N00302:181
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 teacher of a church in Boston in New-England. ; [Two lines from Luke]
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.
4. That man himself is the blameable cause of his own undoing. The young man may thank himself if he hath nothing left him to live upon, his own prodigal wasting brought his Estate to ruin. I am far from their opinion, who think that a natural man, by his improvement of his best gifts, abilities, opportunities, can lay any engagement upon God to give him saving grace; but this is certain, that God will charge upon sinful man every abuse of any part of his goodness, and this shall leave him without excuse: that men spend their time, and strength, and estates in the service of sin, shall bring them under great condemnation in the last day, Hos. 13. 9. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thy self. Though fallen man cannot of himself save himself, yet it is his own folly that undoeth him: If men had used what they had to Gods glory, they might have done well, that they have done otherwise is of their own sinful inclination: If men would yield themselves up to the guidance of God's holy spirit, they might obtain eternal life; if they will (with the younger Son) get away from God, and follow their own corrupt genius, and by so doing they undo and ruin themselves for ever, let them thank their own foolishness.
4. That man himself is the blameable cause of his own undoing. The young man may thank himself if he hath nothing left him to live upon, his own prodigal wasting brought his Estate to ruine. I am far from their opinion, who think that a natural man, by his improvement of his best gifts, abilities, opportunities, can lay any engagement upon God to give him saving grace; but this is certain, that God will charge upon sinful man every abuse of any part of his goodness, and this shall leave him without excuse: that men spend their time, and strength, and estates in the service of sin, shal bring them under great condemnation in the last day, Hos. 13. 9. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thy self. Though fallen man cannot of himself save himself, yet it is his own folly that undoeth him: If men had used what they had to Gods glory, they might have done well, that they have done otherwise is of their own sinful inclination: If men would yeild themselves up to the guidance of God's holy spirit, they might obtain eternal life; if they will (with the younger Son) get away from God, and follow their own corrupt genius, and by so doing they undo and ruine themselves for ever, let them thank their own foolishness.
USE, 2. For expostulation with unregenerate ⟨p. 72⟩men, and those especially upon whom God hath bestowed much of his common bounty; I would plead with such as these in the words of the Prophet, Isa. 55. 2. Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread? See and be convinced of your desperate folly and madness: God hath given you understanding, health, strength, comforts of this life, the Gospel of grace, and the means of spiritual good; why do you spend all this in riot, lay out all in that which will do you no good at all? wherefore is all this wast? but more particularly.
1. See and be convinced that whatsoever you gratify any sinful lust withal, is mere riot; all is lost that lust gains: The covetous man boasts that he is no Prodigal, he saves, whiles the other spends, he lays up whiles the other lays out, and doth not lay out unnecessarily; but know it, whiles you are feeding your covetous humours, and satisfying that eager desire, and greediness of gain, you do but consume it. The voluptuous man thinks nothing is ill spent that may afford his sensual part any satisfaction, and whereof he may taste the sweet: but know it, a life of pleasure is but death, I Tim. 5.6. She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. The ambitious man reckons it a glorious purchase, if with all his wit, policy, and advantage, he may obtain favour ⟨p. 73⟩and esteem, applause and credit among men; but what hath he bought for his money but smoke, and the East wind? We may say the like of every other lust. There is no purchase but that of Salvation, but is dearly bought with the expense of our precious time, thoughts and care; all this sets you further from heaven and glory, and if you could purchase the whole world at the hazard, much more than with the sale and loss of your souls, you would deservedly procure the name of shameful unthrifts.
1. See and be convinced that whatsoever you gratifie any sinful lust withal, is meer riot; all is lost that lust gains: The covetous man boasts that he is no Prodigal, he saves, whiles the other spends, he layes up whiles the other layes out, and doth not lay out unnecessarily; but know it, whiles you are feeding your covetous humors, and satisfying that eager desire, and greediness of gain, you do but consume it. The voluptuous man thinks nothing is ill spent that may afford his sensual part any satisfaction, and whereof he may taste the sweet: but know it, a life of pleasure is but death, I Tim. 5.6. She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth. The ambitious man reckons it a glorious purchase, if with all his wit, policy, and advantage, he may obtain favour ⟨p. 73⟩and esteem, applause and credit among men; but what hath he bought for his money but smoak, and the East wind? We may say the like of every other lust. There is no purchase but that of Salvation, but is dearly bought with the expense of our precious time, thoughts and care; all this sets you further from heaven and glory, and if you could purchase the whole world at the hazard, much more than with the sale and loss of your souls, you would deservedly procure the name of shamful unthrifts.
2. Seriously ponder and consider with your selves what these courses will lead unto: Remember therefore that your times and advantages are given you to trade for eternity withal, whereas that is nothing which you are now taking care for less than that: Are you not building a rotten fabric that will tumble down on your heads? Are you not laying a sandy foundation which will be washed away with the flood? and then what will become of all your expense? What emolument, what comfort will you get by all? Do not these ways make you forgetful of Eternity? Do they not harden you hearts from the fear of God? and what but misery will be the fruit of such things? Think what an exchange you are making, what it is you part with, and for what; it's Heavens Glory, the love of God, everlasting blessedness which is set before you, and all ⟨p. 74⟩things are to encourage you to embrace and make sure of it; this you part with, this you sell, this you put away from you for Esau's mess of Pottage.
2. Seriously ponder and consider with your selves what these courses will lead unto: Remember therefore that your times and advantages are given you to trade for eternity withal, whereas that is nothing which you are now taking care for less than that: Are you not building a rotten fabrick that will tumble down on your heads? Are you not laying a sandy foundation which will be washt away with the flood? and then what will become of all your expense? What emolument, what comfort will you get by all? Do not these wayes make you forgetful of Eternity? Do they not harden you hearts from the fear of God? and what but misery will be the fruit of such things? Think what an exchange you are making, what it is you part with, and for what; it's Heavens Glory, the love of God, everlasting blessedness which is set before you, and all ⟨p. 74⟩things are to encourage you to embrace and make sure of it; this you part with, this you sell, this you put away from you for Esau's mess of Pottage.
3. Consider what is the reason of all this, how it comes to pass that you are in a way to such a loss; is it not because (with the Prodigal) you are gone from God, and gotten into a strange Country? there he wasted his substance; If you had kept with God, you might have done well enough: the very root of man's misery is departure from God, thence all his lewd and riotous courses derive their original: Let it then serve to convince you that you are at a distance from him.
4. Learn hence to account your selves truly miserable, so long as you remain in this separation from God; and let it be an awakening consideration to drive you to be diligent in seeking after, and serious in returning to him: Know then, that all God's Talents must be reckoned for; what you wast away riotously, God will call you to a strict account of it, and we will be to him in the great day of Judgement, that hath thrown away God's ravours upon his own lusts: If the man that hid his Talent in a napkin was so severely dealt withal, what then will be done to him that cannot say here is thine own, but shall be enforced to this confession, I nourished my pride with thy ⟨p. 75⟩favours, I sought mine own credit by the parts and understanding which thou gavest to me, I cherished mine own applause by the honour and power which thou didst afford me among men, I fed my lusts with the creature comfort I enjoyed, my visible privileges and Churchmembership made me secure and careless of my soul, I boasted my self in my wisdom, strength riches, Gospel-favours, and did not seek to make my boast in God alone; will not this be a sad and doleful account? What need have we then to be now very solicitous in endeavouring to get our account cleared, whiles, in way of true Repentance we may obtain this favour through the blood of Jesus Christ, and, whiles we have time and opportunity, to get into a better way of improving our selves? Could men but lay out that time, and strength, and heart for God, which they do upon their lusts, that would turn to their account, and that which is now justly accounted wast, would be found to be the best thrift: this would be the way to be happy in another world; then should we have a Portion to live on, when the foolish worldling hath spent his, we should never be brought to want: Beg then of God to grant you this wisdom, and labour with so much the more diligence to redeem the loss that you have already sustained, who have hitherto been spending away so much without profit, knowing ⟨p. 76⟩that if you wast and expend all now upon the vanities of this life, and the carnal delights of the present time, you will have nothing to live upon in the days of eternity, and then your present wastefulness, will be (too lat••) found to have laid that unhappy foundation of your utter and eternal undoing.
Vers. 14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
IN the younger Son's departure from his Father, there were two things proposed as observable. 1. His folly. 2. His misery. Hitherto we have been considering the former of these, the words read bring us to the latter, hence
It follows to consider of the misery which ⟨p. 77⟩ensued upon this folly: As it is•described, vers. 14, 15, 16. The spiritual intendment of this part of the Parable, is to show us to what miserable exigencies God brings a sinner, and what distressing difficulties he reduceth him unto in order to his recovery and return to the true way of blessedness: As also to discover the miserable shifts that poor sinners will make to redress their misery, before they will think of seeking the grace of God: these things will more fully appear in the prosecution.
It follows to consider of the misery which ⟨p. 77⟩enfued upon this folly: As it is•described, vers. 14, 15, 16. The spiritual entendment of this part of the Parable, is to shew us to what miserable exigencies God brings a sinner, and what distressing difficulties he reduceth him unto in order to his recovery and return to the true way of blessedness: As also to discover the miserable shifts that poor sinners will make to redress their misery, before they will think of seeking the grace of God: these things will more fully appear in the prosecution.
This misery of the Prodigal is described by three things. 1. By the leading cause or occasions of it, with an awful effect: vers. 14. 2. The sordid course which he took for the relieving of himself in his distressed condition, vers. 15. 3. The utter failing of all relief and supply, even the poorest of all, vers. 16. of these in order.
1. The leading causes or occasions of it, &c. vers. 14. 1. The causes or occasions here mentioned are two. 1. The first is from himself, or his former prodigality, when he had spent all. 2. The other is from the place which he was then in, there arose a mighty famine in that land. 2. The effect of this noted in the vers. is, the distress which he was now brought to, He began to be in want. His misery began from himself, his own riot had wasted his substance, ⟨p. 78⟩and now all was gone. It was a sad alteration which befell this poor young man, a few da•es ago he was swaggering and spending with the best, his Coffers full, and •e scattered it by handfuls, but now nothing remains, all is gone, and that not by some unforeseen inevitable providence (there had then been some room to have pitied and excused him) but by his own improvidence; he had lived to be his own Executor, He had spent all. The Word in the Text signifies to consume a thing, not in a way of prudent and frugal expense, but in foolish prodigality. That poor man is the blameable cause of his own misery; though it be a plain conclusion from the words, yet, having hinted at it before, I pass it over here. The main thing I would now take notice of in the words is, that his own stock failed him, all his portion came to nothing. Hence,
1. The leading causes or occasions of it, &c. vers. 14. 1. The causes or occasions here mentioned are two. 1. The first is from himself, or his former prodigality, when he had spent all. 2. The other is from the place which he was then in, there arose a mighty famine in that land. 2. The effect of this noted in the vers. is, the distress which he was now brought to, He began to be in want. His misery began from himself, his own riot had wasted his substance, ⟨p. 78⟩and now all was gone. It was a sad alteration which befel this poor young man, a few da•es ago he was swaggering and spending with the best, his Coffers full, and •e scattered it by handfuls, but now nothing remains, all is gone, and that not by some unforeseen inevitable providence (there had then been some room to have pittied and excused him) but by his own improvidence; he had lived to be his own Executor, He had spent all. The Word in the Text signifies to consume a thing, not in a way of prudent and frugal expense, but in foolish prodigality. That poor man is the blameable cause of his own misery; though it be a plain conclusion from the words, yet, having hinted at it before, I pass it over here. The main thing I would now take notice of in the words is, that his own stock failed him, all his portion came to nothing. Hence,
Let men have never so much of Gods common favours, without saving grace all will come to nothing in the end: Man may make a flourishing show with these things for a while but they will not last: There are things which the Scripture tells us perish with the using; such ⟨p. 79⟩are all the common gifts of God. For clearing this truth, observe.
Let men have never so much of Gods common favours, without saving grace all will come to nothing in the end: Man may make a flourishing shew with these things for a while but they will not last: There are things which the Scripture tells us perish with the using; such ⟨p. 79⟩are all the common gifts of God. For clearing this truth, observe.
1. That is properly said to be spent which is laid out unprofitably. What men lay out for advantage, is not spent but improved; but that which brings in nothing again, is not only expended but mispended: The Scripture expresseth it by labouring for the East-Wind, by laying out money, for that which is not bread, by labouring in vain, &c. For a man to give his Gold or Silver, in exchange for Cockles, Pearls for Pebbles, Substance for Shadows, this is that which is deservedly accounted spending.
1. That is properly said to be spent which is laid out unprofitably. What men lay out for advantage, is not spent but improved; but that which brings in nothing again, is not only expended but mispended: The Scripture expresseth it by labouring for the East-Wind, by laying out mony, for that which is not bread, by labouring in vain, &c. For a man to give his Gold or Silver, in exchange for Cockles, Pearls for Pebbles, Substance for Shadows, this is that which is deservedly accounted spending.
2. Nothing is profitably laid out, but what is expended for Salvation: This is the only saving purchase that any of the Children of men can trade for: A part in Christ is the only Riches, a Crown of Glory is the only honour, a place in the Paradise of God is the only pleasure which is worthy a Man's laying out of cost and care for; and other purchases are empty, and will be found loss, Eccl. 1. 3. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he hath taken under the Sun?
2. Nothing is profitably laid out, but what is expended for Salvation: This is the only saving purchase that any of the Children of men can trade for: A part in Christ is the only Riches, a Crown of Glory is the only honour, a place in the Paradice of God is the only pleasure which is worthy a Man's laying out of cost and care for; and other purchases are empty, and will be found loss, Eccl. 1. 3. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he hath taken under the Sun?
