Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	let_v	lord_n	vouchsafe_v	2,838	5	10.6553	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33280	A sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of Rochester, on the 29th of May, 1684 being the anniversary of His most sacred Majesty's birth, and happy restauration to these his undoubted realms and dominions / by John Clerke ...	Clerke, John, b. 1649 or 50.	1684 (1684)	Wing C4478; ESTC R11278	12,543	30

Titles The God of Peace and of Order whilst at the same time he has been known to all the Nations round about us as well Christian as Infidel under his more terrible Names of The Lord of Hosts The God of Forces The Lord strong and mighty even the Lord mighty in Battel That whilst we have been breaking our Swords into Plough-shares and our Spears into Pruning Hooks whilst We have been making those Instruments of death serviceable towards bringing forth the Fruits of the Earth our Neighbours have not in a most hostile manner been turning them upon each others Breasts even till their Blood has been poured out as the Dust and their Flesh as the Dung. Whilst we have securely eaten every Man of his own Vine and every one of his Fig-tree and drank every one the Waters of his own Cistern They have on the contrary sowed but not reaped and trod Mic. 6. 15. the Olives but have not anointed themselves with Oil and pressed those Grapes which make the sweet Wine but have not drank Wine Whilst We enjoy the quiet possession of our Estates in our own times and probably may leave them so to our Posterity after us They have had their Enemies without number encamped against them to destroy the Increase of the Earth And Armies as Grashoppers for Multitude entring into their Land to devour it So that Strangers have been filled with their Wealth and their Labours have been in the Houses of Strangers Whilst God has been pleased mercifully to crown our Years with his Goodness and to cause the Clouds continually to drop down Fatness yea to drop even upon the barren Dwellings of the Wilderness Whilst our Hills have rejoyced on every side our Pastures have been cloathed with Flocks and our Valleys covered over with Corn Their Fields have been turned into Aceldama's made fertile only by the flowing Streams of Humane Blood and no other Voice heard therein but the dismal howlings and sorrowful Groans of the most miserably expiring Slaughtered Whilst we have been cloathed in soft Raiment and been gorgeously appparelled whilst we have lived delicately and been pampered with all the various parts of Luxury Their Fields have been covered with dead Corps their Garments rolled in Blood and those Bodies that surviv'd the common Misery have been exposed to the scorching heat of the Sun by day and the chill benumming Cold of the Moon by night So that though they were invulnerable by all the Weapons formed against them in this cruel Warfare yet have they not been Armour-proof against those keener Arrows of Exile Famine and Despair Whilst our most gracious Moses wears himself away with anxious Cares how to procure all Welfare to his bounden Subjects and as if he were not by a figure but in a literal sense the Father of his Countrey carries us in his Bosom as a nursing Num. 11. 12. Father beareth the sucking Child Whilst He seems to be wrought upon only by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his Natural Affection and like an indulgent Parent thinks his Children ought not to lay up for him but he for his Children Whilst I say he has of late exempted us from paying the most customary Taxes usually granted him over and above his Annual standing Revenue the most necessary support of his Crown and Dignity Our Neighbours all the while have most arbitrarily been forced to raise almost infinite Sums of Contribution Money for the Maintenance of their Usurping Tyrants and so brought upon themselves and their Posterity in good sad earnest what our late Murmurers vainly but suspected perpetual Slavery Whilst We enjoy the free Exercise of a most pure and undefiled Religion whilst our Mother the Church is permitted without any interruption freely to receive her Sons and Daughters into her Arms and to gather her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings though many of them are so rebellious as to despise so tender a Proposal and rather chuse to expose themselves to those ravenous Birds of Prey her Adversaries The People round about us are sent to sing the Songs of the Lord in a strange Land and have no other Rule left them to walk by but that hard one to Flesh and Blood namely When they are persecuted in one City to fly unto another Mat. 10. 2● Nay and in those places where the true Religion is not yet wholly extirpated the Professors of it are in perpetual danger even whilst they are performing her most holy Rites to be themselves offered up as Holocausts and with the surprised Galileans to have their Blood mingled with Luk. 13. 1. their Sacrifices Whilst we have been particularly privileged with calm Halcyon days whilst we have been in a most peculiar manner blessed with the Genuine Fruits of the Dove-like Spirit to wit Love Joy Gal. 5. 22. Peace Long-suffering Gentleness and Goodness On the other side Snares Fire and Brimstone Psal 11. 17. Storm and Tempest have been the dis-relishing Portion of their Cup. And may the over-ruling Providence of God most graciously forbid their being forced ever to wring out the dregs thereof and drink them For that at present within are Fears although without there are not actual Fightings amongst them They are troubled with Formidable Rumours of Wars and have but too great reason to fear their speedy breaking out into open Hostility Their only sad hopes alas are that though the thing revealed be true yet the time appointed may be long Thus has God visited others with Judgment and us with Mercy And We trust that as he has lately in an eminent manner so he will still vouchsafe to abate the pride asswage the malice and confound the devices of our Enemies of whatsoever Party or Persuasion Our Souls having escaped even as caught Birds out of the Snare of their entrapping Fowlers The Snares having been in a miraculous manner broken and thereby a most signal Deliverance wrought for us And now that God the Almighty Governor of the World hath done these great things for us beyond what he has done for other Nations it should engage Us to a most hearty Thankfulness for the same Let us therefore offer Heb. 13. 15. the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the Fruit of our Lips giving thanks to his Name This would silence all our Complaints quiet our Murmurings and drive away our Fears especially now we are so throughly convinced by plain demonstration that the Lord is on our side he taketh our part and fighteth for us Away then with groundless Jealousies and imaginary Fears When God is our Helper our Defence even a Tower of Strength to his Servants against all their Enemies Shall we still dis-believe all these happy signs of his Love he has shewed among us Shall we out of Mockery to his Almighty Power create to our selves out of nothing unreasonable Discontents and Murmurings This is like Envy it self for us to weep because Vixque lacrymas quia nil lacrymabile cernit Ovid. Met. l. 2. we can see nothing justly deplorable To draw up the Sluces and open the Flud-gates of our Tears because we can meet with no true reason of Complaining in our Streets Let us then no longer nauseate and ungratefully surfeit upon our lasting Prosperity and like Polycrates wilfully fling our Rings into the River that according to the blind Dictates of Humane Nature which incline us to love Variety we with him may obtain an unsavoury taste of Adversity Let us no more provoke the Lord by a foolish Longing after Change and Novelty but resolve to be contented with that Lot and Portion his merciful Providence hath assigned to us Ever humbly acknowledging his multiplied Mercy and his peculiar Care over us a Nation even like Israel it self for whom the Lord has wrought Marvels Exod. 34. 10. such as have not been done in all the Earth A Nation saved by the Lord the Shield of our Help and Deut. 33. 29. the Sword of our Excellency FINIS