Fourthly, the soul freely acknowledgeth, That it is in Gods power to do with him, and dispose of him as he will; and therefore he lies and licks the dust, and cries, Mercy, mercy, Lord: he thinks not to purchase Mercy at the Lords hands, but only saith, It is in Gods good pleasure to do with him as he will, only he looks for favour, and cries, Mercy, Lord, mercy to this poor distressed soul of mine: O (replies the Lord) dost thou need mercy? Cannot thy Hearing, and Praying, and Fasting, carry thee to heaven without hazard? Gird up now thy loins, and make thy ferventest Prayers, and let them meet my Justice, and see if they can bear my Wrath, or purchase any Mercy: No, no (saith the sinner) I know it by lamentable experience, that all my prayers and performances will never procure peace to my soul. nor give my satisfaction to thy Justice, I only pray for Mercy, and I desire ⟨p. 28⟩only to hear some News of Mercy, to relieve this miserable wretched soul of mine; it is only Mercy that must help me, O Mercy (if it be possible) to this poor distressed soul of mine▪ Me thinks the picture of those poor famished Lepers, may fitly resemble this poor sinner, when the Famine was great in Samaria; There were four leprous men sate in the gate of the City, and they said, Why sit we here until we dye? if we enter into the 1City, the famine is there, and if we sit here, we dye also; now therefore let us fall into the hands of our enemies, and if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but dye: They had but one means to succour themselves withal, and that was to go into the Camp of the enemies, and there, as it happened, they were relieved. Thus is the lively picture of a poor sinner in this despairing condition, when he seeth the wrath of God pursuing him, and that the Lord hath beset him on every side; at last he resolves thus with himself, If I go and rest on my privileges, there is nothing but emptiness; and if I rest in my natural condition, I perish there also: let me therefore fall into the hands of the Lord of Hosts. I confess he hath been provoked by me, and for ought I see he is mine enemy; I am now a damned man, and if the Lord cast me out of his presence, I can be but damned. And then he comes to the Lord, and he falls down before the footstool of a consuming God, and saith, as Job did, What shall I say unto thee, O thou Preserver of men?
Fourthly, the soul freely acknowledgeth, That it is in Gods power to do with him, and dispose of him as he will; and therefore he lies and licks the dust, and cryes, Mercy, mercy, Lord: he thinks not to purchase Mercy at the Lords hands, but onely saith, It is in Gods good pleasure to do with him as he will, onely he looks for favor, and cryes, Mercy, Lord, mercy to this poor distressed soul of mine: O (replies the Lord) dost thou need mercy? Cannot thy Hearing, and Praying, and Fasting, carry thee to heaven without hazard? Gird up now thy loyns, and make thy ferventest Prayers, and let them meet my Justice, and see if they can bear my Wrath, or purchase any Mercy: No, no (saith the sinner) I know it by lamentable experience, that all my prayers and performances will never procure peace to my soul. nor give my satisfaction to thy Justice, I onely pray for Mercy, and I desire ⟨p. 28⟩onely to hear some News of Mercy, to relieve this miserable wretched soul of mine; it is onely Mercy that must help me, O Mercy (if it be possible) to this poor distressed soul of mine▪ Me thinks the picture of those poor famished Lepers, may •itly resemble this poor sinner, when the Famine was great in Samaria; There were four leprous men sate in the gate of the City, and they said, Why sit we here until we dye? if we enter into the 1City, the famine is there, and if we sit here, we dye also; now therefore let us fall into the hands of our enemies, and if they save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but dye: They had but one means to succor themselves withal, and that was to go into the Camp of the enemies, and there, as it hapned, they were relieved. Thus is the lively picture of a poor sinner in this despairing condition, when he seeth the wrath of God pursuing him, and that the Lord hath beset him on every side; at last he resolves thus with himself, If I go and rest on my priviledges, there is nothing but emptiness; and if I rest in my natural condition, I perish there also: let me therefore fall into the hands of the Lord of Hosts. I confess he hath been provoked by me, and for ought I see he is mine enemy; I am now a damned man, and if the Lord cast me out of his presence, I can be but damned. And then he comes to the Lord, and he falls down before the footstool of a consuming God, and saith, as Job did, What shall I say unto thee, O thou Preserver of men?
- 12 King. 7. 3, 4
