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…

First, The mercy and comforts of God, this glorious Nature of his, whereby ¹he is ready to pity those that are miserable, is so to be managed in the public preaching thereof, that it be a sovereign Antidote against all despair, and yet a curb against all presumption. For so it falleth out, that we can hardly open the treasures of Gods mercy, and discover the glory of his grace and goodness to the humbled sinner, but presently the carnal profane heart is ready to encourage himself thereby. It is therefore the part of a wise Dispenser of this glad tidings, to consider the subjects with whom he hath to do, and accordingly to publish terror to whom terror is due, wrath to whom wrath is due. And then on the other side, peace to whom peace belongs, mercy to whom mercy belongs. Though therefore God style himself, The God of the fatherless, and the widow, that he is pitiful to such as are miserable: Though very wicked (it may be) and profane, yet this is with a general mercy only; his peculiar and special mercies are only to those that fear him. If then a man go on wilfully in his ungodly ways, if he will still retain his transgressions, he must not think to find God merciful to him, he will find David's prayer fulfilled, Psal. 59. 5. Be not merciful to any wicked transgressor. This bread is for children, not for dogs; yet how difficultly can we keep such off from applying this mercy to themselves? Those are commonly most confident of it, to whom it doth not belong; therefore beastly men are barred off from coming near this Mount; This pearl is kept from Swine. When we meet with broken contrite hearts, here we display the mercy of God with all our might; To such we say, Gods mercies are infinitely more than their sins; That although they had the sins of all the men in the world, yet they were but as a drop to the Sun-beams ⟨p. 153⟩of his mercy, which will quickly dry them up: To such we say, God doth as easily pardon great sins, as little; as the Sun doth enlighten one place with as much ease as another: To such we say, That it's their duty to hope in Gods mercy; that they cannot dishonour God more than by looking upon him, as one who is hardly brought to remit offences: That it is Gods will we should come to this fountain, and drink abundantly of it.

First, The mercy and comforts of God, this glorious Nature of his, whereby