as in comparison of these he maketh no reckoning of like a little over-measure that is given you when you have bought any thing like to the browne paper and pack-thrid that the mercers give you for nothing Mat. 6.33 these things shall be added to you But theâ—e mercies he maketh precious account of these are his jewells wherein he setteth forth the riches and glory of his mercy and bounty As Ahashuerus the King of the Medes and Persians shewed the riches of his glorious kingdome and the honour of his excellent majesty in that feast he made to his princes and servants Est. 1.4 so doth God much more set forth the riches and glory of his mercy in bestowing these precious mercies upon any For as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God is not meat and drink but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost These mercies therefore are called Ephes. 1.7 8. the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us Therefore when Paul speaketh of the mercy of God toward him in the pardon of his sinne he saith 1 Tim. 1.14 that the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards him This is a marvellous mercy of God that he should pardon any of us our sinnes and give us eternall life such a mercy as we can never sufficiently admire and wonder at Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse ô thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thâ—e saith David Psal. 17.7 And Paul 2 Thess. 1.10 God shall be admired in all them that beleeve in that day Thirdly Those mercies are but of a short continuance they last no longer then this short and momentany life they are called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of this life 1 Cor. 6.4 But these are everlasting mercies and will out-last this life and endure unto eternity Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him Fourthly Those mercies are uncertaine even in this life 1 Tim. 6 17. Trust not in uncertaine riches But these are sure mercies not flitting or uncertaine if they be once gotten they can never be lost and are therefore called Esa. 55.3 the sure mercies of David Davids mercies the mercies he begged heere the mercies he made such reckoning of the mercies peculiar to him and the elect of God are sure mercies and can never be lost Fiftly and lastly Those mercies a man may have and have them in abundance and be made never a whit the better man never a whit more acceptable to God never a whit the neerer unto eternall happinesse Nay for the most part they make men that enjoy them most abundantly the worse men a great deale they estrange their hearts from God and deprive them of his kingdome There is a sore evill which I have seene under the sunne saith Solomon Eccl. 5.13 namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Luke 18.24 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdome of God vers 25. It is easier for a Camell to go through a needles eye then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God But these mercies of David never did any man receive but they made him a better man then he was before No man ever obtained this mercy to have his sinnes pardoned but his heart was changed and he became a new man presently Acts 5 3â— Christ giveth repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes So Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Labour therefore to make this thine owne to get assurance that these mercies of David do belong to thee that in the time of thy need thou maist have the benefit and comfort of these mercies Els will this one daylie heavie upon thy heart that there being so much mercy in the Lord such a fountaine yea such a sea of mercy yea thou knowing so much and having seene in the ministery of the Gospell this fountaine opened unto thee as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 13.1 yet thou art not washed in it thou art not cleansed from thy sinnes thou art never the better for it That there is mercy enough in the Lord to pardon Davids sinnes and Manasses sinnes and Peters sinnes and Mary Magdalens sinnes yea all manner of sinne and blasphemy as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 12.31 yet thy sin remaineth still unpardoned And all because thou hast despised these riches of the goodnesse of God as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.4 Thou hast esteemed much more of those common mercies of God then of these like the Prodigall who so long as he could get enough to fill his belly though it were but hogs-meate never thought of returning to his father and seeking for his favour Luk. 15.16 17. O this is it this despising of the Lords speciall mercies is that that will treasure and heape up wrath to a man against the day of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.5 Now if any man shall say I would faine know that this mercy of God belongeth to me but how may I come to be assured of it To that man I answer there be five things which may be both as signes and notes whereby thou mayst know it belongeth to thee and as meanes also to bring thee unto this assurance that thou desirest First If thou canst seeke and sue to him for this mercy with all thine heart that is more then for any other things prizing this mercy above all other mercies thou needest not doubt but it belongeth to thee thou shalt be sure to have thy part in it Marke the promises made to such as are in this case Ieremy 29.13 Ye shall seeke me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Psalme 69.32 Your heart shall live that seeke God Other mercies thou mayst long for and sue earnestly for and never obtaine them but these spirituall mercies without which thou canst not be saved thou maist bee sure to obtaine if thou canst thus desire and seeke for them Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him Psal. 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. So that if thou want these the fault is in thy selfe Ye have not saith the Apostle Iam 4.2 because ye aske not Secondly If thou canst be miserable and dejected enough in thine owne eyes thou shalt not need to doubt but this mercy belongeth unto thee Misery we know is the object of mercy and chiefe motive to compassion If thou canst therfore unfainedly lay open unto God thy misery thy spirituall misery I meane the wounds sores of thy soule as poore creeples do their sores to meÌ„ whom they would move to pity them thou needest not doubt to find mercy with the Lord. Thus doth David seeke for mercy heere as you
The caveats are two First take heed thou seeke not to ease and deliver thy selfe out of this distresse by unlawfull means And there be three false wayes whereby men are wont to seeke ease in this case and to put God and their owne spirituall estate out of their mind 1. By shunning that ministery that did use to touch them to the quicke and to pierce their hearts Thus did Ahab shun Micajah 1 Kin. 22.8 I hate him for he doth not prophesie good concerning me but evill And Felix Paul Acts 24.25 Goe thy way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee 2. By giving over their private duties of reading and prayer saying in their hearts with that desperate Pursevant whom Ioram sent to apprehend the Prophet 2. Kings 6.33 What should I wait for the Lord serve the Lord any longer 3. By giving themselves over to carnall mirth to drinking and gaming and good fellowship according to the counsell Sauls Courtiers gave to him 1 Samuel 16.16 Seeke out a cunning player on a Harpe and when the evill spirit from God is upon thee let him play and thou shalt be well But take thou heed of seeking ease to thy soule any of these wayes hate them abhorre them that give thee this counsell and say with Iob 21.16 Let the counsell of the wicked be farre from me and with David Psal. 119.128 I hate every false way For 1. they that take this counsell make Satan their Physician to cure them when God hath made them sicke their Surgeon to heale the wounds that God hath made in their soules And certainely all his medicines and salves have deadly poison in them the wounds hee seemes to heale hee makes farre more incurable The wounds that God makes none but God can cure Iob. 5.18 Hee woundeth and his hands make whole Gods meanes which they shunne though they doe make them sad for a time yet they have in them the seed and roote of comfort and will bring the heart to comfort in the end if they bee constantly and conscionably used the sadnesse that they cause maketh the heart better as Solomon speaketh Ecclesi 7.3 That ministery that pierceth most is of a healing and comforting nature compared therefore to an excellent oyle and balme Psalm 141.5 And of Religion and religious duties Solomon saith Proverbs 3.17 All her paths are peace Where as Satans meanes on the contrary though they seeme to give ease and joy to the heart for the present yet indeede they doe the heart no good they can worke no sound cure on a wounded spirit Ecclesiast 2.2 I said of mirth what doth it Nay it makes the wound in the end worse then it found it Proverbs 14.13 The end of that mirth is heavinesse 2. They that take this course doe seeke to hide themselves from God as Adam did Genesis 3.8 1. And what madnesse is it for a man to thinke hee can bee able to doe so A child or a servant may runne away from his father or Master when they are angry or threaten them but who can runne away or hide himselfe from God Psalme 139.7 Adam thought to have hidden himselfe but hee could not Genesis 3.9 2. Admit one could doe so yet is not that the way to recover his favour by hiding our selves or running from him Draw neare to God saith the Apostle Iam. 4 ◠and hee will draw neare to you The second caveat I must give you is this take heed you yeeld not unto this tentation but resolve to resist it that is the way to overcome it if thou resist it not thou art in danger to be overcome of it Iames 4.7 Resist the Devill and he will flye from you When so foule a tentation as this is to bee perswaded that God hateth thee and hath rejected thee and is thine enemy that thou hast no part in Christ nor in Gods mercy is suggested into thy mind reject it with detestation as our Saviour did the like Matth. 4.10 Get thee hence Satan But how should I resist it wilt thou say The Apostle telleth thee 1. Peter 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith Two things thou must do in this case First consider what God in his word hath said concerning such as thou art Search into the word acquaint thy selfe with Gods promises Thus did Christ resist Satan Matth. 4.4 7 10. This is the sword of the spirit Ephesi 6.17 Resolve therefore thus with thy selfe as David doth Psal. 85.8 I will hearken not what Satan or mine owne heart saith but what the Lord God will say of such as I am Say to thine heart as our Saviour doth to the Lawyer Luke 10.26 What is written in the Law how readest thou It is written Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him And such a one thou canst not deny thy selfe to bee It is written Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy It is written Ps. 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. It is written Rom. 5.20 Where sin abounded there grace did much more abound There is no comparison betweene the multitude and hainousnesse of thy sins and Gods mercy or Christs merit It is written Iohn 6.37 Him that commeth to me desireth unfainedly to have benefite by me and to beleeve in me I will in no wise cast out and such a one thou canst not deny thy selfe to bee And many other such comfortable promises are written in Gods word Acquaint thy selfe with them ô they may stand thee in great stead one day David found this Psal. 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Secondly Resolve with thy selfe thou wilt give credit unto and rest upon that which God hath said in his word though a thousand Devils and thine owne heart also should say never so much to the contrary though thou have no feeling nor comfort at all in the assurance of Gods favour Say with David Psal. 56 3 4. When I am afraid I will trust in thee Why so In God will I praise his word in God have I put my trust As if hee had said though I be full of feares and consequently void of comfort and feeling yet I have Gods word and promise and that I will trust to For we live by our faith and not by our feeling Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his faith It is the nature of faith to give credit unto and rest upon the word though wee see or feele nothing to rest upon Hebr. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seene So that looke what the Apostle saith of hope Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope but hope that is seene is not hope the same may be said of faith We are saved by faith but faith that is seene is not faith Indeed that and that only is true faith that is grounded
for themselves why they cannot rejoyce nor take that comfort in him that they ought to do which I will endeavour to strengthen you against Alas saith one how can I be joyfull or comfortable in Christ that have the hand of God so heavy upon me many wayes as I have both in outward and inward afflictions and which though I have oft and long sought to the Lord to be eased and delivered from them yet I cannot prevaile To this I answer Remember what thou hast heard in the Doctrine 1. Thou maist be as deare to God as any is upon earth though thou be thus afflicted For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth saith the Apostle Heb. 12.6 and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth 2. Thou canst not justly say that those afflictions that thou complainest so much of are certaine arguments that God is angry with thee for some sinne that thou art guilty of For it may be he hath no respect at all in them to thy sinnes but either to keepe thee from some sin that he seeth thou art in danger to fall into if thou shouldst not bee thus kept under as it was in Pauls case 2 Cor. 12 7. or to try thy faith and patience and make thee an example of faith and patience unto others as it was in Iobs case 3. Admit God hath respect to thy sinne in keeping thee thus under the rod so long yet are not thy afflictions punishments whereby God taketh vengeance on thee for thy sinnes but fatherly chastisements onely whereby he intendeth to doe thee good Christ thy Saviour hath borne the whole punishment due to thy sins The Lord hath laid upon him saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 the iniquity of us all And thou maist be sure that God hath pardoned and will never lay to thy charge that sinne that he thus correcteth in thee because thou dost what thou canst to find out thy sinnes and the sins thou hast found out thou art unfeignedly humbled for and resolvest to forsake For repentance and remission of sins are never separated as is plaine by that speech of Christ Luke 24.47 4. Lastly So long as thy sinnes are pardoned thou maist bee and hast just cause to bee comfortable what ever thine afflictions be Sonne be of good cheere saith our Saviour Matth. 9.2 to the man that had as uncomfortable a disease upon him as a man can lightly have thy sinnes are forgiven thee As if hee had said This is a sufficient cause of comfort unto thee what ever thy distresses and afflictions be How can I take comfort in Christ saith another that am privy to my selfe of such odious and enormious sins as I have beene guilty of in times past yea as I find in my selfe continually such cursed and blasphemous thoughts as never child of God was troubled with To this I answer First Christ hath satisfied the justice of God not for small and ordinary and common sinnes of his people onely but for all their sinnes how great and heinous soever they have beene The bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1.7 As all bodily diseases were alike to him He healed every disease saith the Evangelist Mat 9.35 and every sicknesse among the people so all sinnes which are the diseases of our soules are alike to him Blesse the Lord ô my soule saith David Psal. 103.2 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Let Israel hope in the Lord saith David Psalme 130.7 for with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plenteous redemption As if he had said The redemption that Christ made the ransome that hee paid was not scant but plenteous enough and enough againe for all the sinnes of his people how many or how heinous soever they were Where sinne abounded saith the Apostle Romanes 5.20 grace did much more abound As if hee should say No sinne of any of Gods elect can be so great but the merit of Christ and Gods mercy in him is farre greater Secondly The benefit of this ransome that Christ hath paid doth certainely belong to thee because those heinous sins that thou complainest of are a burden to thy conscience thou yeeldest not to them but labourest and strivest against them For our Saviour expressely saith that such shall find rest and comfort by him Come unto me saith he Mat. 11.28 all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Thirdly and lastly The consideration of the heinousnesse of thy sins which thou art thus troubled with and consequently which Christ hath purchased thy pardon for should be so farre from making thee unable to rejoyce in Christ as none under heaven hath so much cause to rejoyce and take comfort in him as thou hast They to whom many and foule sins such as that poore womans were of whom Christ speaketh Luk. 7.47 are forgiven will love Christ and consequently rejoyce in him much but to whom little is forgiven the same will love but litle Paul that counted himselfe chiefe of all sinners as he saith 1 Tim. 1.15 found more joy and comfort in Christ then we shall read of any other to have done this he often maketh profession of 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 Phil. 3.3 and sundry other places Nay in that very place where he calleth to remembrance how horrible a sinner he had beene and what mercy hee had found with God through Christ he bursteth forth into this doxology 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen There is yet a third objection A third reason that many a poore soule alledgeth why he cannot rejoyce in Christ nor take comfort in him He that truly beleeveth in Christ hath just cause indeed to rejoyce in him saith he As Elizabeth said of Mary Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeveth so saith he ô they are happy that can truly beleeve in Christ. But alas I cannot beleeve Now unto this poore soule I have these two things to say First Yeeld not to this infidelity of thy heart but strive against it stir up thy selfe to take hold of Christ to beleeve in him and consider what encouragements God hath given thee in his Word to do so 1. God hath commanded that Christ and the pardon that he hath purchased should in the ministery of the Gospell be offered in most generall termes to thee as well as to any other thou art not excepted out of this pardon Goe and preach the Gospell saith Christ Mat. 16.15 that is offer this pardon to every creature 2. Christ hath in his Word made offer of himselfe and all his merits to such as thou art more then to any other 1. Thou knowest and feelest the burden of thy sins And such he inviteth above all others to come to him Matth. 11.28 and assureth them they shall receive benefit by him 2. Thou thirstest
proceed unto the fourth and last of those Motives which I promised to give you to perswade you to seeke without delay to know that you are through Christ justified in Gods sight And that is this That when a man is once justified then he shall be sure to be sanctified and never till then If any man desire to get strength against any lust or corruption that troubleth him most or to obtaine any grace that he standeth most in need of let him first labour to know that he is justified and that his sinnes are forgiven him That is the onely sure way to attaine unto both till a man know himselfe to be justified let him use never so many meanes to attaine either of them he shall but loose his labour I will give you the proofe of this first in the generall by shewing you that all true sanctification proceedeth from justification secondly in both the parts of sanctification that is to say mortification of the old man and vivification of the new For the first Doe any of you desire to have a better heart and to lead a better life which wee all ought and every good heart doe desire more then any thing els in the world then labour to get assurance that Christ is thine that thy sinnes are forgiven thee that thou art through him reconciled unto God this is the onely sure way to amend both thy heart and life This will doe it and nothing but this will ever bee able to do it Two sorts of proofes I will give you for this 1. The inward instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh sanctification in the heart of man the inward principle and root of all grace is faith that justifieth a man and maketh knowne the love of God to him in Christ. 2. The outward instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh sanctification in the heart of man is the preaching of the glad tidings of the Gospell unto him For the first I will give you foure plaine places of Scripture for the proofe of it The first is that speech of our Saviour unto Paul Acts 26.18 where speaking of them that shall inherit eternall life he calleth them such as are sanctified by faith in him As if he had said It is faith in Christ such a faith as assureth a man that Christ is his and that God is through Christ reconciled unto him that sanctifyeth a man and nothing but that The second place is Heb. 9.14 Where the Apostle comparing the bloud of Christ with the bloud of the legall sacrifices and having shewed in the former verse that the sprinkling even of that upon the people did worke a kinde of externall and legall sanctification in them How much more saith he shall the bloud of Christ being sprinkled upon you and applyed to your hearts by the spirit of God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God As if he should say so soone as the bloud of Christ is sprinkled upon the conscience so soone as ever the spirit of God hath by faith assured a man that the pardon which Christ by his bloud hath purchased doth belong unto him this will certainly follow of it his heart and conscience will be purged and cleansed from dead workes from those workes which while he was a naturall man dead in trespasses and sinnes he lived in and he shall be enabled to serve God in newnesse of life The third place for the proofe of this is in 2 Pet. 1.4 Where the Apostle saith that by the knowledge of Christ are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Two things are to bee observed in these words of the Apostle 1. How come Gods people to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust How come they to forsake and be preserved from those sinnes that both themselves in times past and the whole world still through the strength of our naturall concupiscence liveth in How come they to be partakers of the divine nature How come they to have the Image of God which consisteth in true holinesse and righteousnesse renewed in them Why saith the Apostle we attaine unto all this this change is wrought in us by the exceeding great and precious promises of God which are given unto us not by any thing we were able to doe by any endeavour wee could use by any penance we could put our selves unto no nor by the law or judgements of God but by receiving and beleeving the exceeding great and precious promises that God hath given us of pardon and mercy was this blessed change wrought in us But then 2. How came wee to have interest in these exceeding great and precious promises of God Surely saith the Apostle Verse 3. And in the very first words of this verse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and Vertue that is through the knowledge of Christ. By knowing Christ to be ours In whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 1.20 wee come to have Title to all the exceeding great and precious promises of God The fourth and last place of Scripture which I promised to give you for confirmation of this first point is that speech of the Apostle Eph. 3.19 Where the Apostle praying for the Ephesians that God would make them able to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge which was so infinitely great unto every poore sinner that beleeveth in him as no heart of man is able fully to know and comprehend it he giveth this for the reason of that prayer that he made for them that yee might be filled saith he with all the fulnesse of God As if he had said the more knowledge you shall have of the wonderfull love that Christ hath borne unto you the more that you shall be assured of it the more you look into it and meditate of it the more you shall bee filled with all the fulnesse of God the more shall you abound in sanctification and in every saving grace Now for the second sort of proofes I spake of the outward instrument wherby the spirit of God useth to worke sanctification and holinesse in the heart of man is the preaching of the glad tydings of the Gospell the opening and applying to him the new Testament and covenant of God the covenant of grace the promises of Gods free grace and mercy in Christ. True it is the Lord sometimes by his judgements and plagues but more usually by the Ministery of the law useth to prepare men unto grace and worke a kinde of repentance and change in the heart of man But the meanes whereby he useth to sanctifie a man indeed to mortifie and kill sin in the root to worke a saving change and true grace in his heart is by preaching the Gospell and making knowne to him his mercy in
may see verse 3 4 5. I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me So doth he likewise Psal. 25.16 Turne thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted They that seeke to God for mercy must judge themselves unworthy to find mercy as Benhadads servants did when they sued to Ahab for mercy they went with ropes on their heads and sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 The Lord is plentifull in promising his mercy to such miserable humble and dejected soules Psal. 9.12 He forgetteth not the cry of the humble and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Therefore is this title given to the Lord he is called a God that comforteth the abject 2 Cor. 7.6 Thirdly If thou be one that fearest to offend God in any thing thou needst not doubt of his mercy for thou hast his promise Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Fourthly If thou canst trust in his mercy and rely and rest upon it certainly it belongeth to thee That maketh David pray thus Psal. 33.22 Let thy mercy ô Lord be upon us according as we do hope in thee and 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy Fiftly If Christ be the onely ground of thy hope and confidence to find mercy with God if thou trust to obtaine it onely through the merit of his bloud There is no comming before the mercy-seat of God but through him This was notably figured unto Gods people in the ceremoniall law 1. None might goe into the holy of holies where the mercy-seat stood to obtaine mercy for Gods people but the High-priest onely who was a figure of Christ Heb. 9.7 2. He might not upon paine of death presume to come before the mercy-seat to obtaine mercy for Gods people without incense which signifyed the intercession of Christ. Levit. 16.13 The cloud of the incense must cover the mercy-seat that he die not 3. He must not come before the mercy-seat without the bloud of the sacrifice which signified the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.7 Into the second Tabernacle went the High-priest alone not without bloud which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people Levit. 16.14 He shall take of the bloud of the bullocke and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat No hope of comfort at Gods mercy-seat but onely through the merit of Christs bloud who is therefore called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 But having him for our High-priest we may goe boldly to the throne of grace and may obtaine mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.16 And so much shall serve to be spoken of the first dutie which concerneth the Lord himselfe Seeing the Lord is so infinite in mercy labour thou to know that hee is so unto thee Lecture XXV On Psal. 51.1 2. May 16. 1626. NOw for the second duty which concerneth the Lord himselfe it is that which the Prophet exhorteth us unto Psal. 29.2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name that is carry your selves toward him accordingly give him his due If we know and beleeve indeed that God is so gracious and mercifull specially if we know and beleeve he is so unto us how can we choose but love him and feare to offend him and cry shame upon our selves that we are no more willing and desirous to serve and please him Therefore doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.18 19. that God would make them able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and deapth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fullnesse of God as if he should say If once you fully knew this love that God hath borne to you in Christ it would even fill you with all the fullnesse of God that is with all the sanctifying and saving grace of God Many deceive themselves miserably in this point and challenge to themselves an interest in Gods speciall mercy without any ground at all I will therefore shew you five notable effects that the true knowledge of this marvellous mercy and goodnesse of the Lord must needs worke upon them that have it Whereby as by certaine notes you may try your selves whether you do indeed beleeve and know that this speciall mercy of the Lord doth belong unto you First It will make men afraid to offend him Nothing hath that force to work in a man the true feare of God as this hath Psal. 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared and Hos. 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in those daies And that is the right feare of God which the knowledge of Gods mercy doth breed in us Secondly He must needs grieve and be troubled when he hath offended him Nothing hath that force to melt and breake the heart with godly sorrow for sinne as the true knowledge of the Lords marvellous mercy and loving kindnesse towards us Zach. 12.10 I will poure upon them the spirit of grace that is the spirit of adoption which shall perswade them of my fatherly love towards them as it is called Rom. 8.15 and they shall looke on him whom they have pierced and then they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son And what was it that made Mary Magdalen weepe so abundantly for her sinnes Luk 7.38 Our Saviour telleth us verse 47. it was her love that grew from the consideration of Gods marvellous mercy in pardoning her so many foule sinnes Thirdly He must needs take delight in the service and worship of God Nothing hath that force to make the worship of God sweet unto us as the true knowledge and consideration of the mercy and goodnesse of God As for me saith David Psal. 5.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy That is that that shall draw me to thy house and make me love it and Ier. 31.12 They shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodnesse of the Lord. So David giveth this for the cause why he begged so earnestly of God that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life Psal. 27.4 to behold the beauty of the Lord that is how amiable and gracious the Lord is As if he should say I can no where behold and see that so well as in his house and that is the thing that maketh me so farre in love with the house of God O if men knew the sweetnesse and infinitenesse of Gods mercy they would love his house and delight more in it then they doe Fourthly He must needs desire earnestly to know the will of God