Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	lord_n	name_n	5,498	5	5.3931	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20529	Foure godlie and fruitful sermons two preached at Draiton in Oxford-shire, at a fast, enioyned by authoritie, by occasion of the pestilence then dangerously dispearsed. Likewise two other sermons on the twelfth Psalme. VVhereunto is annexed a briefe tract of zeale. / By I. Dod. R. Cleauer.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.; Greenham, Richard.	1611 (1611)	STC 6938; ESTC S114261	70,793	120

for the wickednesse committed against the Maiestie of God till then there is no turning vnto him one may as well bid a prisoner that is in strong hold and hath bolts and fetters vpon his heeles walke abroade and take the fresh aire and not remaine any longer in that darke loathsome dungeon as bid one that hath not his heart crushed humbled to turne vnto the Lord alas he is held fast in the chaines of Sathan and cannot stirre one foote to God-ward therefore is it noted in those conuerts Act. 2. 37. that They were pricked in their hearts when they began the worke of repentance the rebukes of God had wakened their drowsie consciences so that they saw their sinnes and Gods vengeance due vnto them and the words of Peter had gone through their hearts euen as a two edged sword and then they were fit to bee soundly healed and comforted when they had beene pierced and throughly wounded by the Arrowes of God 1 First till the heart bee broken for sinne there can be no plaine confession of sinne and therfore no repentance Men naturally are like wilde Asse-Colts nothing will worke vpon them nor bring them vnto any good frame or order though they heare often of their faults they will not acknowledge them but be still vnruly and vntamed as Paul was before his conuersion so long as he was heart-whole in his owne conceit though he had heard many excellent Sermons no doubt yet hee was like a beast still neuer bewailing nor confessing his grieuous offences till the Lord had taken him downe and throughly mastered him 2 Nay further men are so farre from taking paines to come to a true acknowledgment of their iniquities till such time as there is a breach made into their hearts by godly sorrow they doe not so much as desire to be deliuered from them nor make any reckoning of Gods mercy for the pardoning of them till such time as they become mourners for sinne they cannot possibly hunger and thirst after righteousnes And indeed what reason is there that they should esteeme of that medicine which will cure when they doe not feele themselues to be sicke they thinke it a matter worth the looking after to be freed from pouertie from infamie from the pestilence c. but as for the corruptions of their nature and the sinfulnesse of their waies they were neuer much troubled with them and therefore they make little account to be deliuered from them See this poynt more at large in M. Dods Sermon on Isa. 1 Doct. 1. Seeing therefore that inward contrition for sinne is the first step to repentance and that which killeth the roote of sinne and setteth vs free from the power and dominion of it and erecteth in our hearts a throne for Christ Iesus the vse of this point is First for reproofe of those that perswade themselues and beare others in hard that they haue truely repented and doe continually confesse their faults and aske pardon for them but what griefe and paine haue they had in their hearts for their sinnes nay they thanke God they were neuer terrified nor troubled in their consciences Do you thanke God for this it is in effect to thanke him for that you want the first and principall note of true conuersion if your harts haue neuer beene pricked and slung with the sense of your vilenesse and wretchednesse it is because you are senselesse for there is cause sufficient why you should be grieued and the lesse you haue had the more you are likely to haue if not heere yet in the world to come and at that day when you shall be most vnwilling of it Secondly heere are those to be reprooued that run into farre greater excesse of sinning than euer Dauid did breaking forth into grosse and foule euils that euerie body seeth and knoweth and condemneth and yet they passe them ouer slightly and carelessly as if they were matters of nothing When Dauid did but cut off the lap of Sauls coat his heart smote him and was grieued within him in that he was so neere vnto sinne what then shall we thinke of these that doe not cut off the lappe of the coate of an enemie but are iniurious to their friends and cruell against their brethren that breake couenant and promise sinne against God blaspheme his name profane his Sabbaths and the like and yet none of all these do soundly worke vpon them nor much trouble them surely such men are not of Dauids spirit and therefore not being broken hearted heere they shall be broken and crushed in peeces with the vnsupportable weight of Gods vengeance heereafter Thirdly sith this inward touch for sinne is a thing so necessarie let vs hence learne to labour for it and to keepe tendernes of heart when we haue obtained it for that sorrow which breaketh the heart doth withall breake the necke of sinne and therefore when the Lord doth checke controle our consciences let vs esteeme it as a great mercie and not let such stroakes passe without their right vse but let vs goe to God and to his children for helpe and direction and them that little sparke of the fire of God in our soules being fed nourished will grow in the end to a great flame Now that our harts may be kept alwaies tender sensible of those checks which Gods spirit giueth vs let vs vse these meanes that follow First let vs lay vp in our hearts the weapon of God euen the sword of the spirit whereby our hearts may be wounded as often as need requireth for vnregenerate persons wanting that weapon will rather defend then smite themselues when they haue offended and euery childe of God hath somewhat of old Adam in him in which regard he must be more carefull to vse the sword of the spirit for the piercing of his heart when any sinne is committed by him withall praying for the spirit of grace which will conuince the conscience when it is guiltie so that it shall haue nothing to say in defense of it selfe but very much for the condemnation of it selfe as is euident Ezec. 36. 27. whereby we may obserue that when God hath giuen his spirit vnto his elect and as it is in Ieremy 31. 33. withall written his lawes in their hearts then they shall remember their owne wicked waies and their deedes that were not good and shall iudge themselues worthy to haue beene destroyed for their iniquities for their abhominations What is the reason they should passe such a heauie sentence vpon themselues one would thinke they should rather reioyce now allow of themselues and of their workes so they doe reioyce at and approue of themselues and their workes so farre as they are spirituall but they proclaime war against themselues and their workes so far as either they are or haue beene carnall and sinfull and that because the word of God

confutation of the Papists who clog mens consciences and lay on them heauie and yet vnnecessarie burdens enioyning them if they would get termission of their sinnes to goe in pilgrimage to this or that place to pray to this or that Saint to make some satisfaction to God c as if they should finde mercie any where rather then by seeking it at Gods hands and they speed accordingly for whereas Dauid went vnto the Lord for fauour and obtained it they haue still vnsetled hearts and restles consciences or hard hearts and benummed consciences neuer getting any true peace or sound comfort in the assurance of their reconciliation with the Lord. 2 Secondly for reproofe of those whose offences are very many and very grieuous and they see and acknowledge so much and yet will they not be so presumptuous as they tearme it to expect pardon for the same indeed they thinke it fit for such holy men as Dauid was to aske and looke for mercy from the Lord but for themselues they are such hainous offenders that they dare not doe so neither can they conceiue any hope to speed well if they should doe so But why should we put in conditions where God doth not and as it were interline Gods couenant doth not he promise without any exception that if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse It is therefore a great fault to thinke that any hath more abundance of sinne then God hath of mercy to forgiue it Thirdly heere is an vse of instruction that we should be very importunate for the obtaining of Gods fauour in the pardoning of our sinnes which earnestnes that we may attaine vnto let vs vse these two helpes following which Dauids example directeth vs vnto First let vs labour that our hearts may thorowly smite vs and that our consciences may euermore checke vs when we doe offend for wheresoeuer there is the checke of conscience it will make the party grow not onely to hartie confession but also to earnest petitions for grace and fauour The greater therefore is their follie who when the Lord doth strike their drowsie consciences for any wickednesse committed by them will presently betake themselues to merry company so by iesting and laughing and drinking and sporting seeke to driue away their melancholie fit as they call it but God meeteth with them accordingly for when they will not take benefit by that mercifull warning which he giueth them they commonly fall to maruellous hardnes of heart and after breake foorth into some horrible sinne which ouerwhelmeth them with shame and confusion Let vs therefore obserue when the Lord smiteth our hearts and with Peter get out of company speedily and lament bitterly that so we may turne the rebukes of our soules into holy requests that the Lord would forgiue vs and not enter into iudgement with vs for our grieuous prouocations against his Maiestie Secondly when sinne is so odious vnto vs that our hearts doe condemne vs for it then let vs striue to be perswaded that it is pardonable yea and that it shall be pardoned vnto vs that though we deserue to be throwen out of seruice because we haue dealt so foolishly yet seeing we are Gods seruants he will not goe to extremities with vs but deale as a father with his owne children this ancor of hope we had need still to hold fast by for if we be not in some good measure resolued that we shall finde the Lord gratious and that we our selues are not hypocrites but such as to whom mercy belongeth we shall presently giue ouer prayer for who would seeke vnto a Chirurgion to cure him of whom he is afraid lest he should wound him in that he hath cause and abilitie so to doe Therefore hold this for a firme ground once Gods childe and euer once his seruant and neuer his enemie in which regard we may come with confidence vnto him and say Lord I am vnworthy to be called thy sonne yet art thou my mercifull Father I haue done thee ill seruice yet am I thy poore seruant still and though I be bad now yet time hath bene when I haue bin better done better when I haue praied in secret and humbled my soule and shedde teares for my sinnes in priuate and haue had an vtter detestation of those euils which now through the corruption of my nature I haue fallen into and therefore Lord be pacified towards me and put out of thy remembrance the trespasse of thy seruant If any one want these testimonies of Gods loue towards him and of his loue towards God when affliction ouertaketh him for his sinnes he will either flee from the Lords presence as Adam did or if he aduenture to come vnto him his prayers will descend as plummets of lead vpon him and Sathan and his owne conscience will be readie to accuse him and to say what hast thou to doe with God he heareth not sinners thou shall rather prouoke his vengeance then obtaine his fauour by thy petitions and because thou hast bene his enemie heretofore he will shew himselfe to be thine now and because thou hast cast his word behind thy backe he will shut out thy cries that they shall not haue any accesse vnto him Which vncomfortable newes will be as a dart to strike thorow the liuer of an hypocrite and as a two edged sword to pearse his soule and therefore let vs all labour to be strongly setled in this point that we are Gods seruants that so we may be feruent and firie in our prayers and not be so daunted as sinners are when the hand of God is vpon them I haue dealt very foolishly This he speaketh to make this sinne more odious vnto himselfe for by nature we are so proud that we cannot abide that any body should say we haue dealt foolishly and absurdly therefore doth he lay lode vpon himselfe the more to beat downe his pride confessing that he had dealt very foolishly because he had dealt very sinfully whence note this doctrine That the more sinfull any one is the more foolish he is Eue did eat of the forbidden fruit thinking she had dealt very wisely prouidently for her selfe but did she get any thing by sinning against her makers commandement No surely when shee had a conceit that she should deale most wisely she dealt most foolishly of any that euer was in the world for thereby she brought sorrow and miserie yea eternall damnation of soule and body not onely vpon her selfe had not God giuen her repentance and mercy but vpon many hundred thousands of her posteritie So Achan thought it a part of wisdome to take vp the Babylonish garment the wedge of gold that lay in his way hee might thereby as he imagined inrich himselfe and the matter neuer be knowne but was not that the ruine of himselfe his houshold In like manner

where God dealeth with Dauid as a father with his owne sonne First letting him chuse his owne rod when of necessitie he must be corrected Secondly he giueth him warning before hand that the plague might not ouertake him on a sudden which would wonderfully haue discomforted him Thirdly he telleth him how long it should continue so that he was sure three daies would be the longest Which serueth first for singular comfort vnto Gods children that doe bewaile their sinnes and passe sentence vpon themselues as well as they can if they goe thorow with that worke the Lord wil giue them a comfortable and speedie deliuerance or if it be requisite that they should feele Gods hand vpon them or theirs in any more grieuous manner yet the Lord will deale with them in some sort as he did heere with Dauid for first they shall haue warning thereof before hand and so be better prepared and armed for it And further if they striue to humble their hearts before the Lord though they haue not the choyce of their particular scourge yet it shall be as well with them in effect for although at first they thinke the rod very smart and euery blow two yet when they are growne to be stronger men in Christ they shall be driuen to confesse that if they had chosen their owne rods there could haue beene none in the world so fit for them as those wherewith the Lord hath scourged them So that they shall be able not onely to say with the Prophet It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted but good for me that I was whipped with these and these rods yea and that I receiued thus many strokes from the Lords mercifull hand No crosse could haue beene inuented to doe me more good then pouerty or disgrace or ill neighbours or any the like according as Gods seruants are seuerally tried If God should haue put it to Abrahams and Iacobs choyse they would rather haue parted with any outward thing then with their children that were as deare vnto them as their life but when they saw Gods end in trying them that way when Isaac was spared and Ioseph aduanced and made an instrument of humbling his boisterous brethren and of releeuing his father and all his familie besides many others then they must needs acknowledge that it was fittest for them to be crossed in their children and that Cods waies are the best whatsoeuer we may iudge of them for a while Secondly heere is matter of terrour vnto all vngodly men that will not be perswaded to iudge themselues looke what iudgement will most vex and sting and torment and euen kill their soules that let them make account of If Haman might haue beene the chuser of all other miseries he would not haue chosen that which befell him to wit that Mordecai his enemie should be aduanced and honoured and that by himselfe who did beare him such deadly hatred for that he could not obtaine honour and reuerence from him what an horrible torment must this needs be vnto his heart that Mordecai now should ride and he goe by him on foot that now he must bow the knee to Mordecai that would so faine haue had Mordecai to doe it to him that the gallowes that was by him prepared for Mordecai must now serue for himselfe c. This must needs be an exceeding torture vnto him and this shall befall all impenitent sinners What they are most loth to vndergoe that shall light vpon them and that at vnawares when they least thinke of it and shall continue with them and neuer leaue them till it haue either turned them vnto God or brought them vnto hell the place of all such rebrobate sinners And that we may apply this to the present occasion are there not many that are horribly afraid of the pestilence yea farre more then they are of sinne which bringeth it in so much that they absent themselues from Sermons and from publike prayers lest they should be infected Are there not very many I say that are possessed with such feares Let them looke to it for of all other strokes the pestilence is likely to fall vpon them if it were a sword in the hand of the Pope or of Sathan then it stood them vpon to beware of Gods ordinances but seeing none but Atheists will denie but it is ordered by Gods ouer-ruling hand they take a bad course to escape his stroke for where can they hide themselues but he will finde them out And whither can they flee from his all-seeing presence He can take away the infection where it is and bring it euen in a moment where it is not and therefore goe where they can they goe in continuall danger for where is the sword of God most likely to smite but where he is most displeased and where there is most prophanenesse and greatest contempt of the meanes of saluation therefore if they would escape let them fall downe before the Lord and humble themselues as Dauid did and not be so much afraid of their neighbours that haue the plague as of sinne that brings the plague and runne not so much from the occasion of this sicknesse though all good care must be had that way as from the cause which if we can doe then either God will spare vs and exempt vs from this stroke or else giue vs comfort vnder it and deliuerance from it by life or death making it a meanes vtterly to kill originall sinne which all his ordinances could but onely weaken and who would be afraid of such a cure what child of God would not be more glad to sit on a throne in heauen though he be called thereto by a boysterous messenger than to be in a prison heere on earth to be where he shall be quite freed from sinne and sorrow and temptation and haue all happinesse aboue that which his heart can desire rather than to be continually turmoyled heere in the world and euery day to taste of new tribulations The end of the first Sermon The second Sermon 2. SAMVEL 24. 14. c. Verse 14 And Dauid said vnto Gad I am in a wonderfull strait let vs fall now into the hand of the Lorde for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Verse 15. So the Lord sent a Pestilence in Israell from the morning euen to the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seuenty thousand men Verse 16. And when the Angell stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem the Lord repented of the euill and said to the Angell that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thy hand c. Verse 17. And Dauid spake vnto the Lord c. YEE haue alreadie heard of Dauids sinne in numbring of the people of his humiliation confession and crauing of pardon for the same also of the message that was brought vnto him by Gad what offer the Lord made him Namely that hee should

no conscience of the meanes they vse nor of the end they propose in accomplishing of them The like is alleaged by our Sauiour against the Sodomites as against those of the old world viz that they bought and sold and built in couetousnesse pride and vanitie as if they had bene euer to dwell vpon the earth not caring what craft and fraud they vsed nor what snares and grins they laid for men if they might satisfie their couetous and ambitious desires More might be said concerning this point both for proofes and reasons but that it hath bene handled at large elsewhere This serueth First for terror vnto those that satisfie themselues with this that no bodie can charge them with grosse sinnes and therefore they imagine their case to be good and that they need not trouble themselues in regard of their offences But was it not thus with Dauid who could now accuse him of any notorious ill fact surely none in the world and yet he hauing grace in his heart accuseth and condemneth himselfe for that he had done a good action in an ill maner and with an ambitious and vaine glorious minde and for the same is much abased and confounded in himselfe and therefore those are in a miserable estate that neuer disquiet their soules for their hidden corruptions but thinke that all goeth well with them when mens eyes can discerne nothing amisse in them as they on the other side are in happie case that doe often take themselues apart and beseech the Lord to be mercifull vnto them in regard of their failings euen in the most spirituall duties that they performe such iudge themselues and therefore shall not be iudged of the Lord. Secondly this is for instruction that we carefully looke vnto the manner of all our actions and in particular of the exercise of fasting which is now in hand let vs consider wherefore we are come together and what is required of euery one that is present this day to wit that we should put wickednesse out of our hearts and out of our hands and for that purpose come with true humiliatiō on our part that there may be a perfect reconciliation granted vs on Gods part This was practised by the Niniuites who hearing Gods iudgements denounced against them for their sinnes that within fortie daies Niniue should be destroyed except they repented what did they All of them both King and people humbled themselues in fasting bewailing their euill sinfull waies and workes and crying mightily vnto the Lord for pardon and resoluing to turne from the wickednesse that was in their hands that so God might turne away from his fierce wrath Yet they had enioyed but little teaching they had heard onely one Sermon from Ionah who was a man vnknowne vnto them and did not bring such testimonies of Scripture to conuince their consciences as are now alleaged vnto vs c and therefore we should be much ashamed to come short of them in this holy exercise especially seeing we haue not one Ionah but many not a iudgement threatned but executed and the sword of the Lord still drawne against vs and deuouring by hundreds and thousands in many quarters of our land Let vs then search and examine our hearts and grieue and iudge our selues for all our former transgressions and couenant with the Lord to auoid them hereafter crauing strength from him for that purpose that we may be enabled to subdue and keepe vnder all our corruptions and then our hearts being broken with godly sorrow they shall be healed with godly ioy and being truely cast downe before the Lord he will raise vs vp in due season and make it knowne by good effect that he is appeased towards vs. Thirdly here is matter of exceeding great terror vnto those that spend their dayes in the continuall practise of grosse and presumptuous sinnes for if Dauid were so grieued punished for that corruption which no man liuing could touch him for euen for dooing a good thing in an ill manner how then shall they bee able to stand that haue heaped iniquity vpon iniquitie and for manie yeeres together added one foule euill vnto another and not onely done good things in an ill manner but ill things in the worst manner hauing manie crying sinnes still to call for vengeance against them If Dauid were brought to such a strait that he was euen at his wits ende and in exceeding great anguish for doing one thing which in mans reason might seeme very lawfull Oh what horrible terrors shall seaze on their soules who doe continuallie rush vpon a multitude of hainous offences which all the world crieth out against especially when they shall be called to answere not before Gad as Dauid was but before the Maiestie of the great Lord of heaven and earth not for one sinne but for all their sinnes not to endure three dayes punishment in mercie but euerlasting woe and miserie and that in iudgement and heauie displeasure Dauid had great sorrow indeed for the offences which he committed yet no more then hee should haue how then doe they thinke to escape that are not wrought vpon at all with any remorse for their grieuous transgressions but are euen as a lumpe of dead flesh altogether insensible of any stroke of God that is threatned or inflicted vpon themselues or others Verse 10. I haue sinned exceedingly Now followeth the second step vnto sound repentance namely a true full particular and hearty confession of his sinne that so wounded his heart which all that would obtaine remission of their sinnes must be carefull to bring before the Lord as Dauid did But this point hath bene more largely handled elsewhere in M. Dods Serm. Prou. 28. Doct. 2. I beseech thee take away the trespasse of thy seruant c. This is the third worke of repentance viz that he craueth pardon for his fault and that is the next point that with confession of our sinnes we must alwaies ioyne requests vnto God for the pardoning of the same so doth Dauid in this place as also Psal. 51. so doth the Publican Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner and in a word so doth Daniel Nehemia and the rest of Gods seruants as may be seene in their seuerall confessions And for incouragement vnto the performance of this dutie we haue 1 First the name of God which is to pardon iniquitie transgression and sinne euen all without exception great or small if we repent for them they shall be pardoned if we acknowledge our miserie we shall assuredly finde Gods mercy 2 Secondly we haue the couenant of God that he will wash vs from all our filthinesse by powring the bloud of his sonne vpon our sinfull soules 3 Thirdly we haue the name of Christ to incite and moue vs to become suters for a pardon for he is called Iesus because it is his office to saue his people from their sinnes This Doctrine serueth First for the