A92856:700
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.
Is there an almighty power required to convert a sinner, 1as great a power as to make a dead man alive? how 2may this humble all our thoughts, and all our hearts! you may judg of the depth of the disease, by the breadth of the Remedy; so may we of the greatness of our fall, by the greatness of the power which is required to raise us up. O who can utter the sinfulness of a sinner! who of us would believe that there is so great a strength in one of his sins! that all the powers in heaven and earth (less then Gods) are not able, are not sufficient to turn his heart from it! That one lust of Pride, that one lust of Uncleanness, that one lust of Covetousness, that one lust of vain-Glory, &c. is too strong for thee, and it is too strong for all the men on earth, and it is too strong for all the Angels in heaven. ⟨p. 300⟩Though one pulls and the other pulls, and all of them pull together, they cannot pull it from thy heart, nor thy heart from it: you read in 2 Kings 4. 31. that Gehazi went before Elisha and laid the staff upon the face of the Child, but there was neither voice, nor hearing; wherefore he went again to meet Elisha, and told him saying, The child is not awaked: Why! thus it is with thy heart under all the means of life and Grace; they may all turn back to God and say, This sinner is not yet awakened, he is not yet turned; The word of God may say, I cannot with all my Instructions, with all my Reproofs, with all my Exhortations convert him: nor can I, saith Conscience; nor I, saith Affliction; nor I, saith the Minister; nor I, saith the Father. The proud Pelagians, Papists, Arminians dream in this Point of a sleeper, but think not of a death; they talk of a prison, and opening the door, but think not of the chains wherewith the prisoner is bound and fettered: they talk of a Counsellor, but forget the Physician; they write, as if a sinner were to be converted with Logic and Rhetoric; but alas! if any word converts a sinner, it must be an almighty word; God must quicken, as well as call; God must heal, as well as speak; God must work as a God, or else the sinner will remain an eternal sinner.
Is there an almighty power required to convert a sinner,