SERMONS. 375 



belongs properly to himself, and to join heartily 

 together in a full chorus at the last, repeating that 

 excellent exomologesis of holy David, with which 

 I began this point, and shall now conclude it, — 

 * Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy 

 judgments.' But there is another yet behind — 



Lastly, give God the Glory of his Mercy too ;* 

 that must in nowise be forgotten. It is the privilege 

 and prerogative of Mercy, that it mixeth itself in 

 all God's Works ; even in justice itself too. f He 

 sendeth forth lightnings with the rain, (saith the 

 Psalmist,) he bringeth the winds out of his trea- 

 suries. Strange furniture, one would think, for a 

 treasury, storms and tempest ! But there is so 

 very much of mercy even in God's judgments 

 too, that they also deserve a place amongst his 

 treasures, aye, and amongst ours too. For he 

 licenseth not a wind, or a storm, lets not fly a flash 

 of lightning, or a ball of fire, but a mercy goes 

 along with it ; comes flying to us (if we miss it 

 not by our negligence or inadvertency) upon the 

 wings of that wind ; and discovers itself to us 

 even by the light of those fires. And therefore 

 turn not away your eyes in horror, but study the 

 late conflagration : and even in the dust and ashes 

 of our city, if we sift and examine them well, we 

 may find rich treasures of mercy hidden. 



1 . Mercy, first, that God spared us and preserved 



* S. Ambrose, suo jure omnibus Dei operibus superingreditur 

 et supernatat. 



t Psm. cxxxv. 7. 



B B 4 



