Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	glory_n	grace_n	lord_n	5,866	5	3.7353	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B14373	The litle garden of our B. Lady. Or, diuers practicall exercises in her honour. Written in Latin, by the R. Father Francis de la Croix, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English	Lacroix, François de, 1582-1644.; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?	1631 (1631)	STC 15117.7; ESTC S103207	107,080	613

C. 5. Of her Psalter Letanyes Office of her Couception Cap. 6. How to obserue the Saturday in her Honour Cap 7. Of honouring the Feasts of our B. Lady Cap. 8. THE V. BED The generall practice of imitating the B. Virgin Cap. 1. The first help is to representin our mind her Vertues Cap 2. The 2. help is to purpose truly to imitate her Cap. 3. The 3. help is a particular Examen of our selues Cap. 4. The 4 help is to implore her ayd and assistence often Cap. 5. How to begge any thing four B. Lady Cap. 6. Of her contemplation of heauenly things Cap. 7. Of her deuotion towards the Sacrifice of the Masse Cap. 8. Of her receauing the B. sacrament Cap. 9. Of labouring with her hands and corporall exercise Cap. 10. Of her eating and bodily Refection Cap. 11. Of her repose sleeping Ca. 12. Of her Purity Cap. 13. Of her Chastity Cap. 14. Of her Pouerty Cap. 15. Of her Humility Modesty Patience Obedience Cap. 16. Of her charity towards her Neighbour Cap. 17. Of her Loue to God Cap. 18. OVR B. LADIES LITLE GARDEN THE FIRST BED planted with Violets From whence may be gathered diuers Exercises of Reuerence and Submission whereof the Violet is a Token THe acts of Reuerence chiefly internall towards the B. Virgin cōtaind in the first Bed as all the Acts of Loue which are deliuered in the second are the principall as it were the ground foundation whereon the Exercises following do rely For if one eyther with litle or no Reuerence at all or without due attention or only for fashiō sake rather of custom then deuotion should make his prayers and offer his Exercises vnto the Bl. Virgin he should neyther winne her fauour not reape that fruite which they are knowne to haue gathered by these exercises by whose example the thinges following are cōfirmed Let it therefore be the first and chiefest care of him who hath deuoted himselfe vnto the seruice of the B. Virgin to be alwayes conuersant in some practises of reuerence and loue in which more ordinarily and familiarly he may exercise himselfe CHAP. I. The first Exercise of Reuerence towards the B. Virgin is not to go rashly and without recollection to prayer AS often as you shall goe to make your Prayer vnto our B. Lady and repeate her prayses to the end you may performe the same with due reuerence before you beginne it shal be good to recollect your selfe a litle and all other cogitations layed a side weigh well with your selfe whither you goe what to do with whome you are to speake Surely you go to salute her who is the Mother of God the Queene of Heauen and earth who sitteth full of Maiesty in a Throne of Glory enuironed with the Quiers of Angels with how great reuerence and attention then should you a poore and vile worme appeare in the presence of such a Queene That you may therfore make this recollectiō more easily and without yrkesomnes it is expedient you haue in readines some short Versicles which you may vse before you beginne to say your Beades Office of our Lady or other prayers as for example this Ah let my lips sing and display The B. Virgins prayse this day which is found in the beginning of that most auncient litle office of her Immaculate Conception or this which is the beginning of the Hymne made by S. Casimire Do thou my Soule early and late Prayses to the Virgin consecrate Or els this which is commōly vsed by the Church Grant me O Virgin thee to prayse Agaynste thy foes giue strength alwayes This kind of recollection doth S. Ignatius Founder of the Society of IESVS set downe in generall termes when in his booke of spirituall exercises he teacheth that such recollection is necessary to be made before all kind of prayer CHAP. II. The second Exercise of Reuerēce towards our B. Lady is to cōmit our Office of saluting her vnto the Angels IT will be noe small testimony of true reuerence and submission towards the Virgin Mother if remembring your owne basenesse considering her excellency you accoumpt your selfe as most vnworthy of her great presence do make your recourse vnto the Angels begging and crauing of them that they would be pleased to discharge your duty in this so high noble seruice of saluting earnestly praying vnto the Queene of Heauen Turning your selfe therfore to your Angell Guardian beseech him earnestly by that immense goodnes and mercy of our Lord by which he was giuen vnto you for a Gouernour and Keeper and by his fatherly loue and continuall care ouer you well knowing your vnworthines lacke of vtterance that himselfe who both for the grace of his vertue and ornaments of glory is most gracious in the sight of the B. Virgin and withall most eloquent and expert in that Angelicall office which you commit vnto him would salute our B. Lady in your behalfe with al-beseeming reuerēce deuout affection and obtaine for you all that he knoweth necessary as well for your profit in vertue as for the eternall weale saluation of your soule Make also your humble supplication vnto the Archangell Gabriell that he would vouchsafe in your name to salute the Mother of God once againe with the very same words with that reuerence loue demonstration of ioy congratulation and like affections as he then felt within himselfe which he vttered when being sent on that Embassadge from the sacred Consistory of the Bless Trinity vnto Nazareth to report vnto the Virgin Mary the first and happy tidinges of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God In the meane while supposing you see heare the Archangell Gabriell your Angell Guardian saluting the Bless Virgin in your behalfe you shall do well to offer in the deuoutest manner you can deuise vnto the same Virgin their submission and reuerence as proceeding from your selfe their words as if they were your owne and the most true interpreters of your hart and mynd S. Gerard of Pannonia Bishop Martyr hauing erected an Altar in Honour of our Blessed Lady caused a syluer Censar to be placed before it and ordayned that two Venerable men should attend both day night only to prouide that Incense were neuer wāring in the Censar Sur. in his life 24. Septem Now if you being moued with the like zeale of Honour vnto our B. Lady do commend your prayers to the Angels who are sayed in holy Scripture to carry a Censar for the discharge of that duty you may be assured that their kindling the incense of your praiers with the flames of their earnest deuotiō will make them soe gratefull odoriferous vnto that Heauēly Queene that she with manifold benedictions wil abundantly accōplish your requests To the practise of this deuotion those very figures shapes diuersity of formes that dayly appeare in the ayre might serue vs for a sufficient incitement by which we may euidently gather not

worthily to receaue that holy Sacrament First to beseech our B. Lady by that most immaculate Purity wherby she was made a pleasing Tabernacle for the Sonne of God to free her from the stayne of her sinnes by her intercessiō Secōdly by that most profound Humility wherby she deserued to be exalted aboue the Quires of Angells that she would be pleased to supply and make amēds for all her negligences Thirdly by that inestimable Loue wherby she was inseparably vnited vnto God that she would obtayne for her store and abundance of merits And the same S. Gertrud addeth that once vpon a tyme whilst the Religious drew neer to the Communion she did perceaue the Queene of Glory on the right hand of one who was amonge the rest clothing her with a Robe adorned and beautifyed with the flowers of prayer and deuotion desiring her sweet Sonne for her sake to haue this Virgin in particular regard Who at the petition of his B. Mother presently shewed great signes of grace and fauour vnto them all E. 4. Insin diuin cap. 49. You must likwise stir vp in your selfe frequent actes of Loue following therein the Example of Gods most Holy Mother For who cā comprehēd the fire of that loue which alwayes burned in the Blessed Virgins breast when she was ready to communicate being as it were euen changed into a Holocaust especially whē she considered that he was now wholy to be giuen vnto her who had before wholly giuen himselfe for all mankind as a bloudy Sacrifice vpon the Crosse Who had giuen those hāds and feet to be cruelly boared through That breast to be pierced with a lance which was yet more deeply wounded with loue And lastly who had giuen all his whole body to be moulded and as we may say baked with so many wounds that it might become therby bread more delicious to our tast Labour to beget in thy selfe the like loue vnion with Christ by calling to mynd euery tyme thou dost communicate some one passage or other of his passion so shalt thou do a thing most gratefull pleasing both to God and his B. Mother S. Lydwine the holy Virgin on a tyme lying sicke in her bed was very desirous to communicate but not hauing the commodity at that present she was comforted by her Angell Guardian who told her that very shortly Christ her Lord whome she so much desired would come and visit her Wherupon conuerting her selfe wholy to her prayers being wrapt in contemplation she perceaued diuers Angels comming towards bed her one carrying the Crosse another the Lance some the whippes others the reed the nayles crowne of thornes with all the Instruments of the passion In the midst of the troupe wēt the B. Virgin and last of all our B. Sauiour Being come into her Chamber they compassed her Bed round And then our Sauiour first turning towards her with a smiling countenance in the likenesse of a beautifull child presently appeared vnder the forme of an Host which she receaued with such aboundance of solide ioy that it was wonderfull how so narrow a brest could conteyne such an Ocean of diuine delightes In eiu● vita mens April Oh that thou couldst obtayne but one only drop out of this Oceā of diuine Mercy by the intercession of the B. Virgin when thou art about to communicate Or at least that thou couldest with a sincere simple heart say with Thomas a Kempis O Lord my God my Creator and my Redeemer I do desire to receaue thee this day with the same affection reuerence prayse and honour with the same gratitude dignity and loue with the same Fayth Hope and purity that thy Most Holy Mother the Glorious Virgin Mary did receaue thee when most deuoutly and humbly she answered vnto the Angel Gabriel announcing vnto her the mystery of thy wonderfull Incarnation Behould the handmayde of my Lord be it dōe vnto me according to thy word lib. 4. cap. 17. What we are to do after Communion in imitation of the B. Virgin WHen you haue communicated you are principally to obserue three things 1. To giue thāks vnto so great a guest whom you haue receaued 2. To desire to be perpetually vnited vnto God 3. To demaund of him what may be necesary for your selfe and others in this or the like manner O with what great ioy and exultation with what celestial delight was the B. Virgin filled when she had receaued the B. Sacramet What infinite thanks did she render vnto the Diuine Maiesty for the same She did no doubt euer and anone repeate that Cāticle with Iubilation My soule doth magnify our Lord. With how great sincerity and simplicity of heart did she offer her selfe al she had vnto him whome she thē lodged within her brest Christ IESVS her Sōne her God Do you offer vp your selfe in the same manner and imagine that your Angel Guardian doth salute you with words of congratulation and ioy as did her Cosen S. Elizabeth our B. Lady Blessed art thou because thou hast belieued and receaned God in the sacred Communion And do you answere ioyfully againe My soule doth magnify our Lord c. pondering particulerly euery worde of that Canticle the better to beget in your selfe affections like vnto those which the Bles Virgin had when she song the same Ponder also with what desire the holy mother of God did burne of seing her Sonne not hidden vnder the Sacramentall forme of bread but with his face discouered shining with glory in heauen And that you may the better conceyue the same heare the B. Virgin herselfe declaring this her desire out of Rupertus in these wordes I did weepe sayth she could not speake a word for the aboundance of sighes that vehemently burst forth For how could I speake of him without weeping Yet those teares were my only consolation and my sole delight euen as any one may cōceaue by those which thēselues shal sweetly shed in memory of them whome they loue best and deerest And if Dauid could say My teares were my bread both day and night whilst it was said vnto him dayly Where is thy God how much more reason had I to say the same of my selfe when it was sayd vnto me dayly Where is thy God where is thy Son Or when I my selfe should say My God my sonne hath sent me hither into this banishment Rupert l. 5. in Cant. And lastly ponder with what feruor the B. Virgin did demaūd of Christ now her Guest new celestiall guifts both necessary for herselfe and others With what affectiō did she commend the vniuersal Church vnto him with al the faithfull both aliue and dead Do you seeke to imitate her heerein and conclude this Exercise of the holy Communion with the like petitions strengthned and seconded by the help and intercession of Gods most holy Mother CHAP. X. Of the Imitation of the B. Virgin in labouring with our hands or corporall Exercise SAint Bonauenture Euthymius Sophronius and others

vnto the Name of MARY And for an example or patterne of this tender affection you may take Fa. Peter Faber of the Society of IESVS and one of the Ten first Companions of S. Ignatius who being presēt at Spire in a Church dedicared to the most sacred Virgin where he heard Euensong sung with as great pompe celebrity as possible could be vpon the eue of our B. Ladyes Assumption to heauen perceauing the Altar to be decked with flowers shining with cādels adorned with many holy reliques the wals hūg with Tapestry the Quiers sounding with variety of musicke was so rauished with inward ioy that he beganne to wish all happines vnto those who had rāked and lighted the candels in such good order who had adorned the wals with Tapestry had exposed the sacred reliques had gathered the musitians togeather In such affectuous manner did the signes of a mind reioycing in God and exulting at the Honour of our Bles Lady shew it selfe on euery side In eius vita The third point Of the internall Beauty of our Blessed Lady THat you may in some sort perceiue how great the internall Beauty of our Bles Lady is in very deede you shall consider first the beauty of a soule free from sinne indewed with vertues So great sayth S. Catharin of Siena is the beauty of a soule as that if it could be seene with corporall eyes there would be none who would not most willingly giue his life to conserue the same in so beautifull amiable estate Surius in eius vita For if all beauty grace comelinesse or amiablenesse whatsoeuer that shineth in any creature as in the Sunne Moone stars Gold Siluer Precious stones rich apparell gorgeous Pallaces rare Gardens curious Pictures or in the excellent feature and composition of body that either is was or shall be If I say all the beauty that might be gathered out of all and euery one of these should be amassed and put togeather to make one beauty although it seeme it would be almost infinite and incomprehensible yet would it not parallell that beauty which the least degree of Grace or of any vertue that commeth with it imparteth to a Soule Raise now your mind as high as you shal be able contemplate the beauty of the B. Virgin her soule endewed not only with one two or some few degrees of grace but with so many and those so great as that some Deuines renowned as well for piety as learning hould that she had imparted to her alon more grace in this life glory in the other thē all the rest of the Saints together as we sayd before in the Preface § 1. Affections of Loue. YOu shall admire praise these so great and singular perfections in the most Bles Virgin saying with Prouerb 31. vers 29. Many daughters haue gathered heaped vp riches yet haue you exceeded thē all You surmount the Patriarkes in Fayth the Prophets in knowledge the Apostles in zeale the Martyrs in patience in humility the Cōfessours and in purity the Virgins You being decked and trimmed vp with Iewels of inspeakable worth draw the heauenly Spirits to behould you You are as it were a most cleere Sunne voyde of Eclipse a Sunne displaying his beames from earth vpon heauen from heauen vpon earth euen a Sunne dissoluing the very cloudes of our iniquities After this you shall be sorry that hitherto you haue esteemed so lightly the admirable sanctity of this diuine Virgin and say O if she with the sweet pēsill of her singular mercy would but with the first ground or colour of diuine grace paynt my soule forth vnto her owne likenes O if she would clēse adorne it with such vertues as might make it acceptable vnto her selfe herdeare Sonne Then do you aspire with burning desires after that true beauty which only deserueth to be sought for and this to no other end but only that you may loue and be beloued of the most glorious and B. Virgin The Speach or Colloquy YOu shal adioyne to these Contemplations Affections of Loue thanks giuing to the most B. Trinity which hath beene pleased to set forth the most pure Virgin with so many gifts rare vertues which hath enriched her with so great perfection made her amiable in the eyes of all and therfore shall you also honour Her euen with the whole powers of your soule body prouoking with great and most liuely affectiō all Creaturs to doe the same Lastly you shall beseech the most B. Virgin that she would shoote one only dart of her Loue into your soule and grant you this only fauour that you may liue and dye her most true and Faithfull Seruant Then say Pater Noster Aue Maria. CHAP. II. The second contemplatiō to stirre vp loue in vs towards the B. Virgin is the remembrance of her mercyes benefits to vs. YOur Preamble shal be the same as in the former meditation THE FIRST POINT Of the greatnes of the mercyes of our B Lady by reasons he is the Mother of God THe second incitement to loue the most sacred virgin after the cōtemplation or her Perfectiōs Beauty is a pious consideration of her Mercy Liberality and Care of vs humane creatures The which that in some sort you may cōceiue how great it is remember her to be the Mother of God whose bowells doubtles were wholy turned into Mercy since therein shee bare for nine monethes togeather Mercy it selfe Whose hart breast were throughly enkindled with the fire of charity since she often imbraced and fostered in her bosome Fier Charity it selfe She well knew into what plight the loue of vs lost Sinners had brought euen God himselfe her dearest sonne she heard his words in which euery syllable was an argument of his loue to vs. Lastly she both saw felt how great the torments griefes molestatiōs were which he suffered onely for the redemption of makind And is it possible that she should not most vehemently thirst after our good and saluation who heard on the Crosse her dearest Sonne though all his body were torne and mangled with whips and scourges and his handes feete pierced with hard nayles yet notwithstanding more mindfull of vs then of himselfe cry out I thirst For if this voyce of our most beloued IESVS vnderstood by Fayth and distilled into the eares of the hart by meditation did mooue and incite those Apostolicall men those Paules those Dominickes those Francis'es those Ignatius'es those Xaucrius'es to so noble and heroicall attemps for the Saluation of their neighbours what did it not worke in the Bles Virgin who in the stage of Mount Caluary in that Scaffolde of diuine loue heard saw and euen felt the wonderfull loue her Sonne bare to mankind Affections of loue YOu shall proceede further beginne to tast and see how benigne and sweet our B. Lady is Then shall you congratulate with her for her most singular mercy wherby

she is made so deare acceptable vnto all persons yea you shalt reioice and cōgratulate with all mankind that our Lord God hath chosen so amiable a Mother to himselfe who also was to be vnto vs the Mother of Mercy With the sweetnes of this affection was S. Bernard filled when he spake vnto the same B. Virgin in these words We thy humble seruāts ô most glorious Queene reioyce and exult with thee for all the rest of thy Vertues but for this one we congratulate with our selues we praise thy Virginity we admire thy Humility we honour thy Modesty but thy Mercy to the miserable sauoureth more sweet we imbrace thy Mercy more louingly more often remember it more frequently call vpon it Serm. 4. de Assump THE SECOND POINT Of the greatnes extension of our B. Ladyes Mercyes TO the end you may the better conceaue the greatnes of her Mercyes you must measure thē after the manner of some corporeall substance taking the lēgth the breadth the height the depth thereof The Length may be sayed to be that continuance of her most singular fauours for so many ages alwaies to endure euen to the end of the world as S. Bernard noteth saying The length of her Pitty will endure vnto the last day and neuer be wanting those who shall call vpon it Ibidem vbi sup Turne ouer the Annalls and rehearse the times of our Forefathers you shall find no age no yeare no month no weeke no day no houre yea not so much as a moment in which haue not proceeded as out of a continuall fountaine shall alwaies prōceed as long as there shall be any distressed person rare and notable signes of her mercyes vnto vs. The breadth may be called the diuers and manifould extensiōs of her mercyes to all In so much as S. Bernard in the same place affirmeth the Latitude of her fauours to cōpasse the whole world and all the earth to be full of her mercies For if we consider the manifold benefits receiued frō her there will be found no guift neither corporall nor spirituall which was not deriued vnto vs chiefly by her meanes In corporall she helpeth women in child birth cureth woūdes and diseases defendeth from dangers granteth victories and triumphs vnto vs. In spirituall she procureth vs baptisme helpeth in the defence of chastity is present in desperation admitteth religious Families into the Church of God lastly neuer faileth vs in the houre of death Wherfore it seemeth to me that these so great mercies of this most sacred Virgin were not vnfittly expressed by that famous Cloud which couered the Children of Israell from the Aegiptiās pursuing thē which guided them through dāgerous wildernesses both by day and night which shaddowed them from the great heate of the sunne finally through which God did giue answers and Oracles Exod. 13. 14. Affections of loue YOu shall desire exceedingly to see all creaturs most gratefull to her from whose hands they haue receiued so many benefits that they would keep well registred in their mindes a perpetuall memory therof endeauoring alwais according to their ability by seruices of reuerence and deuotion to requite them O if you could by all your labours afflictions and toils obtaine that euen one of so many lukewarme worldlings would become feruēt studious in the seruice of this most glorious Queene how wel should you then haue bestowed your paines how worthy a seruice word it be of your labour Wherfore at least purpose most firmely allwais to defire and effect the same endeauoring to honour her which way soeuer you can imitating heerin S. Bonauenture who burning with this zeale inuiteth all the iust holy men who haue experienced the mercy of our B. Lady to recioyce cōgratulate and render millions of thanks giuings In Psalt Exult reioyce alyee iust in the B. Virgin in righteousnes of hart prāise her Approach vnto her with reuerence and deuotion Let your hart be delighted in saluting of her Offer sacrifices of Praises vnto her and be inebriated with the sweetnes that floweth from her breasts For shee will send through your harts the beames of her piety and clarify you with the splend our of her mercyes THE THIRD POINT Of the heigh and depth of our B. Ladies Mercies THe height of our B. Lagreat Pitty is such that it cannot possible be contayned in the strait bounds of this world it penetrates euen to the top of the Heauens where the most plesant fruite thereof buddes forth and from whence she shooteth on euery side the bright beames of her loue affection O that we did know or could for one moment only behould with what kind of ioy exultation pleasure she doth recreate the Citty of God sending forth the streams of her sweetnes as a most true Arch vpon those happy cytizens of the Celestiall Hierusalem whome she recreated with the ointments of her singular mercies being yet pilgrims in the desert of this world The depth of our B. Lamercies descēdeth euen vnto Hell it selfe For this is she who hath often withheld infinyte multitude of soules rūning head long into that bottomles pit of damnation by procuring grace of her beloued sonne for the amendemēt of their liues This is she who putteth to flight the roaring lyons of hell and breaketh their forces by helping vs against them in tyme of tēptation Lastly this is she who alwais refresheth with the sweet showers of her consolations the soules in Purgatory as herselfe reuealed to S. Gerirude Affections of Loue. YOu shall aspire to the kingdome of heauē that you muy with all the Angels and Saintes lay downe your hart at the feete of the B. Virgin setting forth her great mercyes togeather with the mercies of God and melting with oue as often as you shall heare repeated the sacted and holy Name of MARY You shall also imitate this Mercy of our B. La. by praying and offering such workes as may satisfy for the soules detained in Purgatory requesting her first that she will be pleased to free the poore soules from their paines and help them to heauen making therby her singular mercyes more knowne apparent to all creatures and increase the number of her Praysers And truly how gratefull this is vnto the B. Virg. she declared herselfe vnto John Ximenez a Coadiutor of the Society of IESVS who vpon the feast of all-Saints as he was praying before a picture of the Immaculate conception of our B. Lady for the Soules in Purgatory being throughly sorry to see the Faithfull liuing labour no more for the deliuering of the out of those exceeding paynes heard a voyce crying Ximenez Ximenez be mindfull of the soules in Purgatory by which wordes he was so greatly moued that vntill his dying day which was about 8. years after he offered vp all his deuotions prayers mortifications for no other end but only for their deliuery out of torments In vita P. Baltazaris Aluarez cap. 45. The