[1.] That to preserve the sense of religion in the general, men would consider how much God standeth upon the credit of his good- ness, and that he giveth them no cause of discouragement as from him : Micah vi. 3, ' 0 my people, what have I done unto you, wherein have I wearied you ? ' That his commands are not grievous, Mat. xi. 29 ; 1 John iii. 5 ; that the trials sent by him are not above measure, 1 Cor. x. 13, nor his punishments above deservings, Nell, xi. 9-13 ; that he is not hard to be pleased, nor inexorable upon our infirmities, Mai. iii. 17. These tilings should be constantly in our minds, for the vindication and justification of God from our natural jealousies and evil surmises that we have of his conduct and government.
[2.] I would advise poor trembling souls that are alarmed by their own fears, which represent God as an enemy, and standing at a dis- tance from them, that they would study the name of God ; for surely things are known by their names, and poor disconsolate souls are bidden, Isa. 1. 10, ' To trust in the name of the Lord,' &c. Now what is the name of God ? Even that which he proclaimed : Exod. xxxiv. 5-7, ' I am the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiv- ing iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Therefore take all his name, and meditate upon it. Satan laboureth to represent God by halves, only as a consuming fire, as clothed with justice and vengeance. Oh, no ! It is true he will not suffer his mercy to be abused by contemptuous sinners ; he will not clear the guilty, though he waiteth long on them before he destroyeth them ; but the main of his name is ' his mercy and goodness.' Take it as God proclaimeth it, and see if you have any reason to have hard thoughts of God. You will find, that though he be a high and holy one, yet he is willing to be treated with ; that he is great, but yet good, ready to receive returning sinners : if thou hast sin and misery, Christ hath compassion and pity ; he is the
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4G6 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SER. XIV.
' Father of mercies,' 2 Cor. i. 3. Miser icors est, cui alterius miseria cordi est — mercy hath its name from misery, and is no other thing than laying another's misery to heart, not to despise it, nor to add to it, but to help it. And therefore, if thou be miserable, and knowest it indeed, his nature giveth a strong inclination to succour the miser- able. Ay ! but saith the convinced soul, there is nothing in me to be regarded. The Lord telleth, ' I am gracious ; ' and grace doth all freely, and from a self-inclination ; it giveth all the qualifications ho require th. But I have been long a presumptuous sinner. Why, (Joel telleth you his name is ' long-suffering.' He that gave not the angels one hour's space for repentance, hath long delayed the execution of our sentence, and calleth us to himself, that we may escape the condemna- tion of angels. But I am exceeding perverse and wicked. The Lord telleth you he is ' abundant in goodness.' I am full of fears and doubtings. Still he is ' abundant in goodness and truth.' I have abused much mercy, and can mercy pity me? The Lord telleth you, he ' keepeth mercy for thousands, and can forgive iniquity, transgres- sion, and sin.' His treasure of mercy is not soon spent and exhausted : no sin can exclude a willing soul ; mercy will pardon thy abuse of mercy, if thou repentest of it.
[3.] To the people of God, who having a clearer sense of their duty, and a larger heart towards God than others have, and so are the more troubled for the poverty of their graces, and weakness and imperfec- tion of their services than others are, which may breed bondage and uncomfortableness. I would have them consider that humility and meekness doth still become them, but not dejection and despondency of mind, that they should ever be complaining, fearful, and disconso- late. We have not a hard master ; he hath made joy a part of our work, Phil. iv. 4 ; he gave his Son, Luke i. 74, 75, ' That being deli- vered from our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness.' We should consider that he is ready to bear with failings where there is an upright heart ; that God accepteth what we can through grace well and comfortably perform. It is a general maxim of the gospel, though spoken upon a particular occasion, 2 Cor. viii. 12, ' That if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, not according to that he hath not:' that. the God whom they serve in the spirit can put a finger on the scar : ' Ye have heard of the patience of Job,' James v. 11. Ay! and we have heard of his impatience too, his cursing the day of his birth, and his bold expostulations with God ; but this is passed over in silence, and his patience commended. Nothing should be a discouragement from serving cheerfully so good and gracious a God, who is so ready to accept and assist us, 1 Peter iii. 6, compared with Gen. xviii. 12. He will own a pearl on a dunghill, the least act of sincere obedience, though there be many failings. But I must return.