N00302:568
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. He is really taken off from all confidence in himself: he now dares to rest no longer upon any thing that is his, whether of nature or grace, to give him favour with God, and plead for him in his presence. He now dares not to rely upon his duties, though done with never so much seriousness and sincerity; no, they are Loss, Dung, Rags to him; they are not to be trusted in, or accounted of.
2. He is taken off from exalting himself, ⟨p. 240⟩and his own duties: all self conceits are beaten down; and his business is to undermine them, and undervalue them; he denies himself, this is true humility, Mat. 16. 24. He despiseth his own services, they are nothing, nor is he ever she more worthy for them.
3. He comes before God with self-abhorrence: comes not as a proud man, that thinks he comes for nothing but what he may expect and challenge, and it will be an affront to deny it him, as they did, Isa. 58. 3. No, but he lays all his excellencies, and all his moralities, and all his good duties in the dust, under God's feet, and acknowledgeth that he may, if he sees meet, trample upon them, and do him no wrong, Job 42. 6. If he had thought a thought or spoken a word in defence of his own worth or deserving, he loathes himself for that word or thought; he eats it again, and professeth he will speak no more, and condemns himself for what he hath spoken already.