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	son_n	4,904	5	5.3301	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25421	The right government of thoughts, or, A discovery of all vain, unprofitable, idle, and wicked thoughts with directions for the getting, keeping, and governing of good thoughts, digested into chapters for the ease of the reader : whereunto are added four sermons / by ... John Angel ...	Angel, John, d. 1655.; T. B.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3162A; ESTC R13149	89,280	271

the other for the worship of God Christ diverts her opinion of Jacobs Well by telling her of a Well of water springing up unto everlasting life ver 14. and her opinion of Gods worship in Samaria by resolving her that salvation is of the Jews and diverting her to think of a worshiping of God in spirit and in truth ver 22 23. If I should prescribe one object in the multitude of your evill thoughts to turn them unto it should be God who is infinitely long and broad and wide beyond the extent of the souls desires or thoughts Kingdoms cannot satisfie ambition Gold as the dust of the street cannot satisfie covetousnesse pleasures to satiety and loathing content not the flesh and the mind is as unsatisfied with thinking and knowing onely God is of that infinitenesse and of that excellency that all thoughts and desires are terminated in him and all thoughts and desires that turn themselves unto God are bettered by looking upon him 3. If evil thoughts still presse in upon thee if they will not be stop'd nor diverted break them off with some violence if they be unreasonable and justle out better thoughts lay hands upon them 1 Cor. 9. 27. if the body grow unruly it must be kept under and brought into subjection Some thoughts are so wicked that they will not be cast out like those Devils without fasting and prayer If any thought within thee shall crosse Religion or reason resolve to crosse it There are some cursed imaginations which are the mother-roots of a multitude of sins as those which move Questions seriously of Gods Essence Personality Mercy Justice Power Providence and whether the Scriptures be the word of God whether the souls of men be immortal whether there be a Heaven or a Hell such thoughts as these should not be disputed withal muchlesse allowed but expelled or kill'd if but such thoughts as these be suffered and allowed within they will make a soul as desolate of grace as a City is without an inhabitant he that hath no rule over his own spirit certainly 't is true in this case is like a City that is broken down and without walls Prov. 25. 28. I shall never marvel that he is a wicked man whom I know to allow himself or others in such thoughts as these but I shal think grace is ruined in that man that disputes these things determines them against the Scripture 4. If wicked thoughts will not begone yet thou hast this remedy left call in help against them pray them away pray God in to thy help against them pray for a change of thine own nature of thine own thoughts Was not this the thing which David prayed for Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. 'T is plain it was Let us lift up our hearts in prayer against all our sinnes in thoughts but especially against them that are wicked ones heavy thoughts and vain thoughts are errours and not excuseable from sin but wicked thoughts are of a worser generation we must purge our selves from these with greater diligence I know foolishnesse is bound up in the heart of a child an evil heart cannot but think evil Prov. 22. 15. What can I look for from an Adder but her poison and her sting yet we may pray out foolishness out of our hearts And I believe Paul often used this help against the evils of his own heart for he saith When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things 1 Cor. 13. 21. It may be thou art a child in thy speaking in thy understanding in thy thinking pray that thou mayest become a man and be able to put away childish things Thus much of the evil of thoughts and how we may by Gods assistance remedy the same I beseech you Brethren apply these remedies to the severall errours of your thoughts and they will doe you much good Object not an impossibility for any to remedy the infirmities and sinfulnesses of thoughts what nature cannot do grace may and what man cannot do God can Every Christian who hath the spirit of God is enabled by that spirit within him to do all things Evangelically or with a Gospel allowance whereunto he is called of God If God would have the thoughts of a righteous man to be just God hath not made it an impossible work what nature within thee is averse to do and what grace within thee cannot do that the spirit within thee can do and the Righteousnesse of Christ without thee hath done wherefore despair not of the work but go about it CHAP. X. ANd now Beloved I am come to speak of good thoughts with the means how to get them and the manner of their government In the handling of this so needful a duty and so fruitful a subject I must premise some introductory particulars to shew the possibility and necessity of this work it is necessary or else God would not have commanded it it is possible or else God would not have promised assistance to performance 1. Hear how God commands this duty O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. What is that great Commandment in the Law is it not to love the Lord thy God But how Mat. 22. 37. is it not with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength Unlesse the mind and heart be in our love and obedience there will be no strength in them nor acceptance with God of them 2. God hath promised mercy unto all who willingly endeavour to turn away from all their evil thoughts and turn unto him with all their hearts God requires a heart washed from iniquity that the soul may be saved as ye read but now and God promiseth not onely to be abundant in mercy to pardon what is past but also to perfect the work begun Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon I may adde that it is a part of our regeneration to be renewed in our thoughts the Apostle urgeth it Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds Eph. 4. 23. And further that Gospel-light requires Gospel-thoughts it was prophesied of these dayes At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shall they walk any more in the imagination of their evil heart Jer. 3. 17. When God makes the Church his Throne and the Nations gather into it to worship the Lord then shall they leave off their wicked thoughts and walk no more after them We live in these

thoughts nor at the persons of Gods sending to administer spiritual help unto us In this matter we should say with Samuel Speak on Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam 3. 10. or as that devout Cornelius to Paul We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10. 33 3. He that would have good thoughts let him pray let him intreat the Lord to enrich his soul by his sanctifying spirit for by multiplyed acts the spirit doth renew our minds God saves us but not by works of Righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost pray for that therefore that ye may be wased and saved Tit. 3. 5. The fourth meanes to get good thoughts into thy mind is to accompany Gods Saints be thou as much as conveniently and without prejudice of thy calling in the company of them that are godly whose communion will edge the good motions that are upon thy spirit as Iron sharpens Iron 2 Pet. 3. 1. Peters Epistles had power in them to stirre up the pure minds of holy men there is a power also in the interloquutories and familiar conferences of holy persons when they meet face to face Paul had a great desire of many years to see not so much the City of Rome in her then glory as the brethren at Rome Rom. 15. 23 24. that he might be filled with their company we believe a communion of Saints and shall we not desire to be assistants one to another to impart and receive some spiritual gifts interchangeably God himself is seen in the congregations of holy men and therefore as Manoah and his wife when they had seen an Angel thought they had seen the face of God So when we shall see the face of Gods people let us think we behold the face of God in them for they are the liveliest pictures of Gods image their conversation will administer thoughts of imitation their conferences will season our unsavory meditations their discourse will draw out waters of life so that we may perceive the deep things of our salvation flowing out of their bellies unto us and though Satan in the company of wicked men do beget upon their imaginations a company of wicked thoughts yet the spirit of God is as plentiful in producing good motions in godly minds by the company of sanctified men do but observe the issues of thy mind after thy fill of their company how barren dost thou return from the tables of those where thou hast not seen the face of God nor heard any talk of heaven and if amongst them Satan have but whistled an horn-pipe how is thy soul dulled or grieved or turned out of the way or unfitted for heavenly thoughts But on the contrary when thou hast been praying fasting mourning or it may be feasting with Gods Saints how cheerful will the soul be it seems to have fed upon some dish like Elijahs meat in the strength whereof thy thoughts goe a long journey in holy meditations therefore be sure of a holy man to thy friend and the more the better and make much account of him or them it 's a wonder to see what force is in the company of godly men to stirre up good thoughts and lamentable to see how Satan strangles good thoughts in some when they are ready to appeare in action by evill company so that those thoughts never live to see the light 5. He that would get good thoughts and store his heart with them must make much of them when they come they are quick movers they come suddenly and they are gone as soon if they be not kindly entertained they will not stay long at the dore knocking nor scraping for acquaintance they are the messengers of Gods Spirit and they bring good newes to the soul that bids them welcom but the non-entertainment of them or the slight entertainment of them is a grieving of the holy Spirit of God that sent them If Davids messengers be unkindly entreated by Nabal or frowned upon they will back to their Lord and acquaint him with their usage and do not thou think but. thy carriage towards holy thoughts will be carried to Gods ear But if thou give kind entertainment to good thoughts they will stay with thee to counsell and comfort thee and they will bring with them home to thine heart many more of their own kind to lodge with thee for God himself will send them in plentiful manner who loves to furnish such an host with the best commers Good thoughts in this respect are something like unto riches they come to them in most plenty who esteem them most the world must be courted and gracious thoughts must be much made of And consider good thoughts are worthy entertainment they are to be reckoned amongst our better friends a man can hardly make too much of them Ps in the multitude of these thoughts the comforts of God refresh our soules Make much of them for first they are good in themselves the births of gracious minds begotten upon them by the Spirit of God for we are not able of our selves to think a good thought Secondly these have been kind to us and done us many a good turn witnesse our solitary nights and tedious houres of sicknesse imprisonment afflictions travailes from place to place while no comforters have been our companions but God and our good thoughts We may say with David We have remembred thy name in the night and have kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. our solitary and night thoughts have benefited us for the keeping of Gods Law and have administred unto us songs in the dayes of our pilgrimage 54. Thirdly our good thoughts are likely to do us good hereafter and it may be at such a time when we shall have more need of them then ever we have had yet it was Hezekiah's great comfort in his sicknesse to think how he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and he beseecheth the Lord also that he would remember him in this behalf 2 Kings ● 3. if bonds or afflictions remain us if we be cast into the Dungeon or be wounded in battail or lye upon sick-beds good thoughts will be unto us our sweetest companions Make much of good thoughts they will season the rooms where they come and make the heart the house of God But here a word of admonition to them that have not good thoughts or rather to them whose good thoughts make offer of departure Suspect beloved your entertainments of them have been harsh or distastful use them more kindly entreat their stay offer them violence keep them by force if it be possible that they go not over the threshold from you Imitate herein Jacobs bold wrestling with God hold them fast let them not go lest ye lose a blessing 6. He that would get good thoughts into his mind must have a great care to keep his

to be found in the word of God As first the rules for our carriage in Directions in relation to men relation to men First that golden one delivered by our Saviour himself Mat. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that other men do to you the same do ye to them Mark it is not said What others do to you the same do ye to them for that is not always right but some times crooked but it is said Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you set your selves as it were in their rooms and do ye the same to them that is not what you would or are content in your passions that others should do to you but whatever in right reason upon due deliberation and sound judgement when you are most your selves you would that others should do to you do ye the same to them Secondly remember the Apostolical rule serve one another in love for it is written Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5. 13 14. We must seek not every one his own but one anothers wellfare 1 Cor. 10. 24. A golden rule to be observed in contracts and negotiations to keep us from over reaching any man 1 Thes 4. 6. and not meerly to do things out of respects to our selves but to joyn the wellfare of our neighbour to our own benefit and what we do to them to do it out of love Thirdly let nothing be done out of contention or vain glory but in lowlinesse of mind let each esteem others better then themselves Phil. 2. 3. and let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus verse 9. he never did any thing in all his life out of contention or vain glory and indeed be the matter of our actions never so fair or good yet either of these two contention or vain glory will fly-blow them and corrupt the action Again in all our businesses in relation Speciall rules for our services in reference to God unto God we have these rules First for the end that the glory of God be made the white at which we aim in all our natural civil or religious actions according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God this must be the Butt that we all must shoot at Secondly for Christ Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the name of Christ Jesus giving thanks to the father by him Col. 3. 17. that is what others do as men do ye as Christians you must do all in Christ his name that is upon his authority and his warranty in the strength of Christ in confidence upon him for acceptation of the service and praying and invocating the father in his name and giving thanks to God by him Thirdly whatsoever we do to men or towards our selves to do it to the Lord and for the Lords sake looking beyond men and further then our selves so in our almes-deeds to give to Christ in giving to such a man or woman Verily in as much as ye did it to the least of these ye did it to me Mat. 25. 40. So likewise the Apostle prescribes to servants this duty Col. 3. 23. Servants be obedient to your Masters and whatsoever ye do do it heartily to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance and this rule is not to be appropriated unto servants but it reacheth to all masters also yea to all ranks of persons for all the duties of the second table are to be performed to others must flow from our obedience unto God commanded in the first Table so Christ told Peter that his ministerial discharge in feeding of his sheep John 21. 15 16 17. ought to spring from the love he bare to Christ himself Next for our selves take these directions Rules in relation to our selves out of Scripture do nothing with a regreet of heart or reluctancy of conscience but labour first to have a warranty out of the word for your conscience to rest upon a warranty I say at the least of God his allowance of it if not of his command For what ever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. that is if it be done out of perswasion of heart that it is lawful for the warrant of the action we must do nothing with the check or renitency of our consciences against the dictates of the same blessed is he that condemneth not himself in his conscience in that which he performeth to wit in his actions verse 22. Secondly the end of the commandements is love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. where we are to observe that for the matter of our obedience it must be love love to God and love to our neighbour and for the fountain and spring of love in our actions it must issue from a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfaigned otherwise the streams will never be clear Thirdly the prescript of the word is Thou shalt not do that which seemeth good in thine own eies but what the Lord thy God commandeth thee Deut. 12. 8. 32. If any thing at the first blush presenteth it self unto thee with a shew of good presently begin to suspect it as fearing there is some evil couched under it and see what God saith of it in his holy word from which thou maist not turn to the right hand or to the left Fourthly for the manner of our performing the word aright in my text all must be done in humility and sincerity and carried on sutably to the duty which we have in hand it must be done understandingly feelingly fervently if we pray if any man preach he must speak as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11 approving themselves to God and the consciences of the hearers so you shall find several directions for several discharges Rom. 12. 8. He that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with chearfulness c. so every one in their relations must mainly look to the Cardinal vertue which turneth about all the rest as let the wife see to it that she reverenceth her husband Ephes 5. ult according as she looketh to that all her other duties do either ebb or flow in her so the husband must be careful of the main of all that he loveth his wife as Christ loved his Church Ephes 5. 25. In one word order your steps so as where God hath laid the fullest and the stricktest charge there be sure to shew your greatest care as in the substantials of religion before the circumstantials or ceremonies mercy before sacrifice and the great commandment of loving the Lord with all our hearts before the rest Matth. 22. 35 37 38. To end this let all our outward discharges spring from an heart rightly disposed else it will prove formality or dissimulation nothing is any

be exceeding good in their kindes whence then are these lawes how came in this vanity Surely the envious enemy hath done this for vanity is not the fruit of Gods creation but the consequent of mans prevarication God made Adam in his own image and planted him as a noble vine but he turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine it came in then through the wilinesse of the old Serpent and by Adams sin In whom we all sinned and so the excellency becommeth blasted wherein we were first created and vanity hath seised upon man first Rom. 8. 21. And secondarily upon the other creatures The Creature saith the Apostle is subject unto vanity not of its own will that is not by any voluntary defection or sin in it self but by reason of him who hath subdued it under hope that is by the just judgement of God who for the sin of man hath subdued it into vanity under the hope of restitution and freedom from this vanity which there the Apostle calleth the bondage of corruption but now on the other side man is subject unto vanity of his own will and by his voluntary falling away from God from whence it followeth that man is vainer then all the other creatures not onely because he was the best and noblest of them and Corruptio optimi est pessima as the sweetest wine becomes the sowrest vinegar but also because he was the cause of the vanity in the other creatures and that which maketh other things so that must needs be more so in it selfe the vanity of the other creatures is but natural and sinlesse as being not capable of it the vanity of man is moral the other creatures are sensible of their vanity and groaning under the burden by the very instinct of nature seek out for a remedy Rom. 8. but man though he be the vainest of all creatures yet is not affected with his vanity feeleth it not and so seeketh no redresse from under it but even sports himselfe in it as if vanity were his felicity the vanity of other creatures extendeth but to time at farthest it endeth in their death or dissolution but the vanity that is in man presseth him down to hell and without Gods great mercy interposing reacheth to eternity and even then beginneth most when the other creatures vanity doth cease And to conclude besides the proper stock which he hath of his own he communicateth in the several vanities of all particular creatures and may justly be stiled vanity of vanities But it is full time me thinks to First use look homewards and to reflect upon our selves we will therfore make a pawse here and affixe the Selah It is a high point of wisdome to get some good even out of that which is evil and hereby we approach nearer unto God in perfection we therefore derive the Soveraigne vertue of this truth unto our own souls in the sundry and severall occasions thereof and first this may be useful to take downe all proud conceits in man that advance themselves against Christ to abate our lostinesse of spirit to avile us all in our own apprehensions and to lay us low in our own eyes even unto selfe-abhorrence Methinkes the serious consideration of this point and the grounded beliefe of the truth hereof that vanity is fixed even in our very natures that it sticks not in notorious sinners and deboshed persons alone but spreadeth it selfe to all Adam to every Mothers sonne not one excepted no not those that have the best natures and sweetest dispositions methinks I say that this should deeply humble us in our selves and take away that self-admiration which undoeth many a soule Secondly this is usefull for to provoke to set a higher price on all the blessings of God bestowed on us and to endeare his bounty and goodnesse towards us and so consequently to set an edge upon our thankfulnesse considering our own little worth and that we are but vanity and surely then there can be no desert of his savours Psalm 144. 3. what is man Lord that thou takest knowledge of him or the Son of man that thou makest such account of him and there the Prophet shewes the grounds of his wonderment man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away c. and certainly Gods gifts are never so right valued when they are considered alone by themselves as when they are viewed joyntly together with our own wretchednesse I am lesse sayes Jacob then the least of all thy mercies his own indignity did set a lustre upon Gods smallest mercies Et dare non dignis res mage digna Deo Thirdly from hence the inference of the Scripture is forcible and very prevailing that seeing every man is vanity that therefore we settle not our trust or repose our confidence in any son of man be he never so great for then we do but make falshood our refuge and under vanity are we hid we lean on broken reeds that will pierce us through See for this at large Psalm 62. 6 7 8 9. and Psalm 146. 34. where the charge is set on with many enforcing considerations which for brevities sake I omit Even Princes themselves are not to be trusted in the duty that we owe to our superious is faithfulnesse and obedience not trust and confidence It shall be found true that never any persons smarted more in the disappointment of their expectations then those that relyed most strongly on morall men Again gather we some sweet out of this sowre that every man in his best estate is altogether vanity Use we this truth to our consolations as well as our humiliations and the comfort lyeth especially in three particulars First when we have potent enemies which are too strong for us and threaten our undoing when we begin to be terrified and dismayed this consideration may be a stay to us and cleare our spirits then be they never so great yet at the best they are but vanity and can do neither good nor hurt of themselves thus the Prophet at large Esay 51. 12 13 14 15. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grasse I even I am he that comfort you c. it is pressed there more at large Secondly this may comfort us in respect of our own infirmities and humane weaknesses for by this vanity of ours and frailty we become fit objects for Gods pity and commiseration for what glory shall he get by contending with us that are too weak for him thus holy David Psal 103. 13. 14. that the Lord knoweth our mould and frame that we are but dust and thereupon as a Father pitieth his child so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him Thirdly to accommodate this to the present occasion this may serve as a Cordial to moderate our grief in the losse of our dearest and noblest friends for who are they that are