150 THE DISCREET PLOUGHMAN.
arm them with his power against us ; that he is a fiery wall about us, and hath hedged us, and all that we have, about ; that he loves us, pities us, delights not in chastising and afllicting us ; that he doth it not willingly, but enforced, in a manner, for our good ; and that all the while, as the prophet Isaiah speaks, ' he waits to have mercy upon us,' Isa. xxx. 18, having a certain appointed time for our deliverance. This, I say, being believed, would help to carry our heads above water, in all the tempestu- ous waves of our atllictions, so as to expect and hope for the accomplish- ment of this divine scripture : that, as the ploughman will not plough all the day to sow, &c., no more will our all-sufficient, only wise God; but will make a happy and comfortable end of his spiritual husbandry, in the best and fittest time, to the everlasting comfort and salvation of his children.
THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
NOTE.
'Matchless Mercy' forms No. 22 of the original ' Saint's Cordials,' 1629. It was not included in the after-editions. Its separate title-page will be found below.*
G.
* THE MATCHLES MERCIE.
In One Seemon.
WHEREIN IS SHEWED the Excellency and wonder of Divine Mercy in par- doning and subduing of sinne in us.
WITH THE REASONS WHICH
may induce the soule to beleeve and ap- prehend the same.
Prselucendo Pereo.
Vpeightnes Hath Boldnes.
PsAL. 144. 9, 10. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his workes.
LONDON, Printed in the yeare 1629.
THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
Who is a God like unto thee, that jmrdoueth iniquity, and passeth by trans- gression of the remnant of his heritaye ■ he retaineth not his anyer for ever, because he deliyhteth in mercy. He will turn ayaln, he icill have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities: and thou irilt cast cdl their sins in the depth of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days ofold.—MiCAK Vn. 18-20.
The drift and scope of this place is to shew God's infinite and constant mercies unto his children, who are tossed and tumbled in a world of miseries of this life, sometimes being altogether void of comfort and the sense of God's love ; and this is two ways propounded :
1, In the benefits they receive ; 2, in the reasons moving unto the same.
The benefits he promiseth are in number two :
1, Justification by the blood of Christ ; 2, sanctification by his Spirit.
Now, this justification is set forth, for oui- better understanding, by divers arguments :
1. He shews what he will take away, viz.,
First, He says he will take away original sin, in these words, ' pardoneth iniquity.'
Secondly, He sheweth that he will take away our rebellion in these words, * and passeth by transgression.' In sum, he sheweth that he will take away both the root and the fruits of sin.
2. He sheweth the fruits of this justification in this, what he will pass by.
' He passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage.' The sum is, he will both forgive and forget. The original, in the time present, thus reads it, ' taking away,' arguing and shewing a continual act of God, even a continual act of mercy in him ; implying, that as there is a con- tinual spring of original corruption in us, which staineth all our best actions, making us continually liable to the wrath of God, so that in him there is a continual spring of mercy flowing from him, both to pardon and wash away this iniquity (a).
And now having shewed this benefit of justification, in the next place he cometh to describe the persons who shall obtain this great favour two ways:
154 THE MATCHLESS MERCY.
1, TLcy are but a remnaut; 2, they are God's heritage.
Now, before he come unto the otlicr"benefit of sauctification, he answereth two objections :
Obj. First, Whereas some poor souls may object. What ! how can this be ? Is God such a God who pardoncth iniquity, and passeth by the same ? I find my sins to lie heavy and sore upon me ; they accuse me day and night, and they pursue mc.
Ans. To this he answers. True it is God is forced to take notice of your sins, to let them accuse you, to curb and keep you in. If we will not take notice of our sins, then God must do the same. Yet, saith he, for your comfort rejoice, he ' retaineth not his anger for ever;' be patient a while, and you shall see deliverance, it is for your good that you are thus atUicted.
Obj. Ay, but here, because the afflicted soul may again object. But I am not only troubled with outward crosses and afflictions, but also many inward tentations do assail me; I have committed sins of knowledge and presump- tion since my calling; I have trespassed against my enlightening, grieved the Spirit, I have forced God to depart from me ; this seemeth hard, to be ■without the favour of God.