Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	favour_n	good_a	presuppose_v	40	3	15.9076	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21041	Tvvo treatises. The one, a most fruitfull exposition vpon Philemon: the other, the schoole of affliction. Both penned, by the late faithfull minister of Gods Word, Daniel Dyke, Bachelor in Diuinitie: published since his death by his brother, I.D. minister of Gods Word	Dyke, Daniel, d. 1614.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.	1618 (1618)	STC 7410; ESTC S100162	203,709	388

And this is that fauour which so often in the Psalmes is called the light of Gods countenance The consideration of these distinct not kinds but degrees of Gods fauour is very necessary For hereby wee shall see how the death of Christ is both the cause and the effect of the fauour of God A cause of this latter fauour an effect of the former hereby also we see how both the fauour of God is merited by Christ for vs and yet free because it was of the free fauour of God to vouchsafe vnto vs the merits of Christ for the procuring of his fauour Now in this place both these fauours are meant So that the full meaning of the Apostle saying Grace be vnto you from God is this The Lord grant vnto you his fauour both that fauour whereby you may be made capable of his fauour in being iustified through Christ as also that sweet acceptation of you being thus fitted for his fauour What need the Apostle wish vnto them the first Obiect fauour since that was granted vnto them from euerlasting as also some fruits thereof namely their Election in Christ and in time the other fruits thereof their ingrafting into Christ Iustification and Adoption Though God had vouchsafed them this fauour Ans before all Worlds and they by it were made fit to be entertained into his speciall fauour yet PAVL might pray that God would continue it still towards them For as it was the cause of those good things which makes vs acceptable to God so likewise is it the cause of the continuance of them namely of Christ and all his Blessings and so consequently of our Acceptation for we are readie to forfeit Christ and his Righteousnesse dayly and so to lose all that Grace which by his meanes we haue with God Therefore it is needfull that still wee should require that first degree of Gods fauour to hold out and be continued towards vs for the continuation of all other mercies whatsoeuer which depend vpon it And in truth this second fauour being an effect of the former hee that desireth the latter must needs withall desire the former But as I take it both here and elsewhere the word Grace especially is to be vnderstood of the latter degree of Gods fauour which is the most proper signification of the Word as when wee say Hee is in great grace with the King And that which the Apostle addeth from IESVS CHRIST declareth the same who is the effecter of this second fauour but an effect of the former But yet the other Grace is alwayes necessarily to be included First then the Apostle prayeth for these to whom hee writeth that God would lift vp the light of his countenance vpon them and secondly for that purpose because the pure eyes of God cannot behold iniquitie such as they were in themselues that he would of his free fauour worke and continue that in them which might draw his sweet eye towards them and cause him to cast a gracious and amiable aspect vpon them First from hence let vs obserue the chiefest and Doct. 1 principallest cause of Gods fauour to vs namely The cause of Gods fauour his owne free will and gracious disposition to fauour vs. For though indeed Christs obedience doe merit the fauour of God for vs yet there was nothing in vs to merit at Gods hand that so precious a Treasure but it is a free gift of Gods grace as the Apostle notably sheweth Rom. 8. Who hauing giuen vs his owne Sonne the word signifieth to giue gratis and freely So then Gods grace being the cause of Christ his being giuen it is also the cause of that acceptance which wee find with him through Christ for that which is the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused And therefore Grace is the cause of Grace that is to say Gods owne gracious inclination of his Will towards vs to doe good to vs is the cause of that so great grace which we find in his eyes And herein differeth Gods fauour from mans Mans fauour though it make him doe good to the partie fauoured yet first of all it presupposeth some good in the man fauoured an attractiue and drawer of this his fauour Now Gods fauour as it is the cause of all other mercies wee dayly receiue so is it also the cause of it selfe as wee shewed and therefore it doth not presuppose any good thing in vs before but bringeth with it that good thing namely CHRIST IESVS which must vphold and maintaine this his fauour The vse of this Doctrine is to humble vs in our selues as hauing not the least sparke of goodnesse in our selues and to make vs ascribe all prayse and glorie in euerie thing to God whose Grace is the fountaine and foundation of all good things whatsoeuer Let no man then talke of Christs merites and therefore in this regard clayme the fauour of God and life eternall as his due From whence is it that we haue Christs merits imputed vnto vs and the imputation of them daily continued but of the free mercie of God And so for all this the Apostle Rom. 3. sayes Wee are iustified freely by his Grace Though wee are clothed with Bracelets Iewels and Ornaments where withall Gods holy Eye is affected Ezech. 16. yet haue we no cause to be proud for it was God that put vpon vs these Robes when wee were in our ragges and filthie nastinesse and so he doth but loue his owne beautie in vs. Secondly in the example of PAVL in all his Salutations Doct. 2 wishing first of all Grace that is the fauour The grace and fauour of God to be desired aboue all things of God we learne what it is that we should chiefely and principally desire eyther for our selues or others our children wiues kindred fathers and mothers acquaintance c. viz. this Grace of S. PAVL Psal 4. 6. Many say Who will shew vs any good Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance And ABRAHAMS wish for ISMAEL was Oh that ISMAEL might liue in thy sight ABRAHAM had goods ynough to leaue ISMAEL but that contented him not hee desired better things for him That he might be ioint-heire of the gracious Promise together with ISAAC The reason why we should thus desire this Blessing is specially in these two regards First Gods fauour is the ground of all other Mercies whatsoeuer It is the maine and Mother-Blessing 2. Reasons the very Seed of all other Mercies whatsoeuer so that in desiring it we desire all other and getting it we get other This is the reason men seek as SALOMON speakes after the face of the Ruler to get into fauour with him because his fauour is as the latter Raine and promiseth a fruitfull Haruest of many benefits Hereupon it is that those who are in fauour with Princes presume so farre and make themselues sure of any thing As HAMAN being asked by the King What should bee done to the man

as the fish drinketh in water neuer saying so much as What haue I done Assuredly they are out of the fauour of God An humbled heart for sinne is the first step to the fauour of God Secondly thou must shrowd thy selfe vnder Christs wings Clothe thy selfe with his righteousnesse and the precious Robes thereof that so thou mayest appeare amiable and louely in the eyes of the Lord for in Christ only is the Father well pleased and so if thou wouldest haue him well pleased with thee thou must become a member of him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh This thou doest when by Faith thou layest hold vpon Christs righteousnesse and gripest the promises of the Gospell And this act of Faith sheweth it selfe most of all in earnest Prayer and Deprecation when thou cryest with strong cryes Forgiue me my trespasses According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my offences These be the wrestlings of IACOB who would not let the Lord goe till he had blessed him If thou wouldest find grace thou must come and in this manner knocke at the gate of Grace and it shall be opened vnto thee How can wee looke to haue grace with God when he offring vs his Sonne as a meanes thereof wee will not reach forth the hand of our Faith to take him Thirdly by Faith hauing clad thy selfe with the Robes of Christs imputed righteousnesse thou must be clothed vpon with the garment of thy own righteousnesse and obedience which howsoeuer being in it selfe a menstruous cloth as it comes from vs yet being of the Spirits owne weauing in that regard is acceptable to God and causeth him to take a further delight in vs. Pro. 3. 3. Let not Mercy and Truth depart from thee so shalt thou haue fauour with God and man Pro. 11. 20. They that are vpright in their way are his delight If then we would be Gods Fauoured and Beloued we must put on that party-coloured Coate of the Apostle Col. 3. 12. consisting of many parts Of Humblenesse Mercy Kindnesse and long Suffering c. then shall that be verified Psal 45. 11. The King shall delight in thy beautie and that Cant. 4. 9. My faire One thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes and with a chaine about thy neck Looke how the Spouse that being beautifull of her selfe is withall set forth and decked with precious ornaments is gracious in the eyes of her Louer so shalt thou be in Gods when thou appearest before him in the beautifull face and pleasant rayment of a new creature in Christ Iesus for then thou art made partaker of the diuine Nature And God in thee seeing himselfe an Image of his owne Holinesse and Righteousnesse thou being with DAVID a man after his owne heart how can hee but take great pleasure in thee if so bee hee take pleasure in himselfe Thou then who hast not this pleasant rayment of the new man but the torne rags of the old man thou that lyest wallowing in the mire of sinne a forlorne nasty creature thou that still retaynest the old Ethiopian hide and Black-mores skin these foule Leopard spots how thinkest thou that the pure and cleere eyes of the Lord can abide the sight of so filthy and deformed an obiect Hee that can performe these three duties may assure himselfe of Gods fauour Thus much for the first thing desired namely Grace The second followeth and Peace I doe willingly assent to those who by Peace doe vnderstand all prosperitie and felicitie both earthly and heauenly in this life and that to come In the ordinary salutation among the Iewes wherein they wished peace to the saluted Luk. 10. I thinke only outward prosperitie was meant by peace But as the Apostles augmented the ordinary forme of salutation by adding Grace to Peace because they preached in the Gospell the free Grace of God for our saluation so by the same reason may it well be thought that they inlarged the signification of this word Peace euen to inward peace as well as to outward specially their Gospell being the Gospell and glad tydings of that Peace Extending therefore the signification Foure things comprehended vnder Peace of this word in this Apostolicall salutation further then it was taken in the common greetings of the Iewes it may comprehend all these things within his circuit First the inward peace of Conscience with God which springeth out of the grace and fauour of God Rom 51. A mans conscience will neuer be at quiet within him till it feele this grace There will bee nothing there but the vncomfortable darknesse of terrors and astonishments till the light of Gods countenance arise and shine vpon it Secondly The peace of Charitie among our selues of which the Apostle Be at peace among your selues Let the peace of God rule in your hearts This also is an effect of Gods grace which as it maketh a man at peace with himselfe and God so with his Brethren The loue of God shed into our hearts will make vs loue our Brethren also There can be no true loue then among those that are not in fauour with God but they liue together like Wolues Beares But when our God hath vouchsafed vs his grace he changes our Woluish and Tygrish natures accomplishing that which is prophesied Esai 11. Thirdly The peace of Amitie and a holy kind of League with all Gods creatures Iob 5. The stones of the field shall be at peace with thee This also is an effect of grace for when we haue his fauour who is the Lord wee haue the good will also of his seruants the creatures Rom. 8. If hee bee with vs who can be against vs for all things are at his command who is the Lord of Hosts Nay who shall not be for vs On the contrarie Oh the miseries of the man in disgrace with God! all the creatures are at enmitie and at variance with vs being out of Gods fauour The senselesse creatures themselues in their kind rise vp against vs to fight the Lords battails against vs as the heauens did fight against SISERA Iudg. 5. Fourthly Outward Prosperitie and good successe in our wayes so it is commonly taken in all their salutations as 1. Chron. 12. 18. Peace be vnto thee O sonne of ISHAI And 2. King 9. Is it peace the salutation of IEHORAM to IEHV Hence it is euen from this manner of saluting all kind and good dealing is set out in the Scripture by this phrase of speaking peace as Psal 85. God sayes I will speake peace to my people Now the reason why outward prosperitie is signified by this name of peace is first because to the godly they are Pawnes and Pledges of that sweet Peace they haue with God Secondly they are notable Maintayners of the peace and quietnesse of our affections for in the want of outward things how are we disquieted and vnsettled But Peace in this fourth signification is so taken for outward prosperitie that which all this

wonderfully am I made namely a new creature in Iesus Christ This must teach vs not to despise the weake ones as no Christians for they are Christians in making though not as yet throughly made The Infant is no lesse a man then he of growne yeeres and withall let vs remember that wee had our time of Conception before we were borne and brought forth Tenthly In PAVLS example setting forth him Doct. 10 whom hee commendeth with the title of a Sonne one conuerted by his Ministerie learne that wee are not indifferently to commend all and euery one but onely Sonnes not Bastards Eleuenthly And when wee doe commend such Doct. 11 as are worthie our commendations learne then in PAVLS example how wee are to commend them not coldly not ceremonially and formally he that asketh faintly and fearefully teacheth to denie but passionately and with affection as here PAVL repeating the same words of entreatie againe I beseech thee I beseech thee for my sonne ONESIMVS So then onely commend the worthie and commend them worthily or not at all Twelfthly If PAVL with such contention and Doct. 12 earnestnesse doth here plead the cause of one poore seruant with what heat of affections and enlargement of Spirit is to be thought he would haue dealt for a whole Church standing in like need of his helpe Wherefore if at any time we shall haue occasion to deale with any in the behalfe of a whole Church let this importunitie of PAVL in ONESIMVS his cause shake out of vs that our maidenly modestie and arowse and quicken our spirits For if we shal deale more remissely in the publike cause of the Church then PAVL dealt in the priuate cause of a poore slaue surely wee may seeme rather dissemblers and preuaricators then petitioners In the end of the Verse the circumstance of the place where he begat ONESIMVS is noted in my bonds And this circumstance addeth weight to the reason for by calling him Sonne hee sufficiently shewed that hee was deare vnto him but adding that he begat him in his bonds he doth not obscurely intimate that he was the best beloued of his sonnes dearer vnto him then the rest For neither doe naturall Parents loue all their children equally their affection vseth to be greater to those whom they haue in their old age as IAACOBS was towards IOSEPH because a good thing the lesse hope wee haue of it the more gratefull it is when we haue it And in old age Parents haue lesse hope of children then before So also had PAVL lesse hope of Spirituall children in the Prison then when he had liberty of preaching the Gospell freely where he listed ONESIMVS then was PAVLS Darling as being then begot of him when by the Aduersaries hee was cast into Prison that he might beget no more First then obserue That Ministers may loue their Doct. 1 sonnes with an vnequall loue they may loue some more then others as Christ did IOHN aboue the rest of the Disciples namely those in whom they behold a more liuely image of Christ and in the begetting of whom they had greater experience of Gods power and mercie then in others Secondly Note That the Spirit of God and the Doct. 2 Word of God is not bound together with the bodies The Spirit and Word are not bound of the Ministers for both these namely the Spirit and Word of God were now effectuall in the Prison for ONESIMVS his conuersion The Aduersaries then must not thinke that the restraining of the Ministers and of the Gospell will proue one worke The Earle of Derbies Accusation in the Parliament House against M. BRADFORD was That he did more hurt so he spake calling good euill by Letters and Conferences in Prison then euer hee did when he was abroad by Preaching Thirdly Note PAVL saying that he begot him in Doct. 3 his Bonds hence it is easie to gather that after by speech had to and fro with him in the Prison he vnderstood in what case he was he presently wrought vpon him to bring him to a sight of his sinne and so to a godly sorrow for it By which example Ministers must learne that it is their dutie not onely in their publike meetings to seeke mens conuersion by their generall preaching to all but if at any time by Gods prouidence they shall light vpon any whom they see miserably to stray out of the wayes of God though it be in priuat places and companies as here PAVL vpon ONESIMVS in the Prison and PHILIP vpon the Eunuch in iourneying they are by all meanes possible no iust cause detaining them to endeuour the conuersion euen of such and to doe the part of a good Samaritane towards them whom they find so dangerously wounded by Sathan For what must we helpe the Asse euen of our enemie couching vnder his burthen and shall we not much more relieue his soule for we are not to thinke that God is so tyed to publike meetings that he cannot elsewhere specially in times of Persecution vse the Ministerie of his Seruant for the effectuall calling of his Elect although I doubt not but ONESIMVS heard PAVL more solemnly preaching in the prison See Acts 28. in the end Fourthly But as all Ministers are greedily to catch Doct. 4 those occasions which God offers for furthering the saluation of their brethren so especially those who being imprisoned are restrained from their publike Preaching that so by this meanes the want of their publike Sermons may in some measure be supplied Now how goodly a thing it is for Ministers euen then when they are poorest to make others rich 2. Cor. 6. 10. and when they are bound and captiue to make others free as here PAVL bestoweth a farre more excellent freedome vpon ONESIMVS then that whereof NEROES Prison had depriued himselfe Fifthly See how God mitigateth the bitternesse Doct. 5 of our afflictions by mixing the sweetnesse of some God sweetens the afflictions of his children comfort therewithall euen as the Physicion sugreth his bitter pilles This is the respect God hath of our weakenesse PAVLS imprisonment could not chuse out be grieuous to the flesh but this griefe was lessened when he saw himselfe bound to be the instrument of vnbinding ONESIMVS chayned with a farre stronger chayne then that which hee was bound withall for the hope of Israels sake This also was a great comfort to IOSEPH being sold that he found such extraordinarie fauor with his Master and when he was in the Prison hee was so specially respected by the Master of the Prison Thus God in Anger remembers Mercy and wee must remember this his Remembrance to our selues thereby to quiet and still our lamenting mindes Euen as otherwhiles also he remembreth Anger in his Mercy for God wil both sawce his Blessings with some Crosse that wee should not be too much lifted vp and hee will sweeten our Crosses with some Comforts that wee should not be too much cast downe VERS 11. In times