The severall expressions of God in his Mercies, and why so? [ 918]
AS Lawyers in this captio••s age of ours, when they draw up any Conveyances of Lands,* 1.1 or ther writings of concernment betwixt party and party, are fain to put in many aequivocall terms of one and the same signification, as to have and to hold, occupy and enjoy, Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments, Profits, Emoluments; to remise, release, acquit, discharge, exonerate of and from all manner of actions, suits, debts, trespasses, &c. and all this to make sure work, so that if one word will not hold in Law, another may: Thus God when he shews himselfe to his People in love, he varies his expressions as he did to the Israelites, Exod. 34. 6, 7. The Lord, the Lord God, mercifull and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodnesse and truth, keeping mercies for thousands, forgiving iniqui••y, transgression and sin, &c. Here's an homonomy of words, all Synonymaes; And why so? to raise up the drooping soul, to bind up the broken-hearted, that if it chance to stumble at one expression, it may be sup∣ported by another; if one word will not reach, another may; his mind is that the poor soul may rather leave then lack, when it comes to draw comfort out of the breasts of Mercy.