Of Mercies and Promifes,
Mercies and Promises.
Direct. 7. Take heed of running on ina course offin, (eſpecially fuperftition and idolatry); inwhich cafes, and as a punishment ofwhich evils,God oftengives upmen to theſe vile affections, Rom. i. 25, 26. "Who changed the truth of "God into a lie ; (worſhipped] and ſervedthe creature more
" than the Creator,who is bleſſed for ever, Amen.
[For this " cauſe] Godgave themuptovileaffections," &c. Theythat defile their foulsby idolatrous practices,God ſuffers, as ajuſt recompence, their bodies alſo tobe defiled with uncleanneſs, that ſo their ruinmaybe haſtened. Letthe admirers oftraditions beware of fuch a judicial tradition as this is.
Woe to him that is thus delivered by the hand of an angry God! Nopunishment in the world like this, whenGodpunithes fin with fin: whenhe ſhall ſuffer thoſe χεινας έννοιας, thoſe common notices of confcience to be quenched, and all retraints tobe moved out oftheway offin, itwill notbe long e'erthat finner cometo his own place.
IN CAUTION IV.
N the next place, I shall makebold to expoftulatealittle. with your confcience concerningthe preciousmereies you have received, andthe folemn promiſes you have bound yourfelves withal forthe obtaining of thoſe mercies. IfearGod hath many bankrupt debtors among you, that have dealt flip pery and unfaithfully with him; that have not rendered tothe
Lord according to thegreatthingshe hathdone for them, nor according to thoſe goodthings they havevowed tothe mighty
God ofJacob.
But, truly, ifthou be adeſpiſer ofmercy, thou ſhalt beapattern ofwrath. Godwill remember them in fury, who forget him inhis favours.
I will tell you what a grave and eminent minifter once told his people (dealingwith them about this fin of unthankfulness for mercy); and IprayGod it may affect you duly.
† Let us allmourn (faithhe) and take on; we are all behind hand with God.
The Chriſtian •world is become bankrupt, quite broke, makes no return to <God for his love. He is iſſuing out proceſs to ſeize upon body,goods,and life, andwillbeputoffno longer. Bloody bailiffs are abroad for bad debtors all the world over. ſtians arebroke,and make noreturn, andGodis breaking all.
•He cannot have what he wouldhave, what he ſhouldhave, 'he will takewhathe canget: for moneyhe will take goods,
Chrilimbs, arms, legs ; he will have his own out of your skin, • out ofyour blood, out ofyour bodies and fouls. He is ferMr. Lockyer onCol, i p. 113.
Mercies and Promises.
ting the Chriſtian world as light and as low as theyhave fet his love. Ah, Lord, what a time do we live in! long-fuffering is at anend, mercy willberighted injuſtice, justice will have all behind, itwillbe paid to the utmost farthing; it will fet abroach yourblood, but it will have all behind," c.
Do youhear, fouls? Is notthisſad news to ſome ofyou, who have received vaſt ſums of mercy, and givenGod your bond for the repayment of him inpraiſe and anſwerable fruit, and yet forfeited all, and lost your credit with God ? O how can you lookGodinthe face,withwhomyouhave dealt ſo perfidiouſly! I'amnow come inthe name ofGod to demand his due of you ; tocall to remembrance the former receipts of mercywhichyoumind not, butGod doth,andthere is awitneſs inyour boſom thatdoth, and willonedaywitneſs toyour faces, thatyou have dealt perfidioufly with yourGod.
Your fouls havebeenthegraves ofmercy, which ſhould have been as ſo manygardens where they ſhould have livedand flourished.
I am come now to open thoſe graves,and view thoſe mercies thatyour unthankfulneſs hath killed and buried, to laythem before your eyes, and ſee whether your ungrateful hearts will bleeduponthem.
Buried mercies are not loft for ever.; they ſhallas certainlyhave aday of* refurrection as thyſelf.: itwere better fortheethey ſhouldhave a reſurrectionnow inthyheart, thantoriſe as witneſſes against thee,when thou ſhalt riſe out of the dust : that willbe a terrible refurrection indeed, when they ſhallcome to plead against thy soul. Nothing pleads more dreadfully against a foul than abuſed mercydoth.
But I shall come to the particulars uponwhich I interrogate your confciences ; and I praydeal trulyand ingenuously inanſwering theſe queries.
Quer. 1. And, firſt, I shall demand ofyou, whether you never had experienceof the power andgoodness ofGod, in reſtoring you to health from dangerous fickneſs and diſeaſes ?
Have you not ſometimes had the fentence ofdeath inyourſelves ? Andthat poſſiblywhenyouhavebeen in remote parts, far from your friends andrelations, and deſtitute of all means and accommodations. Did you not fayinthat condition, as Hezekiah did ina like cafe ? Ifa. xxxviii. 10, 11, 12. "I faid,
Zz2 *There is a double refurrection ofmercy : a refurrection ofmer cy in mercy, and a refurrection of mercy in wrath.
Itis the firſt f now labour for, and that toprevent the ſecond.
Mercies and Promises.
" inthe cuttingoffof mydays, I ſhall go to the gates ofthe " grave: I am deprived ofthe refidue ofmyyears.
I faid, I " ſhallnot see the Lord, eventheLord inthe landofthe liv- " ing : I shallbeholdman no morewiththe inhabitants ofthe
" world:" Remember thyself, Man; canſt not thou call to mindthe daywhenthe arrows ofdeath came whiſking by thee, and itmaybe hit thoſe next thee; took awaythoſe that were as livelyand luſty asthyſelf, when you began your voyage, and yet theywere caſt for death,thou for life, andthat when therewas but an hair's breadth betwixtthee andthe grave ?
Tellme, foul, what friendwas thatwho stood bythee then, whenthou waſt forſakenofallfriends ? Whenit may be thy companions ſtoodready tothrow thee over-board,whowas it that pitied and remembered thee inthylow eftate ? Who was itthat rebuked thy diſeaſe ? or, (as * one very aptly expreſſes it) 'reſtrainedthehumours ofthybody, fromoverflowing and • drowning thy life ? For,whentheyare letout ina fickneſs, theywouldoverflow anddrown it, as the waters would the earth, ifGodſhouldnotfaytothem, ſtay, you proudwaves.'
Whowas it, man, thatwhen thy bodywas brought low and weak, and like a crazy rotten ſhip inaſtorm,took in water on all fides, ſo that allthe phyſicians inthe worldcould not have ſtopped thoſe leaks ? Confider,what handwas thatwhich qui etedand calmedthe tempestuous ſea, careened and mended thy crazybody, andlaunched thee into the world again, as whole, as found, as trong, as ever ? Was itnotthe Lord, that hathdone all this for thee? Did not he keep back thy foul from the pit, and thy life from periſhing ? Yea,when thou waſt chaſtenedwith pain,uponthy bed,(as Elihu ſpeaks) Job xxxiii. 19, 20,21. andthe multitudeofthyboneswith ſtrong pains, ſo that thy life abhorredbread,andthy fouldaintymeat; thy fleſh confumed away, that it couldnot be ſeen, and thy bonesthatwere not feen, ſtuck out: Yetthen,as it is verſe28. hedeliveredthy foulfrom goingdownintothepit,and cauſed thy life to fee the light. Had the lamp of life been then extinguiſhed, thou hadſt gonedown into endleſs darkness ; hell had ſhut her mouth uponthee. Nowtellme, foul, what haft thoudone withthis precious mercy ? Haftthou walkedbefore the Lord in a deep ſenſethereof, and anſweredhis endtherein, whichwas, to lead thee to repentance ? Or hath thy ſtupid or difingenuous heart forgotten it, and loft all ſenſe of it, ſo that God's endis fruftrated, and thy falvation notajot furthered
† Mr. Thomas Goodwin.
Mercies and Promises.
thereby? Oh! if it be fo, woe to thee! for theblood of this mercy, which thyingratitudehath murdered,like thebloodof
Abel, cries toGod againstthee. What a wretch art thou thus to requitethe Lord for fuch a mercy! He ſaw thy tears, and heardthy groans, and faid within himself,he fhall notdie, but live.
Alas, poor creature! ifI cut him off now, he is eternallyloft: Iwill fend him back a few years more into the world.
I will try him once more, it may be he will bear fome fruits to me from this deliverance; and if fo, well ; if not, I will cuthim down hereafter : He shall be fetat liberty upon his good behaviour a little longer. And is allthis nothing inthine eyes ? Wretch thatthou art, doſt thou forget and flight fuch a favour as this ? Is itworth no more inthine eyes ? Well, it would be worth fomething in the eyes of the poordamned fouls, ifthey mighthave ſomany years cut out of their eternity, for a mere intermiffion of their torments, much more as a time of patience and mercy. O confider, what pity and goodneſs thou haft abufed!
Quer. 2. Waft thou never caſt upon miferable ſtraits and extremities, wherein the good providence of God relieved and ſupplied thee ? How many ofyou havebeen beaten ſo long as fea,by reaſon ofcontrarywinds and other accidents, until your provifions havebeen exhausted and ſpent : To how ſhort allowancehaveyou been kept : And whata mercywouldyou have eſteemed it, ifyou could but have fatisfied nature with afull draught ofwater.
Certainly, this hathbeenthe cafe ofmany ofyou. O whata price and valuedid you then fet upon thoſe common mercies, which at other times have been flightly overlooked! And whenyou have ſeen no hopes of relief, bave younot looked fadlyone upon another ? and, it may be, faid, as that widow of Sarepta did to the prophet, 1 Kings xvii.
12. "Andthe faid, as the Lord thyGod liveth, I have not a " cake, but an handful ofmeal inabarrel,and a little oil in a " cruſe ; and, behold, I am gathering two ſticks, that Imay
" go in anddreſs it for me and my son, thatwe may eat it, " and die."
Even ſuch hath been your cafe; yet hath that God,whoſe mercies are over all his works, heardyour forrows, andprovided relieffor you, eitherby ſome ſhip,which providence ſent to relieve you in that diſtreſs, or by altering the winds, and ſending you ſafe to the land, before allyour proviGonshavebeen ſpent. And haftthoukeptnorecords oftheſe gracious providences ? Yea,doftthou abuſe the creature,when thou are brought again to thefull enjoyment of it ; andpoffibly, receiveſt thecreatures (whoſe worth thou hast ſo lately
Mercies and Promises. feenin thewantofthem) without thanksgiving, or a ſenſible acknowledgment ofthe goodness ofGod inthem ? Iſay, doft thou thus anſwer the expectations ofGod? Well, beware left
God teach fuch an unworthy creature, bywoeful experience, that the opening ofhis hand togivetheea mercy, is worth the opening thy lips to bleſs him for it.
Beware leftthatunthankful mouth that will notbleſs the Lord forbreadand water, have neither the one nor the other to bleſs him for.
I can give you a fad inſtance inthe cafe, andI have found it in the writing ofan eminentdivine,who said hehadit from an eye and ear-witneſs ofthe truth of it. Ayoungman lying upon his fick-bed, was always calling for meat; butwhen the meat he called for was brought unto him, he ſhook, and trembled dreadfully at the fight ofit, and that in everypart ofhis body, andſo continued,untilhis foodwas carried away. Andthus hedid, as often as any food was brought into his preſence; andnot being able to eatone bit, pinedaway; but before his death, he freely acknowledgedthejusticeofGodin his punishment: For, ſaid he, inthetime ofmy health, I ordinarilyreceivedmy meat without thanksgiving. Olettheabuſers and deſpiſers ofſuch mercies fear andtremble !
Quer. 3. Haveyou not beeneminently protected and favedby the Lord, in the greatestdangers and hazards of life; in fights at fea,when men have droptdown at your right hand, and at your left, andyet the Lord hath coveredyourheads in theday ofbattle ? And though you havebeen equally obnoxious to death anddanger with others, yet your namewas not found among theirs in the list ofthe dead.
Or in ſhipwrecks, ah, how narrowlyhave fome ofyou eſcaped! aplankhathbeen caft in, you know not how, toſave you, when your companions, for want ofit, have gonedownto the bottom ; or you have been enabled to ſwim to the shore, when others have fainted in the way, andperiſhed? In what avariety ofſtrange and astonishing providences hath Godwalkedtowards ſome of you, and whatreturns haveyou made toGod for it? Oh, firs !
Ibeſeechyou, confiderbut theſe two orthree things that I shall now lay before you to confiderof.
Confid. 1. Anheathen willdomore for a dung-hill-deity, thanthou, that calleſt thyſelf a Chriſtian, wilt do for thetrue
God, thatmade heaven and earth, Dan. v. 4. They praiſed the gods of filver, andofgold, and of brafs, of iron, wood, and stone.
When the Philistines were delivered from the handofSamſon, the text faith, Judg. xvi. 24. " They praiſed
Mercies and Promises.
theirgod," &c.
Then Dagon must be extolled. O let hame cover thy face!
Confid. 2. That the abuſe ofmercy and love is a finthat goes near to the heart ofGod. Oh! he cannot bear it.
It is notthegiving out ofmercy thattroubles him,for thathe doth withdelight; but the recoiling ofhis mercies upon him by the creatures ingratitude, this wounds. " Be astonished,O ye heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid." And again,
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth," Ifa. i. 2. q. d.O youinnocentcreatures,which inviolably obſerve the law ofyour creation, be you all aſtoniſhed, and clothed in black, to fee naturecaft, by fin, fo far below itſelf, and that in a creature fo much ſuperior to you as man, who, in the very womb, was crowned aking, and admitted into the highest order of creatures,andfet as lord and maſter over you ; yetdoth he act not only below himself, but below the very beasts . "The ox
" knoweth his owner;" (i. e.) there is akind ofgratitude in the beasts, by which they acknowledge their benefactors that feed and preſerve them. Oh ! what a pathetical exclamation is that, Deut. xxxii. 6. " Do you thus requite the Lord, O
" foolish people, andunwiſe."
Confid. 3. It is a fin thatkindles the wrath ofGod, and will make itburn dreadfully against thee, unthankful finner: It ftirs up the anger ofGod, inwhomsoever itbe found, though intheperſon of afaint, 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. " But Hezekiah
" rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him :
" forhis heartwas liftedup, therefore there was wrath upon " him, and upon Jerufalem." And ſo you read, Rom. i. thattheHeathens,becauſe theywere notthankful,were given up to vile affections ; the foreſt plague in the world. It is a fin thattheGodof mercyſcarceknows how to pardon, Jer. v. 7.
" How shall I pardon thee forthis?" This forgetting ofthe Godthat faves us in our extremities, is a fin thatbrings deſolation and ruin, the effects ofGod's high diſpleaſure upon all ourtemporal enjoyments. See that remarkable ſcripture, Ifa. xvii. 10, 11. " Becauſe thou hast [forgotten]theGod of [thy
" ſalvation,] and haft notbeen [mindful] ofthe rock of[thy " ſtrength:] Therefore ſhalt thou plant pleaſantplants, and " ſhaltſet itwith ſtrange flips : Inthedayſhaltthou makethy
" plant togrow, and inthe morning ſhalt thoumake thy feed " to flourish ;but theharvest ſhallbean heapinthedayofgrief,
" anddefperate forrow."
The meaning is, that God will blaſtand curſe allthineemployments, andthou shalt be under defperate forrow,byreasonofthediſappointmentsofthyhopes.
Mercies and Promises.
Confid. 4. It is a fin that cuts ofmercy fromyou infuture ftraits : Ifyou thus requite the Lord for former mercies,never expectthe like in future diftreffes. God is not weary of his bleflings, to caſt them away upon ſuch foulsthat arebut gravesto them. Mark what a replyGodmade to the Ifraelites, whentheycrieduntohim for help,being invadedbytheAmorites, Judg. x. 11, 12, 13. "Did not I deliveryou from the " Egyptians, and from the Amorites,from the children of " Ammon, and from the Philistines ? The Zidonians alfo,
" andthe Amalekites, andye crieduntome, and I delivered " youout oftheirhand.
Yet ye haveforſakenme, and ſerved " other gods ; wherefore I willdeliveryou no more." Ofad world ! it is, as ifthe Lord hadfaid, I have triedwhatmercy anddeliverance willdo with you, and I ſeeyou are never the better for it: Deliverance isbut feedfown uponthe rocks.
I will caſt awayno more favours upon you; now look to yourſelves, ſhift for yourselves fortimeto come; wadethroughyour troubles as well as you can. Obrethren ! there isnothing more quicklyworks the ruin ofa people, than the abuse of mercy. O, methinks, this text ſhould ſtrike terror into your hearts. How often hathGod deliveredyou ? Remember thy eminentdeliverance atfuch a time,in ſuchacountry, out of fuch adeepdiſtreſs: God was gracious to thy cry then, thou haftforgotten andabufedhis mercy, whatnow, ifGodſhould fay, as in the text,thereforeIwill deliver thee no more ? Ah, poor foul! what wouldſt thou do then, or towhom wilt thou turn? Itmay be thou wilt cry to the creatures for help and pity; but,alas ! to whatpurpoſe ? Theywillgive as cold and as comfortless an anfwer as Samuel gave unto Saul, 1 Sam. xxviii. 15, 16. " And Samuel ſaid unto Saul, Wherefore
" haft thou diſquieted me, to bring me up ? And Saul an " fwered, I am fore diſtreſſed; for the Philiſtines make war
" against n.e, and God is departed from me, and anſwereth " me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams : there- " forehave I calledthee, &c. Then faid Samuel, wherefore
" then doft thou afk ofme, feeing the Lord isdeparted from "thee, and isbecome thine enemy?" Oh ! thou wilt be a poor ſhiftleſs creature, ifonceby abuſing mercy thou make it thineenemy!
Confid. 5. It is breach of vows made in diſtreſs to obtain theſemercies ; theyhave beeneaſilyforgottenand violated by thee whenthou hast obtained thy defire : A.word or two to convinceyou what a further evil lies in this, andhow by this confideration thy fins come to be buoyed up to a greater
Mercies and Promises.
height, and aggravation offinfulness; and thenIhave done with thishead.
Avow is apromise made to God, in the things of God.
The obligation ofit is,by cafuifts,judged to be as great as that ofan eath.
It is a facred and folemnbond,wherein afoul kinds toGod in lawful things; andbeing once bound by it, it is a moſt heinous evil to violate it. It is anhigh piece ofdifhonef ty tofailinwhatwe have promised tomen, faith * Dr. Hall; butto difappointGod in our vows, is no less than facrilege.
The act is freeand voluntary ; but ifonce ajuſt and lawful vowor promiſe hath paſtyour lips, faith he, you may not be falfetoGod inkeeping it.
It is with us for our vows, as it waswithAnanias and Sapphira, for theirfubftance : " Whilft
" it remained (faith Peter)was it notthine own?" He needed not to felland give it; but ifhe will give,hemay notreferve :
It isdeathto fave ſome;he lies totheholyGhoſt, that defalks from thatwhich he engaged himself to bestow.
If thou haft vowedtothe mighty GodofJacob,lookto itthatthoube faithful in thy performance; for he is agreat andjealous God, andwill not be mocked.
Now, I am confidentthere be manyamong you, that, in your former diſtreſſes, have folemnly engagedyour fouls thus toGod; that ifhe would deliver you out ofthoſe dangers, and ſpare your lives, you would walk more strictly, and live livemore holylives thanever you did.
You have, it maybe, engaged yourfouls to the Lord against those fins,as drunkenneſs, lying, ſwearing, uncleanneſs,or whatsoever evil it wasthatyour confciencethenſmote you for; the vows ofGod (I fay) are uponmany ofyou.
But haveyou performed thoſe vows that your lips have uttered ? Have you dealt truly withGod; or haveyou mockedhim, and lied untohim with your lips, and / omitted thoſe very duties you promised to perform, and returned to the ſelffame evils you have promiſed toforſake?
Ionly put the queſtion, let your confciences anſwer it.
But ifitbe fo, indeed, that thou arta perſon that makest light of thy engagements toGod, as indeed feamen's vows, and fick men's promiſes are, for the moſt part, deceitful and flippery things, being extorted from them by fear of death, and not from anydeep reſentmentofthe neceffity, and weightofthofe duties to whichtheybind their fouls: I fay, ifthis fin lieuponanyofyour fouls, I advise you to go to God ſpeedily, and *Cafes of confcience.
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VOL . VI.
Mercies and Promises. bewail it; humble yourselfgreatly before him,admire híspa tiencein forbearing you, andpay unto him whatyour lips have promiſed. And to move youthereunto, let theſe conſiderations, among many others,be laid to heart.
Confid. 1. Think ſeriouslyupon the greatness ofthat majesty whom thou hastwrongedby lying tohim,and falfifying thy engagements. Othinkfadly onthis! itisnotmanwhomthou haft abuſed,butGod; eventhatGod inwhoſehand thy life and breath is. Foralthough (as one truly obſerves) there be notin everyvow aformal invocation ofGod,(God being the proper correlate, and, as it were, a party to every vow, and therefore not formally to be invoked for theconteſtation of it) ; yet, there is inevery vow an amplicit callingGodtowitneſs ; fothat certainly the obligation ofavow isnot onejot beneath that ofan oath. NowifGodbe as a party to whom thou hast paſt thy promiſe, andthatobligation on that ground be ſo great; Ohwhathastthoudone! for apoor worm tomock themoſtgloriousmajestyofheaven, andbreakfaithwithGod; what a dreadful thing is that ! ifitwere but to thy fellow-creature, though the fin wouldbe great; yet not like unto this.
Letme fay tothee as the prophet Maiah, chap. vii. 13. " Is it a " ſmallthing for you, towearymen,but will you wearymy
" God alfo ?" If youdare todeceive and abuſe men,dareyou do ſobyGod alſo ? Oh ! ifthe exceeding vileneſs of the fin do not affect thee,yet methinks the danger of provoking fo dreadful aMajestyagainstthee ſhould ! Andtherefore confider,
Confid. 2. Thatthe Lord will moſt certainly be avenged upontheefor theſethings, exceptthou repent. Oread, and trembleatthewordofGod! Ecclef. v.4, 5,6. "Whenthouvowest
" avow untoGod, defer not to payit: forhehath nopleaſure " infools; paythatwhich thou hast vowed.
Better is itthat " thou shouldeſt notvow, than that thou shouldſt vow, andnot 66 pay.
Suffer notthymouth to cauſe thy fleth to fin, neither " ſay thou,before the angel, that itwas an error ; wherefore
" [ſhould God be angry] at thy voice, and [destroy] the works " ofthyhands ?" Mark, God will be angry, andin that anger he will destroy the work ofthy hands, (i. e.) faithDiodate,
'bring thee and allthy actions to nought,by reaſon of thy < perjury.' Now,the anger ofGod, whichthy breach of promiſe kindles, as appears by this text, is a dreadful fire. O, what creature can stand before it! asAfaph ſpeaks, Pfalm
Ixxvi . 7. " Thou, even thou art to be feared; and whomay " ſtand in thy fight, whenonce thou artangry ?"
Confid..3. Confider, that all this while thou finneſtagainft
Mercies and Promises.
knowledge and conviction ; for,didnotthyconſcienceplainly convince thee, wheneminentdanger opened its mouth, that the matter ofthy neglected vow was a moſt neceſſaryduty ? If not, why didſt thoubind thy foul to forſake ſuch practices, and to perform ſuch duties ? Thou didſt ſo look uponthem then; bywhich itappears, thy conſcience is convincedofthy duty, but luſt doch master andover-tule: and if ſo, poor finner, whata caſe art thou in, to goonfromday today finning against light and knowledge ? Is not this afearful wayoffinning ? and, will not ſuch ſinners be plunged deeper into hell thanthepoorIndians, thatnever faw the evil of their ways, as thou doft ? Ponder buttwo or three ſcripturesinthy thoughts, and fee what a dreadful way offinning this is: Rom. ii. 9.
" Tribulation, anguish, andwrath, to every foul ofman that " doth evil, to the[Jew firſt], and alfo to theGentile." To the Jew firſt, (i. e.) to the Jew eſpecially, and principally; hehada precedency in means and light, and ſo lethimhave inpunishment. SoJam. iv. 17. " To himthatknowethtodogood, and " doth itnot, tohim itisfin;" (i. r.) Sinwith a witneſs, horrid fin, that furpaſſes the deeds ofthe wicked. So Luke xii.
47. "And that ſervant that knew his Lord's will, and pre- " pared not himself, neitherdid according to his will, ſhall
" bebeaten with many stripes." Which is a plain alluſion to the custom oftheJewsin puniſhing an offender, who being convicted, thejudge was to ſeehimbound fast to a pillar, his cloaths ftript off, and an executioner with aſcourge to beat him with ſomany ſtripes: but now, thoſe ſtripes came but fromthe arm ofa creature ; theſe, that the text ſpeaks of, are fet onbythe omnipotent arm of God. Ofthe former,there wasadeterminate number ſet down in their law, as forty ſtripes ; and ſometimes theywouldremitoneof that number too, inmercytothe offender, asyou fee in the example of Paul, 2Cor. xi . 24. " Of the Jews I received forty ſtripes
" ſave one;" butinhellno mitigation at all,nor allayofmercy.
The arm ofhis power ſupports thecreature in its being, while the arm ofhis justicelayson eternally.
Soul, confider theſe things ; do thou not perſiſt any longer then in ſuch a defperate wayof finning againstthe clear conviction of thine own confcience, which inthiscaſe muſt needs give teftimony againstthee.
Well then, go toGod with the words ofDavid, Pfal. Ixvi.
13, 14. andſayuntohim, " Iwillpaythee, myvows which my " lips have uttered, and my tongue hath ſpokenwhen Iwas
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