Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	death_n	lord_n	sinner_n	2,648	5	7.4070	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13678	The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Cyprian, Saint, d. 304. [Swete and devoute sermon of mortalitie of man]. aut; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English. aut; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494. Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English.; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.	1585 (1585)	STC 23968; ESTC S103013	152,704	352

like to mens fables for they be in them selues soothfast true But what haue I done Lorde that thou wilt vouchsafe to geue me any heauenly consolation I knowe not that I haue done anye thing well as I should haue done but that I haue bene prone and readie to sinne and slowe to amendment This is true and I can not deny it for if I would deny it thou shouldest stand against me and no man might defend me VVhat haue I then deserued but hell and euerlastinge fire I confesse for truth that I am woorthy in this worlde of shame and despite and that it becommeth not me to be conuersant with deuout people And though it be greeuous to me to say thus yet sith the truth is so I wil confesse the truth as it is and openlye will reproue my selfe of my defaultes that I may the rather obteine of thee mercy forgeuenes But what maye I then say Lorde that thus am giltie and full of cōfusion truely I haue no mouth nor tonge to speake but onely this word I haue sinned Lorde I haue sinned haue mercy on me forgeue me and forget my trespasse suffer me a litle that I maye weepe waile my sinnes or that I passe hence to the lande of darknes couered with the shadowe of death And what doest thou Lord aske most of such a wretched sinner but that he be contrite and meeken him selfe for his sinne for in true contrition meekenes of heart is found the very hope of forgeuenes of sinne and the troubled conscience is therby cleered and the grace before lost is recouered agayne Man also is thereby defended fro the wrath to come almightie God and the penitente soule mete louinglie together in holie kissinges of heauenlye loue A meeke contrition of heart is to thee Lorde a right acceptable Sacrifice more sweetlie sauouringe in thy sight then burnynge incence It is also the precious oyntment that thou wouldest should be shed vpon thy blessed feete for a meeke and contrite heart thou neuer despisest This contrition is the place of refuge from the dreade and wrath of the enemie and therby is washed clensed whatsoeuer is before misdone or that is defiled through sinne in any maner That grace vvill not be mixt vvith loue of vvorldlye thinges The .58 Chapter My sonne grace is a precious thing and will not be mixte with anye priuate loue nor with worldlye comfortes It behoueth thee therefore to caste awaye all lettinges of grace if thou wilt haue the gratious gift thereof Those therefore a secrete place and loue to be alone and keepe thee from hearinge of vayne tales and fables and offer to God deuout prayers and praye hartily that thou mayest haue a contrite hart and a pure conscience Thinke al the world as naught and preferre my seruice before all other thinges for thou mayest not haue minde on me and therwithall delite thee in transitorie pleasures It behoueth thee therefore to withdrawe thee from thy deerest freendes and from all thine acquaintaunce and to sequester thy minde whollie fro the inordinate desire of all worldlye comfort as muche as thou mayest Thus prayed Saint Peter that all Christien people might holde them selues as strangers and as pilgrimes vpō earth for then they shoulde not set but litle price by the comfort thereof O howe suce a trust shall it be to a man at his departinge out of this world to feele inwardlie in his soule that no worldlie loue nor yet the affection of no passinge or trāsitorie thinge hath any rule in him But a weake feeble person newlie turned to God may not so lightlie haue his hart seuered from earthlie likinge nor the beastlie man knoweth not the freedome of a man that is inwardly turned to god And therefore if a man will perfectlie be spirituall and ghostlie he must aswell renounce strangers as kinsfolke and speciallie before all other that he be moste ware of him selfe for if he ouercome him selfe perfectlie he shall the sooner ouercome all other enimies The moste noble and most perfecte victorie is a man to haue the victorie of him selfe He therefore that holdeth him selfe so muche subiect that the sensualitie obeyeth to reason and reason in all thinges obeyeth to me he is the true ouercommer of hym selfe and the Lorde of the worlde But if thou couet to come to that point thou must beginne manfullie and set thy axe to the roote of the tree and fullie to cut awaye and to destroye in thee all the inordinate inclination that thou haste to thy selfe or to any priuate or materiall thinge for of that vice that a man loueth him selfe inordinatlie well nigh dependeth all that ought groundlie to be destroyed in man And if that be truely ouercome anone shall folowe great tranquilitie and peace of conscience But forasmuch as there be but fewe that labour to die to them selues nor to ouercome them selues perfectlie therefore they lye still in their fleshlie feelinges and worldlie comfortes and may in no wise rise vp in spirite aboue them selues for it behoueth him that will be free in heart haue cōtēplatiō of me to mortifie all his euill inclinations that he hath to him selfe to the world not to be bounde to any creature by any inordinate or priuate loue Of the diuersities and diuers mouinges betvvene nature and grace The 59. Chapter My sonne take good heede of the motions of nature and grace for they be verie subtil and much contrary the one to the other and hardlie may they be knowen asonder but it be by a ghostly man that through spirituall grace is inwardlye lightned in soule Euerye man desireth some goodnes and pretendeth somewhat of goodnes in all his wordes and deedes and therfore vnder pretence of goodnes many be deceaued Nature is wylie and full of deceit and draweth many to her whom she often times snareth and deceyueth euer beholdeth her owne wealth as the ende of her worke But grace walketh simplye without dereyte she declineth from all euill she pretendeth no gyle but all thinges she doth purelye for God in whom finallye she resteth Nature will not gladlye dye nor gladlye be oppressed or ouercome neither will she gladlye be vnder other ne be kept in subiection but grace studieth howe she may be mortified to the world and to the flesh She resisteth sensualitie she seeketh to be subiecte she desireth to be ouercome she will not vse her owne libertie she loueth to be holden vnder holy discipline and coueteth not to haue lordship ouer anye one creature but to lyue and to stande alway vnder the dreade of God and for his loue is alwaye readie to bowe her selfe meekely to euery creature Nature laboureth for her owne profite and aduantage muche beholdeth what winning commeth to her by other But grace beholdeth not what is profitable to her selfe but what is profytable to manye Nature receaueth gladlye honour and reuerence but grace referreth all honour and reuerence to God Nature dreadeth

lauded and glorified for euer Accept Lorde God my minde and the desires of the manifolde laudes and blessinges that by me are to thee due of right after the multitude of thy greatnes more then can be spoken And all these I yelde to thee and desire to yelde to thee euerye daye and euerye moment and with all my desire and affection meekelye exhort and praye all heauenlye spirites and all faythfull people to yelde with me thankinges and laudes to thee And I beseeche thee that all people tribes and touges maye magnifie thy holye and moste sweete name with great ioye and brenning deuotion and that all they that reuerentlie and deuoutlye minister this moste high Sacrament or with full faith receyue it maye thereby deserue to finde before thee thy grace and mercy and when they haue obteyned the deuotion that they desired and be spirituallye vnited to thee and be thereby well comforted and maruelouslye refreshed and be departed from thy heauenly table that they will haue me poore sinner in their remembraunce Amen That a man shall not be a curious searcher of this holye Sacrament but a meeke folovver of Christe subduinge alvvaye his reason to fayth The 18. Chapter THou must beware of a curious and an vnprofitable searching of this moste profounde Sacrament if thou wilt not be drowned in the great depth of doubtfulnes for he that is the searcher of Gods maiestie shall be anone thrust out of glorie God is of power to worke muche more then man may vnderstand neuerthelesse a meeke and an humble searchinge of the truth readie alwaye to be taught and to walke after the teachinges of holye fathers is sufferable Blessed is the simplicitie that leaueth the waye of harde questions and goeth in the playne and stedfast waye of the commaundementes of God Manye haue lost their deuotion because they woulde search higher thinges then perteineth to thē Faith and a good life is asked of thee and not the highnes of vnderstanding nor the depenes of the misteries of God If thou maye not vnderstād nor take such thinges as be with in thee howe maiest thou then comprehend those thinges that be aboue thee Submit thy selfe therefore meekelie to God and submit also thy reason to faith and the light of knowledge and true vnderstandinge shall be geuen vnto thee as it shalbe moste profitable and necessary for thee Some be greuously tempted of the fayth and of the Sacrament but that is not to be reputed to them but rather to the enemye therefore care not for him nor dispute not with thy thouhtes nor aunswere not to the doubtes that thine enemie shall laye vnto thee but beleue the wordes of God and beleue his Saintes Prophetes and the wicked enemye shall anone flee awaye fro thee And it is ofte times much profitable that the seruaunt of God shoulde feele and susteine suche doubtes for their more proufe and cōmonly the enemy tempteth not vnfaithfull people sinners whom he hath sure possessiō of but he tempteth vexeth in diuers maners the faithfull and veuout persons Go therefore with a pure and vndoubted faith and with an humble reuerence procede to this Sacrament and whatsoeuer thou canst not vnderstand commit it faithfullye to God for God will not deceaue thee but he shall be deceaued that trusteth ouermuch to him selfe God walketh with the simple persons he openeth him selfe and sheweth him selfe to meeke persons He geueth vnderstanding to them which are poore in spirite he openeth the wit to pure and cleane mindes and hideth his grace from curious men and proude men Mans reason is feeble and weake and anone maye be deceyued but faith is stable and true and can not be deceyued therefore all reason and all naturall workinge must folowe faith without further reasoning for faith and loue in this most holy and moste excellent Sacrament surmount and worke high in secrete maner aboue all reason O the eternal God and the Lorde of infinite power doth great thinges in heauen in earth that maye not be serched for if the workes of God were suche that they might be lightlye vnderstanded by mans reason they were not so marueylous and so inestimable as they be Here endeth the fourth booke of the folowinge of Christe the whiche fourth booke treateth moste principallye of the blessed Sacrament of the Aultar HERE BEGINNETH A GODLY Treatise and it is called a notable Lesson otherwise it is called the golden Epistle Iesu fili Dauid misereremei O matter Dei memento mei The exposition of the name of this lytle Booke A Right good and wholsome Lesson profitable vnto all Christians ascribed vnto S. Bernard and put among his workes I thinke by some vertuous man that woulde it shoulde thereby haue the more authoritie and the rather be reade and better be borne awaye for doubtlesse it is a good matter and edificatiue vnto all them that haue zeale and care vnto soule health and desire of saluation It is called in the Title Notabile documentum that is to saye A notable lesson And some do call it the golden Epistle It foloweth immediatlie after a litle worke called Formula honestae vitae the forme and maner of an honest life or of honest liuing IF you intend to please God and woulde obtaine grace to fulfill the same two thinges be vnto you very necessarye The first you must withdrawe your minde from all worldlie and transitorie thinges in such maner as though you cared not whether any such thinges were in this worlde or no. The seconde is that you geue and applye your selfe so whollie to God and haue your selfe in such a wayte that you neuer doe saye or thinke that you know suppose or beleue shoulde offende or displease God for by this meane you maye soonest and moste readily obtayne and winne his fauor and grace In all thinges esteeme and accōpt your selfe moste vile and moste simple and as verie naught in respect and regarde of vertue and thinke suppose and beleeue that all persons be good and better then you be for so shall you muche please our Lorde VVhatsoeuer you see or seeme to perceaue in anye person or yet heare of any christian take you none occasion therein but rather ascribe and applie you all vnto the best and thinke or suppose all is done or sayd for a good intent or purpose though it seeme contrarie for mans suspition and light iudgementes be soone and lightlie deceaued or begiled Despise no person willinglye nor euer speake euill of any person though it were neuer so true that you saye For it is not lawfull to shew in confession the vice or default of any person except you might not otherwise shewe and declare your owne offence Speake litle or nothing vnto your proper selfe laude or prayse though it were true and vnto your familier felowe or faythfull frende but studie to keepe secret and priuie your vertue rather then your vice yet were it a cruell deede for any persons to defame