II6 The Harmony of the Divine Attributes ~ Deliverance, nor conceive how Mercy can favc him without the violation of Jui!ice, an Chap. 4· ./ittribMe as ejfential to the pivine Nature as Mercy. And what can induce him to make \.../'~ an humble confeffion of hrs fault , when he expeas norhing but an irrevocable Doom? An inHance of this we haVe in .11Jam, who being l!nder the conviflion of his Sin, ~nd apprehenfion that God would be fevere, did not fohcite for Mercy, but endeavour'd to tramfer the guilt on God himfelf. Tl;e 'ff1oman th011 ga'Vejf me, fbe gave me of the Tree, and I did eat, Gen. 5· 12. As if {];e had been defign'd for a fnare, and not to be an aid in his innocem: flare. .-- 2. A fincere Refolmion to forfake Sin is built on the hopes of Mercy. Till the reafona. ble Creature knows that Heaven is open to Repentance, to his fecond and bener thoughts, he is irrec laimable. He that never hopes to receive any good, will continue in doing evil. Defpair of Mercy caufeth a defpifing of the Law. The fipoftate Angels, who are without the re(erves of Pardon, arc conflrm'd in their Rebellion : Their Guilt is mixt with Fury, they perfif! in their War again!! God, though they !mow tile ifl'ue will be deadly to them. And had there not been an early Revelation of Mercy to , !J.m, he had been incorrigibly wicked as the Devils. For defpatr had m_Aam'd his /;atred aga inft God, which is of all the Pafliom the man incurable. Th?ft; viCIC'US Ajfil1ions that depend on the humours of the Body which are _mutable, _a ~ ter With them: Bu_t H~tre4 is fca~cd in the fuperiour part of the Soul, wpich IS of a Sprrttuat nature, and _Drakolual m o~~macy. In ft;ort, When the reafon~ble. Creature IS gUJ!ty and \1ICIOus, and knows that God is ']ujl and Holy, and t hat He wrH be (evtre in revenging _all Difobedience, he bath no Care nor Defire to reform himfdf. He w1ll ~ot lay a reftramt on_ h1s pleafing .A_ppetites, when he expeEls no recompence: He ef!eems It !of! labour to abllam' And all hiS defign is, to allay and fweeten the fearofjuture Evils by prefont enJoymentsr When he isfcorch'dwith the apprehenuons of wrath t9 come, he plunges himfelf into fen{Hal cxcefl'es for fame re· Jief. He refolves to make his befl of Sin for a time: According to the Principle of the Epicttrfs, Let us e11t .tnd drink while we may, fO morrom we Jhall die, 1 Cor. 1 S· The Sum of all is this, That an unrelenting and unreformed Sinner is incapable of Pardon ; For unlefs God fhould renounce his own N ature, and deny ltis Deit'J, He cannot receive him to favour. .And it is inconceivable how the rational Creature once tareJ , lbould ever be encourng'd to Repentance without the expcaation of Mercy : And there being an infeparable aOtance between the Integrrty and Feltwy of Man by the terms of the {1. ~~~;~ao~Yt~,,~ ~~~,i~f;J\~g~~~~:~1eni: ~~~~~~ t~~~~i~J~e;;::m~yH,rre;;;:rn;::~ fuffering for ever; his Mifery is compl';"t and defperate. _ CHAP. V.
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