Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	eye_n	lord_n	wait_v	2,901	5	9.3473	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27638	Confiding England vnder conflicts, triumphing in the middest of her terrors, or, Assured comforts that her present miseries will end in unspeakable lasting mercies to the whole nation first preached in Bengeo and Hitchin in Hartfordshire and now published for the common comfort of the nation / by Iohn Bevvick ...	Bewick, John, d. 1671.	1644 (1644)	Wing B2193; ESTC R2654	46,204	56

giving severall deliverances from time to time Indeede we must not looke to see an answer to some of our requests at all in our owne time we must not think to live to see the accomplishing of the number of Gods elect or the putting an end to the dayes of sinne or the making of the Church and people of God compleatly glorious Again it may be we may not live to see the answer of many of our other petitions which are put up and for which we are to expect daily tydings of some preparations at least towards their accomplishment as namely the calling of the Jewes the spreading of the Gospell at once into all places the joint profession of Christ publiquely and unanimously in all kingdomes and among all people prayers for such things are put up by us it may be in our age but the ages to come will see the fruites of them only this know that when the heart firmely beleeves the truth of these things and that God will in his due time accomplish these then ther is some answer of our prayers because the same spirit which inables a man to pray for these workes beleefe and carryes the eye of the soule to looke beyond all difficulties and all times and by faith to see them as certainely as if they were already come to passe Thus Abraham by faith saw the day of Christ and rejoyced and so we by faith see the answer of all the petitions we have put up and we should rejoyce therfore knowing that when they shall be granted the grant of them will be every way answerable to that which we formerly beleeved and prayed for But moreover ther are some things which it pleaseth God to bring to passe in our times as perhaps some particular mercies for our selves or others or for the whole Church now after prayer we must waite for an answer therby shewing our dependency on God so the Psalmist As the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistresse so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercie upon us It may be God will not grant that very deliverance which hath been prayed for but some other yet then the prayer is answered though not in the very particular which was desired A man perhaps prayeth that God would roote out and destroy all enemies God pleaseth to cut off some but he will not slay all least his people forget it and therfore he scatters them by his power and brings them downe And though perhaps God give not a speedy deliverance yet he answers the prayer for the present when the heart is afterward more humble and more carefull to walke with God and is more dependant on him and is still more earnest to seeke and cry unto him and is thankefull for any favour though never so little for any deliverance for any safety vouchsafed from time to time and still continued Likewise God heares our prayers and for the present giveth an answer unto them or rather assurance that he will in due time answer them when he filleth the heart with content to be denyed and to magnifie him however Thus let us pray but with an expectation of an answer to our prayers When God gives deliverance it will be an answer to the prayers desires wishes longings and expectations of his people by terrible things thou wilt answer oh God of our salvation So much for the third observation The fourth is this God is the Author of his peoples salvation or deliverance Salvation or the deliverance of Gods people is every wher ascribed unto God in scripture God is stiled the hope of Israell the Saviour therof in the time of trouble and the Church is stiled a people saved by the Lord as if the maine care of God were to save and deliver his people Salvation belongs to the Lord and his blessing is upon his people and he only workes salvation in the midst of the earth I even I saith he am the Lord and besides me ther is no Saviour For the better understanding of this title know that there is a double salvation spoke of in scripture 1. There is a spirituall salvation from sinne and Satan and the power of both and from Hell And 2. There is a temporall salvation which is Gods deliverance of his people from outward temporall afflictions calamities and distresses under which they are I take the temporall is cheifely intended in this title of God as it stands in the text yet the other must not be excluded A word or two of both First if we referre this title here given to God to the spirituall salvation then it may be very evident to us that he is the Author of it 1. Because he calls us to salvation He did ordeine us to it and he hath called us therunto Our soules were running headlong to Hell and perdition but God called us back from the pit We were as sheepe straying but God hath called us by his word and such who listen to it and obey it returne from the way of destruction and are saved Besides Gods call to salvation 2. He putteth men into it The very entrance which any make into it is from him Man is naturally averse therunto he is unwilling to passe thorough so many difficulties to undergoe so much mortification selfe denyall crucifying of the world and to aspire to so much heavenly mindednesse as is requisite It is the Lord only who makes the heart and soule overlooke all this and a great deale more It is he only who raiseth up the spirit to a resolution to go thorough all to follow him in all My soule saith David followeth hard after thee As a child doth what he can to keepe company with his father so he still applyed himselfe what he could to imitate his heavenly father God only brings the spirit to this that though it hath many discouragements doubts and troubles and hath spent much of its time in by and sinfull thoughts and wayes yet now being put into the way of salvation it goes on in a way of holines and righteousnes and is sure to meete with perfected salvation at the last We have a strong City salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks open yee the gate that the rightous nation which keepeth the truth may enter 3. The progresse and perfecting in the way of salvation is from God The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Iesus after that yee have suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you God perfects and God guides us to salvation he guides with his eye and after he will receive us up to glorie It is his worke to make us persevere unto the end and to bring his people to establishment strength settlement and perfection in piety and goodnes salvation is of

such who betake them to his appointed meanes It is a delusion to thinke to come to heaven without walking in the way to it it is as if men expected to reape an harvest and yet never sowed a graine of seede So likewise he never trusts God for outwards who doth not apply himselfe to an industrious way of obteining them why looke yee said Jacob to his sonnes one upon another I have heard that there is corne in Aegypt get yee downe thither and buy for us from thence A confidentiall man will be industrious in the use of meanes 4. He who makes God his confidence will not put forth his hands unto unlawfull means for his helpe David relied on God for the Kingdome of Saul but would not use unlawfull meanes to obteine it Such never trusted God who resolve to steale oppresse defraud lie and flatter and use wicked meanes to gain a penny They trust not God who take a pension from Mammon Nor they who when they misse a thing or when any thing is amisse with them will consult with witches and wizards as once Saul did with the witch of Endor and Abaziah sent to the God of Eknon 5. He who makes God his confidence will be undaunted in any condition Confidence in God makes the heart invincible It is true an holy confiding man when evill comes cannot but see it and be thereof sensible and troubled at it but though he be troubled on all sides as the Apostle speakes yet he is not in despaire though he be sometimes afraid yet with David he can say in this will I be confident in this he is confident that God is his refuge his present helpe in trouble his preserver from the hurt of evill Though I walke saith David thorow the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art with me He may suspect his confidence whose heart in troubles is wholy spiritles and comfortles drooping and dwining away as Naballs did he may feare he is not yet resolved to commit freely his soule into the hands of God who is a faithfull creatour The confiding man will not be heartlesse though an universall death and desolation befall the land because he knowes that by death he shall be translated hence to see the goodnesse of the Lord I had fainted saith David unlesse I had beleived to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Thus every one good and bad may try whether they have made the Lord their confidence 2. There are also some signes which may helpe all Gods truly faithfull people to gaine assurance that they have undoubtedly made him their confidence Many of those I know complain of unbeleeving and despairing hearts that they cannot confide and trust in God as they should To whom for comfort I answer that true beleevers may know that they have really made God their confidence if ever the Lord please to bring them to one of these temptations 1. When the promises made by God seeme to be delayed and there is no appearance of their fulfillance then all such who have not made God their confidence will cease expecting and beleeving the word of promise like that prophane man this evill is of the Lord what should I waite for the Lord any longer But if notwithstanding Gods delayes the heart keepe still to the word of truth and is still confident that in time it will be fulfilled it undoubtedly is then an heart confiding in God A waiting heart is a confiding heart So the Prophet I will waite on the Lord and looke upon him A Merchant who rests on his factor for the returne of some commodity which he promised finding that his factour deferres yet will account him faithfull knowing that he on weightier considerations for his Masters greater profit uses not to returne commodities so soone as he expected So the soule which rests on God for the accomplishment of such and such promises will yet wait on him as faithful though they be not presently or so soone performed as wee desire because it is perswaded that God delayes for some further advantage to the soule to humble it or to exalt it more or to make his blessings more acceptable when they come A soule confiding in the delay and unlikelines of the performance of promises that God can and will fulfill his word when it shall be for the best is a soule which hath made God its confidence 2. If the Lord suffers you to be mocked by prophane men if at any time they aske wher is the promise of his comming and what advantage hath piety in these times can your God save you out of the hands of murthering destroying men will you still retaine your integrity do not the most religious suffer as much if not worse then others Now at this time if notwithstanding all these scornes and disheartnings you are willing still to keepe close to God and to passe through good report and evill report and are content to be yet more vile before these men for Gods sake and in Gods cause you have undoubtedly made God your confidence Gods people thus proved that they had done so as it is in the Psalmes All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant 3. If ever the Lord bring you into a state that he seemes to be an enemy by visiting the soule wounding the spirit giving it as it were a sight of hell as if he would have no mercy yet in this case you shall know that ye have made God your confidence if you still will waite on God boldly and trustingly reasoning with him as the Psalmist did hath God forgotten to be gracious will he shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure A soule in the lack of mercy being willing to stay it selfe on God because he will shew mercy being resolved however to dye at the foote of majesty to be crusht by his scepter this is a soul which confides in God And the Lord who knowes the anguish and distresse of this confiding spirit will heale and restore it to strength and comfort It shall be established when all the careles ones of the world shall be terribly shaken and shattered in all their hopes Consider what the Prophet writes Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israell my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God c. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with winges as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary and they shall walke and not be faint Thus may every one try and experimentally find whither God is to them as he is to others the only confidence For