461 / 772
t
Comfortable
Pre
ruatiHes
againfi~
defperation.
43
2
Vçards
thofe,who
earneflly
defying
it,
wait
vpon
him,
that
they
may
bee made partakers
ofit.
For
the
obie&
of
Gods
mercy,
about
which it
is
exercifed,is
mans miferie, and
the
a6kion
thereof,
is
to pitie,
and
helpe
him
out
ofhis
wretch-
ed
and miferable eflate
;
and
therefore,
ifthere
were
no tni-
ferie
and wretchednefle,
and no
finne
to
be
forgiuen, there
would be
wanting that
external!
obie&,
about
\ti'hich
Gods
mercy fhould
be
exercifed
and manifefted
to
all
the world.
And
hence
it
is,
that the Lord
willinglie permitted the
fall
of
our
fir(l
parents,
to the
end
that
hee
might
make
a
way
for
the rnanifeflation
of
his mercie, in
pardoning
repen-
tantfinners,
and his
iuftice
in
punifhing
the contemners
ofhis
grace. And
as
the
Apoltle faith,
Rom.i
1.3
z.
God
bath
Roma
1.32.
J19ut
vp
all
in vn6elee
fc,
that
bee
might haue mercie
on all,
that
is
to
fay,
on
all
the
eleel,both Iewes
and
Gentiles.
Seeing therfore
God
delighteth
himfelf in exertifing and
manifefting
his
mercy,to the
praife
of
the
glory
ofhis
grace,
by
pardoning
and
forgiving repentant limiers; let not
any
who
are
grieuoufly laden,and
grone for
wearines vnder
the
heauie
burthen
of
their
finnes, feare
to
come
unto the
Lord,
and
to
implore
his
merde
for
the forgiuenes
of
their
finnes,
though
neuer
fo
grieuous
and
manifold,
neither
let
them
doubt,
left
God
will reie&
their
fuite, and
refufe
to
receitie
them into
his
grace
and fauour,
becaufe
of
their great
re-
bellions and vnworthineife. For
although
there
were
not
(as
in
truth
there
is
not
any
thing to
bee
refpe&ed
in
vs,
fauing
that
wee
are
the creatures
ofGod,
and
worker
ofhis
hands, yet
the
Lord
will haue compaflion
upon vs, euen
for
his
owne fake, becaufe hee
is
cxceedinglie
delighted
in
dewing
merde
to
all
thofe
who
turne unto him. And this
the
Lord
himfelfe profeffeth
.2
5.
I,ewen
I
am
bee.
that
Efa.43-,1fa;.
putteth
away
thine
iniquities (or
mine
owne
fake,and
will
not
re-
member thy
gimmes.
And therefore
the
Prophet
Daniel calling
vpon the Lord
for
mercy,in the behalfe ofhimfelfe
and the
people,
difclaimeth
their owne;righteoufneffe,
and
all
re-
fpe&
of
their
owne merits and worthineffe
;
faying,
We
doe
not
prefent our fupplications
before thee for our owne
righ-
teoufneffe,
but
for thy
great
tender
mercies
;
0
Lord.heare,