Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	wonderful_a	world_n	wrought_v	33	3	7.4704	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25404	The pattern of catechistical doctrine at large, or, A learned and pious exposition of the Ten Commandments with an introduction, containing the use and benefit of catechizing, the generall grounds of religion, and the truth of Christian religion in particular, proved against atheists, pagans, Jews, and Turks / by the Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot Andrews ... ; perfected according to the authors own copy and thereby purged from many thousands of errours, defects, and corruptions, which were in a rude imperfect draught formerly published, as appears in the preface to the reader.	Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1650 (1650)	Wing A3147; ESTC R7236	963,573	576

Moses upon mount Sinai he gave him two Tables of Testimony Tables of Stone written with his own finger which had a signe and resemblance and indeed contained summarily the Law of nature But after they were broken in pieces by Moses moved to wrath against the Israelites for their idolatry to the Molten Calf then were two Tables made again by Moses but the Law was written in them by God this Law was called Moses Law because it was delivered to the Israelites by his ministery ever since it hath been delivered to succeeding ages by the ministery of Man Now it was necessary that this Law should be given at this time in these respects 1. Because now not onely the Gentiles walked in the vanity of their own hearts but the Israelites the seed of Abraham to whom God had bound himself by promise were addicted to the Idol-worship of Egypt and having lived long in Egypt had almost lost the knowledge of sacrificing to and tru ly worshipping of of God So that had not God at this time taken his people apart from other Nations into the wildernesse and there as it were schooled them apart and taught them his Law and given it to them written to be preserved for posterity the whole world in probability would have been if dim before stark blinde at length and wholly ignorant of Gods Law 2. Nor did God give his Law to all the world at once nor write it in the manifold and different tongues of the Nations but first imparted it to Moses and Aaron and the Elders of the Jews that by them it might be communicated to the whole body of that people in the ancient tongue kept ever since Adams time by the Patriarchs as is commonly thought And then did God make this his people so famous in regard of the wonderful miracles wrought amongst them his admirable dealings with them his temple and worship granted to them that the world before Christs coming could not plead ignorance Besides whereas the Gentiles had departed from God yet such was his mercy that he left the way open for the Israelites to call them again to the truth and for their reentrance into the true Church and becoming Pr selytes Now then come we to shew that in this written Law of Moses are all the four properties which are in all Laws 1. Preceptum a rule for our actions 2. Modus the manner how to observe that Rule 3. 4. Praemium poena The reward for keeping and the punishment for breaking it 1. First that it is a Rule and precept for our Actions The Psalmist saith The Law of the Lord is a perfect Law c. Every Law else is unperfect 2 For the Manner It requireth that Toti we be whole observers of the Law it commands that we do it with our whole soul and body For we consist but of those two parts And the soul likewise hath two parts the Minde and the Heart Now God must be perfectus mentis scopus the mark at which the minde must wholly ayme the end of all our actions there must be plena intentio 〈◊〉 Deum look wholly to God in them And the heart which is the will must be tota inflammata wholly inflamed As for the Body every Member of it must be vsed and all the strength of it to perform the Law and be instruments of Righteousnesse toto corde totis viribns all our heart and all our strength must be imployed therein For 〈◊〉 all the Law Its Gods own wish concerning the people O that there were such a heart in them that they would keep all my commandments alwayes and it were very absurd to except any For whereas God is perfectly wise if some of his precepts were needlesse then might he be taxed with folly in not leaving out them which were superfluous And as none of Gods Laws must be left unkept so none but his or what is grounded upon them or not repugnant to them and imposed by lawful authority derived from him must be kept for then his wisdom would be likewise impeached if any thing thing besides his Law or without subordination to his were to be kept and the Law it self would be imperfect but it is neither defective nor hath any thing superfluous in it and therefore God saith Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto or diminish from it Nothing must be commanded in Gods name as immediately from him but what he hath prescribed For the Continuance Tota in vita est 〈◊〉 It is to be kept alwayes all the dayes of our life The place before quoted sheweth by the word alwayes that to continue all our lives in his obedience is a part of the Law And the same in effect he commandeth elsewhere Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God and keep his charge and his statutes and his judgements and his commandments alway And in all places too for though the place includeth not the time yet the time includeth the place and therefore the house of Rimmon is not nor can be excepted Thirdly for reward If the Law be kept there is promise of reward This Saint Paul confirms Godlinesse saith he is profitable to all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come And our Saviour saith that they that have done good shall come forth of the grave to the resurrection of life Saint Paul testifieth before Agrippa that the twelve Tribes do rest in hope of a Resurrection And the opinion of the Sadduces that held the contrary was ever odious to the best Jews Fourthly for punishment If the Law be not kept after this manner first wholly but in a double heart then comes the Curse which the prophet denounceth Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently And for the Totum He that keepeth not the whole Law is accursed Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the law to do them and all the people shall say Amen which very words Saint Paul reciteth to the Galatians 〈◊〉 he hath in stead of confirmeth not continueth not and that is for the Semper or Toto tempore the keeping them alwayes all our life And these being Gods Curses they are sure for as when he said fiat lux let there be light and it was so so if he say Cursed it will be so too And as there is a fulnesse of blessing to them that can keep this Law so there is a fulnesse of his wrath to them that break it a Curse without a blessing for the one and a blessing without a Curse for the other Curses for these in this life Si non obedietis c. If ye will not harken to do all these commandments all these Curses shall come upon thee As they follow there And for the life to come Their

may see more sinne and corruption in himselfe then in another and so may say with Saint Paul I am the greatest sinner 1 Tim. 1. 15. and may see that gift in another which is not in himself which he is bound to honour in him but to prefer the gifts of nature in another before the gifts of grace in our selves is not true but counterfeit humility So likewise is that Hypocritical humility which some pretend for worldly ends as that of Absolom who though he were the kings son yetbowed himself to every one and kissed him c. whereby he stole away the hearts of the people and rebelled against his father 2 Sam 15. 5. Now the means to humility are these among many other 1. The first is the considertion of the vilenesse of the composition of our bodies Saint Basile saith that mans life is a schoolehouse of humility and his ground is upon that of the psalme where the Prophet comparing his body to the celestiall bodies falls into admiration why God did rather choose to put a reasonable soul into his body rather then into them What is in man Lord that thou art so mindful of him c. And out of that place in Genesis where Abraham acknowledgeth himself to be but dust and ashes Our nature is but a heap of dust mingled with ashes And the Philosopher saith that we are but a pot of Choler and phlegme And Saint Augustine saith that it would be a prealvent motive to humility if we would but take notice what manner of stuff passeth through our nose ears and other parts of our bodies nunquam tam turpe sterquilinium reperites we should see there is no such dunghill as our selves 2. Another means is the consideration of the estate of our souls The humble Publican took notice of it when he said God be mercifull to me a sinner A father seems to correct the translation of those words well by mihi peccato to me which am nothing but sinne For it is many of our cases We are such sinners as that the Apostle saith we are sold as slaves under sinne and in us that is in our flesh there dwelleth no good thing insomuch that of our selves we are not able to think a good thought And not onely so but if we consider that we have so multiplied our transgressions as that they are more in number then the haires of our head insomuch as the burden of them is so intollerable that they are too heavy for us to bear The consideration of these things will so humble us that though the devill carry us into our own mountain and shew us any good thing in our selves to tempt us with we shall be able to say with Jacob we are not worthy of the least of Gods mercyes and that if we use the gifts we have never so well yet to say we are unprofitable servants and that there is no gain to be expected from us to him and with the Prophet O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee but unto us confusion of faces and lastly with King David Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the praise for thy loving mercy and truths sake 3. A third is the consideration of the crosses and afflictions which God either hath or may lay upon us and this is a sufficient motive to humble even the wicked This wrought upon king Ahab of whom it is said that he had sold himself to work evil a blaze of humility which was not unrewarded And certainly this is no small means to work this duty and so we are to think of it King David said it is good for me that I have been afflicted because thereby he learnt Gods statutes this drives us to God by prayer and to the word for comfort it maks us to enter into the house of mourning and to exercise discipline over our selves with other the like effects which it works 4. Lastly the best and chief motive should be the example of our Saviour of whom though there were many things worthy our learning and imitation in him yet he would have us chiefly learn this duty of humility Learn of me saith he for I am 〈◊〉 and lowly in heart And so all his acts upon earth did testifie of him his preaching was humble he sought not his own glory hismiracles without pride see thou tell no man said he to the cured Leper he begins his first sermon with Blessed are the poor in spirit his behaviour was humble of which he left an example in washing his disciples feet exemplum dedi vobis he was humble in his birth humble in his life but his death was a true pattern of humility beyond all presidents He humbled himself to death even the death of the Crosse. Saint Augustine upon our Saviours speech before mentioned Mat. 11. 29. saith discite a me non mundum fabricare non cuncta visibilia invisibilia fabricare non in ipso mundo miracula sacere et mortuos suscitare c. sed quod mitis sum et humilis corde Cogitas magnam constituere fabricam celsitudinis de fundamento prius cogita humilitatis Learn of me not to create the world or all visible or invisible things not to work miracles in the world as to raise the dead c. but to be meek and lowly in heart as I am Thou conceivest to erect a great fabrick of honour first bethink thy self of laying the foundation of humility And another Father upon our Saviours first sermon Blessed are the poor in spirit Ne contemnerent hominis humilitatem placuit Deo plura largiri in humilitate sua quam in 〈◊〉 qui igitur verentur humiliari se 〈◊〉 ea facere quae secit Deus Lest men should despise humility it pleased God to bestow more in the time of his humility then in his Majesty They therefore that are afraid to humble themselves fear that which God himself did And so we come to the signes of true humility 1. The first signe of true humility appears in our tongue by ruling that and forbearing to talk of matters above us Speak not proud things And not onely so but not to have them in our thoughts but to be content to deport our selves according to that condition in which God hath placed us We must know how to be abased and how to abound else God will mislike us as he did Baruch who did quarere grandia seek after great things And therefore Saint Augustine saith this is a true signe of humility when a man despiseth those things aswell which he might have as them he would have The second is when we set before us for our object bona aliena et mala nostra illa ut aemulentur hac ut corrigentur other mens good parts and our own evill to follow their's and correct our own When a man doth with the Prophet acknowledge