It was once the affectionate Out-Cry of a Condemned but a Converted and a Comforted Malefactor, God is a great forgiver, God is a great forgiver! It is indeed rarely seen that Bad livers to, ever become ⟨p. 7⟩Sincere Penitents in Old Age. When the Devils have had a Possession of many years, they plead a sort of Prescription against the Holy Spirit of God, and make their interest so strong, that very Extraordinary must be the Influences of the Grace that shall destroy it. Scripture seems to pronounce a sinner of an hundred years old to be cursed, and Experience commonly discovers a Sinner of Fifty years old to be hardened beyond all recovery. The Generality of them that are brought home to God under the constant Dispensations of the Gospel, will find that between Fifteen and Thirty is the Age in which most of the Elect become Called ones. But as nothing is more Sovereign than the Free-Grace of God, He calls both Whom and When he will; and He leaves many Civil and Moral-people in their, Unbelief, when He Renews the Worst of men, and those that not only have done evil an hundred times, but likewise an hundred years been in the rebellious Tents of the Ungodly; So nothing is more glorious than that Free-Grace which pardons without bounds, and forgives the Sins which no Conscience has vigour enough to describe all the Aggravations of. Let no man that begins to have sad Thoughts ⟨p. 8⟩about the State of his own soul, despair of Mercy from God in Christ; it reaches even to, she Chief of Sinners. It is for a Cain to roar, My sin is greater than can be forgiven! but perhaps his Despair was not inferior to his Murder, and, Austin well replied upon him, mentiris, Cain, Cain, Thou liest. The Temp•er that once told thee; Tis too soon, may now tell thee, Tis too la•e to repent; and thou mayest have in thy Thoughts the Voice which once a flagitious man had in his Ears, a little before he dyed, No Mercy, No Mercy▪ But When he speaketh hard unto thee, believe him not. Come, and Confess and forsake all thy sins, and thou shalt have mercy. Come, and cast the Burdens of a Guilty and Wretched soul upon the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt have Rest. Unto the Greatest and the Oldest Sinners, yet, Return unto me, saith the Lord.
It was once the affectionate Out-Cry of a C•ndemned but a Converted and a Comforted Malefactor, God is a great forgiver, God is a great forgiver! It is indeed rarely seen that Bad livers to, ever become ⟨p. 7⟩Sincere Paenitents in Old Age. When the Devils have had a Possession of many years, they plead a sort of Praescription against the Holy Spirit of God, and make their interest so strong, that very Extraordinary must be the Influences of the Grace that shall destroy it. Scripture seems to pronounce a sinner of an hundred years old to be cursed, and Experience commonly discovers a Sinner of Fifty years old to be hardened beyond all recovery. The Generality of them that are brought home to God under the constant Dispensations of the Gospel, will find that between Fifteen and Thirty is the Age in which most of the Elect become Called ones. But as nothing is more Soveraign than the Free-Grace of God, He calls both Whom and When he will; and He leaves many Civil and Moral-people in their, Vnbelief, when He Renewes the Worst of men, and those that not only have done evil an hundred times, but likewise an hundred years been in the rebellious Tents of the Ungodly; So nothing is more glorious than that Free-Grace which pardons without bounds, and forgives the Sins which no Conscience has vigour enough to describe all the Aggravations of. Let no man that begins to have sad Thoughts ⟨p. 8⟩about the State of his own soul, •espair of Mercy from God in Christ; it reaches even to, she Chief of Sinners. It is for a Cain to roar, My sin is greater than can be forgiven! but perphaps his Despair was not inferiour to his Murder, and, Austin well replied upon him, mentiris, Cain, Cain, Thou liest. The Temp•er that once told thee; Tis too soon, may now tell thee, Tis too la•e to repent; and thou mayest have in thy Thoughts the Voice which once a flagitious man had in his Ears, a little before he dyed, No Mercy, No Mercy▪ But When he speaketh hard unto thee, beleeve him not. Come, and Confess and forsake all thy sins, and thou shalt have mercy. Come, and cast the Burdens of a Guilty and Wretched soul upon the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt have Rest. Unto the Greatest and the Oldest Sinners, yet, Return unto me, saith the Lord.
