A92856:676
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.
Now I would say six things to this great sinner. 1. Great 1sinnings should be reasons of great humblings, but they should never be the causes and helps of unbelief. Grandia delicta, fletus grands. Because thou hast found an heart which could sin exceedingly, beseech God to give thee an heart to mourn exceedingly; and think not, that God cannot do much good, because thou hast done much evil. 2. Great sinnings should work a self-despair, but they should never work a God-despair. Great sinnings show 2a great fullness of sin, which cannot be overcome, but by a great God. Thou art a great sinner, but God is a great God; there is no sinner like to thee, and there is no God like to him: ⟨p. 286⟩He is great in power, (if he were not able to convert a great sinner, he were not great in power;) and he is great in mercy and love, (he were not great in mercy to pardon, nor great in love to save, if he did not pardon great sinners, and convert great sinners:) Therefore, as the least sinner should despair of his own power, so no sinner, no not the greatest, should despair of Gods power. 3. God hath converted great sinners. Usually, 3the sinners whom God hath converted, they have been of the greatest rank of sinners: He hath passed by many an hundred civil righteous persons, and his converting Grace hath laid hold on the notorious sinner. Thou art not the first Idolater, the first Thief, the first Whore, the first Adulterer, the first Drunkard, the first Swearer, the first Sodomite, the first Persecutor, the first Unbeliever and refuser of Grace, that Divine Grace hath assayed and converted: They had no more power to contribute towards their conversion; there was no more reason in them to move the Lord to look upon them, than there is in thy self; yet God did convert them. 4. Though a person can say, 4that God hath not hitherto converted him; yet no sinner (living under the means of Grace) can safely say, that God will never convert him: For no sinner can know his eternal Reprobation, this is a secret counsel which is reserved in the bosom of God; can know the season, the very designed season when God will convert him; for the Lord reserves the power of conversion, and the season of conversion to himself; he converts some at one time, some at another: God never revealed to any man, that at such a time, at such an hour he would convert him;