Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	lord_n	spare_v	2,870	5	9.3705	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87001	Israels just jvdge; or, The maiestrats brest-plate, against the darts of pride, envy, & hipocrisie: being enemies to iustice, mercy, & humility. Presented to the jmpartial maiestrats of this nation, especialy in the western parts, from whence the author (by Gods providence) drew his first breath; wishing them health here, and all happiness hereafter. / Written by Charles Hammond.	Hammond, Charles, 17th cent.	1657 (1657)	Wing H494; Thomason E899_4; ESTC R206742	13,989	19

JSRAELS Just JVDGE OR THE Maiestrats Brest-plate AGAINST THE Darts of Pride Envy Hipocrisie being enemies to Iustice Mercy Humility Presented to the Impartial Maiestrats of this Nation Especialy in the Western parts from whence the Author by Gods providence drew his first breath wishing them health here and all happiness hereafter Written by CHARLES HAMMOND Bring you men of wisedom and of understanding and known amongst your tribes and I will make them rulers over you and I charged your Judges that same time saying heare the controversies between your Brethren and Judge Righteously between every Man and his Brother and the stranger that is with him ye shall have no respect of Persons in Judgement but shal heare the small as well as the great ye shall not feare the face of Man for the Iudgement is Gods Deut. 13.16 17. Iustice London Printed by E. Crowch in Hosier-lane for the Author Seene and allowed of and Entered according to Order MY Book being past the Presse may freely goe To serve his Countrey I would have it so Truth being his leader what Foe needes he feare His cause being good besides his Conscience cleare I le take thy part if any thee appose To Justice and to Truth they must be Foes I will not blaze thy Armes but this I le say Truths Banner on thy Crest thou dost display A Freind to none but those that be Lovers of Justice Mercy and Humility To his much Respected Friends in Somerset-shiere especially in the towne of Taunton the Author wisheth all Truth Peace and Unity to florish amongst you Courteous Reader I Know not into whose hands this my smal Booke may light into but I have so much a cofindence in Truth that heel never shame his Master nor for my part I will never be ashamed to own him if there be any thing disliking to the palet of any Man in my Booke let him not unload his stomack openly to the Author for that will but shew he hath a foule inside though he carries a fair outside this is but a Cordiall gathered from Truths Garden the Scripture of such hearbs that is relishing to all that loveth the Garden or the Gardener the Physitian of Souls will tell you so nor doe I give it you out of malice to doe you harm but hoping it may work with you for the good of you and yours in this life and that to come if you take it any otherwise the Garters Motto I le present you with evil to them that evil thinks I wish you better then you wish your selves that is that you would know your selves what you have been what you may be and what you must be The first you know the second God knows the last all Men knows you must be brought to Judgment when we all shall heare but two Sentences come or depart And whatsoever you owe me being the Author of this little Booke if it be ill will I will returne you by bill of Exchange this wish from the botom of my heart that you may both deserve and have the first sentence of come you Blessed deserve it through Christs merits and receive it from his mouth which shall be the Prayer of him which desires Mercy and Truth to meet together and Righteousness and Peace to kiss each other Charles Hammond ISRAELS Iust JUDGE OR The Maiestrats Brest-Plate AGAINST The Darts of Pride Envie and Hipocrisie being Enemies to Justice Mercy and Humility He hath shewed the O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justly and to love mercy and to wallk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 MAjestracy and Minestry are the two main Pillars that upholds a Nation ordained of God himselfe ever since the Isralites bondage in Egypt to justifie the truth of it if you please to begin from Moses and Aron which were the first that God gave the Law to and end with the Revelation you shall find God owning and maintaing it in the Law Christ and his Apostles both admonishing others and submitting to it themselves in the Gospell the taking away of those Pillars from any Nation or People you shall find it was a fore-runner of Gods judgements as you may read in severall places but especially in the booke of Judges Idolatry Adultery Opression Murther disdaining one another was the common sins of the Children of Jsrael for then did every Man doe what seemed good in his owne eyes But the subject of my discourse is bent upon another currant and with my best endeavours and Gods permission to up hold those Pillars so far forth as they be not like gilded Sepulchers make a fair shew when there is nothing but rottennesse within such upholders either of Citty Burrough or Corporation or any other place that hath not a wall of hearts to defend them which is the Majestrats Fort-Royall the judgements of God will soone lay their honor in the dust if he find once they have gone beyond their Commission if he summons not them here with his Court Marshall which is death let them looke for disgrace and infamy to cease on them and pull them from their Chaire of Justice and leave them to the censure of envy and malice Well let us see then what is required of Majestrates alas an easie charge that God gives them his commission may very well be kept he requires of them to doe justice love mercy and walke humbly before him and will they not perform it yes they 'l tell you they doe well their own eyes shall be witnesses and their own consciences the Juries and in this booke shall they be found guilty or not guilty of breaking his Commission when they shall appeare before the Judge of all the Earth who shall render every Man according to his works Well the first the Lord requires is to doe justice Deut. 10. v. 17 18. the Lord shewes the people of Israel what justice he requires The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords great mightie and terrible which accepteth no Persons nor taketh reward who doth right to the Fatherless and Widdow and loveth the Stranger giving him food and raiment love you therefore the Stranger for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt againe Exod. 23. Thou shalt not recieve a false tale neither shalt thou put thy hand with the wicked to be a false witness thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe evill neither agree in a controversy to decline after many to overthrow the truth Thou shalt not esteeme a poore Man in his cause nor thou shalt not overthrow the right of the Poore in his Suit thou shalt keepe thee far from a false matter thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the Righteous thou shalt not oppress at stranger Man may wonder why the Lord doth take so much care and gives such great charge in his Law to Moses concerning the Poore and strangers we must needs

conjecture that when he delivered the Law to Moses it should stand for a memorial to all ages for at that time there was no poore for they were all going towards Canaan and till they came there they all far'd alike they had Manna to eat and the Wildernesse for their possession for 40 years together and when they came to Canaan it was a Land that flowed with Milke and Honey Truly the Lord know their hearts great Men would be puft up so with Pride Ambition and Envy that the Poore shall goe to wrack in after Ages as you shall find in the Prophets times I wonder where we shall heare or read in any ages the Poore and Strangers so little rewarded and less regarded then in our times the poore cries the rich says let them worke will not they worke cryes the Majestrate let them be whipt which some perhaps are not able to worke or if they can their worke is not able to maintain their charge they not giving themselves and stopping the charity of those that would gives Reflect upon your selves you great ones of the Earth you that fare deliciously every day and thinke not of the afliction of Joseph you that lays out all on your backs and bellies or hoards up all in your coffers and chests and knows not who shall injoy it But why shall I or how dare I tell you of these things yes I must if I should not speake I thinke ere long the stones would speake to some of you I speake no more but what I have the word of God for my warrant He that giveth to the Poore lendeth to the Lord saith our Saviour Christ owneth the poore and strangers too you will find it so at the day of Judgement the 25 of Mathew will shew it you strangers cries some of you why they are vagrants they hinder us of our Trading cryes the Shop-keeper doth he come further then he can goe home at night our Majestrates and we will hold together right or wrong let him not speake for himselfe no nor suffer no other to speake for him our wils shall be our Law and though we can find neither the Law of God nor the Laws of the Land to justifie our actions our lips are our owne and who is Lord over us Psalm 12.4 Now for the oppression of the needy and the sighs of the Poore I will up saith the Lord and will set at liberty whom the wicked hath snared verse 5. Solomon saith when the Righteous are in authority the People rejoyce but when the wicked beare rule the People sigh Peov. 29.2 Thou shalt doe no injury to a stranger nor oppress him ye shall not trouble the Widdow nor Fatherless child if thou vex or trouble such and so he call and cry unto me I will surely heare his cry then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the Sword and your Wives shall be Widdows and your Children Fatherless Exod. 22. v. 21 22 23 24. The Lord is just in all his Judgements he tels Man doe as thou wouldst be done by the same measure you meat shall be measured to you or yours againe Rob not the Poore because he is poore neither oppress the aflicted in Iudgment for the Lord will defend their cause and spoil the soul of them that spoil them Prov. 22 22. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the Children of destruction open thy mouth judge Righteously and judge the aflicted and the Poore Prov. 30.8 The Lord would have Men in authority speak for those that either dare not or cannot speak for themselves many a good cause is overthrown of the poor mans for want of Men of power and knowledge to speake for them it hath been an old Proverb might overcomes right either his purse or his place overcomes the poore man how dare you goe to Law with a Majestrate cryes some one Majestrate will take anothers part if they doe let them have a care it be in a just cause if not the poore mans cause will be pleaded before that Judge that hath no respect of persons he will pannell your owne consciences for a Jury to condemn you if you doe not justice heare you Judges and Majestrates God standeth in the assembly of Gods he judgeeh amongst Gods how long will you judg unjustly and accept the Persons of the wicked doe right to the poore and fatherless doe justice to the poore and needy deliver the poore and needy save them from the hand of the wicked I have said you are Gods and you are all Children of the most high but ye shall dye as Men and ye Princes shall fall as others Psal 82. This may strike a terror both to Majestrate and People doth God tearm them Gods it will confute those that would cry downe that authority whom God gives such a Title to on Earth Let every man be subiect to the higher powers for their is no power but of Gods and the powers that be are ordained of God giue to all Men therefore their dues tribute to whom you owe tribute custom to whom you owe custome ●se are to whom you owe feare honor te whom you owe honor Rom. 13. O you Jndges and Majestrates are you Gods then let the Law of God be your guide he that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his Prayer shall be abominable Pro. 28 9. Heare ye O Kings and learn you that are Iudges of the ends of the Earth for the rule is given you of the Lord and power from the most high which wi I try your works and search out your imaginations because you being Officers of his Kingdom have not judged aright nor kept the Law nor walked after the will of God horibly and suddainly will he appeare unto you for a hard judgment shall they have that beare rule for he that is low is worthy of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily tormented for he that is Lord over all shall spare no Person neither shall he feare any greatnesse for he hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike but for the mighty abideth the sorer triall you may read it in the 6 chap. of the Wisedom of Solomon though it be in the Apocraphy yet St. Paul makes it good in the GosPell Acts 10. v. 3 4. Rom. 2.11 Gal. 2.6 Epbe. 6.9 Col. 3 25. What Men ost Majestrats to be then in whose hand God gives the Sword of Justice who should represent that invisible God in the visible seat of justice we find in the 18 of Exod. Iethro the Priest of Midian Moses Father in law admonisheth his Son what Men he should chuse provide thou Men among all the People Men of courage fearing God Men dealing truly hating covetousnesse O! that is a sin I am afraid too much used both by Majestrats and others to in this Narion now in these times covetousness is the root of all evill and t is no marvell so much

wickednesse springs up in most plaecs where such great roots of covetousness is planted Moses though chiefe ruler of the Children of Israel yet followed the counsell of his Father-in-law Iethero he did not despise him for his age age is honorable if they be not gray before they are good age is a crowne of Glory where it is found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16. Happy is that gray head that is crownd with Righteousness but unhappy is that gray head that is environed with envy and covetousness Justice is the Mistriss of all vertues and the truest tryall of a good Man but the covetous heart is a very mint of fraud it can readily coyn falshood upon all occasions Covetousness is the mother of all sins whatsoever There is no evil that a covetous man will not put in practice so goods may come of it You cannot name that sin but he will swallow it in the sweet broth of commodi●y He that is greedy of gain will sel the truth sel his friend his father his master his conscience nay more with Ahab sel himself for money When once men are bewitcht with the love of money as Iudas was a small matter would make them sel Christ himselfe were he now on the earth to be sold All vices rule where geld reigns He that is inslaved to that sin may be wrought by Sathan to any thing Covetousness is the grave of all goodness it eatt out the very heart of grace by eating graces out of the heart When Avarice gets possession it turns grace onto doors No such impedim nt to conversion and salvation as it isf Ministers may wel wonder their Sermons take no better but. God tels us the reason Ezek. 33. They sis before thee and hear thy word but their hearts go after covetousness It destroyes more souls than all other sins put together as the Apostle intimates 1 Tim. 6 10. You shall sooner hear of a hundred malefactors contrition at the gallows than of one covetous misers in his bed Our Saviour expresly affirmeth that is easier for a Camel to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man that is a covetous Rich man to enter into the kingdome of heaven Luke 18.25 And the Apostle that no covetous man can look for any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ ●nd of God Ephes 5 5 1 Cor. 6 9 Well may it be accounted good counsel of Iethro to cause Moses to chuse those men for Officers that hated that sin of Covetousness for how can he doe Iustice to others that is so unjust to himselfe Or what cares he what affliction he layes upon his neighbours body when he hath so little mercy on his own soul There are few Rich men that will not rather offend the divine majesty than the temporal authority nor doe they goe to Chuych to serve God but the state which they use not to save their soules but charges There is no Religion in them but the love of money A covetous man goeth more to the assemblies for fear of the Law than love of the Gospel and more out of custome than conscience as Cain offered his sacrifice and so will God accept of it He sits down at table but hath no stomack to eat his ears are at Church but his heart is at home and as his hearing is such is his praying He may afford God his voice but his heart is rooted and riveted to the earth They have not cried to me saith God with their hearts when they howled upon their beds it was but for corn and wine Hosea 7.14 O that God had the same place in mens affections that riches honour and pleasure hath Charge them that are rich in this world that they are not high minded and that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 And well doth that man deserve to perish that so loves the Creature as that he leaves the Creator If a covetous man should hear me all 's one with him an ounce of Gold with him will weigh down whatsoever can be alledged from the Word He can like Canan well enough so he may enjoy his flesh-pots of Egypt also and can love the blessing with Esau but he will not lose the potage And in case he cannot gain by being Religious his care shall be not to lose by it and that Religion shall serve him best that is best cheap and will cost him least Any doctrine is welcome to him but that that beats upon good works Nor wil he stick with the Sages to fall down and worshiy Christ but he cannot abide to present him with his gold The love of money and coming in of gain is dearer and sweeter to the muckworm than the saving of his soul The Scribes and Pharisees who were covetous men shut their eyes stopt their ears against all our Saviour did and said yea they scoft at his preaching Luke 16.14 Of all sorts of sinners that Christ preached unto he was never scorned and mockt but by them when he preached against Covetousnesse and what is the reason but this Rich worldlings think the nselves so much the wiser as they are the richer therefore we may all pray that Iethro's counsel which he gave to Moses may be considered by those that sit at the helm of Iustice to steer this nation in this troublesome sea of these times that they would provide men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse See what Jehoshaphat did when he brought the people to the Lord God of their fathers and he set Iudges in the land in all the strong cities of Iudah citie by citie and be sa●d to the Iudges take heed what ye do for you execute not the judgment of man but of the Lord and he will be with you in the cause judgement wherfore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of Persons receiving of reward 2 Cron. 19.5 6 7. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee but to doe justly to love mercy and to walke humbly with thy God Must Mercy be joyned with justice yes Government founded on Justice and Mercy doth knit and unite the Common-wealth in love and vnity which is the true upholder of Peace and Plenty whereas injustice and cruelty brings war ruine and misery injustice and cruell oppression was Israels destruction shall any think that are guilty of the same to goe unpun shed no Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Gods mercy is above all his works for it is of the Lords Mercy we are not consumed nay it is Gods mercy we doe not consume one another for we seeke the ruine and destruction of one another may it not be said to England as it was said to Jsrael heare ye the word of the Lord ye

works But admit God should not answer thy greedy desire in multiplying thy Estate he 'll do that which is better give thee a competency with a more contented mind therefore trust God with Abraham who above hope believed under hope Rom. 4 18. For faith is to God as Bathsheba was to Solomon so in favour that the King will deny her nothing that good is Thus you see if the old test or new test be true not getting but giving is the ready way to abundance And if you will not believe Gods word no man ought to beleive you So much for Justice and Mercy Humility comes after as willing to wait upon Iustice and Mercy as we would desire truth joyned with peace and plenty He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee to do justly love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdome and before honour goeth humility Prov. 15.53 The more God advanceth thee to honour the more thou oughtest to humble thy self Thankfulnesse and humility are the onely means to enrich us with Gods blessings but pride and unthankfulnesse is the onely way to make God withdraw from us and take away from us both himselfe and his choicest blessings too Aesops Crow not content with her own likeness borrowed a feather of every bird and she became so proud that she scorn'd them all which the birds observing came and pluckt each one their feather back and so left her naked even so God deals with all proud ungrateful Persons I thinke I may say in these times wherein Pride doth so abound if every bird had his owne feathers they would be left as bare as Aesops crow and then like owls they may walke about by night for by day they would be dispised by all that sees them but I desire the Peacocks of these times to looke downe to their feet for they must needs be very foule when they are treading the paths of destruction Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty mind before a fall better it is to be of an humble Spirit with the lowly then to divide the spoil with the proud Prov. 16 18 19 When Sanl was little in his owne eyes God made him head over all the twelve Tribes of Jsrael and gave him abundance but when out of his greatness he abused his place and gifts God tooke them all away but most remarkeable is the example of Nebucadnezzar who ascribing all to himselfe said is not this great Babell which I have built by the might of my power and the Glory of my Majesty was presently deprived of his Kingdom and all that he had and sent to graze with the Beasts and so likewise of Herod when he sate on the Judgement seat and made an orration in royall Apparrell the People cryd the voice of God and not of Man and he never rebukt them but tooke that honor upon him but imediately the Augell smote him because he gave not Glory to God so that he was eaten with worms he must know and all that sit on judgment seats though God cals them Gods they must not be deified by Man like the true God I have said ye are Gods but ye shall dye like Men they are no more in Gods eyes then those that stands before them for justice nor shall have no more favour shewed them at the tribunall feat at the last day take heed you that sit at the bench of Justice if Humility leads you not up at last Pride will throw you downe what man is he that out of the height of pride or envy will tearme true honest poor Men the scums of the World He that mocketh the poor reprocheth him that made him and be that rejoyeth at destruction shall not be unpunished Prov. 17.5 Before destructions the heart of a Man is haughty and before Glory goeth Holiness Prov. 18 12. if there be a hollow in a vally lower then another thither the water gathers and the more lowly we are in our owne eyes the more lowly we are in Gods Unto him will I looke saith the Lord even to him that is of a nutrit Spirit and that trembleth at my words Esay 57 15. There can nothing make us more accptable to God then the conscience of our unworthinesse when with Iacob we can say O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all thy ways which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant for with my staffe I passed over Jordan and now I am become thy bonds man Man should consider from whence he came and whether he must what he is and what he must be there is as much respect of souls before God as there is difference in souls in the grave no it is the heart that God requires and it must be a humble heart to Samuell when he was sent to Iesse by the appointment of God to anoint a King amongst his sons Samuel lookt on Liab being a Man it seemed in his eyes fit for a Crown by his Person his deportment and outward behaviour But the Lord said to Samuel looke not on his countenance nor on the height of his stature because I have refused him 1 Samuel 16. For God seeth not as Man seeth for Man looketh one the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart when all his Sons was cal'd that were there saith Samuel is there no more Children but these and Jesse said there is vet a little one that keepeth sheepe and David was sent for And the Lord said arise and anoint him for this is he There is a great deale of difference between Gods chusing and Mans chusing Man looks upon the outward bravery God looks upon the inward humility it is not means but manners that makes a Gentleman some will take acception if they be not writ Esquires or Gentlemen in any business that comes to them indeed there be many by their place may write Esquires but being turnd out perhaps not find a coat of Armes to write Gentleman Afterwards Collonell Morgan in the low Countreys having occasion to send to the Prince of Orenge a letter sent it by an Ensigne of his Regiment delivering his Letter and message the Prince asked him how long he had been a Souldier under Collonell Morgan he answered he was no Souldier he was an Ensigne the Prince returnd a Letter to the Collonell he thought he had been so much a Souldier that he would not make Officers that were no Souldiers and wished him to take from him his colours and give him a pike and let him first learne to be a Souldier and then he is the fitter to be an Officer he that hath first been commanded knows the better how to command a Man that is proud in his office is like a foole in a Morice-dance more lookt upon laught at then respected or regarded Gentility if it be not flampt in the heart by Humility it can never be knockt into their head by