-Com:2. Gods m ercy to f ìich as lode him anclkeeps&c. Chap.tp, 20 CHAP. X. The third part óf the Sanition; Promife of Mercy. Gods Rewards proceedfrdni Mer ey,which u zhofountain Ofall our hïéppinefs. His Mercy is promifed tothe sodogene ration : the threatning extendsenly to thethird andfourth. The objell ofhis Mercy, fuel) at love him Our Love mull be manifeffed by keeping his Commandments. Hoar they muft be kept. The benefit theywill keep and preferve Ms. r" HeCommination orPanda-cent we fee in the Pfaltn', Thou haft rebuked the proud that'are curled, which do err freakily Commandments. The Curti. pfai.t9,af, In this laft part which is the Promife of Reward , the Apatite tells us , that exceeding a t4 great and precious Promifes are given to us, whereby We are partakers of thedivine Nature. Under this promife ofMercy are contained all the benefits and blellinge of God ; all other Promifes are included in this , this is the fOuntain of all the reft , if `we partakeof his Mercy, we Ihall want nothing that's good for n's. The ComtiiÌ ati- ICxódal.t8; on Was like the fmoaking upon Mount Sinai, terrible and dreadful, this like the Dew Pfal.133.3 defcending upon Mount Sian, brings BletiTng and everlafting Life, blel%d and corn: fortable. This Promife is Mercy ; for underibis name he propoundeth the Reward. No adlaFìf.l God hath a.Reward forevil as well as for good. For the firs, Samuel tells Saul, Be. ., caufe thou haft rejelled the Word ofthe Lord, -therefore the Lord bath rejected thee. :There was his Reward for evil. And for the left, a cup ofcold water given out of a f ' pious charitable intent, bath alto its Reward, A Reiverdofgood. Acci it is Well worth the het*,under what word, and by what name this RewaFd 5s prom ed which is under the name of Mercy ; for without it we were in an ill cafe, even the het of us, they that do bis work beíe > We are unprofitable.fervanrs, nil we can do is not worth to much as thanks ; fo that hepromifeth meerly inmercy, and though his ! ihation be in juftice, yet hisReward is graruita, exmifericordia, nbn Loc,iy;f: ,n?ri:o, ree without any refpeí`t , but his own mercy; not our merit, mercer exmifiri- 94 1 tordra non ex merits, and therefore not to be pleaded in any Court ofJuftice. There's notanng a crif,ed tö our merit: Sow ( faithGod by theProphet) to yoltr feláes in rr1 ou n_ls, reap (not in Juftice but) in Mercy. So the'Apoftle, Hcncefo th'there Herteas; lard up for me a crown of'Righteoufnefs, which the Lord the righteous 70s. g' iùlEgaye apim4.8. mc. He coñfeath it to be of Gods Gift. It is Gods Mercy then, and in this one thing are comprehended all Ret;rards'priva- t e and pefitìve. His Mercy is great towards as , in delivering our'Souls from the Pf31.11& i';: neih'ermo? Hell. And it is òg his Mercy, that we are not cogitated. All Ri'ers flow Lam3aat from this. it is fundatrïxtnbfl'ra, it lays our foundation ofhappineft, in bleflingspre Plalß;6. venting, as allo in bleflings tollowing. And it is coronatrix noftra, for hfcreWneth us 14. with loving kindnefs and tender mercies. He could havePaid in this, as in the Comtniulìtion, es)fïtans;-viliting, theProphet Davidprayed for more. Behold and vilit this Vine. And old Zachary took it for Pfa1.8a r4: a great blefling, that Godhad vifitedhis people. But God is fo good to us, that he Lue.a.684 thinks it not enough. It is Juftice only, that is a viftation, anad intermitted. t. His Mercy is continual work, to thew that there's no intermiffion in his work of Mercy, but"he continues everyday doing good tous, which is the firft degree of it: a. The fecond degree of it is, that the [tripes ofhis Justice are but; or (which in it felfisvfercy) his füffireis restrained tbThe "fourth generation ; bu it sMercris a thoufandfold , it is extended to the thoufandthgeneration, fo that the proportion of his Mercy exceeds that of his Juftice 25o times, to thew , that bis delight is more in exercifing the works of Mercy than ofJuftice, his Mercy rejoyceth or triumpheth J2ao3. over Judgment. Theone being Opus proprium,bis ownwork,tbe otherOpus alieöum, Gen t8 3ál a work that is strange tohim. He will fave Sodom, if but ten righteous men may be found in it; and ferufalem, for one Davids fake. Nay he bids them run through 3er.5.t. that City, and ifhe"can find but one full man in it, he will fave it. But to whom is this Mercy promiled ? even to them that love God , and tonone r other. And this love mutt have foamproportion with Gods love. It mutt be regula- tedby his. Now the manner of Gods love islet forth to us under the name ofjealous. gree.t6,44. ket
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