mercy, merc i, mercie

[Fr. merc i, from Lat. mercedem, acc us. of merces (gen it. mercedis ) = reward, pay, pity, mercy, from merx (gen it. merc is) =merchandise, traffic, from merco =to gain, to buy, to merit; Sp. merced; Port mercê; Ital. mercè.] 1. That benevolence or kindne of heart or dis position which induces a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender with greater forbearance and clemency than he deserves; a disposition to temper justice with mildne , and to inflict a lighter pun. ishment for offenses than they strictly call for; clemency, tenderne of heart, mildne , compa ion. "There's mercy in every place." Cowper: Alexander Selkirk. IMG:content-1116.png:[blocks in formation] "They cried the more, saying, Have mercy upon us, O Lord, thou son of David." -Matthew xx. 31. 5. Power of acting at pleasure; discretion, liberty; unrestrained exercise of will or authority. "The offender's life lies in the mercy of the duke." Shakesp.: Merchant of Venice, iv. L (6) Sisters of mercy: [SISTERHOOD]. mercy-seat, *merc i-seate, s. 1. Lit. & Jewish intiq.: Heb. kapporeth ; this may be from kaphar =to cover in the literal sense, or kipper to cover figuratively, specially to cover sin. Hence the Septuagint renders the word Gr. hi laster i on that which is propitiatory or offered in propitiation; and the Vulgate propitiatorium =an atonement, a propitiation. The golden covering placed upon the ark of the testimony. Whether it was the actual lid of that ark, or a tablet placed above the lid, is doubtful. Like the ark, it was two-and-a-half cubits (3 feet 9 inches) long, and one-and-a-half (2 feet 3 inches) broad. At end was a cherub, the two looking face to face, and covering the mercy-seat with their wings. The whole was put in the most holy place of the tabernacle, and afterward of the temple (Exod. xxv. 17-22, xxvi. 34, xxxvii. 6-9, xl.20; 1 Chron. xxviii. 11). On the great day of the Atonement, Aarou, the high priest, cast incense on coal (charcoal) burning in a censer, and the cloud of sweet-scented spices which thence aroso covered the mercy-seat, God, whose 2683 special dwelling when He visited the place was between the cherubims (Psalms lxxx. 1), appearing in the cloud (Lev. xvi. 12, 13). The mercy-seat was also sprinkled seven times with the blood of a bul lock and a goat, offered as a sin offering (Levitic us xvi. 15). Jehovah spoke to Moses from off the mercy seat (Num. vii. 89). "And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy-seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly." -Hebrews ix. 5. 2. Fig .: In the New Testament the entry of the high priest into the most holy place is made symbolical of the entry of Christ into heaven, to pursue His work of interce ion, and of the approach of the Christian to God by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews x. 19-22), whence, in devotional language, an approach to the mercy-seat signifies an approach to God in prayer. "Jesus! where'er thy people meet, There they behold thy mercy-seat." Cowper: Olney Hymns, xxvi. IMG:content-1117.png:[blocks in formation] "Our wine is here mingled with water and with myrrh; there [in the life to come] it is mere and unmixed."-Jer. Taylor: The Worthy Communicant. *2. Genuine, free from admixture. "But now our joys are mere and unmixed; for that we may do our duty and have our reward at once" -Bp . Tay lor: Rule of Conscience. (Epist. Ded.) 3. Such and no more; this or that alone; apart from anything else; sole, alone, simple. "He well knew that mere names exercise a mighty Influence on the public mind."-Macaulay: Hist. Eng., ch. xxiii. IMG:content-1118.png:[blocks in formation] Law: The right of property without po e ion. mëre (1), s . [A. S. mere ; cogn. with Dut. meer ; Icel. marr the sea; Ger. meer; O. H. Ger. mar i ; Goth. more i ; Ru . mor i ; Lith. mæris ; Wel. mor; Gael. & Ir. muir ; Lat. mare.] Alake, a pool.