in this prefent life, but for oar unspeakable m happiness to all eternity; to him who de- Vol. VII. figned this happine to us from all eternity, and whofe mercy and goodneß to us endures for ever; who when by willful tranfgreffions and difobedience, we had plunged our felves into a state of fin and mifery, and had forfeited that happiness which we were defigned to, was pleafed to restore us to a new capacity of it, by fending his only Son to take our nature with the miferies and infirmities of it, to live among us, and to die for us ; in a word, to him who is infinitely good to us, not only contrary to our deserts, but beyond our hopes, who renews his mercy upon us every morning, and is patient tho' we provoke him every day, who preferves and provides for us, and spares us continu ally, who is always willing, always watchful, and never weary to do us good; to him be all glory and honour, adoration and praife, love and obedience, now and for e

ver.

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SER

..

The Lord is long fuffering, and of great
Mercy

Have confidered God's Goodness in general. There are two eminent Branches of it, his Patience and Mercy. The Patience of God is his goodness to them that are guilty, in deferring or moderating their deferved punishment; the Mercy of God is his goodness to them that are or may be miferable. 'Tis the laft of thefe two I defign to discourse of at this time; in doing which, I fhall inquire,

First, What we are to understand by the Mercy of God.

Sla

Secondly, Shew you, that this Per

Vol. VII. fection belongs to God.

Thirdly, Confider the degree of it, that God is of great Mercy.

Firft, What we are to understand by the Mercy of God.

I told you it is his goodness to them that are in mifery, or liable to it; that is, that are in danger of it, or have deferved it. 'Tis mercy to prevent the misery that we are liable to, and which may befal us, tho' it be not actually upon us. 'Tis mercy to defer the mifery that we deserve, or mitigate it; and this is properly patience and forbearance. 'Tis mercy to relieve thofe that are in mifery, to fupport or comfort them. 'Tis mercy to remit the misery we deserve, and by pardon and forgiveness to remove and take away the obligation to punish

ment.

Thus the mercy of God is usually in Scripture set forth to us by the affection of pity and compaffion, which is an affection that causeth a fenfible commotion and difturbance in us, upon the apprehenfion of fome great Evil that lies upon another, or hangs over him. Hence it is that God is

mercy

Vol. VII

faid in Scripture to be grieved and af-aw
flicted for the miferies of Men; his bow-
els are faid to found, and his heart to
turn within him. But tho' God is plea-
fed in this manner to fet forth his
and tenderness towards us, yet.
we must take heed how we cloath the
Divine Nature with the Infirmities of
human Paffions. We must not mea-
fure the Perfection of God by the Ex-
preffions of his condefcention; and
because he ftoops to our weakness,
level him to our Infirmities.
God is faid to pity us, we must take
away the imperfection of this Paffion,
the commotion and disturbance of it,
and not imagine any fuch thing in
God; but we are to conceive, that the
mercy and compaffion of God, with-
out producing the difquiet, do pro-
duce the Effects of the moft fenfible
pity.

When

Secondly, That this Perfection belongs to God.

All the Arguments that I used to prove the goodness of God, from the acknowledgment of natural Light, and from Scripture and Reafon, ferve to prove that he is merciful; because the mercy of God is an eminent Branch of

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