An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Nor no Mercy.] The Merciful God sets himself against Unmerciful men, and hath a dreadful controversy against them; And when this controversy cometh to be pleaded, Unmerciful men will be confounded before the Lord; For God will ⟨p. 30⟩lay his plea thus, What you that stood in so much need of mercy every moment to keep you out of Hell; You that lived upon mercy continually as you breathed in the air; You who are begging at my gates every day? You who are undone for ever it you had not mercy supplied every hour, and yet You unmerciful to your brethren? This plea will stop the mouths of all Unmerciful ones. It was the controversy that God had with Sodom it self, because they were Unmerciful: Much more than hath God a controversy with the inhabitants of the land of Israel if they be unmerciful. Ezek. 16.49. there God lays his charge, his plea against Sodom, That they did not strengthen the hands of the poor. Unmercifulness it is a sin against the very light of nature. Josephus in his 15. book of Antiquities, Chap. 12. reports this of Herod that wicked and ungodly king that we read of in the Gospel, That there being a great famine in Judea, he melted all his movables of Gold and Silver that were in his Palace, he spared nothing of his Plate either for the preciousness of the matter, or for the excellency of the fashion of it, no not so much as those vessels wherein he was daily served at his table, but he melted them all and made money of them, and sent this money into Egypt to buy Corn, which Corn he distributed unto the Poor, and he appointed Bakers to provide bread for such as were sick, and he provided raiment for the naked, because the sheep were likewise dead and the poor had no work; yea he sent to his neighbours the Syrians Corn that might be Seed-corn for them to sow the ground with. This was that wicked Herod, and yet in time of public calamity thus merciful was he to the poor. Surely God must needs have a controversy with Israel then, with Christians then that have received so much mercy from the Lord if they shall be unmerciful in times of common calamity. And if ever unmercifulness were a vile sin and provoked God against a people, it must needs do now at such a time as this, when there are so many objects of pity and commiseration daily presented before us:

Nor no Mercy.] The Merciful God sets himself against Unmerciful men, and hath a dreadful controversie against them; And when this controversie cometh to be pleaded, Unmerciful men will be confounded before the Lord; For God will