Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	look_v	lord_n	soul_n	5,124	5	5.4191	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66610	Totum hominis, or, The whole duty of a Christian, consisting in faith and good life abridged in certain sermons expounding Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians, Epist. 2, Chap. 1, Vers. 11, 12 / by the late reverend and worthy Mr. Samuel Wales ...	Wales, Samuel.; Wharton, Philip Wharton, Baron, 1613-1696.; Wharton, Thomas, Sir.	1681 (1681)	Wing W296; ESTC R41158	76,673	232

heartily desires their welfare temporal eternal now he knows that this task of glorifying God is both at tended with much present sweetness and comfort and will certainly bring a most glorious reward life everlasting Wherefore that Christian love of others which the Holy Ghost hath kindled in his heart makes him seriously desire that they may be sharers in so excellent and matchless a gain and consequently join with him in the means leading to it namely the study and care of honouring the Lord. First then this reproves two sorts 1. Those that hinder and deter men from glorifying God such I mean who discerning in others holy forwardness in religion love of godliness and godly persons tenderness of conscience care to depart from evil and shun the society of sinners snub ad discourage them by threatnings reproaches commandments punishments This is a fearful thing though men see it not it s manifest fighting against God and playing the part of Elymas who is therefore called the child of the Devil and an enemy to all righteousness Judge in your selves can he be the child of God who neither gives him his due honour nor suffers them that would As we stand affected to the glouy of God and the means of it so are we affected towards God himself He that cannot endure the light of piety in the life of his child servant kinsman neighbour by which God is glorified would banish God out of the world if it were in his power He that destroys the Temple of God 1 Co. 3.17 him shall God destroy he that quencheth the fire of Gods grace in others shall burn in the fire nevar to be quenched 2. Those that draw or thrust others forward to such courses as dishonour God provoke and perswade them to swearing riot drunkenness wantonness revenge c. for shame let not such men any longer call themselves sons and servants of the living God Should I hear a man in secret conference with another command or councel him to set a fire on his neighbours Corn Barn or Dwelling house might I not safely conclude this is no friend but a very dangerous and bitter enemy of his neighbour Is it not enough that by thy personal sins thou frettest yea breakest the very heart of God every hour except also thou hire and procure helpers as if thou couldst not easily satisfie thy self in heaping injuries upon him and loading him with contumelies Tell me vile hell-hound do men thus to their friends Go now and if thou hast lost all forehead deny thy self to be the Lords enemy I tell thee thou art a flat hater of the holy One of Israel or the Devil is none Secondly Vse 2 by this doctrine we may examine our selves and judge what manner of Christians we are Doth it sting yea cut thee to the heart to see Christ so slenderly known and honoured in the world so many professing him who in their works deny him calling him Lord Lord when by their lives he is blasphemed Doth it grieve thee to see that in every place where thou commest the most are no better than walking tombs moving sepulchers unmeet for the Lords use and service Do these things lye nearer thy heart than thy personal crosses and injuries Canst thou pour out prayers even as for thine own foul for those who belonging to God run forward in wickedness that they may be reclaimed to glorifie him in the day of visitation and for the called that they may be made more zealous of his glory shew forth the vertues of him who hath brought them out of darkness into his marvellous light Answer me is it thus with thee no doubt a portion of Pauls spirit rests upon thee But if the spiritual condition of others affect thee not if thy spirit be not stirred when the Lord Jesus is crucified afresh by Oaths and blasphemies his Sabbaths polluted his word despised if thy heart tells thee thou carest but little what become of Gods glory how often or by whom he be wronged so thy self be not touched what become of other mens souls whether they sink or swim if these things wring no sighs no prayers from thee in secret though thou hast a name to live thou art dead Thirdly Vse 3 here is matter of instruction We see here what 's the reason why the godly desire and seek the Reformation of sinners You shall sometimes hear a wicked fellow if a servant of God but reach him the helping hand of Christian admonition to pull him out of his sin fall a fuming and exclaiming what hath he to do with use let him look to himself he is more busie than needs he shall not answer for me c. But stay a little as David said to Eliab Is there not a cause Thy brother hath received mercy from the Lord and therefore cannot but shew mercy to thy soul grace hath kindled in his bosom a desire of thy good forbid him not to speak when the Lord hath bidden him He knows that as God is by thy sin dishonoured so by thy repentance he would be greatly honoured and that if Christ have not glory now by thy conversion and obedience he will get himself glory in thy confusion Hence it is that he calleth upon thee to renounce the works of the flesh Canst thou blame him Is it not a bruitish part to be angry with him that would gladly have thy company to heaven if thou stormest against those who wish thee in as happy a case as their own souls what wilt thou do to thine enemies This serveth lastly for exhortation Vse 4 to stir us all up as we would prove our selves right Christians by all good means within our power to endeavour that others may set forth the Lords glory Let us begin with those that are under our charge or nearest unto us and then extend our care to such as occasionally we converse and meet with teaching them who and what a one God is and what he requireth of us that we may honour him warning them of such things by which he is or might be dishonoured in them labouring their conversion and translation into Christs Kingdom because till they be truly turned they can never rightly glorifie him and multitude of subjects is a Kings glory at least restraining them from open profanation of his name How do the followers of noble Personages bestir themselves that their Lords may have honourable respect in every place where they come What child desires not to see his father very wealthy The Lord give us such minds and hearts toward our heavenly father The second end respecting the Thessalonians followeth which is 1 propounded 2 amplified from the cause of it propounded thus and ye in him that is and ye thus living to his glory may be glorified in and through the Lord Jesus Observe hence only one instruction that They which glory in Christ Doct. shall he glorified by and with Christ Rom. 8 17 2 Tim. 2.12 For first God

consequently the greater faith the more peace holiness strength comfort in afflictions who seeth not how needful it is that every Christian do chiefly and above all things desire the accomplishment of saith This discovers Vse 1 and reproves a great fault in some Christians who travel and take pains to increase knowledge sorrow for sin zeal to subdue and root out hypocrisie evil thoughts and lusts while the care of growing in Faith lies neglected or is superficially prosecuted fecondarily attended Alas do you not see my brethren I speak to such whom this point concerns that this is to begin at a wrong end as if a man should take Physick or apply Medicines for Stomach Eyes Legs Armes and be careless of the Vital Parts as the Heart and Liver or look well to the branches of a Plant and neglect the root Assure your selves the hand of Satan is in this matter who like a most subtil enemy when he cannot keep you now quickned with the life of God from seeking grace and working that which is good labors that you may seek and work preposterously and so without success or comfort doing any thing rather than that which chiefly and above all things should be done Wherefore Secondly Vse 2 let my counsel be acceptable to you as you labor to excel in every gvace so bend and apply your principal endeavours hither that you may flourish and a bound in this Cardinal Grace this Queen-Mother of graces which gives life to all other vertues and duties if ever you have tasted the sweetness and known the worth of Faith stir up your selves with an holy contention to aspire after a plenitude of Faith Why are we so shaken and disquieted when troubles yea rumors of troubles come so faint-hearted or dead in afflictions so oppressed sometimes with fears or fruitless pensiveness so burthned or distracted with want of this or that earthly blessing so weak in love to God in resisting our lusts in holy duties Why is there not as indeed there should such a light of heavenly joy and sanctity in our lives as might make the men of the world stand wondring at the glory of Christianity is it not want of this great faith this strong faith the Scripture commends Let us trace our own hearts and search the matter impartially and we shall find it to be so We all desire strong bodies strong houses firm evidences and Writings for money or land and shall we content our selues with a weak and wavering faith which will be dasht out of countenance with every doubt not labour for that stedfast and grounded assurance which will minister strong consolation It s a shame for us to be babes in faith who have so long enjoyed the means of faith We are now nearer our salvation than when we first believed and therefore should lay faster hold upon eternal life Little do we know what need we shall have of the strongest saith before we die Suppose we should be freed from outward trials the Devil will sift and winnow us and when that time comes the best of us shall find all the faith we have gotten little enough Besides oh the benefit of a manly and grown faith It s the crown and glory of a Christianity before Men and Angels it brings a man to know and enjoy a Heaven upon earth works for him wonderful things and incredible to reason fills the heart with such triumphant and glorious joy in tribulations as prophane men in all their wealth and prosperity never feel nor can possibly attain makes him conquer by suffering Wouldst thou gladly be broken-hearted humble patient heavenly minded Let faith have her perfect work and thou shalt be all these and more Gods yoke shall be sweet and easie to thee thy corruptions like Davids enemies shall fall under thy feet thou shalt chase and put to flight armies of temptations and lead about the roaring Lion in Triumph thou shalt behold God more neer and see him more clearly than many others when thou art weak thou shalt be strong when thou art poor thou shalt abound in darkness thou shalt see light and in the shadow of death find life eternal What could we want if we wanted not Faith how happy might we be if we were rich in Faith My exhortation therefore and earnest suit unto all Gods people is and shall be that they would not only strive to ferret insidelity out of their hearts and confirm Faith but seek and reach after the most excellent and eminent degree of Faith a powerful and victorious Faith carrying them far above the World in all conditions and labour by often chewing particular promises and meditation of their glorious hopes by praying earnestly with the Apostles Lord increase our faith by constant hanging upon the breasts of the Ministry coming to the word of faith with an eager appetite receiving it with application by keeping in memory and revolving the experience they have had of Gods Faithfulness and Mercy by fellowship with strong and experienced Christians exercising Faith in all occurrents and such like holy meanes labor I sy that the small grain of Faith which God hath sown in the soil of their Souls may grow up to a tall Tree whose height reacheth unto Heaven full of fair leaves nnd savoury Fruits yielding shade and shelter to many Blessed is he that heareth and keepeth for he provideth well for his Soul he shall sing when others sorrow stand when others stagger or fall the Lord shall reveal to him the abundance of peace and truth The Lord give us understanding in all things and perswade our hearts to the things which belong to our peace Thirdly I gather hence Vse 3 that Gods word doth warrant Christians to prize prefer respect Faith before all other Gifts which I note to let you see a difference betwixt Apostolical and Apostatical doctrine the spirit of Paul and the spirit of Papists for they depress the dignity of saith and extol charity and the works of charity far above it They teach that the Scripture when it hath to deal with men faithful and regenerate calls not for faith any longer but urgeth good workes they teach that true righteousness consisteth principally in charity that charity onely is the forme and Queen of vertues even of faith as if one should say the form of justice is temperance an habit distinct from it or motion the form of the spirits in our bodies prosound learning indeed by some of their own men disliked they teach that faith doth out only dispose us unto justification make us meet to receive grace and obtain Christs merits but charity alone sufficeth it to justification charity will purge away sin and deliver from the guilt of death eternal Who can endure to see the Daughter lift up above the Mother to hear the hand honoured above the heart But that such Divinity should come from Papists we shall think it less strange if we do but remember two things 1. That the Roman Synagogue