Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	jesus_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,659	5	7.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17397	The marrovv of the oracles of God. Or, diuers treatises containing directions about sixe of the waightiest things can concerne a Christian in this life. by N. Bifield, late preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Beginning of the doctrine of Christ. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Spirituall touchstone. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Signes of the wicked man. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Promises. aut; Rules of a holy life. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Cure of the feare of death. aut	1630 (1630)	STC 4222; ESTC S120511	234,877	800

sinnes are forgiuen thee 1 Ioh 1. 7 9. Zach. 12. 10. and so forward to the 2. verse of the 13. Chapter Fourthly that God is at peace and reconciled and that thou hast a free right vnto his word and shalt finde his presence in his word Isaiah 57. 15 16 17 18. Fiftly that God will now henceforth heale the nature of thy sinfulnesse Hos. 14. 3 4. I do but instance in these few particulars but I could wish thee to make thee a full Catalogue and write out the words verbatim and learne them without booke or at least study them soundly to vnderstand them And for thy ease I haue set downe the chiefe places of Scriptur●… as they lye in order Leuit. 26. 41 42 44. 2 Kings 22. 19 20. Iob 33. 27 28. Psal. 32. 5. and 51. 17. Prou. 28. 13. Isaiah 57. 15 16 17 18. and 61. 1 2 3. Ierem. 31. 18 19 20. Zach. 12. 10. and so forward to the second verse of Chap. 13. Hos. 14. 3 4 5 6. Math. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 31 ●…2 Iam. 4. 9 10. Now when thou hast written o●…t th●…se Promises and dost vnderstand the meaning of th●…m then carrie them into Gods presence as thou diddest the Catalogue of sinnes and now beseech God for Iesus Christs sake to incline thy heart to beleeue these promises of Grace and to this end pray vnto God from time to time till the Lord bee pleased to let thee feele life in the Promises or a cleare perswasion and withall beseech GOD by the Spirit of Promise from heauen to seale vp thy interest herein and if thou feele the ioyes of the holy Ghost fall vpon thee in any of these promises O happy man that euer thou wast borne to such a rich estate I say the same of this sensible life in the promises that I did before of godly sorrow It may bee the Lord will heare thee at the first if not persist thou to begge this grace till thou obtainest it Thou seest forgiuenesse of all thy sins which thou hast conf●…ssed is promised thee vrge the Lord with most humble depr●…cation to h●…are thee for the pardon and forgiuenesse of them f●…r the mediation sake of Iesus Christ and his merits that sits at his right hand to make request for poore sinners that seeke mercy Now when thou hast felt the Promises to bee any of them spirit and life to thee then hast thou done this most glorious exercise and thou hast cause to praise God all the dayes of thy life and what thou shouldest afterwards doe the Treatises following wil shew thee but for thy more cleare satisfaction I will answer a question Quest. Thou wilt say I could take comfort in this course hauing done these things but that I doubt whether my consession or sorrow bee right or no. For I finde that wicked men in Scripture haue confessed their sinnes and mourned too Answ. Thou maist euidently try thy confession and sorrow by these signes of difference First wicked men haue confessed their sinnes and sorrowed but both were compelled whereas thine is voluntarily and so a fre●…will-offering Secondly Cain and Iudas conf●…ssed sin but it was not all sorts of sinne but onely the capitall crimes knowne by them by which they had shamed and vndone themselues Thirdly the sorrowes of wicked men were more for the punishment then for the sinne nor did they sorrow for all sorts of sinnes but for the sinnes before described Fourthly their confession and sorrowes were not ioyned with an vnfained desire to forsake sinne whereas this is an infallible signe of true repentance when a man can as heartily desire that he might neuer commit sinne as heartily I say desire it as he would that God should neuer impute it When a man can say before the Lord that there is no sinne but hee doth as vnfainedly desire God to giue him strength to leaue it and forsake it as hee doth desire that God should forgiue him ' and not plague him for it I say this is such a signe as was neuer found in a wicked man in any age of the world Fifthly the confession and sorrowes of the wicked were not ioyned with any perswasion of Gods goodnesse or any constant desire to finde mercy with God in Iesus Christ. Thus haue I shewe●… thee the directions which concerne this first and most weighty businesse that can concerne thee There are three sorts of men whom this direction concernes First such as neuer repented Secondly such as though they haue repented yet haue not the comfort and assurance of their repentance who by following these directions may make all out of doubt Thirdly such as after calling fall into gr●…sse sin●… These haue n●…ed to recouer themselues by the helpe of these directions The Catalogue following may serue for other vses besides this of a mans practice in his repentance at his first conuersion or after apostacie For 1. As in a small Map a man may here see the sorts of sinne and so may get knowledge quickly what euill to auoyde which hitherto he hath not taken n●…tice of 2. It may serue before the Communion for such as would make a generall suruey of their sin●…es in discharge of that examination which the Apostle mention●…th 1 Cor. 11. For howsoeuer this large Catalogue be not of necessitie requisite to that examination yet vnto such as haue leasure and fitness●… it is profitable for their more abundant satisfaction To conclude if any man that reades these pres●…nts and is guiltie to himselfe that hee hath hitherto taken no sound course about his sinnes and yet will not bee perswaded to practise these directions l●…t him consider that so long as his sinnes be vnr●…pented on his part and vnremitted on Godspart the pollution of all the sins he euer committed still cl●…aues vnto him so as he may iustly with the L●…per cry Vncleane vncl●…ane y●…a all his sinnes are written as it were with a pen of iron in Gods booke of remembrance and that hee is a meere strang●…r from all Gods promises ●…nd liues without God and without Christ in the world and that all he doth euen his best workes are abo●…inable to God and that seas of wrath hang ouer his head and vnspeakable woe will bee to him in the appearing of Iesus Christ if he preuent it not by sound and speedie repentance CHAP. III. The diuision of Sinnes and the Catalogue of sinnes against the whole Law ALl the sinnes mentioned and condemned in the Bible may be cast into foure ranks For they are Either sinnes against the whole Law that is such as may be committed against any of the Commandements Or sins against the first Table of the Law Or sins against the second Table of the Law Or sinnes against the Gospell The first sort of sinnes are sins against the whole Law and thus hee sinneth that is conceiued in sinne Psal. 51. 5. That

THE MARROVV OF THE ORACLES OF GOD. OR Diuers Treatises containing Directions about sixe of the waightiest things can concerne a Christian in this life By N. BIFIELD late Preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex The seuenth Edition LONDON Printed by Iohn Legatt and are to bee sold by P. Stephens and C. Meredith at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1630. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND most Noble Ladie the Ladie Lucie Countesse of Bedford MADAM THESE ensuing Treatises hauing receiued their birth at seuerall times being but little Ones sought them seuerall Guardians to protect them being now all ioyntly to goe into the world together to seeke entertain ment they humbly present themselues vnto your Honour beseeching your generall protection and your noble admission to doe you and your Noble Family their first ioynt-seruice and from thence they are contented to beare their aduenture for their entertainment abroad in the world And the rather am I emboldned thus to end them with this Petition to your Honour because in the first conception of them in the publike Doctrine you were pleased to conceiue so good hope of them as to desire the profit of their seruice as they should be 〈◊〉 and fitted thereunto As they are mine they are worthy of little respect but as they haue receiued spirit and life from the heauenly Word and will of God so they are meete to attend your most retired presence and to be trusted with the charge of your greatest treasure not doubting of your Honours noble and religious respect herein I desire to remaine Your Honours Chaplaine in the things of Iesus Christ ●…o serue you euer N. BIFIELD THE BEGINNING OF THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST OR A Catalogue of sinnes Shewing how a Christian may finde out the euils he must take notice of in his Repentance With Rules that shew a course how any Christian may be deliuered from the guilt and power of all his sinnes By N. BIFIELD late Preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in MIDDLESEX Lament 3. 40. Let vs search and try our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. LONDON Printed by Iohn Legatt and are to bee sold by P. Stephens and C. Meredith at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1630. THe Contents of all the six Treatises thou shalt finde in the first Chapter of the first Booke TO THE MVCH HONORED LADIES the Ladie ANNE CLEERE and the Ladie ANNE PINCH and the Ladie IONE HERICKE N. Bifield wisheth all increase of the true grace of Christ and the blessed fruition of the glory of God in heauen Worthie Ladies LAmentable are ●…he ruines into which the natures of men are generally fallen by their sinnes which appeares especially by the waies men take in the businesse of their soule The most men are cleane out of the way to heauen and walke in by wayes of their owne which are called in Scripture The waies of the wicked The waies of their owne hearts Peruerse waies Darke and slipperie wayes The way of iniquity All meeting in that broad way that leadeth to destruction being wholly ignorant of the way of life and peace yea the most of them speake euill of the good way of God and persecute it Some there are that are so farre enlightned as not to like the common roade way of the multitude and after some enquirie haue found them out wayes that seeme good in their owne eyes and they are wonderfully well pleased with their course but the issues of these wayes are death too as well as the former And the more is this danger increased vpon men because the way of life is but one and it is a narrow way and hard to find and may be sought by many and yet not found Yet this hope is left vnto forlorn men that there is a way to heauen and happines A way of righteousnesse and peace a way of mercy and truth a way of wisedome A way that men may securely and safely walke in a way in which Christ will guide thē God the Father will keepe them and the holy Ghost leade them by the hand and direct them in all the passages thereof Onely it concerneth vs to aske the way with all importunitie of God and to attend vnto the directions of the Word of God apply our hearts and suffer our selues to bee disposed aright that our eyes may see the saluation of God And in particular wee must looke to three things First that if the Lord shew vs that mercy to direct vs in the way we must take heede that wee neglect not or despise notthe care of walking in the way Second ly that with all diligence we auoide going about and make straight stops to our feet And thirdly with all feare watch our selues that we fal not off with the errors of the wicked from the good way of God and so our latter end be worse then our beginning I haue vndertaken by the assistance of God and the direction of this blessed word to single out the choisest things I could finde in the Scriptures concerning the entrance into the way of God and those first path which are called Holy Th●… substance of these directions I haue digested into the Treatise following which I dedicate vnto your Ladiships as a testimonie of my thankfulnesse for the respect you haue shewed vnto my Ministerie both in your constant resort vnto it in the weeke dayes while you liued in a neighbour Parish and in that two of you are pleased to come to liue amongst vs and so are become a part of my charge As also to manifest to the world my obseruance of your Ladiships for the good report you haue amongst the godly for the grace of Iesus Christ and your vnfeigned loue of the truth Beseeching your Acceptation Perusall and Patronage of these I take my leaue and commend your Ladiships to the God of Mercie and Truth who guide comfort deliuer sanctifie and preserue you all vnto the day of Iesus Christ. Your Ladiships to be commanded in Iesus Christ N. BIFIELD Febr. 12. 1619. The chiefest things contained in the first Booke CHAP. I. THE Contents of all the sixe Treatises briefely set downe pag. 1. to the 7. The persons whom those Treatises doe concerne p. 8 Encouragement to the studie of these things p. 8. to 11 Generall directions by way of preparation p. 11. 14. CHAP. II. THe Rules that shew distinctly what men must doe about their sinnes p. 14. to 36 Motiues to perswade to the care of these Rules p. 15 Three Rules of preparation pag. 16. 17 Foure things deliuer vs from all sinnes past p. 17 About the gathering of the Catalogue of sinnes p. 17 About the confession of our sinnes p. 22. to 24 About sorrow for our sinnes and how ●…t may be attained p. 24. to ●…7 About the application of the promises and how it may bee done p. 27. to 3●… The speciall promise made to such as have-confessed and sorrowed for their sinnes p. 29. 30 How men may know

as to submit himselfe to what he shall finde therein required to be beleeued or done or auoided Other rules he may finde in the directions for the priuate reading of the Scriptures as also in Rules of life Thus of sauing Knowledge That thou maiest inflame in thy heart the loue of God 1. Thou must auoid with speciall care these things First Forgetfulnesse of God Thou must not dare to go whole daies or weekes without communion with God or remembring his holy presence Secondly the loue of the World We cannot loue the Father while our hearts dote vpon any earthly thing Of necessity some degree of the contempt of the world must be bred in vs before we can loue God 2. Wee must labour for a distinct knowledge of the dreadfull prayses of Gods Nature and Workes as they are described in the Scriptures or may be obserued by experience This is a needfull direction and miserably neglected 3. VVe must frequent his house especially when his glory doth shine in the power of his Ordinances in his Sanctuary 4. Wee should especially studie the mercies of God and all the good things hee hath promised or giuen vnto vs that wee may after a solid manner cause our hearts to know how infinitely we stand bound to God 5. Wee should obserue carefully and daily our owne sinfulnes and vilenesse and vnworthinesse For vnlesse wee cast out selfe-loue wee shall neuer get in the true loue of God 6. Wee should pray much for an holy course in prayer doth breed in men a wonderfull loue of God and admiration of that fellowship which thereby they haue with God 7. We should resort often to such as vse to speake much of the praises of God and marke the experience of Gods wonderful prouidence or the glory of his Word 8. It will much further the loue of God to get and increase in vs a louing respect of and behauiour towards such as feare God and beare his Image Thus of the loue of God Concerning the loue of the brethren two questions may bee demanded The one what wee must doe to get a hearty loue to the godly and the other what we must doe to preserue it when it is gotten For the first hee that would heartily bee affected towards all the godly with a brotherly loue must obserue these Rules 1. Hee must not haunt with vicious persons nor goe with dissemblers nor hold needlesse society with such as hate godlines and godly persons Psalme 26. 4 5. 2. He must much meditate of Gods loue to him and of the great things were done by Iesus Christ and of those rich mercies are offered him in Christ and of the wonderfull loue that God and Christ do beare to true Christians and how glorious they shall be in the kingdome of heauen The arguments taken from Gods loue to vs or Christs suffering for vs are often vsed in the first Epistle of Iohn to perswade vsto the loue of the brethren as 1 Iohn 4. 8 9 10 11 12. Psalme 16. 2 3. 3. Hee must take notice of Gods peremptory commandement who requireth this of him as one principall duty that hee loue the godly with an vtter disclaiming of him if hee doe not loue them 1 Ioh. 3. 10 11 12 13. For the second That he would continue and increase and abound in loue 1. He must seeke and hold and not forsake the fellowship that he hath with the godly in the Gospel but make them the constant companions of his life Heb. 10. 25. 2. When he finds his affections stirred vp he must make vse of all opportunities by his deeds to shew the fruits of his loue vpon all occasions of mercie and well-doing else affections will dye in him The fruits of righteousnesse must be sowed by practise 1 Ioh. 3. 18. If affection bee onely in shew or in words or in the conceptions of the heart and be not expressed and made fast by the engagements of practise it will much decay if not wholly be lost 3. He must by all meanes take heed of discord with any of them striuing with a resolution to take things in the best part to beleeue all things and endure all things suffering long without enuy or reioycing in iniquity doing all things without reasonings or murmurings or censuring or complaining auoiding vaine ianglings and selfe-conceitednes begging of God an ability to beare with the infirmities of others See further directions about this point in the Rules of Life CHAP. IX Hitherto of the directions that concerne the attainment of the sacred gifts of the minde Now it followeth to shew what thou must doe that in all thy wayes thou mightest walke vprightly and attaine vnto sound sincerity of heart and life HEE that would walke vprightly or take a sound course to continue in his vprightnesse must earnestly looke to these rules 1. If thou haue beene guiltie of any grosse sinne know it is vnpossible thy heart should bee vpright till thou haue with speciall repentance humbled thy selfe before God for that sinne and that also by conscionable practise thou keep thy selfe from the great transgression Psalme 19. 13. 2. Thou must in a speciall manner watch and striue against hypocrisie and that intwo things chiefly First that in thy setting out into religion thou fashion not thy course more to get credit then grace Secondly that in Gods seruice thou by all meanes auoide distractions and so resist and checke thy pronenesse of heart thereunto iudging thy selfe seuercly when thou so offendest till thou bee able in some happie degree to serue God with thy spirit as well as with thy body The habit of dissembling with God is extremely dangerous 3. In thy conuersation take heed of that feare full carelesnesse of the most 〈◊〉 shewed in the knowne and wilfull practice of sinne vpon pretence that it is but a small offence or secret Take heed of the sinnes of deceit how gain of all so euer they might be to thee thou maiest together with vprightnesse lose the kingdome of heauen for daring so wilfully to breake one of those little commandements Math. 5. 19. Take heed in generall of a stiffe and wilfull heart they are seldome vpright that are heady and peremptory and hard to bee perswaded Iam. 3. 17. Prou. 21. 29. Heb. 2. 4. 4. As much as may bee accustome thy heart to the obseruing of Gods presence walke as before him Gen. 17. 2. 5. Yeeld thy selfe ouer to bee wholly guided by Gods Word Without knowledge the minde cannot be good Prou. 19. 2. and hee that walketh according to this rule shall haue peace in his heart and conscience Gal. 6. 16. Let Gods Law be the light for thy seete and the lanthorne for thy paths Psal. 119. Labour therefore to get a particular warrant for the lawfulnesse of thy practice in the occasions of thy calling either generall or particular where thou doubtest enquire so shalt thou walke in