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

Men conversing in the region of sin are upon a Journey, every step they take sets them at a farther distance from God: Wickedness grows upon men by degrees, there are few men that commence high profane per saltum: from but a visible and sober profession to the top of wickedness there are divers steps a man hath to take, he must first leave a great deal behind him before he arrives at it: he must root out the efficacy of good education, he must suppress the activity of a stirring conscience, ⟨p. 62⟩he must put off and get rid of his accustom• modesty, he must lay by the awe and dread: Gods Judgments; and all this requires time and travail, and pains: it will cost a man some thing to be flagitiously wicked, that hath been formerly professedly religious: you may see the exemplified in Saul and others.

Men conversing in the region of sin are upon a Journey, every step they take sets them at a farther distance from God: Wickedness growes upon men by degrees, there are few men that commence high prophane per saltum: from but a visible and sober profession to the top of wickedness there are divers steps a man hath to take, he must first leave a great deal behind him before he arrives at it: he must root out the efficacy of good education, he must suppress the activity of a stirring conscience, ⟨p. 62⟩he must put off and get rid of his accustom• modesty, he must lay by the aw and dread: Gods Judgments; and all this requires time and travail, and pains: it will cost a man some thing to be flagitiously wicked, that hath been formerly professedly religious: you may see the exemplified in Saul and others.

USE, 1. This may tell us one Reason wh• men, though grossly degenerated, are yet […] hard to be convinced of their wickedness they fell into it gradually, and by consequence insensibly: Apostasy comes fair and softly, and men take no notice of it, but think themselves as good as ever.