passage we have to this purpose from another shining light As the eis is not weary of seeing nor the ear of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy mercy is naturall to him Let it be considered Dr. Preston for our unspeakeable comfort The mercies of God are the mercies of a God Mercy exalteth it self against justice He will blot out your iniquities and remember your sinns no more But let no swine trample upon this Jewell T is true when his people sinne he will visit them with stripes but yet he will forbeare when they are washed in the teares of repentance The God of Israel is a mercifull God come then with ropes about your neckes and ly downe at his feete and he will pardon As the Jaylor washed the stripes of Paul and Barnabas when he was converted so when men repent and are humbled God will wash their's Externall mercies are vouchsafed to all He sendeth rainny Showers and Sun blasts on the good and bad on the just and unjust and feedeth Ravens nay even those very mouths that do curse and blaspheme him yet have many a good thing put into them and wicked ones have many mercies from his hands And if God have such mercies for his slaves what mercies then thinke ye hath he reserved for his Sonnes and Daughters Then let all take comfort in this Doctrine of Gods mercy notwithstanding their sinfull miscarriages let not such as have sinned dispare of mercy 4. Sith mercies is in God as hath been said let us render to Vse 4 this mercifull God the honor due unto his name Quatuor potissimum à nobis gratitudo quae ei rependamus deposcit membriam amorem servitutem seu obsequium perpetuam cum gratiarum actione laudem Less and by many of acknowledgement and thankfullnes These foure things are due unto God First to be mindfull of his mercies It is the least we can do to a benefactour to retaine in memory a benefit whereby we may shew that we did esteem it and that it was accepted of us He surely is most ungratfull that will not so much as remember a curtesy Therefore seeing we have had so many mercies from God let them not be all forgotten The truth is we should forget none of them Forgetfulnes of mercies is a sinne that goes neare to the heart of God We find God often putting men in minde of his mercies Ye have a large discourse of Joshua c. 24. v. 3. c. even unto the 14. v. And Exo. 20.2 God puts them in mind of his bringing them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage puts it in the head of the decalogue ye see to hint thus much to us that unles we be mind full of Gods mercies there is little hope that we should be obedient to his laws and so Ezek. 16.6 c. He puts the Jews there in minde of what he had done for them And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own-blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field c. Surely we of this nation have cause to look back to those bloody daies of Queen Mary and to remember what God then did hath often since done for us He put out the fires in Smithfield and elswhere c. And remember what he did for us in Eighty-eight and concerning the Gunpower plot in 1605. And in these last past years even to admiration and astonishment O that we could remember his mercies that have beene ever of old Must we not confesse that the Lord hath beene to us a mercifull God Yea surely And if we look upon our selves that desire to serve God according to the prescribed rules of his word Have we not had many mercies worthy to be remembred How hath God kept up a despised handfull notwithstanding the wrath pride profanesse and cruel spight of some that live among us How hath he kept the burning bush his Church in this place from being consumed Besides personall mercies which each one his owne soule is most privy unto Some have been sick and God hath restored health Some have beene forced from their habitations and God hath brought them backe again Some have beene unjustly molested under pretence of being disorderly persons peace-breakers Riotors how truely God will one day make appeare and God hath yet freed you from the cruel spight and crushing might of wicked men Behold ye stand before the Lord unde many a mercy let them never be forgotten for by remembering what God hath done ye will be the fatter and readier to love the Lord and obey him and praise him with acknowledgement that his mercy endureth forever But these three latter particulars are next to be considered under this fourth Use Next to remembrance therefore of Gods mercys we must inquire for our love towards God For sith we have nothing to give in satisfaction of the least of Gods mercies being as old Jaacob said lesse then the least of them all We should yet love God and let our affections runne out towards him who is worthy to be loved by a daily commemoration of mercies this fire of love may be kindled As the beames of the sunne gathered in a burning glasse into one do stirre up and cause great heate sometime fire So the mercies of God gathered in our mind seriously considered will kindle the fire of love in our soules towards God and to that end let these three things still run in our minde Our unworthines Gods eminency and the greatnes multitude of his mercies if yet this will not do rub up particular mercies which like a blast of smal wood may set thy soul on fire that then the other three considerations like great billots or sheeds may keep it in Ps 116.1.2 So David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me Fenner in his Treatise of Justification p. 87 therefore will I call upon him as long as I live c. If we would saith one busy our thoughts and rememberances about God this might winne our affections to God 3. We should yield obedience and service to God Luke 1.74 75 being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we should serve him without fear in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life We should do the will of this mercifull God and study to please him in all things And in the last place the praises of God must continually be in our mouths Mercies cals for praises Psalme 104. ver 1. c. Blesse the Lord O my soule Dr. Sibs Souls Conflict 45. and all that is within me blesse his holy Name And the causes follow verses 3 4 5 Who forgetteth all thy iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. A thankefull heart to God
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
fire and torments for ungodly men than God can want mercy If ye be not all saved O ye sinners it is not out of any defect in God His bowels yern over lost mankinde Yee are self murtherers if ye come not all to Heaven He perswades you intreats you begs you and complains of you that ye will not come to him that ye might have life And what would ye have more I say again if any of you be damned t is not God but your selves that cause it See what God hath done to others men saved already next the devils have been the greatest objects of pitty that could be because vile sinners and enemies to God in their mind by wicked works bloody Manasseth persecuting Saul abhominable Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the Crosse even dropping into the jaws of Hell And for Saul who I named but just now when he was breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord Act. 9.1 Even then was God breathing out his mercies upon him These are glorious suns that shine in the crown of our mercifull God He hath mercy of all sorts for all conditions and nothing displeaseth him more then when men take up narrow thoughts of his infinite bowels Then secondly Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever Vse 2 and trust perfectly in him whose mercy indureth for ever Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 c. and turn to the Lord for he is mercifull He will have mercy he will abundantly pardon stand it not out with God any longer ye know not if ever ye may have another such a tender of mercy from God again O then close with God labour to come into the Covenant and keep under it ye that are in Otherwise ye may live long enough under mercies offered Come to Christ God is a Father onely to such as have Christ for their Lord and King Beloved consider what I say Gods works are glorious and to be sought out I say we come not to heaven in a way of mercy onely but through a Mediator for out of Christ God is nothing else but everlasting burnings For though his nature and property be to have mercy and to forgive yet he is forced to take punishment by our impenitency and our impenitency cannot be taken off untill we be united to Christ by the spirit working repentance If ye be not in the Covenant ye are out of the sphear in which Gods mercics to eternal salvation move though many ordinary showers of mercies and Sun-blasts of comfort are to be had upon the account in general of the satisfaction of Gods justice by Jesus Christ elsewhere yet choice mercies the sure mercies of David are to be had no where else but under the Covenant Psal 89.28 Mark I pray My mercy will I keep for him ever more How comes that to passe It followeth And my Covenant shall stand fast with him By David in this Psalm is signified Christ of the seed of David of whom David was type And Gods mercies to us in him are firm and sure Verse 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And much more ye may read in the following verses to the same purpose The sum of all is that Gods mercies in Christ are firm to the whol body mystical To them they are like the waters of Noah T is a Covenant of salt that cannot be broken Get once assurance that thou art in Christ and never doubt of the mercies of God more Be thou never so weak in parts or grace Those that are so weak that they cannot apprehend Christ he is ready to comprehend them But still we must be perfect in this truth Dr. Preston Sts. Infirm pag. 52. that Justification Redemption and Salvation which are these sure mercies of David are not to be found out of the Church nor extended to those whom God never received into his Covenant But here it may be objected Object out of the first of Titus v. 2. That eternal life which God that cannot ly hath promised before the world began cannot be appropriated to those who do believe and bring forth the fruits of their Faith in obedience because there were none such before the world began To which I Answer first That that place may be Englished Sol. from the times of ages And then the sence will be that God in all ages from the beginning hath made promises of eternal life to such as come into the Covenant and are believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A parallel place in some what a clearer phrase we have 2 Thess 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you that is all along from the beginning God hath chosen you and such as you are to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and unbelief of the truth Or if according to the latter Interpretation of Piscator which Dr. Twisse embraceth we read ante tempora soecularia Quèmad modum etiam verum est Deum sicut neminem adultum nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus invigilantem salvum facit ita etiam non nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus deditum statrisse salvum facere unde conficitur resipiscentiam bona opera causas quidem esse salutis idque ex ordinatione Dei quippe qui nos elegit ad salutem in sanctifatione spiritus fide veritatis sed non sequitur resipiscentiam bona opera causam esse ordinationis ipsius divinae Twiss 233. fol. before times of ages that is before many ages to wit in the beginning of ages which seems fitter then to say before eternity for God neither promised nor decreed to promise any thing before eternity this sence will answer this Objection well enough to wit that whatsoever Gods decree or purpose be of men means sure I am that God hath promised eternal life onely to such as be in Christ and that all mercies belonging to life eternal are appropriated to such new creatures as are in Christ Jesus But secondly for satisfaction in this point if ye that are pleased to consider what I say are resolved to read the words either in the Epistle to Titus or to the Thessalonians according to the usuall reading of them in our English Bibles and according to Beza and others and will make the sense to be before the world began although it will be hard to make the place in in the Epistle to the Thessalonians so to sound yet still it will stand for a truth that Christ laid down his life onely for his sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 10.15 and not for his enemies for the company of Believers and not for wicked unbelievers And as is said Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him Nay not onely are Christ and his benefits restrained to the faithfull but also unbelievers and such as continue in their wickednesse are flatly excluded from
as are neare and deare unto them Gen. 19.29 And it came to passe when God destroyed the cityes of the plaine that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the middest of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt So this is one particular in which is seene Gods sparing mercy When God hides his people in times of indignation And also when he forgets their sinne and casteth them behind his back and doth not punish at all These phrases of passing by and not passing by are usuall in Scripture and to set forth the mercy of God in this head of sparing mercy as one breach thereof So also Gods adjourning his punishments to a farther day his suffring his Spirit to strive with men as he did with the old world The long suffring of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 When God was provoked by their sinns yet he waited one hundred and twenty yeeres This deferrings of judgment is a branch of that sparing mercy of God which we live under But Sirs the glasse is running all this while there is an appointed time for every purpose The time appointed will be expired and though God may seem to have leaden feet yet be sure he will have Iron hands at last Though he come slowly he will smite surely O Do not be bold in sin God is merciful to forbear to put off defer his plagues but it will not be wisdom for you to defer to put off your repentance His spirit will not alway strive He will be paid for forbearance ye will be left altogether in excusable if his forbearance work not at all with you And as if the Lord did study to be mercifull in his dealing towards the sons of men what moderations and rebates doth he shew in his punishments Psalme 78.38 But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquitie and destroyed them not but of this branch we have spoken already Marke therefore what followes yea many a time turned he his anger away Here is another branch of sparing mercy but yet further and did not stirre up all his wrath Here ye have all three in one verse But that which we have now in hand is the moderation that is in this God of judgment when he must needs punish he doth it in judgment not in fury He doth not make a full end but correct in measure even when he doth not leave his people altogether unpunished Jer. 46.28 Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not utterly consumed To wit his sparing mercy Lastly upon this point or branch of sparing mercy it is noted by some that God doth somtimes shew a kind of unwillingnes and loathnes to lay on stripes on the backs of his servants He doth not take delight in the putting of his servants to paine He doth not laugh at their calamitie But he is brought in groaning while he is whipping as a father correcting with weeping eies Hosea 11.8 How shall I give the up Ephraim how shall I deceive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Here is a conflict as it were in the very spirit of God O how shall I do it O what a sparing heart the Lord hath towards the sons of men Where he must needs corect them it is much against his will Truly he never dealt with Christ so as he doth with the sons of men He spareth not him in any regard at all He spared him not in the first way he tooke not away the punishment but he gave him up to death The cup did not passe away but it was drunk Neither was it deferred but when the houre was come he suffered he was sacrificed in the time set for it And that without mitigation He had not one drop taken out of this bitter cup. Neither was there any relunctancy in God against it He did not weepe over him when he was suffring He never cryed how should I suffer thee my sonne to dye How should I endure to see thee so used But it pleased the father Isai 53.10 yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him He had not only voluntatem but voluptatem He did as it were harden his heart upon him which made him cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Quest But you will say how standeth this with the love of the father It is said the father loved the son why then did he not spare him at all in his suffrings Ans I Tell you sirs there was great reason why God should not spare Christ Though he spare us continually For. First it delighted God to see his justice satisfied Reasons why God spared not Christ he would have a full satisfaction to it It was expedient that all the mercy should be towards the redeemed and none towards the redeemer As Christ stood in our steede he was to satisfie justice and so to have what he paid for Thus justice is exactâ—d which God could not indure should be trampled under foot This must needes be a pleasant sight in Gods eyes That we sinners might have all mercy he that saved us from our sinnes had no mercy Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of mercy yet this was denyed to Christ that he might pay every sort of mercy for us Secondly He knew what his sonne could do He laughed at the triall of him because he knew he would do well enough It pleased the Father to see his sonne tug with death so and all sorrows even as a Generall takes delight to see his souldiers play the men bravely But I am sensible of a digression and therefore returne to the matter in hand that mercy of all kinds is in God Ye have had a discourse of a fivefold mercy And now next I am to speake as I promised of that great manifestation of mercy to mankind fallen from his good estate I meane to the remnant elect to the little flocke for whose sake glorious doings and marveilous transactions have beene in the world For to the end that man so fallen in Adam so miserable every way as hath been heretofore shewed might be raised up and freed from all sorts of sorrows and deaths from griefe here and from eternall damnation hereafter and be made fit to enjoy grace mercy here and glory eternal in the heavens God hath diverse and sundry waies shewed his abundant goodnes and mercy as shall now be declared And Effects and acts of mercy First let us begin with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God In this God hath declared his infinite love and mercy to us Of this admirable effect of working bowells in God you mâ—y read John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Who considering
God loveth them that are like unto him but so are not wicked men They do not shew themselves to be the children of this Father which is in heaven We read of God Psalm 10.17 That he doth hear the desire of the humble or poore c. And that he giveth food to all flesh because his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 136.25 and Luc. 6.36 He commandeth that we be mercifull Mat. 5.45 as our Father also is mercifull And he made lawes for mercy Deut. 15.7 8. If there be among you a poore man of one of thy bretheren within thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth And God is so mercifull that he takes order that the poor the maimed the lame the blind be called when men make feasts Luke 14.13 But unmercifull men have not such a disposition they are altogether unlike God and therefore want a glorious property 4. Unmercifulnes bars audience of Prayers In the Forth place we read Prov. 21.13 Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Unmercifulnes bars audience of prayers Certainly they want a glorious commoditie that want that which makes the eare of the Lord to be open to cries and cals in the time of neede T is no ordinary priviledge to have accesse and welcome to the throne of grace and therefore to want it whereby prayer becommeth an abhomination to the Lord must needs be a very great want O when unmercifull men hard-hearted wretches shall ly and cry on their death beds O Lord shew some mercy O Lord shew some comfort Lord help me Lord help me Lord forgive me Lord Jesus receive my soule let them be sure God will turne the deafe eare to them as they have formerly to others Oh this is dreadfull Fifthly Unmercifullnes is a degree of murther Job 24.14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poore and needy 5 Unmercifulnes is a kind of murther Qui non tollit injuriam cur potest facit and in the night is as a thiefe That place is to be understood of such a murther as the rich man mentioned Luke 16.21 was guilty of He that deviseth waies how to oppresse suck squeeze yea not to succour a dying man in Gods account is a murtherer Not to give meate to the hungry hath a sentence of go ye cursed Math. 25.42 If people be in misery and want and such as are able will not pitty and succour them and supply their wants they are in a sort before the Lord murtherers Sixthly It is a shrewd signe of a reprobate condition 6. A shrewd signe of a reprobate condition For we read in the third chapter of the Collos ver 12. That bowels of mercy is put among those properties which do belong to the elect of God Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercie kindnesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. Who can think but such do belong to the state of reprobation that have not the markes and signe of Gods elect upon them Who can hope that they have relation to the God of mercy that in their place and to their power do not labour to make it evident by relieving such as be in misery To conclude this use Lastly their end dolefull that are unmercifull surely we may agree from the wofulnesse of their future condition from their dolefull end That they want that which is of great concernment that want a mercifull disposition James 2.13 For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy They must look to drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation Without mixture marke that phrase that is without allaying of it God will not moderate it at all They shall have judgement without mercy We have yet another use and it is of exhortation We have Vse 2 heard much of the beauty of his grace and of the misery of such as are without it Now therefore be stirred up to be mercifull shew your selves to be mercifull as God is mercifull Be as Job was ye may read cap. 29.16 I was saith he a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out c. cap. 31.17 He did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse did eat with him and ver 20. The loynes of the prore warmed with the fleece of his sheep blessed him Ye read of Dorcas Act. 9.39 that She made coats and garments for poor widows while she was alive Dives had beene better to have given all that he had to Lazarus then have fared as he did To move you to be mercifull Motives to be mercifull 1. It is a blessed thing First it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20.35 It makes such as practice workes of mercy truly noble and honorable and that in the account of God himselfe The Lord Jesus said and his words are to be remembred that it is more blessed to give them to receive Consider the forementioned place in the Acts of the Apostles 2 Ye give to Christ Secondly Christ takes all acts of mercy as if they were done unto himself He takes them all to his own account And this ye may be sure of he is a good paymaster sooner or latter will quit scores and reckonnings with you He will not forget that when he was hungry ye fed him c. Math. 25.42 And if the Paps are blessed which gave him suck then shall that table also that hath fed him Luc. 11.27 Ye have plaine Scripture that in as much as ye have done works of mercy to the least of these which he is not ashamed to call his bretheren ye have done it unto him This is the second motive ye give to Christ 3 God will not dy in your debt Lastly reade Prov. 19.17 He that hath pitty upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again God will not dy in your debt If all sufficiency can make requitall ye shall surely have it Quest But how shall I do may some one say to get this property of mercy Answ I Answer First you must pray to God for it James 1â—17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the father of lights Pray therefore to the Lord to give you mercifull hearts Prayer ye see is the Bucket to fetch up some of this mercy out of the deepe Well that can never be emptied Secondly you must consider what hath beene said formerly you must lay it to heart and think upon it And Thirdly and lastly ye must fall