N00302:574
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. None but the humble soul can expect acceptance with God: He sees the proud afar off, but the humble he will exalt: When you lie lowest, you are nearest the height of happiness: it is from the dungeon, from the lowest pit, that Christ fetcheth those whom he makes him Nobles; it is the meek he will teach his way.
1. None but the humble soul can expect acceptance with God: He sees the proud afar off, but the humble he will exalt: When you ly lowest, you are nearest the height of happiness: it is from the dungeon, from the lowest pit, that Christ fetcheth those whom he makes him Nobles; it is the meek he will teach his way.
2. None but the humble soul takes a right scantling of himself: this man only is he that knows himself: and we can never know God aright in the Covenant of his Grace, till we have a right apprehension, of our selves. Now that you may clearly understand your own unworthiness. Consider,
1. That you have never done any thing in all your lives, that can render you worthy in God's account: the Godly themselves must ⟨p. 243⟩say of all they do, they are unprofitable, Luk. 17. 10. The best deeds of sanctified men call for forgiveness; yea, for the merits of Christ to render them acceptable unto God, which makes them so far from boasting, that it puts them upon it to ask forgiveness. According to the first Covenant, those works were accounted worthy of acceptance and reward, whereby God was glorified in perfect obedience; wherein the heart and life were exactly conformed to the mind of the Law of God, that was given man for his rule; but since the fall, the best of men cannot thus do: And as for thee, thou hast been a sinner, how justly mayest thou take that to thy self, which the Prophet charged that wicked King withal?