The oyle of gladnesse. Or, Comfort for dejected sinners. First preached in the parish church of Banbury in certaine sermons, and now published in this present treatise. By William Whately minister there.

§ 5.

This is of the wide∣nesse and largenesse of Gods promises to sin∣ners, which are of such

an unlimited extent, that they exclude no sinner for no sinne, and in no time of comming to him. For in all these re∣spects, are his promises wondrous large and of great extent. J say first they shut not out any sinner, but runne in this generality, Come unto me (All) that are hea∣vie laden, even all, all without any exception, so that whosoever he be that is heavy laden, hee sees the gate of Gods goodnesse standing open to him, and wide enough to receive even him also

among the rest of sin∣ners; next hee excepts not any sinne, but telleth us thus, The bloud of Christ purgeth us from all sinne. And againe, if your sinnes were as red as scarlet they shall bee as white as snow. And againe, I will blot all his iniquities out of my re∣membrance, and he bids them pray thus, Take away all iniquity, and al∣lowed David to cry and say, Blot out all mine ini∣quities. Doe you not heare how generall these promises bee, not nar∣rowed with any excepti∣on,

but alone to be un∣derstood with this quali∣fication of the persons, if they be humbled for sin. And in like manner for the time of comming lies not the promise, in the day that the sinner turneth? meaning when so ever, sooner or later, first or last, so that hee turne in truth, you see no time excepted for the grant of pardon of sinne. Indeed in regard of crosses, it may fall out, that a man may seek to God for freedome of them and not find it, but for pardon of sinnes, he

that comes in truth, comes never too late. And here now is the right use of those univer∣sall promises, which are set downe in Scripture. God would have no man perish, but would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, and He is a propitia∣tion for the sinnes of the whole world, and Hee gave himselfe a ransome for all, and He tasted death for every man. Which the Lord hath of set purpose conceived in this ample forme of words, that there might

bee sure and certaine ground and footing, for the faith of any man whatsoever, that being tyred with his sinnes, doth runne unto this grace of God in Christ to finde helpe in time of need. Seeing God hath not excepted thy person, or thy faults, or thy time of comming, doe not thou except thy selfe, make not the gate of Gods promises scanter, or narrower then it is. He hath opened both the leaves of these dores as wide as may bee, and thinkes it not fit to

cloze them up, against any humbled and con∣fessing sinner, at any time: O doe no thou put a distrustfull hand upon them, to shut them against thy selfe, but let them stand wide open, and enter boldly, and aske mercy, and looke for mercy, and finde it.

Notes

• 1 Joh. 1.7
• Isa. 1.18.
• Ezek. 18.22.
• Hos. 14.2.
• Psal. 51.9
• Ezek. 33.12.
• 1 Tim. 2.4.
• 1 Ioh. 2.2.
• 1 Tim. 2.6.
• Heb. 2.9.