Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	100	3	9.5630	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51223	Of religious melancholy a sermon preach'd before the Queen at White-Hall March the 6th, 1691/2 / by the Right Reverend Father in God John, Lord Bishop of Norwich.	Moore, John, 1646-1714.	1692 (1692)	Wing M2547; ESTC R9401	15,050	33

or disdain his reasonable Sacrifice because it is offered with less vehemence of Passion 2. We may say further That they who are not carried by their Passions into the Service of God but render worship to him upon rational motives because he is the giver of all good things seem to act upon a higher and more sublime Principle For notwithstanding they are destitute of that pleasing warmth in their Passions which provokes others to pray unto God and to be thankful unto him yet they do not cease to celebrate his praise because it is their duty to do it and because Reason suggests that they ought to make grateful acknowledgments of his Infinite Mercies 3. We may observe That the most zealous are not always the best men For their zeal may be without knowledge or on the wrong side as it was in St. Paul when he persecuted the Church And it is his own Observation That notwithstanding a man had such a zeal for the Cause of God as would prompt him to suffer Martyrdom and yet wanted Charity his sharpest Sufferings would profit him nothing I must confess where a man is zealously affected in a good matter and his active Spirits are discreetly directed to the Service of God such an one may prove a glorious Instrument for the propagating and promoting the Fear and Honour of God among men and also may have a more sensible pleasure in every Religious Performance But all cannot raise their Affections to this pitch however God will not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed but pardon the wandrings pity the weaknesses quicken the affections and make gracious allowances for all the defects of infirm but honest Christians 4. That the most holy Servants of God cannot maintain an equal warmth in their Devotions at all times Experience doth teach them that in some Seasons an unaccountable heaviness will seize upon their hearts while they are on their bended knees supplicating the forgiveness of their sins who at other times can put their Souls all in a bright and pure frame by intense meditations on the unspeakable love of God If therefore now and then you perceive your minds dull and heavy at your Prayers it is but what sometimes doth happen to the most sincere Christians how great care and Diligence soever they use to uphold life and vigour in their Souls so that this is no just cause of disquiet and dejection of spirit Moreover Sickness Losses and all Afflictions do sometimes so disorder the Passions and oppress the Spirits even of the best men that it is hardly possible they should serve God with as much chearfulness under Calamities and Troubles as at other times tho' they may have as much integrity and as sincere desires to please him and he will take what they then do as kindly at their hands and bountifully reward such Services Hence I gather that since men are not able at all times to keep their Affections at an equal height when they address themselves to their heavenly Father either in the Church or in their Closets that he doth not expect it from them and they ought not to give place to melancholy Fears when they shall find it otherwise with themselves God has made nothing the subject of our obedience which is not within the bounds of our abilities and he will at the Day of Judgment condemn men for the Actions only which proceeded from their Wills and not for that want of heat in their Passions which was owing to the natural make of their Constitutions that they could not help or to outward unhappy Circumstances which they had not at their command 5. What hitherto hath been said about coldness and damps in the minds of men while they are engaged in religious duty has been to comfort those who are exceedingly grieved at it and who yet have not been able to conquer it tho' they have used true pains for that purpose Now notwithstanding it is not to be expected nor necessary that these innocent Persons should meet with a compleat cure of their grief yet I must tell them that nothing will more enliven their Spirits in the Service of God than deliberate Meditations of him and of themselves before they enter upon any part of Divine Worship If they would often engage their minds in Contemplations about the Divine Attributes and the Infinite Perfections of the Nature of God it would strangely help to deliver them from that drowsy Stupidity of which they so sadly complain and which hath so strong an influence on their Actions For frequent thoughts of Almighty Power will make the most sturdy Temper to tremble and the proudest heart to submit There is no thinking seriously of unsearchable Wisdom without being wrapt up in admiration of it and becoming very willing to be ruled by it And will not the meditations of Infinite Love diffussing it self over the World oblige us to adore to honour to love and to praise that most glorious Spring from whence it floweth Do but consider as the Providence of God watches over all the Works of the Creation so with what a particular care it hath preserved you and delivr'd you from the many and great Dangers which you did not foresee and against which you could make no provision and certainly it will give a sensible touch to your Soul and cause you to breake forth into Songs and Hymns of Thanksgiving But if you proceed still further to contemplate the deep Mysteries and inconceiveable love shewn by Christ in the mighty work of your Redemption to consider the great condescension of your Saviour when he left the Heavens to dwell amongst us the wonderful humiliation of himself when he took our Frail Mortal Nature upon him the Pains the Agonies the Horrors of the most dreadful Death he suffered to save us ungrateful Sinners and this can hardly fail to dissolve the most obdurate and stony heart and make you firmly conclude that you never can sufficiently admire love serve or suffer too much for this most Blessed Saviour Can your Passions continue all quiet when you look to this your most merciful Redeemer who left the Bosom of his Father to seek you when you had lost your selves in the ways of sin and the paths that lead to death Who came to procure Reconciliation for you with God whom as you had heinously provoked so you were in no respectable to make him satisfaction Do but with some seriousness recollect how often the Lord hath spared you when your own hearts have told you that you did deserve punishment How very often you have highly offended him and fearfully looked when he should destroy you and yet you are still suffer'd to be in the Land of the Living as so many Monuments of his Compassion and he is not yet wearied with waiting for your return that he may be gracious unto you Do I say but meditate upon these mercies of your God and try whether your hearts will not all melt into

Divine Assistance nothing will oftner carry your Thoughts to Heaven than your present Disconsolation and Trouble whose length and acuteness will also make Heaven it self taste the sweeter when soever God of his infinite Mercy shall bring you thither 6. Let not these afflicting Thoughts discourage you from the Exercise of your Devotions nor tempt you to omit or negligently discharge any one Christian Office or Duty Go still on in the ways of Religion and do the work of the Lord notwithstanding these performances to your selves may seem flat and heavy and such as will neither be grateful to him nor procure good to your Souls Let your Prayers ascend up to Heaven continually altho at present you find no Answer or Return to your Petitions Is any among you afflicted says St. James let him pray Prayer is the natural and the only safe refuge for the afflicted It is a sure stay to the heart when nothing else in the World can support it Nay the listnesness to Prayer so grievous to weak Christians will be removed by nothing so soon and so effectually as by Prayer it self For Prayer refines the Thoughts purifies the Heart and exalts the Soul above its natural pitch so that he who did enter upon his Prayers with some coldness shall often receive wonderful joy in his mind before he comes to the end of them Nothing will make the Soul partake so much of the Divine Nature and so closely unite it to God as devont Prayer But further at these disconsolate Seasons especially let the matter of your Prayers be such as doth imply your reposing an extraordinary confidence and trust in God altho he seems now to hide his face from you for it will be a thing most acceptable to him and a strong proof of your Integrity that you cease not to do your duty even when you find little pleasure in it and still continue to cast your self and cause wholly upon him when he does appear to be afar off and to have no regard to your cries and your tears And here it may be fit to give you a Caution against long Prayers for your heads under this disturbance will bear nothing which requires length of attention let your Prayers therefore be frequent rather than long such as may cause delight and not prove tedious There is no time or place or imployment do so engage you but you may have leisure now and then to send up your desires to Heaven and if they be sincere and fervent they will prevail with God how short soever they are for it is not the multitude of yourwords but the honestdisposition of your heart which will incline him to hear you And this Advice is therefore to be insisted upon because melanch oly Christians have been observed to suffer by the length of their Prayers and their Fasts Moreover do not forsake the Table of the Lord notwithstanding there also you meet no comfort and should be altogether unable to move and effect your hearts with holy reflections upon the most cruel and shameful death of your Blessed Saviour for that heavenly Bread will refresh your Souls and encrease your Graces and replenish your hearts with joy as soon as ever God shall find you qualify'd for so great mercies What evil thoughts then soever are injected into your Minds so long as you persist in a godly course of life there can be no colour of doubt but God will love you and approve your Services For he nowhere hath said that Men shall be condemned for their ungovernable Thoughts over which they have no dominion but he hath promised that all those who are not weary in well-doing shall in due season reap everlasting Life Now should these perplexing Thoughts last as long as you live which is the hardest thing you can suppose in this case yet that as I said before would be no more an Argument of God's Anger than a Fevor or a Fire or the loss of a Friend or any other Affliction nor of the unsoundness and hypoorisie of your Mind who in this matter are only the Sufferer for as you did not invite them so they continue with you much against your consent Let not therefore your present Trials and Humiliations make you despair of finding favour with a God of boundless Mercy and most tender Compassions Persevere in your Duty and confide in his infinite goodness and at length the clouds which now darken your Minds shall all vanish and be succeeded by steddy and pure light your fears shall be turned into full Assurances of unconceivable Happiness and all the Disorders Tumults and Confusions in your Souls shall be changed iuto Eternal Peace and undisturbed and endless Joys Give me leave to conclude all in the words of the Psalmist who had been a Man of Sorrows from his youth and yet ever received Supplies from the Lord answerable to his Distress Ye that fear the Lord praise him for he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cried unto him he heard Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast consider'd my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me yea I will hope continually and yet praise him more and more O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou hast not forsaken them who seek thee FINIS Mark 16. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 10. * Vide St. Basil de moderandis animi cogitationibus Tom. 2. p. 674. * Dum enim cogitatio mala in initiis est facile potest abjiti à corde Nam si frequenter iteretur diu permantat adducit animum ad consensum post consensum intra cer suum confirmatum certum est qui ad peccati tendat effectum Hieronym in Cantic Cantic Hom. 4. p. 117. † Reprime porro Cogitationem superbiae priusquam te superbia deprimat Destrue Cogitationem arrogantiae antiquam ipsa te subvertat Effringe atque exclude concupiscentiam pri usquam te concupiscentia ●●idat ac conterat Ephraem Syri Op. p. 404. * E●o mitis placidus benevolentiae plenus gratiae sine ullâ sermo ducatur contumeliâ Absit pertinax in familiari sermone contentio quaestiones enim magis excitare inanes quam utilitates aliquid efferre solet Disciptatio sine irâ suavitas sine amaritudine sit monitio sine asperitate hortatio sine offensione S. Ambr. Tom. 4. Col. 16. * Nolite litigare cum perversis ●ogitationibus vel perversa voluntate sed cum vobis insistae sunt aliqua utiii cogitatione voluntate mentem vestram donec evanescant fortiter o●cupate neque do●●atis neque contristemini de illarum insestatione quamdiu illas sicut dixi contemnendo superatis nullum eis ass●nsum Praebet●s ne occasione t●istitiae iterum r●deant ad memoriam suam importunitat●m resuscitent S. Anselm Ep. 133. p. 414. * Cum autem vultis orare aut aliquam bonam meditationem intendere si vobis tunc importunae sunt cogitationes quas non debetis suscipere nunquam propter illarum importunitatem ●onu● quod incepistis velitis demittere S. Anselm ib.