1tbt J12tru J.l5irtl). ---------------------------- PJ;j;.l. J.o. fay : Men:y is coming towards thu, mercy is providedfl)r thee: now this afE.:Clivn is fet ~llt to meet mercy afar olf, it is the looking out of the foul: 0 when lVIII u be, Lord? lhMfayejl- mercy_ tS prepared, th&Jtfayeft mercy zs app;-·oacbmg; the foul llandeth a tipc– tvc, 0 when wrllrt come Lo;-d ! here IS the voycc of Hvpe; T hisfinful foul •f mine, it .m.ay throttgh G'ods .mtrcy beJant~ificd; thdtr~ub/,d, perplc>.:edfoul of mint:, it may through Gods mercy be panfied; tht.~ cvr.L ana corruptton ivhtciJ harbors m me, and hath tak..§n po~ Jeffion ofmP, it may thruughGod; mert:J be removed; and rvhen will rt be.? The manner how Gods Spirit works this, is diiccrncd in three particulars: r. The Lord doth fwcetly ll:ay the heart, and fully perfwadc the foul, that a mans fins are 'pardonable, and·that all his fins may be pardoned,ar.d that all the good things he wan– teth, they may be bellowed: this is a great fuftainer of the foul; when a poor finncr fceth his fins in their number, nature; when he feeth no rell: in the creature, nor in him– felt ; though all means, all help, all men, all Angels, fhould joyn together, yet they 'cannot pardon one fin of l11s; then the Lord l!fteth up h1s voyce, and faith from Heaven, Thy fins arc p~rdonable in the Lord Jefu Chrijf. Vfe. ! lfl. 40· 27· l'f.t. 77• 7! 2. The Lord doth fweetly perfwaile the foul that all his fins !hall be pardoned; the Lord makes this appear, ar.d perfwades his heart that he intendeth r.1ercy, that Chrifl: hath procured pardon for the foul of a broken-hearted finner in fpecial, and that he cannot b!lt come unto it; by this means Hope comes to be affurcd, and certainly per– fwaded to look out, knowing the Promife ll101l be at the la!! accomplifhcd: the for– !ncr only fui!ained the heart, and provoked it to look for mercy; but this comforts the foul, that undoubtedly it !hall havf' mercy: The Lord ']'f" '""''to fec/z.and tofave that which was loft: now faith the broken and humble /inner, I am· loft. Did Chrift come to fa1Je firmcrs ? Chrift muftfail of his end, or I cf my comfort: God faith} Come 1mto me, allyou that are wraryand hea·vy-Laden: I :<m wear)', and unleJ!e the Lord intend ,teod nnto me, why jhould he invite me and bid me come ? Jttrely he meam to jhew me mercy~ nay he p'romifeth to relieve me, when I come, therefvre he wilt do good unto me. 3_ The J.ord lets in fome reli!h and tafle of the fweerncffe of his love, fome fcent nnd favour of it, fo that the foul i~ deeply affe:ted with it, and carried mightily unto it, that it cannot be fevered; it is the letting in the riches of his love, that turneth the cxpeClation of the foul another way,yea it turneth the whole {\ream of the foul thither- ~~. . - This reproves, J. Thofe that call'offall Hope. 2> Thofe that without ground will do nothing but Hope. r. Ifthe Lord flirre up the heart of his to hvpe for his Mercy, then take heed of tlfat-fearful fin of Defpair. Defpair we mufl in our [elves, and that 'Is good; but this•Dejpaihve rpeak of, _ is heinous in the eyes of God, and hurtful to _thee. t. Injurious to God; thou goe!f to the deep dungeon of thy Corruption, and there thou fayelf,.,Thefefins can"'"'' be pardoned, 1am Jhll proud, and ftnbbom: God feethnot, ·G'odjiu:cours"f}oCf,, his band Cf_lnnotrtlllch, his Mcrty cannot f avc. Now mark what the piophet faith to fuch a perplexed foul, Why fayejl, thou, thy 1ray is hid from lhe Lord? the Lord faith, Whyfayejt· thott? is any thing tvo ha;-dfor the Lord? 0 you wrong God exceedingly; you think it a matter of humility, when you actount fo vile– ly of your \'elves: Cqn God pardon fm to frtch rm11•orrhy crcamrcs? Itis trrre, (faith the foul) Manatfes was pardoned, Paul was converted, Gods Saints have been.rcc-eived to mercy. lJm cttn h2y fum ..es be·pardOned? can IJJ.j foul be quick.ped ? No, no, myftnnes are greater than r!a,r&eforgivm. \Vhy then, poor tlml, Satan is ll:ronger to overthrow thee, than God t;O·f~ve thee ; and thus you make God to be no God, nay-you make him to' be wcaktfihan Sin, than Hell, than the Devil. 2. This fin is dangerous to thy own foul, it is thatwhich taketh up the bridge, and cuttcth off all paffages, nay it plucks up a mans endeavours (as it were) quite by the roots: Alas, (faith he) what s/JIIeth for wan to pray? 'what projts it a man to read? whAt benefit in all thi'meam of grac-e?' The flone is rolled upon me, and my CondemnationJealedfor ever:· I .wili never look.ffter Chrifl~ Grace, Salvation any more; thetime ofgrar;eis pafl, ,the dayrs gone. And thus the foul fmkefh in it felf; Will the Lord caft me off for ever? and wtll heJlmv rJO f avour? I faid, (faith David)Thitos my infirmity! t_lw word in the Qrigi_nal is, This is myfic/z_nejj'e; as \vho -ihould fay, What.?-: is m<rcyg~ne for <7Jcr_? _thi!wtll b~ my dc~th,thert id,fe.gonr. 2. ·'T~ls reproves imd Condemns that great hn _of l'rrf,mption, a lin more frequent, ~nd (ifpoffibly may be) more da!lgerpus ; as th~y f'licl, Sa11l );ad jlain his thtttfonds, and Dt!vid his ten tho~t(ands.- So hathD.r!fair flain,hi_s thoufands, but Prefumpoon his ten tlidufands. It is the cot.:nfel o( Per-er, that ev<ry man Jlrouf·d be r<ady to give 1111 achuut
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