any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord And they shall find it to their sorrow as the last when God shall come to render vengeance to them for their wickednes O how wofull will their case and condition be Deut. 32.39.40 41.42 When God doth lift up his hand to heaven and say I live for ever then vengeance is not far from falling on the backs of them that go on their wickednes If he be a living God those that live in a sinfull way shall dy The soule that sinneth shall dy Ezekiel 18.20 It is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands that is a living God Heb. 10.13 Therefore methinks sure ye should take heed of God If ye have never so many adversaries in this world they may all die and then ye need feare none of them But this God that is the adversary of sinnes is a living God Wo to them that doth act as if God did not see them Secondly Seeing the life of God is infinite c. it teacheth Vse 2 us that God can give life and that in abundance both temporal and eternal And therefore though God take away the lives of his people and they dy with men yet they shall live for ever with God And this Job comforteth himself with Job 12.58 Psal 16.5.10 12. and David And in Psalme 36 9. He maketh Gods being the fountaine of life the ground of his joy and comfort For with thee is the fountaine of life in thy light shall we set light Christ's being the reserection and the life is used John 11.29 to comfort Martha And John 14 19. to Comfort all the Disciples Because I live ye shall live also So long as Christ liveth his members live So long as God liveth so long shall the Godly live The people of God that now ly in the grave are alive in God and Christ All are alive in God that are dead and shall be brought forth of their graves like toades out of their holls But the Saints shall be brought forth by Christ as their head to live with him in glory Thirdly Let Christians stand and admire the excellencie of Vse 3 Gods Majesty in this Attribute his infinite and incomprehensible life That hereby we may 1. be humbled and made low in our own eys 2. Lively in Gods service And 3. to rely upon him for life and all necessaries thereunto belonging If we can be cared for so long as Gods life shall last we need not care for any thing afterward I speak it with holy disdain to all them that know not the life of God T is true the life of a Christian is a life of trouble at best a mixture of evill with good But Gods life is infinite and eternal Hence it is that the loving kindness of the Lord is said to be better then life because when life departs we live for ever in the living God When we leave the world and are no more seen here we have a dwelâ—ing place in God for ever David is alive in God still though his flesh see corruption Let us rely upon the living God Put not your trust in Princes for their breath goeth forth their thoughts perish Nothing can do you either good or harm but the living God that killeth and maketh alive All things shall be as it pleaseth God let men say and vow and plot and confederate till their hearts ake O that we could learn this Doctrine savingly That Gods life is infinite and incomprehensible The end of the attribute of Life The Perfection or natural goodnesse of GOD. Exod. 33.19 And he said I will make all my goodness passe before thee And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee c. WE have formerly propounded unto you three things to be observed upon each particular Attribute the 1. whereof was to shew you that such and such a thing is an Attribute of God Now from this place of scripture which I have now read unto you ye may learn that goodness is an Attribute of God among many others Triplex in Deo bonitas spectari potest naturalis moralis bonitas benificentiae quae benignitas dicitur The word passeth under many acceptations and is variously taken in Holy Writ Somtimes for an increated somtime for a created goodness Somtimes for naturall goodness or the due proportion of a thing unto the rule thereof as a good tree and good fruit and good money and good wine and the like Sometimes in a moral sence goodness is taken and so created goodness is only of and among creatures to be found in men and Angels for in other creatures there is only a natural goodness to be found or at most an usefull as by the skill of man may happily be effected That properly is called moral goodness which is the essential integrity of the image of God that is the conformity of the understanding and will and of all qualities and virtues thoughts endeavours and actions whether internal or external with the rule of goodnesse to wit the holy law of God This created goodness although it be not any longer in its first integrity yet in such as are regenerated it is in some measure restored by the holy Ghost and the work of regeneration Less de div perf pag. 52. There is a generall or natural goodnes in creatures and a more special or moral goodnes Perk. Case of Conseience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And many good men and good works do we read of in scripture But this is not that goodnes that I am now to speak of either as in men or as an attribute of God Although this acceptation also of the word good be to be spoken of when I shall have finished this viz. The Morall Goodnesse of God or his holiness or chastity as some stile it But besides these two acceptations of the word good or goodnesse viz. naturall and morall there is a third which is usefull goodnesse as the Greek word used for it doth signifie And this will be found to be another attribute of God and shall be spoken of in due time There is yet a fourth viz. when the Word is taken for Mercy or sweet compassion which also in regard of God is to be referred to the attribute of Mercy For the present my work is to speak of the application of this word good or goodness to God according to the first acceptation viz. as it is taken for natural goodnesse which some call the perfection of God to distinguish it from moral goodness which is sometimes also called perfection though usefull goodnesse or benignity never hath that name put upon it nor mercy neither Yet all foure have passed under this general word Goodnesse as were easie to shew if it were to any great purpose The words which I have chosen to make my Text do seem to me to speak of this
upon the practise of mercy By using your selves to acts of mercy you shall come to be more merciful many acts will beget a habit You must cast your bread upon the waters for ye shall find it after many daies not only in Gods rewarding Eccles 11.1 but your own disposition and inclination which will be to you a kind of a heaven upon earth I am now at last come to speak of the infinitenesse and incomprehensiblenesse of the mercy of God Upon this proposition The third Proposition God in this attribute of mercy is infinite and incomprehensible He is in this as in other attributes Indeed he is God Heapes of places I might bring in the Bible abounds with passages of the mercifull inclination of God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gratious c. And againe Keeping mercy for thousands Deut. 5.10 And shewing mercy unto thousands Ps 36.5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens or unto the heavens So that we need not aske as Esau did of Jacob his father about a blessing Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father So hast thou but one mercy O God For come there never so many there is mercy for all The bottomlesse Ocean of Gods mercy can never possibly be drawne dry by the creature Many admirable sayings have we touching Gods mercy First God enclines to it it comes naturally from him not as waters out of the pump but as showres from heaven T is but open our mouthes and God will fill them Yea secondly to use the words of a painfull and learned Writer It is not only not troublesome and painfull to wit because it is naturall to God to shew mercy but also pleasant and delightfull for God to shew mercy c. And a little after Downhams Christian Warfar p. 204. lib. 2. c. 34. sect 4. And contrary wise it should be troublesome and irkesome If I may so speake saith mine Author for God not to shew and exercise his nature and mercy c. And once more For as the eye is delighted with seeing and to be restrained there from is grievous unto it as the eare is delighted with hearing and is much molested if it be stopped and as every part and faculty of the body and soule are delighted in exercising their severall actions and functions and are much vexed and combred if by any meanes they should be hindred so is the Lord delighted and well pleased in shewing and exercising his owne nature and attributes God weepes when he strikes but smiles when he strokes It doth his heart good as we use to say of men Certainly God will not be barred of his pleasure he rejoyceth much to have an occasion offered of exercising his mercy Psalme 147.11 David saith that the Lord is delighted in them that fear him and attend upon his mercie When men waite for mercy God is delighted to exercise it towards them Caryl on Job 5. part Pag. 37. Judicious Mr. Caryl To shew mercy pleaseth him more then it relieveth us Thirdly God is said to multiply to shew mercy Single acts of mercy cannot give him content He shewes mercies by thousands unto thousands of his people Fourthly ye have an expression Isaiah 30.18 And therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you But what do I speake of that which is infinite and incomprehensible Sooner can we number the starrs of heaven dropps of the Ocean sands on the shoare yea Atomes in the sunne then give you a true account of the mercies of this most mercifull God What is a drop to the Ocean Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet tantum hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam imo vero non tantum Chrysost And what are our sinnes to the mercies of God Infinitenes cannot be limited Gods thoughts of mercy are exalted above the thoughts of our unworthinesse farre higher then the heavens are exalted above the earth Mercy is as it were Gods fetching of breath His infinite and incomprehensible goodnes doth in a sort wholy live in works of mercy For all the world are object of Gods mercy since Adams fall For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God That famous Man H. Zanchius Hath notable stuffe about this matter I will take notise but of one passage Upon Exod. 34.6 7. Where it is said Zanch. de Attrib lib. 2. c 1. quest 2. that God is slow to anger He writeth And therefore we must note although anger be attributed unto God it is in God nothing else but the chiefe goodnes and justice whereby he abhorreth evill and according to his just judgment doth at lengh punish it if it be not amended by his long suffering and patience This here hence appeareth evidently speaking of revenge which is an effect of anger he doth not say that he doth presently inflict punishment or that he is so ready to inflict it as to shew mercy but he saith that he is slow to anger c. And upon the 28th of Isaiah 21. Where the words are for the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perahim he shall be wrath as in the valley of Gibion that he may do his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his acts his strange act The prophet saith Zanchy maketh two sorts of Gods works his proper and strange workes The proper worke of God is to shew mercy and to spare or forgive his strange worke is to be angry and to punish So farre he I have been somewhat long about this quotation The weight lieth upon this that mercy in God is his nature and therefore infinite it is the very life of God his drawing of breath in his proper works Mercy goodnes long suffering are according to the nature of the deitie which is farre remote from all unjust severity cruelty tiranny and pride All providences have mercy in them T is of the infinite mercy of God that the world is borne up which would else sink into its first nothing It is mercy respites the damnation of wicked men and saves the elect yea behold I tell you a mistery mercies brings calamities 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world O let me draw breath a little Consider what unexpected even incredible mercies God sometimes breathes out Even when he seemes to breath out smoake and flames yet he is angry that he may bring his work to passe that is to say his Proper work that is that he may have mercy and preserve The Devill he breaths out Deaths Miseries and Mischiefs but God loads us with mercies and as I sayd the attribute of goodnesse sets God on worke to put himselfe out in endlesse mercies and tender bowels beyond what man or Angell can possibly imagine Learn then we may hence that there is no want of mercy in Vse 1 God sooner can the Sea want water and Hell want
that after this life when all promises are fulfilled Obj. there is no use of fidelity I Answer that we may distinguish the property from the exercise of it or else and rather This I say Sol. to all eternity there is use of Gods fidelity for that his saints continue in their blessednes is by vertue of his promise and fidelity where some also have said there is some kind of faith that lasts in heaven which they call the faith of depency This truth I say will stand when all that oppose it or slight it shall fall and such as doubt of it shall be without Fides depenetiae Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should ly nor the sonne of man that he should repent shall he say and not do or shall he speake and not make it good Malachy 3.6 For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And the Apostle James saith with him is no varablenesse nor shadow of turning Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant mercy with them that love him c. Proofs are plentifull in the history of the Scriptures Gods truth and faithfullnes is the ground of the Saints security and the sinners destruction And this must needs be in God who first knows what hee saies to be good and fit and truth in a logicall sence of which ye have already heard and therefore he need not repent he hath no after thoughts And Secondly He hates and threatens and punisheth the want of faithfulnes in others Ezekiell 17.15 16. Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he breake the covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall dy Now put these two together First What God saith is so good and true according to the just rule as that he hath no cause to alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Secondly that he hates and punisheth faithfullnes and want of truth in others and it will be surely concluded that God is a God of truth and faithfullnes Now what God saith is either by way of menace or promise as may be abundantly read in Scripture and of both it is true as it is written of the law Mat. 5.18 One jot or title shall in no wise passe from it till all be fulfilled God watcheth over his word to perform it It is a note of Mr. Capel upon the fifth verse of the first of Zachary Your fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever That the power of Truth of Gods word depends not on any mens persons nor is limited to one age Their Fathers were dead that were threatned and the Prophets were dead too that did threaten them but the truth of their prophesies was not buried with them but was in every point fulfilled according to their preaching That follows v. 6. But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers And they returned and said like as the Lord of hoasts thought to do unto us according to our ways according to our doings so hath he dealt with us It is confessed by them selves the hand of God upon them did draw a confession from them that they were punished as God had threatned as they had deserved and they returned that is were convinced better advised as Mal. 3.18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Men will know one day to their sorrow that God is a God of truth not a word goes out of his mouth but is exactly performed Yea circumstances exactly observed ye find Gen. 15.13 a promise made to Abram that after foure hundred yeares his seed should be freed and come out of the land of Bondage with great substance And compare that place with Exod. 12.41 And ye shall find great exactnes And it came to passe at the end of the foure hundred and thirty yeares even the selfe same day it came to passe that all the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Aegypt The Lord is most true yea truth it selfe And all his promises in Christ are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He is a faithfull witnes and whatsoever he hath spoken shall be accomplished so that though the heavens decay and wax old like a garment though the sunne lose his light and the moone be turned into blood though the earth tremble and quake and the foundations of the mountaines be moved and shake yea though heaven and earth and all things therein contained perish and pass a way yet all that God hath threatned or promised shall be accomplished God is Jehovah he hath his essence and beeing in and from himselfe alone giveth beeing unto all things else especially to his word and promises And therefore for the First Use Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God Light is sowen for the righteous and Vse 1 joyfull gladnesse for the upright in heart Psalme 97.11 And Gods Testimonies are very sure Psalme 93.5 He hath promised to all beleevers and repentant sinners that he will in Christ Jesus pardon all their sinnes and will receive them into his grace and favour and that he will be a sunne and shield to them and that no good thing will he withhold from them And therefore let us believe and rest upon our Saviour Christ alone for salvation truly repenting us of all our sinnes and build upon Gods truth that though our sinnes be never so many and grievious yet the Lord will pardon and forgive them and though our distresses and misery be never so great and woefull yet he can and therefore will because he is a God of truth deliver us from all Truth and faithfulnes is one of Gods names a part of his title let us not therfore call it into question it is a great dishonor to God It is an errour in the foundation to subsistitute fals objects either in religion or in christian conversation We must not build upon works but rely upon promises made by the God of truth God can neither endure fals objects nor a double object His faithfulnes or truth must be our shield buckler And therefore in the second place Ps 91.4 this reproves our doubtings somtimes churlish enough concerning the truth faithfulnes Vse 2 of our gratious God who yet is ever will be without falshood Titus 1.2 A God that cannot ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet is often charged with breach of promise to his children by his very children 2 Pet. 3.4 5. If only scoffers walking after their owne lusts should say where is the promise of his
inoffenssively managed For much of trouble comes by my differing in judgment from some whose lives I cannot tax and although they do mine yet if hear-say and jealousies did not too much prevaile and men would take up no more for truth then what is proved I would stand higher in the hearts of some I am confident then now I do But for the greater part of mine enemies which are to me yet far less grievouâ— they are the prophane and ungodly which are enemies to all such as truly fear God If it should be the will of my gracious Father to call me out of this mortal life as things now stand with me and concerning me I should not dye esteemed nor much regarded by such as have been my great friends formerly and shall by me still be numbred among the best of men It is not my lot alone to be lesse beloved of such as were best loved of me God will stain the pride of flesh Nos quoque florâ—imus I make of that Distich written to famous Bishop Jewel Olim discipulus mihi parve Juelle fuisti Nunc ero discipulus te renuente tenus T is pretty for all that to see how gravely some young men born since the Lord put me in the Ministry first do carry themselves Surely the British British Priests mentioned by Bede would be ready to think and say of them as the old Eremite had taught them concerning Austin the Monk sent over by the Pope to reduce the Clergy of England to the Romish yoke But I hope the Lord will keep me from a discontented spirit and envious eye Though I am low and under many afflictions yet blessed be God that it goeth so well with his people for the generality as it doth and with the publicke The consideration of that I trust will quiet my grumbling soule and swallow up my private afflictions which are many have been of so long continuance and are like to continue so long as any limb or part of Antichrist though but his little toe remaineth But come what will my mercies are will be more then my afflictions yet I wish mine advanced once I durst call them brethren would not be too rigid beyond rule Arbitrary power hath not stood long in any let laws be observed towards us as we are Commoners and Christs rules as we are Christians and Brethren and then some others as well as I that have shared in the common afflictions of Gods people and the common wealth and have been in the number of instruments made use of by God in the day of Iacobs trouble shal finde fairer dealing then we doe It is not meant that the earth should cover our blood or you wink at our sinnes but that you would not make your selves wiser then known wholsome Laws nor more righteous in matters of religious concernment then the perfect rule of Christians the Scriptures of God doe require and warrant you in I confesse it was very grievous to me that had been so tost from post to pillar in the time of the Prelacy put into Star-chamber and High-Commission at one time A Petition delivered to the Kings own hand against me with twenty four terrible Articles annexed importing Faction Heresie Witchcraft Rebellion and treason Articles in the consistory at Exeter at the same time under a suit of pretended slander for reproving an atheistical wretch by that name of Atheist at the same time Purssevants or messengers one upon the back of another no lesse then five at several times Now when the Lord had given his people rest and advanced some to places of power to be dealt withall more illegally and irregularly then in those sad times before hinted But I confesse it was by such as either then were in their Coats or under the Schoolmasters Ferula or dawbing with untempered morter and serving the times if they were then come into the world in employments How doest thou my Brother and Haile Master cannot choose but run in my minde when I consider how one Cringed to me and after thanked me for my pains I took upon an occasion c. and yet secretly had an information of above twelve years age to make me Odious O my God lay it not to his charge And although I have not so great a portion in wealth or honour as many once far below me have attained unto yet I acknowledge God is afore-hand with â—e aboundantly I have swimmed through a sea of mercies and shall not that Ocean swallow a few discourteous dealings This God whom I here hold forth under such glorious attributes as the Scripture gives him is my God and was my iminently godly Fathers God even while he lived and I have great cause to say he is already my childrens God and I trust will be the God of not onely them but their children also even so Amen This Treatise comes under many disadvantages unto the view of the reader Notes taken of what was publickly preached onely over-looked by me the looked and over-seen Author in nothing more in a manner then in suffering such notes to be made publick in such a queasy stomached age delivered by me unworthy creature as God gave in Badly written out for the Presse which hath caused mistakes of one word for another very often besides mispointings and mistakes of letters which I much weigh not because such faults are as easily amended as espied I my selfe at my home many scores of miles whiles it was printing so that I could not view the sheets as they came out of the Presse what shall I say Infaelix habitum temporis hujus habet it comes forth in an habit sutable to the Authors present condition I am contented to be a sufferer in Printing as well as in Preaching And yet I am of an opinion some will get some good and may make use of this rough-hewed untrimed piece There was great calling upon me for it by many that heard it before I could be perswaded to give it a let-passe And now that it is abroad God grant that no spirit of prejudice against the Authors person may hinder the profiting any reader hereof It is a subject I confesse some have written of already which yet I saw not all at least untill mine was finished And I perceive I have rambled in a method of mine own being very apt to step aside to speake with any God sends my spirit unto in my preaching as the reader will quickly perceive But 't is as ' t is Quod factum est infectum fieri nequis Charge not on me the mistaken words or sentences the mispointings and faults in Orthography which abound but correct with thy Pen or cover with thy candid ingenuity what thou findest amisse As for such as are ready to deprave the labours of others though they cannot or will not produce better of their own I wish them better spirits without paying so dear for their follys as I have for mine And so I commend this Treatise
is the way to depart from the living God In plaine English they that depart from Ordinances do depart from God And they that live under them only as outward performances do serve but a dead God But Davids soul longeth for the living God Psal 42.2 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God and Psalm 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Quest But what is the summe of drawing near unto and remaining with the living God I Answer Ans it is to live under the power an efficacy of those truths concerning the life of God held forth in the scriptures some of which I have made known unto you in the Explication of this Attribute of Life For whosoever savingly knoweth that all things even those that live not are yet life in God wil rationally conclude that the fountaine is worth al dishfuls and that one God is worth ten thousand worlds Go yee then may a Saint say to your wealth and wit and great friends to the Nobles of the earth and Princes But the Lord liveth saith holy David Psal 18.46 and blessed be my Rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted c. The spirit of a man is lively outward things are dead things they cannot touch the soul they are not fitted to the spiritual nature thereof When all our hopes be dead touching the comforting creature they are alive in the living God Even stones are life in God though they live not their existences are in Gods Life and by influence from it What shal I say I am as one overwhelmed with the glory of this Attribute of the life of God Such as know this to be a truth that I have said wil shew themselves stark madd if they forsake this fountain this living God Vse 2. And secondly the consideration of this truth that life is an at tribute of God doth teach us that it must needs be of pretious account with him assuredly Wo therefore to those who abuse it What a fearful sin do they commit in the presence of God they do vilifie this pretious Jewel which is honored with this dignity to be an Attribute of God But who be they that are guilty of this fault of abusing life Quest I Answer First Answ such as neglect to save life in regard of themselves and others and that either in regard of body or soul And Secondly such as are ready to destroy life both in respect of themselves and others and that either in regard of their outward or inward estate First they which neglect to save Life that make no account of that which is so pretious in which so much of God appears A living Dogg saith Solomon is better then a dead Lyon And there is more I say to be seen of God in one blade of living grasse then in the most pretious Jewel in the world And the reason is because it comes nearest to God it hath life I will shew you who they be that are negligent of the preservation of life viz. First of their own lives Secondly of the lives of others 1. Of their own such as are not careful to shun danger tending to the hurt of life as to be careless of the preservation of bodily health 1 Carelesse to avoid dangers 2 To live like lazy drones idly in time of health and prosperity and not to provide for times of sicknes and adversity 2 Idleness and leziness And therefore in the just Judgment of God such do often feel the smart of it Prov 6. ver 9.10 There is a description of them How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep And then yee have this punishment ver 11. So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man and so want is his portion Prov 13.4 The soul of the sluggard defireth and hath nothing And besides the bitterness of poverty there is often bitterness upon the spirit even checks and gripes and groanings of Conscience and a late and unseasonable repenting of their carelesness and idleness which is a kind of a Hel unto them Such also as bereave themselves of the comforts of this life out of a wil to be rich 3 Covetousnes they wil even starve themselves and go a cold and honour not life which God hath communicated to them such often pierce themselves through with many sorrows and deny themselves necessaries such wretches prepare a Hel for themselves besides Tophet which is prepared of old They are alwayes either carking how to get or fearing lest they should loose or grieving and mourning when they have lost Secondly such abuse Life as are negligent of the lives of others the poor may want bread pine away with hunger men regard it not But for neglect of the life of the soul who can be ignorant of the abuse of this precious Jewel Life in regard both of themselves and others Who can expresse the carelesness of Men and Women for their poor souls O the neglect of the means of grace yea the contemning and despising and opposing the gospel which is a ready way to bring a famine upon the place Such a famine as Amos. 8.11 speakes of not of bread but of the Word of God Which is the greatest and sorest of all famines Cap. 8.11 tending to the destruction of the soule the life of which is in comparably to be preferred before the life of the body Yet wicked people by their neglect at least of the good meanes of grace if not open opposing them do deprive themselves and others of the food of their souls By provoking the Lord to take away their Spirituall meat from them When Eliah was taken up into Heaven Elisha cried my Father my Father the charet of Israel and horsemen thereof 2 Kings 2.12 But men are of another mind now they think it no losse to be rid of the meanes of grace and the Ministers of Christ And no marvell men care not for the lives of the souls of others they have no care of their own O consider this ye Magistrates Ministers Husbands and Wives Parents Children life is an attribute of God the life of the soul is incomparably more pretious then of the body Therfore be not negligent either for your selves or others of the meanes appointed of God for the saving of poore soules that are in danger to be destroyed in hell So much for the first head in in this reproofe Such as neglect to save life in respect of themselves or others either the life of the body or of the soule Secondly And they fall more under this reproof and under the sad effects the wo pronounced as are ready to destroy life both their own and others both in regard of soule and body outward and inward estate as
experienced an artist is to be taken notice of As if mercy and love were one and the same thing And yet in many places of Scripture we find goodnes mercy taken in the same sense mercy and love somtimes distinguished for satisfaction herein and clearing of this difficultie we must know that if we restraine the word mercy to his proper signification according to the etymon of the word the definition of the vertue to wit to rid one out of a notable distress or misery from an aflicted compassionate heart towards him then mercy hath a narrower object then goodnes or love But yet because usually such workes as we call workes of mercy proceed from the affection of love and that love which we call the love of good will towards our neighbour doth in a sort wholly live in workes of mercy for the love of complacency is of another nature I say for this cause love mercy and goodnes are sometimes used to signifie one and the same readines to do good to all or help any and to be of a loving deportment Howsoever therefore there may be use of destinctions sometimes to wit when we speake particularly of them as vertues in men or graces in saints or attributes in God yet in ordinary popular discourse they come all to one and so are used by the Holy Ghost oftentimes in Scripture in passages both concerning God and also men But that nothing may be left unsaid to give full satisfaction I will give you distinct definitions of these three goodnes or benignity love of goodwill and mercy as they are attributed to God and found in men Goodnes is the will of God whereby he is inclined to do good to creatures and the effects thereof Love is the will of God approving what in his creatures is good and agreeable to his holy mind and manifestâ—d by sundry effects thereof Mercy is the will of God whereby he is inclined to succour such as are in misery and the manifestation of it in acts accordingly In men goodnes or benignitie is a disposition and indeavour to make the lives of creatures comfortable Amore nihil est aliud quaÌ„ bonum velle amata by affording all that may any way conduce thereunto And love is a certaine propension of the appetite concupiscible unto what is accounted good and fit for him that loveth and a manifestation of good will and friendship upon occasion both in word and deede to such objects And mercy said Philosophers is a sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another stirring up to shew pity and compassion and to succour such a one But lastly in saints these come to be graces and so acceptable to God being fruits of the spirit tending to God and having respect to him So we are full of goodnes towards the bodies and soules of others communicating what we have for their good and benefitt Shewing love for Gods sake in both word and deed even to them that wrong us and abuse us And having bowels of mercy towards all that be in misery and being ready to do any thing for their succour Now of all these three vertues in men graces in Saints attributes of God What mercy is in God Miseri cordia est voluntas Dei qua ad succurrendum miseris propensus Sharpius The mercy of God some call the propertie or attribute of his nature inclining him to relieve the misery of his creature some the essenee of God shewing mercy Sclator on the 117. Psalme Ira dicitur esse in Deo non ut turbidus motus animi sed simplex voluntas ad ultionem we are to speake of mercy now as it is to him attributed One thing is very necessary to be premised in this discourse to wit that mercy in God is not as it is defin'd by Philosophers as hath beene before hinted A sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another For sadnes and afliction of mind cannot be in God though in Scripture there are such metaphors used But mercy in God is his very essence whereby he is infinitely disposed to helpe succour and comfort such as be in any miserable condition Those expressions in Scripture In their afflictions he was afflicted And mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Are borrowed Phrases As from the turning of the bowells in men at the fight of an object of pitty And yet in men this is not mercy it selfe but a companion of pitty Yet because by it our mercy is made known we call it by the name of mercy We call rowling of bowells mercy and mercy rowling of bowells which yet is but a companion of it and that in men only and not in God Mercy may be without it and in God allwaies is because God hath no bowels to be turned God is one most simple essence and hath no qualities And therefore when we say God is merciful we speak of him metaphorically as when we say God is angry Anger is a turbulency of spirit but there is no such thing in God The effects of that which is called anger in God are often put for angâ—r as when we see the punishment and scourges on the backes of wicked men we conclude that God is angry There is no real difference between his essence and attributes save only in our manner of conceiving Sclater In like manner when we see the rod taken of and cast into the fire which is an effect of mercy we say God is mercifull But mercy in God signifiâ—th two things First an inclination in his heavenly Majesty to shew mercy Secondly the effects of his supposed affection which is his helping of the miserable creature or a making out of God to such as have need of helpe and pitty The affection of mercy in men is knowne by that griefe that accompanies it Tanquam à nobis notiori vertus ipsa nomen traxit but such a companion of mercy cannot be in God O mercy is a glorious attribute of God he is a very sea of mercy he is never dry Amongst men he that is fullest of pitty is but a drop of it Their pitty falls infinitly short of what is in God And this mercy of God is either generall to all his creatures or speciall unto mankind or more speciall and peculiar that whereby he is said to be mercifull to his elect unto eternall life and freedom from the wrath to come Let us view the generall mercy of God to all his creatures Three things present themselves to be looked upon First the raising up of all creatures out of nothing Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Secondly The extension of tender mercies of providence towards all creatures wraped up in misery of which see Psalme 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes His mercy is over and upon all his workes as the warmth of the hen
is over all the eggs to warm and cherish and nourish them so Gods mercy is over all his works Dr. Preston of the Simplicity of God p. 54. to cherish and nourish and perfect them that is it is shewed forth upon them all Thirdly When creatures be in destresse and cry in their kind God heares them and relieves them Psalme 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Next for speciall mercies towards men As he hath raised them with other creatures out of nothing so he hath lifted up in the creation humanitie to a supernaturall life And although these two acts of God may more properly be referred to the goodnes of God yet surely his provision made of other creatures for their service and his relieving their miseries with supplies makes it appeare that out of his mercy he is the Saviour of all men though especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 But now for this singular mercies to his Church besides those in which they are in commons with all other men and creatures whereof with a little helpe the reparation of that whole kind may go for one of the common ones God hath shewed his mercy in giving a Saviour to mankinde faith Mr. Perkines Marke I pray to mankind And John 3.16 God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne c I say besides this he shews his mercy to his Church and people in delivering them from the curse and giving them the means of salvation and vouchsafing them secure of remission of sinnes here and life everlasting hereafter But that these mercies of the Lord may not passe so I shall here fasten a while to speak of the reparation of lost man fallen in Adam unto sinne and naturall miseries and liable by this fall to eternall death The raising of them up and the underpropping of them with greater helps then before sure here abundant goodnes and mercy doth shine out very gloriously Here we may by the way speake of those severall kindes of mercy which some have observed to be in God and so we shall next come unto the branches of that mercy which is the great mercy of all towards such of the faln race of Adam as by Christ are raised up to enjoy everlasting life The mercies of God extended in this life may be reduced to five heads There is a five-fold mercy of God The First whereof is rewarding mercy This is when such as do well though they do ill also as who liveth and sinneth not are rewarded Mercy rejoyceth against judgement James 2.13 And God passeth by what is done amisse and rewardeth what is well done He doth good to his servants that feare him and forgetteth not their works of faith and labour of love and actions of obedience but of his mercy rewardeth them Secondly He hath also pardoning mercy As he crowneth with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psalm 103.4 So he forgiveth iniquities ver the third of the same Psalme This is that mercy which David prayeth for Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinns of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnes sake O Lord. Thirdly God also hath prevaling mercy when he keepeth us from those evills either of sinne or punishment that he seeth we are running into So sometimes when the Lord sees his servants hastening to the committing of sinne which will certainly bring sorrow upon us he hindereth and preventeth the doing of these things And so when wicked men plot to bring misery on the people of God as Haman did concerning the Jews in Ester God hinders it So when more then forty had bound themselves under a curse neither to eate nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23. God prevents it by his providence the story is obvious This is Gods preventing mercy to keep us from sinne and so from the punishment due for sinne and from the Conspiracies of evill men Fourthly God sometimes sheweth mercy in delivering his people out of sinne and from afflictions and sorrows lying on them for sinne Though he sometimes let them fall into the evill of sinne or punishment yet he is pleased to helpe up and take them out againe This is another mercifull dispensation of God There cannot be greater objects of pity then men and women that go on in sinne God comes and sees such and raiseth some up out of that gulfe in which thousands do yet lye that never met with this mercifull hand of God to help them out In this sence he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 And therefore it is a great mercy of God to give men grace to repent of their sinnes and not to let them ly still in them And doubtles such as the Lord loves he will one way or another fetch them off from their sinfull courses He will do as kind and wise fathers do with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes on us untill he amends us and make us stoop under him and bring us off from our miscarriages God permitted David to fall into a woefull gulfe of sinne but here was his great mercy seene in helping him out again And so for Peter how did he thrice fall most fearfully into that great sinne of denying his master c. But in mercy he was holpen out again he had grace to go forth and weepe bitterly and recovered himselfe a gain in the Church of God in regard of this esteeme and reputation And so also it is true for grievous troubles Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Fifthly There is exercised by God sparing mercy This the Church prayes for often in Scripture This God promiseth to his people Foure degrees of sparing mercy in God And shews it many and diverse waies Sometimes by not punishing at all somtimes by deferring punishment Sometimes by moderating his corrections and sometimes in the very act of afflicting his people for sinne he shewes a sparing spirit Mal. 3·17 a mercifull disposition manifesting how unwilling he is to do what he doth but that needs he must Ofâ—en God passeth by the sinnes of his people and doth not reckon with them at all for them As a father spareth his Sonne that serveth him even when the day commeth that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble c. Mal. 4.1 which is to be understood of some generall judgements that are upon the earth then God packs up his jewells and spareth them in that day Here is an allusion to men that have their houses burning who do not regard their lumber their timber stuffe but looke to their chiefe writings coyn and jewels to preserve them So God in common calamities hath a mercifull eye towards and hand over his beloved ones yea sometimes for the sake of them he saveth such
this in his minde can chuse but be astonished who can hold teares in the consideration of so great mercy That God would send his Sonne out of his owne bosome even him who thought it not robbery to be equall with God Phillip 2.6 ver 7. to be made of no reputation and to take upon him the forme of a servant and to be made in the likenesse of men Rather then man should be utterly lost That he I say of infinite majesty with the father and Holy Spirit wanting nothing who created all things whom so many millions of Angles serve and who in a moment of time is able of nothing to create infinit other more excellent then men to worship him should be borne in a stable laid in a mangre that man wretched man the lowest of rationall nature next of kind to the bruite beasts addicted to earthly things void of heavenly uncleane unthankfull rebellious in whom there was nothing worthy of love many things worthy of hatred and punishment Should be freed from everlasting damnation and raigne eternally with God in glory Here is a rare effect and fruit of mercy indeed If a man riding a long the high way should find a poor raged louzy wretch almost dead groveling and wallowing in blood and dirt and beholding this wofull sight should alight from his horse and take up this poore creature carry it upon his back or in his arme to some house and take all possible care for its washing dressing and recovery and in the meane time have his horse stollen by thieves himselfe persuing beaten and wounded should yet rejoice that he hath saved the life of the poore creature would not such a man be noted for a good man a mercifull man Beloved bretheren this is nothing in comparison of what Jesus Christ hath done for us He did lay aside his glory and tooke part with our even with the worst miseries and all in mercy to deliver us from hell and to bring us to glory Stand amazed O ye sons of men If ye did but consider what ignorance of God athisme brutishnes and hellish cruelties are in Christendom and ye must think there is much more out of it ye would conclude that the world is in a most miserable condition being God is righteous And therefore to do as hath beene a little said for the salvation of such must needs proceed from unspeakable mercy even the mercy of a God To this head is to be referred the bitter passion of our blessed Saviour His nakednes and poverty his hunger and thirst his labours and hardships of life his reproaches and persecutions his buffetings and spittings his whipings and prickings of thornes his agony and bloody sweat all kindes of opprobies and dolorous sufferings even unto the accursed death of the crosse And this is the first effect of Gods mercy Christ Incarnation Behold next the revelation of the mind of God by this Lord Jesus Christ so Incarnated Heb. 1.1.2 God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by by the prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his sonne John 17. ver 3. If to know God the only true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ be life eternal which who dares question Then it must be another rare fruit of mercy to ignorant blind sotish brutish mankind to have such a glorious Sunne to shine that people that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death may have their feet guided into the wayes of peace and salvation And truly herein English men have a great share in this mercy that when so many places in the world are without the sound and saving discoveries of the Gospel have such as no nation under heaven doth or ever did goe beyond us scarce any surely very few ever enjoyed the like But that we may be somewhat taken with his effect of mercy let us looke into it somewhat further by the consideration of two things about it First The condition the world was in when Christ came The condition that the world was in when Christ came and then his comming and behaviour for the enlightening thereof For the first the whole world except a very few was ignorant of Christ and of its maker of divine providence and the government of the world of the end of good and evill to wit eternall life and eternal death heaven and hell How few then and yet indeed tooke notice of the soules immortality the evill of sinne both in regard of his wages and work sorrow deformity the worth and beauty of exact walking The devill the Prince of darknesse being the God of this dark world held all as he doth the greatest part to this very day under his government and discipline behold deadly darknes was upon the face of the whole earth incomparably worse then the darknesse that was in Aegypt mentioned Exod. 10.21 All their beauty was deformity their potency wealth and eloquence with which they flourished were of no worth because of no efficacy to the obtaining of eternall life or freedom from hell Now in this misery and blindnes in which the whole world in a manner lay The Lord Jesus moved with mercy and pity came into this dark and blind world dispelled these darknesses with his discovery of the mind of his father He detects errors opens the frauds tyrany of the Devil illuminates the world and shews them the author of all things his power providence mercy justice the reward of good men in graffed into Christ and the punishment everlasting prepared for ungodly men and unbelievers This light shone three yeers and halfe in the person of the son of God in the flesh in diverse townes and villages in the wildernesse in thâ— mountaines in the fields on the land and on the sea of Galilee publiquely and privately in houses and in Synagogues in the Temple and in the streets in all places upon all occasions The excellency of this light it contained nothing but what was profitable to salvation for the manner it was plane and familiar that all might be capable of it It was pure and perfect enlightning the understanding reforming the soule excluding sinfullnes and iniquity directing in piety righteousnesse and sobriety composing the whole life and conforming the whole man within and without to the divine will and eternall love of the most holy God This was done by Christ in the flesh his humanity was the instrument made use of in the administration of the Gospel of salvation And therefore nothing can be desired for matter or manner that is wanting this mystery of salvation coming out of so good a hand The very particulars insisted on by Christ in his sermons have in them sublimatie and beauty He commandeth selfe-deniall the renouncing of all the world for his sake a patient taking up of the crosse the love of our enemies The Lords prayer not to be used as a charme but to
comming and should call in question Gods truth it were not so grievous to be borne But this is said that such as are gratious should say as David did in his hast Psalm 116.12 all men are lyers But whence issues this that we may see the grounds of this sore evill Quest Surely either from the misunderstanding of the promises Ans or from misapplying of them Concerning the first ye must know that some promises are made with condition and limitations As assurance of salvation peace of conscience temporall blessings Now many poore soules that enjoy not these promises often call in question Gods truth or their own good estate at least not considering that God may be true and we gratious and in Christ though neither assurance nor peace of conscience nor temporal favours be our portion For these promises have conditions and limitations Such as will have assurance must give diligence to make their calling and election sure And such as will have peace of conscience 2 Pet. 1.10 must have care to walke exactly according to rule As many as walke according to this rule peace be on them c. Gal. 6.16 And surely temporals are many times reached out to gratious souls with a streight hand for ends best known to God and worth the enquiring into at least sometimes by us No marvail then ye are so forward to charge God ye misunderstand thing ye erre not considering the promises with their limitations And likewise misapplication of promises causeth much mischief for promises are misapplied sometimes to Persons somtimes to state and behaviour For the former we read Mal. 3.14 of some that complained of want of care in God to reward them that served him They said it was vain to serve God and asked what profit there was to have kept his ordinances c. They considered not that some are called Jews onely and that he is not a Jew that is one outwardly onely The promise is not made to the ceremony but to the substance of Religion Many think themselves Gods children who are not so Now shall God be charged for want of truth concerning such as he never promised any thing unto O study to make your calling and election sure and to finde that ye are the children of the promise Likewise ye that are the children of God indeed must take heed how ye be carelesse of childe-like conversation For many times though ye be sons and daughters yet if ye break out into scandalous sins or be proud of your graces or negligent about cherishing Ordinances and so faile in your due qualifications and demeanour ye may finde God otherwise in his dispensations towards you then he would be if it were not your fault But if we be well instructed in Gods nature and dealings with his people and with hypocrites and carefull to get good evidence of our sincerity such as will not shrink in the wetting and also to walk exactly and be kept in a good decorum We may be sure all good things promised shall be performed accordingly seem Devils men and nature never so opposite When no means when no means competent when weak means when means opposite do all cry down the truth of God yet God will be true and it is our duty to trust God and to rest on his bare word and promise And now let us make some Use of the truth of Gods threats Vse 3 and menaces let sinners know that the God of truth hath said ye swore against some of them Psal 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest How dare ye take Gods name in vain as all do that make him a lyar yea perjured It is a kinde of blasphemy not to fear when God threatens or believe what he promiseth When men are perfidious and violate Oaths they are in credit neither with God nor good men their very names stink and they live under perpetuall infamy What a sin is this to rank God blessed for ever with the worst of men Yet so do all wicked men in effect and by consequence for they dare do that which God forbiddeth and to the doing of which he hath made threats that are able over one think to shake both heaven and earth Go too Sirs let me close up this Use with Deut. 29.19 and 20. And the Lord set it home upon your souls And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven God is a God of truth And for the fourth and last Use of this point sith truth and Vse 4 faithfulnesse is an attribute of God let us learn to be like God men of truth take heed of falshood it argues a very wicked man and God is set against such Psal 55.23 But thou O God shall bring them down into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out half their dayes Such shall not prosper 2 Chron. 24.20 Why transgresse ye the commandements of the Lord that ye cannot prosper Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you This attribute is among those vertues which admit resemblance in the creature the faithfull God owns not perfidious children It is a mark of one that shall be with God in glory to swear to his own heart and not to change Psal 15. v. 4. that is to be true and faithful though he lose by it from these two latter places ye see that truth in man hath a twofold relation First to God for as God hath bound himself to us by promise so we have covenanted our obedience to him Remember therefore your Baptisme and take heed of walking loosly in the Covenant And secondly to man we are bound to support the credit of fidelity though with losse What a shame is it for such as professe themselves Christians to be like the Jews in Jeremy cap. 9.4 5. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders And they will deceive every one his neighbour Sacerdos est non fallet christianis est non mentietur and will not speake the truth they have taught their tongue to speake lies and weary themselves to commit iniquity It was wont to be a saying He is a Priest he will not deceive he is a christian he will not ly O how comly were it that it might be so now is rather to be wished then expected Read the Turkish History page 287. The battaile of Varna betweene Vladislaus and Amuroth And consider how God