of all the good which we enjoy. This is to close np the fountain, and to make mercy our enemy ; and if mercy be our enemy, who shall plead for us P If mercy be an accuser, where shall we get an advocate ? But how do we wrong grace ? I answer — Partly by neglecting the offers of it, when you make God speak in vain, 2 Cor. vi. 2. It is a great affront we put upon God, to despise him when he speaketh to us in the still voice, and all the wooings and pleadings of mercy do not move to look after our salvation ; thouo;h you do not despise, there is danger in bare neglect, Heb. ii. 3.^ When all the charms of mercy do no more work with you than a story of golden mountains, or rubies and diamonds fallen from heaven in a night dream, this neglect argueth a greater suspicion and distrust of God's mercy than doubts and troubles of conscience do. Mercy speaketh to them, and they do not think the message worth the hearing or regarding. Again, you wrong grace by refusing it out of legal dejection, for by this means you straiten the riches, and darken the glory of it ; as if there were not more in grace than there is in sin, or as if an emperor's revenue could not discharge a beggar's debt. The prodigal could say, there was ' bread enough in his father's house.' If we perish, it is not for want of mercy, but for want of faith. Grace is God's treasure ; he is ' rich in mercy,' Eph. ii. 4. As far as we straiten grace, we make him a poorer God. Again, we wrong grace and mercy by intercepting the glory of it. It is the greatest sacrilege that can be to rob God of l>is glory, especially of ' the glory of his grace ;' for that is his great aim in all his transac- tions with man, to make his grace and mercy glorious ; see Eph. i. 6. Now when you think God accepteth you rather than others for some worth and good qualities that he seeth in you more than others, it may be in this light of the gospel which we now enjoy such thoughts are not expressed, but if they lurk secretly in the heart, you think God foresaw you would bring him more glory, Deut, is, 4 ; you take the crown from grace's head, and put it upon your own. So also you wrong grace when you ascribe anything to your power and strength. As Joab sent for David to take the honour of winning Eabbah : 2 Sam, xii, 28, ' Lest I take the city, and it be called after my own name ; ' so send for God to take the honour : ' Not I, but grace,' 1 Cor. xv, 10. Throw the crown at grace's feet. The industrious servant said, ' Thy jjound hath gained ten pounds,' Luke xix. 1(3; not my industry, but thy pound. Once more, we wrong grace by turning it into wanton- ness ; see ver. 4. It is made there to be a heavy charge and black note when men presume on grace, and use it only as a dung-cart to carry away their filth. Grace must bear all, and pardon all ; as riotous children that have a rich father care not how they spend ; his estate shall pay for all. It is a mighty wrong to grace this, when you make it pliable to such vile purposes, and father the bastards of your own carnal hearts upon gospel encouragements. It is the devil's cove- nant, not God's, when you think that you may live as you list, be at your own dispose, and mercy shall be at your beck, and you shall have comfort when you please ; and that you may sin freely because God pardoneth freely, as if mercy gave you a privilege and liberty to sin,
1 So those in Matthew did not deny, but made excuse, a.fj.eKri<TavTes, Mat, xxii, 5. TLey would not take it into their care and thoughts.
VeR. 2.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 67
In short, if a man slacken any part of his duty for mercy's sake, or lets loose tlie reins to vile affections with more freedom, upon the pre- sumption that God will not be rigorous, he wrongeth grace exceedingly. I say, if he grow more careless, secure, negligent, not so constant in duty, not so watchful and strict in conversation, or abateth aught of his humiliation for sin, he is a spider that sucketh poison out of this flower. Lastly, we wrong grace by slighting it after a taste. At first coming to Christ we make an essay and trial, and usually then God giveth us a taste to engage us to look for more, 1 Peter ii. 3 ; Heb. vi. 4-6. Now after trial you are not satisfied, but return to your sinful courses again, and so do, as it were, proclaim to the world that you found carnal comforts and pleasures to be better than communion with God. This is but the interpretation of your apostasy. The whole aim of the word is to persuade us to make trial of the sweetness of grace. Now you that have once tasted of it, and grow weary, do by your practice tell the world that there is no sweetness in it at all, which is a great wrong to grace and mercy.