Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	hear_v	lord_n	pray_v	6,088	5	6.6801	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87586	Parliament physick for a sin-sick nation. Or, An ordinance of Parliament explained, and applyed to these diseased times. Containing a catholicall medicine for all natures and nations, but especially, a generall receipt for all the sickly people in our English-hospitall, and Welch-spittle, compounded after the art of the apothecary, and according to Parliament prescription, as hereafter followeth. Wherein thou mayst see as in an urinal-glasse, the dangerous state of thy English mother, and the genius of the reforming physitians, in seeking her speedy cure, and lasting happinesse, unto all succeeding ages. / By Philo-Parl. Imprimatur, Ja: Cranford.	Joceline, Nathaniel.; England and Wales. Parliament. aut	1644 (1644)	Wing J757; Thomason E45_13; ESTC R21825	121,637	146

did kisse the feet of Christ which argued her love Humility is an other simple this appeareth by the humble publican Luke 18.13 Saint Bernard saith Vadam ad por tas inseri ut jam non nisi in sola miser●cordia Dei respr●emus Bern. Ser. 3. de Annunt I will go to the gates of hell that all my hope may be onely in the mercy of God as you heard before humility is a preparing grace therefore we are commanded to humble our selves under the mighty hands of God 1 Pet. 5.6 Iam. 4.7 8 9. The soul will not draw nigh to God it will not mourne and weep til it be humbled an impenitent heart is a proud heart Needs must the potion of repentance be excellent Humble Addresses Ord. when the simples in it are so precious 2. It is also a succesfull remedy it hath done great yea the greatest cures look over the sacred Scripture-bils and you shall finde that repentance is a never-failing remedy Ionas 3. It prevailed for Nineveth when the sentence seemed to be gone out against her So that the Parliament seemeth to write at the end of the remedy Probatum est Now it is a succeesfull remedy 1. Because it is of divine prescription The Ordinance saith he hath left it to Nations brought neere to the gates of destruction and despaire Math. 4 17. Rev. 2.5 Luke 13.1 2. Because it is of Divine composition Donum opus Dei est Poenitentia the spirit of God who best knoweth the distempers of the soul doth not only prescribe it but also make it 2 Tim. 2.25 3. Because it is of Divine benediction without which nothing can be profitable Nihil ex se profictunt conatus omnes nostri tamen D●● be●●●● 〈…〉 Ma●● Math. 4.4 the best physicke in the Apoth●cary shop cannot cure the least disease without Gods blessing Exod. 15.26 I am the Lord that healeth thee 4. Because it is of Divine infusion God doth not onely prescribe and make it but also blesse and give it Acts 5.31 and 11.18 and therefore it is called a supernaturall grace Si●● tuonum●● nihil est in 〈◊〉 Marc. not onely because God doth compound it but doth also give it yea put it into the mouth of a sinner otherwise he would never take it it is so bitter to the sensuall tast of an impenitent sinner 3. Hold a good opinion of the curablenesse of the disease approved by these words in the Ordinance And may also prevaile for England In the judgment of the great colledge or S●●te Physitians England is not hopelesse or curelesse though it be sicke of a Mortall disease though our sinnes are infinite in numbe● and hainous in quality yea gray-headed iniquities yet the mercies of God are more greater and older then they Isa 1.18 Exod. 34.7 There is no sinne incurable but that impardonable sinne against the holy Ghost Math. 12.32 Iohn 5.16 and this sinne is therefore incurable because it is alwayes accompanied with impenitence Dan. Dyke or Repent it contemneth and rejecteth the physick that is offered by the preaching of the Gospell I finde by conference with the people of God that many of them are of Manoah his distrustfull temper Iudges 13.22 who said to his wife we shall surely die because we have seen God so say they one to another we shall surely perish we have seen God who is a consuming fire in more then any ordinary manner of late time not onely in Germany and Ireland but also in England But I finde that the wife of Manoah was of a better beliefe and that upon two good grounds Pet. Mart. in Judg 13.22 as Peter Martyr saith and so am I concerning Englands destruction and that for the same causes and therefore give me leave to comfort you as she did her husband 1. Be of a good cheere God will not utterly ruine this kingdom for if the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have required and received of us a burnt-offering now certainly God hath put the Kingdome upon the meanes of deliverance God hath required a burnt-offering on fast dayes wherein the whole kingdom hath been sacrificed to God many times weeks moneths yea above a whole yeare almost two yeares together we never read that God did destroy a Nation in the act of publicke Humiliation and a thorow Reformation Look over the 4 forenamed changes of the Kingdom of England and you shall not finde such an Ordinance as this whereby the Nation was put upon a deep and a generall Humiliation and publicke Reformation as now it is And we cannot deny but that God hath received our sacrifices or else questionlesse we had been long since consumed Beleeve it that God that hath prepared Englands heart to pray hath prepared his own eare to heare Psal 10 17. it is observed from this place that when God intendeth any especiall mercy to a Kingdom and people then the Lord doth especially prepare their hearts to pray as he did the hearts of the Israelites in Egypt before their deliverance and therefore it is laid down as a most certaine signe and infallible rule S●t igitur cert●ssimum signum nondum esse tempus liberationis quando corda nostra ad Deum non susp●●ant Muscul that then God will not deliver when our hearts do not sigh after God though I think there was never more sinning then now yet I think there was never more sighing and crying for all the abominations that are and have been done in the midst of us then now in this kingdome New-Englands teares and in other neighbouring and neighbourly countries Read Zach. 12.9 10 11 12. 2. Rouse up your spirits and rejoyce in the Lord and again I say rejoyce for if the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have shewn us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these verse 25. Wherefore be of good comfort Pet. Mart. we shall not die Questionlesse God hath discovered to us of late very strange things he hath brought to light the hidden things of darknesse Sed tempur revelab●t vestram virtutem convitratorum malitiam Oecolamp Licet igitur nunc traducant sed pos●ea vos etiam claros reddent Thoph Archiep. Popish Royal Favourite Mystery of iniquity Romes Master-piece P●●● Pol. Virg. l. 11. Sir Walt. Ral. Prerog Parl. and hath made manifest the counsels of the hearts of many seeming friends but reall enemies 1 Cor. 4.5 These years of discoveries are the very presages of the day of judgement If ever that place were fulfilled Math. 10.26 27. it is made good in these dayes wherein there is nothing covered which shall not bee or hath not been discovered what strange plots have been preached on the house tops witnesse the Declarations of both Houses concerning England and Ireland which will not onely lay open their malice against God and goodnesse but will also cleere up your

by an old experiment Iam. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitifull and of tender mercie It doth abound in him as the water doth in the sea there is an ocean of mercy in God Huge great mountain-sins are drowned in the ocean of Gods infinite mercy Mat. 21.21 This mountain is in every unbeleever 〈…〉 ●●●●oquoque infideli mons secundum mensuram infideli●atas suae Orig. Monter sunt portenta vttiorant mons est Satan quem loco movet fides Aretius according to the measure of infidelity either lesse or greater which the infinite mercy of God can onely cover and hide Psal 32.1 Great sins are great mountains but as the mercy of God is above all his works so above all our sins and can cover and drown them all as the old world in the Deluge Gen. 7.23 24. Therefore alwayes maintain in thy judgement a possibility of recovering thy spirituall health and strength in the humble and constant use of the soul-curing means of grace for this will cause thee with David to make a right use of God even when thou seest thy sins in their proper colours and in their monstrous greatnesse Psal 25.11 Not onely David had liberty to make use of the greatnesse of Gods mercy to cover the greatnesse of his sins but also the Church of God ought to doe so and there is incouragement enough to do it because the Psalmist argueth that all is free grace Hoc bene refertur ad personam Ecclesiae Cassiod Non inquam propter mea merita sed propter tuam misericordiam Hier. and not merit such is the boundlesse goodnesse of God that every penitent sinner hath as much liberty to swim in the Ocean of mercy as the Fish hath to play in the sea and the thirsty affrighted frog to skip into the poole for refreshment and safety Harsh conceits of God are not onely disadvantageous to a selfe-accusing and condemning sinner but also dishonourable to God himselfe as if he were lesse mercifull then the pitifull and debt-pardoning creditour Whereas all the mercie that is in Man is but a drop in comparison of that which is tyde-full in God Qua plenus est orbis Vatab. Psal 103.11 The earth is full of thy mercie By the Earth we are to understand three things 1. The Church of God Terra est Ecclesia Cardin. wherein is the especiall flow of Mercy and this tyde began when Christ began to redeem the world of Beleevers Iohn 8.16 And this is a tyde of blood which gushed out of the side of Jesus Christ Quando ●edimere nos venit Hieron and this is the red-sea of Mercie wherein the true beleeving Israelite is saved and the unbeleeving Egyptian cannot be drowned for Mercie is not the ruine of the creature but Justice 2. The Earth signifieth Sinners All penitent sinners are under the tyde of Mercie Terra peccator est Card. as the sands on the sea-shore are under the spring-tyde 1 Timoth. 1.15 3. The Earth signifieth the Inhabitants To which purpose Ierom quoteth Mat. 5.45 He sendeth the rain on the just and unjust Dumpeccatores sustinet blasphemos patienter expectat vitamque praestat indignis Cassiod Totus scilicet muudus Hieron Now the very wicked enjoy much mercy in this life for God doth sustain and maintain the very wicked themselves and he doth expect the conversion and repentance of the blasphemous Rom. 2.4 and doth reprieve such as are unworthy to live 4. Lastly by the Earth understand the whole world for as God is every where so is his mercy for it is inseparable from him Now God filleth the whole world 1 Kings 8.27 Yea the heaven of heavens cannot containe him So that I may allude to that in Psal 24.2 Hee hath founded the earth on the seas and established it on the floods of his mercies O Christian Reader strip thy self stark naked of all thy rags and menstruous clouts I meane thine own polluted righteousnesse and skip into the sea of Gods mercy from oft the rocke of divine contemplation or that rock Christ and swim therein yea play therein like the Leviathan Iob. 41. who maketh a path to shine after him and is without feare But be sure thou skip and plunge thy selfe over head and eares with the two bladders of swimming Christians I mean with Faith and Hope under thy Arme holes Spe● side● sunt v●si● espi●tuales these will keep thee from sinking though the weight of thy sinnes be never so heavy even breaking thy backe and bending the very Axeltree of Divine patience Peter wanted these bladders when he began to sinke in the sea Math. 14.30 31. the Apostle saith we are saved by hope as a young swimmer by his bladder Rom. 8.24 Think not that God will be displeased at the venturing thy eternal welfare upon his mercy through the Merits of Jesus Christ for the Psalmist saith the Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 In this verse the Psalmist joyneth feare and hope together for 2 reasons 1. To shew us that none will feare God with a filiall feare but such as hope in his mercy 2. To informe a young beginner to swim that he must joyne with his Feare of drowning and perishing Hope or a possibility of landing in the Haven of happinesse Ille ergo t●mor deo ●cceptus qui 〈…〉 Aug. Gl●s Iudas did Feare but did not Hope and therefore he was drowned in the bottomlesse gulph of despaire therefore we must labour for such a feare of Gods justice as may stand with a godly hope of his mercy The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him in those that hope in his mercy Secondly hold a good opinion of the goodnesse of the physick It is called in the Ordinance The excellent and successeful remedy of Repentance 1. It is an excellent remedy because it is compounded of the best and most precious Simples as Faith Hope Charity Humility Vera poenitetia non est solacomtatio s●d sides Luth. Suaquemque fides salvam facit Theoph. There is Faith in Repentance it is the root of it Faith is a Mother-grace Repentance is a Daughter-grace See how they are united Act. 20.21 Act. 2.38 In the order of Nature faith is first but in the order of time they are twins and both together Hope is an other simple it is impossible that a man should repent relent come in and submit to God if he apprehend nothing in God but the vigour of justice Psal 130.4 Hope as it is a fruit of faith bringeth in the soul creeping and crouching before God as the Syrians to Ahab 1 Kings 20.31 Charity is a third ingredient a man rejoyceth at the offence of him he hateth Osculatur pedes quos te●sit mul●er Greg. Christ imputeth the teares of that sinfull woman to her love Luke 7.47 this penitent sinner

innocency to the world in standing for the good of King and Kingdome in a Parliamentary way the good old way of this Kingdom and mixed Monarchy The very truth in Christ Jesus is God is fitting his people for great mercies 1. By humbling of us we did trust too too much in Parliaments Armies and Commanders we made flesh our arm which is an accursed sinne Ier. 17.5 and I pray God we may not Idolize the Scots 2. By dividing of us Non ub●que bona est concordia sed bonum quandoque est dissidium Theoph. Arch. Et impediunt a salute Anno 1071. the precious from the vile never did England know such a division as this day it feeleth which is the work of Christ Math. 10.34 35 36. And therefore must needes tend to the good of his members and spouse the Church militant on earth For this separation it is not from Christ but from such familiars and kindred as were hindrances to piety and obstacles in the way to salvation thus said that Archbishop in his time It tendeth to the quiet state and healthfull condition of the body to cast out disagreeing humours saith Chrysostome Cum id quod insanabiliter se habet abscinditur Chrysost The Physitian preserves the body by cutting off that which is incurable So it was in the building of the tower Babell there an evil peace was dissolved by a good discord So Paul caused a division amongst those that were against him for peace is not alwayes good Propterea bellum missum est bonum ut rumperetur pax mala Hieron for theeves agree amongst themselves Prov. 1.14 thus far Chrysostome To the same purpose speaketh Hierome and Augustine Every house hath some unbeleevers in it now Christ sendeth a division that an evil peace may be broken Christ is said to make this warre and division according to Scripture phrase Sed illorum mal●tia Chrysost when as it is procured by their own Malignity To conclude let not go your confidence that all things shall work together for good like bitter pills and contrary simples in one and the same body Rom. 8.28 Bel●eve though England be a sin-sick Nation and brought neere to the gates of ruine and destruction yet the Lord can and will raise his Church from Death to life me thinketh the Lord speaketh to England 〈◊〉 a me 〈◊〉 manebo 〈◊〉 Rex 〈…〉 Occ●l as once to Israel Hoseah 13.9 c. O England thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help I will be thy King where is any other that can save thee in all thy cities and thy judges I will ransome thee from the power of the grave I will redeeme thee from death 〈…〉 O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Repentance shall be hidden from mine eyes Ier. 30.10 Therefore feare thou not O my servant Iacob saith the Lord and be not dismaide O Israel for loe I will save thee from afarre and thy seed from the land of their Captivity and Iacob shall return and shall be in rest and be quiet and none shall make him afraid for I am with thee 〈…〉 saith the Lord to save thee Though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have scattered thee yet I will not make a full 〈◊〉 thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished Lastly let the consideration of this Aphorisme not onely encourage the whole Church of God to repent and help on the work of God in the Kingdome but also the Parliament to continue in faithfulnesse for the Churches utmost help this Aphorisme tells that thrice Noble Senate that there are many and great hopes that they are the men God hath appointed to repaire our breaches and to heale our land which like Lazarus is full of sores Luke 16 20. To this purpose consider 3. things First what God hath done for you never more for any Parliament in England then for you if you dweh on these Heads by serious meditation Herb. Pal p 68 it will plainly appeare 1. What a never-dying authority God hath put into the body of your meeting 2. The Majesty where with he hath clothed your face yea your feet are beautifull and wayes terrible 3. The strength where with he hath girded you 4. The victories given you 5. The Armies of Prayers afforded you all the Kingdome over 6. Almost a two-yeares Fast kept for you 7. Protestations and Covenants made by with and for you 8. Your growth in courage and zeale for God and his Church notwithstanding your more then ordinary oppositions and State-dangers Secondly consider what God hath done by you I cannot name particulars your Journals and Records wil tell you that God never did more by any English-Parliament Thirdly consider the many rich promises made to you whiles you work in and for God Exod. 4.12 Iosh 1.5 6. Neh. 4.20 Victoria Vat. Your God shall fight for you Prov. 24.6 In the multitude of your counsellors there shall be safetie or victorie THE THIRD PART CHAP. IX The Patients the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales IT is therefore thought most necessary by the Lords and Commons in Parliament Parl. Ord. R. that all His Majesties Subjects in this Kingdome of England be excited and stirred up speedily to lay hold upon this onely and unfailing remedie of Repentance c. ALSO It is ordained That every Minister and Preacher of Gods Word Parl. Ord. E. in the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales most earnestly perswade the constant practice of Repentance c. APHORISME 5. England is a Sin-sick Nation and a Parliament Patient This Aphorisme consisteth of two parts First that England is a sin-sick Nation Secondly that it is a Parliament Patient Of ●oth these briefly and first of the first England is a Sin-sick Nation The present lamentable face of it doth too apparently shew it Also he that knoweth it not is very ignorant either of the nature of a Nationall distemper or of this Kingdomes condition Look over the foure great changes of England since it was a Nation and thou shalt finde the same sinnes and sores now which were in any or all of them insomuch that our Narionall sinnes and sicknesse seemeth to be hereditary Yea our dayes are but the August and Harvest of their seed-times So that I may say to England and to Wales as Moses said to the Reubenites and the Gadites Numb 32. ver 14. Behold you are risen up in your fathers stead an increase of sinfull men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel Look over the writings of late times Batton Bast ●in and you shall finde the truth of this Aphorisme Acquaint thy selfe with the Parliament Declarations Kingdome Petitions and Englands sicknesse will seeme to be mortall Doe but well pry into the state of thy parish family and Countie where thou livest Non