Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	abound_v	sin_n	zion_n	21	3	9.8992	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34663	A brief exposition of the whole book of Canticles, or Song of Solomon lively describing the estate of the church in all the ages thereof, both Jewish and Christian, to this day ... / written by that learned and godly divine, John Cotton ...	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1642 (1642)	Wing C6410; ESTC R20552	96,952	268

not when she deserves a black winter The patient abiding of the Saints shall not alwayes be forgotten Suppose God leades his Church into captivity seven yeares yea seventy yeares yet it will not alwayes continue This may serve to comfort us in the distresses of the Church at home or abroad God will not alwayes punish with reproach or desolation but the time will come these will be gone and flee away Use 3 Thirdly this lets us see the Church profitteth by calamities shee comes out better from them then shee went into them she entred and went into captivity hating God defiled with many abominations she returnes out My love my faire one The Church of God and the members of it are more lovely in Gods sight by the hard times that passe over them when this Church had beene seventy yeares in captivity a hard time it was yet they lost nothing by it they kissed his Rod and sought God and now hee stiles them lovely He loathed them because they loathed him they were now tried and purified before they were loathsome but are now lovely before hated but now loved But see what a blessed use chastisements are of to the Church how loathsome soever wee goe into captivity when wee defile our selves with lusts and sins yet when wee have beene throughly humbled with some crosses how faire come wee out My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction And why doth God say Deut. 8. 16. He proved them to doe them good when hee saith my love it is more then lovely it is love it is love it selfe and faire one is more then faire So It is good for mee saith David that I have beene afflicted so the Church before her affliction was loathsome foule hated but now she is faire and lovely Thou art faire oh my love Use 4 Fourthly this lets us see the Churches winter stormes shall not alwayes lie upon her but they shall in the end blow over The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Use 5 Fifthly we may see that outward comforts are easily able to drowne in us a longing after Gods ordinances the contentment that some found in captivity made them stand in need of often calling to returne to Sion Use 6 Sixthly wee may learne here that the face of the Church is not alwayes visible and conspicuous in the eyes of men but alwaies in the eyes of God for they meet under the staires and worship God in holes and corners And a while after Christ saith Why dost thou lie thus under the staires and in clifts of rockes let me see thy face and heare thy voyce The Church of Rome advanceth her selfe that she hath alwayes beene conspicuous but this is no true signe of a true Church for the true Church is not alwayes conspicuous Though Christ alwayes sees some to meet in corners and holes yet not alwayes in solemne assemblies The Dove of Christ Jesus sometimes makes her rest in the rockes and builds under the staires where Christ sees her but not publickly Use 7 Seventhly see here the Church needs not Angels and Saints to mediate for her her owne voyce is sweet and countenance comely in Gods estimation At that day yee shall aske in my name and I say not to you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you because yee have loved me Christ tels us hee shall have no great need to pray for us for God himselfe loveth us to heare our voyce and to see us let us then not be afraid to put forth our voyces labour then for such a spirit as to grieve for our sinnes and to rejoyce in Gods mercies for God is pleased with that hee is a true citizen of Sion that when hee abounds in Gods mercies yet hee weepes for his sins and when he weepes for his sinnes yet hee is thankefull for Gods mercies Use 8 Againe observe the Church shall alwayes be troubled with some enemies Take us the foxes that spoile the vines There shall be ever some Sanballat or Tobiah or some other to be nibbling at the Church of God wonder not at this for this will be so but observe touching these enemies of the Church First they shall deale subtilly and craftily with her Secondly they may disturb and hinder her peace and proceedings but Thirdly they shall in the end be restrained as in Revel 19. 20. And the beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought miracles before him c. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Therefore let such foxes know the time will come when Christ will either take them and chaine them and bind them up as he did Sanballat Tobiah Shether-boznai or else hang them up as hee did Haman and his sonnes Let men then take heed that they doe not push at the Church for God will either chaine them up or hang them out of the way Use 9 Lastly here wee may see when the enemies of the Church are restrained or destroyed and corruptions weeded out of it the Church then enjoyeth sweet and safe and full fellowship with the Lord Jesus and hee with her Hee gives her pledges of his favour and she gives him pledges of pure worshipping him He feeds them with his ordinances they him with their sacrifices And they that would procure Christ this let them provide for weeding out of their sinnes as usury wicked marriages profanations of Gods Sabbaths c. Such Churches shall be sweet and much sweet solace shall they enjoy one with another Christ with them and they with him THE CANTICLES OR SONG OF SONGS opened and explained THE TEXT CHAP. 3. BY night on my bed I sought him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not verse 2 I will rise now and goe about the city in the streetes and in the broad wayes I will seeke him whom my soule loveth I sought him but I found him not verse 3 The watch-men that go about the city found me to whom I said Saw ye him whom my soule loveth verse 4 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soule loveth I held him and would not let him goe untill I had brought him into my mothers house and into the chamber of her that conceived me verse 5 I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that yee stirre not up nor awake my love till he please verse 6 Who is this that commeth out of the wildernesse like pillars of smoake perfumed with mirrhe and frankincense with all powders of the merchant verse 7 Behold his bed which is Solomons three-score valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel verse 8 They all hold swords being expert in warre Every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of feare in the