465 / 772
Comfortable
Preferuatiuer
4,04
ikfperation.
43.7
tweene
which,
there
can
bee imagined no degrees
of
com-
parifon,
fo
much
doth
the mercie and
bountie
ofGod,
ex-
,
ceede
the
bountie
and mercie
of
mortall man. And there-
fore if
vpon repentance
for our
fault and
earnefl
defire
of
reconciliation,
wee hope
ofmercie and wounted
kindtaeffe,
from our friend or
neighbour,
let
vs
not
make..any
qúefli-
on,
nor once
doubt
ofthe
Lords loue and fauour
towards
vs,
though
our
finnes
bee
neuer.fo grieuous,
fo
wee
truelie
repentannd vnfainedly
turne
unto
him.
But
here
the
aflli6led
confcience
will
be readie
to
fay,
that
§.Seal.
$.
though
there
bee
no
doubt
ofGods
mercie,
but that
it
is
in
That
doubting
It
felfe
moll
infinite,
yet
I
doubt,
lefl
I
f
hall
neuer
bee parta-
of
Gods
mer-
ker
thereof,
becaufe
of
my
manifold imperfe6lions,
and
cies,
revea
great
vnworthineffe.
To
which
Ianfwere,
that
this
diflru-
Iling
ofGods
mercies, in
refpe6l
of
our
,vnworthineffe,pro-
guetb
pride.
ceedeth not from true humilitie,
but
from our naturali pride:
for
if
wee had denied our
(clues,
and were
nothing
in our
©vene
eies,
if
wee
had whollie remooued
our
owne
righ-
.teoufneffe;and
did whollie and onelie
.ref(
on
our Sauiour
Iefus
Chrill
for
our
fatuation, wee would neuer
hope the
more in regard
of
our owne
worthinefífe,
nor
yet
doubt
in
;refpe6l
ofour
vnworthineffe. But
it
is
our fecret
and
inbred
pride.
ofheart,which
makes
vs
to doubt
of
Gods
mercie,
vn-
1effe
wee
bring
him
a
bribe,and
deferue
it
at
his
hands,and
to
,defire
to
make
the
'Lord
beholding vntovs,rather then
wee
would be any
whitbeholding unto him. Which
is
nothing
els
but
to
difgrace
Gods
mercies,that
we
may grace our
own
merits;and
by labouring
we may be
fomthing
in
our
felues,
we
will
not
allow
that God fhouldbe
al in all;and haue
the
whole
praife
ofour
faluation.
But
we
are
to roote out
ofour
leans
this
fpirituall
°pride,
and
to
plant therein true
humili
tie,and
then
we may allure
our felues,though our
finnes
bee
great,yet
the mercies
ofGod
are farre
greater,though
we
be
inofl beggerly in merites,
yet
wee (hall
bee
made rich
by
Chriíl
Iefus
righteoufneffe; for the
poorer
we
are
in defert,
the
richer Gods
mercie
will
appeare in
accepting
vs
to
his
.,grace
and
fauour;
and
where
finne
hath
abounded, there
;grace
will.aba.und much,
more.
Ff
I
Seeing