1. It supposeth &7H. So there is a^w/Y/o/f/;;^ ?»e/-c^ for that. Or,
2. Miscri/ ; thai is, a, deliveriiig mercy. Or,
3. Defect or icant in the creature, which is, supplying mercy. "Wheresoever mercy is conversant, it is usually about one of these three,
either sin, or misery, or defects and wants ; that is, to persons in miseiy. For, indeed, the word is more general than fatherless. Deserted persons, that are forsaken of others, and have no strength of their own, they are here meant by the fatherless, who have no means, wisdom, power, or ability of their own, but are deserted and forsaken of others. Whence the chief truth that offers itself to be considered of us is this.
That God is especially merciful to those persons who stand most in need of mercy.
First, Because these do relish mercy most, and give him the glory of it, applying themselves most to his mei'cy, being beaten out of the creature ; and the more we have communion with God, being driven out of the crea- ture and other comforts, the more he discovers himself to us. As the nearer we are to the fire, the hotter it is ; so the nearer we are to God, the more good and gracious he every way shews himself unto us. Now, what makes us near him, but extremity of misery, whereby we are beaten from all other holds whatsoever ? It is acknowledged to be his work, when he doth it for those that are deserted of all others, Hosea v. 15. Then he hath the chief glory of it. This is one end why God suflers his children to fall into extremity of great sorrows and perplexities, to fall very low in depths of miseries (as the Scripture speaks), Ps. cxxx. 1, that he might discover a depth of his mercy beyond the depth of their miserj^, to shew that there is a depth deeper than that depth, for their miseiy is finite. Oh ! but the bowels of his compassions are infinite, both in measure and time. * His mercy endureth for ever,' Ps. cxxxvi. 1, seq.
Again, God is jealous of their affiance and confidence, knowing that natur- ally, unless we fall into some straits and weaning extremities, we shall place our affiance upon the creature. Therefore, he deals thus with us. He knows oui- sickness well enough, that we are desperately addicted to
294 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDEK. [SeRMON IV.
present things. Therefore, to cure this sickness in us, he draws us by ex- tremities from the creature to himself, which, when it fails, we go to him. ' Help, Lord ! ' Why ? ' For vain is the help of man,' Ps. Ix. 11. It is time then to help. ' Help, Lord, for the godly are perished from the earth,' Ps. xii. 1. It is time to help. Lord, for if thou do not, none will ; whereby they come to have their confidence upon the rock, which is worth all. Other men, they run from creature to creature, from help to help, as sick bodies do to this and to that drug, and to this and that potion. They seek to many things to beg comfort from ; but a Christian hath a sure foundation that he may stay upon. ' In thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
To come now to speak of the words as they lie in the whole. They caiTy another instruction,
That God is ven/ gracious and merciful to fatherless and distressed persons.
As we have it, Ps. x. 18, 'that God will judge the fatherless and op- pressed ; that the man of the earth may no more oppress ;' so Ps. cxlvi. 9, it is said, ' The Lord preserveth the strangers, he relieve th the fatherless and widow,' &c. And for the general we have it, ' The Lord relieveth all that fall, and raiseth up all that be bowed down,' Ps. cxlv. 14. God he opens his ear to hear their cry, to judge the fatherless and the oppressed. The like we have in Exodus, ' Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger,' for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt,' Exod. xxiii. 9. And saith he, * Thou shalt not atflict any widow or fatherless child. If thou afliict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their ciy,' Exod. xxii. 21. These, among many, are direct places to shew the truth of this, that God is merciful, not only in general, but to those persons set down by a synecdoche, a figure where one is set down for all of the same kind. God is merciful to all persons, in any land of misery or distress whatsoever. As the apostle speaks, God is he ' who comforteth the abject person,' 2 Cor. vii. 6, the forlorn, the castaway persons of the world ; and he is * a veiy present help in trouble,' Ps. xlvi. 1. So as when there are none to help, then he awaketh and rouseth up himself to lay hold for us. * His own arm brings salvation for his own sake.' * So when there is misery, and none to help, God will find cause and ground from his own bowels to shew mercy, to take pity and compassion upon his poor church and children. Which should teach us,