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
A46295	The wonderful, and most deplorable history of the latter times of the Jews with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Which history begins where the Holy Scriptures do end. By Josephus Ben Gorion whereunto is added a brief of the ten captivities; with the pourtrait of the Roman rams, and engines of battery, &c. As also of Jerusalem; with the fearful, and presaging apparitions that were seen in the air before her ruins. Moreover, there is a parallel of the late times and crimes in London, with those in Jerusalem.; Josippon. English. Abridgments.	Joseph ben Gorion, ha-Kohen, attributed name.; Howell, James, 1594?-1666.; Ibn Daud, Abraham ben David, Halevi, ca. 1110-ca. 1180.; Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1671 (1671)	Wing J1086A; ESTC R216340	213,458	417

of the second couple cast lots between themselves in the presence of Joseph and the one killed the other then he that remained chose him one of the third couple to slay him And in this manner did they all till they were all slain and none left alive but Joseph and his fellow who said unto Joseph Go to let us cast lots that we may go to our Brethren Joseph answered We will do so if thou be so disposed but first hear me I pray thee speak a few things in thy ears Tell me Have not these sinners rebelled against God in this murdering of themselves so shamefully neither could I by any means disswade them nor divert them from this opinion Wherefore should we two fin against God so grievously and against our own souls If the lot should so fall that I should kill thee I should be counted a man-slayer and that worthily and it may so chance I shall escape after thee and save my life but if the lot should so fall that thou shouldest slay me thou should'st be taken also for a murderer and peradventure thou should'st not escape after me yea although thou thinkest that thou may est But assure thy self of this we lose our hope in God in as much as we sin against our own souls For all these men that thou seest here dead Lo they have sinned against their own souls dying without discipline and good order If thou wilt say How shall we do by reason of the oath that we have sworn Dost thou not know that he that breaketh a wicked oath doth nothing wickedly himself therein For a man is not constrained to perform any oath unto God but to the keeping of his Laws and hereupon is it that David saith I have sworn and will perform for neither vow nor oath that is made against the Commandments of God can be ratified before God And what more is before we swear our fathers sware first long ago at the Mount of Sinai that they and their children should keep the Law of the Lord. Moses also made a Covenant with them upon the same and not only with them that were there but also with us How then dare we be so bold to swear to break the Law of God and become man-killers Seeing it is one of the ten Commandments expresly Thou shalt not kill Wherefore my Brother thou shalt understand that we need not be solicitous nor careful for the oath that we have made but rather to break it for God will never be displeased with us for that For I being afraid of these wicked persons that lie now here dead invented this subtile means and way to swear that I might save my life Now therefore my Brother if thou wilt be ruled by mine advice thou shalt save thy life and mine and I will cast no lots nor perform the oath that we made which is no●… good in the Law if thou wilt not I will wi●…stand thee and fight with thee to kill thee and spare my self And with this Joseph leapt back and dr●…w out his sword standin over against him at his defence to see what his fellow 〈◊〉 answer His companion hearing 〈◊〉 ●…ed neither hand nor foot against him but said Lo I am content do what thou thinkest good because thou art a man of God And blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath not withdrawn his mercy from me but made me to be in thy lot whereby my soul is saved from going to hell Thy lot is a just lot For the Lord will not leave the scourge of sinners upon the lot of the just Much besides this spake Josephs Companion to him for he was sore afraid of him lest he should have killed him if they had encountred together for Joseph was a better man of his hands and therefore Joseph chose him into his lot that he might be able to make his party good with him In this point Joseph played the wise mans part for he escaped by this means both from the hands of those wicked fools and also from his fellow Therefore Joseph called out of the Cave to Captain Nicanor and said to him in this wise Wilt thou promise me that neither thou nor any of thy men that be here with thee or in the Romans Camp shall kill us before thou hast brought us unto Vespasian and let him do with us as he thinketh good Nicanor answered So and so deal God with me if I fulfil not thy request if so be thou wilt come forth unto me together with the men that thou hast with thee Joseph answered him I will come forth to thee and so many more of us as be alive for it is come to passe that some of us be dead in the Cave wherefore how can they come forth Then said Nicanor Never think friend Joseph that I come to deceive thee Come forth and trust in thy GOD for thou needest not to fear Joseph said Swear unto me this by the God of Israel although he be unknown to thee Nicanor answered I swear unto thee by that God that made the World by his wisdom that thou needest not to fear me but boldly mayest come forth unto me So Nicanor made a covenant with Joseph and his fellow confirming and ratifying it in writing after the manner of the Romans and reaching it into the Cave upon a spear holding the point of the ●…pear in his own hand Joseph took the writing read it and believed Nicanor Then came he forth to Nicanor and his fellow with him When Nicanor sitting upon his seat of State that was made him in the wood nigh to the Cave saw Joseph come toward him he rose up and embracing him kissed him set him on his right hand and wept with him abundantly he honoured his fellow also placing him between Pollerinus and Gallicanus whom he had then present with him Then Nicanor asked him for the rest of the men that were with him desiring that they should come forth and he would honour them also and do them no harm Joseph declared the whole matter unto him and told him what was become of them Nicanor hearing of the pertinacious stubbornness of the Jews hearts and their wicked intents was wonderful●…y moved So then he rose and went from thence with Joseph and his companion unto Vespasian When the Roman Army saw Joseph they were greatly astonied and gave a mighty shout some rejoyced that Joseph was taken saying This is good luck that our eyes shall see our long expected desire Other lamented and let tears fall from their eyes with pensive hearts saying Is not this that worthy man who made all the Roman host to quake for fear and whose fame and renown was known throughout all Lands How is it come to pass that so mighty a man is taken in his own Country and amongst his own people If this chanceth unto such a man to be taken in his own Land in the midst of his families and friends How shall we escape

perish Have ye not a sufficient proof of his clemency and mercifulness when as he had cause to be cruel upon no man so much as upon me which drew out my sword against the Romans and killed many of them Notwithstanding neither he nor the rest of the Romans have done me any harm Yea rather they have bestowed many benefits upon me and although I was in their hands yet they have saved my life I confess that before they had me prisoner I would gladly many times have fled to them but I could never do it for 〈◊〉 was ever afraid of my wicked companions ●…t they should have killed me and so my death had been to no purpose But now I praise the Lord Go●… without ceasing because that for his unmeasurable mercies sake he would not su●…fer me to be intangled in the same mischiefes that you be in Neither would I wish to be companion of such lost unthrifts and cast-awaies as you be which have shed the blood of innocents in the Temple of the Lord. Indeed if I had been with you I should have been void of all hope as ye be seeing ye spare not your own ●…ives and your own contumacy and stubborness is made snare a for you See I pray you with how great mischiefs you are laden First the Lord is not amongst you insomuch that through the tumults which you have made amongst your selves almost the waters of Shiloa are dried up which heretofore when the Nations made war against you flowed in great abundance and ran over the banks on both sides But you are contumacious rebels that ever provoked the Lord God unto wrath you have made slaughters one upon another in the midst of the Temple of the Lord how can then the glory of the Lord dwell amongst you Know ye not because of Korah and his Congregation the Lord said unto Moses and to his people Seperate your selves from among this congregation and I shall consume them in the twinkling of an eye But you are far worse than they For without all remorse or pity ye pull down the Temple of the Lord with your own hands and your selves set fire on the Sanctuary which most noble Kings and most holy Prophets builded and besides all this ye neither spare your sons nor daughters And although I be in the Romans Camp yet I am not absent from you for my most dearly beloved wife is present with you the wife o●… my youth whom I cannot set lightly by at this present although I never had children by her but rather love her most intirely because she came of a most honest and godly house My dear Father and Mother are also with you very aged persons for my Father is at this day a hundred and three years old and my Mother fourscore and five but the years of my life are very few evil and full of tribulation and sorrow about threescore and seven neither have I lived yet so long that according to Nature I should desire to die Now therefore if so be you trust not me but suppose I have proposed these things to you deceitfully and that there is no trust of Titus Covenant and bond or that his league should be to your hindrance and discommodity Go to if it come to pass it shall be lawfull for you to kill my Father and Mother and my Wife Yea I swear unto you by the Lord our God that I shall deliver my life also into your hands that you may do with me what ye list and by that means shall the blood of my Parents my Wives and mine be in pledge Therefore let the Ancients of the City come forth and I will make a league betwixt them and our Lord Titus And doubt ye not but as hitherto the Lord God would you should be 〈◊〉 and punished by the Government of the Romans so hereafter he shall benefit you thereby and do you good if so be you will once acknowledge and confess that all Dominion is changed and altered at his commandment and that God humbleth whom he listeth and again whom he list he se●…teth aloft But perswade your selves of this that as long as ye refuse to be subject unto the Romans so long you stir against your selves Gods wrath and high displeasure and besides that you do defer the longer and prolong your redemption and deliverance not only to your selves but also to your posterity Now therefore my brethren I thought it my part to declare all these things to you and it is in your power to choose whether you list for who so will let him give ear unto me and who not let him abstain from my counsell The people hearing these words and sayings of Joseph the Priest wept wonderfully for they could have been concent to have followed his counsell At this time Titus gave commandment to all the Romans to send again the Jews that were prisoners and the slaves into the City By what means he shifted from himself the blood of the Jews and laid it upon the necks of their Masters for Titus took pity of them through Josephs Oration and his good counsell The common people of the Jews desired nothing more then to have come forth and to fall to an agreement to make peace with Titus but Schimeon Eleazar and Jehochanan Captains of the Seditious set strong watch and ward at every gate charging them to kill all that should go forth Thus were many killed which would have fled forth to Titus and the City of Jerusalem was closed up and no man could get out nor in In the mean season fell a great dearth and famine in Jerusalem insomuch that the Seditious searched every mans house and cellar for food And because a certain housholder withstood them they killed him Thus they dealt with all them that dwelled at Jerusalem till the victuals in the Town was all spent that men began to seek dung and even mans excrements to eat by which means much of the people died for hunger Whosoever at that time could get any hearbs or roots mice serpents or other creeping worms whatsoever they were to eat he was counted happy because he had found meat to sustain and save his life withall in that hard famine and terrible hunger Moreover whosoever had any corn in store that no man knew of he was afraid to send it to the mill or bake it because of the wickedness of the Seditious lest they should take away from them their sustenance wherefore many did eat the dry co●…n unground in their cellars privily At that time also were many exceeding rich men in Jerusalem which stole meat one f●…om another so that the father snatched meat from the son and the son from the father the mother snatcht from her children the children likewise from their mother and such as fled out of the gates or otherwise let themselves down over the walls in the night season who being suspected be to the Seditious persons the Romans killed them without This evil

Jehochanan took Eleazars part and defended him For Eleazar was alwayes Jehochanan's friend and aided him His father was high Priest and bare a great rule in Jerusalem wherefore Eleazar was of a great estimation and authority with the Elders so that they durst not apprehend him and his father also looked negligently unto him and let him do what he list because he had no more sons but him So he was the first that assembled naughty persons together and held ever on Jehochanans side from his first coming to Jerusalem And for his sake fell division and dissention between Jehochanan and Schimeon so that they became enemies and warred the one upon the other ever after as we shall declare hereafter CHAP. I. IN this while Vespasian had sent Antony and Mankiminus two Noble men and of his Council to Rome against Vitellius that they might make him out of the way and then would he come to Rome to receive the Imperial Crown there These two Captains went therefore and raised an Army by whose aid they set upon Vitellius and ●…w him not without much ado for there were slain that day at Rome 80. thousand good men of war When Vespasian had word that he was dispatched he made speed to Rome to his Coronation dividing first his Army into two parts whereof he took the one with him to Rome as a safegard for himself whatsoever should happen and the other he left with Titus his son to besiege Jerusalem withall So departing he left his son Titus at Alexandria commanding him to remain there till such time as he should signifie unto him otherwise by his Letters and shew him what he should do and that in no wise he should attempt the siege of Jerusalem in the mean space Titus answered I shall do dear Father according unto your commandment for to you it belongeth to command and unto me to obey Vespasian took with him King Agrippa and Munabas his son he fearing lest they would rebell and me Joseph Priest and prisoner also fast bound in chains for so had his Council moved him saying We cannot say the contrary but that we have found no sign of rebellion in Joseph hitherto neither think we that he hath gone about any but Who can tell when we are gone hence whether he will not flee to Jerusalem and help ●…o set them at unity and concord then they make him their King and after he be the sorer enemy unto us Besides this you shall have need of him in this journey he being a man of such great prudence and wisdom that whosoever followeth his co●…sel shall bring his matters to good and fortunate successe Vespasian liked well their advice and took him prisoner with him together with King Agrippa and his son albeit they had no irons upon them neither on hand or foot but only had their Keepers appointed them that they should not step aside And as Vespasian drew nigh Rome all the Citizens came forth to meet him and received him with great joy and mighty Shews Then he commanded that I should be put in prison but Agrippa and his son he let go at liberty The next day assembled all the Senate of Rome to create Vespasian Emperour after the manner of the Romans with whom was Agrippa and his son I also intreated the Jaylor to let me have Keepers with me and so to bring me to the place where he should be Crowned Caesar which the Jaylor granted me and went with me himself to the place and brought me where I might see all that was done Within few dayes after Vespasian took displeasure with Agrippa upon the information of certain evil disposed persons that had slandered him and perswaded Vespasian that he went about to rebell and how he had sent letters unto Jerusalem concerning the same matter wherefore Vespasian put both him and his son Munabas to death This befel three years and a half before the destruction of Jerusalem Moreover before this deed the continual Sacrifice ceased for a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes as it is written in Dan. Chap. 22. And from the time that the continual Sacrifice shall be taken away and abomination shall be put into desolation a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes The same year and moneth that Agrippa was put to death God moved the minde of Vespasian to remember me with his mercy wherefore he commanded that I should be fetched out of prison and brought to his presence And as I stood in irons before him Caesar bad me welcome and spake comfortably unto me saying Thou knowest very well that I have loved thee from the day I first saw thee and though I have kept thee continually in durance do not think I did it of any ill will or malice toward thee but rather thou mayest perswade thy self I did it lest the Roman Princes should disdain at thee and say See here is a fellow that in our wars hath endamaged us so greatly yet now goeth he check-mate with us in as great favour as we Let us kill him and put him out of the way But my friend Joseph be of good chear I will deliver thee from these iron-bands and thou shalt be with me in no worse case than one of my chief Princes I will send thee into Jewry to my son Titus to whom thou shalt be as a father and a counsellour Thou knowest Titus was he that took pity on thee and would not suffer thee to be put to death Yea he hath sundry times moved me to release thee of thy bonds and to honour thee which I have deferred to do only for this cause that I shewed thee I made him answer But how can I be quiet or in surety of my life as long as I am in thy company and thy sons seeing Agrippa and his son were suddenly put to death by you Caesar answered Hold thy peace Joseph I never looked for any goodnesse of Agrippa and his son Thou knowest not what they had wrought against my Majesty and how they went about to rebel thou hast born their bones with thy hands Doest thou not know I honoured him and his son in Jewry how I would not suffer any of my Army to annoy any of his Cities I answered Yes I know it was so as your Majesty saith Then said he But for all this hath Agrippa requited me again with evil For what time as the Nobles of Rome in Jewry went about to make me Empeperour thinking me somewhat more meet to rule the Empire than Vitellius Agrippa perswaded them that they should not make me Emperour affirming that there was nothing in me worthy wherefore they should promote me to that dignity And after when he came to Rome he went from one Bishop to another and caused them to go to the Bishops to accuse me of such crimes as in my conscience I knew nothing at all of By this I perceived that Agrippa's heart was full of rancour and rebellion and therefore I judged him

avail tears Why do ye not rather go before me and I will follow as I may For what should I do now seeing God hath given me into the hands of a most cruel Tyrant who spareth neither mine age nor your youth But I trust we shall live together in the Light of the Lord And although I cannot be suffered now to see you enough yet when we shall come thither we shall be satisfied with beholding one another Go ye therefore my dear sons and prepare us a place O that I might go before you the Lord knoweth I would do it gladly But ye my sons marvel not at this that is chanced unto us for it is no new thing The like hapned before this in the time of the Chasmonanites when as Antiochus by his wickednesse put to death the seven brethren young men in the sight of their mother which was a righteous and godly woman who chanced to find this mercy at the Lords hands that she might ●…sse her sons and embrace them as they also kist one another before they died Although they were put to death by the cruelty of the uncircumcised King of the Macedonians yet obtained they that which is denied at this day to us that are put to death by Schimeon who ha●…h ●…he name of an ●…sraelite who beareth also the Covenant of our father Abraham in his flesh And would to God that we might live in their ●…nne or place of rest which albeit it will not be granted yet we shall be their neighbours seeing that we also die for the Law of the Lord. Therefore be of good comfort my sons and lament not for my sake For I judge this my misery easier and not so great as the calamity of Zedekiah whose sons were first killed then his eyes put out by the King of Chaldea and he lived many years after we are so much the more happie in my mind because we shall die together Then said Amittai to Schimeons servant which should kill him Make speed I pray thee and kill me first before my children die then after kill them also that we may die together for it is more expedient for us than to see the Temple of the Lord turned into a butchery or slaughter-house to slay men in After cryed he to God saying I beseech thee O Lord God most High which dwellest in the Highest judge this Schimeon according to his works reward him according to his deservings For thou art the God Almighty and dreadfull Let not this Destroyer die therefore among the people of thy pasture but that his death may be severed from the death of other men Let him die a horrible and sudden death Let him have no time to confesse his sins and to return himself to thee that thou mayest receive him for thou wert wont to receive them which turn to thee by repentance for he is not worthy of repentance which hath spoiled and wasted many goodly things in thy Temple besides that hath murdered most holy men in the same To the intent therefore that thy judgements may be declared in him I beseech thee make him to be taken Captive of his enemies together with his wife children and family and all that ever love him Neither give unto his soul any part with the people of God nor let his portion be with the just men in thy Sanctuary for he is unworthy of them because he hath not only sinned himself but hath caused Israel to sin Wherefore let his judgement and sentence go forth from thy sight that he may see his Wife Children and his whole House led into captivity and bondage before his face Afterward let him die a strange death such as never man heard of Let him be killed by most cruel men which when they have smitten him may after quarter him also whiles he is yet alive and that he may see his children go into bondage Let him also be a curse before all that shall see him Moreover Let him perceive that my words and destiny is better than his when as I go unto Thee in that great Light which he shall be deprived of After these words Amittai said to the servant who was appointed to kill him I beseech thee Let me find so much favour at thy hands that when thou hast slain my sons thou wouldst kill me with the same sword while it is yet wet with the blood of my sons that our blood may be mingled and this may be a recreation to my soul. Kill me also in the fight of the Romans that they may avenge me and my sons upon this most cruel Schimeon they shall be witnesses against him that I was not their friend But would God my affaires were all in that state as they were before for then should they perceive me to be an enemy of Schimeons and a friend of theirs Would God I had withstood Schimeon at the first earnestly as I made War upon the Romans that I might have avoided his cruelty from the people of God When he had said all these things he prayed before God Almighty saying O God which dwellest in the Highest thou only art most mighty and fearful open now the eyes of thy judgements consider and judge betwixt me and seditious Schimeon whose malice is become unmeasurable upon the people of GOD that he which sheddeth the blood of them that fear thee in the midst of the Temple may be rebuked of thee with rebukings according to his works make speedy vengeance and prolong not and that for the deaths sake of thy Saints for thy judgements are the judgements of truth Then Schimeon gave commandment to four Cut-throats of his that three of them should kill Amittai's three sons before their Fathers face and the fourth should kill Amittai himself and so the blood of the sons was mixt with the blood of their father Afterward Schimeons servant took the body of Amittai and laid it upon the bodies of his sons as his desire was then tumbled them over the Walls After that Schimeon commanded that Chanacus the high Priest should be put to death whose body was cast unto the bodies of Amittai and his Sons Aristus also the Scribe one of the Noble men of Jerusalem was killed at the same time and ●…en just men more of his kindred and house because the●… mourned for the death of Aristus It hapned while Schimeon was killing of those ten certain substantial rich men passed by and were wonderfully amazed when they saw the thing saying one to another How long will God suffer the malice of Schimeon and will not search out the blood of just men nor revenge them Certain seditious persons hearing this told it unto Schimeon who commanded them to be apprehended and murthered the same day After this there passed by eleven of the Noble men of Jerusalem which seeing fourty two innocents to be put to death by Schimeon they lift up their eyes to the heavens and said O Lord God of Israel How long wilt