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	lord_n	see_v	9,072	5	3.5745	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14732	Balme from Gilead to recouer conscience In a sermon preached at Pauls-Crosse, Octob. 20. 1616. By Samuel Ward, Bach. of Diuinitie, and preacher of Ipswich.	Ward, Samuel, 1577-1640.; Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.	1618 (1618)	STC 25036; ESTC S119469	52,024	176

Oh men therefore and oh Consciences know your selues and in this sence loue respect and reuerence your selues more then all other Creatures Friends and Acquaintance If they could speake they would say to mans Conscience as the people to Dauid a thousand of vs are not equall to thee in worth It fares with Conscience as with simple Constables Many an Officer if hee knew his place would stand more vpon it and take more vpon him then hee doth The Husband-man were happy if he knew his happinesse The Horse were strong if he knew his strength Conscience if it knew power and authoritie would not suffer it selfe so to be silenced abused snibbed and kept vnder being vnder GOD the Lord Controuler of the Soule and Super visour of our life The second Part. Thus haue wee seene in part the greatnesse of Conscience doth it not concerne vs now to see the goodnesse of it the greatnesse of it making it if good nothing better if bad nothing worse the surest Friend and the seuerest Foe Whose heart burnes not within him to heare wherein that goodnesse consists and how hee may come by it The goodnesse of it is the peace of it for stirring accusing and galling Consciences are consequents of Sinne and presuppose some euill They secondly proue good vnto vs onely by accident and Gods goodnesse which maketh them as afflictions gather Grapes of Thornes yea all things worke to the best of his beloued as Physitians doe Poysons in their Confections And thirdly they doe not alwayes produce this effect Sometimes as Sicknesses and Purgations they are in order to health as in the Iewes Act. 2. Oftentimes as in Cain Iudas Achitophell they destroy their owners Good Consciences therefore properly to speake are onely quiet ones excusing and comforting but here take heede the Diuell the great Imposter of our Soules put not vpon our folly and simplicity three sorts of quiet ones as hee doth to most The Blinde the Secure and the Seared B●inde and ignorant Consciences speak peace or hold their peace because they haue not skill enough to accuse fin● fault they swallow many a flie and digest all well enough While the scales were vpon Pauls eyes hee was aliue and quiet he thought Concupiscence the sincke and breeder of all sinne to be no sinne Such Consciences discerne ●innes as wee doe Starres in a darke night see only the great ones of the first magnitude whereas a bright Euening discouers milions or as wee see a few moates in darke houses which Sunne-light shewes to be infinite Such thinke good meaning will serue the turne that all Religions will saue or a Lord haue mercy on vs at the last gaspe and that which is worst of all they loue to liue vnder blinde Sir Iohns seeke darke corners say they are not Booke-learned nor indeede will suffer their Consciences to proue good Lawyers in Gods Booke least they should proue common Barrettors The Law which nature hath engrauen they tread out with sins as men do the ingrauings of tombs they walk on with foule shooes they dare not looke in the Glasse of Gods Law which makes sin abound least the foulnesse of their Soules should affright them A number of such sottish Soules there be whose Consciences if God opens as he did the eyes of the Prophets Seruant they shall see Armies and Legions of Sinnes and Diuels in them In as pittifull a plight as this are secure sleepy and drousie Consciences who see but will not see with whom Sinne Sathan and their Conscience is not at Peace but at Truce for a time safe they are not onely secure they be and carelesse These sleepe and delight in sleeping and two wayes especially the Diuell pipes and luls them a sleepe by Mirth and by Businesse Ease and Prosperitie slayes some fooles Wealth and Hearts-ease like Dal●●ah rockes them asleepe on her lap Iesting and merry tales eating and drinking casts them into a spirit of slumber and puts their Sinne and Iudgement farre away and makes them say they shall neuer be moued While they prosper and flourish in the world their Consciences deale as Creditors with their debters whiles they are in trading and doing say nothing to them but if once downe the winde in sicknes crosses and pouerty then Arrest vpon Arrest Action vpon Action then come the Fowles of the Aire and seaze vpon the sicke Soule as the Rauens vpon sicke Sheepe write bitter things against them and make them possesse the sinne of their youth Marke this you that dwell at ease and swimme in wealth in London Your Consciences that lie stil like sleepy Mastiues in plague times and sweating sicknesses they flie in the throate they flatter like Parasites in Prosperitie and like Sycophants accuse in Aduersitie Businesse also and Cares of this life choake the Conscience and the voice of manifold imployments drowne the voyce of Conscience as the Drummes in the Sacrifices to Moloch the cry of the Infants And such Consciences are quiet not because they are at Peace but because they are not at Leasure Marke then you that haue Mils of businesse in your Heads whole West-Minster-Hals Bursses Exchanges and East-Indies as I feare many of you haue whilst I am speaking to your Conscience that making hast to be rich ouerlay your braines with affaires are so busie in your Counting-house and Bookes and that vpon this very Day that you neuer haue once in a week or yeere an houres space to conferre with your poore Consciences yea when did you Let your Consciences answere within you No but if at a Sermon you appoint them a time and say you will you disappoint them and say as Agrippa to Paul Wee will heare thee another time and for the most part doe as hee did that is neuer heare them againe All these sleepers haue but a ●rensie mans sleepe this Tranquilitie will be sure to end in a Tempest Yet in a more horrible case and step nearer Hell are such as seare their Consciences with an hot Iron harden them of purpose as men doe Steele by quenching the motions of them brand them with often sinning against their checking fleshing tender Nouices with this counsell when their Consciences trouble them for any thing then to doe it the rather and so they shall heare no more of them and so it proues through Gods iust iudgement giuing them ouer to a reprobate sense that their Consciences serue them as Moses did Pharaoh hauing receiued many repulses and at last commanded to come no more in sight forbare to lose any more breath vnto him but complained to God who swept him and his Hoast away with a finall destruction When Tutors and Paedagogues are weary with Pupils they giue them ouer to their Parents fury these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to these villaines there is no peace saith my God and my Text. These men● Consciences if euer they awake as seldome they doe they awake as Ionas in fearefull astonishment and if they sleepe out this