Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	full_a	lord_n	psal_n	2,435	5	7.5110	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

meeting Your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Why did the Lord thus disregard all their Ceremonial Services and sacred Solemnities which in the time of the Old Testament he had commanded them Surely for no other reason but because they rested in them and neglected the great and weighty Things of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith these ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone † Mat. 23 23 So the Lord elsewhere reproves them for their formal Devotion and hypocritical Fasting because they were extreamly defective in that which was the principal Part of their expected Obedience and the choicest Fruit of all such Religious Performances namely Reformation Justice and Charity For sayes the Lord to the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 58.1 2 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my People their Transgression and the House of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take Delight in approaching to God Who would not judge these to be a very Holy People that should but take notice of this their Diligence in Duties Desires of direction and Delight in drawing nigh unto God But alas how soon may we hear them murmuring against God for not having respect to their services nor regard to their Solemnities as if they had received wrong from God by his not granting what they conceived their Right to them so highly were these proud hypocrites conceited of their poore Performances † v. 3-7 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge But the Lord replies to their demand and reproves them for their Deceit and Hypocrisie and so instructs them in their Duty Behold sayes the Lord in the Day of your Fast you finde Pleasure and exact all your Labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the Fist of Wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on high Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a man to afflict his soul Is it to bow down his head as a Bul-rush and to spread sackcloth and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the LORD Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of Wickednesse to undoe the heavy Burden and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deale thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poore that are cast out to thy House When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Thus without charity the Master-wheele of good Works the most specious Acts of Religion are unacceptable to God Formality in religion is a kind of spiritual Falshood and Dissimulation 'T is but a Mocking of God a presenting him Leaves for Fruits or Lies for Devotion To offer up unto God formal Performances is to become guilty of real Provocations When the heart is wanting in Duties of Divine Worship men do but offer dead sacrifices to the living God and so provoke the pure Eyes of his Glory When the Glory of the Lord leaves the inward Sanctuary it s a signe of his departure from Jerusalem and a sad Presage of its utter Destruction * See Ezek chap. 1. 11. When the Spirit of God is in a great measure gone from the Hearts of men in the duties of his Worship it s a sad Symptome of perillous Times with the Church of God Before the persecution of the Christians in Africa by the brutish Vandals the Church of God in those Countreys was much degenerated from its ancient Purity and declin'd as to the Power of Godlinesse as Salvian Bishop of Massilia complaines † Vict. Epist Utic So a little before the Massachre at Paris it was observ'd there was such a general stupidity seiz'd upon the Protestants that few of them seriously minded the things of God or were zealously affected with the matters of Religion but were wholely taken up with their worldly Businesses and secular Concernments If Religion amongst men be once degenerated into Farm as a fruitful into a barren Vine what can be expected but that the Righteou●nesse of God should be arm'd with Power for the punishment of such an unprofitable People We know The * Mat. 21.19 barren Fig-tree being curst by Christ presently withered away When a Nation flourishes in the Leaves of Formality without the Fruits of solid Piety who knows how soon it may be cast into a withering condition Surely Formal Services will at length procure real Sufferings The third Symptome Impiety vail'd with Hypocrisie THe Times are perillous When under glorious pretences of Religion and Gods glory men studiously prosecute secular designes When men seek themselves under plausible Pretences of doing Service to God When men that pretend Piety and a Publick Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † 2 Tim. 3.2 * v. 4. Such as do in deed preferre their private Interests before the Publick Good with whom Silver is of more value then Sanctity and who pursue their own Honour and Advancement wherein they would seem to promote Gods Glory Hi sunt qui boni videri non esse Mali non videri sed esse volunt † Bernh Serm. 66. in Cant. Th●se are they who as Bernard speaks would be thought good but care not to be so who care indeed bad but would not be thought so They are such as in their Designes row towards Hell while in their Pretences their Faces are towards Heaven They speak of beautifying Sion when at the same time they are Building Babel But now the Times must needs be perillous when men thus pretend Godlinesse and Gods glory for the more easie accomplishment of their own works of Wickednesse to his Dishonour When men Prostitute Religion to their own base Lusts and so vitiate her Virgin-Honour When they cast a vaile of Hypocrisie over the vilest Acts of Impiety Hypocrisie is sin gilded with pretences of Sanctity This outward Gilding makes them not so glorious in the Eyes of men as their inward Guilt m kes them odious in the sight of God Thus the Cloud which arm'd with the Bowe challenges all the world to a Combate for the Beauty of Colours is not more bright to the Earth then its black to Heaven Simulata Aequitas non est Aequitas sed duplex Iniquitas quia Iniquitas est simulatio * August in Psal 23. Equity pretended or

Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! † Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And giv● him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extre●ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere † Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence † v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he † Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion † Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he † Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he † Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord † Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea † Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may ●ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger † Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I

in Religionis Professores tanquam in Adversarios serre To hate the Professors of Religion as if they had been their profest Enemies When men are become not onely Strangers but Enemies to Religion its Time for God to depart from such a People and instead of the Gospel the Ensigne of Peace to send some grievous Plague as a Besome of destruction to sweep the Land of its Inhabitants The second Sin Murmuring against God THose are evil and Perillous Times wherein People murmure against God his Providences Judgements Ministers Mercies This was the sinne of Israel for which God slew them in the Wilderness * See Exo. 1-12 with Psal 78.17 -31 and 1 Cor. 10.10 For sayes the Scripture † Psal 106 25 26 27. They murmured in their Tents and hearkened not unto the Voice of the LORD Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wildernesse To overthrow their seed also among the Nations and to scatter them in the Land Yea saies the Psalmist * Psal 78 17-21 they spake against God They said can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Behold he smote the Rock that the Waters gushed out and the streames overflow'd can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his People Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth so a Fire was kindled against Jacob and Anger also came up against Israel Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation To murmure against present Providences notwithstanding former Experiences is a very provoking sinne Murmuring against the God of our Mercies because he does not answer our desires in the satisfaction of our lusts is grand Ingratitude and speaks a high Degree of Wickednesse Justly may the Lord throw down his heaviest Judgements upon the heads of such a provoking People Yea though men do not directly speak against God yet when they speak against his Messengers murmure against Ministers against their Maintenance they do in effect murmure against God himselfe He that repines at the Reception of Embassadors and the charge of their entertainment is guilty of a Crime of State which will cast such a reflection upon the King that sent them as will receive but an ill Resentment And therefore in this Case we may say with Moses of the Israelites * Exod. 16.7 8. What are we that ye murmure against us Surely the LORD heareth your Murmurings which you murmure against him For what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD And do you thus requite the LORD for his great Mercy in giving you the Gospel O foolish people and unwise † Deut. 32 6. May not he justly punish you for so great a Provocation by depriving you of so rich a Mercy by taking away his Gospel So when men murmure at their great Plenty the sin of thousands in the Land do they not provoke the Lord to plague the Land with Famine when men murmure against God in Times of Peace and liberty how just is it with God to scourge them with bloody Wars and chastise them with a cruel Bondage When men are impatient under their losses and afflictions and murmure at those sufferings wherewith they are corrected for their sins but yet neither take notice of the sins which have caused those sufferings nor the Hand of God which chastises them with such Afflictions as the Dogge which flies at the stone but regards not the Hand that threw it how do they provoke God to load them with heavier Fetters and chastise them with smarter Rods more cutting calamities when murmuring grows up from a bitter root of Atheisme and brings forth the cursed Fruit of Rebellion it 's time for God to take the Axe of his Judgements and cut down such a provoking People Surely murmuring against God is the fore-runner of many miseries amongst men and so a sad presage of Perillous Times The third Sin Injustice Cruelty Oppression RIghteousnesse exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any People † Prov. 14.34 And especially Injustice Cruelty Oppression sins which make the Times evill and Perillous This complicated Iniquity is in the Law of God Interpretative murder And therefore the LORD stops his Ears to the Prayers of his People and casts all their Sacrifices as dung in their Faces saying * Isa 1.11 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices and solemnities They are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear Why so Your hands are full of Blood But how did they contract this guilt Surely by their Injustice Cruelty Oppression as appears by those Precepts which the Lord gives them in opposition to their present Practise † Isa 1.17 Learne to do well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherlesse plead for the Widow Now hence it appears that Persons guilty of these sins are in Gods Account Murderers men that are guilty of Innocent Blood which cries aloud to heaven for vengeance to be executed upon such bloody wretches covetous cruel and oppressing Tyrants And this is yet more clear from the following Complaint and Commination For thus the Prophet proceeds * Isa 1.21 -24. How is the faithful City become a Harlot It was full of judgement Righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Thy Silver is become Drosse thy Wine mixt with Water Thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the Cause of the widow come unto them Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies For this Sinne the Lord threatned to lay wast his Vineyard † Isa 5.5 6 even to lay the Land of Israel and Judah open to Destruction For the Vine-yard of the LORD of Hosts is the House of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant Plant and he looked for Judgement and behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a cry * Isa 5.7 This made their solemne Fasts abominable to God Behold sayes the Lord † Isa 58.4 ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this Day to make your voice to be heard on high These are the sins which obstruct the Lords saving Mercies and draw down his sorest Judgements upon a sinful Nation A large and lively Representation hereof which calls for our sad and serious thoughts in a timely Reflection upon our sins and sufferings in these distracted Times that we may wisely bethink our selves before it be too late of the most effectual means for the Prevention of the Lords sorer Judgements upon our Land we have set before us in the Prophecy of Isaiah * Chap. 51. v. 1-19 in these