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
A75536	Comfort for beleevers about their sinnes & troubles. In a treatise shevving. That true beleevers, how weake soever in faith, should not be opprest, or perplext in heart; by any thing whatever befalls them; either in sinne, or afflictions. Together with divers other comfortable observations; gathered out of that counsell, given by Christ to his Apostles: and in them, to all beleevers. In John chap. 14. verses 1,2,3,4. / By John Archer, Master of Art, sometime preacher of All-hallowes Lumbard-street. London.	Archer, John, Master of Art.	1645 (1645)	Wing A3612; Thomason E289_7; ESTC R200122	80,025	82

Decreed all the Afflictions Sinnes how much long God would leave them to weakenes and let loose corruptions as the wayes meanes by which he would bring them to that Glory appointed them For every thing which befalls Beleevers in this World is a Meanes to that great End of Eternall Glory to which God hath ordained them and therefore was fore-ordered for them in by that Great Eternall Love and so cannot but be in Love and for their Good FOURTHLY All Changes upon Beleevers by Sinnes or Sorrowes 4. Rice They all come from God on thē through A Covenant of Grace come on them by through A Covenant of Grace made with them This followes from the former For the Covenant of Grace is nothing else but the gathering togeather revealing with an obligation to them to performe what ever were his Eternal Purposes in Himselfe concerning Beleevers Wherefore all that is Decreed concerning them is exhibited to them through A Covenant of Grace which cannot but season it make it wholsome to them however pernicious it be to others Thus all Afflictions come through A Covenant of Grace and are Afflictions exprest in it Psal 89. 32. 33. 34. For they be fatherly chastisements for good and tokens of Love to which the Covenant binds God Heb. 12. 7. 10. Whence it is that God is called the terrible God keeping Covenant Mercy Nehe. 1. 5. Because his Covenant for Mercy is to Afflict And so all the Sinnes which Beleevers are left to they are through So all their Sinnes because of the Covenant of Grace left to them and the Covenant implies a dispensation of sinning to them as well as other things For though the Covenant expresse not their being left to Sinne Yet it imples their sinning for its scope is that God as a Father will Educate Nurture them up so as shall fit them for his Inheritance of Glory Now by Sinnes are they as much nurtured fitted for Heaven as by any thing else Wherefore by vertue of and through his Covenant By which he nurtures fitts them of Grace doth he leave them to more or fewer lesse or greater Sinnes as may best nurture them up even as he fitts them for service in this World by leading them into Sinnes as he did Peter to confirme For Service the weake by leaving him to that Sinne Luke 22. 32. with 34. 57. And David to beare out to the World his sure mercyes in Christ Isa 55. 3. by leaving him his house to many great Sinnes as 2. Sam. 11. because else the surenes of the Mercy had not appeared had they not sinned extraordinarily So he fitts also for the Glory in Heaven by their various sinning For Heavē heere Not onely as Sinnes make way for Afflictions but also as they make way for Gods free Grace Christs Mercy and the exercise of diverse Graces As that Sinne of the Church of Corrinth did 2. Cor. 7. 10. 11. And who ever observes Gods manner in nurturing up his Children for Heaven he will find that the most usuall wayes of his Art therein lye in leaving them to Sinnes or Afflictions or both For First Sinnes Afflictions are a tryall of Faith Afflictions try our 1. They try their Faith Faith in Gods Love that he should Afflict and Love as Jobs Faith was tryed Though he Kill me yet I will trust in him And they try our Faith in Afflictions doth in Gods Love Mercy Justice his Mercy when he so takes vengance on our iniquities to beleeve him mercifull and that he hath forgiven Psal 99. 8. And they try our Faith in his Justice whilst he so afflicts the good and letts the wicked prosper as it is in the Psalmes So Sinnes much more In Christs Blood In Gods Unchangeablenes And as Afflictions are a tryall of our Faith So are our Sinnes and that much more then Afflictions They try our Faith in Christs Blood for an Atonement Psal 51. 2. 7. They try our Faith in Gods Vnchangablenes that he will not cast us of though we sinne according as the Covenant runes Psal 89. 31. 32. 33. They try our Faith in the Promises In the Promises of Perseverance Victory over Sinne when yet we find it captive us as Paules faith shewed it selfe Rom. 7. 23. 24 25. Now this Tryall of Faith by manifold tentations as 1. Pet. 1. 6. 7. that is both by Tentations through Sinnes Sorrowes is for a season needfull Even whilst we are in nurture in as much as it tryes Faith As the fire doth the gold that is to be used in speciall things Which tryall of Faith over above besids the Faith it selfe will be profitable at the last day and therefore is at the present of more price vertue to us then gold which perisheth in this World Secondly Sinnes Afflictions are as seeds of an harvest of Joy at the 2. They tend to a harvest of Joy to come last day Afflictions are the ground worke of Joy Psal 126. 5. 6. as the Babilonion Captivity their spoke of was of that great ioy and so Heb. 12 11. even though they be inflicted for Sinnes as the forementioned were For God forgives removes the Affliction Psal 103. 3. Isa 38. 17. Yea and they Comfort at the last day as the hardnes of the Sea voyage doth in the haven and the danger of the fight doth in the triumph Reve. 7. 13. 14. And Sinnes however for the most part they first occasion trouble yet they tend to and in the end bring forth the more Joy both heere whilst God forgives them and sheds abroad his Joy with his Forgivnes giving not onely ease by setting againe the bones he broke but also making them to rejoyce Psal 5 ● 7. 8. David never joyed more then after his reconsilement to God upon those horrid Sinnes of Adultry Murder and that of numbring the People For after the former he had Salomon given him whome the Lord sent called beloved of the Lord 2. Sā 12. 25. was he whome God had named to build the Temple as ye heard before and after the other sinne he had the place of the temple shewed him liberty to prepare for its building which greatly joyed his soule there being nothing to which his heart wēt forth in so much desire as to Gods house And indeed Gods people need more Joyes after Sinnes then after Gods people needs more Joy after sinning then after afflictions Afflictions because they are more cast downe by them and therefore God useth Sinnes as meanes by which he leades in his Joyes unto them in this World And also in the World to come their Sinnes yeild them great Joyes Indeed in some respects they shall joy most at the last day who have least sinned But in other respects they have Which they have heere and more heereaftor most joy who have most sinned For

shew our continued act of Faith on every occasion and above all that is above all the peices of armour rather better not exercise any then not this if a man use his sheild though he should not use his helmet or brestplate he may be safe The Just live by Faith Habuc 2. 4. it is spooke of tymes of tryall even as that whereby we live must be continually renewed as our breathing our eating c. so must our Faith be renewed in all troubles Therefore we find David Paule in their troubles still exercising and putting forth their faith they not onely had it but they used it at that time which whē David did not he was neare a fall Psal 73. 2. had the Disciples at this time renewed their faith in Christ they had not bine so troubled When Peter brought Faith with him it bore him up upon the Sea when he began to sinke it was because his faith first suncke Math. 14. 28. to 32. Of little Faith That is so little as that it now works not For so it is ment as appeares by comparing Math. 8. 26. with Mar. 4. 40. So also you must increase your faith It is called Faith to Faith Rom. 1. 17. or from Faith unto Faith as Psal 84. 7. they goe out of strength unto strenght or from company to company over taking the former as in a journy So must ye growe up out of a lesse unto a greater degree of Faith Not onely upon new farther Revealations to have more Faith But when the same Objects onely are before you yet to grow stronger in the Acts of Faith and that not onely in the Righteousnes of Christ to Justification as it is Gal. 3. 11. ment by the Apostle But also in the Person of Christ and his Priviledges Promises unto the bearing up under all troubles Wherefore the Apostle refers this living by faith which implies a Progresse as we shall shew by by unto Afflictions Heb. 10. 38. as it is ment cheifly in the Prophet whence he quotes it as well as he doth there unto Justification And this Progresse in faith proved by that saying the Just shall live by faith because what we live by must have a continuance progresse if we grow up that must continue grow up Therefore 2 Thes 1. 11. he prayes for the fullfilling the worke of faith It is therefore to be labored that it should be filled up added to more more and by this meanes is all the good pleasure of Gods goodnes fullfilled in us and without the filling up of Faith it cannot be filled up in us That though there is inexpressible Freenes in God which to expresse he calls it good Pleasure Goodnes Yet it is not fullfilled in us but by the fullfilling of faith in us USE Vse Exhortation To re●ew exercise Faith For Exhortatiō to Beleevers Not to rest in having faith But keepe this sound in your eares Beleeve in God Beleeve in Christ use and renew your Faith exercise it else Christ will count ye to have no Faith Marke 4. 40. It is the same not to have and not to use And it is a signe your faith is litle if it worke not as it is cleare by comparing Math. 8. 26. with Mark 4. 40. Also increase your faith by every Revealation of Gods Righteousnes as Christ and His Righteousnes are more clearely made knowne our Faith unto Comfort and Boldnes should Increase Rom. 1. 17. By that clearer Revealation of Righteousnes should their Faith goe on from degree to degrees higher Heb. 10 19. to 24. So by every Sealing Ordinance and Token of Favour our Faith should Increase unto Assurance Judges 13. 23. 2. Cron. 30. 21. 23. 26. And so by every Tryall and Affliction our Faith should growe in that it is tryed Iam. 1. 3. and Increaseth other Graces Therefore it Selfe First Increaseth And we should Labor to Increase it Because when ever Troubles assayle us our First Worke should be to Increase our Faith As they doe their Fortifications when the Enemye approcheth More strength is required when Troubles assault and all our strength is in Beleeving Isa 30. 15. a quiet wayting on God which therefore must be increased Therefore the Afflictions Growth of their Faith are conjoined 2. Thes 1 3. 4. Therefore the Disciples being tould what offences they must meete with and forgive injuries to their Brethren they pray for Increase of Faith Luke 17. 1. to 6. Because Faith is to be Increased when ever we enter Tryalls Troubles Yea and usually the latter Troubles are strongest as supposing more strength as Davids were by his Sinne of Adultry Murder Numbring the People and the Punnishments thereof which were his last greatest Therefore Faith had need be Increased which onely beares them This Exhortation I will onely presse in the Apostles Words Jude Inforced from the Apostles words Jude 20 21 20. 21. Beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost keepe your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Christ to Eternall Life The Apostle having provokt them to contend for the Faith against base opposits whome he discribes from Verse 2. to 17. and exhorts them not to be discouraged or turned out of the way by all their base courses Vers 17. 18. whome he againe sets forth in their ougly colours as a meanes to helpe Beleevers to doe this duty in withstanding He exhorts them to proceed in the Worke of their Faith and saith that their Faith is their Foundation for that on which we build up is the Foundation Christ is called the Foundation 1. Cor. 3. 11. and so are the Prophets Apostles Eph 2. 20. and heere Faith is also so called and nothing else that I can find is so dignified Christ is the Original Principal Foundation of us Yea the onely Foundation Properly Striktly as the Apostle saith none other then He can be But the Apostles Prophets are remotely and ministerially outwardly called the Foundation Because they first and onely revealed Christ And Faith is the Foundation but Instrumentally also yet much more nearely intimately then the Apostles Prophets in that Faith is the immediate bond vnion of us unto Christ the Foundation Col. 2. 7. stablisht in the Faith is a being rooted and built up in him So that all our Strength is in our Faith Instrumentally as in Christ Originally yet not conveyed from Christ to Vs but through our Faith Therefore if we would have any Progresse it must be by our Faith and as that goes forward the whole building goes forward Not onely at first doe we build on our Faith but all the while as not onely doe we at first but all the while build on Christ Therefore of all things our Faith is of greatest Consequence there is neither Beginning nor Progresse can be without it And this Faith is Faith the