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
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

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

Children of Israel or England you may say for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toubeth blood I referr it to any rationable Christian if this Prophesie be not fulfil'd in England But stay the subject of my pen cals so much for Iustice that shall forget Mercy and my desire is to have them goe hand in hand together and always doe in those Towns where Pride and Covetousness steps not in to part them but you may aske what this Mercy is that God requires of Man of Mercy there is ●wo sorts there is mercy to the Poore and mercy to thy Neighbor or stranger and all ends in Charity I was a hungrey and ye ●ave me meat thirsty and ye gave me drinke I was a stranger and ●e lodged me I was naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visi●ed me I was in Prison and ye came unto me Mat. 25.35 36 37. But what may we say now what will many in these times doe to fulfill Christs word in doing this to the Poore for his sake for the hungry I have r course Proverb but it is finely observed by too many you may break your neck before you breake your fast at their houses or you thirsty they will make you bleed more then you shall drink or you a stranger they l lodge you but it shall be in the Cage or Bridewell and there you shall pay for it too or you naked they l cloth you but it shall be with stripes or you sick they 'l visit you if you have any thing to give them or they l cry God helpe you and so leave you small helpe or comfort from them or you in Prison they 'l come t' ye or send t' ye but it shall be to intrap you to keepe you there the longer for there you shall stay till you haue satisfied their malice or paid the uttermost farthing nay though you owe them nothing yet if they owe you ill will in Prison you shall stay till they have paid you what they owe you without Baile or main-prize and if they be great ones if you tell them there is Law for them as well as for others they 'l bind you over to that they perhaps want themselvs for threatning of them T is true as Solomon saith The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell How can that Man looke for any mercie from God that is so mercilesse to his Brother doe not disdaine me for telling thee thy faults whosoevers you be for taking the poore and strangers parts or you rich you have but an uncertain lease of it it is neither for years nor life neither for you nor your heirs no longer then your Lord pleases when you have exhausted all your Bowels with the spider to contrive a slender webb of an uncertain inheritance here on Earth one puffe of wind blown from the Almightie carries all awaie for riches taketh her selfe to her wings and flieth awaie Prov 23 45 All riches are uncertain but those that are ill gotten are most uncertain as examples of all ages witnesseth Persis Son and heire was faine to learn the Black-smiths trade to relieve his necessiitie And Henry the fourth that victorious Emperor after he had fought fiftie two pitch Battels became a petitioner for a prepentary to maintain him in his old age and Geliner that potent King of the Vandals was brought so low that he intreated his friend to send him a Harpe a sponge and a Loafe of bread a Harpe to consort with his misery a spunge to drie up his tears and a loafe of bread to satisfie his hunger there is inumerable ways to become poore Fire a Thiefe a falce Servant Suirtyship Trusting of bad Customers and many the like hath brought many rich men to poverty and this is the only wind that blows up the bladder of these times Riches are like Snow-bals scrapt up together til the Sun shineth and God breatheth upon it and then it consumes to nothing heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poore of the Land to fail tell me now why you will not doe as you would be done by are you rich you may be poore have you Houses to live in your Fathers were strangers in the Land of Egypt your Children may be strangers in the Land of their nativity for ought you know the Lord takes care for the poore Christ takes care for the poore and will you professe your selves followers of Christ and will you grow careless of them and instead of feeding them eat up the poore as the Lord saith t is no wonder the Lord takes so much care for them in the Scriptures and so little for the rich for they will take care for themselves he knows so long as he lets them alone Soul take thy ease there is treasure laid up for many a day But O foole this night thy soule shall be taken from thee and whose shall alt that be then thou hadst better say as David did keepe me O Lord from those that hath their portions in this life Then conclude with me be you mercifull as your heaverly Father is mercefull Luke 36. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtain mercy it was never known that God suffered a bountifull and mercyfull Man to want if the cruelty of times or other affictions brought him low he wanted not a contenied mind to beare it out He that giveth to the Poore shall never lack Prov. 28 27. A rare priviledg never to want yet a bargaine of Gods own making Plenty shall furnish the Table where Charity takes away and gives to the Poore He that hath pitey on the Poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he repay him againe Prov. 16.17 The Lord is content to acknowledge himself the charitable mans debter our gracious Redeemer doth acknowledge himself gratified and ingaged as himself doth acknowledge Mat. 25. The poor mans hand is Christs treasury so a man becomes a creditour to his Saviour ● and he will pay him a hundred to one in this world and a kingdome hereafter Heaven and earth shall be empty before he shall be empty before he shall want a royal payment Charity is an act of Christian policy for we shall receive our own with great interest as it fared with the widdow of Sarepta whose handful of meal and cruse of oyl that she relieved the Prophet with the more she spent the more she had so shall that precious oyl bestowed on the poor for Gods sake be returned upon our heads in great measure which makes Saint Augustine say the charitable man is the greatest usurer in the world This will be strange thinks some that to give away our goods is the way to increase them it is if faith be joyned with your

force or polecy for example meet you with a true borne Gentleman his hat in his hand as soone as yours he 'l be as ready to give age the way as he shall give him be he poore or rich and so they bring up their Children take a new upstart Gentleman which may give for a motto in his scutchin of Armes these verses Means I have got though breeding I lack You may blaze my Armes by the coat on my back This man Sir if you meet him either a horsback or foot you quickly know him if on horsback pride whips on his horse a gallop and bids him keep his way though your horse be scarceable to goe out as if he 'll over you or else pride throws his master headlong in the dirt as many times it falls out to fulfil the Proverb Pride will have a fall Meet him in the street if you fear his great looks and worship his fools painted coat he 'll look a squint upon you and russels up his coat or cloake like a Peacocks tayl and think you have done but your due to worship this golden Calf But if you take no notice of him he will take no notice of you and pick a hole in your coat for not idolizing his rich coat But give me leave to stay my pen and not bestow ink and paper on times painted babies which if they were to be sold for their virtues would not yeeld eight shillings a gross for some of them have not the wit to act a part in a popet-play but what must come from anothers mouth But my subject is Justice Mercy and Humility which affords matter enough to treat on for the paper I intend to write on Mercy and Humility cannot be hid in honour or gentility As their hearts by humility opens their eyes of mercy upon the poor the oppressed and the needy they seeing your good works may glorifie your father which is in heaven and their prayers hearts and hands shall be a wall of defence for you in the time of trouble Pray give me leave as I began let me make an end which was with Iustice which is all I desire for man and Mercy from God him have I offended both in thought word and deed from him and through the merits of my Saviour I look for mercy My conscience tels me I have broke the laws of God and so we must all cry guilty Mercy nor favour looke I not from man but truth equity and justice which I hope that just God shall so guide their hearts that heare my cause that without respect of persons I shall have Iustice shewn me Iustice in ancient times was pictured blind representing the unpartialness of her heart She 'll hear all but sees none her eyes shall not corrupt her heart with the habit or love either of plaintif or defendant but in her left hand which is next her heart she holds the ballance of Iustice weighing rightly the cruse then gives she judgement by her two Judges Truth and Equity then hath she her sword ready drawn in her right hand to execute Judgement upon the offender so makes she the Law of God perfect with this motto I heare and see not yet I understand And judge aright the cause I take in hand So I le conclude with the words that the Lord spake to the Children of Jsrael by Zack 7.9 In the time of their Captivity execute true judgemet and shew mercy and compassion every Man to his Brother and oppress not the Widdow and the Fatherless the stranger nor the poore and let none of you imagine evill against his Brother in his heart for this is all the Lord doth require of thee O man to do justly love mercy and walke humbly with thy God and this thou must performe be thou high or low rich or poore judge or jury it is a short lesson to read a heard lesson to learn and a easy lesson to be forgot thou must have God for thy schoolmaster judge or Lawgiver thou must have Christ for thy merciful tutor and by thy humility thou shalt have the holy spirit that proceeds from both repeating this lesson always to thee Every man do seeke the face of the Ruler but every mans judgment commeth from the Lord. Prov. 29.26 FINIS

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