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
of shewing mercy a God that reserveth mercy for thousands even for a dead lift as we say And so I have done with the explicatory part of the point and am next to make Use thereof Vse 1 And First For our information we may learne this truth that mankinde is miserable Mankinde is miserable for God which alwaies worketh wisely never puts out himselfe in any uselesse way Mans misery is the object of Gods mercy What need we make rates for the poore if there were none that had neede to be so mâ—intained what need were there of the mercies of God if the sons of men were not in misery O let this sinke downe into your hearts that ye are nothing else but miserable objects undone creatures And that which mightily addes thereunto is this that many of us want eies to see it Alas men are not only miserable but mad too like Bedlams we can laugh and sing when we are bound in chaines and our friends weeping in corners for us Ah Sirs God's heart bleeds over us many times when we laugh and sing it out He sent his Sonne to dy for poore soules when they did not know their neede of him nay he made a plaister of his sonne 's heart-blood for them to heate their poore soules that wickedly spilt it Man is a miserable creature and cannot assure himselfe of the least good or keepe himselfe for the least evill There is no kind of sinne that ever was committed since the foundation of the world was laid but we should run into it upon every opportunitie did not God in mercy prevent it O what poore nothing dust and ashes are we that live as though we had no need of God and yet cannot live one minuite without him The sonnes of men are miserable and they most that are least sensible The booke of the creatures saith one is a great volumne Lockier on Collos p. 34. yet not a line in it smiles upon man man no sooner lookes into it but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their owne murtherer O wretched man that hast made miserable thy selfe and all thy fellow creatures and yet are not sensible of it Secondly Seeing God is such a mercifull God this should teach us in our afflictions and miseries not to dispair not to be Vse 2 cast downe as if there were no God I remember what the Prophet Eliah said to Ahaziah the King that sent to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron about his sicknes 2 Kings 1.6 Is it not because there is not a God in Israel c. Why should ye be cast downe in your low estate Is not God a mercifull God Exod. 2.7 Saith the Lord there to Moses I have surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Aegypt and have heard them cry c. There is no suffering condition that Gods people be in but God himselfe doth as it were suffer with them In all their affliction he was afflicted and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old Isaiah 63.9 If they be sicke on their beds he lies downe by them yea He will make their bed for them Ps 41.3 He must needs ly easy who hath God to make his bed If they be in prison he will be with them there The mercifull and gratious Lord God hath alwaies yerning bowels to them that feare him and therefore will in due time succour them Their persecutions he takes as his own Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He is a present ready help in the needfull time of trouble more willing to ease us then we can be to be eased by him This mercifull disposition of God to helpe poore miserable creatures should induce us all alwaies to come to God for helpe into what straite so ever we are cast Thirdly And although we fall into greivous sins yet let us Vse 3 not despaire of salvation because God is summè miseriors mercifull to the uttermost He who hath loved us freely in his son when we were his enemies will much more pitty us and pardon now that we are his already Rom. 5.8 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more now being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him c. This is a very usefull consideration T is true God is a just and severe judge against the wicked yet he gives place to his mercy and is never so sharpe in making the wound but he is as gentle in asswaging the smart of it and in the end takes it cleane away And even wicked men and godlesse persons reprobates themselves tast of Gods mercies Heare what a master in Israel sayeth concerning God to this purpose If any tender hearted man should sit but one houre in the throne of God Almighty if it be sit so to suppose and looke down upon the earth Bolton his walking with God 102. as God doth continually and see what abhominations are done in that houre he would undoubtedly in the next set all the world on fire and not suffer his wrath to be pacified or the fire to be quenched And if such bowels and unwearied patience be in God to all O then what a one will he be to those whom he hath adopted in Christ Jesus for his children and waite upon God in troubles and dwell in Sion by faith for they that looke for mercy of this high sort must dwell in Zion Isaiah 30.18 19. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gratious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that waite for him And againe he will be very gratious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee They are blessed that waite for Gods mercy Calvin upon the place It is a confirmation of no smal weight when he adds that God will shew a signe of his glory in pardoning his people he will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you or as some read it when he shall be mercifull God seemes to be a sleepe or forgetfull but in due time he will be exalted in shewing mercy Therefore though our sinnes are never so many for number or never so heynous for nature Dr. Sibs soules conflict 358. yet heare is comfort God is merciful Will ye hear another great man of God All the aggravations that conscience and Sathan helping it are able to raise sinne unto cannot rise to that degree of infinitenesse that Gods mercy in Christ is of If there be a spring of sinne in us there is a spring of mercy in him c. And again saith he that Lord thinkes himselfe disparaged when we have no higher thoughts of his mercy then of our sinnes c. And againe another
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
passage we have to this purpose from another shining light As the eis is not weary of seeing nor the ear of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy mercy is naturall to him Let it be considered Dr. Preston for our unspeakeable comfort The mercies of God are the mercies of a God Mercy exalteth it self against justice He will blot out your iniquities and remember your sinns no more But let no swine trample upon this Jewell T is true when his people sinne he will visit them with stripes but yet he will forbeare when they are washed in the teares of repentance The God of Israel is a mercifull God come then with ropes about your neckes and ly downe at his feete and he will pardon As the Jaylor washed the stripes of Paul and Barnabas when he was converted so when men repent and are humbled God will wash their's Externall mercies are vouchsafed to all He sendeth rainny Showers and Sun blasts on the good and bad on the just and unjust and feedeth Ravens nay even those very mouths that do curse and blaspheme him yet have many a good thing put into them and wicked ones have many mercies from his hands And if God have such mercies for his slaves what mercies then thinke ye hath he reserved for his Sonnes and Daughters Then let all take comfort in this Doctrine of Gods mercy notwithstanding their sinfull miscarriages let not such as have sinned dispare of mercy 4. Sith mercies is in God as hath been said let us render to Vse 4 this mercifull God the honor due unto his name Quatuor potissimum à nobis gratitudo quae ei rependamus deposcit membriam amorem servitutem seu obsequium perpetuam cum gratiarum actione laudem Less and by many of acknowledgement and thankfullnes These foure things are due unto God First to be mindfull of his mercies It is the least we can do to a benefactour to retaine in memory a benefit whereby we may shew that we did esteem it and that it was accepted of us He surely is most ungratfull that will not so much as remember a curtesy Therefore seeing we have had so many mercies from God let them not be all forgotten The truth is we should forget none of them Forgetfulnes of mercies is a sinne that goes neare to the heart of God We find God often putting men in minde of his mercies Ye have a large discourse of Joshua c. 24. v. 3. c. even unto the 14. v. And Exo. 20.2 God puts them in mind of his bringing them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage puts it in the head of the decalogue ye see to hint thus much to us that unles we be mind full of Gods mercies there is little hope that we should be obedient to his laws and so Ezek. 16.6 c. He puts the Jews there in minde of what he had done for them And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own-blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field c. Surely we of this nation have cause to look back to those bloody daies of Queen Mary and to remember what God then did hath often since done for us He put out the fires in Smithfield and elswhere c. And remember what he did for us in Eighty-eight and concerning the Gunpower plot in 1605. And in these last past years even to admiration and astonishment O that we could remember his mercies that have beene ever of old Must we not confesse that the Lord hath beene to us a mercifull God Yea surely And if we look upon our selves that desire to serve God according to the prescribed rules of his word Have we not had many mercies worthy to be remembred How hath God kept up a despised handfull notwithstanding the wrath pride profanesse and cruel spight of some that live among us How hath he kept the burning bush his Church in this place from being consumed Besides personall mercies which each one his owne soule is most privy unto Some have been sick and God hath restored health Some have beene forced from their habitations and God hath brought them backe again Some have beene unjustly molested under pretence of being disorderly persons peace-breakers Riotors how truely God will one day make appeare and God hath yet freed you from the cruel spight and crushing might of wicked men Behold ye stand before the Lord unde many a mercy let them never be forgotten for by remembering what God hath done ye will be the fatter and readier to love the Lord and obey him and praise him with acknowledgement that his mercy endureth forever But these three latter particulars are next to be considered under this fourth Use Next to remembrance therefore of Gods mercys we must inquire for our love towards God For sith we have nothing to give in satisfaction of the least of Gods mercies being as old Jaacob said lesse then the least of them all We should yet love God and let our affections runne out towards him who is worthy to be loved by a daily commemoration of mercies this fire of love may be kindled As the beames of the sunne gathered in a burning glasse into one do stirre up and cause great heate sometime fire So the mercies of God gathered in our mind seriously considered will kindle the fire of love in our soules towards God and to that end let these three things still run in our minde Our unworthines Gods eminency and the greatnes multitude of his mercies if yet this will not do rub up particular mercies which like a blast of smal wood may set thy soul on fire that then the other three considerations like great billots or sheeds may keep it in Ps 116.1.2 So David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me Fenner in his Treatise of Justification p. 87 therefore will I call upon him as long as I live c. If we would saith one busy our thoughts and rememberances about God this might winne our affections to God 3. We should yield obedience and service to God Luke 1.74 75 being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we should serve him without fear in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life We should do the will of this mercifull God and study to please him in all things And in the last place the praises of God must continually be in our mouths Mercies cals for praises Psalme 104. ver 1. c. Blesse the Lord O my soule Dr. Sibs Souls Conflict 45. and all that is within me blesse his holy Name And the causes follow verses 3 4 5 Who forgetteth all thy iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. A thankefull heart to God
God loveth them that are like unto him but so are not wicked men They do not shew themselves to be the children of this Father which is in heaven We read of God Psalm 10.17 That he doth hear the desire of the humble or poore c. And that he giveth food to all flesh because his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 136.25 and Luc. 6.36 He commandeth that we be mercifull Mat. 5.45 as our Father also is mercifull And he made lawes for mercy Deut. 15.7 8. If there be among you a poore man of one of thy bretheren within thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth And God is so mercifull that he takes order that the poor the maimed the lame the blind be called when men make feasts Luke 14.13 But unmercifull men have not such a disposition they are altogether unlike God and therefore want a glorious property 4. Unmercifulnes bars audience of Prayers In the Forth place we read Prov. 21.13 Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Unmercifulnes bars audience of prayers Certainly they want a glorious commoditie that want that which makes the eare of the Lord to be open to cries and cals in the time of neede T is no ordinary priviledge to have accesse and welcome to the throne of grace and therefore to want it whereby prayer becommeth an abhomination to the Lord must needs be a very great want O when unmercifull men hard-hearted wretches shall ly and cry on their death beds O Lord shew some mercy O Lord shew some comfort Lord help me Lord help me Lord forgive me Lord Jesus receive my soule let them be sure God will turne the deafe eare to them as they have formerly to others Oh this is dreadfull Fifthly Unmercifullnes is a degree of murther Job 24.14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poore and needy 5 Unmercifulnes is a kind of murther Qui non tollit injuriam cur potest facit and in the night is as a thiefe That place is to be understood of such a murther as the rich man mentioned Luke 16.21 was guilty of He that deviseth waies how to oppresse suck squeeze yea not to succour a dying man in Gods account is a murtherer Not to give meate to the hungry hath a sentence of go ye cursed Math. 25.42 If people be in misery and want and such as are able will not pitty and succour them and supply their wants they are in a sort before the Lord murtherers Sixthly It is a shrewd signe of a reprobate condition 6. A shrewd signe of a reprobate condition For we read in the third chapter of the Collos ver 12. That bowels of mercy is put among those properties which do belong to the elect of God Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercie kindnesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. Who can think but such do belong to the state of reprobation that have not the markes and signe of Gods elect upon them Who can hope that they have relation to the God of mercy that in their place and to their power do not labour to make it evident by relieving such as be in misery To conclude this use Lastly their end dolefull that are unmercifull surely we may agree from the wofulnesse of their future condition from their dolefull end That they want that which is of great concernment that want a mercifull disposition James 2.13 For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy They must look to drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation Without mixture marke that phrase that is without allaying of it God will not moderate it at all They shall have judgement without mercy We have yet another use and it is of exhortation We have Vse 2 heard much of the beauty of his grace and of the misery of such as are without it Now therefore be stirred up to be mercifull shew your selves to be mercifull as God is mercifull Be as Job was ye may read cap. 29.16 I was saith he a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out c. cap. 31.17 He did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse did eat with him and ver 20. The loynes of the prore warmed with the fleece of his sheep blessed him Ye read of Dorcas Act. 9.39 that She made coats and garments for poor widows while she was alive Dives had beene better to have given all that he had to Lazarus then have fared as he did To move you to be mercifull Motives to be mercifull 1. It is a blessed thing First it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20.35 It makes such as practice workes of mercy truly noble and honorable and that in the account of God himselfe The Lord Jesus said and his words are to be remembred that it is more blessed to give them to receive Consider the forementioned place in the Acts of the Apostles 2 Ye give to Christ Secondly Christ takes all acts of mercy as if they were done unto himself He takes them all to his own account And this ye may be sure of he is a good paymaster sooner or latter will quit scores and reckonnings with you He will not forget that when he was hungry ye fed him c. Math. 25.42 And if the Paps are blessed which gave him suck then shall that table also that hath fed him Luc. 11.27 Ye have plaine Scripture that in as much as ye have done works of mercy to the least of these which he is not ashamed to call his bretheren ye have done it unto him This is the second motive ye give to Christ 3 God will not dy in your debt Lastly reade Prov. 19.17 He that hath pitty upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again God will not dy in your debt If all sufficiency can make requitall ye shall surely have it Quest But how shall I do may some one say to get this property of mercy Answ I Answer First you must pray to God for it James 1â—17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the father of lights Pray therefore to the Lord to give you mercifull hearts Prayer ye see is the Bucket to fetch up some of this mercy out of the deepe Well that can never be emptied Secondly you must consider what hath beene said formerly you must lay it to heart and think upon it And Thirdly and lastly ye must fall
at all and why shewed in two Reasons 109 Diverse effects and acts of mercy 1. the Incarnation of Christ ib. 2. the Revelation of Gods mind by him 111 That the world was full of ignorance sin when Christ came ib 3. Christ given a Copy for all good life and conversation 112. 4. Freedome from the guilt of sin 113 from liking lying in sin 114 5. Freedome from eternal destruction ib. 6. The grace of Adoption in which foure Things are considered The state God hath taken us from The state to which he hath brought us The good which thereupon we do expect The means whereby this is effected 115 7. The benefits of all Christs Merits 116 8. The pouring out of the spirit of grace 117 9. The sweetnesse of Ordinances ibid. 10. Particular vouchsafements 118 11. Communion with God 116 12. Life everlasting ibid. Vse 1. Then mankind is miserable 120 Vse 2. Not to dispair in our afflictions and Miseries 121 Vse 3. Nor of salvation though we fall into grievous sins 122 Vse 4. Let us render unto God the honor due unto his name 123 Four things are due to God 1 To be mindfull of his mercies 124 2 Love to God who is worthy of it 125 3 We should yield obedience and service to God ibid. 4 The praises of God should be in our mouthes ibid. Vse 5. Let us be mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull 126 Here are three Motives 1 Such shall finde mercy 2 Their seed are blessed 3 It is attainable if you desire it ibid. The second Proposition That Mercy is Communicable ibid. Made good by three Reasons ibidem Vse 1. Unmercifull men want a very glorious and commendable thing ibid Illustrated in foure thing 1 They are wicked every way 1 They are Covetous 2 Unbelievers 3 They have not the love of God 4 This sin hath much cruelty 127 2 They are cursed persons 3. They are unlike God 4. Unmercifulnesse bars audience of Prayers 128 5. Unmercifulnesse is a kinde of Murther 129 6. It is a shrewd signe of Reprobation ibid. 7. Their end doleful that have no Mercy ib. Vse 2. An exhortation to be mercifull as God is mercifull ibid. Three Motives 1. It is a blessed thing 2. Ye give to Christ 3. God will not dy in your debt 130. Three directions given for the obtaining this merciful property ibid. The third proposition of the infinitnes c. of Gods Mercy 131 Many admirable sayings of Gods mercy 1. God enclines to it 2. It is delightfull to him 3. He doth multiply to shew mercy 4. He will be exalted to shew mercy Lastly It is his proper work 132 Vse 1. Then there is no want of Mercy in God 133 Vse 2. Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever 134 Choice mercies are not to be found out of the Church 135 Unbelivers are flatly excluded from these mercies 136 The Sixth Attribute Of the Truth of God THe diverse acceptations of the word Truth and the severall words used to wit Kosht or Keshet and Emunatho p. 137. That truth generally signifieth the conformitie of a thing to its rule ib. That there are two Positive properties of an entity to wit truth and goodnes 138. That unity is not a property of an entity and why not ib. That Gods being is a fundamentall veritie not a conformitie c. ib. That the word truth is used for conformitie of knowledge to its object 142. That an enunciation logical cannot be true of what is metaphysically false 143. That formal truth in God is from the objective truth of his essence ib. That truth descends from God into creatures by revelation and divine illustration but in God it is not so who is the first formall truth 144. Certain questions are propounded touching Arminian tenents ib. In things that are not in esse there is not properly truth 145. That things are said to be in posse in a double respect and how ibid. That divine knowledge is not terminated to things existing but is extended to futuritious and possibles 146 That God avoucheth logicall truths without the least errour ibid. Vse 1. We must take heed of receiving truths hand over head c. ibid. And as of falsiâ—ies so also of misapplied truthes take heed ibid. A third acceptation of truth according to the word used in the text ibid. Doct. That truth and faithfullnes is an Attribute of God ibid. 2. Reasons given 1. God hath no after thoughts 2. Punisheth faithfulnes in others 147. Gods faithfullnes and truth is either in regard of manners promises 148. Vse 1. Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God 149. Vse 2. For reproof our doubtings of Gods truth and faithfulnes ibid. That gratious ones somtimes are apt to question Gods truth c. ibid. Misunderstanding or misaplying promises causeth this ibid. That some Promises are made with condition and limitation ibid. That promises are misaplyed sometimes to persons to state and behavior 150. Vse 3. Let sinners know that the God of truth hath threatned 151 Vse 4. Let us learn to be like God to be men of truth ibid. That truth in man hath relation 1 To God 2 To Man 152 2. Proposition That truth is a Communicable attribute ibid. Two Objects about this point answered 153 Vse 1. The fault is not in God that men are fals and faithless ib. 2. We must learn to seek for this quality of truth at the hand of of God by Prayer 154 3. Honest men may take comfort in that they are like God to wit men of truth ibidem Third proposition truth in God is infinite and incomprehensible ibidem Vse 1. To beare up the spirit of Saints against all false dealings in men God is faithfull infinitely 155. Vse 2. A cooling card to all such as have not made God their portion 156. Reader Correct with thy Pen these faults in the First Part. PAge 8. line 7. read floweth p 11. l. 32. r. is p. 28. l. 33. r. at p. 29. l. 6. r. doth l. 15. r. see p. 35. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 34 r. none p. 36 l. 4. r. by and in l. words p. 37.24 in sin besides p. 38. l. 26. God saith one p. 42. mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 43. r. 43. summis negatum est aliquid addi p. 45. marg ejus p. 58. l. 1. miseries l. 5. they l. 39. extingui p. 60. l. 11. then p. 63. l. 28. see is not by nature l. 31. are of a p 68. l. 4. kindness l. 10. and so Paul p. 70 l. 3. instrument marg eighth p. 71. l. magor p. 72. l. 8. infinite p. 73. l. 31. stature 76. marg peregrinabitur l. 36. now p. 78. l. 11. he is not so at all p. 81. l. 18. produce to any p. 94. l. 31. Heb. 12.24 p. 95.21 that those curses p. 96. l. 20. do revenge p. 105. l. 25. preventing p. 117. l. 8. wholy p 118. marg Luthers sentence
danger of the losse of heaven and yet if these things together could make happy it would be folly to have many things when one most united most pure plentifull and perfect essence will do it this is far the further way about at best And lastly for comfort to such as have made perfection their Vse 4 portion such have in him to supply all good and remove all ill untill the time come that we shall stand in need of no other good Wise are they that know him Holy are they that love him And happy are they that enjoy him Habemus omnia habentes habentem omnia There is in him to be had whatsoever can make us happy If God and all the world were divided into two shares he alone is incomparably the best blessed are they that have him for their Shepheard they cannot want so David saith of himself Psal 23.1 Because such have made the Lord most high their habitation no evill shall befall them nor any plague come nigh their dwelling Psal 91.9 10. God is the fullest fountain and sweetness of all things By him they are what they are and continue so to be He commandeth influence to stay or go And happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help c. Psal 146.5 Be of good chear God is your portion the more ye spend on him the more ye may To conclude take heed that none of you be pointed at one day that hear me this day with a Lo this is the man that made not God his portion Ps 52.7 So much of the first Goodnesse attributed to God his natural goodnesse or perfection His holiness benignity and mercy follows next to be spoken off The end of this Attribute The Holinesse of GOD. Psalm 99. v. 9. For the Lord our God is Holy I Shall speak of these words as they contain a proposition asserting the Attribute of Holinesse which is the third in order of the communicable attributes of God and now to be spoken of For the formality of the words take onely this Jehovah is to be exalted and worshipped at his holy hill why because he is holy For the Lord our God is holy But why might it not have been said exhalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is a good God or a jealous God or a mercifull God I answer It is true there is enough in every attribute to draw souls unto God and to move us to exalt him and to allure us to worship him but yet when I shall have shewed you what holines in God is ye will easily be made to see that the consideration of holinesse will be a principal ground and cause to exalt him and to worship at his holy hill A thing is said to be holy first when it is separated from common use to the service of God So the Utensils of the Tabernacle to the very Dishes Tongs and Snuffers were holy that is were separated unto God And in this regard the Lord our God is holy for from all eternity he was separated from all other objects to himself to love himself to take delight in himself God is dedicated to himself from everlasting and his honour he will never give to any other and therefore exalt him worship him set him high trust in him honour him for he is holy he is all for himself he is eternally dedicated to himself and will make such know that do not exalt him what it is to displease so jealous so holy a God It is true self-love in men is very often inordinate extreamly and so very vicious but in God it is a glorious beam it is his holinesse And the reason is because there is none other meet to be an object of Gods love but himself So this is the first acceptation of the word holy and you be according to this taking of the word God is holy that is dedicated to himselfe and therefore that he is to be exalted and worshipped because he is so holy as hath been said He is all for his own glory all for himself he never in the least action aimed at any thing nor will nor indeed can but himselfe There are many things which asserted of men as I hinted before do render them very blameable yea unholy As to looke after their own Phillip 2.4 To be lovers of there own selves 2 Tim. 3.2 and the like Which ascerted of God do gloriously set out his holinesse And so also in men holinesse is a separation from the world unto God holy persons are persons dedicated to God Thus have you the first acceptation of the word Secondly Holines somtimes signifies puritie Yea know in our usuall manner of speaking we do make holines and purity Synonimaes as in Luke 1.35 therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sonne of God To be holy is to be imaculate that is sine macula without spot or blot to be agreeable and conform to the holy law of God Holines saith a late writer doth consist in a compleate uniformitie and conformitie to the will of God wholy Some are first table Christians others second table Christians Some hote in acts of religion that are could in justice some are very honest and just to men that have no delight in communion with God but James 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all He that breaks one linke of a chaine breakes the chaine One holy nature gave every commandement how can there be a state of holines without equal respect to all Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements saith David Psalme 119 6. And againe I have refrained my feet from every evill way ver 101. To lose our will in the will of God is holines So this in Christ John 4 34. Jesus said unto them to wit to his Disciples that had prayed him to eate some meat My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And Math. 26.39 and 42. verses Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And thy will be done this was holines in Christ In this sense holines and rightousnes in Scripture do often signifie one and the same thing I say often not alwaies for where the two words do come together as Luke 1.75 In holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life we may understand most fitly by holines the duties of the first table and by righteousnes the yellding of obedience to the duties of the second table But I say holines is sometimes put for righteousnes and righteousnes in like manner for holines As Psalme 16.3 David declares that his delight is in the Saints or holy ones that are in the earth which he affirms to be the excellent or such as excel in verture And therefore some do define holines to be moral goodnes which is
be a sun and a shield to his holy ones Summe up all these motives that have been made use of first and last Holines is that which God commands For the attaining of it he hath given direction He hath promised that they that ask and seek for it forget it ye have seen the great danger they are in that want it Ye have also heard what a coppy we have in Christ before our eyes holiness acted before our eys as well as directions given We have the Canon of the Scriptures enlarged which God makes effectuall for the working of holinesse Many outward gracious vouchsafe-ments do we live under which should prevaile with us And lastly ye have heard what a shield and buckler holines is and what spirited bold and couragious men Saints and holy men do use to be Remember also that wicked men have terrours and fears their name is Mayor Missabib fear on every side That they shall never see the face of God in mercy but shall be without Depart part they must from God with his curse upon their backs into hell torments with the Devill and his Angels and that for ever more When Saints Gods holy ones shall sit at Gods right hand where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures forevermore The Lord give us holy frame of spirit and grace to serve him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life Amen amen It remaineth that we speak of the third particular in this attribute of holinesse viz. That holinesse in God is infinitely and incomprehensible Or thus That God in respect of his attribute of holines is infinite and incomprehensible For first he is essentially holy He is not accidentally holy We reade Isaiah 6.3 Of the cry of the Seraphins one to another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory The glory of Gods holines fills the whole world holines in men is a quality an accident but it is not so in God his holines is his essence he is holy of himselfe Sanctitas creaturae ad illius puritatem comparatae est instar nihili veluti impuritas quaedam Lessius de perfection Divini p. 56. Tu solus sanctus Tu solus dominus in Hymno antiquo Sicut una arenuta non addit aliquid notabile immensitati terrae Ad huc continetur in Deo eminenter idem numero Secondly God is universally holy in all that he doth he is holy Psalme 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes No man can be said so to be holy In many things we sin all and besides we may act like creatures without consideration of this communicable attribute holines Thirdly God is said to be only holy 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee So that as it is said Math. 19.17 There is none good but one that is God So may it also be as truly said there is none holy but one that is God So we have a passage in that song of Moses and of the Lambe which was sung by the Seven Angels Revelation 15. In the 4. verse For thou only art holy In God alone is the universaltie of holines That holines which is in any creature addeth nothing worth the nothing to God yea it is in God eminently and the same in number God I say is infinitely incomprehensibly holy Therefore for the first use Seeing this God is propounded to us for a patterne that we should be holy as he is holy we learn that a Christian in the imitation of God in the matter of holines cannot exceede measure It is impossible for a man to be too holy Contrary to the vaine opinion of many that think a man can be to holy and are ready to blame others for their forwardnes this way A fearefull sinne A degree of blasphemy Do not they blasphemy that worthy name by the which ye are called James 2.7 The Apostle Peter in his first Epistle 1 cap and 14. and 16. verses hath this exhortation But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written be ye holy for I am holy Which shews how far he was from thinking any could be too holy But Solomon saith Ecclesiastes 7.16 Be not righteous over much And if righteousnes and holines signifie the same thing Object as we have beene taught it often doth then how can this be tru that one cannot be too holy To which I answer Sanctitas est bonitas moralis quae etiam in scriptures justitia vocari solet Idem enim in scripturis est esse justum esse sanctum habere justitiam habere sanctitatem Lessius pag. 54. De Div. Perfect it is most true that if men will walk by wrong rules and not by those that God hath left to his Church They may be superstitiously holy Pope-holy as we say But make the Scripture your rule ye may then be as holy as you possibly can and need not feare of exceeding Yee need not feare of being righteous over much Holines is a Sea that hath neither banks nor bottoms Yee need not doubt of wanting sea-room or depth of water Yee need not doubt of being streightned But still remember that yee practice holines according to rule That ye be holy as he which hath called you is holy As Abraham taught his family so do yee God himself bears witnes to Abraham Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment c. If Hester and her maides fast in the Churches trouble so do ye We reade that she resolved so Hester 4.16 I also and my maids will fast likewise Heare is a good rule for such as shee was But how long will it be untill the Scripture rules be out of date Quest I Answer never untill we come in the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the nature of the fullnes of Christ Ephes 4. ver 13. Ans Untill then keep God before your eies and make the Scripture your rule and feare not of being too holy But such as are in judgment and act beyond the rule and beyond the testimony the truth of God is not in them let their pretences be never so specious And Secondly this Doctrine of the infinitnes and incomprehensiblenes of the holines of God Vse 2 may teach us for our comfort and for the bearing up of our spirits in times of opposition That God will beare up holines against all the world Though all the men in the world and devills in hell should go to cast it downe Yet stand it must for God will uphold it And such as oppose it shall give account to him that is ready to judge both quicke and
have you know or consider that it is too such only as seek him and waite upon him He cares not that ye know God is mercifull but he would not have you take notice of his justice and holy severitie against sinne that he is a revenging God and a consuming fire 〈◊〉 transgressours He would not have you take notice of everlâ—â—â—ing burnings and devouring fire in which sinners shall ly and be tormented during the long life of God T is true if he see that ye be in perplexitie about your sins and be in to tremble and to be afraid of the wrath of God then he will fast enough be telling you what a terrible God he is whom ye have sinned against that he may drive you to dispaire Thus would the devill separate what God hath joyned together Ye may see God putting both together Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffring and abundant in goodnes and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitie and transgression and sinne and that will by no meanes clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children c. And therefore when wicked men shall talke of the goodnes of God I may say to them as Jehu did to Joram concerning peace what hast thou to do with peace c. So What have ye to do to talke of the goodnes of God that do not seeke him nor waite upon him I may say to such as Elisha did to that Lord on whose hand the King of Israel leaned mentioned 2 Kings 7.2 about the great plenty that should be in Samaria Behold thou shalt see it with thine eies but shalt not eate thereof So such may heare and speake of the unspeakable goodnes of God but they shall have no share therein O! T is true there are rich and pretious promises made but only to such as love God and keepe his commandements and take Christ to be their King Priest and prophet but gracelesse wretches must know that nothing remaines for them but a fearfull expectation of vengence when God shall reveale his wrath upon the breakers of his law upon the refusers of his Christ And therefore that Sathan may not carry you along in a fooles paradise do not separate those attributes of God which from all eternitie are joyned in one in God And chiefly labour to be in a capacitie of this attribute of goodnes and benignitie If ye will be welcome to God ye must have the wedding garment if ye will profit by my discourse of the usefull goodnes of God which I am now upon ye must be the children of the promise and have your vessels uncovered or else all the pretious liquor of the goodnes of God will run over But I have somewhat forestall'd mine application I have a few words more to speak of the explicatory part of this disâ—â—â—â—se and then I shall come to the Uses It is true it is naturall in God to be good for it ariseth out of his infinite perfection but yet the acts thereof are free From this disposition commeth another attribute to wit love of which we shall speake hereafter when we shall have finished others first in their order But in the meane time It is my work to shew you what this goodnes of God is which I am now upon It is in God a naturall propension to communicate himselfe to creatures according to their severall capacities VVhat the benignity of God is And whereas I say it is a naturall propension yet I do not meane that the acts of goodnes are so for they are free There was but one necessary and naturall act of goodnes in God and that is the communicating of his whole essence which is of infinit perfection excellency As inferior things are naturally prone to procreate somthing like and equall unto themselves But because that which is altogether infinite cannot be multiplied therefore the Divine essence doth not communicate it selfe by the production of a like essence distinct in number as created things do in which the essence which is in one suppositum doth produce an essence in another suppositum distinct innumber but by the giving of himself and as it were by replication so as the same most simple nature in number is in three subsistences distinct in number Yet this communication sith it is natural the pronenesse unto it is it not to be called benignity of which I am now speaking but it is a naturall production of a person and communication of a nature And we may call it fertility or fecundity But goodnes is a free communicating to inferior Which in God although it spring from his infinite goodnes or perfection as the former communication of the whole essence and be also naturall yet the acts thereof are free And this goodnes of God communicated to creatures is generall to all Psalm 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes and verses 15.16 The eies of all waite upon thee and thou givest them their meate in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living creature But yet more especially to the rational and intellectuall creatures men and Angles which only by understanding and will are made capable of the divine goodnes These angelicall and humane natures God hath made far more capable of his goodnes and hath adorned them with many gifts of his good will And for man which he saw would stand in neede of many helpes he made all other things to be usefull for him out of Gods goodnes and benignity is all this done That the goodnes of humane being night be hereby made the more sweet and comfortable unto the sons of men In this respect he is said to be the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 preserving them from many dangers and relieving and comforting them with the service of his other creatures Math. 5.45 He maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Thus goodnes is communicated to man as man But Thirdly Gods goodnes is not only generall to all creatures and speciall to mankind but singular to his Church not only in giving them means of salvation and deliverance from the curse but to many of them vouchsafing the sense of his choisest favours in remission of sinnes gifts of the spirit and life everlasting fullnes of joy reserved for us at the right hand of God O what a goodly garden of the goodnes of God is the whole creation Even Devills have a share in regard of their natures it is angelicall such a nature as the best and wisest and most knowing of the sonnes of men can little tell what to make of it In so much that even in Christs time among the Jews it became doubtfull whether there were any such creatures as Angels at all and by a considerable sect viz. the Sadduces was held in the Negative I say
of the rop without to make the bell to speake within but to some it is a setting them in the highest steeples as bells themselves to be heard a far ringing the various changes of an unchangeable God Let me heape up exhortations and so end this point and subject 1. Come away taste and see that the Lord is good Ps 34.8 Ye honour God much and ye shall be blessed that come unto him 2. Run to this infinite goodnes in all destresses Ad omnes etiam ad impios Cum Dei bonitas praecipue sit erga membra ecclesiae ergo et nos domesticos fidei praecipue beneficijs prosequantur Harplus 201. fly to this present helpe in the needfull time of trouble 3. Be like unto God and take heed of the doer of the unprofitable servant Math. 25.30 Much more take heed of being found among pernicious ones that delight to do mischeife which shall â—e torne in pieces when there shall be none to deliver Ps 50.22 And 4. imitate God in the extent of his goodnes I meane so farre as creatures can attaine Do good to all even to those that have no goodnes in them even to your enemies And lastly as the goodnes of God is especially to his Israel Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel c. So let us especially prosecute with our goodnesses and helps the houshold of faith and above all we must be mindfull to do good to the soule and so much be spoken of the attribute of goodnes or benignitie The Mercy of God Psalme 100.5 His Mercy is Everlasting OUt of this verse I have already spoken of the forgoing words for the Lord is good And have discoursed of Gods usefull goodnes one propertie of God which is used as a reason why he is worthy of praise There are three in this verse Suavis est Deus quia suavis facilis miseretur quia miseretur promittit liberationem quia verax implet promissa Bellar in hunc Psalme so joyned that one floweth from the other The Lord is to be honoured and his name to be well spoken of for he is good and because he is good he is ready to shew mercy from time to time and hath promised to be mercifull and because he is true in his promises therefore he will performe his promises of mercy which he hath made Now having finished the property of goodnes I come to this of mercy And in handling of it shall insist upon the same three particulars first propounded Viz. First That mercy as hath beene said of the rest is an attribute of God Secondly That it is a communicable attribute of God Thirdly That God in it as in all his attributes is infinite and incomprehensible To begin with the first of these propositions Mercy ye see is attributed to God not only here but in many other places of Scripture Psal 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Psalme 106.1 For his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 118.1 The same words Psalm 136. ye have it Sixe and twenty times And the same expression is in Jer. 33.11 in that prophetical promise of the joyfull estate of the Church And one place out of the new Testament Ephes 2.4 But God which is rich in mercy c. Mercy ye see is an attribute of God But what is mercy For Answer hereunto it will be requisite What mercy is in man that before I speake of it as it is in God I should first of all shew you what it is in men In man therefore know mercy is a vertue inciting the will to give succour to anothers misery and to indeavour to drive it away In men that which is commonly reputed mercy may be a vice so it may fall out For such acts as are counted mercifull do not alwaies proceed from the same principle in all that it doth in some which are called mercifull men For there are some which give almes as the Pharisies did to be seene of men out of vaine glory and ostentations which is no vertue but a vice Or if that which is naturally a worke of mercy be done upon any other dishonest ground whatsoever or to any other unlawfull end it then appertaines to that vice by whose affection it is commanded and takes the malignitie of that sinne whether lust or errour that sets this inclination on worke to succour the miserable But when the end is honest the worke is commanded by that vertue which hath regard to the honesty of it whether it be one vertue or another VVhether it be the love of God or love of the bretheren or encouragement of the godly or if it be only a pitifull disposition to the creature which is the ground thereof The end will much denominate the action and refer it to that errour or vice from whence such a supposed act of mercy had its first rise Some that are Romish recusants are seemingly very mercifull to the poore perhaps it may be to draw such to their religion As some Heretiques are kind and curteous to draw others to the embracing of their opinions So many likewise seem to be very forward to do good when it may be to serve their lusts of coveteousnesse pride and wantonnesse Such actions as these cannot be called mercifull or good but must be referred to that vice which is the ground of them If one should tempt a poore man to steale upon consideration of his poverty or perswade one that is sick to go to Charmers or white Witches for the recovering of health these actions could not be mercifull but rather must be referred to the head of cruelty to the poore soules of such persons so tempted so perswaded and advised But because it pleaseth the spirit of God in Scripture to use termes and words promiscuously sometimes in predications both of God and men Whether mercy be in men a distinct vertue from goodnesse and love and even about the attribute of goodnes lately handled and this of mercy now in hand one word doth signifie either thing mercy sometimes being used for goodnes and goodnes put to signifie mercy it will be worth our inquiry a little to see what the difference is between these two vertues and also that of love which is often taken to be the same with goodnes and mercy As to make this appeare to be so I remember a passage in Dr. Sibs his soule conflict Page 446. touching love goodnes and mercy in God which I will relate It is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy it much commends any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it In those words ye see he puts a difference betweene blessings which I take to be the same with good things bestowed and mercy and grace and the love and favour of God and yet all these foure last words are used for one and the same thing which in so
as are neare and deare unto them Gen. 19.29 And it came to passe when God destroyed the cityes of the plaine that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the middest of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt So this is one particular in which is seene Gods sparing mercy When God hides his people in times of indignation And also when he forgets their sinne and casteth them behind his back and doth not punish at all These phrases of passing by and not passing by are usuall in Scripture and to set forth the mercy of God in this head of sparing mercy as one breach thereof So also Gods adjourning his punishments to a farther day his suffring his Spirit to strive with men as he did with the old world The long suffring of God waited in the daies of Noah while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 When God was provoked by their sinns yet he waited one hundred and twenty yeeres This deferrings of judgment is a branch of that sparing mercy of God which we live under But Sirs the glasse is running all this while there is an appointed time for every purpose The time appointed will be expired and though God may seem to have leaden feet yet be sure he will have Iron hands at last Though he come slowly he will smite surely O Do not be bold in sin God is merciful to forbear to put off defer his plagues but it will not be wisdom for you to defer to put off your repentance His spirit will not alway strive He will be paid for forbearance ye will be left altogether in excusable if his forbearance work not at all with you And as if the Lord did study to be mercifull in his dealing towards the sons of men what moderations and rebates doth he shew in his punishments Psalme 78.38 But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquitie and destroyed them not but of this branch we have spoken already Marke therefore what followes yea many a time turned he his anger away Here is another branch of sparing mercy but yet further and did not stirre up all his wrath Here ye have all three in one verse But that which we have now in hand is the moderation that is in this God of judgment when he must needs punish he doth it in judgment not in fury He doth not make a full end but correct in measure even when he doth not leave his people altogether unpunished Jer. 46.28 Lament 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not utterly consumed To wit his sparing mercy Lastly upon this point or branch of sparing mercy it is noted by some that God doth somtimes shew a kind of unwillingnes and loathnes to lay on stripes on the backs of his servants He doth not take delight in the putting of his servants to paine He doth not laugh at their calamitie But he is brought in groaning while he is whipping as a father correcting with weeping eies Hosea 11.8 How shall I give the up Ephraim how shall I deceive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Here is a conflict as it were in the very spirit of God O how shall I do it O what a sparing heart the Lord hath towards the sons of men Where he must needs corect them it is much against his will Truly he never dealt with Christ so as he doth with the sons of men He spareth not him in any regard at all He spared him not in the first way he tooke not away the punishment but he gave him up to death The cup did not passe away but it was drunk Neither was it deferred but when the houre was come he suffered he was sacrificed in the time set for it And that without mitigation He had not one drop taken out of this bitter cup. Neither was there any relunctancy in God against it He did not weepe over him when he was suffring He never cryed how should I suffer thee my sonne to dye How should I endure to see thee so used But it pleased the father Isai 53.10 yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him He had not only voluntatem but voluptatem He did as it were harden his heart upon him which made him cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Quest But you will say how standeth this with the love of the father It is said the father loved the son why then did he not spare him at all in his suffrings Ans I Tell you sirs there was great reason why God should not spare Christ Though he spare us continually For. First it delighted God to see his justice satisfied Reasons why God spared not Christ he would have a full satisfaction to it It was expedient that all the mercy should be towards the redeemed and none towards the redeemer As Christ stood in our steede he was to satisfie justice and so to have what he paid for Thus justice is exactâ—d which God could not indure should be trampled under foot This must needes be a pleasant sight in Gods eyes That we sinners might have all mercy he that saved us from our sinnes had no mercy Sparing mercy is the lowest degree of mercy yet this was denyed to Christ that he might pay every sort of mercy for us Secondly He knew what his sonne could do He laughed at the triall of him because he knew he would do well enough It pleased the Father to see his sonne tug with death so and all sorrows even as a Generall takes delight to see his souldiers play the men bravely But I am sensible of a digression and therefore returne to the matter in hand that mercy of all kinds is in God Ye have had a discourse of a fivefold mercy And now next I am to speake as I promised of that great manifestation of mercy to mankind fallen from his good estate I meane to the remnant elect to the little flocke for whose sake glorious doings and marveilous transactions have beene in the world For to the end that man so fallen in Adam so miserable every way as hath been heretofore shewed might be raised up and freed from all sorts of sorrows and deaths from griefe here and from eternall damnation hereafter and be made fit to enjoy grace mercy here and glory eternal in the heavens God hath diverse and sundry waies shewed his abundant goodnes and mercy as shall now be declared And Effects and acts of mercy First let us begin with the Incarnation of Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God In this God hath declared his infinite love and mercy to us Of this admirable effect of working bowells in God you mâ—y read John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Who considering
be studied as a text Math. 13 3◠readines to forgive earnestnes frequency in prayer and hath left a rule or forme full of heavenly glory and exactnes not to be used as a charm but to be studied as a text Besides to conclude this particular how did he open his mouth in Parables and utter darke sayings which had beene kept secret from the foundation of the world But let us come to a third effect of mercy And that is the giving of this our Saviour to be as it were a Coppy for all good life the very living and walking law of the most high God A compendium of all those morrals that ever were in the mind of God to be done even from everlasting Learne of me saith Christ Would ye live exactly learne of Christ Be zealous as he was zealous The zeal of Gods house did even eat him up John 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up you know it was upon his driving the buyers sellers out of the Temple Be meeke and lowly as he was he bids you learne of him Math. 11.29 We must learne both of these Many pretend to be zealous as Christ was but they have not his meekenes And so some pretend to write after his meekenesse but want zeale But we must looke upon Christ and imitate him in doing the whole will of his Father Demonstration and practice is an excellent way of teaching Now Christ doth not only teach us what to do but he doth it before us There is scarse any particular duty that God requires but we have a president in Christ a sampler to work by As for children that have a precept to honour their parents you know in Christ they have a patterne Luke 2.51 And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them And so for obedience to magistrates And so for suffring in the cause of truth and religion he was as a lambe dumbe before the shearer And so also for the Church he made no schisme or rent He was circumcised went unto the feasts joyned in publicke worship and did not rent himselfe from the Jewish Church though it laboured under many corruptions And therefore have a care how ye slight any thing that ye see Christ was ready to performe What can ye wish to have a warrant for that ye may not find in this Coppy Modesty Gravity Sobriety Affability circumspection in words and deeds benignity compassion mercy conformity to order devotion humility any thing every thing that is required in the holy law of God We have many vaine talkers whose mouth must be stopped because they are evill doers as well as vaine talkers This is a rare effect of Mercy in God who well knew that our eies are more upon examples then our eares attent to precepts and therefore hath provided a notable one for us Fourthly Another effect of mercy is freedom from sinne divers waies for First though we are not free from being sinners yet we are free and exempted from having the guilt of sinne charg'd upon us O how sweete is this unto such as ly under the sense of sinne And Secondly freed we are by the mercifull hand of God from sinning with a full and free consent of will In this sence is it said 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne It is true also that if any man say he hath no sinne 1 John 1.18 he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him This therefore is to be understood of liking sinne and lying in sinne Peccatum quod repugnat divinae bonitati est summum malum But behold this great mercy of God towards us that whereas sinne which is the greatest evill because it is contrary to Gods goodnes and holines and calleth for eternall sufferings and likewise containeth in it unspeakable deformitie and sinfulnes A just satisfaction is given in the divine person of the Son of God and in mercy also the seeds are sown of another frame of spirit in all that shall be saved Whence comes a fifth effect and gift of mercy to wit Freedome from eternall death and destruction and a rescuing us from the gulfe of that bottomlesse Barathrum a freeing us from fiery Tophet The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life of which particular I will speak Rom. 6.23 when I come to it But now behold mercy in delivering us from so great a death Do but believe that what the Scriptures say of hell fire is true and ye must needs say that to be freed from that place or state must needs be an unspeakable yea an inconceivable mercy O when a man can say though I must dy yet I shall not be damned Though the pit of the grave shut her mouth upon me yet the pit of hell is by mercy shut against me what an unspeakable mercy is this Truly Bretheren if to be freed from hellish misery Perpende quid sit esse in illo teterrimo carcere in illis horendis tenebris semotum ab omne luce ab omni creaturorum amoenitate ab omni solatio in summis omnium sensuum cruciatibus in acerrimis illis incendijs ibi torreri ibi ardere idque non unum diem non unum annum non centum annos non mille non centum annorum millia sed infinitos annorum milliones quamdiu stabit orbis quam diu vivet Deus absque ulla spe liberationis absque ulla daberum intermissionem Lessi de div perfect Pag. 118. which is so intollerable so everlasting be a mercy then we must needs see that the Lord our God is a mercifull God The misery we were liable unto is imense and incomprehensible and therefore that mercy must be infinite by which that misery is taken away And this is done to our hand by our mercifull high priest who by the infinite dignitie of his person hath matched that eternitie of our torments which we should have layen under by his once suffring death upon the Cross for us Sixthly Proceede we to the grace of adoption whereby we are become the very sons and daughters of this mercifull God Adoptio est distinctus beneficium à condonatione peccati This is destinct from the former For as when a Prince that hath pardoned a Malefactor and given him his life shall not content himselfe therewith but besides pardoning the injury freeing from the punishment bloting out the infamy shall also take such a one to be his sonne and give him right and power to raign this would tend much to the declaration of his noble mercy So is it with us in this effect of mercy We shall not only be freed from wrath but be taken into Gods family Now to the further consideration of this adoption of sonnes foure things would be looked upon First The state God hath taken us from Secondly The state to
which he hath brought us Thirdly The good which thereupon we do expect Fourthly The meanes whereby this is effected We were enemies unworthy of the lest mercy and liable to everlasting sorrowes But are advanced to union unto and communion with Christ Not to a moderate or mean estate of hapines of humanes or angelical happines natural But to be the sons of God the sons of the eternal King the heires of God and Coheires of Christ consorts of divine glory partakers of all divine good things with him we are made one with Christ not in conceit or imagination only for this conjunction is in truth a reall conjunction The prayer of Christ is John 17.22 That all beleevers may be one with him as he is one with the Father viz. by one and the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all members of Christ 1 Iohn 3.24 And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Perkins on the third to the Galatians Page 265. saith All the Saints in heaven and all beleevers upon earth having one and the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them are all one in Christ Not as if Christ and Saints were not destinct persons or as if the properties of the Godhead or qualities of his manhood were transformed into us or as if we were only by a bare consent as freinds are one or as if Christ and all the Saints were one substance I say none of these waies are we one with Christ But as all the Members of the body naturall have one soule So have all the Saints with Christ their head owne spirit And this comes to passe on Gods part by mercifull donation and on our part by faithfull reception Thus we see how we are one with Christ and so by consequence do possesse Christ and injoy him and his benefits partly in this life and fully in the life to come So that from our adoption we looke for such good so great joy so much glory as eie hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man O what a gulfe of distance is there betweene that estate from which we are taken 1 Cor. 2.9 and that whereunto we are brought And the meanes whereby all this commeth to passe ye have heard already is the sonne of man For first one man is taken to be Gods naturall son the fullnes of the God-head being substantially united to him By this man Christ Jesus God adopteth and maketh his sonnes Eodem spiritu vivunt nimirum membra Christi quo Deus ipse quo Christus filius Dei naturalis vivit et si hic spiritus diverso modo istis communicetur personis enim divinis communicator per identitatem idque vel immediata necessitate ut patri vel per aeternam generationem aut spirationem ut filio spiritui sancto huminitati verò Christi perhypostalicam vnionem nobis per quandam extensionem qua mediante dono gratiae justificantis incipit esse noster spiritus nostra vita nos inhabitans ornans movens ergens omnes vitales functiones Deo platentes in nobis excitans edens Less all those which are engrafted in to this trunke or stoke by the spirit of faith for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 81.4 This previledge is given to them that receive Christ to them that believe in his name to become the Sonnes of God John 1.12 And according to this priviledge of Adoption are we and all our weake endeavors looked upon esteemed O behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sonnes of God 1 John 3.1 Seventhly We have the benefit of all Christs merits All that Christ ever did or suffered is made over to us and we presented in him without blame in the sight of God From mercy it is so ordred and brought about that Christ did the work but we receive the wages Christ bore the Crosse but we weare the Crown Beloved we have the benefit of all Christs merits So that what Christ merited we are said to merit by meanes of our union that we have with him We are alwaies hereby in a capacity of pardon as often as we sinne and by true repentance turne unto God What Prince was ever so mercifull as to be in readinesse to pardon such as capitally offend or commit high treason every day But our God of his mercy is ready every minuit to pardon the sinnes of his people For if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father c. 1 John 2.1 Here is a most rich treasury here are merits that can never be Drawne out It is impossible so many sinnes should ever be committed as might be beyond the riches and worth of them Yet we must know that the worth of them is not drunke up by us Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis for we are not able so to receive them to our use as they are in Christ For not in the like measure is the spirit received by all that are justified Although each Saint hath the whole spirit yet not in an equall manner and measure And so although each Saint hath whole Christ made over to him withall his merits yet there is not one that hath sins enough to take him up holy by appropriation or to make a full proprotion between their misery and his merits but still there will be overflowings of the blood of Christ Eightly Mercy causeth the powering out of the spirit of grace By vertue of our union we do of his fullnes receive Joh. 1.16 and grace for grace So that as a litle child is answerable in every part to the tallest and stoutest man so the little measure of graces in the weakest Saints have a conformitie to the graces that are in Christ though the difference in regard of degrees be exceeding great There is wisdome patience meekenes c. Which God gives out and adornes his chosen ones withall Never did a Queene present her selfe so beautiful in the eyes of the greatest Monarck as the Church the Spouse of Christ is rendred lovely in the eyes of God Salomon Song cap. 7.1 c. How beautifull are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter Ye may at leasure read when ye please the rest But such as are proud scornfull passionate intemperate covetous c. It is impossible God should take pleasure or delight in them O how beautifull is the spirits work upon the soule a soft heart an obedient will and the gifts of saving and sanctifying grace A man in the state of nature saith one is like a pond full of toads a man in the state of grace is a paradise of God Beautifull in Gods eies is a gratious soule from top to toe O ye that wallow in the mire and dirt and filth of sinne do ye thinke God
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
the participation of them He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him vers 36. If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 And he that committeth sin is of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 But to return and so draw to an end Let us take notice of wonderfull condiscension in God to make a Covenant with any and of the unspeakable happinesse of such as be enabled to come into this Covenant To doubt of mercy and professe our selves Christians is a very great sin God that cannot ly hath promised eternall life before these ages even from the beginning Know therefore that he is faithfull which hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Gods mercifulnesse is continued upon the account of his truth and faithfulnesse which Attribute is next to be spoken of out of this very Text. The end of the Attribute of Mercy Of the Truth of God Psalme 100. Verse the last For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting And his truth endureth to all generations WE are come now to the third property mentioned in this Text the sixth in order of the communicable attributes of God And this truth indureth to all generations In handling of which I purpose to keepe my selfe to those three propositions or rules which I have observed in the other five that have beene spoken off This word Truth hath diverse acceptations and no marvell for in the originall Hebrew there are more words then one rendered in our english tongue by this word Truth The usual word in the Bible which signifies truth is Kosht or Keshet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the word here used is Emunatho by reason of the pronoune affix His truth it is It comes from the same roote that that common word among us doth viz. Amen Which in the forme Niphal signifieth to be true firme or stable And here in my text it denotes the truth firmness and faithfulness of God as ye shall God-willing hereafter heare Truth Generally signifieth the conformity of any thing with its measure or rule according to which it ought to be formed or made as true Gold true Silver true Water Veritas est conformitas seu adaequatio rei ad missam Vig. gra p. 8. because it is conformable according to its kind and agreeable to the appointed proportion or allay and is not false The measure of each created thing is that which is somtimes called an Idea to wit the divine conception of God in himselfe of each thing according to which as a rule by vertue of this conception of his he gave being in time For in the wisdome of God from everlasting hath the form of every thing not only specifically from the highest Seraphim to the lowest Ant but in their particular individuum's If a creature should be otherwise Veritas est proprietas entis creati sicut bonitas Less then is so conceived in the mind of God it should not be true but false And as each thing is said to be true by its conformity to its exemplary cause so to be good by its agreement unto its finall cause And therefore we say truth is one although goodnes be manifold as there are many ends subordinate one to another yet neverthelesse there is but one utmost end and in that regard but one goodnes neither There is nothing which God hath made concerning which we may say Natura nihil fecit frustra it is good for nothing For what the heathens according to their skill say of nature that it made nothing in vain we may much more truly say of God It is agreed upon in the Church of Christ that God made all things and all persons in particular for certain ends whereby he may be glorified So Solomon saith Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill And look as a thing serves more to declare the excellencies of God so it is said to have in it more goodnesse Take all the jewells in the world they have not in them that goodnes in a true consideration that hath one blade of grasse which hath life though of the lowest sort yet it hath life Grasse and plants not so good as sensitives that have a better kind of life Lions and Eagles nothing comparable to the poorest man And to speake in the words of Chrysostome Take all the men in the world and they are not worth one Saint or gracious soule though never so meane in regard of outwards And what 's the reason of this surely because they are they by whom God attaines his end of making the world and from them alone hath his glory in the world And therefore I conclude the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Duae proprietates entis verum bonum There is a greater goodnes better a greater conformity to the end of being Ye see the two positive properties of an entitie the trueth of it and the goodnes of it But it may be demanded whether onenes or unitie be not another propertie of an entitie or being To which I answer No. Because the onenesse of a thing addes nothing unto the being of that thing Unitas suprà rationem entis nihil dicit nisi divisionis negationem Less veritas uniuscujusque rei est proprietas sui esse Avicen vigue Grav Instituit f. 8. neither doth it affirme any thing save onenesse which is a negation of division For that which is one is a thing undivided divided from all other things And therefore hath no place among properties But I hasten from these notions lest I should offend the judicious I have spoken of the property of goodnes as it is attributed to God and now to speak of truth though this be not that acceptation of the word which I purpose most to insist upon Yet take this by the way Our God is a true God that is he is truly God But here it may be objected if truth be a conformity of a being unto its rule or as Augustine saith a true similitude of the beginning which is without any dissimilitude what rule is there for God to be conformed unto To which I answer Truth as it is in this first acceptation attributed to God is not in him a conformity of being to a rule or pattern for then God should not be eternall Veritas est vera similitudo principii quae sine ulla dissimilitudine est Aug. de vera religione and something should be before God according to which his entitie being conforme should make him a true God but in this that his nature is such as that it ought to be the exemplary cause and measure of all things This being of God then is veritas fundamentalis as the Schoolmen call it In this sence he is the