260 ObieEiontagaint theaf fur incee fourele sonanfvered. not to call thofe preciouspearles before fuch a filthie f«'ine, vnleífe he preferued themas it were in the casket ofadoubt 'full andperplexed fpeech,froinbeing trampled vnder his be- mired feete,till he hadwafhed them in the teares ofvnfained repentance. Moreouer; hee thus doubtfully fpeaketh to glue him amore cleere infight ofthe hainoufneffe ofhis finne, as though it might bee well doubted of, whether the Lord "would forgiue it or no, that fe, his ininde hereby.being per- pplexed,heemight by the confederationof his horrible finne bee beaten downe and trulie humbled ; and becaufe thofe things whichare hardly obtained aremore carnally fought, therfore Peter intimatethuntohim by this doubtfull fpeech, that it was no eafie matter to obtaine forgiuenef e for fuch outragiòus wickedneffe,that.heemight hereby worke in the Magician more carnal and heartie repentance, and incite him to call vpon the Lord for merde with more veheYriencie and feruencic offpirit. It is not therefore theApoflles mea- ning toouerthrow the certaintieoffaith, orto call into .que RionGods inercie, whether. hee will extend it or no tohai- nous offenders who trulie repent oftheir finnes and beleeue, for this were contrarie to the whole courfe oldieGofpell ; but hee vfeth this doubtfull fpeech to this defperate firmer, that hee might notmake the foueraigne falue ofGods gra- tious promifes bale andcontemptible, by applying it to the feflred fores of a filthie dog,whichwere neuer cleanfedwith the fharpecorrafucs ofthe law; andalfo for the goodofthis malitious Gnner,for"he doth not abfolutelyaífùre him .ofiner cie and forgiuenes, that hee might be furredvp withmore earneílneffe andcare to feeke it; for the eafineffe ofùbtaining snaketh the (niter careleffe and negligent in feeking and fu-- ing;-neither doth heabfölutely exclude him. from all hope of grace,lefl heefhould neuer labourafter it,but defperatly run pn in his wickedneffe ; for whenhope is cut off,the delire al- fò fainteth,and therefore hevfetha perplexed andwife tem- pered fpeech,whichontheone fide might preferue him from fecure prefumption, and; on the other fide from falling into;. hellifh defperation, 4;;ît, . Á: Laillÿ,theyobie6t that fayingEcclef ,5.s,.,which they thus reader.
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