Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	hear_v	lord_n	sin_n	15,720	5	5.7661	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11604	The sick souls salue. By William Sclater. Batchelar of Diuinity and minister of the word of God at Pitmister in Somerset	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.	1612 (1612)	STC 21845; ESTC S116861	21,761	40

of his own sonnes blood is not so prodigally bestowed Now this first distresse is vsually strengthned by three other particulars 1. Greatnesse of transgressions 2. Long continuance in a course of sinning 3. Our own indisposition to partake forgiuenesse For greatnesse of sinne we haue n Gen. 4.13 Cains instance And though the issue be better in Gods children then in the brood of Cain yet the distresse it selfe is incident to Gods dearest servants And herein alas how wittie and even Rhetoricall are Gods children to aggravate theire infirmities still they will be finding out somewhat wherein their sinnes haue exceeded the sinnes of others to which the Lord hath granted pardon It is true they confesse o 1. Tim. 1.13 Paule a blaspheamer a persecutour was receaued to mercy but what he did be did ignorantly through vnbeleefe I against my knowledge and conscience Peter sinned grievously p Mat. 26.75 but wept bitterly my heart is so hardned that not one teare can be wrung out for my many sinnes Manasses shed much blood but in his tribulation q Par. 33.12.13 he prayed earnestly and humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord God of his Fathers I besides a few cold wishes and a little hanging downe the head after the guise of those Hypocrites Isa 58. find no such thing in my selfe The sinne which the Lord would hereby chasten and prevent is our former extenuations and sleight esteeme of the offence of God we were wont to say of our sins as Lot of Zoar r Gen. 19.20 are they not little ones and our soule may liue Oathes say profane men perhaps we haue said too what are they but words and words but winde Scoffing and fabling wanton speech but merry talke Profane sports honest recreations grosser enormities humane frailties The Lord would now teach thee otherwise to esteeme sins to weigh them in the ballance of the sanctuary not of thine owne fancy and perhaps the sins thou formerlie thoughtest little are nowe felt as a burthen too heavy for thee to beare The remedies are these First humble thy selfe before the great God whose offence thou hast so lightly esteemed pray God to forgiue this thought of thy hart that ever thou hast thought any sin little and resolue hereafter to make conscience as well of smaller as of greater sins knowing that thou art ſ Mat. 12.36 countable for the least even to an idle word When thou hast this done consider then the endlesnes of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus view the t Eph 3.18 height and depth and length and breadth those immense dimensions of Gods grace and loue in Christ Heare the Lord himselfe describing himselfe to Moses u Ex. 34 6 7. The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger abundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and sin c. So many attributes of mercy and grace so few of power and iustice what argue they but almost a greater propension to shew mercy then to execute iudgement Heare the Apostle * 2. Cor 1.3 God the father of mercies againe God which is rich in mercy Heare Isay x Isai 55.7 He is very readie to forgiue heare S. Iames y Iac. 5.11 of much bowels and tender commiseratiō And reiect that saying of Cain z Gen. 4 13. my sin is greater then can be forgiven Mentiris Cain saith S. Augustin thou lyest Caine for greater is Gods mercy then al mās iniquitie When thou hast thus dwelt a while vpon meditation of the endlesse mercy of God see then the a 1. Pet. 1.18 19. price paide to expiate not only little but even greatest sins Is there any thinkest thou so great which the b Heb. 9.14 1. Ioh. 1.7 blood of the sonne of God a person so excellent cannot expiate Nimirum Deus meus saith Augustine si aequa lance delicta peccantis hominis redimentis gratiâ librentur Authoris non tantum oriens ab occidente sed inferior separatur infernus à summo Coeli cardine Now surely my God saith S. Augustine if the offences of man sinning and the grace of God redeeming be piezed in even ballance the East hath not so far difference frō the West nor the lowest hell from the highest heaven c. Ad vnto these those sweete promises propounded in the word of God c Isai 1.17 89 Cease to doe evill learne to do well c. Though thy sins were red as scarlet they shal be white as wooll And out of them frame this comfortable sound conclusion There is no sinne capable of repentance but the same is also capable of pardon Lastly consider examples of great sinners received to mercy d 2. Par. 33.12 13. Manasseh Peter e 1. Tim. 1.13 16. Paul c. and know Gods dealings are exemplary in them the Lord sheweth what al might expect that by their example shoulde in after times beleeue and repent A seconde particular strengthening this distresse is long continued practise of sin with contempt of grace offered This is that that more exasperates the wound and makes it bleed a fresh I know saith the distressed soule Gods mercies are infinite Christs merit endlesse but I haue long dwelt in practise of sin neglected many a gracious invitation foreslowed repentance that now I am perswaded the iudgement threatned by the Prophet hath seized on me f Ezec. 24.13 because the Lord would haue purged me and I was not purged therefore I shall never bee purged The sin the Lord would hereby chasten and prevent is procrastination those prophane resolutions time enough yet repent when we are old and those hellish speeches young Saints old Devils youth must haue his swinge and let vs be merry we can neuer do it younger The Lord would by this distresse teach thee that it is g Lam. 3.27 good to beare the yoake in youth that repentance the sooner it is performed the more comfortable and that grace must be accepted when the Lord offers it not when we shal be at leasure And now I dare say thou wishest thou hadst bin sooner wise for thy soule and even in youth laid the foundation of thine endles comfort For remedy this doe first bewaile delaies now so discomfortable in sense pray God to pardon that presumptuous neglect of his gracious invitations And now purpose to h Ephe. 5.16 redeeme the time and i 1. Pet. 4.2.3 as much time as remaines in the flesh consecrate wholly to the service of God This done build thy selfe vpon perswasion of this truth that promise of pardon is made without limitation to any time person or nūber of offences repentance being once performed Ierusalem had long weltered in the blood of the saints yet heare our Saviour k Luk. 19.42 oh if thou hadst known but in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace that is to say notwithstāding all the blood of the Prophets and

whom let this advise suffice 1. Let them consider that the cause of their wound is in and from themselues h Gen. 3.8.10.11 their sins procured it God only as a iust iudge inflicts it 2. Let them weigh withall that not only extremity but even eternity of this horror they haue deserved even that which I say hath i Isai 66 24. the worme that never dieth the fire that never goes out And thinke they much if the Lord for a momēt chastē that he may for ever haue mercy 3. Tell me thou that murmurest whither thinkest thou rather to be chosen A conscience wounded or a conscience seared a hart ground to powder or a heart past feeling of sin or wrath Certainely though it be true that Salomon speaks a wounded spirit is an evill intolerable yet if thou hast any rectitude of iudgement thou wilt easilie acknowledge the state of a man wounded farre better then the state of one hardned in these respects at least k Act. 16.30 1 That sense of the wound driues to seeke remedie Yea 2 l Isai 61.1 prepares makes fit to be cured 4. Let such remember what the Lord speakes to the Apostle m 2. Cor. 12.9 his grace is sufficient and he perfects his power in our weaknes and hath promised n 1. Cor. 10 23. not to suffer his to be tempted aboue strength c. Lastly let it not be forgotten that vsually comforts are o 2. Cor. 1.5 proportioned to afflictions the lesse the wounde the lesse the comfort the more the trouble the more plentifull the consolatiō when God is pleased to grant it And of the nature of this wounded spirit thus farre Whereto I will adde one thing of some consequence before I proceed to the attribute that is touching the subiect or persons into whom it is incident And thus propound the question Whither this misery may fall into Gods children or whither it be peculiar only to the vessels of wrath To this the answere is that not only castawaies or men vnreconciled to God but even vessels of election yea the dearest of Gods Saints actually partakers of adoption are subiect vnto it Yea more All Gods children except these only in whom the Lord workes extraordinarily as Infants c. sooner or later in one measure or another are thus wounded Gods children therefore consider in a double time 1. In the act of their calling 2 After their effectuall vocation In the act of their calling when God is bringing thē out of the power of darknesse it is generally true of al they feele it or else are never truly called And this is evident not only by instance but by generall doctrine Elihu describing the Lords proceedings with his childrē in their first conversion thus sets it out p Iob. 33.14.16.17.18.19.20.21 God speakes once and twice and men heare it not c. Then opens hee the eares by his corrections which he hath sealed c. by this especially here mentioned as appeares by effects thereof described in the processe of that Text. Our Savior professeth q Mat. 9.12.13 he heales not the whole but the sicke came not to call the righteous but sinners that is that feele their sinnes and grone vnder the burthen of them to repentance And therefore this once I dare avow none ever had conscience truly pacified that first felt not conscience wounded Now whether a man after he is in state of grace may feele this wound bleed a fresh is a greater questiō with some thorough their weaknesse though if we cōsult with Scripture and experience the question is out of question r Iob. 33.29 All these things saith Elihu truly will God worke twise or thrise with a man that he may turne backe his soule from the pit Examples are frequent see David complaining that hee had ſ Ps 32.3 4. no rest in his bones by reason of his sinne his moisture and marrow consumed with the extremitie of this anguish Compare Ps 77. Iob. 13. that place especially is eminent 2. Cor. 12. there was giuen me saith the Apostle a pricke to the flesh c. many interpret it of concupiscence and the stirrings of lust but impertinently and against the circumstances of the place for stirrings of lust are no gifts of God neither are in any respect to be reckoned amongst infirmities which Paule would reioice in rather vnderstand it of this sting of conscience which he felt pressing him downe to the nethermost hell in his sense that was erst taken vp to the highest heaven If any demand reasons why the Lord is pleased thus to deale with his children these may be assigned whiles we set downe the diverse kinds of this wound according as the ends of inflicting are diverse The kindes are fiue 1. Penall inflicted for punishment properly so called such was that of t Gen. 4.13 14 Mat. 27.4.5 Cain and Iudas meerely penall a beginning of their hell wherevnto castawaies many enter even in this life 2. Castigatory for chastisement of some particular disobedience such u Psal 32. that of David a chastisement for his sinnes the like of many of Gods children so long as they hold on their course of obedience without interruption so long * Gal. 6.16 mercy is vpon thē and peace as vpon the Israell of God but if once they shal turne their liberty into license when once that peace of God ceaseth x Philip. 4.7 to keepe their hearts within the bounds of obedience farewell then their peace till repentance be renued y Iob. 13 26. God then writes bitter things against them and makes them possesse the sinnes even of youth 3. Probatory for triall such probably was that of Iob chiefly for triall and such perhaps is that of Gods children sometimes most strict in obedience 4. For prevention of some future sin so Paul z 2. Cor. 12 7. Least I should bee exalted aboue measure God in mercy before hand letting vs feele the smart that he may affright from practise of sinne Saith Bernard Quandoque ei qui peccato quovis obligatus tenetur Bern. de tripl misericord piè immittit Dominus amaritudines quasdam quae mentē occupant hominis expellunt perniciosam delectationem peccati God often in his loue seeing vs intangled in some sinne casts into our soules some bitternesse to possesse the minde and to expel the pernicious delightsomenesse of sinne The last is of mixt nature partly for chastisement partly for triall partly for prevention And of one of these foure kinds is the distresse that any of Gods children feele If any would knowe how to put difference betwixt this wound as it is felt of Gods children that which is meerely Penall in aliens let him consider the different effects or consequents thereof according as the persons differ 1 Thus workes it vpon Gods servants in the first feeling of it glad they are to advise with any that is able