499 / 772
Comfortable
Pref
ratatirrer agafn
f
de,.
perati®n.
471
full
ofall
goodneffe and compaflion
towards
all
them that
corne unto him. And therefore
if
we
turne from our
f
nnes
by
vnfained
repentance,
wee may
a{fure
our
felues,
though
they be
neuer
fo
tnany and grieuous they
{hall
bee
pardoned,
and
we
receiued
into Gods
loue and fauour.
Se
To
thefe examples
ofwhole
multitudes
We
may
adde the
.7.
examples
of
particular
tanners,
who
haue.fbeen
receiued
to
Particu'ar'
mercie
and obtained pardon,
though
their
finnes
haue
been
Gtds
mrrole.
many
and grieuous:
as
r'Matthety, Zachecu,Leui,
who
were
finful
Publicans
that
got
their
liuings by pilling
and
polling,
oppref
ion
and
extortion,
men
fo
notoriouflie
wicked,
that
Publicans and
(inners are
ioyned
together,
as
though they
were
(inners
by
prcfef ion,
and therefore
as
Synonyrna
or
diners words
of
one
fignification they
interpret
one
ano-
ther.
And yet
fuch was
the
riches
of
Gods mercie,that
eucn
thefe
profetfed
fanners
were
conuerted,
and receiued
remif
fion
of
all
their outragious
wickedneffe.
The
like may
be
faid
of
Mary
Magdalene,who
though
thee
had been
a
wo-
man
ofleaudbehauiour
and
look
life,though
flee
were
pof-
fefed
of
many diuels,
and commonly
noted
for
an
infamous
and
notorious
finner,yet vpon her true repentance
obtained
the
rerniflion
of
her finnes: and
whileft
fhe
wa.fhedthe feet
of
our Sauiour
Chrift
with her teams,
hee
purged and
cien-
fed her
body
and
foule from
the
filthie leprofie
of
finne
with
his
owne moft
pretious blood; whilefl
fhe wiped
them with
the
haires
of
her
head,
hee beautified
and adorned her
with
the
rich
robe
ofhis
righteoufnes. Yea fhe
was receiued
into
an
high degree offauour with our Sauiour
Chrif,
fo
as
flee
had
in
Tome
things
the
preeminence before
his chiefe
Apo-
for after Chrifls
riling againe
hee
fidit
vouchfafed
her
his prefence, and vied
her
as
his rncíhenger
to
certifie
the
refl
ofhis refurreaion. Solikewifc the
Apoflle
Paulbefore
his
calling
was
not
onlie no louer
but
a
bitter
and
fierce
perfe-
cuter
ofthe truth,and
ofall the
profefhours
thereof; imhrilo-
rring, floning,
and cruellie
murthering
the
Saints
of
God;
But
behold
and admire
the wonderful) mercy
ofGod,
euen
whileft
his imbrued hands
were yet red
with
the
blood
cf
Cods
faithful) children, and
while(i
his
heart
was fo full
of
.H
h
4
burning