qo An Expojition of the Epijlle S ~ together in Vnbelief, that Fie l'tight have mercy upon all. Mercy therefore refpell:eth ~ thole that are thus !but up under Unbelie£ Obfcrv. The fecond thing that I would hold forth for the opening of thefe two is this why that Mercy and Love are here both brought in ? It is not Mercy only, and one would have thought that had been enough, when he would fpeak of our Salvation, but be alfo mentionetb Love ; and why? I. Becaufe that Mercy only r~fpell:eth Mifcry, as I faid before; it goes"no fur– ther fimply as Mercy than the rehevmg thofe that are m Mtfery out of their Mifery And becaufe that we had a Treafury and a depth of Mifery, he therefore menti~ ons a Treafury and Riches of Mercy. There was aTreafury ofWrath, which we bemg Cluldren of Wrath had heaped up, therefore he mentions a Treafury of Mercy. But, I (,y,Mercy only refpeB:eth pulling out ofMifery, and would have gone no further, fimply as Mercy. But now that (as an addition thereto) thefe perfons delivered out of this depth of Mifery, !bould be advanced to the famefiate and condition that Jefus Chrifi in .Heaven bath, that they !bould fit together in heavenly places wtth htm; Mercy alone would not have earned us thither ifMer– cy had not been winged with Love, if Love had not been mingled with 'and ad– ded to it; yea, a munificence ofLove, yea, a greatnefs of Love. Mercy caufeth a King to pardon a Traitor; but ifhe !ball take this Traitor and advance him to the highefl: dignity, place him with him in the Throne as it were, this mufl: needs be from Love too, this is a fuperadding in that refpeB: unto Mercy. Obfcrv. Let me affect your heartS with this Confideration, That God hath done more for us infinitly than for the Angels; he !hews love to them,they are Veffelsof Honour, whom he bath loved and taken upunto Glory ; but they are not Veffels of Mercy : but now in (wing ofMen he .brings in both, Mercy and Love too; God beinf, ricb iiZ Mercy, for the great Love wherewith he loved !H. 2. Love is added to Mercy here, to !hew the extent and the greatnefs of his !hewing Mercy ; for that depcndeth much upon Love. If one he merciful only out of a virtue that is in him, or out of a duty; then fo far as that virtue will carry him, he will !hew Mercy. As now, take a merciful Man, that is rich in Mercy, Qfwe may fo exprefs it ofMen,asthe Apoflle cloth, rich in Faith) that hath a great deal of tendernefs of bowels in him , let him meet with a Man in Mifery, it will draw out his bowels to!hew that Man mercy, (o far as meer mercy, as it is a virtue, will carry him. Mark, for this is a difiinB: thing to the former: but if it light .upon a perfon whom he loveth, then, bdides the virtue or grace ofmercy in him, then Mercy is infinitely more intended, comparatively, to him, than when he !hews Mercy to him mcerly out ofthat grace and virtue, Love then boils up Mercy. As for example: If a Phyfician that is a merciful Man, ahd heals out ofmercy, and takes a great deal of pains with a fick perfon even out of that grace and vertue, yet if his Wife !bould be fick, or his Child whom be Joveth, here now Mercy would be intended, here Mercy would be heightned. \'ipw, faith the Apofile, this is the cafe of God, he is not fimply merciful out ofMercy, but he is merciful out of Love, loving the Pcrfons he !hews mercy unto. And therefore in the Scripture he is faid to be merciful as a Father. Pfal. 103. 1 3· Lib.§ as a Father pitieth his Childrm, fo the Lord pitieth them that foar him: Yea, as a Mother. He is merciful, not fingly out ofa principle of Mercy only, but out of Love alfo, which therefore intendeth, heightneth Mercy, draws it out fo much the more, makes it the more aB:ive. IfGod hath Riches of Mercy, and Love hath the com– mand of that Treafury, how profufe will Love be to thofe that are in !Di(ery? Now, faith he, God who is rich in mercy, and befides that, he hath loved tn with agreat love. Yea, 3· For explication, what is the rea(on, let me add this as a Ro;afon, _why both Vide Smn.z. ~hefe are thus joyned together here, That the foundatton of Go~ s!bewmg mercy ts hts Love. So, if you mark it, the Apofile Jays •.t: God, fatth he, who u rtch in nmry ; but that alone would not have done 1t, therefore he adds, Fur the * grea~
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