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

Name: Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or A brief discourse, wherein Christs parable of…
Author: Samuel Willard

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]

Samuel Willard 1640–1707printed by Samuel Green for Samuel Philips, 1684

[6], 391, [1] p. ; 15 cm. · 87k words · Evans 379 · Wing W2285

Title page typeset from the transcription.

Mercy Magnified ON A PENITENT Prodigal. › Sermon 21 › DOCT. The compassion of God is the only moving cause prompting him…: DOCT. The compassion of God is the only moving cause prompting him to show favour to a…Mercy Magnified ON A PENITENT Prodigal. › Sermon 21 › DOCT. The compassion of God is the only moving cause prompting him…: DOCT. The compassion of God is the only moving cause prompting him to shew favour to a…

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.

[ Earlier:741–756 of 949

:741p. 299¶1

1. The object of compassion is a miserable thing: A creature brought into distress, groaning under his misery, and standing in need of his succour: Such an one is the sinner: he is one famishing, and ready to die; he is the forlorn creature, a miserable wretch, going without hope to the pit; an helpless creature, whom no created being can relieve and rid of his misery, he is both poor and perishing, as we before heard.

1. The object of compassion is a miserable thing: A creature brought into distress, groaning under his misery, and standing in need of his succour: Such an one is the sinner: he is one famishing, and ready to dy; he is the forlorn creature, a miserable wretch, going without hope to the pit; an helpless creature, whom no created being can relieve and rid of his misery, he is both poor and perishing, as we before heard.

:742p. 300¶2

2. The affections which go into compassion are two,

:743p. 300¶1

1. Grief; whereby the mind is moved and troubled at the creatures misery: the sight of it oppresseth the heart, when he sees it; he cannot tell how to bear the sight of it; hence also often proceed sighs and tears of pity over the object. Thus, God also (speaking in our dialect) seeing poor Sinners in their misery, expresseth himself like one whose heart is ready to burst, Hos. 11.8. How shall I give thee up? how shall I deliver thee? my heart is turned; my repentings are kindled. And after like manner, Jer. 31.20. in this grief also we are wont to be troubled at our selves if we have done any thing to bring the creature into such a miserable condition, and hence we relent, and repent; and so God also speaks of himself, in the forecited,

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