N00302:747
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. Love; for without love there can be no compassion: hatred is inexorable; it• rejoiceth and triumpheth in the misery of its enemy; and the more miserable it sees him, the more it can rejoice in it: but compassion argues good will: hence God useth such expressions concerning Ephraim, Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleasant Child? &c.
2. Love; for without love there can be no compassion: hatred is inexorable; it• rejoyceth and triumpheth in the misery of its enemy; and the more miserable it sees him, the more it can rejoyce in it: but compassion argues good will: hence God useth such expressions concerning Ephraim, Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleasant Child? &c.
3. The natural operation of this affection in us, is to stir us up to do what we can for ⟨p. 301⟩the succour of the person thus in misery. If we do indeed throughly pity the condition of one that is in sorrow, we cannot sit still: this affection will hale men to action, they will certainly afford the best help they can: thus God by virtue of this compassion of his, succours, saves, delivers the Sinner, frees him from misery, restoreth him to a better state, this affection sets him on work, Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him.
3. The natural operation of this affection in us, is to stir us up to do what we can for ⟨p. 301⟩