A92856:604
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.
3. If God hath indeed found thee, Thou wilt, above all 1things, desire to be found in Christ. The found soul presently finds a need of Christ, Paul, as soon as mercy found him, would by no means be found in himself, but by all means be found in Christ; That I may be found in him, saith Paul, Phil. 3. 9. There was a Nobleman (one Elyearius) who was supposed to be lost, and his Lady sent up and down to find him; One at length meets with him, and tells him how solicitous his Wife was to find him out; O (answered he) commend me to my Wife, and tell her, That if she desires to find me, she must look for me in the heart of Jesus Christ, for there only am I to be found. And verily, there is no poor soul, whom God is finding and bringing home to himself, on whom he hath imprinted a true sense of his lostness, but presently the soul cries out, What shall I do? what shall I do to be saved? O that I might have Christ! and O that I might be found in Jesus Christ! Remember two things: 1. That the Lord will bring back to himself no soul, but by Jesus Christ: Christ is the sinners way to the Father; he is the door by which you are admitted: If ever the Lord casts an eye on thee, or take thee by the hand, it is for his Christ's sake. 2. A lost soul, which is found, finds an absolute need of Jesus Christ: Nothing out of Christ can make peace, can justify, can reconcile, can set us straight, can make us accepted. Had I all other things, and had not Christ, I were still a lost person: Had I the righteousness of Angels, yet if I had not Christ, I were lost; could I mourn, could I repent, could I pray, could I live holily, could I walk exactly, yet I am lost; I am still lost, until I get into Christ. I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. God will look on me as my Judge, he will look on me as his enemy, he will not own me as a Father, as a reconciled Father, but in Christ.
3. If God hath indeed found thee, Thou wilt, above all 1things, desire to be found in Christ. The found soul presently finds a need of Christ, Paul, as soon as mercy found him, would by no means be found in himself, but by all means be found in Christ; That I may be found in him, saith Paul,