598 A Commentary upon the Go0e1 Chap.26. the Sun -beams follow the traveller that turns his back on them. He will bring backhis banifhed, he will reduce his runagates, he will not buffer any of his to be utterly drowned, though haply they have been drenched in the waves of finne, lain force while in them, yea and have al'o funk twice or thrice, as Peter, to the verry bottome. Now then how can any either prefume of not finning, or defpair for finne, when they read ofPeter thus fallen, and now thus remembring, thus riling again by repentance, and and received to mercy ? The like inflames wehave not a few, of Origen and other primitive Chriffians, whorecanting for a lea- fon through fear of death, were therefore utterly excluded by No- vatua from all hope of mercy : but not fo byChrift. Be not jer. rn.17. thou a terrour unto me, ô Lord, faith 7eremy, and then I care not, au. and Mon. though all the world condemn and call me out. Bilney, Bain. fc1448 938, ham, Benb-'61g , es, PPhittle, Charp, and manyother Mar- s; 7, t 633. tyrs, having denied their Lord God, as theycalled it, forfear of a 5:8,,86 i, the fagot, could have no ref} till they had repented, and publike. ly revoked their much bewailed recantations. Steven Gardiner indeed, like another Ecebolius, cryed out that he had denied with Peter, but never repented with Teter, and foboth flink- pbid.rgoa. ingly and unrepentantly dyed, faith Mr Fox. It was a laying of Ca et of the fame Mr Fox that his graces did himmolt hurt, andhis finnes Tc wort good. A paradox; but, by our temptations, we knowhis meaning. As pain eafeth a Chriftian, death revives him, difholu- ,Aug: de civic, tion uniteshim, focorruption clarifies him, I dare bebold to fay áei,t..r4.c.a;. ( faith Augufline,) that it is good for proud perlons to fall into force foule finne, unclefsbi di/pliceant, qui jamfsbi placendo ceci. derunt. Salubrice enim Tetrsu fibi di(}rlicuit quando fevit, quamfsbiplacuit quando pre fmpfit, that they may be humbled, as Peter was, and to faved. He Wept bitterly] That one Tweet look from Chrith, melted him; as Gods kìndraeffe did the heardhearted Ifrael/tes at the semper larI'ry- 'meet of Mizpeh. In this troubled pool Peter wafhed himfèlf, íau fu,ff'ufor ha. in this red Sea thearmy of his iniquities w4s drowned. As once buiiTe oceiot a hisfaith was-fogreat,that her leapt into a fea of waters to come to deòut(tiara Chrifl: fo now his repentance was great, that he leapt, as it lach:yntzcu- P ren genarurn were, into a fea of tears for that he had gone from Chrif}. There exederint. are that fay ( and it may very well be) that henceforth he was err cau;a ever and anon weeping : and that his face was even furrowed eurytoit. with continual' tears. He began foon after his fume, Mark/ 4.72. aim
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