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

Sol. The reasons are most of them insinuated already; I will either express them again, or add more to them: thus then. 1. Conversion necessarily infers an alteration in the whole man: Though it doth not destroy Substances, yet it changeth Qualities; of unholy, ¹it makes us holy; of ignorant, knowing; of filthy, clean; of obstinate, flexible; of unquiet, meek; of proud and lofty, humble and lowly; therefore penitent persons, who are converted persons, must needs be lowly, ex natura rei; this is forcible. 2. They never did experimentally know themselves till they began to repent: Sin was but a delight, or a mock, or a mere discourse ²unto them before; the vileness of it, the contagious pollution of it, the stinging guilt of it, the terrible effects of it, both in respect of God and themselves, they never saw it till now; they see that of sin which they saw not before, both for the filth and the guilt of it; and they see it with other eyes then they saw it before; no marvel then that they become low in their own eyes. Should they not be very vile in their own eyes, who perceive themselves guilty of that which is most and only vile in Gods? I have sinned what shall I say unto thee, O thou preserver of men? 3. They never saw till now how short they came in that good of duty ³which they owe to God, and how unanswerable they are to the many bonds of obedience: I have done nothing for ⁴God all my days, nor to him in any Service and Honour. ⟨p. 125⟩They never knew till now how injurious they have been unto God, to the kindness of his Love, to the counsel of his Spirit, ⁵to the righteousness of his Will; how unworthily and stubbornly they have resisted, despised him, abused all his mercies: Thus for the Explication of the point. Now for the Application of it to our selves; Doth true Repentance produce humble lowliness of Spirit, then let us reflect on our own hearts, and judge what solidity ⁶