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
A36908	Dunton's remains, or, The dying pastour's last legacy to his friends and parishioners ... by John Dunton ... ; to this work is prefixt the author's holy life and triumphant death : and at the latter end of it is annext his funeral sermon.	Dunton, John, 1627 or 8-1676.; N. H., Minister of the Gospel. Funeral sermon.; Dunton, John, 1659-1733.	1684 (1684)	Wing D2633; ESTC R17002	124,862	318

inforced the Statue of Nero into the Temple of the Jews the zeal of the people inkindled against it it being against the Law of their holy Religion Pilate purposing to inforce that by the Sword which his Rhetorick could not perswade drew them into a place where he had laid an Ambuscado of Armed men who upon his signal were to do execution upon those who withstood his command The Jews being constant to their Principle of Religion espying their danger approaching did all as one man open their naked breasts to the pointed Swords of their Executioners resolving rather upon and honorable death with the safety of their Religion than an ignominious life with the loss of it The third Argument for this holy Contention is the irrecoverable loss of our Faith being once gone It was once given unto the Saints and but once It was once given unto Rome and once unto Macedonia and once unto the seven Churches of Asia minor and when once they had lost it it was never as yet given to them again Sol occidere redire potest If the Sun in the firmament doth set it will rise again but if this Sun of Righteousness once set upon a Land an irrecoverable midnight of spiritual darkness succeeds upon it If we lose our Estates we may recover them again if we lose our Friends God may raise us up some other if we lose our Lives we may exchange them for a better but if we lose the Faith once given to the Saints being once lost it is lost for ever and we lose with it our Souls our Heaven our Christ our God and these irrevocably Ah dear Christians if ever ye will contend for any thing contend for the Faith once given unto the Saints And that is how the first object of your holy Contention that which you should contend for The second is that which you should contend against and here I shall propound two objects first of persons secondly of things First for Persons the Royal Prophet writes us a Copy Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and do I not earnestly contend with those that rise up against thee yea I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine utter enemies Certainly there is a Generation of men in this Age whose hearts rise up against God and against the power of Godliness Gods right hand hath already found out many and will certainly find out more of those that hate him Take heed good Friends how you confederate with those against whom the Lord is ingaged Will you be tutor'd alittle from that story of Judah in Ahaz's time in the seventh and eighth Chapters of Isaiah when prophane Syria and Apostate Israel combined together against honest Judah their hearts did shake as Aspy leaves The Lord sends a Prophet to assure them that these two smoaking fire-brands which had more smoke than fire in them should not hurt them Judah though with much ado believing prospered and he combined Armies are scattered Discontented Israel not humbled under Gods hand so visibly against them resolve yet to recruit greater Forces against Judah The Bricks are fallen but we will build with hewen stones the Siccamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars Judah forgetting Gods former Promise and deliverance sends to the Assyrian for aid The Lord sends his Prophet to them again and tells them That because they had refused the soft running waters of Siloa the mighty waters of Assyria should overflow them Now what were those waters of Siloa Siloa was a River that brake out at the foot of Mount Sion and ran through the Streets of Jerusalem to which the Church alludes Psal 46.4 There is a River the streams thereof shall make glad the City of God This River here is Jesus Christ the Fountain of Gods pleasures the streams are his promises in which he makes out himself for the comfort of his people in saddest confusions Now Judah had a special intimation of the Covenant of Grace to assertain their former deliverance as all temporary promises must have their strength and blessing out of that But forgetting both their mercy and their duty and seeking strength from an arm of flesh which God had despised they were not strengthened but distressed by it saith the story 2 Chron. 28.20 Lo this is all the kindness we are like to receive from such Confederates the Lord therefore counsels the upright-hearted in Judah Say ye not a Confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a Confederacy neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread and he shall be for a sanctuary unto you But what got Apostate Israel by her prophane Confederates Why Isay 9.11 12. we shall find that they tasted the same bitter sauce with unbelieving Judah they were with open mouth devoured by their good Friends the Syrians with whom they had before combined against Judah Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum I wish that Judah's and Israels sufferings may cautionate the godly in London how they confederate with those that are ungodly Surely they shall not strengthen but distress themselves by combining with those that are manifest enemies to God and Goodness In Judges the second and the first we read of an Angel of the Lord that came up from Gilgal to Bochim to mind the Israel of God of their Forgetfulness of Gods great mercy in delivering them out of Egypt and of their breach of Covenant in making a League with those Canaanites whom the Lord had cursed And he wrought so effectually upon their hearts as that they wept abundantly Certainly London shall know that they have had a Prophet amongst them And they shall one day weep for their Confederacy with wicked men if the Grace of God doth not now provoke their Tears the wrath of God will hereafter The second Object which we are to strive against are our own Lusts striving against sin saith the Apostle Heb. 12.4 I am sure this is without all question that sin is our enemy breaking our Peace both with God and man and killing as well with kisses as with blows God hath no enemy but this or such whom this doth make to be his enemies Now spend all your Arrows as long as strong as you can upon this Enemy here strive and spare not If you spare any one that one may undo your Souls as soon as a thousand There is more evil in one sin than there is worth in all the good you do or can do yea more than the vertue of the whole Creation is able to expiate One Achan is enough to disturb the peace of all Israel and never let England think to have a firm peace if Englands sins remain unreformed Now strive as much against your Achans as your Absoloms your Dalilahs as your Thamars your Rimmons as your Mammons your Davids as your Goliahs

Slave When I despised the Liberal Provisions of his Family did I or could I have thought I should come to want Bread to feed upon Husks How sad is the changel how severe is my Fate which I know no more how to bear than how to avoid But this is not the worst yet For He fore-thinks what is like to be the Issue of this it is not only feeding upon Husks but I perish for Hunger I have a prospect of nothing but Death before me in the case I am in I am lost undone undone in most dreadful Circumstances for I perish and it is with Hunger Death makes its sure approaches and that in the most ghastly shape Vivens vidensque pereo I see and feel my self dying But yet in the last place he looks about him to see if there be not some escape I am dying saith he but not quite dead whilst there is Life there is Hope Who will not catch hold of any thing rather than perish And it agrees not with my Condition to stick at any thing that can minister the least probability of safety Am not I a Son though I am here a Slave Have not I a Father and hath not he pity Why then do I stand still and die and not rather make the utmost Experiment And here we may fancy the Prodigal thus Arguing with himself Woe and alas is me this miserable Life cannot last always Death will Arrest me shortly and present me before a just Tribunal the Grave will ere long cover me but not be able to conceal me for I must come to Judgment methinks I hear already the sound of the last Trump Let the Dead arise let them come to Judgment I see the Angels as Apparitions gathering all the World together and presenting them before that dreadful Tribunal How shall I be able with my guilty Conscience to appear upon that huge Theatre before God Angels and Men Methinks I see the Devil standing at my Right hand to aggravate those faults which he prompted me to the commission of I behold the Books opened and all the Debaucheries Extravagancies and Follies of my whole Life laid open Christ the Judge of all the World coming in flaming Fire to take Vengeance upon them that have not known him nor obeyed his Gospel how shall I endure his presence How shall I escape his Eye I cannot delude his Judgment nor evade his Sentence Come then ye Rocks and fall upon me and ye Mountains cover me from the face of the Lamb and from him that sitteth upon the Throne But the Rocks rend in sunder the Sea and the Earth disclose their Dead the Earth dissolves the Heavens vanish as a scroll and I hear the dreadful Sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Methinks I hear Christ Jesus thus upbraiding me You have listened to the Devil and not to me I would have saved you but you would not be ruled by me you have chosen the way of Death now therefore you shall be filled with your own ways I fore-warned you what would be the Issue of your Courses but you would have your full swing of Pleasure for the present whatever came of it hereafter You laughed at Judgment and it is come in earnest you have had your time of Jollity and sensual transports and now your Portion is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth But is there no hope left Must I lie down thus in sorrow and dispair These things I may justly expect but they are not yet incumbent upon me I am yet alive and they say there is hopes in the Land of the Living the Door is not yet shut against me Hell hath not yet closed her mouth upon me I have heard God is a Merciful God and thereupon I presumed hitherto and abused his goodness but sure his Mercies are above the measure of a Man if they be infinite like himself he hath more Goodness than I have Ingratitude Possibly there may be some hope left in the bottom of this Pandora's Box of Calamities If there be none it is in vain to Repent fruitless to Weep endless to Bewail madness to add to my own Infelicities If there be a rigid Fate upon me I will curse God and dye But sure whilst there is a God there must be goodness his Name speaks his Nature will he break a bruised Reed Will he contend with Dust and Ashes It is true he hath no need of me but for the same Reason he cannot delight in my Misery He cannot Repent and change his mind because his Wisdom fore-saw from the beginning all possible contingencies but if I Repent and change my mind the same unchangeableness of his will oblige him as well then to save me as before to destroy me How far he will extend Mercy and what instances he will make of it I cannot define but who knows but he may yet admit of my submission however I cannot be worse than I am and it is possible my condition may be better here I perish certainly if I cast my self upon his goodness I can but perish therefore I will try I will arise and go to my Father c. And thus his deliberation brings him to resolution which is the second Stage of Repentance But here I think it proper in the next place for the benefit of all that shall read this Book but especially for the sake of incogitant Youth here again to give the same Paraphrase formerly given upon the whole Parable of the Prodigal Son that so all may more fully see the deplorable effects of Rashness and Folly Pride and Curiosity Insolence and Disobedience how they work joyntly and severally together and by turns till by degrees they have trained poor inconsiderate Man to his utter Ruine And in the following Paraphrase you may see lively Pourtrayed the beginning the Progress the up-shot the Causes and the Effects of a sinful Course Well then take the Paraphrase upon the whole as follows Viz. A certain Man had two Sons one whereof and he the Eldest continued always in his Family content with his Provision subject to his Government and in diligent Obedience to all his Commands But the other viz. the Younger full of Juvenile heat and confidence considers himself at the Age of Discretion grows impatient of Restraint and desirous of Liberty especially fancying that he could Live better to his own content and every whit as well provide for himself if he were at his own disposal Therefore he desires his Father to set him out his share and to put his Portion into his own Hands and leave him to his own conduct The Father gratifies him in all his desires gives him his Portion and his Liberty which done the Son as if his Fathers Presence or vicinage would put too great a restraint upon him and give check to his Freedom he betakes himself to another Countrey where being in the height of his Jollity amongst his Harlots and lewd

that the elder should serve the younger He that is most eminent in grace or place to be most forward in seeking Peace this is most God-like the most Excellent Majesty that is offended descends from his Throne of Glory to beseech proud Sinners to be Reconciled unto him O my Brethren you that are more Excellent than your Neighbours that have parts or gifts or places above your Brethren see how Religion directs you to improve them in the desires and endeavours for Peace But if this be so what shall we then think of the wrangling and brawling Spirits of these days that are of such a salt fiery Humour that they can scarce live peaceably with any just like Flax or Gun-powder the least spark imaginable will catch them that will strive and contend about Trifles like the Frog and the Mouse for the Marish ground till the hungry Kite come and snatch them both away Ah! surely these must needs be the last days since Love and Charity is grown so cold for you shall scarce find a Parish that is not divided you shall hardly come into a Family that is not dis-joynted every one being ready to bite and devour one another Beloved if that you would but seriously consider what wide Ears and long Tongues too many Men now adays have it would make you blush sweat and stand amazed Where are the Friends whom we dare put Trust in now adays We are all in pieces and all divided like Jacob's Troop into divers Companies or like Laban's Sheep of divers colours some white some black and some speckled some of this mind and some of that some of one Opinion and some of another We are a Chaos of Confusion a Tohn and a Bohn like the People scattered over the Land of Egypt to gather stubble and to pick up straws In a word there is few amongst us live like Brethren The second Rule is this Christians must be content to yield in their own Right for a Godly Peace whose Right was ever clearer or surer to the whole Land of Canaan than Abraham's was He had it all made over to him and to his Posterity from the Lord Paramount of the whole Earth and yet when this strife fell out between Abrahams and Lot's Shepherds about common of Pasture he propounded unto Lot his choice of any part of the whole Land that was before him and would content himself with Lot's leavings See saith Abraham is not the whole Land before thee separate thy self I pray thee from me not that Abraham was willing to part with Lot but that they might preserve that Brotherly Union at a distance which they could not keep by keeping together If thou wilt take the left hand saith Abraham to Lot then will I go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then will I go to the left Now Lot's Eye was so great upon the fat and pleasant Valleys of Sodom as that forgetting his good manners to his Uncle he made his choice and Abraham lost nothing by his condescention unto him for as soon as Lot was separated from him the Lord appears unto Abraham and renews his promise of the whole Land to him and to his Seed See my Brethren God will not suffer us to be losers in any thing wherein for his sake we deny our selves and our own right in order to a Religious peace If our Brother Lot hath a mind to the fat and pleasant portion of Sodom let him take it surely if his design be profit and not peace the Lord will find a time to fire him out of it again it matters not what we suffer in our own particular Interests so as God might have his glory in a godly peace Were there more of Abraham's condescention amongst us how easily might our unhappy differences be taken up The third Rule is That in order to peace all expostulations and exprobrations of injuries be laid aside We hear nothing from Abraham of any unkindness but only a loving and humble entreaty Let there be no strife I pray thee between thee and me The repeating of an old wrong is but as the rubbing upon an old sore which doth but anger it and make the Cure the worse It is an Holy Art of forgetfulness to be forgetful of Injuries I would there were Graves made Domicilia silentii Houses of silence between us and all our Dissenting Brethren that upon sober and Religious grounds do separate from us to bury all passions and suspicions of Injuries and let these Graves be Kibroth Hattaavah Graves of Lust I mean to bury all those Corruptions which have provoked one the other My Brethren you do all profess your selves to be Abraham's Children inheritors of those promises which were made to him remember that Christs Argument doth as much concern the Children by promise as the Children by flesh if you are Abraham's Children you will then do the works of Abraham Amongst others forget not these which I have shewed you And shall I now Brethren take up a Reproof or rather a Lamentation over those imbittered censures which Godly Brethren let fall one against the other Are we Brethren Are we Godly I am confident that it may be safely concluded that some on both sides are Brethren truly Godly Why then why are we so bitter one against the other What means the Gall and Wormwood that is in our Discourses and Meetings Ah my Brethren my Brethren did our Lord Christ wash his Apostles Feet and amongst them a Judas feet and shall we throw dirt in one anothers Faces Is this Christ-like Doth this become Christians Did he pour out his precious Blood to purchase our Peace and shall we draw out one anothers Blood in breaking our Peace Did he bequeath his Peace unto his people as his last and best Legacy he had to leave unto them and shall we like foolish Children spend our portion in undoing one the other There are two other Rules now which though they be not in the Text yet they do belong unto the Doctrine The first is this There are three Beautiful Sisters which are inseparable Companions unto this happy Heavenly Off-spring I mean a Religious and well-grounded peace The first is Truth Love the Truth and Peace Zach. 8.19 Love Peace but Truth with it Truth before it If you let go Truth Peace will not be worthy your Love you love Peace because it is the Mother of plenty but if you provide not for Truth to dwell with it your Peace will prove the Daughter of Vanity your Peace can be neither true nor lovely that is separated from the love of the Truth The second is Righteousness Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 In that notable meeting of the Divine Attributes in Jesus Christ these two Righteousness and Peace are matcht together no Righteousness can procure our Peace with God but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and no Peace can stand with Men unless