Mercy is that, whereby he helpeth out of misery,1 whomsoever it pleaseth him. As he saith to MOSES, pI will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and I will have mercy, on whom I will have mercy. And the qProphet in the Lamentations, It is the wonderful kindness of JEHOVAH that we are not consumed, for his mercies fail not: yea, he waiteth, as the Prophet speaketh, rto show mercy to us, being full of compassion in all our miseries and necessities. sA help in affliction very ready to be found, as the Psalmist saith. Thus he tempereth his mercy with his Justice, as it were water to allay the heat of his burning wrath. A virtue that above all other he appropriateth to himself, and taketh as it were most pleasure in: Neither doth he so oft call himself a just and righteous, as he doth a gracious and merciful God. Therefore, beside his patience and long sufferance inviting us to Repentance, he doth humble himself, as it were, to mens infirmity, using all the means and helps whereby our coldness may be quickened, and our affections stirred up to seek him. To this end he giveth us his Word and Sacraments, confirmeth the same by covenants, promises, oaths and miracles, pulleth us unto him by chastisements and corrections, censures and admonitions. To conclude, he spareth nothing that may serve for our good. And when all this prevaileth not, when none of his disciplines and instructions is able to bow our stony hearts, nor to make them fleshle and soft, that needs he must proceed to Judgement, tyet both in his wrath he remembereth mercy. And where mens obstinacy ⟨p. 15⟩makes that there is no place for mercy, he punisheth, as it were, unwillingly; and uagainst his heart xdelighting in no mans destruction, nor taking pleasure in the death of a 9Sinner, but rather that he may return from his ways and live: for I speak not yet of that which is peculiar to his Church and chosen Children, towards whom his Love doth without all comparison infinitely excel: but whatsoever cometh that way to us from the favour of GOD reconciled in his Son, is to be handled in another place.
Mercy is that, whereby hee helpeth out of misery,1 whomsoeuer it pleaseth him. As hee saith to MOSES, pI will be gracious, to whom I will be gracious, and I will haue mercy, on whom I will haue mercy. And the qProphet in the Lamentations, It is the wonderfull kindnesse of IEHOVAH that wee are not consumed, for his mercies fayle not: yea, hee wayteth, as the Prophet speaketh, rto shew mercy to vs, being full of compassion in all our miseries and necessities. sA helpe in affliction very ready to be found, as the Psalmist saith. Thus he tempereth his mercy with his Iustice, as it were water to allay the heate of his burning wrath. A vertue that aboue all other he appropriateth to himselfe, and taketh as it were most pleasure in: Neyther doth hee so oft call himselfe a iust and righteous, as hee doth a gracious and mercifull God. Therefore, beside his patience and long sufferance inuiting vs to Repentance, hee doth humble himselfe, as it were, to mens infirmity, vsing all the meanes and helpes whereby our coldnesse may bee quickned, and our affections stirred vp to seeke him. To this end hee giueth vs his Word and Sacraments, confirmeth the same by couenants, promises, othes and miracles, pulleth vs vnto him by chastisements and corrections, censures and admonitions. To conclude, hee spareth nothing that may serue for our good. And when all this preuayleth not, when none of his disciplines and instructions is able to bow our stony hearts, nor to make them fleshle and soft, that needes hee must proceede to Iudgement, tyet both in his wrath he remembreth mercy. And where mens obstinacie ⟨p. 15⟩makes that there is no place for mercy, hee punisheth, as it were, vnwillingly; and uagainst his heart xdelighting in no mans destruction, nor taking pleasure in the death of a 9Sinner, but rather that hee may returne from his wayes and liue: for I speake not yet of that which is peculiar to his Church and chosen Children, towardes whom his Loue doth without all comparison infinitely excell: but whatsoeuer commeth that way to vs from the fauour of GOD reconciled in his Sonne, is to be handled in another place.
- 1Mercy, in being ready to help in time of need.Mercy, in being ready to helpe in time of neede.
- pExod. 33. 19.
- qLament 3. 22
- rIsaiah 30. 18.Esay 30. 18.
- sPsal. 46. 2.
- tAbac. 3. 2.
- uLam. 3. 33.
- xEzech. 18. 23
- 9This is the holiness of God, and his righteousness coming from it. Blessedness is his all-sufficiency of things that make one happy,This is the holinesse of God, and his righteousnesse comming from it. Blessednesse is his all-sufficiency of things that make one happy,
