Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	grace_n	work_n	6,662	5	5.6625	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09999	The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in fiue sermons vpon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20251; ESTC S105990	87,396	182

know it was an argument of the faith of the woman of Canaan that she continued that she would take no deniall though the Lord denied her and put her off yet she held out and what was the reason of it because she beleeved that he was the sonne of David that hee was mercifull and that hee would heare in the end So that continuance in prayer is an argument we doe beleeue the Lord. As a man that beleeues that such a man is within the house whom he desires to speake with hee is content to waite long Or one that hath a suite and hee knowes that he shall haue an end of it at this time hee will never giue over So it is in this case if we beleeue we will be content to waite ●…e t●…at beleeues will 〈◊〉 make ●…ste because he trusts in God and depends vpon him Likewise an argument of faith is a diligent vse of those meanes that God hath prescribed and no other And so wee haue shewed you two things that are required in prayer That the person must be righteous and within the Covenant Secondly faith is required and likewise how this faith is wrought both in his providence and in his promises and likewise how wee shall know whether our prayers be the prayers of faith or no. FINIS THE FIFTH SERMON 1. TH●…S 5. 17. Pray continually THE next condition required in praier is feruency you know the place the prayer of the righteous prevailes much if it bee fervent The Lord requires this qualification in praier because it puts the heart into a holy and spirituall disposition for it is not simply the making of the request that God lookes for at our hands but such a working vpon our hearts by prayer such a bringing of them to a good frame of grace by that duty that thereby we are more fitted to receiue the mercy that before we were not When a man is servent in prayer it sets all the wheeles of the soule the right way it puts the heart into a holy and spirituall disposition and temper so that the Lord sees it now fit to bestow mercie vpon such a man that before was vnfit by reason of his vntowardnesse and stubbornesse of heart by reason of that vncleane and vnholy disposition that he saw in him And therefore hee will haue prayer servent not so much because the very fervencie of prayer it selfe i●…●…espected but because by vertue of tha●… fe●…vencie the 〈◊〉 is made better when a man comes to God with a request like the request of the patient to the phisitian it may be the phisitian denies long when the patient a ●…es things that are pleasant and agreeable to him not because he is vnwilling to giu●… them but because his body must bee brought into another temper he must take a vomi●… o●… a purge that perhaps is grievous to him but this must be done before he be fit to receiue such cordialls so the Lord doth with his servants though bee be willing to bestow such mercies on them yet because they are not fitted hee 〈◊〉 continuance in prayer and fervencie in it Therefore we say in prayer all the graces of Gods spirit are set on work●… and the more servent the prayer is the more they are intended the more they are acted the more they are increased and therefore the Lord is moved by this fervencie to bestow a mercie on vs that otherwise hee would not doe But now al the question i●… what thi●… fervency is You shall find it vsually expressed in the Scriptures by such metaphor●… as these crying to the Lord wrestling with the Lord striving with him and giving him no rest wherein these two things are to be marked First a man is said then to bee servent when he puts all his strength to prayer when he is very earnest and importunate with the Lord when he strives and contends with him though hee finde many difficulties and impediments yet he breakes through all this is to be fervent in prayer to be Importunate with the Lord. For example when a man comes to pray and findes many discouragements and findes himselfe guilty of many sinnes and findes little holinesse he hath but feeble faith to his owne sense hee findes much deadnesse of spirit yet hee continues instant notwithstanding and when likewise hee doth not onely finde these impediments in himselfe but he findes the Lord exceeding backward to the thing either giving no answere turning the deafe eare to him or it may be giving a contrary answer as to the woman of Canaan As for example when a man comes to pray for health it may be his sicknes increaseth vpon him more when he praye●… to overcome such a lust or temptation it may bee it is doubled vpon him when hee prayes for such a deliverance it may bee the oppression growes more and more as it was vpon the Israelites when they sought for deliverance the oppression grew greater now to holde out notwithstanding this and to continue in prayer and to 〈◊〉 God i●… it though ●…e see●…e backward to the request this is to be fervent in prayer Secondly fervencie is not onely loud praying but continuall knocking when a men is not onely importu●…e with the Lord but ●…ee continues long he will not giue over till he haue got the ble●…ing You know 〈◊〉 fervency w●… seene in that that he 〈◊〉 all night he wrestled 〈◊〉 the Lord. What was the reason that he wrestled he would not let him goe till he had got the blessing till he had obteined the thing he sought for So I say this earnestnesse and continuance in prayer the breaking through all difficulties this is to wrastle with the Lord for all wrastling and striving you know supposeth some opposition on the other part Indeed if there were no opposition it were a small thing but I say when the Lord is most backward when the thing is most improbable when there is much difficultie that you know not how it should be brought to passe yet you continue 〈◊〉 and giue the Lord no rest you will not giue over this i●… fervency in prayer and this i●… a condition that the Lord requires Onely these two 〈◊〉 must bee remembred that wee mistake not this fervencie First remember fervencie if it bee right it must be a fruit of faith for there is a fervencie that co●…es not from faith but from a 〈◊〉 feare of 〈◊〉 when a 〈◊〉 i●… indeede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●…wine that is pin●…ed which you know will cry exceeding loud not because it lookes for helpe but because it is pinched so any creature or man naturally will vse importunity when he wants any thing he will be earnest in his requests such fervencie the Lord regards not because there is no more but a meere expression of naturall desires there is no holinesse in it there is no fire of the spirit but when this is added to it that

people but to build my Kingdome and my house to make me a constant house for ever I say this sense of our owne vnworthinesse it makes vs more fit to receiue the mercy to bee exalted by receiving such a request as wee put vp to the Lord and therefore hee regards the prayer of the humble Moreover God giues grace to the humble that is he shewes favour to them when they come and aske any thing at his hands because an humble man will be readie to doe whatsoever he will it is an expression vsed of David in Acts 2. 22. hee will doe whatsoever I will that may be said of every humble man he is exceeding pliable to the Lords will hee is ready to doe whatsoever hee knowes to be his pleasure hee resists him in nothing Now when a man will doe whatsoever God will the Lord will be readie to doe whatsoever be will he will be readie to say to him as hee did to the 〈◊〉 Oh woman bee it to thee as thou wils When a man on the other side refists the Lord as every proud man doth saith the text the Lord resists him the Lord resists the proud and giues grace to the humble A refisting spirit causeth the Lord to resist our prayers and therefore it is that the Lord is ready to the humble man because he yeelds to the Lord in all things and when a man yeelds to the Lord take that for a rule in obeying Goas commandements God will yeeld to vsin granting our petitions Besides when the heart is humbled and broken and contrite it is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord which winnes it at his hands he smells a sweete savour from such a sacrifice aboue all other yea it is that which sets a high price vpon every sacrifice that we offer the best prayers the best workes that proceede not from an humble heart he regards them not as Psal. 51. Lord saith he if 〈◊〉 sacrifice then will not regard it but the sacrifices of a contrite and humble spirit those thou regardest and those sactifices that proceede from it when we come to make a petition to the Lord it was the manner in the old law not to come empty handed a proud person comes empty-handed but an humble person comes with a sacrifice and the best sacrifice because he facrificeth himselfe and his owne will that is he empties himselfe of himselfe he opens a d●…re to the Lord 〈◊〉 come and dwell in him when a proud man 〈◊〉 him out such a sacrifice the Lord is well pleased with and such a sacrifice speakes for one it makes way for his requests and therefore the Lord hearkens to it Lastly the Lord is ready to heare those that are humble because whatsoever they receiue they take it as of grace and not as debt whereas a proud man a man that hath a good conceit of himselfe a man that is list vp in his owne opinion thinkes it to be due he thinkes there is some correspondence betweene his works and the wages You know what is said of the Pharise that the publican went away instified rather then he Why so Because the Publican thought himselfe worthy of nothing And therefore Ezek. 36. 31. when the Lord promiseth those great mercies to his people he requires this condition of them that they should acknowledge themselues worthy to bee destroyed When a man hath a sense of his owne vnworthinesse and so comes to the Lord and askes it as of meere grace and mercy that is a great motiue to prevaile with him for he is very carefull of that you know in Deut. 8. 11. how wary the Lord was in giving this rule to them take beede when thou commest into that good land thinke not to say with thy selfe the Lord hath done this for my owne righteousnesse no saith hee I haue not done it for that but for my Covenant which I made with Abraham Isaac and laceh that is for my owne names sake for my mercies sake for the covenant that I confirmed with them that is the covenant in Iesus Christ therefore I haue done it not for your own righteousnes So you see that this is a condition the Lord will haue observed in our calling vpon him that our hearts be humbled that a man be little and vile in his owne eyes that he come with a broken and contrite heart pliable to him in all things ready to obey him when the heart is so disposed hee giues grace that is he shewes favour hee is ready to grant our requests The next condition required in prayer is that wee sanctifie the Lord in our hearts You know when Nadab and Abih●… drew neere vnto him with a common fire when they should haue brought such fire as came from heaven holy fire the Lord destroyed them and he giues this reason for I will be sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that draw ●…eere to me When we come to call vpon the Lord we know then we come neere to him and in such dra●…ing neere 〈◊〉 must sanctifie him in our ●…earts that is we must co●…ceiue him ●…o be as he is most holy now if the Lord be mo●… holy if he that is vncleane and impure and vnholy shall come neere him he sanctif not the Lord God that is hee comes not to him as to a mo●… holy God but he lookes vpon him 〈◊〉 if he were a common person and therefore whensoever they came to offer a sacrifice in the old law they were first purified if any man were ●…cleane and should off●… a sacrifice he was to be cut off from his people Therefore to sanctifie the Lord in our hear●… is to come with holy hearts as in the first of T●… 2. 8. i●… is the charge that the Apo●… giues the●… 〈◊〉 p●…re 〈◊〉 w●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or doubting lift vp pure hearts and innocent hands without wrath or doubting You will say vnto me what is this holinesse Beloved it is nothing but a sequestring or seperating of any thing from a common vse and appropriating it to God alone that is holinesse You know whatsoever was holy to the Lord in the Temple or otherwise whether it were holy vessels or holy men as the Priests it was seperated from all other vses and made particular to him and to his service Now the heart of a man is holy then when it is withdrawne from all things else and particular to the Lord alone As a chast wife is to her husband whose affections are bestowed vpon him and no other person else so when the heart is to the Lord alone when all the affections are intent vpon him and bestowed vpon him and vpon none else this is to haue the heart holy to him So that now he that will haue an eye vpon credit vpon vaine glory vpon wealth vpon his lusts vpon any thing besides the Lord that the heart is wedded to it that hee bestowes any part of that

sinne though he be led captiue sometimes by it yet he yeelds not to that captivity This is to haue a pure heart though his heart be defiled sometimes as a vessell will be fowle yet hee washeth and renseth his heart he never suffers it to continue muddy and vncleane and in a filthy disposition but he hath a fountaine a spring of grace within that will worke out all impurity as a spring workes out mudde he that thus purifies himselfe still though the fountaine be muddy though there be many iniections many temptations many lusts and sinnes yet if he be purified himselfe that hee will suffer no sinne to mingle with his heart as it were to rest there and to abide and dwell there to lye and continue there such a man hath a pure heart We say that is pure that is full of it selfe and will haue no heterogenea no other thing mingled with it such a thing is pure as pure oyle is nothing else but oyle Now hee that hath a pure heart is not he that hath simply nothing else that hath no sinne mingled that hath no drosse mingled with his wine but hee that suffers it not to rest there but as oyle and water when you iumble them together as you know when they are shaken together they mingle yet the oyle workes out puifies it selfe it will not suffer it selfe to abide with the water a man that is regenerate a man that is borne of God hath a seed remaining in him though he doe sin yet saith the Apostle he cannot sin that is he doth not agree hee doth not mingle with that sinne it hath no rest in his heart but he workes it out in a passion when he is shaken as it were when he is transported when he is not himselfe there may be a mixture and the fountaine the spring may be made muddy yet let him come to himselfe still he workes it out that is to haue a pure heart So that a man thus affected may come with boldnesse to the throne of grace and not be discouraged what though thy sinnes be many and very great and often repeated yet if thou finde in thy selfe such a disposition of purenesse and holinesse still to clense thy selfe though thou be still polluted and defiled I can assure thee thy heart is pure thou maist go with confidence to the throne of grace But now you will say this to me that may be obiected why but may not any carnall man say as much hee sinnes against God and comes and askes mercie he comes and cries for forgiuenes and saith he will sin no more and yet he sinnes againe the next day and addes drunkennesse to thirst that is his sinne and his repentance they runne in a circle as drunkennes and thirst how shall wee distinguish then betweene these two that purifying disposition in the Saints and those vanishing purposes that carnall men may haue that never had experience of the worke of grace of that purity of heart that wee speake of To this I answer briefly you shall know the difference by this 〈◊〉 godly man when hee falls into sinne and is defiled with it hee washeth himselfe from day to day you shall find alwayes this that he gets ground of the sinne of the lust that manifests it selfe in any actuall transgression still it looseth by it it gathers not strength but looseth strength in a carnall man it is quite contrary his sinne still increaseth and intends the habit and the lust growes stronger and stronger it gets ground of him and those good things that he hath they are more and more worne out and so they grow worse and worse from day to day and that is the property of an evill man of vnregeneracie wheresoever it is apt to grow worse and worse and the more fal●…s they haue the more sinne gets ground and the more they lose but it is not so w●…th a holy man the more hee falls the more strength he gathers hee is the more holy by it the more wary and watchfull and the more hee is emptied of himselfe and drawes neerer to the Lord and is the more inflamed with loue to him hee is strengthened in faith and repentance and in every grace so that here the rule now hold●… not true that acts increase habits but the contrary acts lessen the habits which is a paradox i●… philosophy but here it is so If you aske how it can be I 〈◊〉 in its owne nature every act intends 〈◊〉 habit as well in 〈◊〉 ●…odly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man but it comes to passe by accident as 〈◊〉 say because ●…he grace in him 〈◊〉 stirred vp 〈◊〉 those foiles and slipps and those falls and infirmities to which he is subiect I say grace is stirred vp in him more and more and more and receiues more vigour and strength As we say of true valour it is increased more by opposition so it comes to passe that the more the childe of God falls into sinne the more grace is intended Sathan gets lesse ground as Hez●…kiah when hee fell into pride the pride of his heart was lessened more by it then when he shewed his treasure to the Ambassadour of the King of Babell he knew not before the pride of his heart that sinne that fall did manifest his corruption which hee did not see before So that when the heart is sincere when it is pure when there is a right principle within grace is set more on worke to resist sinne So David when he had numbred the people that made him more humble and therefore the Lord shewed him more mercy afterwards then ever he did before hee shewed him where the Temple should bee built and vsed him in that worke and never shewed him such mercie and kindnesse before I cannot stand to expresse particulars so it is with all the Saints their hearts are never better nor in more holy temper nor more fearefull to offend and in a more gratious disposition then after their falls and therefore consider that that thou bee not deceived that thou maist distinguish betweene this falling into sinne and washing your selues and that relapse to which evill men are subiect and keepe that for a rule that wheresoever there is true grace still it stirres it selfe more and more as it findes more resistance even as the winde and the water and the fire doth you know the water when it findes a stop it growes more vio lent and so the winde of the same nature is grace where it findes a stop and findes resistance it growes more strong and intent The heathen had a little glimpse of this truth when they said of vertue that it growes more fresh and vigrous by being wounded that is true of grace and holinesse the true vertue the more it is opposed the more it growes even as you see in opposition in the disputes of schollers and all kind of contentions in law or any thing

else the stronger the ob●…ection is where there is ability in the partie it produceth new notions and new answers and puts them more to it so these assaults and temptations when there is truth of heart within it drawes out more holinesse to God and more strength it multiplies the graces of God within so that the graces receive increase the more they are exercised and intended and sinfull lusts decrease the minde is more emptied forth the ch●…e that is in v●… and the drosse is more wi●…nowed out and the heart is more clensed from it So much 〈◊〉 serue for this that whosoever will come to the Lord in prayer must sanctifie him in his heart that is he must come with a holy and with a pure heart We haue shewed what this holinesse and purenesse is where is it consists and likewise how the obiection is answered that might deceiue vs. So much for that property I must adde another you shall find it Phil. 4. 6 whensoever you come to make your requests to the Lord this is another condition that he requires to be thankfull for the mercies you haue received received already in all things saith he let your requests bee made knowne to the Lord with thanksgiving as if he should say take heede of this that whensoever you come to put vp any petition to the Lord you forget not the duty of thankfulnesse but still when you come to a●…ke any thing that you want remember that you giue thankes for that you haue Beloved this condition must not be omitted you see the Lord himselfe puts it in very carefully let your requests be made knowne with prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving There is much reason why our petitions and requests should bee accompanied with thanksgiving to the Lord for is it not reason when you come to aske somewhat for your selues that you should doe that also that is acceptable to God will a man serue himselfe altogether to come meerely to aske the thing hee wants this a man man may doe out of loue to himselfe out of respect to himselfe but you must remember to do something that is pl●…asing and acceptable to the Lord. And therefore you shall finde in the old law they were commanded still to come with peace offerings that is ●…fferings wherein they expressed thankfulnes whensoever they had any speciall request to the Lord you shall find that was the manner in Levit. other places that such a mā as came to request any thing at the Lords hands might not come empty ha●…ded and what should he bring with him a peace offering what was that thankfu●…nesse for that peace he had enioyed that was a peace offering for peace is a generall word comprehending all kinde of mercies For what is our health but the peace of our humours within what is our cheerefulnesse and ioy but the peace of conscience within all the comfort wee haue in our name and ●…ate it is peace in the particular c so I say whensoever thou com●…est with a petition forget not to come with a peace offering that is forget not to come with thanksgiving to the Lord for that which thou hast received doe somewhat that is acceptable to him as well as seeke for that which is vsefull for thy selfe Beloved there is much reason for it because if a man be poring on his wants still if it be 〈◊〉 his mind when he comes to call vpon God it wi●… indispose him for 〈◊〉 performance it will beget murmuring and low●…enesse and discontent it will imbitte●… his spirit when as a man remembers many mercie●… t●…at he hath received when he makes a c●…talogue of them and innumerates them it sweeten●… 〈◊〉 spirit it makes him more gracious it acts those graces that are in him it drawes hi●… nearer to the Lord it quickens him it makes him more content●…d with his condition that he is in whereas o●… the other side forgetfulnesse of mercies when a man is onely intent vpon his petition to haue the thing done ●…e ●…kes in many times into that 〈◊〉 of disposition that we finde in children that when they cannot haue all that they would they throw away that which they haue so that is our fault many times when wee come and seeke to the Lord for any thing that we neede we are so intent vpon that that we forget all the mercies we haue received as if they were nothing the Lord would not haue it so but will haue vs remember what we receiue that wee may be content to want that our hea●…ts may be brought to pati ence and contentment vnder the crosse and to want what it sh●…ll please him for a time to deny vs as Iob reasoneth saith he I haue received good from the Lords hands it is his answere to his wife and shall I not receiue ●…ll so if a good man bee thankfull for mercies it will make him ready to doe so it will make him content with that present want for he lookes to that which hee hath had in hand When a man saith thus with him selfe thus and thus much good I haue received at the Lords hands what though I want such a thing what though I be prest with such an affliction and calamitie I will be content to beare it I say the Lord lookes for this expostulating with him and murmuring against him is not a meeke manner of asking things at his hands but when a man so askes that withall he is content to be denied if his good pleasure bee so Now thankfulnesse for mercie makes vs ready to be so affected to be willing to be denied to be content to resigne our selues to the Lord and therefore he will haue thankfulnesse to goe with it whensoever wee come to aske any thing at his hands And therefore obserue that whensoever you come to seeke the Lord you bee thankefull for the mercies you haue had remember them for it is a great meanes to prevaile in our requests Thankfulnesse is as it were the insense that perfumes your petitions that makes them acceptable and prevalent with the Lord so much the sooner Prayer goes vp without incense when wee offer vp our petitions without thankfulnesse because that is a sacrifice as you know it is called the cal●…s of our lips and ever when you ioyne thankfulnesse with your petitions it is like a sacrifice mingled with it that helpes to prevaile for you The next condition is and it must not be forgotten of all the rest that we come to the Lord in the name of Iesus Christ. This is a thing commonly knowne you will say who knowes not that except we come in the name of Christ no petition can be acceptable Beloved I say to you in that case a●… t●…e Apostle Iames spea●… Ia●… 4. where hee giues this rule that wee should say if the Lord will wee will doe such and such a thing to morrow c. and when the answere would bee ready who knowes