o The Backeparts ofIehouah. to filmmercy. Like unto that which Saigt lamer faith, that Godginerh tooilai. r Iam. r, fa leers, liberally,or, Withframe heart,andvpbraidetb tra man' It is no burden tohim to affoordhis fauour, hee isneuer wearyof !hewing kindnet{e. This is Gracious. g. Slow to The third is Slow to anger, that is to fay, a God, whothough hecannot abide anger, quity,yet is full ofpatience, fuffering long, and not proceedingtoextreamity, vntill hebe by mens impenitencyeueuurged thereunto. How flow washee with fGen.i.;. theold world, andfor howlong did hisßirirffriemwithman', flopping the courfe ofvengeance, as long as it might fraud will the honour of his inflict to for- beam? In the Pfaittefoordinarily readveto vs, it is faid,thathee fuffered the If - tP(al,gq,ro, vacates in the Wilderrafeforyyeararr,üW.any4 time did they provokehim by their o Piá,r0,43. counfeb, faith David 4. It was long before heefuffered his wrath to breake our, yea, and when he did give way his iunice, hedid oft times nailbacke hieanger, and PGI8.3E, did notflirrevpall his wrath*.Indfay, he is faid, to Waite that he may haue mercy . n Ifa.;°.s8 And his flowncffe to anger is fo great, that the worldaccounts i.ßadkeneß1Y, and Y z Pcr.L9' bccaufe ofhis long remitting, doe thinke that hee will never ìmige, but either is not, or elfe hathleft eachman tohisowne liberty. This is Stowe, a:gcr; he isof- 4Abundant ten prouoked, he isdaily vrged,yet he ispatient towardsall. The fourth is, A- ingoodr:efiè beindant ingoodneli andtruth. Bygoodneffe, is meant adiípofrtion euen v ith kind- and truth, nelle to winne mens hearts, andby bletsings to allure them tohimfolfe : and by truth is vnderflood,fidelity and conlancy in his promifes, without failing o fo that touching leheaah in thisclaufe, is faid thusmuch, namely, that as heedoth forbeare todoe that in which iufliceheemight doe, beeing fo much prouoked by vs, fo he doth altoprouoke vsby his benefits to return unto him; and being z Titre. aGodwhich cannot lie=, heebath tyed himfelfe by promife toaccept our fub- mifsion,andwhen we repent tobe ready to receiuevs. Thusdoth hee abound in s. Retuning goodn and trnth. The fift branchis, Refereeing mercyfor thonfands. This ferueth merry for tofhew vs, that hismercy is euerlalling, like a fountaine, euer fpringing, which chouds, can neuer be drawnedry. There is no earthlyKing, althoughhis treafure were a mung.,i. like Salomon,whogamefiluerinlernfalemasfionesa, yet if hee Ihould keepe no meafure in his giuings, hiscoffers would foone bee emptied, and his millions of wealth drawneinto alittle femme: but yet the Lordsmercy is withoutboitome, it is a{tore that cannot befpent, itisa lampe fed with theoyle ofimmortality, 6. For iuin that canneuerbeconlumed. The la(l branch is,Forgiuinginiquirie , andrranfgrtff. iniquityandg on, andfinne. This is(as it were) the very life and Louie ofGods me rey, and the aranigregion, thing towhich all the formeraymed. Letvs examinethe meaning:fitf, here are andanne. threethings named, or rather one thing fliled by threenames. By the firt, here tranflated Inquiry, ismeant that vniuerfall corruption ofnature, whichwee haue all drawnfrom Adam, as from a root, andinwhich (as Daniel fpeaketh) we are' allconceived b. By the fecund, calledTranfgreffion,is vnderflood finne in outward b PGf.;s.y. aft;properly fguifying afalling away. porn God, becaufe it is athakingoffof that due obedience which weowe veto him. By the third, tearmed Sinne, is fignified ahigher degree ofeuill, as namely, when men aregrowne hard in finne, anddoe commit it without feare,makingno reckoningof reproofe. There three are the veryfame degrees fpokenofin the firf Praline t thegrain, the connfdlofthe vet- godly ; the fpriugofcorruptionwhich is in euery naturali heart: thefecond is,the wayof/sneer, whenmenbreake forth into outward enormities: the third is, the chaire of[corners, when they are become lhameleffe, and are enemies to the measesoftheir owne good. Nowthe Lord fpeakingof forgiving, namerh there three degrees, toPhew, that there isno finne fohainous,whether naturali corrup- tion, or outwardtranfgrefsion, or fliff -necked prefumption, but (von repen- tance) the mercyofGod is able and ready toremit it. This is that which is in- tended in thefe threerearmes, Inquiry,rranfgrefon,finne. Letvs now fee what it istofargine . God is raid toforgia ,when bee Both efleeme our fronesas though they had neuer beetle committed, meaning mute to call sa to any account or reckoning
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