A66106:531
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.
3. Chargeth it upon his own vile heart and nature, that fountain and original of all actual Transgression: he is therefore led up to it, and made to bewail that before God, as the root of all, Psal. 51. 5. I was shapen in iniquity. q. d. Hence comes all this, here it is fountained; thus the Prodigal, Father, I have sinned, I asked my Portion, and was not content till I had it in mine own hands; I took it and went away into a far Country, and wasted all there in riot,; I dishonoured my original by becoming a slave to a stranger, keeping swine, and feeding with them upon husks: I did all thus voluntarily without any compulsion; I did it against the law of nature, and bond of filial obedience; he doth not say, it was a trick of youth, and these good follows, pot companions, gamesters and harlots, drew me in, and so I did it. The truly, penitent, so sees his own guilt and wilful obstinacy, that he can look no where else: what ever his occasions or temptations were, yet still he sees that the Law of God was against it, which he ought ⟨p. 223⟩to have hearkened to notwithstanding all Temptation; and his heart was in it, else they could never have prevailed; he gave his consent, or else it had never been.
3. Chargeth it upon his own vile heart and nature, that fountain and original of all actual Transgression: he is therefore led up to it, and made to bewail that before God, as the root of all, Psal. 51. 5. I was shapen in iniquity. q. d. Hence comes all this, here it is fountained; thus the Prodigal, Father, I have sinned, I askt my Portion, and was not content till I had it in mine own hands; I took it and went away into a far Country, and wasted all there in riot,; I dishonoured my original by becoming a slave to a stranger, keeping swine, and feeding with them upon husks: I did all thus voluntarily without any compulsion; I did it against the law of nature, and bond of filial obedience; he doth not say, it was a trick of youth, and these good follows, pot companions, gamesters and harlots, drew me in, and so I did it. The truly, penitent, so sees his own guilt and wilful obstinacy, that he can look no where else: what ever his occasions or temptations were, yet still he sees that the Law of God was against it, which he ought ⟨p. 223⟩to have hearkened to notwithstanding all Temptation; and his heart was in it, else they could never have prevailed; he gave his consent, or else it had never been.
2. He aggravates it in that it was against God. q. d. Had I only wronged a creature, it had not been so much, but this is it that renders it heinous; it was against Heaven: All sin is against God. Wrongs are valued according to the person wronged: A thing is counted Treason when done against a Prince, which would be a little fault if only done to a subject. It is remarkable, that in the Parable it self, the younger Son is brought in acknowledging his sin to be against Heaven, rather than against the Father: Nothing, that the wrongs we do to others are therein mostly to be bewailed, in that they are against God. Hence David confesseth it with an emphasis, Psal. 51. 4. Against thee, thee only. It was against Uriah, against Bathsheba, &c. but that was little compared to, and therefore swallowed up in this. True Repentance runs sin up to the last object against whom it is, now all sin is against God in that it is,
2. He aggravates it in that it was against God. q. d. Had I only wronged a creature, it had not been so much, but this is it that renders it hainous; it was against Heaven: All sin is against God. Wrongs are valued according to the person wronged: A thing is counted Treason when done against a Prince, which would be a little fault if only done to a subject. It is remarkable, that in the Parable it self, the younger Son is brought in acknowledging his sin to be against Heaven, rather than against the Father: Nothing, that the wrongs we do to others are therein mostly to be bewailed, in that they are against God. Hence David confesseth it with an emphasis, Psal. 51. 4. Against thee, thee only. It was against Uriah, against Bathsheba, &c. but that was little compared to, and therefore swallowed up in this. True Repentance runs sin up to the last object against whom it is, now all sin is against God in that it is,
1. Against the Law of God; for that is it which makes it to be sin, 1 Joh. 3. 4. It is not the hurt which another receives, nor what we our selves suffer, but what we do, that firstly demonstrates it sin; but it is the contrariety it ⟨p. 224⟩bears to the precept, and holy revealed will of God: He that breaks thy King's Laws, wrongs the King himself.
2. Against the love of God; his good will, his bounty and beneficence to his creatures, by which he doth invite and engageth all men to serve and honour him; it is therefore called a despising of his goodness, Rom. 2. 4. The Fathers bounty made the Sons sins the worse, he had readily given him a plentiful Portion, and yet he spends it in riot.
3. Against the promises and threatenings of God; they slight the one, and contemn the other, are not in love with the promises, nor afraid of his wrath: There are great promises made to obedience, but they forsake these mercies, count them as worthless things: See Psal. 81. 9, to 13. God hath fearfully menaced, and denounced heavy judgments against sin and sinners, and bids them beware of sin because of them, Jer. 6. 8. Be instructed, lest my soul depart from thee. And because these are from God, who is able to honour his servants, and to make inexpressibly miserable his enemies, this is a sore aggravation.
3. Against the promises and threatnings of God; they slight the one, and contemn the other, are not in love with the promises, nor afraid of his wrath: There are great promises made to obedience, but they forsake these mercies, count them as worthless things: See Psal. 81. 9, to 13. God hath fearfully menaced, and denounced heavy judgments against sin and sinners, and bids them beware of sin because of them, Jer. 6. 8. Be instructed, lest my soul depart from thee. And because these are from God, who is able to honour his servants, and to make inexpressibly miserable his enemies, this is a sore aggravation.
4. Against God's earnest and heart breaking calls and counsels; yea, strongest Motives and persuasions: What stronger plea can God use against sin, than to declare that it is abominable to him, & his soul hates it? yet it is ⟨p. 225⟩a grief to his spirit, and will oppress him? and yet thus God pleads with sinners, Jer. 44. 4.
4. Against God's earnest and heart breaking calls and counsels; yea, strongest Motives and perswasions: What stronger plea can God use against sin, than to declare that it is abominable to him, & his soul hates it? yet it is ⟨p. 225⟩a grief to his spirit, and will oppress him? and yet thus God pleads with sinners, Jer. 44. 4.
5. Against his Honour and Glory: There is nothing so much against the declarative glory of God as sin is; yea, nothing at all is against it, but sin: Every sin dishonours his Name; by secret sin we dishonour him in our hearts, by open sin, we do it in our lives: God is an holy God, and it is only holiness that honours him. Now this is to see sin sinful, when we are brought to see that it is against God, wherein properly the sinfulness of it doth consist: Nor can a soul ever know how great an evil sin is, nor the meritoriousness of it, nor the equity of the penalty threatened against it, till he be fully persuaded and made to acknowledge that it is against Heaven.
5. Against his Honour and Glory: There is nothing so much against the declarative glory of God as sin is; yea, nothing at all is against it, but sin: Every sin dishonours his Name; by secret sin we dishonour him in our hearts, by open sin, we do it in our lives: God is an holy God, and it is only holiness that honours him. Now this is to see sin sinfull, when we are brought to see that it is against God, wherein properly the sinfulness of it doth consist: Nor can a soul ever know how great an evil sin is, nor the meritoriousness of it, nor the equity of the penalty threatned against it, till he be fully perswaded and made to acknowledge that it is against Heaven.
3. He aggravates it, in that it was not only against, but before his father: Thus also David aggravates his sin, Psal. 51. 4. and done this evil in thy sight. The word [[Greek or Hebrew]] signifieth, in the sight: and Sin is committed in the presence of God; he stands by & look on; not only such sins as are committed in the sight of sun, but such also as are done in the dark, & out or the sight of mortal men: he sees into every corner, Psal. 139. 12. Divine Omnipresence fills all places: and this is a great aggravation of Sin; it argues either,
3. He aggravates it, in that it was not only against, but before his father: Thus also David aggravates his sin, Psal. 51. 4. and done this evil in thy sight. The word [〈non-Latin alphabet〉] signifieth, in the sight: and Sin is committed in the presence of God; he stands by & look on; not only such sins as are committed in the sight of sun, but such also as are done in the dark, & out or the sight of mortal men: he sees into every corner, Psal. 139. 12. Divine Omnipresence fills all places: and this is a great aggravation of Sin; it argues either,
1. Great heedlessness; that men do not regard ⟨p. 226⟩the presence of God; and that shows much of Atheism: Did men know or believe that God stood by and over-looked all their actions, would they dare so to do as they do? This was that which made them so impudently bold, in Ezek. 9. 9. They say, the Lord seeth not. And thus men deny that glorious Attribute without which he were not God, Or,
1. Great heedlesness; that men do not regard ⟨p. 226⟩the presence of God; and that shews much of Atheism: Did men know or believe that God stood by and over-looked all their actions, would they dare so to do as they do? This was that which made them so impudently bold, in Ezek. 9. 9. They say, the Lord seeth not. And thus men deny that glorious Attribute without which he were not God, Or,
2. Horrid profaneness: If men do acknowledge, and yet regard not that God seeth them, it argues that men have cast off the fear of God from them, that they have lost the awe of his Judgements, and are not afraid of his wrath. It is the aggravation of Sodoms Sin, Gen. 23. 13. They were sinners before the Lord. God comes to men and presents himself in his strict commands, and severe threatenings, tells them in his Word and Ordinances that his wrath shall burn against such Sins, and such Sinners; and yet they care not: God speaks by his Word, and speaks by conscience, but to no purpose; this proves mens obstinacy.
2. Horrid prophaneness: If men do acknowledge, and yet regard not that God seeth them, it argues that men have cast off the fear of God from them, that they have lost the aw of his Judgements, and are not afraid of his wrath. It is the aggravation of Sodoms Sin, Gen. 23. 13. They were sinners before the Lord. God comes to men and presents himself in his strict commands, and severe threatnings, tells them in his Word and Ordinances that his wrath shall burn against such Sins, and such Sinners; and yet they care not: God speaks by his Word, and speaks by conscience, but to no purpose; this proves mens obstinacy.
2. The reason why God makes the true penitent thus see and acknowledge Sin is not to drive the soul beyond hope of mercy, but it is.
I. To make the creature so touched with the sense of his own sin, that he may thus see it in its worst colours, and thence learn to loath it, ⟨p. 227⟩and himself for it: that he may see Sin hateful not only in its consequents, but in its self, and thence what reason God hath, and how just it is for him to be so severe, and bear such a dreadful witness against Sin, as he doth in his word and works, Ezek. 36. 31.
2. That the greatness of the riches of his grace may appear, and be known to be unsearchable: that every believer may experience the meaning of that, Rom. 5. 20. Where sin hath abounded, grace did much more abound. Hence Paul shall not only acknowledge grace, but with an emphasis, 1 Tim. 1. 15, 16. The blacker the Sin looketh, the brighter will grace appear, and the more intense will the love of the soul be to God: It is our Saviours argument, Luk. 7. 47. To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. That believer that hath seen, and known the worst of himself, ever hath the most precious thoughts of Christ.
USE, 1. Here we see how far those are from true Repentance, who instead of aggravating, do mince and extenuate their Sins, and endeavour to make them look as small as they can, that they may be little affected with, or humbled for them. Many pretend they have come to God, and believed in him, but how did they come? Why, as the Pharisee, with their proud boastings, not as the Publican, with a Lord have mercy on me a sinner. They have looked for ⟨p. 228⟩Grace and Mercy, not on the account of Christ alone, but their encouragement hath been, they have been better than others, have good a nature, have not been tainted with such Sins, nor so dishonoured God, &c. This is not the way of Gospel-Repentance; such as these are far from true conversion; there is yet a great work to do for and upon them if ever they come to be made sharers of saving mercies.
USE, 2. This may serve to answer that usual objection or discouragement which many awakened sinners are exercised withal, and deterred by, from coming to Christ; viz. the greatness of their sins, their heinousness, their amazing aggravations, they have not finned at the ordinary rate, but exceeded, and none have sinned like them; they have gotten to speak terribly against themselves: and hence they are ready to draw a desperate conclusion, there is no hope for me: This you see directly contradicts the Gospel method; whereas you ought thus to argue, therefore there is the greatest need for me above all: Let those that think their wounds small, that hope to cure them themselves, or to out-grow them, let such tarry away; but for me, I must perish if I go not to the Physician; yea, this may animate you to this, to consider, this is the way of Christ; he makes sin very bitter, Jer. 2. 19. Where he intends to afford his grace and salvation; and ⟨p. 229⟩till you find it to be so, you are not fit for mercy: there is no plea for mercy more acceptable to or prevalent with Christ, than that which is framed from the sensible acknowledgement, of its Sin in its greatest aggravations: The worse we count of our selves, the better he likes us, and the fitter we are for his grace to work upon; let this then drive thee the more resolutely to him.
USE, 2. This may serve to answer that usual objection or discouragement which many awakened sinners are exercised withal, and deterred by, from coming to Christ; viz. the greatness of their sins, their hainousness, their amazing aggravations, they have not finned at the ordinary rate, but exceeded, and none have sinned like them; they have gotten to speak terribly against themselves: and hence they are ready to draw a desperate conclusion, there is no hope for me: This you see directly contradicts the Gospel method; whereas you ought thus to argue, therefore there is the greatest need for me above all: Let those that think their wounds small, that hope to cure them themselves, or to out-grow them, let such tarry away; but for me, I must perish if I go not to the Physitian; yea, this may animate you to this, to consider, this is the way of Christ; he makes sin very bitter, Jer. 2. 19. Where he intends to afford his grace and salvation; and ⟨p. 229⟩
USE, 3. From counsel to such as are encouraged with the hopes of mercy, and would go to God for it, how to go so as to find acceptance, i. e. in sum, labour to be as vile in your own eye and esteem as can be: get the deep sense and apprehension of the greatness of your sin: charge Sin as God chargeth it, aggravate Sin as the word of God aggravates it; judge your selves by the righteous law of God; feel the weight and burden of Sin, and groan under it as those that are weary and oppressed with it; such are encouraged, Matt. 11. 28. Come to me ye that are weary and heavy laden. Add every proper weight to Sin that may make it the most burdensome and insupportable thing in the world: In particular;
USE, 3. From counsel to such as are encouraged with the hopes of mercy, and would go to God for it, how to go so as to find acceptance, i. e. in summe, labour to be as vile in your own eye and esteem as can be: get the deep sense and apprehension of the greatness of your sin: charge Sin as God chargeth it, aggravate Sin as the word of God aggravates it; judge your selves by the righteous law of God; feel the weight and burden of Sin, and groan under it as those that are weary and oppressed with it; such are encouraged, Matt. 11. 28. Come to me ye that are weary and heavy laden. Add every proper weight to Sin that may make it the most burdensome and insupportible thing in the world: In particular;
