Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	holy_a	sinner_n	9,874	5	9.5686	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14187	Obedience to the gospell Two sermons, conteining fruteful matter, both of doctrine, and exhortation: very needefull to be knowne, and practised in these our dayes: vpon the words of the holy ghost, written by the Euangelist S. Luke, chapter 2. verses 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. conteining the effect of the birth of Christ, (reuealed by the Angell of God) in the sheepeherds, and others that heard of it. Gathered out of the sermons of Iohn Vdall, preacher of the worde of God, at Kingston vpon Thames, and published at the request of some of them that heard them preached.	Udall, John, 1560?-1592.	1584 (1584)	STC 24501; ESTC S102077	39,758	110

more in it nor so much as hée did therefore I will be gone But Marie was not of this minde for shée considered that the shéepeheards could not come to the knowledge of the thing without the will of God and that the Lord who guideth all things had directed them to come thither and therefore it was méete forher to harken diligently and marke euerie word verie attentiuely Which vse also we must make of the like for if a Sparrowe fall not vppon the grounde without our fathers will then can not wée neither shal we heare anie part of his heauenlie worde without his appointment Therefore I must make this vse rather of it reasoning with my selfe thus I thinke that I know this point that is now in handling well ynough but yet I am deceiued for God woulde not then haue it spoken to me againe therfore I am now to heare it as diligently and marke it as carefully as though I had neuer known ●…rst what it meant and on the other side the partie who hath heeretofore refused to obey such or such a doctrine and heareth it sounding in his eares againe may reason thus with himselfe why doth God offer it vnto me knowing that héeretofore I haue despised it Surely because hée hath a loue vnto me and would haue me repent and not be condemned Beholde the greate loue and mercie of God vnto me vile and wretched sinner therfore now will I goe vnto him and saie Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight and am not worthie to be called thy seruant I haue done wickedly in contemning so often thy holie worde in casting it behinde me despitefully and now Lord for thy mercies sake be fauorable vnto me and receiue me vnto thy mercie Happie is that man that can make this vse of Gods word but if they doe not they may take it thus for it is vndoubtedly so that the oftener they be inuited to amend aud conuert not the more horrible shall their condemnation be And pondered them in her heart The second thing that Marie did they beeing kept in the chest of her heart it is saide moreouer that she pondered them that is called them often to her remembrance and was alwaies muzing of them Wherein wée may beholde an example of most Christian modestie that hauing so great matters reuealed vnto her she maketh no bragge of it as though she were to be honoured of all men and admired for it but is rather carefull to make vse of it vnto her selfe By whose example is corrected that proud spirite of worldlings who albeit they neither knowe one point of religion aright nor yet can tell how to begin the practise of a godlie life yet notwithstanding they wil oppose them selues both in knowledge against the learnedest and in godlinesse against the most holie whose helpe in déede Sathan vseth to out face the true seruants of the Lord with their bragges and to the vttermost of their power to bring them into hatred and contempt But Marie was not of that minde she was inspired with that spirite which teacheth true humilitie which instructeth the godlie to be lowlie in their owne conceit and humble in their owne imaginations bicause it doth bring them to the sight of their manifold sinnes and the desert of the same wherby they are brought low and taught to depend vppon the méere mercie of God to boast in nothing but their owne infirmities to desire to knowe nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified Againe wée are to obserue that shée therefore pondered them in her heart because shée did not yet beholde what would be the euent of these things and yet shée would not neglect them By whose example we may learne a profi-table lesson to teach vs how to vse the doctrine that wée learne from the Lords messengers It may be that at that present time when we heare it we cannot tel how to haue the present vse of it as they that be certainely perswaded of Gods fauour to them haue not present or so great néede of the comforts against distrustfulnesse they that be sufficiently humbled néede not greatly the seuere reprehensions of the Law yet notwithstanding when they heare the doctrine they are not straightway to thinke they néed not harken vnto it but rather they ponder it in their heart and lay it vp there as in a store house We may learne this lesson by the example of a good housholder who finding anie implement in his house which he presently knoweth not how to bestow wil saie I wil keep it seauen yeares and once in that time I shall haue vse of it euen so it fareth with Christians they are to prouide for warre in the time of peace to arme them selues as wel where Sathan striketh not as where he doth strike and to be furnished with the complete armor of God to be instructed with doctrine euerie waie that wheresoeuer or whensoeuer he shall assaile vs his blowes may be warded and kept backe with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God for we are not worthy to be so much of Gods counsell as to know with what trial he wil search vs next therefore we are to be euerie way prouided persecution sicknesse pouertie and all other Crosses that we are subiect vnto come very sodenly whē it wil be too late than to séeke armour of proofe for our comfort if we lacke it then we had as good lacke it still and therefore lette vs prouide for it aforehand that we neuer be found as the foolish Uirgins without oile in our lamps And the sheepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seene as it was spoken vnto them This is the third and last effect that is sette downe vnto vs to be wrought in the shéepeheards by the knowledge of the birth of Christ which containeth in it three things first their returning second their glorifying and praysing of God third the cause wherefore for al that they had heard and seen as it was shewed vnto them The sheepeheards returned The first thing as you sée is that when they had séene and were fully instructed in the birth of Iesus Christ they returned back againe from Bethlem vnto the place of their former abode to exercise the dueties of their ordinary vocation wherein we may beholde in what place they set the workes of their calling euen in the last place of al for we sée that they first went in haste to the place where Christ was to be séene then published it abroade tothe worlde and lastly when they had done they returned wée are to learne then if we mean to profit by their example to preferre the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the spreading abroad of his will whereby he may be glorified before our owne matters of this world For the first end of our creation is Gods glorie and the second our own saluation

men with a worde and away neuer remembring him any more But we are to know that God will not be so serued he requireth continuall and heartie thankes at our handes which if we would rightly consider we shoulde not generally be so secure as we be For time which should teach vs experience of the loue of God towardes vs and so make vs more zealous doeth cleane weare out of our mindes the remembraunce of former benefites receiued so that you shall sée them that by special fauor that they haue found at Gods hands are for a season excéeding hote and forward in religion But it is with them according to the common Prouerb soone hote soone colde for they become afterward so faint and cold in their course begunne that it may be truly said of them as it was of the Church Ephesus that haue fallen from their first loue I wold to God that I had not iuste cause to make this complaint in this place for surely to speake generally I haue séene more zeale more loue and care vnto religion than nowe I can beholde the world doth so carie men awaie and they be so crammed with the word that now they be ready to surfet of it they be cloied with it séeme to loath it as the Israelites did that heauēly Manna but assure your selues that if the plentie thereof do make you estéeme it lesse precious God will send you that darth famine that he threatneth by the Prophet that yée shall séeke it from sea to sea and not finde it Moreouer in that these are saide to haue this wroght in them by the vnderstanding of the thing that they glorified and praised God we learne that where religion is truly imbraced where the word of God taketh root true holde it wil bring foorth the fruit conuenient agréeable to the same for of it selfe it is a most liuely séede is mightie in operation so when it méeteth with a heart that is pliant therevnto it is verie forcible and therefore let no man flatter deceiue himself by perswading his own hart that he is truly religious when in the meane while he is cold and carelesse in the fruits of it for Gods spirit accompanieth religion which is a spirite of heate and zeale making mans heart as it were to melt at those things y ● are for the glorie of God encrease of true religion in the harts of Gods people which ought to be farre more glittering in vs than it was in the shéepeheards for wée haue greater cause the whole passion death glorificatiō of Christ is manifested vnto vs so that we lacke nothing to perfect our knowlege if we will receiue it therfore there must be no lingering in vs to shew forth al y ● praises of god in most perfectiō which we do litle regard For al that they had heard and seene as it was spoken vnto them The third and last point of all which is the cause that mooued them to reioice and praise the Lord euen the things that they had heard and seene by whom we must learne the last but not the least duetie that we owe vnto God euen continually to recount ponder and consider the manifold blessings that the Lorde doeth multiplie vpon vs daily by the iust consideration whereof we cannot choose but burst out into admiration of his woonderfull loue and mercie towards vs miserable and wretched sinners and so to deuise with our selues howe wée may shewe our selues effectually thankefull so did the Prophet Dauid What shal I render vnto the Lord saith he for al his benefites towards me I wil receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his Saints Whose good and godlie example if we will reape benefite by we must doe as he did worship him truely according to his word and perfourme that dutie in obedience to his commaundements that he requireth at our hands As for the manner of his praise wée may also learne it by these shéepeheards that they did it as it was tolde them that is according as God had commaunded so must we do praise his holie name as he requireth at our hands and doe it as himselfe hath commaunded in his word and so shall it be acceptable in his sight Let vs therefore to conclude séeing we be hedged in on euerie side with y ● great blessings of God séeing that by him wée liue and moue and haue our being séeing he sheweth himselfe most kinde and liberall both in things that concerne the soule and the bodie let vs I say studie and indeuour by all possible meanes that so long as we abide in this transitorie world we may shew foorth the glorie of his name according to his will then shal we be sure of his fauour vnto vs in this life and of eternall ioies in the world to come by the merites and bloodsheding of Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome with the father and the holie ghost be all glorie and honour now and for euer Amen Let vs pray O Eternall God in Iesus Christ our most louing and mercifull Father vvee render vnto thy Maiestie most humble and hartie thanks for all thy blessings and manifold benefites bestovved vpon vs namely for those inestimable graces of our election creation vocation iustification sanctification and redemption for this great treasure of thy holie vvord vvherein vve acknovvledge thy great loue tovvardes vs vile vvretches and miserable sinners And for as much O Lord as thou hast taught vs at this present hovve forcible and effectuall thy vvorde vvas vnto the Sheepeherdes vvorking in them such an ardent and burning loue to see thy sonne Iesus Christ vvhen he vvas manifested in the flesh such forvvardnesse and haste to satisfie that godlie desire vvhich thy holie spirit had vvrought in them finding that vvhich they soght for vvere carefull to publish it abroade that others might be partakers of that comfort and after returned vnto their vocation againe glorifying thy holie name vvith all obedience vnto thy blessed vvorde And moreouer bicause vve haue lerned from thee that the multitude that heard of it yet shevved not anie zeale or care to see the truth of it themselues but suffered the cogitation therof to vanish out of their mindes vvithout any profit vnto themselues but contrarivvise thy seruaunt Marie kept euerie thing in remembrance being carefull by continual pondering thereof in her heart to make vse of it for her comfort and further instruction VVe confesse good father that the example of these parties doth teach vs both the duetie that vve ovve vnto thee the obedience that thy vvorde requireth at our hands and the zeale vvhich vvee shoulde expresse in our liues to set foorth thy glory and also hovv to shun that carelesse course vvhich the greatest number doth follovve but O Lord vve acknovvlege against our selues that vvee are not able