A66106:776
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.
Here it is that God's special grace is made to appear, and such love as all comparisons are but dark shadows and resemblances of. God indeed shows a great deed of common favour to the world, the goodness they ••st of is called his hid treasures: But all this fall; incomparably short of that which he confers upon an elect person in his conversion. This love of God was from eternity, sealed up in his own breast: It began generally to be published and made known in the world, as soon as man had by his fall brought ruin and misery upon himself, ⟨p. 310⟩and his progeny; as was whispered in that first Gospel promise, Gen. 3. 15. He shall break thy head. And more abundantly shone forth when the Lord Jesus Christ had laid down his life at the foot of Justice: but these were more general demonstrations of it. It more especially and particularly first begins to appear to the sinner himself, then when he is regenerated, and eternal life begun in him. The manner and nature of this work, was then opened when we considered the Prodigal's return; that which is here to be observed, is the greatness of this love, and how or wherein it expresseth its self, according to the spiritual meaning of these phrases. I might here expatiate, but I shall confine this discourse to the words in our text, by a reduction of them to a spiritual sense.
Here it is that God's special grace is made to appear, and such love as all comparisons are but dark shadows and resemblances of. God indeed shews a great deed of common favour to the world, the goodnesss they ••st of is called his hid treasures: But all this fall; incomparably short of that which he confers upon an elect person in his conversion. This love of God was from eternity, sealed up in his own breast: It began generally to be published and made known in the world, as soon as man had by his fall brought ruine and misery upon himself, ⟨p. 310⟩and his progeny; as was whispered in that first Gospel promise, Gen. 3. 15. He shall break thy head. And more abundantly shone forth when the Lord Jesus Christ had laid down his life at the foot of Justice: but these were more general demonstrations of it. It more especially and particularly first begins to appear to the sinner himself, then when he is regenerated, and eternal life begun in him. The manner and nature of this work, was then opened when we considered the Prodigal's return; that which is here to be observed, is the greatness of this love, and how or wherein it expresseth its self, according to the spiritual meaning of these phrases. I might here expatiate, but I shall confine this discourse to the words in our text, by a reduction of them to a spiritual sense.
1. The first expression of this love is, in that he ra• to him; herein is intimated a twofold declaration of divine love; one positive, the other comparative.
1. Positive, It points out God's coming to the sinner where he is, to bestow his grace upon him. The sinner could never have gone to God, he therefore cometh to him: He was a great way off, and could come no nearer: The rock of his salvation is higher than he is. Though as to rational and common actions, man is capable of using means, yet as to spiritual ⟨p. 311⟩life-actions, he is void of a principle of them: like Lazarus, he is both dead, and bound in his grave cloths: God therefore by his spirit comes to his graves side, to his pits mouth, where he is perishing, and thence he fetcheth him,: and is not this wonderful love? Had not God come hither, the sinner neither could nor would ever have come to him: that is Emphatical, Zech. 9. 11. I have sent forth my Prisoners out of the pit where there is no water.
1. Positive, It points out God's coming to the sinner where he is, to bestow his grace upon him. The sinner could never have gone to God, he therefore cometh to him: He was a great way off, and could come no nearer: The rock of his salvation is higher than he is. Though as to rational and common actions, man is capable of using means, yet as to spiritual ⟨p. 311⟩life-actions, he is void of a principle of them: like Lazarus, he is both dead, and bound in his grave cloths: God therefore by his spirit comes to his graves side, to his pits mouth, where he is perishing, and thence he fetcheth him,: and is not this wonderful love? Had not God come hither, the sinner neither could nor would ever have come to him: that is Emphaticall, Zech. 9. 11. I have sent forth my Prisoners out of the pit where there is no water.
2. Comparative; he not only comes, but he comes in hast, to the help of the poor dying creature, Bis dat, qui citò dat. Running is a note of speed, and signifies a great commotion of the affections: God makes great hast to bring relief to a perishing sinner. The Heathen painted love with wings, noting the swiftness of this affection in its actions. Here therefore God's wonderful love to a sinner manifests it-self, in that he comes to him unsent for, and brings his grace, when it was unsought, Isa. 63. 1.
2. The next expression of his love is, He fell upon his neck. When men embraced each other in one another's arms, they were said to fall upon one another's necks: It notes embracing: And this serves to express the favour which God takes a sinner into: It holds out that union which in conversion is made between ⟨p. 312⟩Christ and the soul: They which were at a great distance are now made near. God doth not only come and do something for his relief, but he takes him into his arms; and now those that were enemies, are in mutual embraces: Such were the greeting between Jacob and Esau, Gen. 33. 4. Each doth now, as it were, breath himself into the others bosom; they exchange souls, manifesting by dumb signs, that love which is too great for words to express, so that by this expression we are taught.
2. The next expression of his love is, He fell upon his neck. When men embraced each other in one anothers arms, they were said to fall upon one anothers necks: It notes embracing: And this serves to express the favour which God takes a sinner into: It holds out that union which in conversion is made between ⟨p. 312⟩Christ and the soul: They which were at a great distance are now made near. God doth not only come and do something for his relief, but he takes him into his arms; and now those that were enemies, are in mutual embraces: Such were the greeting between Jacob and Esau, Gen. 33. 4. Each doth now, as it were, breath himself into the others bosom; they exchange souls, manifesting by dumb signs, that love which is too great for words to express, so that by this expression we are taught.
1. That God gives himself to the sinner to be his, and takes him to himself, makes himself to be his portion, and bequeaths himself to him, and receives him into arms of mercy, making him his peculiar treasure and jewel.
2. That he now infuseth his grace into his soul, by breathing spiritual life into him: He falls upon him with his spirit and grace, and lays the foundation of spiritual life in him, by putting a principle of it into his soul, quickening him who was dead.
2. That he now infuseth his grace into his soul, by breathing spiritual life into him: He falls upon him with his spirit and grace, and layes the foundation of spiritual life in him, by putting a principle of it into his soul, quickening him who was dead.
3. He kissed him; this is the last thing in the act; and here is great favour indeed, that when he might have killed him he kisseth him; this word hath divorce expressions of love contained under it.
3. He kissed him; this is the last thing in the act; and here is great favour indeed, that when he might have killed him he kisseth him; this word hath divorse expressions of love contained under it.
1. God now opens and reveals that secret ⟨p. 313⟩and everlasting love of his to his soul, kissing was an outward act to intimate an inward affection: Men often did it dissemblingly, but God always doth it really: Now God begins to give the soul to perceive what was his purpose of good will to him from eternity, what were his ancient thoughts about him; this is a visible confirmation of that secret love.
1. God now opens and reveals that secret ⟨p. 313⟩and everlasting love of his to his soul, kissing was an outward act to intimate an inward affection: Men often did it dissemblingly, but God alwayes doth it really: Now God begins to give the soul to perceive what was his purpose of good will to him from eternity, what were his ancient thoughts about him; this is a visible confirmation of that secret love.
2. God now reveals that he is fully reconciled to, and at peace with him; that all former distances and alienations of heart are wholly taken away; he is no more angry, nor will any more condemn him. David kissed Absalom to let him understand he was now reconciled. God never kisseth and killeth, as Joah. dealt with Amasa: his heart always goes out with his promise. It is a justifying kiss, intimating that this soul shall never more have any more cause to fear the suffering the punishment of his sins, or being exposed to condemnation.
2. God now reveals that he is fully reconciled to, and at peace with him; that all former distances and alienations of heart are wholly taken away; he is no more angry, nor will any more condemn him. David kissed Absolom to let him understand he was now reconciled. God never kisseth and killeth, as Joah. dealt with Amasa: his heart alwayes goes out with his promise. It is a justifying kiss, intimating that this soul shall never more have any more cause to fear the suffering the punishment of his sins, or being exposed to condemnation.
3. The father by this manifestly takes his son into the state of a son: It is a kiss of Adoption; David thus acknowledged Absalom: The sinner had made himself an abject, God now restores him again to that inheritance which he had rooted himself out of: he is thus taken again into his fathers house, and made to enjoy the privilege of a Child.
3. The father by this manifestly takes his son into the state of a son: It is a kiss of Adoption; David thus acknowledged Absolom: The sinner had made himself an abject, God now restores him again to that inheritance which he had rooted himself out of: he is thus taken again into his fathers house, and made to enjoy the priviledge of a Child.
4. God by this draws out the love of the soul ⟨p. 314⟩to him: breaks his heart, and wins him to himself: By this testification of his love he attracts a reciprocal love from the sinner; makes him now to choose God and give himself up to him, put himself into his hands, and devote himself to his service, for all this presently follows, vers. 21. Thus it is a sanctifying kiss.
4. God by this draws out the love of the soul ⟨p. 314⟩to him: breaks his heart, and wins him to himself: By this testification of his love he attracts a reciprocal love from the sinner; makes him now to chuse God and give himself up to him, put himself into his hands, and devote himself to his service, for all this presently follows, vers. 21. Thus it is a sanctifying kiss.
5. All this is done to restore comfort to the soul: Sense of his sin, and the great wrong that he had done to his father, by so vilely leaving him, and profusely spending his estate, had filled him with sorrow and bitterness; his Father now kisseth him to comfort him: They are called the kisses of the mouth, Can. 1. 2. which are given in the application of the promises to the soul, and enabling of him to close with them, suck the sweet out of them, and draw to his consolation the good that is in them: and thus it is also a glorifying kiss. Put altogether and it telleth us what a wonderful declaration of God's love it is that comes into the soul at the hour of Conversion.
USE 1. For Information.
1. We hence learn that the soul is passive in vocation: I do not mean as it is a Rational, but as it is a spiritual Agent. If God had not come to the sinner, he had never come to God, nor could he have done it: As well might the widows son lying upon the bier, and carrying ⟨p. 315⟩to the grave, have fetched back his departed soul as a sinner dead in trespasses and sins, recover the lost Image of God. Hither every Regenerate man owes his spiritual original, viz. Not to the strength of his nature, or flexibility of his will, but to God, who came to him there where he lay a dying, and whence he was not able so much as to lift up his eyes towards heaven, without God put the ability into him by reviving Grace. And this proclaims the wonderful concescendency of the great God to undone men and women, in that he is not only ready and willing to receive them when they come to him, but he runs forth to meet them, and to do them good: The condition that all men are lying in, at such time as he speaks that happy word to them, live; tends mightily to enhance or illustrate the unspeakable kindness, of God, and hence deserves an ingemination, Ezek. 16. 5, 6. None eye pitied thee, thou wast cast into the open field; I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live; yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live.
1. We hence learn that the soul is passive in vocation: I do not mean as it is a Rational, but as it is a spiritual Agent. If God had not come to the sinner, he had never come to God, nor could he have done it: As well might the widows son lying upon the bier, and carrying ⟨p. 315⟩to the grave, have fetcht back his departed soul as a sinner dead in trespasses and sins, recover the lost Image of God. Hither every Regenerate man ows his spiritual original, viz. Not to the strength of his nature, or flexibility of his will, but to God, who came to him there where he lay a dying, and whence he was not able so much as to lift up his eyes towards heaven, without God put the ability into him by reviving Grace. And this proclaims the wonderful concescendency of the great God to undone men and women, in that he is not only ready and willing to receive them when they come to him, but he runs forth to meet them, and to do them good: The condition that all men are lying in, at such time as he speaks that happy word to them, live; tends mightily to enhaunce or illustrate the unspeakable kindness, of God, and hence deserves an ingemitiation,
2. Here we see that in Regeneration the whole body of graces are brought into the soul at once and together. In effectual vocation the soul receives Christ himself, and that not only relatively, by receiving his person into such relations whereby he becomes his Redeemer and Saviour, applies his righteousness to him ⟨p. 316⟩for Justification, and by marrying him, admits him among the Adopted Children of God; but also really, by the communication of his graces, and filling him with his spirit: He falls upon his neck and kisseth him; all grace is communicated in this act: and there is great reason for it, for Christ in giving of himself to the soul becomes its life, Gal. 2. 20. Christ lives in me. And Christ thus becomes his spiritual life, not only by changing his relative state from what it was, but especially (life being a principle of operation) by putting this new principle into him, in which are contained all such habits and dispositions as are requisite to fit him to live spiritually: i. e. the habits of all graces, for all flow from one and the same principle, viz. spiritual life.
2. Here we see that in Regeneration the whole body of graces are brought into the soul at once and together. In effectual vocation the soul receives Christ himself, and that not only relatively, by receiving his person into such relations wherby he becomes his Redeemer and Saviour, applyes his righteousness to him ⟨p. 316⟩for Justification, and by marrying him, admits him among the Adopted Children of God; but also really, by the communication of his graces, and filling him with his spirit: He falls upon his neck and kisseth him; all grace is communicated in this act: and there is great reason for it, for Christ in giving of himself to the soul becomes its life, Gal. 2. 20. Christ lives in me. And Christ thus becomes his spiritual life, not only by changing his relative state from what it was, but especially (life being a principle of operation) by putting this new principle into him, in which are contained all such habits and dispositions as are requisite to fit him to live spiritually: i. e. the habits of all graces, for all flow from one and the same principle, viz. spiritual life.
