470 Comfortable Prefirttatiatesagaìnf delperat ion. tires in the huer themout ofthehands oftheir enemies, theywould not tilteo¡our receiue him ; nay they continuallie aflii&ed and perfecuted Sauiour chrfl him, theymocked and reuiled- him, they haled him before the iudgement fente, and caufedhim tobeecondemned who came to iuflifie and acquire them;theybuffeted and whipped him, and preferred a wicked murtherer before him, who preferred their faluation before his owne life: laflly, in moil ignominious fort they crucified and killed him. After all which outragions wickedneffe offered againfl the Lord of life, they continued in their hardneflfe of heart and impeni-- tencie, neuer acknowledging their fault nor defiring par- don ; nay rather as they had ,perfecuted the head our Lord and Sauiour Iefus Chrift, fowhen they couldoffer no more wrongvnto him in his owne perfon, they were roadie to fa. tisfie and glut theirmalicious rage in perfecuting his poore members. Nowwhat more hellifh impietie was euer corn mitred ? what more outragious finne was euer heard of? whowould euer haue imagined that there was any hope of pardon for fuck rebelliousbloudie wretches?But O the in nite and bottomleffe depth ofGods, mercy l whilefl their wickedneffe was frefh in mèmorie, and their hands ftill inì. brewed in the gui'tleffeblood ofthis innocent Lambe:whert as they continued in their courfe, and ran headlong forward in their « ickednes without any fenfe elfinor delire of pares don; theLord fnt his Apoflles vnto them to bring them to repentance, and to affure them that their finnes were par- doned, Seeing therefore thefe obtained the remiflìon of their finnes, who needs to doubt ofpardon who earnefllie defires it ? for did the Lordgratiouflie offer forgiueneffe to filch rebellious wretches, andwill hee not grant it to lefhe offènders, iftheydelre it? did hee offerthem tncrcie before they fought it and will beedeniemercie voto any,whoear neullie feeke and fire forit ?Doth he feeke to drawmen to repentanceand to turne vntohim; and will heenot receiue them when theydoe repent ? was he fo exceedingmercifull in times pail, and (hall wee now thinke his arme fhortned or his mercy abated ?Nay affuredlie lice is immutableeuer like hinifelfe. one,and the fane,mofl gratious, moll rnerciful,and fuff Aft
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