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

1. He reckons upon them to be his own: the Son claims a Portion as due to him, he pretends such a right thereto as by the rule of equity ⟨p. 24⟩he may challenge, and though upon Sovereignty he may withhold it, yet he deems it injustice if he deny him: Thus, whatsoever God is pleased to do for sinful men, they are so far from acknowledging his immerited beneficence therein, that they account it a debt. I know there is something Connectively or Hypothetically belongs to the Creature, but still the whole depends upon God's good pleasure. If God will have such a Creature, serve to such an end, there must be a capacity and suitableness put in to it unto this service and end, else it can never reach it, but all this is only Hypothetical, for God properly owes to the creature neither its being nor its end: & yet vain man thinks he holds all in capite, that he is a natural and rightful heir to all the Wit, Wisdom, Wealth, &c. that he hath. Thus Nebuchadnezzar, boasts of his Babylon, he made it, and for his glory, Dan. 4.30. and thus they, Psal. 12. 4. Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? Reason for this there is none, for if men knew themselves, or would eye the work of Creation and Providence, they would find full conviction of their low & depending estate, and deep obligations unto God for distinguishing undeserved favours: But the Reason of it is from the pride which is in the heart of man, and hath been there ever since he aspired to be as God, whence he doth not willingly acknowledge any subordination ⟨p. 25⟩or dependence; and is so far from owning of that condition which Creation placed him in, viz. of a subordinate depending Creature, that he counts himself a Lord, and beholden to none, much less then will he yield the merit of that miserable state which sin hath reduced him unto, in which all the subordinate Covenant-right, whatever it was which before the fatal Apostasy he had, is forfeited. And that men do thus account of these things appears in this one invincible Demonstration; viz. That as they do not thank God for these things, so neither do they aim higher than at themselves in the improvement of them. Have natural men Wit, Wealth, &c. they seek their own glory and not God's: Thus did Herod,