justice and
equity. Especially in the punishing of men, he useth not to afflict men
for his pleasure, as tyrants use to destroy their people. The Lord
exerciseth his sovereignty another way, and if he be absolute and
unlimited in any thing, it is in showing mercy on men. But in judgment,
there may be still some reason gotten for it in the creature beside the
will of God; so that, to speak with reverence of his majesty, strokes are
often drawn out of his hands. He getteth so much provocation ere he
strike, and holdeth off so long,--threateneth, and giveth warning thus
before strokes, as if it were against his will to lay on, as if his heart
were broken with us.

_Secondly_, If men knew themselves and their own sinfulness, they would
not challenge God with unrighteousness, but put their mouth in the dust,
and keep silence. And it is from this ground, that this people do not
charge God. Sin is of such infinite desert and demerit, because against
infinite majesty, that God cannot go beyond it in punishment; and
therefore Jeremiah, when he is wading out of the deep waters of sore
temptation and sad discouragement, pitcheth and casteth anchor at this
solid ground, "It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed," Lam.
iii. 22. What! do I mean thus to charge God, as if he dealt rigorously?
No, no: It is his mercy that a remnant is left,--our strokes are not pure
justice, our cup is mixed, mercy is the greatest part. Whatever is behind
utter destruction, whatever is below the desert of sin, which is hell and
damnation, all this must be reckoned up to mercy. That I am yet alive, and
so may have hope, this is mercy, "For why should a living man complain?"
ver. 39. That a rod is come to awake us out of security, this is mercy,
for we might have slept to death. And this wholesome counsel got Job of
his friends,--to stay his murmuring and grudging at God's dispensations,
Job. xi. 6. Why dost thou complain, Job? Know but thy sins, and there
shall be no room for complaint. Look but unto God's secrets of wisdom, and
his law, and see it is double to what you have known,--your obligation is
infinitely more than you thought upon, and then how great and numberless
must iniquities be? "Know, therefore," saith Zophar, "God exacteth of thee
less than thine iniquities deserve." God exacteth not according to law, he
craveth not according to the obligation, but bids write down fifty in his
bill of affliction, when an hundred are written in o