Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	ghost_n	heaven_n	miserable_a	2,279	5	9.8635	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61386	An antidote against distractions, or, An indeavour to serve the church, in the daily case of wandrings in the worship of God by Richard Steele M.A. and minister of the Gospel.	Steele, Richard, 1629-1692.	1667 (1667)	Wing S5382; ESTC R8661	121,210	256

betwixt times but be thou IN the fear of the Lord involved surrounded and swallowed up in the sense and fear of God's glorious presence all the day long This will dispose you to duties of Worship A watchful Christian hath his heart ready at a call it is quickly in tune that was never out Holy duties are not heterogeneous to any holy heart the same frame will serve He that walks with God is never out of his way A short or rather no preface will serve to usher in conference with whom you have been conversing all the day It is sometimes the whole work of a prayer to be acquainted with God Away with this strangeness if you will be upright walk before God and watch unto prayer Methinks sincerity and watchfulness are the Catholick Graces Sincerity makes every grace true watchfulness makes every grace sure Of all graces study these Catholick Graces Here is the essence here is the quintessence of Religion O therefore prize this Angelical this Evangelical Grace pray for it Psal. 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips for except the Lord do keep the City the watch-man waketh but in vain Thou art impotent God is omnipotent And then practise it the use of it will teach the Art of it as children learn to go step by step as they learn to swim by venturing Adventure on this exercise try one week try one day try one hour try the next duty As you renew your falls still renew your vows you can do all things through Christ that will strengthen you I beseech you in Christ's behalf set on this duty in good earnest You will pay me for all my pains with one well-grounded resolution to set up a constant watch What a sad close will that be unto your life to say Cant. 1.6 My Mothers's children made me a keeper of the Vineyards but MINE OWN VINEYARD have I not kept O therefore watch and pray or else temptation will enter into you and you will fall into temptation And most especially in the service of God Watch and pray Christ hath joyned together and what Christ hath joyned together let no man especially no good man put asunder What is the first step in an Ordinance as the Orator of old in another case Watchfulness What is the second step in an Ordinance Watchfulness What is the third step in an Ordinance still Watchfulness Particularly First In Prayer Prayer is a pouring out the heart unto the Lord by a distraction you pour it by Psal. 62.5 My soul wait thou ONLY upon God for my expectation is from him A distraction imposes two Masters on the soul to wait on Rovings in prayer make that which is our most reasonable service the most irrational thing in the world No folly like speaking to one person and thinking of another Secondly In hearing God's Word This is the audible conference of the Almighty with thy soul. A distraction lets him talk unto the walls When you come to a Sermon you stand on your watch and set your self on the Tower and watch to see what God will say to you Hab. 2.1 By a distraction you do almost as if a servant stopt his ears at the orders that his Master is giving Thirdly In reading Therein you peruse God's heart in black and white where you may believe every letter to be written in blood not like Draco's Laws but in bleeding love A distraction neither understands nor applies those sacred characters Which of you would so read your Father's last Will especially in matters that concern'd your selves One chapter one leaf one verse well read and applied will do your heart more good than an hundred read with half an heart Fourthly In singing Psalms you had need to watch● Thereby you pay unto God the Rent of his mercies A distraction clips the coin and turns the heart to do homage to the Devil Well resolved therefore of David Psal. 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME praise his holy Name Thy melody is base if the main strength of the soul be not in it I am perswaded that God hath suffer'd this Ordinance in particular to be slurr'd once and again to be left off by some and cast off by others out of his just Judgement there being so general a neglect of the inward and feeling management thereof For where sits the man that lets each word and line in the Psalms run through his heart as he sings them Nay if the truth were known there is hardly one passage that 's felt from the beginning to the end for if it were O the heavenly affections it would raise and the sweet frame it would leave on the soul you would not part with that Ordinance out of your Families nor Congregations for all the world Fifthly In Meditation great need of watchfulness else when the soul is soaring aloft like the Eagle these darts will or ever you are aware strike down the heart again O how hard is it to spend a quarter of an hour in meditation without a distraction If there be any thing in the fancy if there be any thing in the room if there be any thing in the world thou wilt have it to withdraw thy heart from God And generally the more spiritual the duty the more distractions And therefore I say unto you watch SECT IV. IV. SEE hence what cause you have to bless God for freedom from distractions and be sure you do it Those that have an habitual ability against these snares O bless the Lord for it it's he that keeps the heart in tune not you We like little children can break the strings and put our hearts out of tune but 't is the Lord that sets and keeps us in order You little know the anxiety and fear and trouble that these do cost many a poor Christian they strive they mourn they doubt they are ready to throw up all These Vultures do gnaw upon their very hearts no comfort no joy of the Holy Ghost no peace within and all through the continual assaults hereof And by the only mercy of God thou art well and free Thou canst continue instant in prayer thou canst come to Heaven gates and get thy errand heard thy business dispatcht and little distraction in it O give the Lord praise lest he leave thee to thy self and then thy case will be more miserable than theirs Thankfulness keeps the mercy which ingratitude forfeits And we are Free-holders of these blessings but 't is because we hold of his free grace and mercy Yea those that are oft pestered with them and yet sometimes freed bless the Lord for that It is as much your duty to praise God when you are freed as to bewail it when you have failed It is the comparison of a good Divine if a man have planted many Trees in his Orchard and the Caterpillars or Cankers have consumed them all