271 ?he Sublapfrians doe tine maketh not himfelf a caule of ht.r drown; ing , unleife he were neceffirily bound tó preferve her. Thus thecafe fares betwixt God and the Non.. el : therefore he isno propercauleof their Sin.ne or Perdition. Tredti fi. 4. totsttaryto EcondIy, it oppofeth Gods Mercy. i*ME&CY* God (.4) is mercifull: A part it is of his title, Exod. 34.6.mercifull findgracious. He is Mercy in theabftrad, i.Joh. 4.r 6. God is love; a Father of mercies, and Godof all confola- tions, z.Cor. i.3 a Saviour ofmen, ; .Tim.4.i o. And thus the Churchbath alwayes taken him to be : And therefore hath of old flyled him in her Liturgy, AGodwholenatureandproper- tyis alwayes to havemercy andtoforgive. Two wayes is Gods mercy fpoken of in Scripture, abfo.. lutely and comparatively. r. Abfolutely ; and Co it is fet out f B) in high and (lately terms. It is called rich mercy, Eph. z. 4.great kiidne¡fe, Jonah 4.z...4bundantmercy, r. Pet. r. z. lovewithout height or depth, length or breadth; or any dimen- fions, lovepaJfing knowledge, Eph. ;.18. So k,reac it is,that Jo- nahcould not intreat him to punifh the little, infant, harm- lefl'e Ninevires with temporali death for the Gnnes of their guilty parents, Jonah 4. I r . z. Comparatively. With two things it is compared ; . His own Juftice, z. The Love that dwelleth in the creature : and is advanced aboveboth. I. With his own Juftice it is compared, and advanced above it : Not in its efrence ( for all Gods excellencies are infinitely good, and one is not greater then another) but in its expreflions, and forne things that have relation to it; parti- cularly in thefe;, r. In its Naturalneffe (C) and Dearnefre to God. It is faid of Mercy, itpleafeth him, Micah 7.18 . But Juftice is cal- kd his lrangework, alienum à naturafisa, Efay 28. 11. He dotb not affidi willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam.3 3 3 z. In the frequent Exercife (7} ) ofit (elf. He is laid tobe flow toanger, but abundant ingoedncffe, Exod. 34.6. Mercies are beftowed every day ; judgements inflicted but now and then, (paringly, and after a long time of forbearance, when there is no remedy, z.Chron. 36.x S. "Ill the day longhave I firetched otst my hands to a gainfaying and rebellious people, Efay
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=