is over all the eggs to warm and cherish and nourish them so Gods mercy is over all his works Dr. Preston of the Simplicity of God p. 54. to cherish and nourish and perfect them that is it is shewed forth upon them all Thirdly When creatures be in destresse and cry in their kind God heares them and relieves them Psalme 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Next for speciall mercies towards men As he hath raised them with other creatures out of nothing so he hath lifted up in the creation humanitie to a supernaturall life And although these two acts of God may more properly be referred to the goodnes of God yet surely his provision made of other creatures for their service and his relieving their miseries with supplies makes it appeare that out of his mercy he is the Saviour of all men though especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 But now for this singular mercies to his Church besides those in which they are in commons with all other men and creatures whereof with a little helpe the reparation of that whole kind may go for one of the common ones God hath shewed his mercy in giving a Saviour to mankinde faith Mr. Perkines Marke I pray to mankind And John 3.16 God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne c I say besides this he shews his mercy to his Church and people in delivering them from the curse and giving them the means of salvation and vouchsafing them secure of remission of sinnes here and life everlasting hereafter But that these mercies of the Lord may not passe so I shall here fasten a while to speak of the reparation of lost man fallen in Adam unto sinne and naturall miseries and liable by this fall to eternall death The raising of them up and the underpropping of them with greater helps then before sure here abundant goodnes and mercy doth shine out very gloriously Here we may by the way speake of those severall kindes of mercy which some have observed to be in God and so we shall next come unto the branches of that mercy which is the great mercy of all towards such of the faln race of Adam as by Christ are raised up to enjoy everlasting life The mercies of God extended in this life may be reduced to five heads There is a five-fold mercy of God The First whereof is rewarding mercy This is when such as do well though they do ill also as who liveth and sinneth not are rewarded Mercy rejoyceth against judgement James 2.13 And God passeth by what is done amisse and rewardeth what is well done He doth good to his servants that feare him and forgetteth not their works of faith and labour of love and actions of obedience but of his mercy rewardeth them Secondly He hath also pardoning mercy As he crowneth with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psalm 103.4 So he forgiveth iniquities ver the third of the same Psalme This is that mercy which David prayeth for Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinns of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnes sake O Lord. Thirdly God also hath prevaling mercy when he keepeth us from those evills either of sinne or punishment that he seeth we are running into So sometimes when the Lord sees his servants hastening to the committing of sinne which will certainly bring sorrow upon us he hindereth and preventeth the doing of these things And so when wicked men plot to bring misery on the people of God as Haman did concerning the Jews in Ester God hinders it So when more then forty had bound themselves under a curse neither to eate nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23. God prevents it by his providence the story is obvious This is Gods preventing mercy to keep us from sinne and so from the punishment due for sinne and from the Conspiracies of evill men Fourthly God sometimes sheweth mercy in delivering his people out of sinne and from afflictions and sorrows lying on them for sinne Though he sometimes let them fall into the evill of sinne or punishment yet he is pleased to helpe up and take them out againe This is another mercifull dispensation of God There cannot be greater objects of pity then men and women that go on in sinne God comes and sees such and raiseth some up out of that gulfe in which thousands do yet lye that never met with this mercifull hand of God to help them out In this sence he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 And therefore it is a great mercy of God to give men grace to repent of their sinnes and not to let them ly still in them And doubtles such as the Lord loves he will one way or another fetch them off from their sinfull courses He will do as kind and wise fathers do with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes on us untill he amends us and make us stoop under him and bring us off from our miscarriages God permitted David to fall into a woefull gulfe of sinne but here was his great mercy seene in helping him out again And so for Peter how did he thrice fall most fearfully into that great sinne of denying his master c. But in mercy he was holpen out again he had grace to go forth and weepe bitterly and recovered himselfe a gain in the Church of God in regard of this esteeme and reputation And so also it is true for grievous troubles Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Fifthly There is exercised by God sparing mercy This the Church prayes for often in Scripture This God promiseth to his people Foure degrees of sparing mercy in God And shews it many and diverse waies Sometimes by not punishing at all somtimes by deferring punishment Sometimes by moderating his corrections and sometimes in the very act of afflicting his people for sinne he shewes a sparing spirit Mal. 3·17 a mercifull disposition manifesting how unwilling he is to do what he doth but that needs he must Ofâ—en God passeth by the sinnes of his people and doth not reckon with them at all for them As a father spareth his Sonne that serveth him even when the day commeth that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble c. Mal. 4.1 which is to be understood of some generall judgements that are upon the earth then God packs up his jewells and spareth them in that day Here is an allusion to men that have their houses burning who do not regard their lumber their timber stuffe but looke to their chiefe writings coyn and jewels to preserve them So God in common calamities hath a mercifull eye towards and hand over his beloved ones yea sometimes for the sake of them he saveth such
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
be studied as a text Math. 13 3◠readines to forgive earnestnes frequency in prayer and hath left a rule or forme full of heavenly glory and exactnes not to be used as a charm but to be studied as a text Besides to conclude this particular how did he open his mouth in Parables and utter darke sayings which had beene kept secret from the foundation of the world But let us come to a third effect of mercy And that is the giving of this our Saviour to be as it were a Coppy for all good life the very living and walking law of the most high God A compendium of all those morrals that ever were in the mind of God to be done even from everlasting Learne of me saith Christ Would ye live exactly learne of Christ Be zealous as he was zealous The zeal of Gods house did even eat him up John 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up you know it was upon his driving the buyers sellers out of the Temple Be meeke and lowly as he was he bids you learne of him Math. 11.29 We must learne both of these Many pretend to be zealous as Christ was but they have not his meekenes And so some pretend to write after his meekenesse but want zeale But we must looke upon Christ and imitate him in doing the whole will of his Father Demonstration and practice is an excellent way of teaching Now Christ doth not only teach us what to do but he doth it before us There is scarse any particular duty that God requires but we have a president in Christ a sampler to work by As for children that have a precept to honour their parents you know in Christ they have a patterne Luke 2.51 And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them And so for obedience to magistrates And so for suffring in the cause of truth and religion he was as a lambe dumbe before the shearer And so also for the Church he made no schisme or rent He was circumcised went unto the feasts joyned in publicke worship and did not rent himselfe from the Jewish Church though it laboured under many corruptions And therefore have a care how ye slight any thing that ye see Christ was ready to performe What can ye wish to have a warrant for that ye may not find in this Coppy Modesty Gravity Sobriety Affability circumspection in words and deeds benignity compassion mercy conformity to order devotion humility any thing every thing that is required in the holy law of God We have many vaine talkers whose mouth must be stopped because they are evill doers as well as vaine talkers This is a rare effect of Mercy in God who well knew that our eies are more upon examples then our eares attent to precepts and therefore hath provided a notable one for us Fourthly Another effect of mercy is freedom from sinne divers waies for First though we are not free from being sinners yet we are free and exempted from having the guilt of sinne charg'd upon us O how sweete is this unto such as ly under the sense of sinne And Secondly freed we are by the mercifull hand of God from sinning with a full and free consent of will In this sence is it said 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne It is true also that if any man say he hath no sinne 1 John 1.18 he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him This therefore is to be understood of liking sinne and lying in sinne Peccatum quod repugnat divinae bonitati est summum malum But behold this great mercy of God towards us that whereas sinne which is the greatest evill because it is contrary to Gods goodnes and holines and calleth for eternall sufferings and likewise containeth in it unspeakable deformitie and sinfulnes A just satisfaction is given in the divine person of the Son of God and in mercy also the seeds are sown of another frame of spirit in all that shall be saved Whence comes a fifth effect and gift of mercy to wit Freedome from eternall death and destruction and a rescuing us from the gulfe of that bottomlesse Barathrum a freeing us from fiery Tophet The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life of which particular I will speak Rom. 6.23 when I come to it But now behold mercy in delivering us from so great a death Do but believe that what the Scriptures say of hell fire is true and ye must needs say that to be freed from that place or state must needs be an unspeakable yea an inconceivable mercy O when a man can say though I must dy yet I shall not be damned Though the pit of the grave shut her mouth upon me yet the pit of hell is by mercy shut against me what an unspeakable mercy is this Truly Bretheren if to be freed from hellish misery Perpende quid sit esse in illo teterrimo carcere in illis horendis tenebris semotum ab omne luce ab omni creaturorum amoenitate ab omni solatio in summis omnium sensuum cruciatibus in acerrimis illis incendijs ibi torreri ibi ardere idque non unum diem non unum annum non centum annos non mille non centum annorum millia sed infinitos annorum milliones quamdiu stabit orbis quam diu vivet Deus absque ulla spe liberationis absque ulla daberum intermissionem Lessi de div perfect Pag. 118. which is so intollerable so everlasting be a mercy then we must needs see that the Lord our God is a mercifull God The misery we were liable unto is imense and incomprehensible and therefore that mercy must be infinite by which that misery is taken away And this is done to our hand by our mercifull high priest who by the infinite dignitie of his person hath matched that eternitie of our torments which we should have layen under by his once suffring death upon the Cross for us Sixthly Proceede we to the grace of adoption whereby we are become the very sons and daughters of this mercifull God Adoptio est distinctus beneficium à condonatione peccati This is destinct from the former For as when a Prince that hath pardoned a Malefactor and given him his life shall not content himselfe therewith but besides pardoning the injury freeing from the punishment bloting out the infamy shall also take such a one to be his sonne and give him right and power to raign this would tend much to the declaration of his noble mercy So is it with us in this effect of mercy We shall not only be freed from wrath but be taken into Gods family Now to the further consideration of this adoption of sonnes foure things would be looked upon First The state God hath taken us from Secondly The state to
of shewing mercy a God that reserveth mercy for thousands even for a dead lift as we say And so I have done with the explicatory part of the point and am next to make Use thereof Vse 1 And First For our information we may learne this truth that mankinde is miserable Mankinde is miserable for God which alwaies worketh wisely never puts out himselfe in any uselesse way Mans misery is the object of Gods mercy What need we make rates for the poore if there were none that had neede to be so mâ—intained what need were there of the mercies of God if the sons of men were not in misery O let this sinke downe into your hearts that ye are nothing else but miserable objects undone creatures And that which mightily addes thereunto is this that many of us want eies to see it Alas men are not only miserable but mad too like Bedlams we can laugh and sing when we are bound in chaines and our friends weeping in corners for us Ah Sirs God's heart bleeds over us many times when we laugh and sing it out He sent his Sonne to dy for poore soules when they did not know their neede of him nay he made a plaister of his sonne 's heart-blood for them to heate their poore soules that wickedly spilt it Man is a miserable creature and cannot assure himselfe of the least good or keepe himselfe for the least evill There is no kind of sinne that ever was committed since the foundation of the world was laid but we should run into it upon every opportunitie did not God in mercy prevent it O what poore nothing dust and ashes are we that live as though we had no need of God and yet cannot live one minuite without him The sonnes of men are miserable and they most that are least sensible The booke of the creatures saith one is a great volumne Lockier on Collos p. 34. yet not a line in it smiles upon man man no sooner lookes into it but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their owne murtherer O wretched man that hast made miserable thy selfe and all thy fellow creatures and yet are not sensible of it Secondly Seeing God is such a mercifull God this should teach us in our afflictions and miseries not to dispair not to be Vse 2 cast downe as if there were no God I remember what the Prophet Eliah said to Ahaziah the King that sent to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron about his sicknes 2 Kings 1.6 Is it not because there is not a God in Israel c. Why should ye be cast downe in your low estate Is not God a mercifull God Exod. 2.7 Saith the Lord there to Moses I have surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Aegypt and have heard them cry c. There is no suffering condition that Gods people be in but God himselfe doth as it were suffer with them In all their affliction he was afflicted and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old Isaiah 63.9 If they be sicke on their beds he lies downe by them yea He will make their bed for them Ps 41.3 He must needs ly easy who hath God to make his bed If they be in prison he will be with them there The mercifull and gratious Lord God hath alwaies yerning bowels to them that feare him and therefore will in due time succour them Their persecutions he takes as his own Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He is a present ready help in the needfull time of trouble more willing to ease us then we can be to be eased by him This mercifull disposition of God to helpe poore miserable creatures should induce us all alwaies to come to God for helpe into what straite so ever we are cast Thirdly And although we fall into greivous sins yet let us Vse 3 not despaire of salvation because God is summè miseriors mercifull to the uttermost He who hath loved us freely in his son when we were his enemies will much more pitty us and pardon now that we are his already Rom. 5.8 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more now being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him c. This is a very usefull consideration T is true God is a just and severe judge against the wicked yet he gives place to his mercy and is never so sharpe in making the wound but he is as gentle in asswaging the smart of it and in the end takes it cleane away And even wicked men and godlesse persons reprobates themselves tast of Gods mercies Heare what a master in Israel sayeth concerning God to this purpose If any tender hearted man should sit but one houre in the throne of God Almighty if it be sit so to suppose and looke down upon the earth Bolton his walking with God 102. as God doth continually and see what abhominations are done in that houre he would undoubtedly in the next set all the world on fire and not suffer his wrath to be pacified or the fire to be quenched And if such bowels and unwearied patience be in God to all O then what a one will he be to those whom he hath adopted in Christ Jesus for his children and waite upon God in troubles and dwell in Sion by faith for they that looke for mercy of this high sort must dwell in Zion Isaiah 30.18 19. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gratious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that waite for him And againe he will be very gratious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee They are blessed that waite for Gods mercy Calvin upon the place It is a confirmation of no smal weight when he adds that God will shew a signe of his glory in pardoning his people he will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you or as some read it when he shall be mercifull God seemes to be a sleepe or forgetfull but in due time he will be exalted in shewing mercy Therefore though our sinnes are never so many for number or never so heynous for nature Dr. Sibs soules conflict 358. yet heare is comfort God is merciful Will ye hear another great man of God All the aggravations that conscience and Sathan helping it are able to raise sinne unto cannot rise to that degree of infinitenesse that Gods mercy in Christ is of If there be a spring of sinne in us there is a spring of mercy in him c. And again saith he that Lord thinkes himselfe disparaged when we have no higher thoughts of his mercy then of our sinnes c. And againe another
inoffenssively managed For much of trouble comes by my differing in judgment from some whose lives I cannot tax and although they do mine yet if hear-say and jealousies did not too much prevaile and men would take up no more for truth then what is proved I would stand higher in the hearts of some I am confident then now I do But for the greater part of mine enemies which are to me yet far less grievouâ— they are the prophane and ungodly which are enemies to all such as truly fear God If it should be the will of my gracious Father to call me out of this mortal life as things now stand with me and concerning me I should not dye esteemed nor much regarded by such as have been my great friends formerly and shall by me still be numbred among the best of men It is not my lot alone to be lesse beloved of such as were best loved of me God will stain the pride of flesh Nos quoque florâ—imus I make of that Distich written to famous Bishop Jewel Olim discipulus mihi parve Juelle fuisti Nunc ero discipulus te renuente tenus T is pretty for all that to see how gravely some young men born since the Lord put me in the Ministry first do carry themselves Surely the British British Priests mentioned by Bede would be ready to think and say of them as the old Eremite had taught them concerning Austin the Monk sent over by the Pope to reduce the Clergy of England to the Romish yoke But I hope the Lord will keep me from a discontented spirit and envious eye Though I am low and under many afflictions yet blessed be God that it goeth so well with his people for the generality as it doth and with the publicke The consideration of that I trust will quiet my grumbling soule and swallow up my private afflictions which are many have been of so long continuance and are like to continue so long as any limb or part of Antichrist though but his little toe remaineth But come what will my mercies are will be more then my afflictions yet I wish mine advanced once I durst call them brethren would not be too rigid beyond rule Arbitrary power hath not stood long in any let laws be observed towards us as we are Commoners and Christs rules as we are Christians and Brethren and then some others as well as I that have shared in the common afflictions of Gods people and the common wealth and have been in the number of instruments made use of by God in the day of Iacobs trouble shal finde fairer dealing then we doe It is not meant that the earth should cover our blood or you wink at our sinnes but that you would not make your selves wiser then known wholsome Laws nor more righteous in matters of religious concernment then the perfect rule of Christians the Scriptures of God doe require and warrant you in I confesse it was very grievous to me that had been so tost from post to pillar in the time of the Prelacy put into Star-chamber and High-Commission at one time A Petition delivered to the Kings own hand against me with twenty four terrible Articles annexed importing Faction Heresie Witchcraft Rebellion and treason Articles in the consistory at Exeter at the same time under a suit of pretended slander for reproving an atheistical wretch by that name of Atheist at the same time Purssevants or messengers one upon the back of another no lesse then five at several times Now when the Lord had given his people rest and advanced some to places of power to be dealt withall more illegally and irregularly then in those sad times before hinted But I confesse it was by such as either then were in their Coats or under the Schoolmasters Ferula or dawbing with untempered morter and serving the times if they were then come into the world in employments How doest thou my Brother and Haile Master cannot choose but run in my minde when I consider how one Cringed to me and after thanked me for my pains I took upon an occasion c. and yet secretly had an information of above twelve years age to make me Odious O my God lay it not to his charge And although I have not so great a portion in wealth or honour as many once far below me have attained unto yet I acknowledge God is afore-hand with â—e aboundantly I have swimmed through a sea of mercies and shall not that Ocean swallow a few discourteous dealings This God whom I here hold forth under such glorious attributes as the Scripture gives him is my God and was my iminently godly Fathers God even while he lived and I have great cause to say he is already my childrens God and I trust will be the God of not onely them but their children also even so Amen This Treatise comes under many disadvantages unto the view of the reader Notes taken of what was publickly preached onely over-looked by me the looked and over-seen Author in nothing more in a manner then in suffering such notes to be made publick in such a queasy stomached age delivered by me unworthy creature as God gave in Badly written out for the Presse which hath caused mistakes of one word for another very often besides mispointings and mistakes of letters which I much weigh not because such faults are as easily amended as espied I my selfe at my home many scores of miles whiles it was printing so that I could not view the sheets as they came out of the Presse what shall I say Infaelix habitum temporis hujus habet it comes forth in an habit sutable to the Authors present condition I am contented to be a sufferer in Printing as well as in Preaching And yet I am of an opinion some will get some good and may make use of this rough-hewed untrimed piece There was great calling upon me for it by many that heard it before I could be perswaded to give it a let-passe And now that it is abroad God grant that no spirit of prejudice against the Authors person may hinder the profiting any reader hereof It is a subject I confesse some have written of already which yet I saw not all at least untill mine was finished And I perceive I have rambled in a method of mine own being very apt to step aside to speake with any God sends my spirit unto in my preaching as the reader will quickly perceive But 't is as ' t is Quod factum est infectum fieri nequis Charge not on me the mistaken words or sentences the mispointings and faults in Orthography which abound but correct with thy Pen or cover with thy candid ingenuity what thou findest amisse As for such as are ready to deprave the labours of others though they cannot or will not produce better of their own I wish them better spirits without paying so dear for their follys as I have for mine And so I commend this Treatise
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
this in his minde can chuse but be astonished who can hold teares in the consideration of so great mercy That God would send his Sonne out of his owne bosome even him who thought it not robbery to be equall with God Phillip 2.6 ver 7. to be made of no reputation and to take upon him the forme of a servant and to be made in the likenesse of men Rather then man should be utterly lost That he I say of infinite majesty with the father and Holy Spirit wanting nothing who created all things whom so many millions of Angles serve and who in a moment of time is able of nothing to create infinit other more excellent then men to worship him should be borne in a stable laid in a mangre that man wretched man the lowest of rationall nature next of kind to the bruite beasts addicted to earthly things void of heavenly uncleane unthankfull rebellious in whom there was nothing worthy of love many things worthy of hatred and punishment Should be freed from everlasting damnation and raigne eternally with God in glory Here is a rare effect and fruit of mercy indeed If a man riding a long the high way should find a poor raged louzy wretch almost dead groveling and wallowing in blood and dirt and beholding this wofull sight should alight from his horse and take up this poore creature carry it upon his back or in his arme to some house and take all possible care for its washing dressing and recovery and in the meane time have his horse stollen by thieves himselfe persuing beaten and wounded should yet rejoice that he hath saved the life of the poore creature would not such a man be noted for a good man a mercifull man Beloved bretheren this is nothing in comparison of what Jesus Christ hath done for us He did lay aside his glory and tooke part with our even with the worst miseries and all in mercy to deliver us from hell and to bring us to glory Stand amazed O ye sons of men If ye did but consider what ignorance of God athisme brutishnes and hellish cruelties are in Christendom and ye must think there is much more out of it ye would conclude that the world is in a most miserable condition being God is righteous And therefore to do as hath beene a little said for the salvation of such must needs proceed from unspeakable mercy even the mercy of a God To this head is to be referred the bitter passion of our blessed Saviour His nakednes and poverty his hunger and thirst his labours and hardships of life his reproaches and persecutions his buffetings and spittings his whipings and prickings of thornes his agony and bloody sweat all kindes of opprobies and dolorous sufferings even unto the accursed death of the crosse And this is the first effect of Gods mercy Christ Incarnation Behold next the revelation of the mind of God by this Lord Jesus Christ so Incarnated Heb. 1.1.2 God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by by the prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his sonne John 17. ver 3. If to know God the only true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ be life eternal which who dares question Then it must be another rare fruit of mercy to ignorant blind sotish brutish mankind to have such a glorious Sunne to shine that people that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death may have their feet guided into the wayes of peace and salvation And truly herein English men have a great share in this mercy that when so many places in the world are without the sound and saving discoveries of the Gospel have such as no nation under heaven doth or ever did goe beyond us scarce any surely very few ever enjoyed the like But that we may be somewhat taken with his effect of mercy let us looke into it somewhat further by the consideration of two things about it First The condition the world was in when Christ came The condition that the world was in when Christ came and then his comming and behaviour for the enlightening thereof For the first the whole world except a very few was ignorant of Christ and of its maker of divine providence and the government of the world of the end of good and evill to wit eternall life and eternal death heaven and hell How few then and yet indeed tooke notice of the soules immortality the evill of sinne both in regard of his wages and work sorrow deformity the worth and beauty of exact walking The devill the Prince of darknesse being the God of this dark world held all as he doth the greatest part to this very day under his government and discipline behold deadly darknes was upon the face of the whole earth incomparably worse then the darknesse that was in Aegypt mentioned Exod. 10.21 All their beauty was deformity their potency wealth and eloquence with which they flourished were of no worth because of no efficacy to the obtaining of eternall life or freedom from hell Now in this misery and blindnes in which the whole world in a manner lay The Lord Jesus moved with mercy and pity came into this dark and blind world dispelled these darknesses with his discovery of the mind of his father He detects errors opens the frauds tyrany of the Devil illuminates the world and shews them the author of all things his power providence mercy justice the reward of good men in graffed into Christ and the punishment everlasting prepared for ungodly men and unbelievers This light shone three yeers and halfe in the person of the son of God in the flesh in diverse townes and villages in the wildernesse in thâ— mountaines in the fields on the land and on the sea of Galilee publiquely and privately in houses and in Synagogues in the Temple and in the streets in all places upon all occasions The excellency of this light it contained nothing but what was profitable to salvation for the manner it was plane and familiar that all might be capable of it It was pure and perfect enlightning the understanding reforming the soule excluding sinfullnes and iniquity directing in piety righteousnesse and sobriety composing the whole life and conforming the whole man within and without to the divine will and eternall love of the most holy God This was done by Christ in the flesh his humanity was the instrument made use of in the administration of the Gospel of salvation And therefore nothing can be desired for matter or manner that is wanting this mystery of salvation coming out of so good a hand The very particulars insisted on by Christ in his sermons have in them sublimatie and beauty He commandeth selfe-deniall the renouncing of all the world for his sake a patient taking up of the crosse the love of our enemies The Lords prayer not to be used as a charme but to
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
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
for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all This is a duty which none can except against because it is especially a work of the heart All cannot shew their thankfullnes in giving or doing great matters but all may expresse the willingnesse of their hearts Ps 103. All within us may Praise his holy Name though we have little or nothing without us That yee may be enabled to this great work consider deepely Gods favoures how miserably had we been without his pardoning mercy Think upon the freeness of it Thinke upon the multitude of his mercies Think upon Gods singling of s out for the glory of his rich mercy and to conclude this point and use consider Gods mercies to us and care for us are such as if he had none else to be mercifuil unto or to care for in all the world besides And so much for the Fourth Use For the last Use of this point Let us labour to be like unto Vse 5 God Let us be mercifull as our Father which is in Heaven is mercifull To move you to be mercifull consider such as are Motives 1 mercifull shall find mercy If we care not to be mercifull to others that we may be like God let us at least be mercifull to others that God may be like us Sr. Richard Baker Such as shew themselves mercifull to others have a good ground of hope that God will be mercifull to them Mercifull men shall find a mercifull God Nay it is asigne they have found him already Motives 2 Secondly Such shall leave an inheritance of mercy to their children God hath said it Psalm 37.26 He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Motives 3 Thirdly They that desire to have this property of mercy to be of a mercifull disposition may be encouraged it is to be had The second Proposition it is a communicable attribute and so we are put upon the second proposition That this mercifull disposition is communicated to the sonnes of men Which may be evidenced many waies As first because we reade so many passages in Scripture of merciful men Psalme 41.1 2. Psalme 112. Ye know it is the very scope of the whole Psalm I will not spend time in naming places Secondly it is commanded also in many places and this shews that it may be attained God would not bid us to seeke after it and to practise it if it were impossible to be had or practised Thirdly we read of many promises made to merciful men and therefore such there are Such have a promise never to be moved Psalme 112.6 That their horne shall be exalted with honour ver 9. that their seede shall be blessed Psalme 37.26 That it shall preserve Kings and uphold thrones also is averred Prov. 20.28 What is so frequently spoken of what is commanded what is commended what is so beneficiall by Scripture Testimony surely it is to be had Vse 1 The First Use of this second point which is that mercy is a communicable attribute is to teach us 1. They that want mercy are every wicked that unmercifull men do want a very glorious commendable and profitable thing which may be had and which some have to their everlasting praise and which they that want are every way wicked For First 1. They be Coveteous they that be covetous men shall never enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 And the Lord abhors them Psalme 10.3 But covetousnesse is a grand cause of unmercifulnes as daily experience proves And then Secondly Unmercifull men are unbelievers 2. Unbelievers and such shall be damned Mark 16.16 Now that such as are unmercifuâ—l are in deed unbelievers may easily be made appear for whereas God hath said He that giveth to the poore shall not want Prov. 28.27 These want faith to believe that promise For did they believe it they would act accordingly And Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.17 God who is truth it self hath engaged himself to mercifull men in many promises but coveteous men will believe never a one and so they are unmercifull They shall be without that are unbelievers Rev. 21.8 But the fearfull and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thirdly It is also certain 3. They have not the love of God in them that unmercifull men have not the love of God in them for 1 Joh. 3.17 Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother want or to have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Such as are unmercifull men do neither love God nor are beloved of God Fourthly This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnesse in it For whereas the Lord is the maker of both rich and poore 4. This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnes Pro. 22.2 The poor are looked upon and dealt withall by the rich as if God had not made them Therefore Isa 58.7 Such are said to hide themselves from their own flesh And Malachy 2.10 Each man is said to be brother to another Why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother We have a command Prov. 25.21 That if our enemies hunger we must give him bread to eat and if he be thirsty we must give him water to drink But unmercifull men are far from hearkening to this command Ye see what wicked creatures such are by all these particulars that I have mentioned Secondly And as they are wicked so also they ly under a curse Prov. 28.27 As He that giveth to the poore shall not lack 2. They are cursed persons So he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse And surely though the poore that curse unmercifull men do not do well yet there is something of God in it This scripture must be fulfilled though it be the sin of the poore yet it is a just judgment of God upon mercilesse men And not onely the miserable but God himself curseth such So much is implyed Ps 41.1 For if he be blessed that considereth the poore then by the rule of contraries such as do not are cursed They are cursed upon this account because they are wicked Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked And Math. 25.41 At the last day they shall be pronounced cursed and shall heare that woefull sentence depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The curse of God like the Leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to them and to their seed for ever Thus ye see this truth manifested by two evidences the one taken from their great wickednes the other from their cursednes 3. They are unlike God Thirdly It appears that unmercifull men want a glorious commendable and profitable thing by this that they are altogether unlike to God O this dissimilitude to God makes men look uggly God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3
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