Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	hear_v	lord_n	merciful_a	2,985	5	9.4011	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77144	Doctor Lamb revived, or, VVitchcraft condemn'd in Anne Bodenham a servant of his, who was arraigned and executed the lent assizes last at Salisbury, before the right honourable the Lord Chief Baron Wild, judge of the assise. Wherein is set forth her strange and wonderful diabolical usage of a maid, servant to Mr. Goddard, as also her attempt against his daughters, but by providence delivered. Being necessary for all good Christians to read, as a caveat to look to themselves, that they be not seduced by such inticements. By Edmond Bower an eye and ear witness of her examination and confession.	Bower, Edmund.	1653 (1653)	Wing B3869; Thomason E705_24; ESTC R207115	35,934	48

that afternoon to shew mercy to the afflicted Maid it being a lawfull way and that which hath been a means formerly of prevailing with God in the like nature and the way that Christ taught his Disciples when they would learn to caste out Devils telling them that it was to be done by Fasting and prayer therefore we would know of her whether she would willingly joyne with us We told her our prayers should be that God would cast an eye of pity on the Maid and release her from her misery that hee would acquit the Innocent discover the Guilty and bring to light the hidden and abominable works of darknesse She answered Yes shee would joyn in prayer with us And when we had concluded our seekings of God it was desired that the Maid might be awaked for that she had slept ever since Mris. Boddenham the Witch came into the roome which was almost three hours and had not been known to sleep or take any rest in many dayes and nights before and I did apparently see that the Maid was and is the better at ease for the Witches presence The Witch presently took hold about me crying out Oh pray by no means doe you awake the Maid for if she should awake I should then be torn in pieces and the Devill would fetch me away bodily yet notwithstanding her cryings out and perswadings to the contrary I desired the people to awake her and they tryed what they could stopt her breath put things up into her nostrils took her from lying along and held her upright and struck her extreamly yet all the means we possibly could use did not awake her which was a great admiration to all spectators that she could not take any rest for many dayes and nights before and should be in such violent fits untill the Witch came into the room and then she should be on a sudden so eased of her torments and pain and fall asleep that no art or means could awake her I then desired the Witch to use what means she could to awake her which she was very loath to doe saying The Maid hath an Ague and this sleep would make her well yet we made her to try to awake her The Witch onely took her by the hand but trembled extreamly and called the Maid by her name Awake Awake and that was the most we could make her doe but still begging and desiring the people not to awake her We seeing there was no remedy or means to awake her for my intention was to have caused them to have discoursed together thinking by their discourse something might be found out to prove the suspected a Witch and to convict her the more evidently I caused the Witch to goe forth of the Chamber but she would not goe unlesse I went along with her for she then said I should awake the Maid and then she should be torn in pieces but I would not yeeld to goe along with the Witch but was resolved to see the Maid awake out of her sleep but when partly by force and partly by entreaty we had gotten the Witch out of the Chamber downe the stairs as soon as ever she was gone from under that roof where the Maid was into the prison-house where she used to reside the Maid began immediately to awake in such an orderly manner as if she had been at the sweetest repose and rest that possibly could be and afterward having recovered her senses both to look abroad and speak she said I blesse God the Devill went away from me but even now and to my owne thinking I have been in so sweet a sleep as ever I had in my life and to my apprehension was in the most sumptuous pleasant place that ever my eyes beheld where all the most pleasant sights of flowers and delights are Oh how sorry am I that I slept no longer yet blessed be God I am now at ease the Devill went forth of my stomach even now indeed he made my body tremble when he went out but that was the worst he did to me he is now departed he hath stood all this day on the top of the house in the likenesse of a Lyon with flaming eyes but he is now likewise gone from thence and I see him no where and I hope never to be vexed more Indeed I have deserved to be torn in pieces by him but my Lord Jusus Christ in mercy hath now freed me and I am verily perswaded shall not be tormented more the hour of mercy is now come I have indeed had mercy in being kept out of hell but now I have more mercy to be freed from my pain 't is a wonder to me I should be so well in so short a time that had more pains on me then ever I could or shall be able to expresse My body is now free from pain my minde is now quieted sure God hath heard your prayers for me the Lord hath stirred up some people to call on God for my salvation and I trust he hath heard them sure I shall never in the least requite you all for your love I hope God will likewise shew you all the same mercy as blessed be the Lord I am this hour made partaker of I now begin to be hungry and I thank the Lord I have an appetite to my food I would now eat any thing and if you would help mee upon my feet I am confident the Lord would enable me of my self to goe about the Chamber which she did doe and said the greatest pain she felt was the bruisings of her body by reason of the peoples forcible holding her and a swimming in her head by reason of the long distractions of her minde she had lain under but said Blessed be the Lord it is so well as it is with me I am resolved to serve this God that shewed mee this mercy I will hereafter heedfully live and will for ever avoyd such base company as this Witch and for her I will never have any thing to doe with while I live yet I blesse God she can doe me no harm she hath done the worst she can already the Devill hath told me many times if I would keep counsell I should not be tormented but I will not hearken to him I will speak the truth though it be my death for I have dishonoured God too much already Many more such like expressions she used but are too many to be enumerated The night being come we returned prayse to God for his seasonable deliverance of the Maid and because he had mercifully and suddenly given a gracious hearing to our prayers In this time I desired some to eye the person and carriage of the Witch that was in the prison-house some distance from the Maid Who informed me that as soon as ever the Maid awaked and began to be at ease the Witch began to be tormented and to roar and cry out Oh the Devill the Devill the Devill will tear me in pieces running from

a Gainer by his Contract with Satan indeed he promised Adam fair but the conclusion was a turning out of Paradise he promised Sodome fair but the conclusion was Burning And how many can our experience testifie of that without doubt after their league with him built many Castles of Hope in the Air of their Thoughts of their future happynesse But what a sad end have they came unto How many hanged and burned And when they need most protection from the Devil they have been most disappointed by him Shall any therefore wilfully be deceived by his allurements Suppose the best That such a shamefull end shall not betyde them Yet is there any happynesse or any good to be found in the Devils service Can he procure lost goods can he restore decayed health can he satisfie a proud heart can he content the ambitious minde can he satisfie a fleshly lust can he bestow on thee and let thee really enjoy all the glory of the world yet he cannot save thee from death can he prolong thy life in the land of the living he cannot create comfort to thee in the day of Gods wrath What will you then doe Indeed your lusts perhaps by him have been satisfied your health by him recovered your lost goods by him restored your ambitious minde something for a while quieted But all this while your soul is not saved Consider how God himself pities thee What will you doe saith the Lord in the day of my Wrath Intombing your souls in the world will not shelter you nor your agreement with Hell and Death cannot relieve you Besides what outward temporall forenamed accommodations you have by him as Health Wealth and the like you give a dearer rate then the most chargeable Physician in the world would or possibly could demand of you for the restauration ofyour lost health and it is much sweeter easier and lesse charge to goe so long a voyage as to the Indies and there dig for gold and silver accounting all its difficulties then to have it of the devils sending or bringing it to us In this sad foregoing Relation thou hast the great and glorious attributes of Gods Justice and just Judgement and of his rich Mercy and free grace To demonstrate the last first Friendly Reader Thou hadst in this Narration the torments of a poor Maid so fully expressed that in the reading thereof thou mayst take notice of the goodnesse of God in her support sure I am no naturall strength could have subsisted under such violent and strong racks tortures and pangs as did seise on her for almost five weeks Besides a Maid so poorly principled as she was for as she could not read so shee could not answer neither did she know but was altogether ignorant of the Fundamentall grounds of Religion and besides lived profanely yet in the extremity of her condition and in the lowest ebbe of her sorrows there was a ground of hope and expressed by her self in such terms as these Being asked whether she gave way to the Devill in yeelding to any thing that he suggested into her thoughts and minde She answered No Indeed saith she the Devill now appears to me from the top of the house in a fearfull shape with flaming eyes and calls to me to come away But I tell him I cannot I am held and glad I am that I am held else I am afraid I should be carryed away by force And at any time when she had a little ease from the violent hurryings of her body she was desirous to discourse and said she would not keep the Devils counsel The Devil saith she claims his promise and would have me away for I have given him my soul But saith she I know my soul is none of mine own to give Christ hath bought it and his it is none of my mine and though I did so wickedly as to promise it him through the perswasions of a Witch which I am heartily sorry for yet I have not my soul in my own custody to dispose of as I will and this saith she I tell him but it will not satisfie him What ever questions she was asked against her self between her fits when she was able to speak she would freely relate it though never so much against her self replying I have deserved death and hell a thousand times over and if God shew me mercy sure I doe not deserve it yet I hope God will I finde saith she that the Devill is within me he is got into my stomach and there he lies and hath broken all my bones yet I hope to be saved at last I know God is mercifull the Devill had else torne my body in pieces he hath tryed what he can but God hath yet kept me and I beleeve he will still for all the Devill and this wicked base Woman And further she said I heartily desire the prayers of the Ministers and all good people I doe desire it surely with my whole soul for though I am a sinfull wretch yet sure I doe beleeve God will hear their prayers for me And many other expressions she used which are set down in the former Narration I onely relate these here to shew the divine support she had in her distresse And Reader Hadst thou seen the strength of her spirit and of her minde in giving in her Evidence thou wouldst have beleeved she spoke truth And I think there are none of an unprejudicate opinion but did beleeve what she then said She sometimes in her Accusation or rather in her Evidence accused her owne obnoxiousnesse and how guilty she her self was of death and hell And after sentence was passed on the Witch I came to the Maid and asked her whether she was willing the Witch should be reprieved She replyed With all my heart and glad I should be if any body could prevail for her reprieve and I doe wish some body or other would try if they did think they should not sin in so doing She then at the same time wept exceedingly and complaining Oh my madnesse and my folly Oh wicked Creature that I am that ever I should sin against so good a God that hath been so mercifull to me in my torments Surely the Devill in one of those long nights would have carryed me away had not God been mercifull to me How hath Christ preserved me Did I ever deserve svch mercy Sure I did not and it will be my sorrow so long as I live should I sin against so loving a Christ and give away my soul from so good a God and all by the perswafions of so base a Woman How can I forget this Surely I shall never forget it as long as I live I am resolved to serve such a God as this is I will not count any thing too hard to doe for him that would have mercy upon me that had given my soul to the Devil I am not yet too old to learn I will learn to read sure if God will be