Couenant vnder his feet what remaines but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire Let vs take heed in time and learne to be wise by this Prodigall child when we heare him glad to get the roome of a seruant shall not we reioice in our God who hath giuen vs the place of his children Lord make vs thankfull for it and giue vs grace to Walke worthy our heauenly vocation that in our life we may expresse our vertue who hath Translated vs out of darkenesse into maruellous light VERSE 20. As hee concluded before so he performeth now In the godly resolutions are first but actions follow In the wicked sometimes there are resolutions to amend their liues but no execution followeth their motions of repentance are like to the Morning dew or the false conception of a woman which commeth neuer to the birth but the Lord blesseth his own children both with the first and latter raine that is grace to beginne well and grace to perseuere vnto the ende And when hee was yet a farre off Now followeth the last part of this Pararable figuring vnto vs how gratious the Lord is how ready to shew mercy to poore sinners whensoeuer they repent of their sinnes and returne vnto him Here then is a ioyfull meeting betweene a mercifull God and a miserable sinner Blessed is the soule saith Bernard wherein mercy truth meet together and euery one of them kisses one another Here is truth in the prodigal child no guile no deceit in him simply and sincerely hee confesseth his sinne and the Lord who loueth truth in the inward affections meets him with mercy But howsoeuer these two meet together yet you see there is no comparison betweene them in the measure of their affections the one would fainer shew mercy then the other would haue it the childe is not so willing to returne as the father is ioyfull to receiue He ariseth and is comming but the father seeth him a farre off and runnes he falleth on his necke and kisseth him Non Pari vbertate sâ—uune amans amor sponsus sponâ—a creator creatura non magis quam sitiens fons As there is great difference betweene the flowing of the Ocean and the flowing of a little riuer and as there is great oddes betweene that which the thirsty man drinkes and that which the fountaine hath to giue him so is there betweene the creature louing GOD and GOD who is loue it selfe What then shal we not loue him because we cannot equal him in loue shal wee not goe to him because we cannot go so fast as he commeth to vs. No no Nam etsi minus diligit creatura quia minor est tamen si tota diligis nihil deest vbi totum est For albeit the loue of the creature bee lesse because it selfe is lesse yet if wee loue him with our whole hearts nothing is lacking where the whole is And most comfortable is it that hee saith when hee was yet a farre off he had compassion vpon hâ—m he had not yet come he had fallen downe he had not confessed and yet the Father sheweth mercy vpon him See then how the very first motions of repentance if they bee vnfeined euen the beginnings of our conuersion if they be from the heart are acceptable to GOD He bruseth not the brused reed hee quencheth not the smoaking flaxe Though our repentance be but in a beginning yet if it bee true God will meete it with mercy there is the nature of Gods compassions In the beginning of Daniel his supplication God sent him an answere and at the beginning of our turnings to God God turnes vnto vs. I haue been sound of them that sought mee not saith the Lord will he then hide his face from them that seeke him If when we were sinners Christ died for vs much more beeing now iustified by his bloud shall wee bee saued from wrath through him and if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God much more beeing reconciled we shall bee saued by his life If he ranne to this childe when he was a farre off will he not embrace his children that are come neere vnto him Non persuadet nudo verbo sed exemplo Hee will assure vs of mercy not by his naked word onely but by example also I wil speake against a Nation to destroy it but if this Nation turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them What can bee more cleare will we turne from our sinnes God will turne from his iudgements Neither is there any place here to speake of the greatnesse of our sins as though they were not curable by his mercies Though your sinnes were as Crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like Scarlet they shall bee made as woll Howsoeuer thou haue done them and made them many and great and they are double dipped wilt thou repent the strength of his mercy shall vndoe them shall change them and make them as if they had neuer beene done And if yet thou beleeue him not wheÌ„ he speakes at least beleeue him when hee sweares As I liue saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should turne and liue Estne Deus cum iur at indignus cui credatur Is not the Lord when he sweares worthy to bee credited But if neither his word nor his oath can mooue thee yet looke to his workes and for them beleeue his word Were not the Niuiuites spared when they repented Was not Achab spared when hee was humbled Who euer turned to the Lord and found not the Lord turning to him When the Leaper cried If thou wilt thou canst make mee cleane The Lord Iesus answered I will be thou cleane When the Centurion besought him to come to his house and heale his seruant Iesus answered I wil come and heale him There is a cloud of witnesses all prouing this one point Quidenim forte peccasti in saeculo nunquid amplius Paulo Quod si in ipsa religione nunquid plus Petro. For why hast thou sinned before thy calling so did Saint Peter and though thy sinnes were greater then theirs yet are they not so great as his mercy who hath promised to pardon Thus then in this Prodigall child haue we not onely mercy shewed to himselfe but exemplar mercy proposed to all such as repenting of their sinnes returne vnto him His Father saw him Albeit this beâ— put heere in the last roome yet is it to be referred to the first time of his conuersion The Lord looked vpon him as he looked to Peter after he had denied him hee made him to goe out and weepe bitterly for his sinnes grace was sent with the looke This is the looke of Gods face that Dauid praies for Looke vpon
vs eat and be merry Vers. 24. For this my sonne was dead and is aliue againe and hee was lost but he is found and they beegan to be meery My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Parable may properlie bee called A mirrour of Mercy for in it the Lord laieth opeÌ„ vnto vs the bowels of his fatherly loue and compassion toward penitent sinners hee proclaimed once by word his name to Moses The Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in mercy and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgressions and sins By many proofes sensiue hath hee declared it heere most clearly he shadowes it Setting downe to vs one a most miserable sinner worthy to bee condemned yet vpon his repentance gratiously pardoned for an example of the like mercy to bee shewed vnto all who after this manner repenting of their sins shall returne vnto the Lord their God To this purpose hath our Sauior deliliuered before two Parables One of the wandring sheepe an other of the lost peece of mony and now hee adioynes the third of the Prodigall child It is not without great cause that our Sauior takes such paines to confirme vs in this point For it is a difficill thing yea a supernaturall worke to perswade a guilty sinner of Gods mercy the reason is because the law which threatens a curse against the transgressors of her commandements is naturally written in euery mans heart and the sentence of death due to sinne by capital letters is grauen in the conscience so that it is true of all sinners which the Apostle speaketh of one sort that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as haue within themselues against themselues pronounced a ditty of damnation and euery man may feele in himselfe a conscience armed not vn like that Cherubin with a sword of wrath shaking against him and telling him that his sinne hath made him vnworthy to enter in the paradise of God Whereof it comes to passe that miserable man abiding vnder the bondage of sinful nature perisheth in one of these two fearfull sickenesses of the soule atheisme or desperation The first is a most dangerous and deadly disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and opens a dore to all kind of impiety for what wickednesse will not that man commit who beeing blinded by the deceit of sinne is brought to thinke there is no God nor iudgement to come But against this dangerous and deuouring poison the Lord hath prouided most effectuall Antidots for besides the works and the word of God w ch cry out that there is a God hee preserueth euen in the most corrupt conscience such a light as forces the deepest contemner to feare that same God-head which he denies and so proues it true in all Atheists which Cicero spake of one Metrodorus Nec quenqnam vidi qui magis ea timeret quae timenda esse negaret I neuer saw any more feared for which he said was not to be feared at all And thus the Atheist being wakened out of the sound sleep of Atheisme and brought to some sense and feare of a Diuinitie is incontiuent sore oppressed with the other euill of desperation for the first thing that a guilty soule apprehends in God is iudgement and wrath the conscience sending out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accusing cogitatioÌ„s which conclude within theÌ„ against themselues a condemnatory sentence and in this hee that hath escaped the first shall not faile to perish if â— doore of mercy be not opened vnto him And heere againe many are deceiued by presumption who thinke the way of mercy plaine easie well enough known and that they are sure they haue it But alas they flatter themselues with a conceit of it who had neuer the certainty of it All haue no faith who speake of it Many are called few are chosen The kingdome of heauen suffers violence If Adam after one transgression ran away from the Lord afraid at his voice and preseÌ„ce in whoÌ„ he delighted before what maruel his sinful children guilty of so many transgressions like perturbed and confounded men fearing his iudgements runne from him and fall into the gulfe of despaire And if Ioseph and Mary hauing lost the coÌ„pany of Christ but for one day not regarding him as they should were three daies in seeking before they could finde him againe shal men who so long a time liued strangers from the life of God bee so foolish as to thinke it requires no paines no labour to seeke him to finde and to bee reconciled with him But if they can get onely in their ending day one word to cry for mercy they are sure to obtaine it Let vs not be so farre deceiued it is no wisdome to hazard so great a matter as is our eternall saluation vpon so small an aduenture To cure therefore these great euils specially the last two of desperation and presumption by many waies doth the Lord draw vs to an experience and sense of his mercy and then to a conscience of our dutie towards him for where before the Cherubin an Angell was set at the entry of Paradise with a shaking sword to hold out man wee haue now the Christ the Lord of Angels with the keies of Dauids house to open Paradise vnto vs and as conscience within vs cries condemnation to vs for sinne so the spirit of adoption sent into our hearts from the Father cries with a stronger voice absolution from sinne No condemnation to theÌ„ which are in Christ. And against the terrour of the Law and curses thereof wee haue the grace of the Gospell full of sweet bâ—essings both promised and practised toward penitent sinners And for this one purpose it is that our Sauiour here triples the Parable to make vp vnto vs the stronger preseruatiue against our naturall disease of distrust and desperation For so as Ioseph spake to Pbaroah of his doubled visioÌ„ The dreme is doubled to Pharao the secoÌ„d time because the thing is established by God God hastes to performe it May we also speake of this tripled parable Iesus hath done it to shew the heires of promise the stability of his Counsell for it is a decree established with God to shew mercie to the penitent and he will hasten to performe it Now as it is a great worke to make the soule guilty of sinne conceiue any sense of of mercy so the soule once hauing conceiued it is easily moued through the sense of mercy to return vnto the Lord as we may see in this example Many are the arguments whereby wee are mooued to repentance but among theÌ„ all none goes so neere the hearts of his kindly children to pricke them with a godly sorrow for their sins as the sense of Gods mercie when they consider how good the Lord was vnto them before they sinned Haue I
ho it is enough No though thou couldst liue Methusalems daies hadst the strength of all bodies into one bodie the more thou serue the pleasures of sinne the lesse shalt thou bee satiate by them O miserable seruitude wherein doe what thou wilt an insatiable hunger still oppresseth thee Euery wicked man by vnhappy experience shall at length prooue in himself that which now he heares in this Prodigall Vers. 17. Then hee came to himselfe againe Now followeth the second most comfortable part of the Prodigall wherein is set downe how this Prodigall sonne returneth home againe to his Father we haue all beene like him in wandring happy are they who are also like him in returning The word whereby his repentance is expressed is worthy obseruation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee came to himselfe What was he then before when hee was in his sinnes Nought else but a man out of himselfe out of his wits as repentance in the Scriptures is frequently described to bee a returning vnto God so also a returning to our selues returne to your minde O transgressors in true repentance Electorum corda ad â—eredeunt the hearts of the elect returne to themselues for a man going from the Lord goeth also from himselfe if hee grieues the Lord hee hurts himselfe in forgetting and forsaking the Lord hee forgets and forsakes himselfe also and is but like a mad man a phrentike a possessed man with vncouth furies with vncleane spirits hee is not as our prouerb is his owne man this should waken in vs a pitty and commiseration of men walking in their sinnes euen to pray to God for them as our Sauiour and Saint Stephen did for the persecuting Iewes Father forgiue them for they know not what they are doing The Lord open their eies to see it And he said Before his resolution the motiues of his resolution are set down and these are two First the sense of his owne misery next the hope and trust of mercy in his father These are the two eies of a penitent sinner one whereby he seeth his miserie and that chaseth him out of himselfe another whereby hee seeth Gods mercy and that maketh him bold to come to the Lord hee can not taste the sweetnesse of Gods mercy who in some measure is not first touched with the sense of his misery indeed miserie may bee felt without mercy but not mercy without some sense of misery some thinke themselus â—â—re of mercy thâ—t were neuer humbled with the sense of misery these are deceiued by presumption others againe feeles their misery and see no mercy and these if they abide so fall in desperation This esperance of mercy is nourished in his heart by consideration of his fathers liberall dealing euen towards hired seruants which maketh him confident to looke for goodnesse toward himselfe that was his sonne How many hired seruants in my fathers house hath bread enough This house of his father represents the Church of God this is The family of God distinguished in two houses in the vpper house there are none but the sonnes of God in the lower house besides sonnes there are also hired seruants which shall not abid in the house foreuer and euer vnto these the Lord is good and gratious how much more vnto his owne children He that maketh his Sunne to shine and the raine to fall on the vniust he that cloatheth the Lillies of the field and feedeth the foules of heauen will he not be fauourable to his owne Are not ye much better then they But to goe further the mercy of God which hee sheweth to his children is not onely to comfort them who receiue it but to conuert and confirme others also It is true of all his mercies which Saint Paul speakes of the mercies shewed himselfe they are exemplar mercies euery time that Gods shewes mercie there is a boxe of precious ointment powred out not only for the good of him vpon whom it descends but that the sweet smell thereof may allure others to come and get the like Thy name is as an ointment powred out therefore the Virgins loue thee Let vs goe then to the Poole of Bethesda there wee shall see a great multitude of all sorts of diseased men made whol by the waters of SiloaÌ„ all of theÌ„ allure vs assure vs that if wee will doe as they haue done wee shall be healed as they were whatsoeuer be our diâ—ease Looke all the hystory of the Gospel we shall not finde one touched with a sense of their misery that came to Christ and went away comfortlesse The lepers the lunaticks the Adulterers the Demoniacks the Paraliticks the Publicans and all sort of miserable sinners stand vp as a clowde of witnesses to confirme thee that if thou wilt also returne to the Lord and seeke mercy thou shalt finde it The other motiue of his repentance is the sense of his present miserie in these words And I die of hunger It is the wisdome of God by crosses to correct our corruption feare or trouble shall make you to vnderstand the hearing What they cannot learne by the word he causeth them to learne it by affliction When all these things shall come vpon thee then shalt thou turne in thy heart and returne vnto the Lord thy God It is a great blessing of God when his crosses beecome corrections Corrigunt maketh a man better then he was and chaseth him homeward towards the Lord. It is needfull it is profitable for vs to drinke of this cup. I neuer knew any that learned true religion without some grieuous affliction inward or outward A sore famine sent the Lord vpon Canaan in the daies of Iacob was it because hee loued not Iacob No but that he might chase him to Ioseph Sore affliction laid he on Iacobs children in Aegypt by the hands of Pharâ—â— was it because he loued them not No but that he might make them weary of Aegypt and draw theÌ„ to Canaan againe Manasse his bonds Mâ—riam her leprosse Pauls blindnesse the Prodigall his pouerty among many moe may witnesse what great good GOD workes by his crosse in the hearts of his children Therefore the Prophet Dauid said It was good for me that I haue beene afflicted And good were it for impenitent wanton ones that God would make them beare the yoake in their youth and would doe to them as hee promiseth to doe to his Church that is by his rods bring her home againe to himselfe I will stop thy way with thornâ—s and make an hedge that she shall not finde her pathes though shee follow after her louers yet shall shee not come neere them then shee shall say I will goe and returne to my first husband for I was better then then now The felicity of men prospering in their sinnes is great infelicity Nihil infaelicius faelicitate peccantium therefore said Nazianzen peccatum
A MIRROVR OF MERCIE OR The Prodigals conuersion briefely and learnedly expounded and full of comfortable consolations for all penitent sinners By William Cooper Minister of Gods word and B. of Galloway LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shop at the South doore of Pauls and at Britaines Burse 1615. To the right worshipfull Dauid Arkenhead Deane of Gild Thomas Ingles of Edernie Mongo Macala Edward â—â—r Iames Dennistorne with others his worshipfull Councellors and Assessors IT is no great wonder though these parts of Africk which are vnder Torrida Zona abound in many kindes of vnkindly monsters seeing they are distempered with such extremity of heaâ— that their bâ—astes prouoked by raging lust mixe themselues with others not of of their owne kind But in this soile wherin the Sâ—nne of the world sends out his beames in most temperate manner and the Sunne of Righteousnesse shineth most fauourably it may much more be admired to see so many who looke like men but indeed are monsters Of whom that may be spoken which story records of Constantinus surnamed Coprominus Eum nec Christianum nec Iudaeum nec Paganum fuisse that he was neither a Iew nor a Pagan nor a Christian Sed colluuiem quandam impietatis but a certaine masse or heape of all impiety with the Iewes they salute Christ as their King and yet buffet him they professe him with the Christian and persecute him with the Pagan at one word they blesse him and at another blaspheme him They are named Israelits and liue like Ethiopians they speake with the voice of Iacob but worke with the hands of Esau and walke with the feet of Ioab that any man may perceiue not by their coate but their party-coloured conditions that sundry parents haue begotten them The nature of man distemperate with the heate of vnrulie desires and affections refuseth not the â—nlawfull â—ompany of any euil that will â—ome with it for sinne is nothing else but a childe gotten in a most vnhappy and vnkindly coniâ—nction betweene Apostat spirits and the corrupt nature of man whereof proceeds such manifold deformities in the liues of men that ye may see one and the selfe same man to be but a mixed monster made vp and mishapen of sundry sorts of vices Hee is begotten of Concupiscence and hath â—ies of Adultery hee is nourished and rocked in the cradle of Intemperance bee groweth vp by Couetousnesse to such excesse that his little finger is bigger then by iust measure his body should bee his motion is from anger his greatnesse from his pride he is made strong to euill by his malice hee waâ—eth old with wickednesse consumed with lecherie and worne with enuy Thus hee ends worse then hee began in al these he is boulstred vp by hypocrisiâ— and sheweth himselfe as if hee were a Christian. And so couers the iniurie vnder the garment of God but they are deceiued God will not bee mocked Let them not say wee haue Abraham for our father The answer our Sauiour gaue the carnall Iewes is fitting for them Yee are of your father the Deuill for yee doe his workes Partus patrem iudicat the birth bewraies the begetter and their image declares they are not the generation of Christ. But iudgements are prepared for scorners strange sinnes will bee repaid with strange punishments proportionable to them They that sow the winde shall reape the whirlewinde they who sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption They turne not from their sinnes to the Lord and the Lord most iustly wraps them in their sinnes as in a windâ—ng sheet which cannot bee consumed thus are they laid in the graue and Their bones full of the iniquity of their youth O fearefull recompence but yet rigteous their needes no more to plague them but that the Lord turne their own waies vpon their owne heades and giue them to drinke of the cup themselues haue prepared For howsoeuer wickednesse bee sweet in the mouth yet in the bowels it turnes into gall They shall know in the ende it was an euill thing and a bitter that they forsooke the Lord. Oh that they who forget him could consider this in time To waken them if it bee possible I haue presented to them heere a two-fold mirrour in the one if they looke into it they may see how miserable a man maketh himselfe by departing from the Lord. In the other how gratious the Lord is and ready to receiue such as returne vnto him And this haue I published vnder your honourable names who as yee liue in your selues Exemplars of a godly life vnto others so I am sure it shall be contentment to you if by this treatise dedicate to you others may be made better Receiue it as a token of my best affection toward you for your louing acceptation of mee into the honourable fellowship of your Burgiship of Edenborough which howsoeuer by birth it was due to me yet was it conferred by you with such willingnesse of minde as bindes mee to account my selfe obliged to your fauours while I liue So wishing the multiplication of the grace of Iesus Christ vnto you I rest Yours in the Lord Iesus W. B. of Galloway A MIRROVR OF MERCIE LVKE 15. VERSE 11. He said moreouer A certaine man had two sonnes Ver. 12. And the yonger of them said to his father Father giue me the portion of the goods that falleth to mee So hee diuided vnto them his substance Vers. 13. So not long after when the yonger sonne had gathered all together he tooke his iourney into a far countrey and there hee wasted his goods with riotous liuing Ver. 14. Now when hee had spent all there arose a great dearth throughout that land and hee began to bee in necessity Ver. 15. Then he went and claue to a Citizen of that countrey and hee sent him to his farme to feede Swine Ver. 16. And he would faine haue filled his belly with the huskes that the Swine ate but no man gaue them him Ver. 17. Then he came to himselfe and said How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread enough and I die for hunger Vers. 18. I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Vers. 19. And am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants Vers. 20. So hee arose and came to his father and when hee was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him Vers. 21. And the Son said vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to hee called thy sonne Vers. 22. Then the Father said to his seruants bring foorth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet Ver. 23. And bring the fat calfe and kill him and let
beene vnto you as a wildernesse or land of darknesse what iniquity haue yee found in me that yee are gone from me When they consider how patiently the Lord bare with them when they sinned against him might haue done vnto thee as thou hast donâ— vnto mee but for my names sake I will refrain my wrath I might makâ— thee like Admah and Zeboim but my heart is turned within me and will not execute thâ— fiercenesse of my wratâ— vpon thee And wheâ— againe they consider how willingly he receiued them into his fauour after they had sinned they are wounded and grieued in their spirits for that they offended him Seruants feare him for his iudgements if hee had no plagues they would not regard him but his Sonnes feare him for his mercies according to that of the Psalmist Mercie is with thee that thou maiest be feared And therefore the Apostle puts this in the forefront of his reasons when he exhorteth vs to a godly life I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God The Lord stands not now vpon Mount Sinai with burning fire and blacknesse oâ— darknes proclaiming the law with the fearful sound of trumpet threatning vs with death if wee fulfill it not No maruell the people did tremble at that sight for Moseâ— himselfe did quaile feare to behold it but now hee stands on Mount Sion a fatheâ— alluring vs with mercies not affraying vs with iudgemeÌ„ts speaking to vs not by a terrible trumpet but by the meeke mediator of the new Testament Iesus whose bloode cryes for better things then the bloud of Abel O how inexcusable are they whom this mercie of God moues not to repent are they not worthy of a double condemnation The sinnes done against the Law may be cured by the grace of the Gospell but where this grace also is despised and men who may receiue mercy for repenting will not repent wherwith shall this impiety be cured remaineth there any more sacrifice for sinne shall any new sauiour bee sent to saue these men No no there abides nothing for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure them A certaine man had two Sonnes NOw to enter into the Parable in it we haue three persons introduced with three seuerall actions The Prodigall childe sinning repenting his father pitying pardoning him his elder brother grudging and mumuring We haue first then to see who is meant by this man his two sons This man in the Parable â—â—esents God the Father of our Lord Iesus and our Father in him where we must bee ware to assigne vnto God with the Anthropomorphits and Papists any visible shape though hee demitte himselfe to our capacity and shadow himselfe like vnto vs let vs not diminish in our hearts the glorie of his maiesty as to fashion him in our imagination to be like vnto vs. For God is noâ— as man Eies eares ielousie anger and repentance are ascribed vnto him But hee hath not carnall eies nor eares to see and heare as man doth If he hath with such wonderfull wisdome made some of his cretures that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incomprehensible to man yea the very soule of man whereby he knoweth all other things yet knoweth not its owne selfe in many things how shall we know him that made it or conceiue of him as he is he beeing in himselfe infinite in regard of his creatures incomprehensible in regard of place incircumscriptible in regard of time euerlasting and shall wee then imagine him to be like one of vs. But why then will you say is hee called a man doubtlesse for our comfort and instruction because we cannot conceiue of his maiestie as hee is hee speakes to vs of himselfe as we are insinuating his loue towards vs. Among all creatures none more familiar to a man then a man and among all men none more kindlie and louing then a father therfore when the Lord will signifie his loue he shadowes himselfe vnto vs like a man and such a man as is our father And this is for our instruction as oft as the Lord expresseâ— himselfe vnder the name of a man it is not because he is so indeed but because it is needfull for vs that so his maiesty should be expressed Looke then what goodnesse God hath created in man and then goe vp and consider by it what a good creatour is hee that made him Hath man an eie to see and an eare to heare can man being an earthly father haue compassion on his children and prouide good things for them TheÌ„ let vs gather with the Psalmist Vnderstundye vnwise hee that made the eye doth he not see or hee that planted the eare doth hee not heare and againe with our Sauiour If ye which are euill can giue to your children good gifts how much more shall your Father which is in heauen giue good things to them that aske him But here is the fault that as Anthropomorphites ascribe vnto God such a shape as themselues haue So Atheists do abase his maiesty so farre as to thinke hee is not so good as they are he hath not such knowledge and power as a man hath other deny his prouidence and saie hee hath eies and seeth not they deny his mercy and distrust that hee will shew kindnesse and compassion to his owne they deny his iustice whiles as they thinke hee will not punish transgressors and so setting his maiestie lesse then one of them selues they make him in their mind like the Idols of the Nations that haue eies and see not eares and heare not hands and worke not feet that walke not and in a word such a one as can neither doe good nor euill but their wickednesse shall reprooue them and they shall finde the contrarie by miserable experience in the end Thus haue wee seene for what cause it is that the Lord expresseth himselfe vnto vs by the similitude of a man Many waies hath God honoured the nature of man First in our creation that when hee made man hee beautifieth him with his image Next in our redemption wherein hee sheweth himselfe so enamoured with the loue of man as to marry our nature with his owne in the person of his Sonne Christ Iesus And thirdly in his word that when hee speakes of himselfe he borrowes comparisons from man to expresse himself once he made man to his own similitude but often describes himselfe according to mans similitude Plerunque a corporibus hominum in se similitudinem trahit Deus And this serues shortly to make man ashamed who spares not to dishonour his owne nature giuing the members of his body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne subiecting to Satans slauery that nature which God hath so highly honoured aboue the nature of Angels and all other creatures whatsouer Had two sonnes Hauing seene who
is solitary but haue euer some of their owne kind in company with them As he resolueth to rise and returne to his father so hee forethinkes what to say when he comes teaching vs not to appeare before the Lord without reuerend preparation Resolue what thou hast to say what to seeke what to offer before thou come to him If thou seeke and haue nothing to offer it is a token thou seekest thy selfe and not the Lord. If thou offer other things to the Lord but not thy selfe thou offerest The sacrifice of sooles for it is thy selfe the Lord doth seeke and he offereth himselfe to thee againe if thou seeke anything from him and offer not thy selfe vnto him thou shalt lose thy selfe thou shalt not obtaine what thon seekest neither yet shalt thou enioy him This Prodigall prepares a twofold sacrifice first the sacrifice of confession of his sinnes doubtlesse from a heart truly penitent The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a broken heart the Lord despiseth not Next the sacrifice of oblation of himselfe he offereth his seruice vnto the Lord. Make me as one of thy seruants But in this the carelesse negligence of men of this age is exceeding great they pray but without preparation neither considering themselues how they are as Abraham said but dust and ashes Yea viler then the earth in asmuch as they are vncleane through their sinnes neither yet what a great maiesty the Lord is before whom they appeare they forethink not what they haue to seeke neither prouide they a sacrifice to offer they enter into Gods house as if it were a priuate house forgetting Salomons precept Take heede vnto thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God The Courts of the Lord and a common causey are a like vnto them yea euen vpon most solemne daies neither are they sanctified to offer praier praise seruice which God craues neither yet are they ready to receiue mercy and peace which God offers they come without preparation they sit without sense or deuotion they goe away without answer or edification But as those beasts which entred vncleane into the Arke went out vncleane so come they to the house of GOD vnpenitent and goeth out vnpenitent Some will not confesse their sinnes at al but hide them as Achan did the accursed thing vnder the earth in his tent these may be called Satans Secretaries by so doing they deminish not the knowledge of God but debarre themselues from the mercy of God while they seeke to Conceale the iniquity of their bosome as Adam did they doe but reueale their own shame and hasten the declaration of Gods iudgement vpon them Hee that hideth his sins shall not prosper Behold I will enter in iudgement with thee because thou saiest I haue not sinned Others againe confesse their sinnes but yet continue in their sins not like this Prodigal I will rise and say I haue sinned these men will say they haue sinned but will not rise out of their sinnes such a confession is but a profession of sinne which will neuer obtaine mercy it may wel increase guilt and draw on the greater damnation I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Penitent sinners illuminate with the light of faith amplifie their sinnes two manner of waies First that their sinnes are done against God next that they are done before GOD. Dauid in his confession as likewise the Prodigall here ioines both these two together Euery sinne is against God but euery sin is not done in the sight of God I meane in respect of the sinner for there are many that sinne and yet know not that they sinne as Turks in their adultery Pagans in Idolatry simple Papists in their cruelty when they are persecuting sincere worshippers they thinke they are doing good seruice vnto God But such as haue the light shining vnto them who knowe the will of GOD and yet will doe against it they sinne not onely against God but before him and in his sight And this shews the greatnesse of sins which are now committed vnder this cleare light of the Euangell they are not done in the night but in the day not onely against the Lord but before him vnder his eye and in his very face hee is a bold theese that will steale and the Iudge looking vpon him hee is a shamelesse Adulterer that seeketh not the twilight but will worke villeny in the noone tide of the day and men beholding him He that knoweth his Masters wil and doth it not shall haue double stripes saith our Sauiour What then hee that doth not onely leaue his Masters will vndone though he know it but also doth directly against him shall he not haue triple stroakes And which is worst of all hee that transgresseth his masters will and his Master looking vpon him are not quadruple plagues due vnto him From such high high impiety and proud rebellion the Lord deliuer vs. Verse 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants When hee had the place and honour of a Sonne he set lightly by it he abused it now is hee faine to seeke the roome of a seruant The worth and value of Gods benefites are not knowne till men want them and be touched with a sense of their misery then the least of his mercies are esteemed great mercies euen to be a Doore keeper in Gods house or to haue the place of a seruant in it or to haue the benefit of little dogs to eate of the crumbes of bread that fall from the table of his children so thought Dauid so this Prodigall so the Cananitish woman whē they were humbled It is greater wisdome to ponder the goodnesse of God in time that we may esteeme of it and be thankeful to God for it hee made vs his sonnes by the first creation wee become his enemies by our transgression we lost all the holinesse of our nature all the happinesse of our state by our own folly If we had died in that estate wee should haue accounted the vse of water a great benefit yea greater then we doe the abundance of all his creatures which now of his goodnesse hee communicates But the Lord had mercy vpon vs and hath restored vs not to the place of seruants onely Hencefoorth I call you not seruants but to the dignity of sinnes Behold what a loue the Father hath shewed you that yee should bee called his sonnes so that now we are aduanced to a greater surer and more enduring honour then that which we had by our first creation shall we not feare to hazard it againe by walking after our sinnes if wee doe so the second errour shall bee worse then the first Miserable is man already by his first fall more miserable shall he be by the second if hee despise the grace of the Gospell and trample the bloud of the new