Resp. It is indeed grievous to abuse mercy: It was the aggravation of Solomon's sin; his heart was turned from the Lord, which had appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings 11. 9. Presumptuous sins open the mouth of Conscience to accuse, and shut the mouth of God's Spirit, which should speak Peace: yet cast not away your Anchor, look up to the blood of Christ; it can forgive sins against mercy. Did not Noah sin against mercy? who, though he had been so miraculously preserved in the Flood, yet soon after he came out of the Ark, he was drunk. Did not David sin against mercy, when after ⟨p. 80⟩God had made him King, he stained his soul with lust, and his robe with blood? Yet both these sins were washed away in that Fountain which is set open for Judah to wash in, Zach. 12. 1. Did not the Disciples deal unkindly with Christ in the time of his suffering? Peter denied him, and all the rest fled from his colours: Mat. 26, 56. Then all the Disciples forsook him, and fled: Yet Christ did not take advantage of their weakness, nor did he cast them off, but sends the joyful news of his Resurrection to them, Mat. 27. 7: And of his Ascension, John. 20. 17; Go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father. And lest Peter should think, he was none of the number that should be interested in Christ's love, therefore Christ dispatcheth away a special Message to Peter to comfort him: Mar. 16. 7. Go tell the Disciples and Peter, that he goes before you into Galilee ⟨p. 81⟩there shall you see him. So that where our hearts are sincere, and our turnings aside are rather from a defect in our power, than our will, the Lord Jesus will not take advantage of every failing, but will drop his blood upon us, which hath a voice in it, which speaks better things than the blood of Abel*.
Resp. It is indeed grievous to abuse mercy: It vvas the aggravation of Solomon's sin; his heart was turned from the Lord, which had appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings 11. 9. Presumptuous sins open the mouth of Conscience to accuse, and shut the mouth of God's Spirit, which should speak Peace: yet cast not avvay your Anchor, look up to the blood of Christ; it can forgive sins against mercy. Did not Noah sin against mercy? vvho, though he had been so miraculously preserved in the Flood, yet soon after he came out of the Ark, he was drunk. Did not David sin against mercy, when after ⟨p. 80⟩God had made him King, he stained his soul with lust, and his robe with blood? Yet both these sins were washed away in that Fountain which is set open for Judah to wash in, Zach. 12. 1. Did not the Disciples deal unkindly with Christ in the time of his suffering? Peter denied him, and all the rest fled from his colours: Mat. 26, 56. Then all the Disciples forsook him, and fled: Yet Christ did not take advantage of their weakness, nor did he cast them off, but sends the joyful news of his Resurrection to them, Mat. 27. 7: And of his Ascension, John. 20. 17; Go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father. And lest Peter should think, he was none of the number that should be interested in Christ's love, therefore Christ dispatcheth away a special Message to Peter to comfort him: Mar. 16. 7. Go tell the Disciples and Peter, that he goes before you intoGalilee ⟨p. 81⟩there shall you see him. So that where our hearts are sincere, and our turnings aside are rather from a defect in our power, than our will, the Lord Jesus will not take advantage of every failing, but will drop his blood upon us, which hath a voice in it, which speaks better things than the blood of Abel*.
- *He. 12. 24.
