entercourse of gods mercy iudgement most healthfull to the soule of euery Christian. Mercie and trueth haue mette together righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other Let all Christians reioyce at this happy meeting Let the sea make a noise and al that is therein let the flouds clappe their handes and reioyce their fill let the mountaines skip before the Lord like yong rammes and let euery mouth confesse vnto the Lord and sing mercy and iudgement Oh if Gods mercy had not met his iustice by the way and kissed and imbrased it wee had all of vs bin swept away with the whirlewinde of his wrath long ere this day but with thee is mercy saith the Prophet Gods mercy hath staied his iustice from dealing extremely with vs. Who can sufficiently praise this mercie of God The Lord is gratious righteous saith the prophet therfore will be teach sinners in the way Oh what a glory is it to the Lorde to saue poore soules that were wandring downe to hell and oh what cause haue we now aboue all creatures to sound out the praise of this mercifull God who were brought euen to deaths doore are nowe lifted vp againe by his grace this name gratious and mercifull is Gods sweete name and soundeth as much as Iesus whom y e church in the 1. of the Canticles describeth after this manner Thy name is as ointment poured out therefore the virgins loue thee because God hath mercie in store for poore sinfull creatures therefore wee will runne after him by the smell of his garments and remember his loue more then wine all our talking shal bee of him and his mercie and of his praise there shall be no ende Wherefore now you good parents you which are the Lords deputies sing mercie and iudgement to your families continually and sing not onely mercie but sing iudgement also and againe sing not iudgement alone but sing iudgement and mercie both together If you teach your children Gods iustice and iudgements only then they shal fall vpon the rockes of despaire and so goe mourning downe to hell Againe if you learne them onely Gods mercie then will they sinke in the sands of securitie and so bee cast away eternally Wherefore if your desire be to haue your children passe the dangerous sea of this world that so they may arriue in the quiet hauen of blessed rest you must teach them to saile both by Gods iustice and mercie And now hauing taught you out of the former verse the way by the streight line of Gods iustice now we are come to the calme and pleasant sea of his mercie But with thee is mercie Now then looke to your wounds for here is the baulme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured euen Gods mercie Is the candle of thy soule the light of thy mind put out through the darknes of sin so that thou canst not tel how to walke in the course of this life acceptably to God and inoffensiuely to thy neighbour here is Gods mercie in Christ Iesus readie to enlighten thee but with thee is mercie As if the Prophet should haue said with thee is Christ Iesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge With thee is mercie with thee is Christ Iesus who is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes With thee is mercie with thee is that light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre ariseth in our hearts With thee is mercie that is thou art hee which commanded the light to shine out darknes and thou art hee which shineth in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Christ Iesus And to conclude with thee is mercie that is thou art that louing God which doest counsell vs for our owne good to buy of thee eye salue and to annoynt our eyes therwith that the sight of our vnderstāding may recouer againe to beholde all thy wonderfull mysteries in thy sonne Christ Iesus the which the Angels desire to beholde And with thee is the well of life and in th light shall we see light 2. Secōdly are thy will affections out of frame so that thou hast no power of thy selfe to will desire any heauenly good behold Gods mercie is at hand againe to repaire thē and to put a new power and facultie in them as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do euen of his owne good pleasure 3. Thirdly are all thy members distempred with sinne by reason of that law of sinne and bodie of death which hath setled it self in euery part member about thee so that thou criest out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Christ Iesus the son of this merciful God being sent down from heauen by his mercifull father hath taken vpon him our whole nature euery power of our nature and hath sanctified it all for vs as the Apostle teacheth vs Heb. 2. For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one wherefore he is not ashamed to call them brethren And againe in the same chapter For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the diuell So that now if thou wile lay holde on Gods mercie and Christs merits which he once purchased for thee in thine owne nature the power of sinne shall euery day more and more dye in thee and thou shalt grow into the image of Christ thy Sauiour all thy members which before were the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnes now they shall be chaunged into the instruments of righteousnes fight for God Now thine eyes shall beholde the thing which is right now thine eares shall be open to heare the word now thy hands shall make peace now thy lippes shall speak truth thy mouth shall blesse thy feete shall be swift to all goodnes and euery member shall bee sanctified vnto the Lord. Oh great is this mercie of God that hath giuen his son Christ Iesus to doe so great things for vs. 4. Fourthly doth the multitude of thy sins which thou hast brought forth out of this bodie of death lye boyling in thy conscience so that thou cāst take no rest neither night nor daye come againe hither to the mercie of God In that day saith the Prpohet Zachary there shall bee a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes That day is this blessed time of the Gospell in which wee now liue hauing his pretious word sounding vnto vs on both eares this fountaine is that pure righteousnes and merits of his sonne Christ Iesus which he wrought for vs while he
liued here vpon earth with vs. Here euery one may wash away all his sinnes bee they neuer so many and filthie This is that riuer of Iordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie and his flesh shall come vnto him againe like the flesh of a yong child And this is that poole of Bethesda where euery one may bee cured if hee wash lawfully of whatsoeuer disease hee hath Oh let vs blesse God for this fountaine of liuing waters 5. Fiftly if the law of God terrifie thee and threaten thee with the sentence of death and condemnation then appeale thou to the Gospel and to the law of faith this law is the law of life and is aboue the law of wrath and the law of death this law is like vnto the court of Chancerie which mitigateth the rigour of all other courts this is the law of mercie this is the new law which Christ brought with him from heauen and therfore he would not condemne the woman that was taken in adulterie here euen here thou maiest finde succour and reliefe whensoeuer thou art oppressed with the law of wrath if thou wilt appeale vnto it 6. Lastly whensoeuer the paines of hell catch hold vpon thee and the worme of conscience begin to gnaw within thee for some haue euen here in this life a taste of the torments of hell euen now I say after thou hast felt the sting if thou canst cast thine eyes vpō the brasen Serpent Christ Iesus and looke vpon Gods mercie all thy horrour and feare shall presently flye from thee For hee is our redemption as the Apostle sayth Ephes. 1. By whom we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenes of our sins and being redeemed ioy and peace of conscience must needes followe Wherefore sayth the Apostle being iustified by faith wee haue peace towardes God They therefore that being not content with a moderate and lawfull sorrow for sinne will by no meanes be brought to receiue the comforts that Christ hath purchased with his most pretious bloud are as much to be blamed as mad mē and contemners of this blessed work of our redemption For what man except hee were mad when hee is redeemed from his prison would goe and chaine vp himselfe againe and bight his owne flesh and so be a prison vnto himselfe I know beloued if God would and if hee were willing with it wee should bee tormented with the sight of our sinnes and with a guiltie conscience continually if hee should streightly marke what were amisse in vs euery moment O Lord who should stand wee should fall vpon our sinnes and our sins should fall vpon vs and wee should both fall vnder Gods reuenging hand and then all comfort should flye from vs but the Lord beloued hee is a God of mercie he would not the death of a sinner as the Prophet Ezechiel teacheth in his 18. chapter I desire not the death of him that dyeth sayth the Lord God With God is mercie with God is ioy with God is comfort with God is light oh who would not embrace this mercifull and sweete God And on the contrary if we fall away from him and if we now neglect his bountiful mercie in offering his grace so freely to redeeme vs from al our sinnes and miseries then it cannot be auoyded but we must needes be whurled into the pit of desolations and one destruction shal follow another Now beloued seeing that wee know our owne miserie and that there is nothing in vs which is found as I haue alreadie shewed vnto you from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and soresful of corruption they haue not beene wrapped nor bound vp nor mollified with oyle within are horrible desolatiōs without are terrors the sound of mightie iudgements and our destruction is like the ouerthrow of straungers oh why do we then sit still while we perish vtterly Is there no baulme at Gilead saith the Prophet Ieremy is there no mercie in God wherefore now beloued I witnes vnto you al here this day that the Lord is innocent from the death of you all and that if you will not lay hold vpon his mercie so freely proclaimed in your eares by the mouthes of his messengers your bloud shall bee vpon your owne heads for with God is mercie with God are all meanes of your saluation if you will sue vnto him for it Now you good fathers of families make these things knowne vnto your children that they may teach the same again vnto their children after them that God may haue the praise of his mercie through al ages and that all Israel may bee saued as it is written Make your houses little sanctuaries for Gods worship and bee telling of his louing kindnes from day to day let the mercie of God in Christ Iesus be as wel known to your familie as their meate and drinke be not ashamed to speake Christ Iesus because you cannot speake eloquētly the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle telleth you standeth not in words and wisedome of men but in power euidence of the spirite the Lord open your mouthes and fill your hearts with all heauenly wisedom that you may be helpers of Gods ministers to build vp his temple with spiritual stones and that you may lay your children and seruants the polished corners thereof Now after you haue taught your children the remedie against their own miserie which is Gods mercie for there is no other helpe besides this whether we looke to the East or to the West to the North or to the South thē you must shew them also the meane whereby they may come by this and how this mercie of GOD may bee profitable vnto their soules This meane is the hand of faith and without this hand of faith Gods mercie shall profite vs nothing at all God is mercifull in deede yea his mercies are infinite they are a multitude of mercies as the Prophet Dauid speaketh but if thou hast not a hand of faith to lay hold vpon them Gods mercies abide still in himselfe and they shall nothing auaile thee For all the benefit of Christs Gospell is in the vse and application of it Christ is called Emmanuel that is to say God with vs. Alas beloued though God be neuer so good yet without vs he doth vs no good Wherefore wee must get vs faith to draw him into our hearts and this is as the hand that layeth the playster vpon the wound and euen as it little profiteth the wounded man to haue the best medicine lying by him except he had a hand to lay the playster vpon the sore euen so the mercies of God can doe vs small good except wee had a faith to applie them vnto our sinfull soules This then you see is a speciall poynt and therefore most carefully to bee called vpon yea this is euen as necessarie for the life of the soule as
suffer thee to put it on and afterwards he will not O you tender mothers you that knowe the deare price of your children remember Rahels weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not and what comfort should you find not when you haue lost children without being but when you haue by your great paines borne them and by your long and chargeable education brought thē vp for hell fire Remember godly Rebekas care for her sonne Iacob Gen. 27. I am wearie of my life for the daughters of Heth if Iacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth what auaileth it me to liue so if your sonnes while they dwell idly at home with you should betake themselues to this folly or that how could your liues be pleasant vnto you Wherfore send your sonnes forth to Laban as Rebeka did and let him lay the yoke vpon their shoulders But here peraduenture some man wil say haue not I enough to leaue my child is he not mine heire and the principall of my strength why should I then without cause set him to drudging and droyling But O thou vnwise man labouring of the streightnes of vnderstanding hast thou prouided for thy sonne liuelihood and why doest thou not prouide also that he may keepe it was it not first gotten by labour and carefull diligence and can it bee kept without the same meane by which it was gotten And why doest thou not see how that the Lord by this yoke would prepare thy sonne for another yoke Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am meeke and lowly of heart Matth. II. And was not Christ Iesus the heire of heauen and earth a carpenter and laboured faithfully vnder Ioseph being subiect vnto him vntill the time came that he should preach the Gospell And was not Iacob the great father of the twelue Patriarkes Isaaces sonne heire was not Isaac Abrahams heire and was not Abraham that great man in those daies and wonderfully rich as we may reade Gen. 24 how could Isaac then suffer his sonne Iacob who was borne to so great patrimonie to serue twentie yeares together in such hard seruice as Iacob himselfe confesseth Gen. 31 I was in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes It may seeme that parents were not then so sicke of their children as they are now a daies But this cockering and cokish bringing vp of children in our time marreth all for such is the foolish loue that many poore parents haue towards their children that rather then they will put their tenderlings to any laborious busines they will do al thēselues yea rather ouercharge themselues thē see them to take a little paines with them Oh it will hinder their growth say they nay it wil make their growth firme and stable and one such childe which is honestly brought vp in moderate paines and labours euen from his cradle shall hold out longer and be able to doe more good seruice when he is growne to be a man then two other long lubbers that haue not bin held vnder the yoke while they were young Now the necessarie adiuncts of the yoke which are fit helpes vnto parents for the vertuous bringing vp of their children in the trade of their way are these 1. First not to suffer children and youth to haue their owne will For Salomon saith Prouer. 11. They that are of a froward heart are abomination vnto the Lord. And againe in the 29. chapter A child set at libertie maketh his mother ashamed But what will some be readie to answer in this case Oh hee may bee broken of that time enough afterwards But what sayth the wise man Eccle. 25 Giue no passage to the waters no not a little The heart of a childe is as the violent waters and as those which haue experience in keeping and repairing of the sea bankes can easily tell vs that if the raging waues should be suffered to break ouer but one tide they shold hardly in many daies recouer it again so if thou sufferest thy childes affections to haue the full swinge course yea but a small season thou shalt hardly or neuer againe win this breach 2. The second adiunct of the yoke is moderation in diet not to pamper children with too much meate or that which is delicate but to giue them that which is holesome and sufficient and no more For excesse breedeth diseases both in bodie and minde And for confirmation of this helpe wee bring the example of the good huswife in the last chapter of the Prouerbs where it is sayd And shee riseth while it is yet night and giueth the portion to her houshold and the ordinarie to her maides Thou must therefore giue them their portion and not more if thou giuest them more then their portion thou makest them vnapt for the yoke or any honest burthen thou makest them gluttons and drunkards consumers of patrimonie and this vice draweth a thousand more with it And euen as the fattest soyle bringeth foorth the rankest weedes so pampered children brought vppe without due gouernment discipline thrust foorth the greatest and most ouergrowne vices 3. The third adiunct or helpe is not to clothe them with costly apparell or to attyre them with newe fashions For this againe is contrarie to the nature of the yoke and stirreth vp pride For euen as the soft flaxe soone catcheth holde on the fire so youthfull nature will soone bee enflamed with this vice as lamentable experience too much teacheth this day For from whence commeth this monstrous apparell but from the wanton and dissolute education of youth This is the speciall sinne of England and if anie thing bee the ouerthrowe of it which God for his mercie turne away it will bee this the land is too heauie of this sinne For the pride of all nations and the follies of all countries are vpon vs how should wee long beare them How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer sonne of the morning And it shall be in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparell 4 The fourth adiunct and help is reprehension or chiding And this is taught Pro. 29 The rod and correction giue wisedome Where by the rod is vnderstood chastisment and by correction is vnderstoode chiding or reprehension as it is well knowne to those that vnderstand the Hebrew text The want of this helpe was the vtter spoyle and vndoing of Adoniah as wee may reade 1. Kings 1. where we see how rebelliously and disloyally hee vsurped his fathers kingdome hee being yet aliue and againe how he assayed it after his fathers death in demanding Abishag his Concubine which cost him his life for it as wee may reade in the 2. chapter following The whole cause of this mischiefe is
as occupie not their owne place but are in Christ stead vnto vs 2. Cor. 5. in terming our parents fathers after his own name therfore now we will reuerence thē not sleightly or for fashiō sake but for Gods sake for his holy ordinance sake though they be not worthy of it And this is taught in many places of S. Pauls Epistles Submit your selues one to another in the feare of God Eph. 5.2.1 in singlenes of your hearts as vnto Christ. Eph. 6.5 with good will seruing the Lord and not men vers 7. And whatsoeuer yee doe doe it heartily as to the Lord and not to men Oh if all our duties were done as vnto the Lord what lights should we bee vnto the world shining in all honest and godly conuersation but now we looke only vpon men and therefore Gods ordinance is neglected and our dueties peruerted Thus haue I drawne before your eyes as in a faire table the liuely picture of good maners the which if we would imitate we shold lead such a comely life before others as that euery man would be glad of our cōpany we should then bee looking glasses for the ruder sort to dresse themselues by and we should beautifie Gods Church euen to the eye of the world For as y e material sanctuary had his outward ornaments as gold siluer pretious stones silke purple fine linnen and such like so the spiritual sanctuary which now consisteth not of wood and stone but of the soules of christiās besides religion which is the inward beautie it must haue also the outward ornaments which are good manners and comely behauiour that nothing may be wanting vnto the due honour and dignitie thereof Now by Gods blessing we are come to the third and last part of the childs way which is the chiefest and highest of all the rest wherein that I might instruct parents with more facilitie profitable application I haue made choise of this text Psal. 130.3.4 If thou O Lorde streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand But mercie is with thee that thou maist be feared THe partes of this text are three and so y e summe of al diuinity is threefold too The first is to teach vs our miserie in our selues contained in these wordes If thou O Lorde streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand The second is to shew vs a meane how wee may escape out of this miserie and this meane is the only mercie of God in his sonne Christ Iesus expressed in these wordes But mercie is with thee The third part is to teach vs what wee ought to doe when we are deliuered frō our miserie that is to feare God vnder which word is cōprehended the whole seruice of God and all that thankefulnesse which is required at our hands for our saluation redemption this is conteined in the last words of this text that thou maiest be feared For whom wee feare him wee would not offend and whom we would not offend his will we would obey and whose wil we obey him we honor serue and worship Now the literall plaine sense of the first part of this text is this O Lorde if thou shouldest deale with vs according to iustice and the streightnes of thy lawe no man that liueth were able to stand before thee but hee must needes fall vnder thy reuenging hand the tortures of thy iudgements This lesson euery parēt must teach his children to vnderstande and confesse For vntill they knowe howe much they are endangered to God and in what a fearefull estate they stand by reason of their sins and vntill they knowe what a great God the Lord is so mightie in power that he is able to cast all the world downe headlong into hell and that hee will doe so indeede except they craue mercie at his handes turne vnto him seeke his fauour and indeuour to please him before I say they knowe this and this knowledge be deeply setled in their harts they will neuer seek after god but dwel stil in their old estate because they thinke it is good enough vntill death set vpon thē vnawares they be cast away eternally Wherefore here the first thing that parents are to beate into the heads of their children is the greatnes of God his infinite power and fearefulnes insomuch that seeing hee hath made all mankinde of the claye of the earth as the potter doth his pottes and when hee hath done so hee may breake them all to peeces againe and who shall saye what doest thou euen so if God after he hath made vs shall condemne vs all to hell which hee may doe if it please him which of vs all dare open his mouth against him If thou O Lorde streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand O Lord if wee had offended but an earthly maiestie or if we had transgressed but a temporall lawe or if wee were brought but before the barre of one of the monarches of the earth we would not so much tremble and quake though our cause were capitall for they can doe no more but kill the bodie but thou if thou wilt canst kill both soule and bodye in hell oh who would not feare thee If thou takest displeasure against vs who shal turne thee to mercy Yet he is of one mind saith Iob who can turne him yea he doeth what his minde desireth And againe in the ninth chapter hee saith If wee would dispute with him wee could not answere him one thing of a thousand For though I were iust yet could I not answere but I would make supplication to my iudge If we speake of strength behold he is strong if wee speake of iudgement who shall bring me in to pleade If I washe my selfe with snow water and purge mine handes most cleane yet shalt thou plunge mee in the pit and mine owne cloathes shall make mee filthie Wherefore here teach al your children to cry out when they make their humble prayers and supplications vnto God If thou O Lorde streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand The second thing which the parent must teach his childe is to know his miserable estate in Adam The Lorde in the 51. chapter of the prophecie of Esay saith vnto the children of Israel Looke vnto the rocke whence yee are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged so you must call vpon your children to looke vpon Adam their great grandfather out of whose loynes all nations and people of the earth are digged And here first in that the Lord vseth a metaphor of a rocke a pit and digging you must teach your children that they are no better then the dust of the earth as wee may reade in the creation of man Gen. 2.5 and that their hearts naturally are as hard as any flint to receiue grace and being but dust and voide of all goodnes so soone as euer the breath of the Lord bloweth vpon them
taken the possession of all the parts about vs of al the powers and faculties of euery part but also it hath brought forth infinite fruites in vs to eternall condemnation Whereupon the prophet Dauid in his 19. Psa. cryeth out Who can vnderstand his faults O clense me from my secret sins Now beloued if our sins wicked transgressions be so many that we cānot number them nor vnderstand them all they be so hidden in heapes in euery mēber about vs the wages of euery one sin yea euen of the least that can bee cōmitted is death as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 6. then again how great is this death which lieth vpon vs Here lieth the man that was trauailing betweene Ierusalem and Iericho bleeding by the high waies side hauing receiued his deadly wound and being already more then half dead wherefore except that good Samaritan Christ Iesus doth shortly powre in wine and oyle into our wounds me must needes perish eternally Fiftly that wee might yet the better and more cleerely see into our owne miserie we must goe vnto Gods lawe which is our looking glasse for that will shewe vs the very least moate of sinne that cleaueth vnto vs and when wee are come hither alasse this will cast vs all downe vpon our faces Oh sayth the Apostle Rom 7. I once was aliue without the lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued Wee thinke that we are iolly fellowes and that we are in case good enough vntill wee looke our faces in Gods glasse and alas then we see nothing but death and then we crie out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death This teacheth thee that if thou art but angrie with thy brother vnaduisedly thou art a murtherer this teacheth thee that if thou dost but looke vpon a woman to lust after her in thine heart thou art an adulterer this teacheth thee that if thou dooest but desire thy neighbours goodes though thou neuer layest handes vpon them yet thou art a theefe and a fellon and this telleth thee that though thou speakest a trueth by thy neighbour with a minde to discredite him thou art a slaunderer and this teacheth thee that euerie little wicked thought which ryseth vp in thy mind is sinne and so deserueth euerlasting death yea though thou neuer giuest consent vnto it So that if wee would examine our selues by this glasse wee must needes all of vs cast downe our selues at Gods feete and saye with the Prophet If thou O Lorde streightlie markest iniquities O Lorde who shall stand Now that which I haue here taught you I beseech you by the mercy of God by which onely you must bee saued teach it your children againe for this is the ende of all my labour to saue your childrens soules which are so deere vnto you Sixtly and lastlie after you haue beaten into their heades their miserable estate by reason of their falling from God and breach of his lawe then you must shew them the feareful punishments be longing vnto the same and bring them euen vnto the brinke of hel and bid them stand fast in Christ Iesus look in First you must bid thē behold the vnquēchable fire alwaies feeding vpon the soule and body of man neuer cōsuming the substance 2. You must shew them further the vtter darkenes which is as it were that irksome smoake which ariseth out of this horrible and infernall fire 3. You must point out vnto them where the worme of conscience lieth alwaies gnawing vpon the tender hart and soule of man with torments vnspeakable 4. You must shew them in this hideous place the feare and dreadfulnes of God wrapped about with his wrath which shaketh all the partes of soule and bodie from whence ariseth the gnashing of teeth And lastly here at once you must lay before their eies all the vnspeakable torments of hell which cause that intolerable noyse of howling and crying which is to bee heard in that place Here is y t Tophet which Esay speaketh of in his 30. chapter the burning thereof is fire and much woode and the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it Here lyeth Esau weeping for his birth-right there lyeth Ierusalem crying out because she knewe not the time of her visitation Here lyeth Caine for killing his brother there lyeth Iudas for betraying his master Here lyeth Iezabell torne of the dogges of hell for stoning of Naboth there lyeth Diues boyling in brimstone for not shewing compassion on poore Lazarus Here lye burning night and day the fiue Cities of Sodome because they burnt with vnnaturall lust while they liued here and there ly all the old world drowned with the sea of Gods wrath because they had corrupted euery man his way vpon earth O you good parentes take heede to your children and giue them good counsell that they come not into this place of tormēt Should you not crie out woe worth the day that euer you begate a childe for this place here euen vpon this pittes brinke stands euery mothers child as he is naturally borne into the world Wee are by nature the children of wrath saith the Apostle Ephesi 2. and wee haue al of vs euen from the conceptiō fought against God with our sinnes and prouoked the holy one to anger and therfore now here it were iust with God if hee should with his foote spurne vs all into hell Wherefore deere parents ere the Lordes anger be kindled against you and your children remoue them from hence drawe them out of this cursed estate for if God should here examine them O Lord which of them all should stand they were all no better then cast away for euer But with thee is mercie Hitherto we haue spoken of our own misery now we are come to the remedy which is Gods mercy Wherfore as the prophet Dauid in the 101. Psal. saith I will sing mercy and iudgment vnto thee O Lord so wee hauing already sung of iudgemēt now we wil come to sing of mercy These two as one of the fathers saith are as it were the two legs of god wherewith he walketh towards vs. If God should come towards vs with the legge of his iustice onely alas who might abide him and who should stand before him but now hee commeth with mercie also and therefore we will praise him All the pathes of the Lorde sayth the Prophet are mercie and truth vnto such as keepe his couenant This truth is Gods iustice whereby wee are humbled his mercie is the meane whereby we are raised vp againe This is the waye of Gods walking towardes vs which is most wise in the eies of the almighty For if God should come to vs only in iustice then we would not loue him againe if he should come onely in mercie so licentious are we that we would not feare him Wherefore sweet is this