500 / 772
a.K.ings
;
Y.
47
2
Comfortalle
Pref
ruatrxe.r
agaìrft
del
eration.'
burning
Cage,
that
he
breathed
out
(fill
threatnings and
.
ílaughter
againfl the
Difciplis
ofthe
Lord, it
pleated Goct
.
wonderfully
to
conuert him, to
allure
him
of
the
rctnii3toti
of
all
thefe his
horrible
finnes,
and
to
mmke
him
ofa
bloodie
perfecutor,
a
moll
excellent preacher
of
his
Gofpell,
and
of
a
rauenous
deuouring
woofe,
a
moll
vigilant
and painefull
fhepheard. To
thefe wee
might
adde the
example,
of
the
thcefe, who
though
he
had fpent
his
whole
life
wickedly
and
prophanely, yet
was
conuerted
at the
houre
of
death,
and
re-
ceiaing the pardon
of
his
fumes,
was prefently allured
of
euerlafli ng
happinelfe.
But
I
(hall
not
need to
heape
vp
ma-
ny
particulars, onely
I
cannot
paffe
that
nötable
example
of
c_tlanaffes,one
of
the
moll outragious
finners
and
pro_
phanefl wretch
that
euer
liued,
as
the
holy
Ghofl
bath
de-
scribed him
in
the
2
r.chapter
ofthe
2.booke
ofthe
Kings.For
there
he affirmeth
of
him
that
he
was
a
moll horrible
idola
ter,
a
moll
malitics
enemy and
cruell
perfecutor
of
Gods.
truth,
a
defiler
oftods
holy
temple, afacrificer
ofhis
owne
children
vnto Idòls,.that is,diucls,
a
notable witch,
and
wie
-
ked forcerer,
a
bloodie murtherer
of
exceeding many,
the
deare Saints and true
Prophets of
the-Lord,one who did
not:
runne headlong
alone
into
all
hellifh impietie,
but
alfo
led
.
the
people
vnder
his
gouernment out
ofthe
way
to
do
more
wickedly then did theHeathen peoplewhom the
Lord
de_-
ffroyed before
the children ofIfrael,
andin aword, wrought
more abominations and outragious
wickedneffe
then
the
cttrfed
4morites
and
Cananites,
of
whom
notwithflanding
the
land furfetted and
fpued
them out
for their crying finnes.
And yet this
tAtmaffe.r, this
wretch,
more like
a
diuell
incar-
nate
then
a
Saint
ofGod,
repenting
him
ofhis
finnes
from
the
bottome
olhis
heart,
was receiued
(I
cannot
fpeake
it
without
rauifhing wonder ofGods- bottomles
and neuer
fuf-
ficiently
admired
mercy) was receiued
I
fay,
to
grace, and
obtained
the
pardon
ofall
his
horrible
finnes and
moft
abo-
minable
wickedneffe.
Now
all
thefe examples are
written
for
our
learning,
and are
recorded by the holy
Ghofl,
to the
end
that
wee may
continually laud and
praife
the Lord for
hisendleffe and infinite mercies, and
gather vnto
our
fillies,
aßùrance,..