A66106:118
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 ...
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.
Religion is to an unregenerate man nothing but a pander to his lusts: As long as men hope they can get any thing to further their worldly interest, they can be (with Jehu) zealous for God: Jehu could destroy Ahab's wicked house, and plead prescription from God for so doing, as though he was afraid to come a whit short of the command and threatening: but now when he hath what he would, all the competitors for the Crown are by this means removed ⟨p. 43⟩out of the way, now he grows cold in Religion at once, and Gods precepts neglected, a further reformation refused, Jeroboam's politic sin adhered to: and if we observe, we shall find that many there are who for by-ends make fair pretences, and are huge sticklers for God and his ways for a while, who, when once they have gotten some worldly advantage or advancements by it, of a sudden they become other men.
Religion is to an unregenerate man nothing but a pander to his lusts: As long as men hope they can get any thing to further their worldly interest, they can be (with Jehu) zealous for God: Jehu could destroy Ahab's wicked house, and plead prescription from God for so doing, as though he was afraid to come a whit short of the command and threatning: but now when he hath what he would, all the competitours for the Crown are by this means removed ⟨p. 43⟩out of the way, now he grows cold in Religion at once, and Gods precepts neglected, a further reformation refused, Jeroboam's poli•ick sin adhered to: and if we observe, we shall find that many there are who for by-ends make fair pretences, and are huge sticklers for God and his wayes for a while, who, when once they have gotten some worldly advantage or advancements by it, of a sudden they become other men.
Reas. Because the most Religious natural men have chosen the service of God, not as their end, but only as a medium to attain some other end by: Now a mean is useful but in order to the end for which it is used, but the end is good for it self: Religion was appointed to be mans end, who was designed by the will of God, for his Glory: But carnal men have gotten some other end, which they think better than that which God hath appointed them, and finding (many times) that Religion is a needful step thereunto, they use it as a man doth a Ladder to climb upon, but when they are gotten up it is now of no more service to them, and now Religion is as easily thrown off again as ever it was taken up: It was an imputation which Satan would have cast upon Job, but the event proved it evidently a slander, after he had been upon the greatest trial, that he did not serve God for nought but it will be found a ⟨p. 44⟩truth concerning multitudes of our outside Professors: There were many of Christ's followed that were so for nothing but the loaves, Job 6. 26.
Reas. Because the most Religious natural men have chosen the service of God, not as their end, but only as a medium to attain some other end by: Now a mean is useful but in order to the end for which it is used, but the end is good for it self: Religion was appointed to be mans end, who was designed by the will of God, for his Glory: But carnal men have gotten some other end, which they think better than that which God hath appointed them, and finding (many times) that Religion is a needful step thereunto, they use it as a man doth a Ladder to climb upon, but when they are gotten up it is now of no more service to them, and now Religion is as easily thrown off again as ever it was taken up: It was an imputation which Satan would have cast upon Job, but the event proved it evidently a slander, after he had been upon the greatest tryal, that he did not serve God for nought but it will be found a ⟨p. 44⟩truth concerning multitudes of our outside Professors: There were many of Christ's followed that were so for nothing but the loaves, Job 6. 26.
USE, 1. This may discover to us a Reason of the Apostasy of many in these times a•• places. It is not to be doubted, but that he• where Religion hath had the precedency, and men have been esteemed of according to the Profession which they have made, that ma•• have taken it up clearly upon this account, viz. to get into credit, favour, privilege, preferment, and hence no wonder, if either whe• men have been frustrated of what they expected, or have gotten as much as they can probabl• hope to get by it, it grows an out-dated and useless thing with them: This is an hour of trial and he that can maintain his Profession, whe•• to all appearance of sense, it is a losing bargain gives us reason to hope that that man is buil• upon a more stable foundation.
USE, 1. This may discover to us a Reason of the Apostasie of many in these times a•• places. It is not to be doubted, but that he• where Religion hath had the precedency, and men have been esteemed of according to the Profession which they have made, that ma•• have taken it up clearly upon this account, viz. to get into credit, favour, priviledge, preferment, and hence no wonder, if either whe• men have been frustrated of what they expected, or have gotten as much as they can probabl• hope to get by it, it grows an out-dated and useless thing with them: This is an hour of tryal and he that can maintain his Profession, whe•• to all appearance of sense, it is a losing bargain gives us reason to hope that that man is buil• upon a more stable foundation.
USE, 2. It may put us upon it to take a strict account and trial of our profession, to see what foundation it is built upon: If it be Sandy, a shock of temptation will overthrown it: If it be for by and carnal ends, those ends, either hopelessly disappointed, or obtained as far as we can hope, will turn us off it: Such a Profession is dead indeed, and moves only by external weights; and if they be either taken ⟨p. 45⟩off, or run down to the ground, it will cease. The Vitals of Religion consist only in an heart throughly persuaded of the glorious excellency of the ways and fear of God, and this is that which will hold out to the end; whereas the other will last but till men have tried to the outside how much they can get to satisfy their lusts with, by professing God and his Service, and when their expectations on that score cease, •t will not be many days ere we hear of them, that they have trussed up all, and are gone: •ee then to the foundation upon which you are built, if ever you hope to stand.
USE, 2. It may put us upon it to take a strickt account and tryal of our profession, to see what foundation it is built upon: If it be Sandy, a shock of temptation will overthrown it: If it be for by and carnal ends, those ends, either hoplesly disappointed, or obtained as far as we can hope, will turn us off it: Such a Profession is dead indeed, and moves only by external weights; and if they be either taken ⟨p. 45⟩off, or run down to the ground, it will cease. The Vitals of Religion consist only in an heart throughly perswaded of the glorious excellency of the wayes and fear of God, and this is that which will hold out to the end; whereas the other will last but till men have tryed to the outside how much they can get to satisfie their lusts with, by professing God and his Service, and when their expectations on that score cease, t will not be many dayes ere we hear of them, that they have trussed up all, and are gone: ee then to the foundation upon which you are built, if ever you hope to stand.
2. HE takes all with him; He gathered all together; He leaves nothing behind him: What this all is, we have already heard, viz. All the outward blessing, favours, privileges which God bestows upon the Children of men, be it more or less. Hence,
2. HE takes all with him; He gathered all together; He leaves nothing behind him: What this all is, we have already heard, viz. All the outward blessing, favours, priviledges which God bestowes upon the Children of men, be it more or less. Hence,
Let God bestow upon him whatever he pleaseth, ⟨p. 46⟩for him never so much, yet he takes it not a• any engagement upon him to serve God, o• glorify him, but dishonoureth him with all. This was the sin which the Prophet laid to the charge of that wicked King, Dan. 5. 23. The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are […] thy ways, thou hast not glorified. And this Pa• declares to be the guise of men who are strangers from the grace of God, Rom. 2. 4, 5. The evidence and ground of this truth will appear if we lay together these particulars.
Let God bestow upon him whatever he pleaseth, ⟨p. 46⟩for him never so much, yet he takes it not a• any engagement upon him to serve God, o• glorifie him, but dishonoureth him with all. This was the sin which the Prophet laid to the charge of that wicked King, Dan. 5. 23. The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are 〈…〉 thy wayes, thou hast not glorified. And this Pa• declares to be the guize of men who are strangers from the grace of God, Rom. 2. 4, 5. The evidence and ground of this truth will appear if we lay together these particulars.
1. The heart of every natural man is estrat• ged from God: they are born so, Psal. 53. 3• They go astray as soon as they be born: there is a• estrangement in the understanding, they know him not, though God be near them, they se• him not; though he doth all for them, they do not observe it, Hos. 2. 8. She did not know I gave her Corn, &c. There is an estrangement in the Will, they care not for God, they are his enemies; yea, enmity it self against him Rom. 8. 7. They are estranged in their affections, hence they are called haters of God, Rom. •. 30. Now by virtue of this estrangedness, they are wholly indisposed, and utterly averse to the fear and service of God.
1. The heart of every natural man is estrat• ged from God: they are born so, Psal. 53. 3• They go astray as soon as they be born: there is a• estrangement in the understanding, they know him not, though God be near them, they se• him not; though he doth all for them, they do not observe it, Hos. 2. 8. She did not know I gave her Corn, &c. There is an estrangement in the Will, they care not for God, they are his enemies; yea, enmity it self against him Rom. 8. 7. They are estranged in their affections, hence they are called haters of God, Rom. •. 30. Now by vertue of this estrangedness, they are wholly indisposed, and utterly averse to the fear and service of God.
2. There are many lusts in the heart of every unregenerate man to which he is enslaved man, by seeking an unbounded liberty, had ⟨p. 47⟩changed one good Lord, for many tyrannical ones, that have usurped the Dominion over his soul, Tit. 3. 3. Serving divers lust and pleasures: The word intimates one that is addicted unto, or wholly at the devotion of another, and is used to express our serving of God: Mens lusts rule them, their work and business is to gratify them, and it is not one single lust, but there are many of them, and he is at the command of them all; each claims an empire over the soul, and sets him on work to make provision for it, there is the lust of the flesh, or carnal concupiscence, the lust of the eye, or covetousness, the pride of the life, or ambition, these must all be obeyed.
2. There are many lusts in the heart of every unregenerate man to which he is enslaved man, by seeking an unbounded liberty, had ⟨p. 47⟩changed one good Lord, for many tyrannical ones, that have usurped the Dominion over his soul, Tit. 3. 3. Serving divers lust and pleasures: The word intimates one that is addicted unto, or wholly at the devotion of another, and is used to express our serving of God: Mens lusts rule them, their work and business is to gratifie them, and it is not one single lust, but there are many of them, and he is at the command of them all; each claims an empire over the soul, and sets him on work to make provision for it, there is the lust of the flesh, or carnal concupiscence, the lust of the eye, or covetousness, the pride of the life, or ambition, these must all be obeyed.
3. The lusts of an unregenerate man are insatiable: Like the horse-leeches two daughters, or like the barren womb, they never say they have enough, or like the grave, which is still gaping after more, hence so compared, Rom. 3. 13. Their throat is an open Sepulchre. all concupiscence labours of a dropsy, the more it hath, the more it craves. When a man hath done his utmost to make provision for, he can never give content to his carnal desire, Pro. 27. 20. And there is great reason for it, because concupiscence hath diverted the heart of man from the only soul satisfying object, to empty things.
3. The lusts of an unregenerate man are infatiable: Like the horse-leeches two daughters, or like the barren womb, they never say they have enough, or like the grave, which is still gaping after more, hence so compared, Rom. 3. 13. Their throat is an open Sepulchre. all concupiscence labours of a dropsie, the more it hath, the more it craves. When a man hath done his utmost to make provision for, he can never give content to his carnal desire, Pro. 27. 20. And there is great reason for it, because concupiscence hath diverted the heart of man from the only soul satisfying object, to empty things.
4. The outward favours which God bestoweth upon men are the proper objects upon ⟨p. 48⟩which their lusts are placed, & from which they seek their satisfaction. Every carnal heart hath (with Demas) embraced the present world: When man left God he went to the Creature, and what God had provided to express his bounty to him in, that hath he abused to serve his lust withal: It is the world and the things of the world that his heart is in love with, which is opposite to the love of the father, 1. Joh. 2. 15. God hath in just judgment set the world in mens hearts, for that they know no other good, nor seek any other content; not God himself, but his common favours are their portion, whether natural endowments, or occasional blessings.
4. The outward favours which God bestoweth upon men are the proper objects upon ⟨p. 48⟩which their lusts are placed, & from which they seek their satisfaction. Every carnal heart hath (with Demas) embraced the present world: When man left God he went to the Creature, and what God had provided to express his bounty to him in, that hath he abused to serve his lust withal: It is the world and the things of the world that his heart is in love with, which is opposite to the love of the father, 1. Joh. 2. 15. God hath in just judgment set the world in mens hearts, for that they know no other good, nor seek any other content; not God himselfe, but his common favours are their portion, whether natural endowments, or occasional blessings.
5. The natural man can spare nothing of these from his lusts: The truth is, all is too little; every thing is lost that doth not feed some lust or other: every lust is like Nabal, only generous and noble to it self, but churlish to David: It may be said of every lust, as was said of great Alexander. Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis. Hence then it is no wonder if so many lusts think themselves straitened; the natural man is bound to please all his lusts, and there is not enough in a whole world to give them content, and then it is not to be thought strange, if he cannot spare any thing in the world from them.
5. The natural man can spare nothing of these from his lusts: The truth is, all is too little; every thing is lost that doth not feed some lust or other: every lust is like Nabal, only generous and noble to it self, but churlish to David: It may be said of every lust, as was said of great Alexander. Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis. Hence then it is no wonder if so many lusts think themselves straitned; the natural man is bound to please all his lusts, and there is not enough in a whole world to give them content, and then it is not to be thought strange, if he cannot spare any thing in the world from them.
6. The serving of God and serving a man's ⟨p. 49⟩lusts are things directly contrary the one to the other; and hence a man cannot do them both. That man who seeks his own glory, cannot seek the Glory of God; they that mind their own things, cannot mind the things which are of God: And this is the very reason why men can allow God nothing of glory at all, because they think they shall then wrong themselves, dissatisfy their own lusts: If men should sincerely improve their wit and parts for God, they should then lose their own commendations from men; if they should lay out their health, and strength, and power, and wealth for God, their lusts would want it: and, it being so that they are full resolved in it to deny their concupiscence nothing, hence they gather all together, and leave nothing behind, and resolve that they will not part with so much as an hoof for God and his service.
6. The serving of God and serving a man's ⟨p. 49⟩lusts are things directly contrary the one to the other; and hence a man cannot do them both. That man who seeks his own glory, cannot seek the Glory of God; they that mind their own things, cannot mind the things which are of God: And this is the very reason why men can allow God nothing of glory at all, because they think they shall then wrong themselves, dissatisfie their own lusts: If men should sincerely improve their wit and parts for God, they should then lose their own commendations from men; if they should lay out their health, and strength, and power, and wealth for God, their lusts would want it: and, it being so that they are full resolved in it to deny their concupiscence nothing, hence they gather all together, and leave nothing behind, and resolve that they will not part with so much as an hoof for God and his service.
USE. 1. Hence we see one great reason of the vanity of the creature: The Apostle tells us, It is subjected not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it in hope, Rom. 8. 20. The reason of it lieth here, sinful man hath gotten it into his hands, God hath providentially given him a Portion of these things, and he through the vanity of his mind, having it at his own dispose, hath carried it away from God, and diverted it from its native and proper use, which was for the service of God, to ⟨p. 50⟩his own wicked and sinister ends, by virtue whereof it comes to be in vain. The creature hath in its self its usefulness, every creature of God hath a natural capacity of being improved to his glory, man might as well honour God with his wit and parts, and substance as dishonour him; they are Talents which might be traded withal for him, but a wicked heart having seduced him, he turns them into another stream, and so in application they lose their end and become vain.
USE. 1. Hence we see one great reason of the vanity of the creature: The Apostle tells us, It is subjected not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it in hope, Rom. 8. 20. The reason of it lyeth here, sinful man hath gotten it into his hands, God hath providentially given him a Portion of these things, and he through the vanity of his mind, having it at his own dispose, hath carried it away from God, and diverted it from its native and proper use, which was for the service of God, to ⟨p. 50⟩his own wicked and sinister ends, by vertue whereof it comes to be in vain. The creature hath in its self its usefulness, every creature of God hath a natural capacity of being improved to his glory, man might as well honour God with his wit and parts, and substance as dishonour him; they are Talents which might be traded withall for him, but a wicked heart having seduced him, he turns them into another stream, and so in application they lose their end and become vain.
USE, 2. Here also see the reason why persons of greatest abilities and advantages, are many times the most averse from doing any thing to the glory of God: We often see it is so, and wonder whence it comes so to be; we think, oh, what, and how much might such and such a man do for God, if he would but propound it to himself as his business to live to him? but alas, as they have a great portion of Gods blessings, so they have great lusts to gratify, and they live at their devotions hereupon, let God call for their service, let their consciences tell them they wrong their own souls. Let the name and interest of Christ call never so much for their assistance, lust countermands, sin that reigns there will not have it to be so, and men have taken it up as a practical resolution, that they will sooner displease God than their lusts.
USE, 2. Here also see the reason why persons of greatest abilities and advantages, are many times the most averse from doing any thing to the glory of God: We often see it is so, and wonder whence it comes so to be; we think, oh, what, and how much might such and such a man do for God, if he would but propound it to himself as his business to live to him? but alas, as they have a great portion of Gods blessings, so they have great lusts to gratifie, and they live at their devotions hereupon, let God call for their service, let their consciences tell them they wrong their own souls. Let the name and interest of Christ call never so much for their assistance, lust countermands, sin that reigns there will not have it to be so, and men have taken it up as a practical resolution, that they will sooner displease God than their lusts.
