Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	goodness_n	great_a	sin_n	6,173	5	4.6117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66558	The vanity of mans present state proved and applyed in a sermon on Psalm 39.5. With divers sermons of the saints communion with God, and safety under his protection, in order to their future glory, on Psalm 73. 23, 24, 25, 26. By the late able and faithful minister of the Word John Wilson	Wilson, John, minister of the Word.; Golborne, J.	1676 (1676)	Wing W2905; ESTC R218560	137,734	239

8. Isa. 58. 11. To the goodness of his nature he adds his promise This he doth not to secure himself either from unmercifulness or inconstancy but to quicken and encourage them to faith and prayer Such is the veracity and faithfulness of God that when he hath engaged his word of promise he will be sure to perform Though men break their words and covenants are perfidious yet let God be true Let the difficultie as to the performance be what it will his word shall not fail nor his servants that trust in him be disappointed in their hopes Notwithstanding all the appearing unlikeliness that Gods promise to Abraham should be fulfilled to Israel his Seed that they should possess the Land of Canaan when they were in Egypt and sighing under their burdens and Taskmasters yet he will make himself known by his name Jehovah Josh 23. 14. Joshua amongst some of his last words tells the Elders and Judges of Israel and appeals to their own knowledge that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord spake concerning them All things saith he are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed hereof This is farther attested 1 Kings 8. Blessed be the Lord saith Solomon that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant God will shake even heaven and earth and overturn them rather than one promise of his shall fail 5. He guides them that he may at last take them up to his glory All that care and pains God exercises towards them here is that he may do them good in their latter end Deut. 8. 16. All the Afflictions upon Israel were that he might humble them and prove them and do them good at their latter end See the difference there is betwixt Gods proceeding with the wicked and the righteous All the mercies and judgments of God on them do but ripen them for vengeance and ruin them in the latter end Psal. 92. 7. When the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever He puts them in the fat pastures and thereby they are fatted for slaughter Job is a notable instance of Gods dealing and design with the righteous Job 42. 12. The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more then his begining And the Apostle mentions that ye have heard of the patience of Job and what was the end of the Lord. Psal 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace So in the Text Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel here and after receive me to glory This is not only a part of his kindness but it is in order to farther kindness He leads them saith Gejerus per Aspera ad Astra even by Hell to Heaven Object The next thing is to answer an Objection Doth God guide his people with his Counsel here How then comes it to pass they fall into such mistakes and miscarriages and those of an hainous nature As David guilty of gross miscarriages that complicated sin in the matter of Uriah Peter denying his Master with Oaths and execrations Did they look like those that were guided by Gods Counsel or Satans temptation an enemy to mankind and especially to the Church and people of God To this it is answered Answ. 1. This was not because he did not afford them Counsel but because they did not take his Counsel There was Counsel enough in the book of nature reason Conscience and the word of God that if they had taken heed to it they had not fallen so foully as they did 2. When I said he is an effectual guide I did not mean as to the preserving them from all sin but for the working of them to a state and life of saving holiness here and the lifting of them up to glory at the last Christ prayed for Peter that his faith should not fail the root of it dye though it was much weakned as to the act of confession which is the fruit of faith with the heart man believe thunto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made as a fruit and sign of the inward perswasion the current of Peters faith was stopt but the spring remained God hath entered into a Covenant of grace with his people by which he hath engaged himself to lead them through the valley of Achor unto the Land of rest though they may have many wandrings yet they shall not perish in the wilderness 3. Whereas he doth not guide them so as to preserve them from all sin but lets them fall into mistakes and miscarriages it is that he may make them more humble and exalt his own grace in the pardoning and saving of them As to instance in Paul that after he had faln into such mistakes and miscarriages God should receive him into favour He was a great sinner yet adhered to the letter of the Jewish Law as touching the Law blameless he was injurious a Persecutor he breathed out threatnings he was mad against the Church a zealot to do mischief Christ lets him go on after he had consented to the death of Stephen not only go so far when he might have laid him at his feet before but he lets him run on that in him he might manifest the riches of his grace and make him base and vile in his own eyes God who is rich raiseth to life those that were dead in sins Now was that eminent vessel of mercy ravished with the sense of Gods great goodness that had mercy on him and made him a Minister of reconciliation Ephes. 3. 8. Whereof I was made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given Oh that I should preach the Gospel how astonishing love and grace is this that the glorious Gospel of the blessed God should be committed to my trust that I should be enabled and counted faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious He thinks he can never think speak enough of this grace never acknowledge and give praise enough to God Amongst all the Apostles none so great an admirer of free grace as Paul How low thoughts hath he of himself not worthy to be called an Apostle because he persecuted the Church of God Thus notwithstanding the enormous outrages of those that are Gods chosen his grace shall fetch them in and notwithstanding great failures his called shall have grace enough to bring them unto glory 2. Use of Informat 1. Of the goodness of God as he expresses it in admitting them into Communion with him and holding them by the right hand So in receiving them up into glory Ephes. 2. 6. He hath raised us up

pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Not the most tender hearted mother doth yearn with such bowels of compassion towards her only Son as God doth toward his people Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee This love to them is the reason why he will uphold them Why did God lead Israel in the Wilderness why did he so eminently preserve them Because he loved them therefore he chose them to be a peculiar people above all people that were on the face of the earth Deut. 7. 6 7 8. And the reason why he loved them was because he loved them not any goodness or goodliness in them but because he loved them he set his love upon them He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy He will have compassion on whom he will have compassion Rom. 9. 15. Exod. 33. 19. God his love to his people is the ground and off-spring of all mercies to his people spiritual and temporal God so loved the world that he gave his Son Joh. 3. 16. Christ so loved his sheep that he laid down his life for them Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. God did extend and draw out his richest mercy for Israel he did extend kindness to them in the chusing of them in his covenant with them his promises to them his deliverances of them because he loved them I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31. 3. 2. From their great necessity They have none else to uphold them When the Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was bittter and that there was none shut up or left nor any helper 2 Kings 14. 26. Then he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the Son of Joash When he saw that there was no one to take up the righteous cause of his people then he arms himself He saw that there was none to help and wonder'd that there was none to uphold therefore his own arm brought salvation to him and his fury it upheld him Isa. 63. 3. And he put on righteousness as a breast-plate and an helmet of salvation upon his head he put on the garments of vengeance for cloathing and was clad with zeal as a cloak When he saw that there was no intercessor 3. From his Promise For the assurance and encouragement of his people he hath obliged himself by promise Isa. 41. 10 13. Fear not for I am with thee be not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness In the 13th verse the Promise runs in the words of the Text I will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee Sooner then Israel shall always groan under their burdens and Task-masters and the oath to Abraham and his seed be violated God will shew signs in Egypt and wonders in the Land of Ham Psal. 105. 27. Nay Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than one tittle of the promise of God should fail He that hath called his people according to his purpose out of darkness into his marvellous light will uphold them and preserve them blameless unto the coming of Christ Jesus Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it 1 Thes. 5. 24. 4. From their Prayers grounded and urged upon his Promise being sensible of the great evil and danger of sin knowing their proneness to slip they solicite God with their prayers to secure them from falling Psal. 51. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Uphold me according to thy word that I may not be ashamed of my hope Hold thou me up and I shall be safe Psal. 119. 116 117. When they are thinking of their danger sinking in the apprehension of it if they cry unto him he stretcheth out his hand and saves them 5. From his own honour and glory that is much concerned herein This is that which he proposeth to himself in all his performances This he is tender of zealous for will not have given to another This he would have us to propound to our selves in all our actions There is nothing he doth but he proposeth to himself therein the praise either of one Attribute or another He hath created all things for himself for the glory of his power goodness and other Attributes Whether things that be on the earth or things in heaven visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Col. 1. 16. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Rom. 11. 36. He hath created Jacob his servant for his glory he hath formed he hath made him Isa. 43. 7. God will look after his great name and it doth concern Gods glory much that his people should be upheld What would the enemies say if Israel should be cut of and turn their backs before their blaspheming adversaries God is a wise builder in Christ Jesus they are his workmanship now he doth not begin what he is not able to finish He is the Authour upholder and finisher of our Faith he will bring his people to their full stature unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Use of Informat 1. Of the transcendent and inexpressible goodness of God What manner of love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and be dealt with as his children friends familiars Here is goodness incomparable to admit beggars and worse that is sinners into fellowship with him Here is firmness of love and goodness that he will not forsake them whom he loveth he loveth to the end I will not leave thee nor forsake thee That he should admit not only into protection those that had cast off their allegiance and rebelled against him but communion This is condescention indeed Substantial and not Ceremonial as that of Princes many times is Revel 2. 1. He holdeth the Stars in his right hand and walketh in the midst of the seven Golden candlesticks 2. We may be informed of the difference between God and other friends Other friends look upon us as their Sun Dials when the Sun of prosperity shines upon us but when it is a black and dark day of Clouds and gloominess and thick darkness of trouble and distress then we signifie nothing to them But God deals not so with his people But when all are fled and gone he sticks close to his people Tribulation distress persecution famine nakedness peril sword cannot separate God from his people 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me

heaven we are taught in Scripture 1 Tim. 3. 16. God that was manifest in the flesh was received up into glory And that the head and members should be together is undeniable whether it be a body Naturall Politick or Mystical and so our Saviour seems to hold forth Joh. 12. 26. And for this reason he receives them up into glory that head and members that have suffered together may rejoyce together Rom. 8. 17. Being heirs of God joynt heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together Reas. 6. May be drawn from the preparation that hath been made in order to the taking of them up to glory 1. God hath prepared glory for them Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you John 14. 2. I go to prepare a place for you Those invisible inexplicable things of glory God hath prepared for them that love him This is the City that God hath prepared for them that are not minded to take up with the Kingdom of this world or the glory thereof Heb. 11. 6. And this preparation was made partly by the erecting of this glory at the Creation partly by sending his Son to purchase it for them 2. He hath prepared them for it They are the vessels of mercy which he hath afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. He makes them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. What work doth God make preparing happiness for them by his goodness his grace and mercy and preparing them by sanctification of the spirit belief of the truth that they may pertake with those that are sanctified of the glory ordained and made ready for them Reas. 7. From their prayers they pray that they may be received up into glory And when they have finished their course here they have done the work appointed them to do how do they long to appear before God in glory There is no one who retains any thing of the nature of a man but he would when he dies enter into glory Numb 23. 10. Balaam saith let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his The greatest despisers of godliness the persecutors of the servants of God that were thorns in the eyes of them by their holy Conversation and stinging convictions of their own wickedness would desire to be like these that they bitterly hated and injured What then may be expected from those that are of better principles and affections we may well account that as they pray that God would guide them by his Counsel here so receive them into glory How doth Moses desire to see Gods glory the back parts of which he was only capable of beholding flesh for he could not see his face and live Exod. 33. 18. I beseech thee saith he to God shew me thy glory By the goodness they partake of now they are inflamed with earnest desire to see the face of God in glory and how glorious will the mercy and grace of God appear in heaven Last Reas. He takes them up into glory that he may recompence them for the service they have done They have done him service though all according to strictness of demand renders them no more than unprofitable servants that have but done and not fully what they ought to have done Yet God is not unmindful of the good wills and the labours of his servants Heb. 6. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name And he so remembers it as to requite it as in other ways so principally in receiving them up into glory Mat. 25. 34. Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was a thirsty and ye gave me drink Hence it is called a reward Heb. 11. 26. He had respect to the recompence of reward Not that our service doth bear any proportion to it but that God hath promised glory thereunto Be thou faithful unto death and thou shalt have a Crown of life Use 1. of Information Of the wonderfull goodness of God What that he should be at the pains and care of guiding us here leading us by the hand teaching us to walk in his ways leading us in the ways of uprightness and after he hath done this take us up to glory oh what goodness is this Alas who or what are we that we should have to do with glory We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. That is of deserving it by any works or performances of our own We are not worthy of the least crumb of bread We have more reason to think of prisons gibbets flames and damnation than glory when we consider our deservings from God This is perfectly an act of grace and faithfulness grace in making the promise faithfulness in performing it 2. This informs us of the profitableness of Religion We may neglect blaspheme and persecute it but there is no way comparable to it Men may wonder and scorn at it and think strange that serious professors run not with them into the same excess bear patiently reproaches greatly esteem the reproach of Christ take joyfully the spoyling of their goods glory in tribulations not accept of deliverance but the servants of God see reason for it and great advantage in Religion though with persecution They have as much as heart can wish Whom have I in heaven but thee there is none on earth that I desire beside thee In the words immediately following 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Would you have honour pleasure length of days Prov. 3. 16 17. Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand are riches and honour Her ways are ways of pleasantness If these are not given in a carnal and sensual way they are in a nobler and better 3. This informs us of the happiness of the servants of God If we see a man that hath great things towards him we count him an happy man Mal. 3. 15. We count the proud blessed not because they are proud but because as it is said they have something to be proud of Happy then is the man that is in this case that hath God for his Lord that hath right to glory hath an expectancy of a Kingdom of glory which he shall not miss of or be in possibility to be dispossessed of A Kingdom that shall not be shaken There is abundance of difference betwixt the condition of worldly men and the servants of God As for the former their happiness is only for term of life but for the other their misery is only so Use 2. By way of exhortation 1. More generally To all you who would do well hereafter labour to be holy and the servants of God here Follow not your own understandings in

nor Land the depth of the Sea the uttermost parts of the Earth neither light nor darkness can secure us from him or hide us from his presence Jer. 23. 24. Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Oh great is the Earth and how spacious are the Heavens and yet he fills Heaven and Earth How wonderful is God herein To think he should fill up all places and distances Oh how amazing is it 5. There is none like God in his benignity and goodness There are some drops of it in men and Angels but in him there is an whole Ocean How Ioth is he to be angry how apt to forgive how ready to shew mercy and communicate of his goodness Psal. 33 5. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. He hath infinite goodness in him and he communicates thereof unto his creatures He deals it out to Angels and men The fowls of the air the beasts of the field the fish of the Sea they all live and feast upon his goodness There is not a fly or worm but it lives upon the goodness of God And then for the state of his people in the life to come his designs are wonderful Psal. 31. 19. Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee His wine is all good but yet he hath some that is better than the rest which he keeps till the last 6. There is none like him in Majesty and Glory There are some creatures that be very glorious The Sun is a very glorious creature What eye can withstand the strength of its raies behold its glory without dazzling when it breaks forth the Stars disappear as ashamed of themselves but yet all the glory thereof is but dark and despicable in comparison of what is in God When he steps forth then the Sun it self disappears as ashamed of its self If he speak the word the Sun is turned into darkness and the moon into blood Joel 2. 31. When he afforded a little manifestation of himself upon Mount Sinai what a strange appearance was there Exod. 24. 17. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel Oh then what will the sight of him be when he appears in all his Glory 2. As there is none like him in his nature so neither is any one like him in his Laws which do exceed all Laws whatsoever Many Princes in the world have had good and wholsom Laws but none had ever any comparable to the Laws of God Deut. 4. 8. And what Nation is there so great who hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this Law which I s●t before you this day As if he had said bring me a Nation of the world that hath such Laws as you have That these Laws are none such Laws I shall shew in five particularss 1. In their extraction there are no Laws like the Laws of God They come from heaven If any ask concerning them as our Saviour did the chief Priests and Elders concerning Johns Baptism whether they are from heaven or from men we may safely answer from heaven All other Laws come from the earth but his come from heaven There his tribunal is and from thence he dates those Laws whereby he rules the world It is a commendation to any thing that it comes from heaven Psal. 78. 24. Manna was more rare because it came from heaven it is called heavenly food the corn of heaven So this Law as the pure river of the water of life clear as Christal Rev. 22. 1. proceeds from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. And there needs little proof of it for it breaths forth heaven in every part of it 2. In their supreme authority they are such as are above all Laws whatsoever and to be observed before them There are not any Laws of any Prince or state in the world but the Laws of God are above them Other Laws may and ought to be respected but yet this will ever be the standing prerogative of the Laws of God to take place before them Nay so far are other Laws from an equality with his that they are no further to be obeyed than they comply with them And the Ministers of God are as to be faithful in declaring the whole counsel of God that they may be clear from the blood of all men so they are to take heed that they add not to this Law And what Balaam under the constraint of the spirit of God and restraint too said that should the embassadour of Christ out of good will and obedience Numb 24. 13. If Balack would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own mind but what the Lord saith that will I speak Nay though there be the wages of righteousness profered and the word of a King for the performance as Balaam had yet should we not step aside from the word of God 3. In their spirirituality no laws are like the laws of God They are such as reach the inner man our thoughts most reserved our reasonings most suitable and private our designs most deep and latent As for the Laws of men they reach only the outward man and no more falls under their authority or cognizance but the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. So that there is no man that makes conscience of it but if he have so much as an evil thought in his heart he is concerned about it Now this is a commendation of Laws that they are such as help to secure the inner man for as long as there are evil workings there the life cannot be good The Law of God who is the Lord of the Conscience and to whom it only is subject doth bid the inner man keep all right there and so preserves the ministerial acts of the outward regular and in order 4. In their Justice and righteousnesness there are no Laws comparable to them being such as that may they be observed there will be no such thing as injury or wrong in the world This was the matter of Moses his challenge to the Israelites Deut. 4. 8. To shew whether any Nation under the Sun had such Statutes and Ordinances as they There were at that time much people in the world and many Laws but there were none that were attended with such Justice as the Laws of Israel So far are the Laws of God from allowing evil that they allow not any motions that way Mat. 5. 4 22 27 28. An angry word is forbidden as well as Murder and Adultery in the heart nor do they allow any appearance 1 Thes. 5. 22. Abstain