q6 Uook IV. W..rolung unto 'j)cfu5. Chap.x .SetL6. ' Gen. 1. ~ 7· EzeJ(. 18. HJ, Fzr~ 9· 15. Vfa,119. q. Rcv.t6.5,7· l'fal. •45· IJ Rorn. 6. '3· ·------- then the Agreement and bldfed Harmony of thefe gloriom Attributes. I. The Difference; immediately after the Fl!I, the great quellion (which befvre you beard of in the Decree ~nd ~ouncils of God) was a<'lually propounded, what jl 1011 td ·be dme with jinful man ? 1n thts cafe we mull: fpeak of God after the manner of men. and I hope you will give me the liberty that others (! fuppofe warrantably) ~ake; Come, faith God, what j/Mil be done with jinfJtl m11n? he lmh violated my Law, bro– ken my Command,and as much as l1es in him,unpinn d the Fabrick of the world, fpoiled my Glonous Work of Heaven, and Earth, and Sea, and all therein; undone him– fdf for ever and ever, and ever. 0 what ~Ja/1 be done with this jinfHi, rebe!liom for– lorn, unhappy Creature, man? Silence being a while in heaven, and all tlruck into amate, tO fee the great God of I-!eaven flirred i1p in wrath, at lafl: Mercy and PeMe ftand up, and they feek With fweer , gemle intreaties to pacitie Gods Anger; but R<g_hrcoufnef; andT~urh are on the contrary bde; and they provoke God Almighty 10 go on, and to ma~1fetl h1mfelf (as he IS mdeed) a conJi•ming Firt, a fin-revenging God. The Plea IS drawn up, and reported at large by Bernard, .Andrews, and o– thers, I. Mercy began; for OUt orher readinefsto do good, lhe is ever formofi. her in. clina_cion Js ro pity, or. rather fl1< her felf is an inclination to pity thofe that are i~ mifery; and tf lhe can but reheve them, let them d<ferve what they wlll, be fure flJC will relieve them; for lhe looks not to the party •what he is, nor what he bath don•, nor what he he deferved; but (which is the comfort of us miferable linners) llre .looks at w!Jat hefuf– fers, and in how woful and wrerched acafe he is. Her Plea was thus; Vfhat Lord, h-ft thou made all men in vain·.< 1ri/t thou now deftroy him for ·whom tho~< madeji the world? Jhallthe houfholder be cJft out, an,d thrown into prifon, and there remain till he bath paid t_he urmoft farthing? f/,ailll//themm and women in the wo.-ld, from jirft to lajf, be rl.-,;ned for ever andever ? alao ! what profit u in their bloud ? what will it avail to crowd mef1 ~<nd De– viluogerher inhe!l-flr~mes? will not thofe Devil;, thegrand enemie; of God, rejoyce at thu? and what then rvifl become of thy g•·eat Name on rarth? u not thu thy Name? the Lord, rhe Lord, merciful, and graciotH, long-fufftring, and abundant in goodne(s and truth, k,eping mercy forrhoufand;, forgiving iniquity"; tranfgrejfiomand jim? wfw, wi/itbe Lm-dundo hu Name ? willthe Lordeajf off for ev<r ? Md will he be ft<VOJ<rabie tJo more? is hi; mer– C)' c/aa~gonefor ever? will he-be no more entreated? bath God forgotten to begrneion;? h•th he in angerJhm ttp hiHmdrr Bowel;? With thefe, and fuch like holy whifperings or murterings did .il1ercyenter into Gods bowels, and make them yern, and rndt again in· to ~ompal11ons. But;. T-ruth mult be heard as well as Mercy; and llre inys in matter of exceptioP, and her Plea was thus; What i; Godbut hi; W.rd? Now this wa; thy word to-Adam, ln the d~y rhat thoueat<ft rhereof, thou]halt die the desth; and thi; war thy word to all the fon; of A'dam, the foul that jirmeth, that{oil' Jhal( die• .And God may not faljijie hirword; hi; word iHruth; faljijietrnth? that mt<y 1!ot be ; all men areliar;; but God iJtrJtc, even truth it feif. -·--This Plea of Truth is feconded by RighttM{nefs; and rhus Jlre befpeaks God ; ft,a/l not the Judge of all the world do right ? tho<t haft· declared thy frlf over and over to be juft andrighteow; 0 Lord Godof lfraei thot<att riglmott> :--righteou; art tl!oi<,O ,L,ord, 11nd upright are thy jJ<dgme;rt>.- Thou art righteoJo, 0 Lo_rd, whi<h art, andwaJI, and foal/be ; --c- Even fo, Lord God .Almighty, true and r<j,hteoJH aretby jt~dument~--·)'Mthe Lord ii righteoJ/5 inall hi; waye;, and holy m allh<>ww/r.j; Md 1 yhfrcin conftfts thu rzghtnmfnefs> but m rendrmg to every one accordmg to hz.s due? and what i; the fi;:nm dJte, but death l the wage; of jini; dtath; what Jha/1 trot th:fe jinnm die '"the death? that were (a; before) to mak$ Truth falfe , [o here to do R,ght wrong. Thefe were the Controverlies at that time ; fo that Peace could. not tell how to fpeak apr~ya-Tling word amongll them; nay the comroverlie grew fo lugh, that they m:de lt their own cafes : what j/,a/1 beco11e •f me (Card Mercy) if God fpare not Jinnm . and what foall•becomc oJme tfaidJtejlicr) if God do fpare Jinnm? what jha/1 _becomeofP': (faidMercy) ' if God willjhcw no -mercy? aRd what Jhall become of me(fatdJuflzcr) if God will do nojuftice? wh_y, al.u 1perifh· (fa1d Mercy) if tholl wtlt 11ot ptty; if m._"'d'~' 1diealfo: an Jpcrijh {fa1d luJf.,·e) if thOHwllthavem'"C)'; (urely!dre, tf ma~~di<~• · To this it came and m thefe terJPS brake up the Alfembfy, and away they went one fro~ a~other ;. 7 ru;h went to heaven, and V.· as a ltranger upon Earth, Righuoi<[nefs. went with her'" and would not fo much as look down from Heaven: Mercy. n,eblllaid ' e ow
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