.5 20 Verf, a 3. eifn Erplition upon the Book of Jos. Chap. 37. Bence note; God is not onlya jufl,buta bountifooii Mager.; H doeh not onlygive us enough for necei1ky, but for delight andcontentment ; if we ufe his bounty tve1I,and cornnot his blef finas to his dishonour , plenty will be our mercy. The Cods come fomtinies for Correo ion, God ìweepes away oven our ne- ceiTaries, by raines,which are therefore in Scriptwe called /weep- ing raines ; at ether times the Clouds come for mercy,ani , mp ty themfelves to fill us with the bleffings of the earth ; ha,, we both bycorreóions and favours may be led to repentance; and re- ceive further mercy, not onlymercy from the Clouds, but mer- cy above the Clouds. Thus the words (land ina fair oppoficioiy, and onepart of the verfe illuftrates theother. Yet I conceive there is Comwhat further in there words, for mercy, orinmercy and free benignity; which may intimate thus much to us, That even the Rain from the Clouds, and fruits of the earth, are notgiven us of defert, but offreefavour andmercj. They comefor mercy, or as amercy. God dorh not feed the World becaule he owes them any thing, but becaufe he is na ci- full ; we do nor oblige him togive us a dropof rain,or a morfell of bread ; fweet (howres from Heaven, and plentiful' harvefis on Earth, are a&s of grace, mercy, favour, and good-will unto man. God payeth men wages in nothing bet inpunifhment, when God punifbeth, he payes wages, that which is deferv'd ; if God fend the Clouds for Correction, we have what our fins have procured and brought ul on ; but if he fendplenty, we have mercy, a gtacious bounty or largéfs from the hand of G^d;our dailybread is net pay or wages, but reward and mercy, much lefe is that which is more or beyondourdaily bread. We by findeferve that the Heavens fhouldbe (as the Lord threaten' d his ancient pèo- pie in cafe ofdifobedience) asbrafs, and the Earth as iron ; but we have not deferv'd that the Heavens fiaould drop farnefs, and the Earth yeild her increafe ; this is mercy. Not only are we to look upon the Pardon of fin as a mercy, and Redemption by the blood of Chrit+ as a mercy, and Juflificarion through hisRighte- oufnefs as mercy, and eternall life as a mercy, or corning from mercy,
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