A66106:437
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.
USE, 2. For Exhortation, let it serve to call upon and invite every unregenerate sinner to serious and solemn consideration of this truth, viz. that he is perishing, starving, famishing, dying: It is the saddest sight in the world to see poor miserable men and women dying, and they ignorant; dropping every day into hell, because they have nothing to live upon, and yet not consider. If you ask me who is intended by this perishing Prodigal; I answer, if thou art unconverted thou art the ⟨p. 182⟩person; and that thou mayest be convinced of, and made to apprehend it, take into thought these things.
1. Thy poor soul must have something to live upon, or else it will perish everlastingly: This is a truth that man little thinks of, hence he cares only for his outward man; but it is evident, man is every way a dependent creature; if the soul have not spiritual food to live on, it must needs die: as the life is lost without food, so is the soul lost without Christ, hence called our life. Col. 3. 4.
1. Thy poor soul must have something to live upon, or else it will perish everlastingly: This is a truth that man little thinks of, hence he cares onoy for his outward man; but it is evident, man is every way a dependent creature; if the soul have not spiritual food to live on, it must needs dy: as the life is lost without food, so is the soul lost without Christ, hence called our life. Col. 3. 4.
2. Thou hast nothing in thy self to live upon, and therefore in thy self art certainly perishing: Such is the condition of every soul out of Christ, he is going to destruction: Look upon thy self and thou shalt find in thee all the symptoms of a perishing creature: all thou hadst to live upon is spent, or, I am sure, will be spent without thy profit: Original righteousness and holiness thou hast lost already, and thy vain and carnal hopes thou wilt lose sooner or latter: thou art a law breaker, art under the curse, sentenced to die everlastingly; God, in whose favour alone is life, is thy Enemy; the Law, in obedience to which thou mightest have lived, is broken by thee, and calls for thy destruction; thou hast nothing to redeem thee from the efficacy of it; thou hast no power to obey it, no price to satisfy with for thy violation ⟨p. 183⟩of it; thou hast lost the Image of God, thou hast lost the favour of God, thou hast lost strength to obey him, thou art fast bound in cords of vanity, Divine vengeance is pursuing hard after thee, the mouth of the pit is open to receive thee; and who then is ready to perish, if thou art not?
2. Thou hast nothing in thy self to live upon, and therefore in thy self art certainly perishing: Such is the condition of every soul out of Christ, he is going to destruction: Look upon thy self and thou shalt find in thee all the symptoms of a perishing creature: all thou hadst to live upon is spent, or, I am sure, will be spent without thy profit: Original righteousness and holiness thou hast lost already, and thy vain and carnal hopes thou wilt lose sooner or latter: thou art a law breaker, art under the curse, sentenced to dy everlastingly; God, in whose favour alone is life, is thy Enemy; the Law, in obedience to which thou mightest have lived, is broken by thee, and calls for thy destruction; thou hast nothing to redeem thee from the efficacy of it; thou hast no power to obey it, no price to satisfie with for thy violation ⟨p. 183⟩of it; thou hast lost the Image of God, thou hast lost the favour of God, thou hast lost strength to obey him, thou art fast bound in cords of vanity, Divine vengeance is pursuing hard after thee, the mouth of the pit is open to receive thee; and who then is ready to perish, if thou art not?
3. The things which thou seekest to and relyest upon for thy relief, they are not bread: They will not feed and support a dying soul: the worlds fairest banquets are but a show, and have no substance in them, they are husks, Swines, but not mans meat: Dost thou trust in riches? They will not profit in the day of wrath. Dost thou rely upon friends? They cannot by any means redeem thy soul. Dost thou content thy self in pleasures? Thou art dead alive. Dost thou feed thy self with honours? neither they nor thou can abide, but thou art like the beasts that perish. Strip thy self out of these things▪ for God will else strip thee shortly; and then see what a forlorn estate thou art in: Thy hungry soul is put off with a stone for bread, and for a fish, a serpent; and all thy hopes here are perishing hopes, and when they leave thee, thou must perish too.
3. The things which thou seekest to and relyest upon for thy relief, they are not bread: They will not feed and support a dying soul: the worlds fairest banquets are but a shew, and have no substance in them, they are husks, Swines, but not mans meat: Dost thou trust in riches? They will not profit in the day of wrath. Dost thou rely upon friends? They cannot by any means redeem thy soul. Dost thou content thy self in pleasures? Thou art dead alive. Dost thou feed thy self with honours? neither they nor thou can abide, but thou art like the beasts that perish. Strip thy self out of these things▪ for God will else strip thee shortly; and then see what a forlorn estate thou art in: Thy hungry soul is put off with a stone for bread, and for a fish, a serpent; and all thy hopes here are perishing hopes, and when they leave thee, thou must perish too.
4. Jesus Christ only hath that bread which can satisfy thy hunger, and save thy life; but thou art at an everlasting distance from him, thou art in a far Country a great ⟨p. 184⟩way off: In particular,
4. Jesus Christ only hath that bread which can satisfie thy hunger, and save thy life; but thou art at an everlasting distance from him, thou art in a farr Country a great ⟨p. 184⟩way off: In particular,
1. Thou art far from having any will or desire to go to him for it: The unregenerate sinner, though dying, yet will not come to him for life, Joh. 5. 40. It is the great misery of sinful man, that he will die, Ezek. 33. 11. Why will ye die? i. e. he will do so rather than repent and return to God, and seek his grace in his way: There is bread in Egypt, but you will not go thither for it, eternal life is only for comers, but you refuse to come that you may have it.
1. Thou art far from having any will or desire to go to him for it: The unregenerate sinner, though dying, yet will not come to him for life, Joh. 5. 40. It is the great misery of sinful man, that he will dy, Ezek. 33. 11. Why will ye dy? i. e. he will do so rather than repent and return to God, and seek his grace in his way: There is bread in Egypt, but you will not go thither for it, eternal life is only for comers, but you refuse to come that you may have it.
2. You are far from having any power or ability to come to Christ; that rock, which is the Magazine or Store-house of bread for famishing souls, is out of your reach, higher than you are, and, without an Almighty arm to lift you up into it, you will ever fall short of it: God must draw before ever the sinner can come: Your Pit, as it hath no water in it, so it is deep, and you have no ladder to climb upon, nor legs or hands to ascend withal, if you had one; thus it is with you, and now what will you do?
2. You are far from having any power or ability to come to Christ; that rock, which is the Magazene or Store-house of bread for famishing souls, is out of your reach, hygher than you are, and, without an Almighty arm to lift you up into it, you will ever fall short of it: God must draw before ever the sinner can come: Your Pit, as it hath no water in it, so it is deep, and you have no ladder to climb upon, nor legs or hands to ascend withal, if you had one; thus it is with you, and now what will you do?
3. God is under no engagement or obligation to you, to do this kindness for you, viz. to bring you this bread of life to save you from famishing; nay, he hath many provocations to refuse so to do: You have undone your selves, your riot hath brought this poverty ⟨p. 185⟩upon you; yea, you have been putting of this Grace away from you; you have loved lies and deceits, embraced lying vanities, and hated your own mercies. Think of these things, and now say whither it is good, a safe, a desirable condition you are in? So are all unconverted ones; let this affect your hearts: One would think it should make mens souls die within them, to think and consider of the death which they are dying; a death of hunger, the very worst, and most oppressing and calamitous sort of death: Oh that men felt this now! there were then hopes that they might have relief, whiles the bread and water of life are exhibited in Gospel tenders: but if you will not know nor believe it now, you must be made sensible of it in a more amazing hour, when you shall tire heaven with endless and fruitless cries, and shall not be able by them all to prevail so far, as to obtain, in that everlasting famine, so much as one drop of water to quench the heat of your torments.
3. God is under no engagment or obligation to you, to do this kindness for you, viz. to bring you this bread of life to save you from famishing; nay, he hath many provocations to refuse so to do: You have undone your selves, your riot hath brought this poverty ⟨p. 185⟩upon you; yea, you have been putting of this Grace away from you; you have loved lies and deceits, embraced lying vanities, and hated your own mercies. Think of these things, and now say whither it is good, a safe, a desireable condition you are in? So are all unconverted ones; let this affect your hearts: One would think it should make mens souls dy within them, to think and consider of the death which they are dying; a death of hunger, the very worst, and most oppressing and calamitous sort of death: Oh that men felt this now! there were then hopes that they might have relief, whiles the bread and water of life are exhibited in Gospel tenders: but if you will not know nor believe it now, you must be made sensible of it in a more amazing hour, when you shall tire heaven with endless and fruitless cries, and shall not be able by them all to prevail so far, as to obtain, in that everlasting famine, so much as one drop of water to quench the heat of your torments.
2. The second Motive is taken from his Father, in whom he observes two things. Viz. Plenty, and bounty: for he had enough and to spare: Bounty, for so much was allowed to his hired servants, from whence he argues, he will not, if I go, suffer me, who am a Child to perish; and therefore joins to these, his relation to his plenty, it was his father that had it.
2. THe second Motive is taken from his Father, in whom he observes two things. Viz. Plenty, and bounty: for he had enough and to spare: Bounty, for so much was allowed to his hired servants, from whence he argues, he will not, if I go, suffer me, who am a Child to perish; and therefore joyns to these, his relation to his plenty, it was his father that had it.
The main difficulty in the words is to know what is meant by, or alluded to in these hired servants that were so well provided for: some by these understands visible Members of the visible Church, that were only outward professors, and not sincere, who, like hirelings, only serve God for sinister ends; and then by bread they understand Ordinances, as Prayer, Preaching, and the Sacraments, of which they have enough and to spare, more than they would care for: The word is, do abound, a Metaphor from a fountain that runs ⟨p. 187⟩over; nor doth I wholly reject this interpretation from being part of the meaning, and may teach us thus much; That an enlightened soul expects his spiritual food in and by the Ordinances. But it seems to come nearer the condition of a sinner in such a state as we have been considering, if we look upon the phrase to have no particular allusion, but only to be a comparative illustration of Divine bounty: Hired servants in great houses are not wont to be greatly cared for; he is a bountiful housekeeper indeed that feeds such plentifully. Or it may be an allusion to the general care which God takes of all his creatures, as he is Lord of the world and provider of the great family of the earth, even the worst and meanest of creatures, Job 38. ult. but I shall not be over curious. Hence,
The main difficulty in the words is to know what is meant by, or alluded to in these hyred servants that were so well provided for: some by these understands visible Members of the visible Church, that were only outward professors, and not sincere, who, like hirelings, only serve God for sinister ends; and then by bread they understand Ordinances, as Prayer, Preaching, and the Sacraments, of which they have enough and to spare, more than they would care for: The word is, do abound, a Metaphor from a fountain that runs ⟨p. 187⟩over; nor doth I wholly reject this interpretation from being part of the meaning, and may teach us thus much; That an enlightned soul expects his spiritual food in and by the Ordinances. But it seems to come nearer the condition of a sinner in such a state as we have been considering, if we look upon the phrase to have no particular allusion, but only to be a comparative illustration of Divine bounty: Hyred servants in great houses are not wont to be greatly cared for; he is a bountiful houskeeper indeed that feeds such plentifully. Or it may be an allusion to the general care which God takes of all his creatures, as he is Lord of the world and provider of the great family of the earth, even the worst and meanest of creatures,
It is wondrous relief to a despairing dying soul, to consider and believe that God hath enough to answer his wants, and is a God very bountiful to his Creatures. In the Explication consider. 1. What manner of encouragement this affords? 2. What of encouragement ariseth therefrom? 3. That it is proper for perishing sinners.
It is wondrous relief to a despairing dying soul, to consider and believe that God hath enough to answer his wants, and is a God very bountifull to his Creatures. In the Explication consider. 1. What manner of encouragement this affords? 2. What of encouragement ariseth therefrom? 3. That it is proper for perishing sinners.
1. What manner of encouragement this affords?
Answ. We are here to consider that the Prodigal was not yet returned, nor returning to his father, but only upon deliberation about it; nor yet come to a resolution in the thing; in which resolution may be observed (when we come to it) the first working of saving Grace, so that the encouragement which is here denoted is that which helped him to a preparatory hope, and was a mean to keep him from utter despair. That there is such an hope, is asserted to by our Divines; an hope before faith, keeping the soul from falling into deadly discouragement, or utterly refusing to attend upon any means for his good, which must needs be the fruit of utter despair. Hope of obtaining the end, is the very motive to using the means: Did not the perishing sinner conceive some hope that he might find good in the ways of Gods appointment, he would certainly reject them. Now this hope is not an effect or fruit of justifying faith, but precedent, and oftentimes in order to it. And if we carry in mind, that the spirit of God deals with sinners after the manner of reasonable creatures, we may the better conceive of this hope, and the encouragement arising from it; which may be in a few things.
Answ. We are here to consider that the Prodigal was not yet returned, nor returning to his father, but only upon deliberation about it; nor yet come to a resolution in the thing; in which resolution may be observed (when we come to it) the first working of saving Grace, so that the encouragement which is here denoted is that which helped him to a preparatory hope, and was a mean to keep him from utter despair. That there is such an hope, is asserted to by our Divines; an hope before faith, keeping the soul from falling into deadly discouragement, or utterly refusing to attend upon any means for his good, which must needs be the fruit of utter despair. Hope of obtaining the end, is the very motive to using the means: Did not the perishing sinner conceive some hope that he might find good in the ways of Gods appointment, he would certainly reject them. Now this hope is not an effect or fruit of justifying faith, but precedent, and oftentimes in order to it. And if we carry in mind, that the spirit of God deals with sinners after the manner of reasonable creatures, we may the better conceive of this hope, and the encouragment arising from it; which may be in a few things.
1. The soul of man absolutely needs some ⟨p. 189⟩object to rely upon; man's dependence for soul as well as body is out of himself; that must have something to live upon, or else it cannot do: Man was made for an end, and the attainment of his end is the fruition of his object, hence the Church calls God the portion of her soul, Lam. 3. 24.
1. The soul of man absolutely needs some ⟨p. 189⟩object to rely upon; man's dependance for soul as well as body is out of himself; that must have something to live upon, or else it cannot do: Man was made for an end, and the attainment of his end is the fruition of his object, hence the Church calls God the portion of her soul, Lam. 3. 24.
