The unbelievers preparing for Christ. By T.HThe vnbeleevers preparing for Christ. By T.H

Art thou fatherless, and cast off of the world; hast thou a fatherless soul, a motherless soul; that is, a hopeless and a helpless soul, that hath no ability to procure mercy, or to purchase grace; why, with God the fatherless findeth mercy; and therefore say, Lord, with thee the fatherless findeth mercy, I am such a one, therefore Lord I expect ⟨p. 21⟩mercy from thee. If a great rich man should proclaim, that at such a time every one that will come, may receive dole from him; if this dole now were to be purchased with money, none but the rich could receive it, but when he saith he will give to every one that comes a dole freely, then the poor may have it as well as the rich, when the dole cometh not to be purchased, but only to be received, then the beggar may have it as well as he that hath money, for the dole is not to be bought, but to be received, and therefore every one that hath but a bag to put it in, and ability to carry it away, may have it; consider this ye that God hath not called home, there is a dole of mercy to be given you from God, and God doth not intend to sell his mercy to you, but to bestow it freely upon you, and therefore if you will but come & receive it, and carry it away, you may have it, God requires nothing else of you; and therefore comfort your selves and say, Why, this mercy of God is free, others have it, and why not I Lord. Come therefore and wait upon God in his ordinances, think with thy self that the dole of mercy is to be given at such a place, at such a sermon, and therefore resolve to go thither, and say, If wisdom, or goodness, or understanding, would purchase any thing at Gods hand, then miserable creature that I were, for I have none of those, but the mercy of God is free, there is a dole of mercy freely to be given, and such and such have had it bestowed upon them, and therefore why may not I have it as well as others. And therefore ⟨p. 22⟩natural men that are burdened with abominations, and full of sin and corruptions, let them reason with their souls, and say, Why, did God convert Saul, call Abraham, and humble Manasseh, why? God did this freely, of his free mercy and goodness, did he? and why then may not I receive this mercy from the hand of the Lord also?

Art thou fatherlesse, and cast off of the world; hast thou a fatherlesse soule, a motherlesse soule; that is, a hopelesse and a helpelesse soule, that hath no ability to procure mercy, or to purchase grace; why, with God the fatherlesse findeth mercy; and therefore say, Lord, with thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy, I am such a one, therefore Lord I expect