An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

So that our work will be to treat of that Attribute of God, which renders the meditation and thoughts of him comfortable to us. For if he be holy, but not merciful, if infinite but not merciful, if omnipotent but not merciful, he would be a consuming fire to us. It is good therefore for the contrite sinner to hear of this Attribute, ineffabili desiderio teneor cum audio, bonus Dominus.

So that our work will be to treat of that Attribute of God, which renders the meditation and thoughts of him comfortable to us. For if he be holy, but not mercifull, if infinite but not mercifull, if omnipotent but not mercifull, he would be a consuming fire to us. It is good therefore for the contrite sinner to hear of this Attribute, ineffabili desiderio teneor cum audio, bonus Dominus.

To open this rich treasure, that is able to enrich all, who will come and take of it. Consider,

First, That God hath such an Attribute of mercy. The Scripture doth not only represent him Wise, Just and Almighty, but Merciful also, Jam. 5. 11. God is [Greek or Hebrew], He is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. The former word is from the bowels that use to move, when we are affected compassionately with any miserable object. So that Gods mercies they are bowel-mercies, he doth not only do good to us; but to speak after the manner of men, he is compassionately affected unto us, while he doth so. Hence Luke 1. 78. they are called [Greek or Hebrew], The bowls of mercy: But whether mercy may be attributed to God properly, is disputed, The Socinians they deny mercy to be an essential property to God, even as they do vindicative Justice. The Stoics they denied mercy to their wise man. Seneca grants clementia and benignitas, but not misericordia, for they defined mercy to be egritudo animi, a sickness and grief of the mind,