a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Psalms lxxxviii. 18 In thi wel plesing [L. in beneplacito tuo] shal ben enhauncid oure horn.

a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 130 Ioy þou..in my welplesing & worship [L. in mei solius beneplacito ac honore].

1576 G. Gascoigne Droomme of Doomes Day ii. sig. H.ij^v The wel pleasing of good & honest things.

1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 11 The Fruits of Vnity (next vnto the well Pleasing of God, which is All in All) are two.

1675 J. Bunyan Light in Darkness 62 A continuing in all things to the well-pleasing of the Justice of God.

1722 I. Kimber et al. Hist. Eng. I. 359 King Henry..made a great Feast..to the well pleasing of all his Subjects then present.

1754 J. M. Magens tr. P. S. Nakskow Art. Faith Holy Evangelical Church xxvii. 177 The Well-pleasing of God will be our Shield against the Temptations of Satan.

1831 E. Irving Day of Pentecost 4 This having done to the well-pleasing of the Father, the next thing was to render up the life of it as a doomed thing.

1878 J. Ruskin in 19th Cent. Jan. 138 The well-pleasing of God, in the fulfilment of all righteousness by His Son in the Baptism unto life.

1903 J. Mew Aspects of Hell 413 Little short of a miracle seems requisite to bring about that unity of Christian folk which, in its well-pleasing of God, is all in all.

c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) cxlix. 4 Weleplesand it is [L. beneplacitum est] to our Lord.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Coloss. iii. 20 This is wel plesynge [L. placitum est] to the Lord.

a1475 Revelations St. Birgitta (Garrett) (1929) 34 (MED) Þe parte of Martha is not euyll, bot prayseable and well plesinge to God.

1558 P. Morwen tr. A. ben David ibn Daud Hist. Latter Tymes Iewes Commune Weale f. ccxxxvii Ye are an acceptable and well pleasynge sacrifice vnto god.

1599 T. M. Micro-cynicon iii. sig. B8^v That wel pleasing newes but lately bought By loues assiduat care and industry.

1607 Statutes in M. H. Peacock Hist. Free Gram. School Wakefield (1892) 66 Thus the displeasinge hardnes of learninge shalbe made easie in the welpleasinge manner of teachinge.

1611 Bible (King James) Phil. iv. 18 A sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. View more context for this quotation

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis x, in tr. Virgil Wks. 523 My Sister Goddess, and well pleasing Wife.

a1732 F. Atterbury Serm. Several Occas. (1734) II. 76 Upon such Principles and Grounds as are well-pleasing to God.

1767 W. Dodd Poems 201 A moss-woven rose-bud, Eliza, from thee, A well-pleasing gift to a monarch would be.

1845 S. Judd Margaret ii. iii. 251 He was proclaimed the beloved and well-pleasing Son of God.

1875 H. E. Manning Internal Mission of Holy Ghost xii. 344 We ask the Holy Spirit of counsel to give us light to know what is right, what is well-pleasing.

1910 G. Alexander Epist. Colossians & Ephesians 47 The obedience of children is a well-pleasing thing.

1933 J. C. Long Lord Jeffery Amherst xix. 232 This turn in these affairs was well pleasing to Joseph Yorke.

1990 Amer. Philos. Q. 27 143/2 To say that God is good amounts to saying that ‘God is found well-pleasing to God’. This is hardly informative. Presumably, Satan is found well-pleasing to Satan.

1645 H. Hammond Of Conscience §58 Serving God εὐαρέστως (i.e. either well pleasedly, cheerefully, willingly, or well pleasingly, so as God may and will accept).

1764 A. Purver New & Literal Transl. Bks. Old & New Test. II. (Heb. xii. 28) 293/1 Let us hold Grace by which we may worship God well-pleasingly, with Reverence and Fear.

1856 T. T. Lynch Rivulet (ed. 2) 32 Then gently comes the grateful wish Yet to be his well-pleasingly.