Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A02534
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Epistles the first volume: Containing II. decads. By Ioseph Hall; Epistles. Vol. 1
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Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
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1608
(1608)
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STC 12661.7; ESTC S103637
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49,336
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198
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mouth It ioyes me yet to think that his pietie as it euer held friendship in heauen so now it wins him friends in this our other world Lo euen from our Iland inexpected deliuerance takes a long flight and blesseth him beyond hope yea rather from heauen by vs. That GOD whom hee serues will be knowen to those rude and scarce humane Christians for a protector of innocence a fauourer of truth a rewarder of Pietie The mercy of our gratious King the cōpassion of an honorable Councellor the loue of a true friend and which wrought all and set all on worke the grace of our good God shal now loose those bonds and giue a glad welcome to his libertie and a willing farewel to his distresse Hee shall I hope liue to acknowledge this in the meane time I do for him Those Russian affaires are not more worthie of your records then your loue to this friend is worthie of mine For neither cold this large Sea drowne or quench it nor time and absence which are wont to breed a lingring consumption of friendship abate the heat of that affection which his kindnesse bred religion nourished Both rarenesse and worth shall commend this true loue which to say true hath beene now long out of fashiō Neuer times yeilded more loue but not more subtle For euery man loues himselfe in another loues the estate in the person Hope of aduantage is the loadstone that drawes the yrō harts of men not vertue not desert No age afforded more Parasites fewer friends The most are friendly in sight seruiceable in expectation hollow in loue trustlesse in experience Yet now Buchinski see cōfesse thou hast found one friend which hath made thee many on whome while thou bestowedst much fauour thou hast lost none I cannot but thinke how welcome Libertie which tho late yet now at last hath lookt backe vpon him shall bee to the Cell of his affliction whē smiling vpon him shee shall lead him by the hand and like another Angel open the yron gates of his miserable captiuitie and from those hard Prestaues and sauage Christians carry him by the haire of the head into this paradise of God In the meane time I haue written to him as I could in a knowen language with an vnknowen hand that my poor Letters of gratulation might serue as humble attendants to greater For your work I wish it but such glad intertainment as the profit yea the delight of it deserues and feare nothing but that this long delay of publicatiō will make it scarce newes Wee are all growen Athenians and account a strange report like to a fish and a guest Those eyes and hands staid it which might do it best I cannot blame you if you thinke it more honored by the stay of his gratious perusall then it could be by the early acceptatiō of the world Euē the cast garments of Princes are pretious Others haue in part preuented you whose labors to yours are but as an Eccho to a long period by whom we heare the last sound of these stirs ignorant of the beginning They giue vs but a taste in their hand you lead vs to the open fountaine Let the Reader giue you but as much thank as you giue him satisfaction you shal desire no more Finally GOD giue vs as much good vse as knowledge of his iudgements the world helpe of your labors your selfe incouragement Buchinski libertie To STANISLAVS BVCHINSKI late Secretarie to DEMETRIVS Emp. of Russia EP. 7. Of the comfort of Imprisonment THe knowledge that the eie giues of the face alone is shallow vncertaine imperfect For what is it to see the vtmost skin or fauour of the visage changeable with disease changeable with passion The eare mee thinks doth both most clearely disclose the mindes of others and knit them faster to ours which as it is the sense of discipline so of friendship commaunding it euen to the absent and in the present cherishing it This thing we haue lately proued in your selfe most noble Stanislaus neerer examples wee might haue had better we could not How many how excellent things haue wee heard of you from our common friend tho most yours which haue easily won our beleefe our affections How oft how honourable mention hath hee made of your name how frequently how seruētly haue we wisht you both safety and libertie And now Lo where she comes as the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 visites her forlorne Client Altho I would not doubt to say that this outwarde durance of the body hath seemed more harsh to the behoulders then to your selfe a wise man and which is more a Christian whose free soule in the greatest straights of the outer man flies ouer Seas and Lands whither it listeth neither can by any distance of place nor swelling of waues nor height of mountaines nor violence of enemies nor strong barres nor walles nor guards bee restrained from what place it selfe hath chosen Lo that enioyes God enioyes it self and his friends and so feedes it selfe with the pleasure of enioying them that it easily either forgers or contemnes all other things It is no Paradoxe to say that A wise Christian cannot bee emprisoned cannot bee banished Hee is euer at home euer free For both his libertie is within him and his home is vniuersall And what is it I beseech you for you haue tried that makes a prison Is it straitnesse of walls Then you haue as many fellowes as there are men For how is the soule of euerie man pent within these clay-walles of the body more close more obscure◠whence shee may looke oft through the grates of her busie thoughts but is neuer released in substance till that God who gaue vs our Mittimus into this Gaole giue vs our Deliuerie with a Returne yee sonnes of Adam Thus either all men are prisoners or you are none Is it restraint How many especially of that other sexe in those your Easterne partes chamber vp themselues for state so as they neither see the Sunne nor others them How many superstitious men for deuotion How many obscure Aglai for ease and carelesnesse keepe themselues in their owne Cottage in their owne village neuer walke foorth so much as to the neighbour townes And what is your Russia to all her inhabitants but a large prison a wide Gally yea what other is the world to vs How can hee complaine of straitnes or restraint that roues all ouer the world and beyond it Tyranny may part the soule from the body cannot confine it to the bodie That which others do for ease deuotion state you doe for necessitie why not as willingly since you must do it Do but imagine the cause other your case is the same with theirs which both haue chosen and delight to keepe close yet hating the name of prisoners while they embrace the condition But why do I perswade you not to mislike that which I pray you may forsake I had rather you should bee
German BB â— deposed this Gregorie in this name amongst other quarells for separating man and wife Violence did this not reasoÌ„ neither was Gods will here questioned but the Popes wilfulnesse What broyles hereon insued let â—uentine witnesse The bickeringes of our English Clergie with their Dunstanes about this time are memorable in our owne Hist which teach vs how late how repiningly how vniustly they stooped vnder this yoke I had rather send my Reader to Bale and Fox theÌ„ abbridge their monumeÌ„ts to enlarge my owne I haue I hope fetcht this truth farre enough and deduced it lowe enough through many ages to the midst of the rage of Antichristian tyrannie There left our libertie there began their bondage Our libertie is happily renued with the Gospell what God what his Church hath euer allowed we do inioy Wherein wee are not alone The Greeke Church as large for extent as the Roman and in some parts of it better for their soundnesse do thus and thus haue euer done Let Papists and Atheists say what they will It is safe erring with GOD and his purer Church To my Sister Mrs. B. BRINSLY EP. 4. Of the Sorrow not to be repented of IT is seldome seene that a silent griefe speedes well for either a maÌ„ must haue strong hands of resolution to strangle it in his bosome or else it driues him to some secret mischiefe whereas sorrow reuealed is halfe remedied and euer abates in the vttering Your griefe was wisely disclosed and shall bee as strangely answered I am glad of your sorrow and should weepe for you if you did not thus mourne Your sorrow is that you caÌ„not enough grieue for your sinnes Let me tell you that the Angells themselues sing at this lamentation neither doth the earth afford any so sweete musicke in the eares of God This heauinesse is the way to ioy Worldly sorow is worthy of pitie because it leadeth to death But this deserues nothing but enuie and gratulation If those teares were common hell would not so enlarge it selfe Neuer sinne repented of was punished and neuer any thus mourned and repented not Lo you haue done that which you grieue you haue not done That good GOD whose act is his will accounts of our wil as our deed If he required sorrow proportionable to the hainousnesse of our sinnes there were no end of mourning Now his mercy regards not so much the measure as the truth of it accounts vs to haue that which we complaine to want I neuer knew any truly penitent which in the depth of his remorse was afraid of sorowing too much nor any vnrepentant which wisht to sorrow more Yea let me tell you that this sorrow is better and more then that deep heauinesse for sin which you desire Many haue beene vexed with an extreame remorse for som sin from the gripes of a galled coÌ„science which yet never cam wher true repeÌ„tance grew in whoÌ„ the coÌ„scieÌ„ce plaies at once the accuser witnes Iudge tormeÌ„tor But an earnest grief for the want of grief was neuer found in any but a gratious heart You are happy complaine Tell me I beseech you This sorrow which you mourne to want is it a grace of the spirit of God or not If not why do you sorrow to want it If it be oh how happy it is to grieue for waÌ„t of grace The God of all truth blessednes hath said Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and with the same breath Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted You say you mourne Christ saith you are blessed you say you mourne Christ saith you shall bee comforted Either now distrust your Sauiour or else confesse your happinesse and with patience expect his promised consolation What do you feare you see others stand like strong Oakes vnshaken vnremoued you are but a reed a feeble plant tossed bowed with euery winde and with much agitation brused Lo you are in tender and fauourable hands that neuer brake any whom their sins bruised neuer bruised any whom temptations haue bowed You are but flax and your best is not a flame but an obscure smoke of grace Lo here his spirit is as a soft winde not as cold water he will kindle will neuer quench you The sorrow you want is his gift Take heede least while you vex your selfe with dislike of the measure you grudge at the giuer Beggers may not choose This portion hee hath vouchsafed to giue you if you haue any it is more then he was bound to bestow yet you say What no more As if you tooke it vnkindely that he is no more liberal Euen these holy discontentments are dangerous Desire more so much as you can but repine not when you do not attain Desire but so as you be free from impatience free from vnthankfulnes Those that haue tried caÌ„ say how difficult it is to complain with due reseruation of thanks Neither know I whether is worse to long for good things impatiently or not at all to desire them The fault of your sorrow is rather in your conceit then in it self And if indeed you mourne not enough stay but Gods leisure and your eyes shall run ouer with teares How many doe you see sport with their sinnes yea bragge of them How many that should die for want of pastime if they might not sin freely and more freely talke of it What a Saint are you to these that can droup vnder the memory of the frailty of youth and neuer think you haue spent enow teares Yet so I encourage you in what you haue as one that perswades you not to desist from suing for more It is good to be couetous of grace and to haue our desires heerein enlarged with our receits Weepe still and still desire to weepe but let your teares be as the raine in a sun-shine comfortable and hopefull and let not your longing sauour of murmur or distrust These teares are reserued this hunger shall be satisfied this sorrow shall be coÌ„forted There is nothing betwixt God and you but time Prescribe not to his wisedome hasten not his mercy His grace is enough for you his glory shall bee more then enough To Mr. HVGH CHOLMLEY EP. 5. Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalmes FEare not my immoderate studies I haue a body that controlls mee enough in these courses my friends neede not There is nothing whereof I cold sooner surfet if I durst neglect my body to satisfie my minde But vvhiles I affect knowledge my weakenesse checks me and saies Better a little learning then no health I yield and patiently abide my selfe debarred of my chosen felicity The little I can get I am no niggard of neither am I more desirous to gather then willing to impart The full handed are coÌ„monly most sparing VVee vessels that haue any emptie roome answer the least knock with a hollow noise you that are full sound not If we pardon your closeness you may well beare