Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n
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A52388
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Delay of reformation provoking Gods further indignation represented in a sermon preached at Westminster to the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament at their late solemn monethly fast, April 29, 1646 / by James Nalton.
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Nalton, James, 1600-1662.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing N122; ESTC R30736
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35,648
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50
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the sinner o Zech. 11.8 My soule loathed them and their soule also abhorred me and he tels his owne people p Levit. 26.30 My soule shall abhorre you Yea so loathsome is sin to his pure and perfect nature that he hates it in his owne children as well as in stangers It is true it is not a hatred redounding to their persons yet he hates sin in them though he doe not hate them for sin At the same time when he dearly loves the person of a Beleever he deadly hates the sin of a Beleever As when David committed adultery the Text saith The thing that David had done displeased the Lord q 2 Sam. 11.27 Though Davids person was accepted his sin was abhorred Reas 3 As sin is very odious so is it also very injurious to the God of Heaven In the least sin that can be committed we doe the greatest injury for the kind of it unto God that can be expressed because in every sin there is an infinite Majesty offended an infinite Justice wronged an infinite patience provoked an infinite mercy abused and therefore an infinite punishment deserved Besides in sin we often arise to a despising of God Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandement of the Lord saith God to David r 2 Sam. 12.9 Yea to a despiting of God We read of some that doe despite to the spirit of grace s Heb. 10.29 yea further to an interpretative domineering or insulting over God Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins saith God t Isa 43.24 sin makes God a servant and man a Master Nay yet more if more can be said sin riseth with reverence be it spoken to a dethroning of God it strikes at his Crowne and dignity even to un-God him if it were possible Must not all this make God exceeding angry Vse 1 for instruction First it will serve for our Instruction in two particulars Instruction 1 The first is this That it is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of an angry God for he hath treasures of woe and wrath laid up in store for those that doe provoke him Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up in my Treasures v Deut. 32.34 True it is when God is pacified then it is better falling into the hands of God then into the hands of men for his mercies are great x 2 Sam. 24.14 But if his wrath be once kindled then the sinners in Zion shall be afraid fearfulnesse shall surprize the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings y Isa 33.14 O the desperate folly and madnesse of presumptuous sinners that dare stretch out their hands against God and strengthen themselves against the Almighty as the Scripture elegantly expresseth it z Job 15.25 26. That dare run upon God even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his Bucklers that dare kindle that fire that burnes to the lowest hell a Deut. 32.22 Little doe these men think how infinite the wrath of God is Infinite I say in Intension Extension Satisfaction First it is infinite in Intension for who knoweth the power of thy anger saith Moses b Psal 90.11 it passeth the apprehension of men and Angels That which is spoken of the glory reserved for Saints is as true of the wrath reserved for sinners Eye hath not seen it nor eare heard it neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive it c 1 Cor. 2.9 it must needs be so being the anger of an infinite God A dart out of a weak mans arme will wound the body but when it is shot out of a strong Bowe and with a strong arme then it wounds deeply How infinite then will that wrath be which seizeth on Vessels of wrath When Mountaines and Mil-stones of vengeance shall be throwne upon them and that by an omnipotent hand and outstretched arme and fury poured out Secondly it is infinite in Extension or Duration it extends to all eternity for the wrath of God is the very fuell that feeds the fire of hell the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it d Isa 30.33 now that fire is an eternall fire e Jude ver 7. so long as God shall be God so long shall that fire burne and that is for ever yea if it were possible more then ever even evermore Thirdly it is infinite in Satisfaction Nothing can satisfie or appease that anger but an infinite price even the precious blood f 1 Pet. 1.19 of Jesus Christ which being the blood of a person that is God as well as man is therefore called The blood of God Acts 20.28 Hearken therefore thou poore miserable mortall worme that makest it a small matter to kindle the infinite wrath of that God who is a consuming fire g Heb. 12.29 Know thus much if God be angry Angels stoop Devils tremble the Earth melts and the very Heavens are rowled up as a scrowle of parchment Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger his fury is poured forth like fire and the rocks are throwne downe before him h Nah. 1.6 And if the denouncing or menacing of Temporall judgements be so dreadfull what will the suffering of Eternall judgements be What will it be to suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Thou art now ready to fancy to thy selfe a God made all of mercy and compassion but if thou saw but the shadow of Gods wrath on a damned soule in hell it would make thy heart ake thy joynts quake and rottennesse enter into thy bones Instruction 2 The second Instruction is this see the hatefull hurtfull dividing divorcing nature of sin which sets God and his people at variance Your iniquities have separated between you and your God i Isa 59.2 Sin in this respect is far worse then any crosse or calamity that can befall us it is worse then sword or famine or pestilence or sorrow or sicknesse or poverty or persecution For afflictions doe not seperate us from God I am perswaded saith the Apostle k Rom. 8 31. that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers not things present nor things to come shall be able to seperate us from the love of God But sin can doe us that mischiefe which neither crosses nor losses nor death nor devil can doe Whence is it then that we hug this Viper in our bosomes Oh that our eyes were open to see sin as God sees it and then we should loath sin as God loaths it Vse 2 Exhortation Secondly here is something for exhortation Duty 1 This Doctrine hints to us these two Duties First learne to justifie the Lord in all his threatnings and executions Give him the glory of his justice in all his Administrations The Lord has of late been sore displeased with this
against a people call for a speedy Repentance and Reformation I shall begin with the first point as it lyes in order Doctr. God takes precise and speciall notice c. For the proofe of this the Scripture is abundantly plain and pregnant I have seen this people saith God r Deut. 9.13 and behold it is a stiffe necked people Stubbornnesse of heart is not obvious to mans eye for God and onely God knowes the hearts of all the children of men saith Solomon 1 Kings 8.39 yet God takes notice of it The Lord tels this Prophet Ieremy speaking of the dissembling Jewes ſ Jer. 16.17 Mine eyes are upon all their wayes they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquities hid from mine eyes We may think to thrust God out of our sight When God is not in all our thoughts t Psal 10.4 but we cannot thrust our selves out of Gods sight v Te mihi latere possum non me tibi The Elders of Israel because they committed wickednesse in the dark every man in the chambers of his Imagery therefore they said w Ezek. 8.12 The Lord seeth us not But Gods takes away this Covershame Jer. 23.24 Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill Heaven and earth saith the Lord Darknesse hideth not from him but the night shineth as the day x Psal 39.12 Reas 1 For first God hath an eye of omniscience he knowes not only our works and ways but the inward frame temper of our hearts y Prov. 15.11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the Sons of men And if the very windings and shufflings of our trecherous hearts are obvious to his eye then certainly our outward actions and enormities are much more conspicuous and apparent Doth not the Apostle say All things are naked z Heb. 4.13 and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Mark the expression a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is fuller then one word can render it it is a metaphor frō a Beast whose skin is flay'd off and cut up by the chine bone that you may see all his entrals which the Heathenish Priests in their Sacrifices were wont to doe when they did to use Lucian's words b Lucian de Sacrif 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. exactly view and take notice of them the Lord sees our very reynes as if the thoughts and secret workings of our hearts were unbowelled before him Object But doth not our Saviour say concerning wicked men Depart from me I never knew you c Matth. 7.23 It seems then that God doth not know all men and all things upon the earth Ans God knows not the wicked with a knowledge of approbation for so he knows the righteous only d Psal 1.6 but he knows them and all their actions with a knowledge of observation The whole frame of their hearts and all that their heart frameth e Gen. 6.5 all their desires and designes intentions and inventions plots and practises are observed by his alsearching eye and shall be accounted for before the Tribunall of Christ at the great day Reas 2 2ly The Lord takes notice because he hath an eye of jealousie He is a jealous God f Exod. 20.5 very apprehensive of any conjugall unfaithfulnesse and ready to revenge it As a tender husband the more dearly he loves his wife while shee is loyal to him the more grievously he is offended if she prove trecherous This is that which God complaines of by his Prophet g Ier. 3.20 Surely as a wife trecherously departeth from her husband so have you dealt trecherously wiih me O House of Israel And God makes this an aggravation of their offence h Ier. 31.33 They brake my Covenant though I was a husband to them saith the Lord. Reas 3 3ly As he has an eye of jealousie so he has also an eye of justice having appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse i Acts 17.31 and bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill k Eccl. 12.14 And the Prophet makes this one reason why he observes and takes notice of all the ways and works of the Sons of men l Ier. 32.19 Thine eyes are upon all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings But this point will not need so much confirmation as application Vse 1 For instruction there are two lessons hence arising by way of inference which may much conduce to our Humiliation in the presence of God this day The first is this Gods patience towards us is infinite The second this Our presumption in sinning against him is intolerable Instruction 1 For the first see and admire at that Patience and long-suffering which Heaven and earth men and Angels may stand amazed at that the Lord of glory whose power and purity omniscience and omnipresence justice and jealousie doe dazle the eyes of the very Angels should see all the abominations committed under the Sun heare all the execrable oaths and blasphemies that are belched out against him observe the insolency scorne and rage of presumptuous sinners that set their mouths against the Heavens and their tongue walks through the earth m Psal 73 90 yet doth not all this while set the world on fire about our ears or thunderbolt us from Heaven or take us away with the stroke of his hand n Job 36.18 Doe but consider these 〈◊〉 remarkable things in God A piercing eye and A powerfull hand The one to spye the other to punish and withall seriously weigh that infinite and unconceivable holinesse and purity of his nature that he cannot endure iniquity o Hab. 1.13 and then break out into admiration and say O infinite patience and long-suffering that thou O God shouldest support us in our being at that very time when we are fighting against thee by our provocations and rebellions whereas didst thou withdraw thy hand but one moment we should drop downe to hell Would any King endure to see a Traytor abuse his Titles villifie his person revile his children contemne his lawes and doe as much as in him lyes to cast his Crowne downe to the ground yet this our God endures with unwearied patience May not we say with the Prophet p Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed Oh that we could now begin to admire the boundlesse bottomlesse Ocean of that mercy and loving kindnesse which swallowes up all our thoughts and will be matter of gratulation and admiration to all eternity saying q Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his