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

1. Vile as he is a Man, a piece of Clay, a little dust of the Balance. God made man so as that he might ever see cause to have low and little thoughts of himself, Gen. 2. 7. his body a lump of dirt, his breath a blast, himself a Brother of worms: God must stoop to take notice of man in his greatest excellency; hence the Psalmist thinks of it with admiration, Psal. 8. 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

1. Vile as he is a Man, a piece of Clay, a little dust of the Ballance. God made man so as that he might ever see cause to have low and little thoughts of himself, Gen. 2. 7. his body a lump of dirt, his breath a blast, himself a Brother of worms: God must stoop to take notice of man in his greatest excellency; hence the Psalmist thinks of it with admiration, Psal. 8. 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

2. Much more, because he is a sinful creature: the sense and apprehension of his own Sin, renders him unspeakably abominable in his own eyes: he sees Sin to be a vile thing, & himself, being a Sinner, to be defiled with it. Sin is not only vile in it self, but it renders every one so that is polluted by it: the best of creatures are vile, if compared with God, but sinful Man much more, Job 11. 14, 15, 16. this hath rendered Man loathsome to God, whose pure eye hates Sin; and shall render him so to himself, when God shall do him good, Ezek. 36. 31. this hath pulled off his Scarlet, and thrown him upon a Dung hill: this hath defaced his beauty, and covered him with deformity; degraded his Glory, and filled him with Ignominy; yea,