4 Augustus, in his solemn feasts, gave trifles to some, but gold to others that his heart was most set upon. So God, by a hand of general mercy, gives these — poor trifles — outward blessings, to those that he least loves ; but his gold, his special mercy, is only towards those that his heart is most set upon.
SO PRECIOUS REMEDIES [2 COR. II. 11.
merits.' Ps. xxv. 10, 'All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant, and his testimonies.' Ps. xxxii. 10, ' Many sorrows shall be to the wicked ; but ho that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.' Ps. xxxiii. 18, 'Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.' Ps. ciii. 11, 'For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.' Ver. 17, 'But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.' When Satan attempts to draw thee to sin by presenting God as a God all made up of mercy, oh then reply, that though God's general mercy extend to all the works of his hand, yet his special mercy is confined to them that are divinely qualified, to them that love him and keep his commandments, to them that trust in him, that by hope hang upon him, and that fear him ; and that thou must be such a one here, or else thou canst never be happy hereafter ; thou must partake of his special mercy, or else eternally perish in everlasting misery, notwithstanding God's general mercy.
Remedy (5). The fifth remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That those that were once glorious on earth, and ((re now triumphing in heaven, did look upon the mercy of God as the most powerful argument to preserve them from sin, and to fence their souls against sin, and not as an encouragement to sin. Ps. xxvi. 3-6, ' For thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth ; I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil- doers, and will not sit with the wicked.' So Joseph strengthens him- self against sin from the remembrance of mercy : ' How then can I,' saith he, ' do this great wickedness, and sin against God V Gen. xxxix. 9. He had fixed his eye upon mercy, and therefore sin could not enter, though the irons entered into his soul ; his soul being taken with mercy, was not moved with his mistress's impudence. Satan knocked oft at the door, but the sight of mercy would not suffer him to answer or open. Joseph, like a pearl in a puddle, keeps his virtue still.1 So Paul, ' Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound ? Gud forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein V Rom. vi. 1,2. There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike to a saint, and more like to Satan, than to argue from mercy to sinful liberty ; from divine goodness to licentiousness. This is the devil's logic, and in whomsoever you find it, you may write, ' This soul is lost.' A man may as truly say, the sea burns, or fire cools, as that free grace and mercy should make a soul truly gracious to do wickedly. So the same apostle, ' I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service,' Rom. xii. 1. So John, ' These things I write unto you, that ye sin not/ 1 John ii. 1, 2. What was it that he wrote? He wrote, 'That we might have fellowship with the Father and his Son ; and that the blood of Christ cleanseth us
1 The stone called Ponlaurus, is of that virtue, that it preserves him that carries it from taking any hurt by poison. The mercy of God in Christ to our souls is the most precious stone or pearl in the world, to prevent us from being poisoned with sin.
2 Cor. II. 11.] against satan's devices. 31
from all sin, and that if we confess our sin, he is just and faithful to forgive us our sins ; and that if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' These choice favours and mercies the apostle holds forth as the choicest means to preserve the soul from sin, and to keep at the greatest distance from sin ; and if this won't do it, you may write the man void of Christ and grace, and undone for ever.
The sixth device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is,
Device (6). 'By persuading the soul that the work of repentance is an easy ivork, and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of sin. Why ! Suppose you do sin, saith Satan, it is no such diffi- cult thing to return, and confess, and be sorrowful, and beg pardon, and cry, 'Lord, have mercy upon me;' and if you do but this, God will cut the score,1 and pardon your sins, and save your souls, &c.
By this device Satan draws many a soul to sin, and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin, &c.
Now, the remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow :
Remedy (1). The first remedy is, seriously to consider, That re- pentance is a mighty work, a difficult work, a work that is above our power. There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead, and that made the world, that can break the heart of a sin- ner or turn the heart of a sinner. Thou art as well able to melt ada- mant, as to melt thine own heart ; to turn a flint into flesh, as to turn thine own heart to the Lord ; to raise the dead and to make a world, as to repent. Repentance is a flower that grows not in nature's garden. ' Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil/ Jer. xiii. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above.2 Men are not born with repentance in their hearts, as they are born with tongues in their mouths :3 Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.' So in 2 Tim. ii. 25, ' In meekness instruct- ing them that oppose themselves ; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth/ It is not in the power of any mortal to repent at pleasure.4 Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceit that these five words, 'Lord! have mercy upon me,' are efficacious to send them to heaven ; but as many are undone by buying a counterfeit jewel, so many are in hell by mistake of their repentance. Many rest in their repentance, though it be but the shadow of repentance, which caused one to say, ' Repentance damneth more than sin.'
1 The reference is to the ' scored ' or notched sticks by which debt accounts were recorded anciently. — G.
2 Fallen man hath lost (imperium suum and imperium sui) the command of himself, and the command of the creatures. And certainly he that cannot command himself cannot repent of himself.
3 Da pcenitentiam et postea indulgentiam, said dying Fulgentius.