they here take and that which wee must take in the like distresse according to the measure of the affliction and as it is more publike or priuate so must be the measure of our lamentation To this there is a promise made in the prophesie of Isaiah c. That when our hands cannot help our selues nor our tongues preuaile with others yet then wee may relieue our selues by our prayers vnto God Isaiah 61. 12. c. for in that place the Lord vndertaketh that mourners shal be comforted c. God the Father sends his owne sonne and the Father and the Sonne doe send the holy Ghost that when men are mourning and seele their pouertie so as it breakes their hearts the spirit which is the comforter may minister comfort vnto them that when they feele their captiuitie and imprisonment as it were Christ Iesus may set them at libertie be they neuer so weake neuer so meane neuer so miserable neuer so sinfull if once they come thus to mourne they shall haue their hearts comforted though they bee couered with ashes God will giue them beautie for ashes and put on them the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauines bestowing vpon them that which shall make them cheerefull euen the oyle of ioy not an earthly but an heauenly oyle And there is great cause why God should deale so with such kinde of persons for Reasons 1 1 Hee is full of pitie and compassion and therefore the prophet Ioel in his 2. Chap. vers 13. biddeth vs rent our hearts and not our garments Ioel. 2.13 that is bring inward sorrow that may crush and breake the heart and then turne vnto the Lord which if we doe wee shal be sure of reliefe and why the Lord is mercifull saith hee and our God is very readie to forgiue When wee see our children mourning and confessing their faults wee cannot but haue our bowels of compassion earning towards them If Iacob had stood by and heard his sonne Iosephs pitifull moane that in the anguish of his soule hee made vnto his brethren when they dealt so vnnaturallie with him would hee not haue pitied him and by strong hand haue rescued him from his cruell sonnes What shall wee then thinke of God he is farre more mercifull than Iacob was and wee are neerer vnto him than euer Ioseph was vnto his father And therefore when wee mourne in a holy manner certainely hee will arise and haue mercy vpon vs. Hee cannot slay when he sees our hearts full of sorrow and our eyes full of teares for the sighs and groanes of his people doe giue him no rest in heauen Secondly this godly mourning must needs be a speciall remedie in all manner of afflictions because it makes our prayers very forcible it sets an edge vpon our petitions and makes vs pray heartily feruently and strongly When Iacob wept in his prayer it was so effectuall that hee preuailed Genesis 32.11 When Gods people ioyned together to powre forth buckets full of teares drawne from the bottome of their hearts before the Lord they were marueilously helped 1. Sam. 7.6 for the great measure of their teares made their supplications more feruent and therefore it is said of Christ Iesus himselfe that in the dayes of his flesh hee did offer vp prayers with strong crying Heb. 5.7 and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death When our Sauiour was about the principal point of his mediatorship then did he gather strength vnto himselfe by this meanes Thirdly this must needs be very effectuall because it is exceeding forcible against sinne for when sorrow comes into the heart sinne goes out it will not lodge there vnlesse it bee cockered and made much of When euery one laments his iniquitie and mournes ouer Christ Iesus whom hee hath pierced by his sinnes then there is a fountaine opened to wash them from all euen from sins that made a separation betwixt God and vs. Zacharie 12. 13. Seeing then that this godly and holy sorrow is a means to make God pitie vs to make vs call earnestly vpon him and to expell sinne which might hinder vs from preuailing with him it must needes follow that of all remedies in times of distresse this is the best and surest Vse 1 This serues for instruction vnto vs to vse all meanes and furtherances whereby wee may attaine vnto this There are many afflictions abroad many neerer home in our owne townes and families nay there are many things amisse in our owne hearts here is a medicine for euetie one of our maladies let vs get it and vse it and all arguments and helps that may continue and increase it as the Nineuites hauing direction by the spirit of God as many of them as were his did when Ionah threatned destruction against their citie within fortie dayes they abased themselues and fell to mourning and vsed fasting to helpe it onward the people must shew it in their countenances the lowing of the beasts and crying of the infants must further them to this holy remorse and griefe for their great and haynous transgressions They had grieued the Lord by their iniquities and therefore now they would grieue themselues with godly contrition for them Hence it was that Gods people amongst the Iewes vsed to weare sack-cloth to lie on the ground and to put dust vpon their heads which were then meanes to further them in the worke of humiliation Therefore now that wee feare danger is neere vs let vs betake our selues to this holy mourning if wee refuse to doe it and still continue to be hard-hearted if the pestilence come into our families wee are likelie to be taken away with the first and to haue not only our bodies but our soules in danger and that of Gods wrath and euerlasting displeasure Therefore let vs seeke to haue our hearts mollified by this excellent meanes of God and for this end consider of the blessings of God plentifully powred downe vpon our nation Nehemi 9. and vpon out selues in particular as they did in the day of their humiliation of whom Nehemiah maketh mention Let vs seriously recount how many mercies wee haue enioyed and how much they haue beene abused how many afflictions wee haue felt and how little wee haue beene bettered how many deliuerances wee haue found and yet how carelesse nay how rebellious we haue beene notwithstanding them all Let vs weigh with our selues what hurt our sins haue done vnto vs how many good thinges they haue turned from vs and how many euils they haue puld vpon vs and aboue all let vs remember what a huge weight and multitude of miseries they haue brought vpon our Sauiour namely debasement and humiliation sorrowes and sufferings assaults and temptations the heauie burden of our guiltines and the greeuous punishment due for our deserts the rage and violence of most malicious men and the wrath and displeasure of the most righteous God torments of bodie and terrors
is quite dead Rom. 7. Paul was once aliue before the Law came and so are all vnregenerate men in their owne conceite they can heare the word without feare and trembling they thanke God and bee neuer troubled in their consciences as some are Doe you thanke God for this senslesnesse Nay doe not so for that is a shamefull taking of his name in vaine but rather repent before God and craue pardon for the same For they that feare least are the most hard-hearted people of all other and they neuer succeed well The like may be said of them who are alwaies alike affected in prayer Pro. 28.13 they neuer yet knew what a faithfull prayer meanes Vse 2 Secondly this is for comfort to those that see how they thriue and marke when they speed well or ill when they come to the word to prayer or the Sacrament if they find a good effect they may bee assured that God loues them and so be thankefull for his mercie and confident thereof for afterwards If they goe away without an answere and without comfort as many times the Saints of God doe they shall gaine a greater measure of humilitie and bee more broken hearted and though they cannot end with thanksgiuing yet they may end with the prayer of the Publican Lord be mercifull vnto mee a sinner And there is as great gaine by humiliation at sometimes as by consolation and sweet feelings at other times For if wee should haue alwaies a present answere wee should grow secure and contemne these answers of God For such is our vile nature that when things grow common they grow by degrees out of reckoning and estimation with vs therefore God will not suffer vs alwaies to haue present hearing Question What is the difference then may some man say betweene the regenerate and vnregenerate sith both of them pray and neither of them haue hearing Ansvver Here is the difference that the one sort are not dead as the other are He that feeles an ague or any other disease and is vexed and pained with it any simple bodie will say surely such a one is aliue and so it may be concluded of euerie Christian that is troubled in his soule that his prayers finde no better accesse vnto Gods throne it is sure such a one hath the life of grace in him which is an euerlasting life But as for wicked men that neuer feele their sicknesse but grow to comparisons that they can pray as well as the best of them they are dead in sinne and without repentance shall perish in their sinnes Doct. 4 Vers 56. Thou hast heard my voice therefore stop not thine eare Whence this doctrine may bee gathered That those whom God hath once heard in mercie hee will alwaies heare preuaile with God once and euer VVhom God once heares in mercie he euer heares With men it is not a good argument to say Sir you paid such such a debt for me you holpe me out of prison such and such a time therefore doe it againe for it may be hee hath by that meanes so weakened his estate alreadie that he is not able to doe the like againe But it is otherwise with God all his former benefits are of so many bonds for new biessings if hee inclined his eare vnto vs such and such a time when wee powred out our prayers and teares before him wee shall finde the like successe againe vpon the vse of the like meanes Reason The reason hereof is drawne from Gods nature He is Iehouah yesterday to day and the same for euer Heb. 13.6 If hee haue receiued vs vesterday he can and will doe it in like sort to day yea and hence-forward for euer there is no change in him There remaines the same cause of mercie still in his nature hee had as much reason to loue Peter after his sall as before And when Christ prayed that Peters faith might not faile that proceeded from Christs goodnesse not from Peters If our prayers haue beene once a sweet smelling sacrifice in the nostrils of the Lord they shall neuer bee reiected by him once welcome to him and alwaies It is an argument that will surelie preuaile with God Heb. 12.2 Lord thou drewest neare once therefore doe it still To this purpose it is said that Christ is the author and finisher of our faith where once he hath laid the foundation hee will reare vp the building and bring it to perfection So is it said in the Psalme Psal 90.2 From euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God If euer God should haue refused to shew vs fauor it would haue beene then when wee were dead in sinne but euen then hee sought to vs ere wee sought after him and before wee imagined any such matter hee was at the cost to bestow his sonnes bloud vpon vs that his spirit might bee shedde abroad in our hearts that wee might haue experience of his loue that wee might haue title to his sonnes death and merits and beeing once his sonnes and daughters might still bee fauoured relieued and succoured by him Let vs consider what wee doe and be thorowly grounded and perswaded vpon good warrant before we take comfort to our selues in Gods mercies but when wee haue a good foundation to build our assurance vpon let vs know that all Gods mercies are euerlasting mercies Vse 1 First this doctrine makes for the reproofe and terror of such men and women as hope that if the pestilence or death or any other heauie affliction should come they should bee in case good enough and doe as well as the best And why They will make many good prayers and desire God to bee mercifull to them and to forgiue them Well what wil they answere to this They haue made good prayers as they call them heretofore but what entertainement did they find with God They haue heard manie a sermon but what grace haue they gotten thereby They haue come to the Sacrament as often as their neighbors but what mortification haue they gained by it Nay surelie they cannot say much for such matters they are thigns that they neuer marked Then their case will bee hard when trouble comes If they haue no old store they will bee shut out as the foolish virgins were Math. 15. A Christian hath an old stocke which he liues vpon God hath heard him often hee hath giuen thankes to God as often or at least verie often hee hath gone through the pikes but still God hath beene at his right hand the remembrance whereof will much sustaine the heart But as for them that haue no experience of Gods former fauors in answering them in the daies and times when they haue called vpon him they can haue little hope that they shall finde any kindnesse from him when afflictions take hold of them If a prisoner that hath deserued death should say hee hopes well and lookes for fauor And why He hath euerie day put vp two or
and comfort if there were a thousand worlds and all against one of vs yet one comfort of Christ is able to counteruaile all their oppositions If God giue vs assurance of a better life what great matter is it if they depriue vs of this life If wee see the Angels and Saints and Christ Iesus and the whole Trinitie to bee with vs what perill is it if all leaud base sinfull men bee against vs If God promise to make our names and persons glorious what neede wee feare though they seeke to make vs ignominious Not one haire of our head can fall without Gods prouidence Wee are not in their power though we be in their hands They may proceede so farre as to arraigne vs conuict vs and condemne vs and yet except God will they shall not execute vs though our naturall brethren and sisters and friends forsake vs God will giue vs new brethren and sisters and friends that shal bee more kind and faithfull vnto vs than euer they were But if men for feare of difficulties and dangers will not aduenture vpon religion are they sure to keepe themselues from troubles by that meanes Nay if am an will not suffer for a good cause God can and will make him suffer for an ill cause Achitophel would leaue Dauid and take the stronger side though the worser side but was not that to his destruction So Iudas hee would turne from Christ to the Pharises but did that bring him any peace No it tended to his vtter confusion Vse 2 This teacheth vs another lesson that when we see men so hunted and pursued wee doe not condemne them presently and say Surely these are bad fellowes for otherwise they would neuer be so much maligned nor molested But what shall wee thinke of Gods people here that were hunted and chased and that for their liues shall were say that these were the worst in the world Nay rather if we would conclude any thing let it be this These men are enuied and wronged and wee see no euident cause why it should bee so therefore it is likelie they are good men and deale faithfullie Vers 54. Then thought I I am destroyed This was the case not onely of Ieremie but of the rest of Gods seraunts in captiuitie they were euen past hope for any recouerie Doct. 6. Outward afflictions vsually accompained with inward teÌ„ptations The doctrine that here may bee gathered is That when troubles arise against our bodies and states Satan labors to breed troubles in our soules when there are fightings without vsuallie there are terrors within This is manifest in the Chapter that wee haue now in hand vers 17.18 VVhen they were farre from peace and prosperitie then they conclude their strength and hope is perished from the Lord. Hee had made them many gratious promises they could not deny but now they neuer expected the performance of them all their hope was gone And this we see that Gods children haue still beene exercised with great terrors and feares within when they haue beene set vpon by grieuous trials without the trueth whereof we see in Iob and in Ieremie Iob. 3.3 c Ier. 15.10 the violence of whose inward conflicts made them to breake forth into marueilous great distempers Reason And this stands with reason for in those times Satan will be readie to perswade them If God loued you hee would neuer let you bee in this estate 〈…〉 as he dealt with 〈◊〉 Sauiour If thou bee the Sonne of God command that these 〈…〉 should haue said Is this the God 〈…〉 all this while See how hee deales with you 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—ainely forsaken if you will eate stones you may 〈◊〉 prouision he makes none for you and is it likelie then that you are the sonne of God If you thinke you are so still trust no more in him but prouide for your selfe and command that these stones bee made bread that so you may haue reliefe that way Vse 1 Since the case stands thus let vs in time of prosperitie arme our selues with strong reasons whereby we may assure our hearts that the Lord is our God and this will appeare to be no more than needefull if we consider how Gods dearest seruants haue beene and are put to it and though they haue had a good measure of confidence yet their grounds haue beene shaken and they themselues much perplexed God hath turned away his face from them Psal 30. and they haue beene troubled Since I say the case stands thus let vs get good euidence for our happie estate in Christ and for our interest vnto eternall life Let vs haue our hearts seasoned with true pietie with the loue of Gods word with the feare of his name with zeale for his glorie and the like vertues and graces of Gods holy spirit and that before distresses come that so in the euill day we may haue good assurance of Gods vnvaluable and vnchangeable fauor in his sonne For if wee be slacke and negligent herein and onelie hope well and trust that God wil bee mercifull vnto vs and accept of vs for his children then when Satan and affliction and our flesh ioine together and make an assault against vs our hope will proue but a broken reede wee shal be tossed with euerie waue yea sore perplexed and vtterlie ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of distresse if not of despaire it selfe Therefore let men make sure worke before hand especiallie before death approch For otherwise the diuell will tell them that then it is too late to set vpon matters of godlines as hee euer perswaded them before that it was too soone then will hee bring before them all former reckonings and charge vpon them the iniquities of their youth and if their grounds be not very good their hearts will vtterly faile them and then they are vndone for euer For if the Church of God make this wofull complaint that their hope and strength were perished from the Lord how shall wicked vnregenerate persons be able to stand when God shall come against them Not with matters of temptation as he doth against his children but with matters of truth not of mercie but in iudgement not that the diuell makes them beleeue so but that indeede it is so When God shall once begin to draw out his sword against them where will they bee then If Gods children doe feele such a heauie burden of it doe not you thinke it will presse them downe to the gates of hell When no friend shall stand by them no shifts and inuentions of wit shal bee auaileable for them when all mirth will be vncomfortable and euerie thing frowne and looke heauily vpon them God and Satan and sinne and their owne consciences beeing all vp in armes against them When this I say comes vpon them as come it will sooner or later which way can they turne them and how can they shift off that heauie loade of Gods wrath and indignation which will lie as a mountaine vpon their
fit cause them to bee at a stand and bring them euen to their wits end as it did these here but they will recouer themselues and get heart againe and though in their distempers they say God hath forsaken them which is a wofull thing yet they recall their words againe and at length betake themselues to the right meanes of recouerie which is to make their griefes knowne vnto God who is able to saue and readie to succour those that seeke vnto him This may bee euidentlie seene in Psal 88. vers 6. Psal 88.6 where the man of God bemoneth his case saying Thou hast laid mee in the lowest pit in darknesse and in the deepe Thine indignation lieth vpon mee and thou hast vexed me with all the waues From which words together with the rest in that Psalme wee may gather that hee was in wonderfull fore perplexitie Now in this extremitie what doth hee O Lord God of my saluation saith he I cry day and night before thee as if hee should haue said Though thou hast cut off mee yet I call vpon thee and though thy hand lie heauie vpon mee yet I pray still Isaiah 38.1.21 2. Kings 20.1 So Hezekiah was smitten as it seemes with the plague and that vnto death and was in such extremitie That hee chattered like a crane or a swallow and mourned like a doue and concluded that hee should goe to the gates af the graue and bee depriued of the residue of his yeares His case in appearance was desperate so that it was as hard to recouer him as to make the sunne in the firmament to goe backward yet hee set vpon the matter by prayer and obtained his desire insomuch that fifteene yeeres were added to his daies so that no man in the world had euer such a lease of his life as hee had So Ionah when hee fled from the presence of the Lord and was therefore cast into the Sea and swallowed vp of the whale beeing in a low dungeon where hee had neither sunne-light nor candle-light yet hee doth not thinke his case remedilesse as indeede it was not but hee cryed in his affliction vnto the Lord Ionah 2.1.2 and hee heard him Out of the bellie of hell did hee crie and God heard his voice and then as sinne and passion had brought him into danger so repentance and prayer did helpe him out of it Yea the Lord Iesus Christ when the burden of our sins and of his fathers wrath for the same was so grieuous that it made his soule heauie vnto the death and pressed bloud out of his vaines Luke 22.42 44. Heb. 5. yet the more horror hee was in the more feruently hee prayed vnto his father Reason 1 And the reason why Christians cannot by any distresse be driuen from prayer is 1 Because hee that is once Gods child is euer so and euery child of God Rom. 8.26 hath the spirit of prayer which will alwaies stirre vs vp to make requests with sighs and grones that cannot bee expressed If those that cast Gods seruants in prison could withall pull Gods spirit out of their hearts then they had done somewhat to the purpose but they may as well plucke the sunne out of the firmament as the holy Ghost out of their soules And therefore they can neuer bring them so low but they can cast their eyes vp towards heauen and make their complaint vnto their God And if he be with them in prison as hee was with Ioseph their restraint shall be farre more pleasant than their aduersaries libertie and they shal be able with Paul and Silas to sing Psalmes at midnight through ioy and gladnes Act. 6.25 2 Secondly Gods children haue faith in their hearts and the nature of faith is to beare downe all before it and to breake thorow al manner of lets and hindrances Therefore Gods seruants hold vp their heads because their faith ouercomes the world Joh. 5.4 And therefore wicked hypocrites faint because the world ouercomes them When Gods child goes vnto the dungeon faith goes with him and then hee will neuer giue ouer praying but bee more feruent in praying And this is certaine that in worldly helpes the deeper distresses wee bee in the least comfort they will affoord vs so spirituall helps the greater extremities we be in the more comfort will they minister vnto vs. When wee are helplesse and hopelesse then faith workes wonders and neuer shews forth it selfe so mightilie and powerfullie as when it workes alone Beautie and wealth and strength and other outward things of the same kinde when miseries lie heauie vpon vs and wee beginne to cast an eye to them expecting some reliefe and comfort from them will deale with vs as the high Priests did with Iudas When all went well with him they made shew of fauor and friendship towards him but when in the horror and anguish of his soule hee makes his mone vnto them crying out that he had sinned betraying innocent bloud they sent him away with a cutted and vncomfortable answere VVhat is that to vs say they Such cold comfort shall we receiue from any earthly supports and props whereon we rest and stay our hearts when we haue most neede of them they will stand vs least in stead So that wee may truely say of them as Iob did of his friends miserable comforters are yee all But as for those that liue by faith in Christ Iesus they are vnderlaide with better props than the world can afford for when they haue none other to deliuer them they can deliuer themselues by prayer and by calling vpon Gods name out of the lowest dungeon Vse 1 First this may serue to shew vs the difference betwixt the wicked and the godly in times of outward or inward affliction when they drinke both of the same cup and are plunged in the same miseries Cast a wicked man into a dungeon and lay him full low where hee can meete with no worldly helpe and what course will he take You shall see that either he will blaspheme God and bite his tongue for madnes as they that are spoken of Reuel 18. Or else hee will grow desperate and make away with himselfe as Iudas and Achitophel and other monsters haue done But let a godlie man bee laid fast in the same dungeon Act. 16.25 hee wil be full of ioy when the other is full of desperate griefe and sing Psalmes and powre forth many holy prayers in stead of the others imprecations and blasphemous speeches Peter and Iudas had both dealt vnfaithfully though in a farre different degree and manner with their Lord and master and were both in the dungeon euen in great perplexitie but Peter goes out confesseh this fault weeps bitterlie and gaines exceedingly by it Iudas on the other side sorroweth desperately and speedily dispatcheth himselfe Whereby doth manifestly appeare the different cariage of the faithfull and of infidels when they are both ouerburdened with sorrowes and miseries Vse
withstand them hee notwithstanding comes confidently to God for helpe assuring himselfe that God could saue and deliuer with none 2 Chron. 14.11 as well as with many And so may it as truelie bee said that God can helpe by fewe friends as well as by many yea without all friends and meanes as if wee had all that the world could afford vs. Obiestion Oh but my miserie is desperate Answere Neuer say so What if you be in the low dungeon Was not Ionah so And yet hee prayed and was helped therefore neuer be dismayed Your troubles are great but your God is greater and mightier to helpe you out of them than they are to holde you fast still The Lord hath made the heauens and the earth by his worde and that drowned the whole world in his displeasure This mighty Lord I say rides vpon the heauens as it is Deut. 33. full of maiestie and full of abilitie to deliuer you and to set you free from the strongest bonds of affliction 3. Merciful 3 The third thing in Gods name is that hee is mercifull Which worde signifieth that God hath such bowels of compassion towards his seruants as a mother hath towards the child of her wombe There neede not many exhortations much lesse an eloquent oration to a mother to stirre her vp to succor and relieue her child when it stands in neede of her helpe and yet put all the kindnesse of all the men and women in the world together and it wil come but to a drop in comparison of that sea of mercie that is in our mercifull God Obiect And this propertie is well ioyned with the former for a poore afflicted soule hearing of Gods power might say I know God is powerfull but what is that to me perchance hee may vse his power to my ouerthrow Answer Nay saies he God is as mercifull as hee is powerfull why then should any bee discouraged by miserie sith that is the verie obiect of mercie Whence it is that this argument is often vsed in the scripture Psal 6.2.3 Ps 86.1.2 Lord helpe mee for I am sore troubled Lord saue mee for I am poore and needie And this mercie of God wee may more cleerely see in the Father of the prodigall sonne Luke 15. who perceiuing his lost child comming towards him hee runnes towards his sonne and falls on his necke and kisseth him giuing him all kinde entertainment that might bee his verie miserie was a sufficient motiue to worke vpon his fathers heart neither doth hee at all vpbraide him with his former leaud behauiour Now if any earthly father can bee and ought to be thus mercifull how much more will our heauenly father especiallie since that hee loueth vs better than any earthly father can loue his children and shews forth his loue vpon euery occasion as the Prophet Hoseah testifieth saying Hosea 14.4 In thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie Obiection Oh but I am worthy of no mercie 4. Gratious Answer What of that Gods name is also gracious That is louing and shewing mercie without any merit he will not tarrie till wee deserue it but will freely shew forth his goodnes towards vs. Doe not wee giue foode and raiment to little children that hang on the breasts If parents should stay till they deserue it they would neuer grow to bee men and women Therefore it is said of Abraham Rem 4.5 that hee beleeued in him that iustifieth the sinner Noting thereby that sinne cannot hinder Gods fauor from offenders but that through faith they shal be iustified and made innocent in Gods account as if they had neuer offended at all Let vs not then when wee are in distresse be discouraged by reason of our corruptions but goe to the Lord who wil shew himselfe gratious notwithstanding them all Obiection Oh but what comfort can I sinfull wretch haue to goe to so holy a God Answer Why doe you not know his name He is a gratious God and when wee can finde no matter of worthinesse in our selues he can finde matter enough in his owne nature and in his sonnes merits If wee could finde any desart in our selues or our workes God should lose his name of beeing gratious Obiection But alas I haue prouoked him and iustly drawne his hand vpon mee by mine owne sinnes 5. Slovv to anger What if you haue hee is slow to anger That is long ere hee be prouoked and when hee is prouoked easie to bee appeased Wee can no sooner fall out with our sinnes but hee falls in with vs. An earthly father will not take euerie aduantage against his child and when the child is grieued for a great fault will not good parents be easilie satisfied And why should wee thinke God harder than our selues At least let vs make him as good as our selues and be assured that when wee haue kindled his wrath against vs one teare of true repentance will quench all the flame thereof and draw downe his pitie and compassion vpon vs. To this Dauid giueth testimonie saying Ps 103.8.9 The Lord is slow to anger and of great kindnesse he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer And this hee himselfe found by experience For when he beeing a King and that of Gods owne choise set ouer his owne people and withall a holy Prophet in both which respects hee was to bee a patterne of all godlines and righteousnesse vnto others when hee I say after many mercies receiued had grieuously prouoked the Lord insomuch as hee was angrie with him 2. Sam. 11.27 and then did not repent for his sinne but lay in it and added diuers other hainous offences vnto it yet after all this God doth not reiect him but sends his Prophet Nathan vnto him 2. Sam. 12.13 and is more readie to offer him pardon than hee is to aske it and when hee did but beginne to make confession of his sinne God tells him forthwith that hee had put away his sinne And this wonderfull readinesse in God to bee appeased towards penitent sinners the Prophet Isaiah maketh mention of bringing in God himselfe speaking in this manner Isa 57.16 I will not contend for euer neither will I be alwaies wroth For the spirit should faile before mee and I haue made the breath Where wee see that as Psal 103. there is a reason drawne from Gods nature why hee cannot deale rigorously with vs namely because hee pities vs as a father doth his child So here there is a reason brought from our nature why hee cannot be ouer-seuere to wit that then the spirit would faile before him and those whom hee hath made and redeemed would perish and bee vtterly consumed Men were not able to beare the continuance and grieuousnesse of his hand but would sinke vnder their burden and so should be a greater loser than they in that he should lose them whom hee hath so long and so intirely loued for whom hee hath so deerely paide