Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	grace_n	great_a	love_n	4,912	5	5.2007	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07204	The cure of cares or a short discourse, declaring the condition of worldly cares; with some remedies appropriated unto them Penned for the use of all, but is most proper for such as be distressed. By Henry Mason parson of S. Andrews Vndershaft London.	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1627 (1627)	STC 17605; ESTC S102308	30,687	60

up nor any left nor any helper for Israel The meaning is as I take it that there was none left and reserved from the common calamity nor any other that might help them in this misery 2 Because God hath a speciall communion with his people so that (c) Isay 63.9 in all their affliction hee professeth himselfe to be afflicted and that (d) Acts 9.4 he that persecuteth them persecuteth him and that (e) Zach. 2.8 he who toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye And therefore the more they are afflicted the more himselfe suffereth in them and consequently the readier he will be both to succour them and to ease himselfe 3 Because when men are destitute of all help and hope and have neither friends nor meanes then God may gaine the greatest honour by their deliverance for it will then appeare to bee his worke So S. Paul saith of himselfe and Timothy that they were (f) 2 Cor. 1.8 9 pressed out of measure above strength in so much that they despaired even of life and that therefore they had the sentence of death in themselves that they should not trust in themselves but in God which raiseth the dead And the same Apostle saith of himselfe that God resused to free him from the buffettings of Satan at the present because (a) 2 Cor. 12.9 his strength was made perfect in weaknesse And wee reade of Gedcon that God would not save him from his enemies by an armie of two and thirty thousand men but he did save him by three hundred And the reason is given in the text (b) Iudg. 7.2 Lest Israel should vaunt themselves against God and say Mine owne hand hath saved me The meaning is that if they should have conquered when they had a great armie they might have ascribed the victory to their owne strength but if with an handfull of men they should overcome a great hoste of enemies all men might see that it was Gods doing and not their owne endeuour that got them the victorie And thus God doth use to doe still hee leaveth men to struggle with the crosse when their wants are but small and the meanes competent to provide against them but mans extremity is Gods opportunity when they have no power then hee sheweth his and when all helps and hopes from men do faile them then is he ready with reliefe from heaven that his power and strength and mercy may bee seene And hence we have an excellent meditation of great comfort For if our distresse be small our care for it should not be great and if our case grow desperate and remedilesse in respect of humane help then the Iudge is at the doores and then God is even at hand to relieve us and then may wee comfort our drooping soules as the Apostle did the afflicted Hebrewes (c) Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tary 3 Thirdly Meditat. 3 it will not be unprofitable for easing of cares if amidst the evils that we suffer wee call to minde the good things which by Gods mercy wee do enjoy and if as we weigh our crosses by thinking on the greatnesse or grievousnesse of them so we lay in the other scale over against them the mercies that are still continued unto us For so wee may finde perhaps that our blessings do overweigh our crosses and therefore that we have greater cause to praise God that we are so well dealt with then to grudge or grieve that we are no better For example say that wee are sick or sore or maimed yet wee have meate and physick and attendance and a soft lodging which many others as good as our selves do want Or wee are oppressed with great ones or undermined by Conie-catchers or slandered by foule mouthes yet we have some kinde friends to comfortus and an obsequious family to observe us and a commodious house to dwell in al which may refresh us at home when we have beene molested abroad Or againe wee are impeverished in our estates and want meanes and maintenance and wee are crossed in our preferments and suffer repulse in our suites and are destitute of friends to supplie us but wee have soundnes of limmes health of bodie and a right and readie use of our senses so that wee can endure labour or serve in some places of employment and worke for the getting of an honest living Or yet againe say wee have all these crosses and none of the other comforts though who can say so truly yet we have the comfort of Gods word and peace of conscience and hope of eternall life and wee have God our father to protect us and Christ our Redeemer to pray for us and the holy Spirit of them both to comfort us and the blessed Angels to pitch their tents round about us and to guard us Or if wee have not these for our comfort it is our fault alone that we want them and then wee have greater cause to bee solicitous and carefull for the obtaining of these spirituall mercies then for the repairing of our worldly wants And hence wee have a meditation of great comfort For if wee consider our worldly state wee are not without the testimonies of Gods love towards us in many things but if wee looke upon our meanes of grace and our hopes of glory and Gods eternall favour in Christ then we have greater cause to cheare our selves against all worldly troubles For then as God comforted his people saying (a) Isai 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversitie and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers bee removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers and thine eares shall heare a word behinde thee saying This is the way walke ye in it So may euery afflicted Christian comfort himselfe in the like manner Though the Lord have given mee bread of adversitie and waters of affliction though hee have laid on me sicknes or wants or disgraces or such like yet hee hath not taken from mee his Word his Sacraments his Ministers meanes of grace or peace of conscience or the light of his countenance and so I may have these it is no great matter though I want all other things For as David said (b) Psal 4.6 7. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and then addeth Thou hast put gladnes in my heart more then in the time that their corne and their wine increased so the Christian soule may say God hath put more cause of gladnes in my heart by the enjoying of his favour and the expectation of his glorie then if I had had corne and wine and oile honours and offices and preferments health and strength and libertie and whatsoever else appertaineth to the outward man 4 It may help to alaie our cares for the world Meditat. 4 if wee consider how God hath alaied and tempered these verie crosses whereof wee