appease thy rage give over thy dooming humour howsoever if thou beest inhumane wouldst raise up a bloody God If thou beest inflâ—â—ible should I be inexorable Should not I spare Application 1. This doth serve to shew that our first interest in God is by an application of mercy for hath nature with all her endowments any claim in this tenure No till God hath spared there is nothing but the sword of justice held to the throat Our first recovery is by the benefit of a pardon Ex venia convalesco Greg Justification is the foundation-stone of the spirituall building Can two walk together except they be agreed Amos 3.3 Can God and man consort together except they be reconciled no as Bassianus and Geta so long as they were in contention parted the Palace Cuspinian and would not sit at the same Table and as Agamemnon and Achilles so long as the difference lasted between them Sabellicus l. 3. would not come into one anothers Tents So an unregenerate state doth beget a perpetuall quarrell betwixt God and the sinner what freedom can he expect that is holden with the cords of his iniquity what pleasant fruit can there be tasted from that Plant whose root beareth gall and wormwood what delight can the Father have to cast his eye upon the brows of the children of wrath No an unpardoned soul is under the Executioners power an unjustified conscience is filled yet with an hellish Fiend Let not a guilty heart boast nor a man without the wedding garment think to sit down at Gods Feast as an acceptable guest Mercy is the first ingratiating act thou art fit for nothing but to be exposed to vengeance till God doth spare Should not I spare 2. This doth serve to shew the sweetnesse of mercy it is a sparing Oh that the Cities of refuge are vilified that Gods mercy seat hath lost its honour Vespasian was wont to drink out of his Grandmothers Tertulla's curious cup at all solemn Feasts but we have given over upon the most memorable occasions to drink out of the golden bowl of mercy Sueton. Agesilaus had a Friend which had pleasured him at many exigents yet this Friend falling sick and weak desiring him to stay by him and assist him Plut. in Agesil he turned him off and marched away parting from him with a jeer saying How hard a thing is it both to pitty and to be wise So this Heavenly Grace which hath been beneficiall to us upon all occasions we now can scarce endure the company of it but we reward it with a scoffe in stead of respect it may call to us for presence and observance but if vanity or ambition hath an expedition to employ us in we have more mind of our march then of Mercy Oh was ever a Benefactour thus contemned Nay was ever a Preserver thus neglected doth it not rescue us doth it not spare us and was ever indulgence a pardoning vertue so ill intreated so disesteemed No. When Philip was conquered and the Grecians upon it expected nothing but slavery Titus Flaminius proclaiming life and liberty the despairing people were so transported w th it that they gave such a shout that the very birds in the ear fell down dead with the noise When the Crotoniats were besieged in a Castle Sabellic l. 7. c. 1. and they were ready to dye for thirst Dionysius sending them in water and freely pardoning them they were so overjoyed Diodoruâ— l. 14 that they sent him golden Crowns When Frederick had subdued Millain and by the perswasion of Uladislaus Dubraâ— l. 12. he had forgiven them an horrid outrage committed against him they took it so kindly that besides other rich gifts they honoured him with they sent him the Candlestick of Salomon But where are our Songs and Crowns and golden Candlesticks as thankfull Memorialls of Gods mercy No we are often spared but purse up all favours like legacies which are never thought on after the money is told out or wee turn them off like Physitians which are no longer minded then the cure is working if we have saluted freedom farvvell God and mercy Indeed a sparing God ought to be pretious to us Mercy should be the gaze of our eyes and the trance of our hearts for the light of Heaven should not be more pleasing to us than the light of Gods countenance not the sparkling Ruby then Gods white Stone not the Apple of the Eye then Gods pittifull eye not the nources brest then Gods bosom not the casting a judgement out of Court than Gods casting sins behind his back not the pardoning signet than Gods setting us as a seal upon his heart nor the forgiving of debts than the not imputing trespasses Oh how should we dance about this appeasing Altar bow towards this propitiatory smell with a fragancy the costly perfumes which come steaming out of this golden Censer But alas we spunge out the memory of benefits raze out the characters of preservation we eye not our rescues after they are reached forth unto us we look not upon our pardon after it be once granted Favour hath scarce a Panegyrick or Mercy an Anniversary we consider not what it is to be freed we know not what it is to be spared To be spared from an Amerciament a Tax a Sequestration a Messenger a troublesome Officer is very operative upon us such a thing doth lye near to our hearts there is cap knee the seet tripudiate the cheeks look blith the teeth chatter at such a respect but to be spared by God there is neither reverence nor worship eccho nor extasie we desire mercy but not delight in it pray for it but not prize it weep for it but live not worthy it Oh what despisers are we of favours what a lethargy is there of mercies how seldome do we kisse Gods sparing hand Is this sense is this discerning is this gratitude is this devotion Do ye thus requite the Lord oh foolish people Let me pull the vail from the face of this beautifull Rachel and shew you what an amiable Creature she is let me represent Mercy to you and cause you to look upon her as a Celestiall Deity I do not say it is that which gave you the first quickning inched you in the womb rocked you in the cradle set you upon your leggs gave you feature and stature rudiments and reason favour and fame which bought every cloth to your backs hath put the keyes of your houses into your hands furnished your Wardrobes burnished your Dining-chambers opened your shops steered home your ships stored your Warehouses guided Customers to your thresholds filled your Coffers whereby ye are able to trade with the greatest and purchase with the richest which hath brought you from the single to the second services from the Stall to the Summer-house from the coorse dresse to the Livery and the golden Chain that hath been your Agent your Solicitour your Spoaksman in the City Friend
or sinne in thinking of his former sinnes or sin in looking upon the sinnes of others these and many other intricacies have been propounded concerning sinne but repentance doth answer all these Problems and take away all these scruples for repentance is a reparation a purgation a remedy a redintegration I do not say but the Macula the spot of sin may remaine till the day of judgement there to the greater glory of the Redeemer to be covered with the righteousnesse of Christ but the reatus the guilt is wholly removed God doth not impute it nor look upon it as a greevance No God hath received his ransome Exod. 30.12 the emnity is slaine Ephe. 2.16 there is an healing Hos 14.5 as steyned as they were before they are made as wool and as white as snow Isai 1.18 their blood is washed away Ezek. 16.9 the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah but they shall not be found Jer. 50.20 The penitent doth become forthwith a favorite and is a darling in his Princes eye Doth the humbled sinner seek for acceptance Nescit tarda molimina spiritus sanctus Justificatio fit in inftanti and doth the soul long hang in suspence is the Petition laid aside is there no answer to be gotten from Court Yes the Holy Ghost knoweth no delayes justification is in an instant The sacrifice is no sooner offered but the attonement is gotten the keyes of the Kingdome do no sooner stir but the gates of Heaven do stand open Solution I am not well skilled in what vertue suffrages have for souls departed but I am sure Absolution hath a present effect and efficacy David doth get souls-ease with a breath I have sinned against the Lord saith the King The Lord hath put away thy sin saith the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.13 Mary Magdalen doth not depart out of Christ's presence without her pardon in her hand no she sought for it by teares And he said unto her thy sins are forgiven thee Luk 7.48 Zacheus is not put to expectation what the issue of his humble acknowledgement of Christ should be no he had called him Lord and he shall presently find him a Lord for This day salvation is come to this house Luk. 19.9 This Deiopeia can be the Mother of none but a faire Progeny none but amiable beauties come out of the wombe of repentance In Goshen is nothing but light upon mount Garisim are nothing but blessings out of repentance comes nothing but a state of approbation I will rather feare that the Rainbow is not an undoubted signe to prevent a deluge and the Urim and Thummim not to be a certain Oracle to resolve doubts then I will suspect repentance to be an infallible Charter for spirituall liberties Oh that thou wert penitent I would shew thee the Serpents sting falling out of thy sides the Angell of the bottomlesse pit dropping his keyes out of his hand the Accuser of the brethren standing speechlesse in Gods Court this Jordan washing thee cleane this Bethesda healing thee of thy mortall disease the Angels of heaven comming forth to salute thee and rejoyce over thee and the Father stretching out his hands to imbrace thee and putting shooes upon thy feet a ring upon thy finger and the best robe upon thy back Whatsoever Penitent doth stand here I pronounce that he hath broken the yoak of bondage he hath leaped out of Hell and though Pharaoh and all his Host do pursue after him to catch him and to new-fetter him the Devill and his trained bands of sins do march after him to captivate him and to bring him back to his old chains yet he is out of their reach he hath left all his Enemies behind him and none shall be able to lay hands on him if he hath but past this red Sea the Egyptians whom he hath seen to day he shall see no more hereafter they all lay pickling in that brine drinking their last in that deep and quesoming bowl either swimming dead above water or lying dead upon the Shore The penitent and his sins are parted as Moses left the Court when he took upon him to be a deliverer to Israel and Zacheus left his Publicans office when hee intended to devote himself to Christ he hath given them a discharge and quite abdicated them as Ephraim said to his Idols quid mihi ultra What have I to do any more with you Hos 14.8 Repentance is the Funerall of sin and the birth-day of grace a man then shifts himself out of the tatters of naturall corruptions doth array himself in the bright vestment of regeneration as Jehoshuah put off his filthy garments put on a change of rayment upon his back and a glorious Mitre upon his head He is so transformed that not onely all the Earth doth look upon him with delight but the eye of Heaven is taken with him he need not be troubled with any of his former guilts nor fear the charge that his sins have preferred against him for the Enditement is taken out of Court he dare present himselfe before the Judge for he is sure to be justified at the Throne of grace The Penitent man shall be pardoned Nineveh shall be spared Repentance is a Vertue now can there be a Vertue which should leave a man as a spotted creature in Gods eye No they are called Purgatory Vertues Quaedam sunt virtutes transeuntium in divinam fimilituâ—inem tendentium hae vocantur virtutes purgatoriae Tho. 12 ae q. 61. art 5. virtuâ— ex ipsa ratione nonunis importat perfectionem potentiae Tho. 12 ae q. 55. art 2 Virtus uniuscujusque rei est quae opus honum reddit Aristot 2 Ethic. c. 6. which belong to men in their passage and frame in them a Divine Similitude for as naturall vertues perfect the essence so do these the operations it being impossible that there should be a Vertue where there is not a regular action because Vertue doth inherently carry a rectitude with it so soon then as this vertue is entred it doth beget a streightnesse in the Soul and raiseth up in it such a sweet composure that it may be proportionate for Divine favour God cannot but approve that which he did detest and love that which he did loath therefore God instantly doth close with the Penitent and doth give him for laying open his plague-sore the application of a plaister and for his searching his waies the razing out of his foot prints and for his rent heart a reconciled brest and for his teares clean water to purge him and for lifting a brow to Heaven the light of his countenance The Penitent hath no sooner made his addresses but he hath a gratious reception for Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Esa 55.9 Return oh backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger
at Court your Steward by day and your Chamberlain by night but I passe by variety of blessings though ye cannot say but all these clusters do hang upon Mercies boughs all these swelling Rivers do flow out of Mercies vast Ocean there being not a year wherein Mercy doth not bestow amongst you Donatives nor a day wherein Mercy doth not scatter amongst you her largesses But I tell you according to my Text that Mercy is your refuge and your Shield your Castle and your Sanctuary your Sentinell your Champion your Pleader and your Patron it doth keep your feet out of the snare your necks out of the yoak your brests from the arrow your heads from the Pole-axe it is your ye that watches over you in darknesse your arm every morning it doth preserve your bodies from judgements upon Earth and save your Souls from the torments of Hell when ye are ready to be punished it doth pardon when ye are ready to be spoiled it doth spare Oh that Mercy is such a bright Star and yet that we have neither observed the Asterism nor taken the Altitude of it that we are ready to commit Idolatry to a preserving Man and yet cannot worship at the footstool of a sparing God! that Heathens have been astonished Christians have wondred and Angells admired at the sight of those protections which we have enjoyed and yet that our rescues are gone out of our eys and our deliverances out of our lips that mercy hath no memory nor preservation any observation that the pardoning God is not a magnified God that he hath for all his favours nothing but ingratitudes Benefits have no Triumphs Mercy doth not wear her Crown the impressions of blessings are worn out the Records of safety are lost Oh that our praises were answerable to our protections But amongst multitudes which have been cleansed from the Leprosy there is but one which doth return to give thanks Oh beloved have ye tender skins can your shoulders endure no burthens do ye love to be kept from the hour of temptation do ye desire with the woman in the Revelation to have the two wings of an Eagle to fly from dangers Rev. 12.14 can ye not endure to be chastned with the rod of men broken with a tempest to be tossed like a ball in a large Country to be fanned in the gate of the land to be set as a mark for the arrow to have your teeth broken with gravell stones to drink the water of gall or to eat the bread of Mourners to be bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction to have your heads bowed down with sufferings or afflictions wreathed about your necks Doth the least distresse drive you into passions make your hearts melt within you discruciate you exanimate you cause you to tear your own flesh make a wayling like the Dragons and to belch out your sorrows with a rage that doth reach up to Heaven And is Mercy your Guardian and the Keeper of your heads to prevent all these miseries and to secure you from all these hazards and yet will ye not know her soft hand and cherishing brest not honour every joint of her preserving arme and magnifie every feather of her safegarding wings have ye honours Hymns Charmings and chauntings and none for Mercy what not a distich a semibrief for Mercy Doth Mercy bless all the Earth and is all the Earth dumb doth that spare and are we speechlesse Zeal then where are thy sparks Devotion where is thy fervent tongue what is all the worship of the times if there be no ardency to Mercy sing no more Psalms away with all your melodious tones if Mercy hath no quire and doth want her sweet singers that is a strange Chappell where Mercy hath not her Anthems Oh therefore look upon Mercy observe Mercy know her sweetnesse consider her benignity apprehend her favours take notice of her benefits and as ye love your lives tender your own blood let mercy have your life-song Oh how often hath she been unto you a refuge from the storme a cover from the face of spoils How often hath she fenced off dangers and hid you in the secret pavilion Oh therefore when this glorious Queen doth enter your streets let all the Bells in the steeple all the Tongues in the Professors heads ring a peal to the honour of mercy let there be praises parasangs Elogies and exultations songs and Selahs to exalt mercy Mercy must needs be a singular thing when God here doth plead so much to be esteemed a sparing God Should not I spare 3. This serves to shew that we have our lives upon mercy for he that doth spare Nihil admirari Plut. Tolle misericordiam Aug. Si quoties homines peccent sua fulmina inittat Jupiter might judge If with Pythagoras his Schollars corrupt nature had not taught us to wonder at nothing doubtlesse our preservations might be astonishments Take away mercy and what might we be but the spoils of divine justice If our punishments were equall to our provocations what should we be but the miserable of the world we have nothing but Compassion to be the Citadell of the Nation the Counterscarpe against battering judgements they are neither our fenced Cities nor trains of Artillery our puissant Navies nor redoubted Captains that are our security It is the mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 We have sins enough amongst us to bring all the plagues of Egypt upon us to levell our Walls like Jerichoes to consume us into the cinders of Sodome and Gomorrah Ah sinfull Nation ah people laden with iniquity a seed of evill doers Isa 1.4 in all our doings our sins doe appeare Ezek. 21.24 we have deeply corrupted our selves as in the dayes of Gibeah Hos 9.9 there are our manifold transgressions and mighty sins Amos 5.12 If there were an Ezechiel that could consider what the Ancients doe in the dark nay take notice of the abominations which are committed in the midst of Jerusalem a man would think that God were forsaking both Sanctuary and City for the riot and excesse pride and insolency spleen and malice fraud and falshood oppression and cruelty forgery and bribery perfidiousnesse and perjury hypocrisie and apostasie perverting of truth and persecuting of Religion in this Nation is such that we seem to be nothing but a hold of foul spirits and a cage of unclean birds oh what dismal vengeance and brayning judgements do these sins deserve we might think we heard the noise of a Nationall down-fall in these execrable courses Fragorem pereuntis Antiochiae jam tum in auribus ejus circumâ—onuisse Erag l. 4. c. 7. as Zozimas the Monk of Palestine heard the crack of perishing Antioch a long time before it came yea the walls and pillars of the Country might seem to melt before our destruction as the marble statues of Anthony at Alba did sweat Plutarch and could not be wiped dry before
worship and all reverence superstition Oh what an Optimus Maximus art thou what a Pâ—ssimus Minimus is God thou art a Potentate he is but an Infimate thou a Praegrand but he a Perpufill a Petite But what is this but to seaze upon Gods Crown-land and to deprive him of his Regalities and Numinalities Shall not the generall include particulars shall not the Landlord have all the rights of the Tenant Shalt thou which dost sit upon thy wooden chair and art not as big as an Elephant which hast upon thy back but a few garments of the Dâ—ers puke and the hairs of thy head not so comely as the alablaster which canst not make a leaf nor create a guat whose feet do daily touch the Earth and hast none but a company of Flesh-worms creeping about thee as Attendants vie priviledges with him which doth sit upon a Throne who is bigger then the whole Creation whose garments are as wite as swow the hairs of his head like the pure wooll which formeth the Mountains createth the wind buildeth his stories in the Heavens and hath thousand and ten thousand Angells ministring unto him No God is thy Superiour whatsoever is allowed thee must be granted him For Hadst thou and should not I Part 3. Now let us come to the stream which should flow from it and that is mercy sparing Should not I spare From hence observe that Gods naturall inclination is to compassion if he be offended doth the grievance alwaies stick at his heart no He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Micha 7.18 Mercy is his pleasure and his plea indeed ordinative justice is in God essentially but punitive justice is in God accidentally Justitia ordinans Justitia puniens because it is a strange worke strange from his sweet nature At what leisure doth he lift up the Rod he doth not punish till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 With what a difficulty doth he reject a people He cast them not from his presence as yet 2 King 13.23 for as Uladislaus King of Hungary did put up so many injuries Mutum Idolum Dubrav l. 32. that he was called the Mute Idol so God is deafe and dumb to infinite provocations Yea as Pericles when one had rayled upon him all day and followed him home at night with clamours he shewed himselfe not to be discontented at it but onely said to his servant mildly Ito hunc civem ad domum reducito Plut. in Pericle Beneficium se putabat accipere augustissimae memoriae Theodosius cum râ—garetur ignoscere Amb. de obit Theodos Go thou and lead home this Citizen to his owne house so God doth endure oftentimes our molestations patiently by day and causeth us at night to be lead home quietly Theodosius counted it for a favour when any one would intreat him to forgive and nothing is more acceptable to God than when any doth sue to him for compassion He doth wait that he may have mercy upon him Isai 30.18 Instead of bringing in an ext inguisher he doth light up a Candle Psal 18.28 instead of searing up the roots he is as the dew to the roots Hos 14.5 his cup is a cup of consolation Jer. 16.7 his bands are bands of love Hos 11.4 mercies are the sounding of his bowels Isai 63.15 the shining of his face Dan. 9.17 he doth take no delight in wounding but healing Hos 14.14 not in recording trespasses but blotting them out Nehe. 4.5 If people have any remorsefull preparations in them the comforter which should relieve their soules is not farre from them Lam. 1.16 if they can restore their obedience he will restore comforts to them Isai 57.18 if he would be accounted to abound in any thing it is to be rich in mercy Eph. 2.4 if he would be honoured in any thing it is in being magnified in mercy Gen. 19.19 The Saints which cannot rely upon him for every thing yet they can depend upon Him for this for Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity Job 7.21 Spare thy people O God and give not over thy heritage as a reproach Joel 2.17 Spare me according to thy great mercy Nehe. 13.22 and I will spare them as a father spareth his own children Mal. 3.17 A Judge oftentimes cannot forgive because he is tied to the will of another Judex veniam peccatis dare non potest quiâ— voluntati servit alienae Deus autem potest quia suae legis est dispensator judex Tertul Deus tam liberaliter omnem condona vit injuriam ut jam nec damnet ulciscendo nec confundat improperando Bern. Quo non alter amabilior but God can because he is the dispenser and judge of his own law God so liberally doth pardon all sinne that he doth damne none by revenging nor confound them by hastning their destruction Therefore let none say that we have a rigid God no the Lord with whom we have to doe is very pittifull James 5.11 Know ye not his name it is the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Know ye not his Throne it is the Throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 If the whole world were destitute of mercy yet with thee is mercy Psal 130 4. Than Augustus there was none more courteous So than God there is none more compassionate The molten Sea the Shewbread the bright Lampes the sweet Incense the Smoak of the sacrifices Moses Chayr Aarons breast-plate the preaching of the Cross the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven doe not all these proclaim mercy who would ever enter into a sanctuary heare counsail search conscience look up to heaven pray or sancrifice name a God or think of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God if there were no mercy Doe not all visions revelations covenants promises messages mysteries legall purifications evangelicall pacifications confirm this Yes mercy is the ayr in which we breathe the dayly light which doth shine about us the gracious rain of Gods inheritance it is the publique spring for all the thirsty the common Hospitall for all the needy all the streets of the Church are paved with these stones yea the very presence-Chamber is hung with nothing but this curious Arras What should become of the children if there were not these brests of consolation how should the Bride the Lambs wife be trimmed if her Bridegroom should not deck her with these abiliments how should Eden appeare like the Garden of God if it were not watered with these Rivers It is mercy that doth take us out of the wombe feed us in the dayes of our pilgrimmage furnish us with a souls stock close up our eyes in peace and translate us to a secure resting-place It is the first Petitioners suit and the first Believers Article the contemplation of Enoch the confidence of Abraham the Syrophoenicians Physick Mary Magdalens laver St Peters teare-stancher St Pauls scale-dropper the expedient
of the penitent the extasie of the reconciled the Saints Hosannah the Angels Hallelujah By this Noah swam in the Ark Moses was taken out of the Bul-rushes Jonas lived in the belly of the Whale the three Children walked in the fiery furnance Elias was taken up in a fiery Chariot Ordinances Oracles Altars Pulpits the gates of the Grave the gates of Heaven do all depend upon mercy It is the Load-star of the wandring the ransome of Captives the antidote of the tempted the prophet of the living and the ghostly father of the dying there would not be one regenerate Saint upon earth nor one glorified Saint in heaven were it not for mercy Therefore Jonas wouldst thou pluck out mine eye teare out my bowels thou art a man and thou shouldest be mercifull but I am a God and should not I be mercifull Yes if thou continuest the spighting Prophet I must be the sparing God Should not I spare Yes God will be mercifull for his own nature for the nature of mercy and for the nature of men 1. For his owne nature and that because first it is most proper to him for is it not inherent to him Yes the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Isai 54.10 Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy Formaliter de nominans ipsum Aq. Psal 86.15 Yea he is usually called in Scripture Miserator misericors The mercifull and gracious God Mercy being so in God that it is constitutive and formally denominating Him yea he doth not desire to be known so much by his omnipotency majesty or eternity as by his mercy This then as it is most expected from God so it will be most expressed by God because it is most proper to him 2. Secondly It is most honourable to him for is God so exalted in anything as in shewing of mercy no his works of power are nothing like to his workes of mercy the pardoning of one sin and the saving of one soule is more then the framing of the Universe Aug. and the creating of Angels God is to be glorified in mercy Rom. 15.9 a whole quire of Angels sung an Hymn to the honour of mercy therefore except a man would leave the Church without a Chauntry or silence all the praises in heaven God must have liberty to expresse mercy for it is to him the thing most honourable 3. Thirdly It is to him the thing most uniting for what doth draw and gather the multitudes to God but mercy There is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feard Psal 130.4 We are astonished at his glory we dread his power we flee from his justice but his mercy doth knit us to him Who would bâ— afraid of a compassionate God No the stretching out of this golden Scepter doth make us approach to him with confidence Deus est appetibilis propter bonitatem Aq. other things might separate us from God but God is appetible in respect of his goodnesse and kindness and favour and mercy Therefore that God might call in Believers and have his Courts througed with professors he doth exhibit mercy because he doth find it is the thing most uniting 2. He is mercifull for the nature of mercy For what is mercy but an efflux of a sweet disposition Condecentia bonitatis Contristants affectus ablatio mali debitae poenae remissio a sympathizing affection a remedying vertue a remitting vertue a prompt vertue which doth but expect a call and it doth present it selfe for he will be gratious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry Isai 30.19 Which doth imbrace when it might strike accept when it might abhor crown when it might crucifie which cannot contemn teares reject the prostrate nor give a repulse to the suppliant which is continually lighting up of Candles that sinners might see their errors and melting of consciences that converts might be new stamped bringing blood out of the wounds of a Redeemer â—â—at not a Captive might be left in prison it would draw men to be frighted with the pit to leap out of hell and to seale heaven Therefore God doth seem to be ravished with the beauty of this divine grace and would shew mercy even for the nature of mercy 3. He is mercifull for the nature of man For what is man in himself but one shut up in Caitiffes hole yes not only in durance under lock and key but ready to perish in the dungeon that cannot pay his Goal-fees much lesse hath money enough to buy his pardon no if God would offer him mercy yet he must not condition with him upon the easiest terms for he hath not an earnest penny to bind the bargain Breve est parvum est minus est Chrys whatsoever he can tender he is ashamed to have it mentioned it is short of the account small in respect of what is demanded yea lesse then the lowest proposition which can be made I am lesse than the least of thy mercies Gen. 32.10 If less than the least then how shall he deposite for the greatest Now how shall this necessitous creature be relieved The bitings of want are sharp and bitter Gravissimi sunt morsus necessitatis Salust At this exigent man is not wholly helplesse though he hath no succour at home yet he he hath a friend abroad Here is an object for pitty a place for divine compassion he cannot depend upon his owne meanes yet he hath something to relie on he shall be relieved out of the Exchequer If he can but cry at the grate there is a listning eare which doth hearken to him God doth expect such a suiter and is ready to satisfie his requests If he can but apprehend wants he hath felt his last of them For wherefore am I rich saith God but to supply the indigent Wherefore have I bounty but to make it a common treasury for the distressed Shall this man then perish No the mercifull God will preserve him He doth see his miseries he doth heare his plaints it is enough that he doth confesse that he doth stand in need of God and doth fly to him for redress he shal not be left without ayd yea there shal be commiseration because there is extremity God will be mercifull because of the nature of man Thus then ye see how Gods inclination is for mercy and the reasons for it how then is Jonah in a distraction he is too bold to inculcate upon the ruining point as if he would put indignation into Gods eye vengeance into his brest swords spears thunderbolts balls of wildsire into his hand Can God consent to such a furious Prophet no saith God neither mine own nature nor the nature of mercy nor the nature of man will suffer me to subscribe to thee therefore
in his old puddle for this were but to hide sin a little out of sight and not to put away the evill of our workes from before his eyes to heat our cankred mettall but not purely to purge away our dross and our time It is to sorrow to shame and not to sorrow to repentance Any Euripus can have such a present flowing any Proteus can have such a momentary shape oh it is an heavy thing Nil citiùs lachryma arescit Adag Novit vias quibus effugiat Encrates when nothing doth dry sooner then a teare and that men do repent but not to stay with God that Eucrates doth know his creeping holes by which he may get out againe It is in vain ever to undertake the work of repentance if we doe not put away iniquity farre from our Tabernacle Job 22.23 and throughly amend our wayes and our doings Jer. 7.5 We must keep our selves as undefiled as morall diligence can preserve our purity we must abstain from all appearance of evill hate even the garment spotted by the flesh Puri simus prout moralis diligentia servet Toler Stow. Desti laborare oculis Philostrat in Sophistis our familiar sins we should cast off when we begin to repent as Henry the 5th cast off his old Comrades when he began to raigne if they present their selves with the greatest amiablenesse we should see no beauty in them as Isaeus when a rare Paragon was shewn him and was asked whether she was not faire and fit for his dalliance he answered I know not for I have given over to be guided by my eyes Isabella of Portugall Turquet Suidas Dominus meus Crucifixus felle aceto potatus est ego oleum edamâ— Murul l. 4. c. 2. after she was converted affected nothing which might please the senses Origen so abated the vigour of sensual desires that he seemed to carry but a withered body about him Palaemon was wont to tast nothing that was pleasant for my crucified Lord drank Gall and Vinegar and shall I eat oyl Oh that the Nazarites Rechabites and Essences could live with so much contempt towards worldly pleasures and that we cannot abdicate wonted jovisances Is this the dying wound of mortification is this the sacrificing knife of repentance What repent and keep the Concubine still in thy house bowse with Boon-fellows comply with Temporisers not loose one new fashion not abate one writ a prodigious hideous repentance Thy Covenant with the Devill remains uncancelled thy old elves suck thy paps and what art thou then but still possessed or haunted Wilt thou come leprous out of Jordan No repentance should heal up thy botches and bring a new skin upon thee reform thy manners transform thy affections make thee Saint all over Did the Ninivites repent only by sitting upon ash-heaps wearing of sackcloth or being pinched in their entralls were they as enormous flagitious detestable execrable sinners as ever No repentance had eaten out their corruptions cut out the coare of disobedience made them sound in their inwards Nineveh hath washed her face rinsed her conscience the filthy Channels are swept yea the whole City cleansed oh with delight and pleasure may a man look upon such a purified place it is able to ravish every eye There were sins but Repentance hath chased them out of the walls there were evill waies but what foot now doth follow the old tracks No let them turn every one from his evill way 18. A reformation of oppression For the Ninivites thought of the violence of their hands that whereas Nineveh had been a bloody City and the whip departed not from it they now begin to think of the cut veins and lashed sides they had caused in the City how many there were that were to accuse them for cruelty and to impeach them of tyranny And indeed that is a very formall superficiall repentance where men are not sensible of their damnifying injurious courses oppression is of a skarlet hew yea it is put amongst the number of crying sins Shall a man desire God to remove judgements when he doth remove Land-marks or to cast away his rod when he himself doth chastise with Scorpions or that he might have a tast of free mercy when he doth eat the fruits of others without mony shall a man repent with his Bears teeth in his head or his Lions skin upon his back No it is in vain for any man to sigh for compassion where the sighes of the poor do cry for vengeance Can a man think to pacifie God till he hath pacified the world Doth God look upon Oppressours with a pleasing eye no they are Monsters and Horrours to him How are they described in Scripture Oh that they had eyes clear enough to see their own Natures they are pricking briars Ezech. 28.24 threshing instruments Amos 1.3 mighty hunters Gen. 10.9 Wolves of the evening Zep. 3.3 which take up all with the Angle and gather all with the drag Hab. 1.15 which thrust with thigh and shoulder Ezech. 34.21 which smite with the fist of wickednesse Es 58.4 which swallow people alive as the grave Pro. 1.12 which groundsell their estates with damages roof them with detriments plaister them with the brains of widows and hang them with the skins of Orphans Ex rapto viâ—â—â— vunt Coel. Rodig l. 18. c. 1 Judaea latronibus repleta est Joseph Antiq l. 17. Praedatum expugnatum in nomine Dei tendite Azaur 34 Qui hoc potitur de finibus agri dicit legitimè Plut. in Lysandro which keep a shambles of butchers meat and have their Cauldrons boyling with the limbs and quarters of poor people chopt in pieces with their cleavers which like the Cardaces amongst the Persians live upon Pillage which fill a Nation full of nothing but thieves as Josephus said when the Prison dores were set open to condemned men which did mind nothing but free booty and plunder as if they lived under Mahomets Law which did determine all rights by power or as Lysander they settle all Titles by the sword Now can the just God endure such rapacious and savage creatures no he which is the Pleader for the poor will not be the Patron of Oppressours Till they have cured their blood-shotten eyes let them not look up to Heaven for pardon till they have quit their hands of violence let them not stretch out their hands for mercy Hath God given to every man his own Inclosure to own the Hedge-breaker or allowed every man the freedom of his own bark to justifie the Pirate No Wo be to him that buildeth a Town with blood and stablisheth a City by iniquity Is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the Fire and weary themselves for very vanity Habbac 2.12 13. Hear this oh yee that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the Land to faile saying when will the new Mooon be gone that wee may sell Corn and the
Neighbours if they seem to out-top them and count them Giants Monsters of mankind if they have a larger proportion then themselves Why shouldst thou be my superiour why should not I be as great as thou This is with Tarquinius the proud to lop off the heads of the poppies in the Garden till all be brought to the same height or to serve men as that inhuman Hoast Procrustes served his guests who laid them all in one bed and they which were too long for the bed he cut them shorter and they which were too short for it he stretched them out to belonger But is there an equality in other things that people would expect a parity amongst men Are all stars of the same brightnesse all Pearls of the same lustre all Mines of the same richnesse all Fowls of the same swiftnesse all Beasts of the same bignesse all Trees of the same fruitfulnesse No Nature hath her differences and why not the like amongst men Yes before ye can reduce men to an evennesse and an identical greatnesse ye must first bring them all to the same height complexion strength Hecale pauperrima fuit de eâ dixit Plaut tus in â—istellaira St quidem eris ut â—olo nun â—uam Hecase fies humour wit and trade Indeed I know Nature cannot endure to be under or if people could live as some of their familiars do desire get promotions by wishes there would not be a Hecale that is a poor person in the world But this cannot be for there will be diversity of men if there were but two twins living alone upon earth howsoever as the world is now peopled Tu in legione ego in culina Nec toga nes focus est nec tritus cimice lectus Martial lib. 11. Epig. Si hunc sustuleris universum interit Chrys in Ps 148. it is but a stage of severall Actors the Adage saith well Thou a Commander in an Army another a drudge in the Kitchin there is one richly clad and hath his warm fires to beak himselfe at and soft lodging every night and another to whom their is neither coat nor hearth nor well drest bed Human society cannot subsist without a superiority take away a Chiefe and the whole world will go to ruine Were all the parts in Nebuchadnezzars Image alike The body is not one member but many if the whole body were an eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling 1 Cor. 12. Therefore the Scripture speaketh of Princes of the Assembly Numb 16.2 Ancients of the people Isai 3.14 Such as are set over the Congregation Numb 27.16 Heads of the house of Jacob. Mic. 3.9 Dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 Principalities and Powers Tit. 3.1 Shields of the earth Psal 47.9 Foundations of the earth Psal 82.5 Mountaines of Israel Ezeck 36 1. Men higher then Agag Num. 24.7 Which have the key Isai 22.22 Bear the sword Rom. 13.4 Hold the Scepter Amos 1.5 And excellent Majesty is added to them Dan. 4.36 Therefore content thy selfe with thine own state and condition every one doth not carry a Governour about him nor doth he find a Ruler in his Scabbard nor puffe out himselfe a Magistrate by stout language He is not skinned Prince nor doth bring a Scepter out of his Cradle much less can Crown himself with the principle of equality what Myriads of Dynasts and Despots and Imperiall Creatures would there be if the Doctrine of parity were pure Revelation But in all Ages there have been and to the last age there will be Orders and Degrees yea to the world end we shall see the ignoble and the noble the impotent and the potent the needy and the full the subject and the soveraign the small City and the great City Should not I spare Nineveh a great City 3. This doth exhort every one to be sensible of his greatnesse for oh that God hath made thee great and that he hearth nothing of his own bounty that he hath raised thee and yet thou art silent under such a liberall Benefactor that thou art great onely in thy ostentation or haughtinesse but not in thy thankfulnesse where is thy praise for such preferment thy sacrifice for such greatnesse No the Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his masters Grib but God doth raise up servants which know not their own Master or hath maintained Pensioners that understand not the royall hand of their own gracious Prince Antoninus Caracalla doth vex Cilo Vexavit Cilonem qui eum educaverat Dion Nescire se utrum in numero hominum an Deorum poneret Plut. in Lycurgo who had brought him up So we grieve our Fost r-father Lycurgus that was so good that Apollo knew not whether he should put him into the number of men or Gods and which had given such singular laws to his Lacedemonians and done so many good offices for them yet his last reward was to have stones cast at him and after one of his eyes struck out to be banished the Country So we recompence God rather with injuries and indignities for his favours than with any commemoration of his mercies Bless the Lord O my soul saith David and forget not all his benefits Psal 103.2 A high duty and very few there are amongst us that are officious in it we receive many blessings out of his hands but he doth receive very few blessings out of our lips instead of not forgetting all his benefits there is scarce one that doth stand upon record or is engraven into our thankful souls no we are so far from singing a Benedictus that the blessing is no sooner handed but we are ready to sing a Valedictus How us this Land embroydered with mercies Blessings are the chekerwork of heaven but are there any carved pillars amongst us where these favours are cut out and graphically pourtrayed God many Temples in this Nation but few of them are consecrated Te Deum is not sung in them God doth not seem to inhabit the praises of Israel We leave God so soon as our turns are served as Diomedes left Callirhoe so soon as shee had saved him from the fury of her father Lycas Sabel l.c. 7.2 who was wont to sacrifice all his strange guests upon the Altar of Mars Pro gratiarum actione nihil aliud scripsit Caesari quam Mihi nihil Macrob. Saturn l. 2. c. 4. Augustus paid all the debts of a decayed Senator unasked but he returned him no other thanks but this unthankful rescript To me nothing so let God disburse never so much to us or for us yet we suppress all his bounty we cast up all the sums in naked empty Ciphers To us nothing But oh beloved doth man for favours meet with no better requitall Yes the Abideni having their City taken by slaves they upon a certain time being drunk a woman leaping over the wall and acquainting them with the accident to the honour of the woman they set up an Image with her
if man be the Protonotary in Gods Court to have the chiefe hand in his Records and Decrees If he had power to bring Gods mercy under his restraint and to bind Gods orders in his narrow lists we should have strange determinations We doome upon earth and damn to hell many persons as if they had sinned beyond favour and were too great to be pardoned Mary Magdalen should have been a weeping Lady till death if she had wept till Simon had stanched her teares Not a Publican or Harlot though never so penient should have raigned above if the Scribes Pharisees had had the keys of the kingdom of heaven and had had the office to put on Crowns Man is a rigid and severe sentencer God keep thy estate from his justice thy life from his verdict and thy soul from his charity Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth This people which know not the law are cursed Who is this David who is this son of Ishai there be many men now adayes that run away from their Master There are men so liberal of their judgements that we may say to them as Diogenes said to one in the like kind Quà m nuper de coelo venisti Laert. l. 6. How long is it since thou camest out of heaven They are settling of other mens future estates when they had more need to be ordering their present callings or howsoever not to pronounce beyond their Trades as Ptolomy rebuked a smith who would needs be spending his opinion upon Musick Dost not consider Eras l. 6 Apoph saith he How thou speakest beyond thy Hammer Where these men have liberty many a wicked man shall be justified and many a righteous man shall be condemned as Megabysus magnified the coorse Pictures of Apelles but by no meanes he would give in his approbation to those which were drawne by true art Aelian l. 2. Var. Hist That attempt which hath gotten the successe by basenesse shall be more cryed up then that which hath been advanced by noblenesse as the people admired the Pyramide Eras in Sim. that Rhodope the Harlot built more then all those which the brave Kings of Aegypt erected But doth God sayl according to mans Load-star or march according to his beating the Drum Is the circumference of divine favour measured according to the stretching of these compasses Do those cheyms go according as these Clocks doe strike Is Gods ballance guided by these weights below or do his Orbs turn about according to the motion of the worlds Primum mobile Shall every one be a sinner that man doth call Malignant or every one a Saint whom he doth put into his Calender No I would be loath to have my conscience brought up as a pupill in this University or my soul to clear her innocency before this Tribunall Man hath a cursing humour and is apt to reprobate too much we should have wretches by scores nay sons of perdition by myriads if man had the Book of life in his keeping But Gods mercy doth exceed mans severity he hath a Spring-tide that by some secret influences doth rise higher in the Channell then the ordinary course of this brackish Ocean would make it to flow The woman taken in Adultery shall be acquitted though those brayners with stones taken out of Moses Law would have had her knocked down not considering how nigh their own skulls were to pelting That modest Petitioner that durst not come too near nor speak too loud which had rather lift up his eyes then lift up his tongue and carry it with knocking upon his brest then knocking out selfe-fancies which hath nothing in his lips but an arraignment or a Petition of grace God be mercifull to me a sinner shall depart away justified sooner than he which justified himselfe and quavered upon his personall innocency I thank God I am not as other men are and had no other style for the disconsolate Petitioner than that snarling scorn This Publican God hath compassion where man hath no bowels and pitty where man hath nothing but reproach Two Brabant horsemen came over to help Edward the second against the Scots but hearing nothing but scandals uttered against Robert Bruce whom they knew to be a prince of admired worth though the cry of the Souldiery was wholly in the defamation of Robert Hector Poeth l. 14. yet they openly prayed for his happy successe and deserted our Army Amanus Aurelianensis going to his Bishoprick desired Agrippinus the Governour of the City that the Prison doors might be set open to honour his entrance with the release of condemned men he denyed it and said They were all Villains and Monsters and should suffer the paines of death oh no saith Amanus there may be some men amongst them as just as our selves therefore I pray you release them lest God doth declare their innocency the Governour still denyed it till a stone fell miraculously from heaven and so bruised him that he was glad to free them Bonsin l. 4. Dec. 1. whom he would gladly have executed The Magistrates of Thebes whould have condemned Epaminondas because he went and sought against the Arcadians and Messenians though they had given him commission onely because he would not return back at their command to give answer to a frivolous accusation but the Citizens seeing him come home with Honour and Conquest and knowing the integrity and innocency of their famous Captaine Probus in Epaminonda in despight of the peevish Magistrates got him to be discharged So God doth assoyle where man doth accuse and justifie where man hath nothing but hard censure both in his lips and heart Gods rule and mans square do differ He will not have mercies confined according to mans limitations God and Jonah are here in a contest the two Bars vary Nineveh must perish at the one because it is That great City Nineveh is spared at the other because it is That great City Thirdly God would spare Nineveh That great City because he desireâ—h to be honoured in a great Preservation Gillas habuit praecordia liberalitatis benignum finum that he might be said to have in him as it was said of Gilias of Agrigentum the heartstrings of liberality and the bosome of benignity God would be abundant in goodnesse Exod. 34.6 and save by a great deliverance Gen. 45.7 not spare a particular eminent person or a distinct eminent family but That great City that upon all the glory there might be a defence Es 4.5 this is the triumph of divine favour or the Trophe which he doth aime at to be pight up to the honour of his Commiseration then is God conspicuous like himself when great Countries great Nations great Churches participate of his mercy that it might be said here God hath been Ensigne-bearer here is his great Banner flourishing and his very Buckler hung up The whole Camp of Israel defended by God raising up one David to kil the great
thou hast neglected them he may have sent many motions to thy conscience and thou hast quenched them he may inflict many judgements upon thee and thou hast contemned them but hath God no more arguments yet to use Yes he hath pleasure in unrighteousnesse hardnesse of heart consusion everlasting damnation yet to urge thee with either on earth or in hell God will have the upper hand When thou thinkest God hath spoken all yet he hath more to say as here he had used many reasons to Jonas and he is able to make an addition an enlargement And also Thirdly This doth shew That God is most passionate for mercy ye never find that God doth argue for justice as here he doth plead for mercy no he will reason and enlarge for mercy Mercy pleaseth him Miseri cordia scepetrum tenet Fasciculus Temp. p. 2. Quid est misericordia mea Totum quicquid sum de misericordia tua sum Fecistâ— me ut sim sed non fecisti me uthonus sim Aug. Concion 2. in Ps 59. he doth bear the name of it and it is his delight God hath many attributes but mercy holdeth the Scepter God is the God of my mercy Psal 59.17 What is this God of my mercy Namely whatsoever I am I am of mercy for thou hast made me that I should be but thou hast not made me that I should be good no this doth come from mercy so that mercy is above all the Creation How is God desirous to shew mercy how is he angry when he cannot shew mercy He cometh leaping over the mountains Cant. 2.8 when he should shew mercy Currit dum succurrit He doth ran that he might relieve but he doth make no such hast when he should execute judgment no what a going down and examining parlying and expostulating is there Non dixit Ponam sagittam in nubibus sed arcum Amb. l. de Noah arca c. 17. Playfer Concion ad Cler. post pestem in verbum Sufficit before he will powre vengeance upon Sodom it self He hath set his how in the clouds It is not said he hath set his arrow in the clouds no his bow without an arrow as if God must be forced beyond his Covenant when he doth let fly an arrow to stick in the brest of a sinfull person or a sinfull Nation He cannot deny himself there is meant by himself his mercy yet as one well observeth it is not said he cannot deny his mercy but he cannot deny himselfe because his mercy is himselfe it is so himselfe that when justice is mentioned in scripture mercy is doubled The Lord is merciful and righteous yea our God is mercifull Ps 116.5 as if mercy were a Counter-guard on this side and on that before and behind to justice Oh then that mercy is thus dear unto God and not so precious unto us that we desire any thing in God rather then his mercy we would have his wisdom perhaps or his power and if we could his glory and eternity but we care not for his mercy What affections do there glow in us towards mercy what motions have we made for mercy what preparations are we qualified with for entertainment of mercy no this Mannah this Angels food is light bread in our esteems we will not step out of our Tents to gather a gomer full of it People refuse the waters of Shiloah which run softly Esa 8.6 But oh beloved let us desire to enjoy from God that which is most divine that which is the most principall efflux of his everlasting essence and is not mercy most eminent in God yes it is the bosom and bowels of God How excellent mercy is in Gods esteem ye may find here in my Text he hath never done reasoning and pleading to be a sparing God he hath argument and enlargement for it And also Fourthly this doth serve to shew that one of the most incorrigible sins is envy for Jonah is spightfull and with what a difficulty doth God reclaim him he is enforced to use argument upon argument and at last to put in an enlargement And also Anger is cruell and wrath is raging but who can stand before envy Prov. 27.4 the Devill is called The envious No marvail our Saviour gave his new commandement for love and his last legacy for peace for mans heart is inclined to any thing rather then to love and peace malice and pertinacy envy and obstinacy usually go together the envious heart of Esau against Jacob of Saul against David of the Jews against the Gentiles do hardly come down yea next to originall sin this sin is propagated it doth run in a blood it is crimen semen partûs the sinne as well as the seed of the birth Invidia genus est inimicitiae intractabile quidem atque admodum insuperabile Bas Serm. in Invidiam Non sic abibunt odia vivaces aget violentus iras animus saevus dolor aeterna bella pace sublata geret Sen. in Here. Fur Canes educatione mansuâ—scunt Leonâ—s obsequio tractabiles fiunt Invidi tantum officiis agrâ—stiores evadunt Bas ser de Invidia the child doth partake of the Parents envy as well as his name or nature it is ex traduce it is hereditatory howsoever a pernicious sin it is and very permanent fires may be quenched and diseases may be cured but many engines must work to put out this flames and the skilfullest Physitians administer to purpose to remove this malady Envy is a kind of displeasure intractable and almost insuperable As Juno said against Hercules so do too many pronounce against their enemies Hatreds shall not thus depart an enraged spirit shall drive on living distasts and cruell spight all peace laid aside shall wage everlasting wars Dogs with usage will grow gentle and â—ions with observance wax tractable but the envious with courtesies remain savage Take heed therefore how thou dost strike fire into his tinder how this leaven doth spread in the lump how this root of bitternesse doth come to spread in thy affections for if thou beest envious thou art even inexorable how must thou be waited upon and worshipped how many motions must be made how many meetings must be set how many meek men must be troubled about one stubborn man how many wise men about one mad man before a disterence can be compromised or a displeasure forsooth perhaps not worth a flies spleen or a dogs anger can be taken out of thy festered heart Thou maist see it here in my Text how is God molested here with froward Jonah his splenative Prophet he had conceived a spight against Nineveh and what a pleading must there be to bring him into his right temper again there must be an amplifying of reasons terque quaterque three and four times to be perswaded will not serve the turn no God must presse many particulars and after a multitude of arguments he must bring in an enlargement And also Should not I spare