5. Meditate upon the mercy of God; 1mercy is an innate disposition in God to do good; as the Sun hath an innate property to shine, Psalm 86.5. Thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee. Gods mercy is so sweet, that it makes all his other attributes sweet. Holiness without mercy, and Justice without mercy were dreadful. Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously situated, that the Sun is never out of sight; though the children of God are under some clouds of affliction, yet the Sun of mercy is never quite out of fight. Gods justice reacheth to the clouds, his mercy reacheth above the clouds. How slow is God to ⟨p. 82⟩anger. He was longer in destroying Jericho, than in making the world; He made the world in six days, but he was seven days in demolishing the walls of Jericho. How many warning-pieces did God shoot against Jerusalem, before he shot off his murdering-piece? Justice goes a foot-pace, Gen. 18.21. mercy hath wings*; the sword of justice oft lies a long time in the scabbard, and rusts, till sin doth draw it out and whet it against a Nation; Gods justice is like the widows oil, which ran a while, and ceased, 1 Kings 4.6. Gods mercy is like Aaron's oil, which rested not on his head, but ran down to the skirts of his garment, Psalm 133.2. So the golden oil of Gods mercy doth not rest upon the head of a good parent, but is poured on his children, and so runs down, to the third and fourth generation, even the borders of a religious seed. Often ⟨p. 83⟩meditate upon the mercy of God.
5. Meditate upon the mercy of God; 1mercy is an innate disposition in God to do good; as the Sun hath an innate property to shine, Psalme 86.5. Thou Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plentious in mercy to all them that call upon thee. Gods mercy is so sweet, that it makes all his other attributes sweet. Holinesse without mercy, and Justice without mercy were dreadful. Geographers write that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously scituated, that the Sunne is never out of sight; though the children of God are under some clouds of affliction, yet the Sun of mercy is never quite out of fight. Gods justice reacheth to the clouds, his mercy reacheth above the clouds. How slow is God to ⟨p. 82⟩anger. He was longer in destroying Jericho, than in making the world; He made the world in six dayes, but he was seven dayes in demolishing the walls of Jericho. How many warning-pieces did God shoot against Jerusalem, before he shot off his murdering-piece? Justice goes a foot-pace, Gen. 18.21. mercy hath wings*; the sword of justice oft lies a long time in the scabbard, and rusts, till sinne doth draw it out and whet it against a Nation; Gods justice is like the widows oyle, which ran a while, and ceased, 1 Kings 4.6. Gods mercy is like Aarons oyle, which rested not on his head, but ran down to the skirts of his garment, Psalme 133.2. So the golden oyle of Gods mercy doth not rest upon the head of a good parent, but is poured on his children, and so runnes down, to the third and fourth generation, even the borders of a religious seed. Often ⟨p. 83⟩meditate upon the mercy of God.
- 1Meditate on the mercy of God.
- *Psal. 57.1
