I will Heal their Backsliding.] When Gods people do return unto him, and pray against sin, then God out of his free love doth heal them of it. First, he teacheth them what to ask, and then he tells them what he will give. Thus we find Conversion and Healing joined together, Isai. 6.10. They shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them, Isai. 19.22. Return, Backsliding children, I will Heal your Backslidings, Jer. 3.22. aMen if they be injured and provoked by those whom they have in their power to undo, though they return, and cry peccavi, and are ready to ask forgiveness, yet many times out of pride and revenge, will take their time and opportunity to repay the wrong. But God doth not so; His Pardons, as all his other Gifts, are without exprobrat•on; as soon as ever his servants come back unto him with tears and confession, he looks not upon them with scorn, but with joy; his mercy makes more haste to embrace them, then their repentance to return unto him, Luke 15.20. then out comes the wine, the oil, the balm, the cordials; then the wounds of a Saviour do as it were bleed afresh to drop in mercy into the sores of such a Penitent. O though he be not a dutiful, not a pleasant child; yet he is a child; though I spake against him, yet I remember him still, my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, Jer. 31.20. The Lord greatly complains ⟨p. 74⟩of the inclination of his people to backsliding, and yet he cannot find in his heart to destroy them, but expresseth a kind of aConflict between Justice and Mercy; and at last resolves, I am God and not man; I can as well heal their backsliding by my Love, as revenge it by my justice; therefore I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, but I will cause them to walk after the Lord, Hos. 11.7.10. Yea, so merciful he is, that even upon an hypocritical conversion, when his people did but flatter and lie unto him, and their heart was not right towards him, nor they steadfast in his covenant, yet the Text saith, he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity (not as to the justification of their persons, for that is never without faith unfeigned, but so far as to the mitigation of their punishment, that he destroyed them not, nor stirred up all his wrath against them, Psal. 78.34.35.)
I will Heale their Backsliding.] When Gods people do returne unto him, and pray against sin, then God out of his free love doth heale them of it. First, he teacheth them what to aske, and then he tells them what he will give. Thus we finde Conversion and Healing joyned together, Isai. 6.10. They shall returne even to the Lord, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heale them, Isai. 19.22. Return, Backsliding children, I will Heal your Backslidings, Ier. 3.22. aMen if they be injured and provoked by those whom they have in their power to undoe, though they returne, and cry peccavi, and are ready to aske forgivenesse, yet many times out of pride and revenge, will take their time and opportunity to repay the wrong. But God doth not so; His Pardons, as all his other Gifts, are without exprobrat•on; as soon as ever his servants come back unto him with teares and confession, he looks not upon them with scorn, but with joy; his mercy makes more haste to embrace them, then their repentance to returne unto him, Luke 15.20. then out comes the wine, the oyle, the balme, the cordials; then the wounds of a Saviour doe as it were bleed afresh to drop in mercy into the sores of such a Penitent. O though he be not a dutifull, not a pleasant childe; yet he is a childe; though I spake against him, yet I remember him still, my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, Jer. 31.20. The Lord greatly complaines ⟨p. 74⟩of the inclination of his people to backsliding, and yet he cannot finde in his heart to destroy them, but expresseth a kinde of aConflict betweene Iustice and Mercy; and at last resolves, I am God and not man; I can as well heale their backsliding by my Love, as revenge it by my justice; therefore I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger, but I will cause them to walk after the Lord, Hos. 11.7.10. Yea, so mercifull he is, that even upon an hypocriticall conversion, when his people did but flatter and lie unto him, and their heart was not right towards him, nor they stedfast in his covenant, yet the Text saith, he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity (not as to the justification of their persons, for that is never without faith unfained, but so farre as to the mitigation of their punishment, that he destroyed them not, nor stirred up all his wrath against them,
- a[Greek or Hebrew] Homer▪ Iliad▪ •. Quae in praese•• Tiberius civiliter habuit, sed in animo revolvente iras, etiamsi impetus offensionis languer•t, memoria valebat. Tacit. Annal. l. 4. Non enim Tiberium quamvis triennio post caedem Sejâni, quae cae•eros mollire solent, Tempus, preces, Satias mitigabant, quin ince••a & abolita pro gravissimis & recentibus puniret. Anal▪ lib. 6. vid. Aristot. Ethic. lib, 4▪ cap. 11.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Homer▪ Iliad▪ •. Quae in praese•• Tiberius civiliter habuit, sed in animo revolvente iras, etiamsi impe•us offensionis languer•t, memoria valebat. Tacit. Annal. l. 4. Non enim Tiberium quamvis triennio post caedem Sejâni, quae cae•eros mollire solent, Tempus, preces, Satias mitigabant, quin ince••a & abolita pro gravissimis & recentibus puniret. Anal▪ lib. 6. vid. Aristot. Ethic. lib, 4▪ cap. 11.
- aGravy quaedam inter virtutes videtur orta con•emio Siquidem veritas et justitia mise•um a••tigebant; pax & misericordia judicabant magis esse parcendum, &c. vid. Bern▪ serm. 1. in Annunci.Gravi• quaedam inter virtutes videtur orta con•emio Siquidem veritas et justitia mise•um atigebant; pax & misericordia judicabant magis esse parcendum, &c. vid. Bern serm. 1. in Annunci.
