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
A70459	A sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, at the Guildhall-Chapel on the fifth of February 1681/2 by J. Lambe ...	Lambe, John, 1648 or 9-1708.	1682 (1682)	Wing L221; ESTC R17540	19,313	49

the Ocean but whatever happens ill affects us as the overflowing of the Sea But a wise man will make the best of what he does enjoy and always set the fairest side of his fortune before his thoughts that is the first Secondly Vexation and trouble proceed from sad and dismal Apprehensions of future Evils And this is easily distinguished from the other for Desire and hope suppose us in a state of want and defect but this in a state of Possession and Enjoyment Fear if we derive it from its Original cause is the off-spring and effect of Love The possession of what we Value the high Opinion of our Acquisitions and the Pleasures of Enjoyment give us content and Satisfaction in our selves and Vnite and Terminate our Affections in these objects Hence the reflexion upon the Vncertainty of our fortune the knowledge it may be of some Particular causes which may destroy our happiness Or the sad Ideas the melancholy tumultuous fancies of a Jealous mind and a strong affection vex us with continual Fears of losing what we so passionately Love And in proportion to the Violence of our affection the Strength of our Jealousies the Quickness and Activity of our Passions Such are the Influences of these apprehensions upon the peace and pleasure of our lives But the Love of the Law of God will intercept the entries and avenues of Fear because it directs and governs our affections It gives us a more Copious view of Objects and so prevents an Ignorant Admiration It furnishes us with Distinct and Perfect notions of Worth and Beauty and so corrects the futility and wantonness of Love It affects us with a Constant sense of the unstable nature of the World and so preserves our Passions within our Power For no man of common sense will engage his affections to any Object which he knows he can neither Command nor Keep It instructs us to be content that the World should fluctuate in perpetual uncertainty It teaches us to Resign our selves to the disposal of infinite Wisedom and Goodness It assures us that we are always in the best and most happy state and no man is afraid of his best Fortune It raises the Spirit Heb. 11.32 2 Cor. 4.16 Heb. 6.19 and gives us Courage in the Confidence of Omnipotent power to Defend and Assist us The Guilt of the wicked inhanses their Fear they know their Demerits and are therefore in continual Dread of Armed Almighty Justice Job 11.15 But if wickedness dwell not in thy Tabernacle thou shalt be stedfast and not fear For the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him Psal 32.18 and hope in his mercy Be of Good Courage therefore and He shall strengthen your hearts all ye that trust in the Lord. Psal 31.24 But above all it submits and even unites our Will to the Will of God and so Removes the Causes nay the very Possibilities of Fear by disposing our minds to chuse and desire what pleases God that is whatsoever Happens Non est aliud essugium necessitatis quam velle quod ipsa cogat That is the second Thirdly Vexation and trouble proceed from Sudden Accidents from the surprize of Misfortunes 1. And these are either less considerable the Occurrences of every day 2. Or of greater Moment such as Affect or threaten our greatest interests as our Liberty Health Estate or Life And First of those which are lest considerable The several Relations of Subjects Children Servants Friends Correspondents and the like are so many certain causes of Passion and trouble Because the neglects and miscarriages of persons in the Discharge of their respective duties are a Continual Provocation But how unhappy do we generally make our selves by an immoderate Resentment of these trivial and common Accidents By the exorbitancy of our passion and by over vehement transports we punish our selves for the faults of others and by the Indecency of our actions and the intemperance of our Speech by the shame and servility which usually follow such Furious Motions we Expose our selves to the Contempt of those we would Correct But the Law of God in the Love and practice of it is a principle of Sobriety and Discretion of Humility and Condescension of Pity and Forgiveness It teaches us Kindness and Humanity which are apt to Subdue the most rugged tempers and oblige the Hearts and Affections of men to the service of one another and so removes the occasions of passion and displeasure And it instructs us to consider our own infirmities to be moderate in our expectations to be Candid in our constructions to be meek and lowly in mind and finally if we are angry yet so as not to sin de Tran. An Now as dogs says Plutarch That are apt to snarle and bark at every noise will be taken off by the voice of those they are used too so we might easily still and allay our passions if we Accustomed our Minds to these Meditations and had them always ready to throw in as occasion offered As for those sadder accidents which affect or threaten us in our highest interests as our Liberty Health Estate or Life I confess they are the fiercest Tryalls of our Reason and Religion Experience daily shows their weight and power How suddenly do they depress the Spirit and crush men into Distraction Despair and Death But a Principle of Religion grown up into the strengths of Love will enable us to preserve the serenity of our mind under any the most pressing Calamities of humane life For besides a firm dependance upon God and an humble resignation to his will It teaches us to exspect the Worst before it comes and to make the most terrible accidents Familiar to our thoughts Constant delight Emasculates the mind but Hardship and ill weather prepare us for difficulties and cross events The greatest part of any evil is the Surprize of it We promise our selves a long Prosperity we put the evil day far from us and say to our Soul take thine ease Whensoever therefore the dark side of the Tables is turned towards us it is Strange and Terrible as Troubled Fancy will night as Horrid as a Troubled Fancy will represent it to it self But Religion inures us to self-denyal and Exercises our thoughts with poverty and exile with reproach and death It teaches us to seperate the Adventitious parts of the Calamity To pull off these terrible Weeds which false Opinion hath dressed it up in It so instructs us in the whole Doctrine of Divine Providence that we shall not be at all surprized when that which is always in Posse appears in Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest Sen. a Zen. de vit beat He that would never be Miserable must always prepare himself for the worst and remember that there is nothing either New or Strange that almost all events are the proper effects of common causes agreeable to the Nature of things the