i12S' I. 1his tructh to Leacknow- ledged. a.ChrO.ao.a0. Ivfe 2. It makes a- vsinR out un- beliefe. 06jellion. Pfal.8g.3a.; 3. Pfal.73. r. Lam.3.za. Ife 3. And the Goht of unworehines a Imitate 4- God herein. Objeá. Anfw. Micah.7. r8. Ifa. 54. S. Ephefrans, Chap. Z, VER.4. I That great Commandment of the Law (the having God for our God ) doeth commandto know, and to acknowledge this trueth al. wayes, that he is molt mercifull tous. Have all Creatures eyes to look up to the mercy of God in their neceffities,and to croft to his faithful - nes for help and fuccourin their miferies,and Thal his children be blinds lehoftia4hat laid, Lord we knownot what to da,butour eyes are unto thee. This doeth reprove ourweakneffe : we fay he is a merciful! God,but when he doth delay,or renew his witneffes againft us, we think he hath (hut up his mercy and loving compadiions. Agane,when we think that God will not forgive our fins,then this mercy ofGod is forgotten. A. gain,whenmen think Godshand is hard towards them, & conceive of hisdealingas crudi,where then is this fentence,tlaat he is rich inmercy? But you will fay, What though he bath {hewed us mercy, may wee not complaine in this kind when his hand turneth? I anfwer, Henever turneth from thefe mercies. ifmy children ( faith the Lord)offend,i will eorrefl them with rods but my mercy will I not take from them. Wemuff therefore resume. in a holy blufh, and learne to fay , Yet God is goodto Ifrael. it is his mercy that we are not confumed. Itdoeth ferve to bear off atemptation of unworthineffe : Satanwill tell thehumbled foule, Thouart a grievous firmer, privy in thy owae heart tomany fouleand abominable corruptions, thou haftgrieved the Spirit,trefpaffed againft thy enlightening, &c. How canft thou look to be faved,oronce come before God withany Comfort! Hereunto the faithfull foule muff be ready to reply,Yetthe mercies ofGod, and the meritsof Chrift Jefus do infinitely exceede them ; neither are the mer- cies of God abridged by liens of infirmity, but rather thereby the more fpecified and declared : Thus refting upon the Rockeof Eternity and the impregnabletrueth of Gods gracious promifes, he calls him- felfe into the bottomleffe fea of Gods mercies, with this refolution, that ifhe muff needs perifh, they (hall hale and pull him from themofi tender bowels and everlafting compaflions of his ble(fed God, to whom hisfoule is fled. This is a vertue of our heavenly Father to be imitated, Be merciful its your heavenly Father is mercifull, Luk. 6.36. But it may be faid,How fhould God be mercifull tome, for I am his enemy, and a fonof hiswrath, and mercy is fo far from fuch that it rejoyceth againft the judgementofchofe whom he hateth ? " If this feare proceed out ofan unfaigned longing after Gods mercy, and tobe deliveredfrom that miferywhereof thou complaineft ; then be of good comfort; for ifeverthou haft tatted of the fweetnefi:e of thisgrace, thou (halt be fure to have it opine. He retaineth not his an- ger for ever, becaufe mercy pitafeth him. He is the Son, hismercy (as all other his properties ) is in God in- finitely, eternally, and unchangeably : for a moment, in mine anger I hid my face, but with everlaflingmercy, havei had compafsion on thee. Now the fountaineofthis mercy, is Gods loveto us from Eternity, which inclined towards us when we were hateful' : when he hadde- termined
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