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
A90897	God the father glorified: and the worke of mens redemption, and salvation finished by Iesus Christ on earth. Opened in a sermon before the Right Honorable the Lord Major, and the Right Worshipful the sheriffes, aldermen, and recorder, of the Citie of London, the second day of the tenth moneth (called December) 1649. / By Vavasor Powell, a willing (though weake) labourer in Christs Vine-yard in Wales.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1649 (1649)	Wing P3087; Thomason E584_15; ESTC R206284	43,217	67

for me he would answer It is for you that are Prisoners without acception if you accept of it A Pardon is now sent unto you that are finfull men and women who are Prisoners under the power of Satan and sinne I say to you all the Lord Jesus hath sent forth his pardon which runs thus I the Lord Iesus the Son of God and the Saviour of sinners out of my free grace and mercy rich love and pity am willing to pardon and forgive the sinnes and transgressions of you all and this I will doe really if you will come in and lay hold of this pardon and of my righteousnesse Will a sinner now say doth Jesus Christ meane me seeing he saith whosoever comes unto me I will in no wise cast him out and whosoever believes on me he shall be pardoned and saved This word whosoever comprehends all and excludes none therefore object not against your selves neither refuse your owne salvation Obj. Oh! but though Christ invites all and makes promises to all that doe come yet he intends not that all should be made partakers thereof Ans My beloved thinke you that Christs intentions and his expression are not one as reall as another I tell you and you may believe that he intends to pardon all and to save all as he expresseth it He saith not the words only but his heart is so also But marke it well and mistake me not I doe not meane that he saith absoluely I 'le pardon all and save all and no more oh no but he speaks conditionally I 'le pardon you all and save you all if you believe on me and accept of my pardon Obj. But alas he were as good never tender me a pardon nor make me a promise upon those tearmes for of my selfe I cannot believe nor receive his pardon and grace Ans It s true of your selves you cannot believe nor receive his pardon and grace though tendred to you yet as I said before cry upon him to give you eyes to see him and his grace and feete to come to him and hands to take hold upon his merits and righteousnesse He promiseth largely and freely peradventure now while the word is speaking God will be working these things in you Obj. But he doth not give this grace to nor worke this grace in all but to few therefore doe I feare least I should not be one of them Ans Though he doth not give grace to all for he hath not tyed himself so to doe neither is the cause in God why men want grace for he gave sufficiently at first yet you are bound to seek and the promise is made to Seekers nay I may speake more the Lord is found of some that seeke him not Prov. 18.4 Jer. 29.13 Rom. 10.20 Ezek. 34.6.11.12.16 Obj. But peradventure another here may further object and say I have long sought and I am even weary of seeking yea I am ready to conclude that if I had belong'd to God I should have found grace in his sight ere now Ans Oh deare soules conclude nothing neither against your selves nor against the Lord for he hath sought you longer then you sought him And you have not yet been thirtie-eight years waiting at the waters Christs Ordinances as that weak and impotent man Oh soule peradventure the Lord is now asking thee as he did this man John 5. ●5 Wilt thou be made whole If he be so make him answer and say Lord I am weake but yet waiting oh help me and heale me Lord. Thus much for the first use Seeing Christ hath glorified his Father Use 2. and finished the worke of mens Redemption and Salvation this then directs and teaches men what they should not doe and also what they should doe First what they should not doe In the first place First they should not goe about to worke their owne Redemption and Salvation againe for if Christ hath wrought it already then it s in vaine yea its ignorance and folly to think of doing any thing towards your owne Instification and salvation Object Sure there be none that thinke to doe any thing for and towards their justification and salvation unlesse they be Papists Answ Oh yes there be many besides Papists thot doe so for doe but aske many Protestants how they thinke to be justified and saved they will tell you by their good works and well-doing If we doe well say they we shall have well and if we doe ill we shall have accordingly Yea this is apparent in men both living and dying In their life time they will say if we can but keep the Commandements viz. to love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves then we hope it will goe well with us Then at their death they thinke that to build an Hospitall or to doe some such charitable worke will save their soules Marke this it is easier to doe good works then to undoe our selves from them and to have no confidence in them Phil. 3.3 and to be able to say as the Apostle said in him i.e. Christ I desire to be found not having my owne righteousness v. 9. Secondly Secondly on the other hand men should not rest and sit still and content themselves with this bare notion that Christ came to redeeme to and save sinners and that if he died for them then they shall be saved Oh! what are you the better that he dyed for sinners unlesse you know the death of Christ in the worth and efficacy of it and unless you have it apply'd it to your selves in particular and be able upon good grounds to say as Paul said Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1.13 Gal. 2.20 and Christ loved me and gave satisfaction for me this particular faith you stand in need of Object I do beleeve that he dyed for me in particular Ans But upon what ground do you beleeve it what promise have you to build your faith upon there is a kind of * Luk. 8.12 Act. 8.13 Hystoricall beleeving or assenting unto this truth that Christ died for sinners which is not a lively but a dead faith which may rather be called a fancy then a faith this is but a conceit that arises in your hearts like the dreame of a sleeping man alas alas be not deceived for if every one did beleeve that doth say he doth beleeve the numbers of beleevers would be far greater Object I am sure my faith is as good as most mens faith Ans I tell you most mens faith is not worth a farthing for it is but Copper faith and carnall faith a faith that they had they know not how nor they know not when such a faith as they wil pawne for a penny 2 Pet. 1.1 Act. 15.9 Eph. There is a great deale of difference betweene your faith and the faith of the godly for your faith I meane you that are as the most are carnall is not

very neer to a debtor because he is joyned to him in the same bond and obligation so commonly he that is surety for another is neere to him either in relation or habitation Jesus Christ he was neer he came neer unto man he came neer also unto mans nature for he (p) Heb. 2.16 took mans nature upon him hee came neer to mans sin for he (q) 1 Pet. 2.24 bore mans sin upon him this surety was very neer indeed yea you shall finde that hee was so neer that by two expressions in the Scripture you would thinke Jesus Christ to be the very sinner Marke the one is in 2 Cor. 5.21 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made saith the Apostle sinne for us He saith not that he was counted a sinner for us but he was made sinne in the very abstract It is more then if he had said he was accounted or made a sinner for us for he had indeed more then the sinnes of one or thousands yea or millions upon him Another expression you have in the third of the Galathians verse 13. where the Apostle saith that Christ was made a curse for us for it is written Gal. 3.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He saith not Christ was made accursed for us but a curse for us Oh here was love that Christ came from the bosome of the Father and tooke upon him mans feeble nature yea he tooke upon him also the burden of mans sin the debt that man owed to God came in mans stead to satisfie it and was content that his Father should deale with him as if hee had been the sinner yea he puts the sinner out of the room and he comes into the room himself he blots out and cancels the name of the poore debtor that was bound in this bond of the Law to God and he puts himself in the bond in the stead of him only here was the difference between Christ and another surety another surety or a surety amongst men comes in by the by and is not content to be the principall but here Jesus Christ becomes though not by desert yet by principall and takes upon himself the debt he doth not say Debtor do thou thy best and I will do the rest no he saith rather thus poore distressed debtor I come to take thy debt upon me and to ingage my selfe in thy stead to my Father I 'le take the Law and the Curse and thy sinne upon me and I 'le see whether I can goe through the businesse which thou canst not thus doth the Lord Iesus Christ do that is the first thing he puts himself into mans stead and condition The second thing that Iesus Christ did Christ conquered the obstructers and enemies of mens Redemption and Salvation was to conquer and remove all mans enemies that hindered mans redemption and salvation I shall name some six enemies that did hinder mens redemption and salvation and shew you how Iesus Christ did conquer and remove them all The first enemy I beseech you note it was mans owne sinne sinne is the (a) Rom. 5.12 cause of death and man should never have dyed had not man sinned now sinne did interpose and intervene betweene God and man and so did shut the doore of Gods mercy and grace that man should not come in But Iesus Christ hee comes and takes hold upon this enemy of mankinde sinne and saith sinne well thou and I must have a single bout concerning these mens redemption and salvation thou wouldest hinder men from being saved I would have them saved thou wouldest shut the doore of my Fathers grace and glory from these men and I would have it open now I will try whether thou be stronger to keep them from glory or I to bring them to glory upon this sinne comes with all its number cals in all its forces yea all the sinnes that have been committed or shall be committed from Adams time to the day of the resurrection all these sinnes I meane the sinnes of those that shall be saved they came in together and in heaps upon the Lord Jesus Christ Nay more my beloved God the Father when he saw that his Sonne would needs undertake for mankinde to save mankinde he gathers all the sinnes that were committed or to be committed by any forementioned against him and layes them upon the shoulders of his Sonne and did as I may speake with reverence say thus to his Sonne Well my Son seeing thou hast so much delight in the sonnes and daughters of men seeing thou wilt have them saved and not damned seeing thou wilt undergo what is due to their sins since thou wilt be surety for them I must reckon with thee if thou wilt undergo the sorrow shame and misery that is due to their sins I had rather take thy word and have thee to satisfie me yet looke thou to it for all the sins of those that thou art willing to save thou must beare them and satisfie for them for I intend not to reckon any more with such sinners but I will put all upon thy score and account The great willingnesse of Christ to suffer for mens sinnes Psal 40 7. Heb. 10.9 Now Jesus Christ might answer his Father thus O Father such is my love such is my delight and such is my pitty towards the Sonnes of men that I had rather undergo ten thousand times so many sinnes yea ten thousand thousand times so many sufferings for sin then that these poor soules should be damned Now therefore Father bring all thy bils in and let me see what these poor souls owe thee for I am resolved I will satisfie for them all or let me die eternally and perish for ever Upon this God the Father brings all mens sinnes i.e. all mens sins that believe and lays them upon Iesus Christ and Christ having satisfied for them he removes them out of the way and this is called a (a) Dan. 9.24 finishing of transgression b Joh. 1.29 and making an end of sin and in another place a taking away or putting away of sin Heb. 2.26 farre enough out of mens sight and reach and this was typed out by (c) Levit. 16 8 9 10.26 the Scapegoat under the Law Observe this that all the sinne that God did intend to pardon or ever will pardon they were once laid d Esi 53 6. Ged made them to meet upon him upon Christ are now done away perfectly and never to be imputed either to him or any of his e Psa 85.10 The second enemy was Gods justice Gods justice till it was sattsfyed was a bar in the way of men salvation justice in God must be satisfied or else there was no salvation to be expected or obtained now Iesus Christ since he had undertook it must a full satisfaction unto his Fathers justice before he himself or any sinner could be discharged or saved but as soon as Christ had

soone as Jeaus Christ went up the spirit immediately comes downe and the counsell of the Lord begins to be revealed in a marvellous way unto men This is an absolute and cleare signe the work was done for said Christ (w) John 16.7 except I go away the Comforter cannot come I say it 's a sign Jesus Christ hath finished the work for do you thinke the Lord would have sent his Gospel to men to tel men or his spirit to assure men it was done if it had not been done and thus much now concerning the reasons of the point Before I come to the application of the Doctrine give me leave to answer one or two objections 1 Object The first objection is this If Jesus Christ had finished the worke of mens Redemption and of mens Salvation upon earth why then are men commanded to worke out their owne salvation if the work be already done what need the debtor be exhorted to pay if the surety have already paid for him 1. The Apostles meaning in exhorting men to work out their salvation is this That they should persevere in the way they did professe not fall from the truth or as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a working through and so it 's to be understood for a persevering work Secondly when men are called to doing or to worke they are not called to do that they might have life or be justified but men are called to do because they are (x) Tit. 3.5 6. justified and because they are saved i. e. in a state of salvation because they have life and not that they may have it for the Lord never in the Scripture maketh works the cause of Justification or the cause of Salvation no it is a subsequent and an effect and that which followes a mans justification or that which floweth from a justified person For here is the difference between works as they are done under a covenant of workes and under a covenant of grace works when they are done under a covenant of works they are done to seek justification salvation they are done to work righteousness for man to keepe him out of hell But workes done under the covenant of grace they are done out of (y) 2 Cor. 5.14 love to Christ done to the (z) 1 Cor. 10.31 glory of God done to expresse that we are (a) Col. 3.1 Christians and that we are (b) John 8.31 and 15.8 Christs Disciples and so to doe works as the covenant of grace requires workes as the duty of Christians but to doe workes as the covenant of workes requires workes either upon paine of damnation or upon promise of salvation this is to be shunned by Christians 2 Object The second Objection It is true as you say that Jesus Christ hath glorified the Father and finished the worke of mens Redemption and Salvation but you have not shewed upon what grounds the Lord did this peradventure he might do it upon some grounds that were not advantagious to us There were two maine grounds moved him to do this his love and affection to men was one and the great necessity of men was the other Upon these two grounds Jesus Christ came forth from heaven to worke this worke 1 First it was his love and affection unto men the heart of Jesus Christ was towards men upon earth you may reade as soone as ever they were made yea Jesus Christ his delight was with them In the eighth of the Proverbs saith he My delights were with the children of men Prov. 8.31 If his delight was so then much more was it when the time of their redemption drew near and most of all since he suffered If Jacobs love were so great when he first saw Rachell how much more did his heart go out to her when that she was neete to be his wife If Jesus Christs heart went out when he first saw men upon earth how much more went his heart out towards them John 15.13 Gal. 2.20 when the time was come to be married to them This doubtlesse was the first and maine cause why Christ did worke this worke of Redemption and Salvation The 2d was mens necessity thi did move Christ to do it there was indeed a necessity for Christ to come to worke this worke for had there been any other way doubtlesse that way would have been taken the Father would never have lost such a deare Sonne if there could have been any other means of saving men without him No he would never have parted with such a companion that he had so much content and comfort in if Angels might have done the worke but he looked upon his right hand and upon his left hand and there was no helper Then sayes God My owne right hand or my (c) Isa 63.5 arme wrought salvation That is my (d) Isa 53.1 Luke 1.51 Sonne Jesus Christ he wrought salvation If you understand this Text in a spirituall sense Thus having removed the two objections now I come to the uses of this point I shall make but three uses of it and then conclude remember the observation The businesse of Iesus Christ upon earth was to glorifie his Father and to worke the worke of mens redemption and the worke of mens salvation and this businesse he hath finished 1 Use The first use is a use of great incouragement unto sinfull men Is the work of mens Redemption already fulfilled finished and already wrought O what great incouragement is this unto you that are sinfull and that are ungodly men it is incouragement unto you that cannot worke here is a worke already wrought for you it is wrought to your hand I may say to you as it was said in the Gospell to the men that were invited to the Feast Loe all is ready Math. 22.4 come I tell you here is all ready here is the work of redemption and salvation wrought every thing is prepared come The Spirit saith come the Bride saith come the saints say come the Gospell saith come every thing saith come Oh come here is great incouragement for you to come I beseech you heare without doubt there be this day in this place many sinners and many that stand in great need of Jesus Christ here be many poore soules that stand looking they cannot tell which way to go but like a boule the least thing that toucheth it will make it turne this way or that way you are looking which way you shall be saved some men are great and grosse sinners men that delight in sinne and sport in the day and make it their whole businesie to dishonour God as Christ made it his businesse to honour him Well what shall I say to you I desire to open the gate of Gods grace and God open you hearts that you may heare what he saith unto you the door of his mercy is open to you already Encouragements for sinners to come into Christ and to believe

given satisfaction unto his Father you shall see how justice and mercy or righteousnesse and peace kissed together That these like the (f) Exo. 25.20 two Cherubims with their wings and facts did looke one towards another Exod. 28.29 You have another excellent type of this in that booke of Exodus the 28. chap. and the 29. verse And Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israel in the brest plate of judgement and thou shalt put on the brest-plate the judgement of Urim and Thummim c. This Urim and Thummim the one did signifie it is probable the Prophetical Office Christs the other the Priestly Office of Christ Urim and Thummim signifies in the Hebrew Lights and Perfection There was aboundance of light in Christ as a Prophet abundance of perfection in Christ as a Priest Ann this I would have you note as the Priest bore the judgement of the children of Israel so Christ bore the judgment of his people Now when justice was also satisfied and even God the Father to speak with reverence had no more justice left in himself against such men but what he brought out against Christ when he had brought all his justice out as you know when a man stands at the bar either to be judged or justified they will bring in all the matters bills and evidences that may be found or can be brought against such a man And when you see such a one cleared after all the Indictments that were brought in against him surely you will say nothing can be laid to such a mans charge thus as we may say the Lords Statutes and Bills were brought in against the Lord Jesus Christ yet he did give perfect satisfaction to the justice of God before ever he could be freed from that which was laid to his charge A third enemy that stood up against mens redemption and salvation which Jesus Christ hath conquered The law-hindered mens redemption and salvation and taken out of the way was the Law note that these two are distinct things for the Law of God and justice they differ as much as justice in a Judge and the Law by which he judgeth Justice in a Judge is not the Law though he is to execute justice according to the Law now the Law of God came in against Christ when Christ was to suffer and the Law said well I must have obedience sayes the Law Thou shalt saith Christ I must have perfect obedience sayes the Law Thou shalt saith Christ I must have perpetuall obedience saith the Law Thou shalt saith Christ I must have such obedience that I must be fully satisfied that there be nothing in me but must be fulfilled Thou shalt saith Christ Now when Jesus Christ had given to the Law its demands and had fulfilled the Law by his active and passive obedience and yeelded obedience instead of man and paid for mans disobedience too he takes hold upon the Law and saith to the Law Now Law be sure thou never comest against any of mine hereafter come not and charge those that are mine with the debt I have already paid Law have thou nothing to do to apprehend any of them that are my members they are free men now Law see that thou intrude not into the consciences of any of my people for as thou didst exact from me so I require of thee that thou trouble not any of mine Thus Christ having fulfilled the Law becoms the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth By the end of the Law I meane the perfect end of it or the end of it as it was a Covenant of works (e) Rom. 10.4 Finis perficiens non interficiens requiring obedience upon pain of death damnation Thus when Christ had perfectly accomplished fulfilled th Law the Law was laid up in Christ as the Tables and Testimony were put into the Arke which signified Christ the Law being fulfilled and accomplished by Christ (b) Exod. 25.16 Heb. 9.4 it was to continue no longer in force against such as should believe in him now menare to receive the Law as handed out to them by Jesus Christ (c) 1 Cor. 9.21 and not to looke upon it as a Covenant of works and as it was handed and delivered by God to Moses and by Moses to the children of Israel Well this is the next thing the Law is taken out of the way The fourth enemy that stood up to pleade against a poore sinner and his redemption salvation was Satan Satan stands up as the Philistim did and said who is the man that will redeeme these soules that are in my snare and in my power am not I God of all the earth who shall deliver them out of my hands These great high and big words like the words of the King of Assyria were enough to terrifie and dismay weake men But the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah he comes as David against the Philistin and sayes to him ThouSatan that hast defied the Armies of Israel and hastcast the Gantlet to all and darest any man to fight with thee and rescue sinfull men out of thy hands try thy power and pull downe thy pride and I will says Christ hereupon Jesus Christ comes and hath a single duell with him and the issue thereof was that Satan wounded the heele of Christ and Christ wounded his head according to that saying Gen. 315. He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele That is Satan should have power against Christs body to overcome it and Christ should destroy his power Therefore saith Christ John 12.31 Joh. 12.31 the Prince of this world be cast out So that now Satans power is already taken away the Devill may challenge a right to many of Christs servants till they are called converted and brought from under his power but alas it is but an usurped right as a man that layes claime to a childes inheritance when he is in his nonage when the childe is not able as yet to maintaine his right so Satan layes claime to the soule of a poore sinner as long as he is in his nonoge till he comes to believe but when a soule comes to the yeares of understanding regeneration and adoption then will he know that Satan hath nothing to doe to hinder his salvation and this is the fourth enemy to mens redemption and salvation The fifth enemy that stood up against mens Redemption and Salvation was the world All the powers of the world they gathered together to hinder this worke First the Jewes though they did not ahink it gathered themselves together to hinder this worke of mens redemption Also the heathens consulted and concurred herein yet all could not doe Acts 4.26.27 but Christ tells and assures his Disciples in the 16. of Iohn verse 33. That he had overcome the world John 16.33 so that all the snares in the world all the temptations all the