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

3. He is not married to Christ; his league with sin and satan was never broken, he was never dead to the law that he might be united to a Saviour: How should there be a marriage feast without a marriage? Christ indeed hath wooed him; but he never gave his consent, nor will leave playing the harlot with other lovers; never embraced that call, Jer. 3. 2. […]

3. He is not married to Christ; his league with sin and satan was never broken, he was never dead to the law that he might be united to a Saviour: How should there be a marriage feast without a marriage? Christ indeed hath woed him; but he never gave his consent, nor will leave playing the harlot with other lovers; never embraced that call, Jer. 3. 2. 〈…〉

4. He never was a conqueror over his lusts, nor got victory upon his corruptions; but remains a slave of sin and satan, led about at his pleasure, and serving divers lusts: Sin rules him, his Chains were never knocked off, nor his prison doors broken open, but he lives under the power and condemnation of sin.

4. He never was a conquerour over his lusts, nor got victory upon his corruptions; but remains a slave of sin and satan, led about at his pleasure, and serving divers lusts: Sin rules him, his Chains were never knockt off, nor his prison doors broken open, but he lives under the power and condemnation of sin.

5. He hath brought forth no fruit to God, or to his own souls comfort; is a dry heath and barren ground, a fig tree, which if it have the leaves of a profession, yet hath no fruit of sanctification; a vine, which if it bear any grapes, they are sower wild grapes; a fig-tree long waited on for fruit, and ready for that sentence, Cut it down, why cumbers it the ground,