A Body of Practical Divinity

1. By his entreating of sinners to come and lay hold on his Mercy; Rev. 22.17. Whosoever will, come and take the water of life freely. Mercy woes sinners, it even kneels down to them. It were strange for a Prince to entreat a condemned Man to accept a Pardon. God saith, poor sinner, suffer me to love thee, be willing to let me save thee.

1. By his intreating of sinners to come and lay hold on his Mercy; Rev. 22.17. Whosoever will, come and take the water of life freely. Mercy woes sinners, it even kneels down to them. It were strange for a Prince to entreat a condemned Man to accept a Pardon. God saith, poor sinner, suffer me to love thee, be willing to let me save thee.

2. By his joyfulness when sinners do lay hold on his Mercy. What is God the better, whether we receive his Mercy or no? What is the Fountain profited that others drink of it? Yet such is God's goodness, that he rejoiceth at the Salvation of sinners, and is glad when his Mercy is accepted off. When the Prodigal Son came home, how glad was the Father? and he makes a Feast to express his joy. This was but a Type or Emblem, to show how God rejoiceth when a poor sinner comes in, and lays hold of his Mercy. What an Encouragement is here to believe in God, he is a God of Pardons, Nehem. 9.17. Mercy pleaseth him, Micah 7.18. Nothing doth prejudice us but Unbelief. Unbelief stops the current of God's Mercy from running: It shuts up God's Bowels, closeth the Orifice of Christ's Wounds, that no healing Virtue will come out, Matth. 13.58. He could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. Why dost thou not believe in God's Mercy? Is it thy sins discourage? God's Mercy can pardon great sins, nay, because they are great,