Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	glory_n	grace_n	lord_n	5,866	5	3.7353	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13561	Three treatises The pearle of the gospell, The pilgrims profession: and A glasse for gentlewomen to dress themselues by. To which is added A short introduction to the worthy receiuing of the Lords supper. By Thomas Taylor, Doctor of Diuinity, and late preacher of Aldermanbury Church in London.	Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Pearle of the gospell. aut; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Pilgrims profession. aut; Gunter, H.; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Glasse for gentlewomen to dresse themselves by. aut; Taylor, Thomas, 1576-1632. Short introduction to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper. aut	1633 (1633)	STC 23856; ESTC S113869	74,858	266

for siluer we will trauell many miles on horse and foot to a market or faire if we can but gaine or returne halfe a handfull of siluer but for grace we will hardly step out of doores or bestow the least paines to frequent the places of Gods Exchange In seeking siluer euery man will seeke a good penny-worth he is carefull that none ouer-reach him he parteth with his money as warily as may be and will be ready to lay hold on a good bargaine when it is offered In the matter of grace how fearefully doe many thrust it away with both hands wilfully forsaking their owne mercy Jona 2. 8. They that wait vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercy that is refuse the bargaine of eternall life offered almost forced vpon them and others that seemed to haue receiued a good summe of grace foolishly depart with it and fall away either quite or wholly or else from their measure and their first loue these men are farre from seeking grace and farther from ●inding it This should stirre vp our thirst after grace to expresse our selues wise Merchants seazed on the Pearle which that we may earnestly seeke after let vs consider these fiue motiues 1. Christ seeketh vs and desireth vs to seek him shal Christ seeke thee for thy good and not thou seeke him for thine owne good But Christ seeketh vs as a Hen that gathereth her chickins vnder her wings MAT. 23. 37 and woe vnto vs if we remaine vngathered The father of the prodigall goeth out to meet his sonne returning home to incourage vs to goe out of our selues to seeke him Secondly the fearefull reuenge against such as seeke not nor inquire after God should moue vs to seeke him as ZIPH 1. 6. in the fourth verse I will cut off the remnant of ●aal and in the sixt And them that turne backe from the Lord and those that haue not sought the Lord and inquired for him And if they vnder the Law were so reuenged how much more shall we liuing vnder the Gospell if wee neglect so great saluation If the Gospell be now hid it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. Oh what a fearefull case is it that the Gospell should serue for the conuiction of men and not for their conuersion Oh thrice vnhappy man that shall peruert this so aboundant grace to his owne destruction and yet the plenty of Gods grace in the Gospel shal condemne thousands that neuer required or ●ought after it 3. Thou shouldest seeke grace from God but he seeketh to pin his grace on thy sleeue God bringeth home the Gospell to thy house and doores hee sendeth forth his seruants he continueth to seeke thee by continuing the meanes the season of grace he seeketh thee daily by his Word his Ministers his blessings his corrections by the motions of the spirit by the checks of thine owne conscience and wilt thou not seeke being sought vnto darest thou receiue such grace still in vaine 2 COR. 6. 5. or turne it to wantonnesse Jud. 3. Fourthly of this saluation the Prophets search diligently 1 Pet. 1. 10. and shall wee to whom it more specially belongeth not so much as aske or inquire after it or shall we thrust it away as the Iewes did ACT. 13. 46. but not without the most fearefull reuenge that euer hapened to any nation vnder the heauens vnder which they lye at this day Fifthly for a man to abide destitute of desire and endeuour after grace sheweth that Satan the God of the world worketh mightily in such an one and hath him in his power to hood-winke him and hide from him the grace of the Gospell that the brightnesse of this Pearle should neuer shine to him lest he should conuert and be saued See 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. This of the first action Who hauing found a Pearle of great price The second action of the wise Merchant is he findeth an excellent Pearle Of the Pearle and of the excellency we haue spoken Now are we in this part onely to speake something of the finding of it And by the Pearle being meant the grace of the Gospell as we haue heard wee learne this Doctrine That seekers of grace shall find it and onely they Psal. 118. 5. I called vpon the ●ord in trouble and the ●ord heard mee and set me at large and Psalm 138. 3. When I called then thou heardest me and hast increased strength in my soule alomon seeketh wisedome and findeth it LVK. 15. 9. MAT. 7. 8. The woman that sought the lost groat found it Whosoeuer asketh receiueth and hee that seeketh findeth Why 1. Faithfull seeking can neuer take God wanting or vnwilling to giue grace both because hee hath promised and is able to p●rforme aboue all we are able to aske or thinke His power is sufficient to supply all our wants and Isay 65. 1. I was found of them that sought mee not and vers 24. Yea before they call I will answer and while they speak I will heare If earthly fathers that are euil both in comparison of God and in their owne inclination can giue good things to their children that aske much more our heauenly Father can and will How glad is an earthly father when his children can seeke after that which is good for them and our heauenly Father much more Besides God who hath promised cannot lye ●itus 1. 2. now he should deceiue his people if they should not finde the grace they duly seek but he hath said Mat. 5. 6. that the hungring and thirsting soule shall be satisfied and supplyed 2. The Lord will not fo farre discourage his seruants and disharten them as neuer to let them finde that they bestow so much true pains in seeking but he vpholdeth them in seeking by supplying some way or other some time or other that they seek his wisedome not onely feedeth his children with hopes of an haruest to come but affordeth them present food finding euen in this life so far as will stand with hunger thirst by which he incourageth them in their prayers teares labours and sufferings and without which finding for the present impart thesmoking wick should be quickly quenched and all the beginning of grace easily lost oyle is not more necessary to feed a lampe than the supply of grace is to feed grace Psal. 116. 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my voyce and prayers and Psal. 65. 2. Because thou hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come 3. The Lord will not so much withstand his owne glory as not be found of true seekers because his owne glory is the maine end of all his mercy Psalm 22. 26. They that seek after the Lord shal praise him namely in acknowledging him true in his promises and plentifull in his mercies But God is a free giuer of grace and before we can aske we shall haue it without seeking what need we then seek so diligently ANS

1. Gods grace is free in respect of Merits not of Means if God should not giue vs sauing grace before we aske it we should neuer haue it and no man can seeke grace but by grace yet God giueth not grace to idle or sleepy persons but to the vigilant and watchfull he is not so prodigall of so excellent a Pearle as to bestow it for nothing or vpon those who ha●ing tasted the sweetnesse of it will not bestirre themselues for more that they may grow in grace 2. Though God doth bestow on vs free saluation which costeth vs nothing yet we must accept it in the meanes which doe excite and exercise our graces and suffer vs to be neither idle nor vnfruitfull in the worke of the Lord. But if we seeke our seeking is a cause of finding and so Gods grace shall not be free ANS 1. Our seeking is no cause of finding but a meanes or way in which we finde 2. In seeking we doe our duty but merit nothing by it for when wee haue done all we can we are vnprofitable seruants 3. The promise of finding is not made to the seeking but to the seeker being in Christ who findeth for Christs sake not for his owne But I haue sought long and haue not found Ans. There is a twofold seeking 1. a seeking amisse then no maruel if thou findest not Esau sought with teares findeth not many shall seek and striue to enter and shall not bee able and of these are six sorts 1. wicked men being destitute of the spirit of God want their eyes cleared and a blind man shall sooner find a Pearle lost then they this 2. Some seeke without light as fond Familists and Anabaptists who seeke grace in the dark corners of Enthusiasmes and reuelations scorning the light of the Scriptures Ministery in which the spirit onely and ordinarily offereth himselfe to be found 3. Some seeke without the promise and so without faith Israel sought it by merits Ro. 9. 31. 4. Some seeke without repentance Isa. 1. 16. wash you make you cleane and then come and reason together 5. Some seeke it vnseasonably the doore being shut so did Esau when the blessing was bestowed 6. Some seeke without sincerity Hypocrites seek a while but giue ouer as weary of so much pains now the promise is made to none of these the goale is not giuen but to such as striue lawfully A second Kind of seeking that is which faileth not and that is in the true and lawful conditions of seeking as by the supernaturall eye of faith by the light of Gods Word in the right veine of finding and in the places where the Pearle lyeth and in season of seeking whilst the day lasteth the light is with vs hast thou thus sought and art yet held off I say God must bee true Qu●rentibus recta rectè he that seeketh quae oportet quomodo oportet shall certainly find and therefore I say to thee that seekest good things well 1. Thou hast found grace sufficient as Paul did when he seemed to be denyed of the grace desired thou hast found grace in some measure at least insuch measure as may cause thee to hunger for more 2. God may delay to giue thee a greater measure and yet not deny thee it may be that which thou seekest is worth more labour than yet thou hast bestowed distinguish now betwixt Gods Delaies and Denials hold on thy seeking thou shalt find in good time Thirdly the best and holiest seekers of all find but for the estate of this life that is in small measure a taste a first fruits here is but a sowing in grace God leaueth his children in many wants for the present for diuers ends 1. For their humiliation as Paul had a pricke in the flesh left 2. To maintaine hunger and thirst after more 3. To long after the time of perfection and full saciety when they shall be fully conformed to the image of God Fourthly thou hast found a promise of God to be fully satisfied at length Mat. 5. 6. in the meane time esteeme thy seeking as a seed time thy labour is sowen in heauen thy seed is cast into the bosome of God and if it presently returne not so much comfort ioy and increase as thou desirest it is laid vp and will bring thee good store and a happy crop for hereafter therefore be not weary of well doing for in due time thou shalt reape if thou faint not If no man seeketh this Pearle aright but findeth see a difference betweene this commodity and all other Seeke any other thing in the world with thy best endeuor and thou maist faile and not finde He that seeketh siluer shall not be satisfyed Seeke wealth pearles honor pleasuers thou shalt often faile of them but seeke the best thing and alway speed In all other things many seeke one thing but finde another goe to the Physicians to seeke health thou maist meet with death to the Lawyer to seeke law and iustice thou maist finde iniustice and oppression at some friends hands thou maist seeke fauour and friendship but finde hatred and enmity as Joseph sought at his brethrens but findes them foes and enemies But in matters of grace thou shalt finde the same things thou lookest for seekest thou the Pearle thou findest the Pearle as the Merchant did nay findest an excellent one farre better than thou lookedst for the worth of which is not to be valued in this vale of darkenesse Here is also a difference betweene seeking things at Gods hands and at mans all that aske at mans hands speed not though thou maist aske neuer so iustly as in the example of the vniust Iudg. A poore man asketh at mans hands mercy and misseth of it knocke at mans doore it is not alway open But the gate of grace is neuer shut Gods eare is alway open as a fauorite sitteth in the eare of the King and speedeth in any suite so doth the godly seeker speed with God This comforteth poore soules seeking and panting after grace so long as thou canst seeke thou art sure to find though the Lord hide his face for a time and seem to locke vp his mercy from thee yet vphold thy selfe in seeking and thou shalt find in due season Psal. 9. 9 10. The Lord also will be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction Wantest thou strength against temptations Seeke by prayer the grace of Christian fortitude be strong in the cry of prayer and as a theefe will runne away when the true man maketh a noyse and out-cry so will Satan vpon this noyse of feruent prayer cease his assault Wantest thou peace of conscience chearefulnesse in doing or suffering wouldest thou see a sweet looke from God or needst thou any other blessing for life or godlinesse Seeke it with instance doe as the woman of Canaan who sought grace at the hands of

Diognetum LONDON Printed by I. B. for Iohn Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup in Cheap-side 1633. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lady LEITICE Countesse of Leicester all encrease of Honour and Happinesse MADAM HAuing importuned and prevailed with that Reuerend Preacher who performed that last office for your LADISHIPS late Seruant to afford mee a perfect Coppy of his Sermon which for the fitnesse and worthinesse of the matter I thought much pittie to be buryed with her and purposing to adde a short Relation of the happie Life and Death of my deare Wife both which I thought were very exemplary I emboldned my selfe to present the same to your HONOVR not onely as a thankfull testification of my humble dutie and seruice for all those gracious endowment which I so happily enioyed in her of all which vnder God your Honour was a chiefe instrument but also because I know that your Honour who gladly apprehended al the meanes of her comfort through her life would as gladly receiue the true Narration of her assured Comforts and Conquest in h●r so Christian death and dissolution Neither is the Sermon vnfit for your Hunours perusall whom God hath honoured with so many daies yeares taught not to feare either the end of your Pilgrimage out of this strange Countrey or the neere approach to your owne home Thus humbly praying your Honours acceptance of that which is most properly yours I pray the Father of mercie to adde to all your noble Vertues the continuance of your true prosperitie Your HONOVRS in all humble seruice H. G. THE PILGRIMS PROFESSION PSAL. 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a soiourner as all my Fathers THis holy Prophet being by great distresse of mind and disease of bodie brought very low as appeareth in the whole Psalme and so low as he was ready to breake patience and to offend with his tongne yet after a doubtfull combat betweene faith and frailty his Faith steps aboue flesh and leads him out of himselfe to wait vpon God with holy silence and lifteth him vp to God in feruent and earnest Prayers which are the breath of Faith both for pardon of sin the cause and for release from the affliction and plague the effect of it And because the sense of misery was deepe hee striues with God with great vehement and earnestnesse of spirit ingeminating his petition in this twelfth vers Rising vp in his requests by degrees as one that meaneth to preuaile with God as another Iacob and not let him goe till he haue blessed him and therefore first he desireth the Lord to heare his Prayer But because the prayers of the Saints are often faint and feeble and without any strong motion he desires the Lord to hearken to his cry the sense of his need vrged strong cryes feruency and importunity And further because euery strong cry is not heard vnlesse it proceed from a broken and contrite spirit He prayeth the LORD not to keepe silence at his teares well hee knew that prayers of faith watered with teares of godly sorrow are eloquent perswaders to dray a comfortable answer from God they cannot suffer him to sit silent long who hath prepared both a bottle to reserue them in and an handkerchiefe to wipe them away from the eyes of his children Try it after holy Dauid who will or can make euery day a spring to sowe● thy prayers in heauen and water them sometimes with an Aprill showre of mournfull teares for thy sinne and misery and ●hon hast preuailed aganist Gods silence thou shalt heare a sweete and comfortable Answere in due season Now the words read are a reason of his earnest request drawne from the acknowledgement of the frailty vanity and breuity of his life laid downe by a comparison taken from strangers or Pilgrims of which number he professeth himselfe to be and may well be called The Pilgrims profession In tying which words with the former it may be asked first what force can there bee in this reason to moue or incline God to mercy because he was a stranger with him it might rather imply that God should the more estrange himselfe from him and stand further from his helpe I answer 1. The Hebrew phrase I am a stranger with thee signifieth as much as to say I am a stranger before thee or in thy sight And not that he was a stranger in affection or conuersation from God as the wicked who are said to be strange childred and strangers from the wombe For how could Dauid be such a stranger who set the Lord euer before him and at his right hand that hee might not sinne against him 2. As it is a confession and testimony of his owne humility and sense of his misery it is a motiue to mercy as if he had said I am a stranger and need helpe because as a stranger I lye open to many iniuries and inconueniences but thou art the God of the abiect thy property is as to cast down the proud so to raise vp such deiected soules as I am and therefore heare my prayers cryes and teares 3. As it ascribeth vnto the Lord the honour of mercy it is a motiue to mercy for holy Dauid puts the Lord in mind of his own gracious inclination and affection to strangers for he hath commanded vs to be kinde to strangers and hath in speciall manner vndertaken the protection of strangers Ps. 146. 6. The Lord keepeth the strangers and therefore his faith binding God after a sort to his owne law and promise assureth himselfe of Gods mercy because he is a stranger 4. As it is an acknowledgement of his own impotency and the misery of his life it pleadeth strongly for mercy as if hee had said Thou knowest Lord that I am a stranger here and so long as I am so I cannot but carry a burden of flesh and a body of sinne and daily thereby deserue thy most heauy displeasure and therefore I beseech thee be not so extreame against me as in iustice thou mayest but considering my frailty mingle my corrections with mercy And wheras I discerne also by my bodily weaknesse and infirmity that I am a stranger here and of short continuance I pray thee remoue thy hand and let not all my life be miserable but stay thine anger from me that I may recouer my strength before I goe hence and bee no more And vpon the same ground Iob makes the same request Let him cease and leaue off from mee that I may take a little comfort before I goe and shall not returne c. Secondly it may bee asked How can Dauid vse this as a reason for his recouery which hee vsed before vers 4. for the hastening of his death for because his life was short and miserable therefore he desires he might die in all haste To which I snswer That great difference there is between Dauid foiled by flesh and Dauid