Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A34542
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The remains of the reverend and learned Mr. John Corbet, late of Chichester printed from his own manuscripts.; Selections. 1684
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Corbet, John, 1620-1680.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing C6262; ESTC R2134
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198,975
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272
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II. ver 1 2 3 4. JONAH prophesied in Israel in or before the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash 2 King 14 25. He was also sent to preach to Niniveh the chief City of the Assyrian Empire But he disobeyed the call of God and endeavoured to flee to Tarshish The Lord by a mighty storm at Sea pursues him And being by lot and his own confession found guilty and the cause of the tempest the Mariners by his own direction cast him into the Sea where the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow him up and he was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights This Chapter contains Jonah's exercise in the fishes belly the Narrative whereof was penned after his deliverance with an addition of praise Ver. 1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly Before this trouble he was froward against God and fled from him now he is humble and yielding Our distress and trouble is sanctified to us when our frowardness and averseness from duty is overcome and we are made humble and yielding to God and ready for duty when we are brought to our good behaviour Let us look after this fruit of our distresses troubles or crosses that we be brought in and subdued to God Let us also look after this kindly fruit of pubblick troubles He flees to God by prayer Our distress and trouble is sanctified to us when it drives us to prayer that we set about it in earnest and continue in it and so bring us close to God Isa 26 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee They poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them Let us look after this kindly fruit of our publick and private troubles that we be more in prayer and much visit the throne of Grace that instead of running from God we run to him and cast our selves into the arms of his mercy Then hath God reduced us and brought us home to our true rest that we might be safe then he hath done us good indeed Further we hence learn That prayer to God is a refuge to the afflicted both to the Church and to every faithful soul and they find relief in it All the distressed that take this course find sure comfort Because God is rich in mercy to all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Yea God is more especially helpful to the distressed Hos 14.3 In thee the fatherless findeth mercy This instructs us what is our refuge in all our troubles and what course to take wherein we shall not fail to speed Jam. 5.13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray Be sincere in this duty and perform it with unfeigned repentance for your former neglect Moreover it is here said That Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God The Lord was still his God notwithstanding his severe hand upon him When God corrects us for sin he doth not cast us off as none of his Correction is not Rejection Still his gracious relation to us and our Covenant-interest in him abides Wherefore let them that fear the Lord still look to him and claim an interest in him as their God tho he be angry and severely chasten them Thus the Church lays claim to him Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father c. Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer c. And let us take hold of his Covenant whereby he is our God for encouragement in prayer and the ground of our humble confidence toward him Let as many as are humble and willing to accept his grace do this Here is noted the condition whereid he was out of the fishes belly a distress into which he had brought himself by his rebellion or wilful disobedience Hence we learn That after wilful disobedience we may sue to God for mercy He hath not shut up the way against us because there is Forgiveness with him and he hath left room for repentance Let this goodness of God lead sinners to repentance Let such goodness overcome their hearts for it is set forth for this very end God hath not shut up the way Let not them shut out themselves Let a penitent people encourage themselves as Israel is encouraged Hos 14.1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Let the children of God after high provocations being duly humbled encourage themselves in his mercy Tho we have wilfully brought our selves into trouble by our own Folly yea run into it yet we must not discourage our selves as if it were in vain to pray to God for help This is indeed a very uncomfortable circumstance in our suffering to draw it upon our selves yet this was Jonah's case Therefore in such a case let us judg and lothe our selves let us fear and tremble in our selves yet let us not despair nor be driven from seeking our relief For God delights to save them that have undone themselves V. 2. I cryed by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice This verse expresseth the sum of his trouble his exercise in it and his gracious audience His trouble and his prayer in it I cried by reason of my affliction out of the belly of hell cried I. Here was a deplorable state and in appearance desperate yet his Faith could look through to Gods Mercy-seat There is no state so deplorable and seemingly desperate that the people of God may be brought into but their Faith may see a way through it to the throne of Grace whether it be the state of any particular Child of God or of his Church and people in common Is any Child of God so distressed that he can see no outlet yet let him look through it to the Throne of Grace There is hope for him in his God and let him look to God and be comforted Isa 50.10 Doth the condition of the Church appear forlorn and hopeless as Jonah's was that we can see no way to escape yet God can open a way by a strange hand of Providence He is fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Truâ—y our condition is very deplorable if we look to human help Yet the Providence of God and his appearances for us are some glimps of light some token for good Therefore be not faithless but believing do not abandon your hope tho greatly distressed encourage your selves in the Lord your God I cryed by reason of my affliction c. Great distress calls for great importunity in prayer not only to call upon God but to cry to him to cry mightily as the King of Niniveh commanded his subjects Jonah 3 8. Let them cry mightily unto God When we thus cry our own necessity is feelingly acknowledged and Gods mercy is duly valued Let the distress of our Nation and the Church aâ—d people of God therein excite us to send