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
A06436	Of prayer, and meditation Wherein are conteined fovvertien deuoute meditations for the seuen daies of the weeke, bothe for the morninges, and eueninges. And in them is treyted of the consideration of the principall holie mysteries of our faithe. Written firste in the Spanishe tongue by the famous religious father. F. Lewis de Granada, prouinciall of the holie order of preachers in the prouince of Portugall.; Libro de la oración y meditación. English	Luis, de Granada, 1504-1588.; Hopkins, Richard, d. 1594?	1582 (1582)	STC 16907; ESTC S100761	342,485	696

For in readinge or meditatiō the vnderstādinge discourseth with litle labour wheresoeuer it thinketh good But when we talke vnto almightie God then the vnderstandinge mounteth vp on highe and after it followeth also the will and then hath a man commonly on his parte greater deuotion and attention and greater feare and reuerence of the maiestie of almightie God with whō he speaketh and withall an humble and feruent desire of the thinge which he demaundeth of him And this mouinge and liftinge vp of the spirite with all these actes of vertues accompanienge it doe leaue the sowle in a more noble state and better edified than anie other discource whatsoeuer it be as euerie man maie perceyue by experience in him selfe For it is euidēt that in the discource of meditation there is none other thinge but onely a godly inquisition and cōsideration of spirituall thinges the which as it is an acte of the vnderstandinge so is it of litle profite or commoditie but in the deuour praier there is made a concurrence and generall assemblie in a maner of all vertues and with there winges the sowle lifteth it selfe vp on high and attayneth to be ioyned and vnited with almightie God And althoughe this spirituall communication and conference with almightie God be the best poynte of all the exercises of prayer yet emonge all the communications with him the best and most profitable is the communication of loue at such time as we be actually louinge of almightie God and praisinge him and desiringe him with great instancie and most earnest desires to graunt vs that we maye loue him For sithence Charitie is the greatest of all vertues there is nothinge more acceptable vnto almightie God nor more pleasant and profitable to a man than the vse practice and exercise of this so excellent a vertue This the holie fathers doe calle the exercise of aspiringe vnto the loue of God And to this ende were meditation and praier and all other good exercises ordeyned And therefore it is geuen for a generall rule vnto all such as doe praie that they labour and endeuour so much as lyeth in them to lifte vp their spirite vnto this diuine communication which is to speake and treate with almightie God him selfe and espetiallie concerninge his loue and the exercises of aspiringe vnto him And for this cause it shall doe well to leaue this petition of the loue of God vntill the ende of all the exercise of prayer and so to reserue the best wyne for the ende of this bankette to the intent that when a man is come to the ende of his iourney he maie staie him selfe herein so longe as he listeth Howbeit it shall not be amisse both to beginne and ende with this petition of the loue of God whensoeuer the holie Ghost shall open him a waye and direct him vnto the same Moreouer I thinke it meete here to geue this aduertisement that in all such thinges as we shall demaunde we doe alledge alwaies in our behalfe the merites of Iesus Christ our onelie and trewe Sauiour who as the Apostle saiethe Is our iustice wisedome sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 Vpon his merites we ought principally to staie our confidence And his merites we ought to present before the diuine maiestie reckeninge them and offeringe them one by one vnto the heauenly father and takinge as S. Bernarde saiethe out of that treasure all such thinges as are necessarie for vs. For this is that Lorde that hath sanctified and offered him selfe in sacrifice to the intent that we might be holie in deede Rom. 8.31 Wherefore If God be for vs who shal be against vs If God iustifie vs who shall condemne vs Act. 10.43 This is he saieth S. Peter of whom all the Prophetes beare witnes that by him is obteined pardon and remission of sinnes So that in the vertue and name of this Lorde we ought to take a good harte and courage with vs when we goe to make our prayers to almightie God and haue this confidence that whatsoeuer we shall dewlie demaunde by him shal be graunted vnto vs. For the principall condition that our petition must haue that it maye be effectuall before almightie God Iacob 1.6 is as S. Iames saieth to make the same with faith and confidence And this confidence must not be grounded principallie vpon our owne selues whereupō our confidence must be grounded when we make petition vnto almightie God nor vpō our owne workes and merites but vpon the workes and merites of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and iointly therewith vpon the infinite goodnes and mercie of almightie God which cā neuer be ouercome with anie kinde of sinne or iniquitie and besides this our cōfidence must be also grounded vpon the trueth of the wordes and promises of almightie God who hath promised in all the holie scriptures neuer to faile that man that with all his harte shall conuerte him selfe vnto him and calle vpon him and repose his trust and confidence in him And albeit he that prayeth hath bene vntill that time neuer so great and haynous a sinner yet let him not therefore be desmayde S. Ierome for as S. Ierome saith our sinnes past doe not condemne vs if we take no delighte in them Whereby it appeareth that they be deceyued that in consideringe their owne defectes and weakenes doe mistrust that almightie God will not heare them Note the principall foundatiōs of our confidence in prayer Psalm 90.5 and they doe not consider that the principall foundations of this confidence are the merites of our Sauiour Christ and the mercie of almightie God and the trueth of his holie worde which as the Prophet saieth is a sheelde vnto them that put their trust in him CERTAIN ADVISES TO BE OBSERVED IN THESE FIVE partes aboue named and espetially in Meditation CAP. X. HAVINGE now spoken of the principall partes of prayer I thinke it conuenient to geue certain aduises and instructions which ought to be obserued in them all and espetially in meditation whereof we minde to treate principally in this place The first aduise that in our meditation we must not for the obseruinge of our ordinarie cowerse put awaye from vs anie other good thowghte or consideration wherein we finde more deuotion § I. THE first aduise is concerninge the matter of meditation that although it be well done for a man to obserue these spetiall pointes of meditation accordinge as they be here before deuided by the daies of the weke for to exercise him selfe in thē yet if in the middest of his waie there be offered vnto him anie other consideration wherein he findeth more sweitnes or profit he ought not to put the same awaie from him to fulfill his ordinary taske For it standeth not with reason that we shoulde extinguishe the light which the holie Ghost hath begonne to geue vs in any good thought for to occupie ourselues in an other thought wherein perhappes the same light shall not be

to kinge Ioram the sonne of Achab. Who when he had spente and emploied all his lyfe in the seruice and worshippinge of Idols and came in the time of his necessitie to the Prophet of God requestinge him of helpe and remedie 4. Reg. 3.13 the holie Prophet answered and saide O kinge Ioram what hast thou to doe with me Get thee hence to the Prophettes of thy father whēsoeuer a synner earnestlie repenteth and cōuerteth trewlie vnto God he will forgeue and receiue him but fewe sicke persons that haue liued dissolutelie doe so but if they recouer there health doe retorn ordinarielie againe to their former wicked lyfe Esa 57.13 At the hower of our deathe we wishe that we had more time to doe penance for our synnes and mother and desier them to helpe thee at this tyme. O how manie of vs doe followe this wicked kinge both in our life and death In our lyfe we serue the worlde and at the point of death we calle vpon almightie God What answere maie we looke to haue at that dreadfull howre but euen the same that he hath alreadie geuen in the like case Which is what hast thou to doe with me sith thou diddest neuer seruice vnto me Get thee hence to thy counsellors whom thou hast folowed and to thy idols whom thou hast loued serued and adored and speake vnto them to geue thee thy wages for thy seruice When yee shall crie saieth almightie God by his Prophet Esaie let them that yee haue gathered together deliuer you but the winde shall take them all awaie At this time the sicke man beginneth to wishe that he might haue some space to doe penance for his former wicked lyfe And he thinketh then with himselfe that if he might obteyne it ô how he woulde fast and praie and doe great worckes of mercie Yea he woulde not contente him selfe with euerie common kinde of penāce but woulde liue the most straite and austere kinde of lyfe of all men in the worlde But alas when he perceiueth by the encreasinge of his sicknes that his request will not be graūted and calleth to minde what time opportunitie and meanes he hath had to prepare himselfe for this dreadful howre ād how fondly he hath suffered the same to passe in vaine then is he wonderfullie greiued and vexed for this losse and acknowledgeth him selfe to be well worthie of such punnishement for that he woulde not be mindfull beforehande of his dreadfull accompt but omitted to doe penance for his synnes when he had time and space to doe it O vnto how manie of vs doth it happen to be beguiled after this sorte spēdinge and consuminge the time which almightie God hath geuen vs to doe penance for our sinnes in vanities and pleasures and afterwardes when we stande in most neede of it we wante it A verie apt similitude And so it happeneth vnto vs as it doth commonlie to the pages and seruitours in the Cowert who beinge alowed a candle to light them selues to bedde doe spende their candle in plaie all the night and afterwardes are constrained to goe to bedde darkelinge OF THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME Vnction And of the agonie of death Infirmatur quis in vobis inducut pr●sbitoros ecclesiae et orent sup●r 〈◊〉 v●gentes cum oleo in domini Jac. cap. 5. vers 14. § VI. The Catholicke Churche helpethe her childrē at the hower of their deathe with prayers ād Sacramentes NOw approcheth the sicke person to his last ende and the Catholike Church as a verie louinge and pittiefull mother beginneth then to helpe her Children with praiers and Sacramentes and with all the meanes she maie possiblie doe And because his necessitie is so great for at that instant it shal be determined what shall become of him for euer and euer greate hast is made to calle vpon all the Sainctes in heauen that they all will helpe the sicke mā in this his great perill and daunger For what other thinge is the Letanye which then by commandement of the Church is to be saied ouer him that is at the poynt of death but that the Catholicke Churche as a pittifull mother beinge verie carefull for the daunger of her sicke childe knocketh at all the gates of heauen and cryeth vnto all the Sainctes desiringe them to be intercessors before the diuine maiestie for the saluation of him that standeth now in so great neede of their helpe at the time of his passinge out of this worlde The Preiste then annoyntethe all the senses and members of the sicke person Then the Preist out of hande annointeth all the senses and members of the sicke person with the holie Oyle accordinge as the holie Scripture commaundeth in the Epistle of S. Iames. cap. 5. vers 14. And desireth almightie God to pardon the sicke person all that he hath offended by any of his senses And then annointinge his eies he saieth Almightie God by this Vnction and of his diuine mercie pardon thee all the sinnes that thou hast committed by meanes of thine eies And in this wise he annointeth all the other partes of the sicke person Now if the miserable sinner haue bene dissolute in his eies or in his tōge or in anie other of his bodelie senses If all his former dissolute disorders and wanton pleasures be represented vnto him at that time in such sorte that he seeth well what litle fuite he is lyke to finde then by all his former delightes and pleasures If he perceiue withall into what a narrowe strait he is brought by meanes of his wicked and licentious life how can he chose but feele an extreme angwish and griefe therewith What woulde he geue at that time trowe yee that he had neuer lifted vp his eies from the grownde to beholde anie woman with anie wanton looke and that he had neuer opened his mowth to speake anie wordes of lyenge slaunder detraction or anie other wicked worde Of the agonie of deythe After this followe the panges and agonie of death which is suerlie the greatest of all the conflictes we haue in this lyfe Then is the holie Candle lighted and his friendes and executors beginne to prouide his wyndinge sheete and other thinges for his funerals Then they beginne to faie to the sicke man that the hower of his departure out of this worlde is now come and therefore they counsell him to recommende himselfe vnto almightie God and call vpon the holie virgin Marie his blessed Mother who is wonte at that hower to helpe all them that calle vpon her Then the sicke man beginneth to heare the woefull cries and pittiefull lamentations of his poore wife who now presently beginneth to feele the discommodities of her newe widowhode and solitarie lyfe Then the sowle of the sicke man is readie to departe frō the bodie and at the time of hir goinge euerie one of his members is sore grieued and vexed therewith Then are the cares of the sowle renewed a freshe Then is the

ponnished with whippes and scourges Certainlie I doe beleue that all the orders of angells were wholie amased and astonished when they behelde this so strange and wonderfull sight and that they adored and acknowledged the vnspekeable goodnes of almightie God which was verie manifestlie discouered vnto them in this acte Luc. 2. Wherefore if they filled the aier with highe lawdes and praises vpon the daie of his natiuitie when as yet they had seene nothinge els but onelie the swadlinge clowtes and the manger where he was layde What did they now trow ye when they behelde him so villainouslie ād most cruellie whipped and scourged at the pillar Consider thou therefore o my sowle vnto whom this busines apperteyneth much more than to the angelles Consider I saye how much more oughtest thou to be inwardly moued in thy verie hart with this so wonderfull and most pietifull dolefull sight of thy sweite sauiour and to acknowledge vnto him much more humble thanckes and prayses for his so passinge great loue shewed hereby vnto thee Goe now therefore and enter with thy spirite into Pilates concistorie and carrie with thee great store of teares in a readines which in that place shal be verie nedefull to bewaile such thinges as there thou shalt both heare and see Consider on the one side with what rudenes those cruell and blouddie tormentors doe strippe our Sauiour of his garmentes and see on th' other syde with what humilitie he suffereth himselfe to be stripped by them neuer so much as once openinge his mowthe or answeringe one worde to so manie despitefull scoffes and blasphemous speaches as they vttered there against him Consider also what hast they make to bynde that holie bodie to a pillar that beinge fast bounde they might fetche theire full strookes more at pleasure and stryke him where and how they list Consider how the Lorde of angelles standeth there post alone emonge so manie cruell tormentors hauinge on his parte neither frynde nor acquaintance to entreate or defende him from iniurie no not so muche as eies to take compassion vpon him Marcke now with what furious crueltie they beginne to discharge theire whippes and scourges vpon his most tender fleshe and how they laie on lasshes vpon lasshes strookes vpon strookes and woundes vpon woundes There mightest thou see that sacred bodie swollen with wheales all blacke and blewe the skinne rented and torne the blowde gusshinge out and streaminge downe on euerie side throwghout all partes of his bodie But aboue all this what a pittiefull sight was it to beholde that so greate and deepe open wounde that was geuen him vpon the shoulders where chieflie all theire lashes and strookes did light Verelie I am perswaded that that wounde was so large and deepe that if they had laid on a little longer they had discouered the white bones betwene the blouddie fleshe and made an ende of his holie life at the pillar before he had come to the Crosse To be short they so strooke and rente that most amyable and bewtifull bodie they so boude him and laid on such loode of strypes and lasshes vpon him they so tormented and filled his blessed bodie with most cruell strookes and woundes that he had now cleane lost the forme ād shape he had before yea and to saie further they so fowlie disfigured him that he scarselye seemed to haue the shape of a man Consider now o my soule in what a dolefull plight that goodlie and bashefull yonge man stoode there beinge as he was in that pittiefull case so euill intreated so reprochefullie vsed and set out so nakedlie to the vtter shame of the worlde Beholde how that most tender and bewtifull fleshe yea euen the flower of all fleshe is there most cruellie rente and torne in all partes of it The lawe of Moyses cōmaunded that malefactors shoulde be beaten with whippes Deut. 25 and that accordinge to the qualitie of theire offences so shoulde the nomber of the lasshes be Howbeit with this condition that they shoulde neuer passe fowertie lasshes to the ende saieth the lawe that thy brother fall not downe before thee fowlie torne and mangled seeminge to the lawe maker that to exceede this nōber was a kinde of punishement so cruell that it coulde not stande with the lawes of brotherlie loue But against thee o good Iesus that diddest neuer breake the lawe of iustice were broken all the lawes of mercie yea and that in such sorte that in steede of fowertie lasshes they gaue thee fiue thowsande and aboue as manie holie fathers do testifie If then a bodie woulde seeme so fowlie beraied beinge scourged not passinge with fowertie strypes in what plight was thy bodie my sweete Lorde and sauiour beinge scourged with aboue fiue thowsande strypes O ioye of the angelles and glorie of the sainctes who hath thus disfigured thee Who hath thus defiled thee with so manie spottes beinge the verie glasse of innocencie The loue and mercie of our Sauiour towardes vs moued him to suffer suche cruell paynes Certaine it is o Lorde that they were not thy sinnes but myne not thy robberies but myne that haue thus euill intreated thee It was euen loue and mercie that compassed thee abowte and caused thee to take vpon thee this so heauie a burden Loue was the cause why thou diddest bestowe vpon me all thy benefittes and mercie moued thee to take vpon thee all my miseries Wherefore if loue and mercie haue caused thee to enter into these so cruell and terrible conflictes Who can now stande in dowte of thy loue If the greatest testimonie of loue be to suffer paines for the beloued what els are each one of thy paines but a seuerall testimonie of thy loue What ' els are all these woundes of thyne but as it were certeine heauenlie voyces Eche one of our sauiours paynes be a seuerall testimonie of his loue towardes vs. that doe all preache and proclaime vnto me thy loue all require me to loue thee againe And if the testimonies be so manie as the strypes and blowes were that thou sufferedst for my sake who can then put anie dowte in the proofe beinge as it is so playnelie auowched ād proued by so manie witnesses What meaneth then this incredulitie of myne that is not yet conuinced with so manifolde and so great argumentes S. Iohn the Euangelist wondered at the incredulitie of the Iewes Ioan. 12. for that our Lorde wrowght so manye miracles emonge them for confirmation of his doctrine and they neuerthelesse woulde not beleue in him O holie Euangeliste wonder no more at the incredulitie of the Iewes but rather at myne Forsomuch as to suffer paines is no lesse argument to cause me to beleue the loue of Christe than is the worckinge of miracles to cause me to beleue in Christe If then it be a greate wonder that after so manie miracles wrowghte by our sauiour Christe his wordes are not yet beleued how muche more wonderfull is it that hauinge suffered for our