ComfortablePref ratatirrer agafn f de,.perati®n. 471 full ofall goodneffe and compaflion towards all them that corne unto him. And therefore ifwe turne from our fnnes byvnfained repentance, wee may a{fure our felues, though they beneuerfo tnany and grieuous they {hall bee pardoned, and we receiued into Gods loue and fauour. Se To thefe examples ofwhole multitudes We may adde the .7. examples ofparticular tanners, who haue.fbeen receiued to Particu'ar' mercie and obtained pardon, though their finnes hauebeen Gtdsmrrole. manyand grieuous: as r'Matthety, Zachecu,Leui, who were finful Publicans that got their liuings by pillingandpolling, oppref ion andextortion, men fonotoriouflie wicked, that Publicans and (inners are ioyned together, as though they were (inners by prcfef ion, and therefore as Synonyrna or diners words ofone fignification they interpret one ano- ther. And yet fuch was the riches ofGods mercie,that eucn thefeprofetfed fanners were conuerted, and receiued remif fion of all their outragious wickedneffe. The like may be faid ofMary Magdalene,who though thee had been a wo- manofleaudbehauiour and look life,though fleewere pof- fefedofmany diuels, and commonlynoted for an infamous andnotorious finner,yet vpon her true repentance obtained the rerniflionofher finnes: and whileft fhe wa.fhedthe feet ofour Sauiour Chrift with her teams, hee purged andcien- fed her bodyand foule from thefilthie leprofie of finne with his owne moft pretious blood; whilefl fhe wiped them with thehaires ofherhead, hee beautified and adorned her with the rich robe ofhis righteoufnes. Yea fhewas receiued into anhigh degree offauour with our SauiourChrif, fo as flee had inTome things the preeminence before his chiefe Apo- for after Chrifls riling againe hee fidit vouchfafedher his prefence, and vied heras his rncíhengerto certifie therefl ofhis refurreaion. Solikewifc the Apoflle Paulbeforehis calling was not onlie no louer but a bitter and fierce perfe- cuter ofthe truth,andofall theprofefhours thereof; imhrilo- rring, floning, and cruellie murthering the Saints ofGod; But behold and admire the wonderful) mercy ofGod, euen whileft his imbrued hands were yet red with the blood cf Cods faithful) children, and while(i his heart was fo full of .Hh 4 burning
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