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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55754	Sun-beams of gospel-light shining clearly from severall texts of Scripture, opened and applyed. 1. A heavemly [sic] treatise of the devine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedome. 3. The deformed forme of a formall profession. 4. Christs fulnesse, and mans emptinesse. By John Preston, doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to King James, Mr. of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Two treatises, viz. The Christian freedome, and The deformed forme of a formall profession.; Preston, John, 1587-1628. Plenitudo fontis, or, Christ's fulnesse and man's emptinesse.	1644 (1644)	Wing P3307A; ESTC R219005	93,300	192

nor forsake thee And so leaving what I have said to your further consideration I come to a third use that seeing godlinesse is such a powerfull thing as you have seene therefore you would take heed how you deceive your selves with fond desires and purposes that have no power no force in them so as to think that they will serve the turne no nor yet a few feeble faint endeavours I say to men that set on religious courses without having their hearts changed as Christ said unto his Disciples Tarrie yee in the Citie till yee be endued with power from on high as if our Saviour Christ should have said If yee goe presently into the world yee will not be able to goe through with your works stay therefore with fasting and prayer till you have received power from on high to carrie you through for new purposes in a man that returnes to his old nature are like new wine in old vessells they will break the vessells and be too bigge for your hearts it is therefore enough to take up now a purpose and begin to be diligent in your Calling or sanctifying the Sabbath for it is impossible these purposes should live in an hart that is carnall for as the soyle must be sutable to every creature or else it will not live so likewise you will never be able to performe these purposes In the first place therefore labour to get new hearts as the bottome of these purposes which may be as the root to give sap to them for then they will live and grow in you when there is a soyle to sute with them Secondly get power in beleeving Christ our Saviour when he came unto his Country it is said He would not put forth his power to work many miracles there Why so one would have thought hee should rather have wrought them there than any where else both for his owne honour and the good of his Country-men no place then was fitter for that than it yet there he works few or none and the reason was because of their unbeliefe they beleeved not so that it is the want of faith that holds Gods hands from strengthening you you will not I say beleeve God who hath sworn and it is not an idle oath that hee would grant that wee should serve him in godlinesse and holinesse all the dayes of our life When the widow came to Christ to be healed of the issue which she had many years it is said that vertue went out of him to heale her because she beleeved and though it have bin a disease of never so many yeares yet if he say Be ye whole it is no matter what the disease is so God be the Physician and therefore beleeve Thirdly pray and furnish your selves with all the graces of the spirit not only goe about things but maintaine a stock fill the cisterne every day within whet and point the graces of God in you for the inward man every day is subject to decay as well as the outward man and doe not take ayme at your selves or at your strength when you are in a good mood or by the present temper for it vanishes if there be not a supply from day to day from grace within if you doe not whet your soules every day Fourthly and lastly if this be true that many are partakers of the forme that have not the power of godlinesse that when we come to looke on the faces of our Churches we finde the forme in many but if we come unto their dealings and carriages in private ye shall scarce finde the power it 's as rare as the other is frequent in their profession indeed there is a forme but yet ye shall finde religious servants as idle as others and wives as stubborne as others husbands and masters as like Lyons in their families and as false in their dealings as others if this be true I say as it is too true then be not deceived God is not mocked but try and examine your selves herein for the Kingdome of God consists not in word but in power the Lord will not judge you according to your intentions and purposes but according to your works and it 's not he that saith Lord Lord shall inherit the kingdome of heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father c. Be not then children in understanding for to take counters for gold lay not out your money for counterfeit things be not fooles to take paines and yet not have your turnes served Let me speake unto you as Iames doth If you say yee have faith and not works can your faith save you I say if you have the forme of godlines and not the power will that save you if you would not be deceived then examine your selves First of all if thou dost more than nature see that thou beest not the same man thou wast that thou standest not up in the same troupe thou didst if thou dost thou hast no more but the forme of godlinesse in thee for if thou hadst it would turne thy nature and add wings unto thee making thee soare higher than nature I am able through Christ that strengthens me and that not to doe some things but all things He sayes not I doe purpose or desire but I am able to doe all things c. Those therefore that are able to stand against some lusts that are against their dispositions but not against all are weake and have not this power in them It may be thou art able to serve God when thou art poore but what art thou when the world comes in upon thee thou art able to abstaine from sinnes by nature but godlinesse as wee say of Physick helps when nature failes and as a naturall man with his sight sees farre but with an Optick glasse sees further so when nature falls short Art helps as though by nature a man may measure or count yet if he comes to a large piece of ground or a great summe Art is required so though thou mayest doe many things by nature yet when godlinesse comes it helps out in things wherein nature failes as Sampson could doe many ordinary things by his owne strength but when hee came to take downe or carrie away the gates of a Citie and to pull downe an house it is still said The spirit of the Lord came upon him the Lord went with him and even so it is here Secondly examine whether ye be godly in truth or no for in Christ there are said to be dead branches as well as living that is those that have the forme as well as those that have the power but how are they distinguished the dead beare no fruit and therefore as Iohn said Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit God puts the axe to it and so the three grounds did not bring forthfruit Examine therefore your selves whether ye be full of fruit or no whether ye abound in good duties or no and doe

20. Thou that knowest my heart and the secret turnings of it canst beare me witnesse that I love thee Doest thou love his company Love is seene in nothing more than this Doest thou love his presence to walke with God Doest thou observe all his dealings to thee from morning to night refer all still unto him Art thou still in dealings with him Still thou hast something to doe with him there is not an houre that passes thee wherein thou hast not recourse unto him when Christ takes a man unto himselfe hee comes and sups with him Apocalypse 3. Hast thou then this communion with Christ Doth hee sup with thee dwell with thee Now communion stands in speaking to another and in hearing him speake to us When you pray then pray you formally as one that is glad when the duty is over oh if you loved the Lord you would never be better than when you are at prayer And you would goe to prayer as you would goe to speake with your dearest friend So do you hunger after the Word which is the character of Christ his Will his Love-letter Put the case a Woman should have her Husband at the East-Indies how welcome would a letter bee to her from him Therefore Moses that loved God desired to see his glory Exodus 33. to know him better to grow more acquainted with him Now that the Word doth to thee it shewes to thee that glory which Moses saw If you love the Lord Holy-daies and Sacrament-daies would bee as Feast-daies and Wedding-daies for then you meete with God more neerely Doe you then put off your comming to the Sacrament and would you not come neere it for the speech of some and yet will you say that you love the Lord where love is there is delight A man delights in his fellowship whom hee loves whom ye have not seene yet ye love him yea whom though ye see him not yet yee beleeve and joy with joy unspeakable and glorious Doe you then delight in his presence for delight will be in the injoying of that wee love joy followes love To delight in a mans company is that marke of love which cannot be dissembled Dost thou then love the appearing of the Lord Iesus 2 Thessalonians 3. If one should bring you newes that you must goe to the Lord or he would come to you to morrow would this be acceptable newes to you Doth he bring good tidings If a Spouse should have her betrothed husband beyond the Seas and should heare of his returne if she should say that it were the worst newes that could come to her would you thinke that she lov'd him No there could not come a more welcome Messenger to thee than such a one if thou didst love the Lord. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for so saith the Spirit from henceforth they rest from their labours So saith the Spirit not so saith the Flesh. So much the more spirit a man hath so much the more he will say it is blessed and the more hee will pray submittingly for it quickly Indeed a godly man when the flesh is predominant and the spirit under hatches then he may be desirous to be spared a while oh spare me a little as the Spouse may sometimes wish her Husband deferring his comming when she is not fit to receive him the house is not ready not cleane enough A Crowne of Righteousnesse saith the Apostle is laid up for all them that love the appearing of the Lord Iesus 1 Timothy 4 8. And the second time shall Christ appeare to salvation to all them that look for him Hebrews 9. Art thou then one that lookes for Christ that desires nothing but union with him hee will come to thee to thy salvation If men looke not for him will hee come to them to salvation It may be in some disease wh●n thou canst take no pleasure in the world you wish that you were with Christ. Nature may have a great hand in this But in thy youth in the midst of all worldly contents when thou art in thy pleasant Orchard with thy Wife and Children about thee having what thy heart can wish canst thou say then Now would I most willingly leave all these to goe to Christ when you prefer his company above all things count that delight the best that comes from communion with him then thou lovest the Lord Iesus Love is exceeding bountifull apt to doe much for the Lord and to suffer any thing gladly The Apostle in the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 13. sets downe many excellent properties of Love she that loved Christ had a box of Oyntment it may bee it was the best thing shee had it may bee it was all she had yet she bestows it on Christ. So Abraham when God would have his Sonne hee go's willingly about it not formally not out of necessity but he rose up early to doe it It may bee there will come a time when God shall need thy Wealth it may be thy Credit Now you can deny him nothing if you love him So Dalilah would not bee perswaded that Sampson loved her so long as hee kept backe any thing from her If there bee any thing so neere unto thee as thy life and it bee told thee that the Lord hath need of it he shall have it Thou wilt say It was a wise action of David to poure out that water as an offering to the Lord which he so longed for and obtained with the hazard of the lives of three of his Worthies As when a man hath a good bit he will send it to his friend so in another place he would not offer to the Lord of that which should cost him nothing 2 Samuel 24. But what can I bestow upon the Lord thou wil● say If thou art a Preicher preach the Gospel fo● Christ so every man in his calling let him do somewhat for the Lord and if he shall call for by life let it not be deare unto thee And as love is thus bountifull so it seekes not its owne 1 Corinthians 13. And now how f 〈…〉 will bae found hat love Christ wee may well complain with Paul All men seeke their owne and ●one the things of Iesus Christ Philemon 2. Paul that loved the Lord how was hee affected hee regarded o● himselfe tooke not care what should become of himselfe hee tooke the care of all the Churches upon him Who is offended and so by taking offence fals away and I burne not Art thou a Minister and lovest the Lord Iesus thou wilt not be so carefull for a living and that it be a convenient one but thou wouldest preach as Paul though for nothing for every man might doe much for the Lord if he sought the things of the Lord if hee did plod with himselfe how to bring advantage to Christ. And then if this should come in if I doe this I shall hinder my estate lose my friends it would be

therefore in heaven it is said there is neither Sunne nor Moone now what is that there is no excellencie in any creature that is magnified there but God is all in all hee is Sunne and Moone and therefore in the Revelation of Saint Iohn it is said and said to their honour it is made their worth that they give all to God Glory and power be to our God for ever they fall on their faces throw down their crownes though created glorious creatures When the evill Angels began to reflect upon themselves it was their ruine they fell from God for the creature of it selfe is like a glasse without a bottom if it commeth to stand upon its owne bottome it falls and breakes and so the Angels when they would stand of themselves they fell downe to the lowest pit and therefore of all graces labour for emptying graces as Faith and Love for these give all unto God nothing to mans selfe and therefore they are the great graces in religion which you must chiefly labour for Secondly from that there is a power in godlinesse if it be such a powerfull thing as you have heard it is then this may serve to comfort us in the wayes of it Wheresoever it is in truth there it is in power say that thou hast such a light that thou canst not beleeve that there be such roades as that thou canst not walk by them yet if thou hast godlinesse thou shalt be able to overcome for the kingdome of God consists in power When God commeth to dwell in any mans heart hee sendeth godlinesse into it which rules in it as a King in his Kingdome think therefore of it as of Monarchs as Alexander was or those which Daniel speaketh of it carries all before it it bringeth every thought into subjection and therefore also the Spirit is called a spirit of power and if you have godlinesse it commeth from the spirit and therefore is accompanied with power and therfore Christ is said to be full of the holy Ghost and of power and so Stephen and Iohn the Baptist And grace is said to be a powerfull thing Be strong in the grace of God and in the Power of his might Now the reason why godlines hath power is because God hath put vertue into it As when you see such and such an hearb have such a vertue in it to doe such and such a thing it is because God hath endued it with such a power and so hath he done with godlinesse If therefore thou hast any thing to doe in religion set on it Hast thou any lust to overcome set on it and let mee speake to thee as hee spake to Gideon Goe on thou valiant man in the might of the Lord. The people of Israel travelling to the land of Canaan saw the Cities walled to heaven and that the Gyants were there the sonnes of Anak yet Ioshua biddeth them be of good comfort and feare not for the Lord would fight for them and deliver their adversaries into their hands so though you see difficulties in the way to heaven yet godlinesse is a powerfull thing that will carrie you through all therefore likewise the Apostle having prayed for the Ephesians that they might not faint at his tribulations for them which was their glory but that they might be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man to comprehend with all Saints the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ wh●ch passeth knowledge which because they might think they should never be able to do he addeth To him that is able to do above all that we can aske or think according to the power that worketh in us be all glory as if hee should have said God is able to doe it and that by the power which worketh in him so suppose to subdue some lust of the flesh be a thing so hard as you think it wil never be done nay you conceive it to be a thing so improbable as that you are asham'd to ask it yet according to that power which worketh in us he is able to doe above all we ask or think and therfore he prayeth that their eyes may be opened that they may see the greatnesse of the power that wrought in them and it was not that they might see and look at it idly but for the use to serve their turnes that they laying hold of it and using of it might be able to doe these things which they desire should be done even such things to which a mans nature is as untoward as water is to heat when there is none in it only as Christ said to Mary Beleeve and you shall see the power of God thou must goe to God for it by faith and God will shew it forth unto you and you shall have fruits of it The end of faith is not only to apply the holy promises of justification but of sanctification also as for example he hath promised to baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with zeale other graces of the spirit which must give them power and strength and all that sinne might not raigne in their mortall bodies Goe to God then and urge him with his promise and hee cannot denie you When men therefore think to excuse themselves by saying I am not able to doe such a thing what will you have me to do it is no excuse for if they were but willing it is all he requireth of them the power that belongeth to God which if men would but beleeve and go to him he would undoubtedly give it them I therefore now ask thee Wouldst thou turne to God Wouldst thou overcome such and such a lust of uncleannesse drunkennesse c. be it what it will be if thou answer No then thou art justly condemned thy blood be upon thy owne head but if thou sayest Yes thou wouldst then come but to God be resolute to be religious in good earnest and I will assure thee hee will vouchsafe thee power to doe it The Apostle saith that God would confirme them unto the end that they might be blamelesse in the day of the Lord Iesus for saith he God is faithfull he hath said he hath promised it hee shall break his word if he do not let me reason it a little with you Is it not an acceptable request to goe to God with all thy heart and to say Lord I desire but the power and strength to goe through with thy owne work Do'st thou think hee will not heare thee Remember Christ the only Physician how ready he was to heale men of their bodily diseases when they came unto him and hee hath not put off his nature now Do'st thou think the power of his death resurrection were but fancies or a notion If not goe on and feare not for as God said to Ioshua so shalt thou finde him to deale with thee I will never leave thee

for mercy though it be a quality in us yet it is a nature in God Now what is natural there is no unwillingnesse or wearinesse in doing that as the eye is not weary with seeing nor the eare weary with hearing Therefore though our sins be never so great and many yet if this condition be observed that wee lie in no knowne sin that we have a ful and resolute purpose God bearing witnesse to our consciences not to doe the least evil nor omit the least good in a word that wee make our hearts perfect to God in al things for without this conditon there is no remission of sins But if this condition be observed I say that although our sinnes be never so great any many yet they are not gone beyond the price which hath beene paid for them nor beyond the Grace of him with whom we have to doe for there is a fulnes in him Now I beseech you take not this Exhortation in vaine for there is nothing more effectual to heale a rebellious disposition to instil saving Grace to cause a finner to change his course then to be fully perswaded that he shal be received to mercy and that his sins shal be forgiven in Christ Even as the Theese while the 〈…〉 e and Cry is after him never returnes willingly Rebels and Pyrates whiles the Proclamation of Rebellion is out against them never come in But if there be a Proclamation of pardon yea and of some great Advancement if that be beleived once that and noting else causeth them to come in and to become faithfull and loyall Subjects Therefore let this fulnesse of mercy in Christ be an effectuall motive to us all to come in to lay down the armes of Rebellion to choose God for our good and to give up our selves wholly to him to serve him with perfect hearts willing minds all our dayes So much for the first part The second part I wil as briefely dispatch and not meddle with the third left I be tedious Of his Fulnes weo have al received WHence the second Point is That al Grace is received For as al Stars shine in the light of the Sun So doe al the Saints through grace received What else distinguished Iohn from Iudas Simon Peter from Simon Magus but onely Christ who shone upon one and not upon another when they sate both alike in darknesse and in the shadow of death The Scripture is evident for this Phil. 2. 13. The Deed is wrought in us by God and not the deed onely but the Wil also which produces that deed nor that onely but the thought also which begat that wel For we are not able so much as to thinks a good thought of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that al grace yea al preparation to grace and ability to accept grace are al from God contrary to what Arminius affirmeth and not of our selves and that for theise reasons Because nothing can worke beyond the Spheare of us owne reach the eff●ct exceedeth not the Cause therefore it is impossible for corrupt nature either to beget Supernatural grace or to doe any Action preparing or bending or inclining the wil to it For as the water cannot heate which is an Action above the nature of it until an higher principle of heat be first infused into it no more can meere nature doe any thing tending to saving grace having no principle in it selfe whence it can raise it And if it be objected as it is by the Arminians that though Grace doe al yet to accept or reject it to wil or nil it is natural to man as a free Agent I answer that to wil is natural but to wil wel is supernatural and must rise from a higher wel-head than nature is For as an hatchet wil cut when handled but with a common hand but not make a chaire or stoole or any Artificial thing except it have Influentiam Artificis quatenus Artifex the influence of an Artificer as he is an Artificer So though to wil be natural yet to wil wel to doe a supernatural worke in a supernatural and holy manner it cannot except it have the influence of a supernatural Agent to direct and guide it If a man might accept Grace or refuse it as he would God were not God because he might be crossed by his creature and his own wil should not absolutely beare rule especially in that great matter of beleiving and not beleeving and in putting difference betwixt man and man in the matter of Salvation and Damnation For according to Arminius though God did heartily desire the conversion of such a man and offered him al the meanes of Grace that could be yet it is stil in the free choise of his wil to convert or not to convert Their onely answer here is that seeing God hath made a Decree that man shal be a free Agent though he doe most earnestly desire the conversion of such and such men yet because he cannot disa●ul his Decree he doth and must leave it to the liberty of the Creature to doe contrary to even that himselfe desires But what is this else but to put God into such streights as Darius was in who would faine have saved Daniel but because of his Decree he could not And if griefe in Spirits and Angels be but Renisus volunt at is a reluctancy of the wil as the Schoolemen affirme what is this else but to attribute griefe unto God and so to detract from his Blessednesse Thirdly if all Grace be not received but a man may accept it or reject it as he will how can it be solved but that a man must rejoyce and boast partly in himselfe contrary to Paul's rule and not wholly in the Lord for aske the question of all that are saved what is the reason that you are saved rather then another their answer must needs be I out of the liberty of my owne will did receive and use well the Grace offered when another did not So that according to Arminius the Saints in heaven are not a jot more beholding to God then the damned in hel for the offering of Grace on Gods part was a like common to both only he that is in heaven may thank his own wil that he chose it when onother refused it They have nothing here to answer but onely that the meanes of Grace are dispenced by God with some disparity But what is that when they maintaine such freedome of wil that he who hath the greatest meanes may reject grace and he who hath the least may accept it Other reasons there are but that I hasten as that Grace is not Grace without being received no more then a man can be a man without reason or a gift can be a gift without being given for no lesse doth it imply contradiction to suppose it to be a grace yet not to be freely bestowed by God and received by us Secondly bowing of the will is an effect of

in every thing else almost a fulnesse in pleasure and delights a fulnesse in honour and preferments But this full Honey Combe is almost every where despised but happy hee the bent of whose heart God hath turned the right way to seeke a fullnes of Faith and Wisedome and a fulnesse of the Holy Ghost who cares not though he be empty of any thing else so hee bee full of these though a looser in other things so a Gainer in these Such a one hath chosen the better part which shall never be taken from him Secondly If there be a Fulnes in Christ we should answer it with fulnes of affection on our parts fully beleeve and trust in him fully love and adore him fully delight in him for it is reason the affection should be answerable to the Object A little excellency desires little love and esteeme more excellency more love but wher there is a fulnesse of al excellencies that we shold procecute with fulnes of all our affections All the excellency in the Creature in comparison of this is but as a drop to the Ocean and a sparke to the whole Element of fire Therefore if we proportion our affections to the object which ought to be the Rule and square of them we should bestow on the Creature but a drop of love and delight but the full streame of our affections should be carried to him in whom is the fullnesse of all perfection It is true indeed that as men hide treasure from theeves under straw or baser covering so God hides this ful excellencie from the world under a base outside that his secret ones only might find it out and others seeing might not see but stumble at it Thus he hid Christ himselfe under a Carpenters sonne so hee hides Divine Misteries under the meane Elements of Bread and Wine so the wisedom of God is hidden under the foolishnesse of preaching and under Sheep-skins and Goat-skins as the Apostle speakes were hidden and such as the world is not worthy of yet there is such a fulnes of excellency notwithstanding for if ever wee saw beauty in Sun Moone Stars men women c. Or if ever wee found delight in musicke meates drinks friends c. All must needs be more abundantly in God who is the Author Maker giver of all these As Solomon reasons He that made the eye shal not he see so he that made all these things shall he not have them eminently in himselfe for as the worth of many peeces of silver is comprized in one piece of gold so all the petty excellencies which are scattered abroad in the Creatures are all united in God yea the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth is epitomized in him Why do we not then with Paul trample upon the Pompe and Glory of the world for the excellent knowledg of Christ Why do we not with David turn away our eyes hearts and affections from beholding vanity and pitch them all on him Why do we not re-collect our selves and gather up our affections and thoughts which are scattered and busied about a thousand trifles and bestow them all on him in whom is the fulnesse of all excellency beauty and perfection Thirdly if there be a fulnesse in Christ then let us be content with him having our hearts filled and satisfied with him First in regard of spiritual things Goe we not to the brookes of Teman the broken Cesterues and Pe●●ers packs of Rome as Saints Merrits Churches Treasury c. For if there be a fulnes in Christ hat needs not for in him we are all compleat Secondly for Temporal things let us be content with him alone for he is our fullnesse even in them also for the better conceiving of this we must know that the first Adam brought a generall Emptinesse through all the world for though the world be full of pomps and pleasures as Iohn calls them Lust of the flesh Lust of the eye c. yet it is properly empty because not full of that it should bee even as we say a well is empty though it be full of ayre because it is not full of water which should be in it for Emptinesse is not so much Absentia Entitatis as absentia Entitatis debitae Hence therfore not onely the hearts of men but the creatures are said to bee empty hence Solomon saith Ecclesiastes the 1. Chapter Vanity of Vanities all is but vanity that is emtine●●e and Rom. 8. The Creature is subject to vanity that is emptinesse through him that subjecteth it Hence the hea●ts of men are not satisfied with the world but as the Prophet speaks They eat and are not filled they drink and behold their soule is empty because the Creature is now but as the huske without the graine the shell without the kernell full of nothing but emptinesse and being empty in it selfe cannot give us satisfaction But Christ the second Adam hath filled all things againe Epes 1. last verse He ●●ls all in all things that is not only the hearts of men but the things also It is the Newter Gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence we may observe that many finde a want in the midst of plenty their hearts finde no rest or satisfaction in al they enjoy but with the holy Regenerate man it is much otherwise though he have but a little wealth a little food and rayment yet there is a secret fulnesse put into that little which makes it fit to give him satisfaction which is the meaning of that of the Psalmist Psal. 37 16. A little thing to the Righteous is better then great riches to the wicked because in that little it being filled with the blessing of the second Adam they finde a fulnesse whereas the wicked finde an emptinesse in the midst of their greatest a●oundance If there be a fulnesse in Christ then what though there be a fulnes of sin and guilt in us yet there is a fulnes of Grace in him able to remove it and take it away A fulnes of mercy to receive our Supplications a fulnes of merit to make an Attonement for our foulest sins a fulnes of Favour to prevaile with his Father in any requests If therefore there be a fulnes of grace in Christ as there is be not discouraged though thy sins abound yet his Grace abounds much more they cannot be so out of measure sinful as he is out of measure merciful Remember but the two Metaphors used in Scripture I wil scatter your sins as a mist and they shal be drowned in the bottom of the Sea Now the Sun by reason of its great force can scatter the thickest mist aswel as the least vapour The Sea by reason of its great Vastnes can drowne mountaines aswel as molehils So Christ by reason of that Vast Fulnes of Grace which is in him is as able yea as forward and willing to forgive the greatest sins aswel as the least I say as forward and willing