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	world_n	9,451	5	6.1102	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74767	Gods gracious thoughts tovvards great sinners.	Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1647 (1647)	Thomason E385_22; ESTC R201472	32,054	44

they cannot be saved We answer it puts a necessitie in God of infallibilitie that he cannot be deceived but not a necessitie of constraint on men to force them to sinne As the Angels full of glory did most voluntarily sin in Heaven so did Adam full of goodnesse most freely sin in Paradise and so doe wee now in the world God doth not reprobate because ●ee may be sure to sinne but because he sees we are sure to sinne therefore he doth reprobate with predamnation And therefore notwithstanding his eternall thoughts of predamnation he allowes every man sufficient outward meanes inward light to understand those means before he doth actually damne them in hell So in the said 2 Chron. 36. Pro. 29. Our second answer is this That predestination is a long golden chaine impregnable inseparable that not the least linck can be broken off So Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.3 4 5 6. to the end of 12. per. 2 Tim. 2.19 So that if we see but the least and last linck fastened to our hearts as to sanctifie us or to make us unfeignedly call in his Name or sincerely desire and endeavour to depart from iniquitie you may be sure that the other end of the chaine is fastened to God heart by eternall election Third answer Consider in those places of Rom. 8. Ephes 1. Gods de●●ee relates first in order to Christ and as it were passeth through him so that as we looke on Christ and behave out selves towards Christ to receive him or refuse him so wee may conclude of our predestination Thus of the birth of Gods thoughts 3. The life and actings of those thoughts how they move how they forme themselves and put forth themselves towards us and the manifestation of them to us 1. They are thoughts that delightfully reflect on themselves God takes a great deale of pleasure in his own gracious thoughts to poore sinners Deut. 30.9 God is said there to delight to doe us good And Micah 7.18 Who is a God like thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by transgression he keepeth not anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Though mercy seemes most to concerne us yet God is joyed in his own thoughts of mercy Wee may be sad at something in the best thoughts we thinke for some mixture of sin or vanitie in them but Gods thoughts are so excellent like himselfe that he rejoyceth in them as in himselfe 2. These thoughts delight in minding the good of poore sinners and so consequently take delight that poore sinners should be the better for them So in the said two places of Deut. 30.9 Micah 7.18 The precious stones with the names of the Tribes in them on Aarons breast signifie how Christ carries sinners in the thoughts and affections of his heart 3. They are compassionate-relenting thoughts if I may so say over a poore sinner that God hath wounded in the heart for sinne and is now complaining of his sinne Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard saith the Lord Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thus Thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised that is I felt it Turne thou mee and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Thus Ephraim Now heare the Lords compassionate relentings over these broken repenting praying hearts ver 20. Is Ephraim saith the Lord my deare sonne Is he a pleasant childe For since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. O admirable soule comforting place God first puts these repenting thoughts into a poore sinner and then how doth his heart melt with compassionating thoughts of mercy resolving to shew kindnesse unto him 4. They are patient opportunitie waiting thoughts to doe a poore distressed soule good Isai 30.18 And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted to have mercy on you So in the Hebrew For the Lord is a God of judgement or equitie and uprightnesse blessed are all they that wait for him See the Lord sets himselfe forth as some good man that is full of thoughts to doe some worthy worke to shew some notable kindnesse who stands observing and meditating when and how he may take the best opportunitie to doe it He sets himselfe like some Generall in some high eminent place to view when he may step in to rescue and relieve those that are in danger and distresse By which is held forth to us that God is thinking kinde thoughts to us when he is not acting And that he will not deferre a minute to shew us mercy when his time is come 5. Tender caring thoughts for and to the meeke and broken heart Isai 66.2 But to this man will I looke saith the Lord even to him that is of a poore and a contrite heart and trembleth at my Word God will not onely look on such a one to have thoughts of pitie but he will look to him have a care to bind up his wounds The poore that is despised of the world God will look to and shall be blessed in his thoughts Mat. 5. The contrite he will heale Luk. 4.18 Those that mourne for want of a sacrifice as they thinke they bring a thing more acceptable then a sacrifice unto God Psal 51. They that are affraid because of the Word they have here assurance that they are high in Gods thoughts 6. To prevent any objection that sinne might hinder good things from us he tells us that his thoughts are sinne-surpassing thoughts super-abounding above all sinnes And indeed this seems sometimes in some to super-abound the Text that saith My thoughts are above your thoughts For many times some poore sinners cannot get their thoughts above their sinnes but their sinnes doe master their thoughts so that they cannot thinke but that their sinnes surmount all that they can thinke But now in this particular is shewed that Gods thoughts super-abound all our sinnes and unworthinesse Rom. 5.20 Where sinne did abound grace did much more abound And 1 T●● 1.14 And the grace of our Lord was ●…ing abundant or as it is in the Greeke did super-abound 7. And lastly to number no more particulars The thoughts of God are all 〈…〉 thoughts for them that love him Rom. 8.28 And 〈◊〉 know that all things worke together for good to them that love him How doth the Apostle prove this This he proves from Gods thoughts vers 29. c. Whom he foreknew th●● 〈◊〉 predestinated to be confirmed to the image of his Sonne Gods plot is no other then this That 〈◊〉 poore sinner that loves him shall fare no worse according to his measure then his Sonne Christ Jesus Wee are apt to thinke we shall be made thus and thus miserable but Christ

of them in the Sacraments to many of your senses But though you cannot comprehend them fully as they are in their infinitenesse every way yet by that you apprehend yee may admire the rest as perfectly infinite and incomprehensible As the Heavens and Earth will be seene of us but in the Hemisphere yet you conclude they are round 4. That though your thoughts have many objections against my thoughts yet I know my thoughts will answer all the objections of your thoughts Dispute and try 1. It may be you poore sinners will say you have had such deep apprehensions of your sinnes and such long inward conflicts about them that you say in your hearts and thinke you shall nesee good day more But my thoughts answer you out of these Texts that my thoughts are thoughts of mercy of multiplying pardons and that above your comprehension Thoughts of peace I think peace towards you as I am the God of peace And I have many thoughts about it and great thoughts like my selfe For they are my thoughts And though little man doth assay to imagine great things yet your thoughts are not like my thoughts 2. It may be you will object againe That your thoughts thinke my thoughts are not such thoughts of mercy Because my hand hath been upon you to afflict you and perhaps the affliction or its smart is not yet off from you and therefore that I still intend to have severe thoughts towards you But my thoughts are as in these Texts and the Contexts that lead to and follow them that is That whereas you can be alwayes angry and irreconcileably angry with men flesh and bloud is prone to be unmercifull and implacable my thoughts are not such for my thoughts cannot be like yours they must be better and above yours or they cannot be my thoughts I tell you plainly in these Texts Isai 55. Let him that hath nothing come and buy ver 1. That there is a time when I will be found ver 6. And the present time when I offer grace and favour is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 Even as he did heare Christ Jesus that was made sinne for us so he heares sinners And as there is a time when I spake to thee sinner to cause thee to leave sin so then do I intend to lay aside my wrath ver 7. before the Text. So that my thoughts of anger are but for a time but my thoughts of mercy are everlasting Psal 30.5 Psal 89.28 c. He hath regard to his Oath there He hath not sworn to be angry with sinners for ever but hath sworn to have mercy And accordingly he doth affirme Isai 54.7 the next Chapter afore the Text. You the sonnes of men cannot tell when to lay aside your thoughts of anger till they degenerate into malice but I can see my time Yea though I afflict my people so yours yet I can have thoughts of peace to them at last Jer. 29.11 Yea all that while resolve on them Yea whiles I am afflicting I have thoughts of love Heb. 12. And therefore saith the Lord My sonne be not weary of the Lords chastisement Pro. 3.11 12. But doe as Isai 8.17 3. It may be you poore sinners will object that your thoughts are not able to beare the lying upon you of your sorrowes of sinnes and afflictions Therefore you would have them removed Therefore also my thoughts answer you thus I have as in this Text all manner and measure of mercies to take away the perplexity of your spirits And besides I have entailed on my pardoning mercy affliction removing mercy So ver 12. after the Text. 4. It may be your thoughts will object But our perplexities and miseries have been so many and long that wee are exceeding thirsty our appetites are enlarged wee thinke wee can have never enough of God and his presence and comfort My thoughts exprest in the Text and elswhere answer this sufficiently that I have abundance of mercy for you multiplyed mercy Yea so much as your thoughts cannot reach unto And it shall satiate you as the raine doth the earth and not onely you shall joy but the world shall seeme before you to sing and to be full of joy so from the Text to vers 13. 5. But yet may be your thoughts object that some of you have waited a long while for a good houre and have not yet attained it The Lords thoughts answer this too His thoughts are not as our thoughts that is they shall not stay too long as we think ere they send comfort But as the Heavens are above the Earth yet in due time water it So c. And Jer. 29.11 you shall have your expectation Rom. 5. Hope is not ashamed at last yea not ashamed whiles it waites because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Hab. 2 3 4. Thus farre of the first use of putting us upon the consideration of Gods incomparable thoughts to see how farre they prevent all objections 2. Is to put us upon the exercise of our faith about the unparalleld thoughts of God That where our best thoughts fall short there the faith that Christ hath given us may ascend And indeed if Gods thoughts are farre above our thoughts then it is the proper worke of faith to take the transcendency of them into the view of it As thus 1. To beleeve the originall and inuate conception of these thoughts of grace and favour to poore sinners They spring meerly from the sweet good and unspeakable excellency of Gods nature described Exod. 34. Compare Isai 43.25 Psal 119. Thou art good and thou doest good Therefore it supposeth he is good and thinketh good So notably Ephes 1.5 His thoughts doe arise from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his most gracious disposition As out of the evill nature of man proceeds all evill thoughts Adulteries murthers thefts c. So contrary This well applyed by faith answers the objection of our unworthinesse For as there was no good in us when God first thought of us to move him to thinke on us for either he looked on us as nothing or as a most sinfull something to no unworthinesse either of our nothingnesse or sinfulnesse could hinder him from his gracious thoughts towards us As it is said He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy so he will thinke what be will thinke of grace and favour to poore sinners nothing can helpe nothing shall hinder him As God cannot be otherwise in his nature then he is so he cannot be otherwise in his gracious thoughts then what he will thinke Object But God hath a pure nature and a just nature c. And therefore from thence by the same proportion must arise thoughts of hating impure sinne and of punishing unrighteous sinne with which by nature we abound Answ 1. This doth not contradict Gods thoughts of grace and favour to grievous sinners because God was pure and just when from all eternitie foreseeing all things he