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	sin_n	sinner_n	3,110	5	7.5131	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61672	Verus Christianus, or, Directions for private devotions and retirements dedicated to ... Gilbert Ld. Arch Bishop of Canterbury ... by David Stokes.	Stokes, David, 1591?-1669.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.	1668 (1668)	Wing S5724; ESTC R24159	135,214	312

Saint Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He would willingly listen to one that would sometime pray for himselfe as Christ prayed for us with strong cries and teares Hebr. 5. 7. Remembring how Importunity prevailed with the unjust Judge in the Parable of our Saviour and how it may prevaile for them that will give God no rest till he vouchsafe to answer them Such were holy David's prayers wont to be set forth in the sight of God as the incense Ps 14. 2. like frankincense laid upon hot coales So should ours be as if our hearts as well as our tongues were touched with a coale from the Altar mounting upward with that fervour attention and devotion which carries our ●…houghts from earth and presents us as it were for that time before the Throne of God's Royall Majesty in Heaven Now they will more happily and easily compasse this fervency and intention of spirit that are able to follow Saint Peter's advise to joyne Sobriety amd Watchfulnesse unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. For Sobriety makes us fit to watch and if we bring not a hearty vigilant prayer we may pull a curse upon our selves rather then a blessing We cannot but thinke so if we consider that Prayer is one of the chiefest Services that we performe to God and therefore we must not think that God will indure to have that done coldly and lazily and carelesly Prayer gives us accesse unto the Throne of God and leave to speake and hope to have Audience before his Divine Majesty Therefore should we study to offer it up attended with those graces and virtues and ushered in with that preparation that may put us in further hope of Acceptance after we are heard In that regard the holy Saints of God in all ages being to commence some speciall suit unto God have not been unwilling many times to prepare themselves with Fasting and lay hold of all other good helps whereby they might come as well fitted as they may be for a businesse of so high consequence as that of Prayer XIII The close of this Meditation with a returne to the time ANd now having given a view of most of those helps to conclude this Meditation I will only adde that some advantage to Prayer may be drawne from the very Time which brought us into this discourse Of all other the Morning is the fittest time for Prayer While we are more fresh fasting and sober while our best thoughts affections vigilance intention and fervor not yet taken off or abated with worldly affaires are the more ready to attend our Prayers Therefore let us use the more care not to let that time of our Devotions be passed over but as it should be And both then and ever Let us not presume to pray without some serious preparation or some praevious ejaculation sent before to that purpose For we had better spend lesse time in Prayer then rashly and unpreparedly adventure upon such a worke too soon Preparatory Ejaculations fit to be used when we compose our selves to Prayer OLord all hearts and all things else are naked and manifest in thy sight H●…b 4. 13. and all at thy disposall O Cleanse the thoughts of my Heart by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit and make it fit for Prayer and other holy Duties Graft in it with the hatr●…d of Sinne the love of thy holy namt Give me that Faith that may conduct my selfe and that Charity that may take others along with mee to the Throne of thy grace Teach my Heart the Reverence due to thy Divine Majesty in the presenting of my humble Petitions Make my servent and vigilant Prayer truly expressive of the value of that which I came to begge conformable to thy holy will and in the name and mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is enough to be spoken of Prayer in generall in reference to our present purpose From this Digression we will now returne to our particular Morning-Devotions For which we learne of our Mother-Church by what she doth in publick Prayer to begin our private Addresses then too with a form of confession which is to begin with our pardon and peace first humbly begged from Almighty God I shall therefore commend unto you first a Confession and Prayer used by Bishop Andrewes then another used by Archb. Laud. XIV Confessio cum Precatione ALmighty God and most mercifull Father all-mercifull and Mercy it self I have wi●…tingly and willingly run from thy wayes erred and strayed from them more like an untamed heifer and wild asse then a lost and wandring sheep I have followed too much or rather altogether the absurd devices and brutish desires of my own heart I have not only offended against but even been offended at thy holy Laws thy most holy Laws I have left undone nay not done all those things which I ought to have done I have done done nothing else but those things which I ought not to have done And there is no health nor hope of health in me But thou O Lord have mercy upon me miserable most miserable sinner the greatest of sinners and the most unthankefull for so great grace as hath been offered to me Spare me and all them O God which confesse their faults Restore thou them that be penitent that desire to be penitent that wish they were so that feare they are not enough that are sorry they are not more penitent for this is according to thy promises thy most gracious most sweet promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord that invites all and promiseth to refresh all that feel the weight and ●…urden of their sins and come to Him for ease Grant therefore O most mercifull Father ●…or his sake who is our Redeemer Advocate Author and Finisher of our Faith Propitiation Righteousness and Justification that I and all penitents may ever hereafter live a Godly Righteous and Sober life Grant that we may do this to the glory of thy Holy Name and the Salvation of our own Soules Amen Pro Remissione Peccatorum O Eternall God and most Mercifull Father Pardon I beseech Thee all the Sins Omissions Commissions Thoughts Words and Deeds by which I have provoked Thee ●…o anger from the time of my birth to this present moment that no one nor all of my ●…ins together may ever be able to cry oft●…er or lowder in thine eares for vengeance ●…hen the cry of my Prayers may ascend up to Thee for Mercy and forgivenesse and ob●…ain what they sue for Particularly I humbly ●…eseech Thee forgive unto me my greater and ●…ore clamorous Sins Such as are O Lord ●…gainst Heaven and against Thee have I ●…nned and committed foul transgressions 〈◊〉 Thy sight But I beseech Thee wipe ●…em all out of the Booke of Thy Remembrance through Jesus Christ our Lord an●… onely Saviour Amen To these if you will adde a Penitentia●… Psalme There are seaven of them that is th●… 6. 32. 38. 51. 102. 130. 143. They will 〈◊〉

not that sinne up by the rootes For there are some sinnes rooted and grounded in other sinnes as Envy and Contention in Pride and Vain glory In all such till the root be quite pulled up and Humility set in the place of it cut the branches as you please some what will bud up and appear again And as some sinnes are the root of others so some sinnes are the food of others as we use to say sine Cerere Baccho friget Venus Lust useth to feed well to fare deliciously and plentifully Therefore there is a Devil that cannor be cast out but by prayer and Fasting And we may safely say that Fulness of Bread and Idleness as they are the Sepulchers of many Virtues so they are the Cherishers of most Vices But when we know the true Root and Cause and Food of a Disease it is half cured It grows late and we need say no more of this Verbum sapienti You may think that I am ready to take my leave of you and bid you Good night adding not a word more of that hard Scrutiny or what else belonging to it may fit it for a happy conclusion And indeed I and all the world must leave you when you are for that business which though it be most profitable is the most unpleasing to us all that are great sinners Yet that I may take my leave the more charitable and that you may find the better night I will say one word more a word of Comfort If in the foot of your accompt you find sinnes so great and so many that great and many terrours begin to disturb you Strive to arm your selves with all the armour of God and be not so much affrighted as incouraged to goe on For if your inward eyes with the use of your best optick Instruments have found out so many of your own sinnes or multitudes of your worst enemies let your other eyes by the help of your prayers furnish you with as good store of the best weapons that can be used in your defence Lachrimae arma Prayers and Teares are the weapons that David used so long that he washed his bed with them Psal. 6 6 7. Teares are the weapons that Mary Magdalen's Eyes had such plenty of that she could wash our Saviors feet with them Bitter Teares are the weapons made Peter goe out of the place where he denied his Saviour into a fitter place wherein he might presently beg that mercy of God that charmed the Divel from ever haunting of him with the memory of that foul Deniall And if you fain would but cannot weep as they did think of those Prayers without any mention of teares that long before these Weepers were born turned Jacob into Israel and moved God to let him and us know that the Lord of Hostes was overcome with his importunate way of non dimittam nisi which shewed the power of his Prayers that wonne him the Name of Israel And let us prove out selves true Israelites by so following of him if we can extort no Teares or so few dropps as cannot be poured into God's bottle and intitle us to the name of Followers of the other great Champions For if we can begin with no weapons of Tears but without them broken and sorrowfull penitent Hearts yet if we resolve to fight the more valiantly hereafter under Christ's banner in the use of some other spiritual weapons doubt not but the Father of all Mercyes and Mercy it self will gratiously receive us having invited all so freely to come to Him that are weary and heavy laden with the unsupportable burden of their sinnes and haveing not by his teares only but by his pretious blood so fully satisfied for poor penitent sinners I am not sorry that I have shewed you the way how to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and use such weapons in your prayers since God Himself hath shewed us the way how he may be overcome And I hope you are not sorry that I have shewed you the way how to make the night of your Scrutiny whensoever you make choice of it a happy and joyfull night in the close But when you have well passed over the time of your Scrutiny in all the nights after a short Meditation of the Affinity that is between Sleep and Death will easily produce a Prayer and Resolution with an eye to that before you make to much haste to lye down and rest in your bed betweèn those sheets that may prove your winding sheets for ought you know A further supply for the Evening you may take out of the pious Bishops Devotions which shall now follow that you may see how he usually prepared himself for his quiet sleep and rest after his daily labours I wish all may use them whith his spirit and remember that like the winding up again of the Clock such is the necessary Recollection of our selves at night after the disturbances and discomposing of our selves in the day time by the ordinary employment and duties of our Calling and our occasional Commerce with other men In this task our best method will be 1. First to reflect upon our sinnes of the day 2. Then upon the hazard of the night against which we had need to be armed by our prayers 3. Then upon the blessing and praising of God for his former works of mercy and providence and the confidence which we have in his custody of us this night and for ever In this part I find no papers of the good Bishop but only in Greek which I shall re-represent in that order 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amongst the●…e preparations for night the very thoughts of the affinity betwixt Sleep and Death or the Bed and the