Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	lord_n	way_n	4,954	5	4.7237	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13823	The revvard of religion Deliuered in sundrie lectures vpon the booke of Ruth, wherein the godly may see their daily and outwarde tryals, with the presence of God to assist them, and his mercies to recompence them: verie profitable for this present time of dearth, wherein manye are most pittifully tormented with want; and also worthie to bee considered in this golden age of the preaching of the word, when some vomit vp the loathsomnes therof, and others fall away to damnable securitie.	Topsell, Edward, 1572-1625?	1596 (1596)	STC 24127; ESTC S105980	250,925	363

sorrow her comfort that God with whom is mercy hath wounded her heart The hand of the Lord is taken in the scriptures many wayes but generally it signifieth the meanes whereby he accomplisheth his counsell and is referred eyther to his mercy and fauour as when it is said the hand of the Lord was with Iohn Baptist or els to his iudgements punishement or chastisement so the hand of the Lord was against the Israelites when they had forsaken him and serued Baalim So when the Arke of God was in the house of Dagon the god or idoll of the Philistines the Lorde ouerthrewe their god cut of his hands and head and smote the Priests with Emerods then they confessed the hand of God to be sore against them so in this place it is taken for his chastisement or correctiō vpon Naomi Out of the which we note many profitable doctrines First that all our afflictions come from the Lord that he might chastise his owne and confounde the vngodly Reade but the 34. 36 Chapter of Iob most excellently intreating of this matter wherein is shewed that neyther the godly escape nor the wicked goe scot-free This is the confession of Moses to terrifie the Israelites of Iosuah to keepe them in obedience and of Dauid a man more exercised in trouble then all the world beside This must we accompt with ourselues in all our miseries we are robbed by theeues spoiled by murtherers stroke by bruite beastes reproched by slaunderers euill intreated by the worlde hurte by our enemies sustaine the losse of our goodes the daunger of our health and are oppressed with sickenesse surely in all these thinges say The Lorde gaue and the Lorde hath taken away euen as it hath pleased the Lorde so commeth thinges to passe But men will say we knowe it well ynough alreadie we confesse it And doe you knowe and confesse and will you not practise A man being sicke at the beginning neuer thinketh on the Lorde but posteth to the Physition for counsell without crauing the forgiuenesse of his sinnes the cause of his sicknesse yet you say God hath sent it and laide vpon vs as if the Lorde sendeth sickenesse to helpe the Physition to money for with him you agree for his paynes and cunnning but with the Lorde you agree not for your owne paynes which you endure But you will say we find ease by medicines our sickenesse is a bated I aunswere so the Lord suffreth witches and coniurers to tell them that come vnto thē the things they desire yet you will not say they are guiltlesse I speake nothing against the excellent and commendable profession of Physicke but rather for the commendation of it seeing God so accepteth it as that thereby he seemeth to salue vp the sinnes of many doing away their paynes and also to giue them longer time of repentance But this I wish both in this in all other miseries of mankinde that first we purge our consciences from notorious crimes and then the Lorde will stay his hande from striking our hearts from wauering our goodes from wasting our bodies from pining and our soules from euerlasting dying Secondly by this we note whence it commeth that the godly are so patient in all their tribulations euen frō this consideration that the Lordes hand afflicteth them This is worthie to bee noted in the example of Dauid when Shemei cursed him Abishai standing by wisheth Dauid to punishe him but Dauid answereth him what haue I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zeruiah hee curseth because the Lorde hath bidden him to curse me as if he had sayde I may punish the Lord as wel as Shemei The very like did Iob aunswere his wife when she would haue him curse God and dye Thou speakest like a foolish woman what shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not euill as if he had sayd wee are bounde to receiue euill at the hand of God as well as good if we receiue the one with blessing let vs not curse him for the other This was it that made the Apostles to reioyce that they were accompted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ and this must sincke into our ignoraunt and rebellious heartes that we may learne at the first to humble our selues least as wee now suffer for sinne so anone we be punished for impatiencie The patient abiding of the righteous auaileth much in the sight of the Lorde men thinke they be forgotten if they bee a little afflicted and crie out like desperate persons Lord Lord but they neuer pray for patience but all for deliuerance Oh howe excellent is this example of Naomi which being in many miseries in a straunge countrey hauing buried husbandes and sonnes being now to departe from her acquaintaunce to take a tedious iourney into her owne countrey poore wearie and desolate yet all her woordes are these The hand of the Lorde is gone out against mee as if she had said hee that gaue them tooke them and he that tooke them lefte me patience Thus must we stay our mindes on the worke of the Lorde as the Arke was stayed by the Priestes in the middest of the riuer Iordan which made the waters to flie backe till all the children of Israel were passed thorow euen so the the floudes of great troubles shall not ouerthrowe vs if we stay our minds on the hand of the Lorde and safely escape the dangerous destruction of worldly affliction Then they lift Now cōmeth the effect of this cōmunication wherein is shewed how sorrowfully these daughters tooke it yet diuersly minded for Horpah notwithstanding her gentle proffers to her mother in law her bitter teares pitiful lamenting yet she taketh her leaue with a sweet kisse returneth back to her idolatrous friends Naomi vsed no perswasions but worldly reasons taken from marriage to perswade thē both she seeth her sister remaine constant she that euen nowe for the loue of people mother in law would goe as far as the farthest now for the cogitation of a heathē husband forsaketh both God people mother and sister Who would haue thought that Horpah which bid her friends farewell her countrey adieu her kindred forsake idolatry abhorre would thus cowardly as I may tearme it flie back again in hope of a husband But yet we see she doeth and out of her example we may note many thinges First that the world carnal reasons are feareful hinderances vnto vs in Religion We see this woman how doth she fall away from God his people all the Church that she knewe her mother and sister We knowe how many being sent for to the great Mans supper which is the Lorde they excused their absence one for his farme another for his oxen another for his wife as Horpah doeth for her husbande What shall I say the loue of the worlde is the hatred of God and Iohn saith Loue not the world

of spring and children of Bohaz which succeeded him first Hobed secondly Ishai and thirdely Dauid the king Of these parts and persons let vs briefly speake so much as serueth for the exposition of the Scripture and the satisfying of the tyme through the assistaunce and help of the spirite of God These are the generations Now that the holy Ghost had declared vnto vs this history of Ruth though briefly and in a fewe words yet in ample and large circumstances for the vnderstanding of his minde at the ende hereof hee annexeth the kindred of the personnes whome it chiefly concerneth that he might shew vnto vs that they were no meane or base persons for whom this history was compiled but such as descended of the noblest family in all y e world who were the appointed fathers of many kinges and that which is most of all the persons of whose seede our sauiour Iesus Christ tooke the beginning and substaunce of his humane nature And therefore in this place wee must declare the causes that moued the holy Ghost to be so careful in the rehearsing of the genealogies of the fathers for we must not imagine● that hee mustereth not the names of those auncient persons to worke any wonder in our mindes at the recitall of them or that the scripture coulde haue beene perfecte without the seuerall generations therein described but wee must knowe that there were dyuers necessary and waighty causes by the iudgement of the auncientest and most approued wryters which moued the Spirite of God to intersert these genealogies First therefore according to the condition of all mankinde there is equally described the generations both of the godly and vngodly in the scriptures for this cause to shewe the multiplycation of mankinde of this sort are the generations of Adam Seth and Cain reported by Moses that hearing the number of mankinde so quickely multiplyed wee might the more earnestly giue prayse vnto God Agayne the genealogies of the sonnes of Noah are described vnto vs to shewe the replenishing of the earth the destruction of countryes and the restoring of the worlde But to come neerer vnto the matter wee must take this for a generall rule that the genealogies of the wicked are reported in the scripture for to shewe the blessing and loue of God vpon the godly and righteous men as for example the Lorde reckoneth vp the posterity of Ismaell the sonne of the bonde woman shewing vs howe great a people hee became and howe many Dukes or princes proceeded out of his loynes to shewe vnto vs the promise and couenant which hee made to his father Abraham that hee shoulde bee a great people was fulfilled and this serued to magnify and exalt the name of godly Abraham We read that the Lorde bestoweth a great genealogie vppon wicked Esau or Edom numbring or reckoning vp his sonnes and his sonnes sonnes his kingdome and the kinges of his seede that raigned after him for no other ende but to report and to manifest the blessing vppon godly Isaacke and Rebecca his parentes according to the oracle that hee gaue to his mother when shee demaunded and enquired the cause of the strugling or striuing in her wombe The like may bee saide of godlesse Cham for Noah his fathers sake of the sonnes of Iacob for Israels sake of Ephraim and Manasses for Iosephes sake By the which we gather and note this excellent doctrine that if the wicked haue any good it is for the sake of their godly and righteous parentes or frendes Wee see they should not haue so much as a name in the booke of God were it not for the cause of the righteous and godly we reade that when the Sodomites were ouercome in warre their people lead captiues and their goods spoyled by the company of Cedorlahomer then for Lots sake the Lord stirred vp Abraham and armed him with men and courage who wonne the victory recouered the spoyle brought backe the prisoners restored their goods and gaue them all libertie for godly Lots sake who was shortly after despised by them but they for their wickednes were burned in brimstone when righteous Lot was deliuered from them If Ioseph had not beene they had had no corne in Egipt If Moses had not beene the Lord had often destroyed the Israelites while they wandered and wauered in the wildernes For Iacobs sake the Lord increased the flocks of Laban For Iosephs sake he blessed the affaires of Potiphar for Paules sake he saued all them that suffered shipwracke at Myletum Euen so also he blessed the house of Obed-edomi because the arke was kept therein and at this day giueth greatest peace to those Countreys where his Gospell is promoted Let the atheists thinke if there were none that feared God they should quickly be condemned let the drunkards know if there were not some temperate persons their bodies should be quickly consumed let the couetous wretches assure themselues if there were not some liberall men their owne goods would turne to their death let the profaners of sabbaoths remember that if there were not some sanctifiers thereof their delightfull vanities would long agoe haue wrought their sorrowfull destinies let the contentious plaintifes be certified that if there were not some peaceable Christians among them their wealth had long agoe beene wasted for the prayers of the faithfull are like the walled Cities against the rage of enemies to keepe the vengeance of the Lord from falling vpon vs as the bloud of the Lamb spotted vpon the posts of the Israelites houses caused the angell to passe by them when all the first bornè in Egipt were slaine euen so the bloud of the lambe of God which is shead in the hearts of the godly maketh his messengers of death to depart from our countrey and kingdome If there were not a remnaunt among vs that are in league with the Lord that dayly are the hearers of his word the beseechers for his mercy and as the ambassadours of peace to disswade him from punishing our contempt of his word with condemnation our abuse of his creatures into pining famine our wantonnes in peace into lamentable warres our riotous liues into forraine captiuitye and our pampered bodyes to the slaughter of the sword You euen you that blaspheme the name of God if there were not a number that reprooue your abhominations the heauens would raigne downe stones to reuenge your accursed tongues you euen you that spend the Sabbaoths in dauncing and playing if there were not a company that refraine your pollutions you had beene cut off from your pleasure with some fearefull death before you had passed thus many dayes of securitie you euen you that thinke the preaching of the Gospell like the voyce of one that singeth whereunto you owe no more obedience then eare-seruice if there were not a remnant that heard the word of power which they beleeue is able to saue their soules you had beene many yeares since suffering the reward

honestie one of the fruicts of religion for she telleth her mother she would go gather where shee could get leaue as if the holy ghost had said the gleanings are for the poore yet poore men must not take them without the consent and fauour of the owners The Lord euery where exhorteth to giue to the poore but he neuer bid the poore take where they found vnknowing to the possessor but they must as Ruth heere doeth not take their right the very gifte of the Lord without the fauour of man This condemneth the rashnes of many which thinke if they bee poore that men are bound to giue to them and small matters they may take freely without the consent of him that possesseth it yet we see not onely religion but also plaine reason to gaine-say it for the least thing a man hath in his owne as well as the greatest one law condemneth the taking of a handfull and a bushell of corn though the offence be not so great But some say it was permitted by the Lord that a man might take the eares of corne and rub them in his hande and eate them as the disciples did without the consent and trespasse of the possessor he might also take a bunch of grapes and eate them and likewise the fruit of the orchard by the same law and therfore we may take without the consent of him that possesseth it I answere if the question bee made of an apple or an eare of corne or a bunch of grapes as then it was permitted so I think there is none that wil now stand in it but then you must remember by the same law that no man might put a sickle into the corne to reape downe a handfull neither yet fill any litle measure with grapes or apples without the consent of the owner But now men will take great measures and quantities and yet thinke not themselues satisfied and being winked at for once yet will they proceed till they be forbidden and then will they vncharitably and vngodly report of such men as will not suffer their goods to be spoiled by them Lastly when her mother had graunted forth shee goeth and commeth to the possession of Boaz her kinsman where we may behold the hand of the Lorde fauouring her diligence leading her to the appointed place where among all other she might be as shee was most gently intreated for shee a silly straunger knowing none beside her mother not acquainted with people or countrie was ignorant whether to go but God which directeth the goings of all ordered her footsteps to his possession where first she should find fauour and feeding that by this meanes the waie for her marry age might be prepared Where we see an excellent example of the prouidence of God looking vpon the poorest as well as the richest and working all things in the world from the highest to the lowest Hee which directeth the descending of the sparowes vpon the ground doth hee not also consider the goinges of the poore It is no dishonour to him as some would haue it that they might more freely giue themselues to iniquitie to note euerie vile and loathsome thing in the world or to looke vpon the base as well as the best surely if anie thing be vncomely it is to the sinfull but to him which is alwaies righteous are all things pure What parents doo not loue the basest partes of theyr childrens bodyes which were borne of themselues yet greater is the loue of God vnto vs than the loue of a mother to her owne sonne neither doth he or can hee but loue the meanest worke of his creation as well as chiefest and the silly flie as well as the stately king Oh how doth this comfort vs more than all the world beside when we knowe the king of glorie beholdeth our nakednes and pouertie and giueth his angels charge ouer vs that not the poorest Lazarus may bee lost but our bodies either eased with reliefe or parted from life our soules may ascend to the bosome of Abraham Euen hee which directed the seruant of Abraham to the citie of Nachor and brought Rebecca out to draw water and moued her aunswere to his prayer her curtesie to satisfie his expectation dyd also leade Ruth to the fields of Boaz and guideth all the faithfull to the end of theyr desires knowing the counsels of the heart disposing the wordes of the mouth feeding the hungry with good things and sending the riche away emptie conducting vs all for his mercies sake to walke in his pathes of righteousnes But behold After these things set downe by the holy Ghost concerning Ruth he returned to Boaz againe and this verse is the beginning of the second parte of that which respecteth him in the which is declared his comming from Bethlehem his salutation to the reapers and their answere to him againe By the which wee gather the dutie of all maisters of familyes and great persons in the worlde which is not onely to be carefull their busines be performed by other but also that themselues as the eye witnesses of their seruants fidelity should look ouer their labours This wee may see in Boaz hee commeth from the cittie to the haruest field hee had committed the care of the reapers to a trustie seruant yet not contented therwith in his own person he commeth to the worke And surely this diligence of Lords and maisters causeth faithfull labourers and seruantes as the idlenes and negligence of the one causeth the vnfaithfulnesse and slacknes of the other for whiles the maisters followe their worldly pleasures the seruants omit their carefull busines Therefore we may reade in the building of the first second temple there were ouerseers of the worke beside the ordinarie labourers and often times would king Salomon and Nechemiah come in their owne persons to viewe the works The like may wee reade of Elis●hahs host which was abroade in the field with his reapers when his litle sonne fell sicke insomuch as this seemeth a point of necessitie that euery one whom the Lord hath made a maister of possessions although hee labour not yet must hee certifie himselfe of his labourers diligence with his owne eye sight which condemneth many inferiour maisters of negligent slothfullnesse and idle negligence in not regarding their worldly talents giuen them of God but referring the disposition to their stewards and seruants refuse in their own persons to deale with God his benefits as too base thinges for their occupations which is the cause that so many maisters fall to be seruants and so many seruants ascend to be maisters their wealth is quickely consumed these which would not be their own seruants to keepe themselues in labour wealth come to be other mens slaues in drudgery or beggery eyther in themselues or their posterity as the iust iudgment of God for he that would not vse his talent had it taken from him therfore seeing this ancient nobilitie

fines defrauders of simple persons bargaining who all are condemned in the last commādement as the couetors of other mens goods and therefore guiltie of eternal damnation And do you These words are the seconde part of his cōmandement whereby the former point is confirmed that Bohaz knew Ruth would not picke the sheaues therefore willeth to let fall on the grounde plentifully for her to auoide her farther and more vnprofitable labour which he therefore doth that he might testifie his goodes to bee not onely his but all theirs that feare the Lord for no doubt but there were many that did gleane in the field beside Ruth with whom Bohaz did not thus deale shewing vnto vs that there may be a difference in giuing and that we are not bounde to giue equally to all but as the persons are so must bee the gift the poorest must not haue the greatest share but the godliest for pouertie without godlines is like the apple of Sodome which is as fayre to looke on as any other but being taken in the hand resolueth to smoke and powder so if vngodly poore folks be a little examined they shal be found as the apple not worthy eating so the other not worthy to be giuen to although they crie like the horseleaches daughters giue giue yet wee must answere thē w t spare spare But Bohaz doth in this place as Ioseph did to his brethren he feasted all of thē but Beniamins part was fiue times so big as the residue afterward he gaue to euery one chaunge of garmentes but vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundred shikles and fiue change of garments the reason of all this was because hee was Rachell his owne mothers sonne but all the other were his fathers children onely euen so must we do good to all that are our fathers children by creation but to our mothers children which is the Church of Christ the houshold of faith whereof Rachel was a tipe we must w t special portions for feeding their hunger and clothing of their nakednesse compasse their wantes with the supply of our beneuolence for which cause Sainte Paule in his preaching was willed by the other Apostles to haue speciall and heedfull care ouer the poore brethren which if it were put in practise wee should be more able to do good vnto the godly and to denie the contrary minded This one thing is aboue all other to be required y t euery one giue where God may most of all be glorified but the vngodly sort take their reliefe as the hungry houndes their feeding if they bee hindered they will flye vppon their owne maisters in like sort the wicked will blaspheme God liberally and not humbly thanke or praise him for anye thing they receiue What if they murmure against thee and saye my part is not so good as thine you giue him more then to mee and you care for none but for these precise fellowes Tell them againe it is lawfull for thee to doo with thy owne as thou wilt neyther ought thy eye to bee euill because my hand is good the vnworthiest in the world shall haue the worthiest portion they which with them are last with thee let be first the first with them be last with thee for spirtuall men must looke for spirituall hearts to cast the seed of their almes into good ground where the fruit may be increased the want of the faithfull may be relieued the glorie of Christ may be magnified thy owne duetie may bee discharged a good conscience satisfied and thy soule for euer comforted Secondly by this wee obserue that Boaz might haue admitted many hinderances whereby hee might haue bene better aduised before he gaue such large liberty either to Ruth or to his seruants for her as to gather among the sheaues or to let fall hand●ulls vnto her Hee might haue thought thus with himselfe it was lately a derth for a long time together it may be shortly y e Lord wil send such another then all that I haue will be too litle for my selfe and my family and therefore I must be wise and giue not so much till I knowe what I shall lacke but all this coulde not turne away the heart of Boaz from doing good vnto Ruth for he esteemed more of one godly Ruth then of all the possessions hee had neyther ought any of the godly once to admit any such doubt in their minde as to be vexed in distrust of the mercye of God to come They must pray with Dauid o Lord incline my hearte to thy testimonies not to couetousnes The widdow of Zareptha might haue so answered Eliah that she had but so little lefte as would onely suffise for one meale and giue him nothing yet she was obedient and beleeued the worde of the prophet and her store increased that she wanted no more The church of the Macedonians might haue said that they were poore saints as wel as the residue therefore as they asked nothing but were content with their pouerty so none should charge them in giuing to other but yet the Apostle Paule said they supplied the want of the Cornithians and gaue more then they were able And euerlasting is the commendation which hee giueth of Onesiphorus how often hee refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chaines but came to Ephesus and visited him there and followed him to Rome many hundred miles that there also he might succor him with his charity Which teacheth vs when wee haue to deale with the godly as all these persons had no coste must be spared couetousnes not admitted no feare of want suspected for he which is Lord ouerall is also rich vnto all Obadiah in a famine fedde an hundered prophets yea and hidde them in caues from the wrath of Iezabell What want did he sustaine thereby surelye none for distrust causeth want and not liberalitye for hee which maketh thee to feede his saints nowe will also prouide another to feed the when thy store is wasted Oh hearken to this you possessors of the earth vppon whome in this time of dearth the eyes of the poore doe looke as on the handes of the Lord whereby hee filleth euerie liuing thing with his plenteous goodnes Open your gates wider that more poore maye come into your houses to bee refreshed with breade open your purses farther that more beneuolence maye come out to bee caste into the fruitefull lande of the famished poore for after manye dayes you shall finde it againe put on the bowels of compassion and let not your owne bretheren want seeing you haue inough Hee that willeth you to doo this for his sake will commaunde heauen and earth to restore his owne debte which you haue lent him feare not that you shall want for the Lorde is the owner of the earth this is sen●e vppon vs to trye your charitye and compassion towarde the poore for his sake if you nowe bee liberall Paule hath prayed for