vs eat and be merry Vers. 24. For this my sonne was dead and is aliue againe and hee was lost but he is found and they beegan to be meery My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Parable may properlie bee called A mirrour of Mercy for in it the Lord laieth opeÌ„ vnto vs the bowels of his fatherly loue and compassion toward penitent sinners hee proclaimed once by word his name to Moses The Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in mercy and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgressions and sins By many proofes sensiue hath hee declared it heere most clearly he shadowes it Setting downe to vs one a most miserable sinner worthy to bee condemned yet vpon his repentance gratiously pardoned for an example of the like mercy to bee shewed vnto all who after this manner repenting of their sins shall returne vnto the Lord their God To this purpose hath our Sauior deliliuered before two Parables One of the wandring sheepe an other of the lost peece of mony and now hee adioynes the third of the Prodigall child It is not without great cause that our Sauior takes such paines to confirme vs in this point For it is a difficill thing yea a supernaturall worke to perswade a guilty sinner of Gods mercy the reason is because the law which threatens a curse against the transgressors of her commandements is naturally written in euery mans heart and the sentence of death due to sinne by capital letters is grauen in the conscience so that it is true of all sinners which the Apostle speaketh of one sort that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as haue within themselues against themselues pronounced a ditty of damnation and euery man may feele in himselfe a conscience armed not vn like that Cherubin with a sword of wrath shaking against him and telling him that his sinne hath made him vnworthy to enter in the paradise of God Whereof it comes to passe that miserable man abiding vnder the bondage of sinful nature perisheth in one of these two fearfull sickenesses of the soule atheisme or desperation The first is a most dangerous and deadly disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and opens a dore to all kind of impiety for what wickednesse will not that man commit who beeing blinded by the deceit of sinne is brought to thinke there is no God nor iudgement to come But against this dangerous and deuouring poison the Lord hath prouided most effectuall Antidots for besides the works and the word of God w ch cry out that there is a God hee preserueth euen in the most corrupt conscience such a light as forces the deepest contemner to feare that same God-head which he denies and so proues it true in all Atheists which Cicero spake of one Metrodorus Nec quenqnam vidi qui magis ea timeret quae timenda esse negaret I neuer saw any more feared for which he said was not to be feared at all And thus the Atheist being wakened out of the sound sleep of Atheisme and brought to some sense and feare of a Diuinitie is incontiuent sore oppressed with the other euill of desperation for the first thing that a guilty soule apprehends in God is iudgement and wrath the conscience sending out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accusing cogitatioÌ„s which conclude within theÌ„ against themselues a condemnatory sentence and in this hee that hath escaped the first shall not faile to perish if â— doore of mercy be not opened vnto him And heere againe many are deceiued by presumption who thinke the way of mercy plaine easie well enough known and that they are sure they haue it But alas they flatter themselues with a conceit of it who had neuer the certainty of it All haue no faith who speake of it Many are called few are chosen The kingdome of heauen suffers violence If Adam after one transgression ran away from the Lord afraid at his voice and preseÌ„ce in whoÌ„ he delighted before what maruel his sinful children guilty of so many transgressions like perturbed and confounded men fearing his iudgements runne from him and fall into the gulfe of despaire And if Ioseph and Mary hauing lost the coÌ„pany of Christ but for one day not regarding him as they should were three daies in seeking before they could finde him againe shal men who so long a time liued strangers from the life of God bee so foolish as to thinke it requires no paines no labour to seeke him to finde and to bee reconciled with him But if they can get onely in their ending day one word to cry for mercy they are sure to obtaine it Let vs not be so farre deceiued it is no wisdome to hazard so great a matter as is our eternall saluation vpon so small an aduenture To cure therefore these great euils specially the last two of desperation and presumption by many waies doth the Lord draw vs to an experience and sense of his mercy and then to a conscience of our dutie towards him for where before the Cherubin an Angell was set at the entry of Paradise with a shaking sword to hold out man wee haue now the Christ the Lord of Angels with the keies of Dauids house to open Paradise vnto vs and as conscience within vs cries condemnation to vs for sinne so the spirit of adoption sent into our hearts from the Father cries with a stronger voice absolution from sinne No condemnation to theÌ„ which are in Christ. And against the terrour of the Law and curses thereof wee haue the grace of the Gospell full of sweet bâ—essings both promised and practised toward penitent sinners And for this one purpose it is that our Sauiour here triples the Parable to make vp vnto vs the stronger preseruatiue against our naturall disease of distrust and desperation For so as Ioseph spake to Pbaroah of his doubled visioÌ„ The dreme is doubled to Pharao the secoÌ„d time because the thing is established by God God hastes to performe it May we also speake of this tripled parable Iesus hath done it to shew the heires of promise the stability of his Counsell for it is a decree established with God to shew mercie to the penitent and he will hasten to performe it Now as it is a great worke to make the soule guilty of sinne conceiue any sense of of mercy so the soule once hauing conceiued it is easily moued through the sense of mercy to return vnto the Lord as we may see in this example Many are the arguments whereby wee are mooued to repentance but among theÌ„ all none goes so neere the hearts of his kindly children to pricke them with a godly sorrow for their sins as the sense of Gods mercie when they consider how good the Lord was vnto them before they sinned Haue I
tempts them with the loue of the world what is it thou canst offer to me comparable to that which thou wouldest steale from me When wee come to age of perfect men we laugh at those things we were wont to doe when we were children They build to themselues in the streets houses of shels stones clay and such like wherein they delight for a time no lesse then wiser and more ancient men doe in the building of their sumptuous Palaces but they rush to the ground as soone as they are raised yea albeit they could continue yet are they vnprofitable and when we come to riper vnderstanding wee set light by them as childish trifles of no importance so is it with the childe of God as he growes in the age of Christ he growes also in a contempt of the world and all the perishing pleasures thereof hee will haue nothing for his portion that cannot continue with him all the works of God cannot content him the desire of the soule is vpon the Lord to enioy him And truly happy is that soule which is like vnto the house of Iacob Beata anima quae est instar domus Iacobi in qua nulla simulachra nulla effigies vanitatis Wherein there is no image no representation of vanity For doubtlesse it is a miserable thing so to bee bewitched with the shadowes of good that we lose the substance Fugiamus hine vbi nihil est vbi inane est omne quod magnisicum putatur Let vs flie from this world wherein there is nothing but vanity yea that which is most magnificke after triall is found most impotent Nihil siquidem a somni vanitate dissert rerum praesentium sigura siue illae tristes sint siue prosperae The most excellent shews of this life are but dreames which may affect for a time but doe vanish so soone as the man awaketh let such as know no better and haue no hope but in this present life reioice in that which they haue let vs endeauour to that which is to come Oh saith Dauid if I had the wing of a Doue then would I flee away and rest So long as we abide fixed in our affection to the earth wee shall finde no rest All the workes done vnder the Sunne said Salomon are but vanity vexation of spirit Hee searched all he found them so what then Let vs goe aboue the Sunne let vs flie vpward towards the Lord let vs goe vp after the Eagle who hath ascended on high he calles and cries vpon vs to follow him Arise my loue my fâ—ire one and come thy way Why linger we what should we doe heere Now the Lord who calles vs draw vs that wee may runne after him so shall we finde ioy and peace and rest vnto our soules So he deuided vnto them his substance That the Father heere in this Parable giueth to his childe that which he seeketh and lets him goe his way figures vnto vs how God for a time leaues his children to themselues suffering them to doe what they will not of purpose to let them perish in sinne but that by the experience of the bitter fruit of sin hee may draw them out of their sinnes and make them the more humble in theÌ„selues when they look to their former folly and the more thankefull to God who of his mercy hath recouered them Seeing earthly parents will not giue a Scorpion to their children wheÌ„ they seeke bread shal wee thinke our heauenly father will doe it No indeed If hee permit them to fall into sinne it is for a respect which God hath to good which out of euill hee can worke to his owne glory and their saluation Potentius melius esse iudicans etiam de malis benefacere quaÌ„ mala esse non sinere For so wonderfully wise and good is our God that euen by sinne he can destroy sinne in his owne as by the bussets of Satan hee subdued pride in the Apostle Saint Paul Thus the Apostle considering how hee had his conuersation in time past in fulfilling the lusts of his flesh no lesse then other children of disobedience and wrath and that he was a blasphemer a persecutor and an oppressor doth so much the more magnifie the Lord who receiued him to mercy whose grace was exceeding aboundant toward him with faith and loue in Christ Iesus For in this that elect men before their calling walke with the reprobate in the course of disobedience it manifestly appeares that it is not by nature but by grace that they are saued and the Lord in making a difference by his grace where there was no difference by nature vindicates vnto himselfe the praise and glory of saluation in all such as are saued And this grace of God declared vpon his owne shal the better appeare if we consider the elect and reprobate to bee like vnto two men walking in one way with one mind of one purpose to one proposed end and God suddenly comes in and sundres them causing the one to come back againe letting the other goe forward till he fall into the pit so in his iust iudgements hee giues the wicked vp to their own harts desire he lets theÌ„ fulfill the cup and measure of their iniquity he lets down the loose reines vnto them and suffers them without controlment to doe what they will Then man commits sinne with greedinesse and drinkes in iniquity like water making out a iust ditty of his own damnation Peccata cum impunita dimittit Deus tunc punit infestius When the Lord lets sinne be vnpunished then hee punisheth most seuerely Vides quia tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur God is then most angrie when he he is not angry Let vs say with Bernard Miserceor diaÌ„ hanc nolo such a mercy I will not haue or rather from such a misery the Lord deliuer vs that he neuer suffer vs to go on in the course of our sinnes till wee perish So not long after This younger son as yee see beeing left vnto himselfe incontinent manifests his owne weakenesse and in him all of vs may see what a fearefull thing it is to be forsaken of God and left vnto our selues for then quickly wee become a prey vnto our enemy As a staffe if a man takes his hand from it fals incontinent to the ground so man if he bee not sustained by grace cannot stand in a good estate All the benefites which God created for Adam in sixe daies hee lost them in six hours Augustine and Theophilact thinkes that he fell the sixth houre Thomas Aquinas that he fel the ninth houre others the twelfe most of all agree that hee fell the same day hee was made What cause then hath his sinfull posterity to distrust themselues to pray earnestly with Dauid Direct me in the path of thy Commâ—ndements stablish me that I
thou wouldst seeme to be if it bee a good thing to appeare to be godly is it not better to bee godly indeed and if thou thinke shame to appeare to be of an euill life shouldst thou not much more think shame to bee euill indeed Thus as the fish Sepia is bewraied by the blacke colour which she casteth out to couer her soÌ„ is the hypocrite conuinced by the very shew of godlines vnderwhich hee hoped to haue lurked And truly most iust and fearefull is that recompence wherewith God paieth home such hypocrites for as they take the name of God in their mouth when the loue and reuerence of God is not in their hearts so shal not they bee in the heart of God as Dauid was nor grauen on the palmes of his hand as his Church is Nor written in the beoke of life as his elect are but God shall haue them in his mouth like luke-warme Laodicaeans to spew them out of it their doome is set downe by Ieremy Will yee steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsly and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom yee knowe not And come and stand before mee in this house wher my name is called vpon before your eies and therefore will cast you out of my sight The fourth euill pointed out heere in him is a great presumption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giue me the portion of goods that befals me Men not regenerate by grace make the Lord a debtor to them not content to receiue good things from the Lord they challenge Patris bona quasi sibi debita their fathers goods as debts dew to them for their merits and good deseruings Of the which it is euident that the doctrine of merite is learned out of the schoole of nature wherein all proud Iustâ—tiars what euer shew of externall pietie they haue are but condisciples with this forlorne childe for if the Lord should giue vnto man the portion that is due vnto him then hee should raine sire and brimstone vpon him for that is the portion of his cuppe Thou art neuer able to recompence the Lord for the good hee hath giuen thee already and how then shalt thou deserue that which hee hath promised Is there any comparison betweene that which thou giuest the Lord and that which thou gettest from him for from thee that hast no more he will gratiously accept the sacrifice of one cuppefull of cold water or a tribute of teares and shalt thou for this brag of thy merit and make him a debtor to thee of eternal life Si quis a diebus Adami vsque ad consummationem saeculi viueret fortiter contra Satanam pugnaret non posset tamen tantam gloriam promereri quato minus qui tam breui tempore militat If a man should liue from the daies of Adam to the end of the world and strongly fight against Satan yet were he not able to merit so great a glory farre lesse are we able to do it who so short a space are militant on earth Our reioicing saith the Apostle is the testimony of our conscience this testimonie saith Bernard consisteth in these three Necesse enim primo omniuÌ„ credere quod remissionem peccatorum habere non potes nisi per indulgentiam Dei For first of all thou must beleeue that thou canst not obtaine remission of sinnes except onely by the indulgence and mercy of God Deinde quod nihil prorsus habere queas operis boni nisi hoc dederit ipse Secondly that thou art not able to do any good work except God giue it vnto thee For wee are not of our selues sufficient to thinke a good thought Postremo quod aeternam vitam nullus potest operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa And last that no man is able by good works to merit eternal life it is the free gift of God If we do any good let vs say with the Apostle Not I but the grace of God in me If we get any good ascribe it not to our merits but let the praise of it alway be returned to his mercies Fiftly that he seeks a portion of his fathers goods but not his fathers fauour blessing represents to vs the earthly minds of naturalists who preferre the gifts of God to God himselfe all creatures that the Lord made he made them for man and man for himselfe but this is a fearefull contempt of God and vile disestimation of his maiesty when the creature which God hath subiected vnto man in the heart of man is preferred vnto God and better loued then God himselfe as Euah for the loue of an apple lost the loue of the Lord and Esau for a messe of pottage sould his birth-right which hath annexed the blessing and the Gadarans counted their swnine more precious then the Sonne of God Christ Iesus It is written of them who tame the Tigre that when they haue taken away the yong one knowing that incontinent they will bee pursued by the old they set looking glasses in the way by which they flie wherunto when the olde Tigresse comes and seeth some representation of themseâ—ues lingreth about them a good space deceiued by the shaddow and deteined in a vain hope to recouer their young againe and in the meane time the hunter most speedily posts away with his pray So dealeth Satan with the men of this world hee castes before them the deceitfull baites of worldlie pleasures and profits beeing indeed no other thing but shadowes and representations of good yet are men so delighted with these that they dote about them hauing no care to pursue their enemy for recouerie of that image of God which Satan hath stolen from them Not without a sore and vnrecouerable losse to themselues Cum vsque adeo hominibus charus est hic mundus vt sibi ipsis vilescant When this world is so much esteemed of man that to obtaine it hee debaseth yea he loseth himselfe liuing like a drudge of the earth and a vile slaue to euery creature hauing a reasonable soule captiued vnder subiection to vnreasonable creatures A most pittifull estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the which to speake with Chrysostom what can befall more shamfull and vnhonourable to man for if wee ouercome not sensible things how shall wee encounter with insensible enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or how shall wee subdue principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse But the children of God illuminate with his light renewed by his grace hauing there eies opened in a part to see that high prise of the calling of God and the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints beginnes to account with the Apostle the most excellent things of this world to bee but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dung in respect of our Lord Iesus Christ and haue a ready answer to giue their aduersarie when he
is solitary but haue euer some of their owne kind in company with them As he resolueth to rise and returne to his father so hee forethinkes what to say when he comes teaching vs not to appeare before the Lord without reuerend preparation Resolue what thou hast to say what to seeke what to offer before thou come to him If thou seeke and haue nothing to offer it is a token thou seekest thy selfe and not the Lord. If thou offer other things to the Lord but not thy selfe thou offerest The sacrifice of sooles for it is thy selfe the Lord doth seeke and he offereth himselfe to thee againe if thou seeke anything from him and offer not thy selfe vnto him thou shalt lose thy selfe thou shalt not obtaine what thon seekest neither yet shalt thou enioy him This Prodigall prepares a twofold sacrifice first the sacrifice of confession of his sinnes doubtlesse from a heart truly penitent The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a broken heart the Lord despiseth not Next the sacrifice of oblation of himselfe he offereth his seruice vnto the Lord. Make me as one of thy seruants But in this the carelesse negligence of men of this age is exceeding great they pray but without preparation neither considering themselues how they are as Abraham said but dust and ashes Yea viler then the earth in asmuch as they are vncleane through their sinnes neither yet what a great maiesty the Lord is before whom they appeare they forethink not what they haue to seeke neither prouide they a sacrifice to offer they enter into Gods house as if it were a priuate house forgetting Salomons precept Take heede vnto thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God The Courts of the Lord and a common causey are a like vnto them yea euen vpon most solemne daies neither are they sanctified to offer praier praise seruice which God craues neither yet are they ready to receiue mercy and peace which God offers they come without preparation they sit without sense or deuotion they goe away without answer or edification But as those beasts which entred vncleane into the Arke went out vncleane so come they to the house of GOD vnpenitent and goeth out vnpenitent Some will not confesse their sinnes at al but hide them as Achan did the accursed thing vnder the earth in his tent these may be called Satans Secretaries by so doing they deminish not the knowledge of God but debarre themselues from the mercy of God while they seeke to Conceale the iniquity of their bosome as Adam did they doe but reueale their own shame and hasten the declaration of Gods iudgement vpon them Hee that hideth his sins shall not prosper Behold I will enter in iudgement with thee because thou saiest I haue not sinned Others againe confesse their sinnes but yet continue in their sins not like this Prodigal I will rise and say I haue sinned these men will say they haue sinned but will not rise out of their sinnes such a confession is but a profession of sinne which will neuer obtaine mercy it may wel increase guilt and draw on the greater damnation I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Penitent sinners illuminate with the light of faith amplifie their sinnes two manner of waies First that their sinnes are done against God next that they are done before GOD. Dauid in his confession as likewise the Prodigall here ioines both these two together Euery sinne is against God but euery sin is not done in the sight of God I meane in respect of the sinner for there are many that sinne and yet know not that they sinne as Turks in their adultery Pagans in Idolatry simple Papists in their cruelty when they are persecuting sincere worshippers they thinke they are doing good seruice vnto God But such as haue the light shining vnto them who knowe the will of GOD and yet will doe against it they sinne not onely against God but before him and in his sight And this shews the greatnesse of sins which are now committed vnder this cleare light of the Euangell they are not done in the night but in the day not onely against the Lord but before him vnder his eye and in his very face hee is a bold theese that will steale and the Iudge looking vpon him hee is a shamelesse Adulterer that seeketh not the twilight but will worke villeny in the noone tide of the day and men beholding him He that knoweth his Masters wil and doth it not shall haue double stripes saith our Sauiour What then hee that doth not onely leaue his Masters will vndone though he know it but also doth directly against him shall he not haue triple stroakes And which is worst of all hee that transgresseth his masters will and his Master looking vpon him are not quadruple plagues due vnto him From such high high impiety and proud rebellion the Lord deliuer vs. Verse 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants When hee had the place and honour of a Sonne he set lightly by it he abused it now is hee faine to seeke the roome of a seruant The worth and value of Gods benefites are not knowne till men want them and be touched with a sense of their misery then the least of his mercies are esteemed great mercies euen to be a Doore keeper in Gods house or to haue the place of a seruant in it or to haue the benefit of little dogs to eate of the crumbes of bread that fall from the table of his children so thought Dauid so this Prodigall so the Cananitish woman whē they were humbled It is greater wisdome to ponder the goodnesse of God in time that we may esteeme of it and be thankeful to God for it hee made vs his sonnes by the first creation wee become his enemies by our transgression we lost all the holinesse of our nature all the happinesse of our state by our own folly If we had died in that estate wee should haue accounted the vse of water a great benefit yea greater then we doe the abundance of all his creatures which now of his goodnesse hee communicates But the Lord had mercy vpon vs and hath restored vs not to the place of seruants onely Hencefoorth I call you not seruants but to the dignity of sinnes Behold what a loue the Father hath shewed you that yee should bee called his sonnes so that now we are aduanced to a greater surer and more enduring honour then that which we had by our first creation shall we not feare to hazard it againe by walking after our sinnes if wee doe so the second errour shall bee worse then the first Miserable is man already by his first fall more miserable shall he be by the second if hee despise the grace of the Gospell and trample the bloud of the new
A MIRROVR OF MERCIE OR The Prodigals conuersion briefely and learnedly expounded and full of comfortable consolations for all penitent sinners By William Cooper Minister of Gods word and B. of Galloway LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shop at the South doore of Pauls and at Britaines Burse 1615. To the right worshipfull Dauid Arkenhead Deane of Gild Thomas Ingles of Edernie Mongo Macala Edward â—â—r Iames Dennistorne with others his worshipfull Councellors and Assessors IT is no great wonder though these parts of Africk which are vnder Torrida Zona abound in many kindes of vnkindly monsters seeing they are distempered with such extremity of heaâ— that their bâ—astes prouoked by raging lust mixe themselues with others not of of their owne kind But in this soile wherin the Sâ—nne of the world sends out his beames in most temperate manner and the Sunne of Righteousnesse shineth most fauourably it may much more be admired to see so many who looke like men but indeed are monsters Of whom that may be spoken which story records of Constantinus surnamed Coprominus Eum nec Christianum nec Iudaeum nec Paganum fuisse that he was neither a Iew nor a Pagan nor a Christian Sed colluuiem quandam impietatis but a certaine masse or heape of all impiety with the Iewes they salute Christ as their King and yet buffet him they professe him with the Christian and persecute him with the Pagan at one word they blesse him and at another blaspheme him They are named Israelits and liue like Ethiopians they speake with the voice of Iacob but worke with the hands of Esau and walke with the feet of Ioab that any man may perceiue not by their coate but their party-coloured conditions that sundry parents haue begotten them The nature of man distemperate with the heate of vnrulie desires and affections refuseth not the â—nlawfull â—ompany of any euil that will â—ome with it for sinne is nothing else but a childe gotten in a most vnhappy and vnkindly coniâ—nction betweene Apostat spirits and the corrupt nature of man whereof proceeds such manifold deformities in the liues of men that ye may see one and the selfe same man to be but a mixed monster made vp and mishapen of sundry sorts of vices Hee is begotten of Concupiscence and hath â—ies of Adultery hee is nourished and rocked in the cradle of Intemperance bee groweth vp by Couetousnesse to such excesse that his little finger is bigger then by iust measure his body should bee his motion is from anger his greatnesse from his pride he is made strong to euill by his malice hee waâ—eth old with wickednesse consumed with lecherie and worne with enuy Thus hee ends worse then hee began in al these he is boulstred vp by hypocrisiâ— and sheweth himselfe as if hee were a Christian. And so couers the iniurie vnder the garment of God but they are deceiued God will not bee mocked Let them not say wee haue Abraham for our father The answer our Sauiour gaue the carnall Iewes is fitting for them Yee are of your father the Deuill for yee doe his workes Partus patrem iudicat the birth bewraies the begetter and their image declares they are not the generation of Christ. But iudgements are prepared for scorners strange sinnes will bee repaid with strange punishments proportionable to them They that sow the winde shall reape the whirlewinde they who sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption They turne not from their sinnes to the Lord and the Lord most iustly wraps them in their sinnes as in a windâ—ng sheet which cannot bee consumed thus are they laid in the graue and Their bones full of the iniquity of their youth O fearefull recompence but yet rigteous their needes no more to plague them but that the Lord turne their own waies vpon their owne heades and giue them to drinke of the cup themselues haue prepared For howsoeuer wickednesse bee sweet in the mouth yet in the bowels it turnes into gall They shall know in the ende it was an euill thing and a bitter that they forsooke the Lord. Oh that they who forget him could consider this in time To waken them if it bee possible I haue presented to them heere a two-fold mirrour in the one if they looke into it they may see how miserable a man maketh himselfe by departing from the Lord. In the other how gratious the Lord is and ready to receiue such as returne vnto him And this haue I published vnder your honourable names who as yee liue in your selues Exemplars of a godly life vnto others so I am sure it shall be contentment to you if by this treatise dedicate to you others may be made better Receiue it as a token of my best affection toward you for your louing acceptation of mee into the honourable fellowship of your Burgiship of Edenborough which howsoeuer by birth it was due to me yet was it conferred by you with such willingnesse of minde as bindes mee to account my selfe obliged to your fauours while I liue So wishing the multiplication of the grace of Iesus Christ vnto you I rest Yours in the Lord Iesus W. B. of Galloway A MIRROVR OF MERCIE LVKE 15. VERSE 11. He said moreouer A certaine man had two sonnes Ver. 12. And the yonger of them said to his father Father giue me the portion of the goods that falleth to mee So hee diuided vnto them his substance Vers. 13. So not long after when the yonger sonne had gathered all together he tooke his iourney into a far countrey and there hee wasted his goods with riotous liuing Ver. 14. Now when hee had spent all there arose a great dearth throughout that land and hee began to bee in necessity Ver. 15. Then he went and claue to a Citizen of that countrey and hee sent him to his farme to feede Swine Ver. 16. And he would faine haue filled his belly with the huskes that the Swine ate but no man gaue them him Ver. 17. Then he came to himselfe and said How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread enough and I die for hunger Vers. 18. I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Vers. 19. And am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants Vers. 20. So hee arose and came to his father and when hee was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him Vers. 21. And the Son said vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to hee called thy sonne Vers. 22. Then the Father said to his seruants bring foorth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet Ver. 23. And bring the fat calfe and kill him and let