i' I I ( . )J.Treatije of Chriflian Equitie. 449 \ ch>rv 10 lendy calres homfelfe mcoagapmg A (ema flood, andfwep11hcmallaway, Euen gulfe ' fee Gods wonderfull mercy,we rhruft fo,and more pa<1enrly barb God [uttered vs / 011 rf;lues ln,and he pursvs 6ac~e: he fiaierh in rhe(elarter daies.Bur how comes it ro patfe vs wlfh hiso~n h<nd,& (o keepes vsour.Sec then,will Come fay, that weehaue not a Hood 1t hata fea of mercoeothe Lord doth powre "wellas rhey/Surelybeca.ufe his mercy was vpon tnan:for how can that but be ailinfinite great to them, butwonderfull rovs;weeare j fea of mercies, which is thewed to fo many as euollasth<y, yea of wee oudge aright, and [rboufands of m1: 0 , fo many rhoufand rime; confider dulyall cir<umflances, our fins,are oln oirehourc. Ir his mercy did nor moderate far mare,yea farre more hainous rhen theirs rhehrremity of hiS la~v,thereOJould nor be were:fo rhar we deferuc a flood tcnnetiobcs one man left vpon earrh,burall inone houie more then they did,and ifGo\l dealt but iull· call into hell:bur God flaieth his luflice,a)ld ly with vs,~> herehe brougiu onevpon them, ·!laierh hidalv, yea tlaiethvs, who our folues he fhould bring an hundred onvs: and if HI· would execute the lawvpon our felues,and fo {lice barerhehvay,fhcefitOuid(weep,., aw.ay, ca£lout fduesinro hell,he keepesvsour, and onegemrationafrer another,with a conrinu· giues vnrovo 'alonger tome rorepept. And .• all flood.Bur mark the moderation of God, rhosostrueinallmen: tofotnebec~iueslon· B moretovorhenrorhem, who dcferucworfe ger,ro Come lhorcer,but ro eueryone(ome, then they. He gaue vs nocim hundred and whe<eas the law giues not one houre to any rwenry,bur many hundred ~eares,and,bri~gs man, nayrhe law is c'ofarrefrom goumg rome nofloods of mdgemenrs, bat fparesvs fronl , torepent,rhatiradmitsno repenrancearall, yearcroyeare, and froma~e roage, thatfi> no though a man fhould finne bur once, and we may eitherrcpenr andefca.pe hel:orwhen inllandy arter thatoncfinne, humblehim· OUfthDCISCOIDCJ drowneourfcJuesin damfcJfe in repenrance,and eraue forgouenes,rhe nation, and fo. be rhe principa!lcaufeofour lawwill nor accept him eo fauour, nor yceld owne deftruchon, forgiuen<s,nor allow his repentance : for rhe lr may norvnfirly beenoted in this plac,e law can doe norhingbutthis: eorher iuflo6e that fomtime God may be faid ro call a m~~ and reward him tharful6ls it, or condemne inro hell, and fomerime man himlelfe. Gorl ano punifh him that breakes i!; funher rhen rhrowes a man into belt, 'i.hen for' folnc this rhe law by it felfe gocrh not. mon!lrous and conragious finne, bee rakes altistheGofpelwhichcommandethvs,& way a wicked man in the mid!! bfhis wocteacherhvs to beleeue and rcpent;and to the kednelfe, by Come fudden iudgen\cnr, and (6 Gofpellarewe beholdingforaecepringour C fendshimtohell, But a man plungerhhim· repentance,1vhich the lo.w would neuer doe' lelte mto hell, when God giue>him lcauc ro which is indeede rp farre from acceptingre· hue,andliberroe and tuneror<pcnt, bnt he•· pentance,as ir neuer intendcrh nor aimeth at conunuerh carcleily in his linncs tdl bee Jic repentance direCtly in it felfe: and therefore and foca£leth himfdfc v'iolenrly'onro danl~ in ot (elfe, it is worthily called tht minif/erie of na.cion. Now fueh i• the mercifulI mo~harfcondemnat;,n.So rhen beholdeamoll £lraight on of God,rhar for one man whome' he cafls law,.and a mofl mercilull God: fo £lraighr a mrohell (as bee did l•d.uprefenrly vpon bli law,as (ifthar mercy were not) itwould neuer fin) an hundredwicked men ea£! rhemfclucs giuevsone hourero repent in,nor receiuevs into hel,abuting rhar time and loberty,whoch ro fauour though we repented prefenrly, bur hce gaue them to repemin, and fo bringing prcfenrlyvpon ourfinnecatl vs 1nro hell. 0 vpon rhemfcluesfwofr damnation. Le( euerhcreforc ra£le and fee bow good and graci· ry man therefore euery day of his life when ous the Lord is: the law cannot haue his Cl<· hee confidererh the rboufand• of'finn;s rhar rtemity, nor'rhediuell his will vponvs, whO arc committed thardiy, and fwh no flood is the layler ofthdaw; & io n\alicioui,rhogh of wateri fir~ nor brimUone to come v' on rhelaw beiu!l:audfobythecxrremityofrhe D vs, let hiinwonder ar Godsmercy,anlfay iuflice of theon~, an~ the eJ<tremiry of the woth thePmp.hct,li iJ the Lordmurcietha~· "'' mal1ceof the other, riO manfhould liuc one 4renet ~n('Nincd. Furthermore this rObd~ra: ,hburein the"woild, ~>e~e ir:nor for rhe won· rion ofG'od ro al men,harh an~thcr br~nch:. derfu!l mercoe and mwgatoon of God, who Euery mans ill confciehce is to him Til,;eEh~ , c~nlnry to !he courfc of rhe law, both ac; fire ':t hell,.and doubrletfe the tormfn! qf ' ceprerhm~~. when they repen.t;and gmesal;' conlcoence,.•~ a.1>art ofr,hev~ty reall rorhienf fot•merorepen!, and tlillsh~rhGod do~~~- ofhell:' now of euery inan' had bur iuft/t e; ' "''"the begmnmgwnh Ad.\m'.fomall ages:· hee!houlq f~~le prefrnrly afrercuery finne To rho ol<r~·world, after inahy preachers the v<rytoirilcnrofheU, namely .rlle !lint fcnt,andmaoi)l ~,undredyearcspat•enct,an'f j and rormenrofagoil_ryaccufingconfcienB:, many thoufah~s of finnes .rope for venge-· , butfeer!:!_c,m~rcyand ffi~>4eratlon ofGod,he ance,yetGodgooes !zo.ye·aresmore:O~~w mHoCis ot not prefently; b'urqnelj giu'eo tlJe many milh6nsqf·finnes dod rAeycomnut :/. finner aprtcke,or a liitlc pang (a·s it i»c!rc) 15ainfl him in tharrirue? and y~r had rhcyrewhen he 6aiB'!inned; Iiu<' rhe raging furic of p<nteciar rhela£1, they had b•,<nefa.ued: but the confcience, (whicFi'ts \hi: grea 1 cfl hell all was 10 vainc,and thereforem rhe end GOd rhar IS vpon earrh)hee defcrresrill the home Pp 3 of . ,;
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