N00302:419
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. Concerning the nature of this work, or what it is for a Soul to be sensibly perishing with hunger, and how he is brought unto this sense, observe; The Spirit of God raiseth in him a manifest and irresistible conviction of three things, which laid together do reduce him to this exigency or distress; and all this is the work of the Spirit in the means, for; all mens conditions being really one and the same by nature, why else should not all that enjoy the same means of Conviction, be alike apprehensive of it, but the spirit imprints it upon some and not others? Now the things are these;
1. Concerning the nature of this work, or what it is for a Soul to be sensibly perishing with hunger, and how he is brought unto this sense, observe; The Spirit of God raiseth in him a manifest and irresistable conviction of three things, which laid together do reduce him to this exigency or distress; and all this is the work of the Spirit in the means, for; all mens conditions being really one and the same by nature, why else should not all that enjoy the same means of Conviction, be alike apprehensive of it, but the spirit imprints it upon some and not others? Now the things are these;
1, He kindles in him an eager and pinching hunger: note that besides that spiritual and gracious hunger of the Soul after righteousness mentioned, Mat. 5.6. there is also a preparatory hunger, which is oppressive to, and grievously distresseth the soul, see Isai. 65.13. My Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry: Now this hunger is made up of these two things, Viz.