B. Is the offer of Christ and Life no mercy? Is all Gods patience and forbearance, as a means to lead them to repentance, no mercy? Is all the teaching, persuading, entreating condescension of Christ, no mercy? See what error here you run into, and how contrary to Scripture, and to nature it self?
1. You contradict Gods Word, which frequently calleth them mercies, Psal. 145. 9. & 106. 7. 45. Neh. 9. 19, 27, 28, 31. Jon. 4. 2. Rom. 2. 4. Matth. 18. 33. Isa. 63. 9. Ezek. 16.
2. You deny the chiefest part of mens duty; even to accept of mercy, to improve mercy, to be thankful for mercy, to be led by Gods good-ness to Repentance, to use mercies as Gods Talents to his Glory, &c. If you say, They know not but they are mercies; you feign God to bind men to duty, but by deceit: It is as mercies, and not as that which for ought they know may be mercies, that they are to be valued, used, &c.
3. You excuse men from the greatest aggravation of their sin: even sinning against Mercies: How can they sin against them that have none.
4. You feign Gods Justice to be straggly glorified, by damning men in Hell for ever, for sinning against mercy, who never had any to sin against.
5. You will make Conscience justify the Wicked, and condemn Gods Judgments in Hell, instead of justifying God, and accusing themselves.
6. You must accordingly conclude that you never showed mercy to Child, Neighbour, or any but the Elect your self, (because it was all to end in misery) or else that you were to them more merciful than God.
7. When man is made in Gods Image, and we must be holy and merciful as our heavenly Father is, you set all men such a pattern of mercy and justice, as you would be loth your Prince or Parent should imitate.
8. You expose Christ's most compassionate tears to reproach, when, Luke 19. he looked on Jerusalem and wept over it, as having had a day of mercy; and when Matth. 23. he saith, How oft would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings, and ye would not.—
⟨p. 142⟩9. You teach all Gods Children in the World, to acknowledge no mercy, nor be thankful for any, till they are sure that they are Elect. And how few have that assurance?
10. You injure the Lord Jesus and his Covenant of Grace, while you say, that a conditional Gift of Christ and Life, Pardon and Salvation, even if they will but accept it, is no mercy to any that refuse it;
B. Is the offer of Christ and Life no mercy? Is all Gods patience and forbearance, as a means to lead them to repentance, no mercy? Is all the teaching, perswading, intreating condescension of Christ, no mercy? See what error here you run into, and how contrary to Scripture, and to nature it self?
1. You contradict Gods Word, which frequently calleth them mercies, Psal. 145. 9. & 106. 7. 45. Neh. 9. 19, 27, 28, 31. Jon. 4. 2. Rom. 2. 4. Matth. 18. 33. Isa. 63. 9. Ezek. 16.
2. You deny the chiefest part of mens duty; even to accept of mercy, to improve mercy, to be thankful for mercy, to be led by Gods good-ness to Repentance, to use mercies as Gods Talents to his Glory, &c. If you say, They know not but they are mercies; you feign God to bind men to duty, but by deceit: It is as mercies, and not as that which for ought they know may be mercies, that they are to be valued, used, &c.
3. You excuse men from the greatest aggravation of their sin: even sinning against Mercies: How can they sin against them that have none.
4. You feign Gods Justice to be stragely glorified, by damning men in Hell for ever, for sinning against mercy, who never had any to sin against.
5. You will make Conscience justifie the Wicked, and condemn Gods Judgments in Hell, instead of justifying God, and accusing themselves.
6. You must accordingly conclude that you never shewed mercy to Child, Neighbour, or any but the Elect your self, (because it was all to end in misery) or else that you were to them more merciful than God.
7. When man is made in Gods Image, and we must be holy and merciful as our heavenly Father is, you set all men such a pattern of mercy and justice, as you would be loth your Prince or Parent should imitate.
8. You expose Christ's most compassionate tears to reproach, when, Luke 19. he lookt on Jerusalem and wept over it, as having had a day of mercy; and when Matth. 23. he saith, How oft would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her Chick•ns under her wings, and ye would not.—
