N00302:749
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 the clearing up of the Doctrine, consider 1. That God is a God of compassion. 2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shows to a Sinner.
2. In the clearing up of the Doctrine, consider 1. That God is a God of compassion. 2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shews to a Sinner.
1 That God is a God of Compassion appears:
1. Because it belongs to his Attributes, Exod. 34. 6, 7. merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin. Hence his People ascribe this title to him, Psal. 86. 15. But thou oh Lord art a God fall of compassion.
2. Because his works declare him to be so: his works of providence towards his visible Covenant people evince it, Psal. 78.37. But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not. His works of special favour towards his Elect, in pardoning their Sins, and accepting of them to be his Children, do more notably confirm it.
2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shows to a sinner, will appear.
2. That this is the moving cause of all the mercy which he shews to a sinner, will appear.
1. From the nature of God: He is the first mover to his own actions, and cannot possibly be moved by any thing out of himself: Hence man's pity and God's, differ in respect of the the moving cause: Man hath such an affection habitually, but it lies still till an object excite it; but God is otherwise, it moves it self: That which moves in us, hath the respect of a cause, and that which is a cause is in nature before the effect, but the good will of God to man, whence all his compassion flows, was from Eternity, Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore in loving kindness have I called thee.
1. From the nature of God: He is the first mover to his own actions, and cannot possibly be moved by any thing out of himself: Hence man's pity and God's, differ in respect of the the moving cause: Man hath such an affection habitually, but it lyes still till an object excite it; but God is otherwise, it moves it self: That which moves in us, hath the respect of a cause, and that which is a cause is in nature before the effect, but the good will of God to man, whence all his compassion flowes, was from Eternity, Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore in loving kindness have I called thee.
2. God renders this as a reason of all his mercy towards his Creatures: When he speaks of pitying and relieving them, he reduceth •t to our good-will, and merciful nature, Jer. 3. 12,13. Hos. 11.9. Rom. 9.15. Psal. 78.38.
2. God renders this as a reason of all his mercy towards his Creatures: When he speaks of pitying and relieving them, he reduceth •t to our good-wil, and mercyful nature, Jer. 3. 12,13. Hos. 11.9. Rom. 9.15. Psal. 78.38.
3. Because there is nothing in the Creature can be rendered as a sufficient moving cause of his compassion towards it.
3. Because there is nothing in the Creature can be rendred as a sufficient moving cause of his compassion towards it.
1. Not the Creatures misery in it self, For,
1. The sinners misery is not a fortuitous thing, or befalling an innocent person, but it is the just penalty of his sin, inflicted by God himself, ⟨p. 303⟩and that according to the equity of an holy and just Law, Lam. 3.39. A man for the punishment of his sin.
2. Then must God be equally moved to compassion to all sinners, who are alike miserable, and alike need succour; and then why are not all saved? That compassion which saves one, could as well save another, but there are but some sharers in this saving compassion, others suffer his rigour, Rom. 11. 7. The Elect obtained it, the rest were blinded.
2. Not their legal convictions, and tenors, and confessions and softly walkings &c. i. e. No preparatory work: For, 1. The Son was for all them a great way off, when his Father pitied him. 2. There are that Call, and God will not hear, that seek him early, and shall not find him, Prov. 1: 28:
2. Not their legal convictions, and tenors, and confessions and softly walkings &c. i. e. No preparatory work: For, 1. The Son was for all them a great way off, when his Father pittied him. 2. There are that Call, and God will not hear, that seek him early, and shall not find him, Prov. 1: 28:
3. Not legal Repentance and Reformation, turning from many sinful practises, and doing many things: For these are nothing but sin: Esau repented and wept, but it profited him not, Heb. 12: 17: Herod's reformation engaged not God to him. In sum, God's compassion is according to his will, and that is absolutely free, nor to be regenerated by the creature, Rom: 9: 16, with 18:
3. Not legal Repentance and Reformation, turning from many sinful practises, and doing many things: For these are nothing but sin: Esau repented and wept, but it profited him not, Heb. 12: 17: Herod's reformation engaged not God to him. In summ, God's compassion is according to his will, and that is absolutely free, nor to be regenerated by the creature, Rom: 9: 16, with 18:
4. Because God's design in the Salvation of a sinner is the manifestation of his Grace; ⟨p. 304⟩which grace discovers it self in showing him compassion. Now this grace of God hath described its subjects from eternity; and therein distinguishing Grace is made to appear, when it falls upon a subject that hath nothing in it to engage him, nor could of it self do any thing in the least to move him.
4. Because God's design in the Salvation of a sinner is the manifestation of his Grace; ⟨p. 304⟩which grace discovers it self in shewing him compassion. Now this grace of God hath described its subjects from eternity; and therein distinguishing Grace is made to appear, when it falls upon a subject that hath nothing in it to engage him, nor could of it self do any thing in the least to move him.
USE 1. Here we see how far the name and term of merit is a stranger from Gospel language; and what care we ought to take that we do not entertain any thoughts of it. God is no debtor to his creatures except voluntarily: as it was free to him to make them, so also to assign them their end and use: and it is certain that he designed or appointed no creature to any use, but withal completely furnished it for that end; and if, through its own default, that be lost, it can claim no restitution at Gods hands: hence let no man think that his misery should be a sufficient ground to engage Gods mercy to him; no nor his acknowledgement of his sin and misery neither: for if we stand at the tribunal of Justice (unto which merit is properly reckoned) it doth not deserve pardon for a delinquent to fall down at the Judges feet, confess his fault, and beg that it may be past by, and not imputed to him: if the Law condemns him, and he stands guilty before the Bar, it is only a free pardon that can acquit him. Now though an humane Judge ⟨p. 305⟩may be moved by the submiss and lamentable expressions of a justly condemned person; yet God is capable of no such impressions; but if he intends a soul good, he puts this very frame into him, and then accepts him in this way, though not for this carriage: but in all this there is not any room or occasion to speak of merit.
USE 1. Here we see how far the name and term of merit is a stranger from Gospel language; and what care we ought to take that we do not entertain any thoughts of it. God is no debter to his creatures except voluntarily: as it was free to him to make them, so also to assign them their end and use: and it is certain that he designed or appointed no creature to any use, but withal compleatly furnished it for that end; and if, through its own default, that be lost, it can claim no restitution at Gods hands: hence let no man think that his misery should be a sufficient ground to engage Gods mercy to him; no nor his acknowledgment of his sin and misery neither: for if we stand at the tribunal of Justice (unto which merit is properly reckoned) it doth not deserve pardon for a delinquent to fall down at the Judges feet, confess his fault, and beg that it may be past by, and not imputed to him: if the Law condemns him, and he stands guilty before the Bar, it is only a free pardon that can acquit him. Now though an humane Judge ⟨p. 305⟩may be moved by the submiss and lamentable expressions of a justly condemned person; yet God is capable of no such impressions; but if he intends a soul good, he puts this very frame into him, and then accepts him in this way, though not for this carriage: but in all this there is not any room or occasion to speak of merit.
USE 2. Learn hence also not to be discouraged from going to God in the sense of your own misery: Though you are altogether unworthy, and have nothing of your own to plead with him, which deserves to impetrate his mercy, yet you see here that his own compassion leads him to be merciful, and that the object which it hath chosen to express it self unto, is miserable sinners, such as are every way miserable; helpless and hopeless creatures: And if thou knowest, findest, and feelest thy self to be such an one, there is no reason to be discouraged; thou art one of such whom God hath chosen to express his compassion upon; and he who knows thy condition, if he will, can have mercy on thee: Such as are helpless, he is ready to help, Isa. 63.5.
