463 / 772
Comfortable preferuxtiues
ag.tinf
def
eration.
43
5'
and
one amongfl
the
ref+
fhould fay,This pardon
doth
not
appertaine
vnto
me,
becaufe
I
am
fo
great
an
offender,
"
and
therefore
I
will ílill fland in
doubt
of
my'Princcsmcrcy,arid
fufpe&
hisword;
who woúld
not
accufe
fuch
an
one
both
of
folly inrefiifing
his
pardon, and
of
vngratefulnes and
diffi-
dence
in diflruíling
his
gratious
Prince,
calling
his
great
mercy
and.truth
in his promife
into
queflion
?
Who
would
not thinke this
offence
greater then
all
the
refi?
but
the.Lord
who
is
infinite
in
mercy,
hath
fent
his
generali pardon
to
all
repentant
and
beleeuing
fmners
Nvithout
all
exception
;
why
therefore fhould
wee-make
queflion
of
his mercy, becaufe
of
our hainousfinnes? why fhould we
vnto
our
other
finnes
addethis
which
isrnore
hainous
then
all
the
refl,in
doubting
and diflrufling his
word
and promife, and
in
extenuating
his
infinite
and
endlefle mercies
?
For
ifwee thinke
our
debt
£great
that
God
will neuer forgiue
it,
what
doe we
els
but
detra& from
Gods
rich
bounty
and liberalitie?
if
we
fuppofe
-
our
hnnes may
not be forgiuedbecaufe
of
their
greatneffe,
what
doe
we
els
but
imagine
that
they
furpaffe
Gods
infinite
mercy,
which-
is
amofl
horrible
blafphemy -once
to
con-
c -eiue?
Themercyof
the
Lord
extendeth
it
Idle
to
the
beafls
the
field,
and
hee gratioufly feedeth
the
Rauens and
young
That
Gods
Lions, which
in_their
brutilh
manner implore
his
helper
and
mercy is
over
Thal
he
not
extend
his mercies
to
reafonable creatures
that
all
his
workes:
feeke after
them
?Yea
the
Lord-i.rgood
to all,and his mercies
are
Pí
1.
3
6.6.'&
aster
all his
r,or%es
as
it
is Pfal
x45.9.and
wil
not
the Lord be
104.7.1.37,&,,
gratious
to
man,
who
is°his
moil
excellent
workmanfhip,
147.98c
created according
to
his
owne image,
if
he
fut
vnto
him for
45.
9.
grace,and
del-ire
to
be
partaker
ofhis
mercy? His
goodnefíèe
ftretcheth
it
feife
unto
his obflinate
enemies, for hecaufeth
Macth.5.4ea
his
rayne
to
fall,and
his
Swine
to
thine both
ztponthe
mill and
the
(food, or,
the
iu,1
and
vniuJii.
Matth.5.45,
And íhall
i"r
bee-
re-
flrainedfrom
his
repentant feruants?
-he
multiplicrh
his
mer-
cies
in
temperall benefits
vpon
the wicked
and
reprobate,
and (hall it be
fcanted
towards
his
ele&?
he
is
verie
gratious
to
malitious rebels, and
wilt
-he
dente grace
to
humble
futers
for
mercy,and repentant
fanners
?He
Chewed his.
goodneffe
.
F
f