Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	call_v	great_a	lord_n	6,325	5	3.8864	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13106	Two wunderfull and rare examples, of the vndeferred and present approching iudgement of the Lord our God the one vpon a wicked and pernitious blasphemer of the name of God, and seruaunt to one Maister Frauncis Pennell, gentleman, dwelling at Boothbie in Lincolnshire, three myles from Grantham : the other vpon a vvoman, named Ioane Bowser, dwelling at Donnington, in Leicestershire, to whome the deuill verie straungely appeared, as in the discourse following, you may reade, in Iune last 1581 / vvritten by Phillip Stubbes.	Stubbes, Phillip.	1581 (1581)	STC 23399.7; ESTC S2352	8,019	20

hence iwis he was he owing shillings fiue Unto one Oswalde Bowser sure an honest man and blyue Which Bowser he forgaue it him vppon his death bead thoe But Ioan Bowser wife to him in no wise would doo so But spoke and sayd yea blas●e abrode for this is veritie I neuer will forgiue it him vntill the time I die Now whilst that she persisted thus in her pestiferous state It pleased God the Diuell should her corps infatuate For as she was disposde to sléepe towards the euening tyde When Phaebus with his glistering beames towards y e west cā glide The Diuell he appearde to her in such an vgly shape As forste she was in euery parte to tremble and to quake And then she lysting vp her eyes which now doo giue her light Saw one before her for to stand as black as is the night Which thing she sayde what so it was that vnto her was sent Did portraie forthe the sayd Iohn Twell in corporall lyneament Farther she sayd he had bleard eyes as had the foresayde Twell Resembling him in eache respect 〈…〉 as the fell This 〈…〉 Serpentine spake thus the woman till Receaue this mony which I bring to satisfy thy wyll And sée that thou disburse the same vnto thy husband well And say that I doo send it him as due for his trauell Then she tooke vp the monie sure with ioy and comfort fraught For that she had so luckily this Masse if monie caught Thus she with ioy inebriate in all and euery part Brust foorthe and saide now God you thanke oh sir with all my hart Now 〈…〉 God Iehouah hie Th● monie 〈…〉 did vade away And he withalt vanishd away and that in fearefull sight She still persisting sore perplext and in a wofull plight But yet before he did depart he smit her with his hand Yea such a deadly blow he gaue as vnneth could she stand And straight way then her corpes he came inn part as blacke as Pitche Replenished with filthy scurffe as almost none is such And other dregges most fettulent issued from her then Which modestie and reason eke commaunds me not to penne And from that time vntill of late her body it was lame Not able sure to put in vse the practise of the same For in goodsoothe her body was benumde and eke betakte The space of thrée or foure whole wéekes all comfort her forsakte Her eyes also were closed vp of sight she was made blinde Thanking her God who too her had his prouidence assignde Now when the Diuell had disgorgde his stinking poysoned brest Of all the mallice that she could her body to infest It pleased God that she should be to health againe restoedt By whom all sinne and wickednes God graunt may be abhord And now she liueth honestly and 〈…〉 showe Unto the world the workes of God perfected heere belowe Who graunt to vs his grace deuine and pardon thée so frée That vnto vs in heauen blisse a guerdon it may be This woman she was plagued full sore and heereby you may view The same t'ourselues let vs applie that we may finde astkew For if that we stifnecked be and loathe for to remitts Th'offences which to vs are due a thing bothe good and fit Then is the Lord as able as was euer heretofore To plague vs all with tortures foreuer to indure And in his holy woord most pure he dooth vs all commaunde That we th'offences to be done too forgiue should not stand Proouing that God our Father 〈…〉 forgiue us all Our manifolde inormities when that on him we call Unleast that we be ready prest each other to forgiue The synnes and eke th'offences all of these that doo vs grieve Wherefore let vs déere Christians mauger the Deuils head Forgiue them all that doo offend vs before we be dead Or els we neuer can be saued by Iesus Christ his death A sacrifice saluificall to them that liue by faithe For after death it is too late his mercy to desire Because we would not them forgiue which did offend vs heare No doubt these wonders from abooue to vs belowe are sente To subiugate our hautie lookes and mooue vs to repent Therefore thou Towne of Donington I read thée to repent For by procrastination in trothe thou mayst be shent Thinke thou this a presagie of Gods fearce wrath to thée If that thou cleaue not to his woord and eke repentant be God hath thée warned now by this and that in fréendly sorte To leaue thy whoredome and thy pride and all thy filthy sporte Abandon then out of thy streates all mirthe and minstrelsie No Pipers nor no Dauncers vile in thée let extant be Remember thou thy lately plague of blayne of Botche and Bile Whereby thy God did scourge thée sore least synne should thée defile O Donington fall not againe vnto thy vomite old In filthy scurrile bawdie talke doo not thy selfe vphold Ne yet with vaine and bloody othes doo not thy selfe imbrew For than the Lord will throwe thée downe amid the Deuils crew Flie from all worldly vanities the woord of God imbrase Set not abroche opinions vile the same for to deface And in this lyuing thou shalt be safe from all worldly foes And in the world that is to come shalt haue aye lasting ioyes To write hereof at this time more my Penne I doo suspend Beséeching God that we may haue heauen at our last end And now O gentle Donington be mindefull yet of me Who haue with paines contriued this same for looue I beare to thée Requite me not with wrath againe that were disloyaltie But sée that thou accept hereof as best beséemeth thée And as a pledge of my goodwill let this be vnto thée Desiring God that I thy state in health and wealth may sée Our noble Quéene Elizabeth in health and honour eke Good Lord preserue to Nestors dayes that she thy truthe may keepe From bloody hands of forraine foes good Lord her saue and shend Graunt that at all assayes she may by thee still be defend And when thou shalt her royall grace in mercie to thee call Graunt Lord that she with thee may haue thy ioyes celestiall Amen Phillip Stubbes FINIS ¶ An admonition to the Christian Readers inferred vpon the two straunge Stratagems before passed WE may beholde Christian Reader with no lyttle gréefe of minde the great looue of our God and the lyttle regarde of our selues his fatherlie motions and in vs no signe of amendment Referring the innumerable examples happening not onely to our Fathers but in our tyme also let vs onely consider these twaine the one of an abhominable swearer the other of a wicked Woman that would not forgiue If we consider the wickednesse of the time growen into a contumely bothe of God good things we may enter into a secrete conferring with our selues how or by what meanes we shall lay claime to the mercie of God béeing altogether voide and shewing no signe of humilitie wherby he may perceiue any sorrow for our sinnes or in vs any desire to be pardoned We abuse his name daylie in euerie lyght and trifling matter we goe to heare his woord rather for a fashion then any affection we beare to it Looue is exiled amongst vs neighbourhood nothing regarded pitty vtterly subuerted and remorse of conscience nothing estéemed what shall become of vs Remember we not there is a life to come a ioy a blisse a crowne of glorie Would we be partakers thereof no if we would enioye that heauenlie happinesse our life and conuersation would shewe some meanes how we séeke to deserue it And shall we then wilfully lose it oh no take holde of Faith embarce Repentaunce humble your soules to the throne of mercie that albeit the Lord perceyue we are vnprofitable labourers in his Uineyard Yet that he may beholde in vs a desire a good will and a faithfull intention to put our selues foorth and though sinne so gréeuouslie presse vs downe that our weaknesse cannot resist him yet that we are armed with Faith and entire Hope in that swéete Sacrifice once offered vp for vs all euen the precious body and blood of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus in his merites to foyle our enemie comfort our féeble soules and with a repentaunt heart enter into the bosome of rest prepared for vs since the beginning of the world To the which that we may come and leaue this wickednesse of lyfe Assist vs most mercifull Father with thy continuall grace and arme our soules with faithfull patience so shall we triumphe ouer our foe and reioyce in glory world without end which God graunt vs for Christes sake Amen FINIS

❧ Two wunderfull and rare Examples Of the vndeferred and present approching iudgement of the Lord our God the one vpon a wicked and pernitious blasphemer of the name of God and seruaunt to one Maister Frauncis Pennell Gentleman dwelling at Boothbie in Lincolnshire three myles from Grantham The other vpon a vvoman named Ioane Bowser dwelling at Donnington in Leicestershire to whome the Deuill verie straungely appeared as in the discourse following you may reade In Iune last 1581. VVritten by Phillip Stubbes ❧ Imprinted at London for VVilliam VVright and are to be solde at his shoppe in the Poultrie the middle shoppe in the rowe adioyning to Saint Mildreds Church ❧ Two rare examples to mooue all Christians to repentaunce the one of an odious swearer the other of a widdow named Ioane Bowser c. IT is a pittifull case to consider the inordinate sinnes wherein the world at this time is as it were drowned For where hath not iniquity gottē the vpper hand Is not pride whoredome swearing and lying by the mallice of the Deuill euen in the time of the Gospel more frequented and helde in estimation then at any other time heeretofore Howe many counterfeit visors hath follie practised to couer all her traines of subtiltie perswading her immitators with such madnesse that modestie is driuen into exyle Are not the hearts of men so fast lulled in the cradle of Securitie that Pittie is forgotten Chatitie fledde Mercie exiled Auarice exalted good Conscience banished and the poore vncherished and the Gospell of Trueth as a shaddowe with the lyppes professed but in effect little followed Nay rather the more is the pittie Exhortations Examples Earthquakes Comettes fierie Skies Inundations Shipwrackes vnnaturall birthes as well in men as beastes nothing regarded vvhich thing dooth but foreshowe that our dayes are the verie same which the Apostle Paule to Tymothie 7. Chapter Dooth so warelie warne vs to take heede off saying In the later daies men shall become loouers of themselues disobedient euill speakers c. And who can be so blinde that dooth not see these thinges growne to such corruption that the Scithe of Gods wrath is no doubt ready to mowe vs as vnprofitable brambles from the face of the earth except we repent And heere deare brethren I haue to present vnto your eyes a rare example of the Iustice of God vpon a great blasphemer of the precious blood of Christe which came to passe in Lincolnshire in the moneth of Iune last past in a Towne called Boothebie three myles from Granthame in the house of a good Gētleman bothe of woorshippe and credite named Maister Pennell who hauing entertained this Seruingman for so he was who had styll in his mouth the vse to sweate Gods precious blood and that for verie trifles Thus notwithstanding beeing often warned by his freendes to leaue the taking of the Lords blood in vaine did notwithstanding styll persist in his wickednesse vntyll at the last it pleased God to acite him first with sicknesse and last with Death During which time of the Lordes visitation no perswasions could mooue him to repent his forevsed blasphemies but hearing the Bell to towle dyd most hardlie in the verie anguishe of death starte vp in his bedde and sware by Gods blood this Bell dooth towle for me wherevppon immediatlie the blood aboundauntly from all the ioyntes of his body as it were in streames did issue out most fearefullie as well from mouth nose wrestes knees heeles and toes with all other ioynts not one left free whereupon he most my serablie yeelded vp the ghost whose iudgement I leaue vnto the Lord. And nowe I will proceede to shewe one other as straunge a Iudgement happening in Leicestershire in a Towne called Donnington where dwelled a poore man named Iohn Twell who deceased owing vnto one Oswald Bowcer the summe of fiue shilling which the sayde Oswalde did forgiue the sayde man before named as he lay vpon his death bedde but the sayde Oswaldes wife called Ioane would in no wise forgiue the sayde Twell as long she sayde as she had day to liue Wherevpon not long after the Deuill appeared vnto her in the forme of the sayd Twell deceased expressing all the lyneamentes of the body of the dead man which might well be for we reade in the Bible in the like order did Sathan counterfeit the body of Samuell But to proceede to the matter this euill spirit vttered vnto her these speeches sayd he had brought her mony from Iohn Twell deceased and willed her incontinent to disburse the sayd money vnto her husband for his paines Which she with as couetous a desire receyued saying God thanke you She had no sooner named God but the money consumed away from betweene her handes as it were a vapour or smoake tyll it was all consumed wherwith the Deuill giuing her a most fearefull and sore stroke vanished out of her sight VVherewith her whole body became as blacke as pitche replenished all ouer with a moste filthy scurffe and other thinges which was so odious as heere my pen for modesties sake leaueth to wright referring you to the verses heereafter ensuing But to proceede her body was most straungely benummed and her eyes closed vp from the benefite of the light Thus remayning a certaine space she confessed the hardnesse of her heart and with great patience thanked God for his iudgementes bestowed on her Wherevpon to be breefe it pleased God seeing her repentaunce to reuoke his Iustice and to restore her vnto her former health where she remayneth praysing the name of God for his great mercies bestowed vpon her And I beseech the Lord Iesus that these examples may not onely be read but warily marked to the amendment of our most sinfull and wicked liues and that blasphemers may beware and take heede how they more reuerentlie in their communication vse the name of God and that these harde hearted people who will not forgiue their brethren be the debt neuer so small But as it is well mentioned in the Gospell will for a hundreth pence catch their poore brethren by the throate forgetting howe many debtes our heauenlie Father hath forgiuen vs and washed vs in his blood To whome be all honour and glorie Amen ¶ A fearefull and terrible example of God iuste iudgement executed vpon a lewde fellow who vsually accustomed to sweare by Gods blood which may be a Caueat to all the whole world that they blaspheme not the name of their God by swearing O Mortall men which in this world for time haue your repast Approch the fearefulst thing to heare that euer happened erst Yea such a thing as dooth importe the Lord our God on hye Through swearing by his blessed name offended for to be Which straūg euent whilst that I doo perpend and to minde call My Penne in trothe is readie prest out of my hand to fall My hart also dooth quaile in brest my eyes distill a pace The Saulte and brinish teares also do trickle downe my