A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Doctrine 1 · Part 1
THE Vanity of this Thought may be ſees under theſe following Heads,
1. IT is granted that GOD is a moſt merciful GOD. Thus far the Thought of Sinners is Right; and it is their Duty to entertain ſuch a thought of GOD in their hearts. We are to believe that GOD is abundant in Mercy, for ſo He hath revealed Himſelf unto us to be. Pſal 86.….1…. Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compaſſion and gracious, long-ſuffering ann plentious in Mercy. This Attribute of Divine Mercy lay hid in GOD until after the Apoſtacy of Men. Then GOD gave a Glorious diſcovery of it in the Firſt Promiſe of the Seed of the Woman. And afterwards GOD more fully and diſtinctly revealed the exceeding greatneſs of His Mercy, Exod. 34.6, 7. The Glory of it ſhines forth throughout the Holy Scriptures, wherein in it is declared to be Infinite and Incomprehenſible. We cannot then form in our Minds …oo great an Idea of it, nor entertain too High & Honourable Thoughts of it. 'Tis a vile reflection upon the Mercy of GOD, to have low and mean Conceptions of it. This is one thing which makes the Sin of Deſpair to be ſo great a Sin. It diſbelieves the Infiniteneſs of Divine Mercy, looking upon Sin greater than can be forgiven. As if the Sin of Man Exceeded the Mercy of GOD.
2. THO' GOD be moſt Merciful, yet He is ſo only to the Repenting Sinner. Sinners in general are not the Objects of Divine Mercy. GOD does not ſhew Mercy to all Sinners; but only to ſuch to whom He has promiſed to ſhew Mercy. Now GOD's Promiſes of Mercy are made only to Penitent Sinners. Prov. 28.13. Whoſo confeſſeth and forſaketh Sin, ſhall find Mercy. Iſa. 55.7. Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and be will have Mercy upon him. Repentance is made the condition of finding Mercy, and obtaining Forgiveneſs. If Sinners perform this condition, they may be confident of Mercy; but if they fail of Repenting, they will aſſuredly miſs of Mercy. Pardoning Mercy & Salvation are confined to Repenting and broken hea…ed Sinners. 'Tis therefore meer Preſumption for any other Sinners to hope for Mercy from the Lord. Devils may as well expect it as they.
3. DIVINE Mercy will be ſo far from ſaving impenitent Sinners, as tha… …t will make their Damnation the greater. Tho' Sinners promiſe themſelves that GOD's Mercy will be for them, yet they will find it will be againſt them; it will be ſo far from ſtanding up for them as a Friend, that it will be turned to be their Enemy. It will be ſo far from exempting them from Puniſhment, that it will bring upon them the foreſt of Puniſhments. This will be evident if we conſider this one thing, viz While Sinners continue in Sin, thinking that Divine Mercy will ſave them notwithſtanding, they are Guilty of the vileſt abuſe of the Mercy of GOD: For hereby they make the Mercy of GOD an Encouragement to Sin; and look upon it as that which will afford them protection in their wicked ways. Now is not this a moſt horrid Reflection upon the Mercy of GOD, to ſuppoſe that it will ſhield Men from Juſtice, tha… they perſiſt in wickedneſs? Is not this to make the Merciful GOD a Patron, and Friend and Favourer of Sin? Certainly it is. And will no… this provoke the very Mercy of GOD to Arm h… ſelf againſt ſuch Sinners? Certainly it will. To ſuch Sinners as theſe, that place of Sc…ipture i… applicable. Iſa 27 11. It …s a people of no underſtanding; therefore he that ma…e them, will not hav… Mercy in them; …d he that formed them will ſhes th…u no favour. Tho' they are His Creatures, the Works of His hands, yet He will extend no favour to them. Nay, ſo far will He be from ſhewing them any favour, that He will bring Wrath upon them to the uttermoſt. Inſtead of their being made Monuments of His Mercy, as they expect; they ſhall be made the moſt tremendious Monuments of His Vindictive Juſtice. Such ungodly Men as thus turn the Grace & Mercy of GOD into Laciviouſneſs, by making them to countenance their vile Practices, are Men to whom is reſerved the blackneſs of darkneſs forever, Jude v. 4, 13. Extremity and Eternity of Miſery will be their Portion at the laſt.
WE ſee then, from what has been ſaid, That the thought of GOD's being Merciful to us tho' we perſiſt in Sin, is a Vain Thought which will deceive us. Let not then ſuch a Vain Thought as this lodge within us, let it not be cheriſhed by us. On the other hand, Let us take up and maintain Right Thoughts of the Mercy of GOD. Let us think that the Mercy of GOD is a great inducement and encouragement unto Repentance and Reformation; Thus it is repreſented to us in the Scriptures; and thus it is to be apprehended by us▪ Joel 2.13. Rent your Heart and not your Garment, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, ſ…w to anger and of great kindneſs, and …penteth him of the evil. GOD's being a Gracious and Merciful GOD, is an attracting Argument and Motive to Repentance. It is enough to melt an ingenious Spirit into Tears for its Sins againſt …o good a GOD; and to give him the greateſt Encouragement to return to GOD by unfeigned Repentance. O let us make ſuch a genuine uſe and improvement of the Merciful Nature and Diſpoſition of the Great GOD. Let us think and ſay within our ſelves. Shall we Sin againſt GOD becauſe He is a Merciful GOD? Shall we deſhonour Him, and offer indignity to Him becauſe He is G…o… and Gracious? far be it from us thus to do. How baſe▪ how vile a treatment is this! His Mercy ſhall not ha… den us, but ſoften as: His Mercy ſhall not embolde… us in Sin, but lead us to Repentance for Sin. He Proclamation of Mercy ſhall cauſe us humbly to com… unto Him and Accept of His Pardon for Chriſt…s ſake; and it ſhall engage us for ever to lay down the weapon of our Rebellion, and to abide Faithful in His Service. This is the right uſe which is to be made of the Mercy of GOD; and if thi… uſ… be made of it, we ſhall then find that GOD will Mercifully forgive us our Sins, tho' they have been never ſo many and ſo great. His Mercy will then ſecure us from the ſtrokes of incenſed Juſtice; ſo as th… not the leaſt Puniſhment ſhall be inflicted upon us for our Sins, though they have deſerved th… Damnation of Hell a thouſand and a thouſan… times. The kind Reception that we may then expect to find from a gracious GOD, is moſt livelily repreſented to us in the Inſtance of peniten… Ephraim, Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. I have ſurely heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelf thus, thou haſt chastiſed us and I was chaſtiſed; as a Bullock unaccustomed to il… …ke; turn thou me and I ſhall be turned, for the art the Lord my God. Surely after that I wa… turn… Prepented; and after that I was inſtructed I ſmote up… my thigh, I was aſhamed, yea▪ even confounded becauſe … did … the reproach of my Youth. Is Ephraim … …? Is he a pleaſant Child? For ſince I ſ…a… against him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill; therefo… my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have Mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord —.