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

USE, 1. For Information hence learn,

1. That they make more hast than good speed, that are great Professors of Faith in Christ, before ever they were made throughly sensible of their own misery. A Faith that antedates Conviction may justly be suspected: He that never knew his own distress, never went to Christ as a Saviour. There are indeed divers steps from this conviction to true conversion, but yet this is one step from natural security, and usually the first: Though a man cannot see sin sinful (which is the true conviction of sin) but by an eye of faith, yet, by the common work of Illumination, he may see the woeful estate of it. God, like a wise builder, digs for a foundation, before he lays it. Conviction of misery is not our foundation, Christ is the only foundation, Faith is that which only builds us upon him; but by Conviction, the loose and unstable earth is removed, the false and failing hopes of men are dug up. God is not wont to give hope, before he hath brought the soul to despair; he applies ⟨p. 103⟩not comforts antecedent to conviction. It may therefore put us upon it to enquire whether ever it were thus: It may be now you are rich in your own conceit, like Laodicea, but did you ever know your selves to be poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked? if not your riches are but a fancy, and your hopes are empty.

1. That they make more hast than good speed, that are great Professors of Faith in Christ, before ever they were made throughly sensible of their own misery. A Faith that antedates Conviction may justly be suspected: He that never knew his own distress, never went to Christ as a Saviour. There are indeed divers steps from this conviction to true conversion, but yet this is one step from natural security, and usually the first: Though a man cannot see sin sinful (which is the true conviction of sin) but by an eye of faith, yet, by the common work of Illumination, he may see the woful estate of it. God, like a wise builder, digs for a foundation, before he layes it. Conviction of misery is not our foundation, Christ is the only foundation, Faith is that which only builds us upon him; but by Conviction, the loose and unstable earth is removed, the false and failing hopes of men are dug up. God is not wont to give hope, before he hath brought the soul to despair; he applyes