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	sin_n	sinner_n	3,410	5	7.5691	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91948	A faithfull friend true to the soul or The soules self-examination, preparing it self for the great triall of life or death eternall in the other world, in 86. quæries. Whereunto is added, the Christian jewell of faith, or the ready way to beleeve and be saved. By Timothy Rogers, minister of the church at Chappell in Essex.	Rogers, Timothy, 1598-1650?.	1653 (1653)	Wing R1854; Wing R1853; Thomason E1390_1; Thomason E1390_2; ESTC R209369	33,600	195

part in humbling the soule both by inlightning and wounding it in those eight particulars aforementioned next comes in the * Eph. 1.13 Gospell to doe its part CHAP. 4. How the Gospell workes to the bringing us to beleeve savingly in Christ THe working of the Gospell in this humbled soule consisteth in eight things also for the bringing forth of faith in him 1. It inlightens him to see two things First that God of his meere good will and mercy to miserable lost sinners hath provided them a sufficient meanes viz. Christ whereby to be saved and delivered * 1 Thes 5.9 from his eternall wrath Iohn 3.17 1 Iohn 2.2 not excluding any that will accept of it Revel 22.17 upon Gods termes and in his order that is by being first humbled and so made capeable thereof Secondly That God is as willing to shew him mercy as any other Ioh. 3.16 yea will doe it and save him by this meanes Christ if he will but trust God on his word and beleeve this his goodwill to him and that he hath provided this meanes for him so that if he be not saved it is because he would not trust God but thinkes that God meanes not so well to him as he speakes Iohn 3.16 That whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish Thus the doctrine of the Gospell inlightning the humbled sinner is as a voice that comes from the Holy One saying Heare thou poore Soule hearken unto me now thou canst doe nothing for thy selfe see what God is willing to doe for thee hereupon followes 2. Admiration wherewith he is so rapt as that it is with him as it was with the Church upon their so strange Returne out of Captivitie Psal 126.1 they were like them that dreame He wonders much at this a thing so admirable that God should offer a Remedie and that such an one to man so great a sinner whereas not one of the Angels that sinned ever had such a favour offered them though there be millions of them this I say is wonderfull to him though as yet he beleeves not this Remedie to himselfe but understands a possibilitie wherin he may be included as to a miserable captive the news of a release for some of the Company is admirable to him upon the generall intelligence though as yet he know not whether he be one of them 3. Conviction the Gospel holds him to it whereas he goes about to put it from himselfe O thinks he this is good indeed but too good for me that is not for me I am so great a sinner nay saith the Gospel Whosoever beleeveth shall not perish and therefore if thou wilt that is for thee as well as any other unlesse by not beleeving it thou deprive thy selfe of it and a broken heart Psal 51.17 God will not despise being offered to him such an one is thy heart 4. Consultation He fals to reasoning with himselfe what he were best to doe What thinks he doth God indeed bid me beleeve his good will to me by Christ and to be perswaded thereof yes and gives me good leave and warrant yes What God to shew me mercie Why to me What is in me What reason have I to be so perswaded none at all but onely because God bids me that is great reason What danger is' t if I do not oh the greatest sin of unbelief and contempt of the Grace of God thus offered me and it will be unrecoverable losse of my Soule What danger is' t if I doe now beleeve this his good will and meaning to me by Christ None at all but shall please God best and shall find sure mercie and Salvation 5. Resolution He comes to resolve and puts himselfe upon this point with unfained Resolution thus to doe he gives his mind and inclines his heart to it thus well then seeing it pleaseth God best and is best for my Soule and no danger in it I being rightly humbled I will then venture my Soule upon Gods word and bidding and rest perswaded that he meanes me well even me and my poore soule by Christ Yet now there is difference between this his Resolution and his doing of it which followes afterward 6. Longing affection finding for all this his Resolution how unable he is to performe it he fals to an heartie desiring and earnest longing for it very highly prising of it Oh thinkes he that I could so doe that I could be so happie the Lord the Lord give me Grace to doe it whatsoever betides me in this world though I beg my bread this desire is very earnest longing for this rather then any thing as one pressed to death desiring water or a condemned man a pardon as David for the waters of Bethlehem and the chased heart after the water brookes Psal 42.1 this is the hungring and thirsting of the Soule whereof the Scripture speakes and whereto the Promise is made Matth. 5.6 John 7.37 7. Supplication This his desire is so strong and vehement that it can no longer hold in but breaks forth in Prayer to God First as the Prodigall and Publicane in humble and heartie Confession of his sinfull Condition thinking none so great a sinner as himselfe feeling his owne burden best and abasing himselfe to nothing in regard of his owne unworthinesse yet secondly in earnest fuit and petition to God to give him that blessed remedie and an heart to embrace it which he sees of his good will he hath provided for him even Iesus Christ that he may be well perswaded of it to his Soules Comfort and thus continues every day praying which is his hanging upon Christ and crying after him he will have no nay nor let him goe but thus clings closely to him 8. At length God graciously answers his request with Son thy sins are forgiven thee be it unto thee as thou hast desired and so workes it in him as in the Creation when God said Let there be this or that it was so so now workes in him a true perswasion of his good will in Christ even to him and of bestowing Christ a Remedie on his Soule and that by him he shall have Grace and Mercie and be saved and that in this sort the humbled sinner thinks thus God hath given me an heart to desire it and to pray unfainedly for it and it is according to his will I should do so now he heareth the desire of the humble Psal 10.17 and If we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 Joh. 5.14 Therfore I am perswaded he will grant it me even the blessed Remedie Christ with all his benefits to the everlasting Salvation of my Soule This now is a true perswasion and thus is faving Beliefe wrought and brought forth at length by the Gospel Object But his prayer for it is not altogether according to the will of God and therefore is he not mistaken for his ground 1 Iob. 5.14 and so his perswasion false Ans Nor is

Quest Whether are the Promises to be applyed to one truly humbled by the Law and enlightened by the Gospel c. touching the Remedie proffered to him though not yet ressolved to rest perswaded thereof but puts it from himselfe because of unworthinesse Ans Apply the Promises to him we may not because they doe not belong to him till he * Gal. 3.22 beleeve but the precept of Beleeving ought to be applyed to him that is he is to be exhorted to give his minde to be perswaded of Gods good will to him in offering him the Remedie in good earnest and is as willing to shew him mercie and to bestow the Remedie on him as on any other so that be refuse it not and so judge himselfe * Act. 13.46 unworthy of everlasting life therfore he is to be required by resolving theron desirously to accept thereof which is to Beleeve CHAP. 6. The Grounds of true Beleeving Qu. YOu have shewed how the humbled sinner by the working of the Gospel comes to beleeve but upon what Grounds doth he thus beleeve A. He hath his Grounds for else that were as a building without a Foundation but it is not any thing in himselfe only he is prepared for and made capable of the Remedie by sound Humiliation as CHAP. 3. his Grounds are all in God as 1. His Free Proffer and good leave whosoever will Rev. 22.17 and any one that thirsteth Joh. 7.37 2. His Will who would have him do so Ioh. 6.40 3. His Desire as though God beseech you by us saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 4. His Command requiring and charging him to beleeve This is his Cōmandement that we should beleeve on the Name of his Son 1 Joh. 3.23 so that he should highly offend God Make him a liar 1 Joh. 5.10 and set the Grace of God at naught if he did not 5. His Promise that he shall not in so doing have the Repulse Him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out saith Christ Ioh. 6.37 and therefore most safetie herein Thus though he see no cause why in himself any more then his own necessitie yet because it is Gods Will and Desire Command with Promise c. he gives his minde and bends his will to rest perswaded of Gods good will to his Soule by Christ This is to beleeve meerly upon Conscience when we see in our selves no reason why we should doe so yet because it is Gods will this is the best beleeving for the lesse there is of our selves in beleeving the better it is and this will sticke surest by us nor is so subject to waverings and reelings as otherwise Let it be well marked for divers mistaking their Grounds and looking for something in themselves to ground on loose their way and are so wofully bewilderd that thereupon they are in great perplexitie * See more Chap ● the 6. help Now the partie drawing to a perswasion upon the foresaid right grounds this is such a thing as should be done once for all seeing it is done in Conscience and according to truth therfore he should doe it with this mind and meaning to rest thus perswaded now and for ever and never to deny it or yeeld to doubting of it afterward it must be advisedly done as in Marriage once for ever wherein there is an accepting and covenanting not for the Marriage day only but for all their life this is a great setling to Faith Q. How may one know whether he beleeve thus on Conscience because God wils and commands it A. Then he will as well make Conscience of obeying God in other things because he Commands us to be humbled for sin to repent thereof to renounce all knowne sin yea to part with our best beloved sins and to take up the Crosse and follow Christ to embrace self-deniall true holinesse and Sanctification and the like CHAP. 7. Divers Objections answered which hold back ones beleeving after he is throughly humbled THE broken-hearted and humbled sinner for of such an one I speake and the Answers to the Objections following are only meant to such an one is pestered with many Objections to keep him off from beleeving some before the birth of Faith and while it is in conception some afterwards for now Satan assaults him as the red Dragon stood before the woman ready to be delivered Rev. ●2 4 to devoure her Child as soon as it was borne now that a Soule is breaking loose or broken from him he bestirres himselfe to fetch back his prisoner some of which objections most usuall are these 1 Object If I be not elected I cannot beleeve doe I what I can and whether I be elected I cannot tell A. Trouble not your selfe with Gods secret will Beleeve and you are elected then you shall know and before you cannot you must first know that you beleeve before you can know that you are elected 2 Obj. I cannot beleeve unlesse God inable me A. True yet God requires you to be willing to take abilitie when he offers you as now he doth 2. To use abilitie as he bestowes it on you in making you willing therein he inables you in some measure he would have you put forth this Strength to the uttermost and doe what you can for your heart to beleeve else it is as if one deadly hungry having Food offered him should say I cannot feed unlesse God give me abilitie and so not assay nor trie to doe what he can to eat or for leaving of sin as if one should say I cannot leave sin unlesse God inable me and so continue in sin nay thou must give thy minde and will and yeeld thy selfe to doe it and so it is for beleeving 3 Obj. I feare I have not been rightly humbled all my trouble was onely for feare of hell Ans It can be no other till you beleeve there is nothing but Law till Grace come there can be no love of God in you till you taste the sweetnesse of his love to you by Christ * 1 Joh. 4.19 first which is by beleeving 2. If it be only therefore it doth indeed prove you doe not as yet beleeve but yet it proves withall that you are prepared to beleeve and may so doe now safely and without danger 4 Obj. But I feare I was never humbled enough and as I see some others have been A. 1. Others must not be your measure the Lord deales differently If one woman have not so grievous paine in Child-bearing as another doth it prove her no mother of a Child 2. If you feare it that is a signe you desire to be humbled throughly an Argument of the Truth of it 3. If you unfainedly desire whole Christ to sanctifie as well as save you above any thing then you have been humbled enough 4. If you can feelingly pitie others that are humbled and distressed in soul and not be angrie with them nor count them fooles as carnall people doe that 's a signe

you know what belongs to it 5. Have you been driven out of all good conceit of your selfe seeing nothing but matter of damnation in you not thinking your selfe better but as bad as any bodie and deserving damnation as much as any one And secondly your heart so oppressed with sorrow thereupon that it would not let you be at quiet nor content your selfe in the comfort of any thing without Christ for griefe of your lost Soule so that no worldly Joy could extinguish it nor rid you of this sorrow but only the Joy of Beleeving and thirdly hath made you therefore resolve to get Christ if possibly you could though you loose all else if it hath been thus with you you have been humbled enough to make you capable of beleeving Qu. What should they doe that have not beene humbled enough A. Let them studie well and throughly of the vile nature of sinne which * 1 Sam. 3.13 makes us vile what infinite wrong it doth to God what daring and provoking of him what a poysonfull thing and murderer of our souls not the least * Job 33.27 good to be gotten by it but the greatest losse most hateful to God and hurtfull to our selves they that plod well on this it will make them thinke more basely of themselves and humble them more Hee that would be a meet subject of mercy must bee throughly abased in him selfe the world accounts of us thereafter as we set forth our selves but God thereafter as we abase our selves 5 Object How is it likely that God favours me so well as to give me Christ whenas all good people have discountenanced me and not cared for me for my naughtinesse A. Both God and they have so long as you followed your ignorant profane or meer civill course but now that you are changed as sure as Gods people so surely God himself makes reckoning of you and likes you well 6 Obj. But now my old friends and companions cast me off A. It 's a signe of Gods better liking of you for that which the world most despise is most welcome to God namely a dejected Soule and broken heart this is a sweet * Psal 51.17 Sacrifice to him 7 Obj. But I am so unworthy c. A. If you stand upon worthinesse Christ can profit you nothing the more you see your unworthinesse and groane under it the fitter you are for him and he for you as if one readie to starve having an Almes offered him by one extreamely wronged by him should say O nay I am unworthy and so chuse rather to die than to receive it just so doe you 8 Ob. If I could prevaile more over my corruptions I should have some good hope but they alas are so many so strong that my heart failes me A. The cause why your corruptions prevaile so much is want in Beleeving and because you do not as God bids you to beleeve that he will save you by Christ he will have you know if you get any Grace at his hand it must be by doing as he bids you and not by disobedience if you would beleeve this better you should finde such admirable sweetnesse in Gods love as should constraine you to love him more and the more you love him the more should you hate sin and corruption which is contrarie to him and the more you hate that the more it would wast in you for it is your love to it that nourisheth it and makes it thrive and shoot up in you In a word your Beliefe must be stronger that your corruptions may grow weaker therefore give your minde to it as good at first as at last Beleeve stedfastly in the Grace of God 9 Object But I feare if I should thus perswade my selfe I should presume Ans Feare not that you being rightly humbled for that perswasion that goes before sound Humiliation is presumption but not that which followeth it if you can attaine to a grounded perswasion after safe and good to presume is to be perswaded when one should not not when hee should as now you should and ought feeling the burden of your sins God requires it of you Matth. 11.28 10 Object But there are a very few Beleevers therefore I am afraid I am none of them A. Few indeed yet not because God is unwilling to save more but because so few will accept of his proffer on his Termes which if thou wilt it 's all one to thee few or many 11 Obj. I feare I have sinned against the Holy Ghost because I have often resisted that good Spirit and gone against my Conscience A. But thou wilt not renounce Gods Truth nor as an enemie maliciously persecute it therefore hast not committed that unpardonable sin 2. Thou grievest forthy resisting the Spirit and wilt be more carefull not to doe so how then hast thou committed that sin whereof one cannot repent when thou seest thou dost even now repent of it 12 Obj. I feare if ever I had it that I have lost it again because I have not such Joy and Cheerefulnesse as I had at first A. You cannot loose it if you had it not before and if you had it before you cannot loose it because its a thing that * 1 Pet. 1.5 and 9. cannot be lost as for your Joy it is with you as with the Church ravisht most with Joy upon their first deliverance out of captivitie Psal 126.2 and yet their deliverance lasted long after or like the creeple Act. 3.8 who upon his unexpected cure shewed greatest Joy at first and yet he was as sound of his limmes long after 13 Obj. I feare I shall not be able to hold out because Satan and my corruptions are so strong and my Faith so weake if I have any Ans God who hath begun the good worke will finish it Phil. 1.6 and Christ is both Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.11 not onely the Beginner but also the Finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 A living member of Christ cannot perish unlesse he should perish with him as the members of the body cannot be drowned without the head 14 Ob. O it is a difficult matter to beleeve truly A. The matter of difficultie is most in the will be you more willing and it will be more easie CHAP. 8. The maine Lets to the getting of saving Beliefe in meere naturall ones THere are many Lets and Hinderances that keep men from getting of it some of the Chiefe are these 1. Ignorance not knowing what it is how good and how they ought to labour for it such God sweares shall not enter into his rest Psal 95.10 11. because they know not his wayes 2. Feare and Distrust lest God will not give it them though they seek it whereby they do him no small dishonour seeing he hath promised the contrarie Matt. 7.7 Seeke and ye shall finde 3. Spirituall Pride and well-conceitednesse of themselves We are all by nature as full of pride and selfeconceitednesse as

as a stolne thing 2. If it be well bred that is both by Law and Gospel as CHAP. 3. 4. things of the right breed are of the right kind 3. If it were much longed for and with difficultie obtained as Hannah obtained her Samuel 4. If it came by way of bargayning for Christ as CHAP. 9. was shewed For the second it may be known by its Followers as a Noble man by his Traine and Reteinue Nay Faith may be more readily and easily knowne by the * A Posteriori Fruits and Effects following then by * A Priori the Causes and things foregoing though this be the surer but both together do best as life by motion fire by heat the Sun by its Reflection on the wall or in the water a Seale by the print on wax may be as verily known as if you looke upon the things themselves Now then besides those immediate effects of true Beleeving mentioned CHAP. 11. it may be discerned by divers other in time and afterward as thus 1. It is a Living Faith both because it hath Life and Operation in it Gal. 5.6 It will * Si malè non benè operatur mortua est Aug. Enchir. cap. 67. worke for God and against sin as also because it makes us alive to God Rom. 6.13 2. It loves and desires the Word Gods Ordinances and holy meanes Psal 84.2 because first it 's begotten thereby as a Childe or young thing beares love to the breeders secondly they are nourishment to it as we being hungry love our food 3. It makes a new Creature purifying the heart Act. 15.9 and playning the life Rom. 6.4 It makes them vertuous knowing Gods will temperate patient godly which before were contrarie 2 Pet. 1.5 they therefore that joyne not to their Faith vertue but vice not knowledge but ignorance not Temperance but intemperance not Patience but impatience not Godlinesse but ungodlinesse their Faith is vaine and they not being new Creatures are not true Beleevers For Christ will draw all those his way in conformitie after him that partake of him as the Loadstone will draw the iron after it that comes within the reach of its vertue 4. It works repentance and abandoning of sin for a true hold of Christ will make us let goe our hold of sinne Obj. There is sin in the best Ans Sinne in the faithfull is like an harlot beaten out of doores which yet lies lingring in corners and out-roomes of the house though detested and not endured in sight but sin in unbeleevers is like an harlot harboured and maintained in the best roomes and delighted in Faith makes us grudge sinne any roome in this house of Christ whose honse are we Heb. 3.6 and this is Repentance 5. It will make one not content with thinking he hath it but to be very desirous and take paines to be sure and certaine he hath it 2 Cor. 13.5 6. It will worke selfe-deniall in us because we have given our selves away to Christ now as the wife to her husband Rom. 7.4 1 Pet. 4.2 3. Selfe-deniall First in regard of God for having doing suffering as he will and not as we would our selves so Christ Not as I will but as thou wilt Matt. 26.39 Secondly in regard of our neighbour in and for God Rom. 15.2 in * Col. 3.13 forgiving for bearing not doing them the least wrong to doe our selves the greatest benefit seeking and heartily desiring their good as if it were our own 1 Cor. 13.5 well requiting though they ill-deserving 7. A true Touch of Christ by Faith will draw vertue from him as Luk. 8.46 Matt. 14.36 as to the health of their Bodies so will it for the Soul much more and for the working of a Cure thereon it drawes from Christ the vertue of Holinesse and the closer we stick to him the more shall we draw from him as a plaister the closer it sticks the more it drawes 8. It makes us complaine of much want in our Faith and weaknesse in our Beleeving out of a sense of unbeliefe in us as a burden to us as Mark 9.24 Lord help my unbeliefe 9. It desires more and more earnestly the Favour of God and still better Assurance of it and therefore will make us 1. Not to favour our selves so much in sinne which stands not with Gods Favour 2. Not to be contented in any prosperitie without it 10. To long more after the Sweetnesse of Christ as Lovers that are agreed and contracted long for the Marriage day and the perfecting of their loves and as a Child that hath once tasted the sweetnesse of the bigg hunts more earnestly after it Faith longs therfore for Christs comming 2 Cor. 5.28 Cant. 8.14 Rev. 22.20 11. It expels worldlinesse from ruling in us 1 Ioh. 5.4 with 2.16 Heb. 11.26 So as a true Beleever cannot be a worldling that is to love worldly things more then Grace and Godlinesse no more then he can be a Iudas because Faith findes All-sufficiencie in Christ as Iacob for his Ioseph Gen. 45.28 so the true Beleever for his Iesus he can be content to want all so he have him 12. It exchades boasting of our gifts good parts good deeds Rom. 3.27 For first the more we perceive Gods mercie and love to us the more his Excellency and bountifulnesse appeares which will make us adore and reverence him in the more humilitie as a great personage the better he is knowne the more he is honoured Secondly the more we comprehend his mercie and Favour the more we apprehend our miserie standing in need thereof which will make us the more humble 13. It workes in us inward Spirituall Life now Christ liveth in us Gal. 2.20 and we in him which may be knowne as the naturall life 1. By the * Palpitatio cordis working of the heart panting after God Psal 42.1 and by beating of the pulses in our regular motions of constant endeavours and Holy Obedience Psal 50.23 2. By the Operation of the Senses Discerning good and evill effectually Heb. 5.14 3. By breathing a spirituall and a sweet breath of Grace Eccl. 10.12 Col. 4.6 4. By the motion of hand and foot which move to God and for God in all holy Actions contrary to the wicked mans speaking with his feet and instructing with his fingers Prov. 6.13 14. It cannot abide but driveth out Hypocrisie which serves not God for love but for by-ends for hypocrisie is all in feigning but Faith is unfained 2 Tim. 1.5 as contrarie as light and darknesse 15. It will not let us make haste to use ill or forbidden meanes to help our selves Isai 28.16 Psa 40.1 as it kept David from killing of Saul to hasten into the Throne for beleeving in God will not make us goe away from God as to hasten by evill meanes is to run away from him and we must be faine to come backe againe by Repentance 16. True beleeving obtaines what it beleeves viz. things for present