Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B01135
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The true Israelite, or, The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite. By Master William Andrewes, late minister of the word of God.
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Andrewes, William, minister of the word of God.
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1638
(1638)
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STC 630.5; ESTC S124182
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38,395
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238
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Lord had not knowne thee thou had'st not knowne thy selfe not knowne him not knowne heaven If the Lord had not seene thee first with the eye of mercy thou hadst never seene him with the eye of faith So beloved before Gods messengers call us from the darknesse of sinne and ignorance to the marveilous light of Grace and truth the Lord saw us in our danger lying as it were at the gate of hell full of sores full of sinnes uncovered uncured unpityed according to that of David Ps 142 4. there was no man that would know me no man that cared for my soule He then saw us with the eye of mercy and had compassion on us and decreed concerning us to give deliverance according to that charge to his messenger Iob 33.24 Deliver him that he goe not downe into the pitt for I have received a reconciliation If then the Lord know us if the Lord see us with this preventing gift of Grace whilst we imbrace the same wee are so moved that wee doe not onely come to see Christ with Nathaniel nor long only with the Greekes saying Wee would faine see Iesus Ioh. 12 21. But as the faithfull soule speakes Ca. 1.3 wee runne after him in the sweet savour of his Oyntments and so runne that wee obtaine the Saviour yet having obtained we humbly remember that saying of the Apostle Paul what hast thou that thou hast not received 1. Cor. 4 7. O tu ecclesia saith Saint Austine O thou Church S. Au. in pri cap. O thou Israel without fraud if thou art now an holy people and hast knowne Christ by the Word of the Prophets and Apostles as Nathaniel knew him by the guidance of Philip yet miserecordia sua ante te vidit quam tu eum cognoseres cum sub peccato jaceres with his mercy he saw thee before thou knew'st him when thou layest under the burthen of thy sinne where this is not confessed and the Glory of our Convertion not given to the preventing Grace of Christ there is not the true Isralite but the fraudulent and proud-hearted Pelagian An injurious ingratefull fraud it is to arrogate that to our selves which wee have of the meere goodnesse of our Lord therefore in the feeling of the Lords mercy upon us remembrance of our desperate and lost estate Let us thankefully say with the Prophet David Not unto us Ps 115.1 Lord not unto us but to thy Name bee the glory 2. His Direction AS yee have heard how Nathaniel was prevented by a mercifull Call from God so next heare how hee was directed by Philip as a faithfull guide In which two things are remarkable 1 The Power of his Direction 2 The Manner of his Direction For the power of it wee are to know that God hath appointed the ministeriall direction as an Order for the working of faith sanctifying the preaching of the Word to bee the Power and Wisedome of Christ to salvation according to that in St. Iohns gospel Ioh. 17.17 sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is the Truth and to that in the Acts spoken by St. Paul I commend you to God Act. 20.32 and the word of his grace which is able to build further who therefore cals the Gospel the word of Gods grace not onely because it is a gracious word full of comfort to the penitent contrite and borken heart but because it is the Instrument or meanes whereby God conveies his grace to the faithfull hearer Hence Saint Peter exhorteth 1. Pet. 2 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby and Saint Iames having said that God of his owne will begat us by the word of truth inferrs presently therefore let every man bee swift to heare Ia. 1.9 And Saint Paul by that question of his How shall they beleeve unlesse they heare Ro. 10.14 Doth manifestly approve the word as the Instrument of faith And therefore in his Epistle to the Galatians Gal. 3.2 he calls the ministry of the word the hearing of faith saying received ye the Spirit by the worke of the Law or by the hearing of faith Let us then acknowledge Gods Order for salvation and that the Church is tyed to the direction of the word let us magnifie Gods Ordinance and not basely esteeme an Instrument so powerfull and divine Next let us not dreame of any other Course from God for our Conversion Lastly let us know that the Spirit of God in that ministration truely effectually infallibly moveth the minds of men and enclineth them to faith and good workes whilst the word is heard of them read and thought upon So that God is never wanting to blesse this his order of ministring the word and our labour in hearing never lost so that we take heed how we heare and neglect not so great salvation For as in receiving the holy Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud if wee doe not set a barre against the grace of that by a purpose to continue in sin we doe infallibly partake of the spirituall food to eternall life So in the hearing of the word we have assured certainety to receive the gift of faith unlesse by our idle and wanton neglect it falls out that the Pearle is cast before swine Mat. 7.6 2. The manner of the Direction HAving heard of the Power now consider the manner of Nathaniels direction wherein wee may observe these three things 1 The Charity of Nathaniels guide 2 The Prudēcy of Nathaniels guide 3 The Fidelity of Nathaniels guide His Charity appeares in desiring speedily to impart unto others of that good which hee himselfe had received Philip was no sooner cal'd himselfe but hee cal'd Nathaniel no sooner had hee experience of the heavenly and incorruptible treasure and tasted how gracious the Lord was but he endeavoured to communicate the same to Nathaniel thas hee also might rejoyce in God his Saviour And it is observable how Cheerefully Philip proceeds in this businesse as a man surpriz'd with Ioy ravisht with Contentment in the voyce of exultation his heart as it were leaping for joy at his new-found treasure breaks forth into these words Iohn 1.45 We have found him of whom Moses spake and the Prophets Iesus the son of Ioseph of Nazareth It is a specious mark of Gods children to be cheerfull in speaking good of the name of Christ and Carefull to acquaint others with that happy good which themselves have found And like as the leprous men having eate and drunke and enrich't themselves 2. Kin. 7.9 when they considered the multitude of the City of Samaria ready to dye for hunger they having enough were touched in their hearts and said one to another Wee doe not well this day is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace So the Messengers of God and every true Convert having bread enough in their fathers house considering the multitude of sinfull
THE TRVE ISRAELITE OR The sincere Christian distinguished from the hypocrite By Master WILLIAM ANDREWES late Minister of the word of GOD. LONDON Printed by Richard Oulton for Ralph Mabb and are to bee sold by Charles Greene. 1638. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Tho Ratcliffe Esquire Secretary to the right Reverend and right Honourable William Lord Bishop of London and Lord high Treasurer of ENGLAND Sir THe worth of the Author the respects I owe you and your owne Innate goodnesse have incouraged mee to chuse you the Patron of this Post-humus For the Author as hee was a Divine sound and orthodox in judgement so hee was peaceable in the Church and sincere in his life for his learning though himselfe it may bee was a stranger to you yet as hee that by Hercules his foote drew the proportion of his whole body so in this little Mirrour if J mistake not you may perceive him to bee one that was brought up at the feete of Gamaliell mighty in the Scriptures and well studied in the Fathers The respects I owe to your selfe are such as that having this opportunity to manifest my acknowledgement of them I had doubtlesse incurred the censure of ungratefull negligence if J should have let it slip and not improoved it to this end from your owne goodnesse I gather an assurance of your favourable acceptance both of this Orphan and the presenter who am put in trust to commend the patronage of it to some one whose emminency in the World for vertuous qualifications might somewhat shelter it from these blacke-mouth'd Calumniators that these times are pestred with These are the reasons worthy Sir why I have though without your foreknowledge prefixed your name in the Front of this tract I humbly crave your pardon if herein I have trespassed any thing and that you would bee pleased to doe the Author and me so much honour as to suffer His Israelite to come abroad into the world under your worthy patronage In the assurance whereof I crave leave to remaine Your worships to be commanded Ralph Mabb TO THE Reader Christian Reader THe Author of this Treatise had no sooner intented and fitted it for the Presse But it pleased God to take him hence into the fellowship of the spirits of just men made perfect After a whiles detainment it is now fallen to my lot to vsher it into the World It is his owne and a peece well beseeming such a workeman The judicious Reader may find in it a compendious Epitome of divinity morallity and elegancy of phrase ioyned with no lesse honesty and integrity of the hidden man of the heart A thing in the sight of God much set by It is a discourse very seasonable the world being filled now more with shaddowes then substances men striving rather to appeare to be that which they are not then to bee that indeed which they onely appeare to bee This may therefore serve thee for a touchstone to try the truth of that which if thou hast will gaine thee esteeme with him that seeth not as man seeth It mattereth not so much what men are valued at in the scales of humane judgements so they bee found weighty in the ballance of the Sanctuary Popular esteemes are alwayes subiect to errour If Christ reckon a man a true Israelite None dare call his iudgment into question and who would not have his approbation who would not glory in such a testimony This small tract Amongst others may serve thee both for direction and tryall If by it thou reapest any comfort and furtherance in thy heavenly course thou canst doe no lesse than be thankefull to God for the Author and to esteeme of mee as one that is A desirer of the common good R. M. Aprill 8. 1636. PErlegi tractatū hunc cui titulus est The true Israelite in quo nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publica inprimatur Tho. Weekes R P Episc Lond Capell domest THE TRUE ISRAELITE Iohn 1.46 47. Then Nathaniel said Can any good thing come from Nazareth Philip said unto him Come and see Iesus saw Nathaniel coming unto him and said of him Behold a true Israelite in whom is no fraud SAint Iohn who alone among the Evangelists setteth downe the history of Nathaniel hath from the forty verse of this Chapter unto the end thereof delivered unto us six speciall things concerning him First his Calling to the Faith of Christ and that by the ministration of Philip. Secondly his Comming to Christ Thirdly the Commendation that Christ gives him Fourthly his Conference with Christ Fifthly his Confession and notable acknowledgment of Christ saying Thou art that Sonne of God Thou art that King of Israel Ioh. 1.49 Sixthly his hopefull blessing in the promise of Christ made unto him saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 1.50 thou shalt see greater things than these Three of these are contained in the words now to bee handled namely Nathaniels 1. Calling 2. Comming 3. Cōmendation First his Call in these words Come and see In his Call to Christ two things are observable 1 His prevention he comes not of himselfe but moved and excited by God 2 His direction hee comes not by himselfe but guided by the hand of Philip. 1. His Prevention THAT Nathaniel comes not to Christ but moved and stirred up by the preventing grace of God shewes that the state and condition of every man by Nature is such that we are found of God before we seeke him and moved by his grace before we stirre unto him So that each one of us may truely say of our selves with the Prophet David Ps 119.176 I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost O seeke thy servant Wee are by Nature as the lost groat fallen out of the hand of Gods favour by Adams fall Wee are by continuall practice of our naturall errors as the lost sheepe that have wandred from God and we are by rebellion and wilfull neglect of Gods offered grace as the prodigall and lost Childe that have wantonned against God We are bound therefore thankfully to acknowledge and carfully to maintaine the preventing grace of God which finding us lost under the Fig-leaves of vain security in the shadow of death yet leaves us not till we are brought to the tree of life the Light of Grace and Glory For though it be said onely that Iesus saw Nathaniel comming unto him yet hee was not a bare beholder of his comming but the Cause the moover the secret worker therof Iesus saw Nathaniel comming but he also saw his owne handy worke upon him according to that speech of our Lord Ioh 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Nathaniel being deceived in the apprehension of Christ as meere man asked him vnde me nosti Whence knewst thou me Iohn 1.48 to whom the Lord replied Before that Philip cal'd thee when thou wast under the figge tree I saw thee O Nathaniel if the