Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	jesus_n	sin_n	sinner_n	3,659	5	7.4408	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00940	A monomachie of motiues in the mind of man: or a battell betweene vertues and vices of contrarie qualitie Wherein the imperfections and weaknesses of nature appeare so naked, that anie reasonable soule may soone see by what spirit he is lead: herevnto also, besides sundrie deuout praiers necessarilie interlaced, diuers golden sentences of S. Barnard are annexed: and also a briefe conclusion of his vpon this theame, that victorie is obtained by resisting temptation. Newlie englished by Abraham Fleming.; De conflictu vitiorum et virtutum. English	Autpertus, Ambrosius, d. 784.; Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.	1582 (1582)	STC 11048; ESTC S102283	102,654	342

contrariwise if thy sorowe and heauines spring from some externall cause as for that art enuied and hated for the truths sake thou oughtest to reioice in these thy gréefes And why Bicause thou not knowing to what issue they will growe art notwithstanding to be comforted by the voice of the giuer of euerlasting ioie gladnes speaking thus vnto thée Blessed are you when men shall reuile you and persecute you and lieng shall say all maner of euil saieng against you for my sake Reioice ye and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Remember also O man that the Apostles the fore-runners of this religion departed from the face of the Councell reioicing that they were counted woorthie to suffer shame and reproch for the name of Iesus No place therfore should be giuen vnto gréefe and heauines where such ioie and gladnes insueth If thy sorowe and anguish O man procéed from the remorse of conscience for thy sinnes remember a multitude of offenders that by repentance haue obteined mercie at Gods hands according to the truth of his promise In what daie soeuer a sinner dooth repent him of his sinne and wickednes I will put all his iniquitie out of my remembrance saith the Lord. Againe Though thy sinnes were as red as skarlet yet will I make them as white as wooll though they were as filthie as the menstruous cloth of a woman yet will I make them as white as snowe Remember O man the mercifull Semaritan in the Gospell that powred wine and oile into the sicke mans wounds set him on his owne asse brought him to an inne and paid for his necessaries Remember the good Shepheard that sought the lost wandering shéepe hauing found him brought him home to the shéepe-fold vpon his shoulders Remember the bountifull King that making a sumptuous banket sent abroad his seruants to bid guests of all estates and degrées vnto the same Remember the kind and louing Father that hauing an vngratious spend-thrift to his sonne fell vpon his necke notwithstanding at his returning sorowfull for his fault and put him in possession of the fulnesse of his fauour againe which before by his riotous behauiour he had lost If thy heauines O man procéed from the consideration of thy poore estate from the remembrance of thy losses by sea or land from vnthankfulnes of affinitie and kindred from frowardnes of children from wilfulnes of wife from vnfaithfulnes of seruants learne patience of Iob The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh awaie euen as it pleseth the Lord so let things come to passe Learne of thy Sauiour Christ to submit thy will to Gods will and to saie Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Thus arming thée with spirituall furniture thou shalt not be heauie either to desperation or damnation but sorowfull to repentance and amendement and so consequentlie thou shalt find ioie and comfort 3 A praier for the former vertue O Bountifull God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ whose eies of mercie and louing kindnes are alwaies open and broad waking ouer thy seruants ouerseeing them that none inconuenience or euill thing inuade them not the arrowes of the hunter at noone-day nor the dangers of the darts of darknes at mid-night we beseech thee of thine infinite goodnes and clemencie to continue thy fatherlie affection and fauour at all times speciallie in the time of persecution trouble sorowe need and aduersitie that we may not waxe heauie-hatred in our tribulations but reioice rather and be glad persuading our selues that by the fire of afflictions thou triest thy children like siluer and finest them that they may be made fit and woorthie coine to receiue the stampe of their Creator and King Giue vs patience good Lord to suffer whatsoeuer it shall please thy heauenlie wisedome to laie vpon our shoulders according to the example of thy seruant Iob who escaping no kind of aduersitie that might happen to the bodie of man his state condition credit and abilitie did not reuile thee nor yet curse thee to thy face although he was greeuouslie tempted of Satan by thy permission and sorelie assalted of his wicked wife to renounce thee his maker and so to end his miserable life but blessed and praised thy diuine Maiestie supposing it necessarie to receiue euill at thine hands as well as good Euen so ô eternall God and most mercifull Father if it be thy will at anie time to chastise vs either with sicknes pouertie or anie other kind of aduersitie vouchsafe therewithall to arme vs with contentation of mind quietnes of conscience and consolation of spirit that we may be so far from being discomforted in our tribulations that we rather triumph and be ioifull in the midst of them building our hope vpon the promise of thy sonne Iesu Christ our Sauiour who prophesieng that in this world we should weepe and lament mourne and be sorowfull willed vs notwithstanding to bee comforted saieng that The time should come when our heauines should be turned into ioie and that our ioie should be full which grace ô GOD grant for thy mercies sake Amen The twelfe Combat 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vice insuing IDLENES is the mother of vice and the stepdame of vertue and therefore eschue idlenes and enure thy selfe to labour and exercise so shalt thou quicklie feele an appetite or desire after such food as may kill hunger and not deintie or delicate in taste For labour and exercise maketh such things toothsome as slothfulnes maketh lothsome Thou wilt be glad ô man of manie a morsell after bodilie labour and exercise which thou thoughtest scorne of when thou wert idle and vnoccupied For idlenes breedeth lothsomnes but labor ingendreth hunger which hunger doth make diuerse hard meats maruellous sauourie that lothsomnes made vnsauourie Herbs roots beanes pease crible bread and thin water are lothsome to an idle person but to the labouring man they are delicates and i●nkets So that idlenes is an enimie to the bodie which while it attainteth the mind can not be kept vndefiled 2 The ASSALT giuen by slothfull IDLENES O Man art thou called to be a churchman and to liue deuoutlie in praieng or reading I wish thée to fauour thy selfe and beware of such hurtfull exercises For if thou accustome thy selfe to continuall reading remember the danger depending thervpon Thine eies are but tender and therefore if they should be oppressed with too much looking vpon bookes they would quickly waxe blind Againe if thou vsing deuoutlie to praie shouldest be touched with sorowe and so giue thy selfe dailie to wéeping and shedding of teares what will sooner put out thine eies than that If thou shouldest fast and thereby labour to bring thy flesh into subiection thou wilt be so weake and féeble that before thou be old thou shalt bée faine to go with a staffe If thou shouldest accustome thy selfe ordinarilie to watching why that is such a pestilent thing that in verie short time thy brains waxing light

therevnto To iustifie thy selfe O man the next way is to backbite speake ill of others that none may séeme so good as thy selfe Thou must saie that such a one is a common drunkard a craftie knaue a kéeper of another mans wife a haunter of harlots and if thou perceiue it will be for thy profit spare not thine owne sister or brother to call them by the names of naughtipackes that by reporting of them thus abroad they may growe in contempt and thou increase in credit Sticke not to backbite thy déerest friend if it may be for thine aduantage For to saie the woorst sometime bringeth no small commoditie and manie haue come to shame and reproch by standing to the truth 3 A praier against the former vice O Almightie euerlasting God gouernor of heauen and earth which hast punished euen from the beginning all such as hauing transgressed against thee sought notwithstanding to iustifie themselues by casting a cloud of excuse ouer their offences committed as namelie our great grandfather Adam who when he had done amis complained that the woman deceiued him and she coueting to be blamelesse turned the falt to the serpents subtiltie grant we beseech thee vnto vs an humble hart trulie to confesse our selues before thee fowle offenders and vile abusers of thy goodnes Thy word most manifestlie declareth how horriblie thou dooest hate this offence which by how much it is couered with an excuse by so much it deserueth the sorer punishment taking Saule for an example who most impudentlie defending his fault of disobedience suffered a double punishment euen depriuation of his roialtie and an ignominious or shamefull end And therefore ô Father of mercie take not from vs thy grace and holie spirit least we likewise offending be semblablie plagued Furthermore ô eternall God bicause it is expresselie told vs by thine Apostle Paule that neither whisperers backbiters slanderers nor consequentlie anie sinner shall possesse the kingdome of heauen but shall haue their portion with Satan that old diuell in the lake that burneth with fire brimstone and bicause also thine Apostle Iames likewise teacheth vs that he that slandereth condemneth his brother slandereth and condemneth the lawe roote out therefore we beseech thee ô Lord from our harts that abhominable sin of slander against which thy seruants make such vehement outcries And open our eares wee praie thee ô Father to heare and our harts also to vnderstand and comprehend that good and wholesome counsell of S. Peter willing vs to cast awaie all maliciousnes guile dissimulation enuie slander as new borne babes desiring the sincere milke of thy word that we may growe thereby from grace to grace and taste at length how bountifull thou art to all such as walke in the waie of thy holie will the finall reward whereof is euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our onlie mediator and aduocate Amen 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vertue following THere is a rebuking which is necessarie and a rebuking which is vaine and ridiculous The first causeth amendement if the rebuker be not culpable of the same offence whereof he reprooueth another the other breedeth obstinacie and contempt when the reprehender controlleth his brother for some fault whereof he himselfe is guiltie The first issueth from wisedome the second from follie or rather phrensie As for backbiting whosoeuer vseth it he is a man-queller and the tongue of a backbiter is a venemous viper stinging three at once to death with one deadlie blast It is a sharpe yea a verie sharpe speare which goreth three at once with one mortall wound and it is a two or rather a three edged sword hewing and hacking three at once with one blowe namelie the partie slandered the slanderer himselfe and him that heareth the slander and holdeth his peace 2 The REPVLSE giuen by libertie in rebuking and due correcting O Man thy neighbours offences ought not to bée kept in silence neither must they haue thy consent but as brotherlie loue charitie mooueth thée reprooue thy neighbour to his face and slander him not behind his backe If it be obiected that it is not for thée to rebuke thy brother to his face least therevpon he being mooued and out of patience prooue neuer the better by that kind of correction but be so farre from amending that hée take greater cause of offending heare the holie Scripture thus determining the matter Open rebuke is better than secret loue Againe if thou shalt neglect this Christian dutie and wilt rather choose to slander and misse-report thy brothers fault aggrauating and making it woorse though he be an offender and woorthie of correction than otherwise to reprooue him to his face that he may be ashamed of his sinne and endeuour to amend hearken to the voice of the Prophet speaking vnto thée and saieng Thou satest and spakest against thy brother yea and hast slandered thine owne mothers sonne and this is a sore offence For a man taketh more gréefe and hart-burning by knowing him of whom he is slandered than by séeing and hearing him of whom he is reprooued And bicause the misdéeds of offenders are for a time to be dissembled and kept in secret that in due season they may be reprehended for their faults therefore these words following are set downe These things hast thou done and I held my tongue Furthermore least backbiters and slanderers should growe into an excéeding loue liking of themselues by reason of this discréete silence who couet alwaies rather priuilie and in corners to nick a mans good name and fame than to come foorth in open place and there to charge him with his offence it followeth in these words Thou thoughtest wickedlie that I am euen such a one as thy selfe As if he had said It is a wicked thing to thinke that I am a slanderer and a backbiter bicause I hold my tongue for a time kéepe silence vntill I spie due season and fit choise of place to speake my mind by waie of reprehension Herevpon it followeth by and by I will reprooue thée and set before thée the things that thou hast doon As if he had said Not secretlie after thy vse and custome but openlie according to mine owne maner and fashion I will tarrie a conuenient time when I may throughlie rebuke an offender and charge him with his misdéeds to his face But thou wilt saie O man I doo not hate but loue him whom I thus reprooue priuilie in corners And I saie againe vnto thée O man that thou dooest hate him so much the more and not loue him one iot by how much thou backbitest and neglectest to rebuke him Now what a detestable and accursed thing the slandering of our neighbour is the holie Scriptures in manie places declare as namelie by the mouth of the Prophet Dauid Who so priuilie slandereth his neighbour him will I destroie Againe He that backbiteth his brother backbiteth the lawe Againe He that slandereth backbiteth his brother shall be

such a plaguie and pestilent infection what shall we think thereof if it be found in them that haue taken their fare-well of the world and bequeathed themselues wholie to the Lord To such speciallie are the words of our redéemer Christ directed in the Gospell whereby the sicknes of couetousnes might be cured Be yée not carefull saith our Sauiour what ye shall eate or what ye shall drink or what ye shall weare For after all these things doo the Gentiles séeke But first séeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these things shall be giuen you O blessed lsaeing void of care and woorthie to be imbraced For there is none liuing so frée from care as he which desireth to possesse nothing beside Christ For vnder the condition of this promise he is allowed to haue all such necessaries as he dooth lacke As S. Paule the poore and yet rich Apostle saith As hauing nothing and yet possessing all things All things not for superfluitie but for necessitie as he prooueth in these words Hauing food and raiment let vs be therewith content But thou wilt saie peraduenture O man It is requisite that religious and godlie men should haue more in possession riches I meane and other vtensiles than other priuate housholders considering that they bestowe them better than the common people in reléeuing the poore néedie members of Christ Iesu and such like works of charitie I allow thy saieng O man but yet to pull vp couetousnes by the hard rootes as well out of the harts of the one as the other I refer all estates to the example of Lots wife to terrifie them from setting their minds vpon such a vile sinne Shée departing from among the Sodamites and forbidden to looke backe was turned into a piller of salt and so gaue vp the ghost bicause she did not as she was inioined by commandement Wherevpon Christ giuing a watch-word to beware of the like saith No man putting his hand to the plough and looking behind him is fit for the kingdome of heauen To the same effect S. Peter vseth these words Better were it for such neuer to haue knowne the waie of righteousnes than after the knowledge thereof to be turned from that which was deliuered them by an holie commandement Vnto these men agréeth the old and not so old as true prouerbe A dog returning to his vomit a sow to walowe in the mire The nature of this disease of cocouetousnes is such that the readiest and spéediest waie to ouercome and killir is continuallie to thinke vpon death and euerie minute of an houre to consider what shall be the state of a man verie shortlie after he is laid in his graue This was alwaies fixed fast and déeplie grauen in his memorie that vttered this sentence Man is but corruption and the sonne of man but a woorme This was neuer out of his mind who said whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember the end thou shalt neuer doo amisse To what purpose then dooth the couetous worldling gather goodes They will stand him in no stead in the daie of wrath Harken O man to the voice of Iob Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I go thither againe Listen also to the words of the Apostle we brought nothing into this world neither can we carrie anie thing out of the same 3 A praier for the former vertue O Eternall and immortall God we beseech thee that the life of thy deerlie beloued sonne and his disciples during the time of their soiourning in this earth the verie inne of iniquitie may be prouocations vnto vs to spend the remnant of our flitting age in singlenes of hart innocencie and all vertuous conuersations that hauing before our eies such liuelie examples of godlines we may declare in our deeds a fruitfull imitation of them before the face of all men And bicause it is a true saieng of thy seruant S. Iames that Whosoeuer is a friend to this world is an enimie to God and that of S. Iohn that The whole world is set vpon mischiefe and that of thy Sonne Iesus Christ that The world knoweth thee not neither can receiue the spirit of truth which is the holie Ghost therefore wee most humblie craue this at thy hand ô heauenlie Father that it will please thee to bestowe vpon vs a due portion of thy grace whereby we may growe into a great contempt of the world and a bitter detestation and lothing of the vaine delights thervpon depending following herein the example of thine Apostle Saint Paule who counted the things that were vantage vnto him meere losse for Christs sake yea all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus for whom he esteemed all things little woorth yea he iudged them no better than doong that he might win Christ And although the necessities of this life be so vrgent and manifold that oftentimes the world allureth vs vnto hir loue yet vouchsafe vs of thy mercie the light of sound iudgement and reason that we may hang wholie vpon thy prouidence and vse this world as if we vsed it not knowing that thy sonne our Sauiour and redeemer descended from heauen into the earth was crucified dead buried rose againe and ascended into heauen to the intent that he might deliuer and set vs free from this present wicked world than whom we haue not a deadlier enimie to the saluation of our soules Heare vs for thy mercie sake Amen The fourth Section and 16. Combat 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vice insuing WHAT is a hard hart A hard hart is that onlie which feareth not it selfe bicause it feeleth not it selfe It is euen that which is not pricked with remorse touched with pitie mooued with intreating warned by instruction stirred with threatening but woorse by correction It is vnwilling to doo good vnthankfull for benefits receiued vnfaithfull in keeping counsell cruell in giuing iudgement shameles in committing filthines desperate in dangers rude in mens affairs rash in Gods matters forgetting things past neglecting things present not foreseeing things to come As for vncharitablenes it is void of all pitie it neither clotheth the naked lodgeth the houseles feedeth the hungrie refresheth the thirstie comforteth the sorowfull instructeth the simple forgiueth iniuries forbeareth vengeance or exerciseth so much as one worke of mercie or compassion And therfore wo to the hard-harted wo to the vncharitable For as they haue sowne so shall they reape 2 The ASSALT giuen by hardnes of hart or VNCHARITABLENES O Man it is good thou wert wise and sparing niggardlie and sauing Manie are mooued with mercie at the complaints of the poore and miserable some are pitifull to prisoners some to spitties or hospitals some to schooles and vniuersities some to societies or corporations which reléefe they themselues lacke before they die and learne euen with gréefe of hart what a follie it is to giue a thing which they themselues once had and might

and you burthened but of like condition now at this time your abundance supplieth their want that their abundance also may supplie your want that there may be an equalitie as it is written He that had gathered much had nothing ouer and he that had gathered little had no lacke Herevpon a certaine righteous father admonisheth his vertuous sonne in this sort If thou hast much giue plentifullie but if thou hast little giue also of that little willinglie To the same effect also the word incarnate Iesus Christ I meane saith thus But rather giue almes of those things which you haue and behold all things are cleane vnto you Listen furthermore O man what the scripture saith He shall haue iudgment without mercie which sheweth no mercie To the contrarie whereof the prophet vseth these words Breake thy bread to the hungrie and bring the poore and harbourles into thy house When thou séest one naked couer him and despise not thine owne flesh Remember what heauie doome happened to the rich man in purple and silke who was not condemned bicause hée tooke from other men their owne goods but for that hée gaue not of his plentie abundance to the néedie Was he not tormented in hell and forced there to make euen verie small requests and yet could not obtaine them bicause whiles he liued in this life he denied trifles to the succouries He denied the little crums falling from his table and therefore it was not granted vnto him to haue the tip of his tongue cooled with cold water He would not send his seruants with a little refreshing to the poore beggar and therefore he could not get so much grace as to let his brethren vnderstand his torments for their instruction and amendement But marke O man the seuere sentence of the iust Iudge denounced and thundered out in wrath and vengeance against the wicked goats on his left hand Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels For I was hungrie and you gaue mée no meate and so foorth as followeth in that place verie iustlie and terriblie 3 A praier for the former vertue O Eternall and gratious GOD who by seuere reuengement executed vpon the vnmerciful hast commended vnto vs the contrarie vertue we most humblie beseech thee that the diuine admonition of thy sonne that pitifull Samaritane who cast his eies of compassion vpon the wounded traueller lieng in the high waie betweene Ierusalem and Iericho after that a priest and a Leuite had passed by and ministred vnto him not so much as one little mite of comfort giuen vnto vs in the Gospell may worke effectuallie in our harts namelie to be mercifull as thou our heauenlie Father art mercifull And bicause the sacred Scripture teacheth vs that With what measure we meate vnto others the like they shall meate vnto vs againe vouchsafe that we learning and folowing the sage and sound counsell of Salomon may distribute our temporall riches liberallie with open hand knowing that we shall be recompensed with plentie and may water abundantlie beleeuing that we shalbe rewarded with store of seasonable raine that is for mercie to receiue mercie which thou requirest rather than sacrifice Let the examples of thy seruants and that principallie of Dauid a man according to thine owne harts desire direct vs to the full discharge of our dutie who although he had opportunitie to kill Saule and was thereto incited by the aduise of his warriers had compassion of him notwithstanding refusing to laie his hand vpon the Lords annointed Euen so good gratious God grant vs to deale with our enimies that although they persecute vs most tyrannicallie and most villanouslie intreate vs yet we may put vp all iniuries patientlie praieng for their amendment and referring vengeance vnto thee whose it is by proper challenge Finallie most bountifull Father what gift soeuer thou hast bestowed vpon vs be it either wisdome counsell vtterance knowledge of tongs or other ornament of mind whatsoeuer which anie of our brethren wanting may by the imparting and vsing thereof reape some profit vouchsafe vs that we may be so far from denieng them our helpe and succour that we may be well content to let all that we possesse bee conuerted and turned into their benefit so far foorth as safetie of conscience will suffer and thy glorie allow This grant ô good God for Iesus sake our onelie mediator and aduocate Amen The xvij Combat 1 S. BARNARDS golden sentence of the vice insuing CRaftie and deceitfull dealing commonlie called cousenage is to be abhorred for three notable reasons first bicause it offendeth Gods Maiestie heinouslie in so much that Salomon saith It is an abhomination to the Lord Secondlie bicause it defraudeth and beguileth a mans neighbour with a shew of honest meaning against which default Dauid complaineth saieng Their throte is an open graue they deceiue with their tongs the poison of aspes is vnder their lips againe They haue made their words softer than oile but indeed they are sharpe arrowes Thirdlie bicause the deceiuer is destroied with his owne deceit according to these words Lo he hath trauelled in sinne and brought foorth iniquitie he hath digged a pit and fallen into it himselfe againe Cursed be the deceitfull As for theft we ought to flie from it as from a scorpion and that for three speciall reasons first bicause God forbiddeth vs saieng Thou shalt not steale Secondlie bicause of the danger depending thervpon taught vs in these words He that taketh part with a theefe hateth his owne soule Thirdlie bicause of the punishment belonging therevnto namelie three-fold and foure-fold restitution according to the lawe Leuiticall and losse of life by the sentence of the positiue lawes of sundrie countries besides the plague of al plagues in the world to come fore-told by the mouth of the Apostle that Theeues shall haue no portion in the kingdome of God Where then Euen in hell fire the kingdome of the blacke prince of darknes 2 The ASSALT giuen by craftie collusion deceitfull dealing and theft O Man obserue the course of the time and consider that as euerie one is bent to séeke for his owne aduantage so is it for thée likewise to vse the same libertie Art thou called to be some noble some worshipfull some rich mans steward secretarie chamberline bailie or surueier vse thy place in such sort as thou maist gaine extraordinarilie besides thy wages Art thou in office in citie or countrie Dissemble the faultes of them that are wealthie for rewards and be not too seuere in the execution of lawes and penall statutes For it is commonlie séene that the best Iusticiarie is not best beloued but he that can winke at the offences of such as are of countenance hée carrieth awaie credit and estimation Art thou an artificer an occupier a merchant or of anie kind of trade I counsell thée then to make thy wares though they be starke naught séeme exceeding pure and good be it silke veluet cloth