2. Your repentance of sin now will be pleasing unto God: We read, Luke 15. how well pleased the Father was when his Prodigal son returned home, and with grief did acknowledge that he had sinned against Heaven and against him; and was not worthy to be called his Son; the Father meets him in the way, and kisseth him, and clotheth him with the best Robe, and kills the fatted Calf for him, and maketh merry with him; so, though you have been prodigals hitherto, have gone astray from God, and wasted your time, and talents in the service of the Devil, and your own lusts; yet if at length you come to your selves, & with repentance, and humble confession of your sins, you return unto the Lord, he will pity you, his bowels will yearn towards you whilst you are yet upon the way; and he will meet you, and embrace you, and clothe you with the Robes of his sons righteousness, and be pleased with you, and rejoice over you; yea, and the Angels also will rejoice in your conversion; there will be joy in Heaven at your repentance amongst the Angels, and joy on earth amongst the Saints, Ministers will be pleased and rejoice; they will pity you and pray for you; and Saints will be pleased and be ready to help and advise you; but Gods pity is beyond all. See how God is taken with repenting Ephraim, Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, &c. Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed I smote upon my •high, I was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I •id bear the reproach of my youth; there you have the description of Ephraim' • repentance; and O ⟨p. 256⟩the sweet words of most tender Love which the Lord doth express himself in, towards Ephraim under his repentings! Is Ephraim my dear son? is he my pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still? therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord. But if you repent not till hereafter, your grief will not only be extreme, but also you will have no eye to pity you; God will not pity you in the least, but laugh at your calamity, his bowels will be shut against you; your grief then will not be pleasing in the least, and your cries and complaints of sin then will be like the howling of a Dog in his ears: He will then instead of meeting you to embrace you, he will meet you to destroy you;
2. Your repentance of sin now will be pleasing unto God: We read, Luke 15. how well pleased the Father was when his Prodigal son returned home, and with grief did acknowledge that he had sinned against Heaven and against him; and was not worthy to be called his Son; the Father meets him in the way, and kisseth him, and cloatheth him with the best Robe, and kills the fatted Calf for him, and maketh merry with him; so, though you have been prodigals hitherto, have gone astray from God, and wasted your time, and talents in the service of the Devil, and your own lusts; yet if at length you come to your selves, & with repentance, and humble confession of your sins, you return unto the Lord, he will pitty you, his bowels will yern towards you whilst you are yet upon the way; and he will meet you, and embrace you, and cloath you with the Robes of his sons righteousnesse, and be pleased with you, and rejoyce over you; yea, and the Angels also will rejoice in your conversion; there will be joy in Heaven at your repentance amongst the Angels, and joy on earth amongst the Saints, Ministers will be pleased and rejoice; they will pittie you and pray for you; and Saints will be pleased and be ready to help and advise you; but Gods pittie is beyond all. See how God is taken with repenting Ephraim, Ier. 31. 18, 19, 20. I have surely heard Ephraim •emoaning himself, &c. Surely after I was turned, I •epented; and after I was instructed I smote upon my •high, I was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I •id bear the reproach of my youth; there you have the description of Ephraim' • repentance; and O ⟨p. 256⟩the sweet words of most tender Love which the Lord doth express himself in, towards Ephraim under his repentings! Is Ephraim my dear son? is he my pleasant childe? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still? therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy on him, saith the Lord. But if you repent not till hereafter, your grief will not only be extream, but also you will have no eye to pittie you; God will not pittie you in the least, but laugh at your calamitie, his bowels will be shut against you; your grief then will not be pleasing in the least, and your cries and complaints of sin then will be like the howling of a Dog in his eares: He will then instead of meeting you to embrace you, he will meet you to destroy you;
