Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	anger_n	lord_n	slow_a	2,036	5	9.7827	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68508	A commentary or exposition vpon the first chapter of the prophecie of Amos Deliuered in xxi. sermons in the parish church of Meysey-Hampton in the diocesse of Glocester. By Sebastian Benefield ...	Benefield, Sebastian, 1559-1630.	1629 (1629)	STC 1862; ESTC S101608	705,998	982

inflicted vpon the Syrians are generally set downe I note 1 Who punisheth 2 How he punisheth 3 Whom he punisheth The punisher is the Lord he punisheth by fire The punished are the Syrians to be vnderstood in the names of their Kings Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad The punisher is the Lord for thus saith the Lord I will send The note yeeldeth vs this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes In speaking of the vengeance of God our first care must bee not to derogate any thing from his procliuitie and propensnes vnto mercy We must breake out into the mention of his great goodnesse and sing a lowd of his mercies as Dauid doth Ps 145.7 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse he is louing and good to all his mercy is ouer all his works The Lord strong and mighty blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is louing and good vnto euery man Our sinnes haue prouoked his vengeance against vs yet he slow to anger and of great goodnes reserueth mercy for thousands for all the elect and forgiueth all their iniquities transgressions and sinnes His goodnesse here resteth not it reacheth also vnto the reprobate though they cānot feele the sweet comfort of it For he maketh his a Matth 5.45 sun to rise on the euill the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust yea many times the sunne and raine and all outward and temporary blessings are wanting to the iust and good when the vniust and euil do flourish and are in great prosperitie Thus is Gods graciousnesse great bountie extended vnto euery man whether he be a blessed Abel or a cursed Cain a loued Iacob or a hated Esau an elected Dauid or a reiected Saul God is louing and good vnto euery man the Psalmist addeth and his mercies are ouer all his workes There is not any one of Gods workes but it sheweth vnto others and findeth in it selfe very large testimonies of Gods mercy and goodnes I except not the damnation of the wicked much lesse the chastisements of the Godly Gods mercies are ouer all his workes Dauid knew it well and sang accordingly Psal 145 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of great goodnesse Ionah knew it well and confessed accordingly chap. 4.2 Thou art a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of euill The Church knowes it well and praies accordingly O God whose nature and propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgiue receiue our humble petitions Dauid Ionah and the Church all haue learned it at Gods owne mouth who hauing descended in a cloud to mount Sinai passed before the face of Moses and cryed as is recorded Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne In which place of Scripture although af●erward there followeth a little of his iustice which hee may not forget yet we see the maine streame runneth concerning mildnesse and kindnesse and compassion wherby wee may perceiue what it is wherein the Lord delighteth His delight is to be a sauiour a deliuerer a preseruer a redeemer and a pardoner As for the execution of his iudgements his vengeance and his furie he comes vnto it with heauy and leaden feet To which purpose Zanchius alleageth that of the Prophet Esai chap. 28.21 The Lord shall stand as once he did in mount Perazim when Dauid ouercame the Philistines he shall be angry as once he was in the valley of Gibeon when Ioshua discomfited the fiue Kings of the Amorites he shall stand he shall be angry that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act out of which words of the Prophet he notes that Gods workes are of two sorts either proper vnto himselfe and naturall as to haue mercy and to forgiue or else strange and somewhat diuers from his nature as to be angry and to punish I know some doe expound these words otherwise vnderstanding by that strange worke and strange act of God there mentioned Opus aliquod insolens admirabile some such worke as God seldome worketh some great wonder Notwithstanding this naturall exposition of that place the former may well be admitted also For it is not altogether vnnaturall being grounded vpon such places of Scripture as doe make for the preeminence of mercy aboue iustice It 's true God hath one skale of iustice but the other proues the heauier mercy doth ouerweigh He who is euer iust is mercifull more then euer if it may be possible He may forget our iniquities but his tender mercies he will neuer forge● This our Lord good mercifull gracious and long suffering is here in my text the punisher and sendeth fire into the house of Hazael whereupon I built this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This office of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for sinnes God arrogateth and assumeth to himselfe Deut. 32 35. where he saith vengeance and recompense are mine This due is ascribed vnto the Lord by S. Paul Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. By the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the Lord. By the sweet singer Psal 94.1 O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger You see by these now-cited places that God alone is hee who executeth vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins This doctrine is faithfully deliuered by the wise sonne of Syrach chap. 39 where he saith Vers 28. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shew forth their power accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine death Vers 29. all these are created for vengeance The teeth of wilde beasts Vers 30. and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked Nay saith he Vers 26. The principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale and wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile and cloathing Vers 27. All those things though they be for good vnto the godly yet to the sinners they are turned vnto euill So my doctrine standeth good It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes And you see he hath waies enough to do it All things that may be for our good are glad to do him seruice against vs. The consideration hereof should moue our hearts

snow the frost the whirlewind the raine all these God ruleth and gouerneth after his good pleasure And who I pray you ruleth man and mans affaires but the Lord O Lord saith Ierem. chap. 10.23 I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps King Salomon confesseth as much Prou. 20.24 The steps of man are ruled by the Lord. From this ruling prouidence of God King Dauid Psal 23.1 drew vnto himselfe a very comfortable argument The Lord feedeth me therefore I shall not want Let vs as comfortably reason with our selues The Lord feedeth vs therefore we shall not want It is spoken to our neuer ending comfort by our blessed Sauiour Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father Feare ye not therefore ye are of more value than many sparrowes In the same place he further assureth that all the haires of our head are numbred Doth Gods care reach to the falling of the haires of our head and can we doubt of his perpetuall rule and gouernment in the world It must stand true Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third degree by which we may discerne the act of diuine prouidence I called gradum ordinationis the degree of ordination or direction It implyeth thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seem to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end all must make for his glorie In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and Dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing secondly he disposeth meanes vnto the end thirdly hee directeth the meanes so disposed To discourse of these particulars seuerally would carry mee beyond my time and your patience I will but only touch the generall which was God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth or setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end they all make for his glory Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inuiolable No calamitie or miserie be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neur be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamity or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazard by chance by fortune The Epicure in the booke of Iob 22.13 was in a foule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot through the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Dearely beloued we may not thinke our God to be a m See Lect. 1. page 10. God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke We haue liued long enough to haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him Serm 4. in Iames 4.10 infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. No corner in Hell no mansion in heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuitie no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God Wee haue learned Zach. 4.10 that God hath seuen eyes which goe thorow the whole world You may interpret them with me many millions of eyes He is * Hieronymus in illud Psal 94.9 Qui plantauit aurem non audiet aut qui finxit oculum non considerat Ego autem dico quod Deus totus Oculus est totus Manus est totus Pes est Totus Oculus est quia omnia videt Totus Manus est quia omnia operatur Totus Pes est quia vbique est totus OCVLVS altogether eye for he seeth all things We haue learned Esai 40.12 that God hath hands to measure the waters and to span the heauens You may interpret it with me that he hath many millions of hands He is totus Manus altogether hand for he worketh all things We haue learned Matth. 5.35 that God hath feet to set vpon his foot-stoole You may interpret it with me that he hath many milions of feet He is totus Pes altogether foot for he is euery where We shall then be very iniurious to God if we deny him the ouersight of the smallest matters The holy Scriptures doe euidently shew that he examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine n Supra pag. 10. to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the clothing of the grasse in the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the numbring of the haires of our heads Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde Fortune but looke we to the hand that striketh vs. Hee who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden euen He it is that for our sins bringeth vpon vs calamities and miseries The late fearefull floud raging vpon this land to the vtter destruction of great store of cattell and much people and the late rot of sheepe in this and other places of this land are Gods visitations vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos chap. 3.6 It s out of question there is no euill in the city no not in the world but the Lords finger is in it and that iustly for our sinnes sake What remaineth but that we rent our hearts and turne vnto the Lord our God He is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of euill How know we whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him for vs Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need THE Eleuenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. WEe goe on with that which yet remaineth vnexpounded in this 5. verse