or cruelty is lodged in his eternal breast he loved man in the state of his innocency uprightness and obedience and when man degenerated he turned his love into pity and his delight into commiseration and even then when his Justice makes him severe it is exercised to speak after the manner of men with reluctancy and regret The pity and compassion which we so much admire in men are but weak umbrages and representations of Gods and yet the first wants not its due praise and commendation The Court of Areopagite mentioned Asts 17. so much famed in the World put to death a young child for that he took an unnatural pleasure in depriving the very Birds of their sight and letting them flye for his recreation fearing least he who exercised so timely an apprentiship of Cruelty upon Birds might in his more ripe years exercise it upon men The like is reported of the Senate at Carthage who censured one of their own Citizens for no other cause in the world but that he had civilized and made tractable a Lyon supposing so frequent a conversation with wild Beasts had made him put off all humanity and pity and degenerate into the nature of that Beast with whom he had so much conversation Marcellus the Roman Consul being commanded by his Masters at Rome to raze Syracuse even then when he saw their Commands put into execution and beheld the great City on fire he began to relent and out of his good nature to shed tears in abundance wherewith if it had been possible he would have quenched those flames which himself had kindled And Caesar Titus whom for his clemency they called the delight of mankind beholding the streets of Jerusalem covered with the dead bodies of the Jews found his heart much touched but when he saw the glorious Temple all on fire and the Jews themselves that were entered thereinto would not suffer it to be quenched he could then contain himself no longer but with hands to Heaven protested that it was the act of the gods and not effect of his disposition But as the heavens are high above the earth even so are the compassions of men exceeded by the compassions of God behold a greater then Marcellus a greater then Caesar Titus is here Sin hath set the world on fire and we like the Jews will not suffer it to be quenched God came down from heaven in his own person communicated his thoughts to the Patriarchs before and after the Flood beseeched his people by his Prophets and lastly by his own Son the man Christ Jesus and still endeavoureth by his Word and Spirit to quench this great flame and conflagration kindled by sin so that if it be not quenched but proceed to devour the souls of men God Almighty may with Caesar Titus enter his just protestation that the destruction of the World is an effect of our Wickedness and not of his own inclination and disposition The love of our gracious God is more to be judged of by what he would do for us then by what he does for us though to speak the truth he hath done all that did become a great Wisdom checked with Justice to do Even as the love of a tender-hearted Father is more seen by what he would do for his obstinate and ungracious Son were he a capable subject then by what he ever actually does for him He frowns upon him gives him correction dis-inherits him and goes down into the grave with a resolution of not doing him the least good thing for him in the sence the World calls good and yet whilst he lived his heart was set upon him his bowels yern towards him his desires are great that he might enrich him and his complaints many that he was not a subiect capable of his favour In like manner the love of our heavenly Father is rather to be estimated by what he would do for us then what he does for us were we capable subiects of his Grace and Favour according to that Deut. 5. 29. O that there were an heart in them that they would fear me that it might be well with them and their children for ever The Soveraign Creator he hates not any thing in the World because the whole World is the rare and singular Workmanship of his hands for as his Wisdom is free from Error so are his Works devoid of repentance all things are eminently in him and under the covert of his pure and simple Omnia unum sunt in Deo cum Deo c. Ber. Scrm. Essence are hid all creature-perfections whatsoever Nec aliunde Justus aut Bonus quam unde Magnus that I may borrow the expression of that contemplative and devout person which is English't thus That form of Divinity which makes him Great makes him by the same means Wise Just and Good which is the true reason that he can no more hate or neglect any thing that he hath made then the Architect or Master-builder can sleight his own piece which he findes agreeable to the fair Idea's of Art set up in his own mind God having thus united all in himself therefore he loves all and regardeth all as raies of his own light issues of his own bounty productions of his own Wisdom and Goodness the venom and malignity of the Toad and Aspick the poyson of the Scorpion which are so destructive to ours are very good and suitable to their natures that which is to us poyson is to them blood and spirits the giving it to us and the taking it away from them we find equally preiudicial to both their natures and ours May I shut up this point in the words of a learned man God hates nothing nor curseth any thing but what he is not and he is all sin excepted It is that alone which he abhorreth which he accounts worthy of all detestation which he chastiseth here and which he pursueth with an armed hand to the Gates of hell and beyond the Gates of hell and which he will never forgive in its proper subject either in this world or in the world to come 2. Take Mercy for Pardon and in this sence God is merciful he is known by this great Title which he assumed in that Solemn Publication Exod. 34. 7. Keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin It is the glory of a man much more of God to pass by an offence God cannot desire sin as no man can wish to be displeased but man having sinned it is infinitely pleasing to the Divine Nature to shew mercy pardon and forgiveness He that hath set us that Rule Matth. 18. 22. That we should not onely forgive till seven times but until seventy times seven wil not transgress it himself God excepts against no mans person but as it is Prov. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth his sins and forsaketh them shall have mercy Because God respecteth no mans person therefore he excepteth against no mans person As he hath no mans person
poor to be taken care of by the rich The poor saies our Lord and Saviour yee have alwaies with you me ye have not alwaies that what love we feel in our hearts unto Jesus Christ we might express unto our indigent brethren for his sake To do good therefore and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is well pleased However some men have taken up a Religion that excuses them from all acts of bounty goodness and charity yet the Apostle Col. 3. 12. makes Charity or mercy to be a peculiar sign and character of God's Elect Put on therefore as the Elect of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowels of pities and mercies Let me therefore give you that advice which was given to Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4. 27. That you break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor be daily casting in of your abundance into this treasury of God Make unto your selves bags that wax not old so shall you have treasure in heaven Let us not be lifte the hypocritical Jewes who fasted for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness and even then when they made long praiers devour'd widows houses but rather like the good Centurion Act. 19. that not onely our praiers but our Alms and Charity may come up in remembrance before God Thus we have finished the first Use by way of imitation 2ly By way of Consolation if our heavenly Father be so merciful Are any of us made sensible of our great miscarriages and how unsuitably we have acted to the genious and Spirit of Christ and the Gospel Do we recollect how often we have violated his righteous Laws transgressed his holy precepts abused his mercies against the light of nature against the light of grace This Doctrine administers great Consolation that we have to to do with God and not with men with God whose mercies are infinite and not with men whose mercies are cruelties This is the greatest comfort that can possibly be laid before us in all our soul-conflicts That our God is a lover of souls that the lives of his creatures are very dear and pretious in his sight and next unto his own Justice which is himself we are considerable with him It was a great comfort to the Syrian King and his Nobles 1 King 20. 31. that they heard the Kings of the house of Israel were merciful Kings this was the great incouragement of Address a motive to humiliation upon hopes of acceptance We have allheard that God is a merciful God a tender and merciful Prince Let it move us to put on the garment of true humiliation and make our solemne and penitential Addresses unto him That he may pardon our sin and remember our iniquities no more To conclude Let us not presume upon the mercies of God so as to turn his Grace into wantonness to take Arguments of Sinning from the considera-of Divine mercy that because mercy abounds therefore we make sin to abound this were ill to requite the Lord and know that by how much the mercies of God have been encreased by so much will the wrath and the displeasure of God be encreased against us if we abuse them FINIS Books worth Buying THe Banner of Justification displayed or a Discourse concerning the deep and important Mysterie of the Justification of a sinner wherein the several causes thereof being both numerous various are from first to last diligently inquired after and their several contributions towards so great and happy a work clearly distinguished and assigned to their proper causes respectively By Mr. John Goodwin newly come forth Triumviri Or the Genius Spirit and Deportment of the three Men Mr. Richard Resbury Mr. John Pawson and Mr. George Kendall in their late Writings against the Free Grace of God in the redemption of the World and vouchsafement of means of salvation unto men briefly described in their native and true colours borrowed of themselves in their Writings respectively Together with some brief touches in the Preface upon Dr. John Owen Mr. Thomas Lamb of the Spittle Mr. Jeans Mr. Obadiah How and Mr Marchamond Needham in relation to their late Writings against the Author In Quarto by Mr John Goodwin The Tryers and Ejectors of Ministers tryed and cast by the Laws of God and men By Iohn Goodwin Mercy in her Exaltation a Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr. Daniel Tarlor by Mr. John Goodwin In Quarte The Natural Mans Case stated Or an exact Map of the little World Man in 17. Sermons by Mr. Christopher Love To which is added a Sermon preached at his Funeral by Mr. Thomas Manton of Newington In Octavo A Comment on Ruth together with two Sermons one teaching how to live wel the other minding all how to dye well By Thomas Fuller Author of the Holy State Gospel publick Worship Or the Translation Metaphrase Analysis and Exposition of Rom. 12. from vers 1. to 8. describing the compleat Pattern of Gospel Worship Also an Exposition of the 18. Chapter of Matthew to which is added A discovery of Adams threefold estate in Paradise viz. Moral Legal and Evangelical by Thomas Brewer in Octavo The Grand Enquiry who is the righteous man by William Moore at Whaley in Lancashire The Declaration of the Judgement of Iames Arminius concerning Election and Reprobation translated into English by Tobias Conyers An Idea or body of Church-Discipline in the Theorick and Practick by Mr. Rogers in quarto Lucas Redivivus Or the Gospel-physician prescribing by way of Meditation Divine physick to prevent Diseases not yet entred upon the soul by Iohn Anthony Dr. in Physick in quarto A Letter of Address to the late Protector Oliver by D. F. alias Tobias Conyers in quarto The Return of Mercies or the Saints advantage by losses By Mr. John Goodwin in 12.
other Mould then that wherein they lye in the Text Viz. Doct. That we all ought to be merciful even as our heavenly Father is merciful METHOD 1. I shall give you an account what mercy is and what it imports in the phrase of the Scripture 2. Wherein the mercifulness of our heavenly Fathers appears that we may see wherein we are to imitate him 3. What reasons and grounds we have to be merciful as he is merciful 1. Concerning Mercey Sometimes Mercy is the same with Pity Compassion and Tenderness Phil. 2. 1. the Apostle exhorts to Unity by the consolation of Christ by the comforts of Love by the fellowship of the Spirit by bowels and mercies i. e. If there be any tenderness pity and compassion in you towards your common Father fulfil you my joy where bowels and mercies are equipolent terms that serve to illustrate and explain the sense one of another To this we may refer that of the Prophet Jer 31. 20. where God is brought in troubled and discomposed in himself for the punishment and affliction of Ephraim Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. 2. Mercy is the same with pardon remission and forgiveness 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly i. e. being so much unfit and unworthy whil'st I was a Jew blaspheming Christ and persecuting his people yet I obtained mercy i. e. pardon and forgiveness of God God looked upon it as an act of blind zeal in me and not of propense malice against them 3. Mercy is used for the donation or vouchsafement of some Priviledge spiritual or temporal unto a person or people 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy This is supposed to have been written from Rome to the converted Jews and then the meaning ls this You that for a long time for this Epistle is believed to have been written Anno Christi 44. whilst Christ was upon the earth had not the happiness to receive Christ and the Gospel now are made partakers of this great Mercy and Priviledge viz. to come into the Church and House of God So Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy The Apostle here argueth in the behalf of God that he was at full liberty in the collation and distribution of his Mercies and that he did the Jews no wrong in calling the Gentiles to Christianity Ver. 15. As he saith unto Moses I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy c. As if he had said unto him In the distributing of my blessings I will do what I think good without giving thee or any man a reason though I have alwayes reason for what I do yet as it is ver 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated which is either true in the Letter in chusing the Israelites and rejecting the Idumeans or else in the Type in preferring the Covenant of Grace before the Covenant of Works So then it is not of him c. i e. in point of merit satisfaction or condignity but of God that sheweth mercy i. e. vouchsafeth to call the Gentiles to Christianity when the obstinate and incredulous Jewes have rejected it 4. Mercy is taken for Charity or that relief which we give unto the poor Dan. 4. 27. Breake off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy unto the poor i. e. by being liberal charitable towards the poor in which sence many understand that of Peter 1. 4. 8 Charity covereth a multitude of sins So likewise it is used Psal 37. 26. He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed For the further opening the nature of Mercy observe the difference betwixt Goodness and Mercy Goodness in God is supposed to be absolute but Mercy is a relative thing God might have been good to all Eternity though man had stood yet Merciful he could not have been without a supposition and introduction of sin As all Pardon includes an offence so all Mercy involves want and misery Goodness supposeth a man Mercy a sinner Goodness supposeth a man in being Mercy a man in misery God might have been eternally good and transcendently glorious in the free communication of himselfe though sin and misery had never introduced mercy Goodness and Mercy are thus distinguishable in men Goodness is the Root and Mercy the Branch growing out from it We must first be good in ourselves before we can be merciful towards others We must as our Saviour sheweth first make the Tree good before we can bring forth good fruit Charity begins at home if we be not good have not an inward principle of Goodness in our selves how can we laudably exercise any pity or compassion any bounty or clemency any love or charity towards others So much for the first point 2. Br. Come we now to speak of the mercifulness of God and produce a great Copy and Exemplar for your imitation And now methinks we are fallen upon the noblest subject in the World being we are to treat of Divine Mercy which the Scriptures declare which men experience which the Devils envy the good Angels admire and which all the World ought to adore A man that looks down from an high Precipice albeit he is in no danger of falling yet would his fear seize him and a secret trembling take hold of him The Scriptures and our own experience have set us upon a great Mount and being to look down upon the great abysse of Divine Mercies we are ready to cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and the mercies of God I shall speak to this 1. Negatively 2ly Positively 1. In that he beareth with the daily violation of his truth and suffereth with incredible lenity the breaches that are made upon it though men do not believe what God saith nay which is more do believe things different and contrary thereunto yet still God containeth himself and doth not with-hold his Mercy from them The Church of God is said to be the ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. The Church it is that sacred Depositary wherein the truth is laid up The Frogs of Aegypt were not more numerous that came crawling into the Kings Palace then the Errors and mis-shapen Opinions which in all Ages especially in this have infested the Church the house of God and herein the mercifulness of God appears that he does not presently rid himself of them nor destroy the men for their opinion sake In the Jewish Church he suffered the Essens a pensive
and melancholy Sect who sleighted the Hierarchy of Moses dissented from the common way of Worship and held Community as Josephus reports of them He suffered the Herodians Mark 3. 6. a politick and ambitious Sect who thought Herod the Aschalonite to bee the Messiahs the sent of God and thence called Herodians It is likely they were abused into that opinion from the misconstruing the prophecie of Jacob Gen. 49. 10. That the scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his knees till the Shilo came Hence they might conclude that Herod was the Shilo because the ensigns of Royalty and Government ceased from the Asmonean race and Herod a stranger the son of Antipater an Idumean succeeded by unjust usurpation in the Government of Judea He suffered the Samaritans who though they acknowledged the five Books of Moses yet denied the Authority of the Prophets because they judged them not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by God and likewise sleighted the Temple consecrated at Jerusalem and worshipped the God of Israel upon mount Gerizim Where first they had a magnificent Temple built by Sanballat a Samaritane-Prince in opposition to Jaddus the High-priest of the Jews and when it was afterward destroied and razed to the ground by Hircanus the Maccabaean the earth remained sacred to them on which it stood and continued a place of Worship to the daies of our Saviour Joh. 4. 20. Our father 's worshipped in this mountain c. He suffered the Sadduces mentioned Mat. 22. who denied the souls immortality and all future estate and being after this life many of them serving God zealously and strictly according to the prescript of Moses his Law upon no other expectations then a temporal reward upon earth In the Gentile world the mercifulness of God appears that he does not rain down fire from heaven to avenge himself of those Idolaters who worship the Host of Heaven the Sun Moon and Stars which he hath created And still he beareth with almost incredible clemency and mercy in the Christian world those strange monstrous and absurd conceptions that are framed of him he suffereth himself to be represented as unjust unwise unmerciful and whatever is unworthy of his eternal Truth and God-head And there are two things that render his Mercy more eminent and conspicuous 1. In that he is infallible in his judgement liable to no mistake or mis-apprehension and consequently may be absolute and definitive in his sentence and determination albeit he knoweth most certainly the difference 'twixt good and evil light and darkness truth and error yet he buildeth nothing thereupon unless in some extraordinary cases to man's outward prejudice and damage but endeavoureth by the light shining in us by the inspirations and notices of his spirit by the convictions and authority of his word to reduce humane conceptions to a likeness with and conformity unto the fair and beautiful Idea's set up in his own mind and declared unto us in his holy Word of Truth 2. In that he is of Power sufficient to vindicate the sacred honour and credit of his Truth and to avenge himself upon the Erronists the Transgressors thereof He hath the power of life and death health and sickness poverty and plenty and were he so minded he needs not be beholden to any arm or power to assist him If it were objected God punisheth not Murder Theft c. it doth not follow that therefore we should not To this I answer The case is not the same all men have a perfect and distinct knowledge what Murder is what Theft is but in matters of Opinion concerning Religion and the things of God there is the greatest variety and discrepancy imaginable and * The Church of Rome excepted no man does so much as pretend or lay claim to an unerrancy or infallibility of Judgement Besides it is agreed that the civil Magistrate does ex Offlcio punish the breach and violation of the Laws of Nature and the Laws of God where he is authorized and appointed so to do let it be shown primitively that under the Gospel he ought either ex officio precepto vel exemplo to judge determine and censure opinions abstracted and wholly remote from secular consideration or let it be shewn wherein or when the People did chuse them either for their Representatives in Religion or make them Judges in matters of Opinion and Conscience and the Controversie will presently cease and the Dispute end 2. The mercifulness of God appears in that he suffereth the breach and transgression of his Laws and does not speedily avenge himself of the transgressors He looketh into our houses and there he findeth profaneness sensuality riot excess He looketh into Chambers and more secret retirements and behold wantonness intemperance luxury uncleanness He looketh into our places of commerce and there he findeth deceit fraud cozenage He looketh into our places of Judicature and behold favours partiality injustice oppression Or as it is Amos 6. 12. in cicutam mutatur jus fractus Justitiaein absynthium Judgment turned into Gall and the fruit of Righteousness into Worm wood He looketh into our Churches and places of Worship and for Knowledge he findeth Zeal for Piety Interest and for Devotion little else but Curiosity spectatum veniunt Our Churches are turned into Theatres whereinto we come to see and to be seen not remembring that great Theatre wherein we must all appear before the Judgement-Seat of Christ In our hearts he beholdeth envy jealousie emulation cruelty in our lives disorders and confusions and yet God holdeth his hand he endeavoureth the reformation not the destructionof of his creatures So great was the mercy of God that David seems to awaken him and stirred him up to Judgement Psal 119. 126. It is time for thee O Lord to work for they have made void thy Law And the Apostle Peter is forced to make an Apology for God to the profane scoffers why he seemed to defer his coming and neglect Judgement in taking vengeance upon the World 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish i. e. God does not forget his promise neither is he unmindful of Judgement but he is loath to come in upon the World at unawares as a Thief in the night to overtake them in the height of their presumption and security and therefore he extends and lengthens out the day of Grace that none might perish if 't were possible but that all might come to repentance 2. We come to speak positively 1. Mercy it is the same with Pity and in this sence God is merciful he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full of bowels pitiful and compassionate towards the children of men he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pater miserationum the Father of Compassions Numerus pluralis est emphaticus There dwells no hatred no malice with God no rancour exasperation
one another In this sence God is not severe i. e. in his temper and disposition 2. If we take severity in the decree or purpose so it admits of an easie compliance and very good consistency with the clemency long-suffering and mercifulness of God A Judge that is merciful in his own nature and constitution may yet be very strict and rigid in his decree and purpose to punish offenders whom no mercy or clemency can obljge no goodness or bounty win upon or gain In like manner it is which God of whom we may say as Pliny saies of Trajan Est piger ad paenas princepi ad praemia velox Slow to punish swift to reward and yet notwithstanding he hath formed in himself an immutable resolution purpose at the regular importunity of his Wisdom and Justice of punishing with rigour and severity all those impartially whom his clemency and mercy could not sweeten and mollifie If man will not return He hath whet his sword and bent his bow and prepared for him the instruments of death Psal 7. 12. 3. Severity in the Act or Execution which is the third acceptation as in the many instances before alledged which though at the first it might seem most opposite and repugnant to his clemency and mercifulness yet even those very acts of severity may admit of a gracious construction if we consider these two things 1. That many of those persons of whom the Scriptures speak had drunk deep of the cup of divine goodness had been made to rest under the sweetest influences of his love and favour and from whom God might have expected better things The Angells sinned whilst they were before the throne and in the immediate and actual injoyment of God himself Our first parents in Paradice whilst they injoied all the felicities heaven and earth could afford them Lots wife against the miracle of her deliverance there was something or other found in them to vindicate that passage Clementia laesa vertitur in furorem 2. God is severe towards one that he might be merciful to many he strikes some that others may take warning if now and then an act of justice and severity was not interposed in the world sin would grow bold even to controul the Laws of heaven God that he might put a stop to the course of sin gives ample testimony of his displeasure against it Like the skilful Chirurgion that cuts off the gangren'd member ne pars sincera trahatur lest the sound part should be corrupted 3. Br. Why we ought to be merciful as our heavenly father is merciful 1. Propter similitudinem that wee may bee like unto God 2. Propter gratitudinem that we may be thankful unto God 3. Propter necessitatem i. e. dispositionis preparationis that we may be fit to receive mercy from God 1. Propter similitudinem that we may be like unto God which is the Argument in the text the motive our Saviour useth to press the duty in hand There is something in this perswasive argument and motive because it is God's way it is Christ's way it is the Apostles way to press unto duty When God urgeth men unto holiness Lev. 19. 2. it is by somthing of this nature and tenour Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy When Christ presseth men to perfection Mat. 5. 48. still the argunent is drawn from similitude Be ye perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quemadmodum even as your heavenly father is perfect When St. John urgeth Christians unto love it is drawn from the same topick of likeness and quality 1 Joh. 4. 16. God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God A forcible motive a cogent argument to prevail with rational creatures whether Angels or men because of those sparks of desires kindled in them of becoming like unto God which is not simply unlawful but rather commendable in them We read Isa 14. 12 15. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning c. for thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven c. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most High which though it be the Prophets triumphant insultation over Babylon yet was it true originally of Lucifer The argument was urged by the Serpent Gen. 3. 4. to perswade our first parents to eat of the forbidden fruit And ye shall be as Gods a plausible argument indeed to prevail with mortal minds naturally prone of themselves to aspire after likeness and similitude The presidents I now alledge and set before you to shew the force of this argument and what grounds there are of its success and prevalency upon us Can there be a better reason why we should be tender-hearted merciful compassionate herein we shall be like unto God we shall transcend in a manner the line of our Creation be lifted up above the region of common mortality and placed in a vicinity and similitude of God himself I pass this with re-minding you that as there are somethings wherein we are to imitate God and aspire after likeness unto him so there are other things wherein we are forbid under the penalty of his displeasure so much as to aspire and assimulate The subject without offence here on earth may attempt to be like unto his Prince in wisdom goodness clemency patience but he cannot without rebellion and disobedience indeavour to be like him in power greatness and majesty we may imitate our Saviours virtues but not his miracles In like manner we may with safety and honour attempt by an holy ambition to be wise just merciful ad exemplar according to the original copy God himself not aspiring after his greatness power and majesty lest with Lucifer we incur his hatred and great displeasure 2. We are to be merciful propter gratitudinem that we may be thankful unto God we should shew mercy unto others because our heavenly Father hath shown mercy unto us the very Laws of Gratitude and Retaliation require it The Reason is lodged here That if God hath forgiven us ten thousand Talents ought we not to forgive one another an hundred pence Matth. 18. 25. The King that did remit ten thousand Talents tooke it ill at the hands of his Debtor that went forth presently took his Brother by the Throat that ought him an hundred pence would not be intreated but cast him into prison till he made him satisfaction Ver. 31. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done they were very sorry and came and told unto their Lord all that was done Ver. 32. Then his Lord said O thou wieked servant I forgave thee all that Debt because thou desiredst me shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant Shouldst thou not i. e. thou shouldst have had compassion in point of gratitude and thankfulness unto me The King in the Parable is God Almighty the servants with whom he reckoneth are the sons of men for we
are all the Debtors of Heaven God for Christs sake doth forgive us many talents The wicked servant is he that takes his Brother by the throat without all mercy and pity wil not forgive those few pence that his brother oweth him the servants being sorrowful shews how much it troubles good men to see their fellow-creatures so hardly dealt with the Kings anger expresseth the wrath of God kindled against those who are found guilty of this great cruelty and ingratitude cruelty against their Brethren ingratitude against their Father that when God hath forgiven unto them ten thousand Talents they will not for Christs sake forgive unto their Brethren an hundred pence God draws us with the Cords of a man i. e. with such reasons and arguments as are proper to work upon the rational nature to be drawn unto our duty by that soft yet strong cord of Love and Gratitude is most acceptable to God most delightful and pleasing to our selves and others 3. We are to be merciful propter necessitatem because of the necessity of the thing if we shew not mercy unto others neither will our heavenly Father shew mercy unto us In the close of that Parable which we quoted before Matt. 18. we read at the 35. ver So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses which refers unto the 34. verse wherein is expressed the rigour and severity of God against offendors in this kind And his Lord was wrath and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due to him Our Saviour likewise in that Prayer which bears his Name teacheth us to pray Matth. 6. 12. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters As it was said by Jesus Christ That he could do no mighty Works because of their unbelief Mat. 13. 58. meaning that though he had never so great a mind to confirm his Doctrine by Miracles and to give proof of his being the Messiah yet such was the incredulity and distrust of the Jews his own Countrey-men that they bound his hands and hindered him from doing of it Even so God Almighty our gracious and loving Father though he had never so great a mind to speak after the manner of men to make us Vessels of his mercy yet finding us fraught with all malice and envy straitened in our bowels filled with all cruelty hatred revenge we do shut up his bounty against us and indispose him to Mercy Matthew 57. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the merciful shall be mercifully dealt with Though our mercifulness be not causa propter quam the cause for which we receive mercy by way of merit or condignity yet may we say it is causa sine qua non the cause without which we cannot obtain mercy though not by way of merit or condignity yet by way of preparation and Gods gracious disposition Many more grounds and reasons might be added but these may suffice to confirm and establish the point in hand Application I shall endeavour to improve this Doctrine two wayes 1. By way of imitation 2. By way of consolation 1. By way of Imitation Here is an excellent Copy for us to write after we have seen wherein the mercifulness of God consists let us patrizare endeavour to be like unto him 1. God beareth with the violation of his truth and suffereth with incredible patience those erring and wandering souls that go astray from it he does not here destroy men for their opinions sake We dwell in an age wherein we have a large subject to exercise our clemency moderation loving kindness and brotherly forbearance upon As we said before so now again the frogs of Aegypt were not more numerous then the errors and mis-shapen opinions that do infest the Church of God and are come up into the Palace of the great King God suffers them certainly we must if otherwise he would either do it himself or have appointed some persons under the Gospel to have done it If Moses was faithful in all things appertaining to the House of God Jesus Christ much more but our great Lord and Master the great Propognour of Truth directs to no other Weapons to to be made use of in this Warfare but such as are spiritual if his Kingdom was not of this World then must not his servants fight The Weapon which he hath put into our hands is his Word which is sharper then any two-edged sword by which we may best cut in pieces all those snares of error wherewith Satan hath entangled the souls of men When any fall mad or are distracted bereft of understanding though they do or say never so much evil though they should blaspheme God and the King we are so far from censuring punishing or destroying them that we pity them bewail and lament them we provide for their cure by all rational means if haply we may effect their recovery The case is much the same though I do not desire the parallel should run on four we cry out against Errors and declaim much against those phanatick Opinions that have so much troubled Israel and disturbed the peace of Gods holy Church and if it were in our power out of a pang of zeal in killing the Opinionists we might perswade our selves we should do God good service That we do reprove them from the Word of God that we sharply censure them that we do warn men both publikely and privately to take heed to their feet lest they be taken in the snare of death and so led away with the error of the wicked is a thing without question highly acceptable to God very useful and profitable unto men and herein the Gospel from place to place is our clear rule But that we should touch them in their Estates or practise upon their bodies for the cure of their minds or that we should seek to convince them by any other Arguments then those that are Divine and rational or where we fall short of conviction to add force and violence is a temedy for the cure of Error I am not for the present perswaded the great Physician of souls Jesus Christ ever prescribed Alas these are poore deluded souls not onely phanatick but lunatick how many amongst us are even distracted and bereft of their spiritual senses and understanding We are even to bear with them as we do with mad men and children to take little or no offence at their words but that we be as the blessed Apostle would have Timothy 2 Ep. Gap 2. v. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 1. We are to do this from the Divine Precept Matt. 13. in the Parable of the tares Ver. 27. The servants of the houshold came and said unto him Sir didst thou not sow good seed in thy Field from whence then hath it tares Ver. 28. He said unto them