Puritan Nuggets of Gold # 57

Mercy

The mercies of God make a sinner proud, but a saint humble. (Thomas Watson)

Hezekiah was a holy man, yet he swells big under mercy. (2 Chronicles 32). No sooner doth God lift his house higher than others, but he lifts up his heart in pride higher than others. When God hath made him high in honors, riches, victories, ay, and in spiritual experiences, then his heart flies high, and he forgets God, and forgets himself, and forgets that all his mercies were from free mercy, that all his mercies were but borrowed mercies. Surely, it is better to lack any mercy than an humble heart, it is better to have no mercy than lack an humble heart. (Thomas Brooks)

Few can bear great and sudden mercies without pride and wantonness, till they are hampered and humbled to carry it moderately. (Samuel Lee)

The sorrows outbid thy heart, thy fears outbid thy sorrows, and thy thoughts go beyond thy fears; and yet there is the comfort of a poor soul: in all his misery and wretchedness, the mercy of the Lord outbids all these, whatsoever may, can, or shall befall thee. (Thomas Hooker)

Mercies are either ordinary or extraordinary - our common necessaries, or the remarkable supplies which we receive now and then at the hand of God. Thou must not only praise Him for some extraordinary mercy, that comes with such pomp and observation that all thy neighbors take notice of it with thee, but also for ordinary every-day mercies these common every-day mercies are many. Thus David enhanceth the mercies of this kind, - "O God, how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand." What is lighter than a grain of sand, yet what is heavier than the sand upon the seashore? Who will not say that a man shows greater kindness in maintaining one at his table with ordinary fare all the year than in entertaining him at a great feast twice or thrice in the same time? (William Gurnall)

Take heed of abusing this mercy of God. To sin because mercy abounds, is the devil's logic. He that sins because of God's mercy, shall have judgment without mercy. (Thomas Watson)

Mercy is not for them that sin and fear not, but for them that fear and sin not. (Thomas Watson)

Without faith we are not fit to desire mercy, without humility we are not fit to receive it, without affection we are not fit to value it, without sincerity we are not fit to improve it. (Stephen Charnock)

It is a greater mercy to have a heart willing to refer all to God, and be at His disposal, than to enjoy presently the mercy we are most eager and impatient for; for in that God pleases you, in this you please God. (John Flavel)

A visitor (seeking to console the dying Thomas Hooker): Sir, you are going to receive the reward of your labor. Thomas Hooker: Brother, I am going to receive mercy!  (Unknown)