Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	let_v	lord_n	name_n	9,327	5	5.7485	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77976	The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is shewed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Bridge, Sydrach Sympson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nye, John Yates.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1654 (1654)	Wing B6063; Thomason E819_1; ESTC R207405	254,421	485

calveth and casteth not her calf They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the timbrel and harp and rejoyce at the sound of the organ They spend their daies in wealth They live merrie brave lives therefore their hearts be hardened in sin that they say to the Almightie depart from us what need we the knowledg of God what need so much preaching and so much ado we desire not such things I beseech you mark and observe what kind of men those are that so slight the Word of God and disesteem of it and that in their carriage and actions do as it were say unto God himself depart from us for so it is though it may be they think not so when the Word and Ordinances depart yet they do as much as if they should say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy way I say observe what kind of men these are not men under Gods wrath or afflictions observe what men they are and when they say so I say not when they be under Gods wrath but those that live in Authoritie and flourish and have delights and contentments to the flesh these say depart I confess many poor people that know nothing of God and that be meer Atheists that live all their daies in meer Atheism to hear them say so it is no wonder But I speak of men inlightened and where almost have you anie so readie to say depart from us let the Word and Ordinances depart and that slight God in his Ordinances as men do that are in the greatest Prosperitie that enjoy comforts and brave lives and have the world at will Now let all such know That though they may bless themselves and the world may bless them yet wo to them when God saith let them prosper in sin Hosea 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit iniquity God threatens it as a Judgment not to afflict them I remember Origen upon that Text hath this note Will you hear the terrible voice of God God speaking with indignation I will not visite when you sin this he calls the terrible voice of God speaking with indignation This is the most extream of Gods anger when thus he speaks And so Luther hath such an expression Wo to those men at whose sins God doth wink and connive and that have not afflictions as other men And so Jerom in writing to a friend that prospered in wicked waies saith he I judg thee miserable because thou art not miserable So certainly those men are therefore miserable because they be not miserable and it were a thousand times better for these men to lie under some heavie and dreadful affliction in this world And this is the Second Use If there be so much evil in Sin then a man may be a miserable man though he be not an afflicted man because there is evil enough in sin alone to make a man miserable without affliction CHAP. LIV. Use 3. If there be so much evil in sin then it 's a mighty mercy to get the pardon of sin Use III. IF there be so much evil in Sin as you have heard of then certainly this must needs follow That to get pardon of sin is a mighty mercy It must needs be a wonderful thing to have the pardon of sin to get to be delivered from that which hath so much evil that is so dreadful it must needs be very hard to be obtained grievous diseases be very hardly cured Certainly Brethren those men and women that do think that to get pardon of and power against sin is a little or light matter I dare charge them as in the presence of God they never yet knew what sin meant and all that I have delivered about the evil of sin hath been but as the beating of the air to them to no purpose that yet make but light of the great work of procuring pardon for sin and making peace with God for their sin If all the world were in a confusion turned into a Chaos we should think it a great work of God to bring all in frame and o●der again Certainly it is a greater work of God for to deliver the soul from the evil of sin and free the soul of it than it would be for to raise up the frame of Heaven and Earth again if all were turned into a Chaos Therefore Numbers 14. 17 19. verses where Moses speaks of pardon of Sin see how Moses speaks of it there And now I beseech thee saith he let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying What was this concerning which God had spoken that he would shew his great power in See the 19. verse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy Mark let the power of my Lord be great and then pardon the iniquitie of thy people as if Moses should say Oh Lord this requires great power the Almightie power of God is required for pardoning of iniquitie as well as the infinite mercy of God Oh consider this you that think lightly of getting pardon of sin this is the greatest business in the world and certainly that soul that God doth set in good earnest about this work to get the pardon of sin that soul is the most busie Creature in all the world never was the soul taken up about a more blessed work since it had a being than this is if it understand what it is about it takes up the whol strength of soul and bodie when the soul is about so great a work therefore you that come to have some inlightenings to shew you the evil of sin and you be about that work of getting pardon Oh you had need intend it and work mightily and strongly indeed for know this you are about the greatest business the greatest work that ever Creature was about in the world there is no creature in all the world was ever about so great a work as thou art about when thou art about the getting pardon of sin thou hadst need mind it and follow it and not have thy heart taken up about other things for it is the great work of the Lord that infinitely concerns thee Oh that men and women had cleer apprehensions about the sweetness of this work 't is true Gods mercie is above all our sins and he is readie to pardon and to forgive but the Lord will have his Creatures know that it is the greatest work that ever he did yea and take altogether Justification of a sinner is as great a work as ever God did the means that tend to it and the work of a soul about procuring pardon is the greatest work that ever soul was about so you must understand it and you cannot but understand it if you understand what hath been delivered This is the Third Use CHAP. LV. Use 4. If there be so much evil in sin this justifie the

any other That God will visit the sins of them that hate him those that sin against the Second Commandement seem to honor God and to love God more than any other they be not only content to worship God in that ordinary way others do but in a more glorious and pompeous way well it may be the breaker of the second Commandement pretends more love to God than any and yet there God saith they be those that hate him so that you see God doth not reek on Sin according to mans intentions Certainly the worshippers of Images do not intend to hate God but God accounts of Sin what it is in its own nature it is as if God should say If you wil not worship me according to my way of worship will not be content with that but will set up a new devised worship of your own do you call it what you will I account it hatred of me Secondly Sin is Rebellion What man in the world will be convinced that he doth any thing in way of Rebellion against God and yet mark God chargeth Sin with Rebellion even in that which they pretend they do all for Gods glory See in that Example of Saul 1 Sam. 15. you shall find there when Saul did but spare ●gag and the fat of the Cattel and pretends to offer Sacrifice to God Samuel comes to him in the name of God and saith he Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft Why might Saul say Lord have mercy upon me is this such rebellion I did it for the honor of God I did it to sacrifice to God and yet the Prophet of God in Gods Name chargeth Saul with rebellion Now Brethren Sin you see hath that in its own Nature that is not intended by men in their sinning Therfore while I speak of the Nature of sin some may say Indeed this my be true of sinful wicked notorious wretches but is this true of me Yea it may be true of the most civil man or woman in Gods presence this day God may charge them with hatred and rebellion Thirdly Sin is a dispising of God Who would acknowledg in the way of sin they despise God Scarce any in the world is so wicked as to acknowledg they despise God And yet mark God chargeth David with this for the commission of that one sin see the 2 Sam. 12. 9. David did despise God Well if hatred and rebellion and despising of God though neither of them all be in the intention of the man in committing of them yet God seeth it in the Nature of them So then if sin be a despising of God rebellion against God walking contrary and enmity c. if there be all this in sin though in every sin the Creature intend not this but God seeth this in the root of every sin in the venom of every sin Therefore then you that have gone on in the course of sin lay but this second thing to heart That you are those who have walked in the course of your lives in an opposition against the infinite dreadful God of all the World against the infinite God this hath been the course of your life Truly Brethren it is enough this that I speak of to pluck down the stoutest heart the wickedest and wretchedest hard heart in the world for a Minister of God to come and charge them in Gods Name Thou hast gone on in all thy life hitherto ever since thou wast born in a continual opposition to God Himself unto the infinite Lord the Eternal first being of all the World thy life hath been nothing but enmity to this God thou hast as directly opposed and striven against and resisted Him as ever man did oppose and resist and strive with another man and this thou hast done in the whol course of thy life Certainly there is more in this to humble a man than any thing that can be spoken to shew him the evil of sin When Christ would humble Sauls heart what doth he do he comes and saith Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Alas thou thinkest thou hast to deal with these poor Creatures who are not able to right themselves but be it known to thee thou hast to deal with Me the ever living Eternal God Why persecutest thou Me Who art thou Lord as if he had said Lord I did not think I had to deal with thee who art thou Lord I am He whom thou persecutest He said no more but as if should have said thus Look upon me I am that great and glorious God that hath thee at an advantage and can tread thee under My feet presently Saul fals down the text saith trembling and astonished and saith Lord what wilt thou have me to do Oh that it might be so this day that some heart might fall down trembling and astonished and when you get alone and think on what hath been declared say Lord in the waies of sin have opposed resisted and been an Enemy to thee Oh Lord never thought it Oh now Lord forgive It is time it is time Brethren to cease resisting of God and walking contrary to God for he is above you and wil have the Victory and the glory over all Creatures Oh perhaps thou hast been an old Enemy an old Sinner that all thy daies hast walked on in a course of sin yea perhaps thy Father hath been an Enemy thou his Enemy and thy Father his Enemy an old Adulterer a Swearer a wicked opposite to God and perhaps thou nourishest up Children to be Enemies to God thou nourishest and breedest up a company of Brats to be Enemies to God thou breedest them in the waies of sin and wickedness and so there is a generation of Enemies against God Oh Brethren that God would but stir your hearts and make you fal down before Him and see your selves guilty of so great an enmity Many be ready to excuse themselves and others thus He is no bodies Enemy but his own a good natured man and I am no bodies Enemy but my own Yes besides thy own thou art an Enemy to the Eternal God and thy waies hath been a way quite contrary to the Eternal God and this thou art guilty of and the Lord chargeth thee with it this day I remember when Daniel comes to Belshezzar he comes to him and thinks he hath enough to humble that proud King Belshezzar when he saith thus to him That God in whose hands the breath of thy Nostrils and al thy waies are that God thou hast not glorified And it hath a mighty deal of power to bring down the proudest and stoutest spirit upon the Earth when God shall give commission to conscience to come and charge him and say Oh thou wicked wretch remember that that God in whose hands all thy waies and the Breath of thy Nostrils are that God thou hast not glorified and suppose Conscience hath commission to come thus and say That God in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils and all thy

to hurt ones own soul or others So that is a most pesteferous estate condition that gives a man libertie to satisfie his lusts the more Brethren consider of this it is a most dreadful curse of God upon a man that God wil let a man go on smothlie in waies of Sin without controul that he shall have libertie without controul if there be anie brand of Reprobation that one may give this is it as black a brand as can be given that God suffers a man to go on smoothly in sin without any controul that he can have full libertie It is a speech of Barnards Therefore doth God spare the Rich because his iniquitie is not found only to DISPLEASVRE but to HATRED because God is not onlie now Angry but he Hates him for Sin that is a Speech of Barnard Therefore doth God spare the rich and deliver manie wicked men from Affliction because Sin is grown to the height that it is above Gods Displeasure God may be displeased with his children for Sin but he doth not come to Hate them they be not children of hatred because of infirmitie but now when God suffers a wicked man to go on smoothlie without anie affliction in his way of Sin and so take libertie in Sin this mans Sin it is to be feared is grown to the height that it comes to the verie hatred of God not onlie to displeasure I remember Barnard in another place calls this kind of mercie in God to deliver men from affliction in a sinful way he cals it a mercie more cruel than all anger and praies God to deliver him from that mercie That is That he should go on Prosperously in a wicked way And if you knew all it would be one Petition to God you in a Prosperous way it would be one Petition you would put up to God everie day Oh Lord never let me prosper in a sinful way and course Oh Lord rather let any Affliction be upon me than that my smoothness in my way should make my sin more smooth and delightful I appeal to you Marriners suppose you were sailing neer Rocks or sands and were becalmed till you come just there where they are and then you should have a wind come full upon you and fill your sails to the full your sails perhaps are all up and a wind comes that fills them to the full with wind I but this wind carries you directlie upon the sands or rocks would you not rather have the wind a little more still would you not rather have a half wind or a side wind would you not rather have your sails down or not half so much filled as they are when they carrie you upon the rocks and sands So here it is just as if you should see a man rejoice that his sails be filled with wind and all his sails up when another that stands by knows it carries him upon the sands that will undo him So it is with a man that rejoiceth in Prosperitie that carries him with full sail to wickedness God fills their sails their hearts be filled to the full with all that their hearts can desire and they be filled with all their braverie but this as the sail carries them on further to Sin and wickedness upon the rocks and sands to eternal destruction It were better for these men that their sails were down and all under the hatches a thousand times better than to have all the libertie to Sin I beseeeh you brethren observe the difference between Gods dispensations and his dealings with the wicked and his dispensations and dealings with his Children in this one thing it is verie observable with the wicked God deals thus in just judgment he suffers stumbling blocks to lie in the way of Religion that they stumble therein and find abundance of difficultie when they have some good stirrings of their affections and good motions and intentions but there is such a stumbling block they be offended at and such a thing lies there and hinders them and makes the waies of RELIGION difficult but when they come to the waies of Sin there all their waies be smooth there 's no stumbling block lies there but all is clear and God suffers them to prosper and go on a pace the way to life is full of stumbling blocks but the way to destruction is clear thus God deals with the wicked But with his Children God will make the way to life and Salvation to be very smooth and clear The way of the upright is plain if the heart be upright those things others be offended at and stumble at they be delivered from those stumbling blocks be taken away gracious hearts find the Waies of Godliness plain comfortable and smooth waies But now the waies of Sin to Gods Children they be full of stumbling blocks there God is pleased to lay stumbling blocks when God seeth his Children hanker after sinful waies God makes this let and the other let this affliction and the other affliction one thing or other they shall find in Gods Providence to stop them in the way A most excellent Promise for this to the Children of God when God was in a way of mercie to them you have in Hosea 2. 6 7. Therefore behold I will hedg up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths Mark when God intends good to his Church he promises to hedg up the way and wall it up that is the way to Idols that they should not find it so easilie as before Oh take notice of this Oh all ye Servants of God when you have found your hearts hanker after evil waies Oh the goodness of God he hath laid stumbling blocks in the waies of death whereas others when they have come to the waies of death all is clear and smooth before them and they have their hearts desire This is the difference between Gods dealings with his people and the wicked 3 As Prosperitie is fuel for sin and gives libertie to sin So it hardens the hearts of men and women in sin As it is with the Clay when the Sun shines upon it it grows harder mire and dirt grows harder with the shining of the Sun so wicked and ungodly men their hearts grow hard in the waies of sin with the shine of Prosperitie upon it As the Iron is soft when the fire is in it but harder when the fire is out so with men and women in affliction they seem soft but they are the harder when out again We have a notable place for this Job 21. from the 7. verse to the 14. there is a description of the prosperous Estate of the wicked now at the 14. verse see how their hearts be hardned Therefore they say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledg of his way because he had said before of them Their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them Their bull gendreth and faileth not their cow

and lay the burden of it upon your spirits then to let you sink under the burden of it for God to behold you sweltring under the burden of it without pittie and compassion and your own Conscience will be readie to tell you so yea now the weight of Sin is upon me but is forced whether I will or no now God may justlie let it lie This is a sad and a sinking thought and if anie thing let sin lie upon the soul that it shall never be purged it will be this When the Spirit would have brought Sin in the weight of it upon my Conscience I put it off and now God puts it upon me and therefore it troubles me thus Therefore be willing to be humbled and know if you be willing Jesus Christ is appointed for that end to raise you up and there is as much power in the Gospel to raise your heart as there is in sin to press down your heart if you be rightlie burdened with it CHAP. LX. Use 9 If there be so much evil in sin this should be a loud cry to stop men and turn them from sin Use IX ANother Use is this If there be so much evil in Sin Then the consideration and meditation of all that hath been said should be a mighty cry unto all to turn back and stop in the waies of sin Oh thou Sinner whosoever thou art in whatsoever place of the Congregation thou art God hath brought thee by his providence to hear or reade these Sermons concerning the evil of Sin know that all these Sermons that have been preached unto thee they be all but as one loud loud crie to thy soul stop stop Oh Sinner in thy sinful courses stop here turn turn Oh Sinner out of thy sinful waies turn turn why wilt thou die why wilt thou die Oh wretched sinful soul thou art lost cursed undone and wilt perish eternally in that way thou art in turn turn while thou hast time God cries his Word cries his Ministers cries Conscience cries all those that have known what the evil of sin means cry to thee unless thou wilt destroy thy self undo thy self eternallie stop in that way for it is a dangerous desperate way thou goest in the verie road way to the Chambers of eternal Death As ever thou wouldest be willing God shall hear thy crie upon thy sick bed in the anguish of thy soul thou wilt then crie now Lord have mercie upon a poor wretched sinful soul Thou wouldest be glad I say that the Lord should hear thy crie upon thy sick bed and death bed Now then as ever you would have God hear your crie when you are in the greatest anguish of your souls upon your sick bed and see death before you be willing to hear the crie of God to your souls at this present and know if you do not hear the crie of God that cries to you to stop you in sinful waies then these verie words I have spoken to you at this present may come in your mind when you crie for mercie and then you may think Oh wretch now I crie to God for mercy but do I not remember such a time was there not a loud crie in my Ears and Conscience as from God that I should stop in my sinful waies and courses and was not I then charged as in the Name of God and as ever I expected God should hear my crie in such a time that I should hear his voyce Oh it will be dreadful for you to hear such a voyce as this Because you would not hear me therfore I will not hear you Therfore behold I crie again in the Name of God stop stop turn thee Oh sinful soul alas whether art thou going from God from Comfort from Life from Happiness from all good whatsoever thou art going I call Heaven and Earth to record that these things that I have delivered to you concerning the evil of sin are the Truths of God and have been the Truths of God And certainlie what I have delivered and you read concerning the evil of sin it will come and rise up one day against everie sinful man and woman that doth go on in anie known way of Sin and it will prove as scalding lead in thy Conscience Everie Truth thou hast heard and everie Chapter thou hast read concerning the evil of Sin I say if yet thou goest on in any one known way of Sin it will one day be as scalding lead in thy Conscience the dropping of scalding lead in the eyes of a man will not be more terrible to him than the droppings in of these Truths will be in thy Conscience another day Now it will be a sad thing my Brethren if God should send me amongst you by his Providence onlie to aggravate anie of your Condemnations God forbid there should be this Errent sent amongst you that anie of his Messengers should be sent for this end to aggravate your condemnation this is that which is the prayers of my soul that this may not be the Errent I am sent for if possible not to seal the condemnation of anie one soul But this I know except there be great reformation among manie certainlie the verie Errand God intended in the conclusion though I do not say that is the primarie and first end but it is that which will prove so in the conclusion through the stubbornness of the hearts of sinners that will prove the Aggravation of their condemnation Wherefore yet let me labor with your souls who knows whether anie of you shall hear me preach anie one Sermon more whether ever God will call after you any more to stop or turn in the waies of Sin whether ever you shall hear the Word more Perhaps God will sear your conscience and say to him that is filthie let him be filthie God now speaks to you and cries after you if you harden your hearts now it is more than Angels or men know whether ever you will have one crie more Therefore let me abide here tell me Oh Sinner what is it thou gettest in waies of sin that thou wilt dwel here what is it the world hath to draw thy heart from the strength of all these Truths delivered in these Sermons Sure it must be some mightie thing when such Truths as these backed with Arguments from Scripture strength of Reason as all these be cannot restrain thee Sure it must be some wonderful thing that must over ballance all these Sermons and all these things what hast thou such a heart that is set upon any sinful way anie secret hant of Sin that thou findest such good in it that by it all these Truths are over ballanced Certainlie there is no such good in the world if all Creatures in the world should joyn together to give some comfort to ballance these Truths delivered concerning the evil of sin all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth could not give such things as would ballance it Therefore certainlie