\ n e.An Expojition of Chrifls "{"({"·5· I ....__ V.f . , doubtlcs it is,\\'hllc -::his fpiritual hunger is wa- A to mans mifcric: No\Ymans mifctie is either in --- ring in the heart. And to mouc vs to·labour for his foulc, or in his bodic. The grcatcfi mifc- ~)'iis hunger, the r<.:afon annexed is vcrydfcries of m·:m arcin his foulc ; as i IJ'l10rancc, imftuaU,n:unciy,thc Lords promiiC that they G1al pcnitcncie, and trouble of confcience: nuns be fillcd,.which ~lfo fhcwcs wherein this blcfbodily mifcric:s :w: fickndTe , thirfl:, nakedfcdndfc_dorh coni1H:. Now rhCy that"thus hun..i ndfc,&c. and to rhcfc the w'orks of mcrcic :>re gcr arc hllcd.tranly in thislifc,by rcceiuing the anfwcrablc.Some therefore cOncci'n·c the foulc, tciHtnonic.: o the ft'irit,rouching reconciliation and feme the bodic. Mcrci'c tmvards the !Oulc v\·ith God in Chrifl:, :tnd fome fruits off::md:ifi. is, when aman is carefull for the ikluat!on of Cation, \Vhcrcby the old man is mortified, and another, Vhng mcanc's to bring a man from the new rhan n:n11cd it1 them; but prim.ipally fpirituall darkneffc ,vnto light,fr6 the power of atthe end oftliis life, when they (hall be fully Satan,vmo God,from the Hate offinne and the iufhficd arid (anCtifl cd, and hauc Gods image danger of hell fire, to the Hate of gr:tce in true perfc8::ly rcnucd ill Lhcm. · f3.ith and repentance, atld f o to life eternal!. v. 7· 13/ejfed arethemerciAnd lookc how farre the foule is more excel. lent then the bodie, fo farre dmh this \oYorkc Ju.l!:for they (hall ohtaine mer~ B excecdc any ·workc of merde that conccrncs the bodie ~ .Mcrcie towards the bodie is called c-ze. :AlmcJ or Relet, whereby a mans ou.t-\1·ard neccffitie, for oodc, raimcm,....orfUch like is J• Rule:. This verfe comaineth the fifi Rule orprefupplied! that this is a workc of merci~,is t~acept of our Sauiour ChriH touching true bapnifcH, Ifay, 58.1 o. where the~decuingof the bmdfe, in "'•hich obfcrue two points; firtl,who hungri~. is tht powYi»£outofteJou!evntohim: e ble!fed: fecondly,wherein this bleffcdndfc and S. Iohn maketh t ~not re ~~uingofo11r 6ro1.Ioh.).17. conGHs. For the fir£\: the parties b!cjfedbe the rha in neede, to be the {butting 'of the More of mrtcifid!. And that we mly the better know compajfion from him. them, I will fpeake fomething of this venue: Now by this which hath bcencfaid cancerfirH, lhcwing what merde is: then, what be ning mcrcic, and the workes thereof, we may the ehiefe Juries thereof. fee who is amerciful! man; namely, foch a one Amtrcif~o~U Mercied.::~ Firfl, Mercie i1 an holy ()(Jmpt<.jfitJn of heart, tU ilath hzi heart touch~d with compa.Jlion to.. ""~ fcri_bcd. where6J a man is mooued to helpe tt.n othu in hi; ward! the mi{tri4 of an other, and th~rc6; iJ miferic. Firfi, I call ita compatfion ofhc:trt, mooueJ to hezeandre!eeuc himinfou!c and /Jodie, bccaufe it makes one m_an to put Ol\ the~rfon according to . zi ~ftatc: and fuch a man is bleffed ofanother, & to be gricued for the miferics of by the teHimonie of ChriH himfclfe, howfoean other,as ifthcy ·wcrc his own: and therefore c uer in the world he may be def)>ifed. 1 Coi,J.l!. it is called 1 th~ bowel& of compaflion, becaufe FirH, here we hauc to confider,what a numTheTfc. when a mans heart is touched therewith, his her of miferablc and curfcd perfons doe liuc, The rr.ifn ic: of1hc:vn· very liucr ::md cnttJils doe Hirrc in his bodic, euen in the bofomc of Cods Church; for mcrcifull..,.'l.:" b Hof.u.8. anJ arc routedwithin him,as the b Prophet fpcaif this Rule of Chrifi be trtrc, then vnmercifull theirnlibu. kcth: and he is affeCted, as though the bowells men arc accurfcd. Now fuch arc common aof him that is in miferie were in his bodic. Semongvs: The Richer fort "''hich abound in condly, I call it an ( Holj) eompa!lion, to dioutward blcffings, thinke themfclues happie; flinguifh it fi·om foolill1 pi tic, whereby a man but if they be vnmcrcifull,thch are wretched, doth vnlawfully tender him that is in dcferue<i and fuch arc all thofe, that fo1· t e mainten:mce c t.king:-10. miferic; fit eh was c Aha6J mcrcic to Benhaof the-ir outward pompc and btaucrie, fpoile ... dad, and •I Sau/1 in fparing Agag, whereas the the poore that liue vnder them, by incloGng of d J.Sam.JJ. cxprcflC commandcment of God was to the commons,racking ofrcnt.s,vureafonablc fines, ,. comraric : but fuch mcrcic and compaffion as &c. or for the fatilTying ofthcirvainepleaGod approoueth, is afruit of his Tirit, and a furc and delight, bellows more vpon hawkes vcrtue cOmcnded and commandc in the word D and hounds, then on the poorc : Such,a wretof God. Thirdly,thisvcrtuc of mercic Hirrech chcd perfon alfo is the Corn~-monger, who hath and mooueth the heart to·hclpe an other that his b:unes fi1ll, and his garners fi1ll, and yet is in miferic: for hclpc in Il'l.i(crie is a notable fuffcrcth the poorc to want bread)waiting llill frUit of tnte compaffion, neither can thefc for adearer tim~: Such alfo are our combe feucrcd: for in the compaffion ofthe heart, mon 'Vforers, ingroj[c?"J, and forc-fta/JerJ of and in the aCl: of relcife, fiands true mercic:and necdcfull commoditi~s whatfoeucr: all thefe e 1.Ioh.~.17 therefore c: lohn fajth, Hec that foerhhU hrother fecke thcmfclucs, and haue no mcrcie on them inneed~. o~ndjlJtltteth vp IJis cOpa.J]ion from him, that arc in mifcrie: yea, fuch likewife are thofe how Jwellcth th• lo:eeof God in him I whereby houfhm~ders, who fpend their time I!< wealth. alfo we may fee, that no worke of mercie is in fome ifordered courfe,as whoring, gaming Jhcwed to any man in miferic, but that which drinkinf.,or fuch like, I!< fo neglect their famic J.Tim.sl. commcth from compallion, and thus we fee Iy; the e f elcnie thr farth, affd are worfe thn; Thetlutie~ what mcrcic is. Imcs aY.d THrkp, nay then bruit beafis, for ·•f•:l~r(ie. Scc6dly,thc duties of mcrcic arc anfwcrablc they are merciful! towards their ownc. lt weu: an
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