Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	multitude_n	psal_n	2,055	5	7.5039	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81241	Gods rising, his enemies scattering; delivered in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, at their solemne fast, 26. Octob. 1642. But, through many occasions and hinderances, not printed till this 25. of May 1644. By Thomas Case, preacher, at Milk-street, London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1644 (1644)	Wing C830; Thomason E127_38; ESTC R4759	45,209	66

God I will praise thee O my God our affections to solace them in the contemplation of the wonders of mercy done for us Oh that we could Work our hearts so into the thoughts of God and his Workes that we could say with David How precious are thy thoughts to me O God Psal 139.17 19 How great is the summe of them they are more in number then the sand when I awake I am still with thee Secondly Let us exalt him in our mouthes Psal 66.17 I cryed to him with my mouth and hee was extolled with my tongue If we have cried to him with our mouthes and he hath heard and answered it is but our duty we should extoll him with our tongve and we may say so Wee have called and hee hath answered We have cried and he hath said here I am Yea behold while this day wee have been presenting our supplications unto him he hath sent in a speedy and a rich return of prayer in vouchsafing a wonderfull and stupendious Deliverance and Victorie to our Noble Gencrall and the Forces with him yonder at Edge-Hill the certainty and some prticulars whereof at this instant God hath sent me hither by an * At this moment the Lord Wharton sent up to me in the pulpit the first relation of the victory at Edge Hill which then I read to the great satisfaction and admiration of the whole Congregation abundance of teares being shed for joy Psal 65.5 Honourable hand God herein having done himself and us that honour that he did to Danicl Dan. 9.23 At the beginning of thy supplication the command came forth Yea before we were preparing our prayers God hath been preparing an answer full of wonder and mercy By terrible things in Righteousnesse hast thou answered us O God of our salvation Christians God you see is Risen he hath stirr'd up his glory let us awake our Glory our tongus to trumpet forth his praises Awake my glory awake Psalterie and Harp I my self will awake right early Behold God hath turnd our day of Hmiliation into a day of Thanksgiving and so hath fulfilled that promise Psal 125.6 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy c. We that sowed in tears in the morning do reap in joy in this our evening A quick return Shall not wee for this go on with the Psalmists resolution Psal 57.9 10 11. I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing to thee among the nations For thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the cloudes Bee thou exalted O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth O that the fathers would be telling their children and one Christian be making over the report unto another of the righteous Acts of the Lord Oh that to the perpetuating of the memory of Gods loving kindenesse wee would all put our selves under the Prophet Isaiahs Engagement Isa 63.7 I will mention the loving kindnesse of the Lord and the prayses of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodnesse towards the house of Israel which hee hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses And again Psal 71.15 that of the Psalmist My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse and holy salvation all the day for I know not the numbers thereof Rejoyce in the Lord Psal 33.1 O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright c. Thirdly and lastly Let us exalt God in our lives Take heed I beseech you of honouring God in our duties and dishonouring of him in our conversations of exalting of him with our tongues and casting him down in our lives This were to imitate those wretched Iews who carried up our Saviour to the top of the Mountain that they might throw him down the pracipice and break his neck Let not our lives give the lie to our duties Walk becommingly to your mercies and becommingly to your duties Let an holy sweet gracious conversation be the Paraphrase of our duties and a Comment upon our dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving I will conclude with that earnest obsecration and obtestation of the Apostle I beseech you therefore brethren Rom. 12.1 by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service It is unreasonable as well as irreligious to give God our mouthes and sinne our lives to give the dead sacrifice to God and the living sacrifice to the devill God hath done all let him have all Our Hearts Mouthes Lives When God doth great things for us hee expects great things from us and if wee labour not to answer his expectations wee are undone Consider what I say 2 Tim 2.7 and the Lord give you a right understanding in all things Amen FINIS November 17. 1640 Doctor Burgesse Jer. 50.5 November 17. 1640 Master Marshall 2 Chron. 15.2 Before the recieving of the Sacrament Novemb. 29. Mr. Gauden Zach. 8.19 At the thanksgiving of the Vnion betwixt England and Scotland September 7. 1641 Mr. Marshall Psal 124.6 7 8. September 7. 1641 Mr. Burroughs Isai 66.10 November 5. Dr. Burgesse Psal 76.10 Decemb. 22. 1641 Mr. Calamy Jerem. 18.7 8. Decemb. 22. 1641 Mr. Marshall 2 Kings 23.25 26. February 23. 1641 Mr. Calamy Ezek 36.32 February 23. 1641 Mr. Marshall Judg. 5.23 March 30. 1642 Dr. Burgesse not Printed Jerem. 4.14 March 30. 1642 Mr. Ash Psalm 9.9 Aprill 27. 1642 Mr. Thomas Goodwyn Zach. 4.6 7 8. Aprill 27. 1642 Mr. Carryll Revel 2.2 3. May 25. 1642 Mr. Harris Luke 18.6 7 8. May 25. 1642 Mr. Ob. Sedgwich Jerem. 4.3 June 29. 1642 Dr. Gouge Nehem. 5.19 June 29. 1642 Mr. William Sedgwich Isaiah 62.7 July 27. 1642. Mr. Reynolds Hosea 14.8 July 27. 1642. Mr. Hill Proverbs 23.23 August 31. 1642 Dr. Downing not Printed 2 Thes 3.2 August 31. 1642 Mr. Carter Judges 20.26 27 28. Septemb. 28. 1642. Mr. Hodges Psalm 113.5 6. Septemb. 28. 1642. Mr. Wilson Hebrews 11.30 October 26. 1642. Dr. Temple Psalm 2.6 October 26. 1642. Mr. Case Psalm 68.1 Novemb. 5. M. Newcomen Nehem. 4.11 Novemb. 28. 1642 Mr. Herle Zachary 8.19 Novemb. 28. 1642 Mr. Vines Numb 14.24 Decemb. 28. 1642 Mr. Valentine Zepha 3.8 Decemb. 28. 1642 Mr. Corbet 1. Corinthians 1.27 Ianuary 25. 1642. Mr. Arrowsmith Leviticus 26.25 Ianuary 25. 1642. Mr. Whittaker Haggai 2.7 February 22. 1642. Mr. Bridges 2 Sam. 19 5 6 7 8. February 22. 1642. Mr. Ellis Micah 5.5 March 29. 1643 Mr. Gibons not Printed March 29. 1643 Mr. Lightfoot Luke 1.14 April 26. 1643 Mr. Ley Ieremy 4.21.22 April 26. 1643 Mr. Greenhill Matthew 3.10 May 31. 1643 Mr. Perne Micah 4.5 May 31. 1643 Mr. Cheinell Zachary 2.7 Thanksgiving Sermons for the discovery of a dangerous and bloody Designe tending to the utter subversion of the Parliament and the Famous City of London Before the Lords Iune 15. 1643 Mr. Calamy Ioshua 24.15 Iune 15. 1643 Mr. Herle Psalm 95.1 Before the Commons Iune 15. 1643 Mr. Marshall Revelation 15.2 3 4. Iune 15. 1643 Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick Ester 9.1 Iune 28. 1643 Mr. Carter Exodus 32.9 10. Iune 28. 1643 Mr. Palmer Esther 4.13 14. At a Fast before both Houses and the Assembly of Divines Iuly 7. 1644 Mr. Bowles Iohn 2.7 Iuly 7. 1644 Mr. Newcomen Isaiah 62.67 At an extraordinary Fast Iuly 21. 1643 Mr. Hill Revelation 12.11 Iuly 21. 1643 Mr. Spurstow 1 Samuel 7.6 Iuly 21. 1643 Mr. Vines not Printed Iuly 26. 1643 Mr. Conant Jer. 30.7 Iuly 26. 1643 Mr. Sympson Isaiah 4.5 August 30 1643 Mr. Tuckney Jerem. 8.22 August 30 1643 Mr. Coleman Jerem. 8.20 September 27 1643 Mr. Chambers Zach. 7.5 6. September 27 1643 Mr. Anthony Burges Mark 1.2 3. At the taking of the Covenant of the three Kingdomes September 29. Mr. Coleman Jer. 30.21 October 6. Mr. Carill Nehem. 9.38 October 25. 1643 Mr. Wilkinson Zach. 1.18 19 20 21. October 25. 1643 Mr. Salwey 1 King 18.21 Novemb. 29. 1643 Mr. Mew Isaiah 42.24 25. Novemb. 29. 1643 Mr. Bridge Zach. 1.18 19 30 21. and Chap. 2.1 At the Funerall of Mr. Pym. December 15. Mr. Marshall Mich. 7.1 2. Decemb. 27 1643 Mr. Henderson Ezra 7.23 Decemb. 27 1643 Mr. Strickland Isaiah 10.12 January 31 1643 Mr. Cawdrey Prov. 29.8 January 31 1643 Mr. Rutherfurd Dan. 6.26 February 28. 1643 Mr. Baylie Zach. 3.1 2. February 28. 1643 Mr. Young Psal 31.24 March 27 1644 Mr. Gillespie Ezek. 43.11 March 27 1644 Mr. Bond Isaiah 45.15 At the Thanksgiving for the Victory given to our Forces under Sir William Waller and Sir William Balfore over Sir Ralph Hoptons Army April 9. 1644 Mr. Sedgwick Psalm 3.8 April 9. 1644 Mr. Case Daniel 11 32. At the thanksgiving for the Victory given to the forces under the Command of the Noble Lord Fairfax at Selby in Yorke Shire Aprill 23. 1644 Mr. Perne Exodus 34.6 Aprill 23. 1644 Mr. Carryl Revelations 11.16 17. Aprill 24. 1644. Dr. Staunton Deut. 32.31 Aprill 24. 1644. Mr. Greene Nehemiah 1.3 4. FINIS

execution of his righteous and dreadfull judgements for a time in the world then the cursed malignity and venom that is in the spirits of wicked men will discover it self to purpose They will rage and storm plunder and imprison deflowre virgins ravish women murder burn destroy and exercise all the cruelty and villany that the wit of malice can invent lie swear and forswear curse blaspheme and even dare the God of heaven to do his worst In a word then the Atheisme and villany that is in their spirits will break out like a stream of wild-fire devouring all that stands before it Like a Wolf when the Shepherd is out of the way or laid down to sleep then falls a worrying and tearing the poor sheep and tender lambs The encouragement to all this villany is Gods lying still They break in pieces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherlesse What is it that emboldens them to all this villany It follows They say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it The enemies of God that are up in arms against him and his people in this Kingdom have put such blasphemous Glossee upon this Text that if David were alive he would bee afraid to read his own Text in Paraphrase Surely because sentence against evill doers Eccles 8.11 is not spcedily executed therefore the heart of these sonnes of men or rather these sonnes of Belial is fully set in them to do evil They take Gods silence for Gods consent because hee holds his peace Psal 50.21 they think he is altogether like themselves But hee will reprove them and set their sinnes in order before their eyes And surely in that order there will bee nothing else but confusion And this may be the meaning of those words of Simeon to Mary Luke 2.35 A sword shall passe through thine own soul that the thoughts of many bearts may he revealed that is God would leave his own dear Son in the power of men and make as if hee were asleep and did not see that so the secret hypocrisie and atheisme and villany that was in mens spirits might fully discover it self That 's the first Reason Secondly Hos 5.15 God doth this that he may see what his people will do I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offences c. I will see whether they will confesse and mourn and repent and humble themselves and pray and wait and keep close to God and stand for him and venture their Liberties Estates and Lives for Jesus Christ and his Gospel Whether they love father and mother sonne or daughter or any thing in the world more then me Yea Brethren God seems to sleep that they may not sleep he seems to sleep that hee may awaken them out of the sleep of security hee seems to lie still that he may raise them up hee lets the cradle of his Providence stand still a while till the children crie and then he bestirs himself with the tender hearted mother Thirdly hee doth this that so wee may see what hee will do Stand still and see the salvation of God God seems to sleep that so his enemies may go on and gather themselves together and so he may bring them all into an Ambush and destroy them together Gods sleeping time is nothing else but his enemies Ambushing-time There are two famous places for this Josh 11.19 20. speaking there of the Nations the Text saith Iosh 11 19 20. There was not a Nation that made peace with the children of Israel save the Gibeonites why For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they might go against Isracl in Battell that they might bee destroyed and finde no mercy God suffered them to gather together that so they might be destroyed together and save Israel a labour in pursuing and slaughtering them in too many places There is a prophesie of the like Providence in the fourth of Micha 11 12 13. verses where you shall finde God using the same Stratagem It shall come to passe that many Nations shall gather together against Sion one poor little Sion that in all naturall probability was not able to have raised strength enough to have waged war with one Nation behold many Nations associate against her armed with fury as well as with power For so you hear them insulting and threatning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Insultabimus or per metathesin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adultera est punietur Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Let her be defiled or lapidetur let her be stoned which was the proper punishment of Adulteresses and so some read it She is an adulteresse or unclean defiled and therefore let her bee stoned put to death so they palliat their cruelty with the garment of Justice as if they came but to execute Gods Commission so Rabsheka Isa 36.10 Am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it The Lord said to me go up against this land and destroy it They pretend Justice I say but they betray malice and hatred in the very next words Let our eye look upon Sion i. e. let us delight and sport our selves in the desolation of Sion they promise to satisfie both their lust and cruelty at once upon Sion and what should hinder them God seems to be asleep all this while and there is but one Sion to many Nations one would surely give Sion for lost that should see her beset with such multitudes of Armies and her God stand by and say nothing all this while Oh but saith the Prophet let them alone fear them not let them come when they will They know not the thoughts of the Lord they know what they mean they know not what God meanes They little know what a designe God hath upon them stand still and see the Salvation of God for saith he God all this while is but laying an ambush for them and when he hath them at the advantage you shall see what work the Lord will make with them Vers 13. for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor Arisc and thresh O daughter of Zion For I will make thine horn iron and I will make thy hoofs brasse and thou shalt beat in pieces many people They had thought to have thrasht Sion but Sion shall thrash them They had thought to have destroyed Sion but Sion must destroy them God ariseth and bids Sion thrash them Lay on Sion spare them not till thou hast beat them to dust I will stand by thee and strengthen thee to do execution to purpose upon these Enemies and haters of God and Sion I will make thine horne iron and thy hoofs brasse thou shalt hold out till thou hast utterly consumed them The sum of all you have Isa 1.28 The destruction of transgressours and of sinners shall be together God

lets them go and gather themselves together and then when they think they are ripe for their Designes God findes them ripe for his and destroys them at once All the vse I shall make of this Vse shall be onely to turn you to that place and the Lord turn your hearts to it Isa 26.6 7. O you that are the Lords remembrancers Isa 62.6 7. give him no rest till he arise c. For that very purpose hath God set you upon the wall that when he seems to sleep you should come and awaken him and give him notice of the approach of the Enemie and cry him up to the rescue of his Church and people Arise O Lord least man prevail c. This is your very calling you that are the Ministers of the Gospel and people of the Lord Give him therefore no rest untill you have raised him out of his holy habitation and till he hath made Sion the praise of the whole earth It is our sin and folly that if God seem to be a sleep we go to sleep too if God be down we are down also either in security or despaire What mean you oh sleepers arise and call upon your God c. and awaken him with your importunate cries Let God arise c. But so much for that point I come now to the fourth Doctrine which is this God hath a time wherein he will awake and arise Doct. 4 though he hath seemed before to be asleep you need not doubt of the truth hereof you have the promise from Gods own mouth Isa 33.10 Now will I arise and oft in Scripture elsewhere c. And the servants of the Lord dare beleeve him upon his word Psal 102.12 Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion God promiseth it and they beleeve it and dare not do otherwise Now that which I shall endeavour to do in the managing of this precious truth shall be these four things viz. First to open to you the meaning of the phrase what it doth import and shew you what it is for God to arise Secondly I shall shew you what these Nows or times are when God will arise and when his people may expect that he will exalt himself in their behalf Thirdly The Grounds of it why God will arise Fourthly I shall improve it according to the seasonablenesse thereof First What it is for God to arise I will arise c. God doth like himself but he speaks like man for the infirmity of our flesh this I shall desire you to carry along with you while I open this expression to you for which purpose take this in Generall look whatsoever this phrase doth import amongst men you shall finde in Scripture the same things are attributed vnto God and God doth assume them to himsef when he doth arise for the deliverance of his people Now this expression amongst men namely to arise That is to arise to the undertaking of some work as the Encountring with and the Conquering of an Enemy as here it doth imply six or seven gradations and you shall finde them all in Scripture to bee attributed unto God First to arise amongst men in the first degree of it doth implie an opening of the eyes a man cannot arise till he be awaked and this very thing you shall finde attributed to God God himself useth the expression Exod. 3.7 8. I have surely seen the affliction of my people c. God hath seemed for some hundreds of yeers together to have been asleep and all that while to have taken no care what became of his people in Egypt therefore the first newes of Deliverance comes to them in this language God is awaked and hath seen your affliction c. Secondly It doth imply a taking of counsell Counsell is nothing else but the awaking and raising of the Intellectualls to any undertaking and this also God doth assume to himself You may hear him calling all his Enemies to take notice of the counsell which he took against them Ier. 49.20 Therefore heare the Counsell of the Lord that he hath taken against Edom Ier. 49.20 and his purpose that he hath purposed against the Inhabitants of Teman Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out Surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them and so Chap. 51.11 there God speaks thus My devise is against Babylon to destroy it this is the second step of Gods vengeance God had opened his eyes to see the opressions of his people in Babylon as formerly in Egypt and now God calls as it were a Councell of War how he may execute his vengeance upon Babylon The vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his Temple Thirdly it implieth resolution a man is up when his spirit and resolutions are up Isa 14.24 25 26. and this is attributed unto God also as I have thought saith God so it shall stand God had a long time lyen still and then they began to trample God and his people under foot and God is resolved to bear it no longer therefore faith he This is my purpose I am determined what to do I will cast the Assyrians out of the Land Fourthly Rising amongst men implieth preparing and making ready for warre preparing men monies Ammunition and all other manner of warlike Artilleries 2 Sam. 3.21 saith Abner to David I will arise and go and gather all Israel together that is I will prepare them for warre and thus God is exprest Psalm 7.12 13. If a man will not turn hee will whet his sword hee hath bent his bow and made it ready hee hath also prepared his instruments of death c. Hear and tremble and desire the people of God to pray for you if there be any of the enemies of God and his people here this day you are all dead men God hath whet his sword and bent his bow and made it ready against all that are up in Arms against him and his people how can you escape Fifthly Another step or gradation in mans and so in Gods rising in the sence mentioned is The putting on of the Armour the harnessing of himself for the Battell Then is a man up when he hath put on his clothes and then is a Souldier up when hee hath put on his Armour and this also is spoken of God by the Prophet in Elegant language as hee was taught by the holy Ghost And hee looked and there was no man Isaiah 59.17 and hee wondred there was no Intercessour therefore his own Arm brought salvation c. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as with a cloak Thus you see God armed from head to foot then wo bee to his enemies for it follows Verse 18. According to their deeds accordingly will hee repay fury to his adversaries recompence to his enemies to the Ilands he will repay recompence Sixtly It doth imply a Marching toward the enemie It was the word

change thy voice before I have done I will make thee know I am God and thou but man when thou shalt die a base and ignominious death the death of the uncircumcised A third Now is when the people of God are persecuted for Gods sake when God and truth and Religion is the onely quarrell Psal 44.22 and this Argument doth the Church plead for her selfe For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter as if they should have said it is true Lord we are not so good as we should be but truly the Enemies do not persecute us because we are so bad but because we are no worse The quarrell is That we are thine and desire to stand for thy Cause v. 23. v. 26. and for thy truth And therefore upon this consideration she bottoms her petition and doubles it verses 23 26. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever ver 26. Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercies sake And as upon this ground the Church beggs Isaiah 66.5 so upon the same God promiseth her Deliverane Hear the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed because they were excommunicated and exiled and reproachfully used for no other reason but because Gods Name was called upon them God promiseth to stir up himself and appear for their Redemption Psal 60.4 And this promise you finde made good Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee that it may be displayed because of thy truth Because the people of God stood up for the Truth of Doctrine and Discipline for the truth of Worship and pure Ordinances therefore God gave them a banner that is for deliverances and victories over their Enemies fresh and frequent occasions of triumph and joy Because the truth of God was precious in their eyes therefore their lives were precious in Gods eyes A fourth Now of Gods rising is when the Enemies grow outragious and unsatisfiable in cruelty See that place Isa 33.8 Isa 33.8 The high waies lye waste the wayfaring man ceaseth hee hath broken the covenant he hath despised the Cities he regardeth no man See there how the enemie in his pride and cruelty had laid all waste the land before him was a Garden of Eden Behinde him a desolate wildernesse there was no pity nor humanity left in him saith God it is time for me to arise If I sit still they will not leave me one that fears my Name alive to praise me I will hold no longer I will arise and that you may know God is in good earnest he trebles it Now will I arise Now will I be exalted Now will I lift up my self Esther 7.8 God seems to ask that angry question that Ahashuerus did concerning Haman What will he force the Queen before my face So saith God What will they plunder and burne and tear up women with childe and dash the childrens brains against the stones and devour all before my face and shall I let them alone Nay I will arise and cut them off in the midst of their rage and madnesse against my people Fifthly God doth rise when his Enemies daringly begin to open their mouthes in cursed plasphemies against him Psal 74.22 God usually suffers it not long at their hands therefore the Church takes that hint of calling out God to her succour Psal 74.22 arise Lord remember how the wicked men blaspheme thee daily three times this Argument is used in that Psalm q. d. Lord if our peace and lives and comforts were onely concerned in this matter we would have held our peace but lord thy Glory lies at stake wicked men take occasion from thy Patience and long-sufferance to blaspheme thee to thy face v. 18. dost thou not hear how the foolish men rail upon thy name and reproach thee daily And what wilt thou do for thy great Name Oh forget it not Lord Forget not the voice of thine Enemies v. 23. the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Sixthly When he seeth his people in a helplesse condition and if he do not rise they must of necessity fall and if he do not appear they must perish Deut. 36.32 when he seeth their power is gone and there is none left and when he seeth they are like to be swallowed up by the devouring Enemie then he will arise Then the Lord shall Judge his people and repent himself concerning his servants Seventhly When God seeth his people deeply affected with and afflicted for the sufferings of the Saints when they lay to heart the sorrowes and sufferings of Zion This is an hour when God will arise Psal 102.17 Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion Why Oh saith she the set time is come I but how knew she that She will tell you For thy Servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof The prophet observ'd how the people of God behaved themselves when the Churches were in misery he could see them every where wringing their hands and mourning for Zion crying out alas for Zion this is Gods bebeloved Zion whose stones ly in the dust and she in her blood c. saith God I can forbear no longer If I hold my peace and do not arise and deliver them these poore children will cry their eyes out of their head and themselves to death Now I will arise c. But Eightly When gods people accept of their punishments that is Levit. 26.41 when under the afflictions that lie upon them they are sensible of divine displeasure * 1 King 8.47 turn in upon themselves labour to finde out the * Josh 17.17 accursed thing the Achan that troubles Israel acknowledge the equity of Gods dealings * Nehe. 9.33 justifying God and judging themselves Yea not the Equity onely but the * Ezra 9.13 moderation and indulgence of Gods proceedings in laying the affliction farre beneath the provocation and in conscience of offended justice labour to * Mich. 7.9 submit and ly down at Gods feet study Gods meaning and labour to answer his expectation to * Mich. 6.9 hear the rod and him that smites when I say God sees his people in such a posture God hath them where he would and then saith God I will remember my Covenant with Jacob Levit. 26.42 and also my Covenant with Israel and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the land Gods remembrance is a part a degree of Gods Rising when God saies he remembers and sees the affliction of his people it will not be long before hee march forth for their Salvation as you saw before Ninthly When God seeth his people cordially and

soul that seeketh him That is The Lord is better to such a people then victory The Lord is better then peace The Lord is better then trading c. The Lord is better to such a soul then a cure if they be sick Then enlargement if in prison then a Ransome if in the Enemies hand better then a Deliverance be they under what affliction soever Oh friends that you would study this Text that you knew experimentally this truth Yea Oh if you would but studie to know it truly well may the Lord himself be better for even a waiting frame of heart it self is better then any of these for all these are but gifts a waiting frame of spirit is a grace a people or person may have all these deliverances and perish never see Gods face but there is none that possesseth such a frame of Spirit but he hath God to be his portion it sprang from the fountain of Gods speciall love in Christ and it will carry the soul back thither again And therefore remember that counsell of the Apostle Iam. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect work There is a work of patience and there is a perfect work for to stay and waite a yeer or two for a deliverance is a work of patience to bear small trialls and great trials is a work of patience but to bear the greatest trials and to bear them as long as God will have them lie Chap. 5.7 8. to waite patiently till the coming of the Lord i. e. till he come and bring with him the mercie and Salvation prayed for and waited for this is a work and a perfect work of patience The Lord give us this and it will be the greatest kindnesse that God can do for us Well study it pray for it that as the trialls shall arise so our patience may arise also Psal 27. vlt. Let us be often renewing Davids charge upon our soules Wait thou on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Rise in your patience Seventhly Rise in your mutuall love one towards another God is Risen up against our Enemies shall we rise up one against another God forbid Hear the Apostle If ye bite and devour one another Gal. 5.15 take beed ye not consumed one of another Truly friends it were better the Cavaleeres should destroy us then ever it should be reported abroad in the world that praying Christians did destroy and devour one another it would be lesse scandall and reproach to Christ and his Gospell For the divisions of Reuben there are great thoughts of heart for the divisions of London and the Ministers and professors in London and elsewhere are great searchings of heart I professe to you Sirs I fear them more then I do all the power and policie of the blasphemous Enemie Yea I know they promise themselves more from our divisions then they do from all their own combinations Let us study I beseech you to disappoint and baffle their expectations To that end hear the Apostle most pathetically wooing of you Phil. 2.1 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels and mercies Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind If you cannot hit it to be of one minde yet I beseech you labour to be of one heart why should we not One body one Spirit one Hope one Faith one Lord one Baptisme Ephes 4.4 5 6. one God one Father of all who is above all through all in all yea at this present One common Anti-christian Enemie One Cause one ende are not here Ones enough to make us one too I remember a sad complaint of Augustine of the Christians of his time and we are so unhappy as to revive it The Heathen saith he have many gods and false Gods and yet they can agree but Christians have but one God and the trve God and they fall together by the eares This was his Lamentation and this may be our Lamentation Christians you that love the peace and welfare of Sion labour to be healers of these breaches while too too many make it their designe to cast on ayle and I know from whence they are set on work even from Hell and Oxford make it your businesse to cast water on these coales least at length they break out into devouring-flames and there be none to quench them At least if the multitude should be so mad as to foment their own ruine yet let the leaders of the people studie to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Oh that those Caelestiall Luminaries that shine upon inferiour bodies with so sweet and enlivening influence should look upon one another sometime with a Malignant aspect I could be contented with all my soul to give the best blood that runs next my heart for the reconciling of these uncomely unnaturall I had almost said unnecessary differences among Brethren were it not to widen that distance I would compose But there is better blood paid for this purchase already infinitely better blood and my prayer and hope shall be that that blood which hath been effectuall to the Reconciling of us to God the Father may be efficacious also to reconcile us one to another till we come into the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto the perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Well Arise in Love Eightly Arise in Holinesse Our Holy God is Risen let us arise in Holinesse let us labour to be holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 that an Holy God may finde us an holy people and take delight to walk in the midst of us and may not be ashamed to be called our God Heb. 11.16 we have contented our selves long enough with Formes Formes of prayer and formes of duties and * Rom. 2.20 formes of knowledge and a * 2 Tim. 1.5 forme of Godlinesse Let us now labour for the power of Godlinesse To be Christians in good earnest not in word only but in the purity and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Add to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge and to your knowledge temperance 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. and to your temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity Christians study your additions be still adding duty to duty one grace to another one degree of grace to another and the exercise of one grace to another Content not your selves with your former stints in profession and with your wonted formes of godlinesse get Pauls ambition Psal 3.13 I forget the things that are behinde and I presse forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Verse 11. If by any meanes I might attain to the