Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	endure_v	lord_n	praise_v	8,721	5	10.1829	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64422	The merchants and mariners preservation and thanksgiving. Or, Thankfulnesse returned, for mercies received Set forth in a sermon of thanksgiving, preached at S. Andrewes Undershaft, Sept. 6. 1649. To the r. worshipfull, the Comittee of Merchants, trading for the eastern India, upon a late returne of seven of their ships together. By Edvvard Terry, minister of the Word, (who was sometime in their service, there) now rector of the Church of Great-Greenford, in the county of Middlesex. Octob. 4. 1649. Imprimatur. John Downame.	Terry, Edward, 1590-1660.	1649 (1649)	Wing T780; ESTC R219187	28,101	40

his beloved sonne as God is to heare the voice of his servant 3. Reason This must be performed because it is a most prevailing duty In the second of Chronicles the twentieth when the children of Moab and the children of Ammon came up against Jehosaphat in very great numbers and the King and people knew not what to doe God instructs them and encourages them in the Chapter and tells them that they should not neede to fight but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord v. 17. And the King appoynted fingers unto the Lord to praise him whose mercy endureth for ever v. 21. and in the next verse when they began to sing and to praise The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which were come against Iudah and they were smitten and the King Iehosaphat and his people delivered Lastly it is a duty that must be performed because it is a most heavenly duty for there shall be nothing heard in Heaven but Hallelujahs nothing but prayses expressed by new Songs new Thanksgivings Oh thou admirable illimited and unexpressible goodnesse of Almighty God what shall I now say of thee and what shall I say to thee oh thou Preserver of men The Prophets praise thee The Apostles praise thee The Martyrs praise thee The Church of God throughout the World have and shall for ever acknowledge thee The Lord saith the Prophet Esaiah spans the Heavens Esay 48.13 he keepes the Earth and Waters within a Circle The Mountaines upon the Ballance The Sunne within Tropicks but what number or measure or bound can be set to the goodnesse of God He that had wisdome like a flood that Preacher of Preachers Solomon who considering the emptines that is in all sublunary things calls them vanity of vanities all but vanity Eccles. 1.2 How everlastingly might he have preached upon the goodnesse of God so great so admirable that no affection in Nature no height breadth depth in any of the creatures can in any measure expresse it The Majesty of God that astonisheth us his Glory beates us downe his Greatnesse strikes us dead wee adore his Omnipotency admire his Wisedome stand in awe of his Justice his Vengeance makes us flye it is his Mercy his goodnesse his goodnesse and mercy and they alone that represent unto us how amiable how good how gracious our God is Grace grace as the Prophet Zachary speakes 4.7 All is grace all is mercy wee live wholly upon it for 't is this mercy that formed us in the Belly and left us not when wee were upon the brest that accompanieth and growes up with us from our youth and forsakes us not when wee are gray-headed 't is this that gives us our dayly bread our hourely breath 't is this that preserves from continuall dangers in life that can comfort us in death and crowne us afterward I shall desire to live and dye in the meditation of mercy of that mercy of God which is like a bottomlesse fountaine which cannot be drawne dry like the measure in the Gospel full and pressed downe and shaken together and running over Luke 6.36 that is like a f●i●hfull breast which the more 't is drawne the more it yields The Lord saith the Psalmist is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes Psal. 145.9 The veriest miscreant in the world enjoyes many a mercy from God which he takes no notice off These common mercies blessings of Gods left hand Prov. 3.16 they reach all for which God is to be acknowledged But that mercy of mercies which reacheth to the pardon of sinne is the mercy for which he is to be admired as he shall one day be in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.10 Now the Angels that retaine their first purity they stand in no neede of this mercy Those Infernall Spirits which are doomed to chaines in everlasting darknesse with all wicked and ungodly ones who have been turned into Hell in their severall generations are all uncapable of this mercy Oh Lord what wilt thou doe with this mercy this great boundlesse illimited mercy if thou bestow it upon poore sinners which want it crave it importunatly beg it and know they shal perish everlastingly without it Oh the meditation of this goodnesse and mercy should make us while wee are on Earth to be still extolling and lauding and magnifying our God in Heaven joyning our selves to that multitude of the heavenly Host Luke 2.13 In praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men Glory be to God on high who brings peace and happynesse to Earth by his good will towards men We come now to Application You had before for you have heard all along the reason of this present meeting And now in the first place let me tell you that if you be in earnest and hearty in this businesse and doe not make a Complement of it you shall receive comfort in it But pardon my jealousie for I must needs tell you againe and 't is a sad an horrible truth that this Land hath abundant cause to be humbled for Fast-dayes and Thanksgiving dayes too First for Fast-dayes because when wee have sinned and fasted wee have sinned in fasting 'T is a very easie thing to act the part of a Penitent to hang downe the head like a Bullrush The hardest Flint and Marble will sometimes stand in teares but they are Flint and Marble still Ahab as bad as he was could play the part of a Penitent 1 Kings 21.27 where wee may see his sorrow but not his repentance a sorrow for the judgement denounced against him not a repentance for his sinne the very Divels houle to be tormented Griefe is not alwayes a signe of grace Ahab could rend his clothes but his heart that remained unbroken still for he lyes in his Idolatry while he lyes in sack cloth he put on sackcloth but not amendment and therefore fasts and humbles himselfe to no purpose 'T is one thing to Say another thing to Pray Prayers one thing to Fast another thing to be Humbled Secondly for Thanksgiving dayes for when we have received mercies and given thankes we have sinned in thanksgiving these holy serious duties both of humiliation and thanksgiving having been performed after such a formall carelesse unholy manner by a number by most whom neither fullnes of joy for mercies received hath made them thankefull nor a fullnes of sorrow which they should have expressed for sinnes committed hath made them humble but have bin like Cymbals whose very emptines makes thē sound For this failing in the māner of doing duty makes thankfulnes ingratitude as Jehu in the like case doing what God commanded was punisht as disobedient Hos. 1.4 But I am perswaded much better of you believing that that God who put this resolution in you to performe this duty will so assist you in it and carry you through it that you shall not lose this

owne feares when they looke every minute to be buried in those rowling graves under those huge heapes those mountaines of water when all hope of deliverance failes when it is with them as it was sometimes with Israel brought to the Red Sea Exod. 14. when they had the Sea before them and the sword behinde them invironed or surrounded as it were with death when their case seemed to be such as one of the Ancients observes of Jonah layd up or buried in the Whales belly Jonah 1.17 as if salvation it selfe could not deliver him They cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses v. 21. The Lord now appeares in the Mount in those Mountaines of Water and will let these poore distressed ones know to their great comfort that all things are so far from being impossible to him that nothing is hard He who before let forth the windes calls them in againe he who before raised up the waves commands them to be still for both windes and waves obey him Mar. 4 the last verse so that when these poore men in distresse seemed to be past all hope all probability of helpe then doth God appeare for their succour for their deliverance He makes the storme a calm so that the waves thereof are still v. 29. Then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them to their desired Haven or to the Haven where they would be Let men praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men And these last words are delivered repeated foure severall times in this Psalme set up as a Standard at the end the close of all the forenamed great deliverances to stir up all those that partake of these severall mercies unto particular thankefullnesse Celebrant apud Jehovam benignitatem ejus opera ejus mirabilia apud filios hominum Let them praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. Let them doe it secretly openly privately and before the Congregation Celebrent apud Iehovam Let them acknowledge this mercy privately unto the Lord Et apud filios hominum Publickly before the Congregation before the sonnes of men Let them take all opportunities at all times in all places to confesse the goodnesse of the Lord to extoll and magnifie his great and glorious Name for all his benefits to give him the honour and praise that is due to him for all his mercies And this I must tell you before hand is the general use to be made of this Text and the principall end of this dayes solemne meeting Then are they glad because they be quiet c. from which words we may observe First a preservation or deliverance and this is first imployed and then expressed in the Text imployed in the beginning of the former verse under the word quiet which presupposeth some foregoing trouble then expressed in the latter end of the verse in enjoying a desired Haven after a fearefull storme Secondly wee have the Parties that partake of this preservation or deliverance and they wee told you before are Merchants Mariners Seamen they are glad he bringeth them to their desired Haven Thirdly wee have heere the Authour of this preservation or deliverance the Lord He bringeth them c. And lastly wee have the result of all these particulars 1. In joy and gladnesse that comes to men by it 2. In praise and thankefullnesse which must be returned to God for it And now wee 'le wrap up all these foregoing particulars within the compasse of these two following plaine and unforced observations 1. To be delivered from perils or any streights whatsoever to enjoy a quiet harbour after dangerous stormes and feares of shipwrack are mercies that cannot chose but fill the heart with joy and gladnesse Then are they glad c. 2. Almighty God who alone can preserve and deliver in streights in extremities must have the honour and praise of all preservations of all deliverances Let them praise the Lord for his goodnesse c. These are the particulars upon which through Gods most gracious assistance I shall enlarge my selfe first of the first To be delivered from perils or any streights whatsoever to enjoy a quiet harbour after dangerous stormes and feares of shipwrack cannot chuse but fill the heart with joy and gladnesse Joy or gladnesse is a sweete motion of the soule arising from some present or hoped for good from some good in hand or some good in hope from some good in expectation or some good in possession For as hope deferred makes the heart sicke Prov. 13 12. So hope accomplished makes it glad Foode yee know is not so wellcome to any as to the hungry and empty not so welcome to any as to those whose bellies sound like pipes for want of bread For as the full soule loatheth the honey Combe Prov. 27.7 so to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweete a good stomack making the meanest flesh the coursest bread dainty to the hungry and when in this case the hunger is satisfied how are the spirits refreshed And how wellcome a good entertainement is how pleasant a soft and a sweete lodging after a tedious and tiresome journey every one knowes A long continuance in the enjoyment of mercies detracts very much from the true valuation of them and therefore our God onely wise as the Apostle stiles him Rom. 16.27 whose good providence orders and disposes of every thing according to his infinite wisdome and will hath joyned bitter and sweete mourning and joy trouble and peace together that after wee have had a sence of both our miseries might make us to taste our happinesse the better For certainely it is a truth that Bona carendo good things are never so truely and so fully valued as by their want I might instance in abundant particulars but some few shall serve As In the time of a bloody oppressing undoing Warre when a free borne people are enforced to live under the power of bruitish absurd imperious unreasonable men as the Apostle phraseth them 2 Thes. 3.2 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Then they can consider what an happinesse there was in the enjoyment of peace and liberty when they sate quietly without disturbance dwelt safely and neither felt nor feared evill under their owne Vine under their owne Fig-tree as Judah and Israel did all the happy dayes of Solomon 1 Kings 4.25 And in this case when God is pleased to turne the Captivity of a people to rebuke the multitude of the speare-men and to scatter them that delight in Warre as the Psalmist prayes Psalme 68.30 how comfortable is it for all those that have lived under the power of such as carry Lawes Liberties Religion all upon their swords poynts to be freed from that Bondage When a man lies roaring under the extremity of the Tooth-ach or the Gout or Stone or Strangury then he can consider what the enjoyment of health and ease was what the freedome

of Lyons and Leopards and Bears and sometimes go higher calling them Angels and Arch-angels but when you have so done as Themistocles called the Ships of Athens wooden wals so these are but woodden Beasts woodden Angels woodden Archangels and woe be unto them that say unto a peece of wood thou art my helper Yee call them too Boniventures and Speedewells and the like there being good speed good hap written upon their names but many misfortunes happening sometimes in their labours in their successes The Navy of Tyrus as the Prophet Ezekiel describes it Ezek. 27 was one of the most famous Fleetes that ever furrowed the Waters but the Eastwinde saith the story broke them in the middest of the Seas v. 26. And their Merchants and Pilotes and Mariners and men of Warre were all ruined overthrowne and came to nothing v. 27. God hath dealt otherwise with you at this time having sent and taken you out of many Waters in preserving and returning home to you in safety a great Fleete at once and not at this time onely but many other times also and as his loving kindenesse is come downe to you so your thankefullnesse must returne up to him your thankefullnesse being Gods custome his tribute his due he lookes for it and he must have it for as he is a very free and a liberall bestower of benefits so is he a most strict a most severe exacter of thankfulnesse And therefore the Psalmist tells us Psal. 65.1 that praise waiteth upon God in Syon because his people in his Church are ever waiting and attending there to tender it to take notice of the favours and mercies that continually fall from God and to take them as it were at the first bound that they may presently acknowledge them the receit of every mercy making them like Doves who at every graine of Corne they pick up looke upward as acknowledging from whence it came Not like the beasts of the field who take their fill and alwayes keepe their faces downeward not once eying the place from whence 't is sent 'T is very well observed of Noah that so soone as he set his feete upon the dry Land after the Waters that had long prevailed upon the face of the Earth were asswaged that the first thing he did was this Gen. 8.20 he built an Altar for God not an house for himselfe but an Altar unto the Lord that thereon he might offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto Almighty God who had pickt him with some few others as so many graines of Corne out of a World of Chaffe and preserved them from the deluge In the 17. of Exodus when the Israelites had been complaining against and quarrelling with Moses their lawfull Governour and their Rebellion was come up to that height that they were almost ready to stone him v. 4. presently God sends Amalekites to quarrell with them v. 8. 'T is very just that such as love to draw the sword should feele the sharpenesse of it and have sword enough Amalec comes heere and fights with Israel and doubtlesse had it not been now for Moses who knew how to stand in the gap and for some few others Esau would now have revenged his long conceived and therefore deadly displeasure upon the Posterity of Iacob by the hands of his Grandchilde Amalec But heere let us take notice of the infinite goodnesse of God who when Israel in generall had forgotten him yet God will still remember his Covenant made with Israel not to leave nor forsake them Amalec is therefore beaten and Israel prevailes and what then The Souldery of the Israelites doe not grow high swell big upon this their Victory as if they were able to drive the World before them as if no power either in Heaven or Earth could contradict them but they build unto God an Altar and call it Iehovah-Nissi signifying the Lord is my Banner expressing their deliverance in the very name of of the Altar they built to offer sacrifices unto God who was their deliverer And thus in those ancienter times the people of God testified their thankefullnesse for mercies they received by pitching of heapes of stones by raising of Pillars by dedication of Feasts or by writing of Bookes all Trophies of their mercies their deliverances that their childrens children by asking what those things meant might be instructed by and in the remembrance of Gods ancient mercies Arguments or reasons to presse home this truth this duty yet further might be more then many this duty must be performed 1. Reason Because it is a good thing saith the Psalmist to sing praise unto the name of the Lord to declare his loving kindenesse in the morning and his truth in the night season Ps. 92.1.2 1. It is a good thing in respect of the action for it is better to blesse then curse to give thankes then to give out the voice of grudgings 2. It is a good thing in respect of the act for God commands it and besides wee hold all in capite from the Lord who is the giver of every good guift as the Apostle tells us James 1.17 and therefore as all Rivers runne into the Sea from whence they were taken and all Plants at last fall to the Earth that gave them nourishment So all our praises must returne unto God who is the God of all our mercies 3. It is a good thing in respect of the acceptance he that gives me praise and thanks saith God he honours me Psal. 50. last verse and what a thing is it to consider that so good so glorious so great a God should thinke himselfe magnified by the praises that proceed out of Polluted lippes And therefore the reason given by Divines why David was called a man after Gods owne heart was because he had a breast so enlarged in praises in thanksgivings unto God 4. And lastly 't is good in respect of the consequence for never any lost by a faithfull performance of this duty offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes unto the most high and call upon me in the times of trouble and I will deliver thee Psal. 50.14.15 as if he had said I that have will still deliver thee it being the onely way to have mercies renewed and continued unto us to be thankefull for those wee have formerly received 2. Reason This duty of rendring praise and thankes unto Almighty God must be performed because it is a most delightfull duty for first the Saints the holy men of God have ever delighted in it as wee have shewed as wee might shew further most abundantly Secondly God delights in it likewise for we told you even now that he esteemes himselfe honoured by it Those golden viols of sweete odors Revel. 5.8 that are so pleasing unto God what are they but the prayers and praises of the Saints Let me heare thy voice saith Christ to his Church Cant. 2.14 for it is sweete no tender father is so pleased to heare the voice of