Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	israel_n	lord_n	redeem_v	2,086	5	10.1650	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90672	A firebrand pluckt out of the burning. A sermon preached at Margarets Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemn fast, Novemb. 27. 1644. By Benjamin Pickering, Minister of Gods Word at Buckstead in Sussex: and a member of the Assembly of Divines. Published by order of the said house.	Pickering, Benjamin.	1644 (1644)	Wing P2150; Thomason E23_4; ESTC R18962	22,587	38

labour to explaine and prove with the same labour 1. First Here is implyed that calamities by the enemy is a burning as also Amos 4.11 So this people finde it and so expresse it From above hath he sent fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them he hath burned against Iacob Lam. 1.13 Chap. 2.3 like a flaming fire which devoureth round about First Psal 124. If fire have the mastery it is raging devouring and wasting fire and water have no mercy we say of them they are good servants but ill masters so if the cruell enemy get the mastery he ruines all and layes all waste A fire devoureth before them and behind them a flame burneth Joel 2.3 The land is as the garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate wildernesse yea and nothing shall escape them When through the Lords anger this fire is kindled it devoureth every greene tree with every dry tree that is both the good which are as the greene tree having some sap of grace and the wicked which are as the dry tree fit for nothing but fuell Ezek. 20.47 and all faces from the North to the South shall be burnt therein They pitie not the young nor regard the person of the old even as the devils malice and spite ceaseth not notwithstanding that Ioshua and the Iews were but newly come out of the fire Auget culpam Satana Drufius as it were brands halfe burnt Secondly burning is a tormenting painfull punishment so is this The Lord is angry and malicious men helpe forward the affliction and it 's more smarting because it 's by their hand when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Hab. 1. Thirdly fire is unsatiable it makes no end of burning so long as there is any thing combustible Thus are the enemies and the multitude of those that distresse Ierusalem they are even as a dream of a night vision as when a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth Isa 29.7 8. but he awaketh and his soule is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint and his soule hath appetite although they load themselves with plunder and spoyle and glut and make themselves drunk with bloud yet they are no more satisfied then though they had onely dreamed of such things they are as one of the things that never say It is enough Their rage ends not with the life of the godly but it extends it selfe even to their ashes as was seene in Wicklif Bucer and Phagius Fourthly Fire is purging it trieth it separates divides things Heterogeneall as the drosse from the silver so this evill is to Gods people as a Refiners fire it purgeth them from their hypocrisie worldly-mindednesse and selfe-love c. Also it separates the wicked of the earth as drosse from the godly as in this season the truly zealous from the malignant now combined together Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his angels 2. Secondly here is implied Revel 12. that Gods people are often in this burning and that to some extremitie and for continuance the Lord lets them lie in till they apprehend themselves even consumed as a brand in the fire For first we are not immediately purged the bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed out of the fire Jerem. 6. the Founder melts in vaine the wicked nor our wickednesses are not tooke away as it is now seene notwithstanding we are in the burning yet our dissentions and fires amongst our selves are not quenched as it was with the Iewes when they were neere to be consumed by the Romanes our Pride our Covetousnesse c. are not tooke away Then no wonder if we continue yet in the burning Secondly it may be also the Lord will thus feed the malignitie of the enemy till he become prodigious in crueltie blasphemies and insolencie and fill up a full measure of vengeance for himselfe And thirdly Gods wisdome is best seene when we are at our wits end and the Lords power is most manifest when we are at the extremitie of miserie when we think and say we are cut off for our parts Ezek. 37. And secondly when the enemies are at the height of their malice and extremitie of crueltie when the Pope was at his height then Luther with others about that time gave him a second deadly wound and when Gods people in this Nation groaned under the Hierarchie as Israel under Egyptian Task-masters even then when Tyranny was come to the height the Lord was seene in the Mount then his wisdome and power wrought for us There was none to helpe then his owne arme brought salvation by Englands Parliament and Scotlands Armie Thus some understand the enemies ruine in Armageddon expounding it to be the Mount of Megiddo Isa 63.5 Revel 16. Judg. 5.19 because the enemies are at a height when they are brought to Horma an utter destruction as Israels enemies were at the waters of Megiddo Fourthly contraries are ordinarily cured by contraries cold diseases by hot Medicines and hot diseases by cold we are a cold Nation at the most we are as we are aptly resembled by Mr. Brightman to Laodicea but luke-warme therefore the Lord applies these burnings unto us that he may bring some warmth into us 3. Thirdly Here is exprest that though Gods people be in the fire they shall certainly be pul'd out as Israel was out of Egypt from the Iron furnace and out of the miserable captivitie in Babylon where they indured this burning here mentioned first they are in hazard then certainly rescued The enemie said I will pursue Exod. 15.9 10.13 I will overtake I will divide the spoyle my lust shall bee satisfied on them I will draw my sword mine hand shall destroy them Thou didst blow with thy wind the Sea covered them they sanke as lead in the mighty waters Then Lord thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people whom thou hast redeemed So they seeme to be in their graves when in Babylon but the Lord that quickneth the dead tels them Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live the dead bodies shall arise awake and sing ye that sit in the dust for the Lords favour is as the dew of herbes First thus the Lords Power Wisdome and Truth shine forth when we say Our bones are dried Ezek. 37.11 and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Secondly then the Lord is sought unto in their affliction they will seek me early and rested upon when we know not what to doe when refuge faileth and none careth for our soules And then the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us he will not be as waters that faile Thirdly Gods love is immutable more constant then the mothers love to her sucking child Isa 49. No waters can quench it the coales thereof are coales of fire which have a most vehement flame

and England in the fire Let the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled let your compassions be toward the Palatinate that Vine that had strong rods for the Scepters of them that beare rule but fire is gone out of a rod of her branches which hath devoured her fruit Ezek. 19. ult so that there is no rod for a Scepter to rule This is a lamentation and it shall be for a lamentation let your compassions be kindled so that they may set you on a course to help them out of the fire use means as the Lord hath put into your hands if so be there may be balme for their healing if we shall still look on without contributing to their reliefe looke for the like measure from others in our miseries Who shall pity thee O England or who shall bemoane thee or who will turn aside to aske how thou dost we have beene too much and too long wanting unto Gods distressed Churches feare lest the fire of Gods anger be kindled against us because we have beene a staffe of reed unto the house of Israel Ezek. 29.6 Secondly let the Lord be magnified by us First for giving warning he sets us on fire round about before his wrath kindle upon us It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed let your praise be continually of him for keeping off this fire when the enemy hath been coming in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord hath lift up a Standard against him he hath appointed barres and limits unto these raging waves of the enemy and said Stay there thy proud waves and goe no further Secondly blesse the Lord for chastising in measure for that he hath not powred out all his anger he might have scattered Brimstone upon our habitations and made us as Sodome and Gomorrah Blesse our God ye people c. For thou O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as silver is tried Psa 66. we went through fire and through water hence we have good hone that the Lord hath not ordained us to wrath for when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Thirdly magnifie the Lords Omnipotencie that hath kept his Church in the midst of flames Numb 21. The bush burneth and is not consumed Israel was preserved among fiery Serpents so are we kept amongst a Malignant company the brood of the Serpent who are set on fire Magnifie the God of Truth who hath spoke with his mouth and with his hand fulfilled it When thou walkest through the fire Isa 43.2 thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Is it not marvellous in your eyes that the religious in France have beene preserved in Massacres and Butcheries and the Protestants in England in the fires in Queene Maries reigne and since from the damnable Powder-Plot and many a time since from the Antichristians set on fire against us and their Adherents brutish men skilfull to destroy Fourthly let the Lord be magnified for making some impressions on the Antichristian party The Lord God of recompences hath begun to give burning for burning Let all give glory to the Lord for stirring up the spirits of our Worthies to hate the Whore to make her desolate to eat her flesh and burne her with fire O glorifie ye the Lord in the midst of the fires Thirdly let us not think our selves exempt the Lord hath brought this fire upon all his people and shall we be free First therefore shake off securitie and bestirre your selves to prevent and keepe our selves out we have been as brands in the fire The burnt child dreads the fire Our neighbours house is on fire we cannot but be concerned in this I will not meddle in Politiques onely advise thus Therefore first kindle not the Lords jealousie by superstitions cast not a favourable eye toward the Whore of Rome leave not an hoofe of the Beast in England Secondly tempt not God complaine not of his wise administration thinke not say not as Israel Can God doe this can he perfect Reformation can he give pure Ordinances can he subdue such a people as we are to his Scepter can he ordaine Peace can he worke all our workes for us When the Lord heard this he was wroth so a fire was kindled against Iacob Psal 78.21 and anger also came up against Israel Thirdly purge out every cursed sinne by repentance let this be manifested in a holy indignation against all remainders of Idolatry and Superstition as you have zealously begun make the stones of the Altars as Chalke-stones beat them to pieces Isa 27. Every sinne makes us as readie to take fire even as Gun-powder let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare for first Our God is a consuming fire and secondly this fire of the Enemy is dreadfull A fire devoureth before them and behinde them a flame burneth all that is desireable will be consumed by them Gods Sanctuary shall be laid waste his Worship his Ordinances polluted we shall lose communion of Saints the excellencie of our strength the desire of our eyes no fire makes such a desolation as this An Idolatrous Army is the abomination of desolation Ezek. 24. And if the Lord have stretched out his hand so that we cannot put it back but that this fire doe kindle upon us I shall prescribe the same course Turn to him that smiteth take away the sting from the fiery Serpents that is our sinnes The sting of death and every deadly evill is sinne sinne is as fuel and bellowes both increasing the flame and the wrath of God as a streame of Brimstone If we could have broken hearts the Lord would binde up our broken State our broken Church If we be not found in our sins the fire can have no power over us Dan. 3. Satan shall not be at our right hand so as to prevaile But if we continue in our neutralitie like warmenesse divisions and heats one toward another in covetousnesse pride injustice unthankfulnesse despising the day of small things and contempt of the Gospel grieving Gods holy Spirit by which he still striveth with us the Lord wil be turned to he our enemie how then can our hearts endure or our hands be strong in the day that the Lord shall deale with us hereunto will be added the burning of an evill conscience Ezek. 22. a terrible devouring fire and thus the fire will be as Nebuchadnezzars furnace Heb. 10. seven times hotter Be instructed lest the Lords soule depart from you let this fire that the Lord hath kindled be a Refiners fire lest the Lord come from his place as a consuming fire and everlasting burnings Our God hath beene trying to purge us a long time he hath smitten us with Pestilence after the manner of Egypt but we have not turned to him he hath now drawne