32¢ OfCods mercie. o talent ofri- though it beaiulfconceiuedwrat h,yetlthinkwemeafurethemnotbytherightmeafcre ,ÿ talent chef is by another meafurethenwemeafure our feluesby; for we hauea talentofriches,asthey 7¿novvtede. ltauea talent ofknowledge,whereinwe areasllacketoperformemercy toypoore,asthey to theignorant;lo that w condemning thê,we condeume our felues.Foras it is fure,thatthe haruelt is great in fpiritual things,& there arebut fewlabourers; fo in rcfpeet oftemporal( things there is asgreat an harneft,&the labourersare asfew; becaufeas y ignorantpeople arethe haruefiofÿ learnedMiniffers,fo ÿ poorerfort is the harueftoftherich:nen.Another reafon is this,becaufe we cannot retaine,it is therefore a good politic to giue,&to make vs friendsof thewicked Mammon.We cannot cary any thingwith vs@ô hence,baue theneuer 7óatvvhich fomuch:here it is gotten,& here itis gone:and thoughwe could carryour gold with vs,yet goesforour- whé wecome in anotherworld,tbat which is currant herewil Randvs in no ftead,foritwil rant andgood notgo for currant there.Wel,admit,thelethingscoulddo vsgood,yet we cannotcarry the pay ldirnothl' fafely.with vs,for there are many robbers wilineet vs in theway,& therforewe muft follow .urrruu in or- theuranerof them, ÿgo by pirats, they carry not al theyhauewith thë,but theycommit all other. toothers oftheirtrends bywritings & brls,which we fee tobe vied of our exchangers : So Sim le, then wemuff carry withvs only ourbils,whichovil ftand thefpoìlers in little lteed,tbough they light vpon them.And furely the Lord hath evade therichhisfaétors & exchangershere on earth,&fcemg theLord bathgivenvs a bd of hishand forthat we committo thepeore, we may fairly makeour claimeto al,forthis bd ovil go withvs and Thal beread turn attise lodgement feate,whenChrilt himfelfefhal fay,Loohewhatyc Lute doneto oneofthefe,ye have done it tome.So that it is good to thewmercy,becauíc otberwili, wecannot long keep we haue:and rarely ifV which is fpokenof mercy in the world lhouldbecut off,a greatpart of the Scriptures fhould bedon away.But among manyreafons this maymouevs tomercy,ÿ ih thetime ofiudgutentthe Lordwil be content to leaveof all other actions ofknowedge, and truth,&c.andcome to this one ofmercy. And albeit the Lord may challengetheother to,yct becaufethe fpeciall claufe ofiudgment that beconcerning inercy,we mutt fpecially Tooke tothis.To apply this toourfelues I neednot,' cannotaccufcinen,al Incas mouthes witçondemne thernfelues,thePreachersof theword neednot to bend their brainesto find out anacctífation for this point,becauleallmen candoic;and wba t is more vfualthan this, mens devotion grovescold. And indeed there is great hardnes ofiheart,there is much coin- plaining,but no redreifug,aud therforc,feeing the land dothaccule it felfc,I accufeit not. Ofthepooifh- 5 This is the difference betweene the punifhntents here & thole in another life:hereno momofthe vehementpuniihment is pennanent,there the punifranent is euerlafting,and yetmolt ve.. voieked. liemene.Alas that there are no snore fit terines to cxpreffe it.But final perfwafonwit lane, anda twine threed wil-draw him thatbelongs to God:but ifhe be a child of reprobation,a cableropewí1 notferue; and though heGouldlee the fiuokeand themountaine offire, yet Suole. witlieturne and fowft hunlelfe in the mireof fin likea fow.Takea manma fitofa burning ague,andye fbalheare him veter loch words,& lo prQteft ofhispaine,as if it werevnfnffe- rablc,butthis is another loaner ofague, &Gal vexevs more then al burningaguesin the world,&yetit Gal continue.Paulalleageth a very plainreafon why there is fo littlemer- cyamongmess,Everyman leckeshis own,andwe leeke not the things oneof another. We forget wearemembers one of anothcr,andtherfore the Lord needs nothingbut ourowne mouths.to condemnevs.Forteeing wecall God Father,I would gladlyknow,bywhat title ive call hisos Father.Thereis no reafon but that Chrilt is ourbrother, & he bathmade vsthe CorsofGQrl: for there isnofatherhood inGod but by brotherhood inChrift, Buthowsi Chrid thy .brothermore then to another,feeing hepath don as muchfor another as hebath don for thee?Wcl,it another hats asgood atiele to Chrilt as thou,the he is thy brothertoo, and ifhe be thybrother,' fay to thee,as Malachie laid of fatherbood,IfGodbe thy father, where is Insfeare ;10ifhe be thy brother,wherc is thy brotherly loue?But Chrilthatis yet another rcafó,we arenot only brethré,hccaule God is our father,&Clhriftour hrother,but forVwe are as merely knit in coniunetion,as 1 Inns &members ofthebody.So y the auk, why :vetheseno mercyis becaufe we cannot perfwade our f luestobe members Ofthe primitiue Church& tbefaithful congregationsgatheredby the Apoltles it isfaid,chere was butonehcart,one wil among them and therefore no doubt but one body;for there can be but one heart inone body,and it weremonftrous in one body tohaue two hearts.Then the law
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