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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. 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▪
1. For the seasonableness of it: God intending to advance himself in man's Salvation, and his Glory being declarative (for his essential Glory is incapable of any advancement) hence the more gracious he appears to be, the more Glory redounds to his great Name: Now the greatness of grace herein appears in one discovery of it, viz. the greatness of the misery from which the subject of this grace is delivered: For the illustration whereof, this work is very fit and seasonable: For, 1. Man must see his own misery, or else he will never admire God's mercy. 2. The best knowledge of this misery, is by a sensible apprehension of the distressing efficacy of it. 3. The sense and apprehension cannot be so well after conversion, because then the apprehension of God's mercy, applied to faith in the promise, cannot but afford some relief against the sense of misery: Thought it is true, the right improvement of this is after mercy hath been apprehended; yet still the remembrance of this distress is a main help to fill the soul with admiration, Isa. 53. 6.
1. For the seasonableness of it: God intending to advance himself in man's Salvation, and his Glory being declarative (for his essential Glory is incapable of any advancement) hence the more gracious he appears to be, the more Glory redounds to his great Name: Now the greatness of grace herein appears in one discovery of it, viz. the greatness of the misery from which the subject of this grace is delivered: For the illustration whereof, this work is very fit and seasonable: For, 1. Man must see his own misery, or else he will never admire God's mercie. 2. The best knowledge of this misery, is by a sensible apprehension of the distressing efficacy of it. 3. The sense and apprehension cannot be so well after conversion, because then the apprehension of God's mercy, applyed to faith in the promise, cannot but afford some relief against the sense of misery: Thought it is true, the right improvement of this is after mercy hath been apprehended; yet still the remembrance of this distress is a main help to fill the soul with admiration, Isa. 53. 6.
2. For the necessity of it in order to the receiving of Christ in the tenders of the Gospel. For, 1. Christ's work is Salvation-work. Hence he is called Jesus, the Saviour, and said to come on this errand, 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ came to save sinners. 2. Hence this work is for ⟨p. 102⟩none but such as need Salvation, and that is such as are miserable: What should a Physician do among men that are hail and sound? Luk. 5. 31. 3. Hence till men feel this misery, they will certainly despise Christ; till then they will bid the Almighty to depart from them, Job 21. 14.
2. For the necessity of it in order to the receiving of Christ in the tenders of the Gospel. For, 1. Christ's work is Salvation-work. Hence he is called Jesus, the Saviour, and said to come on this errand, 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ came to save sinners. 2. Hence this work is for ⟨p. 102⟩none but such as need Salvation, and that is such as are miserable: What should a Physitian do among men that are hail and sound? Luk. 5. 31. 3. Hence till men feel this misery, they will certainly despise Christ; till then they will bid the Almighty to depart from them, Job 21. 14.
USE, 1. For Information hence learn,
1. That they make more hast than good speed, that are great Professors of Faith in Christ, before ever they were made throughly sensible of their own misery. A Faith that antedates Conviction may justly be suspected: He that never knew his own distress, never went to Christ as a Saviour. There are indeed divers steps from this conviction to true conversion, but yet this is one step from natural security, and usually the first: Though a man cannot see sin sinful (which is the true conviction of sin) but by an eye of faith, yet, by the common work of Illumination, he may see the woeful estate of it. God, like a wise builder, digs for a foundation, before he lays it. Conviction of misery is not our foundation, Christ is the only foundation, Faith is that which only builds us upon him; but by Conviction, the loose and unstable earth is removed, the false and failing hopes of men are dug up. God is not wont to give hope, before he hath brought the soul to despair; he applies ⟨p. 103⟩not comforts antecedent to conviction. It may therefore put us upon it to enquire whether ever it were thus: It may be now you are rich in your own conceit, like Laodicea, but did you ever know your selves to be poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked? if not your riches are but a fancy, and your hopes are empty.
1. That they make more hast than good speed, that are great Professors of Faith in Christ, before ever they were made throughly sensible of their own misery. A Faith that antedates Conviction may justly be suspected: He that never knew his own distress, never went to Christ as a Saviour. There are indeed divers steps from this conviction to true conversion, but yet this is one step from natural security, and usually the first: Though a man cannot see sin sinful (which is the true conviction of sin) but by an eye of faith, yet, by the common work of Illumination, he may see the woful estate of it. God, like a wise builder, digs for a foundation, before he layes it. Conviction of misery is not our foundation, Christ is the only foundation, Faith is that which only builds us upon him; but by Conviction, the loose and unstable earth is removed, the false and failing hopes of men are dug up. God is not wont to give hope, before he hath brought the soul to despair; he applyes ⟨p. 103⟩not comforts antecedent to conviction. It may therefore put us upon it to enqiure whether ever it were thus: It may be now you are rich in your own conceit, like Laodicea, but did you ever know your selves to be poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked? if not your riches are but a fancy, and your hopes are empty.
2. That there are some grounds of hope for those whom the spirit of God brings into a needy and destitute condition; whom he convinceth of their want and misery; who feel the curses of the Law, and can find no help in the world: I say, there is some hope, for there may be reason for fears and jealousies too, For, 1. This is but a common work, and therefore is no sufficient evidence of God's special love, no sure Character of an Elect Vessel. 2. There have been many under it, who yet through Satan's temptations, and God leaving them, have lost it again; yea, and manifold experience gives in a sad testimony to this truth. 3. The curse and condemnation is still as really upon them as ever it was: That is not taken off till believing. 4. There is no special promise made to them that God will carry on this work in them to effect: He may or he may not, and if he do not it will leave the man short of Heaven and Glory. But still there is more hope than there was before; for ⟨p. 104⟩while they lay secure in sin, and felt no wrath, they were in no order to Salvation, but now they are in such as way as God brings home his own by; and we may say they are a stop nearer to the Kingdom than before: Though they are not under saving Grace, yet they are under the means to it: A man that is without the City gates, though just by them, is as really without, as one an hundred miles off, but yet he is nearer to it.
2. That there are some grounds of hope for those whom the spirit of God brings into a needy and destitute condition; whom he convinceth of their want and misery; who feel the curses of the Law, and can find no help in the world: I say, there is some hope, for there may be reason for fears and jealousies too, For, 1. This is but a common work, and therefore is no sufficient evidence of God's special love, no sure Character of an Elect Vessel. 2. There have been many under it, who yet through Satans temptations, and God leaving them, have lost it again; yea, and manifold experience gives in a sad testimony to this truth. 3. The curse and condemnation is still as really upon them as ever it was: That is not taken off till believing. 4. There is no special promise made to them that God will carry on this work in them to effect: He may or he may not, and if he do not it will leave the man short of Heaven and Glory. But still there is more hope than there was before; for ⟨p. 104⟩
3. We have here a rule how to begin with men in our endeavours, for their spiritual good: Let us labour to show them their misery by sin: We must wound before we can heal, instrumentally: Be not afraid to show men their sins and the wrath of God for them: Misery is the first thing a secure soul is like to be affected withal, and that is preparatory to the rend•ing of Christ precious to them: We should indeed encourage all to go to Christ, but encouragements without convictions, are but the laying a foundation for presumption, and not the way to bring men truly to believe. Peter, in Act. 2. First preacheth his hearers to remorse, and then he directs them to Christ.
3. We have here a rule how to begin with men in our endeavours, for their spiritual good: Let us labour to shew them their misery by sin: We must wound before we can heal, instrumentally: Be not afraid to fhew men their sins and the wrath of God for them: Misery is the first thing a secure soul is like to be affected withal, and that is preparatory to the rend•ing of Christ precious to them: We should indeed encourage all to go to Christ, but encouragements without convictions, are but the laying a foundation for presumption, and not the way to bring men truely to believe. Peter, in Act. 2. First preacheth his hearers to remorce, and then he directs them to Christ.
USE, 2. For Conviction; let every unregenerate sinner see here (as in a Glass) his own miserable state: This young man's condition is thine spiritually: Thou hast nothing ⟨p. 105⟩of thine own to live upon, there is nothing in the world to relieve thee, thou art perishing if no help appear; and art not thou then in want? here take these Considerations:
1. Thou art a cursed creature by nature: Wrath is upon all the world of mankind, who are condemned before they are born, who are enemies from the birth, and come into the world Children of wrath, Eph. 2. 3.
2. Thou hast nothing with thee which can help thee out of this cursed condition, all the Portion of God's common favours which thou enjoyest, will not redeem thee out of the hands of wrath, they cannot afford thy soul one drop of relief or supply; nay, all thy natural and providential enjoyments are themselves under a curse as they are thine, Rom. 8. 20.
2. Thou hast nothing with thee which can help thee out of this cursed condition, all the Portion of God's common favours which thou enjoyest, will not redeem thee out of the hands of wrath, they cannot afford thy soul one drop of relief or supply; nay, all thy naturall and providential enjoyments are themselves under a curse as they are thine, Rom. 8. 20.
