Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or, A brief discourse

2. That he may prepare a way to make his Grace notably appear to be Grace, the truth is, Gods ways are very mysterious, and past mans finding out; and oftentimes, when we may have reason justly to fear, that such a sinner is mounted on Horse-back, to run the swifter to his own utter ruin, yet even then God hath gracious designs in all this: God sometimes allows a sinner a long Tether, and lets him run to the end of it, and then pulls him back: God suffers him to lay a scene for his own ruin, and then displays his riches of his grace in saving him from it, when he hath used all possible means utterly to have undone himself: Manasseh in the old, and Paul in the New-Testament stand for eminent examples of this, and the latter of these speaks thus of it, 1 Tim. 1. 13, 14. Who was before a blasphemer. ⟨p. 39⟩&c. But I obtained mercy, &c. and the grace of our Lord Jesus was exceeding abundant, &c.

2. That he may prepare a way to make his Grace notably appear to be Grace, the truth is, Gods wayes are very mysterious, and past mans finding out; and oftentimes, when we may have reason justly to fear, that such a sinner is mounted on Horse-back, to run the swifter to his own utter ruine, yet even then God hath gracious designs in all this: God sometimes allows a sinner a long Tedder, and lets him run to the end of it, and then pulls him back: God suffers him to lay a scene for his own ruine, and then displayes his riches of his grace in saving him from it, when he hath used all possible means utterly to have undone himself: Manasseth in the old, and Paul in the New-Testament stand for eminent examples of this, and the latter of these speaks thus of it, 1 Tim. 1. 13, 14. Who was before a blasphemer. ⟨p. 39⟩&c. But I obtained mercy, &c. and the grace of our Lord Jesus was exceeding abundant, &c.