vertue that he can blot out our sinnes perticularly how many soeuer they be Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 2. ver 1. If any man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the rightuous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also the sinnes of the whole world THere is none without sinne and consequently al are guiltie before GOD yet behold the Apostle witnesseth that the Lord Iesus Christ doth pray and make request for vs as it is sayd in the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 8. and to the Heb. Chap. 7. which intercession betweene God and man was of such force and vertue that no others but he was found worthie and able to make vs vnderstande the gentle and fauourable goodwill of God the father for he dyed for our sinnes vndertooke to make an agreement and reconciliation for our misdeedes to God which excellent and worthy desert is not onely restrayned to some particuler person but reacheth to all generally that all might perceiue the loue of their Redeemer Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 3. ver 10. In this are the children of God knowne and the children of the deuill whosoeuer doth not rightly is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother and this is appoynted a reward for sinnes THis place is like vnto the place afore rehearsed contayning more fully the loue and mercifulnesse of GOD towards vs in that he hath brought vs againe vnto him by his welbeloued Sonne who gaue himselfe for vs. Of faith in Christ Ioh. Cap. 3. ver 16. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting THe beginning and first cause of our saluation is in GOD who in his mercie and fatherly loue saued vs. The second is in Christ who by the merite of his death passion redeemed vs the onely instrument and meanes to obtain such great good is by faith in Iesus Christ which is of such vertue and efficacie that by it man is reconciled vnto God by the free remission of sinne wherfore he cannot fall vtterly in as much as he is deliuered from eternall death and made partaker of an happie life Iohn Chap. 5. vers 24. Verely verely I say vnto you he that heareth my words and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shal not come into condemnation but passeth from death to life THis is to confirme our selues in the assurance wee haue in Christ and in the certaine perswasion of his doctrine when as wee doe vnderstand that our faith resting in him is not founded vppon a mortall man but on the very and true sonne of God wherefore it is sayde that we are iustified that wee are sanctified in and by the bloud of Christ Iesus Rom. Chap. 3. vers 27. we be absolued from our sinnes neither can bee condemned any wise beeing so warranted by him which is eternall by whome we obtaine life and felicitie which continueth for euer Rom. Chap. 10. vers 9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raysed him vp from death thou shalt be saued HOw easie the way of saluation is vnto vs S. Paule sheweth in this place not vsing many words neither sending vs backe to the profound and deepe secrets of almightie God but giueth vs to vnderstand that by the grace of God which is in vs we are saued if so be we hould fast the faith not lightly in the Braine but rooted profoundly in the heart apprehending perfectly Iesus Christ which once died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification as it is in the 4. Chap. of this Epistle And although the confession of the mouth bee required which principally serueth for an outward testimony and a manifest declaration of the hope which is in vs yet especially wee must haue the heart lyne lye touched with a sure perswasion of faith whose mouth will not bee stopped Seeing that with the heart we beleeue and with the mouth declare our iustification as the Prophet saith in 116. Psalme vers 10. I haue beleeued and therefore I haue spoken Acts Chap. 10. ver 43. To him do all the Prophets giue witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him might receiue remission of sinne IT is thē by the meanes of faith in Christ that we doe obtaine forgiuenesse of sinne if so be we assure and rest our selues wholy vppon the merrit and intercession of him following the predictions and writings not only of the Prophets but of those also which haue Prophesied in the vnitie of the same spirite whereby we attaine fully all the promises of eternall life by and through the meanes of Christ Iesus and let this be for a full confirmation of this Article Of Repentance FOr so much as the grace of God and saluation hath appeared to al men to the end we might giue ouer al vnfaithfulnesse and worldly desires and that we should liue iustly in all christianitie seeing we be bought by the bloud of the immaculate Lābe Iesus Christ and therefore ought to bee vnto him a peculiar people giuen vnto all good workes for this cause we must take great heede that we abuse not the great benignitie and long sufferance of God by continuing in sinne and iniquitie which is the only meanes to heape vppon vs his wrath and vengeaunce to our condemnation For whensoeuer we erre or fall into sinne whether it be by the imperfection of our nature or frailtie of our flesh sufficient meanes to heape the burning coles of Gods seueritie vpon vs if in iudgement hee should stand against vs yet we must not deferre from day to day but rent our heartes not our garments and in earnest contrition of our soules and sincere repenting by confessing our miserable estate and desirous to bee loosed from the heauie burden of our sinnes shewe all duetie and amendement of life For as saint Cyprian saith that the first degree of our felicitie is to commit no sinne so the second is to acknowledge our sinne committed Therefore whensoeuer we fall as who is not vncleane in the eyes of his Creator And the righteous man sinneth seauen times aday yet we must not lye groueling on the ground but rayse vp our selues by faith in the promises of God in the hope of eternall life assuring our selues that he will receiue vs to mercie and spred vpon vs his grace for he is our Shepheard and wee shall not want he hath placed vs as a signet on his finger and printed vs in the palme of his right hand so that none shall be able to plucke vs of or blot vs out of his remembrance but of his mercie he hath regenerated vs and made vs partakers of the inward washing sealed into vs in the outward Baptisme and grafting vs into the bodie of Christ by receiuing vs into his Church neuer to be hereafter excluded
fayre and cleare fountaine of grace the liuely water that floweth to vs by Iesus Christ by the shedding of his precious blood which is opened to all those which are of the houshold of God and made Citizens of the heauenly and spirituall Ierusalem which is the true Church wherein they wash and purge their sinnes Let vs therefore goe vnto this liuely water and into this life euerlasting where the one neuer stayeth running and cannot be dryed vp nor the possessors of the other shall euer taste of the second death for this spring floweth in great aboundance so that we shal be washed faire and cleane bee our iniquities neuer so foule and polluted Math. Chap. 11. ver 18. Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and heauie laden and J will refresh you THe admirable and bountifull loue of the Lorde Iesus is in this place shewed in that he vouchsafeth to helpe and succour those which be poore and in miserie he will not cast them away neither send them to others to make their mone and complaints but he calleth them himself vnto him I say he which is the very Sonne of God the Lord of glory calleth those vnto him which are oppressed troubled in their consciences by the feeling of their sinnes and therefore promiseth to ayde them and giue them rest the true tranquilitie and happie quietnesse of the soule Let vs goe therefore to Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour and redeemer let vs goe in a true faith and earnest repentāce seeing he stretcheth forth his armes to receiue vs seing he is sweet gētle mercifull of great goodnesse Are we therefore heauy loden with the burthen of our sinnes he will deliuer vs from the yoke and seruitude of the house of bondage Are we ouer hayled and tyed by the tyrannie of sinne and death he will preserue vs from the seruitude of the one and from the deadly sting of the other Iohn Chap. 1. ver 29. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world THis is the testimonie that Iohn the Baptist witnesseth openly of our Lord Iesus Christ who was ordayned and sent of God to be the Lambe without fault without spotte which in former times was figured in sundry Sacrifices of the law yet more especially in the Passouer or Lambe which was offred euery day morning and euening for the sinnes of the Priest and people but this Lambe when none was worthy to offer him vp to his father hath willingly offered himselfe that by dying once for al he might obtaine forgiuenes of sinnes for all and by this meanes he hath brought vs vnto God the father that he might continually not for once acquite and deliuer vs frō our sinnes which is shewed more forceable if wee marke the worde which he vseth he doth take away which is declared in the tyme present and that by the merite of his death which is alwaies of one and the same vertue and perpetual efficacie whereby we obtaine our eternall redemption as it is sayd by the author to the Heb. Chap. 9. And this benefite being so precious great serueth not for one or two onely neither for one onely Nation but reacheth ouer al people and euery Nation of the earth as this word world proueth Let vs not then doubt that our sinnes are remitted by the death of Christ whose death should nothing auayle vs if we should not receiue the fruite of it by faith in his promises seeing that sinne dwelleth in vs continually as it is prooued in the 7. Chapter to the Romaines Therefore we receiue pardon for them continually by him who hath brought vs to the throne of grace where with boldnesse we may call his father abba our father Acts Chap. 5. ver 31. This is that Jesus which God hath lifted vp with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Sauiour to giue repentaunce to Israel and forgiuenes of sinnes THe Empyre and soueraigne dominion of Christ is here shewed vnto vs by S. Peter to the ende he might declare vnto vs the power spirituall libertie which he bestoweth on his Church meaning his people of Israel that is to say that by him our sinnes are remitted with chaunge of newnesse of life promised to our eternall saluation These two graces then being ioyned together can neuer bee seperated that thereby none may doubt of the obtayning of this excellent benefite purchased by the Lord Iesus which otherwise would pull back from his highnes and debate his power who will for these benefites be honoured in word and glorified in deede Acts Chap. 13. ver 38. Be it knowne vnto you that through this man our Sauiour Christ is preached vnto you forgiuenes of sinnes THis place is like vnto the former concerning the benefite purchased by Christ by whom we obtayne forgiuenes of our sinnes a thing worthy of all men to bee had in memorie of the which euery man ought to bee certaine and resolued in the assurance of his saluation Rom. Chap. 5. ver 8. God sheweth his loue towards vs seeing that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs much more now being iustified by his blood we shal be saued from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were recōciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled shal be saued by his life and not onely so but also reioyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue obtayned reconciliation THis is to assure vs of the loue and mercie of God towardes vs and of our saluation when we consider what Christ Iesus hath done for vs who beeing the Sonne of God iust and innocent suffered so many torments for vs vniust and guiltie so that now wee are purged and made cleare of al our faults and iniquities yea we are acquited and absolued from the wrath and anger of GOD who is wholly quieted peace being made betweene him and vs by the reconciliation of the Lord Iesus who is the meanes by the vertue of his death and preseruer of our life by the vertue and power of his dietie for our life is hid in him our death is buried in him in him therefore all our glory consisteth for there is nothing wherein wee may glory our selues nor our works but onely in the great fauour and mercie of our God and in the grace and mercie of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ Iohn 1. Epist 1. Chap. ver 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth vs from all our sinnes ALthough we bee guiltie and polluted with many sinnes which are in the eyes of the Lorde stayned and filthie yet the holy Apostle doth assure vs that wee are washed and purified from them not by any counterfeite water of mans fancie nor by a fayned imagination of fire in Purgatorie in any other worlde neither by the blood of Martyrs as some haue falsly taught but only by the precious blood of the Sonne of God which is of such efficacie and continuall
from his grace and forgiuenesse of sinne though wee fall by infirmitie into the same sinne againe which may bee a confutation of the irronious and detestable opinion of the Nouations renewed by certaine Heritickes in our time but sufficiently reproued and condemned by the fathers out of the word of God For seeing the promises of God bee made onely for his people and his Church through grace and mercie vnto them which may appeare in the effects of the same by notable example of worthy memorie hereafter declared that if in the tyme of the Law and old Testament GOD hath shewed himselfe fauourable towards those which of good wil haue drawne themselues towardes him how much more will hee spred abroade the bright beames of his mercie to vs vnder the raigne of his sonne Iesus Christ by whom and through whom he maketh vs free inheritours of the treasures of his grace Let vs see now what declaration wee haue of these thinges in holy Scripture Deut. Chap. 4. ver 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee if thou returne to the Lord thy God and be obedient to his voyce for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy nor forget he sware to thy fathers to performe it MOses speaketh in this place vnto vs vnder the person of the people of Israel that thereby wee might make our selues sure that if by the vanities of our mynde wee commit Idolatrie and worship strange Gods therby corrupting our selues and deseruing the wrath of our God vpon vs by falling into diuers euilles and calamities yet if wee repent and bee displeased with our selues in hauing offended such a mercifull GOD and desiring to serue him hereafter in holinesse and rightuousnesse all the daies of our life he will cease from punishing and performe his promises made in and by the meditation of his Sonne Christ Iesus Psalm 51. ver 19. The sacrifice of God is a holy spirite a contrite and broken heart O Lorde thou wilt not despise THese are the wordes of Dauid which he setteth downe as a patterne and example of a true penitent man strucken by the spirit of God who declareth vnto vs that in the feeling of his weakenes and vnworthines he is ouercome he is afflicted in his soule and sorowfull in his heart complayning for his sinnes watering his couch with his teares greeuously pained lyeth groning all the day long he repenteth that he hath done amisse he humbleth himselfe before his God in Sackcloth and Ashes This is the man whose Sacrifice the Lorde receiueth whose broken and contrite hart he neuer despiseth who pleaseth him more then all the Sacrifices of the Beasts that haue hornes and houfes then the offrings of their newe Monies and the giftes of high and proude hippocrites then all the vanities of the supersticious Idolatours which thinke to honour and serue him with any faith and repentance Prouer. Chap. 28. ver 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie THe holy Ghost doth certifie vs here that although there can no euill happen vnto him which humbleth himself before God by acknowledging his sinne and that there is grace forgiuenesse mercie offered to those which feele themselues guilty and acknowledge their transgressions asking absolutiō and deliuerance by a true amēdment of life I doe thinke this place of Scripture principally to be touched among the rest because the holy Ghost of purpose setteth it downe to comfort the penitent Sinner which are very sorie that they haue offended so heauenly a father who is of long suffring and compassiō who is in Scripture named the God of all comfort and consolation and therefore they will not hide their sinne but confesse it vnto the Lord who will heale all their infirmities and cleanse them from their sinnes for the Lord is mercifull vnto al such as call vpon him yea al such as call vpon him faithfully Hast thou then bene a blasphemer a robber a lyer Hast thou giuen thy selfe to Vsurie Art thou couetous Hast thou bene a Fornicator an Adulterer If thou leaue thy blasphemie forsake thy euill doing shun couetousnes as a Serpent if thou flye from the paths of the strange woman and the delicious pampering of the belly if thou flyest from euill and doest the thing that is good if thou abhorrest the bosome of the light woman the alluring bed of the Harlot doubt not but thy sinnes be forgiuē the debt payd the wrath of God against thee is pacified by the sight of the Lambe which stādeth on the Mount Heare the wisedome of God which sayth he that leaueth his sinne shall obtaine mercie Hast thou then left thy wickednesse Art thou become a newe man Hast thou amended thy euill life God will shewe thee mercie and compassion we neede not to goe farre to seeke proofes and testimonies of the grace of God towards vs the very amendement of our life is an euident demōstration of the same which the Prophet Dauid felt in the 32. Psal when he sayth then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thée neither did I hide myne iniquitie for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my fault Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his praier vnto thee in a time when thou maist be found surely the flood of great water shall not come nere him Thou art my secret place thou preseruest me from my trouble and compasses me about with ioyfull deliuerance Esay Chap. 55. ver 7. Seeke ye the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is neere Let the wicked forsake his owne waies and the vnrightuous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord he will haue mercie vpō him for he is ready to forgiue For my thoughtes are not as your thoughtes neither are your waies as my waies saith the Lorde For as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts ALthough by our offences we estrāge and withdrawe our selues greatly frō God he is neuerthelesse nere at hand if we draw our selues from our euill and sinfull life if we be touched with a true repentance if wee commit our selues vnto him if we call vpon him with all our hearts with all our soules we may be sure he wil be mercifull vnto vs as the Prophet sayth And although our sinnes abound yet his mercie aboundeth much more though our iniquities as we thinke are infinite and without pardon not esteeming the goodnes and clemencie of God according to his greatnesse and infinite mercies but according to the weaknesse and frailtie of our vnderstanding yet wee see that the Lorde sheweth by his Prophet that his thoughtes and his workes doe surpasse all that is in vs or can come from vs. For although our sinnes were in number as the sande of the
Sea or as the starres of Heauen yet we know that he holdeth the Sea in his hand and calleth the Starres by their names for as the Heauen is in comparison of the Earth so are his mercies towards all that call vpon him Why should any then mistrust the benignitie of GOD seeing he is so carefull to assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes whensoeuer we doe call vpon him Exech Chap. 18. ver 21. If the wicked will turne from his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe all that is lawfull and right he shal surely liue and not dye al his transgressions which he hath coÌ„mitted shall not be mentioned vnto him Haue J any desire that the wicked should dye saith the Lord or shall hee not liue if he retourne from his waies Therfore returne and repent you for your transgressions so iniquitie shall not bee your destruction Cast away from you all your transgressions wherby you haue transgressed and make you a newe heart and a newe spirite for why will you dye O house of Israel THe Lord in this place speaketh not directly vnto the sinner which falleth by frailtie and weakenesse of flesh but to the wicked which of mallice and crueltie hath robbed and shed innoceÌ„t blood who hath oppressed the needie and solde the poore for olde shooes who hath whined after his neighbours wife hath bene partakers with the Adulterers which haue runned froÌ„ Bethel to Dan and from Dan to Bethel to serue straunge Gods which haue sacrificed of their owne flesh to Molocke and haue eaten the offringes of the dead to these which â—â—â—nke sinne as water and drawe iniquitie with cords to these I say speaketh the Lord and telleth them that if they doe truely repent them of all their misdeedes which they haue committed they shal neuer be imputed to them againe they shall be deliuered from them and made partakers of eternall life if his repentaÌ„ce be true not fained but yeelds himself wholly to serue his God though his obedience be imperfect and there bee some want in him yet hee shall bee washed in the blood of the Lambe by his woundes he shall be healed and in his weakenesse he shall bee made stroÌ„g he shal be holy because he which hath called him is holy And in this respect are Christians called oftentymes iust in holy Scripture though there bee some imperfections in them daylie to bee seene yet this is shewed to declare the woÌ„derful and great bountie and clemencie of God towards vs that hauing offended him in breaking his ordinaunces and so made guiltie of eternall death yet that he vouchsafeth to call vs againe vnto him and to stretch forth his arme all the day long to take vs vp when we were fallen and exhorteth vs to repentaunce and to newnesse of life which is the token and euident testimonie of a true conuersion and newe regeneration by the holy Ghost And whereas he commaundeth vs to repent adding a promise of life and saluation he sheweth that hee would haue vs touched to the quicke and truely sorie for our faultes committed with firme and stedfast purpose to liue better in time to come so that here wee may knowe what kinde of man he is which shall not perish but shall haue eternall life according to this promise Zach. Chap. 1. ver 3. Returne you vnto me saith the Lord of hosts and J will returne vnto you HEre is an other exhortation to repeÌ„tance ioyned with the promise and reconciliation to God very like vnto that before Math. Chap. 4. ver 17. Amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand THis is the first exhortation that the Lord made to the people of Israel agreeable to that where Iohn Baptist admonisheth euery one to repentance and amendement of life which that they may the better performe he addeth this reason and promise that the grace of God the remission of sinnes and the reconciliation with God is present and neere to them by the preaching of the Gospell which is here called the kingdome of God for by this meanes the tyranny of Sathan is destroyed and ouerthrowne the force of sinne dead the kingdome of Christ gloriously extolled and lift vp on hye raigning in the hearts of those which by his spirite haue felt the vertue vnto newnesse of life a sufficient token to assure vs in this life to be made partakers of his inheritaunce in the life to come Math. Chap. 9.13 J am not come to call the rightuous but sinners to repentaunce THis is the answer of our Sauiour made to the Pharisies who finding themselues offended that he and his companie did eate with Publicanes and Harlots with sinfull and leaud liuers thought him a glutton and lose fellowe For these men counting them selues onely the people of GOD erred and corrupted themselues in such a sorte that they accounted all other vtterly profayne Whereupon our Sauiour Christ sheweth wherefore he leaueth their companies who so much iustified themselues and betaketh himselfe and all his to poore sinners though they were wicked and euill in life that by this meanes he might drawe them froÌ„ their vice and iniquities and bring them into the right way To those then which doe repent of their sinnes appertayneth the grace of God for repentance is the very effect of the sonne of God which bringeth saluation vnto all people Acts 3. ver 19. Amend your liues therefore and turne that your sinnes may be put away THose to whom Peter spake in this place had put and deliuered to death the holie and the iust the Prince of life that is to say our Lorde Iesus Christ yet he exhorteth theÌ„ to a godly conuersation of life promising that their sinnes shall bee forgiuen them so that the grace of God is shewed forth to all men whom the Lorde counteth by putting from them their iniquities Acts Chap. 5. ver 31. This is that Jesus whome GOD hath lift vp with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Sauiour to giue repentaunce of sinnes to Jsrael and forgiuenes of sinnes THis is spoken to this ende that the Lord Iesus hath brought vs vnto saluation by repentaunce which is neuer seperated from the forgiuenes of sinne 1. Cor. Chap. 7. ver 10. Godly sorowe causeth repentance to saluation THe profayne and wicked men continually doe reioyce in their wickednesse and harden their harts in their sinnes neuer ceasing till their accursed ioye bee turned into weeping and gnashing of teeth by the iust and feareful iudgement of God who casteth all such into vtter perdition but they which haue the feare of God after that they haue done amisse in any sorte bee greatly sorie in heart weeping and lamenting that haue offended such a gracious God and alwaies suffer extreme greifes because they offended him in breaking his commandements The rulers which had the ouersight of the church of Corinth beeing reprehended by S. Paule for their slouthfulnes and slownes in not acquitting themselues
he maketh vs knowe that we be his and adorneth vs with all the giftes of his holy spirite and putteth vs in hope of life euerlasting he sheweth manifestly by these that he doth not reward vs according to our deserts neither recompence vs as we haue deserued By nature therefore we doe nothing but offend yet for our vnhappines hee restoreth goodnes againe Wherefore it is sayde that there is great mercie with the Lorde true it is that sometimes hee correcteth vs for our wickednes but neuer chasteneth nor puniâ—heth vs according to our desertes no more then if he had not regarded them or as they had neuer bene coÌ„mitted seeing then that he remits wholy forgiues vs by which it is sayd that the mercies of the Lord is ouer all his workes and his goodnes reacheth vnto the cloudes not that it endeth there for it can not be contayned in the Heauen of heauens but because in this world nothing can seeme higher then Heauen which is raysed aboue the earth by an incomprehensible distaunce as it is said in the Psal 36. that the goodnes of God reacheth vnto the heauens therefore it is added afterward that it is excellent it is ouer our heades it doeth ouerpasse our sight it is altogether to be marueled at this is the height the breadth the deapth of the loue of Christ which is spoken of in the 3. Chap. to the Ephes It is marueylous high and wonderfull to behold it reacheth to the deepes beneath there is nothing which the spirite of man can Imagine to bee greater but onely Gods loue and bountie towardes vs who from the highest Heauens from his celestiall and glorious throne vouchsafeth to come to the bottomlesse Pit of the earth to drawe vs from it and to make vs ascendeâ— where hymselfe abideth it scatereth it selfe here and there in length infinite in breadth wonderfull so that among so many regions the people may feele the vertue of it in their hearts by the holy ghost and yet wee must knowe that God neuer vseth this clemencie to them which shewe themselues profayned and coÌ„temners of his grace but those which doe feare him and sheweth him honour and reuerence therein lyeth properly the greatnesse of the bountifulnesse of the Almightie This is againe shewed by a notable effect when it is sayde that hee casteth from vs our offences as for the wicked their malice doth not remoue but remaynes still lying euen at the gate as the Lord speaketh of the sinne of Cain Gen. Chap. 4. ver 7. concerning the offences of the faithfull although they be set before theÌ„ and that they doe present them selues oftentimes before the eyes of the soule as it happened to the Prophet when he said that his sinnes was continually before him Psal 51. ver 5. which is nothing vnto them but an exercise of true repentance to bring them vnto humilitie and after makes them more circumspect yet neuerthelesse in respect of Gods mercie they be all put away for he putteth them farre from him scattereth them abroade and casteth them behinde â—im neuer to be remembred againe Which is shewed by a comparison of the distaunce betweene the East and the West which is the farthest distaunce that can bee imagined vnder the Sunne euen so then as the East is farre from the West and the West farre from the East by a separation and great distance euen so farre GOD doth cast all our sinnes away from vs yea so farre that they cannot be perceiued or no more appeare theÌ„ that which is carried away from one ende of the world vnto the other And to confirme al that is spoken before God is in holy Scripture compared vnto a father which is mercifull vnto his children for as you see a father couer many of his sonnes imperfectioÌ„s neither vseth such rigour and seueritie towards them as he might but spareth them as much as possiblie he can In like maner also God who is our great and celestiall father is moued with all pittie compassion towards vs and readie to forgiue vs all our sinnes so that wee feare to offend him neither doe abound in our iniquities Psal 130. If thou O Lord shouldst straightly marke our iniquities O Lord who should stand before thee but mercie is with thee that thou maiest be feared Let Israel waite on the Lord for with the Lord there is mercie and with him is great redemption and he shall redeeme Jsrael from all his iniquities THere is none of vs which are not in daunger to fall into eternall ruyne and destruction if God should looke narrowly into our sinnes and offences to examine them in seueritie and execute a iust punishment for them for there is no man that could stand before his tribunall Seate nor bee able to iustifie himselfe by his owne righteousnesse Therefore Dauid in his prayers and supplications to the Lord desireth him not to enter into iudgement with him as he had deserued Psal 144. ver 2. neither may this seeme straunge or spoken without speciall purpose but it is the same in substance which the author of this Psalm speaketh of here which is done for our consolation and trust that forgiuenes of our sinnes only coÌ„meth from the Lord neither doth he take any heede of them therby to condemne vs but he sheweth himselfe gentle and mercifull to vs which made the Prophet in conclusion to say That because there is mercie with God therefore he should be feared And that this might not be done in himselfe onely he stirreth vp all sortes of men and euery state and coÌ„dition of nations to the due feare and true reuerence of his Maiestie thereby that high and lowe rich and poore one with an other might wholly giue themselues to serue him in thankfulnesse and heauenly melodie for the more he powreth on vs his bouÌ„tifull and mercifull liberalitie the more we are bound to him and ought to be much more desirous to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life So that the forgiuenesse of our sinnes is ioyned with the honor and glorie of GOD and our obedience which ought to followe his grace not onely particulerly but also generally among all true Christians For for this cause Dauid doth giue certaine assuraunce vnto the Catholicke Church of GOD vnder the name of Israel saying that the Lord would deliuer Israel from all his iniquities and purge them from all their sinnes although the Church be not without sinne during the time that it is in this earthly perigrination but hath wrinckles and spots subiect to many infirmities and transgressions by whom it is as it were made captiue and brought into bondage yet God will deliuer it continually out of such miserie and by his infinite mercie forgiue it not some faults onely but all her iniquities how great soeuer they bee and of what number soeuer Vpon this hope then the Prophet exhorteth the Church to trust in the Lorde hoping in him in time of oppression when