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blessings, or, which is a thousand times better, repay it to you with infinite interest in the weight of your eternal crown. For so our Saviour promises the young man, that if he would give what he had to the poor, he should have treasure in heaven, Matt. xix. 21. So that by giving alms we make earth tributary to heaven, and, in a nobler sense than the new system of astronomy teaches, advance it into a celestial body; and consequently enrich not only ourselves, but our wealth too, by thus transmitting it to heaven before us, as it were by bills of exchange, to be repaid us when we come there in an everlasting treasure of happiness. And when by relieving the poor man's needs, we may thus transmute our dross into gold, and, which is more, our perishing gold into immortal glory, what man in his wits would refuse any fair opportunity of making such a blessed exchange?

CHAP. IV.

Of the eternal reasons and grounds of mercy. HAVING shewn at large what mercy is, and to what particular duties it extends, I shall now proceed to the second thing, viz. the eternal reasons upon which it is founded and rendered morally good. Which I shall reduce to these five particulars:

First, The suitableness of it to the nature of God. Secondly, The convenience of it with the frame and constitution of human nature.

Thirdly, The near and intimate relation of those persons to us upon whom our mercy is to be exercised.

Fourthly, The equitableness of it to our own state and circumstances.

Fifthly, The necessity of it to the tolerable wellbeing of human society.

1. One eternal reason upon which mercy is founded, and rendered morally good, is the suitableness of it to the nature of God; which, abounding as it doth with all the possible kinds and degrees of perfection, is an infinitely full and everlasting fountain of happiness to itself; so that it cannot wish for any kind or any degree of blessedness beyond the enjoyment of itself, and those infinite complacencies it takes in its own essential beauties and perfections: and having such an inexhaustible treasure of happiness within itself, it can have no need of, or dependance upon any thing without it; nor consequently be liable to any temptation to oppress, or render others miserable, either for the security or augmentation of its own revenues and as he who is infinitely happy can have no temptation to render others miserable, so his own happiness cannot but incline him to render the miserable happy. For so from a natural principle of self-love, every being stands inclined to beget and propagate its own likeness; and consequently every being that is happy cannot but be inclined to make others so, so far as it consists with its own interest. Since therefore God is not only happy in himself, but so securely happy, as that he can contribute what he pleases to the happiness of others without any prejudice to his own; his own self-love must necessarily incline him to beget his own likeness on his creatures, and so propagate his happiness through the world. And being thus inclined by his own self-love to transform all other beings into his

likeness, that is, to make them happy as he is happy; he must needs be tenderly affected with the miseries of his creatures, and immutably inclined, so far as it is just and wise, to succour and relieve, and render them happy. Thus mercy, you see, which is a goodwill to the miserable, doth most necessarily result from God's own self-love; and consequently is an inseparable principle of his nature: and accordingly God proclaims himself to Moses, Exodus xxxiv. 6, 7. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious; longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions: and hence his mercy is said to be everlasting, Psalm c. 5. and to be from everlasting, Psalm ciii. 17. and to endure for ever, Psalm cvi. 1. and he is said to be rich in mercy, Ephes. ii. 4. and is styled the God of all grace, 1 Pet. v. 10. and the Father of mercies, 2 Cor. i. 3. Now the nature of God is the supreme example and pattern of all rational natures; and so far forth as ours do swerve and deflect from his, they are maimed and imperfect. For his will is our law, not merely because it is his will, but because it is overruled by the infinite perfections of his nature, by his wisdom and justice, his mercy and goodness; which if, upon an impossible supposition, he should will contrary to, that will would be no law, i. e. it would have no force upon our consciences to oblige us to obey it. So that the supreme law is the nature of God, by which his will is, and all other wills ought to be, concluded and determined; and whatsoever we discover in his nature, either by reason or revelation, that is communicable to ours, we ought to follow and imitate it as our sovereign pattern and exemplar. Since

therefore both reason and revelation do so plainly discover a most merciful inclination in the nature of God; this is an everlasting reason why we should be merciful and this is the reason our Saviour urges, Luke vi. 36. Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful; that is, Let it be seen that you are the children of God, by your participation of his nature, which is infinitely benevolent to the miserable; for there is nothing sinks you farther from God, or renders you more unlike him, than a cruel and unmerciful temper: it is this that blackens and deforms your souls, that wreaths and distorts them into a contrary figure, to the most amiable nature of the Father of spirits. For as the highest perfection is the nature of God, and that is a most merciful one; so the lowest imperfection is the nature of devils, and that is a most cruel one and therefore as by mercy we incline towards the nature of God, which is the landmark we ought to follow; so by cruelty we decline towards the nature of devils, which is the seamark we ought to avoid.

2. Another eternal reason upon which mercy is founded and rendered morally good, is the convenience of it with the frame and constitution of human nature; in which the wise Author of nature hath implanted a natural sympathy between those that partake of it in each other's pains and pleasures. So that though the human nature be largely diffused and spread through infinite numbers of individuals, which by vast distances of time and place are separated from one another; yet as if it were but all one common soul, operating in several bodies in several times and places, it feels almost in every one body what it enjoys or suffers in every other; and wheI i

VOL. III.

ther it be pleased or offended in one individual, is pleased or offended in them all: and though the sense be quickest in that individual part or member of human nature, upon which the pain or pleasure strikes immediately; yet all the rest, how distant soever in time or place, as soon as they have notice of it, are sensibly touched and affected with it. For thus when we read or hear of the calamities of other men, our bowels yearn by a natural sympathy, though they are never so distant from us, and are no otherwise related to us than as they partake of our natures; and though they are long since dead, and out of the reach of any assistance, yet their miseries, without any motives of reason or discourse, strike us into a soft compassion; yea, though we know the calamities which we read or hear of to be nothing but romantic fictions, yet the very imagination of them is ready to melt us into tears, in despite of our will and our reason. Nor is this visible only in persons that are adult, but even in little children; who, as soon as they are capable of taking notice of things, do without any reason express themselves pained and afflicted with the dissembled griefs and sufferings of those that attend them. All which are most evident instances of that general sympathy, which naturally intercedes between all men; since we can neither see, nor hear of, nor imagine another's miseries, without being touched with a sensible pain and affliction.

Against which I know no other objection can be urged but this; that there are sundry instances of men, who seem to have arrived to that degree of cruelty, as to take pleasure in afflicting others; and are so far from sympathizing with their pains,

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