Aggravation of sin and sinning against knowledge. Mercy. Delivered in several sermons upon divers…Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers…

And eighthly, how have these years and hours of thy time been filled up with goodness? and with how many comforts? For a Traitor to live, though but upon bread and water all his days, what favour is it? and so hadst thou lived all this time, never so miserably, though all thy days thou hadst eaten thy bread in darkness, and hadst had much sorrow with thy sickness, ¹(as Solomon speaks.) Some there are, who, as Job speaks,² Job 21. 15. dye in the bitterness of their souls, and never eat with pleasure, scarce seeing a good day; and if this had been thy case, yet this is infinite mercy. Even whatsoever is on this side Hell,³ is mercy. Lam. 3. 22. say they in the worst estate the Church was ever on earth, It is thy [mercies,] not mercy only, but multitude of mercies are shown us, that we are not consumed, because his mercies are renewed every morning. If at the brink of hell, and not in, it is mercy. But hath he not all this while filled thy heart with food and gladness, ⁴as the Apostle speaks, Acts 14. 17? It were infinite to go over the particular kinds of common comforts, which God vouchsafes men here: not half the riches of his goodness is yet told: It would require an age to make an Inventory of them. Hast a house in the world to hide thy head in, and keep thee from the injuries of the weather? (which was more than ⟨p. 32⟩Christ had) God he is thy Landlord, (though it may be thou payest him no rent;) he it is that builds the house, Psal. 127. 1. Hast a bed to lye upon? he makes it, especially in thy sickness, Psal. 41. 3.