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
A71209	The opinion of the Roman jvdges touching imprisonment and the liberty of the subject, or, A sermon preached at the Abby at Westminster, at a late publique fast, Jan. 25, 1642 by J.V. Prisoner.	Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.	1643 (1643)	Wing V320; ESTC R4189	14,314	27

custody of y sixteen souldiers but observe his end the people cryed The voice of a God not of a man and he became wormes meat How can you please God that seek honour one of another The second blemish in the Roman is bribery not expressed in the text but implyed he desired to doe the Iewes a pleasure it was hot for nothing And of Felix his predecessour it is said he hoped that money should have been given to him by St. Paul Act. 24. 26. The Romans were covetous therefore bitter was the Sarcasme of Methridate upon them that the Founders of Rome Romulus and Remus were nursed by z a hungry wolfe and therefore the posterity were so greedy of wealth that Tertullian saith he not a onely hoped but privately dealt for bribes The third fault in this Romane was obloquy Acts 26. 24. b out of wrath and fury when St. Paul made his Apology Festus exclaimed Thou art mad much learning hath made thee mad so the limbes of Antichrist Ieroboams and Micah's Priests cry out of learned men that they are mad because themselves cannot understand them If they be mad it is for Christ and oppression oft times makes a wise man mad but indeed they are not mad but speak forth the words of truth and sobernesse c They have not the spirit of bondage or feare but of a sound mind Let us eschew bribery popularity and obliquv loquy for who shall dwell in Gods Tabernacle First He that backbitoth not with his tongue that makes not his tongue z his foot to trample the reputation of his neighbour in the mire Secondly In whose eyes a vile person is contemned therefore he is no man-pleaser Thirdly That takes no reward against the Innocent yea saith Solomo Jarchi that takes no reward to do justice therefore he is no briber He that doth these things shall never fall Psal. 15. 1 2 3 4. c. Thus I have described a Roman spirit and compared the Romans and Antichristians together who are the greater persecutors which may be first a premonition to us in these last dayes to expect perilous times for three yeares and a halfe Revel 11. 7. worse then those of Jewes Turkes and Infidels even the times of Hypocriticall Antichristian Heretickes 2. Tim. 3. 1. Secondly an exhortation to patience for he that kills with the sword shall be killed with the sword he that now leads into captivity shall be led he that robbs shall be robbed here is the patience g of the Saints h Returne to the strong hold yee prisoners of Hope this day I declare unto you that I will restore double to you And as I have preached for Love and Peace so let us conclude with a Prayer for the peace of God that passeth all understanding to guide our hearts and mindes in the knowledge and love of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and Holy spirit be honour and glory throughout all ages Amen The prayer before SERMON O Eternall the high and only a Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords before whom thousands of b Angels doe minister and ten thousand times ten Thousand doe stand before thee who makest thy Angels Spirits and thy Ministers a flame of fire who ridest on the wings of the wind and makest the cloud thy c Pavillion and art clothed with glory and Majesty At the foot-stoole of thy Throne are we prostrate sinfull dust and ashes beseeching the d God of heaven to have mercy upon us miserable sinners Have mercy on us O Lord and according to the e multitude of thy mercies blot out our offences in thought word and deed and thou that hast proclaimed the name of the Lord the Lord God f mercifull and gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and truth for giving iniquity transgression and sinne and shewing mercy to thousands shew mercy to us the chiefe of sinners forgive our g originall sinne wherein we were borne our actuall sinnes the sinnes of our youth Remember not how h ignorant we have been of thy truth i Lord who can understand his errours who knowes how often he hath offended Then clense us from our secret sinnes forgive our presumptuous sinnes perpetrated with a k high hand and our rebellions wherin we have warred with the Almighty and keepe backe thy servants from the like iniquity so shall we be innocent and avoid the great transgression and though we sin of weaknesse or ignorance l for no man lives on earth that sinneth not yet restrainus by thy grace from sins of stubbornnesse which is as Idolatry and from the m irremissible sin against the spirit of grace n Holy Father we desire not only remission of sins but the sanctification of the Holy Ghost though sin tyrannize and dwell in us o so that we cannot do the things we would yet let not sin p reigne in our mortall bodies that we should obey it in the lusts thereof that we who are dead to sin may live no longer therein but q as Christ is risen from the dead so we may rise to newnesse of life and as wee have yeelded our members servants to iniquity so to yeeld them weapons of righteousnesse unto holinesse the end whereof may be everlasting happinesse and as we rise so help us to ascend with Christ to heaven minding heavenly things r where Christ sits at Gods right hand teach and enable us to doe justly to love mercy s and walke humbly with our God denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and walking holily righteously and soberly in this present evill world waiting for the t appearing of the glorious Judge to Judgement Wee believe O Lord the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to guide his steps it is not in him that willeth nor that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy who hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Give therefore grace O heavenly Father for Christs sake In whose name wee pray not onely for our selves but for the whole estate of Christs Church on earth distressed and dispersed The Spouse of * Christ sits as a widow that is desolate her haire hanging downe rivers of teares falling from her eyes without intermission and it is nothing to all them that passe by the way u no sorrow is like to her sorrow yet none of her sons doth comfort her none doth turne out of the way to aske how shee doth x the breach is like the wide sea who can heale it there is no balme in Gilead there is no Physitian there y O thou sword of the Lord when wilt thou bee quiet when wilt thou returne into the sheath and bee at rest When O Father of mercies and Lord of hoasts wilt thou turne the edge thereof against the Heathen that know thee not and call not on thy Name

Lawes abrogate the old and all shall be delivered into his hand for a time and times and halfe a time that is three years and a halfe In Queene Maryes time the presecution was about three yeares and a halfe and in the last times of Antichrist shall be the like Rev. 11. 7. The bodies of the witnesses lye unburied three yeares and a halfe In Dan. 8. 10. it is said the horne shall grow great to the host of Heaven and shall cast to the earth some of the host and of the starves and trample on them not only shall Antichrist throw out of their places but by contumelies trample the Ministers of Christ in the mire And he shall take away the dayly sacrifice this signified the publike formes of Gods e worship as in Ps. 141. 1. My prayers as incense and lifting up of my hands as a dayly sacrifice in Dan. 11. 36. it is said that Antichrist shall presume to be a King and do or make Warre according to his will by an arbitrary government not by any law and shall exalt himselfe f above every God that is every King who is called a God in Scripture so 2 Thess. 2. every g Augustus or Caesar And be shall not regard the God of his Fathers but a new God and a new Religion Nor the desire of women that is spirituall fornication with Idols he shall detest but shall commit sacriledge And he shall honour the God of forces he shall ever be for warre and not for peace so Mahomet propagated his Religion by warre Christ Jesus by peace A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench because David had shed much blood he must not build the Temple and in the building no Toole of Iron was heard for it was a House of peace but Antichrist is all for the God h of forces Thus I have done with the first thing imitable in this Roman Deputy his Right Opinion Secondly his humanity In sending a Prisoner so saith the Text and it is expressed in what manner he was sent elsewhere Acts 27. 3. The Centurion shewed pity to S. Paul and suffered him to goe to his friends to refresh himselfe he suffered him to goe to his friends a great favour much more then to suffer his friends to come to him he gave him i power to goe forth there was an opening of the Ports that he might be refreshed with food and rayment necessary Likewise the other Roman Deputy Petix Acts 24. 23. Hee commanded a Centurion no meaner man to keepe him not to hurt him k with gentlenesse not rigour and fircenesse as the Gaoler in Acts 16. that put them in the hole in the stockes and that he should forbid or restrayne or l discourage none of his acquaintance to minister to him And when he was in Rome two yeares he dwelt in his owne hired house and received all that came unto him preaching the kingdome of God and teaching with all liberty no man forbidding him but Antichristian sectaries forbid all to publish any doctrine against their way as appeares in Waldus the Albingers Husse Jerom Luther c. neither will they afford bread to eate rayment to put on or house wherein to hide their heads or bed to rest upon more cruell then bloudy Nero to the Christians and Doctor of the Gentiles Some read m none of his goods were restrained from him in his Imprisonment but such men take away both liberty and goods at once Thirdly observe the justice of the Romans Acts 25. 16. It was not the manner of the Romans to give up a man till his accuser came face to face to justifie the crimes objected and that he have n space and place to answer for himselfe but among Antichristians no accuser shall appeare but the same man shall be accuser Judge and witnesse or if he doe appeare it shall be as a backbiter not face to face or if he confront the defendant he shall have convenient place of Apology but among his enemies to be derided as Sampson was or he shall have no space for his defence but he must answer Oretenus ex tempore according to their ex temporary prayers and sermons Is this justice Likewise the Romans stood much for the Liberty of the Subject Acts 22. 25. Is it lawfull for you to scourge a Roman and uncondemned The Orator said that Citizens of Rome may not be scourged whether they were borne Romans or o made free there were two kinds now Saint Paul was borne free for his Father was a p Roman and q Cilicia was under Rome or Tarsus was called r Juliopolis howsoever it were he had the Liberty of a Subject and Citizen of Rome but if a mans goods be taken away by violence and himselfe imprisoned where is the Roman Liberty Pagans shall rise up in judgment against Antichristians Yet more the Romans rescued from violence such as were Freemen Acts 23. 10. The chiefe Captaine fearing lest Paul should be torne in peeces in a Tumult sent Romans to deliver him farre it was from him to send Troupes to destroy his owne Citizens as Antichristians have done and he further saith Acts 23. 26. The Jewes tooke this man and I came with the s Roman Souldiers and rescued him understanding that he was a Roman Lastly they opposed all private ordinances and inventions of men therefore Festus saith of Paul his accusers stood up against him t and could prove no evill accusation against him as I supposed but had certain questions of their own superstition private ordinances and inventions Act. 25. 18. 19. he stood for the Roman laws which were so good that the t Falisci did chuse rather to serve the Romans then to be free The use hereof is in Mal. 6. He hath told thee O man what the Lord requireth of thee to doe justly as this Romane to love mercy and to walk humbly with God which are the three and all to be imitated in this Romane spirit Now briefly I come to the other three which are to be avoyded First Popularity Secondly Bribery Thirdly Obloquy 1. Popularity Acts 25. 2. Festus would doe the Iews a pleasure and Felix Acts 24. 27. because he would doe the Iewes a pleasure he left Paul bound but this popular Aire is but a staffe of reed bruised and shaken with the winde Gaius Marius who was seven times Consul and the third u Founder of Rome yet by envy expelled so Coriolanus and Scipio Africanus that wonne his name x from the subduing of Afrike the burning of Carthage the victory over Hannibal and had marble inscriptions to his honour yet loosing the popular respect was banished for ever de repetundis The people almost in one breath cryed Hosanna and crucify him * Herod Agrippa Acts 12. 2. Killed Iames and because it pleased the peopeople imprisoned Peter under the

Shall thy wrath burne like fire against Germany which before the Civill war was as the garden of Eden but now is a desolate wildernesse and many yeares bath groaned under that unnaturall intestine war z Thou hast turned man to destruction say likewise returne to life yee sons of men Just art thou O Lord to punish their Idolatry sacriledge and high contempt of the Ministry a but in the middest of thy Justice remember Mercy And forget not our brethren in Ireland who have suffered cruell mockings scourgings bonds imprisonments rapines deaths under the mercilesse Rebels that curse b their God and their King and looke upwards They have bewed in pieces thy Prophets throwne downe thy worship and killed thy servants with a rage that c reacheth to heaven Thy truth falleth in the streets and righteousnesse cannot enter O God of truth justice and vengeance shew thy selfe let not the sons of wickednesse ever prevaile More especially we entreat for England wherein we are a d Nation that is not worthy to be beloved for there is no truth or mercy or e knowledge of God in the Land but by swearing lying killing and stealing we breake out and bloud toucheth bloud wee have oppressed one another and therefore are justly f devoured one of another every one by the hand of his neighbour friend and brother Manasses Ephraim and Ephraim Manasses and every one eats the g flesh of his owne arme the son riseth up against the father and the father against the son to put him to death and they h thinke in so doing they doe God good service Who could have thought that this flourishing Countrey should have become a sea of bloud and this Eden a dead sea Oh the severity of Gods justice against our sins i of Sodom such fulnesse of bread abundance of idlenesse and oppression of the poore and needy our crying sins have called for plagues of leading into captivity and complaining in our streets Oh ever happy England the glory of Nations is now become the seat of Sects and Heresies the daughter of Babel the mother of all confusion Gods Temple prophaned his Ministers misused Jeroboams and Micaes Priests of the lowest of the people substituted To thee O Lord we make our complaint k This is and shall be a lamentation l O thou hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldest thou be as a wayfaring man as a traveller that abides for a night Awake O Lord have mercy on Sion that sits as a woman m or cast away that none looketh after build up the wals of Jerusalem restore her Teachers as at the beginning Have mercy on our dread Soveraign Lord CHARLES by the grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike Faith and in all causes and over all persons Ecclesiasticall and Tempor all supreme moderator and Governour bind up his Soule in the n bundle of life with the Lord his God as for his enemies sling them as a stone out of the middle of a sling cloth them with shame but upon himselfe let his Crowne flourish According to his present afflictions let thy Comforts refresh his soule Give not thy Honour to another but for thy Names sake who hast said of Princes yee are Gods Vicegerents save the face of thy Annointed from the tongues of men and in the middest of weapons of war that no weapon framed against him may prosper that every tongue which shall rise up against him may be condemned and he in due time restored to his former and greater royall splendor and dignity and after this triall may come forth as gold And as a Father of the Country may pity his children and lament the shedding of the bloud of his sons and daughters Blesse the Queens most excellent Majesty ourillustrious Prince CHARLES and the rest of the Royall Progeny that they may bee like Olive plants round about their Table suffer not the sonnes of wickednesse to afflict them Wee pray likewise for the Lords of his Majesties most Honorable Privy Counsell the True hearted Peeres and Commons assembled in Parliament Give o them the spirit of Vnity in the bond of Peace the spirit of p Moderation betweene the two extreames that by the wise accomodation this civill war may cease the head and body may be united Religion restored Sectaries and Heresies restrained and so Prince and people Church and State their due repayed that wee may owe nothing q but to feare God honour the King and love one another Vphold the Ministers of thy holy Word by what names or titles soever dignified or distinguished though they be r trampled under foot by Antichristians yet raise them up againe to shine like Stars in the firmament all clouds of obscuration and opposition scattered and consumed and for a continuall supply of them Blesse the two Vniversities Cambridge and Oxford that from thence religious and learned men may come forth whose s lips may preserve Knowledge and disporse it thorow the whole Land that the t mouth of ignorance and iniquity may be stopped Remember all that are afflicted especially thy servant that desireth the prayers of this congregation Oh Father of mercies and God of all consolations comfort those that be any Way cast downe The living the living shall u praise thee the dead cannot praise thee nor such as go downe into silence O great Physition of the bodies and soules of thy servants heale those whom thou hast wounded x Correct them but in thy judgement not in thy fury lest they be confounded Neither ought we in this day of humiliation to forget our thankesgivings unto thee O Father of mercies who hast chosen us in Christ before the y foundation of the world was laid to the glory of thy grace wherein we are accepted in thy beloved who hast called us with an holy calling and sealed us with the earnest of the Spirit who hast perswaded us of thy love here z and given us some hopes of glory hereafter who hast fed us all our life long even from our mothers brests and will beare us even in old age when our strength faileth us who hast led us by the Word and Spirit and drawn us by cords of love by the a bands of a man who hast delivered us in seven troubles and in eight that they have not hurt us To thee b bee glory and praise for ever and ever Oh let the thoughts of our hearts the words of our mouths and the workes of our hands be c now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer d keepe these good imaginations in the hearts of thy people for ever and prepare our hearts unto thee put thy feare into us and cause us to walke in the way of thy Commandements that wee may never depart from thee