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	holy_a	lord_n	5,140	5	3.7012	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02793	Two godlie and learned sermons, preached at Manchester in Lancashire before a great audience, both of honor and vvoorship. The first, containeth a proofe of the subtill practises of dissembling neuters, and politique worldlings. The other, a charge and instruction, for all vnlearned, negligent, and dissolute ministers: and an exhortation to the common people, to seeke their amendment, by prayer, vnto God. By Simon Harward, preacher of the woord of God, and Maister of Arte, late of Newe Colledge in Oxfoord.	Harward, Simon, fl. 1572-1614.	1582 (1582)	STC 12924; ESTC S112568	108,746	262

God continually Who more wretched sinners then Publicanes Math 9.9 Luke 19.6 yet were Mathew and Zacheus the faithfull children of God Who more blinde and obstinate then the Pharisies yet was there amōgst them a godly Nicodemus Ioh. 3.3 7.50 19.39 which was desirous to be instructed by Christ and resisted his companions the Pharisies and thought nothing to déere to be bestowed to the honouring of his Lord and Sauiour Who were more wilfully bēt to withstande Christ the true Messias then were the Iewes to whom he was sent As the Scripture saithe Iohn 1.11.47 he came vnto his owne and his owne receaued him not Yet were there some Nathaniels true Isralites Lu. 2.25.37.38 in whom there was no guile some Symeons which feared God and looked for the consolation of Israel and some godly Annas which serued God day and night with fastings and prayer and confessed the Lord Iesus to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem so that howsoeuer the seuentie Disciples might imagine the Haruest to be but small yet indéede as Christ telleth them héere the Haruest was great Then dearely belooued we are héere to learne not to measure the Haruest of Christe according to our owne fancies 1. Re. 19.10.18 for if the spirite of Elias could not discerne one when in déede there were seuen thousand how much lesse are we able to perceaue the greatnes of Gods Haruest whose eyes are nothing so bright nor iudgement so cléere nor knowledge so perfect as was in the holy Prophet of God But rather we ought to prayse God continually for the great increase which hee dayly addeth vnto his Haruest and for the blessing which he giueth to the course of his holye worde making the same to fructifye and increase to hundreds and thousands and to praye vnto him incessantlye that as he hath alreadye drawne a great parte of Christendome from vnder the Yoake of Antichriste so it would please him to continue his goodnes and to increase his Haruest daily more and more to the glorie of his holy name and the aduauncement of his kingdome which the Lorde of his infinite mercy graunt for the merits and intercession of his dearely belooued sonne Iesus Christ and thus much for the first part how the Haruest is great Now that our Sauiour Christ hath told his Disciples of the greatnesse of the Haruest he sheweth them in the next place of the small number of the labourers the Labourers saith he are but few By this worde Labourers he meaneth true and faithful Pastors for otherwise of other labourers the Iewes did want no store they had their Leuits they had infinite Sinagogues and therin a great company of Lawyers and Scribes they had their Priestes which challenged to sit in the Chayre of Moyses they had their Pharesies the expounders of the Lawe which were in great estimation of learning and holynesse and how then were the Labourers but fewe Wee must vnderstande that our Sauiour speaketh not of false Hierlings but of true Pastors not of those which beare an ydle name and title of Pastoures beeing Pastores a pascendo tanquam montes a mouendo that is feeders of feeding as mountaines of moouing but of those that doo carefully and painefully feede the flock of Christe And of these the number is very small so that God may still say as he saithe in Ezechiell Ezech. 34.6 Dispersus est grex meus c. My flock is scattered through all the earth and there is none that doth seeke and search after them This phrase of spéeche to call the Ministers Labourers and their Office a labour is often vsed in the holy Scriptures Nos sumus cooperarij Dei saythe Paul 1. Cor. 3.9 We together are Gods Labourers I am in feare of you Gala. 4.11 least I haue bestowed on you my labour in vaine Si quis Episcopatum desiderat 1. Tim. 3.1 bonum opus desiderat If any man desire the office of a Bishop he desireth a good worke It is a worke non honos sed onus not an honour but a burthen or if it be an honour yet hath it alwayes a burthen annexed 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders which rule well are worthie of double honour Maxime ij qui laborant verbo doctrina especially they which labour in worde and doctrine By all which places we of the Ministery are admonished of our dutie that we ought to be labourers not loyterers not to liue idely and securely but to be painefull workemen in the Haruest of the Lorde Saint Paul had no better reason to perswade the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Actes 20.28 to take heede vnto themselues and to all the flock whereof the holy Ghost had made them ouerseers then to tell them that the Church which they had the charge of was the Church of Christe which he had purchased with his owne bloud neither can there be any thing which ought more to stirre vp vs which be héer present to painefull labour and carefull diligence then to remember that we are appointed labourers to worke in the Haruest not of men but of the Lord and in that Field which Christ hath purchased with his owne most precious bloud We are called the Salt of the earth Math. 5.13 and therefore we ought to season the people of God with the knowledge of his holy word we are called Math. 5.14 Math. 6.22 Apoc. 1.20 the eies of the body the stars of heauē the light of the world therefore we must séeke to driue away all ignoraunce and darkenesse not putting our lightes vnder a Bushell but setting them vpon a Candlestick Isa 56.10 to giue light to all the housholde We are called Watchmen and therefore we must not let the enemie come in while we sléepe and delight in sleeping for as God saith by the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 33.6 If the Watchman see the Sword comming and blow not the Trumpet and the people be not warned and so they perish with the Sworde they are perished for their iniquitie but their bloud will I require at the watchmans hand We are called heere Labourers and therefore we ought to labour in the Lordes Haruest dilligently and faithfully Ier. 48.10 For as the Prophet saithe Cursed is he that dooth the worke of the Lorde negligently if this be the worke of the Lorde to punish the wicked and destroye them with the sworde as the Prophet dooth in that place describe then howe much more shall we accompt it to be the worke of the Lord to edifie the soules of the simple to sowe in their hearts the seede of Gods worde to bringe them to repentaunce and amendmēt of life this is the worke of the Lord and cursed is he that dooth the worke of the Lord negligently We are called the Angels and Messengers of the Lord of Hoastes Math. 2.7 the Ministers of Christ 1. Cor. 4.1 and dispensers of the secrets of God and

they be sent we must continually beare in minde this cōmaūdement of our Sauiour Christ that we praye vnto the Lord of the Haruest to send foorth Labourers into his Haruest Which cōmaundement because Christ gaue it in this place to his 70. Disciples Let vs of the Ministery firste apply it to our selues and learne heere our dutye which is that with all laboures we ioyne our prayers vnto the Lorde of the Haruest For if in temporall things nothing can prosper without the blessing of the Lorde as the Prophet Dauid saithe Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that builde except the Lorde keepe the Cittie the Watchemen watcheth but in vaine It is in vaine for you to rise vp earely and to lye downe late and to eate the bread of carefulnesse as we sée by experience euery day many rise early and lay downe late and eate the bread of carefulnesse but they prosper not because the Lord doth not build the house if worldly riches be the blessing of the Lord as Salomon saith it is the blessing of the Lorde which maketh men riche if in fishing in the Sea Luke 5.5 Peter may fishe all night catch nothing vntil our Sauiour Christe voutchsafe to come into the barge thē how much lesse shall we think that we can build the Lords house or watch ouer the flock of Christ or gather a rich haruest vnto the lord or catch the soules of mē with the spiritual net of gods word vnlesse with our rising early lying downe late eating the bread of carefulnes we alwaies let our praier supplicatiō be made to God with thāksgiuing Phil. 4.6 Iob. 31.27 Iobe saithe If my heart did flatter me in secret or if my mouthe did kisse mine hand this had bin an iniquity to be condemned for I had denyed the Lorde aboue where Iob maketh the ascribing of our temporall goods to our owne handie worke and saying Haec sunt opera manuum mearum these are the workes of mine owne hands to be nothing els but a denying of the Lord aboue How much more then doo we deny the Lorde aboue if in spirituall graces we doo not confesse and acknowledge that it is nothing for Paul 1. Cor. 3.6 2. Cor. 3.5 to Plant and Appollo to water except the Lord doo giue the encrease that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke one good thought as of our selues but all our sufficiencie commeth of God who hath made vs able Ministers of the new Testament that Isa 6.5.7 Ierm 1.6.9 the Prophet Isay is a man of polluted lippes bēfore the Lorde doo purge them that Ieremie is but a Childe and cannot speake before the Lord doo put his woords into his mouthe and therefore that in all our endeuours we trust not to our owne wisdome to our owne learning to our owne pollicie to our owne gifts of nature but that in all our laboures we doo in feruencie of spirite Psalm 51 1● pray with Dauid O Lorde open thou my lippes and then my mouthe shall shew foorth thy praise Héere also in that our Sauiour dooth commaund his Disciples to pray the Lord of the Haruest to send foorth labourers into his Haruest we haue to consider the tender care which euery Minister ought to haue of the Church of God still to pray vnto God for the same and not onely to pray vnto God but also with great griefe of hart to remember as well the small number of the faithfull labourers as also the great number of the peoples sinnes This vehement zeale and tender care for the Haruest of the Lord was in Moyses when he prayed so earnestly for the people that he sayde Exod. 32.32 O Lord pardon their sinnes or els raze me out of the booke which thou hast written Gen. 18 24. This was in Abraham for when he saw how the sinnes of the Sodomites had prouoked the scourge of God against them he prayed vnto the Lord and sayd Lord if there be but fiftie righteous in the Citie wilt thou destroy the place and not spare it for the fiftie righteous and againe behould I haue begonne to speake vnto the Lord and am but duste and Asshes If there lack fiue of fiftie wilt thou destroy them for fiue And againe what if but fortie And againe what if thirtie what if twentie And againe let not my Lord be angrie if I speake once againe what if but ten shewing thereby sufficiently the earnest zeale which he had 2. Pet. 2.7 for the saluation of the people This was in Lot who was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked for béeing righteous and dwelling among them in séeing and heareing vexed his righteous soule from day to daye with their vncleane and foule déedes This zealous care for the Lords Haruest was also in Samuel 1. Sam. 7.9 Psal 119.136 who cried vnto the Lord for Israell And in Dauid whose eyes gusht out with Riuers of water because his people kept not the Lawe of God This was in the Prophet Isay Isa 22.4 who in the aboundance of looue bewayled his bretheren which would needes perishe saying Turne away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me for the destruction of the Daughter of my people Ierm 9.1 Ierem. 14.17 This was in Ieremy who cryed out O that my head were full of Water and mine eyes a Fountaine of Teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people Let myne eyes droppe downe teares night and daye without ceasing Dan. 9.7.16.18.19 This was in the Prophet Daniel who when he heard out of Ieremie that the Captiuitie should continue seauentie yeares he turned his face vnto the Lord with fasting with Sackcloth and Ashes and prayed saying To thee O Lorde belongeth righteousnes to vs open shame and confusion O Lord I beseeche thee let thine anger be turned away from thy Cittie Ierusalem thine holy Mountaine We doo not present our selues vnto thee trusting in our owne righteousnesse but in thy great and tender mercyes O Lorde heare O Lorde forgiue O Lord consider and doo it not for our sake but for thyne owne sake O my God This was in the holye Apostle Sainte Paule Actes 20.31 Phil. 3.18 Rom. 9.1 who ceased not to warne euery man bothe daye and night with Teares and hee called God to wytnesse that hee spake the trueth howe hee had great heauynesse and contynuall sorrowe of heart for hys Bretheren and that for their sakes Luk. 19.41 he wished himselfe to be seperate from Iesus Christe This was also in the chéefe Shéepheard our Sauiour Christ who when he beheld the Citty Ierusalem and the iniquitie thereof he wept ouer it and cried out with gréefe of heart O if thou hadst knowen at the least in this thy day these things which belong vnto thy peace but nowe they are hidde from thine eyes and this ought

to bring his people home to repentance amēdmēt of life the one is by the loouing countenaunce of his mercy the other is by therod of correction procéeding from his iustice if the one will not serue hee must must needes put in vre the other The Lord giue vs grace to returne truly vnto him that we may be brought to amendment of life rather by the mildnes of his mercy then by the rigour of his iustice And the Lord long preserue our gracious Princesse Elizabeth that she may haue a long happy and prosperous raigne ouer vs that we may a long time in peace and tranquillity inioy the glorious gospell of Christ and vnder her lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie and the Lord confound all the bloody interprises of trayterous Rebels and as he hath alwayes hetherto discouered and preuented their deuises so the Lord of his mercy discouer them and preuent them heareafter But déerely belooued whatsoeuer troubles doo happen vnto vs let vs alwayes remember that saying of our Lord and Sauiour Mat. 10.28 Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule But rather feare ye him which is able to destroy both body and soule and to cast them both into hell fyre feare him Luk. 14.26 Mat. 10.37 He that looueth father or mother or wife or children or brethren or sisters or lande or liuing or his owne life more then me is not worthy of me If any man vvill be my disciple let him take vp the crosse and follovv me But here I thinke I heare some of you say a mong your selues it is an easye matter to talke of constancie in bearing the Crosse and suffering affliction for the name of Christ but it is not so easye to performe it indéede There are many of you of the ministry which exhort to constancie in the profession of the Gospell which if any trouble should come are likely to turne your coates as soone as any other What we should doo in the like case 2. Cor 3.5 Phil. 2.13 God onely knoweth who is the giuer of all strength and without whom wee are not able to thinke a good thought but it is God which woorketh in vs both to will and to performe It may be that some which make the greatest brags say with Peter though all men in the vvorld should be offended by thee Math. 26.33.35 yet vvill not I be offēded though I should dye vvith thee yet vvill not I deny thee Ioh. 13 37 Lorde vvhy can not I follovv thee novv I vvill lay dovvne my life for thy sake It may be I say that they shall bee the first which shall deny and forsweare but good people the question is not what I or be or any other particular man shall doo but the question is what ought to be doon of euery Christian and therefore we must euery one of vs pray vnto God continually that he wil vouchsafe to account vs woorthye to suffer any thing for the name of Iesus Christe and that he wyll giue vs patience to endure whatsoeuer his mercifull hand shall lay vpon vs. Some may paraduenture thinke that this doctrine of patience to suffer for the name of Christe is not needefull to be preached at this time when all thinges are in quiet But is not he a foolish Souldiar which will neuer thinke vpon his weapons and armour vntyll the howre come that he must hasten into the feelde And howe vnwise then is that Christian whych will neuer thinke vppon hys armour of patience vntill the time come that the Crosse shall sodainly be layd vpon him Let vs thinke vpon our weapon in time déere brethren let vs pray for it day and night that so wee may finde comfort in the day of tryall 1. Pet. 1.7 that the tryall of our fayth béeing much more precious then gold may be found to our prayse and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ Let vs set before our eyes the example of our Lord and Sauiour 1. Pet. 2.21 who as Peter sayth did suffer for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steppes Let vs looke vnto Iesus the author and furnisher of our fayth Heb. 12.2 who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and is set at the righte hand of the throne of God The scholler is not aboue his Maister Mat. 10.24 Ioh. 13.16 nor the seruaunte aboue his Lord nor the embassador greater then him that sent him wherefore if they haue called the Maister of the house Belzebub how much more will they reuile them of the housholde If they haue called the Maister Christ himselfe a glutton and a drunkarde and a companion of Publicanes and sinners Mat 9 34 11.19 and a caster out of Deuils through the Prince of the Deuils how much more will they giue reprochefull woordes vnto the schollers If they haue cruelly intreated the Lord himselfe with haling him about frō place to place with blasphemous lyes and false accusations with whips and scourges prickes and thornes buffets and blowes mocks and mowes cordes and ropes scoffing and spitting rayling and reuiling nailes and gibbet thirst and vineger réede and speare and lifting him vppe betwixt two theeues leauing no droppe of blood in all his blessed body howe can the seruaunte looke for any better let vs also call to minde the ioy which is layd vp in heauen for those which suffer any thing for the professing of the Lord Iesus as hee sayth Blessed are ye when men reuile you Mat 5.11 and persecute you and falsly speake all manner of euill against you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen for so they persecuted the Prophets before you Mat. 23.35 euen from the blood of Abel the righteous vnto the blood of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom they slew be-tweene the temple and the Aultar 2. Cor. 11.25 Rom. 8 18 S. Paule was most cruelly persecuted stoned beaten with rods imprisoned yet he counteth all his afflictions not worthy of the glory which should be reuealed vnto him Blessed is the man vvhich endureth temptation Iam. 1.12 for vvhen he is tryed he shall receiue the crovvn of life which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him Last of all let vs call to remembraunce the heauye iudgementes of God which from time to time haue béen shewed vpon them which haue not continued constant in the confessing of the Lord Iesus Iulian the Emperour who for his moste wilfull renouncing of his Lord and Sauiour Hilar. is called the Apostata was counted at the firste a gracious and religious Prince But afterward being drawen away with the vain intisements of Philosophy he began to account the Gospell of Christ to be but foolishnes be persecuted the professors of his name with many scoffes and tauntes saying that they must doo

T it 2.14 but that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs a peculiar people vnto him zelous of good workes And thus our especiall care ought to be to frame Christ in the hearts of men 2. Cor. 3.6 And therefore Saint Paule saithe that God Idoneos nos fecit Ministros noui Testamenti he hath made vs able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirite for the letter killeth but the spirite giueth life Luke 16.16 Lex et prophetae vsque ad Iohannem ab eo tempore regnum dei annunciatur The Law and the Prophets continued vnto Iohn and from that time the kingdom of God is Preached whereby we are giuen to vnderstand that we are especially the Ministers of the new Testament to Preache the kingdome of God that is the Gospell of Iesus Christ not that we ought not to Preache the Lawe also for the teaching of the law is very necessary Firste Rom. 3.20 5.20 7.7 Gal. 3.21 4.1 Psa 1.2 19.7 119.105 Math. 5.17 to make vs acknowledge our owne wretchednes and miserie Secondly to be as it were our Schoolemaister to leade vs vnto Christ And last of all to reueale vnto vs the will of our heauenly father whereunto euery Christian must indeuour to the vttermost of his power to frame his life and conuersation But for that our chéefest labour ought to be to sprinckle the soules of men with the bloud of Iesus Christ 1. Peter 1.2 Heb. 9.14 and by his death and passion to purge their consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing Lorde What though some doo abuse the liberty of the Gospell and of the doore of saluation doo make vnto themselues a window vnto all wickednesse what though some by abusing Christes benefites doo shew themselues vnworthy of the same what though many come to the Supper without their wedding garment yet we must follow the ensample of our heauenly Father who Math. 5.48 maketh the Sunne to shine vpon the good and bad and the Raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust we must follow the seruants Luke 14.17 which were sent to bid men to the Mariage we must bid all bothe worthie and vnworthy and if any doo come which are vnworthy hauing not their wedding garments God will not condemne vs but them he will not saye to vs why did yee bid him why did ye let him enter Math. 22 1● but he will saye vnto the vnworthy guest freend how cammest thou heather hauing not thy Wedding garment take him binde him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wee must followe the good Sheepeheard Luke 15.4 which if he haue but one Sheepe lost will leaue ninetie and nine in the Wildernes and go and seeke that one which is lost And therefore if in the whole congregation there be but one which with Dauid Ps 6.3 38.4 dooth grone vnder the burthen of sinne and therefore néedeth comfort and all the rest be abusers of Christian libertie there is no reason that for the great multitude of the abusers he should be depriued of comfort for whom Christ dyed And thus ye sée first the wisdom which is required in them that will be profitable labourers in the Lords Haruest that they know how to labour how to chuse the Séeds how to Sowe it with discretion how to bruse the cloddes and knottie affections of mens hearts by the threatenings of the lawe but especially how to molli●ie them and water them with the swéete dew of Gods mercies and with the comfortable promises of the Lorde Iesus Christe Then yee which are nowe to take the Office of the Ministerie vpon you are héere to trie and examine your selues whether ye be able thus to labour in the Lordes Haruest or no and if ye be not assure your selues the Lorde dooth not send you ye respect the liuing to féede your selues and not your knowledge to féede the flock and therefore Iohn 10. ● are ye Hierlings ye are theeues and murderers ye come in at the windowe and not at the doore Christ Iesus And as for you which now either for want of knowledge or otherwise for want of age are not admitted at this time into the Ministerie be not therefore discouraged but rather accompt it to be a token of the mercifull prouidence of God that he would haue you to tarie the time vntyl he himselfe shall call you and make you fit for that function and with this persuasiō apply the scriptures and no doubt the Lord will blesse bothe you your studies the better Paul will haue the Minister to bee no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no young Plant 1. Tim. 3.6 not greene timbered but to be seasoned for a time with the knowledge of Gods worde and with grauitie and integrity of life For if the chéefe beames and Rafters of the house be made of gréeue Timber there is great daunger least the Timber shrinke and so the fall of the house be great The Minister must be one of the Beames to vpholde the house of God and therefore séeing ye are yet but gréene wood as I am sure your owne conscience dooth witnesse vnto you let it not gréeue you to be seasoned for a time that ye may be made fit for the building of the Lorde And héere by the way I am to make my humble petition to you my Lorde that as your Lordship hath had a godly care and taken a good course that none should be admitted at this time but such as for their learning and knowledge are of great hope and towardnesse So also an order may now be taken that they may be driuen to some godly exercises wherby not onely the good gifts of God may be continued and increased in them but also Isa 56.10 the blinde guides and dombe Dogges which are already crept in may be in time reformed You must deale with all these Ministers as the Eagle dooth with her young Birdes as many as can looke stedfastly vpon the Sunne so many dooth she nourish the rest she turneth out of the Nest as vnfit to be kept You must set before them all Math. 4 2. 1. Cor. 14.29 1. Tim. 4.13 the beames of the sunne of righteousnes Iesus Christ appoint them godly exercises to the increase of their knowledge and as many as cannot abyde thus to looke vpon the sunne of righteousnesse so many should be turned out of the nest as vnfit to serue in your Lordships Dioces And thus if their Talent be exercised then no doubt their Talent shal be increased Math. 25.20 and God will double his holy spirite in them so that in short time they shall be able bothe to exhort with wholesome doctrine Tit. 1.9 Act. 1.4 6.3 Luk. 24.49 and also to improoue the gainesayers and except they haue these giftes and graces of the holy spirit and