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	lord_n	praise_n	6,095	5	8.0007	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60548	Light out of darkness in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir Robert Clayton, Kt., Lord Mayor of the city of London, in Guild-hall Chappel, the 26th of Sept. 1680 : wherein are contained, rules how to support our selves under dark providences, when they seem to supercede divine promises : also, directions how to obtain a prospect of serene and happy times / by Samuel Smith ...	Smith, Samuel, 1620-1698.	1680 (1680)	Wing S4201; ESTC R3482	14,587	40

were actually dividing the Spoil on this and that side Jordan because God had spoken it in his Holiness and Veracity How much more should we strengthen our Faith when the Lord makes the least Stricture of Light an Assuring Pledge of the Glorious Perfection of Felicity 3. Direct Lay aside your selfish Interest and with a single eye aim at the Lords Glory Thus the Church affirmed That even in the way of thy Judgments while the Yoke of their Captivity was firmly wreathed about their Necks have we waited for thee O Lord The desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of Thee As if they had said Let us never be delivered rather than Thy Name should be eclipsed what-ever becomes of Us provide for the Imblazoning of thine own Glory Be content to stay in the Furnace rather than not to have your Dross separated Be willing to learn the Mystery of Divine Recumbency on the Lords Fidelity though we be tutored to it by the greatest Exigents Impatiency of Spirit is a Signal of Impenitency that we are not as yet capable of That Mercy which we seek in the frowardness of our Hearts Jacob endured many and sharp Afflictions because he fore-stalled the Blessing by Deceit When we snatch at Mercies as the fruit of the Promise before it be ripe it breeds the Worm of a Proud Self-conceitedness at the Core or a Surfeit of Sensuality in abuse of the Choicest Manna It is the Property of a Proud Hypocrite to be Ptisical in Prayer and not able to wait for Gods Salvation But an humble Patience which believes In Hope against Hope is as a Branch of the Myrrhe Tree which some report preserves Travellers from tyring and fainting though they walk thorow the Valley of most Deadly Snares and Fears 4. Direct Submit to the Lords Method of Carrying on his Own Work though the Means seem very unlikely weak and contemptible yea contrariant to that Model which we have foolishly fore-cast in our Carnal Wisdom Shall the weak Potsherds of the Earth dispute Gods Sovereign Wisdom and Authority when they should comply with his severest Dispensations It is the undoubted Priviledge of every wise Man to dispose of the Concernments of his own Family as Himself pleases And shall we not submit to God who is uncontroulable in Majesty and unaccountable in his holy and righteous setting out the various Schemes of his Providence in all the Circumstanees of our Pilgrimage Shall we reject his Conduct in disposing of the Affairs of Nations Shall the Shallows of our reason prompt us to repine whereas all Creatures obey the Law of their Natural Instinct and wait upon the Lord for his Blessing in the Execution of their various Offices Yea those Creatures which have an Antipathy each to other yet are wisely and calmly over-ruled by a Divine Invisible Hand so that they conspire in promoting the Harmonious Stability of the Creation for a Common Universal Benefit If the Lords Providence condescends exactly to number the very Hairs of our Head can we in reason think that he will make a Spoil of Kingdoms in tossing them from the Center of their Tranquillity without just Demerit in us or Reluctancy in Himself Get an Interest therefore in the Unchangeable Love of God then you will be above the Reach and Hurt of every Outward Change 5. Direct Put the Promises in Suit The Lord stirs up a mighty Spirit of Prayer before he excites Himself to create Deliverance for his Afflicted Churches Would we have him awake and make bare his Arm for our Relief and Defence We must rouze up our selves from our Security and stand up to our Duty Jacob's Example and Success who would not desist wrestling though he limpt may provoke Us to Zeal in Prayer He well knew that after a Tedious Night spent in Tears and Supplication the Morning would dawn in a Solemn Blessing Let our Zeal like His be confirmed by opposition and it is very probable that This Generation shall survive to see Rome buried in That Desolation which She contrives for Others How did a Dark Night of Distress lately involve us while Antichrist designed as a Dying Beast bites fiercest to have slain the Witnesses of Christs pure Religion Yet how wonderfully are Magistracy and Ministry preserved in the free Exercise of their Functions because Christ overshadows those Mystical Stars in his Right Hand and binds them as an honourable Signet on his Arm. Blessed be God who hath turned the Dark Evening into a Day of Jubilee by the disappointment of such an unparallel'd Conspiracy What now Remains but that we should resolve to continue Loyal to God and his Vicegerent in the Face and Dispight of the greatest Dangers Thus Stars shine brightest in the darkest Night Let us hold On in an even steady chearful Course of Righteousness notwithstanding the virulent Reproaches of the Common Enemy This Viper of Detraction shall not always Infest the Churches Peace and Reputation but shall Swell only till it burst it self and be cast into the Fire A right-bred Faith can digest Difficulties and Extremities of Danger by turning them into Arguments of Stability yea into the brisk Spirits of Triumphant Joy But then let us remember That Preservations prove not real Mercies but Snares if not improved by a wise circumspect and holy Conversation An humble heavenly Frame can only sweeten the bitterest Dispensations by Contentment as also preserve us from a surfeit of Pride and Sensuality in the highest float of Earthly Peace and Felicity 6ly And lastly Pay those Vows of Self-resignation which you made when your Lives hung in Doubt and Suspence because God had no more Assurance of your Love and Obedience We are usually very Gracious by fits when Pangs of Distress are upon us Then like Nephthaly we give goodly Words fair Promises of Reformation yet set at Liberty we soon wax wanton like a wild Hind and will not be confined within the Verge of God's Righteous Laws But there must be a new Creation within us if we would have the Lord work a new Salvation for us Though our Deliverance seemed to have been wrought in a Dream It was so wonderful yet our selves must not continue under the Lethargie of an Impenitent Security If any man shall presume to strentghen himself in his Wickedness and yet expect that the Lord should save him in Distress he puts a notorious Cheat upon himself The Promise of Deliverance shall become as a Vanishing-Night-Vision unto such Let us therefore being delivered from our Enemies round about Edifie our selves in our holy Faith and walk in the Fear of the Lord as Incompast with the Comforts of his Salvation Would we have the Lord's Fidelity go forth as a Lamp of Brightness for Sion's safety Let us put our selves to the Blush for our Undutifulness and multiplied Provocations against the Holy One. So will the Lord appear in the Glory of all his Attributes to build us up with Stability in Church and State He shall make us become not only Formidable to our Adversaries but also a Bulwark of Defence to Others in Distress Then shall it be Verified of England as of Sion that God is in the midst of Her Therefore he will help Her right early He will surround her with his Mercy as with a Shield till She become the Perfection of Beauty the Praise and Joy of the whole Earth To which State of Safety and Renown the Father of Lights conduct us for the Merits sake of our Blessed Redeemer to whom with the Holy Spirit of Truth Unity and Concord be ascribed as most due is all Honour Praise Dominion and Obedience now and forever Amen FINIS Title r. supersede P. 29. l. 7. read Myrtle l. 29. r. Shallowness

that Divine Light which they pretend to be They are rather Wild-fire thrown into the Sanctuary of God to fill it with Smoke and Clamor We must not turbulently plead for any Truth tho clear to us and very considerable in it self This will render our Testimony to be suspected in its Validity and Sincerity We ought with serenity of Mind to wait till the Father of Lights shall clear up such Mysteries in Religion which as yet may be hid from others of Weaker Apprehensions Let none therefore out of an Impatient Curiosity presumptuously obtrude or irregularly propagate any private Conceptions as if they were Indubitable Maximes to be imbraced by the Implicite Belief of other men The Lord hath promised to spread the Revelation of Truth in his own Time and Method thereby to supersede all froward Contests and rash Forwardness in any to disseminate their own Opinions by the Disturbance of Publick Peace and Order Let this Consideration moderate all Contests about Circumstantials in Religion viz. That the Forcible Birth of Reformation is every way as perillous as the Dilatory Production of it Such who doubt not of their way must not proudly contemn Dissenters Some are to be pitied in their Errors when they are not indulged by the neglect of searching after Truth But a dissembled Compliance before thorow Conviction is an Hypocritical Flattery and will for advantage secretly undermine Foundation Principles Truth is best preserved when those who formerly opposed it are convinced of their Error and then such ought gladly to become its humble Clients yea much rather its blushing Captives With how peaceable Deportment did the very Apostles spread Evangelical Light to the Idolatrous Nations that they might win them to the Obedience of Christs Scepter This caused them to triumph in leading the captivity of the Devil captive forasmuch as they powerfully insinuated the Truth by the Conviction of an Holy Life made amiable by the Exemplarity of Meekness and Heavenly Self-denial But the separation of Peace from Holiness is a secret contempt of the God of Truth and will prove the Carcase only of Prosperity Therefore let us hold fast the Mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience as we expect that the darkest Providences should be cleared up to us in a propitious creating of serene and happy times Often times the Church of Christ which is the Darling of his Providence becomes a fiery Beacon by extremities of Affliction to warn others that if the Lord 's own People violate their Soul Chastity in not walking according to the Purity of the Christian Faith even They shall smart severely for it Let not the Romish Synagogue therefore boast of her pompous Visibility in her Prosperous Iniquities For though her outward Painting and Patching in Religion draw the Wonder of the Nations before they Wander after her Deceptions yet Heresies and Abominations will in due time undermine a Semblance of Tranquillity and Strip her bare as an Harlot of all the Ornaments which cover her obstinate Degeneracy The true Church may be Hid for a time as a Lilly among Thorns yet Rome in all her Glory is not arrayed like one of those Lillies when stained with Calumny or rather Beautified with the Blood of Martyrdom How comely and prevailing with God for Deliverance in Distress are silent Penitential Tears in the Dove-like Eyes of his People especially when they retain their Integrity in defending the Dowry of Truth and the Standard of Real Holiness Light is sown for the Righteous and Joy for the Upright in Heart This shall secretly spring up for such while dark Providences wind themselves about in rich Mines of Comfort through the Labyrinth of their perplexing Doubts and Fears Directions If we would get a Prospect of Bright Serene and Happy times observe these Directions following First Let the Eye of our Faith be cleared up from Prejudice and steadily fixt upon That vital Influx of Divine Power Wisdom and Fidelity in God which constantly takes care of his Espoused Interest under all those Convulsion-pangs which seem to dissolve the very Ligaments of Truth and Peace Faith can fetch a Desponding Soul to Life when Deadly Fears assault us Even while we are giving up the Ghost of Hope Mercy may come forth to meet us with Salvation Thus the Disciples cried out It is a Spirit when Christ walked on the Sea toward them to calm the Storm and allay the greater Tempest even Fears in their own Hearts Thus the darkest Season of the Night immediately precedes the Dawning of the Day The thickest Throws and Agonies not only contribute toward and make Way for but are the Signal of a Joyful and Speedy Birth Even Obstructions as Divine Wisdom orders them shall smooth the way to Safety A skilful Archer shuts one Eye to strengthen the Visive Spirits in the other that he may more dexterously level at the Mark. So suppress Carnal Reason as an unfit Judge of Divine Dispensations if you would gain the support of God's Propitiousness under seeming Desolations We should count our selves safe while the Helm is in God's Hand For though he suffers Storms and Difficulties to Encompass us yet no Engines shall ever gain their designed Point against the Lord's Inheritance 2. Direct Be wonderfully Affected with and Thankful for the First-fruits of Deliverance Zech. 4.10 It is very unbecoming to despise the day of small things yea it is a great sin to prejudge the Lords Work by the first view especially when it is certain that the Lord reserves his choicest Mercies as lovely Colours to be superinduced at last when he is resolved to express the Beauty of his Providence to the Life for a Confutation of our impatient Curosity A thankful Valuation of the least beam of Light when all hope of relief seemed perish'd is the only way to bring forward Deliverance to Maturity The Lord doth not undertake Works instampt with wonder to lay them aside without any care of bringing them to a Perfect Birth The widest deepest overflowing Rivers spring from a little Conduit Head So Sions Salvation goes forth at first like a Lamp only before it prove a Constellation of Brightness spreading over all the Expansions of Distress During the saddest Contexture of Providence the Spiritual Glory of Christs Evangelical Kingdom shall never set it shall spread the more by Opposition become Illustrious by those very Fogs and Mists which ascend out of the Bottomless Pit of Popish Heresie Treachery and Cruelty Those very Prayers which seemed lost shall return loaden with the Richest and Choicest Mercies The Lord will beautifie the Meek with Salvation therefore beg a Spiritual Eye to take a Prospect of Deliverance beyond the Limits of Present Sense Thus David having obtained Gods Word only for the Conquest of his Enemies triumphed before he struck a stroke so confident was he of Success He cried out Gilead is mine Manasse is mine over Edom will I cast my Shoe Which was a Sign of taking Possession of the Promise as if he