N00302:274
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.
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.
USE, 1. Here we have one reason why it is oftentimes so long after notable convictions of misery, before many are truly brought home to God: why the convinced sinner hath many courses to try, he sots his wit and invention to work, and though he hath lost his estate, lost the worlds favour, yet he hath his fingers ends; if he have it not in himself, yet notwithstanding he may earn it by his industry: Proud man is loth to come upon his knees, he is not willing to turn beggar; he may be stung with Conviction, and yet not killed with despair, he may be at some loss, and not a lost creature in his own apprehension; he hath some hopes ⟨p. 112⟩that he may shift, and if he can catch at any straw, he will not swim to the Ark; nay, never expect as long as men have any project of their own, that ever they will come to God: And hence the Scripture speaks of going from mountain to hill, Jer. 50. 6.
USE, 2. To teach us what is to be done to and with such as are under these convictions: they are not yet fit for Christ, not persuadable to go to him; no, but they must be yet driven farther; they must have their hands knocked off from every hold, and yet fall into the ocean of distress, before they will look to the Temple: our endeavouring therefore, and our prayers must be, that they may be shaken out of all: a despairing soul is, though a sad, yet an encouraging sight, there is then hope,