Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	psal_n	trust_v	3,209	5	9.2539	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57806	A sermon preached before the King at Belfast in Ireland, on the 14th day of June, 1690 by George Royse ...	Royse, George, 1654 or 5-1708.	1691 (1691)	Wing R2163; ESTC R11376	10,944	36

of the favour of their Gods they might raise their spirits and give them Courage in the day of Battle And next under Divine Providence we may ascribe the greatness of the Roman Empire to those encouragements which they fetcht from Religion and the belief of their Gods Agreeably to which Matchiavel himself though he was no great friend to Religion yet in his Discourses upon this subject he fairly owns that the advance of their Arms and enlargement of their State was chiefly to be imputed to a sense of God and Religion established amongst them Such a vast influence hath our Faith and Belief upon the Councils and endeavours of Mankind And not to multiply testimonies but to reduce all in short In the natural course of things 't is plain that a Man's Belief in all cases does carry a mighty stroak in advancing his undertakings and particularly this perswasion of invincible succours and assistance from above must necessarily inspire him with an answerable degree of Courage it must raise his hopes give life to his resolutions animate his endeavours and this will go a fair way to the taking of Cities and subduing Kingdoms And as this Faith and belief of Gods Providence has a peculiar efficacy of it self to advance our Arms so by the Providence of God it is usually attended with a suitable success That God Almighty does interpose in our Battles and Engagements is as certain as that he does exercise a Providence over Mankind for the success of Arms and of National Engagements is such a considerable province and so great a part of his government of the World that we may as well question whether he intermeddles at all in Humane Affairs as whether he does interpose in this Taking it for granted then that Providence does equally preside over Camps as over Kingdoms it is but reasonable to suppose that he will bless those Arms with victory and success that are advanced in his Name with a due regard and application to him and determine things in favour of that side who build their Faith and relyance on him For by believing and trusting in him we really engage him as a Party for us and by being his dependants we entitle our selves to his more special care and protection Every one we know does think himself obliged to shew a peculiar concern for his own Favourites and dependents and if the measures of humane kindness do extend so far much more may we conclude it from the goodness of God which is infinitely greater than that of his Creatures Agreeable to which we have his own assurance Prov. 29.25 Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Psal 34.22 And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psal 121.7 The King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved Where as on the other side he that does not think his God worthy to be trusted does fairly forfeit all title to his providence and protection for 't is but just with God that he should signalize himself in the defeat of those Arms that are bruitishly advanced without any sense or dependance on him And this was the usual methods of his dealing with the Jews when they trusted in God and in the strength of Israel he went out with their Hosts he fought their Battles and subdued the Nations round about them but as soon as they fell back and shook off their dependance on him he gave them into captivity and into the enemies hands 'T is true God does not exercise the same visible distinguishing Providence in rewarding mens Faith with Temporal Blessings as in the days of old but yet as he is still Governour of the World he seems engaged to crown the Faith and Piety of Nations with visible success that by this means he may signalize his Providence to the World and keep up a just sense and esteem for Religion by giving such an open testimony and approbation to it As for the vertues of private men indeed they are not always blest here with good fortune and success because in their single capacities they shall be sufficiently rewarded in another world But fince publick Societies and Nations as they are Politick collective bodies have no other stage but this world for the reward and punishment of their common vertues and vices therefore Providence seems more highly concern'd to dispense and award them in this present life And this has been the general observation of the Heathen States that their Gods bestow'd Victory and Triumphs upon Kingdoms according to Mens Piety and dependance on them Hence Tully makes a fair acknowledgment that the Romans did not owe their Conquests either to a prevailing strength or to their own extraordinary Valour Art or Stratagem but that they subdued the whole World by the irresistible power of Religion And Zosimus ascribes the fall of that Empire to the contempt of their Gods and a disregard to their Worship And if these be the usual methods of Providence in rewarding the Faith and Piety of Nations 't is obvious to conclude what a mighty influence our Religious belief may carry in subduing Kingdoms and therefore if we would all joyntly agree in advancing our Faith and Religion together with our Arms we should have but little reason to doubt of the happy issue and success of them And what grounds and encouragements we have to hope for this success is the second general Head to be consider'd And here whether we regard either the promises of God to his Church or the conduct and bravery of our General whether we consider the Cause in which we imbark or the Enemies which we are about to encounter they all speak out Be strong and of a good courage ye shall possess the land As to the former what grounds we have to hope from Gods promises it must be granted that we have no particular promises made to us that we shall subdue this or that Nation as the Worthies of this Chapter had but since it must be allowed that God Almighty does exercise as great a care over the Christian as over the Jewish Church we can't well suppose that he has left it without the same hopes and encouragements We all know that in these last days he gave up his own Son that he might purchase to himself a Church at the expence of his own Blood and as this is a higher demonstration of love than ever was shewn to the world before so it gives us most solid and rational grounds for our hopes and confidence And as greater love than this could not be shewn so neither any greater security than those general promises which he has made over to it that he will be with it unto the ends of the world Mat. 28.20 Mat. 16.18 and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Which promises however they run only to the Church in general yet they are no less sure and infallible