Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	judgement_n	sin_n	sinner_n	2,057	5	7.5058	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94505	Christ knocking at the doore, or, The substance of a sermon intended to be preached in Pauls upon the Sabbath day which fell upon the fifteenth day of April last: but not preached, by reason of a suddain obstruction of that liberty which was promised him, being indeed unworthy to be the servant of Jesus Christ in any such ministration for ever. / Published by the authour Philip Tanny commonly Tandy.	Tanny, Philip.	1655 (1655)	Wing T149; Thomason E1485_4; ESTC R208765	25,450	49

occasion they can of setting themselves against their own mercies they cannot endure the Lord to speak as it were one word more And therefore choaking him as soon as they can they run presently into a Refuge of lies good fellowship drinking musick some pastime or other to stop the mouth of conscience which would be convincing them of sinne of righteousnesse of judgement to come and by arguments drawn from thence would stagger them at their sinful courses but none of that I thank you their sins and they cannot part company so easily and therefore the Spirit of God is looked upon by them as their enemy because it tels them the truth and will not flatter them nor suffer them to run so quietly to their own destruction With some perhaps he gets a little faiter quarter they will hear the reproofs consider the terrors of Gods judgements which are threatned spiritually to their inward man to reclaim them from their sins but when they have heard all they think to make up all with a little humiliation a few tears a little rugging and striving to cry to God for mercy and if upon a duty of praier or humiliation they finde a little peace and quietnesse though Gods intention in giving it be but barely to bear up their hearts under soul affliction untill the times of a more full and more gracious dispensation comes then up they get upon their tiptoes presently their afflictions are all vanished or banished in a moment God is their God now sure for say they he hath heard our supplications he hath forgiven our sinnes herein miserably mistaking a little arbitrary consolation which God grants in a designe of supporting the soul till it be fit for a more gracious dispensation for a sure signification of forgivenesse of sins the groslenesse of which mistake I shall clear upon some occasion or other in Gods good time and it may be before I have ended my meditations upon this Text. Some the Spirit of God prevails so farre with that 1. They are willing to be reproved and chidden for their sins but from thence are too apt to conclude a sure estate of soul 2 The work of conviction being strong upon their souls they are apt to make many fair promises many strong engagements that they will do so no more 3. But then thirdly when Gods back is but turned as I may say or that they think him but out of sight they start aside like a broken bow and neither promises Covenants or any other obligations prevail with them at all but they turn with the dog to their own vomit and with the sow to the wallowing in the mire and if the motions of Gods Spirit presse them to consider their breach of vowes and Covenants and their promises of better obedience they either heal their hurt slightly with a few prayers and teares and then they think all is well as I observed before or secondly by a long practise of such ungodly eourses they come at length to such a desperate hardnesse of heart that they conclude there is no hope and so conceive it to no purpose to strive any more to pray any more to be humbled any more to hearken to the motions of Gods Spirit any more the finall conclusion is as they throw off all hope so they throw off all duty and let Christ by his Spirit say what he will they think all is to no purpose to hear him or obey him and this last and worst part of this character hath been my own case for almost this nine years or thereabouts till within this year and a half about which time apprehending some abatement of those judgements which my apprehensions had been long terrified with for my grievous sins especially for hiding my little Talent which I looked upon as given me by God not to hide but to publish I was about a year and half since resolved to submit my self to be at Gods disposing and to serve God as well as I could though I looked for nothing but hell as my portion for ever only I hoped it would be hell mitigated and me thought I had strange kinde of hopes that in hell I should finde a little comfort and a little strength to endure it and to dwell with everlasting burnings because I was willing to submit but these strange hopes soon vanished and became nothing for about a quarter or half a year after I was thrown down again into the dreadfullest apprehensions of Gods eternall judgements that ever were presented to any mortall man upon Gods earth since the creation of God or that the world began with this heavy load of apprehensions I walked for above half a year together viz. all this last summer and some little part of the beginning of winter but at length the spring is come and the chirping of Birds hath been heard by me there was never such mercy shewed such compassion manifested to any soul in the world I am alive and the loving kindnesse of God hath appeared to me But I tell you my brethren and friends my rebellion against Jesus Christ my standing out against the motions of Gods good Spirit hath cost me dear and so dear I would not for a hundred thousand worlds endure the like horrors again It would amaze you all nay almost affright you out of your wits to tell you what I have seen but God in Jesus Christ I trust hath delivered me for ever and God strengthning me I will praise him for it yea I will magnifie him as long as I have my being And now my dear friends I am set forth to you as an example of Gods terrors and judgements if ye shall rebell against Christ and perpetually resist the motions of Gods gracious Spirit striving with you as I have done I am withall a mirrour of Gods infinite rich mercies in the pardoning of iniquities and an example of heartning to you if God shall be pleased to give you repentance from your sins and from all your ungodly courses as to me I hope in God he hath done in some measure but if having such a warning given in such grievous judgements if the riches of Christs mercies in finding a way to pardon such a sinner as I am if neither of these nor both together prevaile with you nor be a means to hearten you and to cause you to live in some hope at least that it may be the Lord will have some mercy some compassion for you as well as for me If I say thesethings will be no means to reclaim you then I must be bold to tell you that I cannot say so much as a Judge to a condemned person Lord have mercy upon your souls I must leave you to God only at present let me put you in minde of these things which follow 1. That it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 2. That certainly you have sucked in some desperate principles touching the decree and election of God which do so poison your souls with hopelesnesse that if ye come to hear a Sermon 't is for very shame of the world lest men should account you of no religion accounting it in all other respects vain and unprofitable either to hear a Sermon or to serve God at all and the truth is I much suspect this latter it having had a strong influence into my own troublesome and dreadfull apprehensions for so long together 3. That you will finde it dangerous indeed to dally with Jesus Christ a little longer he is now coming in a solemne manner to treat about the businesse of leaving of our sinnes and turning to God and this I hope to evidence clearly as occasion shall offer it self if I can have the liberty of a publike Pulpit as I desire but if I cannot I trust Jesus Christ who is now nigh at hand in his spiritual coming will vindicate me from the charge of being guilty of other mens transgressions which God willing I will endeavour to my utmost to prevent if I may be suffered but if I alone must be hindred I hope God will regard my innocency and men will at length know my integrity and affection to their souls FINIS

CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOORE OR The Substance of a SERMON Intended to be Preached in PAULS upon the Sabbath Day which fell upon the Fifteenth Day of April last But not Preached by reason of a suddain Obstruction of that Liberty which was promised him being indeed unworthy to be the Servant of Jesus Christ in any such ministration for ever Published by the Authour PHILIP TANNY commonly TANDY London Printed by A.M. and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls and Simon Miller at the Signe of the Starre 1655. To his Highnesse OLIVER Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland May it please your Highness IT is now almost nine years since I appeared in a Pulpit except once only at London-stone where I thank God through his blessing I did not wholy lose my labour I did endeavour before that to have preached at Pauls upon a Sabbath day in the afternoon in Dr Burgess his substitutes room but he being surprised on a sudden with some strange relations touching me wherein it may please God at length to vindicate me to the shame of all my enemies for I account my professed friends by reason of their injurious actions towards me little lesse on a sudden when I came with intention to goe into the Pulpit to deliver the substance of what is herewith printed with some enlargements as my affections should have dictated I was to the wonder I think of many I am sure of divers who came to hear me with honest affections I doubt not denied the liberty which was very civily promised me May it please your Highness I thank God I can say truly and my heart and conscience bears me witnesse to my own integrity in saying so that I can be content to become a spectacle to God Angels and men since he hath been pleased most strangely and unexpectedly to finde out a way to shew compassion to such a sinner as I am of which I was so hopelesse for a long time together though I must confesse at the beginning of my despair I received the greatest support by your Highnesse speaking to me that ever I had from any man living that I must needs say that for almost if not full out nine years together I never clearly hoped for the reconciled face of a loving God againe For this reason I say once again I can be content through the goodness of God to become a spectacle to God Angels and men for Jesus Christs sake who I trust hath had mercy on my soul and hath pardoned my transgressions there having been never such a sinner in the world as I have been Such a compassion being shewed to such a sinner the like I say again was never yet in the world it hath begotten in me a suitable and I hope I may say a Christianlike resolution to passe by such wrongs and injurious transactions used towards me as I may truly affirm that all circumstances considered there were yet never the like of them in the world done to any private man in a peaceable government God continue this government upon your Highness shoulders and make them strong for their service which is very great nay greater then you are aware of if I know any thing of God or of Jesus Christ aright The reason why I have troubled the Press with my affectionate meditations upon the action of Christ knocking at the doores of our hearts for the entertaining of his mercies is because 1. By this I shall revive in my memory the many transactions which Christ in his patience hath used toward my self and be humbled for my own disobedience and rebellion 2. That it might appear to all that I am no sower of sedition there being nothing more affectionately springing in my soul then my longing desire to see this poor Nation wherein I was born and have lived I thank God honestly towards man though sinfully towards God the larger half of my days in humane reason setled and established in truth righteousnes and peace I put truth first for if our intellectuals be not better principled touching many differences that are amongst us I am certain we cannot be stablished in righteousnesse and if we be not stablished in righteousnesse I am as sure and certaine that we cannot be stablished in any true and truly comfortable peace I am not without hope notwithstanding all difficulties yet to see such a peace And indeed to speak truth one reason of my hope is that I see generally in all mens expectations so little hope of it For do not mens hearts say within themselves How can these things be shall a Nation be born in a day It may be it will for when the Lord returns the captivity of his people shall they not be like them that dreame Who knows what a day may bring forth We have long looked for a day generally heretofore but of late men have laboured in the very fire and yet expected no good but to live and not to be slaves Bear up yet a little longer O England it may be thy Saviour will yet pity thy longings thou seest no help 't is the more likely that help is nigh at hand me thinks I see a little which though appearing but like the palme of a hand may yet increase to a great cloud which shall overspread the heavens and bring forth rain to refresh the earth In this Expectation I do with much comfort of heart assure my Soul your Highnesse hath a great part to act a great Stage to act upon you know not how large Be pleased to look to your station in Jesus Christ strongly and suddenly if your feet shall be fixt upon that rock and your goings stablished in him this Nation will have reason to blesse God for you but if your Highness falter too much if you consult with flesh and bloud too long if your affections to Jesus Christ and his poor ones cool or grow indifferent or that you look too much upon principles of Policy which are an Aegyptian Reed and will deceive you and all the Princes in the world You may expect a sudden hand of Gods vengeance and displeasure that shall overturn your Counsels and bring them to foolishnes and God shall bring deliverance another way and restore comforts to his Mourners by another hand I beseech your Highness pardon my plain dealing I dare not but speak the things which in some little measure I see I have spoken herein words of sobernesse and honest affection to your Highness and to this Nation wherein I live God Almighty give you understanding in all things which concern the publike and your private peace I am Your Highness most truly affectionate and thankefully humble Servant PHILIP TANNY vulgò TANDY CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOORE REV. 3. Ver. 20th Behold I stand at the doore and knock IF we take this whole Booke of the Revelations and looke upon it in a more generall view it