I 43 0 CotisfortablePreferuatiues againfidderation. ¡lies mercy,but heefaith, that hee is flow to anger. Signi f ingby this mannero ff eech, that heis ofhis oiwne naturealvaies moll readie to_thewmercy, tograntpardon, to bebenefrciall;but not f readieto takepunifhment, but forced hereunto (asofhimfelfe vnlblrg) through ourrmpenitencie.Hereunto alfoappertaineth thatancientformeofprayer; OLordwhole propertie is alwaies tohaue mercie andfargiare. Here-hence alfowe reade in Efay 6.2.8.2i. 28.21. TheLord(hall(land asinmount Terazim,hee'hall bee Sam.i. angrie,as in thevalley Gibeon. Thathee may doe his worke, his Cbro.t4. Ali. to. _grangeworke, that he maye.t.ahisaE1,hisftrange al=t, (that is, he(hallrnflid the likepun:Jhments in his fug anger vpon bis re- bell+cuupeople, which hee exercifed vpon his wicked enemies the Philifines inmount Perazim, when ashee ,ouerthrew them, .by hisferuant Dauid,&vpon theAmoritesin theval1ey4Gibeon, when as he f note themwithJlonesfromheauen.)Where the Pro- phet maketh a twofoldkindofqodsworke_s,hisproper and f range n?orkr. Theproperworkeo fGod is tofhew mercy, and to(pare or fprgifse;his grangeworks is tobeeaiwie, and to punif1. .e4nd therefore whereas beecalleth that theproperworke of God, and this hisflrangeworke; beplainly teacheth that mercy, goodnes andlongfufering,are according to thenatureofthedefty,but that tobeangrie is dicers fromGodsnature. Teawhichis mores bee maketh it not his work, that is tofay,he isangrie,that afterwards be maybringhis worke topap, that is, that he may hauemercie andpreferue ; forwhileft (faith theApofle) wee are fudgedof the Lord, we arechaflened,thatwefhouldnotbe condemnedwith !.Cor. 11.3s. theworld, i .Cor. i I.32. endwhat doe thefe things teachvs, _ but that thenatureofGodis nothingelfe thengoodneff, slsercie, lone, ofeítzialiy ofmen, patience, benignitie, and moll farce and remote from all vniuflfueritie, crueltie, tyrannre,andpride?The whichmay tninifter vnto euery penitent finnermoll fweete confolation; for when they fee that God is angry, byreafon oftheir fins,and that-hee dothgrieuoufly affli6t them,and e- uen°bring themas it were, to the gatesofhell, this mull not make them to call offal hope,& to fag into vtter defperation; but they mull remember, that thefe arenot theLords proper works,butfirange.vnto him, whichhe doth to thisend,that hemaybring to paffe. bis owne proper -works which. are a- greeabJe
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