Divine consolations, or, The teachings of God in three parts ... with an answer to the objections made against it, and Doctor Crips [sic] booke justified against Steven Geree / by Samuel Richardson.

Moreover, consider, that

1. The multitude and greatnesse of sinne, ••••ght not to discourage thee in beleeving,

nor the fewnesse, or smallnesse of sinnes, is not to be any ground of thy confidence in God for pardon.

2. The word of God doth no where say, that great sinners shall not be saved; there∣fore to thinke so is folly, and a delusion of Satan.

3. The word of God saith the contrary; That Christ came to save the chiefe of sinners, 1 Tim. 1. 15. Come, let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sinnes were as crimson, they shall be made white as snow, &c. Isa. 1. 18.

4. The word of God declares many great and sweet promises to great sinners; as Jer. 3. Isa. 55. 7, 8, 9. & 43. 24, 25. And there be many examples of great sinners received to mercy, as Manasses, 2 Chron. 33. 18, 19. and many others, yea the rebellious also, Psal. 68. 18.

5. Because Christ is mighty to save, Isa. 62. 1. He will abundantly pardon, Isa. 55. 7. His compassions faile not, Lam 3. 23. There is a fountaine set open for sinne, and for uncleannesse, Zach. 13. 1. All that are weary and heavy laden are called to come to Christ, Mat. 11. 28. If any man thirst, let him come to me and drinke, Joh. 7. 37. Every one that thirsteth, come yee to the wa∣ters, Isa. 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17.

6. The Saints have made the greatnesse of sinne an incouragement to beleeve; Lord par∣don

my sinnes, for they are great, Psal. 25. 11. How great is his goodnesse, much greater then thy sinnes, Zach. 9. 17. Isa. 43. The greater our sinnes are, the greater our faith should be; loe here is great consolation.

7. God doth not sel•• Christ, &c. he was gi∣ven freely; Come buy without money, &c. Isa. 55. 1. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

8. Because such as Christ saves, are unwor∣thy, without workes, Rom. 4. 5, 6. The most perfect Saint that ever was, stood in need of mercy; Behold, he found no stedfastnesse in his servants, and chargeth his Angels of folly, how much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Job 4. 18, 19. Ezek. 16. 63. The love of God is the more glorious in that it is given to the unworthy.

9. It makes most for the glory of God to give great things; it were a disparagement for a King to doe otherwise: the Lord is a great King, Isa. 9. 6. He doth great things past finding out, and wonders without number, Job 9. 10. Feare not, the Lord will doe great things, Joel 2. 21. Measure not the Lord by thy selfe; My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my wayes as your wayes, saith the Lord, Isa. 55. 8, 9. Such as are wise will not looke so much to their own basenesse, is to his greatnesse, Zach. 9. 17.

10. Nothing wee can doe, can moove

God to shew mercy, Ezek. 16. 3. to 9. he shews mercy because he will, Mica. 7. 18, 19. I will doe away thy sinnes for my Names sake, Isa. 43. 25.

11. The mercy of God is infinite, its with∣out part or forme, therefore not capable of any addition or defect, therefore infinite; shouldst thou need thousands of Seas of mer∣cy to pardon thy sinne; he could give it, and not have the lesse; if I had all the sinne in the world upon me, or one sinfull thought, this consideration makes it all one: oh worlds of sinne in this Ocean vanish and come to no∣thing: O the depth (not of the beleevers faith, but) of the unsearchable riches of Christ, Rom. 11. 33. Eph. 3. 8.

12. The name of God is infinite; he is the father of mercies, 2 Cor. 1. 3. its the nature of God: The Lord is very pittifull, and of tender mercies, Jam. 5. 11. All the pitty and mercy that is, or ever was, is from him, and all is but a drop to that Ocean of pitty, love, and mer∣cy, that is in him: we are ready to sin, but he is more ready to forgive; Mercy pleaseth him, its his delight; thou art a God ready to forgive; he is plenteous in mercy, Psal. 86. 5.

13. Consider the price that was paid for the sinnes of his, its infinite also; count all thy sinnes, still they are the acts of a finite crea∣ture; Christ is God, Rom. 9. therefore his satisfaction is above them, 1 John 5. 20. His

righteousnesse is greater then thy sinnes.

14. Consider the covenant of grace is not made with us, nor can it be broken by us, Psal. 89. 31. Its not founded upon such a fandy foundation, as thy selfe and duties are; and seeing the Covenant stands sure for ever, it should satisfie us for ever, and cause us to cast away all our doubts and feares, and rest satisfied in his love.