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…

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. Psa. 10. the loving kindness and the righteousness of God are put both together, ⟨p. 374⟩as the portion of an upright heart. And hence the mercies they have, are no other than such as they may expect, as they may build upon, before they come; such as are made over to them by the truth of God; and when they are come they may be sure to hold them, because they hold them upon such a blessed Tenure as GODS own truth. And hence the Scripture calls them sure mercies. See how confident David was of holding Gods mercies, Psalm. 23. 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And thirdly, observe yet a greater ¹difference than the former: All the pathes of God are not onely mercy, but mercy and truth to his people: though God may shew mercy to others, yet he hath not tyed his mercy to them by his truth; they cannot challenge mercy from him by vertue 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 houre; they have nothing to shew for their mercy; they doe not hold their mercy upon that Tenor of Gods truth which his people doe. 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 connexion between Mercy & Truth in the good which Gods people doe enjoy; according to the like expression in the forenamed 36.