The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

2. Evil things are Mercies to you. Pardon of sin makes Poverty, Afflictions, Sickness, Death it self a Mercy: Like the Unicorns horn, it takes away the venom and poison of every Water: Like the Philosophers-stone, it turns All into Gold. So saith the Apostle— All things work together for good unto them that love God. A Sanctified-Cross, is better than an Unsanctified Comfort. A loss in Mercy, is better than an enjoyment in Wrath.

2. Evil things are Mercies to you. Pardon of sin makes Poverty, Afflictions, Sickness, Death it self a Mercy: Like the Unicorns horn, it takes away the venome and poyson of every Water: Like the Philosophers-stone, it turns All into Gold. So saith the Apostle— All things work together for good unto them that love God. A Sanctified-Cross, is better than an Unsanctified Comfort. A loss in Mercy, is better than an enjoyment in Wrath.

You are never able to make it good, that God doth bestow any thing in mercy, till sin be forgiven. Guilt of sin upon you doth turn the nature of things, and makes those things which are good in themselves, evil to you.

5. It is an irrevocable-mercy—God may give in other mercies, and call for them again. Indeed other things are rather lent, than given: Lent Husband, Lent Wife, &c. Hence they are said to be but Talents in our hands, and we Stewards of them ⟨p. 34⟩for a time. God may call for them when he pleaseth; or we may forfeit them, and lose them.