The truly blessed man

A. It was observed under the former Doctrine that Mercy is of two sorts, Common and Special: the former are called common because good and bad ••differently share in them, Matth. 5.45. Godly ••en therefore have their share in these so far as infinite wisdom sees convenient. God will not be•utch to his friends that which he can afford to •is enemies; he will not deny that to a Child, if he •eeds it, which he gives to a Stranger: they are also called common, because they are ordinary inferior things compared with the other; and so Godly men may well expect that he will not deny to favour them therewithal, as they have occasion for them; he who counts it not too much to bestow the greatest, cannot withhold the least, if they want them, Rom. 8.32. He that spared not his Son, &c. Common also they are called from the principle whence they proceed: there is a Common Benevolence which we ascribe to God, who in the day of his forbearance, allows such things to the vilest of men, though still they are the hated of the Lord ▪ but then there is a peculiar love which he bears to his chosen, which never had beginning, Jer. 31.3. ⟨p. 570⟩And shall never cease, Joh. 13.1. And thus no mercy is common to a believer, but all that he enjoys proceeds from that fountain of love which hath designed his Salvation, and causeth all to work for good to him, Rom 8.28 Whereas all that wicked men enjoy works to their hurt, Psal. 92.6 This then is the mercy that compasseth the true believer, viz. That love of God whereby, pitying them in their miserable state which sin had brought them into, he doth freely, and for his own name sake, bestow grace and glory on them, and all that is good