Gods free mercy to England presented as a precious and powerful motive to humiliationGods free mercy to England presented as a pretious and powerfull motive to humiliation

2. Mercy works more kindly and sweetly than judgements. As a thick Cloud that is melted by the Suns shining upon it, distils down sweetly into a fruitful shower, but the cloud that is broken with a thunderbolt makes a mighty crack, and tears the cloud in pieces: So the mercies of the Gospel do kindly work upon the heart, opening it, as it did the heart of Lydia, and sweetly melting it into tears after a blessed and comfortable manner: But the thunder-bolt of Gods judgements makes an earth-quake, and a heart-quake, as it did upon the Gaoler, Act. 16. As the blustering winds tear up the Trees by the roots: So do the judgements of God rend and tear the heart quite in pieces, but mercies will kindly dissolve it.

2. Mercy workes more kindly and sweetly than judgements. As a thicke Cl•ud that is melted by the Suns shining upon it, distills downe sweetly into a fruitfull showre, but the cloud that is broken with a thunderbolt makes a mighty cracke, and teares the cloud in peeces: So the mercies of the Gospel doe kindly worke upon the heart, opening it, as it did the heart of Lydia, and sweetly melting it into teares after a blessed and comfortable manner: But the thunder-bolt of Gods judgements makes an earth-quake, and a heart-quake, as it did upon the Gaoler, Act. 16. As the blustering winds teare up the Trees by the rootes: So doe the judgements of God rend and teare the heart quite in peeces, but mercies will kindly dissolve it.

3. Mercies will work inwardly. Take a piece of gold, beat it with a hammer never so much, and yet you shall never separate the dross from the gold by beating of it; but put the gold into the furnace, and the fire will separate the dross from it. The hammer of the Law will batter and bruise the soul, but the dross still remains in it; but the fire of the Gospel, the furnace of Gods love will separate a man and his lusts, and purge out the filth that is inwardly got into the soul. The Sun by its hot beams made the Traveller, (as it is in the Fable) put off his Cloak, when the blustering wind made him gird his Cloak faster about him. Thus you see how mercy works more powerfully, more kindly, more inwardly. Oh that it might appear in our hearts this day, that this doctrine that I preach, is true. I read that Caesar upon a certain time with a book in his hand was hearing of Cicero pleading, and was so taken with his eloquence