Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or A brief discourse, wherein Christs parable of…

3 That every unregenerate man is in the high road way to misery. The young man while he lives high upon his Stock, is bringing it apace to that bottom, it is wasting. The common favours of God are of a spending nature, and, if laid out upon mens lusts, will quickly be gone, and come to nothing: There is nothing but saving grace that will increase by the expense, every thing else wears out and decays: If you see a man giving up the rains to his corruptions, and pleasing himself in his vain and ⟨p. 71⟩profligate courses, you may easily read that man's misery in his life.

3 That every unregenerate man is in the high road way to misery. The young man while he lives high upon his Stock, is bringing it apace to that bottom, it is wasting. The common favours of God are of a spending nature, and, if laid out upon mens lusts, will quickly be gone, and come to nothing: There is nothing but saving grace that will encrease by the expence, every thing else wears out and decayes: If you see a man giving up the rains to his cor•uptions, and pleasing himself in his vain and ⟨p. 71⟩profligate courses, you may easily read that man's misery in his life.

4. That man himself is the blameable cause of his own undoing. The young man may thank himself if he hath nothing left him to live upon, his own prodigal wasting brought his Estate to ruin. I am far from their opinion, who think that a natural man, by his improvement of his best gifts, abilities, opportunities, can lay any engagement upon God to give him saving grace; but this is certain, that God will charge upon sinful man every abuse of any part of his goodness, and this shall leave him without excuse: that men spend their time, and strength, and estates in the service of sin, shall bring them under great condemnation in the last day,