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

Reas. 2. Because, as happiness and misery are contraries, so the way to the one and the other must be contrary: Now the way in which man brought himself into misery was by departing from God and falling into Sin. The Prophet describes it, Jer. 2. 13. and as long as the cause of misery remains, the continuance of it must be: As long as a sinner lieth in Sin, he must needs be miserable: the foundation of happiness is laid in saving us from Sin, Mat. 1. 12. He shall save his People from their sins. And therefore the way to Salvation must be retrograde: i. e. by rising from Sin, and coming back to God. Man's felicity consists in his enjoyment of God; he cannot enjoy him till he comes to him; every distance from God is a misery: Sin is contrary to God, he therefore cannot in that sense come to us, his holiness forbids. Christ doth not save us in our sins, but from our sins, and that is by working ⟨p. 212⟩us to a true and and through Repentance: a sinner must become holy, else he cannot see God, Heb. 12. 14.

Reas. 2. Because, as happiness and misery are contraries, so the way to the one and the other must be contrary: Now the way in which man brought himself into misery was by departing from God and falling into Sin. The Prophet describes it, Jer. 2. 13. and aslong as the cause of misery remains, the continuance of it must be: As long as a sinner lyeth in Sin, he must needs be miserable: the foundation of happiness is laid in saving us from Sin, Mat. 1. 12. He shall save his People from their sins. And therefore the way to Salvation must be retrograde: i. e. by rising from Sin, and coming back to God. Man's felicity consists in his enjoyment of God; he cannot enjoy him till he comes to him; every distance from God is a misery: Sin is contrary to God, he therefore cannot in that sense come to us, his holiness forbids. Christ doth not save us in our sins, but from our sins, and that is by working ⟨p. 212⟩