7 L0 The Mercy ofGod. Vol. I. own imaginations but not the true God, whom the. Scriptures defcribe. To fuch Perlons the Scripture defcribes him after another manner ; Nah. z. a. God is jealous,. the Lord revengeth and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his Ad- verfarìes, and referveth wrath for his enemies. If any Man abufe the mercy of God to the flrengthning 'of himfelf in his own wickednefs, and biefs himfelf in bis heart, laying, I ¡hall havepeace, tho' I walk in the imagination of my own heart, and add drunkennef to thirfi : TheLord will not fpare him, ht the anger of the Lord . and his jealoufie (hall fmoak againft that man, and all the curfes that .. are written in this book fhall lye uponhim, and he will blot out his name from under heaven, Deut. 29. 09, Zo. Though it be the nature of God to be merciful, yet the exercife of his Mer- cy is regulated by his Wifdom ; he will not be merciful to thofe that defpife his Mercy, to thofe that abufe it, to thofe that are refolved togo on in their Sins to tempt his mercy, and make bold to fay, Let us fin thatgrace may abound. God deigns his mercy for thofe that are prepared to receive it ; Ifa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forfake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy, andto our God, for he will abundantly pardon. The Mercy of God is an Enemy to Sin, as well as his Juftice ; and 'tis no where of, fer'd to countenance Sin, but to convert the Sinner ; and is not intended to en- courage our Impenitency, but our Repentance. God hath nowhere faid that he will be merciful to thofe, who upon the fcore of his mercy are bold with him, and prefume to offend him ; but the mercy of the Lord is upon them that fear hima, andkeep his covenant, and remember his commandments to dothem. There is forgive- nefs with him, that he may be feared ; but not that hemay be defpifedandaffronted. This is to contradiéf the very end of God's Mercy, which is to leadus to repen- tance, to engage us to leave our Sins, not to encourage us to continue in them. Take heed then of abufing the Mercyof God ; we cannot provoke the ju- Itice of God more than by prefuming uponhis Mercy. This is the timeof God's Mercy, ufe this opportunity ; if thou negle&eft it, a thy of juftice and venge- ance is coming ; Rom. a. 4, 5. Defpifeff . thou the riches of his goodnefs, not knowing that the goodnefs of God leads to repentance ? And treafureji up to thy felf wrath. againfl the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteousjudgment of God? Now is the manifeftation of God's Mercy ; but there is a time a coming, when the righteous Judgment of God will be revealed againft thofe who abufe his Mercy, not knowing that the goodnefs of God leadeth to repentance. To think that theGood- nefs of God was intended for any other end than to take us off from Sin, is a grofs and affected ignorance that will ruin us ; and they who draw any conclu- lion from the Mercy of God, which may harden them in their Sins, they are fuch as the Prophet fpeaks of, Ifa. Z7. II. A People of no .underfianding ; therefore be that macle them willnot fave them, and he that formed themwill have no Mercy, on them. Mercy it felf will rejoyce in the ruin of thofe that abufè it, and it will aggravate their condemnation. There is no Perfon towards whom God will be more feverely juft, than towards fuch. The juftice of God exafperated, and fet on by his injured and abufed mercy, like a Razor fet in Oyl, will have the keener edge, and be the fliarper for its fmoothnefs. Thofe that have made the Mercy of God their Enemy, muft.expeét the worft his Juftice can do unto them. SERMON
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