A66106:414
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.
We must carefully distinguish between the reality of a mans state, and the sense that he bears of that state: The famine was all over that land, but none feels the destructiveness of it but this poor Prodigal: All mankind, whiles in a state of nature are famishing creatures, but it is but some few among them that feel it. the rest perish insensibly.
We must carefully distinguish between the reality of a mans state, and the sense that he bears of that state: The famine was all over that land, but none feels the distructiveness of it but this poor Prodigal: All mankind, whiles in a state of nature are famishing creatures, but it is but some few among them that feel it. the rest perish insensibly.
The work we are here speaking of, is that which Divines call a lost state, and it comprehends in it the first part of preparatory humiliation, which is properly the beating of a sinner wholly off from himself, and all that is in himself, in point of sufficiency. In the Explication of the Doctrine we may consider, 1. Some ⟨p. 172⟩thing of the nature of this work. 2. The necessity of it in order to Conversion.
1. Concerning the nature of this work, of what it is for a Soul to be sensibly perishing with hunger, and how he is brought unto this sense, observe; The Spirit of God raiseth in him a manifest and irresistible conviction of three things, which laid together do reduce him to this exigency or distress; and all this is the work of the Spirit in the means, for; all mens conditions being really one and the same by nature, why else should not all that enjoy the same means of Conviction, be alike apprehensive of it, but the spirit imprints it upon some and not others? Now the things are these;
1. Concerning the nature of this work, of what it is for a Soul to be sensibly perishing with hunger, and how he is brought unto this sense, observe; The Spirit of God raiseth in him a manifest and irresistable conviction of three things, which laid together do reduce him to this exigency or distress; and all this is the work of the Spirit in the means, for; all mens conditions being really one and the same by nature, why else should not all that enjoy the same means of Conviction, be alike apprehensive of it, but the spirit imprints it upon some and not others? Now the things are these;
1, He kindles in him an eager and pinching hunger: note that besides that spiritual and gracious hunger of the Soul after righteousness mentioned, Mat. 5. 6. there is also a preparatory hunger, which is oppressive to, and grievously distresseth the soul, see Isai. 65. 13. My Servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry: Now this hunger is made up of these two things, Viz.
1. A deep apprehension of distressing misery lying upon him, and making his spirits to fail, and heart to faint. God opens the Sinners eyes to see and find that which before he neither knew nor believed; that the wrath of God is upon him, that he is a cursed creature, ⟨p. 173⟩that he hath lost all grace, and is in danger of the miseries of Hell: he finds his Soul to be in a condition extremely dangerous, exposed to the executions of divine Vengeance, he now believes because he feels, that wrath is upon him, sees a Sword of vengeance drawn against him.
1. A deep apprehension of distressing misery lying upon him, and making his spirits to fail, and heart to faint. God opens the Sinners eyes to see and find that which before he neither knew nor believed; that the wrath of God is upon him, that he is a cursed creature, ⟨p. 173⟩that he hath lost all grace, and is in danger of the miseries of Hell: he finds his Soul to be in a condition extreamly dangerous, exposed to the executions of divine Vengeance, he now believes because he feels, that wrath is upon him, sees a Sword of vengeance drawn against him.
2. An earnest longing to be rid of, and free from this distress: as the hungry man longs that he may have some food; so doth the Sinner wish earnestly that his misery may be eased, the cause taken away, and the wrath of God impending, removed: he is fearfully amazed at the apprehensions of the anger of God, he cannot tell how to bear it, or to be able to endure it, and fain he would, if there were any possibility, be delivered, Isai. 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? although he doth not know whither to go in particular for a redress, yet in general he saith▪ Who shall show me good? yea he cannot satisfy himself, he is restless, his soul is disquieted and filled with tumultuations, these terrors make him afraid. 2. He makes him to find and discover that there is no relief to be had in any of these ways and courses which he hath been taking; and this makes his hunger to be the more distressing: when an hungry stomach meets with a well furnished Table, it is a pleasure to have a good appetite; but when ⟨p. 172⟩hunger and penury meet together, this is tormenting: When the cravings of the soul are insatiable, & there are no supplies to be gotten for it, this is terrible, such is the condition of the soul now, where it thought to have meat, there it can find nothing but husks, and that both,
2. An earnest longing to be rid of, and free from this distress: as the hungry man longs that he may have some food; so doth the Sinner wish earnestly that his misery may be eased, the cause taken away, and the wrath of God impending, removed: he is fearfully amazed at the apprehensions of the anger of God, he cannot tell how to bear it, or to be able to endure it, and fain he would, if there were any possibility, be delivered, Isai. 33. 14. Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? although he doth not know whither to go in particular for a redress, yet in general he saith▪ Who shall shew me good? yea he cannot satisfie himself, he is restless, his soul is disquieted and filled with tumultuations, these terrors make him afraid. 2. He makes him to find and discover that there is no relief to be had in any of these wayes and courses which he hath been taking; and this makes his hunger to be the more distrossing: when an hungry stomach meets with a well furnished Table, it is a pleasure to have a good appetite; but when
1. In the world, in which he formerly trusted, and in the enjoyment whereof he was wont to say to his soul, eat, drink, and be merry, for thou hast goods laid up for many years. This world cannot satisfy him now; it will not still the cry of Conscience, it will not comfort him against the anger of God, and fears of hell, Riches cannot profit him in the day of wrath. He cannot feed and refresh himself upon its fair promises, and glossing insinuations-It will not ease his troubled mind; but like Belshazzar, he cries out in the midst of his cups and companions; his hiding place of deceit is washed away, and he sees that the world is empty, and void, and wast, Nah. 1. 10.
1. In the world, in which he formerly trusted, and in the enjoyment whereof he was wont to say to his soul, eat, drink, and be merry, for thou hast goods laid up for many years. This world cannot satisfie him now; it will not still the cry of Conscience, it will not comfort him against the anger of God, and fears of hell, Riches cannot profit him in the day of wrath. He cannot feed and refresh himself upon its fair promises, and glossing insinuations-It will not ease his troubled mind; but like Belshazzar, he cryes out in the midst of his cups and companions; his hiding place of deceit is washt away, and he sees that the world is empty, and void, and wast, Nah. 1. 10.
2. In himself, and his own duties and righteousness: He was wont to please himself in them, and feed himself with vain hopes, thinking to appear with them, and hold up his head before God; but now he finds that these will not suffice, they cannot atone God, appease his anger, turn away his fury, or procure him happiness: They are unprofitable, he hath ⟨p. 173⟩now no more self-sufficiency, he cannot do what the Law requires, nor pay the debts he owes it, nor pick up any resolution out of his best services, Conscience now tells him all this is nothing, Num. 17. 12, 13.
2. In himself, and his own duties and righteousness: He was wont to please himself in them, and feed himself with vain hopes, thinking to appear with them, and hold up his head before God; but now he finds that these will not suffice, they cannot atone God, appease his anger, turn away his fury, or procure him happiness: They are unprofitable, he hath ⟨p. 173⟩now no more self-sufficiency, he cannot do what the Law requires, nor pay the debts he ows it, nor pick up any resolution out of his best services, Conscience now tells him all this is nothing, Num. 17. 12, 13.
3. He causeth him to draw this positive and sad conclusion, that in this condition he must certainly perish: He is now shaken out of all his vain hopes, fond expectations, wherewith he was wont to feed his fancy, and cherish his soul: There is now nothing but misery, hell and destruction in his eyes and thoughts: The Law is rigorous, and will be satisfied; God is holy and will be glorified; he is by this Law condemned, and hath no satisfaction to make to it; the world is a priceless thing, and if he had it, it would not be taken in exchange for a soul; and thus, between longing and despair he is ready to faint and die: This whole condition is amply described to us in apt and pertinent metaphors, Isa. 41. 17. The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst.
2. Touching the necessity of the work in order to conversion, we may observe.
1. That conversion is the turning of a sinner from sin to God: Now Sin is properly the reliance of the creature upon something else which stands in competition with, and opposition to God, which therefore it must leave, or else it's ⟨p. 176⟩impossible that it should come to him: he that goes to one contrary, must in so doing go away from the other; the Apostle opposeth these two, 1 Tim. 6. 15. That they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God.
1. That conversion is the turning of a sinner from sin to God: Now Sin is properly the relyance of the creature upon something else which stands in competition with, and opposition to God, which thereforeit must leave, or else it's ⟨p. 176⟩impossible that it should come to him: he that goes to one contrary, must in so doing go away from the other; the Apostle opposeth these two, 1 Tim. 6. 15. That they trust not in uncertain riches, but in the living God.
2. In Conversion the spirit of God comes into the Soul, and fills it with his Grace; in order to which filling it is needful that the Soul be first emptied, for as long as a Man is full of himself, of the World, of his carnal hopes, of his legal righteousness, there is no room for the spirit of God, hence he comes to the poor and needy, Isai. 41. 17.
3. In active Conversion, there is a voluntary motion of the Soul: the will of man is that which doth first renounce Sin, Satan and World, and lay hold upon Christ; now a voluntary action is the action of a reasonable creature, applying himself to his object, not upon compulsion, nor by the force of instinct, but by the inclination of his own mind; so that as he doth it willingly, he also (and therefore) doth it rationally, or upon some apprehended grounds: and from this it will appear, how needful it is that a Sinner be made thus sensible in order to his Conversion: For,
1. Man by nature is a proud Creature, and loth to go or be beholden to any other as long as he hath any hopes to do well of himself: ⟨p. 177⟩This appeared before, in the consideration of the sordid course the needy Prodigal took to supply his want.
