Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41888
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The great concern and zeal of a loyal people for a good king's preservation in the hazards of war. And the duty of such a people opened and enforced, in one of our monthly-fasts in a country parish. By the minister thereof.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing G1679; ESTC R212854
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49,196
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44
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for your own ways O House of Israel Ezek. 36.22 32. When we have least to say and have no Reasons to plead taken from our selves we have most to say and the most prevailing Argument to urge by Faith taken from the free Mercy of God and the Glory of his great Name O let us take Courage and come boldly to the Throne of Grace and say Psal 6.4 Jer. 14.7 Save us for thy Mercies sake O Lord though our Iniquities testify against us do thou it for thy Name 's sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not Dan. 9.19 for thine own sake O my God for the City and People that are called by thy Name Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory for thy Mercy Psal 115.1 2. and for thy Truth 's sake Wherefore should the Heathen say the French and Irish the Philistines the Enemies of the Lord that have so reproached him that have destroyed all his Tabernacles in the Land say Where is now their God Such an Encouragement as this may quicken us to a lively Attention to the Word of God and put Life into our Prayers when most dejected under the sense of our Sins And so now I come to the Words 1. In this part of sacred Story we read of another War between a proud Zech. 9.6 unquiet idolatrous superstitious People and David ver 5. The Philistines had been often destroyed and conquered by the Sword of David and yet they begin another War with David as the Phrase doth intimate And the Philistines had yet War again with Israel as if they began it and provoked Israel unto it We read not what the particular Cause of the War was it might be from inveterate Hatred from Contrariety of Religion for the Philistines like our Papists had their Images in the Battel of Baal Perazim and as their Images could not help them so neither could they save their Images 2 Sam. 5.21 or it might be Impatience of Revenge that might stir them up and they thought themselves strong enough to overcome and over-run Israel or they might promise to themselves the Life of David having a self-confident vain-glorious Giant Ishbi-benob who might brag as well as think of killing David It is a righteous Judgment of God upon the inveterate Enemies of his People which they see not that they will not be quiet in their Possessions but after many Overthrows they will be making Wars against them 2. And David went down and his Servants with him and fought against the Philistines it seems to be a defensive as well as a lawful War to go down against the Philistines and not to stay for their coming into the Land of Israel they were the beginners of the War and David doth wisely choose the Seat of the War which might be most convenient the further off from home and the nearer the Enemies Country the better An experienced valiant King will neither refuse nor delay to fight against the Enemies of God's People and his Kingdom when there is just Cause and Provocation given 3. And David waxed faint he grow in Years and was much decayed in Strength or tired and weakned with the Wars This Circumstance affords us many Observations 1. The Wars and Troubles in a King's Reign are no Sign or Indication of and should create no Suspitions in any Men of the Weakness or Badness of his Title to the Kingdom Never had King a better or a clearer Title to a Kingdom than David had appointed and designed of God elected and made by the People and anointed Nay the Malice of the Philistines boil'd and swell'd and broke out into an open Attempt and War against David when they heard he was anointed 2 Sam. 5.17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David King over Israel all the Philistines came to seek David And spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim v. 18. Is David anointed has he taken the Kingdom upon him then before he is settled in his Throne we will seek him This Policy was equal to the Malice while the Government was young and tender as some here said of ours and the Factions of the Kingdom not inwardly healed but the Providence of God turned this to David's Glory by giving him the Victory they and their Images fell into his Hands ver 20 21. When God designs a King and gives him a Throne they who rise against him rise and war against God himself and let that King acknowledg God and seek him as David did and all his Enemies shall not prevail against him but fall and perish David had a good Title but a troublesome Reign 2. A good King when he takes a Kingdom takes it not for the Glory and Ease of it but for the Glory of God and Good of his Kingdom with all the Labours and Dangers of a War 3. The true Interest Peace and Happiness of a Kingdom is the Concernment of a good King The Philistines had a great spight against David's Person in the former Design and War but now they hated Israel which were the People of God and professed the true Religion and now David is as much engaged to go out in Person against the Philistines 4. A faithful and a valiant King will endure the great Toil and Weariness of a War even to Faintness 5. That even a David a Servant of God will find it a hard and hazardous Work to fight his Enemies 6. A good and valiant King will expose his own Person and tire himself in Battel and yet not fly nor leave the Field David waxed faint but yet stands his ground 7. The best and stoutest King must feel his own Infirmities that he may know that he conquereth not by his own Strength 8. That though a good King shall prevail yet first he may be brought very low and faint The greatest Champion will faint in time and often-times a Cause and People may be brought very low before a Conquest The Power of God will be seen in humane Weakness and give him hot and fainting work that his glorious Power may bring forth Victory and Peace 4. Ver. 16. And Ishbi-benob c. How exact an account have we here given us of this great Enemy of David By his Name a very notorious and noted Man his Descent and Family which was of the Sons of the Giant his great Strength his dangerous Weapon The Weight of whose Spear weighed three hundred Shekels of Brass in Weight About nine Pound six Ounces Haver depoise Clark's Annot About half as big as Goliah's 1 Sam. 17.7 but according to others a great deal more and by his particular Preparation for Mischief to David's Person being girded with a new â—word Sword is not in the Original Text but supplied for Explication as contained in the word girded Girded with a new somewhat extraordinary and fitted for his
what he never wanted before viz. Money If the Throne was ambitiously sought why did he not and why doth he not sit at Ease upon it Or why doth he not make Peace with France and do as his Predecessors did Or why might not he work upon the Counsels of France to send away the late King as the Usurpers formerly did when both the late Kings were Princes in Exile Why may not English Money work as much in France now as French Money doth work in England Or why doth he not stay at home to reak and revenge himself on some of the Murmurers at home Why doth he not feed the Debauched with Money and Favours and give them an Example of Vanities Sports Pleasures and make more Flood-gates of Wickedness and Vice than were opened before If he would but enrich some as he might at cheaper rates than one Expedition and sacrifice himself wholly to their Service who call themselves The Church and run into their Methods he might enjoy the sweet of his Usurpation as they call it and not bring in Popery neither There are far easier Methods to enjoy a sinful Rest to eat the Marrow and Fatness of a Kingdom than by the restless Pains of a Warrior To say no more upon this Head I conclude with mine own Belief when I consider the Foot-steps of Divine Providence his righteous Judgment upon the former Powers and his placing their Majesties in supream Authority and their great Endeavours and Fitness for the Service of God in this Age and what hath been done I admire the Mercy of our Deliverance and look upon our instrumental National Saviours to be the Ministers of God to us for good and I do believe that God hath intrusted the King with the Government of these Nations that he might have the greater Power for further Service and greater than what is yet done I fear the Impenitence and retaining the Abominations of many Years past more than all the Armies of our Enemies O let not our Sins provoke God to darken our Light and to leave us under those Judgments we have long deserved O that we had Hearts affected with our Mercies Deliverances and Duties O that such Lights had no malignant Stars near their Persons and in all their Trusts I have said what hath the King sought for himself but O what great things has he done for us in a little time O how much more might he have done had there not been many Obstructions among our selves O let us argue our selves into a due Sensibleness that we may be thankful and contribute all our Endeavours in our several places for the true Prosperity of our Israel Vse 2. It is a particular and considering our State and Circumstances then and now a wonderful Mercy of God to bring into England such a Light and Lamp whose Beams put such a Vigor and Spirit of Life into the almost-quenched Hopes of Deliverance in Ireland and Scotland as well as England which was in the best Condition of the three and the best of the three brought nigh to the sides of the Pit of Destruction who could hope for any Good but what was brought to us over the Heads and tops of Mountains of Opposition besides them who can make fair Weather in any Alterations and serve the worst as well as best of Governments for Honour Power and Profit How many were among us that did not know whether it were best to be saved or lost Sleep in a whole Skin in the Night of Popery or live like free Men and Christians under the Light of Liberty and Religion until they saw the Powers of Darkness dissolved and the Light coming on prosperously by the Favour of an irresistible Providence The Mercy is it is Light not Fire Light not Lightning it is Light with an admirable temper of Heat not a scorching Sun It is a moderate kind beneficent growing Light it doth leisurely exalt and spend the noisom Vapours Fustiness Damps and ill Scents of a House before infected But as great a Blessing as it is it is but a Lamp and will go out if it should not be put out and quenched O what a dark confounded House would it be if the Lamp should be quenched If it be a Lamp and but a Lamp what should the Family do 1. All the Servants of God should bless and praise the Lord who afforded us a Light O bless the mighty and merciful Hand of Providence which brought us a Light in the Night of Confusions and Fears The Enemies of God dwelt in the House before their Hearts were turned away from Truth Righteousness Peace and Love to their Houshold even to Children as well as all Ranks and Degrees of Officers and Servants They had the Art of making Promises which they never kept and gave an Indulgence to such as they always hated and could not love without a miraculous Alteration of Nature Lay them first asleep in their Bosom and then strangle them when they were asleep if they had had but so much time for it and instead of preserving good Government they brought in Thieves and Cut-throats Nothing could have made these run away and hide in all haste but the springing in of Light and setting up a Lamp attended with strong Guards of resolute Men against whom they thought it would be but Folly to fight This was the mighty Work of God and a merciful Deliverance 2. Let us love the Light and shew that we love it by contributing all we can to make it shine the brighter and glorify God the more by saving others as we our selves were saved 3. Let us interpose between him and them that hate him that we may preserve him There are secret and open Haters of him Conspirators that conspire to blow him out Neutrals that will neither blow him out nor keep him in and here is another sort of them who wished him in and when he was in wished him out that promise Peace and Duty but will not swear to be true and loyal or if they swear it is with a Proviso that this new Oath consists with their former to another King We must labour to tie these up some other way and preserve our Light from them And there are open Enemies by Sea and Land Armies of Philistines and armed Ishbi-benobs that would put out our Light The more these do hate him let us love him the more and let their Hatred of him and us be one reason to encrease our Love to him His open and secret Enemies are all our Enemies let us count them so and for the rest we ought to beware of them and if their Consciences are so tied up by their mistaken Oaths add two Bands more upon them one upon their Tongues and another upon their Hands 4. Let us make the uttermost Benefit we can of the Light while it shines upon us What would many wise and good Men have given for such a King and Queen and for the Opportunity but of