2. Gods mercy is proposed by himself, and may be offered by Ministers, even to languishing persons: it is true, it must be done cautiously (as you shall hear) but it may be done, God doth indefinitely tender his mercy to all, and we must not limit where God limits not. Ministers may safely follow Gods example; and whereas it may be thought that such men only come to God as driven by necessity, You must know that God is so gracious, that he receives even such whom mere necessity drives to him, and indeed all true converts are first persuaded to come to God by the sense of their own necessities, though afterwards they are elevated to a more noble disposition: God never rejected any upon this ground: how many came to Christ merely in sense of their bodily maladies, and were sent away with spiritual cure: Christ received her that came not to him, till she had in vain tried all other Physicians. So in that parable of the Prodigal (wherein God is pleased to represent the methods of his grace in the conversion and salvation of sinners) you shall find that God doth not reject that poor prodigal, because he was forced home by that, Durum, telum necessitas, by insuperable straits and difficulties.
2. Gods mercy is proposed by himself, and may be offered by Ministers, even to languishing persons: it is true, it must be done cautiously (as you shall hear) but it may be done, God doth indefinitely tender his mercy to all, and we must not limit where God limits not. Ministers may safely follow Gods evample; and whereas it may be thought that such men only come to God as driven by necessity, You must know that God is so gracious, that he receives even such whom meer necessity drives to him, and indeed all true converts are first perswaded to come to God by the sense of their own necessities, though afterwards they are elevated to a more noble disposition: God never rejected any upon this ground: how many came to Christ meerly in sense of their bodily maladies, and were sent away with spiritual cure: Christ received her that came not to him, till she had in vain tried all other Physitians. So in that parable of the Prodigal (wherein God is pleased to represent the methods of his grace in the conversion and salvation of sinners) you shall find that God doth not reject that poor prodigal, because he was forced home by that, Durum, telum necessitas, by insuperable straits and difficulties.
