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.

From greatnesse of sinne there are three grand objections. First then, the newly humbled sinner, looketh backe upon his life past, and finding his out-strayings

so many and so grie∣vous, and withall, con∣sidering for how long a space, with how much hardnesse and obstinacy, and against how many reproofes and checks, he continued to wallow in them, is ready to con∣clude, that there is no possibility of pardon. This reason must be thus framed, Hee that hath committed many and foule offences, persisted long in them, with much willfullnesse, and against many meanes, is sure un∣pardoned, and shall not be pardoned. But alasse

alasse, so have I done as mine affrighted consci∣ence doth now beare witnesse against mee: Therefore J neither am nor shall bee pardoned. To the which the an∣swer is, that the first proposition of the argu∣ment upon which the whole is built, is most apparantly false. There is no Text of Scripture that doth say so, nor can it bee confirmed by any part of the Word of God, therefore as a false suggestion of the divell or of the guilty heart, it must be utterly denied.

Yea the Scripture doth plainely declare the quite contrary, and doth make it most evident, that those in whom all the things mentioned in that proposition, have beene manifestly found, have yet beene pardo∣ned or might have beene. For did not Manasseh continue a most willfull transgres∣sour in most grievous kindes, and that against many admonitions of Prophets sent unto him immediately from God, and that so that he slew and murdered these Pro∣phets,

and that also, so long, till he was cast in∣to the darke dungeon and laden with chaines of irons: Yet even then was he accepted, upon his humble confessions, and supplications: Yea did not Paul proceed in persecuting with great fury, and after that the Lord had sent his Apo∣stles to worke many strange miracles, to in∣forme him with the rest of the Jews that Jesus was the Lord, yet went on to blaspheme that holy Name, and imprison them that confessed it,

and that all the time from Christs resurrecti∣on, till the houre that the Lord did meete him in the way and knocke him downe to the ground: and yet did not God pardon him, and set forth him for an example of his long∣suffering to chiefe sin∣ners. It must therefore be acknowledged for a certaine truth, that how hainous so ever amans sinnes have beene, how long so ever hee have hardened himselfe in them, how many offers of grace so ever he have

refused, how many ad∣monitions so ever hee have heglected and de∣spised, yet if hee now doe turne unto the Lord, he shall bee accepted. So saith Ieremy, Chap. 26.13. Therefore now amend your waies, and your workes, and heare the voice of the Lord your God, that the Lord may repent him of the plague that hee hath pro∣nounced against you. God had sent many Prophets, many yeares together, rising early, and sending them, at this time also he had sent Ieremy with

the same message againe, and now insteed of hea∣ring, they laid hands upon, and were ready to kill him, yet even now he tells them, that if now they would turne, the Lord would repent of he evill. Whatsoever therefore is gone and past, if in the present time thou con∣vert, lament, confesse amend, thou shalt be for∣given. Sinne may so harden the finners heart, that he cannot repent, it cannot so harden Gods heart against him, that if he repent, the Lord will

not pardon him. O then beleeve not the ly∣ing divell. Hee telleth thee, thy sinnes are so many and so vile, that they cannot bee forgi∣ven, the Lord tells, as obstinate and as grievous sinners as ever were, that if they now turne, hee will repent him of the evill, and consequently they shall be pardoned, wilt thou not give credit to God rather then to the divell? This is the first doubt taken from sinne.