Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	let_v	sinner_n	1,997	5	7.5506	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92321	England's restitution or The man, the man of men, the states-man. delivered in several sermons in the parish church of Waltham Abbey in the county of Essex. / By Thomas Reeve D.D. preacher of Gods word there.	Reeve, Thomas, 1594-1672.	1661 (1661)	Wing R689; Thomason E1056_1; ESTC R208033	132,074	175

anger and misery with it may think that great was the quarrel of Gods covenant which he was forced to avenge Plutarch de emolumen●o ex inimicis capiendo But as Hieron knew not his own bad breath so we know not the ill sent and smell of our sins Cicero in Topicis Stalerius would not confess those faults at the bar which he was wont to confess in his private chamber so we will not acknowledge those offences to God which we cannot but recount in our private consciences Val. Max. Messala Corvinus knew not his own name nor we our own errours I am now preaching of the sins of the times but I doubt that I preach to such as would seem to be an innocent Congregation ye will all confess the sins of the Age in general but who will confess his own particular trespasses I doubt whether the Lords prayer hath been said heartily by many these many years for I see little sense or shame of their apparent impieties Torture will not draw from some the disclosing of their evil practises nor judgment from heaven will not draw from us the discerning of our offences The many Princes which have been amongst us will not shew us our many detestable and execrable demeanours we have been miserable to purpose but we are scarce yet culpable We pass by all judgments as accidents and fates of Commonwealths rather then feel them as just visitations the rage of the enemy hath done much in this Nation but the rage of our sins hath done just nothing we feel the curse but not the crime in stead of discerning and disclosing sin we shut our eyes and shut up our lips Have ye brought any fewel to kindle this flame have ye stamped any bitter grapes in this Wine-press to put such a cup of astonishment to the lips of the Nation There is a corrupt generation which will take no notice of vice and there is a more righteous generation which doth dream of nothing but vertue one and other make little search of conscience or spie out corruption with compunction Are there any of you here which have walked frowardly against your God or clapped your hands against heaven no the irreligious are dumb and the religious are blind Oh! it is a hard thing with Ezra to say Lord we are here before thee in our trespasses Ezr. 9.15 or to say with the faithful The crown fallen from our heads wo unto us we have sinned Lam. 5.16 How many of you have thus brought iniquity to remembrance and loathed your selves in the evil which ye have committed how shall it appear by your conflicts or your tears your conviction your contrition or conversion No God hath smitten us but we have not felt it we are still as great strangers to our sins as if God had never shewn us the faces of them in the glass of vengeance God hath read a long lesson to us but we have gotten little of it by heart We are come to a Goal-delivery but consider not wherefore we were cast into prison our Ulcers are even healing but we observe not how corrupt the Botches were How few are yet sensible of their lusts riots frauds spights blasphemies rapin●… haughtiness hypocrisie scandal of profession and contempt of the Gospel we have suffered to extremity but are there yet any sins in the Nation are they yet in any of your aking hearts where are they whose are they I hearkned and heard but no man spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Jer. 8.6 Oh that we had endured all these Judgements in the Land I say not with patience but with true remorse oh that we had carried all these Iudgements out of the Land I say not with shouts but with true penitent hearts But though God hath set us for our sins as a gazing stock to the whole earth yet we gaze not upon our iniquities though God hath spit in our faces yet we blush not much we have stared upon our Judgements but are yet to cast the first glance upon our transgressions we are generally a stupid an impenitent generation But oh what we could not see in the eclipse let us see in the bright sun-shine what we could not apprehend under the Iudgement let us be privy to at the deliverance It is a great mercy to be preserved preservation ought not to go without consideration Let us know then what a peccant people God hath had compassion upon what grievous sinners he hath pardoned Let us a little face our sins at the taking of the scourge ye which never felt a burthened conscience under the thraldome have souls-frets at the freedome ye which never did water your eyes in the time of the trial melt a little at the release that which Gods stripes could not do let his embraces Be not preserved as a remorssesse people let not God take off your yoke without a sin-offering sacrificed upon his Altar Say that he hath saved us beyond our expectation say that he hath delivered us even to a miracle say that it is much that God could unloosen such a bond that he could be reconciled to such perverse sinners Had we had our deserts we had been still under his plaguing hand or might still have roared under his corrections for they were our sins that brought us first to the whipping post and left such black and blew marks upon us there were heinous provocations which brought such an astonishable Iudgement upon the Nation yea the Land had many transgressions in it which punished it with these many Princes For the transgressions of a Land many are the Princes thereof c. 5. This doth shew that Ambition hath a most aspiring spirit many Peasants would be many Princes The Frog in the Fable would swell himself to be as big as the Bullock Amb. l. 3. in Luc. this same appetentia dignitatis desire of Command doth stretch men beyond their limits that though men know what they were born to yet they cannot keep within their Fathers hedge but they must transilire limites break over the fence the desire design is for every one to be a Ruler to wear Robes and shake Scepters to set up the many Princes Ieron ad Algas Innocent de vit hum cond plures fulgor convocat aulae ●…neca Trag. Nisi Imperatorem●…e stare non posse Suetonius Many Princes they are and scarce a good one amongst them all for they care not prodesse sed praeesse to benefit but to get superiority The brightnesse of a Court doth dazle most mens eyes Corah Dathan and Abiram will not spare Moses the deliverer of the Nation nor Zimri his own Master nor Absalom his own Father Ambition hath neither modesty nor reverence it doth know neither Lawes nor bloud it is insatiable in desires insolent in attempts Julius Caesar said he could not stand unless he were Commander in chief so these are ready to faint if they

a time to rend and a time to sew a time to keep silence and a time to speak a time for war and a time for peace Eccles 3. The shaking fits of an ague do not alwayes continue fiery Comets have but their blazing seasons will God be angry for ever no this is mans unappeasable and implacable disposition but as for God it is said for a litle while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in my anger I have hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy will I have compassion upon thee Esai 5.4.7,8 God doth oftentimes Lighten darknesse Psal 18.28 Close up breaches Amos 9.11 Give beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness Ps 61.3 How many of these Shipwrackt creatures do we see come swimming to the shore how many of these prisoners do we behold at last shaking off their fetters As there is the arrow of Gods punishment so there is the Arrow of Gods deliverance 2 Kings 13.17 He doth give rest from the dayes of adversity Psal 94.13 break the yoak of the burthen the staffe of the shoulder and the rod of the oppressour Esai 9.4 Qui nil potest sperare desperet nihil Seneca He which can hope for nothing let him despaire of nothing As far as things have gone on in an adverse improsperous way against us yet God can turn all things again backwards captivity may return like the rivers in the south 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripid. A Rhodian being cast into a Dungeon and fed after the manner of a beast and his hand cut off and his face wounded his friends wished him to furnish himself to death no saith he Cuncta homini quoad vivit speranda sunt Eras l. 8. Apoph Sueton. All things to man so long as he liveth are to be hoped for When Nero had lost all his jewels in the Sea Oh! saith he this losse may be repaired for the fishes may bring them again so whatsoever pretious things we are deprived of for a while Gods providence may in time restore them They which have endured the saddest casualties may have a return of the sweetest comforts Here was a land infested with the rigorous Government of many Princes yet may not these out-rages cease yes For the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof But. Applicat First this serves to shew that God is a pardoning God he may be a punishing God but his punishments are but a blow and away he is the slowest to chastise and the readiest to be reconciled his soft bowels are not long without compassion our eyes do no sooner weep but his heart doth bleed we may be for a while without help but never without hope the most destitute hath a dependence Erit egeno spes The poor hath his hope Iob 5.16 The flesh of the righteous may be chastised bus he keepeth all his bones Psal 34.20 he may wax strong again after all his disciplining Gods corrections are moderate and momentary Behold I have fined thee but not as silver is sined Esai 48.10 wicked people shall not trouble them any more as before time 2 Sam. 7.10 I will not contend for ever neither will I be wroth alwayes for the spirit would saile before me Esai 57.16 Ambr. de ob Theod. Id. in Matt. Greg. in pastor Aug. ep 54. ad Maced Theodosius did count it for a favour when he was desired to forgive so doth God when he is intreated to pardon yea uberior gratia quam precatio Gods pity doth exceed our prayers Deus ante oculos slenda peccata non opponit God doth not put before our eyes those sins which we have watered with teares if we have bewailed the guilt of them he will take away the correction of them contrition is the medicine for correction God punisheth his own but it is misericordia puniens a merciful punishing such a punishment as is ready to turn into mercy after blows come embraces after chastisements come comforts They which sow in tears shall reape in joy and bring their sheaves with them Psal 26.6 The rage of States do not alwayes last the banished may wear a Crown again usurpation hath but a time to domineer The many Princes here blustered for a season But For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof But. 2. Secondly This serves to shew that a suffering people are not a scandalous people the world would make them the reproach of the earth Oh! we have had the upperhand of you humbled you to purpose made you to fear our brows and wear our chaines we have had your bodies in our dungeons and your necks on our gibbets Have ye so the more shame to your fury and the greater infamy to your cruelty But when ve have done your worst what then what then God hath judged between you and us the righteous case is on our side ye are blind that do not see your selves fighting against an host of Saints ye are deaf that do not hear God from his Throne pronouncing justice on our side heaven doth approve of our reformation the spirit hath written down your errours in letters of bloud God with us is our Motto for we have Gods Commission to purge the Church we have Gods sword in our hand to hew down such Malignants as you are open your eyes and see the iniquity of your case for ye have Gods searing iron upon your foreheads ye are signally branded no never a whit the more for a few hasty censures for all which endure divine wrath are not hated of heaven Aug. l. 1. de Civ Dei c. 8. uva tam bene ut amurca in torculari premitur The sweet grape aswell as the sowre grape is stamped in the winepresse The truest Church hath the houre of temptation Rev. 3.10 Men may suffer for righteousnesse sake 1 Pet. 3.14 the faithful have carried the markes of the Lord Iesus in their bodies Gal. 6.17 for thee we are slain all the day long Rom. 8.36 why may not the children be subject to such sudden accidents when the Mother hath been exposed to this sad fate For the woman clothed with the Sun which had the Moon under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head may be driven by the great red Dragon into the wildernesse Rev. 2.6 Aug. in Psal 93. Mali damnantur ut alieni boni flagellantur ut filii Cyp. ser 4. de immortal The wicked are damned as strangers the good are scourged as children Area fruges terit The floor doth dash out the best Corn were the Iewes accursed because they endured seventy years captivity were the Babylonians the better Saints were the Martyrs in the primitive Church wretches because they were beheaded and burnt and boiled to death in Cauldrons Had the Gentiles the purer religion were the Orthodoxe Christians