A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

my266 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGof our sins that, he can possibly bear no longer. And thenalso, when he is about to be delivered of his justly-conceivedand long-forborne vengeance, mark how he goesabout it: "Ah!" says he (Isa. i, 24). This aspirationargues a compassionate pang of grief, speaking after themanner of men, to proceed against his own people, thoughthey had provoked him as enemies. "How shall I givethee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? Howshall 1 make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee aslepentingsZeboim? ]\iine heart is turned within me :are kindled together" (Hos. xi, 8). When he came againstSodom and Gomorrah, the most prodigiously wicked peoplethat ever the earth bore, what a miracle of mercy was itthat he should be brought so low as to say, "I will notdestroy it for ten's sake " (Gen. xviii, 32).So it is, then, that mercy flows naturally and easily fromGod, and he is most forward and free-hearted in grantingpardons and receiving into grace and favour. But justice isever, as it were, violently with " cart-ropes of iniquity"pulled from him. He is pressed with our sins, as a cart ispressed that is full of sheaves, before we wring from himthe vials of just wrath, and wrest out of iiis hands thearrows of deserved indignation. That you err not in thispoint, conceive thai both God's mercy and justice are originallyand fundamentally, as God himself, infinite; bothof the same length, height, breadth, and depth; that is,equally endless, boundless, bottomless, unsearchable. Yet,if we consider the exercise and execution of them amongstthe creatures and abroad in the world ; mercy, that sweetestattribute and most precious balm to all bruised hearts, dothfar surpass and outshine the other though incomparable excellenciesof his divine nature, and all the perfections whichaccompany the greatness of God ; as appears Exod. xx, 5, 6;Gen. xviii, 32; Joel ii, 13 ; Jonah iv, 2; Psalm xxxvi, andciii ; 2 Chron. xxi, 13. His influences and beams of mercyare fairly and plentifully shed into the bosom of every creature,and shine gloriously over all the earth, even from oneend of heaven to the other. The whole world is thickly setand richly embroidered as it were with wonderful variety ofimpressions and passa;^es of his goodness and bounty. Inthis great volume of nature round about us we may run andread the deep prints and large characters of kindness andlove, which his merciful and munificent hand hath left inall places, in every leaf, and page, and line of it. If mercythen be so graciously magnified over all his works, Me maymore strongly build upon it, that if the hand of justice seizeupon a hateful thought as a murderer and stained with