4. Consider how richly God hath entertained returning sinners. The poorest, meanest Believer hath enough and to spare, no Believer in Christs family wants for any thing; that promise is fulfilled, Ps. 34. 10. God hath done for them more than they can express; and though they sometimes seem to complain, yet it is their infirmity and infidelity: What can a Believer want which he hath not? Pardon of sin, title of inheritance to all good things, favour with God, grace to serve him, a fatherly care for him; yea, and to spare, he hath joys, consolations, ravishing of soul; he may, not only feed, but feast it by faith on Jesus Christ: If you say, what is all this to me, who have no lot or share in this matter? I answer, it is this to thee, it should encourage thee to hope, and not utterly to despair of finding mercy; and from hence to animate thy soul to go to God, and wait upon him for it, to seek him diligently in the use of means; and to resolve not to sit still & die of the famine silently, but to make thy moan to God, and pour out thy complaint before him; to arise and leave this far country where there is nothing but famine and death, and, with the Prodigal, take up a resolution to return to God, and ask gracious entertainment with him for a poor dying perishing sinner, who is he alone with whom the fatherless findeth mercy.
4. Consider how richly God hath entertained returning sinners. The poorest, meanest Believer hath enough and to spare, no Believer in Christs family wants for any thing; that promise is fulfilled, Ps. 34. 10. God hath done for them more than they can express; and though they sometimes seem to complain, yet it is their infirmity and infidelity: What can a Believer want which he hath not? Pardon of sin, title of inheritance to all good things, favour with God, grace to serve him, a fatherly care for him; yea, and to spare, he hath joyes, consolations, ravishing of soul; he may, not only feed, but feast it by faith on Jesus Christ: If you say, what is all this to me, who have no lot or share in this matter? I answer, it is this to thee, it should encourage thee to hope, and not utterly to despare of finding mercy; and from hence to animate thy soul to go to God, and wait upon him for it, to seek him diligently in the use of means; and to resolve not to sit still & dy of the famine silently, but to make thy moan to God, and pour out thy complaint before him; to arise and leave this far country where there is nothing but famine and death, and, with the Prodigal, take up a resolution to return to God, and ask gracious entertainment with him for a poor dying perishing sinner, who is he alone with whom the fatherless findeth mercy.
