The souls cordial in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the…The souls cordiall in two treatises. I. Teaching how to be eased of the…

Do I speak to any that have been taller by the head in sin, then any of their neighbours have been? O! if thou hast sinned much, love much; the greater the sin, the greater the pardon must be, and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ; this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth, Luk. 7.41. There was a certain creditor, which had two debtors, the one ought five hundred pence, and the other fifty. Vers. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most. Vers. 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most: And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. The meaning of this is, the two debtors are two sorts of sinners, he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt: though thou hast but few little sins, yet thou canst not satisfy for it. He that owed much was a great sinner, as Mary Magdalen: It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins, and thy five hundred of sins: O make good this Parable, that he that hath most forgiven him, love most; the greater thy sin hath been, the greater thy love must be. It is thus ⟨p. 145⟩with Mary Magdalen, Luk. 7.47. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins which are many are forgiven her, for she loved much. Her love doth hold equipage and proportion to her pardon; much pardon on Christs part, and much love on her part. O beloved let me here inculcate this on your thoughts: have any of you been great sinners? have you been guilty of aggravated and heinous circumstances? now find that your love doth carry some proportion to your pardon.

Do I speak to any that have been taller by the head in sin, then any of their neighbours have been? O! if thou hast sinned much, love much; the greater the sin, the greater the pardon must be, and therefore on thy part the greater must thy love be to Jesus Christ; this is held out plain in that familiar parable that Christ useth, Luk. 7.41. There was a certain creditor, which had two debtors, the one ought five hundred pence, and the other fifty. Vers. 42. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most. Vers. 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most: And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. The meaning of this is, the two debtors are two sorts of sinners, he that owed a little sum he could not pay his debt: though thou hast but few little sins, yet thou canst not satisfie for it. He that owed much was a great sinner, as Mary Magdalen: It may be God hath forgiven thee thy hundred of sins, and thy five hundred of sins: O make good this Parable, that he that hath most forgiven him, love most; the greater thy sin hath been, the greater thy love must be. It is thus