N00302:478
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. They had gone away from him, and wasted all in riot, as thou hast done: What a Prodigal was Manasseh? how miserably had he run himself out? yet he obtained favour: What a great sinner had Paul been? yet he was accepted,
3. They were such as had as little to plead for themselves as thou hast: They had nothing to plead but mercy, condescending mercy, undeserved mercy: they had no more to say for themselves than the poor publican had, Lord have mercy on me a sinner. For themselves; or of themselves, all they could say, was only to make this poor Prodigal's acknowledgement, vers. 19. and yet were not rejected, but found mercy.
3. They were such as had as little to plead for themselves as thou hast: They had nothing to plead but mercy, condescending mercy, undeserved mercy: they had no more to say for themselves than the poor publican had, Lord have mercy on me a sinner. For themselves; or of themselves, all they could say, was only to make this poor Prodigal's acknowledgment, vers. 19. and yet were not rejected, but found mercy.
3. Consider what relentings there are in the hearts of men, especial of Parents towards their Children: for, that is the scope of the Parable, to argue from the less to the greater; q. d. If a father can have so much mercy, a poor man, that hath but a little kindness, a little pity with him, what may we hope then that God will do? Can a Prodigal so argue from his fathers bounty, and encourage himself by it? how much more a poor guilty sinner from the bounty of God, with whom are everlasting mercies?
3. Consider what relentings there are in the hearts of men, especiall of Parents towards their Children: for, that is the scope of the Parable, to argue from the less to the greater; q. d. If a father can have so much mercy, a poor man, that hath but a little kindness, a little pitty with him, what may we hope then that God will do? Can a Prodigal so argue from his fathers bounty, and encourage himself by it? how much more a poor guilty sinner from the bounty of God, with whom are everlasting mercies?