458
CorßPortable
preferuatittesa«ainfirdeleration
§4e3.4.
Lafllie,
thole who
are
heauie
laden with the burthen
of
Thelaft aYp.
their
finnes,
may
gather vnto
themfelues
affurance
of
the
menttal
¿eta
forgiueneffe
ofthem,
by the confideration
ofGods
mercic
from
the ex-
extended
vnto other repentant
finners; for there
was
newer
perience
of
P
Gads rnercie
any from the
beginning ofthe
world to
this day, were
their
in
patdnning
finnes
neuer
fo
hainous or innumerable,who
haue
not
been
others,
and
ffç
receiued
to mercy,andpardoned
of
our gratious
God,when-
c
whole
ara
foeuer
they did vnfainedlie
turne vino
him. And
this may
bons,
appeare
whether
wee
confider whole cities or nations,or
elfe
particular men.
Ofthe
firíl
wee
haue
a
notable
example
in
the Ifraelites
which liued
in
the time
of
the Iudges, who
though
they did
many times
negligentlie forget the great
mercies, and ineflimable benefites
ofGod
(hewed
to
their
forefathers,
of
which alto
themfelues had been
partakers,
though they
forfooke
the
Lord not
once or
twice
but
very
often,
euen
then
when
he
moil bound them vino him with
multiplying
vpon them
the
benefits
of
peace
and
plentie,
and though
they
let the
raines loofe
vnto
all
wickedneffe,
yea
(which
was
moll abominable and odious
in
the fight
ofGod,)though
theyworfhipped
and ferued
`.8aal
and Afte
roth and
other
idols
ofthe
curled
nations,
for
which
horri-
ble
idolatrie, God
had call
out the
nations before
them;yet
whenfoeuer
they
turned
vino
the
Lord,
hee
pardoned
their
finnes,receiuing them
into
his former loue
and
fauour, and
deliuered them
out
of
the hands
of
all
their
enemies.
The
example
So
likewife
in
the time
ofthe
Prophet
E
fay,to what a
no-
ofncmt/raehtes
torious
height
of
wickedneffe
were
the
faine
people
growne,
in
the time of
as
the
Lord
by
his
Prophet doth
decipher and defcribe
them
the Prophet
Y
P
P
Fray,
in
the
firfl
chapter
of
thatprophecie ?In the
2.verfe
he calleth
E[ay
r.s.to
16.
hearten and
earth to witneffe
their horrible
rebellion;
in
the
3.verfe hee
fheweth that their
vnthankfulnefl'e
for
all his
mercies,
far
exceeded
the
vngratitude
ofbruite
beafls; in
the
4.
verle hee exclaimeth
out againfl them,calling them
a
fin-
full
nation,
a
people
ladenwith intguitie,
a
feed
of
the
wicked,
cor-
rupt
children,irho
had
forfaken
the
Lord,
and
prouoked
the
holae
one
of
Ifrael
to
anger.
In the
5.and 6.
verfes
he
fheweth
their
hardneffe
of
heart
and ob(linacie in
their rebellion,
which
was
fo
great,
that though
the
Lord
fent
afluiClions
and
cha
flifernents