Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	hear_v	lord_n	trust_n	2,000	5	9.7447	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59895	Some seasonable reflections on the discovery of the late plot being a sermon preacht on that occasion / by William Sherlock ...	Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.	1683 (1683)	Wing S3366; ESTC R10020	18,258	32

zealous for but a Liberty in Religion that is that every one may have his liberty to be of any Religion or of none which serves the Atheists turn as well as the Sectaries but is not much for the honour or interest of true Religion So that whatever the pretences are it is an ambitious discontented revengeful spirit an uneasie restless fickle and changeable humour which disturbs publick Government and undermines the Thrones of Princes and therefore it is no wonder if the best Princes and the best Governments in the world be disturbed by such men David himself could not escape he had a great many enemies but Davids God was greater than they all for great deliverance giveth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his Anointed to David and to his seed for evermore There is something peculiar in these words which cannot be applied to any other Prince for as David was King of Israel so he was a Type of the Messias who was to descend from his loynes and that promise or prediction that he would shew mercy to his Anointed to David and to his seed for evermore received its full accomplishment in the Kingdom of the Messias who is said to set upon the Throne of David but yet those deliverances God wrought for David were personal too and an example of Gods care and protection of Pious and Religious Princes And when we see the same good providence watching over our Prince and securing him from the bloody designs of wicked men we have reason thankfully to acknowledge it as David did great deliverance he hath given to our Prince he hath shewn mercy to his Anointed Now know we that the Lord saveth his Anointed he will hear him from his holy Heaven with the saving strength of his right hand Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God they are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright My present Discourse therefore shall consist of those two parts 1. Briefly to observe to you those many great Deliverances which God hath wrought for our King 2. I shall make some practical Reflections on it especially with reference to this late Discovery 1. To observe to you those many great deliverances which God hath wrought for our King His troubles have not been much unlike I am sure not inferiour to Davids and his Deliverances have not been less strange and wonderful I am not a going to give you a History of his Life but only to point you to some remarkable passages of it which it becomes us all thankfully to remember I suppose no man doubts how many dangers a Prince is exposed to who flies before an enraged and victorious enemy who knows not whither to go where to hide himself whom to trust this was the condition of our Dread Soveraign who was hunted as a Partridge in the mountains pursued by his own Rebellious Subjects who had usurpt his Throne and thirsted after his Blood But then God found a hiding place for him and delivered him from the desire and expectation of his enemies But still his condition was calamitous he was forc't to live in Exile and Banishment divested of Royal power and all the ensignes of Majesty reduced to a precarious and sometimes a necessitous state while he saw his Friends impoverisht and ruined his Loyal Subjects opprest his Enemies triumphant too vigilant and too powerful to allow any hope to see an end of these troubles But that God who can do what he pleases and oftentimes does such things as no humane force nor power can effect put an end to these troubles also and restored him to his Fathers Throne in Peace and Honour and with the universal joy and triumph of his Subjects and I suppose you will reckon this a deliverance a great and wonderful deliverance both to Prince and People a deliverance immediately wrought by God without Humane policy contrivance or power To see a Prince whose Father was Murdered and himself forc't into banishment by his own Subjects without any power of his own without the help and assistance of Forreign Allies while his Friends at home were opprest while the same power that drove him out was still in the hands of his enemies while so many persons who were in greatest power were concerned for their own preservation to keep him out while those who wisht his return durst not whisper any thing tending to call the King back again I say to see a Prince in such circumstances without striking a blow without shedding a drop of Blood return again in the throngs and crouds and with the acclamations of his Subjects is no less a Miracle than dividing the sea to give a safe passage to the Israelites for the Psalmist represents it as an argument of equal power to still the noise of the the seas the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people This is the Lords doings and it is marvellous in our eyes now know we that the Lord saveth his Anointed he will hear him from his holy Heaven with the saving strength of his right hand And that good Providence which brought our King back again has watcht over him ever since Though he returned in a happy day when the Seas were smooth and calm when no frowns were to be seen on mens forheads but such cheerful looks as signifyed the inward pleasure and serenity of their minds yet it could not be expected that this calm would always last I think we may now venture to say without fear of being censured that there are two sorts of men that are restless and implacable and always working under ground and both of them with an equal pretence of Religion I mean the Papist and the Fanatick I shall not take notice of those several weak attempts they have made since the happy Restauration of our Prince there is something greater to imploy our thoughts at this time some more signal demonstrations of that great deliverance God giveth to his King We have now for many years had little other discourse than of a Popish Plot a wicked hellish design against the Life of our King and the Religion and Liberties of his Subjects This was a formidable design laid close and in the dark prosecuted with deep Counsels and combined interests We may remember for I think we cannot easily forget what horror and consternation surprized us at the news we lived in perpetual fear of the Life of our Prince in perpetual fear of our own how did the name of Popery deservedly stink among us how did men abhor a Religion which is nourisht with Blood with Royal and innocent Blood How zealous were men in their discoveries how watchful in their Guards how devout in their Prayers for the preservation of their Prince and of their Religion And though possibly we have not seen to the bottom of that Plot to this day and it may be never shall yet blessed be God

without it While our thoughts are wholly employed to secure our selves on one hand where our danger is present and visible it gives opportunity to an unseen and unobserved Enemy to assault us on the other When the Popish Plot was discover'd all mens mouths were opened against Popery we saw no other Enemy we feared none we suspected none nay when there was too much reason for our suspicions we would believe none we thought it impossible that men who exprest such an abhorrence and detestation of the Popish Plot should be laying new Plots themselves And we see now what advantage they made of our security And now the great danger is that the Discovery of this Anti-Popish Plot should make men secure of Popery and think there is no danger now from that corner For my part I am abundantly satisfied that we are in great danger of both and in the greater danger of both because their contrary assaults give great advantages to each other The Papists now may Father their Plots upon Protestants and Protestants upon Papists and we may be involved in Blood and Confusion and neither know our Friends nor our Enemies God of his infinite mercy preserve our King and these Kingdoms our Liberties Laws and Religion from the wicked conspiracies of all our Enemies Which is the last thing I shall recommend to you to praise God for his preservation of our King hitherto and earnestly to beg that the same good Providence would still watch over him for the time to come And certainly if ever we had reason to praise God for any Deliverance we have for this which is such a comprehensive mercy as extends to all our concernments of Soul and Body in this world If we value our own Lives our Liberties and Religion if we value the Security of the Government and the publick peace and safety we have reason to bless God for the preservation of our King Who can without horrour consider what a distracted face of things we had seen at this day had this Plot taken effect who knows who should have acted his part in that Tragedy by what Mark or Test they would have distinguished Friends from Enemies Or what comfort had it been to any Loyal Subject and good Christian to have survived the Murder of his Prince and the ruines of Church and State and to have been an eye-witness of those barbarous Villanies which would have been acted under a Mask of Religion Blessed be that God who giveth deliverance to his King and sheweth mercy to his Anointed Blessed be that Alwise Being who sits upon the Circle of the Heavens and sees and laughs at and defeats all the most secret Plots and Conspiracies of wicked men Let us bless God and let us honour our King and receive him with Joy and Thanksgiving as a new Gift and Present from the hands of God When we are heartily thankful for the mercies we have already received this will make our prayers more effectual for the continuance of them O Lord save the King who putteth his trust in thee send him help from thy holy place and evermore mightily defend him let his enemies have no advantage against him nor the wicked approach to hurt him Which God of his infinite mercy grant through our Lord Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be honour and glory and power now and for ever Amen FINIS 13 Rom. 2. 20 Psalm 6 7 8. 65 Psal. 7. 2 Psal. 1 2 3 4. 18 Joh. 36.