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	lord_n	psal_n	4,045	5	7.5057	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15496	The anchor of faith Vpon which, a Christian may repose in all manner of temptations. Especially in that great and dangerous gulfe of desperation. Wherein so many ouer-whelmed with the weight and burthen of their sinne, and not resisting themselues by the hand of faith, vpon the promises and inuitations of Christ, haue with Caine and Judas most fearefully fallen and shipwrackt themselues, to the vtter confusion both of body and soule for euer.; Physicke, to cure the most dangerous disease of desperation	Willymat, William, d. 1615.	1628 (1628)	STC 25763.5; ESTC S102508	45,869	112

the law of his spirit which maketh vs to liue in him and hath set vs free from the right of sin and death in such sort that wee may no more feare sinne nor death by Iesus Christ who hath ouercome all for our wealth and hath reconciled vs eternally to his Father who as our deare Father from hence-forth will shew fauour vnto vs for the loue of Iesus Christ his deare Sonne and so will take from vs all our sinnes as though we had neuer committed them Euen so doth he promise saying Mich. 7.18 19. God is one God willing to shew vs grace mercy he wil turn to vs wil be fauourable he wil take away our iniquities cast our sinns into the depth of the sea And again it is said of Gods wōderfull mercies The Lord is full of compassiō mercy Psal 103.8.9.10 c long suffering of great goodnes He wil not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for euer He hath not delt with vs after our sins nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For look how high the heauen is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also towards them that feare him Looke how wide also the east is from the west so far hath he set our sins frō vs. Yea like as a father pittieth his own children euen so is the Lord merciful vnto them that feare him for he knoweth wherof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust c. Of the great mercies of God towards sinners read more in Psal 145.8.9 Places of holy Scriptures setting forth Gods great mercies and 147.8.10 in Ioel. 2.13 Math. 18.11 2. Cor. 1.3 Eph. 2.4 1. Tim. 1.13 vnto the 18. verse Surely these places are words of most rare and singuler comfort and they be certaine firme sure and vnchangeable spoken and pronounced by the eternall verity it selfe therefore not to be mistrusted or dispaired of But yet let vs take heed least that verse be verified in vs Stulti cum vitant vitia in contraria currunt Let vs not abuse Gods mercies making a cloake thereof to couer our sinnes Let vs not presume too far and say as in Ecclesiastic 5.6 The mercy of God is great he wil forgiue my manifold sins for mercy wrath commeth from him c. CHAP. 4 The fourth Chapter concerning the Remedies to be vsed against the fourth cause of Desperatiō arising of the doubts suggested by the Diuel vnto many men to bring them into dispayre of their saluation by meanes of the small number of those that shall be saued in comparison of the great nūber of the reprobate A catalogue or rehearsall of many thinges whereby the Diuell craftily tempteth men to sin and desperation GReat indeed is the power manifold meruailous are the polices deuices wiles subtilties assaults and suggestions wherewith and wherby that wylie Foxe that old bitten Dogge that subtle Sathan the Diuell dayly and hourely practiseth to entice allure and euen as it were to force multitudes of men heare on earth into one sinne or other wherunto he findeth and proueth them to be naturally inclined and last of all vpon one occasion or other into Desperation If he espieth a man to be rich How the diuel tempteth by riches and to haue worldly blessings through the gift of God then will he apply him earnestly by his prosperity to lull him asleepe in the forgetfulnesse of God in worldly Pleasures pleasant Vanities transitory delights comforts and solaces and by trusting in his riches to lift vp himselfe arrogantly aboue others to swell in pride and to contemne his brethren committing and that with great sawcinesse and boldnesse manie fond palpable and grosse errors and follies against Gods word euen as if hee should say Who is the Lord On the other side if a man be poore he laboureth therby to make him contemptible before the world How the diuel tempteth by pouerty to pinch and nip him with the want of many thinges necessary both for backe and belly that hee seeth before his face many others haue in great in aboundant measure he soliciteth him to steale Pro. 30.9 to take the name of God in vaine to seeke after gaine by vnhonest vnlawfull and vngodly meanes to murmure distrust blaspheme and despayre How the Diuell tempteth by friends Gen. 3.6 Iob. 2.9 Ester 5.14 If a man haue friends he will vse them as his instruments to tempt vnto some euill by their lewd and wicked counsaile as he did procure Euah to doe vnto Adam Iob his wife to Iob. Haman his Wife vnto Haman How the Diuell tempteth by enemies If thou hast enemies then will he prick thee foreward by their procedings and dealings against thee vnto vniust choller wicked anger and diuelish reuenge If thou be carefull for thy family wife and children he will take hold vpon that occasiō to stuffe thy heart with too much desire of hauing How the Diuell tempteth by carefulnes and getting by right or by wrong and thereby through extreame couetousnes make thee to forgoe all godlines and piety How the Diuell tempteth by security and carelesnes On the other side if thou be careles that 's it that he can make vse of also for as S. Bernard saith Infert diabolus securitatē vt inferat etiam perditionem c. In heauē Angels became diuels In Paradise Adam and Euah fel into disobedience In the schoole of Christ Iudas became a traitor to his Lord Maister al this saith S. Bern. through security and retchlesnes to keepe themselues in that good state wherein they were once set Hast thou strength thereby will hee take occasion to embolden and harden thee to doe iniury and wrong and to set vpon thy weaker Hast thou health and a strong able body How the Diuell tempteth by strength by health ablenesse of body beauty by those will hee induce and entice thée to one kinde or other of lewdnes and dissolutnes Hast thou beauty that will he make an instrument for bawdry an inticemēt and an allurement to voluptuousnes wanton delights Hast thou honour and dignity in the world How the diuel tempteth by honour and dignity thereby will he blow the bellows of pride audacity and boldnesse to oppresse to crush and tread vnder foote thine inferiours Hast thou viuacity How the Diuell tempteth by quicknes of spirit sharpnes of wit quicknes of spirit and sharpenes of wit and learning these also will he striue to abuse wrest to serue his turne to excogitate inuent and deuise a thousand vanities yea all the rare and excellent guiftes of God which God doth bestow on any man this Diuell this arch-enemy of mankind will leaue no waies nor meanes vnattempted to procure man to abuse the same to a cleane contrary ende if it were possible to that for which they were bestowed How the diuel tempteth by

Non tam scelus quod eom●isisti quam indulgentiae desperatio facit te penitus interire Not so much the si●● which thou hast done as thy despayr●● of forgiuenesse hath vtterly cast the● away Surely Iudas his despayre and distrust according to S. Augustine his opinion was a more grieuous sin them his treason in the betraying of his Maister Ier. super Psa 108. Wher-vnto agreeth S. Iero. Magis inquit offendit deum Iudas in ho● quod desperando scipsū suspendit quam in hoc quod d●ū tradidit Desperatio enim reddit hominem maledictum et protectione derindignum Iudas saith S. Ierome more offended God herein that in dispayre he hanged himselfe then in tha● hee betrayed his Lord and Maister Fo● Desperation maketh a man accursed 〈◊〉 vnworthy Gods protection And thu● likewise Cain his dispayring in God mercy after his murther committed was a more grieuous sinne then th● shedding of his brother Abell hi● blood For to adde Despayre to fo●mer sinnes is to drawe sinne afte● sinne as it were with Cart-ropes t● heape sinne vpon sinne to fulfill th● measure of iniquitie and so to pu●chase swift and most certaine damnat●on It is indeede the fashion and olde wont of Sathan When especially the Diuell beginneth to tempt to despayre to perswade man when hee hath once committed many haynous sinnes after his owne sinnes to despayre and so to commit the greater sinne after the lesser which is as if an vnlearned ignorant ond a murthering Physition should cause his Patient for the remedring of a little cold taken to drinke the iuyce of Hemlocke which by adding cold to cold is most sure to bring present death Or as if a man hauing an Ache in one of his fingers should cut off the whole hand to take away the Ache of a finger Note what kinde of phisick and surgery the Diuell practiseth Euen such like Phisicke and Surgery doth the Diuell practise to minister vnto lewde and wilfull sinnors when hee inticeth and draweth them after many precedent haynous sinnes through despayre of finding mercie and forgiuenesse to shorten their liues by killing and murthering them-selues by poysoning by stabbing by throat-cutting by drowning by Iudas-like hanging of themselues finally by casting off all vse of faith all vse of hope and so quite to despayre of Gods mercy then the which what can be a more dangerous course for any man to yeeld vnto What can be more foolish or contrary to all reason if a mans reason were not blinded and bewitched that hee could not see nor perceiue nor consider well of it then whiles a man is afraid of water presently to cast her selfe headlong into it The absurd de●lings of such as easily yeeld to desperation and so seeingly and wittingly to drowne himselfe or then whiles a man is afraid of fire presently to runne into it and to dispatch himselfe therein Or whiles a man is afraid of hell fire out of hand most desperately to plunge himselfe into the daungers thereof And yet such as these are the perswasions and temptations of the Diuell to a man whose barking conscience continually pangeth and plagueth him for his sinnes Such as these are the fruites of the most monstrous sinne of dispayring of Gods mercy and grace May not he be accounted worse then madd * Marke this O man least thou yeeld to Desperation before thou be awa●e what great inco●● niences thou yeeldest vnto that is so foreward and ready to yéeld vnto and to follow after the Diuells whistle alluring and entising vnto desperation seeing it is no meanes to diminish but to encrease sinne and the rewards of sinne seeing that it is no reliefe but an euerlasting burthen and griefe of the soule seeing that it is not a deliuery of the soule but a certaine destruction of the soule seeing it is not a redemption but an vndoubted condemnation of soule and body for euer And finally seeing that it changeth temporall griefe into eternall griefe and the panges of conscience into the paines of hell for euer And thus is verified that saying of S. Bernard Desperatio auget peccatum Saint Bernard his opinion concerning the 〈◊〉 ●nes of desperation Desperatio maior est omnibus peccatis Desparatio peior est omni peccato Desperation encreaseth sin Desperation is greater then al other sinnes Desperation is worse then all other sinnes This is a thousand times worse then the dangerous rocke Scilla against which so many poore Marriners haue dashed their shippes Scilla and Charybdis not so dangerous as desperation to the great losse both of Shippes goodes and liues or then that no lesse dangerous gulfe Charybdis which haue deuoured vp so many passengers For at this vnfortunate and deadly rocke of Desperation many thousan●s of poore soules ouercharged with the burthen of their iniquities and turmoyled in their consciences with the waues of fearefull thoughts and troublesome conceites by the blustring blastes and surgie stormes of Gods vengeance threatned against sinners both haue and dayly doe make dangerous and fearefull ship-wracke This is a worse dungeon for both soules and bodies of poore desperate sinners then was the Denne of Lyons into the which the Rulers Officers Dan. 6.17 and Gouernours of King Darius caused Daniell to be cast and closed vppe Dan 3.19 Yea and this is seauen times worse then the seauen times heated burning Ouen or Furnace into the which that proud Idolatrous King Nabuchadnezzer commanded Sidrach Misach and Abednago the true seruants and worshippers of the onely true and euerliuing God to be cast in This is that incurable remedilesse and desperate sore wound and maladie which the Prophets of God Ieremy and Micheas Ier. 3. Mic. 1. in their dayes complained of among their people This is that great stop let that hindereth and resisteth Gods holy grace from flowing and entring into the soules of sinfull men This is the Axe that heweth and choppeth a sunder the chaines wherewith God in his great mercy and mercifull kindnesse would drawe the hearts of sinners vnto himselfe by Repentance whereof speaketh the Prophet Ozeas Oze 11. Trust in the Lord and doe good saith the holy Ghost by the Prophet Dauid Psal 37.3 where hee placeth and setteth Trust in GOD in the first place and doing good in the second trusting in GOD goeth before as the Mistris and doing good followeth attendeth on as the Hand-maide For as it is said Spes alit agricolas were it not for Hope the Husbandmans heart would burst Hope nourisheth his heart Euen so Despayre and diffidence or distrust in GOD is a Step-mother to well doing and draweth backe from doing good according to the saying of a learned Writer vpon the said 37. Psal Desperatio diffidentia abstrahit ab omni studio honi nam cogitat omnia fieri frustra Musculus in Ps 37.3 ita namque ex spe et fiducia promanant mortaliū conatus vt ex ipsis conatibus

Page 68 69 The ends that the Diuell brings the wicked vnto by their aflictions troubles and crosses Page 70 Two commodities to bee reaped by the liues and manner of the deaths of the wicked Page 71 The great danger of custom● in sinne and of delaying of amendment of life Page 71 72 A comparison shewing the danger of long custome and w●ltring in sinne Page 72 73 Whence repentance and amendment of life are to be had and how they are to be come by Page 74 Many are and may bee deceiued in the manner and time o● their repentance Page 75 A note for such as defer repentance vnto their last day Page 75 Examples shewing that it is dangerous trusting vnto the last howre Page 76 Notable examples of sodaine and vnprouided death out off holy Scriptures other writers Page 76 77 78. A catalogue or rehearsall of sundry lets and impediments which oftentimes fall out when we come to our last houre to hinder and pur by that late repentance which so many trust to at the end of their liues Page 81 82 The effects of choller in time of extreame sicknes Page 82 The manner how the Diuell will busie himselfe to hinder repentance at our last pant Page 38 The example of Ioseph of Arimathia most worthy to be imicated Page 85 The vse and custome of the Egiptians to bridle euill actions Page 86 The notable and imitable example of King Ezechias Page 86 Finis Of Desperation CHAPTER 1 The first Chapter conteyning the Definition and Diuision of Desperation M T. Cicero that most worthy Father of the Roman eloquēce was of that mind A definition of euery thing which is to be disputed or reasoned of is necessary and wherfore that euery thinge which was to be reasoned disputed of should first begin at the definition thereof that ●o it might briefly be vnderstood what the substance of the matter was where●f reasoning or disputation was to be ●olden Of the like opinion and minde ●m I at this present concerning the ●angerous peste of most wicked and ●amnable Desperation being the mat●er which now I haue in hand through Gods assistance to write of Definition of Desperation is of two sorts The Definition then of Desperation I finde and read to bee of two sortes as concerning the words and yet in sense and substance of matter little differing one from the other Whereof the one is Desperatio est horribilis mentis cordis seu cōscientiae ●repidatio ex sensu irae diuinae propter peccatum concepta cum metu aeternae damnationis The first Definition of Desperation sine vlla expectatione veniae Desperation is an horrible feare or trembling of the mind and heart or conscience conceiued through a sence and feeling of Gods wrath for sin with a feare of eternal damnation without all expectation or hope of pardon or forgiuenesse thereof The other which is a far more ancient Definition is this Desperatio est malum quo quis diffidit de volūtate dei The secōd Definition of desperation aestimās malitiam suā magnitudinē diuinae misericordiae bonitatis excedere Desperation is an euil through which a man mistrusting despaireth vtterlie is past all hope of the good will of God verily thinking that his naughtines or sins excell the mercies and goodnes of God according to that saying of the first desperat man Cain Mine iniquitie is greater then can be pardoned Gen. 4.13 Gen. 4.13 Thus it being made plaine and easie what desperation is by these aforesaid Definitions it followeth in the next place to procéed after the same order that the said Cicero vsed that I speak of diuision of Desperation Two kinds of Desperation the one wicked the other holy which I likewise finde and read to be of two kinds the one a wicked kind of Desperation of Gods promises power goodnes mercy towards sinners the matter which here I am to entreat of The other an holy Desperation of a mans owne power in the obtaining of eternall life conceiued and wrought by a sense or feeling of a mans owne defects infirmitie corruptions Concerning this former kinde of Desperation being especially the marke which I would haue poore silly distressed soules to haue a diligent and a watchfull eye vnto to the intent that both my selfe and my poore brethren liuing and warring yet with mee in the militant Church of Christ here on earth may be the better fore-warned for that as they say Tela raeuisa minus nocent of this most subtil ●nd deadly stratageme concerning this most dangerous and fatal assaulting engine of the Arch-enemy of our soules this deepe dispayre and diuelish soule-poyson I haue thought good by the penning of this short Treatise to put my selfe and others in remembrance of these three points Three thinges especially to be noted in this Tr atise of Desperation to wit first of the haynousnesse grieuousnesse and pernitiousnes of Desperation Secondly of the causes thereof and thirdly of the remedies CHAP. 2. The second Chapter wherin is described how hainous grieuous hurtfull and pernitious the sinne of Desperation is IN sundry and manifold places of holy Scriptures are we taught that Go● is faithfull 1 Cor. 1.9 2. Thes 3 3 1 Ioh. 1.9 2 Co. 1.20 faithfull in his words an● true in all his promises All the promises of God are Yea and amen Faithful● in his mercies for they neuer fayle 〈◊〉 Faithfull Iust True are his waies 〈◊〉 according to the song of the holy Angells GOD is constant faithfull how and wherein Reu. 15.3 Yea moreouer God is carefull for the Faithfull and hat● promised to be their God Reu 15.3 2 Cor. 6.18 and they shall be his people It is thy duty therfore O Man to doe GOD this honour to belieue without all wauering doubting or despairing The duty of the faith full towards god in regard of Gods faithfulnes towards him that GOD hath both Power and Will to doe all thinges that hee promiseth and not to permit any such cogitations thought or conceite once to enter into thine heart as that God should proue himselfe a lyer or that it should not come to passe which he hath promised But if thou once suffer the distrust and diffidence in Gods promised mercies through the multitude of thy sinnes and the grieuousnesse of thine offences through the nature of ●inne it selfe and the crafty ingestion and ●uggestion of Satan to take hold of The horriblenes of the sinne of Diffidence Mistrust or Desperation and possesse thine heart O horrible and ●rieuous is this last sin of Despayring ●hich thou addest to thy former sinnes ●o hainous so hurtfull and pernitious ●s this thy sin of Diffidence and distrust ●n Gods mercies to be obtained accor●ing to his promised word that I may ●y of thee Aug in lib de vtilitate paenitentiae agendae as S. Augustine said of Iudas ●e traytor