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
A18066	The voyage of the wandering knight. Deuised by Iohn Carthenie, a Frenchman: and translated out of French into English, by VVilliam Goodyear of South-hampton merchant. A vvorke vvorthie of reading, and dedicated to the Right worshipfull Sir Frauncis Drake, Knight; Voyage du chevalier errant. English	Cartigny, Jean de, 1520?-1578.; Norman, Robert, fl. 1590.; Goodyear, William.	1581 (1581)	STC 4700; ESTC S104901	93,834	138

holy Scripture as well in y e old testament as y e new First Esay saith It is I my selfe It is I my selfe that doth blotte out thine iniquities for mine owne loue sake I will not haue thy sins in remembrance For the loue of me saith he not for the loue of thée meaning my goodnesse and mercie not for the loue of thy merits As if he said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest y t I pardon thy sins for thy merits sake thou art deceiued wallowest in dispaire no no but for my mercy infinit goodnes I remit forgiue Thou hast no cause to dispaire for y e least part of my mercie excéedeth all thy sinnes In an other place he saith by the same Prophet Turne your selues vnto me all the earth and you shall be saued for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these words I am God anie thing els but that God is good mercifull If it be vnpossible but he should be God it is vnpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh vnto euerie one of vs sayeng Let the Infidell leaue his waye and the vniust man his thoughts let them turne to the Lord and he will haue pitie vpō him for he is redy to forgiue By his Prophet Ieremy hée saith to the people of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatrie manie other sinnes neuerthelesse he said Turne Israel thou Rebell vnto me thy Lord and I will not turne my face from thee or as the Hebrew text saith I will not lay mine ire vpon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keepe not mine anger foreuer By the Prophet Ezechiel he sath If the euill man repent him of his sinnes and keepe my commaundemants doing righteously he shal liue and not dye neither will I haue his former offences anie more in remembraunce Doe you thinke saith the LORDE that I delight in the death of a sinner nay rather that hee shoulde turne from his wickednesse and liue Repent you then and you shall liue The Prophet Dauid said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord. What doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their natiuitie and birth vntil their verie death haue hope in the Lord. There is mercy in the Lord and great redemption attendeth vpon him In Ioel it is writtē Turne your selues vnto the Lord with all your heart in fasting praieng weeping sorrow tearing your hearts and not your garments so shall you be turned vnto the Lord your God for he is ful of clemencie mercie great grace slowe to ire redie to forgiue or as the Hebrewe text saith such a one as repents him of euill that is to say is loth to execute the punishment vpon sinners which he hath denounced and threatened Micheas the Prophet sayth What God is there like vnto thee which takest awaie iniquities forgiuest sins for the rest of thine heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for euer but of his compassion mercy wil haue pitie vpon vs. He will put out our iniquities and throw all our sins into the bottome of the sea What sinner is ther that hearing these wordes hath so heauie a heart as to dispaire séeing that God is more readie to forgiue then the sinner to aske forgiuenesse Now let vs come to the new Testament to trie if there be not testimonies to the same effect The sonne of God which is the infallyble truth spake this to Nicodemus God so loued the world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne to the end that whosoeuer beleeued in him shoulde bee saued and not perish but haue euerlasting life God sent not his sonne into the world to condempne the world but to the end the world shuld be saued by him To the Scribes and Pharesies which murmured because he did eate drink among Publicans and sinners Christ said Those that bee whole need not the Phisition but such as be sicke Againe I came not saith the Lord to call the iust but sinners to repentaunce Not as a Iudge but as a Phisition For such as languish in their sinnes came I into the worlde not that they should remaine sinners but to turne them from their sinnes that béeing penitent they might be made righteous Likewise he tolde the Pharesies That the Angells in heauen doe more reioyce in one penitent sinner then in .99 iust persons which needes no repentance God saith Saint Paule spared not his onely sonne for vs but that he shoulde rather die then we be vnpardoned If God spared not his onely sonne to dye for sinners what thing is more worthy and precious vnto him that he should refuse them And therefore the same Apostle speaking of Iesus Christ saith thus We haue not an high priest which cannot haue compassion of our infirmities but such a one as in all points was tempted as well as we sinne excepted Let vs goe then boldly to the seate of grace that we may obteine mercie find grace in time conuenient If I shuld reherse al the places of the Scripture to this effect the time would faile me Thus we sée thē none hath cause to distrust y e goodnes of God or to dispaire of the greatnesse of his sins seeing that God hath made so many faire promises to pardon the penitent sinner there be many examples in the olde new testament of the performance of Gods promises as namely to Dauid who committed both adultrie murther he euen he by sorrowing for his offences and crieng Peccaui obteined mercy and pardon of all his wickednesse Manasses the son of Ezechias restored the false worship of God which his father had defaced of an euill zeale to infidelitie he himselfe offered vp his own children in fire for sacrifice He persecuted the Prophets slew innumerable innocents amongst all which he caused the Prophet Esay to be sawne in péeces In the end he was takē by the enimies and lead captiue to Babilon But when he was in his extremitie he acknowledged his offences asked forgiuenesse of God of whom he was receiued into fauour restored to his kingdome againe The people of Niniue whom God threatened by y e Prophet Ionas vtterly to destroy for y e multitude for their sins they repented praid so God forgaue them The Samaritane also the Cananite notwithstanding their horrible sins when they asked God mercy he forgaue them Mathew Zachee diuers other publicans vpon their repētaunce were receiued into fauour Peter y t denied his Maister thrée times gaue himself to the diuell if he knew him whē he wept bitterly for his sins he was receiued into mercy The theefe also vpon the crosse being at point of death euē this fellow who liued vppon nothing but robberie manslaughter all his life time acknowledged his hainous sins asking pardon God

Repentaunce taketh hir beginning at loue or at feare This question cannot be decided in fewe wordes but to be short I saye it may beginne at both For true Repentaunce being a worke of God he may beginne it as he lyst But when it comes from loue it is not ordinarie or common but meruailous Looke vpon the conuersion of Saint Paule of S. Mathew and the Theefe But ordinarily ●o GOD beginnes Repentaunce in vs by feare as in the third Booke of the Kings when he commaunded Helias to come out of his caue to remaine in the Mount before the Lord and a mightie strong winde passed by that rent the high hills and ragged Rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde After that came an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake After that came a fire but the Lord was not in the fire After that came a softe sounde wherein the Lord was In such sort God sendes to sinners a winde of terrour to breake the mightie Mountaine of pride the heart more harde then the rocke After that comes the troubling of the soule after that comes the conscience grudging the hart of the sinner and accusing him of his euill life but yet the Lord is not there with his quickening Grace Neuerthelesse these be forerunners to prepare the way of the Lord. For when the peruerse will of man is mortified by seruile feare and led almost to hell after comes the swéete sound of Gods grace which reuiueth the soule saieng Lazarus come forth This is the voice that giueth consolation at the hearing whereof we may be bold to depart in peace with assurance of remission of our sinnes But it séemes that Repentance began first in the Knight at loue and that miraculously for he being in the filth of his sinne sodainly by Gods prouidence confessed his folly and loathing his lewde lyfe he required helpe and succour of Gods grace who presently assisted him and brought him out of the sinke of sinne But this manner of conuersion is not ordinarily vsed There are indéede certeine forerunners to the iustifieng of sinners which prepare the way to Gods reuiuing or quickening grace and offereth vnto God a renewed spirit and a pure and vpright heart which manner of conuersion godly people onely doe vse And héereof meaneth the Knight to speake purposing also to shew how it digresseth from Gods grace When Repentaunce had thus apparailed me with haire sackcloth I was set vpon a stoole then Gods grace appeared vnto me with two women one man which was a preacher Now one of the women held in hir right hand a sharp pricking yron rod called the gnawing of y e conscience and in hir left hande she had a red booke whereat I was affraid For as she beheld me my thought she threatened me The other woman was curteous milde and gentle holding in hir right hand a booke of golde couered with pearles and she was called Remembrance Gods grace placed Conscience on my left hand and Remembraunce on my right hand the Preacher Repentaunce and her Damselles about me and then commanded Conscience to open the red booke which when I perceiued and sawe the wordes written with bloud declaring all my offences with tormentes vnto them belonging for my following of Folly I was amazed and became speachlesse Then Conscience with hir yron rod toucht me prickt mee yea pearced my heart and cried aloud vnto me saieng Behold thou wretch view this booke thou shalt sée how thou hast liued euen against God and contrarie to right and reason Thou hast bene a proud arrogant ambitious spitefull at others prosperitie a prolonger of time wrathfull a backbiter iniurious traiterous hatefull couetous of gold more then of God gluttonous wanton shamelesse a stewes haunter giuen to all vices hast transgressed al the commandements of God leading a loathsome life denieng God swearing and blaspheming his name an hainous offender a false witnesse bearer a lyar a desirer of other mens goods disobedient to parents cursing them and wishing their death Furthermore thou hast had neither faith nor hope in God but rather in the force riches honour and friendship of thy kinred with their authoritie I cannot recken vp the rest of thy sinnes for they are vncountable Uerie little care hast thou had of Christs merites or of thy own soules helth but alwaies yéelding to Voluptuousnesse filthines iniquitie When Conscience had thus accused me sorrow for sin fel bitterly a wéeping and oftentimes stroke her brest Then Conscience shewed me what torments I had deserued for following voluptuous affections and for louing them better then God Thou oughtest sayd she to burne in hell fire that neuer quencheth to be nipped with tormēts both of body and soule for euer more Thy laughinges shall be turned to wéeping thy ioye to sorrowe thy songs to cryes yea what paines can be named but thou art like perpetually to suffer thē without hope of redemptiō For this is the due reward of worldly Felicitie and following Folly Bethinke thée now and tell me if it be in thy power to rid thée from these gréeuaunces Hearing my conscience thus speak my thought I sawe hell open to swallowe me vp and with sorrowfull sadnesse I fell to the ground before Gods grace speachlesse but she had compassion vpon me and bad me rise the which I did though halfe in dispaire and to recomfort me shée opned the booke which Remembraunce held in her hand BY COMMAVNDEMENT OF GODS GRACE Remembraunce read to me the goodnesse of God with his promises made to repentaunt sinners The fift Chapter AFter Remembraunce had opened her booke I perceiued the letters were of golde and Azure conteining the great goodnesse and infinit mercie of God to repentaunt sinners with faire promises annexed thervnto Then at commaundement of Gods grace Remembraunce read out of that booke vnto me in this manner S. Paule writing to the Romaines saith Where sinne hath abounded grace hath more abounded He that mistrusteth the mercye of God mistrusteth God to be mercifull and in so dooing he doth God great iniurie For he denieth God to be Loue Truth and Power wherein consisteth all the hope of poore sinners For of his great loue he sent his onely son to take mans nature vpon him in the world that in the same he might suffer death vpon the Crosse for the remission of sinnes Consequently he promised for the loue of his sonne remission and pardon to all poore sinners so often as they require it in faith with a heauy and sorrowfull heart Now God is as true of his promises as he is of power able to performe thē And as he is of power so will he doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him God wil pardon sinners their sins Who then can let him from doing it To whom God pleaseth or hath promised to pardon their sinnes he forgiueth The truth héereof is written in plaine wordes shewed by examples in many places of the

cōuerted Whē thou séest a sinner openly led to his last end to lose his life by law know y t thou stādest a sinner before god as wel as he although before the world thou be estéemed better The life and death of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ is a glasse for all faithfull Christians to looke in Wherefore with a good deuotion lead thou an holye life by his example take paines to follow his humilitie his sobrietie his chastitie his goondnesse his charitie his patience his compassion and all his other vertues Ther is no schoole wherein a Christian maye so well learne to liue well as in the contemplation of Christs life conuersation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as death iudgement hell heauen perseuer in praier in goodnes to the death so thou shalt please God not be loth to dye Remember the end saith y e wise thou shalt neuer sin thou must often pray deuoutly to God whē thou wilt so do thou must draw thy selfe from all affaires For praier is a lifting vp of the hart to God and a priuate speach or communication of the soule with God If it be so were there any reason that a man shuld withdraw his cogitations from God or rather all outward busines put apart with all reuerence to submit thy soule before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbiddē in all our affairs to pray sing psalmes to Gods glorie and oftentimes with teares to saie the Lordes praier or anie other praier to that effect And heere by the way thou must vnderstand that the longest praier is not most profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations thoughts rising in the minde Besides that they must be deuout for the praiers which are done with deuotion with loue humilitie of the hart doth profit most as for all other praiers they are vaine and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Chananite said O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me it is enough Againe be not curious of thy tongue or fine in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if vnfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anne Samuels mother True it is and no lesse fitte that both tongue and heart shoulde praise God and therefore be circumspect in thy praiers lest thou be reproued as our Lord reproued some saieng You knowe not what you aske In the first parte of thy Prayer thou askest Gods Kingdome according to Gods doctrine and also his Iustice. Then thou askest in thy prayer that God be knowen honoured glorified of all that his wil be done in all accomplished in all as well of men in Earth as of Angells in Heauen Thou askest increase of Faith Hope and Charitie remission of sinnes the grace of God and his glorie Worldly goods superfluously thou oughtest not to aske but necessarily to liue and with a measure for thy bodely health and for the succour of the néedie If thou be sicke poore or in aduersitie thou maist aske health riches or prosperitie so it be done to Gods glorie But if thine afflictions doe more aduaunce Gods glory then thy prosperitie doeth yéelding thy will to GODS will thou oughtest to aske patience and saie with a meeke heart Lord thy will bee done and not mine Euermore haue the feare of GOD before thine eyes iudgeing and condempning thy selfe for thy sinne and thou shalt not be iudged nor condempned of God Let no sinne so raigne in thée as to depriue thee of Gods grace and to tumble thée to eternall death Better it is to dye in trouble without sinne then to liue in prosperitie in sinne and better it is to loose thy life for Gods cause then to liue at ease and loose God and thy life too If thy senses be inclined to sinne be not dismaid for ther is a God to whom if thou pray will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted aske for helpe at God saieng O God make speede to saue me O Lord make hast to helpe me Lord God leaue me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Doe what thou canst to resist the Diuell and he shall goe from thée approch to God by Faith and he will drawe néere vnto vs by his spirite If the Diuell assault thée defie him and make thy mone to our Sauiour saieng Lord helpe me and he will helpe thee Doe thou thine indeuour and assure thy selfe that God wil make thée strong he will aide thée he will ease thée and in the end will set thee free from all vexations placing thée in the heauen of heauens the portion and inheritaunce of his seruaunts To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost be all glorie honour and praise worlds without end Amen ¶ THE AVTHORS PERORATION OR Conclusion to the deuout readers or hearers The xij Chahter The xij Chapter I Thanke almightie God of his goodnes that I am come to the ende of the voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou maist vnderstand that in following Folly and vaine Voluptuousnesse he forsooke God to the preiudice and hurt of his soule yea to the daunger of euerlasting damnation Héere thou maist learne that al voluptuous worldlings are the very subiects of Satan and that earthly goods and worldly pleasure shal quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemencie God vsed to him drawing him by his Grace from the sinke of sinne wherein he was sunke how he was led to the place of Repentance and from thence to the Pallaice of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord graunt vs to lande where he is landed euen in the lande of promise promised to the Elect. And now to conclude I beséech your good courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and to lay nothing to my charge in the waye of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemne but to speak well and esteeme of this my worke and to vse it for thy benefite and edification for the which ende I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian loue and charitie that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Pallaice to perseuer and continue there to the ende humbling your selues before God and alwaies trusting vnto his goodnesse not vnto your owne strength or merites acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whome you haue that you haue Let all your confidence be in his mercie and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any féele and perceiue himselfe out of Vertues Pallaice by meanes of worldly vanities let him consider the great perill he is in and spéedely tourne to repentaunce with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly to the merites and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sinnes which if he doe he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercie And now I beseech our Lord God to giue vs all grace to do according vnto that which heere is spoken for otherwise of our selues it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agréeable vnto his holy wil we may in the end after the voyage which we haue to passe in this world sée and enioye possesse and haue the full fruition of that glorious Citie of Paradise where true blessednesse and perfect felicitie dwelleth euen in the habitation of God almightie vnto whom be all honor glory power dominion for euermore Amen FINIS GLORIE TO GOD. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East Pro. 11. Eccle. 32. Mat. 12. Luke 6. Gen. ●● The beginning of Idolatrie Ninus the sonne of Bell and third king of Babilō Exo. 32. Trabeta vvādred a long time like a vagabond from coūtry to coūtrie Berosus Exo. 1. Exo. 14. Nu. 16. 1. Kin. 21.26.31 2. Ki● 1.12 Kin. 13.11 4. Kin. 12. 3. Kin. 18 21. Iohn 1. Iames. 4 Luke 6. Mat. 7. Eph. 4. Repentance cōmeth by loue and feare Act. 9. Luc. 23. 3. King 19 Esay 45. Esay 35 Ezechi 18 Ioel. 2. Micheas 7 Iohn 3. Luke 15. Rom. ● Heb 4. Chron. 33. Luke 7 Iohn 4. Act. 9. Tim. 1. Psal. 93. Psal. 93. Rom. 6. Esa. 61. Psa. 80. 2. Cor. 7. Esay 66. VVis 7. Cor. 3. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Rom. ● Iere. 17. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn ● Iohn 14 Psa. 41. Ioel. 1. Iohn 17. Mat. 24. Mat. 18. Eccle. 7 Luc. 18. Mat. 17 Ezo 1. 1. Kin. 1. Mat. 20 Mat. 5.

forgaue him yea he obteined more then he required For Christ said vnto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise This is Gods propertie euen to giue of his liberalitie more then men doe or can aske S. Paul was a blasphemer a persecutor of Gods church yet he receiued mercy God hath set downe such persons as exāples for sinners to y e end they should not doubt of his mercy to teach them y t he doth not pardon offences for y e merits of y e sinners which are starke naught euen when they are best but for his mercies sake which is aboue all his works For so to imagine of mens merits is destructiō if any thing be ascribed vnto merits then for y e merits of his son Iesus Christ for his bitter passion sake Let this be the conclusion that albeit y e sinner hath committed as many sinnes as there be drops of water in the sea or sands on the sea shore yet he hath no cause to dispaire For though they be neuer so monstrous manifold yet the mercy of God doth infinitly exceed them For his mercy consumes them sooner then the fierce fire doth burne vp the dry Toe When I heard lady Remembraunce read these words I toke hart at grasse recited a place written in y e Psalms of Dauid According to the multitude of the griefes sorrows of my heart thy consolations haue refreshed my soule And then falling on my knées holding vp my hands with sorowful countenaunce confidence of heart resting wholly vpon the mercies and promises of God the merits of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ. I most humbly desired pardon for my sins at the hands of Gods grace Upon which vnfeined confession of mine offences heart griefe handmaids of perfect Repentance fore-runners to the purpose I receiued by the meanes of Gods grace the benefit of the death passion of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with the father the holy Ghost be all honour glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ A SERMON VVHICH VNDERSTANDING THE good Hermit made vnto the knight vpon the History of Marie Magdalene The sixt Chapter IN the name of y e father of the son of the holy Ghost Amen The great goodnes vnspeakable mercie which hath ben vsed in al ages times of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ towards all poore sinners are in many places of the Gospel made manifest cleerly notified but chiefly in y e vii of Luke Wherin mention is made of a sinful woman lewd of life ill of name contemned despised abhorred of men whom swéet Iesus did not onely receiue to fauour but also by inward secret inspiration drew her to repentance how in what sort heare vnderstand The Gospell saith y t ther was a Pharesie furnished with false faith misled with a vaine opinion of holinesse he was a great doctour of law a renowmed Iusticiarie howbeit weak in faith yet verie high minded When our sauiour had one day preached instructed the people by his diuine holy doctrine exhorting poore sinners to turne to God by repentance vttering many parables and similitudes as the prodigall child the lost sheepe such like what else doth he declare signifie but y t he is inclined to compassion readie to haue mercie to receiue into fauour all repentant sinners The proud Pharesie praied him to come into his house to dine with him The good Lord which had taken vpon him mans nature and was borne for y e saluation of all denied not this proud fellows request neither refused to enter into his house although hée was ambitious but down at y e table sat y e son of God made man for y e saluatiō of men He was conuersant among men he did eate drink with men he offred himselfe a helper to euery one shewing vnto al his goodnes without exception of any Now he being set at y e table ther came one vnto him in shape like a woman but in courage a man who by the bruite of the whole Citie was counted a greate sinner and very il reported of y e world such a one indéed as euery body mocked pointed at with their fingers But yet in the sight of God she was in great honour not because she was an hainous sinner but because she was predestinated elected of God from y e beginning to reigne with him in his heauenly kingdome This woman hearing by report the renowne of our redéemer that he shewed himselfe swéete and bountiful to all sinners defending them against the malitious slaunders mocks of the proud and arrogant Pharesies promising to euery one that beleeued in him the kingdome of heuen this woman was inspired both outwardly and inwardly by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ to sée heare him preach Thē did she by outward speach expresse how she was inwardly affected moued in minde séeing her soule sore sicke diseased her heart full of iniquitie and sinne her conscience defiled with all kinde of vice her selfe frustrate and void of all hope of health deuising how to recouer this malady adressed her selfe to séeke him who is the onely Surgeon of all sicke soules she sought for grace at the Well of mercie and though she was a shamefull sinner yet she was receiued of him which came into the world to saue sinners She came not pompeously araied nor yet came with a train she came alone and not emptie handed For she brought with her a boxe full of most pretious ointment of a swéete smell representing the Faith Hope and Charitie lodged in her heart What could this be but the swéete smell of vertue For what represented the boxe of Alabaster stone but holy faith founded vpon the true cornerd stone Iesus Christ wherin is conserued all vertues without which it is vnpossible to please God Came she alone being accompanied w t Faith Hope Charitie Humilitie Repētāce She entred y e house vncalled wher was her phisition putting a part al shame which leadeth to perdition together with the mockes of the proud Pharesies which sat at the table she craued comfort and health for her sicke soule acknowledging her griefe and y t being certein he to whom she came had power to help hir Unto this phisition she could not haue come w tout faith she was not so bold hardy as to look Iesus in y e face but fel at his féete vpon hir knées lamentably weeping and with the floude of hir teares washing his féete and wiping and drieng them with hir hairie looks Then she kissed them and with hir precious ointment she anoynted them All this while hir voice was not heard but hir heart spake vnto the true Sonne of God saieng I haue no need to declare with my tongue my inward griefes or to expresse the cause of my