by a clear sight and deep sense of his own great misery, at least at sometimes.

2dly, To come for mercy in faith, is to believe the fitness and suitableness of God's mercy to our misery. Here many stumble wofully. Their question is, "Am I fit for mercy?” when it should rather be, "Is his mercy fit for me?" And this question every sensible soul can answer; the other none in heaven or earth can answer. If any man think himself fit for mercy, of all men, that man is most unfit for it, and farthest from receiving of it. But every sensible soul will say, "Though I be unfit for, and unworthy of mercy; yet "mercy is very fit for me. Is there pardoning mercy with "God? who is it so fit for as a guilty vile sinner? Is there "saving mercy with him? who is it so fit for as for a lost "man, as I am?" Come to the throne of grace for mercy, in faith of this, "Mercy is fit for me exactly, though I be "utterly unworthy of it." They that think they are fit for mercy, will never get it, nor indeed can ask it. But they that think they are needy of it, and that it is fit for them, will both ask it and get it.

3dly, To come to the throne of grace in faith for mercy, is, to believe that there is all good-will in him that sits on this throne to give and shew mercy. It is implied in the text, Let us come to obtain mercy. But what if, when we come, he will not shew mercy? That is an ungodly supposition, mischievous to ourselves, and reflecting upon God. He hath mercy in abundance to give; he delights in giving, he never refused mercy to any that came for it, he hath promised he never will: and why should men harbour such a suspicion, that we may come and not obtain? Benhadad could adventure on a report, that the kings of Israel were merciful kings; and yet Ahab was one of the worst of them, 1 Kings xx. 31. And shall not sinners come upon a more sure report of the mercifulness of the King on this throne of grace? It is on this truth of the Lord's good-will to shew mercy that our faith so readily halts. Many think they ought not to believe this good-will to shew mercy. I would have you consider some instances of Christ's dealing with sinners. John iv. 10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God,

and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink: thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Where we are to regard, 1. To whom these words were spoken by our Lord: To a Samaritan; a vile creature, as to the former course of her life; a blind, ignorant, sottish sinner, that was guilty of refusing Christ a cup of water, the greatest sin she ever committed in her life. 2. What our Lord saith to her: If thou knewest me, thou wouldest have asked; if thou hadst asked, I would have given thee living water. And before he had done he made her know him; made her ask, and gave her of his living water. But that I mainly observe from the word of Christ, is a truth, which few will believe when they hear it, even few believers themselves will believe it as they ought, That Christ is more ready to give begging sinners eternal life, than they can be to give Christ himself a cup of cold water. Our Lord saith it, but men will not believe it. Another of Christ's words is in Luke xi. 13. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Christ makes the comparison favourably, ver. 11, 12. of a child's asking necessaries; will a parent refuse that desire, and give what is hurtful? But consider our Lord's design in this saying. It is plainly to encourage to seeking. And the argument he useth, is from the greater love and readiness in God to give the best things, than earthly parents have to give their children the necessaries of this life. The preference is not here given to God's greater riches and fulness, than that of parents, who may have their children beg of them what they have not to give, as in Lam, iv. 4.; but it is a preference given to God's greater willingness to give. Now, who believes this, and makes the just application to his own case? and says confidently, "The Lord is much more willing to give me "saving mercy, if I ask it, than I am to give a bit of bread. "to maintain the life of the nearest and dearest relation I "have in the world?"

APPLICATION. I shall only add a few words of application. 1. There is no principle of natural religion engraven more

deeply on the hearts of men, than that there is misery in men, and mercy in God; and that God's mercy only can relieve men under this misery. This runs through the whole world in all ages; and will continue as long as sense of misery is in men, and any notions of God are preserved in the minds of men. And these sentiments are not to be defaced. Attempts of atheists are damnable to themselves, but vain efforts against the Rock of ages.

2. Notwithstanding of this, God's true mercy in Jesus Christ is the greatest riddle, offence, and stumbling-block, to all natural men. God's mercy they like well enough, and would have applied to their own relief under misery; but God's only and true mercy in Christ, they cannot away with, That there is no mercy with God for sinners, but what flows through the blood of Jesus Christ; that God's love should appear in sending his own Son, under the charge of mens sin, and under the smart and feeling of their miscries; that as God shews mercy only this way, so men that would have it, must only seek it this way; the world never did never can, never will understand, nor relish it, nor betake themselves to it. They would have mercy to come to them another way; and so seek it, and look for it in vain, and perish by the miss of it.

3. There is no address made to God, more honourable ta God, more acceptable to him, and more becoming a miserable. sinner, than an address to God for his mercy. It is his glory to be the sovereign Lord of mercy; it is his honour to be attended with the addresses of miserable men; it is his delight to dispense mercy to the addressors. What is more becoming God, than to shew mercy? and what can be more fit, than that a miserable sinner should beg his mercy?

4. There is no provocation more common, than sinful ways of begging God's mercy. I shall briefly instance in a few. Many profane careless creatures have this word frequently in their mouths, God be merciful to me; who yet have no more sense, either of God or of themselves, of his mercy or of their misery, than the ground they go on. This is a gross taking of God's name in vain. Undue addresses to God for mercy, are great provocations. Some beg only outward mercies.

Such people would like this text well, if it had been, "Let "us come that we may obtain gold, and silver, and health, "and long life." If prayer was ordained by God for such mercies, the throne of grace would be crowded with supplicants. But you will never ply prayer rightly, till you understand that there is something to be got at this throne of grace, that is better in itself, more needful for you, and that will do you more good, than all that the world hath to give. Some beg mercy only when they are under God's afflicting hand: Psal. lxxviii. 34. When he slew them, then they sought him. Some beg God's mercy limitedly; they only beg one mercy, and desire no more. His mercy is of a large extent, and we should beg it all. We may beg a particular mercy, according to our present felt necessities; yet we must not make an exception against any act of mercy. We must not beg the mercy of pardon, with a heart-quarrel against the mercy of sanctification. The Lord be merciful to thy servant in this thing, 2 Kings v. 18. was a faulty prayer, if there was any sincerity in Naaman. Though we may ask any particular mercy, yet we must lay open our hearts to the whole flood of mercy : Psalm cxix. 132. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me. as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. So Psalm cvi. 4, 5. Lastly, some beg mercy for themselves, and for their idols in the same address. One part of their prayer is for mercy to themselves, and another part of it is for mercy to their idols. Is not that a woful, ill-made prayer? and yet how frequently is it done? Idols are such things as have a greater, nearer room in the heart, than God hath. Whatever is loved, feared, trusted, and delighted in, more than God, that is an idol, be it the best or basest thing we cau name, or think on. These idols are of two sorts; lawful, and unlawful. Not that it is lawful to have any idol; but many make idols of lawful things: such things I mean, that in their proper place may be sought, and lawfully used; but are wofully abased, when put in God's room. These are the most dangerous, because least perceived idols. Christian, it is lawful to love thy relations, to pray for wife and children, to beg God's blessing on thy lawful diligence in thy calling: but watch well, that none of these lawful things come in be tween thy heart and God. If they do, thou wilt fall into this

snare, of begging God's mercy to thyself and idols in the same prayer. Unlawful idols, or idols in unlawful things, are, sins, lusts, and heart-plagues. Woe to him that begs God's mercy to them. We should daily beg God's mercy against them. The more mercy (that is, forbearance) God sheweth to such idols, the more wrath, and the less mercy, he sheweth to the man himself. God's mercy cannot be shewn both to a man and his idols. The purest mercy is then shewn to a man, when the Lord dealeth severely with his idols. Kill my sinful idols, and save me, is a fit prayer at the throne of grace; and he is a happy men that gets it answered.

5. Sinful addresses for God's mercy, are great provocations of his wrath. His mercy is so sacred a name of God, that he will hold no man guiltless that taketh it in vain. In this matter the best contract much guilt. All have many sins in their holy things, and in their approaches to the holiest of all, the throne of grace, and do stand in need of atonement. And we should all come to the throne of grace, for mercy to pardon the sins that are in our seeking of mercy. But where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear? He perisheth for want of mercy. He should come for it; and he cannot come for mercy, while he is what he is, but he provokes the Lord to more wrath against him. This is one of the inextricable straits that every unbeliever is in, that nothing but sovereign grace and mercy can bring one out of. deliverance, and he will shew you mercy.

Look to him for this

SERMON VII.

HEB. iv. 16.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

THE last thing in this verse is, What is to be had at the throne of grace, and what we should come for? And that is, mercy and grace; and we need no more. And we should come that we may chain and find them: and we should, in our coming, design no less.