The feverall workngs of mercy in the heart. 341. Secondly; from there there is a working defrre in his foule to relieve them ; ô that I could tell how to relieve and help fouls as I fee to be any way in mifery,bodily mifery, or f f,iritt<- all mifery. Thirdly, The heart is folicitoufly careful! about wayes of heipe, not only wifhes and delires to help, but the thoughts of the mind are very folicitous, what way I may compaf e to be helpfull to More that are in mifery, you have an eycellent Scripture for that, in the r4 Prov: zz. Mercy aid truth fvall be to them that devifegeod : Here's the merciful( man defcri bed, and the promife of mercy to him, he is one that deviled) good,a mercifull man lookes upon others in miter;', calls a- bout him in his thoughts when he lies upon his bed, and is de- viling how he may doe good : I am here lying ,quietly- in my bed,I am warm,.others are in mifery; how may-I be any wayes ufefull to them, to do them any good ? he Both devife good, and in the 3 z /fit: 8. v: The liberall devi feth liberáll things. A mercifull marl is nor only liberali and helpful!, when you put him upon occafion, when you come to-hiin, tivhen- he cannot for flame but hé mu{c give you fomething ; no, but he himfelfe devifeth liberal' things, he plots with himfelfe what he may do to be inflrumentall for the good of thofe that are in a iàd con- dition, a covetous man doth not more devife how he might gaine to himfelfe toget a good bargain, then a merciful] man devifes how hé may ditlribute, how he may do goad; that's the third á& ofmercy, it's folicitoufly careful!. . Fourthly, A timelyimprovement, he loth not keepe his mercy in his own thoughts, but he doth improve what he harp for the good of others that are in mifery : If he bath an eflate, parts, friends, flrength of body, or if he be poor and meane, and bath nothing elfe, then his prayer, all- that he bath (hall be font way or other improved for the help of fuch as are in mifery, a merciful] mandoth not thinke t tat God harhhgiven la' in any good thing meetly for himfelfe, but for improvement, I was not borne for my felfe, I have not an ellare.formy felfe, neither have I r arts of nature; or grace for my felfe, burr I have them for to be of publick good as much as may be:That's . the
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