A66106:745
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.
1. The object of compassion is a miserable thing: A creature brought into distress, groaning under his misery, and standing in need of his succour: Such an one is the sinner: he is one famishing, and ready to die; he is the forlorn creature, a miserable wretch, going without hope to the pit; an helpless creature, whom no created being can relieve and rid of his misery, he is both poor and perishing, as we before heard.
1. The object of compassion is a miserable thing: A creature brought into distress, groaning under his misery, and standing in need of his succour: Such an one is the sinner: he is one famishing, and ready to dy; he is the forlorn creature, a miserable wretch, going without hope to the pit; an helpless creature, whom no created being can relieve and rid of his misery, he is both poor and perishing, as we before heard.
2. The affections which go into compassion are two,
1. Grief; whereby the mind is moved and troubled at the creatures misery: the sight of it oppresseth the heart, when he sees it; he cannot tell how to bear the sight of it; hence also often proceed sighs and tears of pity over the object. Thus God also (speaking in our dialect) seeing poor Sinners in their misery, expresseth himself like one whose heart is ready to burst, Hos. 11. 8. How shall I give thee up? how shall I deliver thee? my heart is turned; my repentings are kindled. And after like manner, Jer. 31. 20. in this grief also we are wont to be troubled at our selves if we have done any thing to bring the creature into such a miserable condition, and hence we relent, and repent; and so God also speaks of himself, in the forecited, Hos. 10. 8.
2. Love; for without love there can be no compassion: hatred is inexorable; it rejoiceth and triumpheth in the misery of its enemy; and the more miserable it sees him, the more it can rejoice in it: but compassion argues good will: hence God useth such expressions concerning Ephraim, Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleasant Child? &c.
2. Love; for without love there can be no compassion: hatred is inexorable; it rejoyceth and triumpheth in the misery of its enemy; and the more miserable it sees him, the more it can rejoyce in it: but compassion argues good will: hence God useth such expressions concerning Ephraim, Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleasant Child? &c.
3. The natural operation of this affection in us, is to stir us up to do what we can for ⟨p. 301⟩the succour of the person thus in misery. If we do indeed throughly pity the condition of one that is in sorrow, we cannot sit still: this affection will hale men to action, they will certainly afford the best help they can: thus God by virtue of this compassion of his, succours, saves, delivers the Sinner, frees him from misery, restoreth him to a better state, this affection sets him on work, Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him.
3. The natural operation of this affection in us, is to stir us up to do what we can for ⟨p. 301⟩the succour of the person thus in misery. If we do indeed throughly pity the condition of one that is in sorrow, we cannot sit still: this affection will hale men to action, they will certainly afford the best help they can: thus God by vertue of this compassion of his, succours, saves, delivers the Sinner, frees him from misery, restoreth him to a better state, this affection sets him on work, Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him.
2. In the clearing up of the Doctrine, consider 1. That God is a God of compassion. 2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shows to a Sinner.
2. In the clearing up of the Doctrine, consider 1. That God is a God of compassion. 2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shews to a Sinner.
1 That God is a God of Compassion appears:
1. Because it belongs to his Attributes, Exod. 34. 6, 7. merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin. Hence his People ascribe this title to him, Psal. 86. 15. But thou oh Lord art a God full of compassion.
2. Because his works declare him to be so: his works of providence towards his visible Covenant people evince it, Psal. 78. 37. But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not. His works of special favour towards his Elect, in pardoning their Sins, and accepting of them to be his Children, do more notably confirm it.
2. That this is the moving cause of al• the mercy which he shows to a sinner, will appear.
2. That this is the moving cause of al• the mercy which he shews to a sinner, will appear.
1. From the nature of God: He is the first mover to his own actions, and cannot possibly be moved by any thing out of himself: Hence man's pity and God's, differ in respect of the the moving cause: Man hath such an affection habitually, but it lies still till an object excite it; but God is otherwise, it moves it self: That which moves in us, hath the respect of a cause, and that which is a cause is in nature before the effect, but the good will of God to man, whence all his compassion flows, was from Eternity, Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore in loving kindness have I called thee.
1. From the nature of God: He is the first mover to his own actions, and cannot possibly be moved by any thing out of himself: Hence man's pity and God's, differ in respect of the the moving cause: Man hath such an affection habitually, but it lyes still till an object excite it; but God is otherwise, it moves it self: That which moves in us, hath the respect of a cause, and that which is a cause is in nature before the effect, but the good will of God to man, whence all his compassion flowes, was from Eternity, Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore in loving kindness have I called thee.
2. God renders this is a reason of all his mercy towards his Creatures: When he speaks of pitying and relieving them, he reduceth it to our good-will, and merciful nature, Jer. 3. 12, 13. Hos. 11. 9. Rom. 9. 15. Psal. 78. 38.
2. God renders this is a reason of all his mercy towards his Creatures: When he speaks of pitying and relieving them, he reduceth it to our good-wil, and mercyful nature, Jer. 3. 12, 13. Hos. 11. 9. Rom. 9. 15. Psal. 78. 38.
3. Because there is nothing in the Creature can be rendered as a sufficient moving cause of his compassion towards it.
3. Because there is nothing in the Creature can be rendred as a sufficient moving cause of his compassion towards it.
1. Not the Creatures misery in it self, For,
1. The sinners misery is not a fortuitous thing, or befalling an innocent person, but it is the just penalty of his sin, inflicted by God himself, ⟨p. 303⟩and that according to the equity of an holy and just Law, Lam. 3. 39. A man for the punishment of his sin.
2. Then must God be equally moved to compassion to all sinners, who are alike miserable, and alike need succour; and then why are not all saved? That compassion which saves one, could as well save another, but there are but some sharers in this saving compassion, others suffer his rigour, Rom. 11. 7. The Elect obtained it, the rest were blinded.
