Ans. \. The spring of mercy which God shev/s, is free and spontaneous. To set up merit, is to destroy mercy ; nothing can deserve mercy or foi-ce it ; we cannot de- serA'e mercy, because of our enmity, nor force it ; we may force God to punish us, not to love us. Hos. xiv- 4., " I will love them freely." Every link in the golden chain of salvation is wrought and interwo- ven with free grace. Election is free, Eph. i. 5., " He hath chosen us in him accord- ing to the good pleasure of his will." Jus- tification is free, Rom. iii. 2k, " Being justified freely by his grace. " Say not then, I am unworthy ; for mercy is free. If God should shew mercy only to such
as deserve it, he must shew mercy to none at all.
A. 2. The mercy God shews is powerful. How powerful is that mercy which softens an heart of stone ? Mercy changed Mary Magdalen's heart, out of whom seven devils were cast : she who was an inflexible ada- mant, mercy made her a weeping penitent! God's mercy works sweetly, yet irresisti- bly ; it allures, yet conquers. The law may terrify, mercy dotli molify. Of what sovereign power and efficacy is that mercy which subdues the pride and enmity of the heart, and beats oft' those chains of sin in which the soul is held !
-^. 3. The mercy which God shews is superAbundant, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7., "Abun- dant in goodness, keeping mercy for thou- sands." Qod visits iniquity only " to the third and fourth generation," Exod. xx. 5., but he shews laercy to a thousand genera- tions. The Lord hath treasures of mercy lying by, therefore he is said to be " plen- teous in mercy," Ps. Ixxxvi. 5., and " rich in mercy," Eph. ii. 4. The vial of God's wrath doth but drop, but the fountain of his mercy runs. The sun is not so full of light, as God is of love.
God hath mercy. First, Of all dimen- sions ; he hath depth of mercy, — it reach- eth as low as sinners ; and height of mer- cy,— it reacheth above the clouds.
Secondly, God hath mercies for all sea- sons : mercies for the night, he gives sleep; nay, sometimes he gives a song in the night, Ps. xlii. 8. And he hath mercies for the morning. Lam. iii. 23., " His compassions are new e^•ery morning."
Thirdly, (Jod hath mercies for all sorts. Mercies for the poor, 1 Sam. ii. 8., " He raiseth the poor out of the dust ;" mercies for the prisoner, Ps. Ixix. 33., " He de- spiseth not his prisoner ;" mercies for the dejected, Isa. liv. 8., " In a little wrath 1 hid my face from thee, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." God hath old mercies, Ps. xxv, 6., " Thy mer- cies have been ever of old ;" and new mer- cies, Ps. xl. 3., " He hath put a new song in
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mymoutli." Every time wc draw our breath, we suck in mercy. God hath mercies un- der heaven, and tliose we taste of; and mercies in heaven, and tliose we liope for. Tlius God's mercies are superabundant.
A. 4. The mercy God shews is abiding, Ps. ciii. 17., " The mercy of the Lord is from cvcrhisting to everlasting." God's anger to his cliihh-en lasts but a while, Ps. cii. 9., but his mercy lasts for ever. God's mercy is not like the widow's oil, which ran a while, and then ceased, 2 Kings iv. 6. Over-flowing, ever-flowing. God's mercy, as it is without bounds, so without bottom, Ps. cxxxvi., " His mercy endureth for ever." God never cuts off the entail of mercy from the elect.
Quest. 2. How many ways is God said to shew mercy ?
Atis. 1. We are all living monuments of God's mercy. God shews mercy to us in daily supplying us. — 1. He supplies us with health : health is the sauce which makes our life relish sweeter. How Avould they prize this mercy, who are chained to a sick- bed ! — 2. God supplies us with provisions, Gen. xlviii. 15., " The God which fed me all my days." Mercy spreads our tables, it carves us every bit of bread we eat ; we never cb-ink but in the golden cup of mercy.
A. 2. God shews mercy in lengthening out our gospel-liberties, 1 Cor. xvi. 9. " There are many adversaries ;" many would stop the Avaters of the sanctuary that they should not run ; we enjoy the sweet seasons of grace, — we hear joyful sounds, — we see the goings of God in his sanctuajy, — we enjoy sabbath after sab- bath,— the manna of the word yet falls a- bout our tents, when in divers parts of the land they have no manna. Here is God's shewing mercy to us, be spins out our for- feited liberties.
A. 3. God shews mercy to us in prevent- ing many evils from invading us, Ps. iii. 3., " Thou O Lord art a shield for me." God hath restrained the wrath of men, and been a screen between us and danger ; when the destroying angel hath been abroad, and shot his deadly arrow of pestilence, God hath kept off the arrow that it hath not come near us.
A. 4. God shews mercy in delivering us,