Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	bless_a	father_n	miserable_a	3,490	5	9.7884	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16580	Godlie meditations vpon the Lordes prayer, the beleefe, and ten commaundementes with other comfortable meditations, praiers and exercises. Whereunto is annexed a defence of the doctrine of gods eternall election and predestination, gathered by the constant martyr of God Iohn Bradford in the tyme of his imprisonment. The contentes wherof appeare in the page nexte folovvyng.; Godlie meditations upon the Lordes prayer, the beleefe, and ten commaundementes.	Bradford, John, 1510?-1555.	1562 (1562)	STC 3484; ESTC S118261	91,610	260

to make me as thou haste do●● to geue thy sōne for me and to become my ●ode Oh what am I that thou woldest I shoulde put my trust in thee Thys y ● doest that I mighte neuer be confounded but might be most happie What am I that y ● woldest I should feare thee Where the onely cause whye y ● requirest this of me is not onelye because thou haste power to cast both bodye soule into hell fier because they that feare thee not shal perishe but also that y ● mightest geue me thy wisdome that it might goe well with me in the euell daye that thou mightest reueale thy sōne to me and thy mercye might be vpon me from generacion to generacion Oh what am I that thou woldest haue me to obey thee not onely that I neuer perishe with the disobediēt but that thou mightest geue me thy holy spirit and rewards innumerable Oh what am I that y ● woldest I should loue thee y ● which thinge thou doest to this ende that I might fully and wholy enioye and possesse thee according to the nature of loue and therfore doest thou require my whole hart that I mighte dwel in thee and thou in me What am I that thou woldest I shuld call vpon thee verely because thou wilt geue me whatsoeuer I shall aske of thee in the name of thy deare childe Iesus Christ and euen so woldest y ● haue me thankfull that y ● mightest poure out vpon me yet more plentifully al good things So that great cause haue I to put my trust in thee to loue feare and obey thee to call vpon thee to be thankful vnto thee not only in respect of the hurt which els will ensew but also in respect of the commoditie that herby cometh vnto me but most of all yea alonely for thy owne sake for thy goodnes wisedome becutie strength power trueth and great mercies But alas deare father what shal I saye As in times paste horribly I haue broken this thy lawe in trusting in thy creatures calling vpon them louing fearing and obeying many thinges besydes thee and rather then thee euē so at this present I am a most miserable wreth blinded I am through vnbeliefe mine owne wickednes so y ● I se not firmely thys thy power wisedome goodnes c but wauer and doubt of it I loue litle or nothing I feare lesse I obey least of al thankefulnes and praier are vtterly quenched in me by reason wherof I am worthy of eternall damnatiō If after thy iustice thou shalt deale with me simplie I am oh lord damned and loste for euer for I am verye wicked But yet in asmuch as thou bast geuē thy sōne Iesus Christ to be a slaine propitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world so that he which be leueth in him shall not perish but be saued for so thou hast promised thy trueth nowe requireth to saue me No wbeit here thou maiest say vnto me that I doe not beleue and therfore notwithstandinge thy trueth promise in that I beleue it not thou maiest most iustly after thy Iustice dampne me Oh lorde god to this I cannot otherwise answer my vnbeleife is so great but because thy mercye is aboue al thy workes and thy goodnes and loue is that which all creatures most highly commend and magnifie as the thing wherof thou arte called god because y ● art righte good and lone it selfe because of this thy mercye gracious god yf thou wilte loke thereon and couple thy trueth therewith then good lord I shalbe saued and praise thy name for euer more ¶ Thou shalte not make to thy selfe any grauen c. AS the fyrste commaundemente teacheth me as well that thou arte my god as what god thou art and therfore of equitie I shuld haue noone other goddes but thee that is I shoulde alonely hange on thee truste in thee loue thee serue thee call vpon thee obey thee be thankefull to thee so because y ● didst reueyle thy selfe visiblie that thou mightest visibly be worshipped this commaundement is concerning thy worshippe that in no point I shuld folowe in worshipping thee the deuise or intent of any man saint Angell or spirit but shuld take al such as Idolatrie Image seruice be it neuer so glorioꝰ And why for soth because y ● woldest I shoulde worshippe thee as thou hast appointed by thy word For if seruice be acceptable it must nedes be according to the will of him to whom it is done and not of him which doeth it But in asmuch as of man none knoweth the will and pleasure but his spirit except he reueale by worde or signe the same much more of thee o lord none doeth knowe thy will but thy spirite and they to whom thou doest reueale the same And therfore abominable euē in thy sight are al those things which with men are in most force and estimatiō because they are not after thy word So that the meaninge of this precepte is that as in the firste I shoulde haue none other gods but thee so I shoulde haue no worshippe of thee but such as thou appoitest Herby therfore I se great cause of thankefulnes for this commaundement in that thou woldest haue mine outward seruice and that after thy appointment lest I should busye my braine howe best to serue thee Good lord thou nedest not my seruice perfecte thou wast before I was therefore it is for mine owne commoditie that thou commaūdest me yea euen for mine owne wealth Thou mightest haue lettē me haue stand al day idle but such is thi loue that thou woldest I should goe into thy vineyarde that w t thy seruants I mighte receiue the hier of blessednes And how great a benefite is it to deliuer me of so greate a burden wherwith I should haue bene combred if I should haue serued thee in any point after my witte and reasō But halas I not considering what a promotion thy seruice is nor what an easye seruice it is and simple for one maye well know what to doe when he pleaseth thee namely whē he serueth thee as thou hast appointed as I am and alwaies haue been vnthankefull so I am and alwaies haue been a greuous transgressor of this thy lawe For as in times past when I dyd not knowe thys commaūdement I was an Image worshipper of stocks stones c yea bread and wine so nowe I am a worshipper of myn affectiōs offering to thē y e seruice due vnto thee though not therby to worship thee as I thought when I kneled to stocks and stones bread wine c yet with no lesse transgression of thy lawe for the which I haue deserued and doe deserue euerlasting damnatiō Of thy goodnes and great mercy deare father I beseche thee forgeue me for Christs sake whom thou didst geue to be the fulfylling of the lawe to al them that should beleue Oh father I beleue helpe mine vnbeliefe As thou haste

so thy children I say which hartely loue thet in that they know thy wisdome and wil is best hawe can they but often talke with thes and desyre thee to 〈◊〉 that which they know is best which they knowe also thou woldest doe 〈◊〉 none shuld aske or praye for y ● same Thy children vse praier as a meane by which they se plainly thy power thy presence thy prouidēce mercy 〈◊〉 goodnes towardes them in granntinge their petitions and by praier they are confirmed of them all Yea thy children vse praier to admonishe them how that all things are in thy hands In praier they are as it were of thee put in mind of those thinges they haue done agaynst thee theyr good lord By reason wherof repentaunce ensueth and they conceyue a purpose to liue more purely euer afterwards and more hartelye to applye themselues to all innocencye goodnes Who now consideryng so manye greate commodities to come by reason of prayer would maruell why thy chyldren are much in praier and in labouring to prouoke others there vnto For as none that is a suter to any other wit vse any thing which might offend or hinder his sute so no man that vseth praier will flatter himself in any thinge that shoulde desplease thee to whom by praier he moueth sute whensoeuer he prayeth so that nothing is a more prouocacion to al kind of godlynes then praier is And therefore not wythout cause we may see thyne Apostles and seruauntes to laboure so dilygentlye and desyre that others myghte vse prayers for themselues and others As concerning outward thynges which thy childrē pray for although they know thy wil decree is not variable thy purpose must neds come to passe yet doe they receiue by their praier no small commoditie For either they obtaine their requestes or no. If they do obtain thē then proue they by experience that thou doeste the will of them that feare thee so they are more kindled to loue serue thee And in deed for this purpose 〈◊〉 art wont when thou wilt doe good to any to styrre vp their mindes to desire y ● same good of thee to thende that both thou and thy gifts may be so muche more magnisted and set by of them by how much they haue ben ernest suters and peticioners for the same For howe can it but en● a 〈◊〉 them with loue towards thee to per ceiue and fele thee so to care for thē heare them and loue them If they doe not obtaine that they praye for yet vndoubtedly they receiue greate comforte to see that the euyls which presse them and whereof they complaine stil doe not oppresse and ouer come them therfore they receyue strength to beare y ● same the better O good father help me that I might hartely loue thee complaine to thee in all my nedes and alwaies by prayer to power oute my heart before thee Amen AN OTHER paraphrase or meditation vpon the lords praser O Almighty eternal god of whō all fatherhode in heauen and in earth is named whose seate is the heauen whose foote stoole is the earth which of thy great clemency vnspeakable loue hast not waighed nor considered our great vnkindnes and wilfull disobedience but according to the good pleasure of thy eternall purpose hast in thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ chosen vs out of the worlde and doest accept vs farre other wise then we be in dede to be called yea and to be in dede thyne adopted sonnes and doest vouchesafe oh louinge father that we as it were heauenly children shuld euery one of vs confesse declare and call thee oure heauenlye father graunt deare father that amonge vs thy poore children by purenes of mynds and couscience by singlenes of hart by vncorrupt and innocent life and example of vertue and godlines thy most holy name maye be sanctified and that so many of al other nations as thou hast ther vnto chosē and predestinate beholding our godlines vertuous dedes that thou workest in vs may be the more styrred to halow and gloryfy thy blessed name Oh faithfull father we beseech thee that the kingdome of thy holy spirit of grace and prayer of thy louinge kindnes and mercy and of all other thy holy vertues and of thy holye most blessed word may continually raygne in our heartes so that thou woldest vouchesafe therby to make vs worthye to be partakers of the realme kingdome of thy gloriouse and blessed presence Oh deare god and heauenly father we humblye desyre thy goodnes to bowe our hartes vnto thee to make vs humble of mind to make vs low in our owne fight and obedient that like as thy deare sonne our only sauiour Iesꝰ Christ coūted his meate workes prayse and life to be onely in obeyng to thy most blessed wyl where in for our sakes he became obedient to the death of the crosse so we may euē vnto the very death in lowlines in mekenes pacience and thankefulnes ohey vnto thy holye wil and not to murmur and grudge norrefuse whatsoeuer thy fatherlye pietie shal thinke good to lay on vs be it pouertie hunger nakednes slcknes slaunders oppressions verations persequutions yea or deathe it self for well doing but in all thinges seke and laboure to make these our earthly bodies seruiseable to do thy wil and to refuse that thou wilt not neuer to stryue nor wrastell against thy holye will but with thy heauenly citizens and houshold bull ded vpon the foundation of thy holy prophetes and apostelles thy sonne Iesus Christ being the heade corner stone all selfwill and controuersye in opinious secluded the lustes desieres affections of the fleshe mortified the flatering assaultes of the vaine world y ● cruel and subtyl layings a waite of y ● deuil ouercome agreing together quietly and vnited in spirit we may frely obey vnto thy most blessed will therein to walke all the daies of oure life Oh deare god geue vnto our nedefull bodies necessatie sustenaunce take from vs all loue of worldelye things all carefulnes and couetousnes that we may the more frely worshippe serue thee Oh mercyful father we besech thee to geue vnto vs that heauēly bread to strenghtē our harts I meane y ● bodye of thy deare sōne Iesꝰ christ y ● very foode health of our soules that we may alwaies w t thankfulnes firmely feede on him by faith vtterly forsake abhorre al false doctrine perswasiōs of mē and all lying spirites that shall perswade vs any other wise of him then thy holy word doth teache assure vs satisfie our hungrie soules deare father with y ● mary fatnes of thy riche mercy promised to vs in y ● same thy sonne and of our eternall election redcmption iustificatiō glorification in him Make vs Oh gratious god to contempne and despise this world with the vaine thinges and pleasures therof and inwardly to hunger for thy blessed kingdome and presence

of thy goodnes hitherto spared me trāsgressing this thy holy precept so of thy goddnes forgeue me as well mine Idolatrie done in times paste as that whiche of late time I haue cōmitted doe comitte And as y u by this commaundement hast deliuered me from the one y t is bowīg my self to stocks stones so dere father deliuer me frō al other bowīg my self after mine owne will to mine owne affections that I may haue non other god ī hart but thee nor doe seruice to any other but only to thee for thee after thy word as thou cōmaundest Oh open mine eies to see thy wil in this thy gracious precept Geue me a will to loue it hartely an hart to obey it faithfully for thy deare sonnes sake iesꝰ Christ our lord Amen Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vaine By this commaundement I perceaue oh lord that as in the first thou woldest in the exterior seruice of thee I shuld vtterly abandōmine owne will and reason and all the reasons or good entētes of mā and wholy geue my self to serue thee after thy wil and word so here doest thou beginne to tell me howe thou wilte haue my tongue to be exercised in thy seruice and therfore thou byddest me not to take thy name in vayne as by temeraryouse or vayne swearynge by cursynge praying without sense as those boe that pray in a tonge they know not praying without faith or attent cōsideracion of the thing desired with out harty desire and certaine expectacion of obtaining that which is to thy glory and my saluation also by gesting or folishe abusing or negligent readinge or hearing of thy holy worde by the whiche thou as by thy name arte knowen and in lyke maner by deniynge thy trueth and worde or conceiling it when occasion is offered to promote thy glorye and confirme thy trueth By reason wherof I may well see that y ● woldest haue me to vse my tonge in humble cōfessing thee and thy word and trueth after my vocacion in prayinge hartely and callinge vpon thy name in readinge and hearinge thy worde and speaking therof withall reuerence diligence and attencion in thanks geuing and praising thee for thy great mercy in instructinge my brother and admonishinge him when he erreth after my calling and vocation withall humblenes gentlenes and loue Thus woldest thou haue me to exercise my tongue and not to thynke that the exercising of it in this sort is a vaine and vnprofitable thing but a thinge that pleaseth thee and profiteth my self and other And for asmuch as thou knowest that our tongue is a slipperie member and we very negligent ouer it and of the greate commoditie that might thereby come to vs and other by vsyng it in thy seruice accordingly thou hast added a fearfull most true cōmunicaciō that though men will find no fault or punishe vs therfore yet wilt not thou hold him gilt les that taketh thy name in vaine As by many exāples we are taught as in thy holye worde so by dayelye experience yf we woulde consyder the same And therfore I haue great cause to geue praise and thankes to thy most holy name for many great benefits which by this commaundemente I receyue and ought with thankefulnes to consider First that it wolde please thee not onelye to geue me a tounge where thou mightest haue made me speachles but also that y ● woldest haue it santified to thy seruice Againe that thou woldest not onely reuele thy name vnto vs but also woldest geue me leaue to cal vp on it praise and publishe it yea thou hast commaunded me so to doe and not onely commaunded but hast promised that thou wilt here my praier and that my praising of thee and cōfessinge thy word and trueth shall not be in vaine Thirdly that thou woldest al men shoulde vse theyr tounge so that therby I might be the better instructed admonished and occasyoned to vse my selfe well and in the obedience of thys thy holye precept But what goe I about to recken by tale the causes of thankes for thys commaundemente seing that they be innumerable yf a man shoulde but loke euen vpon thy verye worde by the whyche as by thy name thou arte moste truelye knowen the whyche worde thou commaundest vnto vs in this commaundemente c as thou doest preachinge pryuate admonishynge thankes geuynge and prayer then the whych nothynge is more profytable to vs in thys vale of miserye But gracyouse good lorde I acknowledge my selfe not onelye to be a most vnthankeful wretche for thys thy holye precepte and the greate mercyes whyche here throughe I perceaue thou haste moste gracyouselye powerd vppon me and doest yet styll offer vnto me but also that I am a myserable transgressour of this thy most holye good and blessed cammaundemente as alwayes I haue ben in times past Horribly haue I abused thy name in swearynge cursing and iestyng wyckedlye I haue called vppon other names then thine as the names of peter Paule Mary c yea of some whose saluatiō is to be doubted of I haue folishly praied in such a toūge as I knew not what I praied saied w t many other trāsgresiions of this precept wherin yet I am cōuersant as in seldome praying and when I praye I am not attent nor very desirous of the thinge I aske with my tounge After praier I do not earnestly loke for the good thinges asked and praied for therfore when I obtaine my request I am most vnthankefull thy worde I rede litle and most negligently forgetting for with what I rede I admonishe not others when I here them abuse thy holy worde I am affraied for feare of losse of frēds name or life to confesse thy trueth gospel and name whiche was called vpon me in baptisme and not in vaine if I did not thus make it in vayne But alas I cā in no wise comprehēd the multitude of my transgressions cōcerninge this thy lawe But this is a synne aboue other synnes that vnder thy name word and gospel I play the hipocrite hauing more care for min owne name then for thine For yf my name were euel spoken of it would greue me and I would defend it but alas I heare thine daily euel spokē of se it prophaned by false doctrine and euell lyuing but it greueth me not After my vocation I ●●ke not nor doe not goe about to redresse these thinges in my selfe in others And why because good lord I loue my self better then thee and not thee with my whole harte Thye first commaundemente hathe no place with me as it should haue it possesseth not my hart mind and will as thou requirest most to mine owne commoditie By reason wher of I am worthy of eternall damnation Oh what shal I doe graciouse god which not only haue ben so greuouse and filthy a swerer curs●er c so greate a callour vpon deade creatures so heynouse a

small crosses vnto thee Iudas was admonished of thee to beware but when he toke no heed but wilfully went out to finishe his worke contēning thy admonition counsel he could not but vere thy most louing hart After supper there was contention amongs thy disciples who shuld be greatest after thee yet dreaming carnally of thee and thy kingdome hauing this affection of pride ambition busy amongs them notwithstanding thy diligence in reprouing and teaching them After thy admoniciō to them of the crosse y ● wold come therby to make them more vigilant so grosse were they y ● they thought they could with their .ii. swerds put away al pertis which was no litle greife vnto thee After thy comīg to Gethsemane heuines oppressed thee therfore thou woldest thy disciples to pray y u didst tel to peter and his felows that thy hart was heauy to death y u didst wil them to pray being careful for them also least they shuld fal into tentation After this y u wentest a stones cast frō them didst pray thy self falling flat grouelīg vpō y e earth but alas y ● feltst no cōfort therfore y u camest to thy disciples whiche of all others wer most swete dere vnto thee but lo to thy further discomforte they passe nether of thy perils nor of their owne therfore slepe a pace After y ● hadst awaked them y u goest again to pray but y u foūdest no cōfort at al therfore didst returne again for some cōfort at thy derest frēds hāds But yet again alas they are fast a slepe whervpō y u art inforced to goe again to thy heauēly father for some sparcle of cōfort in these thy wonderfull crosses agonies Now here y u wast so discouraged so cōfortlesse that euē streames of bloud came running frō thine eies cares other partes of thy body But who is able to expresse y e infinitnes of thy crosses euē at thy being in y ● garden al which y ● sufferdest for my sake aswell to satisfy thi fathers wrath for my sines as also to sanctifie all my sufferings the more gladelye to bee sustayned of me After thy bloudye praier thou camest and yet agayne foundeste thy disciples a sleepe and before y u canst wel awake thē lo● Iudas cometh w t a great band of mē to apprehēd thee a these so doth leading thee away bound to the high Bysshopps house Annas and so frō him to Caiaphas Here now to augment this thy myserie beholde thy Disciples fle from thee false witnesses be broughte against thee thou art accused and condemned of blasphemie Peter euē in thy sight forswereth thee thou arte vniustly stricken for answering lawfully thou art blindfelde stricken buffeted all the whole nighte in the Bysshoppe Caiaphas house of their cruell seruants In the morning by times thou art condempned againe of the prestes of blasphemie and therfore they bring thee before y ● secular power to Pilate by whō y u art openly arrayned as other theues and malefauoures were when he sawe that thou wast accused of malice yet he did not desmysse thee but dyd sende thee to Herode where thou was derided shamefully in comminge and goeinge to and from hym all the waye wonderfully especially after Herod had apparelled thee as a foole Afore pilate againe therfore thou wast brought and accused falsly no man did take thy parte or speake a good worde for thee Pilate caused thee to be whipped scourged and to be handeled most pitifully to see if any pitie might appeare with the prelates but no māat al pitied thee Barrabas was preferred before thee al the people head taile was against thee cried hange thee vp vniustly to death wast thou iudged y u wast crowned with thornes that pearced thi braines thou wast made a mocking stocke thou wast reuiled re●aited beaten and most miserably handled Thou wentest through Ierusalem to the place of execution euen the mount of Caluarie A great crosse to bange thee on was laid vpon thy backe to beare and drawe as longe as thou wast able Thy bodye was racked to be nayled to the tree thy hands were bored thorow thy fete also nailes were put thorow them to fasten thee ther on thou wast hanged betwene heauen and earth as one spewed out of heauen vomited oute of the earth vnworthy of any place y ● high priest laughed thee to sckorne the elders blasphemed thee and saied god hath no care for thee the common people laught and cried out vpō thee thrist oppressed thee but vinegre onelye and gal was giuē to thee to drinke heauen shined not on thee the sonne gaue thee no light the earth was afraied to beare thee Sathan tempted thee and thine owne senses caused thee to crie out my god my god why hast thou forsakē me Oh wonderful passions which y u sufferedst In them y u teachest me in thē thou comfortest me for by them god is my father my sinnes are forgeuen by thē I shuld learne to feare god to loue god to hope ī god to hate sinne to be patient to cal vpon god neuer to leaue him for any tentatiōs but with thee stil to crye father in to thy hands I cōmende my spirit A CONFESSION OF SINNES and praier for the mitigation of goddes wrath and punishment for the same O Almightie god king of al kings gouerner of all things whose power no creature is able to resiste to whom it belongeth iustly to to punishe sinners and to be merciful vnto them that truly repent we confesse that thou doest most iustely punishe vs for we haue greuouslye sinned against thee and we acknowledge that in punishinge vs y u doest declare thy selfe to be our most mercifull father aswell because y u doeste not punishe vs in any thinge as we haue deserued as also because by punishing vs thou doest call vs and as it were drawe vs to increase in repentance in faith in praier in contemning of the world and in hartie desiring for euerlasting life and thy blessed presence Graunt vs therfore gratious lord thankfully to acknowledge thy great mercye which haste thus fauorably dealt with vs in punishing vs not to our confusion but to our amendment And seing thou hast sworne that y u wilt not the death of a sinner but that he turne lyue haue mercie vppon vs and turne vs vnto thee for thi derely beloued sōne Iesus christs sake whō thou wouldest should be made a slaine sacrifice for our sinnes therby declaring thy great and vnspeakable anger agaist sinne thine infinite mercy to wardes vs sinfull wretches And for as muche as the dulnes of our harts blindnes and corruption is such that we are not able to arise vp vnto thee by faithful harty praier acording to our great necessity without thy singuler grace and assistance graūt vnto vs gratious lord thy holye and sanctif●inge spirite to worke in vs