Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A55419
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The kingdom of heaven explain'd, and the way to glory manifested by Christ Jesus, the Lord and King of that kingdom held forth in a parable in Mat. 22 from verse 1 to ver. 13 : with some brief meditations upon the said parable / by James Pope.
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Pope, James, fl. 1675.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing P2901; ESTC R4510
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17,062
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46
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hearts till they saw themselves lost by sin and obnoxious to the Wrath of God by reason thereof We will never go to the Physitians till we be sick Labour to affect thy heart with the filthy nature of sin it made Glorious Angels ugly Devils if man that was made after the Image of God more vile then a Toad or Serpent Yea one Sin brought a Curse upon the whole VVorld then consider what a World of Sins will do to one man Again consider that although thou have forgot most of thy sins which are without number God hath not forgot any of them but they are all charged in Gods Book till Repentance wipe out the Score Again consider That so long as thou continuest in thy sinful state thou art pleasing and serving the Devil instead of God and he is thy God though thou think not so it may be Again consider How little time thou hast for so great a work as to make thy Calling and Election sure and it may be a great deal less then thou art aware of Then again consider The infinite Grace and patience of God thou mightest have been in Hell stand and wonder thou art not O let mercy melt thee let Grace move thee let this love of Christ constrain thee he that dyed for sinners to save them from their sins and from the Wrath of God 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Thes 1. 10. He hath sent his Servants to compel thee to come in by Wooings beseechings intreatings then why wilt thou famish among the Swine seeing there is a plentiful Marrriage Feast prepared for thee if thou wilt but come and accept of it Come then without delay for all things are ready God hath given Christ Christ hath given himself he hath ascended up on high and given Gifts unto Men for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry Eph. 4. And he hath made his Ministers willing to spend and be spent for the good of poor Souls in all Ages Many of which have witnessed a good Confession unto Death for the sake of poor Souls He hath given us his Laws his Ordinances his Scriptures Yea and will give us his Spirit also if we will but come and ask it Prov. 1. 22. Come therefore for all things are ready Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4. Quest But what must I do that I may be welcome when I do come Answ First Come willingly and cheerfully come as a hungry man goes to a Rich Dinner for such are invited Rev. 22. 17. Joh. 7. 37. Luke 1. 53. Such have the promise Mat. 5. 6. Secondly Come prepared with a Wedding Garment 1. Direct First Be sure put off all thy Old Rags of Sin and Ungodliness Isa 55. 6. 7. 2. Direct Secondly Put off all the Rags of thy Unrighteousness Isa 64. 6. For although thou must do good works to glorifie God and do good to men yet take heed of making this thy Wedding Garment for which thou would st be accepted Secondly Having put off thy old Rags put on the New Robe of Christs Righteousness that fine Linnin Rev. 19. 8. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13. 14. 3. Direct Thirdly Take heed of defiling thy Garments for those that are careful in this Shall walk with the Bride groom in White in the Marriage Chamber Rev. 3. 4. We see among People a great care to have the body adorned but O the little care of keeping themselves unspotted of the World that is to be found among many When they are to go into the presence of the King to stand before him and to hear his voyce in the Ministry of his VVord I am afraid many professing Godliness take more care and spend more time to have their Garments fashionable and compleat and their Attire neatly set then they do to have their Souls trimmed for to come before the Bridegroom the time spent in Prayer is but little which many before they go before the Lord that they might be helped to serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly fear as Heb. 12. 28. I desire that our fine fashionable People would Read conscionably 1 Pet. 3. 3. 4. 5. That they might lay aside their bables and learn of the Holy Women that trusted in God to adorn themselves I fear indeed that while so much care is taken for the Body to adorn it it is no other then the Fruit of a proud heart which renders a person more odious in the Eyes of the King of Heaven then the nastiest Begger with his Lousie Rags would be in the presence of an Earthly King Pride is not the only defiling sin there are more attending it for there must be Covetousness to maintain pride and as pride promotes Covetousness so also Uncharitableness is Prides Hand-maid But in a word every sin is a stain in the VVhite Linen O therefore watch against evil words with David 93. Psal 1. VVatch against thoughts Jer. 4. 14. VVatch against evil actions And in order hereunto labour against a Carnal frame a Dead frame a Backsliding frame and labour after Calebs frame Who followed the Lord fully and the Lord brought him unto the promised Land when others fell in the Wilderness Even so the Lord if thou follow him fully and faithfully will certainly bring thee into Eternal Rest with the Bride Croom when others are shut out among the Dogs see Rev. 21. 7 8. and Chap. 22. 14 15. Again As thou art careful to have admittance into the Marriage-Chamber to have a VVedding Garment and to have it clean so be careful of thy Family wouldst thou not be glad to have thy Friends and Relations admitted take heed thou do not promote sin nor countenance sin in any It is grievous to see how many Parents promote Pride in their Children dressing them up with toys which is as it was a watering of that Cursed Root You may observe how the Child will mince and jet when it is made more fine then ordinary And so by this means instead of bringing them up in the nurture and Admonition of the Lord They further them in the service of the Devil But I must close all Now therefore to that end thee and thine may not fail of entertainment in the Marriage Chamber pray often and earnestly not only publickly but also privately Hear the word of God constantly conscionably and diligently labour to retain it carefully prove what thou hearest knowingly and what thou findest to be the mind of God practice it faithfully bring duty into practice effectually and zealously and God shall make thee happy eternally FINIS
as will more fully appear by setting forth some of the properties of Heaven and Hell and setting the one against the other 1. As first In Heaven there is God the Father Son and Holy Spirit in Hell is the Devil and all his Angels 2. In Heaven there is an innumerable Company of Glorified Saints and Angels in Hell there is an innumerable Company of wicked damn'd Spirits 3. In Heaven there is nothing but Joy and Singing in Hell is nothing but weeping and wailing 4. In Heaven there is Glorious Light that no Mortal Eye can approach unto in Hell there is outer Darkness Mat. 22. 13. Blackness of Darkness of Darkness for ever Jude 3. Oh what a disparity is here between these two the Darkness of Egypt was but a Figure of this Black Darkness And as it is very comfortable to behold the Light so it is very dreadful to be deprived of all Light to be alone in the Dark is frightful especially if it be outer Darkness but ten thousand times better to be quite alone then to be in the midst of innumerable Devils and frightful damn'd Spirits 5. In Heaven is whatever may delight both Soul and Body but in Hell there is whatever may add to misery and torment of soul and body 1. As first There is fire into which they shall be cast that have their portion there 2. And as it is Fire which in it self is dreadful even so it is the worst fire viz. Brimstone and Fire even as God when he would pour out his wrath upon Sodom who suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Jude 7. It was with Brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven Gen. 19. 24. And it is hard to indure the stink of Brimstone and fire though we feel not the burning of it But some may say it is not material Fire to which one make answer and says Then it is worse because that the Figure is not answerable to the substance So that at the best it is Fire and Brimstone Oh how dreadful will it be to endure it When I have had the Smoak of Brimstone ascend into my Nostrils it hath been terrible though but for a moment And when I have stood by a flaming Oven I have thought Oh how dreadful would it be to be alive in that flame though but for a very little space 3. This fire is dark fire the comfortable property of Light is taken from it for in Hell there must be nothing that can yield any comfort 4. Again It is such fire that will not consume the matter that is laid into it but the fire and the Fuel to wit Devils and wicked men must remain and abide in that fire together 5. And therefore this Fire is Eternal Jude 7. Everlasting Mat. 25. 41. And this makes it dreadful indeed All the miseries of this life will quickly end they are but light and momentary 2 Cor. 4 17. But these shall never end and this doth compleat the misery of the Damn'd There will be no end of their misery no ease in their misery no mitigation of their misery no delivering out of their nor relief in their misery No end as is said before and as one saith If the Damn'd did know that he should suffer no more thousands of years then there be Sands in the Sea or no more Millions of Ages then there be Sands in the Sea it would much comfort him but alas it is ever still Another Writes thus suppose the whole Globe of the Earth were a Mountain of Sand and fill'd up with Sand to the Imperial Heavens and a Wren should come once in an hundred years and fetch away the tenth part of a Grain of this Sand if when all this Sand was fetcht away the Damn'd might come out of Hell it would be some comfort to them But still it is as before it is for ever still Oh what an amazing consideration is this and yet how few lay it to heart Now considering these things is it not folly and madness to reject or but neglect to come to the Marriage upon the first Call of the Lords Servants that are sent to invite thee How shall they escape that neglect so great Salvation All must come to the Wedding or go to the Dungeon Where the Worm never dyes nor the Fire goes not out Consider there is no ease as there is no end if one did know certainly that he must indure the pain but of an aking Tooth without any ease for the space of one whole Year Oh! how grievous would the very thoughts of it be How long doth one night seem to one in misery What shall we say to Eternity when not any one Member shall be in pain but the whole Man Soul and Body shall be in pain in torment not only for a Night or a Year but for ever in which there is no intermission no hope no relief no not a drop of water for ever to cool a flaming Tongue all hope of help being cut off for ever Lay all these Motives together to which many might be added for a speedy comming in and then tell me whether even reason it self will not conclude it is best to hear that your Souls may live Isa 55. 3. Will a Months living in pleasure in pride in the eager persute of Riches make amends for the loss of the Glory mentioned before and for undergoing of wrath and vengeance in Hell fire Man being in honour abideth not Psal 49. 12. Yet in ver 11 it is said Their inward thoughts is their houses shall continue for ever and they call their Lands after their own Names vâ—r 13. This then is their folly Indeed it is egredious folly to lose Heaven for a little Earth Heavenly treasure for Earthly pleasure for a Barley Corn to lose the Pearl of great price Alas All flesh is Grass and all the Glory of Man as the flowers of the Grass the Grass withereth and the Flower fadeth away How oft do we see the Flower wither before the Sithe come to cut down the Grass How oft do we see the Glory of Man issue before he leave the World And yet what a little little time do they abide in the World The Sithe comes and Mows down this Grass speedily I my self have seen in some Families two and in some three Generations pass away few attaining to Moses account of threescore years and ten as Psal 90 10. But if they do it quickly comes about and it will be our great Mercy If the Lord so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to Wisdom Quest What is to be done Answ The first step is to see our selves utterly lost First By natural defilement Secondly By actual sin by which we have made our selves more vile in the sight of God then the vilest of the Creatures upon Earth Those in the Acts never cryed out What shall we do till they were prickt at their hearts and they were not prickt at their