Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	ghost_n	holy_a	redeemer_n	2,615	5	10.3339	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51699	A cloud of witnesses, or, The sufferers mirrour made up of the swanlike-songs, and other choice passages of several martyrs and confessors to the sixteenth century, in their treatises, speeches, letters, prayers, &c. in their prisons, or exiles, at the bar, or stake, &c. / collected out of the ecclesiastical histories of Eusebius, Fox, Fuller, Petrie, Scotland, and Mr. Samuel Ward's Life of faith in death, &c. and alphabetically disposed by T.M., M.A.; Cloud of witnesses. Part 1	Mall, Thomas, b. 1629 or 30.; Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1665 (1665)	Wing M329; ESTC R21709	379,698	602

because they are not of the world but these persecute m●rther slay and kill such as profess the true doctrine of Christ be they in learning living conversation and other vertues never so excellent Chri●● and his Church referred the trial of their doctrine to the Word of God and gave the people leave to judge thereof by the same Word search th● Scriptures But this Church taketh away the Wor●● from the people and suffereth neither learned nor unlearned to examine or prove their doctrine by the Word of God The true Church of Go● laboureth by all means to resist and withstand the lusts desires and motions of the world the flesh and the Devil these for the most part give themselves to all voluptuousness c. I likened them 〈◊〉 Nimrod whom the Scripture calls a mighty Hunter telling them That that which they could no● have by the Word they would have by the Sword and be the Church whether men will or no. Be●ware of such as shall advertise you something 〈◊〉 bear with the world as they do for a season Ther● is no dallying with Gods matters It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God Remember the Prophet Elias Why halt ye on both sides Remember what Christ saith He that putteth his ha●● to the Plough and looketh back is not worthy of me And seeing God hath hitherto allowed you as a good Souldier in the fore-ward play not the Coward neither draw back to the rere-ward Saint Ioh● numbreth among them that shall dwell in the he●y Lake such as be fearful in Gods Cause Set before your eyes alwayes the examples of such as have behaved themselves boldly in Gods Cause as Stephen Peter Paul Daniel the three Children the Widows Sons and in your dayes Anne Askew La●rence Sanders Iohn Bradford c. Be afraid in n●thing saith Saint Paul of the adversaries of Christ● Doctrine the which is to them a sign of perdition b●● to you of everlasting salvation Christ commandeth the same saying Fear them not Let us not follow the example of him who asked time first to take leave of his Friends If we do so we shall find few of them that will encourage us to go forward in our business please it God never so much We read not that Iames and Iohn Andrew and Simon when they were called put off the time till they had known their Fathers and Friends pleasure but the Scripture saith They forsook all and by and by followed Christ. Christ likened the Kingdome of God to a precious Pearl the which whosoever findeth selleth all that he hath to buy it Yea whosoever hath but a little taste or glimmering how piecious a treasure the Kingdome of Heaven is will gladly forego both life and goods for the obtaining of it But the most part now adayes be like to Aesops Cock which when he had found a precious stone wished rather to have found a barley corn so ignorant be they how precious a jewel the Word of God is that they choose rather the things of this world which being compared to it be less in value then a barley corn If I would have given place to worldly reasons these might have moved me the foregoing of you and my children the consideration of the state of my children being yet young apt and inclinable to vertue and learning and so having the more need of my assistance I was never called to be a Preacher or Minister and because of my sickness fear of death in Prison before I should come to my answer and so my death to be unprofitable But these and such like I thank my heavenly Father which of his infinite mercy inspired me with his Holy Ghost for his Sons sake my onely Saviour and Redeemer prevailed not in me But when I had by the wonderful permission of God fallen into their hands at the first sight of the Sheriffe nature a little abashed yet ere ever I came to the Prison by the working of God and through his goodness fear departed Little justice was shewed by Mr. Sheriffe but the less justice a ma● findeth at their hands the more consolation in conscience shall he find from God for whosoever is o● the world the world will love him After I came to Prison and had reposed my self there a while I wept for joy and gladness my belly full mu●i●g much of the great mercies of God and as it were saying to my self after this sort O Lord who am I on whom thou shouldst bestow this thy great mercy to be numbred among the Saints that suffer for the Gospels sake And so beholding and considering on the one side my imperfection unableness sinful misery and unworthiness and on the other side the greatness of Gods mercy to be called to so high promotion I was as it were amazed and overcome for a while with joy and glad●ess concluding thus O Lord thou shewest power in weakness wisdome in foolishness mercy in sinfulness Who shall let thee to choose where and whom thou wilt As I have ever zealously loved the confession of thy Word so ever thought I my self unworthy to be partaker of affliction for the same Some travelling with me to dismissed upon bonds to them my answer was to my remembrance after this sort Forasmuch as the Masters have imprisoned me having nothing to burthen me withal if I should enter into bonds I should in so doing accuse my self and seeing they have no matter to lay to my charge they may as well let me pass without bonds as with bonds Secondly if I shall enter into bonds covenant and promise to appear I shall do nothing but excuse colour and cloak their wickedness and indanger my self nevertheless being bound by my promise to appear Afterward debating the matter with my self these considerations came into my head I have from time to time with good conscience God I take to record moved all such as I had conference with to be no dalliers in Gods matters but to shew themselves after so great a light and knowledge hearty earnest constant and stable in so manifest a truth and not to give place one jot contrary to the same Now thought I if I shall withdraw my self and make any shifts to pull my own neck out of the Coller I shall give great offence to my weak Brethren in Christ and advantage to the enemies to slander Gods Word It will be said he hath been a great emboldner of others to be earnest and fervent to fear no worldly perils and dangers but he himself will give no such example Wherefore I thought it my bounden duty both to God and man being as it were by the great goodness of God called and appointed hereunto to set aside all fear perils and dangers all worldly respects and considerations and like as I had before according to the measure of my small gift within the compass of my vocation and calling from the bottome of my heart unfeignedly moved exhorted

pure Law of God which proveth the best of us all damnable sinners in the light of God and that our best works are polluted in such sort as the Prophet describes them with the which manner of speaking our free-will Pharisees are much offended for it felleth all mans righteousness to the ground In his Letter to Mr. Augustine Bernher Pray for me that I may be strong and hardy to lay a good load on that bloody beast of Babylon O that I might so strike him down that he should never be able to rise again but that stroke belongeth onely to the Lord to strike at his coming which I hope will be shortly Carpenter All Bavaria said George Carpenter is not so dear to me as my wife and children yet for Christs sake I will forsake them cheerfully Carver Mr. Derick Carver being asked by Bonner whether he would stand for his Confession answered He would for your Doctrine is poyson and sorcery If Christ were here you would put him to a worse death then he was put to before At the stake he spake thus Dear Brethren and Sisters I am come here to seal with my blood Christs Gospel because that I know it to be true As many of you as do believe upon the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost unto everlasting life see you do the works pertaining to the same As many of you as do believe on the Pope of Rome you do believe to your utter condemnation and except the great mercy of God prevent not you shall burn in Hell perpetually In his Prayer O Lord my God thou has● written He that will not forsake wife children house and all that ever he hath and take up his cross and follow thee is not worthy of thee Lord thou knowest that I have forsaken all to come unto thee Lord have mercy upon me for unto thee I commend my Spirit and my soul doth rejoyce in thee Chrysostome Eud xia the Emperess having sent him a very threatning message he gave this answer Go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When she had procured his banishment as he went forth of the City he said None of these things trouble me but I said within my self if the Queen will let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof if she will let her cast me into the sea I will remember Ionah if she will let her cast me into a burning fiery Furnace or among wild beasts the three children and Daniel were so dealt with if she will let her stone me or cut off my head I have St. Stephen and the Baptist my blessed Companions if she will let her take away all my substance Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither again He used to say the Devil 's first assault is violent resist that and his second will be weaker and that being resisted he proves a Coward Clarebachius I believe said Adolphus Clarebachius that there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant then mine is Behold you shall see me die by that faith I have lived in Colham See Sir Iohn Oldcastle under the Letter O Clark When Roger Clark was sentenced he said with much vehemency Fight for your God for he hath not long to continue At the Stake he cried out to the people Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world Coligni Iasper Coligni great Admiral of France who was slain in the Massacre at Paris August 24. 1572. being shot in the left Arm with two Bullets and the fore-finger of the right hand broke off with a third and being told by a Gentleman that it was to be feared the Bullets were poysoned he said All must be as it pleaseth God Seeing his Friends weep which held his Arm whilst the Incisions were made he said My Friends why do you weep I judge my self happy that bear these wounds for the Cause of my God To Mr. Merlin his Chaplain he said These wounds my Friend are Gods blessings The smart indeed is troublesome but I acknowledge the will of my Lord therein and I bless his Majesty who hath been pleased thus to honour me and to lay any pain upon me for his holy Names sake Let us beg of him that he will enable me to persevere to the end Speaking concerning those that wounded him I know assuredly said he that it is not in their power to hurt me No though they should kill me for my death is a most certain passage to eternal life N When the Blood-hounds brake open the house where he lay wounded he spake thus I perceive what is a doing I was never afraid of death and I am ready to undergo it patiently for which ● have long since prepared my self I bless God that I shall die in the Lord. ● now need no longer any help of man therefore my friends get ye hence The presence of God to whose goodness I commend my soul is abundantly sufficiently for me Co●v●r Sheep we are for the slaughter said Franc● Co'ver to his two Sons massacred together with himself this is no new thing let us follow millions of Martyrs through temporal death unto eternal life Coo. Roger Coo being asked by the Bishop of Nor●ich● whether he would not obey the Kings Laws answered As far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them Whether they agree with the Word of God or no we are bound to obey them said the Bishop though the King were an Infidel Coo replyed If Shadrach M●shach and Abedn●go had so done Neluchadn●zzar had neve● confessed the Living God Constantine Being carried with other Martyrs in a Dung● Cart to the place of Execution he spake thus● Well yet are we a precious odour and a swee● savour to God in Christ. Cornford Iohn Cornford one of the last five that suffered Martyrdome in Queen Mary's dayes when th● Sentence should have been passed and they should have been executed by the Papists being move● in Spirit with a vehement zeal for God in the nam● of them all pronounced Sentence of Excommunication against the Papists in these words In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the most mighty God and by the power of the holy Spirit and the authority of his holy and Apostolick Church We do hereby give into the hands of Satan to be destroyed the bodies of those Blasphemers and Hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word or do condemn his most holy Truth for Heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or feigned Religion so that by this thy just judgement against thy Adversaries thy true Religion may be known to thy great glory and our comfort and to the edifying of all our Nation Lord Jesus So be it It is observable that within six dayes after this Excommunication Queen Mary died and the tyranny of all