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	sin_n	15,720	5	5.7661	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61112	The righteous ruler a sermon preached at St Maries in Cambridge, June 28, 1660 / by John Spencer, B.D., fellow of Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge.	Spencer, John, 1630-1693.	1660 (1660)	Wing S4952; ESTC R37586	37,324	64

noise and lumber as should have frighted her away We have seen the Dove and the olive-branch of mercy peace and settlement after so many tossings and tempests nearly approaching us oh let us not fright them away by our revellings and debauches He that is hardened in his wickedness after ten mercies for so give me leave to account this unum magnum is little better then he that was hardened in it after ten judgements Let our joy be seasoned with trembling this should be the handmaid of all our joy Psal. 2. 11. trembling not out of distrust of God but our selves not for fear God will not continue but that we shall not deserve our happiness God forbid that the Tree of fortune as it is called should be so fairly blown that we might onely see how great hopes sin is able to blast God hath threatened an unreformed people that they should go out of one fire and another should devour them Ezek. 15. 7. and hath counselled England in Israel long ago 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. A bell sounds no longer then the tremor partium is continued our ears now hear the joyfull sound of the restoring of King Parliament liberty Church State but this is likely to be continued no longer then there be a holy trembling about us and a holy fear of forfeiting our mercies by our sins A good memento Joshua gave the Israelites Josh. 24. 20. If you forsake the Lord then he will turn and do you hurt after he hath done you good Let our joy be seasoned with devotion expressing it self in these duties 1. In a holy and devout admiration of the wisdome and counsel of God in this happy issue of his Providences He that should take but a superficial view of England for these last years past would be ready to conclude a divine Providence little concerned therein that it was a land contrary to what is said of Canaan Deut. 11. 12 which God cared not for and which the eyes of the Lord were never upon frō the beginning of each year to the end thereof But then whoso deliberately observes victory favouring now this party and anon the other to encourage the prosecution of the war till God had punished both the strange ballancings of parties for the safety of the whole the removal of so many persons of power and interest without power and might like great Oaks pulled up by a hair the strange state of the nation being like a ship on fire perishing and sinking in it self and even then a fear and a terrour to the nations round about his Majesty restored to his throne when his enemies fea●● and friends hopes were almost at an end finally the great ship of the State turned about with a very small helm by means much disproportioned whoso is wise and will observe these things will be invited to believe a God wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working to have interested himself in all the counter motions and seeming casualties we have stood spectatours of Our duty now is to admire the handy work of God to come and behold the works of the Lord and what desolations he hath made in the earth Psal. 46. 8. We should not be a nation seeing many things but observing them not Isa. 42. 20. What one saith of parables that they tend tum ad involucrum tum illustrationem veritatis for the concealment of truth before and for the illustration thereof after they are unfolded is true of the many contrary occurrences in the worid they seem to obscure a divine Providence while in contest and motion they occasion short spirited men to cry out Te facimus Fortuna Deam to conceit the world but a kinde of lottery that are no eyes in the wheels of Providence but in the happy issue and result of all they greatly evidence and advance a divine superintendency reason being warranted to conclude it excellent wisdome which could set so many crooked pieces into so comely a fabrick issue so many discords in so sweet a close and happy composure in the Church of God God gets himself glory when he hath accomplished his whole work upon mount Sion Isai. 10. 12. Secondly Let our devotion express it self in fervent prayers for the Nation and for his Majesty 1. For the Nation that seeing God hath now vouchsafed 〈◊〉 one head so we may have one heart Pray we here especially for union amongst Ministers It is a standing law of musick The leading notes must alway be concord Ministers are stiled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heb. 13. 7. our leaders if there be discord and variance amongst them it will sadly influence the nation Now this blessing of peace and union God onely in whose hand mens hearts are is impowred to bestow Jer. 32. 38. I will give them one heart and one minde Philosophy tells us that compositio is opus hominis but mistio is opus naturae Men may compound things of different nature clay and iron and silver and gold as in Nebuchadnezzars image but to make a reall mistion and incorporation between things is the sole prerogative of nature His Majesty under God hath compounded the people of the nation and put us into better form and order but God alone can miscere animas give us one minde and spirit books enough have been written for unity Scripture calls aloud to us in every Epistle almost to avoid contentions every one sees the evil of dividing our adversaries have confest our differences but circumstantial and such as call onely for a little mutual forbearance and yet we stand at distance and our hearts like stones ready to fly further off one from each other after our lying in the fire This assures us that the publick fires are not likely to be quencht but by buckets taken out of the Church the fervent prayers thereof This expedient the Apostle after his holy counsels useth as his reserve Rom. 15. 5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another To engage us to follow his example let us consider they are our divisions which strengthen the hands of enemies and sadden the hearts of Friends Antoninus an ingenuous heathen Emperour amongst other consolations proposed to himself to animate him against the fears of death useth this as the chief remember O my soul that thou art then to go {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from men not of a minde with thy self For if any thing would invite one saith he to honour this life with a wish it would be this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} if it were possible to live amongst men of the same opinion with ones self Certainly this makes Christians so weary of the world to see the sons of one common mother fall out about circumstances it is this which makes them so earnestly long to go to that place where alone unity in the faith is to be attained

continuance thereof so long in the world against all opposition made against it Great bandying there hath been against government at all times by the sons of Belial opposition against the eminency of Magistracy the spirit within us lusteth to envy against the restraint thereof Jude v. 8. Some despise dominion not onely Governours but Government it self is a burden to them Government is stiled the ordinance of God those that are above other ordinances are above this most of all There are three inward and three outward guards which God in mercy hath vouchsafed the world to keep sin out of it the three inward are the common principles of nature some remaining characters of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} antiently written upon the tables of our hearts 2. the dictates of Gods holy Spirit and silent whispers of that 3. the checks of an enlightened conscience the three outward are the sacred Scripture the Ministry with the spiritual and Magistracy with the civil sword now men fight with all these guards smother the light of nature grieve the spirit harden their consciences reject the Scriptures despise prophesyings and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the word is lay aside and null what they are able Magistrates and Dominions but now as we argue that the Scripture the light of nature the Ministry the checks of conscience are of Gods own appointing and owned by him in that all the malice of men and devils could never quite remove null and abolish them so we may conclude Magistracy sealed to by heaven in that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} men without law could never quit themselves thereof Many people have thrown off Governors but never any could throw off Government no sooner have they cut off one head but another comes up in the room thereof Government and Magistracy is a bush of thorns that pricks and tortures wicked men and it hath been often on fire and had long ere this been consumed but as we have reason to believe God is in it his mighty power is engaged in its defence This God owns Psal. 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants are dissolved but I bear up the pillars of it Seventhly God hath attested unto Sovereignty by suffering none of his servants in Scripture few or none in story to be guilty of wilfull opposing of lawfull authority or usurping the place of their lawfull Governour We finde many a wicked man guilty of this sin of opposing the Magistrate mentioned in the first particular many of deposing as Ieroboam in part Athaliah Zimri Herod and others but no good man in Scripture guilty of either And few or none shall we meet with in story guilty of this sin Tertullian apologizing for Christians among other things alledgeth this in their defence that among all the Assassins of Emperours nunquam inveniri potuerunt Christiani and Salmasius observes that not till much beneath the times of Austine occurs there any mention of any private Christian in all Ecclesiastick history qui Regi suo manus cruentas attulcrit vel qui armis contra Regem pugnarit and a late writer hath inlarged the observation telling us that in the succession of about six ages no man of any learning and reputation attempted any thing against the interest or honour of Princes excepting Lucifer Calaritanus who spake rude and unbeseeming words against Constantius the Arrian Emperour but to impeach the credit of his practise He is noted by S. Ambrose for a person that separated himself from the communion of the Church but as reverence to other divine commands wore off in time as the power that exalteth it self above all that is called God obtained in the world so to this among the rest of obedience to lawfull authority Gods olives and vines decline the Magistrates place whiles brambles scratch every one that would get above them None so easie to drive as Christs sheep they are the swine of the world that are hard to drive men of strong lusts and proud spirits which create Magistrates the greatest trouble They are filthy dreamers who despise dominion Jude v. 8. Eighthly God abets authority by that special blessing which he generally vouchsafeth upon the due execution of justice by men in power and Sovereignty It is seldome seen that private revenge though the matter of it might be just and deserved hath been happy and successfull whereas generally vindicta publica the punishment inflicted by a Magistrate in vindication of injured innocence hath succeeded happily Commonly private revenges take off one enemy and invite many but publick revenge executed by the rules of justice procures Gods especial blessing upon a person or nation Jer. 22. 3. Thus saith the Lord Execute judgement and righteousness and deliver the oppressed and I will bless you c. Prov. 21. 3. God in the first ages of the world did govern it and administer justice oftentimes immediately by his own hand and punished many a person as we reade with death for the violation of his laws whereas now God hath committed as all spiritual judgement to his son so all civil judgement to the Magistrate and therefore Gad hath a special blessing pronounced upon him for executing the justice of the Lord Deut. 33. 21. and in him every righteous magistrate These eight particulars laid together will evidence God to be a very great abettour and justifier of rule and Sovereignty in the world We learn hence two things 1. The unjustness of that charge so often drawn up against Religion as if an enemy to government a patron of State-disturbance When ever there have been state troubles atheists cry out Tantum relligio potuit c. religious persons have been alway thought the Iona's in the ship when there hath been a storm in the state Eliah esteemed a troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18. The apostles Acts 24. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and Acts 17. 6. those which turnd the world up side down so Esth. 3. 8. Some conceive this was the reason why Cyrus gave command so punctually to build the Temple but threescore cubits broad and threescore cubits high even a politick jealousie of the strength thereof as occasion might serve The heathens used to reproach the Gospel upon this account as may be collected probably from 1 Pet. 2. 14 15. Submit your selves unto Governours as unto them who are sent of God c. For so is the will of God that in well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolishmen whose mouths upon neglect of this duty were like an open Sepulchre to bury the good name of Christianity and the professors of it So 1 Tim. 6. 1. And we read in history of a pillar set up with this inscription Nomini Christianorum deleto qui Rempublicam evertebant Polititians have been always jealous of pretenders to Religion lest it should be used like the holy Ephod to hide a Sword