The graciéivs manner of fhémang mercy. -no t.be let to peri(h, but if it be meerly the hand of God upoïi them and not their own wickedneil;; that bath brought it upon them, much mercy lhould be (own to them, fuch as by the, providence of God either by fire, or by wicked men that have( broken in upon them, and not through their own fault, they have liv'd c onfciencioufly, and yet God by force hand of pro- vidence bath fwept away all their ellate, abundance 'of mercy fhouldk ihownrothem. But above all, though we are to do good unto all, yet efpe- cially unto the ñoufehold of faith, to the Saints eipecially our mercy,lhould be (hewn unto, for God (hews moll mercy to them : But it shall be fuflîcient to name the objects of mercy. Fór the gracious manner of Chewing mercy to thofe that ate :Qualifications s iu mifery : Mercy muff have thefequalifications. in Mercy. Fire, I muff never be fomercifull as to go again(tany rule Of Juílice, but there muff be a fweet concord between both, mark how they are knit together, Bleffed are they that hunger and th.rf after righteoufnefe, which is not only the righteouf- nefl'e of Chriff, but between man and man, and blefed are the mercifull, we mull be fb mercifull, as yet to be righteous, grace bath a bleffed mixture in it, and though one vice be con- trary to another, yet one grace is never contrary to another, juflice and mercy are never oppofite one to another, but they may have a gracious mixture, I may be a mercifull man, and yet hunger after righteoufnef e that righteoufneffe may prevail in the world ; That mutt be con,;idered in the firff place, for the gracious manner ofthe work ofmercy. Secondly, I muff be fo merciful; as not to doe hurt to thole that I think to (hew mercy to,or to do hurt to others by them, as thus, when meta are in mifery, for me to (hew mercy fo as to harden them in their evill way, this isnogracious a&, this is 'a foolish pittÿ, or to Chew mercy to one fo as to hurt others: many times mercy may -be fhöwn to one,that is cruelty to ma- ny others, now in the i i 2 Pfd. 5. v: there the holy GhoR fpeak4ng of a mercifull man,he faith, That he guides h affairs with difcretion, he guides them in 'a difcreet way, he cloth not Yya do
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