The parable of the prodigal. Containing, The riotous prodigal, or The sinners aversion from…

And he sent him into his fields to feed Swine] You have heard of the Prodigals design under his misery to relieve himself; he did not return to his father, but joined himself to a citizen of a far country. Now ye are to hear of the success of this design, how much it mended his poor and famished condition, viz. nothing at all; and that will appear in two particulars: One in the basestness of his service. That citizen sent him into his fields to feed swine. Of all creatures the most nasty and filthy, these must he serve, and none but these: his whole service was to be base, and therefore he is sent into the fields to perform it; any household-service and home-service (though mean) had been tolerable. Another, in the nothingness of his reward or wages; he did the basest service, and without the least husk of payment: for it follows in vers. 16. That he fain would have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. If he had had any thing afforded, either to have nourished, or to have procured nourishment, though it had been but mean, nay the meanest; but to have nothing at all, for the sordidest service of all; yet this was the fruit of his sinful design, that he was set upon a most base work, and without any profit or relief at all; whence I conjecture we may observe this ¹second conclusion, That the further men go on in sin, the worse work they shall find it to prove. You see it a manifest truth here in the Prodigal, his sin drew down his penury; notwithstanding this, he proceeds to his sins, and now he is sent to the Swine, &c. For the better opening of this Assertion, premise with me some few particulars.

And he sent him into his fields to feed Swine] You have heard of the Prodigals design under his misery to relieve himself; he did not return to his father, but joined himself to a citizen of a far country. Now yee are to hear of the success of this design, how much it mended his poor and famished condition, viz. nothing at all; and that will appear in two particulars: One in the basestness of his service. That citizen sent him into his fields to feed swine. Of all creatures the most nasty and filthy, these must he serve, and none but these: his whole service was to be base, and therefore he is sent into the fields to perform it; any houshold-service and homeservice (though mean) had been tolerable. Another, in the nothingness of his reward or wages; he did the basest service, and without the least husk of paiment: for it follows in vers. 16. That he fain would have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. If he had had any thing afforded, either to have nourished, or to have procured nourishment, though it had been but mean, nay the meanest; but to have nothing at all, for the fordidest service of all; yet this was the fruit of his sinful design, that he was set upon a most base work, and without any profit or relief at all; whence I conjecture we may ohserve this