Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A04602
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Our sauiours iourney to the Gadarens: or the loue of Christ vnto man. Written by I. Iones Bachelour in Diuinity, and parson of S. Nicholas Acons, London
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Jones, John, 1574 or 5-1636.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 14720; ESTC S102837
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54,929
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145
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raging storme this first word Then will make vs stay a while by the way Then he arose c. Then When was that may some man say Why when but when the rage was greatest in the midst of the gust when the windes whistled loud and the sea went high when their ship was full of water and Mariners and passengers were all at their wits end Then hee arose and rebuked the winde ond the raging of the water c. A dangerous time beloued when cunning had left them and the mercilesse waues must haue mercy vpon them then it was high time for him to awake out of sleepe The loudnesse of the windes and the raging of the waters they might both togethet seeme to bee S. Ieromas bell that alwayes he thought hee heard ringing in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium arise and come forth streight way vnto Iudgement A terrible and fearefull sound for vs whose liues are nothing else but as S. Aug. speakes splendida peccata glorious sinnes sinnes all ouer whose whole liues haue beene subiect to the law of sinning and so S. Paul calles it in the seuenth to the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7.23 because wee haue so inured our selues to sinning euen from our cradles and do so continually endeuour our selues for to commit sin as though we were bound by law to the performance of it Wee haue been past shame in sinning And as Absolom in 2. Sam. 16. committed his folly in the sight of Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 so wee haue not sticked to commit our abhominations at high noone in the market-places of our streetes as though we did desire to make God a lyar who calles all sins in generall opera tenebrarum deeds of darknesse because they spring and come from the Prince of darknesse and are rewarded in hell a place of vtter darknesse We I say by committing of them in the fight of the Sunne doe as much as in vs lies make them Opera lucis daily sinnes and therefore vnto vs this account were very fearefull Man saith S. Cyprian is growne audacious in his sinning and hath steeled his fore-head in committing of them so that hee knowes not how to blush when he is reproued for them Nullus delinquendi pudor saith he sic peccatur quafi magis per ipsa peccata placeatur we are past all shame saith hee in our finning and so wee do striue with our selues for the committing of them daily as though Almighty God were not offended with vs for them but rather highly pleased and delighted with them But from this kinde of sin good Lord for his mercy sake deliuer vs all to sinne so greedily as that forthwith we should take a delight and pleasure in our sinning for commonly these kinde of sins they haue annexed vnto them duritiem cordis a hardnesse of heart so that if God will reclaime such a kinde of sinner he must as it is said in the Gospell Math. 3.9 worke it out of the very Flint Math. 3. Ex lapidibus suscitare filios Abrahae out of stones he must raise vp children vnto Abraham and this condition there is none but will grant is very dangerous To dye in this case will draw a seuere iudgement indeed vpon man for they shall be iudged with a fearefull iudgement whose liues haue beene free from a iudgment here Those I say that haue liued here ill vpon the earth and not made their peace with their heauenly father before they haue gone hence all those shall the great iudgment oppresse and cast out into vtter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth But this though it might affright vs as who are guiltie of many transgressions yet it could no way daunt our Sauiour at all for he was not guiltie of the least thought of sinne neither originall sinne nor actual sinne could once fasten vpon him his conception and birth being without all staine as being conceiued by the Holy Ghost his whole life it was a satisfaction for actuall transgressions and therefore though both winde and seas should rage neuer so terribly yet hee might sleepe as secure in the middest of the storme as any one of vs in the greatest calme and quiet that may be Neither yet were the raging of the windes or the roaring of the waters of sufficient authoritie to haue awaked him had it not been the cry of the Disciples that had moued him to pitie Master Master we perish was the Trumpet that moued him to rouze himselfe and take compassion of his forlorne companie Their imminent danger made them pray hartily vnto their Sauiour their feare of perishing made them not waxe weary in their prayers but pray vntill they awaked him to their rescue God he loues an earnest admonisher and is delighted especially with an importunate suiter and therefore many times doth deny men their requests at the first that hee might heare them more constant and feruent vnto him in their prayers afterwards constant as the Apostles here who continue their intreatie euen vnto death Master Master wee perish And this same duty of prayer it is so naturall as that euen the vn-reasonable creatures doe not omit it but pray in their kindes Psa 104. Psa 104.21 The Lyons suffering hunger saith the Psalmist they pray vnto the Lord they seeke their meate at God And so the yong Rauens in the 147. Psalme the Lord indeed saith the Prophet feeds them but first they call vpon his name for so he saith Psa 147.9 Who feedest the yong Rauens that call vpon thee And that all excuse may be taken away from man in this kinde so that ignorance might not be pretended by him it is S. Cyprians note that qui fecit te docait te etiam orare that he that at the first made man and fashioned him in his mothers wombe he hath taught him also to call vpon his name he hath framed a praier for him himselfe if perhaps he should be so dull of vnderstanding as not to be able to conceiue prayer of himselfe and commanded him to vse it also When you pray saith he say Our Father c. I maruaile what some hot spirits in the world will say to this same speech of our Sauiours here who would not haue his prayer vsed amongst men but that they should pray altogether as the spirit giues them vtterance Here I am sure we haue Christs Dicite for their ne dicite his command against their prohibition But I follow my Text. Math. 7.7 Our Sauiour in the seuenth Chapter of Saint Matthewes Gospell in three words sets downe the whole duetie of man in this kinde Pet◠Quare Pulsa Aske saith he seeke knocke First we must humbly aske those things that are necessary for vs and yet are wanting vnto vs for hee with-holds them to make vs more earnest in the desiring of them Deus non dat nisi petenti ne dee non cupienti saith Saint
vs likewise from sudden and vnexpected death because that commonly sudden death and vnprepared death they goe both together we cannot liue so warily here not the best of vs all but if God should take vs vpon the present wee might haue many things obiected against vs which we would bee all willing should be concealed in that great and generall day of Iudgement God grant vs all time of repentance here hee grant vs also that wee doe not mis-spend that time that he giues vs but in it heartily repent vs of our sins that so in the last and finall day of iudgement we may all haue that blessing pronounced vpon vs that the Prophet Dauid pronounceth vpon all the righteous Psal 32. Beatiquorum remissae sunt iniquitates Psal 32.1 blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sin is couered Then blessed shall they be vnto whom the Lord will impute no sin And as for those who thinke they liue so warily as that they are alwayes prepared for death let them stand vpon their owne innocency and haue no part in this prayer of ours The heathen I say they thought it a happinesse to haue a sudden death to light vpon them and so Plinie in his seuenth Booke and 53. Cpapter wisheth that that might bee his lot and the Poet is not farre behinde him when he saith Mitius ille perit subita qui mergitur vnda Quam sua qui liquidis brachia lassat aquis He dies easier saith he who at the first dop doth lose his life then hee that in swimming doth struggle to drawe breath But wee that are Christians wee must resolue our selues on the contrary opinion their ignorance it was that caused them to wish for it but we we know besides the manner of death we know I say of a great account which euery one of vs is to make when this life shall be ended a matter that the Heathen scarce euer dreamed of where wee must make answere not onely for those sinnes of old age which the Prophet in the 38 of Esay Esa 38.15 calles annos sinnes of yeares sinnes of great standing but as the Psalmist speakes in the 25 Psal Delicta inventutis Psal 25 7. sins of wanton and recklesse youth and not onely those neither but in the 19 Psalme Psal 19.12 for secret sins that is saith S. Augustine in his Confessions for the sinnes we haue committed in our nonage before we knew either good or euill that we may haue the fewer inditements preferred against vs in that great and generall day of iudgement therefore wee desire respite for repentance here in this world which God grant vs all Amen They came vnto him but how Non passibus sed precibus saith S. Augustine not so much by their earthly paces though we must conceiue that euen in those they hasted vnto him as by their winged prayers they poasted towards him they praied vnto him for had they not humbly supplicated as well as run vnto him they might all very well haue perished in the furious tempest To pray it is naturall for Man and so much Aristotle by the purblinde eye of nature could see Natura sairh he inseruit homini vt sacrificet Man by nature saith hee is made a continuall Beades-man vnto his maker alwayes to haue recourse vnto him and this propertie of nature grace hath confirmed from time to time in the righteous man to haue recourse vnto his Maker so Dauid in his distresse in the 68 Psalme Psal 68.16 when he is in-girt and compassed in about with his many enemies he turnes himselfe vnto the Lord Exaudi me Domiue heare me O Lord saith hee for thy louing kindnesse is good turne vnto me according vnto the multitude of thy tender mercies and hide not thy face from thy seruant for I am in trouble heare me speedily and draw nye vnto my soule and redeeme it deliuer me because of mine enemies c. So good Iehosophat in 2. 2. Chron. 20.13 Chron. 20. he saith cum ignoremus quid agere debeamus when we know not O Lord saith he what to doe then our eyes they are vpon thee And so S. Peter wishes that they alwayes should be 1. Pet. 5. Cast all your care vpon him for hee careth for you and if at any time they should haue recourse vnto God then most especially in their troubles and aduersities when mens soules are brought low vnto hell then they should call vpon his name heartily indeed and then aboue other times hee expects to bee called vpon Psal 50. Psa 50.15 Call vpon mee saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me whereupon Saint Augustine notes that it is Gods Memorandum vnto men to call vpon him Voce te saith hee vt inuoces me behold O man saith hee I put thee in minde of it if thou haue forgotten that then aboue all other times thou haue recourse vnto me Nay many times Almighty God doth lay afflictions and troubles here vpon men that they might bethinke themselues of their Prayers and flye vnto him in their sore distresse We may easily see the course of it By aduersitie God brings men first into a doubt and feare and then by feare into an acknowledgement of their owne necessitie and weaknesse and so consequently into a despaire of succour in themselues and by despairing in their owne meanes to thinke of meanes that may bee profitable vnto them and so at the last to the consideration of Gods vnspeakeable loue and kindnesse to them-wards And out of this againe considering that his mercie is great and his goodnesse from euerlasting hee raiseth vs vp againe to an assured trust and confidence in his mercies and out of this confidence wee are bold to make our Prayers and Petitions vnto our Father And therfore if either voluptuousnesse or anger or pride or any other sin shall be ready to attempt vs our refuge onely must bee to pray against them with Dauid in the 44 Psalme Psal 44.23 Exurge Domine awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise and cast vs not off for euer wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our trouble And in our prayers I make no question but we shall finde comfort if not deliuerance speedily If then any perish it is as God himselfe speakes in the 13 of Ose Perditio tua ex te ô Israel Ose 13.14 his destruction it is from himselfe because hee hath neglected his dutie vnto the Lord in calling vpon him to be mercifull vnto him They came vnto him and good reason too for if we would any thing with the Lord it is all the reason that may be that we come vnto him we haue need of him not he of vs then we must call nay we must cry vnto the Lord Psalm 3.4 Clamaui ad Dominum saith the Prophet Dauid I cried vnto the Lord with my whole voyce and he heard me