Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	miserable_a	sinner_n	6,143	5	8.8461	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05358	An excellent and learned treatise of apostasie made by the most reuerend and godly learned man M. Iohn de l'Espine minister of the word of God in the churche of Angers in the dukedome of Anjou. Directed against the apostates in the churches of France. Written first in the French tongue by the author him selfe, and now faithfully translated into English. The contentes of the booke appeare in the page following; Traité de l'apostasie. English.	L'Espine, Jean de, ca. 1506-1597.	1587 (1587)	STC 15511A; ESTC S106904	98,822	213

sonne who hath spoken vnto vs Mar. 16.15 secondly by his Apostles ambassadors whom he sent into all the world to preach the Gospel to euerie creature to the ende that whosoeuer would receiue him by faith and true obedience should receiue also by the same meanes the remission of all his sinnes thereby his saluation life Whereby we may see that the word is the instrument which God vseth to accomplishe his worke when he would regenerate vs cal vs iustifie vs lead vs to glory happines to the which he hath predestinated vs and that finally all that which doeth appertaine to our saluation is brought to passe accōplished by this word By it we are illuminated in the true knowledge of God of Iesus Christ of the whole mistery of our redemption by it we know our selues that we are nothing but vanitie corruption Psal 39.5 to the ende we may learne alwaies to humble our selues before God and presume nothing of our selues nor of our vertues nor of our dignities nor of wealth nor of frends nor of riches nor of our power but to depend of God in all our affaires and to bow downe our neckes and make the curtesie euer before him and not to ground the hope of our saluation in any other thing then onely in his grace and mercy By it we learne how to serue god to wit the affiance which we ought euer to haue in him and the recourse vnto him in all our necessities the homage and reuerence that we owe vnto his maiestie the obedience which we ought to performe towardes him the feare which we ought to haue in offending him the care to acknowledge call to mind oftentymes the benefites which he hath bestowed on vs to thank him aboue all the perfect loue which we ought to beare vnto him with al our heart with all our soule with al our strength that doth cause vs to esteeme lesse of all other things thē of his honor seruice by it wear aduertised of those things wherby he may be blasphemed disho nored to the end we may take heed of them shūe thē Furthermore by it wear taught how after what sort we oght to pray what things we ought to aske Ihon. 14.13 1. Cor. 14. what assurāce we haue to obtaine them when we aske them in the name fauour of Iesus Christ by it we are exhorted moued to performe our duty when we are neghgēt slouthfull likewise threatned whē we are to much behinde hand Psal 19. By it we are cōforted and vpholden in our afflictions there is no kinde of sorowe for the which we maye not finde a ready presēt remedy to asswage heale the same Ephes 611 By it we are fortified against all tēptations which may happen vnto vs by Sathan the world the flesh and other cur enemyes by it we are sharply reproued whē we go out of order out of the way wherin we oght to walke It is vnto vs in stead of a bridle to restraine vs whē we wold go astray of a spurre to prick vs foreward when we are laisie slow to do that which our maister cōmandeth vs. It the light which doth direct our steps for feare of stūbling Psal 19. the guide which doth accōpany vs to shew vs the fairest surest shortest wa●es It is the rule which god hath geuen vs wherby we must squaire al our thoughts our affections our words actiōs in measuring thē therby we must see whether they be straight that we may continue in them or croked that we may redresse them Mat. 4.4 It is the foode of our soules It is the armor both to hurt our enemies defend our selues to strengthen fortifie assure vs in all combats oh who were able to tel all the cōmodities which the word of God bringeth to those Psal 1.2 who will heare beleeue read meditate therin day and night as Dauid doth exhort vs for the Apostle saith that 2. Tim. 316 The whole Scripture is geuē by inspiratiō of god is sufficiēt Whē by the grace spirit of god it is receiued and wel imprinted in the heart of mā to make him perfect absolute in al good works And he that will diligently know what is the vertue efficacy of this word together with the great cōmodities honor riches pleasures the felicity which it bringeth vnto all those which loue follow it Let him read diligētly attentiuely the psalmes of Dauid especially the 119 Psal 119.1 wher euen in the beginning he doth ascribe vnto it the felicity of man Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord Blessed are they that kepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole hearte And by by after he setteth downe the partes of true felicitie to wit honor riches and pleasures the honor in the first place ver 6 Then shall I not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements Secondly the riches ver 72. The lawe of thy mouth is better vnto me ver 14. then thousands of gold syluer Thirdly the pleasurs I haue had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies as mal riches Furthermore in another place ver 174. O Lord thy law is my delight and in the 19 Psalme whē he saieth the law of the Lord is perfect cōuerting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure giueth wisedō vnto the simple the statuts of the lord ar right reioyce the hart ver 10. the cōmādemēt of the iord is pure giueth light to the eyes a litle after more to be desired thē gold yea thē much fine gold sweter also then hony and the hony combe and in the 130 Psalme speaking of the grounde of his hope and the meanes which he had to vphold cōfort himselfe in his greatest sorowes euen thē when by reason of his sinnes he did so feare the rigour and seuerity of the iudgement of God that he was altogether beatē downe therwithall and ready to fall into despaire he saieth he had no other meanes to releaue himself and to thrust backe these horrible feares whereby he felt him selfe so assaulted but by the onely remembrance and meditation of the worde and promises of God wherein beholding his mercy and readines to take pittye on all miserable sinners who with greife for that they haue offended him desire humbly his mercy began to come to himsellf againe say Psal 130.5 I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath wayted I haue trusted in his worde my soule wayteth on the Lorde more then the morning watche watcheth for the morning Moreouer is not counsaile and wisedome as necessary for men to carie gouerne themselues in all their affaires well and happily as the eye for the members

winter she shall not haue either meanes or leisure to doe the same The Turtle the Crane Ier. 8.7 and the Swallowe obserue the time wherein they must goe a waye least they shoulde be ouertaken with the frostes and colde which be contrarie and hurtfull vnto their nature But my people saith God knoweth not the iugements of the Lord. Iesus Christ did obiect the same thing to the Scribes Pharisies Mat. 16.3 O Hypoenites said he ye can discerne the face of the skie and can ye not discerne the signes of the times To conclude then our purpose when the occasion opportunity is giuen vs to do that which God commandeth we must neuer delay but readily put the hand to the work and willingly apply our selues thereunto and euer be prepared to receiue his graces whensoeuer he is willing to impart them vnto vs. The fourth Axiome is that it is a most dangerous thing to tempt long the patience of God Whereof there is such a notable place in S. Paule Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after thine hurdnes and hart that can not repent heapast vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his workes that is to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentious disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath For my part I do maruell that such threatnings do not moue otherwise these delayers which doe abuse so long the patience goodnes of God which we can not contemne without thrusting our selues into an open danger of alienating of God and his grace from vs for euer and to depriue our selues consequently of all the hope that we can haue of eternall life and of the rest which God hath promised to his chosen Psal 95.7 As the Prophet sayth To day if ye shall heare his voice harden not your harts as in Moribah and as in the day of Massa in the wildernes When your Fathers tempted te proued me though they had seene my workes Fortye yeares haue I contended with this generation and sayd they are a people that erre in their harts for they haue not knowen my waies Wherfore I sware in my wrath saying surely they shall not enter into my rest What the causes are which hinder the delayers from entring into the Church and how light and friuolous they are Chap. 15. THere are three things which cause the delayers to slumber which they euer set before their eyes to flatter themselues in their sluggishnes and which the deuill can vse marueilous well to keepe them fast in his bands to hold them from going from him The first is that they doubt of the threatnings of God and that which causeth them to doubt is Psal 103.6 that he is slowe vnto anger and to execute his iudgements For he is inclined of his owne nature vnto mercye and meekenes Ezech. 18.23 32. and desireth not the deathe of a sinner but rather that he shoulde repent and liue It is a griefe to him and agaynst his will that he stretcheth out his hand to strike vs and when he doth it being constrained by our malice and obstinacie he doth it against his owne nature and doth as Esay sayth Esa 28.21 a strange worke The Lorde shall stande as in mount Perazim he shall be wrath as in the valley of Gibeon that he may do his worke his straunge worke and bring to passe his acte his strange acte Neuertheles being iust as he is to satisfice his iustice after he hath long staied if he should see that we should perseuere in our iniquities and that we should make no accompt of leauing our euill wayes to returne to him then to his great griefe he beginneth to shewe his wrath and execute his iudgements vpon vs protesting in the meane time that it did not lye in him Osea 13. that we are not saued and that our ruine and destruction commeth from none other but from our selues So though God suffereth our sinne to sleepe for a season and goeth not about to punishe it as soone as it is committed yet notwithstanding he forgetteth nothing of his iustice but calleth at the verie instant wherein he holdeth his assises all his debtors and emiseth them to paye vnto him his due and all reuenues alreadye past We must then holde this for certayne that God is true in all his sayings and that his truth being essentiall and coeternal with him he can not choose but put it in execution 2. Cor. 1. Iames. 1. and as well his threatnings as his promises in the time which he hath appointed because in him there is not yea and nay nor any mutation or shadowe of change The other thing which doth abuse the delayers is the opinion which they haue that the iudgement of God is euer farther of from thē then it is and that seeing it approch they may easily escape it That is it which deceiued those who liued in the time of the floode and the Sodomites and Pharaoh and Achab and Balthasar and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem when it was destroyed by Nabuchadnezar and since by the Romanes For although the iudgementes of God were euen at their dores and that they were often forewarned thereof by the Prophetes and seruauntes of God neuerthelesse they neuer beleeued any thing vntill that they were taken at vnwares and that drinking eating laughing sporting Matth. 24. and euen then when they thought themselues to bee moste sure they were all at once ouerthrowne For 1. Thes 5.2 The daye of the Lorde commeth as a theefe in the night Who doth watche a fitte houre to slippe himselfe easilye into the house whiche hee intendeth to robbe that he be not discouered And as the lightning which is no sooner seene but it vanisheth away therefore they that delay to performe their dutie and do take their pleasure for the hope they haue that God is not readie to call them to his audit to make their accountes are oftentimes deceiued as well as the naughtie seruaunt who sayd in his hearte my maister doth deferre his comming let me cate and drinke and be merrie and in the meane time his maister commeth in a daye when he looketh not for him Mat. 24.50 and in an houre that he is not aware of and doeth cut him of and giue him his portion with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth The thirde thing which deceiueth these delayers is the vaine hope which they haue that they shall euer haue some meanes or other to agree with God before they die Prou. 3.7 But it were better for them not to be wise in their owne eyes but to feare the