dead 1 Pet. 4.5 God will never be wanting to his church The gates of hell much less poore worms breathing skind earth shall not be able to prevaile against it Thirdly Seeing God is infinitely and incomprehensibly holy Vse 3 Then they that will imitate God must never stand at a stay in holines they must still go on with the motto of Charl's the fifth plus ultra Once we can never be too holy I am sure of that There is one wo and feare gone of an extream in holines O if we could as well avoid the danger of being too dull and slow and backward It were well I therefore will provide some spurs Motives to labour for more holinesse some pregnant motives to stirre you up to labour to be holy yet more and more First know this for your encouragement the more holines ye have on earth the more protection may ye expect from this holy God Those Saints that have beene eminent for holines have beene also eminent for salvations God hath made such see his salvation As the three Saints Daniel the third Daniel himselfe chap. the sixth and many others Secondly Take this too the more holines the more comfort surely while men ly under sinne the face of God is hid from them our comforts usually do fall and rise together with our holines God sups and dines with his holy ones Consolation is measured to us according to our holines God and a Saint do keep one table God cannot smile upon us while we are under the breach of any one of his lawes Ye may see what became of Davids comfort upon his fall Psalme 51.11 He there cries Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me And in the foregoing tenth verse he cries for a new creation He hath so farre lost his comfort that he thought he had lost his grace Carelest walking may cause us to be dealt with all as if we were reprobates and not the elect of God For this however some idle heads may prattle I appeale to the experience of all the Saints of God whether ever they found so much comfort and enjoyment of God in their loose as in their close walking with him certainly the clouds of sinne where ever they be will make the beames of Gods favour disappeare unto the sence of that soule Thirdly The more holines the more boldnes I remember I have read a story of a Conjurer that would have the devill affright an old exact Christian But the devill told him againe T was but in vaine to meddle with him he feared nothing Holy soules feare not death though it be the King of terrours They can looke it in the face and with Mr. Lawrance Saunders cry out welcome life when they are at the stake The righteous is bold as a lion Holy Moses talks with God face to face The more holines the lesse feare A holy man knoweth that nothing can come amisse to him Fourthly The more holines the more acquaintance with God Holines makes men great favourities in the court of heaven T is but aske and have for a holy soule As it was said of Luther he could do any thing with God Surely ye cannot imagine what power holy soules have in heaven Hic vir potest quicquid vult apud Deum Elias by reason of his holines had great power he prayed that it might not rain and it rained not and he prayed again that it might raine and it did raine Holy Moses holds the hands of God Ezek. 14.14 and and God begs him to let him go If any in the world can prevaile with God it must be such as Noah Daniel and Job 5. The more holines on earth the more glory shall ye have in heaven Though God save us not for our works yet he will reward us according to them The garland there wil be greater or lesser according as the flowers we send before thither be more or lesse We must have Esaus hands if we expect Jacobs blessing Esau signifies working No good is to be expected by us without doing good He that expects to carry earth to heaven must first strive to bring heaven downe to earth It is noted by some that the same word signifieth reward and working to signifie they cannot be separated Holy souls shall dwell in Gods holy hill Holines it called by some the Suburbs of heaven and he that will enter into the City must passe through the Suburbs To conclude this motive if we be eminently holy here we shall be eminently glorious hereafter Summe up all God will protect his holy ones Comfort and peace shall be their portion even here as Psalme 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them And great shall be the peace of thy children Isaiah 54.13 No names shall be to them Psalme 39.9 If we be all for God God will be all for us If we dedicate our selves to God we shall find that he will be ours in the sweetest injoyments His special providences shall be over us others are under generall providences only Extra mundum sanctus perigrinalitur cum Domino He may carry them on his back but you shall be sure to ly in his bosome His eye his heart both are alwayes upon his holy ones for God And at last fulnes of joy at his right-hand and pleasure for evermore Quest Ans But how shall I do to thrive in holines to lanch out into his deepes I answer By daily applying your selves unto the meanes which God hath appointed be diligent in the faithfull use of Gods sacred ordinances If ye plow with these heifers ye shall find out Gods riddles of holines But when once they are slighted or abused and come to be ours and none of his as one wittily observes out of Isaiah 1.11 and 14. verses then vertue commeth not from them We should therefore labour to be lift up out of our selves and above our selves when we are about holy exercises we shall be exact in them So shall we more and more come towards that perfection of holines which is still to be laboured for though never to be attained So much for the morall goodnes of God to wit his holines The other goodnesses follow The end of the attribute of holines The benignity or Usefull Goodness of GOD. Psalm 100. v. 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all Generations WE have under the good hand of our living good and holy Lord God gone through those three attributes of life goodnes naturall or perfection and morall goodnes or holines which was the last This verse is not chosen to be handled and to be spoken of for the sake of three other attributes mentioned therein viz. goodnes that is to say benignitie mercy a fourth sort as I may call it of goodnes and truth which at last will come to be spoken of also out of this
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
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
the participation of them He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him vers 36. If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 And he that committeth sin is of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 But to return and so draw to an end Let us take notice of wonderfull condiscension in God to make a Covenant with any and of the unspeakable happinesse of such as be enabled to come into this Covenant To doubt of mercy and professe our selves Christians is a very great sin God that cannot ly hath promised eternall life before these ages even from the beginning Know therefore that he is faithfull which hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Gods mercifulnesse is continued upon the account of his truth and faithfulnesse which Attribute is next to be spoken of out of this very Text. The end of the Attribute of Mercy Of the Truth of God Psalme 100. Verse the last For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting And his truth endureth to all generations WE are come now to the third property mentioned in this Text the sixth in order of the communicable attributes of God And this truth indureth to all generations In handling of which I purpose to keepe my selfe to those three propositions or rules which I have observed in the other five that have beene spoken off This word Truth hath diverse acceptations and no marvell for in the originall Hebrew there are more words then one rendered in our english tongue by this word Truth The usual word in the Bible which signifies truth is Kosht or Keshet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the word here used is Emunatho by reason of the pronoune affix His truth it is It comes from the same roote that that common word among us doth viz. Amen Which in the forme Niphal signifieth to be true firme or stable And here in my text it denotes the truth firmness and faithfulness of God as ye shall God-willing hereafter heare Truth Generally signifieth the conformity of any thing with its measure or rule according to which it ought to be formed or made as true Gold true Silver true Water Veritas est conformitas seu adaequatio rei ad missam Vig. gra p. 8. because it is conformable according to its kind and agreeable to the appointed proportion or allay and is not false The measure of each created thing is that which is somtimes called an Idea to wit the divine conception of God in himselfe of each thing according to which as a rule by vertue of this conception of his he gave being in time For in the wisdome of God from everlasting hath the form of every thing not only specifically from the highest Seraphim to the lowest Ant but in their particular individuum's If a creature should be otherwise Veritas est proprietas entis creati sicut bonitas Less then is so conceived in the mind of God it should not be true but false And as each thing is said to be true by its conformity to its exemplary cause so to be good by its agreement unto its finall cause And therefore we say truth is one although goodnes be manifold as there are many ends subordinate one to another yet neverthelesse there is but one utmost end and in that regard but one goodnes neither There is nothing which God hath made concerning which we may say Natura nihil fecit frustra it is good for nothing For what the heathens according to their skill say of nature that it made nothing in vain we may much more truly say of God It is agreed upon in the Church of Christ that God made all things and all persons in particular for certain ends whereby he may be glorified So Solomon saith Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill And look as a thing serves more to declare the excellencies of God so it is said to have in it more goodnesse Take all the jewells in the world they have not in them that goodnes in a true consideration that hath one blade of grasse which hath life though of the lowest sort yet it hath life Grasse and plants not so good as sensitives that have a better kind of life Lions and Eagles nothing comparable to the poorest man And to speake in the words of Chrysostome Take all the men in the world and they are not worth one Saint or gracious soule though never so meane in regard of outwards And what 's the reason of this surely because they are they by whom God attaines his end of making the world and from them alone hath his glory in the world And therefore I conclude the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Duae proprietates entis verum bonum There is a greater goodnes better a greater conformity to the end of being Ye see the two positive properties of an entitie the trueth of it and the goodnes of it But it may be demanded whether onenes or unitie be not another propertie of an entitie or being To which I answer No. Because the onenesse of a thing addes nothing unto the being of that thing Unitas suprà rationem entis nihil dicit nisi divisionis negationem Less veritas uniuscujusque rei est proprietas sui esse Avicen vigue Grav Instituit f. 8. neither doth it affirme any thing save onenesse which is a negation of division For that which is one is a thing undivided divided from all other things And therefore hath no place among properties But I hasten from these notions lest I should offend the judicious I have spoken of the property of goodnes as it is attributed to God and now to speak of truth though this be not that acceptation of the word which I purpose most to insist upon Yet take this by the way Our God is a true God that is he is truly God But here it may be objected if truth be a conformity of a being unto its rule or as Augustine saith a true similitude of the beginning which is without any dissimilitude what rule is there for God to be conformed unto To which I answer Truth as it is in this first acceptation attributed to God is not in him a conformity of being to a rule or pattern for then God should not be eternall Veritas est vera similitudo principii quae sine ulla dissimilitudine est Aug. de vera religione and something should be before God according to which his entitie being conforme should make him a true God but in this that his nature is such as that it ought to be the exemplary cause and measure of all things This being of God then is veritas fundamentalis as the Schoolmen call it In this sence he is the
of the rop without to make the bell to speake within but to some it is a setting them in the highest steeples as bells themselves to be heard a far ringing the various changes of an unchangeable God Let me heape up exhortations and so end this point and subject 1. Come away taste and see that the Lord is good Ps 34.8 Ye honour God much and ye shall be blessed that come unto him 2. Run to this infinite goodnes in all destresses Ad omnes etiam ad impios Cum Dei bonitas praecipue sit erga membra ecclesiae ergo et nos domesticos fidei praecipue beneficijs prosequantur Harplus 201. fly to this present helpe in the needfull time of trouble 3. Be like unto God and take heed of the doer of the unprofitable servant Math. 25.30 Much more take heed of being found among pernicious ones that delight to do mischeife which shall â—e torne in pieces when there shall be none to deliver Ps 50.22 And 4. imitate God in the extent of his goodnes I meane so farre as creatures can attaine Do good to all even to those that have no goodnes in them even to your enemies And lastly as the goodnes of God is especially to his Israel Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel c. So let us especially prosecute with our goodnesses and helps the houshold of faith and above all we must be mindfull to do good to the soule and so much be spoken of the attribute of goodnes or benignitie The Mercy of God Psalme 100.5 His Mercy is Everlasting OUt of this verse I have already spoken of the forgoing words for the Lord is good And have discoursed of Gods usefull goodnes one propertie of God which is used as a reason why he is worthy of praise There are three in this verse Suavis est Deus quia suavis facilis miseretur quia miseretur promittit liberationem quia verax implet promissa Bellar in hunc Psalme so joyned that one floweth from the other The Lord is to be honoured and his name to be well spoken of for he is good and because he is good he is ready to shew mercy from time to time and hath promised to be mercifull and because he is true in his promises therefore he will performe his promises of mercy which he hath made Now having finished the property of goodnes I come to this of mercy And in handling of it shall insist upon the same three particulars first propounded Viz. First That mercy as hath beene said of the rest is an attribute of God Secondly That it is a communicable attribute of God Thirdly That God in it as in all his attributes is infinite and incomprehensible To begin with the first of these propositions Mercy ye see is attributed to God not only here but in many other places of Scripture Psal 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Psalme 106.1 For his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 118.1 The same words Psalm 136. ye have it Sixe and twenty times And the same expression is in Jer. 33.11 in that prophetical promise of the joyfull estate of the Church And one place out of the new Testament Ephes 2.4 But God which is rich in mercy c. Mercy ye see is an attribute of God But what is mercy For Answer hereunto it will be requisite What mercy is in man that before I speake of it as it is in God I should first of all shew you what it is in men In man therefore know mercy is a vertue inciting the will to give succour to anothers misery and to indeavour to drive it away In men that which is commonly reputed mercy may be a vice so it may fall out For such acts as are counted mercifull do not alwaies proceed from the same principle in all that it doth in some which are called mercifull men For there are some which give almes as the Pharisies did to be seene of men out of vaine glory and ostentations which is no vertue but a vice Or if that which is naturally a worke of mercy be done upon any other dishonest ground whatsoever or to any other unlawfull end it then appertaines to that vice by whose affection it is commanded and takes the malignitie of that sinne whether lust or errour that sets this inclination on worke to succour the miserable But when the end is honest the worke is commanded by that vertue which hath regard to the honesty of it whether it be one vertue or another VVhether it be the love of God or love of the bretheren or encouragement of the godly or if it be only a pitifull disposition to the creature which is the ground thereof The end will much denominate the action and refer it to that errour or vice from whence such a supposed act of mercy had its first rise Some that are Romish recusants are seemingly very mercifull to the poore perhaps it may be to draw such to their religion As some Heretiques are kind and curteous to draw others to the embracing of their opinions So many likewise seem to be very forward to do good when it may be to serve their lusts of coveteousnesse pride and wantonnesse Such actions as these cannot be called mercifull or good but must be referred to that vice which is the ground of them If one should tempt a poore man to steale upon consideration of his poverty or perswade one that is sick to go to Charmers or white Witches for the recovering of health these actions could not be mercifull but rather must be referred to the head of cruelty to the poore soules of such persons so tempted so perswaded and advised But because it pleaseth the spirit of God in Scripture to use termes and words promiscuously sometimes in predications both of God and men Whether mercy be in men a distinct vertue from goodnesse and love and even about the attribute of goodnes lately handled and this of mercy now in hand one word doth signifie either thing mercy sometimes being used for goodnes and goodnes put to signifie mercy it will be worth our inquiry a little to see what the difference is between these two vertues and also that of love which is often taken to be the same with goodnes and mercy As to make this appeare to be so I remember a passage in Dr. Sibs his soule conflict Page 446. touching love goodnes and mercy in God which I will relate It is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy it much commends any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it In those words ye see he puts a difference betweene blessings which I take to be the same with good things bestowed and mercy and grace and the love and favour of God and yet all these foure last words are used for one and the same thing which in so
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
have you know or consider that it is too such only as seek him and waite upon him He cares not that ye know God is mercifull but he would not have you take notice of his justice and holy severitie against sinne that he is a revenging God and a consuming fire 〈◊〉 transgressours He would not have you take notice of everlâ—â—â—ing burnings and devouring fire in which sinners shall ly and be tormented during the long life of God T is true if he see that ye be in perplexitie about your sins and be in to tremble and to be afraid of the wrath of God then he will fast enough be telling you what a terrible God he is whom ye have sinned against that he may drive you to dispaire Thus would the devill separate what God hath joyned together Ye may see God putting both together Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffring and abundant in goodnes and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitie and transgression and sinne and that will by no meanes clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children c. And therefore when wicked men shall talke of the goodnes of God I may say to them as Jehu did to Joram concerning peace what hast thou to do with peace c. So What have ye to do to talke of the goodnes of God that do not seeke him nor waite upon him I may say to such as Elisha did to that Lord on whose hand the King of Israel leaned mentioned 2 Kings 7.2 about the great plenty that should be in Samaria Behold thou shalt see it with thine eies but shalt not eate thereof So such may heare and speake of the unspeakable goodnes of God but they shall have no share therein O! T is true there are rich and pretious promises made but only to such as love God and keepe his commandements and take Christ to be their King Priest and prophet but gracelesse wretches must know that nothing remaines for them but a fearfull expectation of vengence when God shall reveale his wrath upon the breakers of his law upon the refusers of his Christ And therefore that Sathan may not carry you along in a fooles paradise do not separate those attributes of God which from all eternitie are joyned in one in God And chiefly labour to be in a capacitie of this attribute of goodnes and benignitie If ye will be welcome to God ye must have the wedding garment if ye will profit by my discourse of the usefull goodnes of God which I am now upon ye must be the children of the promise and have your vessels uncovered or else all the pretious liquor of the goodnes of God will run over But I have somewhat forestall'd mine application I have a few words more to speak of the explicatory part of this disâ—â—â—â—se and then I shall come to the Uses It is true it is naturall in God to be good for it ariseth out of his infinite perfection but yet the acts thereof are free From this disposition commeth another attribute to wit love of which we shall speake hereafter when we shall have finished others first in their order But in the meane time It is my work to shew you what this goodnes of God is which I am now upon It is in God a naturall propension to communicate himselfe to creatures according to their severall capacities VVhat the benignity of God is And whereas I say it is a naturall propension yet I do not meane that the acts of goodnes are so for they are free There was but one necessary and naturall act of goodnes in God and that is the communicating of his whole essence which is of infinit perfection excellency As inferior things are naturally prone to procreate somthing like and equall unto themselves But because that which is altogether infinite cannot be multiplied therefore the Divine essence doth not communicate it selfe by the production of a like essence distinct in number as created things do in which the essence which is in one suppositum doth produce an essence in another suppositum distinct innumber but by the giving of himself and as it were by replication so as the same most simple nature in number is in three subsistences distinct in number Yet this communication sith it is natural the pronenesse unto it is it not to be called benignity of which I am now speaking but it is a naturall production of a person and communication of a nature And we may call it fertility or fecundity But goodnes is a free communicating to inferior Which in God although it spring from his infinite goodnes or perfection as the former communication of the whole essence and be also naturall yet the acts thereof are free And this goodnes of God communicated to creatures is generall to all Psalm 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes and verses 15.16 The eies of all waite upon thee and thou givest them their meate in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living creature But yet more especially to the rational and intellectuall creatures men and Angles which only by understanding and will are made capable of the divine goodnes These angelicall and humane natures God hath made far more capable of his goodnes and hath adorned them with many gifts of his good will And for man which he saw would stand in neede of many helpes he made all other things to be usefull for him out of Gods goodnes and benignity is all this done That the goodnes of humane being night be hereby made the more sweet and comfortable unto the sons of men In this respect he is said to be the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 preserving them from many dangers and relieving and comforting them with the service of his other creatures Math. 5.45 He maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Thus goodnes is communicated to man as man But Thirdly Gods goodnes is not only generall to all creatures and speciall to mankind but singular to his Church not only in giving them means of salvation and deliverance from the curse but to many of them vouchsafing the sense of his choisest favours in remission of sinnes gifts of the spirit and life everlasting fullnes of joy reserved for us at the right hand of God O what a goodly garden of the goodnes of God is the whole creation Even Devills have a share in regard of their natures it is angelicall such a nature as the best and wisest and most knowing of the sonnes of men can little tell what to make of it In so much that even in Christs time among the Jews it became doubtfull whether there were any such creatures as Angels at all and by a considerable sect viz. the Sadduces was held in the Negative I say
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
verse which will be the Sixth in order of the communicable attribute of God I shall now begin to speake of the goodnes of God as it is called by the name of benignity or sweetnesse or usefull goodnes out of these words For the Lord is good The vulgar latine hath it Quoniam suavis Dominus By some it is read for the Lord is sweet by others for the Lord is gracious All comes to one at last and will afford unto us a good ground to discourse of these three propositions as we have formerly done in handling the other attributes first that goodnes or benignitie or usefullnes or a readinesse to do good is an attribute of God Secondly That this attribute is communicable Thirdly that God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible For the first of these I shall not be long upon the proofe of it In the 36. Psalme the fifth verse For thou Lord art good c. Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him The Church of God was now brought to a low condition which was the cause of the making of this booke of the Lamentations Then did she yet bear up her selfe by this attribute of God his goodnes And this indeed is that Which encourageth God's people to seeke unto him in all their streights and in all their difficulties the remembrance of his goodnes This sets a gracious soule to seeke him because he never shutteth up his hand nor stoppeth his eare to them Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him And here by the way we are to take notice that there is a certaine kind of proportioning out of this goodnes according to the workings of the Holy Ghost in any For though God be good to all there is a goodnes of God over all his work Yet he is not good to all alike There is a generall goodnes particular goodnes or peculiar goodnes He is good to all men and to all things with a generall goodnes Just and unjust evill and good are under his showres and Sun-blasts For he maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and unjust Math. 5.45 And he heareth and feedeth the young ravens when they cry Psalme 147.4 But yet ther is a goodnes peculiarly appropriated unto his people that do waite upon him and seeks unto him For this same waiting upon God and seeking unto him is as it were a fetching up of the waters of goodnes out of the deepe well of that other goodnes lately spoken of the infinitenes I meane and perfection of God in which they ly Seeking God and waiting on him is as it were the applying of God Ye know that if a wounded man had never so good plaisters ly by him if he do not make use of them by applying them to his wounds they may fester and rot and so perish notwithstanding his good salves And although God be the most compleat utmost and absoluâ—e good at all to any unlesse he be applyed O this is the goodnes which is proper to the Saints that waite on him It ariseth from that which is called all his goodnes Exod. 33.19 And that is communicated in a double sense First as it is naturally communicated to his onely son and in this sence God is onely good to his son the second person in the God head to whom God naturally Communicates the divine essence and so he is from everlasting the begetting father and the second person is from everlasting the begotten son This essential goodnes is proper to the sonne of God Secondly there is a free communication of the goodnes of God unto his creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their severall capacities And therefore if the creature be not made capable it cannot receive of this goodnes from him and that is the reason that beasts partake not so much of the goodnes of God as men nor naturall men as they that are gracious Beasts have not the goodnes men have nor common men that goodnes the Saints have because they are not capable of it And not only specifically but gradually too is this goodnes of God communicated to the Saints For the wider the mouth of the bottle is and the more capacious the more is it able to take in and hold of any liquor A man can hold more in his hand then a child in his So according to the measure or degree of faith do we receive in from of the goodnes of God So that all our scantings straightnings are from our selves not from God God would still be giving out but our narrow hearts are not able to take in If we could open our mouths wide God would fill them full T is true faith is the same in justification be it weak or strong but it is not alike in enjoying good things from God The hand of a child or a palsiman serves to bring meat to his mouth to feed them but it cannot hold so fast nor work so well as stronger hands can God doth communicat many goodnesses to all his creatures and some peculiar to reasonable creatures but as ye are Sts. ye are capable of other goodnesses and have such choise favors as flie over the heads of other men and women because they are not capable of them For instance none are capable of the love of God in Christ unto salvation but such as have believed in Christ and received him and to as many only as have received him is power given to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.13 It is never the better that there is water in the Wels if you have not a Well bucket to draw it up for your use David hath a notable prayer Psal 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visite me with thy salvation And therefore let wicked men know this that though God be good yet it is never the better for them in this sence I meane in regard of the love which he beareth to his people Alas ye want faith ye are not of a perfect heart what will ye be the better for the waters that ly in the Well of Gods al-sufficient goodnes Sathan will tell you That God is a good God but he will leave out this to them that feare him and love him and waite upon him This is his Sophistry these be his tricks he dealt so with Christ in a quotation of Scripture as ye may see Math. 4.6 He leaves out those words in all thy waies He tels him of a promise to be kept and of a charge given to the Angels concerning him but if ye reade Psalm 91.9 Ye shall find the words are not faithfully alleadged by the devill He cares not though ye know that God is good but he would not