to seek after the pardon of their sin, that you may have your comforts and enjoyments in this world in outward things sweet unto you; and if there were no other reason to perswade you to seek after forgiveness, this might be enough, that you may have all your outward mercies in mercy to you; you may have an Estate, a sweet Yoak-fellow, and sweet Children, and all thou canst desire, and these are mercies, but they are but such mercies as God may give to those that are Enemies unto him; they are but outward mercies at the best, coming not to thee as fruits of the Covenant, and so are not the sure mercies of Da∣vid; nay, not worthy to be accounted mercies. Consider but two things;
First, The guilt of sin upon thy soul, is so great an evil, that take all these things at the best, they are but as a grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall; a tun fill'd up with bitter Gall, and one grain of Sugar put into it, would not all the sweetness of it be swallow'd up in the tun of Gall? so were the Monarchy of the whole World made over to thee, yet if thy sin be unpar∣doned, there is so much evil in it, as all that thou canst en∣joy is but as one grain of Sugar put into a tun of Gall, the evil of sin would swallow it all up.
Secondly, Thou know'st not what thou hast, whether it be out of Gods love or hatred; Nay, thou hast rather cause to conclude, it is out of Gods anger and hatred, than out of Gods love: How canst thou then account it a mercy, when all the comforts thou hast, may come out of Gods infinite anger and hatred to thee, rather than out of love? therefore till thou art assured of par∣don, thou hast no mercy, thou canst be assured of, is in mercy to thee: This shews,
1. The great vanity of men and women that look after pardon of sin, but 'tis only at such times as God takes away all other comforts from them; as thus, they think to satisfie themselves with the creatures while they can enjoy them, while they can go up and down amongst friends, eat good chear, and have all coming in; but when God takes away all these, as on a sick-bed, then they will cry for pardon; Oh mercy Lord! oh mercy! I am a wretched miserable sinner, oh mercy! Well, now you would have mercy, Why now, and not before? before you