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	way_n	4,954	5	4.7237	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08201	Abrahams faith: that is, The olde religion VVherein is taught, that the religion now publikely taught and defended by order in the Church of England, is the onely true Catholicke, auncient, and vnchangeable faith of Gods elect. And the pretensed religion of the Sea of Rome is a false, bastard, new, vpstart, hereticall and variable superstitious deuise of man. Published by Iosias Nicholls, an humble seruant and minister of the gospell in the Church.	Nichols, Josias, 1555?-1639.	1602 (1602)	STC 18538; ESTC S113254	207,023	348

neither do men seeke the Lord behold euerie man seeth how his anger is kindled more and more and how neere his sword is come vnto vs that the Lords wrath is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still But yet if it please thee O God and mercifull father bee thou entreated by thy poore seruants who seeing the plague call night and day vpon thee that thou take not so great vengeance of our sinnes as to make the sweete streaming fountains which water all thy holy temple and the garden of thy delight among vs to be salt and vnsauourie or to let that burning starre of wormewood which is fallen from heauen to touch our riuers of waters or that thou shouldst make the heart of this people fat and their eares heauie shut their eyes least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heartes and conuert and thou heale them Why should we be as men of another generation which know not and remember not thy great workes which thou hast done by our princely Iehoshuah and the great victorie ouer the Cananites of the land by thine annointed handmaid our renowned Deborah that our eyes should looke backe to the flesh pots of Egypt or that wee should returne to ioyne in friendship with that wicked Babilon whom thou hast commanded vs to reward with double as they haue rewarded vs and learning their maners being partakers of their sinnes we should be partakers of their punishmentes and thou shouldst giue vs ouer to the enemie and they which hate vs should be Lords ouer vs and then al these good things and the light of thy countenance should bee quite turned from vs and our glorie forsake vs. We haue indeed sinned most deare father and our offences are many yet is there mercie with thee that thou maiest bee feared Teach vs therfore thy way O Lord that we may walk in thy truth and knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy holy name euen for thy holy Son sake our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen When men waxe rich they begin to bee carelesse and by aboundance of peace Deut. 32.15 men forget themselues and fall away as it is written When he waxed fat he spurned with the heele For this cause hath God set vs ministers as watchmen to see the plague when it commeth and to admonish the people that they die not in their sinnes and to say vnto them Take heed you forget not the Lord your God which hath done all these good thinges for you but feare ye the Lord your God The cause matter purpose of this booke and serue him thou shalt cleaue vnto him and sweare by his name And this is verily the reason of the publishing of this treatise wherein I shew that the religion and faith publikely professed in this Realme and maintained by the righteous scepter and sword of our dread soueraign and gracious Queene Elizabeth is of the onely truth most auncient catholicke and vnchangeable out of which none euer haue beene saued from the beginning of the world neither can or shall bee And that the faith and religion vnder the pretence and name of Christ Peter and Paul and of the glorious shew and title of the Church which is now professed at Rome and followed by the vassals of the pope is but a new vpstart hereticall and superstitious deuise of man contrariant to the faith of Gods elect of the ancient couenant which God gaue taught Abraham both for Iewes and Gentils and which Moses and the prophets declared expounded and Christ fulfilled and established and his holy Apostles published to all the world and taught all nations by Christes commandement For I thought my duetie first vnto God and then to my gracious prince to shew some token of my thankefull mind and secondly to acknowledge my bounden duetie to Christes Church here among vs my deare mother in whose wombe I freely confesse my selfe to be bgotten and borne one of Gods children and though of thousands the most vnworthie yet one of the seruants of Christ and of his congregation in the ministerie of his Gospell And especially that I might call to remembrance and set before the eyes of my louing country men my louing and faithfull brethren and sisters in Christ the assurednesse of truth and the good treasure of God among vs namely that wee are lighted vpon that heauenly pearle blessed be God for which a man would sell all that he hath that this might bee some meanes to blow away the ashes from the cooling zeale of some stirre vp and awake some that are now readie to sleepe and bring backe againe some if it please God which are readie to go out of the way and that I might admonish others that they receiue not the grace of God in vaine For when a man shall thinke with himselfe and well way it in his heart that we haue the true faith which is vnchaungeable by which all Gods elect are saued will it not moue him to bestir himselfe that he neglect not so great saluation and that he trie euerie spirit before he beleeue and that he be not caried away with the vaine shew of ostentation in men of schoole learning but whomsoeuer he heare with the men of Berea to search the Scriptures whether those things be so yea though it were Paule or an Angel from heauen should preach another doctrine then that wee haue receiued we should hold him accursed I pray God for Christes sake to bee mercifull vnto mee that as he put into mine hart to take this worke in hand hath graciously assisted me and strengthened me to finish it and now to publish it So it would please him to vouchsafe his blessing to accompanie the same that it may bee accordingly profitable to many and haue an effectuall fruit to his glorie and the good of his church in the encouragement and strengthening of weake Christians I humblie beg this at his fatherly hands in and by the mediation of his son Iesus Christ euen for his holy and blessed name to whom with his holy spirit be all praise power and dominion for euer Amen From Eastwell in Kent the 26. of March 1602. The Contents of this Booke The first part of the auncient and vnchangeable estate of our religion now professed in England CAp. 1. Wherein is shewed first That wee come to know the true religion by the true knowledge of God pag. 1.2 2. That there is one God and he is the onely law-giuer pag. 3. 3. There is but one catholike religion whereof God is author and maintainer pag. 3. 4. For this cause Christ his Apostles teach the same religion which is in the olde testament and the gentils are adopted to bee children vnto Abraham pag. 5. 5. Here is taken away the obiection which might arise by the difference which seemeth to be in the three times before the law vnder the lawe and vnder the

the light of his word to make all things manifest that it might be said of vs as by prerogatiue it was once spoken of Israel Psal 147.19 He sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not so dealt with euerie nation c. The entrance of her Maiesties raigne a most blessed day vnto England There was a day of darkenesse a day of great blacknes sorrow when the people of this land were made slaues vnder the thraldome of spirituall Aegipt and Babilon when they knew not aright the true and liuing God nor the power grace of our Lord Iesus Christ but were led after vaine things in whom there was no helpe and men by a iust plague of God were giuen ouer vnto their owne lustes and fancies yea euen vnto most abhominable idolatrie But the day of her Maiesties most royall coronation was a day of light and glorie a day of cleare and perfect ioy in that day did the sunne of righteousnes arise shined from on hie hee cast forth his bright and pleasant beames and enlightened all the land Then fell away the grosse misse of palpable foolishnesse and ignorance and the vaile of mans presumption was taken from our hartes Then humane deuises and the greeuous yoke of the apostaticall bondage in tradition voluntary seruice of men was taken from our necks Then were our hearts opened and the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God and his bright shining countenance in the face of Iesus Christ did shine into our soules It was a day that the verie Angels of heauen did reioyce and sing because of the sweet blessed tidings of great ioy vnto al the people of this land For the grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men did then appeare and the beautifull feet of the messengers of peace which brought tidings of good thinges and said vnto euery elect soule Thy God raigneth had then a merrie and comfortable passage and safe trauell ouer all the land the embassadors of God brought vnto vs the wholsome word of reconciliation Then did the Lorde plant his vineyard and build his holy temple among vs and hee became our strong sanctuarie and visited vs with his rich mercie and saluation his blessings spirituall and corporall most plentiful flowed down from heauen vpon our land So that our enemies being Iudges it must needes be said God hath done great things for vs and hath giuen vs all things aboundantly to enioy In which time many nations round about vs in greeuous darknesse and bloudy miserie euen mourning dayly before our eyes might well haue counted themselues happie if they had part of our peace We haue lent and not borrowed wee haue giuen and not taken we haue beene a refuge for the poore and a place of succour for the persecuted our men and money haue beene a reliefe to the oppressed and deliueraunce to many in great daunger and distresse Our prince hath bin an hyding place from the wind as a refuge for the tempest as riuers of waters in a drie place and as the shadow of a rocke in a wearie land My pen is insufficient and I am vnworthie and vnable to rehearse the manifold and constant goodnesse and fauours of God vpon vs these many yeares O let vs loue the Lord and serue him let vs praise and glorifie him who hath beene so beneficiall and bountifull vnto vs. Hee hath deliuered our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling hee hath brought vs out of the horrible pitte and mierie clay and set our feet vpon the rocke and ordered our goings hath put in our mouthes a newe song of praise vnto our God many that haue seene this haue reuerenced the Lord and put their trust in our God All Englishmē are bound to loue the Queenes most excelent Maiestie And who can but loue the blessed and worthy instrument of our peace and ioy whose heart is not inflamed with her desire If wee were tenne thousand times more then wee are and euerie man had a thousand liues who would not willingly lay them downe at her feete in the cause of truth to shewe his thankfull mind vnto her Maiestie who hath constantly passed through many hazardes of her life for loue of Gods truth and care of his Church whose hart is not greatly moued to glorifie God who hath giuen vs so faithful constant a nurse louing mother so wōderfully defended and preserued her and by vnder her most happy gouernment hath made vs so many yeares together without feare the free possessors of most vnspeakable ioy in the participation of incomparable heauenly treasure and most flourishing earthly prosperitie We are to consider whether we haue rendred to the Lord according to his kindnes toward vs. But O my deare mother my good reuerend fathers and brethren haue wee rendred to the Lorde according to his kindnesse haue wee with reuerence receiued with thankfulnesse acknowledged and with care conscience vsed these mercies of our good and louing God and mercifull father in Iesus Christ O that I could boldly and faithfully so say that our siluer were not become drosse and our wine mixt with water And that the vine which God hath planted with good and pleasant plants did not in stead of grapes bring forth wild grapes and men did not neglect yea forsake the word of the Lord and follow the foolish imaginations of their owne heartes O that it might not be iustly said that the Lord hath a controuersie with this lande because there is no truth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whooring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud And that men did not encourage one another in their wicked and vicious liuing saying come and let vs bring wine and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more aboundant let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die O that men would consider and that their hearts would smite them in remembring and forethinking what a fatherly watch word our tender and louing God hath giuen vs by many and sundry most mild and kindly tempered corrections and chastisementes at many times but especially within these eighteene yeares last past when hee beganne at his sanctuarie and lightly touched his holy remembrancers when he caused a great and cloudie mist to couer the verie heauens so that many bright starres were not seene to shine for a certaine season Then did the windes burst out shaking our houses ouer our heades as vnworthie to dwell vnder so good and plentifull grace our bodies and liues were assailed with grieuous pestilence dearth scarsitie and the threatning sword did aduance themselues against vs. Thousands haue gone forth and returned but by hundreds And now seeing all these things haue not made vs to turne to him that smiteth

Gen. 20.7 cap. 49 1. prophets did tel of things to come ordred the church in the families as they were g 2. Pet. 1.21 Gen. 15. 17. 21. c. guided by the spirite of God in prophesie or receiued commandement by vision or dreame from God Vnder the law there is the h This is taught in Exodus Numbers Leuiticus expounded in Deuteronomy all the prophets priesthood in the house of Aaron the Leuites vnder thē attend vpon the holy administration by diuers orders and ordināces keeping the people vnder the pure religion of faith loue Vnder the gospel there be also diuers i 1. Cor. 12.4.5.6 c. Mat. 28.19 Ephes 4.11 Rom. 15.18.19 administrations giftes and works set in the church to rule and feede the flocke of Christ to make them obedient to the faith in worde and deed And the k Math. 13.17 cap. 11.11 2. Cor. 3. manifestation of the spirit is more excellent abundant in the latter times then in the former Now in these three times you may see touching these ceremonies and maner of gouernment great difference and that the word of God doth not esteeme of these outward thinges as of the substance of religion vnchangeable as he doth of the inward and spirituall namely faith and loue And first as touching the time before the law Christ teacheth that the Iewes could not be Abrahams children l Ioh. 8.39 because they did not the works of Abraham which workes are not in ceremonies and maner of gouernment for they were two curious in those things and therefore Christ saith in another place m Math. 9.13 Go and learne what this meaneth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Thereby declaring the morall duties of loue to be substantiall in a religious profession not ceremonies as sacrifice washing tithinge c. And S. Paul on the other side saith thus a Rom. 4.10.11.12 Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnes before hee was circumcised and that after he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should bee the father of all them that beleeue Where hee sheweth that Abrahams religion whereby hee was iust before God was his faith and that was before hee was circumcised and without circumcision then his circumcision was onely a signe and a seale to strengthen his faith in sealing vp of his righteousnesse but not of the matter or substaunce of his righteousnesse Secondly that this was so deuided that the gentilles which were not circumcised might bee iustified through the same faith without the obseruing of the lawe and the Iewes though circumcised were not iustified except they walked in the steppes of Abrahams faith So that herein consisteth Abrahams religion euen in his faith and walking in the steppes thereof the ceremonies were onely ornamentes and outward helpes to the same After which manner the prophetes also do interprete the law For when the people preferred the ceremonies and maner of gouernment before the morall dueties and faith Esay saith vnto them b Esai 1.10 Heare the word of the Lord O princes of Sodom herken vnto the law of our God O people of Gomorrah What haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord c. Where he calleth thē frō the foolish and curious obseruation of ceremonies and maner of gouernment c vers 16. Repentance and the fruites thereof according to loue and of faith in the consent and obedience to Gods word and mercy d vers 19. And in another place he saith that e cap. 66.1.2 God esteemeth neither temple nor sacrifice but the humble and contrite heart who trembleth at his word Hereof Hieremie f Hier. 7.3.4 Amend your waies and your works I will let you dwell in this place trust not in lying wordes saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord c. For this cause the Psalmist sheweth that the end g Psal 78.5.7 why God gaue Israel his law that they should teach it there posteritie was this That they might set their hope on God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements And the cause of all the plagues was not in regard of ceremonies or maner of gouernment for he saith h Psal 50.8 I wil not reproue thee for thy sacrifices but for their falling away from faith as it is written a Psal 106.13.14.24 They forgat his workes waited not for his counsell but lusted with concupiscence c. and beleeued not his worde And therefore it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes b Heb. 3.2 The word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it So likewise in the whole tenor of the gospell what is the principall aime of the holy Ghost to make men religious are not these two namely faith and loue is not the summe of the gospel in these two c Marc. 1.15 Repent beleeue the gospell Did not Paul say that when he taught the Ephesians all the counsell of God that he taught them d Act. 20.20.21 Repentance towardes God faith in Iesus Christ and what is this els but that wee should leaue the wickednesse of our heartes and liues and walke in all dueties of loue to God and man and hold fast his holy couenant by a true liuely faith Therefore he saith els where that e Gal. 5.6 in Iesus Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Where by circumcision he meaneth the ceremonies and maner of gouernment of the law as hee expoundeth it verse 3. and so contrarily vncircumcision signifieth the order and maner of the gentils Therefore these outward thinges are not the maine substance but onely faith and loue Hereof it is that the spirite of God commendeth the f Eph. 1.15 Coloss 1.4 1. Thes 1.3 churches for their faith and loue hope and patience and Saint Paul speaking of himselfe sheweth how hee became a religious Christian saying g 1. Tim. 2.13 Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie c. but the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus Whereby you see that a wicked life and vnbeliefe make a prophane and irreligious person but faith and loue a true and religious Christian And hereof followeth the difference betweene an hipocrite and a true Christian the one is altogether superstitious in outward thinges h Mat. 23.5 labouring by such obseruations to appeare righteous religious vnto men but within is full of hipocrisie and iniquitie the other hath i 1. Tim. 1.5 loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience of faith vnfained And this is the cause that

the holie ghost doth vse as holy misteries to stirre vp and quicken and encrease all good graces and the worke of faith in vs according to Gods free promise in the couenant Now for the number of sacraments That in the new Testament there are and should bee but two Sacraments of the couenant This will appeare if it be shewed that the old testamēt did shadow out these two onely and that the new Testament commands no more First for Baptisme Saint Peter saith that the a 1. Pe. 3.20.21 Arke of Noe was a figure of our Baptisme and Saint Paule b Colos 2.11.12 auowcheth that our Baptisme is come in the roome and place of circumcision Secondly touching the Lords supper Christ instituting it after he had eat the passouer did thereby declare that the same succeeded the passouer and that the passouer being fulfilled and finished by his death should giue place vnto his supper or holy communion which is confirmed by the practise of the Apostles who euer after instructed the church to receyue this and leaue out that as in the constituting of the seueral churches it doth may appeare Againe that place 1. Cor. 10.1.2 comparing the cloud going through the read sea the manna and rocke vnto our two Sacraments sheweth plainely that the equitie of Gods proceeding which vnder the law was figured in these two sacraments should bee preserued Namely one for the first entrie into the couenant and an other for the confirmation of the same that although there were many yet they had no more but the substance of these two and therefore these two were to remaine perpetuall and be in as great value and vse vnto vs as if they were manie And I am fully perswaded that no honest man by any learning can shew any place pregnant either in the olde or new Testament for any other third or fourth or more to be shadowed out in like maner as these two Now in the new Testament it is apparant that these two are cōmāded by that which is alreadie spoken But that there bee no other let a man examine whatsoeuer is or may bee pretended by this diffinition of a Sacrament and the holy scriptures wherein and whereby I haue declared and approoued the same hee shal find they come short and beside the marke for either they lack a commandemēt from god or els an outward signe or els are not declared signes of the couenant As for example if any would make penance a Sacrament he shall find that God commanded not penance by satisfaction but onely the satisfaction which is made alreadie by the bloud of Christ and there is no signe appointed by God thereunto if any other will make orders a sacrament he shall finde their wants the couenant of mercie for that imposition of hands in orders is a signe of the grace of the ministerie and not of the couenant of saluation If some other should set foorth matrimonie for a sacrament there wants a commandement to make it a signe secondly it is in no place any otherwise but as infinite other things a comparison and similitude or metaphore And so it may be truely said of any thing else which is colourablie thrust vpon the church by the name of a sacrament Nowe lastly the difference betweene Baptisme and the Lords supper in sealing of the couenant is that Baptisme is for the first sanction of the couenant and entring into the church A seale of our adoption regeneration this was circumcision to Abraham and his seed and the cloud and read sea was this vnto all Israel who were led by the hand of Moses And that Baptisme might be for the first sanction of the couenant and entring into the church the Apostles were a Matth. 28. commanded to preach and to receiue such as beleeued by Baptisme into the church and so b Act. 2. 8. 10. 13. 14. c. they by this marke seperated the christians from others whē they first wonne them to the gospell as all examples of their practise do shew so well knowen as I neede not to reherse them But for the other part you haue for regeneration these woords c Tit. 3.5 The washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holie ghost and for adoption these woords d Gal. 3.26.27 Ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus for all ye that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. Where the putting on of Christ by Baptisme being alleaged to shew our being Gods sons by faith teacheth that Baptisme is a seale of our adoption And for this also Baptisme is but once ministred because we once enter into the church and are but once borne againe and adopted to be Gods children Then as for the Lords supper that it is a seale of our communion in the couenant these words directly shew e 1. Cor. 10.16.17 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we break is not the cōmunion of the body of Christ for we that are many ar one bread one body because we al are partakers of one bred where it is called communion c. because by this sacrament we are confirmed in the participation of Christ as by a true seale of the couenant and assured to be of his mysticall bodie As touching the continual strength we haue hereby the often receauing doth notifie the same and the kindnes of creatures the maner of applying and the nature of working For we being dailie subiect to sinne and weakenes are here on as on a banket to feede for our dailie inward strengthning and bread and wine familiarly shew vs that Christ is the bread from heauen and his bloud is the ioyfull wine to glad mans hart which when Christ biddeth vs to vse in remembrance of him what is it else but that by the taking eating drinking of these things for such an end we should stirre vp our harts in the assurance of the forgiuenes of sinnes and of the continuall grace and mercie of God 1. Cor. 11. which Paul confirmeth when he saith we shew the Lords death c. For by it we are confirmed so that we thereby professe before all the world 1. Cor. 10. that so we beleeue and are assured that our sauiour will come againe to receiue vs into glorie And in that it is called as before a communion with Christ what other woorking can it haue 1. Cor. 12. but to strengthen our faith and to encrease in vs euerie good gift by the spirit And hereof the Apostle saith we are made to drinke into one spirit as if he should say as we drink wine to cherish our fleshie hart so here we haue a spirituall drinking of Christs blood to cherish our soules vnto eternal life Thus you see the sweet consent of the old new Testament touching the holie Sacraments what they are in nature how