A92856:574
The parable of the prodigal. Containing, The riotous prodigal, or The sinners aversion from…
The parable of the prodigal. Containing, The riotous prodigal, or The sinners aversion from God. Returning prodigal, or The penitents conversion to God. Prodigals acceptation, or Favourable entertainment with God. Delivered in divers sermons on Luke 15. from vers. 11. to vers. 24. By that faithful servant of Jesus Christ Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and perused by those whom he entrusted with the publishing of his works.The parable of the prodigal. Containing, The riotous prodigal, or The sinners aversion from God. Returning prodigal, or The penitents conversion to God. Prodigals acceptation, or Favourable entertainment with God. Delivered in divers sermons on Luke 15. from vers. 11. to vers. 24. By that faithfull servant of Jesus Christ Obadiah Sedgwick, B.D. Perfected by himself, and perused by those whom he intrusted with the publishing of his works.
London: printed by D. Maxwel for Sa. Gellibrand, 1660
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But secondly, If any of you take your selves to be penitents, I beseech you then, let us carefully show it by our lives and ⟨p. 231⟩conversations. Consider to this purpose, 1. If there be truth of 1Repentance, there will be newness of Conversation: A monstrous thing to see a man start up and walk with his Coffin and Gravecloaths. If it be light it will shine, and if it be fire it will heat, and if it be salt it will season; if thy heart be purged indeed, thy life will also be reformed indeed. If ye have been taught as the 2truth is in Jesus: put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man. 2. The Lord Jesus hath purchased thy Life as well as thy Soul, and redeemed thy Conversation as well as thy Nature; 3He did dye not only to recover thy inward Man, but also to cure thy outward Man; that as thy Heart should not be profane, so thy Conversation should not be vain: Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, that we should no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh, 1 Pet. 4. 1, 2. Christ hath dyed for thee, that now thou shouldst live unto him. 3. The honour of Religion lies upon thy 4Life: Thy heart may be a secret, a closet of much good or evil, we leave it to the Searcher of hearts; but thy life is a public Letter, an audible Voice, a common Object: The profession of truth and holiness is an honourable thing in it self, but a good and answerable Conversation adds and reflects a greater honour to it. As the Heaven is a beautiful Creature, but it is the more beautified by the shining of the Stars: So is it with Religion, it is an Excellency in it self, and is made the more excellent by an excellent Conversation. But a lewd, rude, foolish, boisterous, incongruous, fowl, uneven, evil life, makes Religion to look like Gold in the dirt, or like a Jewel in a Swines snout, or like Beauty in a Whore. It is the very scandal of Religion, and as a death verse upon an holy profession: What is it, that thou now and then fillest the eyes of men with a little gravity, and the ears of men with a little piety, when still thou, by thy wicked life, arms the hearts of men to scorn, and the tongues of men to blaspheme the Name of God and Professors? The more pretence thou hast to repentance, the more odious art thou, by thy impenitent life, to the profession thereof.