and true; Pfal. 147. 11. 'tis faid, Vol. VII That God taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy. As he delights in mercy, fo in our acknowledgments of it; that Sinners fhould conceive great hopes of it, and believe him to be what he is. Provided thou doft fubmit to the terms of God's mercy, thou haft no reason to defpair of it; and he that thinks that his fins are more or greater than the mercy of God can pardon, muft think that there may be more evil in the Creature than there is goodness in God.

Ue5 By way of Caution against the prefumptuous Sinner. If there be any that trefpafs upon the goodness of God, and prefume to encourage themfelves in fin upon the hopes of his mercy, let fuch know, that God is just as well as merciful. A God all of mercy is an Idol, fuch a God as Men fet up in their own imaginations; but not the true God, whom the Scriptures defcribe. To fuch perfons the Scripture defcribes him after another manner; Nah.1.2.God is jealous, the Lord revengeth and is furious, the Lord will take vengence on his adverfaries, and referveth wrath for his enemies. If any Man a

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buse the mercy of God to the ftrengthning of himself in his own. wickedness, Vol. VII. and bless himself in his heart, faying, i Shall have peace, tho' I walk in the imagination of my own heart,and add drunkeness to thirst: The Lord will not fpare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealou fie foall smoke against that man, and all the curfes that are written in this "book ball lye upon him, and he will blot out his name from under heaven, Deut. 29. 19,

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Though it be the nature of God to be merciful, yet the exercife of his mercy is regulated by his Wifdom; he will not be merciful to those that despise his mercy, to those that abuse it, to thofe that are refolved to go on in their fins to tempt his mercy, and make bold to fay, Let us fin that grace

abound, .God defigns his mercy may for those that are prepared to receive it; If. 55. 7. Let the wicked forfake his ways,and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and turn unto the Lord, and he will have mercy, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. The mercy of God is an enemy to fin, as well as his juftice; and 'tis no where offer'd to countenance fin, but to convert the finner

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and is not intended to encourage our Vol. VII. impenitency, but our repentance,

God hath no where faid that he will be merciful to thofe, who upon the fcore of his mercy are bold with him, and prefume to offend him; but the mercy of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and keep his covenant, and remem ber his commandments to do them. There is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared; but not that he may be defpifed and affronted. This is to contradict the very end of God's mercy, which is to lead us to repentance, to engage us to leave our fins, not to encourage us to continue in them.

Take heed then of abufing the mercy of God; we cannot provoke the juftice of God more than by prefuming upon his mercy. This is the time of God's mercy, ufe this opportunity; if thou neglecteft it, a day of juftice and vengeance is coming; Rom.2. 4,5. DeSpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance? And treasureft up to thy felf wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God? Now is the manifeftation of God's mercy; but there is a time a

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coming, when the righteous Judg. ment of God will be revealed against Vol. VIL those who abufe his mercy, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth to repentance. To think that the goodness of God was intended for any other end than to take us off from fin, is a grofs and affected ignorance that will ruin us; and they who draw any conclufion from the mercy of God, which may harden them in their fins, they are fuch as the Prophet fpeaks of, Is. 27. 11. A people of no understanding; therefore he that made them will not fave them, and he that formed them will have no mercy on them. Mercy it felf will rejoyce in the ruin of thofe that abuse it,and it will aggravate their Condemnation. There is no perfon towards whom God will be more feverely juft, than toward fuch. The juftice of God exasperated, and fet on by his injured and abused mercy, like a Razor fet in Oyl, will have the keener edge, and be the sharper for its smoothnefs. Those that have made the mercy of God their Enemy, muft expect the worst his juftice can do unto them.

SER

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