blindness, profaneness, hard-heartedness, spiritual madness, and
2. Secondly, I answer, That there is not a greater evidence of
blindness, profaneness, hard-heartedness, spiritual madness, and
hellish desperateness in all the world, than to make that an
argument, an encouragement to sin, namely, the mercy of God,
which should be the greatest argument under heaven to keep a man
from sin—as all know that have but read the Scripture. Neither are
there any sinners in the world that God delights to rain hell out of
heaven upon, as upon such, who by their abuse of mercy, turn the
God of mercy into a mere scarecrow, who threatens without
punishing; and go on out-daring justice itself.
"Let none of those who hear the warnings of this curse consider
themselves immune, thinking, 'I am safe, (God is a God of mercy),
even though I am walking in my own stubborn way.' This would lead
to utter ruin! The Lord will not pardon such people. His anger and
jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book
will come down on them." Deuteronomy 29:19-20. In these words
you may observe, that God is absolute in his threatening, to show
that he will be resolute in punishing: Psalm 11:5-6, "The wicked, and
him that loves iniquity, does his soul hate. Upon the wicked he shall
rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be
the portion of their cup."
Ah! that all poor sinners would make these two scriptures their
companions, their constant bed-fellows, until they are got above that
sad temptation of turning the mercy of God into an encouragement
to sin.