to the EPHESIAN S, had (hewn how Man is finful, but God is merciful. r-Afiead ot Si11s and Tref ~, pajfts, he is to (peak of Mercy ; infiead of Men being finful, he. is to detcribe ~· God merciful ; Mim by nature finful, but God by nature merc1ful. There is an oppofition of quickning to death : When we were under the power ofSatan, and the DeviLwas our Prince, the Prince of the Power ofthe A1r, now to come under Chrifi, to be quickned with him, and to fit with him in heavmly Plaw, fo high even when Children of Wrath by nature : But by Grace ( as oppofed to Natur;) we be Javed. All thefe oppofitions of afpefr, ofthe words that follow, to what went before, this [ Bnt] ufhers in. ~··· It alfo comes in, when what follows exceeds what went before in a way of contrariety, .to !hew, that where Sin abounded, Grace fuperabounded much ~:} more; Man had done thus and thus, and was thus and thus; but God in his ·~'! Work hath put down Man clean in his Work: 'B11t God, who is rich in Mercy. And fo much now for that particle, [ 8111. J God] It refers to what hehad enlarged ofGod, chap. r. and anew explicates the fence of it. In the fecond place here, ·he holds up God to be (as well he might in this cafe) the foie Author ofall that Salvation that follows. As iri Rom. II. 35· Who bath firjl given to him, and it fha/1 be recompenfed to himagain? for ofhim, and through him, and to him are all things: efpecially our Salvation. In 2 Cor.5. 18. All .things are ofGod, who bath reconciled m to hinrfeif. He comes in here with God [But God] as the fubjeCl: of all this Mercy and Love, whom therefore we !hould carry along with us in our eye to magnifie. And [But God] is a note of fpecialty: So David, Let me foil into the hands ofGod, not Man, for verygreat are hh .J/1erries, I Chron. 21. 13· As alfo, the Prophet, Who ha God lil'!ttnto thee, (there is none e!Ce would have 1 done it) that pardoneth Iniquity, Tran.fi;re.!Jion, and Sin? 'Tis only he, being rich in,Mercy, and having fo much Mercy in Him, and being a God o(fuch Mercy, that bath done it. I am God, and not lvCan, therefore ye are not eonjiumd. 'B11t God, faith he, being rich in Mercy, hence it is ye are faved. And, by God, he means likewife the Father, as diftinCl: fi·om Chrifi. He maketh Jefus Chrifi the infirumental caufe, We are q11icl<: ned in Chrijl: but who quickned us? God, faith he; it was his contrivance and doing. He would have us attribute the firfi and chief unto God; and his mean– ing is this, as if he had faid, Now that I have !hewn you that Man· hath done his part, and done his worfi in that finful condition he was in, you !hall fee what part God will aCl:; But God, faith he, who if rich in Mercy, &c. As alfo to!hew, that it is G</d alone that cloth all in the matter of Salvation, which is his Ccope in the refi that follows, to nothingny any Creature, as the Apofile bath it ; It h not of him·that rum, or him that wiUs, b11t ofGod that jhewetb mercy. That as it is in Jer. 3·5· Tho11 haft finned, ,md yet called me Father, and thott haft JPok.§n and done evil things, m ihou co11ldejl : This thou haft done, well now I will fee what I can do, v. 19. Thou Jbalt call me, ~Father, and Jlult not turn away from me. So the Apofile here: You were fo and fo, But God, &c. [God who is ~ich in Mercy, for the great Love wherewith he loved "'· J You fee here, he fpeaks of the Caufes of our Salvation, Mercy and Love: In opening of this, I !hair firfi give you the difiinCl:ion between :iJfercy and Love. t. I begin with Love, his !hewing Mercy is refolved into ir. It is a defire to communicate good, the chiefefi good, unto the Creature; but Mercy, it is to pull the Creature out off a depth of Mifery. The ObjeCl: of God's Love is the Creature !imply confidered; the Objell: of Mercy, is the Creature fallen into Mifery : So that Mercy fuperaddeth this to Love, that it refpeCl:s the Creature in mifery. Parents, they love their Children, !imply as they are their Children; but if theybe fallen into mifery, t~n Love works in a way of Pity, Love is turned into Mercy. So that now you fee, I fay, the difference in a word between ~hefe two, that Mercy refpeCl:eth Mifery, and bath properly Mifery for its Ob– JeCt. You have that notable place for this, in Ron1. II. 32. God hath jlmt 11p all ~ R. ~ogethf!,
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