168 cvfn Exp~(ition of the Epifile ~ caufe they are his Glory. Asour Hearts, and the Devil, are the Father of variety ~ of Sins; fo God is the Father of variety of Mercies, and they are a1; fo many Children to him, which be begets.. And there is no Sin or Mifery, but God hath a Mercy for it, and he bath a mulutude of Merctes of every kind too ; even like an Apothecary, that bath an abundance of Drugs of all forts1 for all kind ofDif– eafes. As there is no Difeafe, but God hath made a Remedy for it; fo there is no Milery, but God bath Merey for it. He hath found om a Remedy for Sin, the hardeO: clung to cme of all thmgs elfe, and therefore he bath provided a Re– medy fi1r all other Mifcry. And as there are variety ofMifcries, which the Crea– ture is lubjetl: unto; fo he bath in himfclf a Shop, a Treali~ry of all forts of Mercies, divided intofeveral Promifes in the Scripture, which are but as fo many -Boxes of this. Treailtre, the Caskets of variety of Mercies. If thy Heart be hard, hiS Merctes are tender ; tf thy Heart be dead, he bath Mercy to quicken it as Tfal. II9. bath it again and again: If thou be l!ck, he bath Mercy to heaJ thee ; if thou be Gnful, he bath Mercies to f.1ntl:ify and cleanfc thee. As large and !s various as are our Wants, fo large and various arc his Mercies. So as We may come boldly, to j11d Grace a11d Mercy to help"'. in time oj 11ecd; a Mercy for every Need, as the Apo(lle !peaks. All the Merctes that are in his own Hearr, he bath tranfplamcd them IntO fcveral Beds (as I may fo exprefs it) in the Garden of the Promifcs, where they grow, and he bath abundance of variety of them, fuited to all the vanety of the Dtfea!es of the Soul. Secondly; As Riches are attributed unto Mercy in rcfpetl: of Abundance, fo in refpetl: of Htddennefs and Unknownnets. We ufe to f.1y of a rich Man, that he isofan unknown Wealth and EO:ate; fo the Scripture calls it, hidden Treafure. In Iji1. 45· 3· I will give thee ( !:1ith he, (peaking of Cyru<,) the Tre'ijims of Dark,nefl, and hidden Riches of fecret 1:'/aces. Now the Mercies of God, they are hidden, they are unfearchable. As there are Curies written, and not written ; as in Dwt. 28. 61. after the mention of feveral Curfes for Difobedience, he faith, A/fa I will bring upon thee every Plague tvhich is not written in this Boo/z: So there are alfo Bleffings which are not written; he had told them of Blcffings that he would bcO:ow upon them for their Obedience, in the former part of that Chapter, but he tells them, v. 12. as the conclul!on of all the I\Jeffings enumera– ted afore, that he had a Treafury to open: T/;e Lord (faith he) foa/1 open upon thee hisgood Treajitre; as if he h>d not mentioned half before, and that tbofe he had mentioned were but a few lnO:ances of that Treafure of Mercy be had by him. And in that refpctl:, becaufe of hiddennefs, the Riches of Mercy in God are called, a Depth nf Riches, Ram. I 1. 33· 0 the depth of the 7(!r!.•es, bntb of the Wifdom and Knotvledg nf God I H>w w~(earch,,b/e are his Judgments, .md hi< W<IJS p<~(l jndi11g out I If he had laid, 0 tf.e depth I it had been enough; but he faith, 0 the depth 'f the Wifeiom and Kuowledg of God I h01v unfe"rch"b!e are his Judgments I F:or it is a Treafury that bath no bottom, it is paji fnding out. He fpeaks of Mercy, becaufe he !peaks of Fore-knowledg, which contrivcth ways of !hewing Mercy, as the beginning of ch"P· 12. 01ews. Now, my Brethren, if his Judgments be a great depth, as you have it, Pfal. 36. 6. Thy Judgnm;ts are a . great Deep; his Mercies then are much more : For if you compare the 5th, 6th, and 7th Verfes of that Pfalm, you !hall find, that by Judgments, he dorh not mean outward Judgments of Wrath and Vengeance; but he !peaks of Mercy, and but of common Mercy neither there, the Works of his Providence, (for fo J11dgments is often taken in the Scripture likewifc,) for when he f.tith, 17>y Judg– ments "re a great Deep, 0 Lord, it follows, Tl:mt pr~{e>"Vefl Man and Beaft; mean– ing the Mercies he lheweth to Man and Beall in common: thefe, he fitith, are a great D eep. And the Apo{l]e, in that Rom. 11. (which place this of the Pf.1lms openeth) faith, They are un{earr-hable, and pajl fnding out. Now, I f.1y, if thefe Judgments of God are a great Deep, thefe common Mercies that are exercifed to Man and BeaO:; how excellent is his Loving-kindnefs, (for lo it follows in that Pfalm,) or his Grace unto tbofe that truft in him ? They fba/1 be abm;dtmtly fatis· fied with the fat11efl of thy Houfe, and tho11 j!J,Ift mak,p li.em drin/z of the 'J(!ver of thy Ple'ijims: For with thee is the Fountain of Life, in thy Light fba/1 rve fee Light, 4nd continue thy Lovi11g·l<f;tdnef11nlo them tbat /znow thee, &c. Clearly thiS ts the meamng
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=