This I observe, the rather to appease the conscience of a sinner when it is suppressed* with terror and fear of the greatness of his sins. Consider * Qu. ' oppressed ? — G.
82 COMMENTARY ON
how God hatli Bet down liimself, and will be known and apprehended of us, not only as merciful, but a ' Fatlii;r of mercies,' and not of one mercy, but of all mercies, not only giving, but, forgiving especially, ' Which forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thy infirmities,' Ps. ciii. 3. This I observe against a proneness in us to despair. Wo are not now proner in the time of peace to presume, than when conscience is awakened, to despair; we are prone to both alike. For here is the poison of man's corruption. Is God so merciful ? Surely, I may go on in sin, and cry God mercy, and there is an end. God is merciful, nay, the Father of mercies.
Now, in the time of peace, sin is nothing with us. Swearing is nothing, rotten discourse is nothing, going beyond others in our dealing and com- merce is nothing, getting an estate by fraud and deceit is nothing. * The bread of deceit is sweet,' Prov. xx. 17. Loose, licentious, libertine life, is nothing. And those that do not follow the same excess, and are [not] dis- solute, it is a strange matter with us, they are strange people. We think it strange that others do not so, and if they be better than we, it is but hypocrisy. Men measure all by themselves. So all is nothing. Great, gross swearing is nothing. Men glory in it, and to make scruple of it, it is thus and thus. They have terms for it. And what is the bawd* for all this ? Oh ! God is merciful, and Christ he is wondrous merciful ; he took our nature that he might die for us, &c.
It is true indeed. But when the conscience is awakened, then the con- science will tell thee another lesson. The conscience will set God as just, and Satan will help conscience with accusations and aggravations. It is true, it is too true. The conscience will take part with God and with his word. It is true thou hast done thus and thus. These are thy sins, and God is just.
And especially at the hour of death, when earthly comforts fail, and there is nothing but sin set before a man's eyes, the comforts that are set before him can do him no good. Then the conscience will hardly f receive any comfort : especially the consciences of such as have gone on in a course of sin, in spite of good means. A conscience of such a man as either refuseth or rejects the means, because it would favour itself in sin ; or a conscience that being rmder means, having had its sins discovered to it, that conscience will hardly admit of any comfort. And there is none, but they find it another manner of matter than they think it. Sin is a blacker thing than they imagine. Their oaths that they trifle with, and their dissolute and their rotten discourse, when they should be better affected J, upon the Sab- bath, and such like. Therefore we ought to look to it.
Well! to press this point of presumption a little further, now I am in it, we are wondi'ous prone to abuse this mercy to presumption, and after to despair.
I consider this beforehand, that however God's mercy be unlimited, as indeed it is in itself, it is so unlimited to those that repent, and to those that receive and embrace mercy, and mercy in one kind as well as another. It is so to those that repent of their sins. For God is so the ' Father of mercy,' as that he is the ' God of vengeance ' too, Deut. xxxii. 5. He is a just God too.
The conscience will tell you this well enough, when the outward com- forts, that now you dally v/ith and set as gods in the room of God, and drown yourselves in sensuality and idolatry with the creature, and put them
* Sic Qu. ' bode ?' = bid, meaning bait. — G.
t That is, ' affectioned' = disposed.— Q. t That is. ' with difficulty.'— jgt.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 3. 88
in tho placo of God, — when they are taken away, conscience will tell you that God is merciful indeed ; but he is just to such that refuse mercies.
Therefore, though his mercy be unlimited to such as are broken-hearted to such as repent of their sins (for ho will glorify his mercy as he may glorify his other attributes), he is wisely merciful. If he should be mer- ciful to such as go on in sin, he should not be wisely merciful.
Who among men, if he be wise, would bo merciful to a child or servant without acknowledgment of the fault ?
Was not David over-merciful to Absalom ? Yes ; it was his fault. Yet, out of wisdom, he would not admit him into his presence till he was humbled for his fault and made intercession, though he doatcd upon hini, 2 Sam. .xiv. 28. God is infinitely wise, as he is merciful. Therefore , ba will not be merciful to him that goes on in wickedness and sin. This cannot be too often pressed, for the most of the auditors, wheresoever we speak, the devil hath them in this snare, that God is merciful, &c. Anu doth he not know how to use it ? He is so indeed, but it is to repentant souls that mean to break off their course of sin.