Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	world_n	year_n	youth_n	19	3	7.3459	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93394	Satans temptation, and Gods preservation: or Satans policy and Gods mercy most lively and amply set forth in the discovery of the several temptations, desertions, troubles, and afflictions, that have accompanied the life of Robert Smith of Ludshelf, alias Litchfield, in the county of Southampton, gent. Wherein is discovered the method that Satan took in the several gradations thereof. With an accompt of the life of the author. Published for the benefit, comfort, and support, of any of Gods servants, that now are, or shall be, cast into such a deplorable condition.	Smith, Robert, fl. 1685.	1685 (1685)	Wing S4163; ESTC R231576	19,074	94

by my too much Musing on my Condition I imparted the same to several worthy Friends both Divines and others whose Prayers and Tears were not wanting in condoling my Condition and Praying for my Recovery My Case being thus I thought it best having an only Brother in the Country a Divine whose house I made choice of for the place of my Retirement and unto whose Care and Counsel I committed my self who was not wanting in procuring all help by Phisitians to my Body and by Reverend Divines to afford all good Counsel to my Soul as Fasting and Prayer for the recovery of my inward Man who was then fallen into so sad dejection both of Body and Mind that I was so disquieted that I had not I think one hour of quiet rest from the Month of May till the Month of February following But loe here the Power and Mercy of the Almighty was seen That altho a Fontinel was made by a hot Iron in my Head yet tho sensible thereof disturbed me not though the benefit of Nature was wanting for a fortnight or three weeks together though Physick of the strongest Nature never wrought tho rest ceased Ez. 9.15 yet God preserved me alive as at this day In this mine Agony and Conflict Satan was not wanting in his Temptations whose Method in order I shall discover in these following Suggestions I. Suggestion That certainly I did not belong to God because such dreadful Afflictions had befallen me And here I think it will not be amiss for Illustration sake by way of Dialogue between Satan and the Sinner to set forth Satans Assaults and the Sinners Repulses for tho I dare not say that all these Insinuations and the Responses thereof were Modo forma dilated upon in my late Conflict yet the Heads and Matter thereof were And methinks I remember him begining as to our first Parents his Parley and Speaking to my Fancy to this effect in this Dialect Man Satan Thy Condition is Lamentable worse then the worst of Mens Surely Thy Spiritual Estate is not sound God doth seldome let such dreadful effects of his Indignation fall upon any Man but for some deep dy'd Sins that must be of so beynous a Nature beyond the name of humane Frailties or common Infirmities surely thy Profession of Christianity hath been but disguised Hypocrisie thou art but one in Masquerade Rev. 3.1 thou hast a Name to live but art dead surely didst thou belong to God and wert one of his he is a God of Mercy and would not leave thee or forsake thee in this so sad and deplorable a Condition It 's true my Case is bad Sinner to be Lamented even with Tears of Blood and my Spiritual Estate needs a serious consideration soundness in Christianity needs an exact Scrutiny Life and Death depend upon it for if Aarons Sons offer strange fire Levit. 11.14 Fire shall devour them Jealousie is hottest about the Sanctuary Read Ezek. 8. and who can dwell with Everlasting Burnings Great Sins deserve great Punishments Isa 33.14 I need therefore to look into mine own heart and search what particular Sins I have been guilty of before God and to spread and bewail them before him which through the Divine assistance I have done and if God be graciously pleased to acquit Rom. 8.1 who can condemn But doth not God often sorely Afflict them that belong to him surely Satan thou art in nothing else more a Lyar than in this Psal 88.14 15. what made godly Heman so bitterly to complain good Hezekiah to chatter like a Crane Isa 38.8 Psal 38.8 upright David to roar through the disquietness of his heart and the blessed Jesus to cry out in his Agony My God Mat. 27.46 my God why hast thou forsaken me And in our late days how sharp and violent hath thy Temptations been In thy Assaults upon Mrs. Katharine Stubbs and Mrs. Sarah White and many others to whom God hath given Evidence of their sincerity by their Conquests over him and of their inward Consolation And as in respect of inward Desertions so of outward Afflictions Witness St. Paul Job and many of the Worthies of Old Heb. 11.37 which were Destituted Afflicted Tormented And in our late times so much the Wicked were suffered to prosper that even the Anoynted of the Lord was taken in their Nets Lam. 4.20 and the Royal Diadem of Majesty made subject to a Fatal Stroke and some of the shining Stars of Nobility obscured and their Honours laid in the Dust with several Martyrs Confessors and others who have given Signal demonstrations of their Sincerity and belonging to God But what if I shew thee oh Satan some Marks and Evidences of Sincerity formerly by me Collected Wilt thou say that these are Tokens of Hypocrisie or can'st thou not but confess the contrary I have observed in the course of Gods Providence that God hath had a regard to me in all conditions but especially in Afflictions and Distress God hath given me Comfort and Relief That tho God hath given me Afflictions to Humble me yet he hath given me some Comforts to support and uphold my Heart from Sinking I ever had since any work of God visibly upon me a sense of Gods Authority and my Duty That at any time I was unfit for any business of Moment unless I had first commited my self to God by Prayer I have often desired of God that he would grant me such a way to Live in the World that I might with comfort and freedome serve him I have always had a Love to those that were truly Godly tho differing in Judgment in the circumstantials of Christian Religion And have had more a desire of the Conversion of Enemies then their Confusion I have pressed and desired after more Holiness and more Humbleness and Repentance then I could ever sensibly find in my self I have many times found the presence of God in his Word and Sacraments warming and enflaming my Love Now What say'st thou Oh Enemy of Mankind Are these signs of Hypocrisie or Sincerity 'T is true some of them may be lyable to thy cavil and exception but others of them are beyond thy Sophistry or Evasion But what is this to thy Condition Satan II. Suggestion Thy day is past the door of Grace is shut Had'st Thou look'd to it sooner and made Thy Calling and Election sure 2. Pet. 3.10 when Thou wast in Thy Youth and Strength it had been well for Thee but Thou hast Lived many Years in the World and Gods Calls by Sickness and otherwise hath been frequent The Golden Scepter of Grace and Mercy hath been held forth and Thou hast Refus'd to come in and Submit but now Divine Vengeance hath Pursued and Overtaken Thee and the door of Grace is shut 'T is now too late What canst Thou do The consideration of my no sooner turning to God Sinner and setting my Face Heaven-wards is matter

Satans Temptation AND Gods Preservation OR SATANS POLICY AND Gods Mercy Most Lively and Amply set forth in the Discovery of the several Temptations Desertions Troubles and Afflictions that have accompanied the Life of Robert Smith of Ludshelf alias Litchfield in the County of Southampton Gent. Wherein is Discovered the Method that Satan took in the several Gradations thereof With an Accompt of the Life of the Author Published for the Benefit Comfort and Support of any of Gods Servants that now are or shall be cast into such a Deplorable Condition Veritas Stat in aperto Campo c. London Printed by William Downing for the Author Anno Dom. 1685. To the Honourable Colonel John Dean of Oxenwood one of His Majesties Deputy Lievtenants for the County of Southampton and Robert Oxenbregge of Piddle Trenthide Esq one of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Dorset Honoured Gentlemen I Here Present you with a Review in Particular of that which in General your selves were no strangers to The Reasons that induced me to this Publication were The Advice of some grave Divines and others upon the Consideration of the Good that many a weak and distressed Member of the Church of God might receive thereby to which magnificent Structure if I could but add one Stone I should think my self happy in so doing for Afflictis opitulari munificum est That I might not omit to make some grateful return of Praise and Thanks-giving in an eminent and publick manner to the God of all Mercies which in a way and measure so extraordinary and marvellous did shew his goodness towards me hath considered my Trouble and known my Soul in Adversities If for the least of Gods favours we owe to Him an Hymn of Thanks-giving then surely we ought to speak abroad of all his wonderous works That by this publication of things in particular I might more particularly express my thankful acknowledgment of all your singular favours most undeservedly confer'd upon me in this time of my Conflict as well as at other times since I have had the honour of a long acquaintance with you The reason most worthy Friends that I have defer'd the Publication thereof this many Years was That I might have some Probation of my self whereby I might fully experience the sound Constitution of my Body and Mind and although some for whose sake this is intended and I hope they by my Conflict as I by others may receive some benefit may think it long e're I made this Publick yet the great Enemy of Mankind may think it too soon because most of his Serpentine Wiles and Artifices his false and deceitful Arguings are here exposed and Confuted And although I publish this not for any Ostentation of mine own 1 Cor. 4.7 for what have we that we have not received but to the Praise and Glory of my Creator and Redeemer and the good of his Church into whose Treasury if I can cast but in one Mite Mark 12.44 I should think my self happy And because the Subject thereof is against him that is Abbaddon and Apollion a Destroyer as being a Deceiver I shall take care that he shall be able to object nothing of that nature against me by representing all things in this Discourse with the greatest Veracity as being most repugnant to his Nature John 8.44 who was a Lyar from the beginning But whereas it may be doubted how I should remember the several steps and gradations thereof in particular after so long a time For Satisfaction herein be pleased to know That although I durst not adventure the recapitulation of things too soon yet I was not too remiss in perpetuating a Memorial of so remarkable a passage of my Life by a Collection of the heads thereof in Writing which hath enabled me in this undertaking As to the truth of things here related next to the testimony of a good Conscience I have for my support your Attestation whose known Justice is such that as it will not Patronize any thing that is false so your Clemency is so great as will not be wanting to Countenance any thing that is True And if in any thing I seem to make too much digression by inserting too much of the particulars of my Birth and Life I know you have Candor enough to overlook the same for considering that many persons have taken the liberty to Write the Lives of others I hope the like freedome may not be denied me to Write my Own no person knowing the several passages thereof more then my Self And seeing I have Selected those things that Substract as well as add to my Reputation the one to be matter of Humiliation the other to be matter of Praise and Thanks-giving I hope I may not be suspected for partiality and the rather because it is for the satisfaction of my Reader who must necessarily enquire into the forepast Life which had such subsequent direful Effects for although I cannot excuse my Self from many Faults and Errors of my Life 2 Chron. 6.36 For who Liveth that Sinneth not Yet I know not any Capital Fact that might more particularly occasion this my sad dejection Therefore to avoid prolixity let no man that hath is or shall be cast into such a deplorable Estate of desertion and Melancholy think that his Condition is singular for although the Method that Satan useth may be different yet there may be something in one that may Simpathize with another which may afford matter of comfort and consolation and however let no person whatsoever despair of Cure Peace and Restauration who hath me hitherto for an Example who am and desire to approve my self to God Almighty a living and lively Monument of his Grace and Mercy Thus good Sirs craving your Pardon for this Presumptuous Dedication I commit you to the Protection of the Almighty that hath wonderfully preserv'd and Blessed you hitherto desiring him to return your many kindnesses favours towards me sevenfold giving you a long opportunity of doing good in this world and at length Crowning you with everlasting Glory which is and always shall be the hearty and fervent Prayer of him who is Most Worthy Gentlemen Your much Devoted Obliged and most humble Orator and Servant ROBERT SMITH Satans Temptation AND Gods Preservation OR Satans Policy AND Gods Mercy Discovered in the following Relation with Observations and Remarks thereupon Christian Courteous and Candid Reader I HERE offer to thy View not only things I have Read and Heard of but Felt my Person being the Stage on which this Tragedy was Acted but by the Mercy of God I became the Victor And now since Experimental Knowledge is by all agreed to be most Authentick I therefore thought this subsequent Relation might not be altogether unuseful The place where first I drew my Natural Breath was Titcombe in the County of Wilts The time of my Birth December the Thirteenth One Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty One of if not the shortest

was and yet Thou Nourished'st up Thy self with hopes and made Scriptural Arguments Thy Refuge But even in that Thou art also deceived For what hope hath the Hypocrite Job 27.8 Thou chargest me with delusions but no one a greater deluder then Thy self and that to Thy self but now Thou art under my domination 't will not be long before I make Thee know that all Thy pretensions are but vain I must confess Oh subtle Serpent thy Darts are Fierce and Fiery Sinner and were not my Soul and Body through Divine protection Impregnable I might sit down in horror and amazement But surely things are not as thou makest them What God may permit thee to do hereafter is as well unknown to thee as me and had'st thou any power of me thou art not so great a Friend to Mankind but thy Rage would be by me and many others sufficiently known I must confess thou pursuest me with Visions of the Night and I am so troubled I cannot Sleep Job 20.8 and in my unquiet Slumbers Suggests strange things to my Fancy sometimes by Elevations as tho I wanted nothing but wings to Fly sometimes by Depressions as though my Body was the Basis and Foundation upon which some ponderous Superstructure stood sometimes as tho something lay as heavy upon my Breast of no less weight then Ledd and by its suddain departure Suggesting as though I had been Companion with some ugly Vulture and by many various misrepresentations to my Sense in Slumber though I bless God not to my sight any ways to affright me thou hast accosted me not by Words to be demonstrated but as Truth to be believed Besides those ridiculous Fancies not by words decently to be Expressed and not without abhorrence to be Remembred How much of this may be imputed to a Natural and by this Conflict acquired Melancholy I leave to the Learned to decide But surely a great deal of it was not from Natural Indisposition but from Satannical Delusion And it may be my Memory and understanding being continued to me by Gods Preservation was in order to make it known for the support of others by Publication But is not this boasting of my Captivity and false Suggestion of thy having possession of me the effects of thy Pride oh fallen Angel Could'st thou of old not enter into the Carcass of a Swine Matth. 5.12 without the leave of our Blessed Lord and hast thou Power of thy self to enter into my Body which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost 1 Corrin 6.19 Shall that Body which ought to be presented a Living Sacrifice to God by Dedication become a place for thy Reception Shall that Body which ought only to bow to God in Divine Worship by Prostration and Adoration be subject to thy Devotion when thou wilt for a Habitation Shall that Body whom by the Merits of the Blessed Jesus at the Resurrection hopes to meet with Glorification be the subject of thy debased Vilification surely No And doubtless hadst thou such an uncontrouled Power as thou hast by pretension the direful effects thereof not only to my Body but the whole World would be known by its Destruction thou being not unfitly termed as of old a Destroyer Rev. 9.11 But what talkest Thou so much Satan oh Sinner of thy Body V. Suggestion Thou art unworthy of any Creature Comforts and therefore Sinful to Eat Thy Bread or to use any outward means for Thy Recovery Thou thinkest and hopest Man that this is but Melancholy and Thy Friends seek Thy Cure and tell Thee Thou must be chearful and use such means as God hath ordained but Thy Sins have been such that the least Mercy doth not belong to Thee Hast Thou the Face to consume Gods benefits and to speak of Recovery If God had ordained it it would have been long e're this using such means as Thou hast done I must confess Oh Satan Sinner thou art in words not a Lyar in this whatever thou art in intention Gen. 32.10 for I may say with Jacob I am not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies We are not worthy of a Crumb that falls from thy Table oh Lord If Worthiness of Receipt is to be judged according to the Worthiness of Merit there is none but one that is Worthy even the Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World Rev. 5.4 If our Receipts of Mercy depended upon our Merit we might starve in the midst of all that plentiful Provision that God hath provided for the Souls and Bodies of his Sanctified ones Hath not he that is the great House-Keeper of Heaven and Earth said Go Eat thy Bread with Joy and Drink thy Wine with a Merry Heart Eccl. 9.7 Did not the Primitive Christians Eat their Bread with gladness and singleness of Heart Act. 2.4.7 Praising God Doth Christianity exclude all Earthly Felicity Doth it become the Servants of the most high to have always their Countenances sad Is not their Work good and their Wages proportionable Are not they bidden to Rejoyce always and again I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 5. but so as to let their moderation be known to all Men Is not this thy old wont if thou canst not Tempt Men to be Luxurious then to be too Parcimonious and between these two Rocks to make Shipwrack of their Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 Was it not a Wise Request made by a Wise Man back't with strong Reason Give me neither Poverty nor Riches Proverbs 30.8 9. Is not there a Golden mediocrity in these things free from thy exception surely Yes But are not outward means to be sought for Recovery Hath God made that Profession of no use Eccles 38.1 Col. 4.14 to which he hath affixed the Title of Honour and Beloved 'T is true Asa is branded with seeking to the Physitians 2 Chron. 16.12 and not unto the Lord but if he had sought unto the Lord by the Physitians would any Man thought him blame-worthy Was not Hezekiah bid to take a Lump of Figgs Isa 36.21 when Diseased and apply to his Sore 'T is true the sence of my condition makes me forget to Eat my Bread and I have so great an apprehension of my unworthiness and demerits that my Friends cannot perswade me to take my appointed Food without force Job 23.12 but shall the greatness of my Sins and unworthiness or the long use of ineffectual means make me give over Must not I wait all the days of my Life until my change come Job 14.14 Shall not those that wait on the Lord renew their strength And are not they proclaimed Blessed that wait for him Isa 40.31 The Vision is for an appointed time Hab. 2.3 but in the end it will Speak Shall I that am but Dust and Ashes Limit him that is Controuler and Governour of the whole World Doth not the time of my Recovery depend upon him who is the Lord of time And