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	lord_n	sin_n	6,583	5	4.5982	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12814	Three sermons tvvo of them appointed for the Spittle, preached in St. Pauls Church, by John Squier, vicar of St. Leonards Shoredich in Middlesex: and John Lynch, parson of Herietsham in Kent.	Squire, John, ca. 1588-1653.; Lynch, John, 1590 or 91-1680. aut	1637 (1637)	STC 23120; ESTC S117834	61,921	114

Boyes of Jericho to have a bald-head some scornefull nick-name for the Prophets of the Lord but the mercie of the Lord hath a little prevented them and a little touched their hearts as he did the heart of Lidia that they doe in some sort esteeme them to be the Horsemen of Israel and the Chariots of the same Have we not beene angry too often too suddenly too much And this is a prologue to Murder But blessed be that mercie which as often prevented us Immoderate diet fantasticall fashions too loose speeches if Gods mercie prevented not who dare say that they might not lead us to uncleannesse Yee know our desires cares and indeavours to thrive our selves and to raise our Posterity if we doe this without covetousnesse admire Gods preventing mercy indeed beyond admiration Corrupt nature hath framed us with broad eares and wide mouths with a strange aptnesse to speake of the absent more than becommeth the innocent Have we learned the lesson of holy David in any measure so to take heed to our waies that we offend not with our tongue Reverence Gods preventing mercie as our onely instructor in that singular vertue And that our Bosome Aetn● our continuall concupiscence if we can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quench those desires in any degree that they Flame not forth into actuall Ambition Covetousnesse and Voluptuousnesse the voice of our Praise and Prayer must ascribe all this to Gods preventing mercie in the phrase of this Publican God is ever hath beene and ever may hee bee a God mercifull to us miserable Sinners The consideration of Gods mercy in generall but of his preventing mercie in especiall may incline our hearts to treasure up this precious Praier for our perpetuall practice It were well if like the Israelites wee could write it as a select Scripture in our Phylacteries and verges of our garments It were well if like that Emperour we could paint it as a choyce sentence in our windowes and Walles of our houses It were well if like that Father wee could carry it as an Obvious Poesie on our Tables and Trenchers All this were well but it were farre better if with the blessed Virgin we could Lay it up in our Hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in the tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the Heart That Nulla dies sine linea that every houre we may utter this Prayer God be mercifull to Me a Sinner God be mercifull to us Surely God Hath Been Appl. and Is Mercifull unto us alreadie That we are here now met together at this time in this place it is the Lords mercy It is Gods mercy that the substance of this Text which is writ in this verse was not written upon all our Houses as it was upon some of our poore Neighbours LORD HAVE MERCIE UPON US What am I that I did not fall amongst those eight hundred which died this yeere in my owne poore Parish and what are you that you servive those eight and twentie thousands which were buried within the circuit of your famous Citie That our eight hundreds arose not to eight thousands and that your eight and twenty thousands did not multiply to eightscore Thousands and that we were made but Cyphers among those numbers appointed to die that the Lord swep us not All away with that besome of his indignation the Plague that they were scopae dissolutae that we escaped this was Gods mercie Gods great mercy That the Tower of Siloam fell upon eighteen and upon no more of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem it was Gods mercy unto them That the Plague hath destroied so many of the Inhabitants of London but no more this is Gods mercie unto us Yea Gods mercy was to us as preferment should be to men of merit Fugientem sequitur it did follow us when we did flee from it Stulti Stoici cum misericordiam quasi vitium devitabant when the foolish people did forsake their owne mercies and did pluck down Lord have mercy upon us from their Doores even then God did write over their Heads Miserebor cujus miserebor I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and preserve many from the Plague Gods mercy Gods miraculous mercie Nay whilest our provoked Judge did destroy us with the plague even then also hee shewed mercy in his Judgements That in our parish and in your Citie there dyed so many it was too many had not God designed it to bee so but that there dyed no more this was citra condignum lesse than wee did deserve Gods mercy and that I and you were Titiones ab incendio Brands snatched out of that fire that wee dyed not of the plague this was supra condignum more than we did deserve Gods gracious mercie Carnall consultations it may be may conclude that so many children died of the plague this was a cruell affliction But I say Deus fecit nihil inaniter nihil inhumaniter that these judgements were not without wisdome they were not without mercies That Infants were destroyed carnall men may call it cruelty but it was crudelitas parcens in verity very mercy Although they did not know their right hand from their left yet God it may be did know that they would patrizare imitate the sinister dealings of their naughty Parents and therefore to withhold them from a sinfull life by a timely death this was Gods mercy and wee who have escaped the plague if we continue in our sinnes it is misericordia puniens to incurre greater judgements if we be not prevented by Gods mercy But now if the Lord would be pleased to say a Consummatum est to our Crosse to say of the plague It is finished that our inhabitants might safely and securely return to their houses follow their trades and frequent their Churches in the feare of God without feare of one another that we might no more be destroyed by the plague devoured by poverty afflicted for our friends affrighted in our mindes and which is most miserable hindered from comming to Church this would bee the mercy the tender mercy of our God whereby from on high he hath visited us and delivered us from that heavie visitation Then as the last yeere in the plague the heart of every good Christian was like Aristotle booke rasatabula a Faire folio wherein the letters of this text were written in text letters God bee mercifull to mee a sinner so this yeere being freed from the plague we should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of us should be one heart to be one booke that book of Ezekiel scriptus intus foris written within and without like Psalme 136. every line For his mercy endureth for ever Now that God may cease plaguing and that we may cease sinning God be mercifull to us All for Evermore Amen Finally to make my Exordium my Conclusion I may re-enforce this exhortation from this present occasion of hearing

Churches from the Action in this Place to the Affection of our Persons God and Prayer are too often Absent from us Surely that in all these things we forget God we are most miserable but if in all these God did forget us to be Mercifull we were more than most miserable Let therefore our solid Hearts be like the hollow Mountaines Echoing out One word the first word of my Text God God yea God be mercifull to us miserable Sinners Here conceive me aright I doe not prie to spie a Mote in your Eye and winke at a Beame in mine own Soule I ingenuously confesse I doe but see but the Shadow of these Sinnes in you by my Contemplation but I feele the same or some such in my selfe the Body of Sin in my Conversation Diogenes conculcabat Platonis fastum at fastu majori I trample said Diogenes on the Pride of Plato but replied Plato with a greater Pride I acknowledge I would trample downe these your Sins forgetting of God to be alwayes Present and forgetting of Your Selves that You are so Irreverent at your Prayers in his Presence but with a Greater Sin I confesse that I have not that awfull apprehension of Gods dreadfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Perpetuall Presence in my Church in my Chamber in my Closet and closest Conclave not in my Heart which is due to our Great Jehovah I confesse Prayer doth dwell with me as St. Peter did with the Tanner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth but Sojourn with me and God knoweth it is too often Absent from me I am not to that holy Devotion as Saint Peter was to Tabor bonum est nobis esse Hic I doe not delight to Dwell there I doe not say alas I cannot say Faciamus tria Tabernacula O let us build three Tabernacles one for God one for Prayer and one for Thee O my Soule that we might Dwell perpetually together as St. Paul once perswaded the holy Thessalonians Alas from my Studie to my Church from my Studies to my Employments in my Vocations and Recreations alone and in company by Day by Night I have little acquaintance with those holy and heavenly soliloquia colloquia sudden short Ejaculations and solemne Invocations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persevering in Prayer with Watching and Fasting which were so familiar with the blessed Saints now at rest from their labours Here here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I indeed am that Physician who have prescribed to you but cannot heale my selfe yet that I may yet search out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Medicine to heale me in neglecting Prayer and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cordiall to strengthen you in affecting Prayer I will have recourse to Luke that beloved Physician who prescribeth unto us a most soveraigne medicine by the mouth of this Publicane in my Text the Balme of Gilead the mercy of God God be mercifull to me a sinner Abyssus Abyssum invocat one Deep calleth upon another The Object of Prayer God which is Infinite doth direct my discourse unto the Necessitie to Pray which is Infinite in like manner God be mercifull to me a Sinner That Sin is Infinne we may conceive if we consider the Denomination Description Division Object Attribute and End thereof 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sinner in the concrete hath neere affinitie with the abstract Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Etymologists pronounce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a straying or wandring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to goe the right way and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to goethe wrong way This Denomination of sin declareth the Nature thereof It maketh men Cains Fugitives and Vagabonds Jewes coeli ac soli sui profugos Stragglers which have no home nor house to put their heads in Sodomites smote with blindnesse which cannot hit the Doore to Heaven though they should wearie themselves to find it And Gentiles sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death Now a solicarie person straggling in the wide Wildernesse among the Wild Beasts in the darke and out of the way having neither Light nor Guide how would such a poore wight be perplexed The same is the perplexitie of every Sinner He doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wander amongst the Dangers of the World indeed amongst a World of Dangers It standeth him the refore in hand to pray that God would send him a Guide in so desperate a pilgrimage that God would be mercifull to him a Sinner 2 Next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin is the transgression of the Law so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sin maketh a Sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Out law or Rebell Sin maketh the Sinner to be to God like Absalom to David he may not dare to see the Kings face And like David Sheba and Joab not his owne House no Citie nor Sanctuarie may shield him from the sword of the Executioner Thinke now how a guiltie Traitour a Bandido a proscribed and proclaimed Rebell how he fleeth from the Citie to the Countrey from the Townes to the Fields and from his House to some Cave if he remaineth he starveth if he returneth he dieth with torment and ignominie And in that breathing time before Death he Dieth a thousand times he quaketh at every shadow as if it were an Officer and starteth at every Wind as if it were an Hue and Crie Thinke I say on this amazed wretch and withall thinke on the amazement of every wretched Sinner No meane Necessitie to make men Pray God be mercifull to me a Sinner 3. Sin is factum dictum cogitatum either infused to our thoughts or effused by our Words or diffused in our Deeds Our Hearts are Hives if examined they containe examen a Swarme of sinfull Cogitations and withall a Master Bee a Bosome Sinne which trumpetteth out We have no inheritance in the Son of Jesse The Sinnes on the lip of a Man are like the Sands on the lip of the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinite and innumerable yet must every one of us give an account for every one of them And all our Deeds also which we have done either like Absolom in the sight of the Sun or like Sarah behind the Doore all our actions Publike or Private are registred and must be remembred All these Sinnes therefore considered our Thoughts our Words our Deeds it may be concluded that a Sinner should be like Stentor hee should Have a Voice or rather like the Night-Bird that he should Bee a Voice that he should Pray nay Cry God be mercifull to me a Sinner 4 Moreover which is yet more fearefull all these Sinnes all these Thoughts Words and Deeds are acted uttered and effected against God an infinite Majestie which doth inferre an infinite Iniquitie wee use it as a proverb Peccatum Minimum est Maximum quia in Maximum The least Sinne may be termed an infinite Sin because an infinite Person is offended

Flockes over which the Holy Ghost hath made us Overseers If not so but that in this time of Plentie we bring our Corn into the Market but find it slighted both by Forreiners and Inhabitants then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poore despised Husbandmen we will carry it home to feed our owne Families Nay if Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of Bread should reigne under our owne roofes though a Minister cannot have Curam animarum yet if he can have but Curam Animae if through my Foolishnesse of Preaching I have saved but one Soule but mine Owne Soule this certainly is a precious Effect of a most pricelesse Vocation Now that in such a Calling there should be any such Defect of Conscience not to be instant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in season out of season of Commoditie not to conceive this Godlinesse to be great gaine of Content since God hath said it he will never Forsake us or of Courage God is on our side we need not care what Man can doe against us That we should but from a corner of our eye cast but a glaunce upon the Riches of the Citie the Honours of the Court the Reputation of the Lawyers Common or Civill the Esteeme of the Physicians or the Quiet of the Gentrie So that we should not commend this while we live as the only Treasure to our Soules and when we die as the principall Legacie Portion and Inheritance to our Sons That we should not Delight to discharge this blessed Function with all our Heart with all our Soule with all our Mind and with all our Strength but that we should leave any crannie in our Hearts either for Discontent at home or for Envie abroad either for Wishes of Additions to our Temporalls or for Feare of Opposition to our Ecclesiasticalls that we should not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Content and prompt and provided to publish Gods truth by our preaching pens and protestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I confesse and professe it before God Men and Angels Here This is My Sin and herein God be mercifull to Me a Sinner Thus these three words minister to our notice two strange Extremes more distant than the Antipodes or than the Xenith and the Nadir than the most severed Paris of the Earth or the two more contrarie Points of Heaven God and sinfull Man And the word remaining Mercie is the Communis terminus is the Knot where these two termes doe meet Mercy is that miraculous Medium which doth alter the Colour yea and the Nature of the Visible Object Sinfull man in himselfe is Red red as Skarlet but God looking through Mercie apprehendeth him to be White white as the Snow in Salmon God in regard of Sinfull man is a Judge and Revenger but through Mercie even sinfull man looketh upon him as upon a Saviour a Redeemer yea as upon an indulgent Father This Collyrium cleared the dull sight of this devour Publican Being himselfe he did not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven but through this Medium he durst looke God in the very face saying God be mercifull to me a Sinner Mercifull to a Sinner Sin is the sicknesse of the Soule and Mercie is the Medicine thereof As a Medicine so Mercie is Sanativa Praeservativa Promotiva it is a Purge to Cure Sicknesse a Cordiall to Strengthen Weaknesse and an Antidote to Anticipate Relapses There is a Pardoning a Preserving and a Preventing Mercy a Mercy pardoning our sinnes Past preserving us against sinne Present and preventing us from sinne to Come 1 The first the Woman had taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the act of Uncleannesse I condemne thee not goe sin no more 2 The second God gave to Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee and my strength is made perfect in thy weaknesse 3. And the third rejoyced the Heart of holy David Blessed bee God and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from avenging my selfe with my owne hand And this Publican desired needed hoped all these three Mercie to pardon him for the time past to preserve him for the time present and to prevent him for the time to come This threefold mercy gave this prayer to the soule of the Publican and the soule to this prayer of the Publican Hence hee praied God be mercifull to me a Sinner Those are lame Christians who tread not in the foot-steps of this Publican Parallel the particulars First look back-ward Remember the mispending of our time meanes and callings 1 Our time was all from God But to God what time have we returned the seventh the seventeenth yea or the seventieth What one here dare say that in his whole life hee hath given but One whole imire yeere unto Gods service 2 Our meanes God i● the Fountaine issuing forth those also But returne we any Rivers for the Oceans we have received the tenth nay the tenth of the tenth How much how much have we imploied on our selves How little how very little have wee set apart for our God 3 Our Callings Have we used them as Gods talents to Gods glory Have wee not used them as Rakes to draw riches to us or as Stirrups to raise us to promotion What then would become of us if it were not for Gods pardoning mercy if God would not be mercifull to us miserable Sinners Next let us looke inward indeed downward and blush at the infinite frailties of our best abilities 1 Our Faith is sicut Luna nunquam Una in many Warnes Cloudings and Eclipses 2 Our Hope is like an anchor of reed apt to bee torne up with every triviall temptation 3 And our Charitie like the Cypresse tree very tall but bearing little fruit Our soules have need of a Cordiall of a preserving mercy That God would bee Mercifull to us sinners by his strengthning Grace and gracious assistance Finally let us looke forward yea backeward yea inward also let all men at all times looke all waies And if we can let us turne our eye from some preventing mercie which is the mercy of mercies 1 Full often shall wee have wee doe we swell with prosperitie but that Gods mercy doth send us some moderate adversitie to prick that windie bladder and to prevent us from security 2 As often are wee dejected with adversitie but then Gods mercie doth raise us with some prosperitie to prevent as from impatience and blasphemie 3 Nature maketh us prone to superstition but Gods mercie hath given us birth in a blessed Land which is the kingdome of the Gospell and hath the Gospell of the kingdome to prevent us from Idolatrie 4 Company allureth us many times to bestow Gods Day on their Societie but Gods mercy in giving us customarie Sabbath Sermons doth draw us to Church for shame and preventeth us from that too frequent and publike profane impietie 5 Our people are apt enough to act the part of those