A17286:420
The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…
The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of Numbers, verse 24. By Jer. Burroughs minister of Gods Word.The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of Numbers, verse 24. By Ier. Burroughes minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Miles for R. Dawlman, 1639
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And observe a second difference; all Gods paths are mercy to his people, not some few; there are none of Gods dealings, but aim at good towards them; if God should cause one favour to follow another towards some wicked man, out of the fullness of his bounty; yet it cannot be said of any wicked man in the world, that all the paths of God are mercy towards him. God hath his paths of wrath and judgement, wherein he is coming towards him, though he be little aware of it: But this blessing of all the paths of God being mercy, is a peculiar blessing to such as follow the Lord fully, in the uprightness of their hearts, in all the ⟨p. 373⟩paths of service and obedience.
And observe a second difference; all Gods paths are mercy to his people, not some few; there are none of Gods dealings, but ayme at good towards them; if God should cause one favour to follow another towards some wicked man, out of the fulnesse of his bounty; yet it cannot be said of any wicked man in the world, that all the pathes of God are mercy towards him. God hath his pathes of wrath and judgement, wherein he is comming towards him, though hee bee little aware of it: But this blessing of all the pathes of God being mercy, is a peculiar blessing to such as follow the Lord fully, in the uprightnesse of their hearts, in all the ⟨p. 373⟩pathes of service and obedience.
And thirdly, observe yet a greater 1difference than the former: All the paths of God are not only mercy, but mercy and truth to his people: though God may show mercy to others, yet he hath not tied his mercy to them by his truth; they cannot challenge mercy from him by virtue of his truth; if they have mercy, it is more than they could have expected; they cannot be sure of the continuance of it one hour; they have nothing to show for their mercy; they do not hold their mercy upon that Tenor of Gods truth which his people do. Nay, when God comes to make good his truth, to give his truth the glory of it, then there is an end put to their mercy; it is cut off from them; but there is a blessed connection between Mercy & Truth in the good which Gods people do enjoy; according to the like expression in the forenamed 36.