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
B00888	The Christian manuell, or of the life and maners of true Christians. A treatise, wherein is plentifully declared, how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world: their faith by their deedes, their words by their works, and their profession by their conuersation. VVritten by Ihon VVoolton minister of the Gospel, in the Cathedral church of Excetor.	Woolton, John, 1535?-1594.	1576 (1576)	STC 25976; Interim Tract Supplement Guide G.1999[2]	81,916	210

and ioyfullye looke for death which can neuer bée farre absent by the example of Saint Paule who desyred to bée loosed and to be with Christ Whiche thing can not come to passe in vs vnlesse wee leade our lyfe according to Gods wyl and repose all trust of saluation in the mercie of God through the merytes of Christ And if at any tyme wée slyppe and slyde into synne and iniquitie as by nature wée are prone to doo euyll yet let vs not suffer that to rule in our mortall bodye but endeuour to salue suche sores with good déedes and with repentaunce and newnes of lyfe But most part of mortall men nowe a dayes haue no regarde at all of temperance and sobrietie but geue themselues to ryotting and surfetting and runne headlong into all kinde of mischiefe hauing no feare of God before theyr eyes they followe theyr fylthie lustes they snatche they steale they sweare and forsweare they lye they deceaue and to bée short doo all thinges sauing that which is lawfull And yet in the meane tyme they wyll néedes be accoumpted Chrystians gospellers earnest fauourers of true relygion But Chrystians ought not to bée moued with these worldlye and wicked examples but bende all theyr power to lyue godly and holyly to followe the wyll of theyr heauenly Father and with a certaine lyberal and commendable feare of God to be deteined from doing of euyl least they eyther should geue an occasion to the aduersarie to sclaunder their profession or lest the name of God should for them that be euyll spoken of amongst the Gentyles And if at any tyme vnwares or through humane imbecyllitie they fall and goe astray they wyl immediatly acknowledge their error and pacify their mercyfull father through true repentaunce and with theyr hartie prayers procure his mercie towarde them For he is gentle and ready to forgeue if he sée vs sorye and penitent and as if we haue offended gréeuouslie so if we lament our faultes bytterly according as S. Cyprian wryteth Wherevnto wée maye adde this as a special consolation and comfort that wee haue a medyatour in heauen euen the Lorde Iesus Christe who is our aduocate and patrone to purchase peace for vs and to make an attonement betwéene his father and vs. In which consolation and comfort notwithstanding all faythfull Chrystians ought to haue this caution not so to trust in Gods mercie that they eyther fall into presumption or to lyue neglygently and carnally or not gospell lyke For there are many nowe a dayes that flatter and deceyue them selues whyles they gréedily embrace all such sentences in the Byble which set out Gods great mercy but in the meane season neglect and passe ouer lyghtly such places as exhort them to newnesse and holynesse of lyfe The Lorde is mercyfull in déede but to those that repent The Lorde woulde not the death of a sinner but he woulde also that he should conuert and lyue Hée that witnesseth Christ to be the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world doth also wyll vs to repent our former lyues and to bring foorth fruites worthy Repentaunce He that affyrmeth vs to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ exhorteth vs also to repent conuert that our synnes may bée done away He that sayth that Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners doeth also say that fornicators and adulterers and other haynous offenders cannot inheryt the kingdome of Chryst He that writeth that Christ did beare our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse doth adde also that we shoulde dye to synne and lyue to righteousnesse Hee that wytnesseth that Christ gaue him selfe for vs annexeth that he might redéeme vs from all iniquytye and purifye a people peculier to him selfe following good workes Hée that sayeth that Christe dyed for vs addeth also that those that lyue shoulde not lyue vnto them selues but to him that dyed and roose agayne for them Herevnto serueth that of Ezechiell the Prophet If the wicked man repent him of all his sinnes and keepe all my preceptes and do Iustice and iudgement he shall lyue and not dye By the which words we may easely gather that he cannot trust in Gods mercye that doeth not repent him of his wyckednesse neyther can hee bée rightlye called a penytente personne or a Chrystian that perseuereth in vngodlynesse neyther can sound and perfecte fayth bée in him who wyttinglye and wyllinglye worketh agaynst the testimonye of his owne Conscience Let vs not bee Christians therefore in name and tyttle onely neyther bragge and boaste of fayth with bare wordes But let vs repent truelye and from the bottome of our harte let vs turne to GOD in d●ede and correcte vyces wyth vertues and wyth holye lyfe and conuersation abolyshe the remembraunce of our synnes iniquitye Let those wordes of Christ be alwayes in our myndes Not euerie one that sayeth Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that doeth the wyll of my father who is in heauen And if we beleeue that which Saint Paule sayeth to be true That Iesus Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners Let vs also beléeue that other spéeche of his That witches adulterers fornicators murderers theeues extorcioners couetous persons proude men dronkardes backbiters contentious men shall not inherytte the kingdome of God and Christ And surely if we perswade our selfe that Saint Paule sayth true aswell in the one place as in the other wée shall easily perceyue that wicked lyuers cannot conceyue any hope of Gods mercye and of eternall lyfe For as fayth beléeueth that God is merciful to the penitent so doth it tell vs that he is a punysher of the impenitent There is no cause then for sinfull men to presume on Gods mercye they must repent and amende theyr lyues before they take comfort of that matter Ambrose hath included them both in one sentence whyles that hee sayeth Noman can rightlye repent vnlesse hee trust in Gods mercy so no man can trust in Gods mercye vnlesse he repent That saying of the Hebrewe is memorable and neuer to be forgotten Say not Tush the mercy of the Lord is great he shal forgiue me my synnes be they neuer so manye for lyke as he is mercyfull so goeth wrath from him also and his indignation commeth downe vppon synners Make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day for sodenly shall his wrath come and in the tyme of vengance he shall dystroye thee Let euery man therefore haue good regard for him selfe that his Christian professiō be confirmed with Chrystian conuersation that his work aunswere to his word his deede to his tytle Let euery man beware of presumption in Gods mercy Let them take héede that through carnall securitye and contempte of the gospell they fall not away from the spirit to the flesh ▪ from heauen to the world and from God to Bellyall Let them take heede that they

thing vnhonest Of this duetie Cicero had a consideration in that he wrytte to his sonne Marke There is no parte of mans lyfe neyther in publique nor priuate matters neyther in conference with others neyther in meditating with your selfe that can wante Duetie and in obserung thereof doeth the honestie of mannes lyfe consist and dishonestie in neglecting the same For although the feare and reuerence of Gods Maiestie present in all places and searchinge mennes reynes and hartes and therewithall the holye Angell our kéeper and watchman ought to staye and feare vs from synne and wyckednesse yet besydes those thinges that duetye and reuerence whiche wée owe vnto our selues ought to brydle and let the same And to the ende that wée maye imytate and followe Sextius his vse and custome and shewe that shamefastnes and reuerence which is conuenient for our selues when we are solytarie and sequestred from company Let the shortnesse of our lyfe and the innumerable perylles and daungers which compasse vs in on euerye syde be set alwayes before our eyes The Ethnikes haue set out the same with many fyne simylytudes but because they may haue lesse wayght with Christians I praye them to consyder the holy Scriptures who compare our lyfe to gréene grasse wythering to the flowers of the fielde fading awaye to a dylluding dreame But the wyse man séemed of purpose to haue gathered them all into one roome which we ought to reade and ponder deepely that in consideration of the extréeme vanitie of our lyfe we maye be more cyrcumspect in our conuersation and be enflamed with an ardent desyre to come to our perpetuall and heauenly habitation The lyfe of all men sayth he euen of those that are most wealthye and myghtie but especiallye of the vngodlye vanishe awaye lyke a shaddowe then the whiche there can scarcelye any thing be found more transitory and yet Pindarus extenuating mans lyfe signifycantly tearmeth Man But a shadowes dreame 2. Mans lyfe flyeth away as a noyse or crye which soddainly vanisheth away 3. Or lyke a shyppe which cutteth the waues of the Sea and leaueth no signe of passage behinde it 4. And as a byrde which flyeth through the ayre leaueth no token of her passage 5. Or as the arrowe shotte at a marke leaueth not any trace 6. As the duste is scattred with the winde 7. As the frost is dyssolued with the heate of the Sunne 8. As the smoake is blowne away with the wind 9. Or as a guest is forgotten of his hoast where he lodged but one night 10. As the belles which bubble vp in the water whereof some are greater and some lesser but all breake and fall in a moment Euen so amongst men some are great mighty some learned rytch and other some are poore abiect and myserable But in what state so euer they bée they dye without any exception one after another so that as the Prophete sayth although we come to thrée score and ten or fowre score yeares yet the passage of our lyfe is swyft an we flye away But those that are loth to restrayne the delytes of the fleshe wyll aunswere that they wyll repent when they faule sycke and lye on theyr death bed I grant they maye doo so and Gods mercye is neuer shutte vppe but I woulde haue them also consyder howe many impediments and stumbling blockes lye in the waye hindering them from true repentaunce For that I maye omyt the care about a mans wyll and testament for his wife and chyldren and the gréefe and payne of the dissease many other such thinges which may seeme to be matters of smaller importaunce what assaultes doth Sathan vse to geue in that case and what pollyces dooeth hee not practise to bring the seely sycke man into dreadfull dyspayre of his saluation For then euen in a moment he calleth to mans remembrance and setteth before his eyes what soeuer be hath thought purposed sayd or done throughout all his lyfe and suche offences as he hath committed being yll enough in them selues he amplifyeth and augmenteth that he may shake their fayth pluck from them the ancor of saluation and eternall lyfe Herevnto may be added the agony of a guylty Cōscience the greeuous feare of death at hande the heauy bytter cogitation of the Iudgement seate of God and the horror of hell fyre all which things are wonderfull obstacles to true repentance so that it were nothing else but méere presūption to defer it to the last hower And surely repentance in such sort extorted is not volūtary but compulsyue and most commonly lame vnperfyt If we be wyse let vs amend repent when we can offend other wyse y common saying wil be verified of vs Synne hath forsaken man and not mā sinne And it is to be feared least if we amend not when we may we cannot whē we would The iudgements of almighty are profounde and vnsearchable in punishyng mennes faultes For as in his goodnesse and mercy geueth tyme space to men that are wylling to repent and indureth offendors with great patience and longaminyty to bring them to righteousnesse of lyfe so when hée seeth a man wylfull obstynate and contempning his mercye hee withdraweth his grace and fauour and gyueth him ouer into a reprobate sence and looketh not any more for his conuersion And God hath appointed vnto euery man his time and measure beyond which they cannot procéede in theyr myschéefes and beyond the which he wyll not conteyne and stay his plages and punyshments The remembraunce whereof ought to moue vs to walke in Innocency and holynesse of lyfe to vse that dutiful reuerence toward our selues which is requisyt when wee are solytary and alone and to contayne and staye our selues from sinne and wickednesse But there is nothing more effectuall to brydle and restrayne men from deuising and dooing fylthynesse and synne when they are solytarye and alone or when they haue ouerlashed them selues and done amys Wyth Sextius before they take theyr rest to examine and call an accoumpt howe they passed the daye then the often consideration and remembraunce of suddaine deathes wherewith all many mortall men haue pittifullye and dreadfully perished in all tymes and ages Plynie in his naturall story hath a whole chapter intituled Of sudden deathes And so hath Valerius Maximus Where they wrytte that many vppon moste lyght causes haue sodenly dyed One at Rome as he went foorth at hys chamber doore dyd but stryke his finger a lyttle on the doore cheeke and immediately fell downe dead An other dyd but stumble as he went foorth and dyed by and by An Embassedour of the Rhodians after he had declared his message to the Senate departing forth of the counsayle chamber fel downe by the way and sodenly dyed Aeschilus the Poet lying on sleepe bare headded neare the Sea a great Seafoule thinking his bauld head to bee a stone whereon he might breake the shelfyshe which

woulde haue men to vse often fasting which is not a choyse of some certaine sortes of meates but a perpetuall sobrietie and temperancie of lyfe to the ende they maye the rather bryddle and kéepe vnder carnall lustes and concupiscences Our sauiour Christ therefore byddeth vs beware that our hartes be not oppressed with surfetting And his Apostle Oppresse not your selfe with wyne wherein is ryotte Fasting is commended vnto vs in the examples of Moyses Elyas Daniel Christ and his Apostles Let vs neuer forget that vvoo of the Prophete VVoo bee vnto those that ryse earlie in the morning to followe dronkennesse And that of Ambrose is worthy remembraunce Vse a lyttle wine to auoyde infirmitie not to augment pleasure vvine and youth kindle a flame But fasting doeth bridle young yeares and a spare dyet doth keepe vnder luste and carnalytie And S. Chrysostome He that coupleth fasting and praier hath two winges which wyll make him able to passe the windes in swiftnesse Thirdlye Almes déedes are commendable and needefull and it is to be obserued that of these three vertues Prayer is properly referred vnto God Fasting to our selues and Almes to our neighbor And for that many now a dayes doo orre and are deceyued in the name of Almes thinking that to be onely when a péece of money meate or cloath is geuen vnto the Poore I thinke it not amysse to put downe Augustines mynde touching this matter Who dooth not accoumpt onelye those vulger matters to be almes whiche I rehearsed before but these also to forgeue the offendour to amend others with reprehention and correctition For many Almes are gyuen to those that are vnwyllinge to receyue them when wée rather respect mennes welfayre then wylfulnesse Touchinge the commendation of this vertue let vs harken to the Prophete saying Breake thy breade to the hongrye and bring the poore and straunger into thy house vvhen thou seest one naked Couer hym and despyse not thyne owne fleshe then shalt thou pray and the Lorde shall heare thee and Salomon Gyue of thy fyrste frutes vnto the poore so shall it come to passe that thy barnes shal be fylled and thy wynepresse wyth wyne And agayne He that gyueth vnto the Poore lendeth vnto the Lorde And Tobias Prayer wyth Almes and fastyng is verye good Basylyus Magnus Openeth wyth a fyne symylytude howe acceptable Almes is vnto all myghtye god Euen as séede sayeth he which is cast into the grounde bryngeth increase to the Sower so dooth Almes bring foorth great commodytye afterwarde And Lactantius If the worshyppers of false Gods doo decke and trymme Idolles and Images and bestowe vppon them the moste precious thing they haue whiche thinges can neyther gyue them thankes nor yet vse those thinges that are put vppon them howe much beséeming Christians is it to decke and trymme the Images of the lyuing God who as they are both able to vse them and to bée thankfull for them Euen so GOD in whose sight thou doest those thinges wyll both allow thy fact and requyte thée with rewarde But amongst many cautions in geuing of Almes this is not the leaste or laste to bée obserued of faythfull Christyans That wée bée lyberall and bountyfull toward the poore of our owne goodes truelye gotten and that we spoyle not one to reléeue another Wherefore if any man haue vniustlye gotten any goods he ought rather to restore the same to the true owner then to succour néedy straungers therewith Tobias therefore charged his sonne to gyue Almes of his owne substaunce And Salomon Honour God with thy owne substaunce and geue vnto the poore of the frewts of thy owne Corne. And Zacheut the Publican when hee had promysed to geue halfe of his goods to the poore he addeth that if be had done anye man wrong he woulde make restitution fowre fould Some man desirous to fynde a cloake to couer his extortion may peraduenture obiect that of our Sauiour Make you freendes of the vnrighteous Mammon And agayne the commendation of the vniust Steward that he had done verye wisely But the aunswere is plaine and easy That he nameth Mammon which in the Siriacke tongue signifieth Riches vnrighteousnesse either because they are commonly gotten vniustlye whereof commeth that speach A rich man is eyther vniust or the heyre of an vniuste Man or else because they are the occasions of many myschéefes or else for that the abuse of them is dyuerse and manyfould in this our nature depraued with originall Synne the parent of all euyll and wickednesse For whereas we should vse Riches modestly as our seruaunts for our owne and our neighbours behalfe wee abuse the same in prodigalytye and laciuiousnesse and turne often Gods giftes to his reproche Christes meaning therefore was not that men should Iniuriouslye get ryches to geue Almes thereof neyther is it néedefull that all partes of the Parable shoulde be lyke For in the Application of a Symilytude we ought to ponder the principall scope and not to respect any circumstance and particle The chéefe state or scope of the symilytude is not in the collation of a fraudulent mynde not in Infydelity or theft but in the wyse and prouident forcare in purchasing frends whose example therein our Sauiour would haue vs to followe He dyd this that being put out of his offyce those whome he had gratified would receiue him into their houses this ought wée to doo in spirituall matters that when we shall haue néede we may be receyued into euerlasting Tabernacles Christ our sauiour blameth them in that place mannes contempte of celestiall and eternall thinges whose dyllygence and care is great and alwayes busyed about thinges néedefull for his body which are but worldly and temporall But to returne to my matter which is that wée ought to bée Chrystians not onelye in worde but also in déede that wee maye bée feared from vyce and allured to vertue lette vs sette before our eyes alwayes that dreadfull daye Whiche the Prophete togeather wyth the Apostle nameth the daye of affliction and anguishe the daye of calamytie and myserie the daye of darknesse and blacknesse the daye of Clowde and whyrlewynde when as God shall rewarde vnto euerye man according to his worke Againe let the ioyes of heauen and Crowne of glorye allure vs to vertue and godlynesse whereof the Prophete also and the Apostle speaketh thus The eye hath not séene the eare hath not hearde neyther haue the ioyes entered into mannes harte which God hath prepared for them that loue him Let vs remember that we must once wyll wée nyll wee forsake this worlde but wée wotte not when nor howe soone Death as one wryteth by meanes of vncertaine chaunces is alvvaies imminent At what tyme GOD wyll requytte euerye man according to his desartes eyther with plagues and punishmentes endlesse in iustice or ioyes and blysses eternall in mercie Let vs then bée alwaye readie against that daye