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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.
2. His state is not properly mended by this conviction; for though he sees his misery in some degree, yet this sight doth not free him from it: Conviction is not Conversion, though God can, when he pleaseth, make it a step towards it: Conviction doth not make any man really better, though it doth give us hopes that where the spirit begins he may carry it on; for Cain and Judas fared never the better by it, though many souls have, by Divine Grace.
2. How this conviction is wrought?
Answ. 1. If we speak of the Author or ef••••• C••se of this work, it properly belongs to the spirit of God, who (in a work of common grace) brings the creature to the sense and apprehension of this misery. I deny not but that rational conviction may be gathered and applied from the rational consideration of things, but that this sensible conviction depends on a special work of the spirit, appears.
Answ. 1. If we speak of the Author or ef••••• C••se of this work, it properly belongs to the spirit of God, who (in a work of common grace) brings the creature to the sense and apprehension of this misery. I deny not but that rational conviction may be gathered and applyed from the rational consideration of things, but that this sensible conviction depends on a special work of the spirit, appears.
1. Because the same means of conviction are used with others, who yet are not thus convinced: We preach sin and misery to a great many; discourse with them of the distressed condition of the poor prodigal man; but it is but now and then one that is touched with remorse, and cries out of it, or acknowledgeth it sensibly.
1. Because the same means of conviction are used with others, who yet are not thus convinced: We preach sin and misery to a great many; discourse with them of the distressed condition of the poor prodigal man; but it is but now and then one that is touched with remorce, and cries out of it, or acknowledgeth it sensibly.
2. Because the same means may have been formerly used with this person, and yet did not gain their effect: It may be he had heard the same thing many a time, and his judgment assented to it to be truth, but yet he regarded it not, nor was affected with it: yea, possibly he had had it more urged, with more strength of argument, and pressed with more morally persuasive motives by others, but yet it never gained upon or got within him till now; and why now rather than at any other time? there was as much to have driven if home before; it must needs therefore proceed from ⟨p. 98⟩the power of the Holy Ghost working when he sees meet. But,
2. Because the same means may have been formerly used with this person, and yet did not gain their effect: It may be he had heard the same thing many a time, and his judgment assented to it to be truth, but yet he regarded it not, nor was affected with it: yea, possibly he had had it more urged, with more strength of argument, and pressed with more morally perswasive motives by others, but yet it never gained upon or got within him till now; and why now rather than at any other time? there was as much to have driven if home before; it must needs therefore proceed from ⟨p. 98⟩the power of the Holy Ghost working when he sees meet. But,
2. If we speak of the means by which it is wrought, I answer, God's spirit doth it sometimes by the ministry of the Word, sometimes by the concurrence of wisely ordered Providences, speaking in them to the soul; and it is a very frequent thing for God to back the Word in his providence for the bringing of a sinner under the power of this conviction: yea, providence sometimes begins and gives a general conviction, the Word then sets in and more particularly points out his condition: Providence many times tells a man that he is miserable, and then the Word comes and tells him how he came to be so: More particularly.
1. The Word of God gives a […] demonstration of the natural state of all mankind; it tells us both what we are, and how we came to be so; it declares the wrath of God, and shows how man came to be subjected […] it; it convinceth by clear and plain evidence; it is a Glass in which a natural man may see his own face, without those paintings wherewith carnal reason is wont to varnish and hide it. It is one of the ends for which the Scripture is given, 2 Tim. 3. 16.
1. The Word of God gives a 〈…〉 demonstration of the natural state of all mankind; it tells us both what we are, and how we came to be so; it declares the wrath of God, and shews how man came to be subjected 〈…〉 it; it convinceth by clear and plain evidence; it is a Glass in which a natural man may see his own face, without those paintings wherewith carnal reason is wont to varnis• and hide it. It is one of the ends for which the Scripture is given, 2 Tim. 3. 16.
2. Divine Providence concurs to the setting home of this truth, thus.
2. Divine Providence concurrs to the setting home of this truth, thus.
1. God often brings secure sinners into an ⟨p. 99⟩afflicted condition, who were before that prosperous, and whiles prosperous, they were secure; but now Gods begins to open their eyes: Thus it was with this younger son, Text, and Context.
2. In this afflicted estate men are apt to ponder and think of their condition: Affliction puts men upon consideration, and makes them usually more ready to hear, and take into their meditation such things as may concern them, Hos. 5. 15.
3. Now God many times brings home the Word to them, and moves them to a more serious and particular consideration of it: Their own concerns are now in it, whereas they looked at themselves as unconcerned before: In prosperity they would not hear, but now the Word is made more to affect them than formerly.
4. Now the spirit of God takes and opportunity to make many truths which before were very unwelcome to them, and they had put them away, to be thought upon, and credited, so that,
1. They now feel that they are mortal, and must go shortly to another world, they could not endure to think of this formerly, nor did practically believe it, but now they apprehend it as a reality, and matter of concern.
2. They are made to discern that trust in ⟨p. 100⟩themselves and in the world is vain, and that by reason of the foregoing truth: They now remember that they have been hitherto thinking of time, and providing for that, but had forgotten eternity: They thought of no heaven but in the enjoyment of the world and favour of it, but now they see that all this will not avail them for an everlasting state.
2. They are made to discern that trust in ⟨p. 100⟩themselves and in the world is vain, and that by reason of the foregoing truth: They now rememher that they have been hitherto thinking of time, and providing for that, but had forgotten eternity: They thought of no heaven but in the enjoyment of the world and favous of it, but now they see that all this will not avail them for an everlasting state.
3. They now remember the curses of the Law against such as do these and those things, or against all the progeny of fallen Adam in a natural condition, and are convinced that they are the men against whom they are denounced; and now apprehending themselves hasting to eternity, and to have done nothing in way of providing for it, this becomes a terrible thought in them; and they are extremely certified with the thought of a future state, for which they have been taking no care: The severity of the word, and the fears of death oppress them, and they know not how they shall do to go into another world, and now they begin to be in want, all is leaving them, and they are naked and have no portion, and the world cannot keep them alive, for there is a famine. The thoughts of dwelling with everlasting burnings, possesseth them with fearfulness, Isa. 35. 14.
3. They now remember the curses of the Law against such as do these and those things, or against all the progeny of fallen Adam in a natural condition, and are convinced that they are the men against whom they are denounced; and now apprehending themselves hasting to eternity, and to have done nothing in way of providing for it, this becomes a terrible thought in them; and they are extreamly •ertified with the thought of a future state, for which they have been taking no care: The severity of the word, and the fears of death oppress them, and they know not how they shall do to go into another world, and now they begin to be in want, all is leaving them, and they are naked and have no portion, and the world cannot keep them alive, for there is a famine. The thoughts of dwelling with everlasting burnings, possesseth them with fearfulness, Isa. 35. 14.
Reas. From the usefulness there is of this conviction in order to Conversion: It is useful▪
