The Bacheparts ofIehouab. t83 thou (halt not tafte. And thus having (hewedthenecefsity adds do&tine, and whothey be to whom it loth timelyandoncly appertain: I come nowto de- clare unto you what is thetrue vfe ofGodsMercy. The chiefe vfe. ofGods Mercy in one word is this. eues to draw men tore- Thepdn ipal pentane. Knoweff thounot (faith the Apoftle) time the boontifolnef( efGod leadctb ftr of }w dos thee torepentance g? The Lordis notflackaemen countflacks ue, bot ispatienttottards mrr<y. vs (faithPeter); Andwhy?becaufe be would banevs come to. repentanceh. Thefe are giao.z 4, proofesfufficient forthis point. Oselyfor the eleatingofic to eaerymats vs. baPet.3.y. deraanding, let me (hewyou, how theconideration of the richesofGods mer- cy, (hould be and is roan Godschildren a iuotiue torepentance. Thisshall eafily How them<r- bee m.anifeftedveto vs, by takinga viewofthe courfe andorder of repentance. eyof God is The firlt thing in repentance, or (ifyou will) the firfdegree ofit, is a kind of npennur. inward perplexity, a mans thoughts being exercifedand much abuled about this point,what (hall become ofhisCoule hereafter. It is the thing fhadowedout in theparable ofthe prodigal!Conne a It appeareth in the text,that after he hadrun an ill courte a long time, to theveer waftingofhis patrimony, at la(I, he came to , Luk t g rj bimfeife,, that is, he cametohaue a deeper and more ferioùsapprehenfionofhis t owne folly, and toquelionwith himfelfe, how to betterhis miferable eftate, thinking (nodoubt) himfelfe vttetly undone; if her fisould (lilt bee left tothis wretchedcondition. This I fay, is the firi degree torepentance, and that which fern an edge upon all otherholy duties of conuerfion; euesa kinde of feareofa mans ownefelfe,making'him to oftmany perils, and eobe jealous ofhis owne efface. Now thoagh the thunderingoutof the thrcattiingnnd teitorofthe law, beea notable measesto awake a fecure heart, yet nothingwill fo muchaffft a mans :Mode, andeues melt hisCoule, as thedue knowledgeand earneft confide- rationofthe vnfpeakeablerichesof Gods Mercy. For the more a man thinkes with himfelfe ofthegoodneffeof God, ofhis infinitebounty and vnfearchable loue, the greater will be his feare (efpecially now at his firft comming tohaue a- ny feeling) leib bee Ihosid malè itand be deprinedofit. And indeedethisis one of the mainediff:rences betwixtthe righteous and the wicked, namely, that the wicked and reprobate doe fometimes feare the huAice ofGod, and tremble at theconceit oftorment, but the Mercyof God affeasthem not, vtile(fe it bee that they takeheart thereby tobe the store fiofnll, list the feruaatsofGoddoe mien quake with the meditationof Gods gentleneffe,`andof that goodneffe which the Scripture repottcth to bee in him, namely, left they lhould come fhort ofhis grace, andAmt themfelues from the comfortableenioying of his loue. There is mercywith tbee,OLord,tbat themmidbtef¢befearedk. Ablelfedfeare kPfal.t;o,4. which is the daughter offo worthy a mother as is Godsmercy. The fecond de- greeoftrue repentance which is begotten by themercy of God, is a deepe and enfainedforrowofheart for finne;when a man is touched euen at the veryheart torhinke thathe doth l'rasdguilty offo many gtieuous fins beforeGod Now there is nothing fo effttuall to beget this fororwas the confrderatiou ofGods mercy: Which that you may the better vnderfland, I mull let you know, that the Scripture mentionetha double forrow for fin : t.a Worldlyfs,7sw: a. agodly forme'. Aworldly forrow, is a griefeforrinse, arifing from the apprehenfionof la Cor. y.ro. Godswrath, and of the miferiesand torments like to follow thereupon. Thus Efeu forrowed, fo did Abab,fodid lochs, he would haueginen a world, if hehad berneable) that the fart of betraying Chriffhad been vucommitted. Agodly forrow/whichas the Apoftlefaith) ioufeth repentance vetofabtation,not robe repro. red f isagrielè lotarise, becaufe it is finse, that is, becaufeit is a thing difplea- frngvowGod. And this is the trueforrow: thetrue begetterand breeder where- of is the mercyof God. For when aman reeòuntswith himfelfe, howgracious a God theLord is, how rich in mercy, how aboundant ingoodneffèand trutb, and Anil remember allo how many kindneffes he himfelfebath receihed from him, it 1
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