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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.
USE, 1. Here we see what a poor Portion unregenerate men have, and therefore what little cause have they of pride, or the people of God of envy. God gives his enemies a great deal, but alas, what is it? Poor perishing stuff, spending, wasting substance, not indeed worthy of that name: Think of this you that are proud of your wits, your wealth, your honour, your privileges; what it is that you pride your selves in? or what will you do when all is spent? and such is the miserable exit of all that you are boasting your selves of: you now flourish and spread your selves, ere it be long all will be gone, and no where to be found, Psal. 37. 37, 38. There are thousands of casualties to which the object of your trust is daily exposed, you are sure of nothing; nay, there needs no more but your selves and your own folly to spend it: You may for a while carry before you a breadth in the world, and bless your selves in what you have, but it will not be long ere your mouths shall put upon you the name and title of fools, Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13, Your wit will not direct you to happiness, your ⟨p. 82⟩wealth will not purchase you honour and glory; if not before, yet certainly in a dying hour they will all leave you, and then your naked soul passeth into eternity with nothing to live upon for ever: But if God intend your souls good, you shall, before that time, have your eyes opened to see that all this is nothing: your dependence upon these things shall be broken, and your hopes vanish: Lift not then up the horn on high, nor speak with a stiff neck. And you that are the Saints of God, be not envious; go with the Psalmist into the Temple, see their end, and then shall you find all that, which your mistake hath called happiness and prosperity, to be nothing better than painted misery; yea, woeful infelicity. Little reason hath that man to make his brags, of the love of God, that hath no better an argument to ground his title upon. It had been well for some men if their Portion in this world had been less, some hopes there would then have been, that they would have been persuaded to have sought a durable portion in another.
USE, 1. Here we see what a poor Portion unregenerate men have, and therefore what little cause have they of pride, or the people of God of envy. God gives his enemies a great deal, but alas, what is it? Poor perishing stuff, spending, wasting substance, not indeed worthy of that name: Think of this you that are proud of your wits, your wealth, your honour, your priviledges; what it is that you pride your selves in? or what will you do when all is spent? and such is the miserable exit of all that you are boasting your selves of: you now flourish and spread your selves, ere it be long all will be gone, and no where to be found, Psal. 37. 37, 38. There are thousands of casualties to which the object of your trust is daily exposed, you are sure of nothing; nay, there needs no more but your selves and your own folly to spend it: You may for a while carry before you a breadth in the world, and bless your selves in what you have, but it will not be long ere your mouths shall put upon you the name and title of fools, Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13, Your wit will not direct you to happiness, your ⟨p. 82⟩wealth will not purchase you honour and glory; if not before, yet certainly in a dying hour they will all leave you, and then your naked soul passeth into eternity with nothing to live upon for ever: But if God intend your souls good, you shall, before that time, have your eyes opened to see that all this is nothing: your dependence upon these things shall be broken, and your hopes vanish: Lift not then up the horn on high, nor speak with a stiff neck. And you that are the Saints of God, be not envious; go with the Psalmist into the Temple, see their end, and then shall you find all that, which your mistake hath called happiness and prosperity, to be nothing better than painted misery; yea, woful infelicity. Little reason hath that man to make his brags, of the love of God, that hath no better an argument to ground his title upon. It had been well for some men if their Portion in this world had been less, some hopes there would then have been, that they would have been perswaded to have sought a durable portion in another.
USE, 2. Let it teach us all not to content our selves with any thing but saving Grace. Be not satisfied with no more but a Portion of outward favours; it is a great misery to think we have enough when we have nothing else: Let us not be well pleased to sit down with things that will not last or hold out: Remember ⟨p. 83⟩thou art an everlasting creature, and must endure for ever, and what good can a perishing portion do thee for eternity? Think with your selves, what will all these things avail me, which will not last out those infinite ages in which I must have a being, and without a Portion, must needs be miserable? It is our Saviours advice to think of this when we are about laying up our treasures, Mat. 6. 20, 21. All Gods common gifts and favours are liable to the moth and rust and thief; the present enjoyment of these things is so far from being an happiness, that it will be an aggravating circumstance of our misery when they are gone, that once we had them, when we shall have nothing left of all, but the sorrowful remembrance: Learn therefore Luther's resolute prayer, Lord, I will not be put off with these things. Remember the worlds wise-men with their wisdom go to hell, wicked men will ere long be stripped naked; let this put you upon it, to seek for your selves a Portion which endureth for ever.
USE, 2. Let it teach us all not to content our selves with any thing but saving Grace. Be not satisfied with no more but a Portion of outward favours; it is a great misery to think we have enough when we have nothing else: Let us not be well pleased to sit down with things that will not last or hold out: Remember ⟨p. 83⟩thou art an everlasting creature, and must endure for ever, and what good can a perishing portion do thee for eternity? Think with your selves, what will all these things avail me, which will not last out those infinite ages in which I must have a being, and without a Portion, must needs be miserable? It is our Saviours advice to think of this when we are about laying up our treasures, Mat. 6. 20, 21. All Gods common gifts and favours are lyable to the moth and rust and thief; the present enjoyment of these things is so far from being an happiness, that it will be an aggravating circumstance of our misery when they are gone, that once we had them, when we shal have nothing left of all, but the sorrowful remembrance: Learn therefore Luther's resolute prayer, Lord, I will not be put off with these things. Remember the worlds wise-men with their wisdom go to hell, wicked men will ere long be stript naked; let this put you upon it, to seek for your selves a Portion which endureth for ever.
USE, 3. For encouragement and comfort to the People of God; I mean such as have gotten a part in saving Grace, you may want, or be scanted in all outward blessings, you may have but a little of worldly wisdom, a little Estate here, little favour among men, but be not discouraged with these things; have you ⟨p. 84⟩saving Grace? you have the better Portion; and therefore better, because it shall never be taken away; this is durable riches; the hypocrites shall perish, but yours shall endure: All the wit, good nature, moral righteousness; specious profession, vain hopes and confidences of ungodly men shall all perish; they live now jovially upon them, but all will shortly be spent, and then where are they? or what shall they do? but your Grace, though little, shall not wast but increase, your hope, though languid, shall endure; saving Grace shall never go to decay; you shall live by your faith here in this world in despite of all adversity and temptations, and this faith shall never leave you, till having accompanied you in death, and waited upon you to eternity, it hath brought you to the possession of the Kingdom of Glory. That man is a rich man indeed, that hath believed in Christ; he is rich in possession, he shall never want; and he is infinitely rich in reversion, for Jehovah is his portion, and all the glories of Heaven are his heritage: bless God then for his grace; if wicked men owe God thanks for a spending portion, how much more do you owe him of gratitude for that which endures unto eternal life?
USE, 3. For encouragement and comfort to the People of God; I mean such as have gotten a part in saving Grace, you may want, or be scanted in all outward blessings, you may have but a little of worldly wisdom, a little Estate here, little favour among men, but be not discouraged with these things; have you ⟨p. 84⟩saving Grace? you have the better Portion; and therefore better, because it shall never be taken away; this is durable riches; the hypocrites shall perish, but yours shall endure: All the wit, good nature, moral righteousness; specious profession, vain hopes and confidences of ungodly men shal all perish; they live now jovially upon them, but all will shortly be spent, and then where are they? or what shal they do? but your Grace, though little, shal not wast but increase, your hope, though languid, shal endure; saving Grace shal never go to decay; you shal live by your faith here in this world in despite of all adversity and temptations, and this faith shal never leave you, till having accompanied you in death, and waited upon you to eternity, it hath brought you to the possesion of the Kingdom of Glory. That man is a rich man indeed, that hath believed in Christ; he is rich in possession, he shal never want; and he is infinitely rich in reversion, for Jehovah is his portion, and all the glories of Heaven are his heritage: bless God then for his grace; if wicked men owe God thanks for a spending portion, how much more do you owe him of gratitude for that which endures unto eternal life?
2. The other cause of his misery, was from the place that he was in; there arose a mighty famine in that land. Here are three circumstances ⟨p. 85⟩observable which made his misery exceeding great. 1. The time when the famine came, it was in conjunction with his poverty, when he had spent all. 2. The measure of the famine; a mighty famine. The word signifies strong, powerful, prevailing: It was far greater than ordinary. 3. The place where it was, in that land: which was in a far Country, where he was a stranger, at a great distance from his Father and Friends. Hence,
If the young man had now had a good Estate in his hands, as he sometimes had, he would not have been so pinched with the famine: Rich men usually rub through, it is the poor that are most oppressed in times of scarcity: or if the famine had been more moderate, he might with more ease have scrambled for some supply, but when all fails, who should relieve him? or if he had been among his friends and rich kindred, they would have so far pitied him, as not to have suffered him to starve: but he is poor, and in a far Country, and a famine raging, and now what shall become of him?
If the young man had now had a good Estate in his hands, as he sometimes had, he would not have been so pincht with the famine: Rich men usually rub through, it is the poor that are most opprest in times of scarcity: or if the famine had been more moderate, he might with more ease have scrambled for some supply, but when all fails, who should relieve him? or if he had been among his friends and rich kindred, they would have so far pittied him, as not to have suffered him to starve: but he is poor, and in a far Country, and a famine raging, and now what shal become of him?
The famine deciphers to us the deficiency or ⟨p. 86⟩of spiritual supplies, or of Soul-food: Where as it is said, that then it arose, we must take notice that things are many times described according to appearance, and not reality: This spiritual famine was there before, but the young man, as long as he had something of his own, minded it not, but now when all was spent he began to feel it: The substance of this Allegory is, that a distressed sinner shall find that the world hath no relief for his soul; if a man feel anguish and misery coming upon him, and go to the world for help, he shall find nothing there but want and distress; all the world cannot ease an oppressed soul. For further Explication, Consider.
The famine deciphers to us the deficiency or ⟨p. 86⟩of spiritual supplyes, or of Soul-food: Where as it is said, that then it arose, we must take notice that things are many times described according to appearance, and not reality: This spiritual famine was there before, but the young man, as long as he had something of his own, minded it not, but now when all was spent he began to feel it: The substance of this Allegory is, that a distressed sinner shal find that the world hath no relief for his soul; if a man feel anguish and misery coming upon him, and go to the world for help, he shal find nothing there but want and distress; all the world cannot ease an oppressed soul. For further Explication, Consider.
1. The natural man, standing at a great distance from God hath no other hope or help to take to in his distress but the world: This far Country is the place which this sinner dwells in, and therefore here he must look for his succour; he hath by his own grievous folly, put himself under the necessity, either to find relief from the world, or else to perish; i.e. he knows no other way.
1. The natural man, standing at a great distance from God hath no other hope or help to take to in his distress but the world: This far Country is the place which this sinner dwels in, and therefore here he must look for his succour; he hath by his own grievous folly, put himself under the necessity, either to find relief from the world, or else to perish; i.e. he knows no other way.
2. Nay, he hath chosen and preferred the friendship and presumed fidelity of the world, rather than to have his dependence upon God, he went himself into this far Country; he was not driven to it by necessity, but went to it by choice, it was the place of his desires; he had ⟨p. 87⟩rather trust in the uncertain world than a living God; this is a thing so natural to fallen man, that Paul is fain to give a strict charge against it, 1 Tim. 6. 17.
2. Nay, he hath chosen and preferred the friendship and presumed fidelity of the world, rather than to have his dependance upon God, he went himself into this far Country; he was not driven to it by necessity, but went to it by choice, it was the place of his desires; he had ⟨p. 87⟩rather trust in the uncertain world than a living God; this is a thing so natural to fallen man, that Paul is fain to give a strict charge against it, 1 Tim. 6. 17.
3. Hence in all his straits and wants he goes to the world, and seeks his redress there, […] hopes to find supply: This is described by mens wandering from mountain to hill: The sinner concludes that if it be not here to be found, it is no where; he knows of no other content or soul-satisfaction, but what ariseth out of the dust, and is to be gotten by the worlds favour.
3. Hence in all his straits and wants he goes to the world, and seeks his redress there, 〈…〉 hopes to find supply: This is described by mens wandring from mountain to hill: The sinner concludes that if it be not here to be found, it is no where; he knows of no other content or soul-satisfaction, but what ariseth out of the dust, and is to be gotten by the worlds favour.
4. There is an hour of distress which the riotous sinner shall bring upon himself: It is certain that he shall find himself at a loss and undone; conscience will sooner or later speak, and tell him that he hath wasted all; hope will in a while fail, carnal confidence will shrink up to nothing, and his soul be filled with perplexing sorrows.
4. There is an hour of distress which the riotous sinner shal bring upon himself: It is certain that he shal find himself at a loss and undone; conscience will sooner or later speak, and tell him that he hath wasted all; hope will in a while fail, carnal confidence will shrink up to nothing, and his soul be filled with perplexing sorrows.
5. Now the world in which he trusted will without doubt leave him at a loss: The Magazine from whence he hoped to fetch his livelihood, will be found empty, the Cistern will appear to be broken, and have no water in it; he shall be far from finding it able to direct him to true & solid comfort, or so much as point him to that which can indeed give him life. If a sinner be perishing, he must needs perish ⟨p. 88⟩for all that the world can do to save him; here is not one morsel of the Bread of Life to keep a soul from Perdition; if he could gain it all, that would not save his soul, Mat. 16. 26. If he ask for bread, it gives him a stone, if a fish, a •••pion; he may wander from sea to sea, seeking the bread of life, and find none: Hence the wise man, in answer to the great question, where good is to be found, or where a man may fill himself with substance, and find content, returns it in the Negative, respecting the world and all that is in it, and that because it is empty, vain, and vexatious, in the proof whereof he spends a whole Book, viz. that of Ecclesiastes. If a man wants eternal life, he may ask every creature for it, but all answer no, it is not in me: he that doth for the present rely here, and hopes it shall be well with him, doth but feed upon ashes, and cherish him self up with false expectations. As man cannot find his life in himself, so neither shall he mend himself in the world; he goes but from one want to another, from a famine within doors to a famine abroad; if he goes to the world he dyes, and if he rests in himself he dyes; he doth but rise to fall, he doth but go abroad to meet with that death which was coming home to him.
5. Now the world in which he trusted will without doubt leave him at a loss: The Magazene from whence he hoped to fetch his livelihood, will be found empty, the Cistern will appear to be broken, and have no water in it; he shal be far from finding it able to direct him to true & solid comfort, or so much as point him to that which can indeed give him life. If a sinner be perishing, he must needs perish ⟨p. 88⟩for all that the world can do to save him; here is not one morsel of the Bread of Life to keep a soul from Perdition; if he could gain it all, that would not save his soul,
USE, 1. To teach us the certain necessity ⟨p. 89⟩of the perdition of all those souls that have no thing else to trust to in their need, but this world and the vanities of it. What fools are the sons and daughters of men, that lay out their time, and thoughts, and care to get into the worlds favour, and secure to themselves a refuge here? What will you do when the day of distress comes upon you? Men think they shall inherit substance, but they purchase nothing but famine. The world seems full to a carnal mind, he thinks it affords all that heart can wish, if he can have this to friend, he fears no want: but the soul shall to its cost find that it is empty, void, and wast. The soul of man must have something to live upon, or else it is undone, this is the great want, and for this want the creature hath no supply; whiles it feeds the body the soul starves: It is not it self soul-food, it cannot be the happiness of any man, neither can it be the price of the purchase of it; earths Money will not pass in heavens Exchange; riches profit not in the day of wrath, Prov. 11. 4. What is it then that the Children of Men are doing, whiles they dig deep, and labour hard to build up a fabric for themselves with such materials, with which they cannot ward themselves from wrath, buy themselves out of the hands of death, nor bribe the flames of hell? he that hath laid in nothing else to live upon to all eternity but ⟨p. 90⟩this vanishing world, must needs famish: and therefore,
USE, 1. To teach us the certain necessity ⟨p. 89⟩of the perdition of all those souls that have no thing else to trust to in their need, but this world and the vanities of it. What fools are the sons and daughters of men, that lay out their time, and thoughts, and care to get into the worlds favour, and secure to themselves a refuge here? What will you do when the day of distress comes upon you? Men think they shal inherit substance, but they purchase nothing but famine. The world seems full to a carnal mind, he thinks it affords all that heart can wish, if he can have this to friend, he fears no want: but the soul shal to its cost find that it is empty, void, and wast. The soul of man must have something to live upon, or else it is undone, this is the great want, and for this want the creature hath no supply; whiles it feeds the body the soul starves: It is not it self soul-food, it cannot be the happiness of any man, neither can it be the price of the purchase of it; earths Mony will not pass in heavens Exchange; riches profit not in the day of wrath,
USE, 2. Let it be a loud and awakening Call to all unregenerate sinners, if you would not suffer the utmost distress of the most pinching famine, to get away from the world: Make hast out of your natural state, live no longer in this far Country; your distance from God is your misery, return to him and you shall be happy: You that live jocund and pleasant, you that think all is well, and shall be so though you add iniquity to sin, be persuaded to take this warning: As much pomp and splendour as you now live in, as satisfied as you are at present, ere it be long a famine will come, a mighty famine, and what will you do then? O•, fly from it before you come to the utmost distress: Did Abraham go to Egypt, the Shunamite to the Philistines, being warned of a temporal famine? Do not you then despise this warning, to come out of Egypt and Philistia, to escape a spiritual famine: Be assured, it will be a sore and distressing thing to feel wrath and misery seizing upon you, and have nothing but a vain world to go to; miserable comforters shall you find all these things to be; they will not afford you one dram of consolation, nor give one morsel of quiet to your souls: you may cry and roar in your distress, but there will be none to help you; God whom you have ⟨p. 91⟩forsaken, it may be will not, and to be sure the world in which you have trusted cannot: It will be a complicate misery to be a bankrupt, and in a far Country, and there to be seized with a mighty famine; now you are called to avoid this: All you want is with God, for though the world be empty, he is full; that can supply no spiritual necessity, he can satisfy all; there you must needs perish, here you may be saved and satisfied: There is bread in Egypt when all other countries have none, but look one upon another, and pine and die: There is no want with God, there is nothing else but want every where else: Do but open your eyes, the Lord open them for you; the famine is upon you now though you discern it not; see and be affected with and fly from it: and let this be your encouragement, that though you have provoked God by going from him, and abused his goodness, yet, as there is with him enough and to spare, so upon your penitent return you need not doubt or fear, but to find relief and welcome with him, as will also appear in the sequel of the Parable:
USE, 2. Let it be a loud and awakening Call to all unregenerate sinners, if you would not suffer the utmost distress of the most pinching famine, to get away from the world: Make hast out of your natural state, live no longer in this far Country; your distance from God is your misery, return to him and you shal be happy: You that live jocund and pleasant, you that think all is well, and shal be so though you add iniquity to sin, be perswaded to take this warning: As much pomp and splendor as you now live in, as satisfied as you are at present, ere it be long a famine will come, a mighty famine, and what will you do then? O, fly from it before you come to the utmost distress: Did Abraham go to Egypt, the Shunamite to the Philistins, being warned of a temporal famine? Do not you then despise this warning, to come out of Egypt and Philistia, to escape a spiritual famine: Be assured, it will be a sore and distressing thing to feel wrath and misery siezing upon you, and have nothing but a vain world to go to; miserable comforters shal you find all these things to be; they will not afford you one dram of consolation, nor give one morsel of quiet to your souls: you may cry and roar in your distress, but there will be none to help you; God whom you have
Only do you know your misery, and fly to God in time to get a redress of it; so shall you find in him, all that which is in vain and to no purpose you have been seeking in an bowling wilderness, in a famishing world.
Only do you know your misery, and fly to God in time to get a redress of it; so shal you find in him, all that which is in vain and to no purpose you have been seeking in an bowling wilderness, in a famishing world.
