as a penalty. There are other mollifying circumftances which may give a title to mercy now and then; but I cannot stay to determine nicely upon them, and therefore only recommend this maxim, That confcience and mercy act by one another; that neither an inflexible feverity prevail without any diftinction, (provided the end of the law may otherwife be duly answered) nor yet a careless and unfaithful negligence or indifcreet good-nature destroy the bonds of government. For the magiftrate is ordained of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil; and in many cafes punishment is the most proper mercy for him to exprefs, as it may reclaim the offender, who will not be wrought upon by gentler methods, and may prevent or reftrain others by his example. THUS We have gone through the First general head, the defcription of the perfons bleffed [the merciful.] We are next to undertake the fecond, and that is, II. THE bleffing which attends upon them, [They fhall obtain mercy.] THAT We may rightly understand the nature of this promised bleffing, we are to take it along with us,that tho' mercies of a temporal as well as a fpiritual nature may be included in it, the prefent life is not the only nor the principal ftage of the divine mercy: For the curfe of death being denounced upon the whole pofterity of Adam, and this curfe containing within the bowels of it all the various evils and calamities to which our prefent ftate of being is obnoxious, the wisdom of God has not thought fit to exempt even his + beft and most faithful fervants entirely from thefe Scourges, though his mercy has provided a way to remove and let Rom. xiii. 3, 4. † Heb. xii. 6, 7. afide their guilt. The paradife and perfect happinefs of good men being referved to a future and a better life, lefs care is taken for distinguishing communications of divine favour while we continuc in this world; where, generally speaking, * All things come alike to all, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. And that we might not flatter our felves with an expectation, that under the Gospel-state the cafe of good men fhould be alter'd for the better, as to outward profperity and comfort, our Lord foretold his Difciples that they should fuffer hardships and indignities in great abundance; that they must not depend upon a life of ease, and wealth, and reputation, but ihould be exposed to sharp and cruel perfecutions, to the lofs of all things, and to death it felf. And experience fhews us daily, that the beft of Chriftians are no more exempted from pain or fickness, poverty, reproach, or any other the common miferies of life, than the most impious and ungodly are. Their treasure is above, and there it is, before the feat of mercy it felf, the throne of the divine presence in heaven, that the rewards of mercy are chiefly diftributed. YET is not this prefent life fhut out from fome degrees of fuch a diftribution; and therefore we may ftill maintain that more or lefs in this world, as well as that to come, the merciful shall obtain mercy. We will confider the bleffing. FIRST, So far as it is obfervable in the prefent life. And here it would be in vain to infift on the common benefits and bleffings enjoy'd, in a greater or less degree, by all mankind, as health, friends, fubfiftence, the fruits of the earth, &c. (though thefe are really mercies, and only lose their character with us, by that which should most endear and 1 * Eccl. ix. 2. recommend recommend to us the divine favour in them, their frequency and repetition:) For they are alike poured out upon all forts of men, the merciful and unmerciful, the good and evil, without diftinction. But we shall endeavour to fhew, that in fome particulars the merciful are eminently and efpecially regarded. And yet we must previously observe, that as the feveral acts of human mercy to be rewarded, are not all of them in the fame degree excellent and honourable, but fome of them are more fo than others; as for inftance, in the cafe of relieving miferable perfons; every lender, and every giver, and every man who puts up a prayer, or joins in the petitions of the Church, for needy and afflicted people, is not alike merciful with others who proceed farther, lend more generously, give more liberally, pray more frequently; nor even these last to be compared to those who go farther ftill, to the forgiving, and doing good to their enemies, which are the brighteft exercises of this grace So it is not to be expected that the rewards of their mercy fhould be equal. It is enough to fecure the promife in this cafe, if God give any thing proportionable to the mercy fhewn by men to one another; for fo the merciful do obtain mercy. And therefore let it be confider'd, that the diftributions of heaven, though they be full of mercy, are not equally the fame to all perfons. Refpect is had, not only to fingle acts, or habits of charity, but also the eminence or usefulness of each of these. He whofe conftant difpofition it is to be kind, compaf fionate and affifting, or to forgive, and to do good to his enemies, is much more valuable in the fight of God, than he who once or twice, perhaps, in all his life, attains to the honour and practice of this temper. Forgiveness is more than giving of alms, and doing good to an enemy more than lending to a neceffitous neighbour; and proportionable to to this, 'tis probable, the reward may be. These things being premis'd, we may go on to obferve, that as Almighty God, in the execution of his judgments, frequently infcribes the fin fo legibly upon the punishment, that men may eafily difcern by the affliction it felf, for what particular fin they are afflicted; fo he does ufually confer his mercies and rewards in fo proportionable and resembling a manner, as to point out the particular virtue, for which the bleffing is conferred. Examples we have in these Beatitudes; to the poor in fpirit, is affign'd a kingdom; to the religious mourners, comfort; to fuch as hunger and thirst after righteousness, filling, or fatisfaction; and here to the merciful, the obtaining mercy. But what that mercy is, which (with refpect to this world) they fhall obtain, or generally do fo in the courfe of God's Providence, may be briefly fumm'd up thus. The * compaffionate fhall find it in the divine compaffion to themfelves, fupporting and comforting them under their afflictions, by his holy Spirit, and in due time delivering them, when it may be for his glory, and their real good. To this we may add the compaffion which fuch, when they are in trouble, generally find towards them in their neighbours, who are always apt to pity those who have pity'd them, or others. The charitable man who gives and lends, or freely releases his demands upon infolvent debtors, is generally blefs'd by Providence, with a remarkable plenty and increase in his eftate, or profperity and fuccefs in his affairs. He who is frequently and carneftly petitioning at the throne of mercy for the miferable and afflicted, may reasonably hope to be heard and accepted, when he shall pray * Pfal. xli. 1, 2, 3. Prov. xxi. 13. 25, 26. Prov. xi. 24, 25. Prov. xxviii. 27. Luke vi. 28. † Pfal. xxxvii. 2 Cor. ix. 8, 9, 10. 1 He who for for himself, in troubles of his own. gives, and does good to his enemies, may often obferve that God either breaks or over-rules their malice; either pours out a fpirit of reconciliation and friendship upon them, or reftrains them, at least, from doing all thofe ill offices, to which their inclination prompts them. Now thefe particulars (which a careful regard to Providence, and the adminiftration of the divine government in the world, will find to be generally true in fact, and the common iffue of things) are all of them fuch appofite and refembling rewards, that one may eafily perceive the virtue to which they belong. But the obtaining mercy, in the most full and proper sense of it, is ftill behind: I mean, (2.) THAT mercy which the merciful fhall obtain of God, when they are called up to another world, or in order to their being happy there. I add this laft claufe, because the pardon of our fins, and the acceptance we have with God, through Chrift, (which is the foundation of our future happinefs,) is begun in this life, when true repentance has prepared us for it; (for fo St. Paul peaks of himfelf, I obtained mercy, i. e. the forgiveness of my former blafphemy, and perfecuting the Church of Chrift, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief;) though it be not judicially declared and perfected, 'till we appear at the bar of God, and enter upon the life to come. I chufe therefore to fpeak of it under this head, as the effect of it is not till after death, when we come to be acquitted in due form by Chrift, at the day of judgment; and fo I underftand St. Paul, when he prays for the charitable Onefiphorus, that the may find mercy of the Lord in that day. Now this great inftance of obtaining Prov. xvi. 7. Pfal. lxxvi. 10. Rom. xii. 20. mercy, |