Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	merciful_a	sin_n	9,948	5	4.9354	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41600	Instructions for apprentices and servants·	Gother, John, d. 1704.	1699 (1699)	Wing G1329EA; ESTC R223704	19,351	57

Sinful and have a Mark set upon them by the Apostle as things not to be nam'd amongst Christians They are not purposely to use any such Expressions which having a Double Meaning may be taken in an ill Sense for tho' this may be intended only for Mirth yet 't is Jesting with Poyson and may as certainly bring Death to the Soul as if it were design'd to Kill They are not to use with their Companions any such Freedom of Words or Actions which are the Effects of Lightness and Corruption and carry with them the evident danger of Sin and as for all beyond this 't is so notoriously Criminal that it needs no Caution here They are not to carry their Companions into ill Company or such Houses where they are in danger of being drawn into Excess They are not to invite or perswade their Fellow-Servants to such Divertisements Games or Entertainments which are forbid by the Master or may be the Occasion of keeping ill Hours They are not to turn Informers against their Companions except in such Cases where Justice or Charity oblige them to it And if they carry Stories to their Masters push'd on by a Secret Malice or Ill-will against any they in this Offend against Charity and not only injure their Neighbor but do a much greater Injury to their own Souls by making God their Enemy and incurring the Guilt of such a Sin which cannot be forgiven but by making Restitution for whatever wrong they have done This is a Point in which those Servants are very much concern'd who having the Ear of their Master or Mistress are in the daily Occasion of falling into this Sin And the Temptation is so great whether by their own Itch of Talking or by the Hopes of Recommending themselves or by Flattering their indiscreet Curiosity who seem desirous of Hearing all that passes in their Family that if they have not a great Command of themselves and as great Discretion in Distinguishing what is fit to be told and what not they will every Day Offend against Charity and Justice and by these Sins make Void whatever Good they otherwise do in Order to Salvation These Rules ought to be observ'd with Care by all such Servants as desire to satisfie their Duty to God and Man And where there is not this Care it can be no wonder if such Servants fall into remarkable Disorders and are judg'd by all that know them as unfit for a well Disciplin'd Family SECT VII Duties of Servants in regard of themselves Q. THere is one Principal Question yet to come and that is What are the Duties of Servants in Regard of themselves A. One Duty is that of Prayer For this being a Means appointed by God by which Christians are to obtain such Graces and Blessings as they daily want it must be as necessary for Servants as for any other Rank and the Neglect of it can be esteem'd no less than withdrawing themselves from the Protection of Heaven and Robbing their own Souls of those Helps which are necessary for making them Faithful Servants and Good Christians Q. How can they perform this Duty who have so little time to themselves and being generally tir'd are fitter for Sleep than Prayer A. Let them but make the best use of what Time they have and God will certainly accept it as he did the Widows Mite when she had no more to give It cannot be expected they should employ as much Time in Prayer as those who have their Hours at Command But if they make their Business the Excuse of their Sloth and upon this pretext Neglect their Duty to God when if they were more Careful and Industrious they might find Time for performing it they will have God the Judge of their Insincerity and Sloth in his Service to whom it is known however they may hide it from all others All Services are not so hard as to allow no Time for Prayer And if all those Servants who make this their Excuse would Examin themselves and see how much Time they find every Day for Unnecessary Sleeping Curious Gazing Idle Talking c. they might soon discover that 't is not Excess of Business but want of Good-Will is the general Occasion of their not finding Time to Pray And that a little more Resolution with better Management would help them to all the Time that could be necessary for this Duty Leaving therefore these with the Advice of being more Industrious I turn to such who are really so streightn'd in Time that they cannot find Opportunity to Pray And to these I give the following Instructions First That they endeavor to be Constant in saying some short Prayer in the Morning Offering themselves to the Protection of God for the following Day and to be preserv'd from all Sin Secondly That if by any Accident they are hinder'd in this they be careful to supply it by raising up their Hearts to God even when they are at Work and earnestly begging the same Protection of him Thirdly That often in the Day they would turn their Thoughts towards God and Speak to him from their Hearts with this Assurance that if they could say no more than such short Sentences as these Lord have Mercy on me O God be Merciful to me a Sinner Jesus forgive me my Sins O God thy Will be done in me O God desend me from all Evil O God be thou my Comfort and my Strength O God Save my Soul c. such short Prayers said from the Heart might find as good acceptance with God as the longer Devotions of these who have more Time Fourthly That they would Offer up all the Work they do to God Beginning it in his Name and Ending it to his Glory For since all their Labors are to satisfie the Duties of their State and this is what God requires of them they may Offer up to him every Work as done in Compliance with his Will and thus observe S. Paul's Advice in Doing their Service with Good-Will as to the Lord. Fifthly That since God himself enjoin'd Labor on Adam and his Posterity for the Punishment of Sin Gen. 3. 19. they would Submit to all their Labors as to the Execution of this Sentence pronounc'd by God against Sin Sixthly That as often as they find difficulty in any part of their Duty as in Rising in the Morning or in hard Work or in doing such things to which they have a dislike or in complying with Humors or Submitting to Passions c. they would consider it is God s Will it should be so that it is the Punishment God has set upon Sin and upon these Motives of satisfying the Will and Justice of God perswade themselves to a ready Compliance and make Nature bend to that to which it is most averse If these Rules be observ'd no Servant need complain for want of Time to Pray for that by this way all they do will be Prayer and become a proper Means for obtaining the Divine Grace and