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

4. That an Unconverted man is a mad man, he is besides himself. Sin bereaves the sinner of the right use of reason, and he ¹never comes to be sober, to be himself, until he doth repent; whatsoever fury of spirit, wildness of fancies, rendings of clothes, tearings of bonds, untameableness, ragings, inconsiderations, are extant in madness, the same are to be found in a mere sinful heart and life: all these propositions are observable and useful, but that which I intend to insist on, is this:

4. That an Ʋnconverted man is a mad man, he is besides himself. Sin bereavs the sinner of the right use of reason, and he ¹never comes to be sober, to be himself, until he doth repent; whatsoever fury of spirit, wildness of fancies, rendings of cloaths, tearings of bonds, untameableness, ragings, inconsiderations, are extant in madness, the same are to be found in a meer sinful heart and life: all these propositions are observable and useful, but that which I intend to insist on, is this:

1. 1An Unconverted man, is a mad-man.

That a serious Consideration, and the right Comparison of the miserable ¹estate of a sinful Condition, with the happy estate of a Converted condition, are the prime steps and occasions of a true and speedy Repentance. For the Explication of this point, I must open some particulars; 1. Concerning a Serious Consideration of a Sinful Condition: It is an Intentive work of the Judgment, wherein it doth narrowly and diligently meditate on the whole estate of sin. It is called in Scripture, a remembering of our ways; and sometimes a bethinking of our selves, and a seeing what we have done, a pondering of our paths. It is opposed not only to Ignorance and Nescience, but also to Negligence; yea, to rashness and suddenness; and indeed it is a very deep searching, and minding, and weighing of matters: When a man sits down and museth, so that his mind and thoughts are throughly employed, he makes it a special business, he bends all his strength rightly to inform himself, to bring himself to a right understanding of his estate; this is a proper consideration. There be two kinds of thoughts and mindings: some are only Intuitive; they are but the cast of the eye, a glancing, lightning motion. Others are Discursive, fully searching; the mind in them doth throughly insist on the Natures, Kinds, Circumstances, Occurrences and Issues of things, it is taken up with it as a business. The serious consideration of a mans sinfulness, falls into this latter; it is not a confused work, or a light overly sight of sin, it is a settled and deep pondering of the estate in the Qualities, Acts and Fruits of it; Nature, Number, Circumstances, Danger: v. g. When I seriously consider of my sinful estate, I reflect on my self, what kind of life I lead, what are those qualities, what those ways which I find and walk in: my Thoughts, my Affections, my Speeches have been thus; and thus my actions, and thus my course of Life. I have many bonds upon me to serve the Lord, and not to sin against him; but, Wretch that I am, I see all my ways (which I took for pleasures and profits) have been sinful and vile.