Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	hear_v	lord_n	sin_n	15,720	5	5.7661	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02764	The examinations, arraignment & conuiction of George Sprot, notary in Aye-mouth together with his constant and extraordinarie behauiour at his death, in Edenborough, Aug. 12. 1608. Written & set forth by Sir William Hart, Knight, L. Iustice of Scotland. Whereby appeareth the treasonable deuice betwixt Iohn late Earle of Gowry and Robert Logane of Restalrig (commonly called Lesterig) plotted by them for the cruell murthering of our most gracious Souereigne. Before which treatise is prefixed also a preface, written by G. Abbot Doctour of Diuinitie, and Deane of Winchester, who was present at the sayd Sprots execution.	Hart, William, Sir, Lord Justice of Scotland.; Abbot, George, 1562-1633.	1608 (1608)	STC 12894; ESTC S118749	27,055	64

the traiterous and bloodie attempt of the Earle Gowrie and his brother against the person and life of our most blessed Souereigne Wherein albeit there were such euidences and arguments as that any man who would haue taken notice thereof might haue been sufficiently informed therein euen at the very first and afterward by the cleere depositions for most pregnant circumstances and ample attestations of many persons of honour and qualitie the Parliament of that Kingdome tooke full knowledge thereof and accordingly proceeded to the forfaiting of the whole estate of that Earle and of his heires for euer yet some humorous men whom in that respect I may iustly terme vnthankfull vnto God and vndutifull to their King out of fond imaginations or rather if you will seditious suppositions of their owne did both at home and abroad by whisperings and secret buzzings into the eares of the people who were better perswaded of them than indeed there was cause imploy their wits and tongues to obscure the trueth of that matter and to cast an imputation where it was least deserued Which when God had permitted for the space of some yeeres to ranckle and foster in the bowels of those who were the Authours of it the same God in his wisdome at last meaning to cure them if they would be cured of that maladie discouered that in the same treason although caried neuer so secretly there were other confederates of whom hitherto the world had taken no kinde of knowledge And albeit two of the persons interested in that businesse were lately dead and departed vnto far greater torment than all the earth could lay vpon them vnlesse they died repentant yet it was apprehended that a third partie remained who had fore-knowledge of that conspiracie and was able to vtter much of the secrets of it one George Sprot a Notarie inhabiting at Aye-mouth a place well knowen in that countrey Which matter or some part thereof being made knowen to an honourable person a most faithfull seruant to his Maiestie first by some words that fell from Sprot himselfe and afterwards by some papers found vpon him it was so wisely caried and so prudently brought about by the great care and diligence of that noble man God Almightie blessing the businesse that so much was reueiled as followeth in this Treatise vpon the Acts to be seene which are here set downe at large word for word as they agree with the processe originall and other examinations that such as haue beene auerse may at last receiue satisfaction Touching all which I shall say nothing but only report that which befell vpon the day of his death when hee suffered for that treason Hauing then the sentence passed on him vpon Friday the twelfth of August 1608 in the fore-noone and publikely being warned to prepare himselfe to his end which must be that after-dinner he most willingly submitted himselfe vnto that punishment which as he then acknowledged he had iustly deserued And being left to himselfe til dinner-time was expired then came to him into that priuate place where hee remained some of the reuerend Bishops diuers L.L. of the Session two of the English Ministers there imploied by his Maiestie with diuers other Ministers of the towne of Edenborough Before whom he first acknowledged and auouched his former confession to be true and that he would die in the same and then falling on his knees in a corner of that roome where he and they then were in a prayer to God vttered aloud he so passionately deplored his former wickednesses but especially that sinne of his for which he was to die that a man may iustly say hee did in a sort deiect and cast downe himselfe to the gates of hell as if he should there haue beene swallowed vp in the gulfe of desperation yet presently laying holde vpon the mercies of God in Christ he raised himselfe and strangely lifted vp his soule vnto the Throne of Grace applying ioy and comfort to his owne heart so effectually as can not well be described In the admitting of this consolation into his inward man he burst out into teares so plentifully flowing from him that for a time they stopped his voice The sight hearing wherof wroght so forcible an impression in those persons of honour and learned men who beheld him that there was scant any one of them who could refraine teares in the place as diuers of themselues that day did witnesse vnto me The effect of his prayer was the aggrauating of his crime in concealing the treason against the Kings Maiestie into which hee said God did most iustly suffer him to fall by reason of his former wickednesse which he had so desperately multiplied in despight of God and his holy VVord And thereupon going on with many sensible speeches and most feeling comparisons hee insisted on the fearefull and dreadfull danger wherein hee was if the Lord in iudgement should looke vpon him Notwithstanding at last he proceeded Yet most mercifull father whereat he made a stay and repeating the word father with a maruellous loud and shrill voice he added why should I call thee father that haue so many wayes and so horribly transgressed thy commandements in all the course of my life but especially in concealing this vile fearefull and diuellish treason against my most gracious Soueraigne Lord Lord there is nothing belongeth to me but wrath and confusion and so went on in a strange vnaffected current of words liuely expressing the sorrow of his heart Yet there he stayd not but spake forward to this purpose Notwithstanding Lord thou hast left me this comfort in thy VVord that thou hast sayd Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will refresh you Lord I am weary Lord I am heauily laden with my sinnes which are innumerable I am ready to sincke Lord euen to hell without thou in thy mercy put to thy hand and deliuer me Lord thou hast promised by thine owne word out of thine owne mouth that thou wilt refresh the weary soule And with that he thrust out one of his hands and reaching as high as hee could with a louder voice and a strained cried I challenge thee Lord by that word and by that promise which thou hast made that thou performe and make it good to mee that call for ease and mercie at thy hands Lord heare mee Lord pardon mee Lord comfort me by thy holy spirit assure my conscience of the forgiuenesse of my sinnes say to my soule that thou art reconciled And so after many zealous petitions vttered to the like effect he applied to himselfe the mercies of God in Christ Iesus in whom he assured himselfe of Gods fauour with earnest request that he might continue in that assurance to the end wherof he nothing doubted Afterward being brought to the scaffold where he was to die he vttered many things among which I obserued these He acknowledged to the people that he was come thither to suffer most deseruedly

subscriptione manualibus The doome being pronounced the said George was conuoyed to a priuie house where he remained at his secret meditation and afterwards in conference with the Ministers and others vnto the time all things was prouided necessarie for his execution and being brought to the place where he was to die he in publike audience of the whole people at the three sides of the scaffold ratified the former depositions made by him concerning the treasonable practises intended and deuised betwixt Gowrie and Restalrig for the murthering of our most gracious Souereigne and bereauing his Highnesse of his life and his owne knowledge and concealing of their guiltinesse For the which he humbly craued God and his Maiestie forgiuenesse being most sorie and grieued that he had offended God and the Kings Maiestie in concealing such a vile detestable and vnnaturall treason enterprised by them against his gracious Souereigne who hath beene euer so good and gracious to his subiects protesting that if he had a thousand liues to render and were able to suffer ten thousand deaths it were not a sufficient satisfaction and recompense for his offence And that God had preserued him from many great perils when his life was in extreme danger to bring him to this publike declaration of that detestable and horrible fact in presence of all the people vttered by him in these words following To my owne shame and to the shame of the diuell but to the glorie of God And for satisfaction of the consciences of all those if any be that haue or can make any doubt of the trueth of this so cleere a matter he acknowledged that his haunting with Restalrig who was a man without religion and subiect to manie other vices as also his continuall being in companie with the Laird of Bour who likewise was irreligious and without feare of God and his being ingyred by them into their matters after his first sight of Restalrigs letter written by him to Gowrie brought him from one sinne to another and consequently vpon this grieuous crime for the which most iustly worthily and willingly he is now to render his life And thereupon he desired all the people there present to beware of euill companie and namely of the societie of those who are void of religion And farther desired that this his declaration might be inserted in his Processe and that the Ministers of Gods word would publish the same from their Pulpits to the people for which purpose also he tooke diuers of them there present by the hand with their promise to doe the same saying to them That this was the most glorious day that euer his eyes did see In the middest almost of these speeches he did prostrate himselfe and fell vpon his knees in presence of the whole people making a verie pithie prayer in the forme following O Father how should I call thee Father that am so vnworthy to be called thy sonne I haue wandred astray like a lost sheepe and thou of thy mercie hast brought me home vnto thee and hast preserued my life from many dangers vntill this day that I might reueile these hidden and secret mysteries to mine owne shame and thy glorie Thou hast promised that whensoeuer a sinner from his heart will repent and call to thee that thou wilt heare him and grant him mercie And thus he continued a good space in a most feruent prayer to the great admiration of all the standers by Afterward ganging vp the ladder with his hands loose vntied being on the vpper part thereof he desired libertie to sing the sixt Psalme and requested the people to accompanie him in the singing thereof Which being granted he tooke vp the Psalme himselfe with a very loud and strong voice far by his accustomed forme being before his comming to the scaffold a weake spirited man of feeble voice and vtterance and was assisted with the number of a thousand persons at the least who accompanied him in singing that Psalme After the ending whereof he openly repeated and ratified his said former confession and with that recommending his soule to God hee fastened a cloth about his owne eyes and was cast ouer the ladder so ending this mortall life I had almost forgotten that which in this action of his death was strange and in a maner maruellous For being vrged by the Ministers and other of good ranke vpon the scaffold that now at his end he should declare nothing but the trueth touching the matter for which he suffered on the perill of his owne saluation or condemnation of his soule hee for the greater assurance of that his constant and true deposition promised by the assistance of God to giue them an open and euident token before the yeelding of his spirit Which hee accomplished thereafter For before his last breath when he had hung a pretie space hee lift vp his hands a good heigth and clapped them together aloud three seuerall times to the great woonder and admiration of all the beholders And verie soone thereafter he yeelded his spirit By this Narration afore-going each man may learne that the contriuing and plotting of treason against Kings and Princes is a thing odious in the sight of God and therefore ordinarily is disclosed by him at first or at last by one meanes or another and that it is not good to conceale any such conspiracie intended by enemie or friend because the life and safetie of a Christian King who is the common Father of the Countrey ought to be dearer to all good men than the loue or acquaintance of any whatsoeuer who howbeit hee make shew of manie faire things in him yet in this alone That hee purposeth euill against the Lords Anointed sufficiently declareth himselfe to be of a rebellious and vngodly disposition And how wofull the fruit is either of such traitourous resolutions or of the concealing of them may be seene as in a glasse both in the sudden end of the Earle Gowrie and in the execution of this George Sprot with more deliberation a Num. 12.3 b Num. 16.3 c Dan. 6.13 d Neh. 6.6 e Act. 16.20 f Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib. 4.7 g Lib. 5.1 h Tertull. Apolog. cap. 2. i Euagrius Eccl. Hist. lib. 3.40 k Cyprian Epist. ad Antonian Lib. 4.2 l Aelian Hist. lib. 11.10 m Hieron Epist. 10. ad Furiam n Gregor Hom. 38. in 40. Hom. o Plin Natur Hist. lib. 8 16. p Certaine Articles or forcible reasons printed at Antwerpe 1600 q Ross. contra Henri● Gallum cap. 4.5 r Plin. Natur Hist. lib. 7.27 s Plin. de viris illustrib * Diog. Laert in Antisth t 1. Sam. 24.10 u Psal. 7.3 * Psal. 52.2 x Psal. 119.69 y Psal. 120.2 z Psal 69.12 a 2. Sam. 16.7 b Psal. 43.1 c vers 5. d Diog. La e rt in Zenon e Psal. 37.1 f Chrys Homil 1. de in●●●●treh Dei natura g 1. Pet. 2.23 h Psal. 27.12.14 i Psal. 37.5.6 k Chrys. in Psal. 129. l Sapient 11.17 m Psal. 43.5 n 1. Sam. 24.4 c. 26.7 o 1. Sam. 24.18 p 1. Sam. 26.21 q Euseb. Ecel Hist. lib. 6.8 r Theodor. Eccl. Hist. lib. 1.20.21 s The Earle of Dunbar * Archb. of Glasc Bis. of Brickh L. Halyrudeh L. Collector L. Register L. Iustice. D Maxey M Hodson M. P. Galoway M. I. Hall N. Ch. Lumsden with others t Eccl. 10.20 u Psal. 82.6 u Apoc. 22.11 x Luc. 19.40 y Mal. 2.7 a A house of Restalrigs