Obs. 2. Unmerciful men find no mercy. (1.) It is a sin most un- suitable to grace. Kindness maketh us pity misery : ' Thou wast a stranger, be kind to strangers.' He that was forgiven, and plucked his fellow-servant by the throat, had his pardon retrieved, Mat. xviii. We pray, ' Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tres- pass against us,' Mat. vi. God's love to us melteth the soul, and afi'ecteth us not only with contrition towards God, but compassion to our brethren. At Zurich, when the gospel was first preached, they gave liberty to their captives and prisoners, out of a sense of their o\n\ deliverance by Christ. (2.) It is unlike to God , he giveth and for- giveth. How will you look God in the face, if you should be so con- trary to him? Dissimilitude and disproportion is the ground of dislike. It is a disposition that will check your prayers ; beware of it. Unmercifulness is twofold — when we neither give nor forgive. It notes — (1st.) A defect in giving, or shutting up the bowels. They ask, and your hearts are as fiint or steel. We are faulty when we do not what we should do, as when we do what we should not do. Covet- ousness and violence will weigh alike lieavy in God's Ijalance; and you maybe as cruel in neglect as injury. (2d.) In denying pardon to those that have wronged us. They have done you hurt, but you must be like your heavenly Father. No man can do thee so much hurt as thou hast done God. 8in is more opposite to his nature tlian wrong can be to your interests. Would you have God as slack in giving, as backward to forgive? What would you say if God should deal thus with you, either lor grace or pardon ? Certainly bounteous and piteous hearts pray with most confidence.
Obs. 3. God usually retaliates and dealeth with men according to the manner and way of their wickedness. The sin and suffering oft meet in some remarkable circumstance : Babylon hath blood for blood. Jacob Cometh as the elder to Isaac, and Leah cometh as the younger to Jacob : he that denied a crumb, Avanted a drop, Luke xvi. : Asa, that set the prophet in the stocks, had a disease in his feet. Well, then, when it is so, know the sin by the judgment, and silence mur-
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muring. Adoni-bezek, a heathen, observed, ' As I have done, God liath done to me,' Judges i. And it showeth you what reason you have to pray that God would not deal with you according to your iniquities, your manner of dealing either with him or men ; and walk with the greater awe and strictness. Would I have God to deal thus with me ? Would I have the recompenses of the Lord to be after this rate ?
Ohs. 4. God exerciseth acts of mercy with delight ; his mercy re- joiceth over justice. So in the prophet, ' Mercy pleaseth him,' Micah vii. 18 ; so in another prophet, ' I will rejoice over them, to do them good,' Jer. xxxii. 41. God is infinitely just as well as merciful, only he delighteth in gracious dispensations and discoveries of himself to the creature : this should encourage you in your approaches to God. Mercy is as acceptable to God as to you. In 2 Sam. xiv. 1, when " Joab per- ceived the king's heart was to Absalom,' he setteth the woman of Tekoah to make request for him. The King's heart is set upon mercy, yom- requests gratify his own bowels ; and again, if ' mercy hath rejoiced over judgment,' so should you too : go and triumph over death, hell, devil, damnation, and make your boast of mercy all the day long : 1 Cor. xv. 55, ' 0 death ! where is thy sting ? 0 grave ! where is thy victory ? ' You have another triumph : Eom. viii. 33, ' Who shall lay anything to our charge ?' And though the devil be the accuser of the brethren, yet because mercy hath rejoiced over judgment, therefore we may rejoice over Satan, and go to heaven singing.
Ohs. 5. Mercy in us is a sign of our interest in God's mercy : Mat. V. 7, ' Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' They shall obtain : God will deal kindly with them, but it is mercy which they obtain, not a just reward ; so Pro v. xi. 25, ' The liberal soul shall be made fat : ' the widow of Sarepta's barrel had no bottom. I shall show you what this mercy is. It is manifested— (1.) In pitying miseries. Jesus had compassion on the multitude. Mat. xv. 32 ; so should we. It is not mercy unless it ariseth from a motion in the bowels : ' If thou shalt draw out thy soul to the hungry,' Isa. Iviii. 10. Heart and hand must go together : bounty beginneth in pity. (2.) In relieving wants by counsel or contribution : it is not enough to say, ' Be clothed,' James ii. 16. (3.) In forgiving injuries and ofifences. Mat. xviii. 22, ' until seventy times seven ;' that is, toties quoties — it is an allusion to Peter's number, ' Must I forgive seven times ? ' Yea, saitli Christ, ' seventy times seven :' an uncertain number for a certain. God ' multiplieth pardon,' Isa. Iv. 7, and so should we. As Tully said of Ciesar, Nihil ohlivisci soles nisi injurias — that he forgot nothing but injuries ; so should you. Secondly, I shall show you when it is a pledge of mercy. (1.) When it is done as duty, and according to the manner God hath required : ' To distribute forget not, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased.' Alms must be sacrifice, given to men for God's sake ; not merely done as a commendable act, but in conscience of the rule. (2.) The grounds must be warrantable. The right spring of ma'cy is from sense' of God's mercy ; it is a thank- offering, not a sin-offering.