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.

§ 6.

Now followes the last meditation, which must be of the examples of Gods grace, in per∣forming these promises to other sinners, as bad,

if not worse then any of us can be. For the Lord hath made good these words of his in his Son to as great, hainous, will∣full, presumptuous offen∣dors, as any have beene, are or can bee in the world, that will come unto him. No man can name, so great a sinne or sinnes, with so great ag∣gravations, but that the Scriptures affoord us ex∣amples of as grievous sinnes pardoned, and as grievous sinners saved, if they have framed them∣selves to humiliation and conversion. For what

may thy sin bee or thine obstinacy in sin? Is it murder and adultery runne into with fore-re∣solved deliberation? continued in with great hardnesse and obdurati∣on? behold these were Davids faults, and thou seest him pardoned and comforted, yea though he ran unto them in old age after many benefits received, and after a long time of forward∣nesse in the true religi∣on and service of God. Hast thou beene an Ido∣later? a Buggerer? a Drunkard? a Rayler? an

Extortioner? why such were some of the Corin∣thians, (as Paul remem∣bers them) and yet they were washed, sanctified, justified, as he also tel∣leth them. Hast thou besides Idolatry fol∣lowed Sorcerers and Witches? and practised inchantments and sorce∣ries? and that with so much and so long ob∣stinacy, as to kill those that should admonish thee of these faults? Why so did Manasses too, and yet he is pardoned. Hast thou persecuted Christ? blasphemed

him? made others to blaspheme? and put them to death that would not? why so did Paul also, (and that after divers yeares spent in those places, where many wonders and mi∣racles were wrought to confirme the Gospell of Christ) and yet he is par∣doned. Hast thou beene an harlot? so was Rahab, and the sinnefull woman in the Gospell. Hast thou beene a theefe? so was hee that defended Christ on the Crosse. Hast thou denied and foresworne Christ? so

did Peter also after hee had beene diverse yeares his disciple, and yet all these are pardoned. Yea verily brethren, the first sinne that ever was committed, was in many respects the greatest of all particular acts of sin that ever were commit∣ted since. It was virtu∣ally, radically, causally all sinne, and yet loe Adam and Evah that did commit it, they are saved. The smalnesse of the matter makes the fault farre greater, being a light and easie thing, propounded meerely for

a triall, and as a signe and profession of their obe∣dience, as if a man should forbid his childe a very slender thing, and that which hee might easily forbeare, to testifie his obedience unto him, he would be more offen∣ded against him in this case, by how much hee had made choyce of a more triviall matter to proove his obedience withall. Now for such persons at such a time, in such a place, in such a state, on such motives to disobey their maker in such a thing, so easie to

bee observed, and given to them onely to proove their obedience, surely a greater disobedience (and therefore a greater sinne) can hardly be na∣med, and yet as I said before, this sinne is par∣doned, and those sinners saved. And who now can be hopelesse? who now can cast off com∣fort? Now therfore stay and look upon those ef∣fects & proofes of Gods mercy and truth, and say unto thy selfe, is not God the same God that of old? was not his ju∣stice and anger against

sin, as great then as now? and is not his mercy and truth, as large and sure now as then? and why then should not J also take heart, to seeke unto the same God and rest upon him. And these be the most comfortable meditations that I could propound, to the sor∣rowfull and fearefull heart of the broken sin∣ner, for the suppling of his wounds, and fitting his soule for consolation.