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	soul_n	4,437	5	4.8368	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36047	The exposition of Dionysius Syrus written above 900 years since on the evangelist St. Mark / translated by Dudley Loftus ... anno 1672 ; wherewith are bound up several other tracts of the same authour, and an ancient Syriack scholia on the four evangelists, as also some Persian, Armenian, and Greek antiquities, translated as aforesaid : the titles whereof are set down immediately after the Epistle to the reader, with refereuce [sic] to the several pages where they are.	Dionysius Exiguus, d. ca. 540.; Loftus, Dudley, 1619-1695.	1672 (1672)	Wing D1525; ESTC R37278	110,280	261

eschew the pleasures of the world and continually lament fearing lest their vertue should decay Severus calls Mourning the patient Longanimity in severities of Suffering and a Monastick life and the removal from worldly desires Moreover Mourning is a sad affection of the soul which is placed in the deprivation of those sins which are delightful Again Mourners he calls those who are sad in respect of the fear of future enjoyments For they shall be comforted When they shall be revealed and that Fear shall be taken from them which they had of what they possest III. Blessed are the meek Since that of the poor in spirit is like unto that of the meek wherefore doth he reiterate it The first of the poor in spirit is spiritual and is of those who are perfect in mind who totally cast off all worldly Things out of their mind but this second is bodily of those who are eminent in descent or otherwise it is fit that they should possess meekness for meekness is the term of perfection and it sheweth it self two manner of wayes either in gravity and quality and plainness of behaviour or in a separation made for God and here he giveth the blessing to that which is made by separation and therefore the meek is he who being vertuous is satisfied with moderation though he hath but little Again He calls him meek who is zealous in the practice of good things and patient in the toleration of evil For they shall inherit the earth Earth is the Fruit of the blessed not this which begets Thorns to those who dwell thereon nor the Lord of Paradise or of the Centre but that which is above the Heavens viz. the Firmament which is not susceptible of passion but is made for the life and delight of the Just concerning which David saith I believe that I shall see the blessings of the Lord in the Land of the Living And after the general Resurrection the Just shall ascend to the earth that is to say above the Firmament which is seen of us and there they shall be comforted without end but the Wicked perish on this Earth and shall be tormented immortally And wherefore doth he call Earth the Firmament That he might illustrate the Things which are hidden for those which are revealed IV. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst Hunger and Thirst are taken three manner of ways either by reason of want of Victuals or by reason of Righteousness as in long Fasting or for that whereby one coveteth the knowledge of God and his Doctrine according to that He was hungry not for Bread but for the hearing of the Word of God And here he doth not give the blessing to those who are affected with bodily Hunger and Thirst but to those who have an hungring and thirsting after the knowledge of God and the Doctrine of Salvation Righteousness They call that Righteousness which is of them who without a worthy mind divide unto every man that which is equal as a Judge who justifies the Just and condemns the guilty but Matthew doth not call this Justice but that which is opposed to Fraud and Oppression Moreover The keeping of the Commandments is called Righteousness Again All Vertue in general is called Righteousness Our Saviour also is called Righteousness according to that which Paul said That he was made for us Righteousness and Holiness For they shall be filled That is to say with unspeakable pleasures in the Kingdom V. Blessed are the merciful for they shall c. Mercy is taken in three several senses Bodily as if a man should give Alms and should aid the Weak and fill the Hungry Mental as if a man should love him who wrongs him and should forgive the injuries of his Enemies Spiritual as if a man should love those who are erroneous and should convert them from the errour of their wayes and should instruct the ignorant and bring them to the Lord and this is like the mercy of God who alwayes loves the Creatures Here he gives the blessing not only to those who shew mercy in deeds but to those also who in the cogitations of their minds possess mercy Merciful So he calls them who have mercy on the poor and strangers and on offenders and the guilty and those who have a good will to shew mercy though it be not in their power to perform it and those who have mercy on themselves and are restrained from sin lest they should enter into Torment Again Those who have compassion with those who suffer and are grieved for those who grieve And it is certain That these are merciful because the trouble of mind which ariseth from the evil which afflicteth strangers is the extremity of mercy Moreover That Will abounds with Love which suffereth with those who suffer for those things which afflict them Moreover Mercy is principal among the Vertues of the Soul and deriveth it's name from God himself who is truly merciful Moreover To have mercy on the good is the perfection of Righteousness natural and legal VI. Blessed are the pure in heart i. e. In their Souls Consciences and Hearts because they are freed from all kinds of evil and bitterness and rust of sin and he is pure of mind and pureness of body is to be cleansed with water and to be washed from Turpitude and this also is commendable And it is fitting that men should be washed from filth but the blessing doth not appertain to this but unto that of the Soul because the Saints and those which are pure appear so in Soul and Body by the proper pureness and cleanness of the Soul For they shall see God But how said he unto Moses No man can see me and live And John also No man saw God at any time And Paul No man ever saw him We say That they said so concerning the natural and hidden Vision of God for the Nature of God such as it is personally transcends the comprehension of humane understandings and therefore they said That he is neither seen nor comprehended Therefore this That they shall see God hath this meaning That he who is pure in heart participateth of Divine Revelations and gaineth life uncorruptible and a Kingdom for joy without ceasing and the light of Truth are called the Vision of God therefore he calleth Vision a Communion according to that The wicked shall be taken away and shall not see glory which is That they shall not participate of Glory Moreover God created us after his Image as the Wax according to the likeness of the Seal wherewith it is impressed and breareth its Effigies but we by our wickedness have covered it as Rust obscureth Iron for he whose heart is pure from Passions seeth in himself the image of Divine nature as Iron when it is polished from its dross yieldeth splendor and brightness especially if it be brought to a clear Sun shine Let us therefore be pure in heart that we may be worthy of the blessing

and be comforted in the Vision of the Divine image Again Vision is taken in seven several significations but generally it may be reduced into three viz. to Sense Reason and Faith and God is onely seen by Faith and Faith is the persuasion of those things which are in Hope Again He is seen in his Works according to that They shall seek after God and find him out in his creatures The Organ of this sight is a pure Heart which doth not adhere to earthly Things Furthermore They call sight the light and revelation which the Soul receiveth from within by the knowledge of him and of these spiritual Things according to that Clear mine eyes that I may see the wonderful things which are in thy Law VII Blessed are the Peace-makers For Peace is the equality of Will which is perfected in Love and the Proprieties of Peace and its Faculties are Love Quietness Unanimity and Charity These are the contraries to Peace Scandal Commotion and the Properties of him who is in Commotion are distorted Eyes tuberous Lips gnashing Teeth a distended Neck a moving and shaking Head Hands beating the Air stamping Feet therefore he calls them Peace-makers who cause War and Seditions to cease Moreover Him who worketh quietness between the Soul and the Body for the Spirit loves whatsoever keeps down the Body Moreover Whomsoever worketh quietness between himself and others For they shall be called the Sons of God But how can man that is made of dust be the Son of God We say That by Grace this was bestowed on him as it was in the beginning Free-will our own Liberty and Immortality are by Grace and what is this Filiation That is to say That man was made of mortal corruptible and temporal immortal incorruptible and eternal and that which is more he was made a divine man for he who was worthy to be the Son of God possesseth the glory of his Father as bodily Sons do inherit the riches of their Fathers VIII Blessed are they who are persecuted for Righteousness i. e. The Martyrs and Confessors who are persecuted by the Devil or Tyrants and our Lord calleth Righteousness himself as hath been said before Moreover He calleth Righteousness all the victories of vertues those who are persecuted for vertue either for the care of our Brethren or for Truth 's sake Moreover This eighth Beatitude hath affinity with the number Eight and as the Head of all Beatitudes is placed in the summity of divine vertues This David sheweth in the eight Psalm and also Moses by the Circumcision the eighth day cutting off and circumcising the dead skin wherewith we were cloathed for Transgression of the Commandment and here the eighth Beatitude gaineth us a return to Heaven and a regress to our former Righteousness Again This number of eight is celebrated in Nature and in Books and among the Heathen Philosophers Moreover There are eight passions of the right hand and eight of the left those of the right are Simplicity of the Mind Mourning Humility Righteousness Mercy Pureness of Thought Peace and perfect Suffering Those of the left hand are Pride Fornication Vain glory Intemperance Covetousness Anger Envy Disdain There is a Cure set down for every one of the left-handed passions viz. one of those of the right hand and the Soul is rectified and the Body perfected of him who takes care thereof Pride which is the first Devil a man overcometh by Simplicity which is of mean nature And Fornication the second being of a Swinish nature by the passion of the heart and Mourning Vain glory a Thorn which pricketh on every side and is without Fruit by Humility which is the good ground and cultivated with all vertues Gulosity a burning fire and never satisfied by an appetite regulated by Justice and Vprightness The rich man an Oppressor of and hated by all men by clemency and mercy towards all men A turbulent passion of the mind and commotion of a confus'd person by sincerity of thoughts and cordial love Envy the Fountain of all Contention and Strife by Peace the reconciler of differences Disdain the Father of pusillanimity and neglect by patient suffering the mother and root of all good Things IX Blessed are ye when men deride you i. e. When men call you Sorcerers Criminal Erroneous and by other reviling Terms for scorns and reproaches sometimes are a greater punishment than blows and many times men strangle themselves for that they have been reproached or reviled for what reason is this Beatitude of Reproach set in the last place By reason of the asperity thereof for if a man have not attain'd the perfection of the former he cannot endure this for he needeth to be a fortified man who can bear a reproach according as Job who bore the reproaches of his friends and David those of Shimei And persecute you i. e. Because they were to convert the Gentiles from worshipping of Idols to Faith in the Father in the Son and in the Holy Ghost therefore persecutions arise against you And speak against you every evil word Not for your offences but by reason of me it being untrue what they shall say against you as Paul said Let none of you suffer as an evil doer but as a Christian Then rejoyce and be glad for your reward i. e. in Truth when the Apostles were reproached and reviled for Christ they greatly rejoyced and now a reward is given unto them and then the glory which is to be revealed in us and these words are taken to concern all those who suffer Tentation for Christ For so persecuted they the Prophets This passage doth not only regard the Apostles but also the Doctors That as the Prophets suffered for the Father so ye shall suffer for me And by this he sheweth his Majesty and the Equality of his Glory with the Father And inasmuch as he said The Prophets which were before them He shewed That even they also had Prophets Again Though in every of the Beatitudes the Kingdom is not promised be not dismayed for though the rewards in the Beatitudes be divers and different one from the other yet all and every of them will bring him who observeth any of them to the Kingdom of Heaven And after he taught them their Duty he applieth himself to the praysing of them that they might not be troubled and say How can we attain the fulfilling of the Commandments which is requisite for our entrance into Heaven DIONYSIUS HIS EXPOSITION ON THE PROPHESIE of ZACHARIAS Translated by D. L. BLessed be the Lord God of Israel That is to say He is worthy of all Acknowledgments of thankful Benediction because he hath shewed his care and providence for us Who hath visited his people That is to say By the eye of the Spirit he saw that the Blind were to be restored to sight and the rest of the Miracles which our Saviour wrought And wrought them Redemption That is to say from Satan Death and Sin And hath raised