Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	sin_n	sinner_n	3,410	5	7.5691	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05371	The treasure of vowed chastity in secular persons. Also the widdowes glasse. VVritten by the RR. Fathers Leonard Lessius, and Fuluius Androtius, both of the Society of Iesus. Translated into English by I.W. P.	Lessius, Leonardus, 1554-1623.; Androzzi, Fulvio, 1523-1575. aut; Wilson, John, ca. 1575-ca. 1645?	1621 (1621)	STC 15524; ESTC S108506	57,293	362

any other spirituall Exercises These I do intreat by the bowels of Christ Iesus that they will no longer imploy the gifts and graces which they haue receaued frō our Lord to the honour and seruice of the world to the end they may haue their reward in heauen and not on earth There is another sort of widdowes also who make a firme purpose and deliberation to conserue and keep their chastity serue God with all their hart of these there are two kinds One who cannot separate themselues from their children or other parents either for the charge they haue of thē or because they cannot so wel liue alone or for some necessity or charity in gouerning their family and these although they be not wholy free from the world nor are dedicated to the seruice of God notwithstanding al the paynes and labours they take they doe it principally for the loue of God of whom they shal be rewarded with life euerlasting These Widdowes are not any to be remoued or drawne away from this kind of life but are according to S. Paul greatly to be honoured and esteemed The other kind are those Widdowes who desirous to serue God may commodiously separat thēselues from their parents friends or family and be more free to attend to prayer and other deuout exercises yet they will not thorough a kind of pufill animity or little courage or els for compassion to their friendes or for some other reason Neither are these to be condemned but esteemed in a second or third degree from the former The last sort of widdowes are the true worthily so called Widdowes who dispatching themselues of al worldly impedimēts do attend only to the seruice of God cōtemplating him and meditating on him day and night And these are placed in a more quiet and peaceable Estate then any of the others aboue named and are entred into the right and direct way of perfection In this Estate liued that Holy Widdowe Anne the Prophetesse recorded by S. Luke who is sayd to haue serued God in fasting prayer remaining night and day in the Temple And if such Widdowes who haue a desire to liue vertuously cānot match or come neere to S. Anne yet let thē come as neere vnto her as they can So as I conclude that the true Widdow is she who not only conserues her Chastity in the world but also whatsoeuer she doth she doth it purely for the honour and seruice of Almighty God And for that euery widdow doth not know how to exercise her selfe in the truly seruing of God vnlesse she know the scope and end therof I purpose heere to set downe briefly in what manner she is to do the same CHAP. II. Of the Intention and Exercise of a true VViddow VVHEN a Widdow hath well considered of her Estate firme purpose to serue God it is necessary that first she vnderstand what is the end scope of this kind of life that conformably therto she may addresse all her workes and actions The first and principal end then is that not onely Widdowes but euery Christian also ought to liue wel and in the feare of God whome she must loue more then her owne soule and therefore she must labour that by al her endeauours actions the name of God may be euer blessed praised Christian fayth and religion aduanced and honoured This belongeth more to Widdowes then to many others who consequently must be mortifyed and of a chast and pure life For that they hauing lost their carnall Spouses they ought to seeke for no other but their Spouse Christ Iesus So as a truely deuout Widdow ought so to inflame her hart with the zeale of Gods honour that she should choose rather to dye then that by her means her Spouse should be any way dishonoured Secondly she ought with as great zeale seek and procure her owne saluation considering that she is not alwayes to remayne in this world because it is ordayned for al men once to dye and then of necessity to go either to heaue or to intollerable torments in Hell or Purgatory And therefore hauing as it were lost and forgone all the Consolations of this transitory world she must force her self to get conserue those that be celestiall and euerlasting CHAP. III. Documents for VViddowes out of S. Paul SAINT Paul wryting to Timothy sayth Honour VViddowes He meaneth such Widdowes who liue vertuously according to the rule of Widdow-hood that is to say to gouerne wel their families not only their children or their kinsfolkes but also their subiects instructing them in good life manners and vertue and when it is needfull to reprehend and correct them Secondly he sayth That Widdowes ought to hope in God to trust in his mercy in him alone to seeke for Comfort and consolation hauing dayly their mind eleuated in God in al humility praying often and imploring his diuine ayde to preserue them from all euill to forgiue them and all sinners their sins to replenish them with his gifts and graces and lastly to guide them to eternall felicity Thirdly he sayth That a VViddow entertayning worldly carnall consolations passing her dayes in mirth ioylity vanity is accompted for dead For although she liue according to the body yet is she dead according to the spirit nor can she once do any good or meritorious work worthy of heauen Fourthly he commandeth widdowes That they should be irreprehensible in all their words and deeds that is to say that in all their actiōs they giue good example that they keep themselues not only from cōmitting of mortal crims but euen from the least veniall sinnes that may be Whence it followes that if they liue vertuously hūbly in feare and vigilancy it may be said of them as it was said of Iudith that most noble and deuout widdow That neuer was there foūd any man who spake euill of her Fifthly he sayth That the Widow ought to think vpon those things that belong vnto God to the end she may be holy sanctifyed in body and spirit c. CHAP. IIII. The prayse of VViddowhood out of S. Hierome SAINT Hierome amongst the rest of Ancient Fathers is not the last nor least that hath praysed widdowhood nay I may say he hath exalted the same aboue many if not aboue all the rest And to begin first with an Epistle of his to Furia a Noble yong Lady and widdow of Rome thus he wryteth vnto her in cōmendation of the crown of Widdowhood You desire in your letter and humbly intreate me that I will answere you or rather write vnto you in what manner you may liue conserue the crowne of widdowhood without any blemish of the honour of your good Name My mind reioiceth my bowells do daunce my affection doth leape because you desire to be such after your husbands death as your mother Titiana of holy memory was a long time her husbād liuing Her praiers and deuotions are heard She hath obtained