Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

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mercy_n	call_v	lord_n	sinner_n	2,337	5	7.5568	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69170	Salomons pest-house, or tovvre-royall Nevvly re-edified and prepared to preserue Londoners with their families, and others, from the doubted deluge of the plague. Item, a laudable exercise for those that are departed, or shall depart out of the city into the country, to spend their time till they returne. A handfull of holy meditations vsefull and requisite for Gods people ... By the reuerend, learned, and godly diuine I.D. preacher of Gods word. Whereunto is added Mr Hollands admonition, and Mr Phaers prescription for bodily physicke. Also, London looke-backe: a description or representation of the great and memorable mortality an. 1625. in heroicke matchlesse lines, by A.H. of Tr. Colledge in Cambridge.	I. D., preacher of Gods word.; Holland, Henry, 1583-1650? Spirituall preservatives against the pestilence.; Houssemaine, Nicolas de, d. 1523. Régime contre la peste.; Holland, Abraham, d. 1626. London looke-backe.; Phayer, Thomas, 1510?-1560.	1630 (1630)	STC 6176; ESTC S117096	52,379	80

best for they are mortall and corruptible exhort them therfore to vse this friend towards the Lord both for you for themselues for except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper waiteth in vaine saith Dauid Thus I haue shewen you that be at London beloued of God called to be Saints Salomons Pesthouse Psal 127.1 to enter in your families I come now to you beloued that haue left your mother Citie for a time which hope to returne An exercise for the Londoners that are in the Countrey your departure I will not disprooue nor wiser then I if ye haue vsed it lawfully remembring in your exile the affliction of Ioseph And spending the time in those things which make for the peace of your Citie To refresh your minds and spend your time there because the workes of your vocation you cannot exercise diuers other exercises I know are vsed perhaps not so well as ye might all of them I doe not condemne but it is to be feared that the exercises of some haue been are friuolous gamesome quarrellers and that carding dicing and that Cup challenging Profession by which many drinking to health drinke thems●lues out of health haue beene to others as vsuall pastimes as the fields to walke in Giue me leaue beloued to shew you a better Exercise and another pastime the pastime of King Dauid a royall exercise which he vsed in the time of plague his prayer and inuocation with the elders of Israel spend herein your time beloued till ye returne when your Mother mourneth will you sport when the head smarteth shall the members be senselesse pray with the Prophet for the peace of your Ierusalem It is the Apostles precept to pray continually which if it euer was time to practise it is at this present The praise of Prayer Suffer mee to enter into the praise of this exercise diuers things doe adde commendation to it which ought to perswade you to the vse thereof 1 It is Diuine The first argument of praise may be taken from the author thereof Not Moses or Samuel Prophet or Apostle Patriarke or Martyr but God the father God the sonne God the holy Ghost the blessed Trinitie haue beene the authors which make it a diuine and heauenly exercise 2 Honourable The second argument from the persons which haue vsed it we delight in Exercises which are accounted honorable which men of credite and good account doe commonly vse this Exercise is honorable yea royall not base and contemptible onely haue spent their time with it but Kings and Princes King Dauid Manasses Ezechiah and the rest The blessed Prophets Patriarks yea the Prince of glory the sonne of the immortall God Christ Iesus It is so heauenly and honourable that by prayer we doe approach neere vnto God and doe as it were conioyne our selues with him while we are in the body we are absent from home but by prayer we doe ascend into heauen prayer being as it were the band of our internall coniunction with God Further it is honourable not only in regard of the persons which haue vsed it but also to God and vs. To God for thereby we honor and glorifie him Psal 50. acknowledging that all might glory felicity health and saluation belongeth to him and that from him alone we must receiue it To vs for thereby we are familiar with the Lord if it be an honor for vs to be familiar with earthly Princes which are but dust and ashes O what an honour is it then to be familiar with the King of Kings and Monarke of the world It is the chiefest honour whereunto he can aduance vs when hee giueth vs the spirit of prayer If we desire the valour of Knighthood by prayer wee may stand in place where Gods hand hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and horsemen in a kingdome If you esteeme it an honour to be in the seruice of the Prince giue your selfe to prayer it is one of the chiefest parts of Gods seruice Yea it is so excellent that the sacrifice of praier is offered alone to him Christian whom Salomon calleth excellent and glorious It is an honor to be a christian let vs therefore vse the christian exercise two things doe admonish vs our name and the example of Christ Christians we are called annointed also to be Priests and Prophets and that royall Priesthood in Christ Iesus As the Priests offered the sacrifices of bullocks and rammes so let vs offer the sacrifice of prayer which hath also beene Christs exercise Mercy hath praied and shall not miserie Charitie hath praied and shall not iniquity pray the Physician prostrated vpon the ground praieth and shall not the sicke and the patient call vpon the Lord the innocent and he in whose mouth there is no fraud praieth and shall not the sinner the Iudge prayeth and desireth that the Lord would be mercifull and spare his people and shall not the guiltie bee suppliant to receiue mercie The pleasure of it 3 Delectable may bee the third argument of commendation this exercise is pleasant and delectable To spend the time in the Country diuers vse pleasant and delectable Exercises this is both acceptable to God and pleasant to man to God for the sweet odours of our prayers ascend into heauen Apoc. 8. 1 To God And as the sent of incense Odoriferous things is pleasant to the nostrils of mortall man So the prayer of the righteous saith Chrysostome is pleasant to the immortall God It is not then the lamentation of men eiulation of women and children mingling heauen and earth together with a confusion of out-cries that is acceptable to God and which can enforce him to giue vs audience but it is humble prayer the voyce of repentance which as Iesus Syrach speaketh Eccl. 35.16 shall bee accepted with fauour 2 To man and reach vnto the cloudes Secondly to vs all that our heart desireth is in this Exercise Some being in the Countrey spend their time in discourses prayer is a discourse with our beloued If it was a pleasure to Iacob to speake vnto Rachel and to Ionathan with Dauid O what a recreation is it for our soules that they may familiarly speake with him whose loue vnto vs is better then gold or pearle If wee delight to speake languages by prayer wee may speake the excellentest language which hath euer beene the language of Canaan let vs not feare to discourse with the Lord by our prayers for hee is not like vnto the spruce and finicall sonnes of men feare not saith Chrysostome he seeketh not at thy hands painted eloquence an angelicall tongue filed phrases but beholdeth only the beauty of thy soule Others take their pleasure while they are in the Countrey to ride vp and downe in their Coaches and Chariots being carried therein betwixt heauen and earth Let prayer bee

beseech thee O Lord Loe here O proud son of Adam of thy selfe thou hast nothing but like a poore suppliant begger thou art constrained to goe before the gate of that right God aswel the king that sitteth vpon his throne as poore Lazarus that sitteth before the doore of the rich man Thirdly his memory the subiect wherof was the Lord O holy remembrance Although he had as it were forgotten him by his sinne in his prosperitie yet he remembreth him by his praier in his affliction O the excellencie of praier it is a remembring of our best friend whose remembrance is comfortable to our distressed soules The subiect of our memoris haue beene along time commodities pleasures riches honor triumphs therfore ô England behold another subiect to exercise the art of thy memory If then we haue forgotten him by our feruent prayer in our sin let vs now remember him by our seruent praier in our affliction Many haue practised the art of memorie according to the memoratiue Art and precepts of memorie which appoint places and their furniture for the helpe of such as are vnexperienced but let vs practise the art of this holy memorie let God be the subiect in this our afflictiō let these be our helpes First let vs remember in our praier the commandement of God Psal 50. Secondly the name of him whom we call vpon that it is Iehouah Lord our God a God not in shew but in substance and performance a strong God a towre of defence they that know this name wil trust in him Psal 9.10 Thirdly what he is by nature how sweet and amiable how rich in mercie Eph. 2. Fourthly what he is by promise how faithfull and true 2. Tim. 1.3 Lastly what he is by couenant made vnto Abrahams seed not in the blood of bulles but in the bloud of the seed of Abraham Further Dauid hath shewen his wisdome that in the choice of the place taking his marke aright and directing his petition to the true and proper periode Imitate the wisdom of king Dauid in his choice he that goeth to a place runneth aright and wisely if he be wise and not by crooked and erroneous waies Dauid sheweth vs the right way for to what place should we goe but to this when our sorrowes are multiplied shall we follow the waies of the wicked and say with them Malac. 3. It is in vaine that I haue serued him and what profit is it that I haue kept his Commandements Or shall we runne vpon the way of impatience adding griefe to griefe liuing the life of Caine or dying the death of Iudas drowning our soules in a gulfe of desperation Shall we spend the time in bannings execrations cursing the day and night the earth that beareth vs the ayre that inspireth vs Not so O Christian soules call vpon the name of the Lord with Dauid there was neuer name so worthie to be called vpon in heauen or earth so mightie for deliuerance so sure for protection so gainefull for successe so compendious to cut off vnnecessarie labours as the name of Iehouah Hauing vnderstood the Conscience Humilitie Memorie 6. The causes to mooue vs to goe to this place and Wisedome of Dauid let me open to you the reasons to mooue perswade vs to go to this place Fiue things mooue the sons of men in the time of plague to depart from contagious places vnto a purer ayre First the counsel of the Physicians Secondly the practise of others Thirdly the danger or perill which they are like to fall in Fourthly desire of health and life Fifthly the experience of successe Let the same be motiues vnto vs in this infection to perswade vs to run speedily vnto this Arke of Noah First it is prescribed by the whole Colledge of the spirituall Physicians by God the father Psal 50.15 King Dauids Physician by God the son who prescribing the remedies which men ought to vse in the last dayes in which the Trinitie of punishments Famine Warres and Pestilence should reigne giueth this counsell Luke 21.36 Watch and pray continually by Prophets Apostles wise men Iam. 5.13 Eccle. 38.9 and 17.23 Secondly the practise of the spirituall Physicians as they haue prescribed it so they haue also practised it haue fled vnto this place to this Sanctuarie went the renowmed Patriarkes the godly Princes the holy Prophets the blessed Apostles the Prince of glory the son of the immortal God the constant Martyrs whose examples ye shall find in the store-house of the Scriptures The example of the bodily Physicians of which some depart in the time of plague hath much force to make vs hasten our departure how much more ought the practise of the spiritual Physicians spurre vs forward vpon our spirituall voyage Thirdly the danger which is threefold In nobis circa nos contra nos In vs round about vs against vs. In vs the plague of sin round about vs the fire of the present plague against vs Sathan who seeketh to make vs curse the Lord and the fire of Gods wrath and anger To auoid this threefold danger run to the Towre and to this blessed Zoar. The fourth motiue is the desire of life and health we need at this time a double health the health of the soule and body let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need Heb. 4.16 Why went that woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeares vnto Christ Matth. 9.20 but that she might receiue her health vers 12. The sicknesse of the plague is an issue of blood which being once opened will euer run and keepe a course if it be not stanched by the power and mercie of God which mercie is onely obtained by going vnto his sacred name to obtaine this double health Dauid went vnto this place 1. Chron. 2 1. that the plague of his soule might be healed and the bodily plague be remooued If we are as it were dead for sorrow prayer will reuiue vs for it is Vita animae the life of the soule as Chrys termeth it Est anima ipsius animae It is the soule of the soule If we goe into the Countrey which cannot saue vs how much more ought we to flie to this name which hath the power to do it this his power being accompanied with mercy and kindnesse for thou O Lord art good and gracious and of great compassion Psal 8 6 Fiftly experience of good successe is the last motiue they which haue fled to this place haue not beene stopped by the way but haue had good speede Goe vnto King Hezekiah Iob Dauid and the rest and they will preach vnto you by experience the experience of this successe This successe is grounded vpon three things as vpon three firme pillars the Power the Will and Promise the Goodnesse and mercie of God His power I haue heard it that power belongeth vnto God Psal 62.11

There was neuer affliction or sore so great but the hand of that Physician hath beene able to matter it the least finger of his right hand being of more puissance then the whole arme of flesh His will and promise Psal 91.1 Ioel. 2.32 Iam 5.15 Eccle. 31.9 Matth. 7.7 Ioh. 14.13 The King of heauen is not like vnto the Princes of the earth or vnto that Philip of Macedon who answered vnto the widow comming in his Court to him to be heard I am not at leisure vnto which also shee answered iustly then be not a King any longer for seeing that he hath promised it he is also willing his promise being signed with the finger of the holy Ghost and sealed with the blood of his beloued and annoynted Neither is he like vnto him Matth. 7. who answered trouble me not my doores are shut the gate of heauen is alwayes open for vs. God reuoketh not his promise as King Salomon 1. Reg. 2.20.21.23 Aske my mother for I will not say thee nay and yet behold how this time is changed Adoniah hath spoken this word against his owne life of the Lords promise wee need not doubt but with Dauid boldly we may speake Psal 86.7 In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thee for thou wilt heare me Thirdly His goodnesse mercie and liberalitie which is so great that he giueth meat to the yong rauens which call vpon him Psal 147.9 Doubt not then but that hee will heare the supplications of men whom he hath made a little lower then the Angels to crowne them with glorie aboue other creatures Psal 8.56 Let therefore saith Augustine thy prayer ascend and Gods mercie will descend shall wee distrust his goodnesse who is rich to all that call vpon him Rom. 10.12 Or shall we suspect his bountifulnesse which powreth out plentifully his blessings vpon all flesh Rom. 8.32 And although we haue offended him yet our offences will not stop his mercies Men when they haue done any good turne to any if they bee neuer so little offended they cast men in the teeth with the benefits they haue done them and vpbraid them with the good turnes they haue shewed wherefore men are loath to make request to such for any thing If wee goe vnto the Lord we shal not meete with one that is of such a disposition and nature Iam. 1.5 he as the Apostle speaketh reproacheth no man nor keepeth his anger for euer Psal 103.9 The willingnesse mercie and goodnesse of the Prince to haue vs maketh vs also willing to goe to him who more willing then he that is our Father our Sauiour then he that hath suffered for vs scoffings spittings bands stripes and death it selfe Neuer lap of the mother hath beene so open to her babes as the bowels of Gods compassions are open to the righteous Harken to this yee faint spirits be strengthened yee weake hands and feeble knees receiue this comfort that he hath deliuered he doth deliuer hee yet will and can deliuer I ende this point with the 13.14 and 15. verses of the 10. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes wherein behold a singular and compendious gradation As they that would come to King Salomon sitting vpon his throne were faine to runne vp sixe staires for his throne was mounted vnto by sixe staires so the perfection and consummation of man going to the throne of the true Salomon Iesus Christ ascendeth and ariseth by sixe degrees the highest and the happiest staires being inuocating and sauing prayer and deliuerance These are then the fiue reasons by which wise Christians ought to be guided I imitate King Dauid only resorting to the wings of the Lords fauour And herein we should be wise if we leuel our hearts and affections at the very right center and marke of prayer which is the name of Iehouah alone and the period or scope in whom our requests must end Fiue sorts of men erring in the going to this place But alas there are fiue sortes of men which make choice of other places reiecting the wisedome of Dauid the counsell of the spirituall Physicians and the practise to the Saints of God going a crooked a circular and endlesse way not towards the marke nor with a right foot as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 2. The first kind flie first to the helpe of mortall man and with Asa make speed to the bodily Physician to the confections of Arte or to the purer ayre not once mindfull of this place but when all helpes faile them and that the Lord sendeth his Sergiant and heauenly Pursiphant to arrest them then they returne to runne to this place What name shall we giue you O yee of little faith but the name of weake Christians Put not your trust in the sonne of man for there is no helpe in him Psal 146. There is a second sort which runne onely to the ordinarie creatures deriding the name Iehouah yea denying that there euer hath beene or is yet at this present such a place to be found wh●…eunto the righteous is preserued such as Dauid describeth in the 10. Psalme 3.4 Which seeke not God but contemne him and thinke they shall neuer be mooued O yee meere Atheists what name deserue you but that name which the Lord himselfe giueth you Psal 14.1 the name of fooles If Cain hath beene ●…ct●d because hee offered an vnworthie sacrifice what deserue they that offer none at all The third sort runne to a place whose name is Hell seeking to Sathan and his artes gadding to the woman of Endor or to the Idoll of Ekron as Saul as Nero as Iulian Returne returne O yee wretched and bewitched sonnes of men with the name of deuillish idolaters The fourth sort seeketh to dwell vnder the protection and assurance of their merites and good workes but these alas as Bernard writeth on the 91. Psalme are ill lodged and haue a poore Tabernacle the diuell hath soone blowen that away The last sort are the superstitious Papists who in the time of plague runne to the house of the Spider to be preserued to stickes and stones mettals and papers Angels and Saints and principally to Saint Sebastian for as euery sicknesse disease hath his Apothecarie and Physician among them So the plague hath Saint Sebastian vnto whom with their families they runne to bee preserued That execrable Psalter of the Virgine Marie compiled by them maketh her to be this secret place whereunto wee ought to runne the prayer of Dauid which he made being visited with the plague Psal 38. is blasphemously abused in this maner O Lady rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath The 91. Psalme is in the like maner abused Who so dwelleth in the secret of the blessed Virgin c. But O ye blind seducers of soule it may be first a chalenge vnto you all that neither Dauid Iob or Ezechiah visited with the plague went to Cherub or Seraphin Gabriel or Raphael Abraham or Moses whom

by praier Moses diuided the red rea by praier Iosua beat down the wals of Iericho by praier Sidrach and Abednago quenched the fire Daniel stopped the Lyons greedie and deuouring throates the Apostles opened the prisons and brake their bands And I will yet adde one thing by praier brethren you shall be able to ouercome him who is inuincible The Lord hath besieged and beguirt your Citie by his destroying Angell the onely meanes to resist him and to make him retire are your humble praiers O the admirable force of praier which ouercommeth him who ouercommeth al things I may compare the praiers of the righteous to the haires of Sampson as long as his head was adorned and couered with them hee was in a maner inuincible hee brake the cordes and roapes wherewith he was bound his strength lying in his haire but being shauen his strength went from him he waxed weake and like other men All your strength beloued lieth in your praier as long as you exercise your selues therein you shall be able to resist I say not the tyrants the deuil but the Lords Angel himselfe You haue another enemie the which to resist it is necessarie that you learn to handle the sword of praier this enemie is cruell malicious mightie subtile and industrious his name bewrayeth his nature Sathan by name who is not only in the Citie but followeth you in the country for as a deuouring Lyon he compasseth the earth and there he seeketh to make you forget the Lord and the affliction of Ioseph to sticke to the creature forget the Creator to withstand this Enemie and his fierie darts let this be your continuall Exercise Imitate the industrious wrestlers who to eass downe another first fall downe themselues so to ouerthrow this enemy who seeketh in the Countrey to ouerthrow you cast downe your selues by humble prayer and fasting that in that place you may triumph ouer him who thought to triumph ouer you To end beloued to you all I speake together you that are in the Citie enter this Towre you that are cast downe vpon your beddes vse the aide of this friend you that are departed let this be your pastime that we altogether may be preserued from the deluge and the waters may decrease more and more till they be dried vp that being decreased we may offer the sacrifice of thankesgiuing as Noah offered vnto the Lord after the floud But let vs not be like vnto the sea-sicke who onely are weake lament and cry as long as they are in the tempest and when they begin to smell the ayre and are gone out of the ship they forget both their sicknesse and their deliuerance Gen. 28. But rather as Iacob ye that are departed flying to heauen the remembrance of his countrey being sweet made an excellent vow and prayer that if hee came againe to his fathers house in safetie the Lord should be his God and that he would giue vnto the Lord the tenth of all he had so likewise ye that are departed or to depart from your Mother Citie as Iacob from his fathers house the remembrance thereof being sweet to you as I know it is make the vow and prayer of Iacob that when the Lord bring you home againe in safety that hee shall be your God and that yee will serue him with more zeale and feruencie then ye haue done before further that ye will if not the tenth yet some part of your goods bestow vpon the Lord in his poore members Let the Apostles words be the conclusion 2 Pet. 3.17.18 Yee therefore beloued seeing ye know these things before beware left ye be also lead away with the errour of the wicked but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to him be glory both now and for euermore Amen A zealous Prayer in time of the Plague to be vsed by all Londoners that are fled from the Citie and all others that are sensible of the Cities Calamitie wheresoeuer O LORD GOD our onely helper and Defender who amongst all other Euils hast promised to deliuer thy People from the noysome Pestilence Wee beseech thee take this thy heauy Plague away from vs and especially withhold thy hand from off the Citie of LONDON the Metropolis of this Kingdome where thy Name is daily called vpon And let our humble Supplications which at this time vpon our knees wee make vnto thee in the name of CHRIST IESVS procure our happy Release and appease thy Wrath which wee haue iustly procured against vs through sinne Lord we being heartily sorry for our sinnes fully purposing by the assistance of thy holy Spirit to amend our liues doe humbly intreat thee to haue mercy vpon vs to take away this plague from vs and not to suffer vs to perish after so miserable a sort We thanke thee O Lord that thou hast not left vs altogether comfortlesse nor cast vs off without hope but hast somewhat withdrawne thy heauy hand and spared many of vs we pray thee to continue thy fauour daily more and more towards vs to deale with vs in Mercy not in Iustice to blesse vs and all those that depend on vs To set thy sauing Marke vpon our houses as thou diddest for the Israelites in Aegypt To giue order to the Destroyer that he hurt vs not to put thy strength to our Medicines to let thy good blessing make the preseruatiues of Physicians effectuall and to make our shifting places for more securitie profitable vnto vs. Giue vs grace O Lord not to trust too much on outward meanes but onely on thy Mercy Protect vs alwaies in all our waies haue pittie vpon our distressed Brethren and Sisters whether in London or else where Comfort the desolate Widow prouide for all Orphanes and Fatherlesse Children gather vs together againe that by these meanes are dispersed Send vs Health Peace with men vpon Earth and peace of Conscience towards thee through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen In the Visitation Anno 1603. Mr. Henry Holland of pious memorie published a booke entituled Spirituall Preseruatiues against the Pestilence Whereunto was annexed An Admonition concerning the vse of Physick and all naturall helpes which the Lord may blesse for our good as in other maladies so in the Pestilence Which booke being worne out of Print the Admontion is here added for the vse and benefit of vs now liuing SAint Iames addeth that after the former spirituall comforts the Elders of his time did annoint the sicke with oyle of the name of the Lord euen as our Sauiour had before appointed and his Disciples practised in their miraculous cures Mark 6. The gift of healing the Apostle speaketh of 1. Cor. 12.30 Shewing it to be a peculiar gift are all doers of miracles haue all the gifts of healing And it ceassed in the Church when the Gospell was sufficiently confirmed with miracles euen anon after the Apostles Prophets and Euangelists had finished and ended their worke and when