2. We must distinguish between mercy as it is an attribute in God, and the acts and effects of it as they are terminated upon the creature. As it is an attribute in God : Ps. ciii. 8, ' The Lord is merciful and gracious.' So it is infinite, as his nature is ; but in the effects as to us there is a great difference. Mercy is one in the fountain, many in
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the streams, because there are divers effects, divers ways of showing mercy. Mercy in the effect may cease, as when the angels turned devils, and when God threateneth to take away his mercies from us ; but God doth not cease to be merciful in himself : the effects of God's mercy are more or less, but the attribute in God is not so. Mercy as an attribute doth not oppose justice ; but the effects of God's mercy may be, and are, contrary to the effects of his justice, as punishment is contrary to blessing.
3. God's mercy is either general, or special, or peculiar. First, God's general mercy hath for the object of it not only men, even them that are strangers to the faith, but also all the creatures ; for it is said, Ps. cxlv. 5, ' His tender mercies are over all his works.' God helpeth the poor brute creatures in their needs, and doth supply them with provision convenient for them. Then there is his special mercy to man, helping and succouring him in his misery, notwithstanding sin ; and so the giving of Christ to be the Saviour of the world : Titus iii. 4, ' But after the loving-kindness of God our Saviour to mankind appeared ; ' his man-kindness, this was pity to us above the angels : no remedy was plotted for them. And then his peculiar mercy is to his elect in Christ. So the Lord saith, Koirt. ix. 15, ' I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.' This is again seen either in the first grace, or bestowing that upon us, or in all the sub- sequent grace that we stand in need of.
[1.] The first grace is pardoning all our past sin, or receiving us into a state of favour upon our repentance. So it is made the motive, Joel ii. 13, ' Turn unto the Lord, for he is merciful ; ' penitent sinners will find him so to be. The apostle saith, 1 Tim. i. 13, ' But I obtained mercy, rjketjOrjv ; I was overwhelmed in mercy.' So also in giving us a heart to repent and turn unto him, 1 Peter i. 3. We were unworthy and miserable sinners, could not help ourselves, and then his eye pitied us and his hand saved us ; by his preventing grace he brought us home to himself.
[2.] In all the subsequent grace that we stand in need of. So the objects of his mercy must have a qualification ; such as fear God, Ps. ciii. 13 ; such as love him, and keep his commandments, Exod. xx. 6; that walk according to the rule of his word exactly, Gal. vi. 16. To the merciful, Mat. v. 7 ; for to the unmerciful God will not show himself merciful, James ii. 13 ; but to those that are thus qualified he reneweth his pardoning mercy, in taking away the guilt of our daily failings, Ps. xxv. 7. His sanctifying mercy, by freeing them more and more from the dominion of sin, Kom. vi. 14. His preserv- ing mercy, by delivering them from afflictions, so far as it is con- venient : Ps. cxix. 41, ' Let thy mercies come unto me, 0 Lord ; even thy salvation according to thy word ; ' Lam. iii. 22, ' It is of the Lord's mercy we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.' His rewarding mercy : Jude 21, ' Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal life.' So Ps. lxii. 12, ' Also unto thee, 0 Lord, belongeth mercy ; for thou renderest to every man according to his work.' He will graciously accept, reward, and crown every sincere and faithful servant of his when they have done their work. Sincerity and faith-
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fulness shall be accepted and rewarded, when infirmities and weak- nesses shall be pardoned and covered.
Secondly, Let me now open the two adjuncts of his mercy.
1. It is tender mercy : Luke i. 78, ' Through the tender mercy of our God.' The word signifieth bowels ; as when you see a poor miserable creature, your bowels work within you, especially if you be related to him. Misericordia complectitur affectum ei effectum. Let us take the nearest relation. If you be a lather, we need not much entreat a father to pity a poor helpless child ; his own bowels wdl per- suade him to it : Ps. ciii. 13, ' Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him/ Or if you think passions in females more vehement, take the relation of a mother ; as Hagar was affected to Ishmael when the water was spent in the bottle ; she sat over against the child, and lift up her voice and wept, Gen. xxi. 16. God will take the affections of a mother ; as Isa. xlix. 15, ' Can a. woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, she may forget, yet will I not forget thee.; It is passionately set out by the prophet. If all the compassions of all fathers and mothers were joined together, it were nothing to God ; he is the father of mercies, he is pitiful and merciful, James v. 11. It is true there is in God no sickness, or trouble of mind, no commo- tion ; but there is pity and tender love, though no perturbation, which will not stand with the perfection of his nature ; that is, he layeth to heart, and taketh notice of our misery. The tenderness of God inay be known by the compassion which Christ had in the days of his flesh, for he was the express image of his Father's person, Now we read, Mat. ix. 36, ' When he saw the multitude, he was moved with com- passion on them, because they fainted, and were as sheep scattered abroad that had no shepherd.' Their teachers did not do their duty to them in any profitable way ; this wrought upon Christ's heart, when he saw the multitude. So when he saw many sick and under noisome diseases, Mat. xiv. 14, when they followed him, he pitied them, and helped them. So Mat. xv. 32; Jesus had compassion on the multitude, when they continued with him three days, and had nothing to eat. The care of man's welfare lieth near unto Christ's heart. Before the disciples took notice of it, he taketh notice of the people's necessities, and is affected with it ; he would not send them away fasting. The two blind men, when they feelingly laid out their miseries, Mat. xx. 34, ' Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes.' So Luke vii. 13 ; the widow of Nain lamented her only son, the Lord saw her, and had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. This for a taste what a tender heart Christ had. And in heaven he is still a merciful high priest ; he came down on purpose to acquaint himself with our griefs and sorrows. Surely he is touched with the feeling of our iufirmities, and God's pity, though it hath no trouble with it, is real, operative, and efficacious.