Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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B03740
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England and Scotland vnited. With some pious observations thereupon, shewing our brethrens faithfulnesse in this cause. Frustrating the hope of our common adversary, to the downfall of heresies, errours, and schismes. / By I.H. a lover of truth peace and.
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I.H.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing H45; ESTC R177770
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6,501
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15
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There 's yet one thing that heightens the Deliverance and that is that after the burthen had laine so long upon our backes that it should then be removed when our miseries were at the highest pitch in the superlative degree the addition of more miseries could scarce have made us more miserable who 's then more welcome then a deliver When a Goliah was in Armes against Israel who more acceptable then a David whose part our Brethren hath so well acted as that I am sorry for nothing more then that we are not able to reward them Wee were a long season in the Furnace but the seasonablenesse of the deliverance makes us forget all former miseries Barclay sayes Barclay Icun Animorum That warres never last so long in England as in other Lands Costly experience tels us this is rather a Fable then a Chronicle You cannot think but that we escaped from Scythian cruelty when we were like to be brought into an unworthy servitude and vertue was like to become a slave to those that had sold themselves to Vitiousnesse Now I hope you will say if these things deserve not an observation and a perpetuall commemoration to the honour of that famous Kingdome the World will call's unthankfull Come we neerer to our Brethren that are gone from us their names shall last the longest length of time they are equivalent to the very best of men inferiour to none the singular Ornaments of this Age Europes wonder These expressions proceed from me because I do not desire that Valour should have Oblivion for its grave But the memory of their Opponents shall perish and their names shall bee buried in the eternall night of Oblivion And yet if you will have them recorded let it bee in times brazen-leaved booke with ignominy and disgrace there to remaine as a Caveat for Generations yet unborne Our Brethrens carriage in these late affaires hath been terrible to their and out enemies feare striking amazements to our Adversaries that ere now have bin so numerous that the spacious fields could hardly afford roome for their armed Troopes and now we see by our Brethrens valour fidelity and assistance they are reduced to a better method there scarce remaining a stump or stem of that huge Tree that one while over-spread whole Countries for this their fame is gone out thorow the spacious Orb and their victorious hands will be remembred by all succeeding Generations Their zeale their justice their magnanimity hath made them inferiour to none of their Predecessors in greatnesse of true glory never never to be blotted out of the Registers of memory And lest forgetfull time should make us liable to ingratitude 't were not unfit that there were an annuall Observation of this our Brethrens Deliverance and that as we are wont to write from the Gunpowder-Treason so many yeeres from the Spanish-Armado so many yeeres so to adde this to the rest Since Englands grand Deliverance from her plundring conspirators so many yeeres A plot that equallizes any of these two famous Deliverances an adversary that would have dispoiled us of our lives livelihoods goods and fortunes and had it been feacible they would have plundred us of our God of our Religion of our being and well-being I hope you well borne Englishmen your hearts will tell you that I speak no more then the greatnesse of this Deliverance calls for 'T were easie to be infinite the deeper I dig in this golden Mine the more my fancy is inriched yet all this will speak us Atheists if we speak no other language before the conclusion We know why Herod was eaten up of wormes Acts 12.23 because he gave not God the glory Let us look then to that primum mobile In whom we live and move and have our being Acts 17.28 Let the glory of the day be given to him that is the Giver of the day we doe not attribute these performances to man we know that he is not proportion'd for such employments such high affaires Man is not able to conquer himselfe much lesse his enemies But one Observation I mark in our Adversaries they were haughty and self-confiding men when as we know that there is no such enemy as a patient humble self-denying enemy Experience teaches us that the highest structures have the lowest foundations and it is not the high Towring Rocks but the humble Valleys that are fruitfull And now let us imitate the Prophet David who after the receivall of many mercies poses himselfe with a What shall I render When we are in afflictions the first thing is Prayer and being delivered the next must be prayse so that we may conclude that there 's no deliverance where God does not foresee a Thankfulnesse without this we shall be without God If we receive the Lords Mercies without a gratefull retribution and an humble acknowledgement we shall turne his Mercies into Judgements his Blessings into curses 2 Cor. 7.21 22. There 's mention made of Solomons Temple how that if then the people a people of so many mercies should fall off why this house which is so high shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth so that he shall aske why hath the Lord done this unto this Land If we be ungratefull Pharoah like our hearts will be hardned and as Gods Mercies increases so will our sinnes Let us therefore of this City imitate the Citizens of Samaria Acts 8. where we read that the Church was much in affliction and much in Deliverance much in sorrow and much in joy sorrow for their afflictions joy for their deliverance And therefore in the 8. vers it is said There was great joy in that City Prov. 11.10 And Prov. 11.10 VVhen it goeth well with the City the Righteous rejoyceth the words may be very well inverted Gods people are sometimes a mourning people anon a rejoycing people in variety of estates and conditions in Canaan and in Egypt 12. wells of waters at Elim but bitter water at Maras We have had our Aegyptian bondage now wee have our blessed Liberty and refreshment I thinke if I should here lay downe some Arguments that calls for thanks it were not amisse but truly I finde them so many and so great that I stand amazed which to touch at first here 's poverty in plenty First then for the Gospell it being a blessing the fruit of which because we alwayes enjoy wee should alwayes acknowledge in an eminent manner the enjoyment of which in its purity is derived down to us from our Brethrens Fidelity For the thrice-fortunate and famous union of the two Nations this multiplies and advances our joyes Now wee must pray that these two thus joyned thus made one by an invincible Union may ever bee able to preserve out joyes that these Great Joyes may procure Great Acknowledgements so that by this our Happy Union no Forraigne Enemy how potent soever unlesse hee be weary of his owne Fortunes will dare ever to offend us
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND VNITED WITH Some pious Observations thereupon shewing our Brethrens faithfulnesse in this Cause Frustrating the hope of our Common adversary to the downfall of Heresies Errours and Schismes By I. H. a Lover of Truth Peace and. Imprimatur James Cranford Printed at London for J. H. 1647. HAving perused much joyfull Newes from the North I could not let it passe without some Observations thereon I must confesse it is but a mite of thankfulnesse I could wish it might be a Monument that being erected might eternize the honour of the Scottish Nation which they have purchased by their Fidelity to our Kingdome I wish it might swell future Chronicles to large Volumes of Thankfulnesse let it be written in leaves of Marble with a pen of iron that it may be able to withstand the devouring teeth of envious Time never never to be forgotten till all things shall confesse their ashes and time shall be no more Would I could perswade our English Country-men to prepare their hearts and enlarge their Meditations to let in these mercies that our unworthinesse tells us we have not merited Here 's a Union worthy to be commemorated to all posterity No more Anglia Scotia but Brittany Famous Brittany England and Scotland united Two made One Here therefore you shall have in an Epitome the faithfulnesse of our Brethren a great deale of matter in a little roome The Discourse needs no Division it 's of Union To tell you of our Brethrens coming to our Assistance were but to tell you that that hath been delivered by former Pens One may observe very many circumstances that makes this courtesie very acceptable they own'd us and that in the day of our distresse they helpt us when we could not helpe our selves and when some that were amongst us were risen up against us 'T were not unseasonable to speake of the time in which they came into our aide and helped the Lord against the mighty They tooke a hard march a hard taske in a hard season fighting with a potent stubborne powerfull adversary who was well appointed ready Garrison'd provided and prepared to receive an enemy though very powerfull and formidable Amongst the many things that might be spoken in our Brethrens commendation this I account as none of the least viz. the great doubt which party would prove Conquerour 't is sufficiently knowne with what variety of faces the truth of this appeared the most judicious could not tell whether wee might be reckned amongst the living or the dead But our provident God foresaw all the Lord of Hosts that was and is the giver of victory hath crown'd our sufferings with the happinesse that wee now enjoy Our Prayers are turned into praises our fighs into Songs of deliverance for our War we have peace for feare of utter ruine the fruits of a present happinesse For out former wants in which we did abound we have as much felicity as the frailty of man is capable of You know who it was that said Sorrowes may endure for a night Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning We have had our Night a black darke sad stormy Night but now the bright beames of the morning hath dispel'd all these vapours and we have our morning of happinesse after our night of misery We have had newes of this Towne lost Witnesse that bat barous act of P. Rupert at Bolton in Lancashire that Castle lost that Garrison surrendred another Fort yeelded and all our men massacred We had then many of Jobs messengers but yet we see wee are left alive as living Monuments of the Lords mercy and doe reap the fruits of this blessednesse which our Brethren have purchased with their dearest blood And here I may fitly speake a word of those that dyed in defence of this cause Englands Cause for her Rights and Liberties may we not envy their Happinesse they act their parts gloriously in Heaven that acted them well on earth they are raised to the highest pitch of happinesse most fortunate most blessed most wise most all they dwell all upon superlatives Quis non optaret sic moriendo mori How noble is it to dye in a justified cause A cause so just so righteous so equall that we may justly pronounce those unjust and wicked that would have rather let it sunk then patronize it Our luke-warmnesse here at home could not doe that that their zeale hath performed 't was that that set them on this work and acted it for them If I should descend to particulars and take a view and a regardfull search of their zeale in this Reformation I should swell my Pamphlet beyond its intended brevity I shall name one act of our Brethrens of late if I did not speake the thing would speak it self I must confesse it quadrates well with my Genius viz. their care for the observation of the Lords day to which end they have provided and so ordered that no Fayres or Markets be kept on Mondayes or Saturdayes and I hope there 's none but will agree with me in this point but that it is a very worthy act a memorable Act and worthy of our best imitations they have hitherto chalkt out a way for our Reformation if we tread in their steps in this particular the world wil not call us unhapy having such good Conductors and so good a Copy to write after The two Tribes and a halfe Josuah 22. after they had helpt their Brethren to conquer the promised Land in their returne homewards built an Altar of testimony the end why is shewed in the 24. vers lest the Children of Israel might say to the children of the two Tribes and a halfe What have you to doe with the Lord God of Israel The name of the Altar was Eol which being translated by the holy language is a Witnesse this was a Witnes lest in time to come the seed of the children of Israel might say to the seed of the two Tribes and a halfe Yee have no part in the Lord The plainnesse of the History applyes it selfe if we can set up such a Witnesse between us for the Government of the Church we shall be happy in a most absolute manner so far I have deviated from my circumstances But now I come to one more and that is of the seasonablenesse of the deliverance that in the very nick of time they came in to doe us good and when we found we could not find a way how to break the power of our Adversaries they interposed and the controversies ended the question 's decided To a poore condemned man there is nothing more acceptable as a pardon and if it come in th' opportunity and nick of time just before the intended execution nothing comes more welcome The Application makes it self We were condemed and if fame were not too lavish our estates divided The story of them that bought the Beares skin is very remarkable worthy onely to be imitated of such greedy Chapmen