to a sinner for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation wee should darken the glory of free grace and make it a promise neither wholly of grace nor wholly of workes if it be of grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners barely simply and singly nor as qualified or conditioned for so life should bee purchased by us rather then for us so as we are onely sinners in our own and others Judgments but truly loved in Christ when the promise comes And thus the Scripture calls us ungodly and sinners and children of wrath not that we are so but seem so or not so in Gods account but the worlds The Spirit saith though they be black yet they are comely they are so in the esteeme of him who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity being clothed with the robes of Christs purity and holinesse though in themselves in the glasse of the Law reason and sense they appeare black yet in Christ through the glasse of the Gospel they are beautifull and comely to the eye of faith The new Covenant no Covenant properly with us but with Christ for us God makes no covenant properly under the Gospel as he did at first but his covenant now is rather all of it a promise man is not restored in such a way of covenant and condition as he was lost but more freely and more by grace and mercy and yet God covenants too but it is not with man only but with him that was God and man even Jesus Christ he is both the covenant and the messenger or mediatour of the covenant God agreed to save man but this agreement was with Christ and all the conditions were on his part He stood for us and articled with God for us and performed the conditions for life and glory and yet because we are so concerned in it it is called a covenant made with us I wil make a new covenant with them and yet that it may not be thought a covenant only with us as the first was it is called a new covenant and a better covenant and Christ is called the mediatour of it and lest we should think some conditions were on our parts as in the first it is added I wil writ● my Law in their hearts I wil put my spirit within them so as in this new covenant God is our God of free grace and righteousnesse on his part not for any conditional righteousnesse on ours yet in Scripture it is called stil a covenant because God is our God stil a way of righteousness though of redemption too and of condition too yet not on ours but on Christs part for us and yet it is a covenant with us because we are Christs This Covenant is a full and compleat Covenant richly and plentifully stored with all suitable promises both for this life and that which is to come yea a poore Creature cannot be reduced unto that condition but there is something in the covenant which suits with that condition and tends to answer relieve and redresse him be it for soule body or both yea it is copiously stored with all seasonable and suitable promises like that River of God which is said to be full of water there is in God and in this covenant riches of sinne-pardoning mercy and renewing grace and riches of love and grace to cover mens nakednesse and riches of glory to satisfie their soules for ever yea a poor creature whether a Saint or a sinner cannot possibly want the good thing but it is in Christ and in the covenant and it is promised in the covenant for the Lords promises are altogether as large as his commands and larger then his threatnings It is a well ordered Covenant and that in three respects 1. In respect of the promises and parts of the covenant as first God becomes our God and then makes us his people and afterwards washes and sanctifies us from our sins 2. In respect of manifestation God first reveales it by his outward Ministry then afterwards reveales seals assure it unto mens souls by his Spirit 3. In respect of the ends of it and these are God the fathers and the Sons glory and that he might display the banners of his soul-ravishing and heart-melting goodness in the sight of his poore children This Covenant though in respect of men it be altogether free was founded upon Christ and his merits yea doubtlesse faith and all the mercies and promises of the covenant were really purchased by him and the covenant it selfe is built upon the rock of ages Christ Jesus This covenant is a sure covenant and therupon the mercies therof came to be called the sure mercies of David as sure as a rock being founded upon Christ himself Hear what the merciful and immutable God saith concerning it yea unto such as had broken his statutes and commandments My Covenant I wil not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips when God once comes into covenant with a soule he wil not nor cannot break it with them the Mountaines shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee nor shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee And he speaks further by the Prophet Jeremiah If you can breake my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the Night that there shall not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken c. As this covenant was not made with us so it cannot bee broken by us and as it was not made for our good workes so it cannot be disanulled by our sinnes it is not founded upon so rotten and sandy a foundation as selfe and performances are what cause therefore have wee to breake out into joy and admiration of those heights and depths of the love and wisdome of God who hath neither made the covenant with us nor left it in our keeping but founded it upon his owne immutable word and promise which he hath also confirmed by an oath As the new Covenant of grace is free unconditionall on mans part as it is meerely a promise a full and compleat covenant a well ordered covenant founded upon the merit of Christ and a sure covenant so also it is an everlasting covenant consider that he who made this covenant is none other then the everlasting

rids the soule of all its distempers doubts feares and discouragements we may not separate the Spirit from faith nor faith from the Spirit nor Christ from both 5. By faith in Christ thou shalt be kept in perfect peace it will sweetly and transcendently refresh the soule thou shalt keep him in perfect peace because he trusts in thee Being justified by faith we have peace with God by faith we apprehend Christ our Justification the fruit of which is joy and peace 6. By unbelief we adde sinne unto sinne in the highest nature if we believe not what God saith we accuse God of speaking falsely he that believeth not hath made God a lyer It is impossible for God to lye the strength of Israel cannot lye nor can it be any dishonour to God or danger to thy selfe to hope in his mercy and believe in him The eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy 7. As bad as thou canst be have been received unto mercy Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation When thou layest in thy blood it was a time of love He justifies the ungodly While we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us have hope therefore feare not but believe the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time and in the night his song shall be with thee hope thou in God 8. Unbeliefe streightens thy heart stops thy mouth and hinders thy thankfulnesse and praysing of God thou shalt be dumb because thou believest not 9. Unlesse we believe we can never glorifie God Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God 10. Our naked cleaving to God in his free promise shall carry down all our distempers at once and drowne them in it as in a Sea the promises will answer all thy doubts and feares whatsoever and fill our soules with peace in believing 11. By our unbeliefe wee oppose riches of grace and love yea that love that could love enmity it selfe and reconcile those unto God that are enmity against him There is but looking up to Christ Jesus and salvation is in thy soule and believing with thy heart and thou art saved thou wert saved by Christ before but now in thy selfe Jesus Christ and forgivenesse of sins in his name and redemption through his blood is the first and only thing held forth in the Gospel to sinners the other mysterie of Righteousnesse is revealed to believers forgivenesse of sins is first taught that they may believe and the other glorious mysteries are taught that they may know what they believe they are first to see Gods love and afterwards his glory Jesus Christ crucified is the best story for sinners and Jesus Christ exalted for Saints and therefore it is that in all the Apostles Sermons the story of blood and redemtion was first preached and when they did believe that then they wrote Epistles and Revelations of greater things unto them so as they spake of Christ only to make them beleeve and wrote to them of him when they did beleeve Salvation is not made any puzzling work in the Gospel it is plainly easily and simply revealed Jesus Christ was crucified for sinners this is salvation and this work of salvation is past and finished sins are blotted out sinners are justified by him that rose for their justification now that which we must do to be saved is to believe in the Lord Jesus Jesus Christ and the promise is annexed thou shalt be saved All that is to be done in the work of salvation is to believe that there is such a worke and that Christ dyed for thee among all those other sinners he dyed for This is the commandment that ye believe on his Son Jesus Christ that is that ye be perswaded of such a thing that Christ was crucified for sins and for your sins and we are called on to believe because they only that can believe are justified by him all that believe are justified so that salvation is not a business of our working and doing it was done by Christ with the Father Sin Satan and hel were all triumphed over by Christ himself openly for us and all our worke is no worke of salvation but in salvation in the salvation we have by Christ We receive all not doing any thing that we may receive more but doing because we receive so much and because we are saved therefore we work not that we may be saved and yet we are to worke as much as if we were to be saved by what we doe because so much is done already for us and to our hands as if we were to receive it for what we did our selves this is short work believe and be saved and yet this is the only gospel work and way Christ tels ye in few words and his Apostles in as few As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believes on him should have eternal life Saith Saint Paul say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall descend into into the deepe that is to bring Christ from the dead but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart the word of faith which we preach if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved The work is already done but then thou shalt see that it is done There are five grounds why salvation is so soone done 1. Because it was done before by Christ but not believed on before by thee til now 2. Because it is the Gospel way of dispensation to assure and passe over salvation in Christ to any that will believe it 3. There needs no more on our sides to work or warrant salvation to us but to be perswaded that Christ Jesus died for us because Christ hath suffered and God is satisfied now suffering and satisfaction is that great worke of salvation 4. Because they and they only are justified who can believe Righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith all that believe are justified 5. That it may be by grace and not of works being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus How God begets faith in an unbeliever We are commanded to believe and faith is the gift of God and the Spirit of Christ without which we can do nothing enlightens our understandings and worketh faith in us and hereupon our believing is said to be the work of God and the Spirit having set up a divine light in our understandings we being before altogether darknesse bowes our hearts to believe and indeede without