Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	word_n	work_v	world_n	167	4	4.0614	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08552	The Christian conflict a treatise, shewing the difficulties and duties of this conflict, with the armour, and speciall graces to be exercised by Christian souldiers. Particularly applied to magistrates, ministers, husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants. The case of vsury and depopulation, and the errours of antinomists occasionally also discussed. Preached in the lecture of Kettering in the county of Northampton, and with some enlargement published by Ioseph Bentham, rector of the Church of Broughton in the same county.	Bentham, Joseph, 1594?-1671.	1635 (1635)	STC 1887; ESTC S113626	266,437	390

necessity of sanctification against the irreligious and reproachfull diabolicall and blasphemous barkings against the same some of their fraternity as I have heard reported terming it scurvy sanctification Sixtly I have shewed the extent and excellency of Christian Book 4. Cap. 6. pag. 242. liberty wherein I have contradicted and confuted their lawlesse and licentious liberty Seventhly I have opened and unfolded the doctrine of justification Book 4 Cap. 5. pag. 233. to informe and teach them the truth of that of which they talk and talk so much to little purpose in which they would seeme wondrous wise although they wander wide of the way Eightly Although their tenet of Gods not afflicting his children for their sinnes is so repugnant to the regall rule of sacred Writ and so ridiculous to rectified reason that the relating is a sufficient refutation thereof Yet I much bewailing their err●neous wandrings and earnestly desiring their deliverance from their deluding dotage● will instruct and informe them in the truth if they are not intractable and unteachable True it is that sufferings are not alwayes and onely for sin Iohn 9. 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his father Great was the errour therefore of Christs Disciples In thinking there was no other cause of the mans blindnesse but sinne In thinki●g he could not be justly punished with blindnesse from his birth because he had not then committed any actuall sinne and in thinking he could not be justly punished for any sinne save his owne or his parents for he might be punished for Adams For although all miseries be effects of sinne yet sinne is not the onely cause of mans misery there being as well moving and fi●all causes as that which is the procuring cause as for example First There are diverse moving causes of afflictions 1. In regard of the wicked the moving cause is Gods just displeasure justice and anger 2. In regard of the elect the moving cause is Gods love towards them 3. In regard of both the moving cause is Gods good will and pleasure Secondly There are diverse finall causes of afflictions 1. In regard of God his glory and the manifestation of his power 2. In regard of the parties punished their good and the exercise of Gods graces in them 3. In regard of others their fore-warning and making them without excuse Notwithstanding sinne is the onely meritorious cause of punishments temporall and eternall Lo● 3. 39. 2 Sa● 12. 10. 1 Corinth 11. Rom. 5. 12. Neither doth our Saviours answer D. Am. l. 2. de Conscientia cap. 16. Thes 13. contradict the certainty hereof Iohn 9. 3. This m●● hath not sinned 1. By his owne sinne or the sinne of his parents he hath not deserved more justly to be borne blind than any other sinuer which seeth from his birth or than any of your selves for Gods purpose was not by this blindnesse to punish the sinnes of this man and so to satisfie his justice but rather thereby to make way for his mercy and to prepare matter for his Sonne Christ to worke upon when he came into the world and was God manifested in the flesh Concerning the word punishment we may say and that truly and warrantably God punisheth his children for their sinnes Though not with satisfactory punishments to satisfie and make amends for their sinnes nor with vindicative punishment to take vengeance upon them for their transgressions yet with chastening punishments fatherly correcting them for their humbling amendment Psal 73. 14. Daily have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beene punished whipped or scourged yea the same word is used Ver. 5. and rightly translated plagued Ninthly I have shewed that the law of God doth bind the Book 3. Cap. 14. pag. 183. Book 4. Cap. 6. pag. 253. conscience of regenerate Christians to obedience against their absurd annihilating of and prophane pratlings against the holy and heavenly law of our good and gracious God To prevent all future contradictions I have set downe the concordant confessions of eight reformed Churches I have shewed the judgement of some of the ancient Fathers to which I have added testimonies of Scriptures and certaine reasons that they might consider had they but wit or will to consider that in striving to support their rotten ruinous and ridiculous positions they contradict the ancient Worthies the most sound and orthodoxe Churches militant upon earth and by name this of England whereof we are members and also the most true and undeniable Word of God not onely in the old but also in the new Testament Yet as the same seed sowne by the selfe same seedsman in a fertile soyle yeelds a plentifull increase falling in stony ground is scorched in thorny is choaked and in high-wayes is devoured As the same wholsome and nourishing food which cheereth and refresheth strengtheneth and supporteth the sound and healthfull man increaseth and augmenteth corrupt and vicious humours maladies and miseries in a distempered body And as the same radiant and resplendent rayes of that royall majesticall runner in the firmament which softeneth waxe hardereth clay which makes fragrant flowers more odoriferous makes corrupt carrion more odious So the pure and precious Word of God which is the savour of life unto life to some is the savor of death unto death unto others 2 Cor. 2. 16. for evill men and seducers will waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3. 13. Acts 13. 10. And these enemies of righteousness● will not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. And therfore as the Lord gives up Ephraim Hos 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to ido●s let him alone cease to admonish him for he is incureable As the Angell said to Iohn Rev. 22. 11. He that is filthy let him be filthy still And as great Basil said of Eu●omius and his followers Why Basil adu Eun. lib. 2. should I contradict mad men And a little after I suppose those who cannot b● cured will not be benefitted by the multitude of those things which are spoken And before ●ruly I am afraid Lib. 1. lest by often repeating other mens blasphemi●s I should pollute my selfe So I might say to what purpose should I confute these fond and phantasticall people For variety of reasons will do those which are i● curable no good c. Yet part●y to justifie the doctrine of all the reformed Churches and in particular of the Church of England as s●u●d and orthodoxe as any under the cope of heaven against a viperine and venemous viper-like brood of lawlesse and licentious libertines partly to strengthen and support those that stand partly to uphold and keep from falling those that are weake pattly to ●eale if it be possible these silly yet selfe-conceipted s●ctaries or els to suppresse and supplant what in me lieth their palpable yet pernicious absurdities that others may the better shun and avoid them according to that substantiall and pregnant saying of great Basil Lur●ing impiety is more dangerous than

of judgement heart tongue and action is this girdle wherewith the Christian souldier must be girded And all these must concurre to make up the strength and beauty of the same Without the first we run into absurd opinions erronious heresies Without the second we are guilty of grosse damnable hypocrisie odious abominable to God and good men Without the third men are but loth some lyars speaking against their mindes consciences And without the last diabolical deceivers and odious dissemblers But by the first our opinions are seasoned and made sound By the second our affections are reformed and rectified By the third our communication is ordered and directed By the last our conversations are guided and governed All which conjoyned make up the first piece of the Christian mans armour the girdle of truth 1. So great an ornament to the Christian souldiour that it honoureth and graceth him before God man for what greater beauty to religion which the more true the more excellent the● sound●es evidence of truth what greater ornament to a Saint then truth singlenes of heart winning approbation commendation from God Act. 13 22. What Angelicall eloquence or rhetoricall discoursing so gracefull praise-worthy as to speake truth yea and what doth crowne and commend a man so much as honest plaine and faithfull dealing 2. And such an excellent means of strength that it links holds fast couples other graces of Gods spirit together and so upholds the Christian souldier Nothing so strong as truth to confirme settle the judgement of man Truth of heart was the ground of Iobs courage constancy Chap. 27. 5 6 gave an edge quickni●g to Hezekiahs prayer Isa 38. 3. and made David bold to appeale from mens and refer himself to Gods tryall examination Ps 26. 1. Truth in communication flowing from sincerity of heart not any by-respects being in all a mans speeches concerning matters of greatest consequence and those which are sleight and triviall And truth in conversation proceeding from a right ground and extending to all and every action of a man are notable encouragements and strong supporters to pious men Iob 31. 5. And undeniable demonstrations that the heart is a good fountaine the sincerity whereof keepes the tongue from lying and the whole cariage of a man from deceitfull dissimulation This girdle of truth being both beautifull and beneficiall honorable and helpfull adorning and assisting for strength and ornament 1. You who are not furnished with this defensive ornament do you buy it Pro. 23. 23. Buy the truth But what must we give A diligent painefull and constant endeavour to obtaine this holy and heavenly trafique 1. Search the sacred Scriptures diligently frequent the Word preached conscionably with a care to beleeve conscience to obey Is 55. 1 2. hide treasure up the word in your hearts carefully Ps 119. 11. Let it dwel in you plētifully richly in al wisdom Col. 3. 16. Let Gods heavenly word be alwaies a light to your feet and a lanthorne unto your paths Psal 119. 105. And your continuall constant counsellours Psal 119. 24. That you may be cleane through this word Ioh. 15. 3. Being purged By the word of ex●ortation from slothfull idlenesse and negligence in all holy and sacred duties By the word of remembrance from sinfull forgetfullnesse By the word of consolation from dreadfull desp●ration and di●fident distrustfullnesse in Gods mercies and Christs merits By the word of commination from presumptuous and obstinate rebellions By the word of reprehension from open actuall transgressions in word or deed By the word of admonition from inclination unto evill or entrance into the same By the word of confutation from dangerous and damnable errours By the word of knowledge or instruction from spirituall blindnesse darknes and ignorance in those things which ought to be knowne That you may be wiser then your enemies Psal 119. 98. have more understanding then your teachers Ver. 99. And understand more then the ancient Ver 1●0 And that you may get this truth in judgement the true doctrine of holy writ This being amiable and lovely beyond expression Psal 119. 97. Sweet and luscious beyond comparison Ver. 103. precious and profitable beyond imagination 105. 162. comfortable and cordiall beyond apprehension Ver. 143. This being truth yea the word of truth Ioh. 17. 17. 8. 31 32. Colos 1. 5. It containing the firme and sure doctrine and teaching the true way to attaine eternall salvation So that Would you know what and how to beleeve That will instruct you Would you know how to live That will teach you Would you discerne errours That will enlighten you Would you amend your lives That will perswade and prescribe how Would you find Consolation That will affoord it This being the fountaine of truth from whence flow forth the blessed streames of sacred truth by the Ministery of the Word This being also part of this girdle of truth strengthening and adorning the soule of a Christian as a girdle doth the body of a souldier in warre 2. Consider how vengeance unconceiveable pursues as his proper guerdon the glorying hypocrite He shall not come before God Iob 13. 16 He heapes up wrath 36. 13. And he is most wofull Matth. 23. And how mercy inestimable and ineffable attends the sincere and upright man See one place for instance Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give grace and glory c. Where five speciall prerogatives and priviledges of such men are set downe Two metaphorically Sun and Shield and three other familiarly Grace and Glory and every good thing The Lord who is resembled to a Sun in regard of 1. The purity of the Sun for although there be many compound and mixed lights in the Church yet is there but one perfect and pure although many dimme and obscure yet one onely cleare and without darknesse 2. The singularity and soveraignty of the Sun compared with the starres He being that one and onely originall essentiall and authenticall light and spirituall Sun though there be many secondary and inferiour or instrumentall lights and starres in the Church of God 3. The sufficiency He alone and onely he being able to give sufficient light to the whole Church 4 The liberality of the Sun He and he alone gives light or shine to all 5. The brightnesse for though the Sun be more beautifull bright and glorious than all other starres yet the Lord is thousands of degrees brighter than the Sun 6. The stability For although the light of the Sun be of long continuance yet the light of the Lord lasteth longer even for ever 7. The efficacy For although the Sun have great power over mens bodies and workes upon them both by his light heat and influence yet the Lord himselfe hath greater power over their soules I say the Lord who thus is resembled to the Sun is their Sun that is illumination direction consolation therefore 1. Such cannot want light either understanding

our selves unto the good and godly man whose property is to be gracious and full of compassion Psal 112. 4. to shew favour and to lend v. 5. to disperse and give to the poore v. 9. 3. That so we may be followers of Christ Iesus who is rich in mercy and ready to comfort helpe and succour all that come unto him call upon him trust in him and walke in his waies Who as he is able so is he willing to helpe all those that seeke to him for succour who is full of pitty and compassion towards mankinde in misery especially towards the elect 4. That so we may obediently practise those pious precepts of our soveraigne Lord and loving Saviour Luke 6. If thou cloathest the naked thou cloathest thy selfe with righteousnes if thou bringest the stranger into thy house and receivest the needy he will procure thee the friendship of the Sainte eternall mansions this is no small favour thou sowest corpo●●ll things and rece●●est spiritu●ll surely hee is blessed out of whose h●use the poore never goeth away empty Amb. offic lib. ● cap. 11. 36. Bee you therefore mercifull as your father also is mercifull Ephes 4. 32. Bee you kinde one to another Colos 3. 12. Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindnesse 5. That so we may avoid that dolefull and never enough deplored doome of hard hearted mercilesse men with whom their Lord is wroth and will deliver them to the tormentours untill they pay that which they are never able to doe because they have not compassion on their fellow servants as God hath had pitty on them Mat. 18. 33 34. Who shall have judgement without mercy Iames 2. 13. And who shall one day heare that dreadfull valediction Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. 6. That so we may have propriety in and participate of those precious promises of rich reward from the most mercifull and unchangeable Iehovah recorded and registred Psal 41. 1. Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and need● the Lord will c. Psalme 1125. c. Surely he shall not be moved for ever hee shall bee in everlasting remembrance c 7. That so we may not come short of other creatures the noblenesse of which consists in giving of the Sun in giving light of the Moone and Stars in giving light of the clouds in giving raine of the earth in giving grasse of the herbes in giving flowers of trees in giving fruit In this great famine let us give For as a spring which breakes from the top of a mountaine cannot but water the lower parts and the valleys So if our love be once fixed on God we cannot but love and refresh our neighbours To these I will add eight out of Saint Chrysostome 1. He tels us that workes of mercy put to flight the Divell his ground is Psalme 41. the Lord will deliver him in the day 〈…〉 m. in Psal ●1 of evill i. of judgement Hee shall bee blessed i. hee makes those to whom hee is bountifull and those which know him to call him blessed Hee will not deliver him to the will of his enemiet i. Divels 2. He tels us that this is more excellent then to build a sumptuous ●om 5 〈…〉 Muth 15. temple because infidels and theeves may take away that But the Divell cannot take away this treasure which we lay up in heaven by giving to the poore 3. He tels us that workes of mercy cleanse from sinne his ground is Luke 11. 41. But rather give almes and behold all 〈…〉 things are cleane unto you 4. He tels us that almes-deeds are better then sacrifice from 〈…〉 〈…〉 eah 6. 6. I will have mercy and not sacrifice 5. He tels us that this opens heaven from Acts 10 4. Thy 〈…〉 〈…〉 ●●ine almes are gone up for a memoriall before God 6. He tels us that this is a sacrifice ascending to heaven and persw●●es us when we see the poore not to sleight them 〈…〉 ●hat wee should be were we such what then 〈…〉 〈…〉 we have ●●hers doe for us He would not have us to re 〈…〉 t●em He would not have us examine their conversation but relieve them 7. He tels us that the poore mens hands build us houses in heaven almes-deeds are a good artist they are the friend of God 〈…〉 ●t i● pure and sincere it gives much confidence it intrea●es 〈…〉 ●or them it hath such force that it breakes bonds dossolves darknesse extinguisheth fire kilt the worme and expels g●ashing of teeth 8. He tels us that this is the most gainefull and profitable art because other arts vanish away with this present life with sicknesse Hom. 32. ad pop Antioch c. but this art of mercifullnesse when the world passeth away doth most appeare when we die doth most shine it is fruitfull to a man in his sicknesse in his old age and goeth with him to another life Besides I might furnish you with many cutting conclusions out of this sacred armorie of Gods Word against unmercifullnesse and with many pressing places to bountifullnes and mercy But I will name but one place for both and so proceed Mat. 25. 31. c. At that last and dreadfull day of judgement when Iesus Christ with glorious Majesty shal com with a pompous guard of attending Angels with great authority shall gather al nations in a moment of time before him with unspeakable wisdome shall sever the chaff● from the wheate the sheep from the goates the good from the bad with perfect equity shall give an upright sentence of absolution to the good of condemnation to the bad From whose judgement no excuse will exempt no cave can hide nor castle hold our comming to it not being a matter of liberty and freedome but of necessity In which last day when every man must answer for himselfe and in his own person where no proctour no advocate no substitute no surety no pledge no friend to answer for other but each man for himselfe the husband cannot for the wife the father for the son nor one friend for another Which shall discover and difference betweene hypocrites and true Christians both in regard of their nature and disposition and in respect of their state and condition 1. Those brutish goates who are separated and secluded to the left hand Although they claime an interest in Christ as well as true and faithfull Christians and call themselves by his name his servants and him their Lord ver 24. Although they sooth and flatter themselves in their sinnes saying when saw we Although they qualifie and justifie their wicked doings not onely in some particular action but also in whatsoever they are charged withall saying when saw wee thee an hungry c Yet Christ taking as denied to himselfe the duties of love which are denied to Christians v. 45. H● having such a tender

ullum usurarium ●abeas pro homine Christiano nec Sacramenta porrigere nec honestè sepelire Non ideo sum Concionater dic ut ad inferos 〈…〉 me praecipitem abi tu descende sol●s ad inferos vos ergo Parochos admoneo 〈…〉 vestrum sinite illos ins●ar canum mori ut Diabolus devoret cu● corporibus animabus nec ullo cae●ui Christiano intersint nam si aliquae plaga Germanie suerit immissa id quod brevi s●turum metuo Maximè id fiet propter avaritiam usuras propterea quòd execrandos damnatos istos homines inter nos passi sumus vivere quòd commercium cum ijs habuimus praecipuè Magistratus rationem reddituri sunt Deo graviter punientur quòdtam sceleratos latrones passi sunt in ditionibus suis impune grassari soencrando depraedari Luther Tom. 7. de usur Fol. 424. Fol. 426. Fol. 437. p. 2. whole world they have given themselves wholly to the Divell neither doe they any thing esteeme our speeches although ringing of these I have spoken that they are to bee delivered to Satan whether living or dead for his they would bee and that no Christian commerce bee kept with them say O Curate that it is straightly forbidden to thee by the law of God to esteeme any Vsurer for a Christian man to offer him the Sacraments or honestly to bury him Say O Preacher I may not throw my selfe headlong to hell with thee goe thou and descend into hell alone I admonish therefore you Preachers that you doe your duty let them die like dogs that the divell may devoure their soules and bodies neither let them bee present in any Christian Congregation for if any plague shall bee sent into Germany which I feare will bee shortly it will come to passe principally for covetousnesse and usury because wee suffer those execrable and damned men to live amongst us and because wee have commerce with them especially Magistrates shall answer for this to God and shall be more grievously punished because they suffer such wicked theeves without punishment to rob and to destroy by usury in their dominions Concerning our Church as pure and Orthodoxe as any under the cope of heaven wee may boldly affirme that it is altogether opposite to usury Witnesse her 109 Canon Witnesse many of her worthy Prelates and other grave and godly Divines who have written at large against this sin as Bishop Iewel B. Downam D. Fenton and others and witnesse her pious Homilies in one of them calling goods gotten 3d part against perill of idol For Rog. week by usury unjust gotten goods and in another goods of the divels gift and them worshippers of the divell I will conclude this with M. Ainsworths relation of the opinion of some of the chiefest Iewes concerning usury Vsury and Ainsworth on Exod. 22. 25. out of Moimony Treatise of the lender and borrower Chap. 1. Sect. 2. increase are both one thing Levit. 25. 37. Deut. 23. 19. and why is the name of it called neshek biting usury because noshek it biteth for it nippeth thy neighbour and eateth his flesh likewise it is unlawfull to have ought to do betweene the borrower and the lender upon usury and whosoever is either surety or scribe or witnesse between them he transgresseth against this prohibition Ex. 22. 25. He that lends upon usury transgresseth against this prohibition Exod. 22. 25. Levit. 25. 37. c. and the borrower against two Deut. 23. 19. Levit. 19 14. It is unlawfull to take usury before or after As one intending to borrow of a man sends him a gift to the end that hee may lend unto him this is usurie aforehand or hee hath borrowed of a man and paid him againe and sends him a gift for his money which hee had of him for nought this is after-usurie Scriptures against usury 6. In the sixt and last place the places of Scripture prohibiting usury are plentifull plaine and pregnant Exod. 22. 25. Thou shalt not lay on him usury Lev. ●5 36. Take no usury but feare thy God as if an usurer did not feare God Deut. 23 19. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother that God may blesse thee Ne●em 5. 7 10 11 12 13 The Iewes are reprooved for their usury perswaded and enjoyned to make restitution Psal 15. 5. He that putteth not his money to usury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mutuo a 〈…〉 im 〈…〉 s non resi 〈…〉 et Psal 37. 21. The wicked takes for lending and will not restore If the words carie this sense as they will and the antithesis or contrary description of the godly Ver. 21. 26. But the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth he is ever mercifull and lendeth seeme to import Then it is a note of a wicked man to exact for lending and not to restore Psal 55. 12. Vsury or deceipt and guile depart not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her streets The Septuagint read it usury so do S. Augustine and Theodoret on this place The same word is used Psal 72. 14. He shall redeeme their soule from usury or deceit and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violence Vsury therefore is a lamentable note of a sinfull place Psal 89. 22. The enemie shall not exact upon him as an usurer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither shall c. Noting usurers as enemies and sonnes of wickednes●e Psal 109. 11. Let the usurer catch all that he hath The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 same word is used Exod. 22. 25. and here by Pagnine and Montanus it is translated usurer Vsurers therefore are grievous oppressours catchers and consumers of mens substance Prov. 22. 7. The borrower is servant to the usurer Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pagnine affirmeth S. Hierom to read it and the word is so used Neh. 5. 4. Which place if in that sense it may be read sheweth two evill effects of usury impoverishing the borrower and bringing him into slavish bondage Prov. 29. 13. The poore and the usurer our translation reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it The deceitfull man or usurer meet together That is he impoverisheth them who by borrowing meet with him The Lord inlighteneth both their eyes The eyes of the poore are inlightened to see his folly being impoverished the usurers so as often they are convinced of their crime yea so that some of them are converted Ezek. 18. 8 13 17. Thrice doth the Lord reprehend this sinne and ranks it with the greatest sinnes as idolatry murder oppression and affirmeth that such sinners shall not live So Ezek. 22. 7. to 12. there is a catalogue of capitall and crimson abominations in which number usury is one Thus oh you mis-knowing and miserably deluded usurers may manifestly see and perceive that the ancient Fathers that Councels and Convocations that pious and wholsome Lawes that your owne patrons and protectours as you have beene mis-informed that religions good and bad and