Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	holy_a	sin_n	4,656	5	4.5321	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18332	The life of B. Aloysius Gonzaga of the Society of Iesus eldest sonne of Ferdinand Prince of the S.R. Empire, and Marques of Castilion. Written in Latin by the R. Fa. Virgilius Ceparius of the same society. And translated into English by R.S.	Cepari, Virgilio, ca. 1563-1631.; Stanford, Robert, attributed name.; R. S., gent.	1627 (1627)	STC 4912; ESTC S117299	267,919	562

excitements wee must rouse our sluggishnesse renew our purpose of repentance and seruing of God rightly and immoueably True Pennance is conceaued with infinite griefe for the contempt ignominy which I haue shewed toward God who hath so much loued me The same so much vrgeth vs to bewaile grieuous sinnes that euen for all our veniall sinnes it exciteth great compunction It arriueth so far that not only it acknowledgeth the mercy of God remitting mans offences and worshippeth him but for the honour of the Diuine iustice vehemently desireth to vndergoe iust punishmentes for all his sinnes Heere God finding men well disposed infuseth the hatred of themselues by which a purpose is stirred vp and confirmed sharply to take reuenge of themselues euen by externall actes of pennance Laus Deo CHAP. XXI His loue towards God his zeale towards his neighbour his desire of spiritall discourses HE burned with so great a loue of God that all times and in all places so often as mention was made of him he was so inflamed that there appeared certaine signes therof in his very countenance He excelled in singular charity towards others his neighbours Moued therewithall he often craued leaue to goe to the Hospitalls to serue the sicke persons And when he came thither he would make the fick-mens beds help them with their meate wash their feet sweepe their floores exhort ech of thē to patience and sacred confession of their sinnes And at home in the Colledge he daily obtained leaue to goe visit the sicke in the Infirmary Therfore in this office with his daily diligence he exceeded all without any partiality he wēt to all to cōfort thē if at any time in regard of the paines of hit head by his Superiours commaund he abstained from his study he would busy himselfe in the Infirmary he would clease their kniues and spoones couer their tables to conclude performe all other due seruices either to the sicke or to those who were recouering out of their sicknesse Neither truly according to that zeale wherwith he was vehemently inflamed for all mens saluation did he lesse readily vndertake the care of their body then of their soules Therfore if licence might haue bene giuen him from his Superiour conformable to that which both in his freer course in the world and also in Religion he had alwayes desired he would haue sayled into the vtmost coasts of India to gaine Ethnicks vnto Christ Moreouer he could not as yet truly be imployed to labour for the saluation of forraine men For so much as that is peculiar vnto them who hauing ended the course of their studies being ordayned Priests ordinarily are designed to the hearing of Cōfessions to the making of Sermons and Exhortations and other such like offices In the meane while he with great diligēce and various art out of that admirable prudence wherwith he was endowed from Almighty God helped forward their progresse in the study of a more holy life who were cōioyned with him in the course society of a Religious life For wheras in his life which was irreprehensible there was set before them a most beautifull example he moreouer asked the Rectour whether he would be pleased to giue order that at noone and night those houres which are allowed for their recreation they might no more intertaine talke amongst their companions of learning and other indifferent matters for of vayne and vnprofitable it is neuer lawfull for thē but of these only which were conducible to piety There was perfect at that time ouer matters of Piety in the Colledge F. Hyeronimus Ubaldinus who after he had forsaken a certaine Ecclesiasticall office which he had discharged in the Citty deuoted himselfe to the Society of IESVS spent therin all the rest of his life in notable sanctity Vnto this mā also did Aloysius make knowne his desire after it was already approued by the Rector intreateth him that he would likewise add his labour to the perfecting of this that was begun withall he offereth vp many prayers vnto Almighty God that he would vouchsafe to blesse it with good successe After this hauing chosen out of all the Colledge some certaine young men all singularly well addicted to celestiall matters whome he thought to be the fittest to make of his Counsell he calleth them togeather and tould them that he did very much desire to the intent that he might profit his owne mind at such time as he had leaue to diuert his mind somewhat from more graue imploymentes and to apply himselfe to cōpany that he might sometimes haue conference with them of Diuine matters Moreouer he daily least that he might sometimes want fit matter for discourse wold for the space of halfe an houre read some little booke of the Precepts of piety or some Saints Life To conclude togeather with these fellows he giueth a beginning to this matter Therfore if he came into the company of those that were inferiour to himselfe he gaue the first onset to this holsome discourse which the rest meruailously stirred vp with his speaches did with great ioy second Vnto the priestes and those that were Superiors vnto him he propounded some question and with a desire better to informe himselfe he asked their opinion So did he begin these discourses of Diuine matters Although truly that was not needfull for so much as they when they saw him comming vnto thē assuring themselues that he was delighted with no other talke all of them euen the Superiours themselues that they might comply with him breaking of all other discourse if they had begunne it turned to sacred matters When he cōuersed amongst his equals if truly they were of them with whome he had of late set downe this manner of society it was no trouble to discourse of holy matters but if they were others he doubted not of his owne accord to begin to treat of some point of piety in which they for so much as they were Religious men seing that they desired to profit in that course did willingly suffer themselues to be brought into the same When any one came new from the Nouiship or from any place else to follow his studies he either set vpon him himselfe or sent vnto him some one with whome he had passed his Nouiship or was neere allied to in familiarity and as far forth as he might he endeauoured to helpe him to conserue that ardour of Religion which he had conceaued in his Nouiship Therfore he had no sooner set foot in the Colledge but of his owne accord he would insinuate himselfe into his company and denounce vnto him that truly if he purposed to remaine constant proceed forward in the pursuite of piety that there should not be wanting vnto him good store of fellowes who would assist him in this behalfe in the meane while wheras he was familiarly acquainted with them all he named vnto him fiue or sixe of their names who went beyond the rest in the

bring him safe to the place appointed No otherwise did God so soone as thou wast borne associate thee with one of these celestiall Cittizens that as a singular guardian and tutour he might vndertake the patronage ouer thee and might become thy aduocate to his Maiesty in Heauen For in this life we are all as Children and haue need of a Tutour and Schoolemaister who may as it were lead vs and vphould vs by the hand least by chaunce our feet strike against some rock of sinne or that we fall into some grieuous danger who may also take vs into his armes that we may securely passe places of danger and that we may no sooner obserue a danger then escape it Secondly as the Angell Raphaell guiding young Toby vpon his way suggested vnto him good Counsell and in particular he instructed him how he might behaue himselfe in marriage to wit not after the manner of carnall men but with a holy feare of God frequent prayer so thy Angell-keeper doth continually instruct thee with good Counsell and direct thee in all thy actions for he exciteth and moueth thee to do many good workes which without his help thou couldest not do and this sometimes by alluring thee by the examples of Christ our Lord and his Saints sometimes by inflaming thy will out of the consideration of Gods bounty his infinite benefits othersome times also quickning thy Vnderstanding by the memory of thy future iudgment and the paynes of hell Thirdly the Scripture goeth forward to recount the benefits which Toby receaued from the Angell Raphael both according to his owne person as also in respect of hi● temporall goods For when he came to the riuer Tigris and was disposed to wash therin his feet there rushed vpon him a cruell fish to deuoure him but his Angell defended him and reschewed him from that danger willing him that he should take the gall therof for the restoring of his Fathers sight who was blind Moreouer the selfe-same Angell did not only redeeme for Toby that summe of mony for which he was sent but made him also heire ouer all the wealth of his Father-in-law Raguel Now what other thing do our Angels guardians do but watch connually to yield vs help in all our necessities no otherwise then a mother that hath allwayes her eyes set vpon her little child least it may perhaps fall or incurre some other mischiefe Thinke therfore from how many corporall dangers he hath preserued you which might as well haue befallen you as they haue done vnto others and also how solicitous he hath bene in procuring for you all temporall goods as health strength and other necessary supplies that you might according to your calling conueniently maintaine your life and in that state which may be most accommodated to the gayning of your saluation Fourthly as the Angell Raphael as he himselfe sayth did chalenge vnto himselfe as his proper office to offer vp vnto God the prayers and good workes of Toby so our Angell-Guardian exerciseth in the behalfe of vs the office of a Solicitour in the presence of God offering vp our prayers and desires and whatsoeuer good workes we doe and is alwayes bringing vnto vs some one guift or other of Diuine grace O that we could but see with how great diligence the holy Angels sometimes ascend sometimes descend for our sakes as they did vpon that ladder seen by Iacob the Patriarch they ascend declaring our necessities and beseeching God that he would bestow vpon vs his diuine mercy and they descend bringing backe from our heauenly Father his holy inspirations good thoughts and other diuine helpes and sometimes likewise some Fatherly correction that he may excite vs and that we may examine our selues least togeather with this world we be condemned Fifthly as the Angell Raphael taught Toby the meanes which he ought to obserue in putting the Diuell to flight that he might haue no more power ouer him against whome also this Angell fought in defence of the yong man So our Angell-keeper no otherwise then a faythfull Captaine vnto whose charge is committed some fortresse to be defended against the enemy doth watch diligently least either by force or fraud it be surprised by them For these Angels are those faythfull watchmen which our Lord sayth are placed vpon the wals of Hierusalem to keep in the vigils of the night his flocke least that infernall wolfe our aduersary like a furious lion make prey vpon our soules In like manner to these Angell-keepers belong those words of the Apoc●lips Esto vigilans confirma Be vigilant and confirme thy selfe for the Angell-guardian watcheth for vs against the diuell opposing against his incursions breaking and weakning his forces and repairing againe the foile that is receaued least againe he attempt to inuade with the like boldnesse and confidence Likewise he strengthneth vs sometimes by remouing the occasions of sinne somtimes by terrifiyng vs from many sinne● offences into which we should easily fall if we were destitute of his help sometime● also by corroborating encouraging vs in striuing with tentations and afflictions and finally obtaining of our Lord fortitude that we may go away with the victory Sixthly as the Angell Raphael apprehending the diuell bound him in the wildernesse least he should kill Toby as he had done all the other husbāds of that woman so our good Angell doth singularly assist vs in the time of death that at that houre he may defend vs from the deceites and assaults of the diuell when he goeth about more greedily secking whome he may deuoure then at other times he is wont● moreouer that he may preferue vs from those sinnes vnto which at that time we are wont to be most subiect as infidelity and desperation and that so being deliuered from the miseries of this world we may passe freely to our celestiall Country Furthermore after that the soule hath departed from the body the same Angell accompanieth her comforteth and encourageth her that she should confidently appeare before the tribunall of God setting before her eyes the most pretious merits of IESVS-Christ in which she ought confidently to trust at the time of her iudgment And if for the expiating of the reliques of her sinnes she shall be adiudged to Purgatory there he often visiteth her comforteth her certifieth her of the prayers of pious persons that are offered vp for her in the world and finally biddeth her be secure that she shall be deliuered in time to come As concerning thy third state and that which shall be thy last consider what in conclusion the Angell Raphael did namely how when he had assigned a wife to young Toby 〈◊〉 enriched him with all his Father-in-lawes goods he broght him back vnto his Fathers house loaded with many guiftes and much riches where he was receaued with so much the more ioy by how much the more sorrowful they were for the expecting of his returne all fearing least perhaps he had perished Heere likewise