N00302:273
Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or A brief discourse, wherein Christs parable of…
Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or A brief discourse, wherein Christs parable of the lost son found, is opened and applied, as it was delivered in sundry sermons, / by Samuel Willard teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Two lines from Luke]
printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Philips, 1684
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.
1. From the pride of heart which is in natural men: There is a proud shame (as I may call it) when a man knowing that he hath ill deserved at the hands of God, and greatly provoked him to anger by sinful departing from him, whereby he hath become his own undoer, is now ashamed to come in God's sight, such was in our first Parents upon their Apostasy, Gen. 3. 10. Man is ashamed, i.e. in truth he is too proud to take that shame to himself, ⟨p. 111⟩which he must, if ever he hope to find acceptance.
1. From the pride of heart which is in natural men: There is a proud shame (as I may call it) when a man knowing that he hath ill deserved at the hands of God, and greatly provoked him to anger by sinful departing from him, whereby he hath become his own undoer, is now ashamed to come in God's sight, such was in our first Parents upon their Apostacy, Gen. 3. 10. Man is ashamed, i.e. in truth he is too proud to take that shame to himself, ⟨p. 111⟩which he must, if ever he hope to find acceptance.
2. Because his former Conviction hath not taken away all his hopes; nay, although he feels his misery, & is convinced that the worlds help fails him, and will not supply him voluntarily, yet he hopes that he may do something whereby he may help himself. The young man thought if he could but put himself out to service, he might be in a way to earn a living; so convinced sinners hope they may, by their own pains taking, get some ease, some relief; and if they can but make and shift to silence conscience, or cheat their own souls, so that their present terrors need not to make them afraid, they are satisfied.