Mercy magnified on a penitent prodigal, or A brief discourse, wherein Christs parable of…

Vers. 31. And he said unto him, Son thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. Vers. 32. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy Brother was dead and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

IN the last place we have to consider of the fathers vindication of the righteousness and equity of his carriage to his younger son, in which he asserts three things. 1. That there was no such occasion offered of making such a feast for him, thou art ever with me. 2. That there was no wrong done to him by thus entertaining […] his brother, it diminished not his Portion, nor put him besides his own, all that I have is thine. 3. That there was sufficient cause for the joyful reception of his Prodigal son; It was meet, &c. and he gives the reason of it, vers. 32.

IN the last place we have to consider of the fathers vindication of the righteousness and equity of his carriage to his younger son, in which he asserts three things. 1. That there was no such occasion offered of making such a feast for him, thou art ever with me. 2. That there was no wrong done to him by thus entertaining 〈…〉 his brother, it diminished not his Portion, nor put him besides his own, all that I have is thine. 3. That there was sufficient cause for the joyful reception of his Prodigal son; It was meet, &c. and he gives the reason of it, vers. 32.

Before I come to particular observations, it ⟨p. 380⟩is needful to clear these words from an objection. I have in this discourse interpreted the elder son to aim firstly at the Scribes and Pharisees, and so under them at hypocritical Professors, legal men, and vain boasters; but here seems to be a scruple, viz. How comes it then that his father saith, All that I have is thine? Have unregenerate men a title to Gods, spiritual grace and favour? This objection seems at first blush to carry some force with it, and hath so far prevailed with some, as to make them interpret this eldest son to signify the Godly, who (by a religious education) have not fallen into; but been kept from such foul enormities; and through infirmity are sometimes stumbled at such providences of God: But then as great a scruple may arise on the other hand, viz. Shall the penitent Prodigal have no portion again? Is not all repaired in Christ, which we lost in Adam? Was not Paul, though he had been a persecutor, &c. upon his conversion made a just heir? But to come to some resolution: It is certain Christ must aim at the Pharisees in this eldest son, else the scope and purport of the Parable had been Alien from his present design, and so to no purpose; for his business is to silence their murmurings: You have the occasion of the Parable, verse. 1. 2. Hence the interpretation of every particular must be such, as may be reduced to the general,