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…

Again, There are soul-mercies, and there are bodily-mercies; There are spiritual, and there are temporal mercies, now God is the Author of both. We may sin by unthankfulness for either of them; if thou takest thy bodily-mercies as due, thy health, thy sleep, thy preservation from daily dangers, in this thou wrongest the goodness of God; for if he take away his hand but for a moment, thou canst not subsist. And as for soul-mercies, whether the natural ones of it, as thy wit, thy understanding, thy fancy, thy senses, God is the Father of them: Or the spiritual ones, there he is much more; if thou hast repentance, faith, assurance, a gracious contented heart in every condition, these are mercies of mercies, but God alone is the Father of them.

Again, There are soul-mercies, and there are bodily-mercies; There are spiritual, and there are temporal mercies, now God is the Author of both. We may sinne by unthankfulness for either of them; if thou takest thy bodily-mercies as due, thy health, thy sleep, thy preservation from daily dangers, in this thou wrongest the goodness of God; for if he take away his hand but for a moment, thou canst not subsist. And as for soul-mercies, whether the natural ones of it, as thy wit, thy understanding, thy fancy, thy senses, God is the Father of them: Or the spiritual ones, there he is much more; if thou hast repentance, faith, assurance, a gracious contented heart in every condition, these are mercies of mercies, but God alone is the Father of them.

Furthermore, There are preventing, or privative mercies, and there are positive mercies. Now the Rule is, Plures sunt gratiae privativae quam positivae, more privative favours than positive. Did not God prevent, what innumerable evils might arise every day to destroy thee? When we pray for daily bread, in that we comprehend all kind of outward bodily mercies; so that if the Lords hand were not always giving, we could not abide a day. Now seeing that by sin we are made obnoxious to all the curses in the Law, To be cursed at home, and cursed abroad. How manifold are Gods preventing mercies to us? What evil might every day bring forth to thee? What a sad night might every night be to thee, if Gods preventing mercies did not compass thee about?