Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Secondly, This doth highly exalt God, and that in several respects.

First, It exalts the mercy of God. Now it appears that mercy in its proposals of salvation comes down to the very lowest terms; it will adopt, justify, and sanctify an yielding sinner, and how can it possibly go lower? should he adopt such as will not suffer him to draw his picture upon their hearts? when ⟨p. 165⟩Thomas Arundel was for his Martial merits made Earl of the Empire, Queen Elizabeth said, that her sheep should not be stamped alieno stigmate, with another mans mark; as long as men will keep the worlds and Satan's mark upon them, God cannot tell how to call them sons; can he justify the ungodly? to justify the ungodly repenting and resigning is his infinite grace, but to justify them hardening and rebelling is impossible to his holiness, should be count them pure with the wicked balances, Mic. 6.11. every unresigned sinner hath a wicked balance in his heart, which makes as if a little sinful pleasure did outweigh God himself, and can he justify such wicked ones? should the sanctifying spirit with all its train of graces, come and dwell in the unclean stable of indulged lusts? Christ the holy one of God was in his admirable humility in a stable of beasts, but in a stable of indulged lusts he cannot be; he dwells in the heart by faith, that is, in the resigning heart, and it cannot be otherwise: Mercy it self, if it comport with the justice and holiness of God, cannot make lower terms then to save the yielding sinner.

First, It exalts the mercy of God. Now it appears that mercy in its proposals of salvation comes down to the very lowest terms; it will adopt, justifie, and sanctifie an yielding sinner, and how can it possibly go lower? should he adopt such as will not suffer him to draw his picture upon their hearts? when ⟨p. 165⟩Thomas Arundel was for his Martial merits made Earl of the Empire, Queen Elizabeth said, that her sheep should not be stamped alieno stigmate, with another mans mark; as long as men will keep the worlds and Satans mark upon them, God cannot tell how to call them sons; can he justifie the ungodly? to justifie the ungodly repenting and resigning is his infinite grace, but to justifie them hardning and rebelling is impossible to his holiness, should be count them pure with the wicked balances,