Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	bring_v	great_a	lord_n	6,112	5	3.8538	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47646	Sermons preached by Dr. Robert Leighton, late archbishop of Glasgow published at the desire of his friends, after his death, from his papers written with his own hand.	Leighton, Robert, 1611-1684.	1692 (1692)	Wing L1031; ESTC R29941	164,938	342

As when the Lord brings notable Judgments upon the ●roud Workers of Iniquity and at the same time confers special Mercies on his own People who is there that may not perceive Justice and Mercy illustrating and beautifying one another It is true the full reward and perfect rest of the Godly is not here below they would be sorry if it were nor is this the place of Plenary punishment for the ungodly Men may look for a Judgment too yet the Lord is pleased at sometimes to give some resemblances and pledges as it were of that great and last Judgment in remarkable passages of Justice and Mercy at one and the same time and such a time it is that the Prophet foretells in this his Sermon which concerns the two Sister Kingdoms of Israel and Judah Having denounced a heavy Calamity to come upon Israel under the name of Ephraim he comforts those of Judah under the name of the residue of his People They not being so grosly corrupted as the other were he stays them with this promise In that day saith be when the other shall be overwhelmed as with a Deluge The Lord of hosts shall be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people The promise is made up of three benefits yet the three are but one or rather one is all the three to them The Lord of hosts it is he that shall be their Honour Wisdom and Strength He shall be a crown c. But first a word of the Circumstance of time In that day That Sovereign Lord who at first set up the Lights of Heaven to distinguish times and seasons by their constant motion and likewise by his Supream Providence ruling the World hath fixed the periods of States and Kingdoms and decreed their Revolutions their rising ascending and their height with their decline and setting hath by a special Providence determined those changes and vicissitudes that befall his Church That which the Psalmist speaks in his own particular Psal. 31. 15. holds of each Believer and of the Church which they make up in all ages and places I said thou art my God my times are in thy hand a sure and steady hand indeed and therefore he builds his confidence upon it ver 13. They took counsel against me but I trusted in thee And upon this he prays in faith That the face of God may shine upon him and the Wicked may be ashamed Thus then as many as are looking after a day of Mercy to the Church of God Pray and Believe upon this ground That the time of it is neither in the frail hands of those that favour and seek it nor in the hands of those that oppose it how strong and subtile soever they be but in that Almighty Hand that doth in Heaven and Earth what pleaseth him If he have said now and here will I give a day of refreshment to my people that have long groaned for it a day of the purity and power of Religion If I say this be his purpose they must have somewhat more than Omnipotence that can hinder it when his appointed time comes to make a day of deliverance dawn upon his Church after their long Night either of affliction or of defection or both they that contrive against that day-spring are as vain as if they would sit down to Plot how to hinder the Sun from rising in the Morning And they that let go their hopes of it because of great apparent difficulties that interpose betwixt their eye and the accomplishment of that work they are as weak as if they should imagine when mists and thick vapours appear about the Horizon in the morning that these could hinder the rising of the Sun which is so far out of their reach and comes forth as a bridegroom and rejoyces as a mighty man to run his race says David Those mists may indeed hinder his clear appearance and keep it from the eye for a time but Reason tells us even then that they cannot stop his course And Faith assures us no less in the other That no difficulties can hold back God's day and work of mercy to his people But you 'll say All the difficulty is to know whether the appointed time be near or not 'T is true we have no particular Prophecies to assure us but certainly when God awakes his Children and makes them rise this is a probable sign that it is near day I mean when he stirs them up to more than usual Hopes and Prayers and Endeavours it is very likely that he intends them some special good but yet more when he himself is arisen as it pleaseth him to speak that is when he is begun to appear in a more than ordinary manner of working by singular and wonderful footsteps of Providence This is no doubt a sign that he will go on to shew remarkable mercy to Sion and that the time to favour her yea the set time is come Ps. 102. 13. Howsoever then let the wonderful workings of the Lord move those of you that have any power and opportunity to be now if ever activ●● for the greatest good both of the present Age and of Posterity and you that can be no other way useful yet you shall be no small helpers if you be much in Prayer let both your hopes and your fears serve to sharpen your Prayers Be not too much dejected with any discouragement neither be ye carnally lift up with outward oppearances for the heart of him that is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2. 3. But live as the just do by your faith and if the deferring of your hopes should sicken your hearts as Solomon speaks yet stay and comfort them with the Cordial of the Promises This you are sure of you have God's own word engaged for it that in those latter days Babylon shall be brought to the dust and the true Church of Christ shall flourish and increase and this Vision is for appointed time as Habak says of his at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it it will surely come it will not tarry In that day In the day of Ephraims or Israels Calamity denounced in the former verses which as most do conceive was when the Assyrian opprest them and in the end led them Captive in the Reign of Hosea as you have the History of it 2 Kings 17. At which time Hezekiah was King of Judah as you find in the following Chapter and in that notable Reformation wrought by him with those blessings that followed upon it is found the accomplishment of this promise to Judah In that day c. The parallel of God's different dealing with these two Kingdoms at the time there specified in that day does afford divers Lessons which might be here not impertinently taken notice of Only this Though Judah also had its own corruptions when Hezekiah came to the Crown yet it pleased the Lord to spare them