Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	goodness_n	lord_n	psal_n	4,045	5	7.5057	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62961	Mans extremity, Gods opportunity, or, A display of Gods sovereign grace in saving a people whose recovery as to men and means is next to desperate as it was delivered in a sermon preached before the Honourable Lieutenant governour ... of the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England on May 29, 1695 which was the day for election of counsellors for that province / by the reverend Mr. Samuel Torrey.	Torrey, Samuel, 1632-1707.	1695 (1695)	Wing T1917; ESTC R30168	29,972	66

Word of God do all concur to prove That God at some times and in some cases doth in Sovereign Grace save his Churches both from Sin and Judgment in a more Immediate and Extraordinary Way of working by himself This Doctrine opens it self unto us with a fulness of Scripture Evidence in the several parts of it 1. That all Salvations to the Children of men are from God He who is God alone must needs be the only Saviour therefore he is emphatically styled the Saviour Isa 45.15 O God of Israel the Saviour and verse 21. There is no God else besides me a just God and a Saviour Isa 43.11 I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour therefore he is styled the God of Salvation Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of Salvation hence Salvation belongs only to the Lord Psal 3.8 all who know and believe him to be God must needs acknowledge him to be the only Author of all both Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Salvations to all the Children of men who partake of any Salvations Isa 45.22 Look unto me and be ye Saved all the Ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else 2 That God works divers kinds and degrees of Salvation there are divers wayes of Salvation wherein God works as a Saviour there are external common general Salvations which God works in his common Providence these God works in divers waves and degrees for all the Children of men By these Salvations it is that he moderates all the Evils of the Curse so far as to give man a Being and Subsistence in this world more or less comfortable as seemeth good to him Psal 107. per tot We have an Induction of such kind of Salvations with a reiterated Exhortation To Praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of men Again God works such Salvation in common Providence also but in special Mercy to his Churches and People Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like to thee a People Saved by the Lord. There are also Special Salvations which God worketh for his Churches and People in the way of his Spiritual Providence in Saving Mercy which are the only Saving Salvations and which hold a necessary Connection with Eternal Salvation this is the most glorious Salvation which God works for his People in this World when he Saves his People from their Sins and from all Spiritual Evils and Enemies and to this all Promises of Salvation to the Church in this World do ultimately referr This is and will be the Consummation of all Temporal Salvations to the Church in this World as it will appear gloriously in the last and full Accomplishment complishment of this Promise in our Text when that Acclamation shall be heard Rev. 12.10 Now is come Salvation and Strength the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ 3. That God works all both Temporal and Spiritual Salvations for his Churches and People either more Mediately or more Immediately he works common Salvation in a way of mediate ordinary Providence and so all Gods Propitious Prosperous Providences may be said to be Salvations God works special extraordinary Salvations for his People in a more Immediate Extraordinary way of Providence although it may not be altogether Immediately yet more immediately there may be a more Immediate Influence of Divine Wisdom and Power which may make the Salvation wrought Wonderful if not Miraculous such as God wrought for his Church of Old in Egypt in the Wilderness in the times of the Judges and of some of the Kings and afterwards In this way of working it is that God is said to Save his People by his own Right Hand and by his own Arm Psal 44.3 Psal 77.15 and to Save them with an High Hand and Out stretched Arm Exod. 6.6 and 14.8 When the Lord doth make bare his Arm then all the Ends of the Earth may see his Salvation Isa 52.10 Most immediately God works in working of Spiritual Salvations Now God may be said to work more immediately 1. When he works as a Creator when it is Creating Work and in some respects the most Glorious Creating Work or Work of Greation for God to Create to himself a People a Church Psal 102.18 The People that shall be Created shall Praise the Lord so Isa 41.20 Isa 43.1 Thus saith the Lord that Created thee O Jacob c. ver 7. For I have Created him for my Glory and ver 15. I am the Lord the Creator of Israel your King Surely God will work more gloriously by himself in Creating the New Heavens and the New Earth Isa 65.17 18. For behold I Create New Heavens and a new Earth be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I Create for behold I Create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy Isa 45.8 Drop down ye Heavens from above and let the Skies pour down Righteousness let the Earth open and let them bring forth Salvation I the Lord have Created it Observe God Createth this most Glorious Spiritual Salvation for his Church 2. God works more immediately by himself in Saving of his People when he works by a more full and glorious exercise of the Power of Christ Mediator God works all Salvations by his Son he is therefore eminently styled the Saviour he hath wrought Spiritual and Eternal Redemption and Salvation and he applies it to all his Elect He is Exalted by Gods own Right-Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5.31 There is Salvation in none other nor any other Name given under Heaven amongst men whereby we can be Saved Acts 4.12 he is therefore called Jesus Because he came to Save his People from their Sins Mat. 1.21 All Temporal Salvations wrought for the Church of Old are attributed unto him Isa 63.10 In all their Afflictions he was Afflicted and the Angel of his Presence saved them God appeared and wrought by him in Saving his People out of Egypt Exod. 3.2 in the Wilderness Exod. 23.20 and in bringing of them into Canaan Josh 5.13 14. and in bringing the Church out of Babilon Zech. 1.12 thus God alwayes Saved his People by the Angel of his Presence and therefore all Salvations which God works for his People in all Ages of the World until the Church Militant become Triumphant are ascribed to him Rev. 7.10 Salvation to our God and the Lamb that is to God working more immediately by Christ Mediator 3 God works more immediately to Save his People by himself that is by his Spirit Zech. 4.6 not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts that is more immediately by myself This is none other than the same Promise with this in our Text renewed just then at the first period of the Signal Accomplishment of it though it may have a more full and notable Accomplishment not only unto them but to the whole Church of God in the

World at the time appointed and truly this great Promise of the Spirit so often renewed in the Scripture it hath been and ever will be in successive Accomplishment to the Church it is that whereby the Church hath lived and been upheld in all Ages as the soundation of their Faith Confidence and Perseverance 4. God works more immediately by his Word when he make it mighty and powerful to all the saving Effects and Ends of it especially in the Conversion Reformation of his People he works all saving work all Spiritual Salvation for his Church by the means of the Ministry of his word that is he works more immediately by this means it being the highest means of the working of Divine Wisdom and Power especially upon the Souls of men the Church in their return out of Babylon could not recover themselves nor be recovered by any through Reformation unto Salvation until God wrought more immediately by the Ministry of his Word in the Prophesying of Haggai and Zechary Ezra 6.14 as we read more at large Hag. 1.12 13 14. Then Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel and Joshua the High Priest with all the remnant of the people did obey the voice of the Lord and the words of Haggai the Prophet and they did fear the Lord then spake Haggai the Lords Messenger in the Lords Message to the People saying I am with you saith the Lord Observe when the Word works then God is with a people to Save them therefore it follows and the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Zernbbabel Nothing could be done until God himself wrought by himself in the Ministry of his Word and then all Saving Work went on powerfully and prosperously Thus we may understand how God Saves his People by the Lord their God which was the main thing to be opened and proved But 4. There are certain times and extraordinary cases wherein God thus Saves his People by himself that is in general when their Condition in it self and as to them is altogether hopeless and helpless either respecting their Sins growing more and more general powerful incorrigible poenal judicial past any ordinary hope of Reformation their Defection and Apostacy in the Life and Power of Religion so deep that there is no ordinary hope of recovery All both Spiritual and Political Wounds Sicknesses so immedicable incurable that they are past ordinary hope of healing so when a people are in extream inevitable danger of perishing in their own sins under Gods Judgments both Temporal and Spiritual Judgments unless God in Sovereign Mercy appear and work Salvation for them by himself When all things are past man past means when the Wisdom the Power the Heart the Spirit the Prayers Enleavours and Labours of man fail then it is time for the Church to cry out as Psal 119.126 It is time for thee Lord to work More particularly 1. When a People are fallen into such a depth of Spiritual Heart Apostacy as that they are thereby become not only secure but utterly senseless sottish stupid supine and so altogether ignorant careless regardless of the greatest Concernments of their own Good and Welfare and of their own Salvation either from Sin or Judgment as being senseless of both not minding nor caring which way things go nor what doth become of themselves or of the main interest of God of Christ or of the Churches ready to speak as they Ezek. 33.10 If our Transgressions and Iniquities be upon us and we pine away in them how then can we Live as if they should have said there is no hope we shall perish in our sins and thus they conclude carelesly and desperately and as they Isa 3.6 In that day shall he swear saying I will not be a Healer make me not a Ruler of the People It follows verse 8. For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen Thus they gave up themselves as desperate 2. When those who are sincerely concerned for the Welfare and Salvation of the People and Churches are altogether dispirited and succumb under sinking discouragements Hearts fainting Spirits failing have no heart left in them to make any further essay or to do any thing but to sit down Mourn Weep and Lament as the Prophet Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart is faint in me the Har west is past the Summer is ended and we are not healed for the hurt of the Daughte of my People I am hurt I am black Astonishment hath taken hold upon me Is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Physician there so Jer. 9.1 O that mine head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night c. so Mic. 7.1 Wo is me When it is thus it is time to cry Help Lord Psal 12.15 3. When God seems to have wrought and done for a people all that can ordinarily be done by the improvement of means to Save them from all destroying Evils especially from their Sins and to reclaim and reduce them to himself and to secure and advance both their Temporal and Spiritual Welfare When God speaks after the manner of men as it were Complaining Isa 5.4 What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it so Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them for what shall I do for the daughter of my People Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee God speaketh here as men do when they know not what to do more 4. When hereupon God doth cease to work in an ordinary way by ordinary means and leaves a people to themselves withdraws his Spirit his Presence his Power his Counsel his Conduct his Protection and Benediction and gives them up to their own wills and wayes Counsels and Courses to do what they will with themselves When God deserts his own work among a people suffers his own Worship and Ordinances to be ineffectual if not judicial When God saith of a People as of them Deut. 32.20 I will hide my face from them I will see what their end will be what lamentable evil end they will bring themselves unto and as Hos 4.16 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone When God appears only as a Stranger in the Land as a man astonied a mighty man that cannot Save Jer. 14.8 Surely then there is no hope unless God magnifie his Sovereign Grace in Saving such a People by himself 5. When the Interest of the World is Espoused and Exalted and the Interest of Religion is thereby enposed deposed and depressed When the Spirit of Worldliness grows exceeding high and strong and the Spirit of Religion grows low and weak weaker and weaker languishing even unto death when the World prevails against and over Religion to strike it past ordinary hope of a Resurrection When the Spirit of the World is the reigning governing spirit and carrys all before it nothing can be done but in subserviency