another manner; faying, Now, I will not want your company any longer, nor fhall you want mine any more; for now the time of your departure is at hand, and you fhall have finished your courfe in this world: "I went to prepare a place for you;" and I faid, I would come again. and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be alfo, John xiv. 3. And now I will not let you tarry any longer in this weary land, this vain and wicked world; "Come with me from Lebanon, my fpotefe with me from Lebanon; look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, and from the lions dens, and from the mountains of the leopards." Come away from this noxious place of fins and fnares.

We read of a trumpet, Rev. iv. 1. that faid, "Come up hither;" when behold a door was opened in heaven. Let this text be like a trumpet to you, believer, wherein you may hear the voice of Chrift faying to you, "Come up hither;" and in this fenfe take his fweet call and invitation along with you to your death-bed, that the king of terrors may be no terror to you, but rather a trumpet of triumph, when the King of glory fhall be faying, in effect, "Come up hither" to me; Rife, my love, my fair one, and come away.

SERMON

SERMON CXLVI.

PRAYER FOR MERCY, a Seafonable DUTY in times. of SIN and WRATH. *

I

HAB. ii. 13.

O Lord,-in wrath, remember mercy.

HOPE we are come to this place to feek mercy at the hand of God, and to compafs his altar of mercy. There is no hope for miferable finners, but in a merciful God; a God fitting upon a mercy-feat, fprinkled with the blood of Chrift. But yet it is hard and very rare to fee any rays of mercy in a dark day, wherein the fky is covered with clouds of wrath. And indeed, if we expect a merciful meeting with God today, or at this occafion, we need that clear eye of faith, that can look through the dark clouds of wrath, and fay, with the prophet here, O Lord, in wrath, remember mercy.

This text is a branch of the first part of Habakkuk's Prayer here; wherein this good prophet is making interceffion for the church in his day, which was a day of great fin, a day of great anger.-The first part of this verse points at the report made by God to the prophet, concerning the deftruction to be brought upon them by Babylon. This had a double effect upon him.

* This fubject was handeld in two Sermons. The firft was preached on Sabbath, Oct. 12, 1735. at the celebration of the facrament of the Lord's Supper at Queen's-ferry; and enlarged upon at Orwell, on the Tuesday thereafter, at the meeting of a Prefbytery. The next was dedelivered at Abbot's-hall, on Saturday the 18th of faid month, being the preparation before the facrament.

1. It made him tremble at the thoughts of it; " O Lord, I have heard thy fpeech and was afraid." God's wrath, even at a distance, is terrible to a tender foul.

puts him to his prayer; and fo fhould all the tokens of divine anger. Here you have his prayer and his plea.

1. You have his prayer; "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years." By God's work here, we may understand his church and people. All people are God's workmanship; but the true members of his church invifible, are his work in a peculiar manner, and his work by way of eminency; but here they are fallen into a dead fleep; "Revive thy work;" the work of grace in the hearts of thy people, and thy work of reformation in thy church. Revive it in the midst of the years. By the years, may be understood any time within the term of the feventy years captivity. In the midst of these dark and dreadful years, make known thy name, for Verily thou art a God that hideth thyfelf." Make known thy power, thy pity, thy promife, thy providence in the fafety and welfare of the church.

This prayer was feveral ways answered: particularly by God's owning the three children in the fiery furnace, and humbling Nebuchadnezzar in the midst of the years of the captivity.

2. We have his plea; containing alfo a fum of his prayer, here again resumed in fhort, viz. In wrath remember mercy. The plea is mercy, not merit. Thefe words comprehend as many purpofes as there are words.

(1.) The fad cafe they were in, held out by the word wrath; they were under the heavy tokens of God's wrath.

(2.) The fuitable remedy or cure: the only cure for that cafe is mercy; the mercy of God in Chrift.

(3.) The application of that cure here fued for; Remember mercy. The prayer of faith is a putting God in remembrance of his mercy in Chrift; and, in this way, the remedy is applied.

(4.) The feafon wherein this remedy is fought, and

this plea is used, In wrath; in a time when wrathful difpenfations compafs us about, and fearful tokens of his anger.

We propose to speak to this laft branch of the text, because I think it comprehends the former petition, In the midft of the years; that is, in this wrathful time, "Revive thy work, and make it known:" that is, Remember mercy; make it known in reviving and reftoring us. OBSERV." That in wrathful times, wherein God's "church and people are under many tokens of his "anger and difpleafure, it is moft feafonable for them "to plead with him, that he would remember mercy. This we find was the conftant practice of the church and people of God: "Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy loving-kindnefs; for they have been of old. Remember not the fins of my youth, nor my tranfgreffions: but, according to thy mercies, remember thou me; for thy goodnefs fake, O Lord," Pfal. xxv. 6, 7. In a day of wrath, when it is faid of enemies, "They devoured Jacob, and laid wafte his dwelling-place," we have this petition, "O remember not againfl us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us; for we are brought very low," Pfal.lxxix. 7,8. Thus Dan. ix. 17,18. He prays that God's anger and fury might be taken away from Jerufalem; and that the Lord would caufe his face to fhine upon his fanctuary: and adds, "O my God, incline thine ear; open thine eyes, and behold our defolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not prefent our fupplications before thee, for our righteoufnefs; but for thy great mercies." Thus David alfo, Pfal. xlii. 7, 8. When deep called unto deep, and all his waves and billows had gone over him; he adds, "Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night my fong fhall be with him, and my prayer unto the God of my life." And, when out of the depths he cries to the Lord, he looks to mercy, faying, "There is forgivenefs with thee.Yea, with the Lord there is mercy.Let Ifrael hope in the Lord," Pfalm cxxx. 1. 4. 7.

When God calls his people to the prayer of faith, he injoins them to put him in remembrance; "Put me in Vol. IX.

+ R

remem

SER. CXLVI. remembrance, let us plead together," Ifa. xliii. 26. When God is pleading against us, by his difpenfations, he allows us to plead with him, by fupplication; and to put him in remembrance even of his mercy: In wrath remember mercy. Not that God is capable of forgetfulness but when we put him in mind, we put work in his hand; and he loves to be employed: and when he fhews mercy, he is faid to remember his holy promise, and covenant, and mercy; "He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies," Pfalm cv. 8. 42. cvi. 45.-But to offer all the instances to this purpofe, would take up too much time.

A

The method we propofe, for illuftrating this propofition, through divine aid, fhall be as follows.

I. Enquire when may a time be faid to be wrathful? II. What are the inftances of mercy we need to seek, at fuch a time?

III. What is imported in the Lord remembring mer

cy; and in our praying that he would do fo? IV. Shew that it is both feasonable and reasonable to plead that he would remember mercy in wrathful times.

V. Make application of the whole subject.

I. We are to enquire when may a time be faid to be wrathful-like? In wrath remember mercy. What are the tokens of God's wrath that a people may be under, that denominates it a wrathful time? I only premife, That wrath is either to be confidered as vindictive, towards all the enemies of God; and thus it comes for demanding fatisfaction of the Chriftlefs foul, and as fo many drops of vengeance, before the deluge of wrath be poured out: or, it is to be confidered as fatherly towards the children of God; and fo it comes for correction, chaflifement, or trial. When wrath comes upon a vifible church, towards the wicked therein, it is judicial; but toward the invifible church, it is paternal, and for chaftifement. Now, we might give many inftances. of a wrathful-like time; fuch as,