457 / 772
Comfortable
Preferuatiues
againft
defperation.
429
peration,
by
Satans
moll
fubtill and
violent
tentations,
are
not
fo eafily
perfwaded that
their
fins
are
forgiuen them, and
they
reconciled
vnto
God
in
Chrif+;
therfore
I
wil fet
dovvne
force
arguments, whereby
all
thofe
who truly repent,
(that
is,forrow for
their
finnes
pall, and
delire,
and indeuour
to
forfake
them
in
the time to
come)
and
withal],
going
out
of
doe
earnef+ly
hunger
after
Chriíl
and
his
righte-
oufheífe, and
reí+
and
relic
vpon him for
their faluation, may
haue
full
affurance,that
their
finnes are
forgiuen
them,
and
that
they
are .in
Chrift reconciled vnto
God,
and receiued
into
his
loue and fauour.
The
firíl
argument,
to
affüre all
ofthe
pardon
and for
-
giueneffe
oftheir
finnes,
who
will come vnto
him,
may
bee
drawne
from
his
mercie,
which
is
one
of
his
properties and
attributes,
fo
often
attributed veto
him in the Scriptures,
Exod.
34.6.7.
God
thus defcribeth
himfelfe
:
The
Lord,
the
Lord,lf
rong, mercifull
and
gratious,
flow to
anger,
and
a-
bundant
ingoodnes
and
truth.
z.Referuing
mercy
for
thoufands;
forgiuing
iniyuitie,
trangref
on
and
fnne.
Out
of
which
place
that
famous and
godly
learned
man
H.Zanchius bath
obfer-
ued
matter
fit
for
our
purpofe,and therefore
it
{hall
not
be
a-
miffe
to
fet
downe
his
owne words:
For
befides(faith
he)
that
the
efence
of
God is
only
one,c
that
eternal,mo,ll
fmple,.no/l
per
-
feEt,liuirág,
immortall,
imiifible,
incorruptible,infin:t,orrnipotent,
moll
wife;
he is
alfo
wholly
moffgood,in
txhom
nothing
is
wanting;
R
louer
ofmen;mofl
meeke,,
mo/lgentle,flow
to anger,
moll roadie
to
forgiue
incuries, moll
patient,
moll
true,
moll
righteous, moll
iufl,mofl
faithfull
in
performing
his promifes;
finally he is
nothing
els
then the
foueraignegoodnes,and the
chiefe clemency,as he
bath
defcribed,
and
liuely
deciphered himfelfe,
Exöd.
34. and
elfe-
where.
e4nd
therefore
we
muff
note,although anger
be
at
tr:bu
ted
veto
God,yet
notwithflanding,:t
is in
God
nothing
els
but
the
chiefegoodneffe
and
iullice,
whereby he
abhorreth
euill,
and ac-
cording to his
iuft
iudgement doth
at
length
punafh
it,
:fit
be
not
amended
by
his long
fuf
ering and
patience. This here
-hence
ma
nifes`
ly
appeareth,
becaufej7
ealking
ofreuene,
or taking punífh-
ment,
which
is an
effelt
of
anger,
he
loth
not
fay
that
he
doch
pre-
fend)
infltl-t
punijhment, or'
that het
isfo
ready
to
inf
it`t
it,
ad
to
Reafons
to
peifwadethe
snake
anofthefor-
giueteffeofhis
finales.
The
firfl
argn
ment
dramme
from
Gods
mercie.
Exod.34.6.7
Zanch.de
,4ttrib.l.z.
cap.
i.q.
:.
Exod.
344