The oil of gladnessThe oyle of gladnesse

§ 5.

From greatness of sin there are three grand objections. First then, the newly humbled sinner, looketh back upon his life past, and finding his out-strayings ⟨p. 131⟩so many and so grievous, and withal, considering for how long a space, with how much hardness and obstinacy, and against how many reproofs and checks, he continued to wallow in them, is ready to conclude, that there is no possibility of pardon. This reason must be thus framed, He that hath committed many and foul offences, persisted long in them, with much wilfulness, and against many means, is sure unpardoned, and shall not be pardoned. But alas ⟨p. 132⟩alas, so have I done as mine affrighted conscience doth now bear witness against me: Therefore J neither am nor shall be pardoned. To the which the answer is, that the first proposition of the argument upon which the whole is built, is most apparently false. There is no Text of Scripture that doth say so, nor can it be confirmed by any part of the Word of God, therefore as a false suggestion of the devil or of the guilty heart, it must be utterly denied. ⟨p. 133⟩Yea the Scripture doth plainly declare the quite contrary, and doth make it most evident, that those in whom all the things mentioned in that proposition, have been manifestly found, have yet been pardoned or might have been. For did not Manasseh continue a most wilful transgressor in most grievous kinds, and that against many admonitions of Prophets sent unto him immediately from God, and that so that he slew and murdered these Prophets, ⟨p. 134⟩and that also, so long, till he was cast into the dark dungeon and laden with chains 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 Apostles to work many strange miracles, to inform 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,