A66106:508
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.
Reas. 1. From the nature of saving faith, which is a trusting in God for life: Now such trust of the soul necessarily requires repentance in both parts of it: for, if God be trusted in, ⟨p. 211⟩all other trust must needs be forsaken and rejected: to dwell by Cisterns argues the fountain is relinquished: He that will find mercy, must say Ashur shall not save; and if God be trusted in for life, then the soul must needs go to him for it, Isa. 55. 1. Faith without exercise is dead, and the working of faith and love is the exercise of Repentance, as without faith there is no salvation, so faith cannot be, but it will bring forth fruit in Repentance.
Reas. 1. From the nature of saving faith, which is a trusting in God for life: Now such trust of thesoul necessarily requires repentance in both parts of it: for, if God be trusted in, ⟨p. 211⟩all other trust must needs be forsaken and rejected: to dwel by Cisterns argues the fountain is relinquished: He that will find mercy, must say Ashur shall not save; and if God be trusted in for life, then the soul must needs go to him for it, Isa. 55. 1. Faith without exercise is dead, and the working of faith and love is the exercise of Repentance, as without faith there is no salvation, so faith cannot be, but it will bring forth fruit in Repentance.
Reas. 2. Because, as happiness and misery are contraries, so the way to the one and the other must be contrary: Now the way in which man brought himself into misery was by departing from God and falling into Sin. The Prophet describes it, Jer. 2. 13. and as long as the cause of misery remains, the continuance of it must be: As long as a sinner lieth in Sin, he must needs be miserable: the foundation of happiness is laid in saving us from Sin, Mat. 1. 12. He shall save his People from their sins. And therefore the way to Salvation must be retrograde: i. e. by rising from Sin, and coming back to God. Man's felicity consists in his enjoyment of God; he cannot enjoy him till he comes to him; every distance from God is a misery: Sin is contrary to God, he therefore cannot in that sense come to us, his holiness forbids. Christ doth not save us in our sins, but from our sins, and that is by working ⟨p. 212⟩us to a true and and through Repentance: a sinner must become holy, else he cannot see God, Heb. 12. 14.
Reas. 2. Because, as happiness and misery are contraries, so the way to the one and the other must be contrary: Now the way in which man brought himself into misery was by departing from God and falling into Sin. The Prophet describes it, Jer. 2. 13. and aslong as the cause of misery remains, the continuance of it must be: As long as a sinner lyeth in Sin, he must needs be miserable: the foundation of happiness is laid in saving us from Sin, Mat. 1. 12. He shall save his People from their sins. And therefore the way to Salvation must be retrograde: i. e. by rising from Sin, and coming back to God. Man's felicity consists in his enjoyment of God; he cannot enjoy him till he comes to him; every distance from God is a misery: Sin is contrary to God, he therefore cannot in that sense come to us, his holiness forbids. Christ doth not save us in our sins, but from our sins, and that is by working ⟨p. 212⟩us to a true and and through Repentance: a sinner must become holy, else he cannot see God, Heb. 12. 14.
USE, 1. To teach us that it exceeds the power of a natural man to effect his own conversion, or bring about his own salvation. Man by nature is dead in trespasses and sins; and is it possible that a dead man should rise and go by his own strength, till a vital principle be put into him? as well might Lazarus, dead and ready to stink, have by his own virtue shaken off his grave cloths, and come forth without a Divine word, as the sinner, fallen and dead in sin, rise and return to God: this is an act of spiritual life and requires a principle of it, and that can proceed from no less power than Omnipotency: Paul therefore compares it with the work of Creation, 2 Cor. 4. 6. and with the power of Resurrection, Eph. 1. 19. 20. It is true, it is the man that riseth, and goeth; the act of Repentance proceeds formally from the Believer; but it is God by his Spirit that informs him with this power and grace, whereby he is enabled to do it. Hence also we see how ineffectual means of themselves must needs be, unless they be influenced by the spirit of grace: how vainly do they dream who attribute to man a power of converting himself, and put a Divine honour upon Moral suasion, as if it could of it self attract and draw ⟨p. 213⟩the heart after it? No, though God require means and ordinances, yet they are but the staff of Elisha, and except the Lord God be there, the touch awakens not the dead man. Ezekiel must prophesy over the dry bones, but it is the spirit that moves to bring them together, and puts life into them. Let no man then ascribe this to himself; it may be thou knowest not how this wind blew, or how this babe of grace was formed; no more doth the Child how it was begotten and formed in the womb: but if you find the effect, that you are enabled to arise and go to your heavenly father, you must say the singer of God was here, and ascribe all the glory of it to him.
USE, 1. To teach us that it exceeds the power of a natural man to effect his own conversion, or bring about his own salvation. Man by nature is dead in trespasses and sins; and is it possible that a dead man should rise and go by his own strength, till a vital principle be put into him? as well might Lazarus, dead and ready to stink, have by his own vertue shaken off his grave cloths, and come forth without a Divine word, as the sinner, fallen and dead in sin, rise and return to God: this is an act of spiritual life and requires a principle of it, and that can proceed from no less power than Omnipotency: Paul therefore compares it with the work of Creation,
USE, 2. This discovereth their vain and presumptuous hopes, who live and lie in sin, and yet expect to be saved: and yet there are a great many of these; they boast of their hopes, and yet tarry in their far country, live among the swine, and feed upon husks, they are far from God, and will not return to him by Repentance; they hold their vain courses, and approve not of the ways of holiness; these certainly forsake their own mercies, and will be found among the dead and not among the living: had not the Prodigal resolved to rise and return, he had perished, and so must all these, Psal. 73. 27. They that are far from thee, shall perish.
USE, 2. This discovereth their vain and presumptuous hopes, who live and ly in sin, and yet expect to be saved: and yet there are a great many of these; they boast of their hopes, and yet tarry in their far country, live among the swine, and feed upon husks, they are far from God, and will not return to him by Repentance; they hold their vain courses, and approve not of the wayes of holiness; these certainly forsake their own mercies, and will be found among the dead and not among the living: had not the Prodigal resolved to rise and return, he had perished, and so must all these, Psal. 73. 27. They that are far from thee, shall perish.
USE, 3. For Examination; it may put us upon it by this Rule to try our hopes of Salvation, whither they be rightly grounded, and hopes that shall not perish: Thou art by nature a Child of wrath; thou hast been a poor Prodigal, hast destroyed thy self, and in this state there is nothing but misery to be expected, Rom. 3. 16. Destruction and misery are in all their ways. In God only is help, and that is only to be had in going to him, and thou canst not go to him, except thou risest and forsakest thy vain and carnal trust in lying vanities: Where art thou? what hast thou done? art thou pursuing lies? art thou sitting still and despairing? or art thou going upon thy return to God? art thou yet deliberating, or art thou resolved? art thou consulting with flesh and blood? or hast thou said resolutely I will arise and go to my father? If thou art in the full purpose of thy heart set against sin, and for the glory of God, resolving by his grace so to do, it is well; this is accepted of God, and he that gives to will, will also give to do: But if it be not so, what is thy hope built upon? what are thy comforts but delusions? what are thy assurances but undoing deceit?
USE, 3. For Examination; it may put us upon it by this Rule to try our hopes of Salvation, whither they be rightly grounded, and hopes that shall not perish: Thou art by nature a Child of wrath; thou hast been a poor Prodigal, hast destroyed thy self, and in this state there is nothing but misery to be expected, Rom. 3. 16. Destruction and misery are in all their wayes. In God only is help, and that is only to be had in going to him, and thou canst not go to him, except thou risest and forsakest thy vain and carnal trust in lying vanities: Where art thou? what hast thou done? art thou pursuing lies? art thou sitting still and despairing? or art thou going upon thy return to God? art thou yet deliberating, or art thou resolved? art thou consulting with flesh and blood? or hast thou said resolutely I will arise and go to my father? If thou art in the full purpose of thy heart set against sin, and for the glory of God, resolving by his grace so to do, it is well; this is accepted of God, and he that gives to will, will also give to do: But if it be not so, what is thy hope built upon? what are thy comforts but delusions? what are thy assurances but undoing deceit?
USE, 4. For Exhortation; and let me direct it particularly to such as, being under the sense of perishing in themselves, have made ⟨p. 215⟩discovery of the great power and goodness of God, and received some preparatory hope by it; he hence encouraged and counselled to arise and go to God: Do you feel your selves under a condition so miserable, and have you discovered an object so glorious and suitable? take heart, and resolve to adventure into his presence, and throw your selves upon him. Consider, God therefore reveals himself to be such an one to such as you are, to this very end that you may be wooed and won to him; and if now you put him away by unbelief, you will slight Mercy. Remember withal, though there be so much supply with God, as is enough to make you completely happy, and to spare, yet it is only for comers: If you will taste of this Feast you must accept of the invitation, and come and be guests; you must come out of those hedge-rows, and high-ways in which you lie starving, you must go to the waters, if you will have wine and milk, Isa. 55. 1. Halt no longer between two opinions; if it be good perishing, sit still, but if it be good to be saved arise and come away; come to a resolution, draw up your conclusion. If you object and say, I can resolve nothing of my self, except God put his Grace and resolution in me; I answer, It is true, but remember also, that as God is a free Agent, so we are obliged by duty, and the tie of it is such, that we must, except ⟨p. 216⟩we will bring guilt upon our selves, set about it; and this is our duty, to believe, and resolve, not in your strength, but in the strength of God; nay, it is one of Satan's cheats, to tell us we must wait before we […], till we discover Grace coming in, whereas the habits of Grace come in undiscerned, and the first fruit of Grace is to be found in the resolution it self: If God helps us to this resolution, we must by that know that his Spirit is come into us; and it is our duty, in the use of means to stir up our selves to believe. Resolve then in the strength of God; here thou art perishing, there is mercy with him that he may be feared: he saith, if thou comest he will not upbraid thee: he saith, The hungry he will satisfy with bread, and give the longing soul the desires of his heart: he saith, he will give the weary rest; in a word, if ever you obtain Salvation it must be with him;
hills, mountains, all created beings will not afford it: Thou hast tired thy self to no purpose in seeking it there already, and why shouldest thou again make a vain essay? if God will he can; and he is a merciful God; the fatherless have found him so: Do thou but resolve to leave all for him, and make choice of him for thy trust, and he will do it for thee, what ever it be that thou wantest, grace, glory, and every good thing will he bestow upon thee.
hills, mountains, all created beings will not afford it: Thou hast tyred thy self to no purpose in seeking it there already, and why shouldest thou again make a vain essay? if God will he can; and he is a merciful God; the fatherless have found him so: Do thou but resolve to leave all for him, and make choice of him for thy trust, and he will do it for thee, what ever it be that thou wantest, grace, glory, and every good thing will he bestow upon thee.
Thus of the Prodigals resolution to return:
THus of the Prodigals resolution to return:
2. His purpose how to demean himself on his return follows to be considered: in which are shadowed out to us divers necessary concomitants of true Repentance, or qualifications wherein the truth of it doth appear; and serve to instruct us in the true and genuine working of saving Grace, to the humbling of the soul, and rendering him vile in his own eyes: And this is in two things, viz. his Confession, and his Petition: In the one he makes himself as bad as he can be, as little, as low, and sinful; in the other he yields himself to be what ever his father would make him. To begin with the first:
2. His purpose how to demean himself on his return follows to be considered: in which are shadowed out to us divers necessary concomitants of true Repentance, or qualifications wherein the truth of it doth appear; and serve to instruct us in the true and genuine working of saving Grace, to the humbling of the soul, and rendring him vile in his own eyes: And this is in two things, viz. his Confession, and his Petition: In the one he makes himself as bad as he can be, as little, as low, and sinful; in the other he yields himself to be what ever his father would make him. To begin with the first:
1. In his confession he acknowledgeth his sin, and the merit of it:
1. In the acknowledgement of his sin: 1. He makes it his own, I have sinned. 2. He aggravates ⟨p. 218⟩it, 1. By the object against whom, against heaven: 2. By the presence in which, before thee. The phrase [against heaven] means against God himself: the word, Heaven is used both by Hebrew and Greek writers for God, either as one of his names, or else Metonymically, because heaven is the place where he most gloriously appears. Divers useful truths may hence be gathered; I shall draw them all up into this one.
1. In the acknowledgment of his sin: 1. He makes it his own, I have sinned. 2. He aggravates ⟨p. 218⟩it, 1. By the object against whom, against heaven: 2. By the presence in which, before thee. The phrase [against heaven] means against God himself: the word, Heaven is used both by Hebrew and Greek writers for God, either as one of his names, or else Metonymically, because heaven is the place where he most gloriously appears. Divers useful truths may hence be gathered; I shall draw them all up into this one.
He will not mince or extenuate, and go about to make them look little and small, but acknowledge them in their height & greatness; present them in their blackest and ugliest colours: so doth this Prodigal son resolve to go to his father, and so did.
Though every sin in its proper nature nakedly considered, as it is a Transgression of the Laws of God, an affront offered, and an offence given to the Majesty of Heaven, is on that account great; yet there are several circumstances with which it is clothed, which, if truly looked upon, do exaggerate or heighten the vileness of it: these the Hypocrite endeavours to cover over, and hopes thereby to excuse ⟨p. 219⟩himself â tanto, as the Pharisee, I am not thus and so: but contrariwise, in sound Repentance, when the sinner comes to humble himself before God, and confess his sins, he makes himself as vile as he can: Sin is made exceeding sinful. An hypocrite hopes to plead that he hath not been so bad, therefore he may hope for mercy; but Paul was of another mind, 1 Tim. 1. 25. Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And David, Psal. 25. 11. Pardon mine iniquity, for it is very great. Now the aggravations in our text are three, under which heads the most that can be said may be ranked; these let us a little look into.
1. He takes the whole blame upon himself: I have sinned; it is I have done this thing; so David calls it his own sin, Psal. 51. 9. q. d. Whatever blame or guilt there is in it, I take it all to my self: He confesseth it roundly, and plainly, without any excuse, or extenuations, or putting it off to any other cause, occasion, or tempter. And this is one difference between the repentance of an hypocrite and a true penitent; the one would put off his sin as much as he can, seek excuses, find others to lay it upon, and bear as little of the blame as possibly he may; he would divide the fault, that he may leave the least part of it to himself; and he finds many occasions, or causes to change it upon.
