A66106:542
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.
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,
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;
1. Make it your own, and take the blame to your selves, Sin ever affects us more or less, according as we find our selves interested in it, so much as we fault others, so much of self Justification will follow; and the less we have ⟨p. 230⟩known Sin to be our own, the less will the grace of Christ be sweetened in our apprehension: When Cicero would set forth Caesar's great clemency, he makes his own fault every way his own: Nullâ vi coactus, judicio meo, & voluntate meâ, ad ea arma profectus sum, quae sumpta sunt contra te. Pro Ligar. Thus must you do, and thus shall you bring glory to pardoning mercy; See and say, it was your own choice, your heart was in it, you were not compelled, but acted freely, resolutely, and therefore have justly deserved to be rejected when you have nothing to plead for your selves, then you are fit to plead mercy. Remember therefore that God made man upright, it is he that hath sought out many inventions. God hath given to no tempters, either Men or Devils, power over your wills to compel them.
1. Make it your own, and take the blame to your selves, Sin ever affects us more or less, according as we find our selves interested in it, so much as we fault others, so much of self Justification will follow; and the less we have ⟨p. 230⟩known Sin to be our own, the less will the grace of Christ be sweetned in our apprehension: When Cicero would set forth Caesar's great clemency, he makes his own fault every way his own: Nullâ vi coactus, judicio meo, & voluntate meâ, ad ea arma profectus sum, quae sumpta sunt contra te. Pro Ligar. Thus must you do, and thus shall you bring glory to pardoning mercy; See and say, it was your own choice, your heart was in it, you were not compelled, but acted freely, resolutely, and therefore have justly deserved to be rejected when you have nothing to plead for your selves, then you are fit to plead mercy. Remember therefore that God made man upright, it is he that hath sought out many inventions. God hath given to no tempters, either Men or Devils, power over your wills to compel them.
2. See how vile your Sin must be, in that it hath been against God: you never look aright upon it until you bring it up hither. It is true, Sin cannot rob God of his essential glory, which is out of the reach of the creatures malignity, but his declarative glory is thereby abused: you have not only wronged man that is a worm, but you have injured the God of Glory: It is his holy Law that you have broken, else it is not Sin; you have preferred a base lust, a lying vanity before him; you have rejected the rule of infinite wisdom, which only can direct ⟨p. 231⟩man to his end: you have despised and trampled upon the great reward of happiness, which was propounded to you: you have cast off the yoke of supreme sovereignty, under which you ought to have put your selves: You have placed Sin in God's Throne, and given it the precedency; you have slighted the gracious and precious invitations of the Gospel, which have been set before you; you that are worms of the dust, have risen up against an infinite Majesty: And is not this a sore and grievous thing? Can you be too much affected for that Sin which is of so deep a dye? this is the true and kindly sense which every penitent Soul, enlightened by the Spirit of Grace, hath of his Sins.
2. See how vile your Sin must be, in that it hath been against God: you never look aright upon it until you bring it up hither. It is true, Sin cannot rob God of his essential glory, which is out of the reach of the creatures malignity, but his declarative glory is thereby abused: you have not only wronged man that is a worm, but you have injured the God of Glory: It is his holy Law that you have broken, else it is not Sin; you have preferred a base lust, a lying vanity before him; you have rejected the rule of infinit wisdom, which only can direct ⟨p. 231⟩man to his end: you have despised and trampled upon the great reward of happiness, which was propounded to you: you have cast off the yoke of supream soveraignty, under which you ought to have put your selves: You have placed Sin in God's Throne, and given it the precedency; you have slighted the gracious and precious invitations of the Gospel, which have been set before you; you that are worms of the dust, have risen up against an infinite Majesty: And is not this a sore and grievous thing? Can you be too much affected for that Sin which is of so deep a dye? this is the true and kindly sence which every penitent Soul, enlightned by the Spirit of Grace, hath of his Sins.
3. How bold must that Sin needs be, which hath been committed before the face and presence of God. Would you not have been afraid and ashamed, if sinful men like your selves had stood by and looked on when you committed these and those Sins? how then were you not afraid to do them when God looked on? if you did not consider it, was not that an Atheistical Spirit? or, if you cared not for, nor regarded it, was it not a brazen face? you were not afraid of his terrors, nor awed with his judgments, you either forgot God, which is desperate security, or you despised him which is high Profaneness; Thus confess ⟨p. 232⟩your Sins to God, if you hope to find mercy: hide not, cover them not under your tongues, be not afraid to make the worst of them; you cannot confess worse than God knows: judge your selves if you would not be judged of the Lord: if you now hide your Sins, God will unmask them before Angels and Men; but if you thus confess, God is just to forgive. Be not afraid to confess your selves the chief of Sinners; this cannot set you beyond the hope of mercy, since Christ is more able to save, than we are to destroy our selves, since it is before a God who can abundantly pardon; since Christs business is to save Sinners, labour to know and confess your selves to be really and truly so: and the more you know and feel your selves to be such, the more encouragement you have to go to Christ. Remember Sin hath taken away all other Pleas from fallen man, and left no room for him to say any thing more or other, for, or of himself, but that he hath sinned, and thereby exposed himself to wrath, and hath no other thing to fly to, but the Grace of God in Christ Jesus; on which account it is that he hath this one plea left him humbly to present. For thy Name sake, O Lord! pardon my iniquity, for it is very great.
3. How bold must that Sin needs be, which hath been committed before the face and presence of God. Would you not have been afraid and ashamed, if sinful men like your selves had stood by and looked on when you committed these and those Sins? how then were you not afraid to do them when God looked on? if you did not consider it, was not that an Atheistical Spirit? or, if you cared not for, nor regarded it, was it not a brazen face? you were not afraid of his terrors, nor awed with his judgments, you either forgat God, which is desperate security, or you despised him which is high Prophaneness; Thus confess ⟨p. 232⟩
2. Thus of the Prodigal's Confession of his Sin; it follows to consider his Confession of the merit of it, expressed in these words, I am no more worthy to be called thy Son. The Words are a Meiosis, or a diminutive expression, in which less is said than intended. The thing here aimed at is Gospel Humiliation, an ingredient into Repentance, and concomitant of saving Faith; and is consequent upon the right apprehension of Sin, and the aggravation of it; and he that hath known what Sin is indeed, cannot but acknowledge himself unworthy of mercy, and worthy of misery: and so this negative compriseth the contrary affirmative. Hence,
2. THus of the Prodigal's Confession of his Sin; it follows to consider his Confession of the merit of it, expressed in these words, I am no more worthy to be called thy Son. The Words are a Meiosis, or a diminutive expression, in which less is said than intended. The thing here aimed at is Gospel Humiliation, an ingredient into Repentance, and concomitant of saving Faith; and is consequent upon the right apprehension of Sin, and the aggravation of it; and he that hath known what Sin is indeed, cannot but acknowledge himself unworthy of mercy, and worthy of misery: and so this negative comprizeth the contrary affirmative. Hence,
The Grace we are here considering of is true Humility, a fruit and discovery of Faith, and concomitant of sound Repentance. You shall see that our Saviour finds and acknowledgeth true and great Faith in it, Mat. 8. 8. with 10. It is a Grace which God requires and earnestly calls for in Scripture, and is made the end of many solemn dispensations of God to his People, Deut. 8. 14, 15, 16. now this Humility hath two things in it: viz. 1. A low and vile esteem of one self. 2. Which follows, a yielding one self up to Gods dispose: the former we have now to consider; the latter follows in the next words: This first is an utter renouncing of self-excellence. Man by nature is very proud, he thinks himself to be of some desert and worth; hence he counts all the evil that befalls him, an injury, and all good, a debt: the Soul is not fit for Christ, but God, when he draws him home to himself, makes him know that he is the most worthless creature in the World to receive any good, and worthy of all evil. And that we may make some particular discovery of this Grace, we may consider it in two things, viz. 1. The root of it. 2. The fruit proceeding from it.
The Grace we are here considering of is true Humility, a fruit and discovery of Faith, and concomitant of sound Repentance. You shall see that our Saviour finds and acknowledgeth true and great Faith in it, Mat. 8. 8. with 10. It is a Grace which God requires and earnestly calls for in Scripture, and is made the end of many solemn dispensations of God to his People, Deut. 8. 14, 15, 16. now this Humility hath two things in it: viz. 1. A low and vile esteem of one self. 2. Which follows, a yielding one self up to Gods dispose: the former we have now to consider; the latter follows in the next words: This first is an utter renouncing of self-excellence. Man by nature is very proud, he thinks himself to be of some desert and worth; hence he counts all the evil that befals him, an injury, and all good, a debt: the Soul is not fit for Christ, but God, when he draws him home to himself, makes him know that he is the most worthless creature in the World to receive any good, and worthy of all evil. And that we may make some particular discovery of this Grace, we may consider it in two things, viz. 1. The root of it. 2. The fruit proceeding from it.
1. The root of this Humility, and that which influenceth each part of it, is a deep sense and apprehension of his own vileness. The Spirit of God gives him to see, find and ⟨p. 235⟩feel himself to be a vile creature: this is Job's Confession, Job 40. 4. I am vile, the word signifies contemptible, or worthy of no esteem: he finds and confesseth himself every way vile.
1. Vile as he is a Man, a piece of Clay, a little dust of the Balance. God made man so as that he might ever see cause to have low and little thoughts of himself, Gen. 2. 7. his body a lump of dirt, his breath a blast, himself a Brother of worms: God must stoop to take notice of man in his greatest excellency; hence the Psalmist thinks of it with admiration, Psal. 8. 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
1. Vile as he is a Man, a piece of Clay, a little dust of the Ballance. God made man so as that he might ever see cause to have low and little thoughts of himself, Gen. 2. 7. his body a lump of dirt, his breath a blast, himself a Brother of worms: God must stoop to take notice of man in his greatest excellency; hence the Psalmist thinks of it with admiration, Psal. 8. 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
2. Much more, because he is a sinful creature: the sense and apprehension of his own Sin, renders him unspeakably abominable in his own eyes: he sees Sin to be a vile thing, & himself, being a Sinner, to be defiled with it. Sin is not only vile in it self, but it renders every one so that is polluted by it: the best of creatures are vile, if compared with God, but sinful Man much more, Job 11. 14, 15, 16. this hath rendered Man loathsome to God, whose pure eye hates Sin; and shall render him so to himself, when God shall do him good, Ezek. 36. 31. this hath pulled off his Scarlet, and thrown him upon a Dung hill: this hath defaced his beauty, and covered him with deformity; degraded his Glory, and filled him with Ignominy; yea, ⟨p. 236⟩overspread him with wounds, ulcers, and putrefying sores; so that now he can see nothing in himself that might attract love, but justly cause loathing.
2. Much more, because he is a sinful creature: the sence and apprehension of his own Sin, renders him unspeakably abominable in his own eyes: he sees Sin to be a vile thing, & himself, being a Sinner, to be defiled with it. Sin is not only vile in it self, but it renders every one so that is polluted by it: the best of creatures are vile, if compared with God, but sinful Man much more, Job 11. 14, 15, 16. this hath rendred Man loathsome to God, whose pure eye hates Sin; and shall render him so to himself, when God shall do him good, Ezek. 36. 31. this hath pulled off his Scarlet, and thrown him upon a Dung hill: this hath defaced his beauty, and covered him with deformity; degraded his Glory, and filled him with Ignominy; yea, ⟨p. 236⟩overspread him with wounds, ulcers, and putrifying sores; so that now he can see nothing in himself that might attract love, but justly cause loathing.
3. Vile in all that he doth: Such as is the principle, such are the acts: Like tree, like fruits, Mat. 7. 16. see Job 14. 4. If he look on none but his best actions that he doth, yet here he seeth his own filthiness so deriving it self into them, that he cannot place any esteem upon them, but declare them vile things, Isa. 64 6. Filthy rags. Filthy; the word is variously translated, and by all to set out loathsome vileness. The like you have of Paul, Phil. 3. 8. dung. The truly humbled soul sees no excellency in himself, which he can call his own, nor any thing done by him which is not polluted. So Paul, Rom. 7. 18. In my flesh dwells no good thing. So that he dares not put his actions upon the trial, but deprecates it, as David, Psal. 14. 3. 2. Enter not into Judgment with thy servant. This is the root of Humility.
3. Vile in all that he doth: Such as is the principle, such are the acts: Like tree, like fruits, Mat. 7. 16. see Job 14. 4. If he look on none but his best actions that he doth, yet here he seeth his own filthiness so deriving it self into them, that he cannot place any esteem upon them, but declare them vile things, Isa. 64 6. Filthy rags. Filthy; the word is variously translated, and by all to set out loathsome vileness. The like you have of Paul, Phil. 3. 8. dung. The truly humbled soul sees no excellency in himself, which he can call his own, nor any thing done by him which is not polluted. So Paul, Rom. 7. 18. In my flesh dwells no good thing. So that he dares not put his actions upon the tryal, but deprecates it, as David,
