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 3 › DOCT. God sometime grants wicked men large Portions of common favou…: DOCT. God sometime grants wicked men large Portions of common favours, and lea•vs them…

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:94–109 of 949

:94p. 33¶1

1. That they do abuse them is manifest, by the evil improvement which they make of them: Observe but what course men of greatest advantages do usually steer in this world; doth not all drive at the advancing of the interest of Satan's Kingdom, and not of Christs? And how few great men improve their power for his Glory? the most do it for his dishonour; hear the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1. 16. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, &c. These carnal things for the most part serve but to strengthen the enmity of the heart against God; poor, weak, and base things are they which for the most part follow Christ:

1. That they do abuse them is manifest, by the evil improvement which they make of them: Observe but what course men of greatest advantages do usually steer in this world; doth not all drive at the advancing of the interest of Satans Kingdom, and not of Christs? And how few great men improve their power for his Glory? the most do it for his dishonour; hear the Apostle, 1 Cor. 1. 16. Not many wisemen after the flesh, not many mighty, &c. These carnal things for the most part serve but to strengthen the enmity of the heart against God; poor, weak, and base things are they which for the most part follow Christ:

:95p. 33¶2

2. Gods leaving them thus to do discovers it self in three things.

:96p. 33–34¶1

1. His withholding his spirit, and not affording to them his renewing or assisting Grace, without which no man can improve any thing to the Glory of God. When God doth not give a man an heart to be for him, he thereby leaves him to himself, and it is a Judgment; Moses bewails it,

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