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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