which we have all a Power to do; which Power, as all others of the hu

man Nature, may be improved or increafed by Ufe and Exercife, or decline and dwindle Power at all under the Neglect of them.

away

into no

'Tis a happy thing to have our Nerves ftrung to this delicate Softnefs, to derive from our Parents in any high Degree these Bowels of Mercies, these tender Senfations of the Miferies of others; tho' there is no Virtue in them 'till they are directed by Reason, yet they make Virtue eafy and familiar: But nevertheless, those Perfons, whofe Reason prompts them to the fame Duties without any fuch strong mechanick Sensibility, need be under no Concern for the Want of it; their Virtue is far from being leffened hereby; their Reason appears rather more able and active, in that it can over-rule Affections which oppose its Dictates,

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Dictates, and raise a bold Harmony from a rough Inftrument.

If we go on to confider Mercy in its focial Relation, we fhall foon be convinced of its Neceffity and Excellence.

The State of the World does loudly call for it. Had we been placed here, under all our present Wants and Infirmities, with thofe ftrong Appetites to preserve our own Being and propagate our Kind, unallay'd with any tender Sentiment of the State of others; had this kindly Affection been no Part of our Conftitution; our State is bad enough now, but what muft it have then been? Were all our Misfortunes to be unpity'd and unreliev'd, all our Injuries unredrefs'd, and our Complaints difregarded and infulted, how would our Condition have differ'd from that of the Damn'd? from amongst whom Compaffion is banished, where Sin reigns in its full

Pomp

Pomp of Horror, where there's nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth!

There are Men, if they deserve the Name, whofe tender Mercies are cruel; who seem to have no other Sentiment but of Injury to themselves, and Revenge on others; who can be recreated with the Misery of their Neighbour, and with those mentioned by the Pfalmift perfecute him whom God hath fmitten, and talk to the Grief of those whom he hath wounded; that can fet forward the Calamities of others, and triumph over the Anguish of their Souls; that instead of Oil and Wine, pour Gall and Vinegar into their Wounds: And no Wonder that God himself should be a confuming Fire to fuch Workers of Iniquity; that he fhould caft off all Pity towards them; that he should laugh at their Calamity, and mock when their Fear cometh as Defolation, and their Deftruction

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ftruction as a Whirlwind; No wonder that he in whom Fury is not, he who made them fhould have no Mercy on them, and he who formed them fhould fhew them no Favour, who have thus fubdued only the better Part of their Nature, and enlarged those Powers, which were defigned for their own Preservation and Happiness, to the Mifery and Ruin of all around them. There is no Particular which fo strongly fets forth the Wickedness of the Jews in our Lord's Time, as their Behaviour towards him on the Crofs. Their grofs Infidelity; their Contempt of his gracious Words and miraculous Works; their putting him to Death, when the Judge declared he found no Fault in him; are Particulars heinous enough: But their barbarous Infults of him on the Crofs do infinitely transcend them all. Whilft the Sun was darken'd, and the Vail of the Temple rent in twain, and all Nature

fhook

fhook with Horror at the meritorious Sufferings of Chrift, these abandon'd Miscreants, untouch'd and unrelenting, reviled him with ludicrous Mockery; and as they passed by him in the Agonies of Death, wagg'd their Heads at him faying, Thou that deftroyeft the Temple and buildeft it in three Days, Save thy felf; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the Crofs.

But let us turn our Eyes from these difagreeable, these harsh and fhocking Images, to the good Fruits and benevolent Influences of Mercy.

We can no fooner take this bleffed Difpofition under our Confideration, but we muft immediately perceive, how it chears our Vale of Sorrow, and difpenfes its comfortable Rays through the Shadow of Death. It revives the defponding Soul; raises the faint Hands and feeble Knees; almost endears Calamities, and makes Afflictions defirable. The tender and confolating

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