Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	sin_n	transgression_n	3,082	5	10.1157	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18603	A cordiall of comfort To preserue the heart, from fainting with griefe or feare: for our friends, or our owne visitation, by the plague. Also a thankes-giuing to almightie God, for staying the visitation in London, and the suburbs thereof. Both which may be of vse to Christians in other places, that are cleere, visited, or recouered. By William Chibald.	Chibald, William, 1575-1641.	1625 (1625)	STC 5131; ESTC S118343	43,911	197

off for euer though hee cause griefe yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies for he doth not afflict willingly Mica 7.18 for who is a God like vnto our God that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for euer because hee delighteth in mercy 2. Though the Lord should smite vs all with the stroke of this sicknesse so that wee were all infected and sicke of it as in some families better then ours it is as iustly hee may deale with vs for ought we are able to resist or can deserue to the contrary yet may it please God to spare vs that wee die not a ●sal 38.1.5 Ezekiah was sicke of the plague as the learned iudge and the text saith he was sicke vnto death that is in his owne apprehension and in the opinion of the Physicians and in the violent and malignant nature of the disease yet did he recouer liued fifteene yeeres after The like is to bee seene by daily experience of many that doe suruine b Ionah 2. Ionah was in the sea but hee was not drowned c Dan. 3. The three children were in the fire but were not burnt d Dan. 6. Daniel was in the den of Lions but was not deuoured And why may not we be kept from dying of the plague though wee should bee infected with it if the Lord be so pleased in his free fauour Seeing in generall afflictions e Amos 4.11 some are as firebrands pluckt out of the burning euen as in haruest som gleanings are scattered that are not gathered by the owner and in the vintage some clusters of grapes are left on the vine that are not pluckt off I write not this in security as if I thought with Agag f 1 Sam. 15.32 The bitternesse of death vvas past or in presumption as if I were past all feare the conscience of mine own vnworthynes the knowledge of Gods after reckonings with som families do keepe mee from such folly But because the seruants of God may with Abraham g Rom. 4.18 hope against hope We doe not confidently assure our selues that it shall be so but comfortably we hope it wil in the free fauor and mercie of God which is as great as is his Maiestie and vvho vvill haue mercy on them on vvhom he vvill haue mercy 1 Rom. 9.15 3. What though all in our family that are now in health and life should bee smitten and that we h Isai 21.14 could not bee purged from our iniquitie till vvee die then for content I say for vs all as Paul did for himself and his companions k Act. 22. The vvill of of the Lord be done And as Christ our blessed Sauiour hath taught vs to say i Mat. 9.10 Thy vvill be done on earth as it is in heauen More particularly I say for my selfe as Dauid did for himselfe l Here am I 2 Sam. 15.24 let him doe to mee as seemeth good to him And for my selfe and children and seruants I say as good old Eli did for his sonnes m 1 Sam. 3 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And for comfort to my selfe and you I say n Heb. 4 9. There remaines a rest for Gods people o 1 Cor. 15 19. We haue hope in Christ not in this life onely p 1 Cor. 51 For vvee know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolued vvee haue a building of GOD not made vvith handes eternall in the heauens q 2. Pet. 3 13. We according to his promise look for new heauens and a new earth vvherein dwelleth righteousnesse For we know that our Redeemer liueth r Iob. 19.25 Wee know vvhom vvee haue trusted and vvee are perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which wee haue committed vnto him against that day And therefore s 2. Tim 1.12 though the Lord kill vs yet will we trust in him t Iob 13.15 And so I descend from your feare for vs to your feare for your selues Your feare for your selues and your owne families is that though hitherto the Lord hath spared your houses from the visitation yet hereafter ere hee make an end he may though not with the first yet with the last either soone or Syne Concerning this your feare I must first giue you some instructions 2. Some directions And thirdly some consolations The Instructions shall be How we may lawfully feare the Plague in two points 1. How farre you may feare the plague lawfully 2. How farre and in what respects you may not feare the plague 1. You may lawfully feare the plague in three respects 1. In respect of it selfe 2. In respect of God 3. In respect of your selues 1. In respect of the plague it selfe because it is t 2 Chron. 20 9. an euill of punishment It is u 1 Reg. 8.30 a plague or sicknes It is x Deut. 28.21 a consuming pestilence And because it is a great plague yea one of the foure great plagues of God with which hee scourges his people when they rebell against him Ezek. 44.21 namely The Famine the Sword wilde Beasts and Pestilen●e 2. In respect of God likewise it is to bee feared because it is his sword wherewith he killeth whosoeuer is smitten with this sicknes hee is said after an extraordinary manner and more immediately y Ezek. 14 21 to fall into the hands of God which is a z 1. Chron 24.12 fearefull thing When the Lord sends this punishment into a land he is said to a 2 Sam 24.14 powre out his fury vpon it in blood and to b Heq. 10.31 plead with it in blood 3. In respect of your selues you may warrantably feare the plague for two causes 1. Because you are but flesh and blood and therefore subiect to bee infected by the malignant qualitie of it and to be corrupted in your blood with the contagion of it For you are not made of stones which it cannot pierce yee are as weake as water and cannot resist the stroke of GODS Angel you are b Ier. 18.6 as clay and cannot resist the Potter 2. You may feare the plague in respect of your selues because you are sinners and it is inflicted as a chastisement for c 1 King 8 33.37 sin Wee haue beene partakers of the sins of this Citie that moved God to send it Deu●r 28 15.22 2 Sam. 24 17. therefore we may iustly feare we shall be partakers in the visitation of the Citie by the plague sooner or later by infection or by death wee our selues or ours We that haue deserued the worst may war●antably feare the worst though God should be pleased beyond our expectation desert to spare vs as a d Mal. 3.17 father doth his own child which serueth him 2. How you may not feare

O Lord our God thus confesse our sins vnto thee as if thou knewest them not who art greater then our consciences knowest althings 1 Ioh. 3.20 but that by the repetition and remembrance of them we might be drawne more soundly to repent of them and to haue our eyes opened more cleerely to discerne thy iustice in punishing of vs with this thy visitation and thy righteousnes in afflicting vs with many miseries thereby Ps 52.4 that thou mayest bee cleare when thou art iudged Dan. 9.7 For Righteousnes belongeth vnto thee O Lord but vnto us open shame as at this day All this is come vpon us III. Acknowledging Gods Iustice in sending the Plague for our euill deedes and for our great trespasses and thou hast punished vs lesse then our iniquities deserue Ier 9.13 therefore will wee be dumbe and not open our mouthes Psal 39.9 Thou hast not done without cause Ezek. 14.28 all that thou hast done vnto vs Lev. 26.43 and therefore will wee accept the punishment of our iniquitie Though thou hast not punished vs according to the greatnesse of our sinnes as they deserue in measure which is thy mercy yet hast thou punished vs according to the kind manner of our sinnes which is thy iustice for we haue profaned thy house and sanctuarie with our formall and hypocriticall seruing of thee without the inward partes both of our selues and of thy worship and therefore hast thou shut the dores of thy house vpon vs when we were visited and hast by lawfull authoritie and good order shut vs vp in our owne houses Psa 101.2 In our owne houses wee haue not walked before thee with a perfect heart for false weights and measures false lights and bad wares haue been in many of our shops and ware-houses and therefore it is iust with thee to shutt vp our shopps for want of trading and to infect other of our roomes and chambers with a fearefull contagion Many of vs that were wont proudly to let and strutt it out in the streetes in the vanitie and varietie of strange apparell and new fangled habits and attyres hast thou now clad with mourning weeds and giuen vs cause to put sackcloth on our backs and ashes on our heads fo● we are baased even to the dunghill The members of our bodyes we haue abused as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne and therefore hast thou O Lord weakened and deformed the bodies of some with blanes and sores boyles and carbuncles and filled the bodies of others with the Tokens of thy displeasure We haue corrupted one another wirh the euill example of our workes and made them sinne and therefore it is iust with thee that we should be a meanes to infect one another to sicknesse and death Many of our Ministers thy faithfull seruants wee regarded not while they liued and therefore hast thou depriued vs of them yea many of vs haue defrauded them of their double honour 1. Ti. 5.17 reuerend respect and plentifull maintenance and therfore hast thou taken from vs the means of our maintenance by commerce and traffique Wee haue been hard-hearted and close-fisted to the necessities of our poore neighbours liuing amongst vs and therefore it is iust in respect of thee that our neighbour countries round about vs did deny to bring vs that abode in the Citie food and victualls and to bury those of vs that did go out of it with comely buriall Wee haue by our bad liuing and vniust dealing caused thy Gospel thy truth so plentifully preached 2. Pet. 2.2 in this Citie to bee euill spoken of abroad and therfore it is iust with thee that wee should bee a mocking and hissing a by-word and a reproach vnto our neighbour countries about vs. Wee doe not O Lord God thus iustifie thy proceeding against vs as if it needed our cleering but to testifie our desire as much as possible wee can to glorifie thy iustice by shaming our selues to the end wee may bee the better prepared to glorifie thy mercy also which is aboue all thy workes in our wonderfull deliuerance Psa 145.9 IV. Thanking Gods goodnes for staying Plague For O Lord our God In that when the sicknesse was so hot and so many had dyed thereof thou shouldest then stay it It was not because the sword of thine Angel was blunted with so many strokes or because there were no more people to dye or no more graues in London or because there was in vs no more desert of punishment Exod. 14.11 or in thee no more power to punish But because thou wert pleased in iudgement to remember mercy Abac. 3.2 and that thou delightest in mercy rather then iudgement Mica 7.18 That wee are aliue when others are dead that wee were in health when others were sicke It was not because wee were not within the compasse of thy stroke or could defend our selues or were able to heale the wound But because thou wouldst haue mercy on whom thou wouldst no goodnesse or power in vs but meerely greatnesse and goodnesse in thee hath made the difrence And therefore as thou art worthy to receiue glory Rev. 4.11 honour and power so saluation and glory and honour and power euen glory and honour for manifesting thy power in our salvation and preseruation 2. Chr. 7.14 bee vnto thee for euer For in this our deliuerance O Lord our God we see and therefore desire to glorifie thy wisedome in putting it into the minde of our Gouernours to appoint thine owne means of healing our Citie by humiliation with Fasting and Prayer and enabling thy Ministers and people vnderstandingly feelingly faithfully and feruently to vse those meanes and also in taking opportunitie in our greatest extremitie to worke this our deliuerance to the end the worke might the more cleerely appeare to be thine owne In this thy deliuerance we discerne thy power and therfore accordingly wee desire to praise thee in that thou art able to countermand all thy creatures euen the very Angels those principalities and powers for thou didst on a sodaine and in a short time worke a great deliuerance notwithstanding the wonderfull increase of the contagion in so many places the heate of the weather the multitude of the people and heynousnesse of our sins all which wrought toward a contrary end In this thy deliuerance wee behold thy truth and faithfulnesse O Lord our God in making good thy promises of healing thy people 2. Chr. 7.15 when they shall seeke thy face with prayers teares humiliation and turning vnto thee in not keeping thine anger for euer in not letting the rod of the wicked rest for euer vpon vs all Psa 103. Psa 105. nor suffering thy people to bee tempted aboue their strength but giuing a good issue of their tryall In this our deliuerance we glorifie thy patience in that thou hast not dealt with vs according to our sins Psa 103.11 nor

rewarded vs after our iniquities but hast borne with vs all this while and giuen vs yet a longer time to repent sparing vs as a father spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Mat. 3.17 In this thy deliuerance O heauenly Father wee see also thy pittie in that when our great sinnes had deserued the greatest and forest of thy foure plagues euen the sword that yet notwithstanding thou didst send but the smallest of them for hereby wee are not fallen into the hands of men Prou. whose mercies are Cruelties but into thy hands whose mercies are great 2. Sam. 24. hast already wonderfully lessened this thy hand and hast also giuen vs good hope through grace of quite remouing the same But aboue all O Lord our God In this our deliuerance felt and expected we cleerely behold thy free grace and rich favour with thy infinite mercie and vnspeakable loue and accordingly we desire to bee plentious in thanksgiving for when there was no goodnes in vs to moue thee to it nor power to procure it to our selues Yea when iustice on thy part and wickednesse on ours did withstand it then thou wast pleased to thinke thoughts of peace towards vs and to stay thy hand to say to vs Ezek. 16.6 when we were polluted in our bloud Liue. When the fornace of thy displeasure was heated Dan. 3. much hotter then euer it was before and the flame thereof had consumed many of our neighbours houses yet on some of our houses the fire had no power at all nor was a hayre of the heads of many of vs synged wee ayled nothing all the while Psa 115.1 and therfore not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name bee giuen all the praise Not vnto Physicians or Surgeons Not vnto Magistrates or Ministers Not to Watchmen or Keepers not to antidotes or preseruatiues not to house or ayre not to Signes or Planets not to Saints or Angels not to our selues or others Not thy workes in vs of nature or grace no not to our fasting and prayers to our humiliation teares But to thy wisedome and power to thy faithfulnesse and truth to thy patience and pittie to thy free grace and rich mercy be giuen by vs all and by all meanes in all times and in all places honor and glory with thanksgiuing and obedience in Iesus Christ from this time forth and for euer V. Praying to God w●o●y ●remone the ●la●u● And now heauenly Fathe● seeing wee that are but dust and Ashes haue taken vpon us to speake vnto thee in thanksgiuing Gen. 1.18 bee not angry with vs if we speake once more in prayer and supplication also we rather hope thou wilt bee pleased with vs Psa 116.13 if hauing taken the cup of saluation in thankefulnesse for staying the plague so soone and so much already wee also call vpon the Name of the Lord for the quite remoueall thereof P. 2.125.4 The rod of the wicked hath long lyen vpon vs Oh let it not rest vpon vs that are the lot of thine inheritance for thou hast said 1. Reg. 11. ●7 Esay 29.5.25 Thou wilt not afflict the seed of Dauid for euer Thy hand is stretched out still Oh wee pray thee pull it in and put it into thy bosome for we haue beene consumed by the heauinesse of it Thou hast formerly giuen vs many great deliuerances to this Citie in this kind to the whole Land in other kindes namely from forraine inuasion and priuy conspiracie The Spanish Armado 1588. The Gun-powder-Treason 1605. and wee confesse to thy glory and and our owne shame that most of vs haue almost forgotten to celebrate the memoriall of them none of vs haue euer since led our liues which thou didst preserue from the crueltie of those intendments and attempts in righteousnesse and holinesse before thee And in this respect wee are vnworthy thou shouldst proceed in mercy as thou hast begun end in mercy as thou hast proceeded But though wee be vnworthy of more deliuerance yet art thou worthy of more honor which accordingly thou shalt receiue For by how much the more we are vnworthy by so much the more doth the freenesse greatnesse of thy grace and mercy appeare and by how much the more thy grace mercy appeares free and great by so much the more doth the glory thereof appeare for thine honor And therfore O Lord our God though our iniquities testifie against vs Ier. 14.7 1 Sa. 12.21 yet do it for thine owne Names sake forsake not thy people for thy great names sake because it hath pleased thee to make vs thy people Thou art an exquisite worke-man leaue not thy worke halfe done as if thou couldst not finish it but end it in perfection Thou art an absolute Physician leaue not thy Patients crazy sickly till thou hast made a perfect Cure And that thou maist perfect the work of deliuerance which thou hast begun amongst vs wee beseech thee perfect the works of grace and amendment which thou hast begun within vs. Thou hast already said to thine Angel Stay thy hand for this wee praise thee bee pleased also to goe on and to say It is enough for this we pray thee command thine Angel also to put vp his sword into the 2. Sam. 24.16 1. Chron. 21.7 sheath thereof and to draw it out no more Returne O Lord how long let it repent thee concerning thy seruants Psa 90.13.15 make vs glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted vs and the months and weekes wherin we haue seen euill Lam. 5.21 Renew our dayes as of old Helpe vs Psa 85.8 O God of our saluation for the glory of thy Name Wherefore should Papists say It is for our religion that wee are thus plagued wherefore should Atheist say Thou wast not able to saue vs c. wherefore should carnall Gospellers say What profit is it that thy people haue prayed vnto thee and walked mournefully before thee Iob. 21.14 Mal. 3.15 and It is in vaine to serue thee And to the end thou maist continue the worke of our deliuerance giue vs grace also to continue the worke of our humiliation before thee vntill thou haue repaired our Ierusalem the praise of our Nation neuer letting thee go vntil thou hast blessed vs nor giuing thee rest till thou hast healed our Citie Neither are we mindfull of it onely but we remember other parts of our Land beseeching thee good Lord to stay thy hand from spreading the sicknes in other Towns and Cities and to withdraw it where it is disperst giuing them all grace according to their seueral conditions by seasonable amendment to preuēt or remoue the same and in the mean time to cōfort al those that any where are visited with this or any other sicknes by recouering thē vnto health to liue better to thy glory or by fitting them for death to depart in peace

be first vnto you all of both sorts ioyntly and then vnto each sort of you in severall That which concernes you altogether is a watch-word and a Request My watch-word is to warne you not to censure your brethren that haue been either infected when you were cleere or visited more heauily then your selues or taken away by the visitation when you surviue as if they were greater sinners then you for this were to bee miserable comforters Luc. 13.2 4 Iob. 16.2 when you should be comforters of them in misery Yea it is to trample on them whom God hath cast downe My request is that you would according to your abillitie with your handes releiue their povertie as well as in heart pitty them for that is charitie Hereunto you are called not onely by the word which bids you Loue indeed as well as in word 1 Ioa. 3.18 affection only but also by the extreme penurie wherein too many haue bin are will be cast Luc. 2.16 partly by sicknesse partly by decay of trade and partly by approching winter That which shall be spoken of each sort o you in seuerall shall be first to them that haue not ben visited all this while and thē to them that are recouered and escaped from death though you were visited To you whose houses haue yet been free I would giue an admonition and an exhortation My admonition is That you would not be secure as if God now could not smite you For there were first in this Visitation that shall not be last and there shall be last that were not first And my exhortation is That you neuer forget the free fauour of God in your protection preseruation least he repent him of the good hee hath done vnto you But that you studie what you shall render to the Lord for●●● his benefits Ps 116.12 and endeuour to expresse your thankfulnesse for such a deliuerance by seruing him you and your houshold more constantly conscionably Iosh 24.15 To you whose houses haue been visited and yet your selues are escaped and enioy your liues so a pray I would likewise giue you a caution and a counsell My caution is that you thinke not that any thing in your selues or in your meanes hath made the difference betwixt you that are aliue and other that are dead for this were to sacrifice to your selues Abac. 1.16 and to your net and yarne But that God his free favour his power and goodnesse hath made the difference who will haue mery on whom hee will and who can preserue whom he pleaseth And my counsell is That during the time of your liues hereafter 2 Chron. 30.17 you set your hearts to seeke God and make him your portion and inheritance Ps 116.5 walke within your houses with a perfect heart Ps 101.2 Ioh. 5.14 and sin no more least a worse thing come vnto you 2 The. 2.16 Now our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God euen our Father which hath saued vs and giuen vs euerlasting consolation comfort your hearts and stablish you in euery good word and worke And Blessed bee God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 4. the Father of mercies and the GOD of all comf●rt who comforteth vs in all our tribulation that wee may bee able to comfort them which are in trouble by the comfort vvherewith wee our selues are comforted of God Amen FINIS AN HVMBLE THANKS-GIVING TO ALMIGHTIE GOD For his so soone so great and so gracious staying of the Plague in the Citie of London and Subvibs thereof BY WILLIAM CHIBALD PSAL. 36.1 O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for euer Printed at London by W. I. for Nic. Bourne and Edw. Br●wster and are to be sold at the Royall Exchange and at the Bible in Pauls-Church-yard 1625. The Preface THE more deadly a disease is the greater is the Cure and the greater the Cure is the greater is the commendation of the Physician Euen so the greater any danger is the greater is GODs deliuerance from it the greater ought to bee our Thankesgiuing vnto his blessed Maiesty for it On these and the like grounds J haue formerly stirred vp my selfe vnto secret priuate and publike giuing of thankes to our good God for abating the heat of the sicknes the number of them that dye thereof And synce J haue endeauoured to forward others also to glorifie God in this behalfe by penning a forme thereof and publishing it with this Treatise The rather because J haue not seen nor heard of any thing in this kind set forth for publike benefyt The time and meanes of grace considered J thinke J may truely say for the generalitie that synne did neuer so abound in quantitie qualitie and variety as of late it hath done in our Citie of London and the Suburbs thereof And now behold answerable to the measure of our synnes is the measure of Gods Visytation for there was neuer such a plague sent among vs. Jn like manner the contagion and malignitie of this Plague consydered which in so short a time when so many vvere absent killed so many thousands J may safely say there was neuer such a Deliuerance in this kinde vvrought by Almightie GOD for vs ●●d therefore answerable to Gods great goodnes ought to be our great gratefulnes Now consydering Christian Reader that the measure of our thankfulnesse to GOD ought to be so great and that our power as of our selues to performe it is so small Let vs all that want holy wisdome Iam. 1. for this purpose 1 Ti. 1.17 aske of God onely wise that hee would bee pleased to giue vs in abilitie what he requires of vs in dutie and that the meditations of my heart in conceiuing of this forme and the vvordes of our mouthes in vttering it may bee directed by his blessed Spirit and accepted in his beloued Sonne Amen 1 Reg. 1.36 And let the Lord God of our Citie and our deliuerance say so too The parts of the Thanksgiuing for this Deliuerance are SIXE I. BEmoning our Miserie caused by the Plague II. Confessing our sinnes that brought it III. Acknowledging Gods Iustice in sending the Plague IV. Thanking GODs goodnesse for staying it V. Praying to GOD wholly to remooue the Plague VI. Professing our amendment vpon the remoueall thereof A THANKESGIVING TO GOD FOR STAYING the Plague O LORD GOD of Heauen and earth by whose patience prouidence it is that yet vvee liue and moue Act. 17.28 and haue our being in this world for our life drew nigh vnto the graue Ps 88.3 4 and wee were counted with them that goe downe into the pit Through thy goodnesse O Lord wee are a remnant escaped Ezra 9.15 as appeareth this day reserued as wee trust to glorifie thy Name But who are wee dast and ashes miserable sinners that should be bold to glorifie thy goodnesse that dese●●e not to confesse