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

2. The matter which it is conversant about, is such things as nearly concern us: It is every ones work to look to the concerns of his own ⟨p. 160⟩soul; if thou be wise, be wise for thy self. Our conversion is not advanced in being busy in other mens matters, but in our own, thy ways, and thy doings, is that which the Scripture directs us to be thinking of.

2. The matter which it is conversant about, is such things as nearly concern us: It is every ones work to look to the concerns of his own ⟨p. 160⟩soul; if thou be wise, be wise for thy self. Our conversion is not advanced in being busy in other mens matters, but in our own, thy wayes, and thy doings, is that which the Scripture directs us to be thinking of.

3. That which gives weight to these things within us, is that we give credit to them; If we do not believe the things, they will be of no moment in our consideration; many a man hears weighty and seasonable truths spoken in the ordinances, but he believes them not, and so rejecteth them: Truth must be believed before it can be improved: Hence that Psal 106. 24. They despised the pleasant land: they believed not his word.

4. The improvement of it, is to draw useful practical conclusions from it. All truths lead to practice; and that consideration that issues not here is fruitless: The work of consideration is to say, what have I done, or what have I to do, if these things be thus or so? Now, till the soul comes unto this, it is not so much as in the way to conversion; for, though the spirit draws, yet the soul follows, and that not as a blind or dead thing, but as it is affected or persuaded by the efficacy of that which leads it sweetly after, and whereof it can give an account, and render a reason for what it doth: Thus Lydia's heart was touched, and she hearkened &c, Thus the Prodigal, comes to himself,