2. Because since the fall there is no claiming but by the covenant of grace and mere mercy, A sinner cannot expect anything but upon terms of mercy. The covenant of works supposed us innocent and holy, and bound us so to continue. Gal. iii. 20 ; so that the law knoweth not how to do good to a sinner. Once a sinner, and for ever miserable ; it leavcth no room for repentance. So that now there is no hope for the best, according to the rule of strict justice, but only
VeK. 124.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 275
accordinp^ to the law of mercy. In the new covenant there are these special differences from the law of works. That there is not only grace, but mercy and grace too. In the first covenant there was grace, but no mercy. Grace doth all things gratis, freely ; but mercy pitieth the miserable : therefore, till sin and misery entered there could be no room for mercy. There was grace in that covenant, for it was of grace that God did enter into covenant with man at all, and of grace that he did accept man's perfect obedience, so as upon performance of it to make him sure of eternal life. But now in the new covenant God doth show mercy and grace too, and grace in the most rich and glorious manner. Mercy and grace too in this way of salvation, in that there is hope for a sinner, a plank cast out after shipwreck ; and grace in the richest and most glorious manner ; partly for the design and end that was driven at; it was the glory of grace: Eph. i. 6, ' To the praise of the glory of his grace ; ' and partly the ground of it was founded upon the infinite mercy of God and the infinite merit of Christ. The infinite mercy of God : Mercy is the infinite goodness of God. flowing out freely to the creature, without any moving cause or worth on the creature's part to expect it : Eom. ix. 16, ' It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth ; but of God that showeth mercy.' And the infinite merit of Christ: Isa. Iv. 3, ' I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David ; ' Isa. xlii. 6, ' And give thee for a covenant to the people ; ' and Isa. xlix. 8, ' I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant to the people.' David, that is Christ, the seed of David ; all the mercies of the cove- nant are exhibited in and by him, in whom the covenant is made with us, and made good to us, 2 Cor. i. 20. And he is given for a foun- dation ; that is, the foundation of a new and better covenant. And partly because of the terms wherein it is dispensed, which is not unsin- ning obedience, but a sincere owning of Christ, unto the ends for which God hath appointed him. So that in eftect a thankful acceptance of a free discharge is all that we do for paying the debt, or to make way for our acceptance with God: Kom. iv. 16, ' Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace ; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed ;' and Eph. ii. 8, ' Ye are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves ; it is the gift of God.' By the grace of faith we lay hold upon or apply to ourselves Christ and all his benefits ; and that faith God giveth us by his mere grace, not exhibited by any work of others. The whole work of salvation, from its first step in regen- eration to its last step in glorification, doth entirely flow from God's free grace, and not from any worth in us. So that this being the end, grounds, terms of the new covenant from first to last, mercy doth all on which our hope dependeth. We must claim by mercy.
3. As there is no merit in the best saints, so there is mucii demerit; and as there is nothing to induce God to be good to us, so there is much to hinder him, much that standeth in his way ; yet God will do us good : Isa. Ivii. 17, 18, ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him ; I will lead him also and restore comforts to him.' He taketh motives from himself to pity when he might take occasion to punish. There are many sins to be forgiven both before and after conversion.' We are not only undeserving, but ill-deservmg. It was much that God
276 SERMONS UPON I'SALM CXIX. [SliR. CXXXVI.
would take us willi all our faults, when he first drew us into ac- qnaintaucc with himself, and intrust us with a slock of grace ; but alter he hath done that, we still are iaultino- and sinning: Rom. viii. 1, ' Yet now there is no condemnation to tliem that are in Christ ; ' notwithstanding the relics of corruption, and its breaking out.
4. From the temper of the saints, their humility. None have such a sight and sense of sin as they have, because their eyes are anointed with spiritual eyesalve. They have a clearer insight into the law : Jer. xxxi. 19, ' After I was instructed I smote U})on my thigh.' They are enlightened by God's Spirit ; the least mote is espied in a glass of clear water. None are so acquainted with tlieir own hearts and ways as they who often commune with their own hearts, and use self-reflec- tion. Others, that live carelessly, do not mind tlieir offences ; but they that set themselves do more consider their ways ; none have a more tender sense of the heinousness of sin. She loved much, wept much, because much was forgiven her, Lidce vii. Some are of a more deli- cate constitution ; the back of a slave is not so sensible of stripes as they that have been more tenderly brought u}). The beams of the sun shining into a house, we see the dust and m(»tes in the sunbeams, which we saw not before. They profess as Jacob, I am not worthy of all the mercy and truth thou hast showed me. They groan as St Paul, '0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? '