and Job were here c. they should prevail only for their own Souls Oh says God you think the cries of your Prayer shall drown the voice of your Sins you imagine your earnest calls will make my bowels yearn to you or if you cannot prevail alone you will engage others but I tell you neither ye nor my greatest friends that can most prevail shall perswade me to spare so ungodly a people as you they and you shall not effect your desires with me so 3. Mercy disengag'd the wrathful blows of Divine Vengeance will be to speak after the manner of men inflicted in a careless manner on a Mercy-contemning people The Vine-dresser is most exact and curious in abscinding the luxuriant branches of a fruitful Vine but hacks and hews the unfruitful tree in a careless manner Thus the Almighty God measures out and limits the Judgments that are out of Mercy to a fruitful people to increase their fruit but regards not how he strikes a barren generation that are only to be hewed down as cumber-ground trees Whilst tender Affections remain in the heart of God to a people he limits the proceeding of enemies he restrains the rage of their foes he afflicts pondere mensura with weight and measure But when Justice only is exercised in Judgment the worst of times the most fierce enemies the most astonishing manner is chosen in afflicting When we are regardless of a mans life we say Let him eat drink do what he will I will be no hinderance to him Thus Mercy disobliged says Let enemies wound massacre slay whom and how they will I shall not help I will not hinder God permits enemies to do their worst to go as far as they can when he designs the ruine of a people The Prophet prays Jer. 10.24 Lord correct me but with judgment not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing In thy correction use moderation for the anguish of thy anger is intolerable the blows of thy wrath alone will bring us to nothing The fatherly Anger of God is dreadful but the fierceness of his Anger is fatal If God doth not moderate his anger we can never sustain the dreadful terrour of it 4. Mercy disengag'd we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away miseries must needs flow in Whither shall the poor creature go if Mercy be gone If we resort to creatures for help they all say It is not in me If God affords you no help I cannot if God withdraws his merciful influence I have no efficacy Psal. 3.8 Salvation belongs to God 'T is the honour of God that he can easily save without any else and that none else can save without him However suitable means may be to relieve us unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them they prove ineffectual Creatures can never help us in distress if Mercy stands off There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents that may obstruct their success there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts there are intercurrent Causes and unprovided-for Accidents that may be unconquerable hinderances to their endeavours The most suitable instruments voluntatem habent non potestatem have only an impotent Velleity or Will but no effectual Ability to help us A Nation deserted by Mercy is like a diseased dying man Head a king Heart fainting Wits confounded Spirits consumed given over by Physicians Friends stand behind the Curtains sobbing and sighing weeping and bewailing willing to relieve not able Thus 't is with a Nation when Mercy is disengag'd 't is bleeding to Death gasping for Life its Friends dejected their Hearts melted but dye it must dye it will none can help it Let men be never so sollicitous most unspeakably industrious to help a perishing Nation they will be successless without mercy for they are but media deferentia non operantia means of conveyance not of efficience Mercy disengag'd there can be no binding the hands of Justice no obstructing its fatal Blows no stopping the floods of Vengeance no perswading to spare no prevailing to stay no hindering its arrests no opposing its violence but destruction will be unavoidable The highest profession the richest possessions the strongest fortifications will be no security no shelter on earth can secure from the vengeance of Heaven The united forces of all Creatures can no ways impede the actings of their Sovereign Creator Job 9.12 13. He taketh away and none can hinder him If God will not withhold his anger the proud helpers must stoop under However great the Patrons of our Cause may be whatever Allies may consociate with us whatever Assistants shall appear for us yet they can never prosper to protect us or succeed to deliver us from the hands of resolved Justice Our helpers must have the assistance of God or they cannot procure deliverance for us Had we thousands as strong as that world-bearing Atlas they could never uphold us had we a world of Confederates they could never preserve us if Justice designs our ruine The most potent Friends can never deliver those who have the Omnipotent God to be their enemy If Mercy will not help us we must needs be helpless Job 27.22 God shall cast upon him and not spare he would flee out of his hands â—ugere conaâ—itur sed non effugiet He shall strive to get out of his hands but shall not escape Neither Policy Power or Prayer can prevail with or succeed against God when not seconded with the aid of Mercy Dan. 4.35 There is none can stay his hand None can deliver from the destroying hands of Justice but victorious Mercy What need then is there to be careful that we disoblige not Mercy What grateful carriage should we have under Mercies lest we make them our enemies And if Mercy be once against us all things will work against us 5. Destruction after Deliverance will be exceedingly aggravated by that self-confounding desperation that will be in our Souls when God shall come out against us to vindicate the quarrel of abused mercies to avenge the contempt of former deliverances Then we shall not only have God against us but Conscience also will direfully torment us the reflecting on former deliverances will cause as great terrour as present dangers The very thoughts of contemn'd deliverances will damp and destroy the confidence of the Soul in renewed Miseries How can a man lift up his face before God to desire a mercy that hath turn'd his back upon God when he obtain'd a mercy How can he go to God for fresh supplies of Mercy who getting a mercy hath gone away from God When God hath lifted thee up from a low condition and thou hast gone on in a wicked life with what face canst thou look upon God again Canst expect a good look when thou lookest to him What canst expect but a denial from him when thou hast denied obedience to
most agreeable to the nature of man The most powerful Engine to attract the will of man is the good will and mercy of God Man being of a generous spirit is more easily drawn than driven perswaded than forced Murdering severity may force a slavish fear but never produce any loving obedience Dipping in the sweetest oyl of mercy is most effectual to soften the hardned hearts of men Parisiensis relates a History of a stubborn sinner that nothing would reclaim but God heaping up favours upon him at last he cries out Vicisti benignissime Deus indefatigabili bonitate Oh kindest God thou hast conquered me with thy unwearied goodness Were a man to relieve an inveterate enemy in a perishing condition it could not but effect a change and make him become an intimate and constant friend Sullen peremptory and imperious commands have little influence to sway obdurate Enemies The kindness of conscientious David in sparing Saul his mortal Enemy melted his stony heart and made him promise eternal friendship 1 Sam. 26.21 I have sinned says Saul I will do thee no more harm seeing my life was precious in thy sight And will not the most refractory sinner be ready to come to terms of peace at the receiving such kindness from the hand of God will he not say Ah Lord I have been an ungodly Enemy and impudent Rebel against thee thou hadst me in thy hand and mightest have suffer'd my bloody Enemies to have cut me off thou mightest have dispatcht me to eternal Torments but since thou hast been so gracious to spare and deliver me thy Enemy henceforth I shall ever be thy friend and never offer to rebel any more REASON 3. God proceeds in these gracious methods because of the experienc'd ineffectualness of destroying judgments to effect a sincere Repentance and produce an unfeigned obedience Mercy hath ever prevailed more with sinners than wrath Severity in exercising judgments may curb a head-strong sinner from outward enormities but the bent of his will and the inclination of his heart still remains to commit it These usually have no farther influence than to render men like roaring Lyons confin'd by Iron grates like ravenous dogs restrain'd by heavy chains onely making an impediment from acting not an amendment as to the will to act A lock may stop a Thief yet it alters not his mind This ineffectualness of judgments hath often been evidenc'd in the devilish behaviour that hath appeared in many under them How many in blasphemous enraged passions have belch'd out most execrable Oaths and reproachful speeches against Heaven and the instruments of Divine vengeance Et quem oderunt perire cupiunt wishing the destruction of the God that destroyed them As the Cilicians made War against Mount Aâ—tna spitting out sulphureous flames upon them with such madness do rebellious wretches contend with the Almighty consuming them by the fire of deserved vengeance How often do men bid defiance to God heaping up plagues upon them and stopt in their sinful courses as Balaam by the Angel still will spur on in despite of God himself Zeph. 3.5 Every morning be brings his â—udgments to light but the wicked know no â—hame Sins were continued under continual judgments so Ier. 5.3 They were smitten and did not grieve And if at any time judgments have affected a sinful people by reason of the extremity of them yet all those appearances of Devotion under them have been mostly delusions being onely the workings of nature expressing a sense of suffering not the effects of grace declaring a sorrow for sinning hence hardned Pharaoh unâ—er the distress of miraculous judgments is seemingly moved with Repentance Thus thousands are beautiful in pangs but 't is onely the operations of judgments on the body not their impression on the heart But this â—neffectualness of destroying judgments â—s declared abundantly by the following carriage of the sufferers by them For how many have we known after the weaâ—ing off the smarting sense of vengeance have proved the grandees and Imperialists in provoking wickednesses and the storm of judgements being a little over have rid on with a full carreer and unâ—ridled chase in their unlicensed courses Since then this way effects so little God will rather make use of mercies since horrid desolations will make no mere impression God will make experiment what deliverance will do So then to conclude this head God uses these means because as Sola misericordia deducit Deum ad homines so Sola misericordia reducit homines ad Deum As mercy onely brings down God to man so mercy onely brings back man to God PROPOSITION 2. Such is the wickedness of our corrupted hearts that we are prone to proceed in sin notwithstanding the Lord is using these means with us to reclaim us We are apt to make use of our deliverances to further our sins rather than improve them to the forsaking of them For as the red Sea drinks in the River Iordan yet is never the sweeter and the vasâ— Ocean all other Rivers yet is not thâ— fresher so we receive the most excellent mercies and yet are but little the better So entire is our cursed affection to ouâ— espoused Lusts that whoever be dis-engaged and whoever be displeased we arâ— too much resolv'd to continue in them Hence the mercies God gives for encouragements to serve him we turn to be instruments of sinning against him When God doth most for us in ways of mercy we are prone to do most against him in ways of sin 'T is reported of the Leopard that 't is most savage to those that do most for it Too true it is of us we are wretchedly most unkind to those that shew most kindness to us Felicitate corrumpimur outward felicitie makes us abound in iniquity After the receipt of special favours we often loosen the reins to Impiety and run more extravagantly after our own inventions How many become more nimble in the feats of iniquity by being anointed with the oyl of mercy Men nurse the hateful brats of their devilish lusts at the breast of Divine bounty Our envenom'd natures extract food for the nourishment of abominable sins from the singular favours of a gracious God As when the season grows warm by fructifying rays of the Sun the weeds spring up so by the increase of mercies there is often the abounding of iniquity Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty vine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitis luxurians a wild vine according to the multitudes of his fruits he hath increased the altars i. e. Quo res habuit prâ—speriores eo magis indulsit Idololatriae Groâ— The more prosperity the more Idolatry 'T is observed of the Spleen the greater it grows the less the body is the more Temporal mercies the less heavenly spirits and holy obedience Hos. 4.7 As they increased they sinned against me Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut multiplicari eis as I multiplyed to them or as I increased deliverances honour riches so they sinned
against me As judgments will not bridle us so mercies will not break us off our sinning Isa. 26.10 Let favour be shown to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness In the former verses the Prophet shews that the people of God would serve him even under afflictions but as for the wicked neither mercies nor afflictions work upon them Mercies are messengers to instruct us our duty but although for many years we have been called upon by them yet how little have we learnt to love serve and obey our God by them Noah miraculously delivered is abominably drawn into sin He that had the highest proofs of the mercy and justice of God mercy to himself justice to the world lyes drunk in his Tent preserved from waters overcome by wine behold you may see him guilty of the sin for which he saw the world condemned you may see him to be rebuked for the sin he so often had reproved and he that was so holy before now becomes a pattern of uncleanness and example for future wickedness thus prone are the best to sin after deliverance Thus holy Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.24 25. God delivered him from death but he rendred not to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up not with thankfulness but haughtiness not in praises but with pride Deut. 32.15 Ieshurun waxed fat and kicked then be forsook the God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation Deliverance had made way for his promotion and he being promoted God was rejected Righteous Lot by distinguishing favour escaping the flames of Sodom fell into the fire of sin The ashes of Sodom the pillar of salt made him not wise enough to shun the drunken bed of Incest Who could have thought Lot should fall into such Impieties upon the receipt of such mercies but thus prone are we to abuse goodness and ready to slight the greatest kindness how often do we turn our Physick to poison How often do we make our Mercies Commeatus peccandi Inlets to sin 'T is said concerning Eve that God design'd her an helper to Adam and made her of his rib but the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took his rib and made it a fatal dart So God gives Mercies with good intentions but Satan siding with our corrupt inclinations makes use of them to our great disadvantage I shall now consider how it comes to pass that Deliverances have no more Influence upon us and how we become so prone to sin after them 1. It arises from the mighty Power that accustomed sins have upon the heart When highest Reasons are obliging to leave sin the force of Custom prevents their operation When men are soaked in Sensuality flesht in Villany thorough-paced in Rebellious courses what is able to change them Hereby the heart is so direfully hardned the Devil's Kingdom so invincibly fortified and sin itself so much endeared that there is unspeakable difficulty in conquering of it Ezek. 16.4 When delivered from Egypt 't is said Their Navil was not cut The Navil is that whereby the Child is supplyed with nourishment in the Mothers Womb. So this expression means Israel was still drawing in Egyptian Manners and Superstitions being accustomed to them they still hankered after them notwithstanding their great deliverance And although for a while a deliverance may seem to make some impression yet as the water heated redit ad ingenium grows cold again so affections to God wear off and men are hankering after their former Lusts. So Ezek. 23.8 Neither â—eft she her whoredoms brought from Egypt Difficile est ab usitatis desinere Accustomed â—ins are hardly deserted sins often renewâ—d are hardly reformed sudden mercies â—hough never so great will hardly wear â—ut continued sins 2. The reason why our Deliverances work no greater Reformation is because â—e fix our Eyes too much upon second â—auses and inferiour Instruments withâ—ut a due acknowledgment of the hand â—f God Hence we are prone to conâ—eive our selves more obliged to Men than 〈◊〉 God himself How wickedly do ma 〈◊〉 ascribe more to Humane Policy and Heathenish Fortune than to infinite power and Heavenly favour Hos. 11.3 They knew not that I healed them Nescire dicitur qui gratiam non refert He is ignorant who neither observes nor answers the merciful hand of God Attributing Deliverances to man hinders the performance of duty to God The reason why mercies are not seconded with obedience to God is because we look too much to second causes so those Hab. 1.16 Their portion was fat and they sacrificed to their nets and burnt incense to their drags Thus the Assyrian proudly ascribed all to himself Isa. 10.14 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent How can the mercy of God be answered if it be not owned How can we requite God for delivering if we deny the receipts of deliverance from him If we look not upon our mercies as given by God we shall give God nothing foâ— his mercies 3. Deliverances are no more influentia to reclaim from sin because of our unreasonable oblivion of them Our greatest mercies are but nine days wonders present impressions made by deliverance are soon worn off by neglect of future consideration The sense of our Engagements to Obedience wearing off our inclinations to sin make head When mercies are new how frequent is our remembrance of them Whilst employed in our daily labours our minds are admiring delivering love When waking in the night these are the objects of Meditation when conversing with friends these are the Theams we discourse of Now somewhat must be done to requite this kindness but too sudden a forgetfulness anticipates and prevents the performance of our acknowledged obedience Deut. 32.17 18. they are charged with abominable sins and it stands as a reason because they forgot the God that formed them and the rock that begat them Did we not forget our mercies our Consciences would force us to forsake our sins Were our hearts more but Repositories for Gods favours so much Iniquity would not be lodged in them Forgetting Gods mercies is not onely a base unworthy sin but a breeding sin many desperate sins arise from despising the kindness of our God And oh how unspeakably strange is it that we can forget him who doth so much to be remembred That we can suffer his mercies to pass out of our mind whose mercies are new every moment How impossible would it be to live in unlamented sin did we live in the sense of undeserved mercies Hence it is we are so prone to sin after deliverances because we are so apt to suffer them to slip out of our labile memories 4. This continuance in sin after deliverances arises from persons bolstring up themselves with sinful presumptions that the dangers of destruction are past When men begin to apprehend all things are well they are apt to take occasion to do ill When