The Doctrine of Repentance

2. Delivering mercy. When we have been ⟨p. 165⟩at the gates of the grave, God hath miraculously spun out our lives; he hath turned the shadow of death into the morning, and hath put a song of deliverance into our mouth; and will not delivering mercy lead us to Repentance? The Lord hath laboured to break our hearts with his mercies. We read Judg. 2.—When the Angel (which was a Prophet) had preached a Sermon of mercy, the people lifted up their voices and wept, vers 4. If any thing will move tears, it should be the mercy of God. He is an obstinate sinner indeed, whom these great Cable-Ropes of Gods mercy will not draw to Repentance.

2. Delivering mercy. When we have been ⟨p. 165⟩at the gates of the grave, God hath miraculously spun out our lives; he hath turned the shadow of death into the morning, and hath put a song of deliverance into our mouth; and will not delivering mercy lead us to Repentance? The Lord hath laboured to break our hearts with his mercies. We read Iudg. 2.—When the Angel (which was a Prophet) had preached a Sermon of mercy, the people lifted up their voices and wept, vers 4. If any thing will move tears, it should be the mercy of God. He is an obstinate sinner indeed, whom these great Cable-Ropes of Gods mercy will not draw to Repentance.

3. Consider Gods afflictive providences,¹ and see if our limbeck will not drop when the fire is put under. God hath sent us of late years to the school of the cross; he hath twisted his judgements together; he hath made good upon us those two threatenings, Hos. 5. 12. I will be to Ephraim as a moth. Hath not God been so to England in decay of trading? And ver. 14. I will be to Ephraim as a Lion. Hath he not been to England in the devouring Plague