A Body of Practical Divinity

Use 3. of Caution. Take heed of Abusing of this Mercy of God. Suck not Poison out of the sweet Flower of God's Mercy; Do not think, that because God is merciful, you may go on in sin; this is to make Mercy become your Enemy. None might touch the Ark but the Priests, who by their Office were more holy. None may touch this Ark of God's Mercy, but such as are resolved to be holy. To sin because Mercy abounds, is the Devil's Logic. He that sins because of Mercy, is like one that wounds his Head because he hath a Plaster: He that sins because of God's Mercy, shall have Judgment without Mercy. Mercy abused turns to Fury. Deut. 29.19. If he bless himself, saying, I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man. Nothing sweeter then Mercy when it is improved, nothing fiercer when it is abused. Nothing colder than Lead when it is taken out of the Mine, nothing more scalding than Lead when it is heated. Nothing blunter than Iron, nothing sharper when it is whetted. Psal. 103.17. The mercy of the Lord is upon them that fear him. Mercy is not for them that sin and fear not, but for them that fear and sin not. God's Mercy is an holy Mercy, where it pardons it heals.

Use 3. of Caution. Take heed of Abusing of this Mercy of God. Suck not Poison out of the sweet Flower of God's Mercy; Do not think, that because God is merciful, you may go on in sin; this is to make Mercy become your Enemy. None might touch the Ark but the Priests, who by their Office were more holy. None may touch this Ark of God's Mercy, but such as are resolved to be holy. To sin because Mercy abounds, is the Devil's Logick. He that sins because of Mercy, is like one that wounds his Head because he hath a Plaister: He that sins because of God's Mercy, shall have Judgment without Mercy. Mercy abused turns to Fury. Deut. 29.19. If he bless himself, saying, I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord, and his jealousie shall smoak against that man. Nothing sweeter then Mercy when it is improved, nothing fiercer when it is abused. Nothing colder than Lead when it is taken out of the Mine, nothing more scalding than Lead when it is heated. Nothing blunter than Iron, nothing sharper when it is whetted.