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
A95609	A Scripture-map of the wildernesse of sin, and vvay to Canaan. Or The sinners way to the saints rest. Wherein the close bewildring sleights of sin, wiles of the Devill, and windings of the heart, as also the various bewildrings of lost sinners, yea, even of saints, before, in, and after conversion; the necessity of leaning upon Christ alone for salvation, with directions therein: as also, the evident and eminent danger of false guides, false wayes, false leaning-stocks, are plainly, and practically discovered. Being the summe of LXIV lecture sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk, on Cantic. 8.5. / By Faithful Teate, M.A. minister of the Gospel.	Teate, Faithful, b. 1621.	1655 (1655)	Wing T615; Thomason E839_1; ESTC R203761	372,945	489

are thy thoughts that perswade thee that it will please God better to damn thee then to save thee 2ly The exerting of pardoning grace 2ly Gods glory is most in mercy sets the brightest crown of glory upon the head of the Almighty Exo. 33.18 Moses begs of God I beseech thee shew me thy glory and how doth God answer his prayer herein why ver 19. I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaime 〈◊〉 name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy this is Gods name and his glory If this then be the darkness wherein thou hast walked that God will have most glory in damning thee take hold upon this name of the Lord and stay thy selfe upon him as thy God CHAP. XXI Containes the third kind of bewildring darkness viz. relating to the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God in three particulars under the last whereof this question is resolved what humiliation is sufficient to reconciliation THe third last sort of bewildring darknesses attending conversion it self 3d. Kind Such as respect the way of reconciliation betwixt us and God are such as relate unto the way of Reconciliation between us God And verily though we have a desire now to make peace with God yet how shal we come at him if we be in the dark as to the way of peace The way of peace they have not known may be truly said for some season of some souls that would have peace I remember when God had hammered them by so many judgements Amos 4.12 At length he comes to a nameless judgement so sad that it seems it could not be expressed Therefore thus will I doe unto thee Thus how 's that truly I can't tell how and what of that Oh! therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel to meet him therefore you must goe onely in that way towards him wherein he is a comming towards you if you go in any other way you I will misse of him not meet him and if you be in the dark though you desire to meet him yet may you misse of the way and so be bewildred when you would be reconciled therefore Mat. 5.25 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him If thou wouldest agree with God thou must be in the same way with God if thou wouldest meet him thou must meet him in his own way Now there is but onely one way of Reconciliation wherein God will draw neere unto a lo●t soule being justified by faith through Jesus Christ we shall have peace with God Rom. 5.1 And therefore the same is our onely way of Pacification with God so Heb. 10.20 This is the new and living way Now all other are but dead waies wherein a lost soule seeks life Now what heart hath light enough at the first to see and to hit upon this new and living way I can challenge your darknesse in this respect upon this three-fold accompt 1. You think that undubtedly you must give something to God 1 Darknes we thinke we must give something to God towards your reconciliation with God Now this is very darkness for it is Gods giving of Christ unto you not your giving of any thing unto God that is the bottom of your pacification But very ready are we to thinke and Satan to perswade us that there is no comming unto God but by bringing something of our owne unto God Hence that enquiry Mic. 6.6 Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before him shall I come before him with sacrifices c. Oh! that 's the dark counsell of our vain hearts Bribe Justice and then you shall have its favour I speak not to streighten your hearts or hands from lending to the Lord but to direct your souls where to bottom your peace Doth your goodness extend unto him or will he take a reward to clear him that is guilty God forbid that any heart should think so and yet if many an heart were asked Wherefore are all these alms that thou givest Conscience must answer as Jacob in his course Complement to Esau Gen. 33.8 Esau said What meanest thou by this drove and Jacob said These are to find grace in the sight of my Lord he had need call him my Lord when he intimates him to be of so base and ignoble a a spirit that a Bribe should purchase pardon for a Brother Just so deal souls with God the alms they give their bounty to Saints to Ministers c. are to find favour in the sight of God But if Esau can refuse his present telling him he hath enough surely God may much more despise thy gifts be they what they will be because all things are his Psa 50.9 10. I will take no Bullock out of thine house nor Hee-goat out of thy fold for the beasts of all the Forrest c. are mine Set a side the Lord Jesus Christ and peace in believing and I dare say it would begger all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and Earth to make one Peace-offering to the Lord for any lost soul 2ly You think 2d Darkness We think we must do something for God that undoubtedly you must at least d●● something as a bottom and ground to your reconciliation with God Now this is also a soul-bewildring darknesse for if it be onely what Christ hath given then it is onely what Christ hath done that can be a propitiation to God for us What will God ever be friends with me that give him nothing nor do any thing for him how shall I think that Verily flesh and blood wil hardly think it therefore as the former question was Wherewithall shall I come before God what shall I give and the answer from God comes without money and without price so the next question that dark nature prompts is this Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherite eternal life Mat. 9 16. What good thing shall I do Oh! we think it must be some good thing of our own doing that must be at the bottom of our salvation What good thing saith Christ keep the Law and fulfill the Gospel that perfectly for that 's the sum of Christs answer to him Now friend if thy goodness extend so far then go on to meet the Lord in thine own way But now thou that livest upon such terms if ever God take thee as Solomon took Shimei when he had gone beyond his limits from Jerusalem to Gath after his run-away servants 1 Kin. 2.39 40. The Lord will deal with thee if ever he find thine heart running after the world or after sin as he dealt with Shimei ver 44. God will call thee to a severe account upon every old score and return all thy wickedness upon thine own head judging thee by thine own mouth Think of the Pharisee who comes and tells God what he

are too many as a stone to stumble at who know not that the goodnesse of God in them should lead us to repentance Mercies as Rom. 2.4 Thou stumblest at the Globe of the Sunne or of the Moon that dishonourest God by day or by night under the light of the one or influences of the other Yea other sorts of providential Dispensations there are as Corrections and at these the darkned and bewildred soules stumble Chastisements if they be not as staires to help them nearer unto God they will be as stumbling stones over which they fall and on which they shall be broken see Isai 1.5 6. Why should they be striken any more they will revolt more and more it followes the whole head is sick and heart is heavy from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is nothing but wounds and bruises and putrified sores Oh! who sees not what stumbling here hath been Sirs the day is comming when you shall know that upon every Affliction whereby you have not risen to more holinesse and faith and obedience c. You have stumbled to wit the day wherein you shall be made sensible of the wounds and bruises that now are in your Consciences but now you are in the heat of blood the heat of sinne and like wounded Souldiers go on still without feeling it Secondly Bewildred benighted sinners 2ly Gods word and at Christ therein stumble at the Word of God and at Jesus Christ in that word yet know it not In every Sermon where Christ is revealed and tendred they stumble at him and you may say of these as of those that Crucified him himselfe said That they know not what they do Peter tells you 1 Pet. 2.7 That to them that believe Christ is precious but unto them that are disobedient verse 8. he is a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word as 1 Cor. 1.23 Christ crucified to the Jews is a stumbling block Onely now take heed that it be not with you as with one that gets a fall when he is drunk and feels it not till he be sober therefore give glory to God before your feet stumble on the dark mountains Jer. 13.16 Fourthly Bewildred and bedarkned sinners 4ly They fall they know not when fall they know not when suddainly or ever they are aware It is not unusuall in this wildernersse for soules to stumble upon a Lyons Den and to fall into it not thinking of it Joviall and merry at an Al●house to day and dead and damned in Hell at night I believe when the foole was that night cast into Hell he could not but be in a more sad extasie than one that should of the suddaine tumble into a Lyons Den. Ah! Lord what am I here am I here Lord What in Hell in Hell I dream't not of it Alas my Brethren now adayes as Solomon speakes because sentence is not speedily executed against an evil work therefore the hearts of the Sons of men are fully set in them to do evill Eccles 8.11 But faire and softly perhaps more suddainly then thou art aware of Jer 51.8 Babylon is suddainly fallen Marke her fall is suddaine to her shee knowes not of it down she goes and is not aware of it We would have healed her Note but she would not be healed verse 9. God commonly snatches soules that are under healing Dispensations and refuse to be healed suddainly away So God threatneth to send a Destroyer as a Lyon of the Forrest that falls suddainly upon his prey to fall suddainly upon them Jer. 15.8 Because they had gone away from God verse 6. Thus Isa 47. They were perverted verse 10. therefore saith God evill shall come upon thee that thou shalt not know whence it riseth and mischiefe that thou shalt not be able to put off and desolation shall come upon thee suddainly that thou shalt not know So likewise Isa 30.10 You have them turned out of the way and verse 11. trusting in such perversenesse verse 12. and therefore iniquity saith God shall be to you as a breach swelling in an high wall ready to fall whose breaking forth commeth suddainly at an instant Oh! if it had not been so suddaine the people might have escaped out of the house So if they had not gone to Hell in such a moment such an unexpected moment they may imagine they would have prevented it But hee that is bewildred in the darke falls hee knowes not when Oh! firs if you might die of Consumptions which you say are fine repenting times if you might know of death some years before hand Oh! you think you would be ready then but this suddaine suddaine falling that you shall not know of whence or when it shall be yet it certainly shall be let this startle you In one word or two then from what I have this day been speaking Is it so that soules are usually so blind because of spirituall darknesse Vses of these generall considerations that they know not where they are whither they are a going what it is they stumble at and are also ready to fall they know not when Oh then First Admire the exceeding mery of the Lord that he should ever as at this day send a guide with a light in his hand unto thee so bewildred in the dark Luk. 1.78 79. Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited us that 's Christ in the Gospell to give light to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Oh! that was tender mercy indeed let it be tenderly accepted by you Secondly Let it be as carefully improved Let not an hard heart lose the sweetnesse of such tender mercy My Brethren Christ is come in the dark unto you into the Wildernesse he hath bruised himself and pricked his own feet yea even pierced them through in comming to you and that he might bring you a light and lead you into the way that you have lost Is it a small thing to you that he should appoint this and that man to shew you the way of salvation as they say Act. 16.17 if it be yet think it not a light matter that the light himselfe is come to bee your guide Christ is come into the darksome wildernesse of the wicked World and now take heed of loving your darkness rather then light for Jesus himself saith Joh. 12.35 36. Yet a little while the light is with you walk whilst you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in the dark knows not whither he goes While ye have light believe in the light that you may be Children of the light Thus have you heard in some generall Considerations how bewildring spirituall darknesse is I shall conclude them with an Observation from the form of the expression Jer. 2.31 Have I been a Wildernesse to

shee thought had more perfectly denyed mercy Yet I believe the woman to be a good woman something of refreshment she had e're she went away This is the of sinne a bewildring darkness to such a soule aggravate your sinnes as much as you will onely by their aggravation take heed of diminishing the freeness or fulness of Gods grace Secondly Soules in such a case 2. Pass darke sentences on our selves lose themselves in the dark sentences that they pass upon themselves Paul tels you that sin by the Law slew him that is passed a sentence of death upon him according to that phrase 2 Cor. 1.9 Who received the sentence of death in our selves Poor soules will save God as I may so say a labour in the condemning of them for they will condemne themselves and their sentence shall be very dark even as dark as death it selfe Oh! never did any deserve Hell more then my selfe thither I am a going and there I must receive a just recompence of reward Let me go to Hell said one for that is the fittest place for me Thirdly They often in such a season take up dark Resolves concerning themselves 3ly Take up dark resolves concerning themselves they themselves passed Sentence and now they proceed to Execution They say they have deserved Hell and it must be so they must go to Hell there 's no helpe for 't say what you can to comfort me my sinne will slay me doe what you can for me my sinne will slay me I have heard such language and now the soule 's at an utter loss Oh! I shall verily die in my sinnes Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable Oh! if the terrours of the Lord were but for a day or a year I might better beare them saith such a soul but they are perpetuall eternall death is the wages of my sinne what shall I doe Oh! if my wound were curable though it be great and terrible but I am without any expectation of recovery past all hope Thus poore ones in this darksome wildernesse do resolve concerning themselves 4ly Dark resolutions with themselves 4ly From dark Resolves concerning themselves they sometimes pass to darker resolutions with themselves Their hearts language is not onely I may be damned and I must be damned there 's no other way but even almost I will be damned There 's no comfort for me and I will take no comfort to me Jer. 15.18 My pain is perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Not onely incurable that is that cannot be healed but that refuseth to be cured that is that will not be healed and verily as for soules that have a long time said Note that there is no mercy or comfort that belongs unto them there is a kind of spirituall pride in the lowest ebbe of very despaire they have so long said that they shall perish that when they begin through mercy to be better perswaded they are very loath to think that it shall be otherwise and so refuse to be healed so Asaph Psal 77.2 My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted Oh! take heed of thrusting Gods precious Consolations so often or so long from you as to get an habit of refusing him habits are hardly left though there be never so great reason to disswade us from them Sometimes poore soules in this darksome wilderness are ready to be of his minde and vote who desired that he might be in Hell that he might know the worst of his torment yet God that allures into the wilderness fastens comfort oft-times upon such a soul These are bewildring-darknesses as to our selves CHAP. XX. Contains the second kind of bewildring darkenesse in conversion viz. relating to God in foure particulars removed BUt secondly 2d Kind such as relate unto God There are attending upon conversion bewildring darknesses as relating to God Dark thoughts concerning the Purposes the Thoughts the Providences the Justice and mercy of God towards us 1. 1. Darknesse as to Gods purposes Such a day many times bewildes poore soules in dark thoughts concerning Gods purposes about themselves Oh! saith many a soule I should be glad to pray to repent to believe to do any thing for God but I am a Reprobate I know God hath from all eternity cast me away and therefore it is in vaine for me to doe any thing but as my deserved portion is everlastingly to despair Here is the blacknesse of darkness indeed but who told thee that thou are a Reprobate Why I am sure I am a Reprobate But why dost thou think that Gods eternall purpose was to pass thee by Why I am sure I am a Reprobate My Brethren I know it is the great duty of every Saint to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure and so saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.16 We ought to make sure that is be assured of our election so that we might conclude it and comfortably assert from our Calling that is because we find that we are converted to rest assured that we were elected because called therefore that we were chosen of God But ther 's no Scripture that either bids or warrants us to make our Reprobation sure that is to stand assured that we are reprobated no not because we are unconverted You 'l say the Apostle bids us to examine our selves upon such terms 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates the word i● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why Jesus Christ is not in me therefore I am a Reprobate Is this thine argument truly then thou must also say that there was a time when Paul was a Reprobate that spake it for there was a time when Christ was not in Paul Yea that the Saints that are in heaven were once Reprobates for certaine it is that they were once Christless and if this be so then to be Reprobate is no more then to unconverted and if this be thy meaning why should'st thou despaire upon the thoughts that thou art a Reprobate for though thou be Christless and by such reasoning a Reprobate to day as Paul before Conversion yet maist thou bee saved as well as he and so reprobation shall no more hinder thy salvation then unconversion But it is evident from the dark despaire that rests upon their spirits unto whom I speake that conclude they cannot be saved because as they thinke they are Reprobates that they are not so criticall as to distinguish betwixt Reprobate as opposed to Elect and opposite to Gods present approbation which an Elect but unconverted person may not have but take Reprobate in the saddest sence in which I cannot apprehend how any with reason can make unconversion an assuring token of it onely glad they are poor souls to take up any staffe wherewith to beat themselves I shall therefore in a word tell you what I think from these two