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

4. He will turn it off upon those that were his Tempters; they solicited me, persuaded me, drew me in: This Adam lays the fault ⟨p. 221⟩upon the Woman, and she upon the Serpent; and thus men are oft ready to say, I may thank such an one, who drew me in, who would not let me alone, but followed me, and prevailed upon me with importunity; if it had not been for him, I had not been drawn away.

4. He will turn it off upon those that were his Tempters; they sollicited me, perswaded me, drew me in: This Adam layes the fault ⟨p. 221⟩upon the Woman, and she upon the Serpent; and thus men are oft ready to say, I may thank such an one, who drew me in, who would not let me alone, but followed me, and prevailed upon me with importunity; if it had not been for him, I had not been drawn away.

5. He will excuse and mince it with all diminutive circumstances, to make it look like a very little fault, as, 1. He did it ignorantly, he knew no sin there was in it but, thought that he had done well enough: Thus Saul excuseth himself for sacrificing, 1 Sam. 13. 11, 12. 2. He did but follow his natural inclination, it was, at worst, but a trick of youth, &c. 3. It was no great matter, a thing of no great consequence, and others frequently do the like. 4. He was provoked to it; yea, had many great provocations which bare him down. These, and many the like excuses, the corrupt heart of man is ready to frame: But when God sets sin home upon the soul with the right conception of it, he then lays the blame upon himself, and that with greatest aggravation, in which,

5. He will excuse and mince it with all deminutive circumstances, to make it look like a very little fault, as, 1. He did it ignorantly, he knew no sin there was in it but, thought that he had done well enough: Thus Saul excuseth himself for sacrificing,