Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	lord_n	pray_v	4,745	5	6.4992	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18603	A cordiall of comfort To preserue the heart, from fainting with griefe or feare: for our friends, or our owne visitation, by the plague. Also a thankes-giuing to almightie God, for staying the visitation in London, and the suburbs thereof. Both which may be of vse to Christians in other places, that are cleere, visited, or recouered. By William Chibald.	Chibald, William, 1575-1641.	1625 (1625)	STC 5131; ESTC S118343	43,911	197

be first vnto you all of both sorts ioyntly and then vnto each sort of you in severall That which concernes you altogether is a watch-word and a Request My watch-word is to warne you not to censure your brethren that haue been either infected when you were cleere or visited more heauily then your selues or taken away by the visitation when you surviue as if they were greater sinners then you for this were to bee miserable comforters Luc. 13.2 4 Iob. 16.2 when you should be comforters of them in misery Yea it is to trample on them whom God hath cast downe My request is that you would according to your abillitie with your handes releiue their povertie as well as in heart pitty them for that is charitie Hereunto you are called not onely by the word which bids you Loue indeed as well as in word 1 Ioa. 3.18 affection only but also by the extreme penurie wherein too many haue bin are will be cast Luc. 2.16 partly by sicknesse partly by decay of trade and partly by approching winter That which shall be spoken of each sort o you in seuerall shall be first to them that haue not ben visited all this while and thē to them that are recouered and escaped from death though you were visited To you whose houses haue yet been free I would giue an admonition and an exhortation My admonition is That you would not be secure as if God now could not smite you For there were first in this Visitation that shall not be last and there shall be last that were not first And my exhortation is That you neuer forget the free fauour of God in your protection preseruation least he repent him of the good hee hath done vnto you But that you studie what you shall render to the Lord for●●● his benefits Ps 116.12 and endeuour to expresse your thankfulnesse for such a deliuerance by seruing him you and your houshold more constantly conscionably Iosh 24.15 To you whose houses haue been visited and yet your selues are escaped and enioy your liues so a pray I would likewise giue you a caution and a counsell My caution is that you thinke not that any thing in your selues or in your meanes hath made the difference betwixt you that are aliue and other that are dead for this were to sacrifice to your selues Abac. 1.16 and to your net and yarne But that God his free favour his power and goodnesse hath made the difference who will haue mery on whom hee will and who can preserue whom he pleaseth And my counsell is That during the time of your liues hereafter 2 Chron. 30.17 you set your hearts to seeke God and make him your portion and inheritance Ps 116.5 walke within your houses with a perfect heart Ps 101.2 Ioh. 5.14 and sin no more least a worse thing come vnto you 2 The. 2.16 Now our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God euen our Father which hath saued vs and giuen vs euerlasting consolation comfort your hearts and stablish you in euery good word and worke And Blessed bee God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 4. the Father of mercies and the GOD of all comf●rt who comforteth vs in all our tribulation that wee may bee able to comfort them which are in trouble by the comfort vvherewith wee our selues are comforted of God Amen FINIS AN HVMBLE THANKS-GIVING TO ALMIGHTIE GOD For his so soone so great and so gracious staying of the Plague in the Citie of London and Subvibs thereof BY WILLIAM CHIBALD PSAL. 36.1 O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for euer Printed at London by W. I. for Nic. Bourne and Edw. Br●wster and are to be sold at the Royall Exchange and at the Bible in Pauls-Church-yard 1625. The Preface THE more deadly a disease is the greater is the Cure and the greater the Cure is the greater is the commendation of the Physician Euen so the greater any danger is the greater is GODs deliuerance from it the greater ought to bee our Thankesgiuing vnto his blessed Maiesty for it On these and the like grounds J haue formerly stirred vp my selfe vnto secret priuate and publike giuing of thankes to our good God for abating the heat of the sicknes the number of them that dye thereof And synce J haue endeauoured to forward others also to glorifie God in this behalfe by penning a forme thereof and publishing it with this Treatise The rather because J haue not seen nor heard of any thing in this kind set forth for publike benefyt The time and meanes of grace considered J thinke J may truely say for the generalitie that synne did neuer so abound in quantitie qualitie and variety as of late it hath done in our Citie of London and the Suburbs thereof And now behold answerable to the measure of our synnes is the measure of Gods Visytation for there was neuer such a plague sent among vs. Jn like manner the contagion and malignitie of this Plague consydered which in so short a time when so many vvere absent killed so many thousands J may safely say there was neuer such a Deliuerance in this kinde vvrought by Almightie GOD for vs ●●d therefore answerable to Gods great goodnes ought to be our great gratefulnes Now consydering Christian Reader that the measure of our thankfulnesse to GOD ought to be so great and that our power as of our selues to performe it is so small Let vs all that want holy wisdome Iam. 1. for this purpose 1 Ti. 1.17 aske of God onely wise that hee would bee pleased to giue vs in abilitie what he requires of vs in dutie and that the meditations of my heart in conceiuing of this forme and the vvordes of our mouthes in vttering it may bee directed by his blessed Spirit and accepted in his beloued Sonne Amen 1 Reg. 1.36 And let the Lord God of our Citie and our deliuerance say so too The parts of the Thanksgiuing for this Deliuerance are SIXE I. BEmoning our Miserie caused by the Plague II. Confessing our sinnes that brought it III. Acknowledging Gods Iustice in sending the Plague IV. Thanking GODs goodnesse for staying it V. Praying to GOD wholly to remooue the Plague VI. Professing our amendment vpon the remoueall thereof A THANKESGIVING TO GOD FOR STAYING the Plague O LORD GOD of Heauen and earth by whose patience prouidence it is that yet vvee liue and moue Act. 17.28 and haue our being in this world for our life drew nigh vnto the graue Ps 88.3 4 and wee were counted with them that goe downe into the pit Through thy goodnesse O Lord wee are a remnant escaped Ezra 9.15 as appeareth this day reserued as wee trust to glorifie thy Name But who are wee dast and ashes miserable sinners that should be bold to glorifie thy goodnesse that dese●●e not to confesse

rewarded vs after our iniquities but hast borne with vs all this while and giuen vs yet a longer time to repent sparing vs as a father spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Mat. 3.17 In this thy deliuerance O heauenly Father wee see also thy pittie in that when our great sinnes had deserued the greatest and forest of thy foure plagues euen the sword that yet notwithstanding thou didst send but the smallest of them for hereby wee are not fallen into the hands of men Prou. whose mercies are Cruelties but into thy hands whose mercies are great 2. Sam. 24. hast already wonderfully lessened this thy hand and hast also giuen vs good hope through grace of quite remouing the same But aboue all O Lord our God In this our deliuerance felt and expected we cleerely behold thy free grace and rich favour with thy infinite mercie and vnspeakable loue and accordingly we desire to bee plentious in thanksgiving for when there was no goodnes in vs to moue thee to it nor power to procure it to our selues Yea when iustice on thy part and wickednesse on ours did withstand it then thou wast pleased to thinke thoughts of peace towards vs and to stay thy hand to say to vs Ezek. 16.6 when we were polluted in our bloud Liue. When the fornace of thy displeasure was heated Dan. 3. much hotter then euer it was before and the flame thereof had consumed many of our neighbours houses yet on some of our houses the fire had no power at all nor was a hayre of the heads of many of vs synged wee ayled nothing all the while Psa 115.1 and therfore not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name bee giuen all the praise Not vnto Physicians or Surgeons Not vnto Magistrates or Ministers Not to Watchmen or Keepers not to antidotes or preseruatiues not to house or ayre not to Signes or Planets not to Saints or Angels not to our selues or others Not thy workes in vs of nature or grace no not to our fasting and prayers to our humiliation teares But to thy wisedome and power to thy faithfulnesse and truth to thy patience and pittie to thy free grace and rich mercy be giuen by vs all and by all meanes in all times and in all places honor and glory with thanksgiuing and obedience in Iesus Christ from this time forth and for euer V. Praying to God w●o●y ●remone the ●la●u● And now heauenly Fathe● seeing wee that are but dust and Ashes haue taken vpon us to speake vnto thee in thanksgiuing Gen. 1.18 bee not angry with vs if we speake once more in prayer and supplication also we rather hope thou wilt bee pleased with vs Psa 116.13 if hauing taken the cup of saluation in thankefulnesse for staying the plague so soone and so much already wee also call vpon the Name of the Lord for the quite remoueall thereof P. 2.125.4 The rod of the wicked hath long lyen vpon vs Oh let it not rest vpon vs that are the lot of thine inheritance for thou hast said 1. Reg. 11. ●7 Esay 29.5.25 Thou wilt not afflict the seed of Dauid for euer Thy hand is stretched out still Oh wee pray thee pull it in and put it into thy bosome for we haue beene consumed by the heauinesse of it Thou hast formerly giuen vs many great deliuerances to this Citie in this kind to the whole Land in other kindes namely from forraine inuasion and priuy conspiracie The Spanish Armado 1588. The Gun-powder-Treason 1605. and wee confesse to thy glory and and our owne shame that most of vs haue almost forgotten to celebrate the memoriall of them none of vs haue euer since led our liues which thou didst preserue from the crueltie of those intendments and attempts in righteousnesse and holinesse before thee And in this respect wee are vnworthy thou shouldst proceed in mercy as thou hast begun end in mercy as thou hast proceeded But though wee be vnworthy of more deliuerance yet art thou worthy of more honor which accordingly thou shalt receiue For by how much the more we are vnworthy by so much the more doth the freenesse greatnesse of thy grace and mercy appeare and by how much the more thy grace mercy appeares free and great by so much the more doth the glory thereof appeare for thine honor And therfore O Lord our God though our iniquities testifie against vs Ier. 14.7 1 Sa. 12.21 yet do it for thine owne Names sake forsake not thy people for thy great names sake because it hath pleased thee to make vs thy people Thou art an exquisite worke-man leaue not thy worke halfe done as if thou couldst not finish it but end it in perfection Thou art an absolute Physician leaue not thy Patients crazy sickly till thou hast made a perfect Cure And that thou maist perfect the work of deliuerance which thou hast begun amongst vs wee beseech thee perfect the works of grace and amendment which thou hast begun within vs. Thou hast already said to thine Angel Stay thy hand for this wee praise thee bee pleased also to goe on and to say It is enough for this we pray thee command thine Angel also to put vp his sword into the 2. Sam. 24.16 1. Chron. 21.7 sheath thereof and to draw it out no more Returne O Lord how long let it repent thee concerning thy seruants Psa 90.13.15 make vs glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted vs and the months and weekes wherin we haue seen euill Lam. 5.21 Renew our dayes as of old Helpe vs Psa 85.8 O God of our saluation for the glory of thy Name Wherefore should Papists say It is for our religion that wee are thus plagued wherefore should Atheist say Thou wast not able to saue vs c. wherefore should carnall Gospellers say What profit is it that thy people haue prayed vnto thee and walked mournefully before thee Iob. 21.14 Mal. 3.15 and It is in vaine to serue thee And to the end thou maist continue the worke of our deliuerance giue vs grace also to continue the worke of our humiliation before thee vntill thou haue repaired our Ierusalem the praise of our Nation neuer letting thee go vntil thou hast blessed vs nor giuing thee rest till thou hast healed our Citie Neither are we mindfull of it onely but we remember other parts of our Land beseeching thee good Lord to stay thy hand from spreading the sicknes in other Towns and Cities and to withdraw it where it is disperst giuing them all grace according to their seueral conditions by seasonable amendment to preuēt or remoue the same and in the mean time to cōfort al those that any where are visited with this or any other sicknes by recouering thē vnto health to liue better to thy glory or by fitting them for death to depart in peace

the Lord is iust for wee haue deserued to haue ben beneath for our sinnes f Psal 39. For who are we And what is our Fathers house that in such a common calamity we should looke to be free Seeing g 1. Pet. 4. the time is come that iudgment must begin at the house of God 3. That we are not alone in this affliction for we haue fellowes enough too many if the Lord saw it good h 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no tentation taken vs but such as is common to man The Lord hath i 2. Sam. 7.14 chastened vs with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men yea with the stripes of them that are his owne children 4. That all in our family haue not bin smitten as yet but a few onely nor are they all dead that were smitten but some onely nor were they all smitten together but by degrees successiuely only First our seruants and then our children nor with so heauie a stroke as some haue bin but gently with moderation k Ier. 30.11 10.24 with measure and iudgement the Lord be praised therefore 5. And lastly consider that none of vs haue wanted that which many our betters haue beene without namely food and physicke helpers and keepers varietie of roomes and chambers with other conueniences so that I may truely say to Gods glory our benefit and your content of our selues as Paul did of himselfe and companions in affliction We are * 2 Cor. 6.9 as dying and behold we liue as chastened but not killed and in another place * 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on euery side but not distressed Wee are in doubt but not in despaire And with Dauid the n Lord hath thrust sore at vs but hath not giuen vs ouer vnto death It is true I haue parted with a good seruant good childe and a good Curate My faithfull fellow helper in the ministery but it is content to vs they were not too good for him that gaue them their goodnes and that had more right to them then I for God in heauen was o master to the one p Father to the other and q Arch-Pastor and Bishop to the other and therfore might command them And it is a comfort to vs so it may be to you that r the Lord is better to vs then tenne s●ns ●2 Sam. 1 3. as Elkanah said that himselfe was to his wife Annah Now least haply content may seeme to some but a dry plaister for such a running sore not broad enough to couer it or not soueraigne enough to heale it therfore to make a perfect cure I haue thought of another medicine for the malady and so I passe on to the second sort of meditatiōs that may giue you comfort as well as content against your heauinesse for our visitation How to cōfort our selues against griefe for our visitation These comforts shall be taken from seuerall considerations concerning our affliction as namely 1. The Nature of it 2. The Cause of it 3. The Effect of it 4. The Companion of it 5. And lastly the End of it For in all these points there lieth matter of comfort from all these haue the faithful raised comfort to themselues in their afflictions and withall these haue wee comforted our selues in our visitation 1. The Nature of this visitation is the same with the nature of all other afflictions on the godly The nature of the affliction of the godly which is not to be a vengeance of God to wreake his fury on vs to our vtter destruction but to be a b Heb. 12.5 6 7. 1. Cor. 11.32 chatistment and correction to make vs repent more soundly of our past sinnes and to prevent with more watchfulnesse the committing of the same or like sins againe Reu. 3.19 that c Reu 2.29 we may be zealous and amend Indeed it is in it selfe a punishment and to the wicked that repent not it is a vengeance but to the godly that amend it is not so as shall bee proued more at large hereafter And therefore in this respect may we all take comfort in it 2 The cause of this our visitation is twofold The causes of the afflictions of the godly Efficient and impulsiue The Efficient Cause is the author or sender of it which is God and herein God is d to be considered not simply as God onely but as God a 2. Sam. 7 14. our Father or as mercifull For by this visitation wee fall into Gods hands whose b 2. Sam. 4 14 mercies are great and herein GOD c Heb 12.7 deals with vs as with his sons and daughters Therefore wee ought not to d Heb. 16. faint when vvee are rebuked of him but consequently bee comfortable therein The second cause is Impulsiue or that which mooueth God thus to afflict or chasten vs which is his eternall loue in Christ For as many as the Lord loues hee rebukes and chastens e Reu. 3.19 The Lord may chasten vs with the f 2 Sam. 7.4 15. rod of men and vvith the stripes of the children of men but his mercy shall not depart from vs. So that g Phil. 2.1 if there be any comfort in loue that is in Gods loue then may wee comfort our selues in our affliction which proceeds from it It is true the Instrumentall cause of this our visitation hath been Gods Angell or infection by men but the supreme Efficient is GOD. It is true also that in respect of our sinnes the h anger and fury of GOD may bee sayde to bee an Impulsiue or moouing cause of it a 2 Sam. 24 1. b Ezek. 10 19 But it is but his temporary anger vvhich is but for a i moment c Isa 54.8 VVhich may and doth well stand with his eternal loue euerlasting compassion in Christ with which wee are to bee comforted The effect of their affliction 3 The effect and fruit that comes to the faithfull by all their affl●●tions when they are exercised thereby is very cōfortable it is the a peaceable fruite of righteousnes e Heb 5.8 that is increase of holinesse both in heart life which will bring forth true qu●et and peace to the soule though the body and outward man h Heb 6.9 be disquieted afflicted with thē for the present it is to c learne obedience by the things we suffer f Hos 6.1 it is to d Heb. 12.12 returne to God that smites vs and be zealous and amend g Reu. 3.29 So that we having in some measure through Gods grace foūd these fruits and effects wrought in vs by our affliction and these beeing comfortable because they be such as e accompany saluation therfore ought you not to sorrow f as men without hope 1 Thes 4.18 g Mat. 2.18 like Rachell that would not be comforted but even in griefe to

to their saluation Make an end of the tryall wee pray thee of other Churches by the sword famine or any other iudgmēt and continue to ours the peace of the Gospel the Gospel of peace preseruing all Estates and degrees amongst vs in Church and Common-wealth from this other plagues if it be thy blessed will to execute iustice and to shew mercy for the taking away of this and the turning away of other heauy iudgements Be thou exalted Lord in thine owne strength so will we sing and praise thy power Psa 21.16 VI. Professing our amendment vpon our remouall of the Plague For we doe not desire O Lord our God to haue the plague of our sicknes taken away from amongst vs that the plague of our sinnes may remaine within vs nor that thou shouldest turne thy heauie hand from vs that wee might returne to our former wickednes for the time past of our life is sufficient and to much to haue liued therein 1. Pet. 4.3 If thus againe we should breake thy commandements Ezera 9.14 wouldst thou not be angrie with vs till thou hadst consumed vs but wee beg this further favour of thee not to die Psa 118.17 but to liue to declare thy works and to praise thy name Ier. 50.4.5 For this end with mourning and weeping for our former many and greiuous sinnes wee come vnto thee and seeke thee and will ioyne our selues vnto thee in a perpetuall couenant neuer to be forgotten Wee will make a couenant bef●●e thee our God to walke after thee to keepe thy cōmandements thy statutes and thy testimonies with all our hearts and with all our soules nnd to performe the words of the couenant 2 Reg. 23.3 and to stand vnto it wee will make a sure couenant write it and seale vnto it Neh. 9.38 yea wee will enter into a curse and into an oath to walee in Gods lawe Neh. 10.29 and to obserue and to do all the commandemnts of the Lord our God that we may ty our loose harts to the obedience of thy holy wil for euer And let our houses which thou hast visited or kept cleare from this contagion and let our bodies which thou hast healed or preserued from infection and let our soules which thou hast humbled comforted in any measure by and vnder this visitation beare witnes to our sincerity in making this holy vow and couenant with thee Let them bee a continuall remembrance to put vs in minde of often renewing it before thee and let them bee as a threefold cord not easily broken faster to binde vs to the keeping of this oath couenant with thee for euer And now O Lord our God since thou hast by thy Spirit put into our hearts this desire to giue thee thanks directed vs to this means of manifesting our thankfulnes we humbly beseech thee keepe it for euer in the thoughts and imaginations of the hearts of thy people 1 Chr. 29 15. and set our hearts vnto thee And giue vs such a heart that wee may feare thee keepe thy commandements alwayes Deu. 5.29 that it may bee well with vs and with our children for euer so wee thy people and sheepe of thy pasture will giue thee praise for euer will alwayes bee setting forth thy praise from generation to generation Amen Now vnto the King immortall inuisible and onely true God most mighty wise faithfull and true patient and pittifull gracious mercifull infinite in all perfection The Father of mercy in The Sonne of peace through The Holy Spirit of cōfort be yeelded and giuen for all our former and later deliuerances in this or any other kind and namely for the present staying of the Plague happily in great measure already begun and continued and hopefully in the end to be perfected accomplished From our beliefe trust our loue and feare our hope and ioy our patience obedience with our bodies and soule by our thoughts words works in our liues and deaths all honour and glory and all praise thanks from this time forth and for euer Ps 106.48 And let all the people say AMEN FINIS