is great in power rich in glory in mercy in wisdom in love and goodness able to do all things good to all and his tender mercies over all his works bountiful to Servants that are but hirelings and serve him only for their own interests and rewards and may not abide in the house for ever being not made Sons How many hired Servants saith the Prodigal are in my Fathers house that have bread enough and to spare Luke 15.17 Yea good to his enemies loving them and doing good to all making his Sun to shine and rain to fall on the good and on the bad the unthankful and evil giving whole Lordships yea and Kingdoms of this world in his great bounty to them also that regard him not bâ—t hate him careful of the very inferiour creatures feeding the Ravens caring for the Fowls of Heaven even the little Sparrows five of which are sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgot before him Yea he giveth food to all flesh for his mercy endureth for ever If David counted it so great an honor and priviledge to be Son in Law to Saul an earthly and mortal King whose breath was in his nostrils and his power of narrow compass in comparison of Gods as well as his goodness Oh what may not a soul promise it self of felicity and happiness in being the Son the adopted and genuine Son of a King so great so full so good so free so liberal to and careful of all even of the worst men and creatures as God is what cannot what will not such a Father do for his Children especially such Children too as obey and abide with him Yea what may they not upon that consideration incourage themselves to look for and expect from him having also such an elder Brother with him as is infinitely perfect and dear to him to plead for them and take away the defects and sailings of their obedience towards him shall he be good to strangers provide for inferiour creatures give large crumbs and offals to dogs and birds and beasts and will he not give what is convenient to his children surely yes Shall he give good things to his enemies and neglect his children surely no. Surely he hath far better things for them then for any others not so near to him nor in such relation with him It is our Saviours argument Consider the fowls of the air for they sowe not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Mark the Emphasis Your Father and therefore loves you Your heavenly Father who in that he is heavenly is above all and hath all power and all creatures subject to him and in that he is heavenly is holy and pure from earthly affections as covetousness and other passions which our earthly Fathers are bemudded with He is your Father your heavenly Father yet he feeds them that are of no compare with him to you and to whom he owns no such relation shall he feed them and neglect you what earthly Father will do so to feed his chickens and forget or famish his children much less can or will your heavenly Father Matth. 6.26 and the like in Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and not one of them shall â—all to the ground without your Father as â—f he would say doth he that is so early related and dearly affected to you who stiles himself your Father and owns you as his Children take such care of so inconsiderable a creature as a sparrow two whereof are sold for a farthing and who are so infinitely below him that he stiles not himself in such a relation to them and can he neglect you who are his Children whom he hath so valued as to give a price greater then heaven and earth even his own Son for you Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value namely with him then many sparrows This then is a relation estating in such a condition as affords exceeding ground of highest confidence and greatest expectation in and through Christ in whom he makes and takes us for his Children of greatest advantages and fullest happiness and in the mean while of all that he that is so great and good can do for us and sees good and meet to be done Behold then what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us who are in Christ Jesus that we should be called the Sons of God Surely it s well worthy of our beholding for there is in it to be seen heighth and strength of love and affection and matter of marvellous consolation and in beholding this we may 2. Behold also how infinitely we are ingaged to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ to love and live to them to honour and glorifie them for what love was that that led the Father to give his only begotten Son to be the Son of Man and thereby exposed to all the miseries of man yea all that man by his sin had deserved as its just reward to be sustained and born by him that he might open the way from destruction to such an high priviledge as Son-ship to God by him and make him the root of it for and to us through what he hath done to him in the body he prepared and gave him could it be less then infinite love in him that moved him to design such exaltation of so base and vile creatures as we by the so great abasement of one so high and glorious as he and oh what love was that in Christ Jesus what grace what pitty what mercy and kindeness not to shrink back from the state of service to make us sons yea from the state of sin and death For he that knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and died for all that through him we might attain such dignity and glory as cannot be valued by us how should it engage our hearts and affections to him and make us ready with all diligence to obey and live to him that to such and so glorious an end died for us and rose again For he was made under the Law for such as were under the Law as in a sense all were Rom. 3.19 that we being redeemed from the Law might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. 2. Herein also we may see and be instructed into the way whereby sinners may be made the Sons of God even they that are not so but are the children of wrath For as Christ hath by his sufferings opened and made the way for it so he thereby as raised from the dead and taken up to glory in the nature of man and owned as the Son of God and glorified is become the root of Son-ship unto us as is said and therefore the way for us to be made the Sons of God is to receive and close with him the Son of God as God is commending him and setting him forth to us by
and wicked men take delight in making others sin and then make a sport and jest of it being savage Heathens under the denomination of Christians But even believers in Christ and seekers of him are too careless of their brethrens souls while they matter not if for their meat or drink or some foolish custome or will or pleasure their brother for whom Christ dyed do perish 1 Cor. 8.11 Rom. 14.25 How far is any unlike therein to Christ who thought it not too much to lay down his precious life to save us and we will scarce lay down a toy or trifle our will or pleasure a fashion or fancy to save our brethren and bring them from misery to endless happiness but it is meet when God reclaims by any means or shews mercy to any sinners especially to Prodigals and notorious offenders yea though he give them some more signal testimony of his favour to them upon their returning then he hath perhaps to our selves at any time which was the thing stomacked in the Parable to make merry and be glad for it and if so then 2. Let us be exhorted to such a demeanour and carriage in such cases God is sometimes affording such instances of his great mercy and goodness that we might take notice of him and give him the glory of it and set forth his praises He sometimes suffers such as profess his truth and have some right understanding also of it and affection to it to fall into temptations and thereby into great sins and sufferings and yet shews his mercy on them to their salvation by bringing them into sufferings for their sins he sometimes awakens them as the Prodigal here so effectually to repentance that they remember and turn to him and finde mercy with him though indeed there be too few such penitents to be found more there are that imitate this Prodigal in wandring from God and spending his gifts and their receits in riotous courses and sinful conversations then imitate him in converting returning unto God again which is a matter worthy lamentation surely the severity of God may be seen in part therein that he gives up so many that wander from him to their hardness and impenitency so as to persist to Death and perish therein Though God also hath a good and gracious end therein to others for therein he is admonishing us to beware of presumption and presumptuous sinning that seeing he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy in giving them repentance in such cases and whom he will he hardens for their presumptions we may stand in awe and take heed of abusing his goodness to any in such a way as to say Let us do evil that good may come thereof sin that grace may more abound God hath given repentance to some that have fallen fowly and shewed them mercy in receiving them again therefore I will be hold also to give way to my corruptions and take the pleasures of sin for a while I hope God will be merciful also to me and recover and receive me again and I shall not perish therein Surely the seeing many so turn away as not to return but back slide by a perpetual backsliding holding fast deceit and refusing to return as Jer. 8.45 might keep us from adventuring on so desperate a resolution Thus the Apostle teacheth us to improve a like consideration in Rom. 11.22 23. Be not high minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches that were hardned blinded and broken off for their unbelief ve 7.20 take heed least he also spare not thee Behold then the goodness and the severity of God on them that fell severity but on thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be broken off See the like use also made of the like severity towards the Fathers that finned in the wilderness and perished there through God's displeasure 1 Cor. 10.1 2.10.11 they were our admonitions to provoke such as think they stand to take heed least they fall not presuming that though they throw themselves voluntarily into sin yet they shall rise or be raised up again because they are God's people and he hath loved and loves them and being once loved they must needs be always loved as some misread and abuse that saying in Joh. 13.1 contrary to Isa 63 9 10 11. Hos 9.15 and so that however they fin they cannot perish A perilous temptation that hath caused many to stumbleâ—â— and fall to their destruction Surely our Lord Jesus who was the Son of God in the most proper sense and the most sure of his love and favour even in the manhood yet would not listen to such a voice of the Tempter to cast himself from the pinacle of the Temple presuming it was impossible for him to be hurt because the promises belonged to him of which this was one that God would give his Angels charge over him to bear him up in their hands that he should not at any time dash his foot against a stone But knowing that God's promises are annexed to his ways and that his keeping them was it that should be attended with his being kept in them he repelled the temptation with having diligent respect to God's Commandement bidding man Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 6 6 7. in which he hath set us a good example that we might follow his steps and sure he is a presumptuous fool that durst venture to go where his Leader being wiser and stronger than he would not venture before him But yet when the goodness of God is so exercised and put forth in his mercy to any as to give repentance and restore them again from their falls and bruises as God is able to graffe in again what is broken off and raise up what is fallen even of those that are distinguished from and opposed to the Election that hath obtained Rom. 11.7 14 23. let us be glad and rejoyce therein both for their good in charity to them and that God is affording such a motive and incouragement to others that have sinned and are bruised thereby and lye pining away in their sins to rise again in repenting In such cases its meet that we should make merry and be glad as is here said and not with the Pharasees or Pharasaical Saints murmur at God's mercy and goodness towards them whither it be that he give them repentance and restore them to us here to â—ive with us and testifie their repentance by a better and more heavenly conversation afterwards as David Peter Manasses Mary Magdalene and others did or that he awaken them to repentance by bringing upon them some signal shame and punishment to death as befell the Malefactor upon the Crosse crucified with Christ And as God is sometime pleased to shew his goodness to others brought to like shame and death for the like or as bad or worse offences I know some foolish or Pharasaical ones are apt to strange
for hunger Now he is awakened both to a sense of his state and to an understanding where he may finde relief or rather this was as Aqua vitae infused into him 2. An inward desire and breathing after that relief and help that he is made apprehensive of and whereof he had had before the taste and experiment for that 's implyed in his resolving to go to his Father for it that he desired and breathâ—d after it So the sinner brought into minde and remembrance of God and his goodness in Christ in his reviving again hath effected in him a desire to finde that goodness again which he had proved before and that he hath again heard of and remembers And this is a gasping for life and breath again upon the Aqua vitae or Water of Life infused 3. An inward hope that he may be made partaker thereof again in giving diligence to return to God in Christ for it and to seek it in him and in his favour and love towards him and indeed therein life is more compleatly entred or breath recovered and the soul more properly lives in the receiving this hope and having it begotten in the heart and though it be but of a possibility and some likelihood of being made a partaker of satisfaction again in God and Christ Whence proceeds and springs as a further action of life 4. An inward purpose and resolution of quitting his present posture in which this thought of God and his goodness coming upon it found it This state of sinning keeping Swine maintaining and nourishing bruitish lusts affections and appetites in the objects whereof the Soul and spirit findes no satisfaction together with a purpose to rise up from under those discouraging complaints and despairs under which it before lay pining and to betake it self by faith and repentance unto God its Father from whom and whose house it had departed and to confess its sin and vileness and submit it self to his disposing I said I will confess my sin Psal 32.4 5. I will arise and go to my Father and I will say to my Father Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants This like the moving and stretching himself when a person is come to himself and revives 5. A putting that resolution into practice strengthning those things that they might not dye again by still remembring his Father and still retaining in minde the fulness of his Fathers house and his great goodness to all therein of whatsoever condition and so he rose up both from his sinful way practise state and condition and from his pining away in himself and in the poring upon his own want and wretchedness and betook himself towards his Father by faith and repentance like the revived man's turning himself that he may get up 6. Being thus made alive by the Grace of God understood and yielded to as common in its gracious workings in the soul as infusing principles of life while he is yet but begun to act and exercise that life in putting sin resolutions into performances his Father sees him and pitties him and runs meets imbraces and kisses him that is while the soul is thus turning to God and going back towards him in the exercise of faith and repentance though but in their beginnings God in the greatness of his compassion and goodness closes with it returns to it accepts it incourages and helps it and speaks comfortably to it kisses it with the kisses of his mouth and therein further puts life and strength into it making it more to hope for his pardon and mercy toward it And this is like the giving the hand to a reviving man endeavouring to turn himself and to arise to help him up therein and then 7. He more confidently though yet humbly and penitently confesses his sins and wretchedness to his Father and humbles himself to him and so exercises repentance in these acts of it Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son wherein he is like to Daniel on his knees and hands or as one that begins to speak 8. And then he receives a full and free pardon of all his former sins and offences and is made alive with the life of justification implyed in his calling for and putting upon him the best robe even the righteousness of his Son which he will have his Servants and Ministers also to declare to him or put upon him being in his Fathers gracious acceptation imbracing and kissing him as it were inwardly and in the Court of Heaven forgiven before and now he is indeed alive from the dead and as a man upon his legs again while he is not only inwardly quickned but also outwardly by his Fathers sentence proclaimed as an acquit and justified person whom he will not call to an account for his former mispending his living nor execute judgment upon him to death according to the law in that behalf provided against rebellious and stubborn Children that are gluttonous and drunkards Deut. 21.20 but being a new man is owned in Christ in whom he presents him to himself just and righteous and now he hath received him safe and sound ver 27. 9. And so is further acknowledged as his loving Son while the ring is put upon his finger for ornament or espousing the soul to himself again in righteousness and faithfulness and his feet shod to prepare him to walk up and down as his Son before him and herein he is fully restored to his former state of favour with his Father and Fathers House and to his pristine Dignity And in these things Branch 2. He is found The repenting converted sinner that returns to God is found again found passively not that he found himself or recovered himself but the good Shepheard that came to seek and save that that was lost Findes him and he is found when he comes back again Though the wayes by which that good Shepheard seeking findes may be different and here seems to be implyed to be 1. By neglecting him as to appearance or suffering him to wander after his own hearts lust till he be quite lost and perishing Till he eat the fruit of his own way and be filled with his own inventions till he fall down hungry and thirsty and his soul faints in him Psal 107.4 5. as is said in Hos 5.15 I will go and return to my place as it were leaving them and letting them take their own course till misery and affliction come upon them till they acknowledge their offences for then in their affliction they will seek me early To further which also God 2. In the mean while by a secret ordering Providence suffers not the sinner to finde the life of his own hands or not to continue so to do but to be reduced to more misery and want daily and to be crost in and disappointed of his
of murthers white as wool or snow ver 21. He can wash away the filth of the daughters of Sion and purge the blood of Jerusalem in the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning Isa 4.4 judging them and helping them to judge themselves and burning up what is reproved by him Oh! how precious is Christ then and how much to be prized by us who when the richest man in the world though the greatest King or Potentate cannot give a price to God sufficient for one mans soul to ransome it though guilty of the least sins yet he was judged of God whose judgment is according to truth a sufficient ransome for all men 1 Tim. 2.6 And there is vertue enough in his blood to obtain sparing for the greatest sinners and mercy to be extended to convert and grace to pardon them being converted to him Being made a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel a people guilty of greatest sins against the greatest mercies and forgiveness of sins Act. 5 3â— Oh! let us magnifie and run into this fountain to which also God in his mercy by Christ calls the greatest sinners 3. It leads to hope in God for backsliding and sinful brethren and much more for them that never so tasted God's goodness and sinn'd against such tasts and in that hope to seek and endeavour their conversion and upon repentance to receive them as God for the sake of Christ received and receiveth us Rom. 15.6 7. not to cast off the care of them and say with Cain Am I my Brother's keeper or up-seeker But rather as the Apostle says With meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves if peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the Devil who are taken captives by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Yet herein praying for and asking discretion some rebuking sharply and wiâ—h some dealing gently as Jude saith ver 22 23. Of some have compassion making a difference and others saving with fear or terrour pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh As some the Apostles gave up to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 4. It may provoke such as have sinned and done shamefully and wickedly even after grace received as Peter and David did not to despare but to look back back again to God and hope in his mercy and waite for it in his ways through Jesus Christ Confessing and forsaking their sins that they may finde mercy Prov. 28.13 For God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he turn and live And therefore let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gracious and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 33.11 Isa 55.7 However much or great evil or sin men have done it s not the way to be helped to despair of help or to seek for it elsewhere then in turning to God by Jesus Christ for whithersoever else a man turn he goes after vain things and things that cannot profit but in God and Christ as is said there is mercy and help Let Israel therefore though great sinners against greatest mercies hope in the Lord for with him there is mercy and with him is plenteousness of redemption Psal 1â—0 6 7. 1 Sam. 12 19 20. but delay not to turn to him least he cut us off in his wrath To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts least ye be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Delays in this case are dangerous for what 's our life and in whose hands but his that is offended by us 5. Yet let none presume upon this therefore To sin that grace may abound for though grace is more abundantly declared in saving and pardoning great sinners yet they that therefore do evil that good may come thereof if God leave them to sink and perish in their sinful presumption their damnation is just Rom. 3.8 because there is forgiveness with God so as in his hands to dispense or withhold it therefore he is to be feared and not presumptiously sinn'd against Psal 130.4 In this respect of calling back and shewing mercy to such offenders He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy whom he will he hardens The Chirurgeons greatest skill is shewed in healing the most shattered bones or most desperate wounds Yet who but a mad-man would therefore to prove his skill go break his bones in pieces or run upon sword points on purpose when as if he be healed he will be but in the same sound state happily as before and might have been without these pains and smarts they will put him to Yea and he runs a desperate hazzard of being never healed it depending meerly upon the Chirurgeon's good pleasure 6. If it be meet for us to rejoyce and make merry for the restoring of sinners and God also call upon us thereto then also 1. It faults those that neither indeavor it when they be fallen nor are glad for it when restored but rather murmur at it and are offended like the Pharasees here in this Chapter were either for seeking such that they might be restored or receiving them when restored so far are they from rejoycing at it If thou thy self that dost so hast an interest in Christ why shouldest thou be offended at thy brothers restauration and reception and not rather desire it yea endeavour and rejoyce in it there 's never the less room for thee in God's house nor never the less chear for thee for the multitude of them that dwell and feed therein Here the more the merrier and never a whit the lesser chear for as we have shewed the bread of Christ's giving is living growing and enduring bread that is no more consumed by being eaten and fed on and digested then the Sun is perhaps far less by being daily looked upon or the light of it walked in And if God please to shew mercy to any great sinners why shouldest thou snuff at it and envy it Is thine eye evil because Gods is good Oughtest thou not rather to rejoyce to see a soul saved from destruction and that God is so gracious to us who are all of us sinful enough to deserve a thousand destructions at his hands than to be offended at it Is it a light matter for a soul to go to hell what pleasure is that for thee or what profit in it surely they are more cruel than Tigers and the most savage beasts that would wish their worst enemies or the worst of sinners such a mischief and not rather desire and endeavour to prevent it and rejoyce to see any good ground to think that God hath prevented it upon any and yet how often is it found that not only profane
meet him and falls upon his neck and kisses him Oh hasty Father and too passionately fond thinks his Pharasaical Son to shew so much love before no more humbling He was not yet fallen on his knees scarce and behold his Father falls upon his neck He had not yet confessed his sins only says he would and the Father prevents him with his compassion and before he could utter all he had to say calls for the fatted calf and the best robe to feed and cloth him and therefore he hears of it afterward As soon as this thy Son was come that hath devoured all thy substance with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted calf And so how apt are we to say Oh! they must be soundly humbled before we may shew them any hopes of mercy towards them and yet indeed its hope of mercy here that humbled him yea the best and sweetest humbling is after the receit of mercy Then Mary loved much and wept much when much was forgiven Luc. 7.47 and so in Ezeck 16.60 61 62 63. when God remembers his Covenant with adulterous and idolatrous Jerusalem and makes an everlasting Covenant with them then she shall remember her ways and be ashamed c. yet if God speedily comfort men we are ready to say it was some delusion they were not humbled enough But what is that that men call humbled enough I fear as some are not humbled and ashamed for their sins so some may mistake and idolize it If by being humbled enough they mean so as to give satisfaction for their sins or make an amends for them that 's an enough that none can attain to and therefore Christ humbled himself to death the death of the Crosse for us Philip. 2.7 and was not he humbled enough for us think we it is upon the account of his humiliation and not of ours that God receives satisfaction and forgives us None can be sufficiently humbled for the least abuse of any mercy to deserve the forgiveness of it thereupon but in Christ God is the best estimator of our being humbled so as to be fitted to receive what Christ's humiliation and sufferings for us have purchased and he seems to men sometimes to accept of a small measure or time of humbling as the instances before recited make manifest And if God speak peace to any upon short and slight humbling to appearance yea or when he sees us go on frowardly turning aside in the way of our 〈◊〉 if he see our way and heal us and create the fruits of his lips peace to us as Isa 57.17 18 19. seems to import who or what are we that we should limit or fault the Holy One When God comforts any how can they be dejected would we have them play the hypocrites to humour us counterfeit terrour and dejection when God speaks peace to them surely no. Again we vain creatures are apt to judge of mens being humbled by the outside the sad countenance plenty of tears sorrowful tones wringing of hands c. but God sees the heart And God that knows the heart bare them witness says Peter speaking of the Gentiles so suddainly in their uncircumcision received in by him And indeed we may find the Scriptures mention persons as well humbled and so as God counts them meet to be comforted When 1. They having sinned do or are willing to ingenuously confesse and not hide cloke extenuate or plead for their sin and filthinesse and turn from them So in Prov. 28.13 He that bideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them finds mercy And in 1 Joh 1.9 If we confesse our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Though this confession as to particulars is not needful to be made publike to all men but to God I said I would confesse my sins to the Lord and thou forgavest me Psal 32.5 and in some cases to some faithful men Jam. 5.16 that are concerned and the heart made free to 2. When they see themselves so vile and their sins so hainous that they cannot take comfort in any of their confessions weepings humiliations fastings but go out of all to the grace of our Lord Jesus and his precious blood Psal 51.1 2.7.16 17. And indeed they are proud persons that have their hope in other things as their weepings humiliations c. for they think so well of themselves as to conceive some excellency in such their acts that they may do something in their worthiness with God to procure his acceptance of them It 's a greater act of humility or humiliation to see such emptiness or nothingness in them all as to disown any resting in them or comfort from them but only to hope in the mercy of God and the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ And 3. In case God lead them out to sorrows and griefs bring shame and sufferings upon them to be willing to yield our selves to God To be afflicted and mourn and weep Jam. 4.9 Accept the punishment of ones iniquity and bear the indignation of the Lord till his wrath be past as having sinned against him Mic. 7.8 9. This God himself makes the character of an humble heart in his sight when in the view of him the uncircumcised heart is humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity confessing that they have walked contrary to God and he hath walked contrary to them Lev. 26.40 41 42. and that was the great act of Christ's humbling himself for us that he accepted the punishment of our iniquity and yielded up himself to bear it quietly not repining or grudging thereat And here also in this Parable the Prodigals humiliation appears in this chiefly that rising and coming to his Father he confesses his sin submits himself to bear the shame of having his Father or Servants see his poor estate and to be in any place how mean soever that his Father would put him in though of an hired servant so he might but be received And surely when we finde any that have been great sinners turned in from their evil ways confessing their sin and vilenesse and submitting to the grace of Christ to seek their absolution rest and righteousnesse there submitting themselves to walk in his ways and bear his chastisements and if in so doing yea though there be some imperfections in their so doings they meet with refreshings and rejoycings in God and Christ and in the riches of his grace we may rejoyce in their behalf as here the family are called upon by the Father Let us make merry and be glad Though others that are prophane scoffers may take occasion from such falls and miscarriages of professors of the truth to jear and blaspheme for which and for whom we have cause in such cases to be sad and grieved and others take occasion thereby to abuse God's goodnesse and mercy to such to harden themselves in sin for whom we
and Servants at a greater distance this belonged to Israel alone Psal 147.19 20. and 148.14 yet in this he bound not his own hands but that in case these his adopted children or houshould servants rebelled against him and would neither by mercies and lenity nor by his threatnings and punishments be reclaimed he might harden and give them up yea and cut them off and destroy them as any of the other Nations about them and call in others into their places as he pleased Even as Solomon suppose chose himsef houshold-servants who had great priviledges so as to be pronounced happy in them because they might stand before him and bear his wisdome so as his remote subjects could not though he was good and just to them also yet he was at liberty for all that choise to cast off or put to death any of those his servants as well as others in case they lifting up themselves in pride should rebel against him and might have taken out of his remoter subjects whom he had pleased the dispose of honours being not of any of the servants however forward or obedient but of himself the Lord though to such as were ready to obey he would be ready to give good honours and rewards as he saw fitting So was the case here as the proposals of his choice honours by him of whom the dispose is even him that shews mercy and not of any that wills or runs for them upon condition of their obedience to be continued to them and his threatningt of destruction otherwise and to call in and honor those that were not a people into their place evince see Exod. 19.5 6. Deut. 7.10 11 12. and 8.19 20. and 28.1 13 43 44. and 32 21. with Rom. 10.19 though yet out of love to their Fathers he ingaged that he would not utterly cast away all their seed but reserve a remnant always with whom he would take pains as it were further and use means still to reclaim them to obedience and being made obedient receive them into favour again see for this Jer. 30 11. and 46.28 Zech. 13.8 9. with Rom. 11.28 and in all this he exercised and still exerciseth such power over men as a Potter over his clay framing them in his providential government one to honour and another to dishonour executing wrath also on one when fitted to destruction and shewing mercy and long-suffering to another and so having mercy on whom he will have mercy and hardâ—ning in their sins and rebellions whom he will and so he hath had mercy now on us Gentiles and framed us to honour even the honour fore-given to Israel as to many things in it having called us into their place and hath shewed severity to them giving them up to hardness and blindness and framing them to dishonour because of their unbelief and stumbling at Christ Rom. 9.30 31 32 33. and 11 20. though yet he hath not so rejected them but that the Apostle still prayed for them and endeavoured even for such as had stumbled that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 and 11.14 telling us they have not stumbled that they might fall â—nd that God is able to graft them in again â—â—d will if they continue not in unbelief nor hath he so honoured us but that if we continue not in his goodness we also shall be broken off Chap. 11.11 23 24 That 's the substance of those two too much mistaken Chapters of Rom. 9. and 11. and what I have here said of them agrees with the other Scriptures 3. Now in all this God still reserves the dignity of giving eternal life to Jesus Christ only to which he hath chosen in him from before the foundations of the world all that are or come to be and abide in him through the prevailing force of his grace with them chusing culling and bringing them out of the world into him or daining framing and disposing their hearts to eternal life and so to believe on him for it whither they be of the Jews or Gentiles the honoured or dishonoured vessels 2 Tim. 2.21 as it is said Know ye that God hath set apart for himself that is to be holy and blameless before him in love so as all the chosen into the former priviledges of the visible Church are not the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 typified in Isaac Gal. 4.23 28 31. Eph. 1.4 rejecting all that refuse and disobey Christ whither Jews or Gentiles whither they be workers for life according to any law of works and rejoycers in their fleshly priviledges of whom Ishmael was a type Gal. 4.22 23 24 25. or prophane abusers of the goodness and grace of God typified in Esau Heb. 12.16 17. and therefore it behoves thee and all men to come to Christ and to his grace wherein the Election is For 4 As salvation comes of the Jews by Gods Election and hath in it blessing for all the families of the earth so from that even from Christ who is Gods salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49 6. none in Scripture language are called Reprobate till through their willful resistances against the light truth and grace of God extended to them through Christ all means used towards them becoming ineffectual God gives them up and leaves striving with them as Psal 81.10 11 12 13. Jer. 6.8 8 29 30. Rom. 1.21 24 28. 1 Thes 2.10 11 12. for Christ that blessed seed and Gods salvation hath dyed and therein given himself a ransome for all and tasted death by the grace of God for every one and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 2 Cor. 5.14 15 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2.9 1 Joh. 2.2 And God himself who cannot lye hath sworn as he lives that he hath no pleasure none neither secret nor revealed in the death of the wicked by his still sinning but rather that he should turn and live and therefore calls such even the worst of sinners the simple scorners fools that hate knowledge and such as disobeying these his calls to the end shall perish and he will laugh at the destruction of saying Turn ye at my reproofs behold I will pour out my spirit to you and make known my words Isa 55.7 Exek 33.11 Proc. 1.22 23 24 25. Thence doth Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles tell us that God wills that all be saved and come to the knowledge or acknowledgment of the truth which in a measure therefore at all times he was making known to and in the heathens so as they of them also that rebelled were without excuse Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. with 2.22 14 15 he being one God both of Jews and Gentiles and having constituted one Mediator of God and Men indefinitely the man Jesus Christ even him who hath given himself a ransome for all a testimony in due or in their proper seasons whence those frequent calls of all Nations all the earth to make a joyful noise to God serve him with gladness enter his Courts
pining away in the sense of it and I will go to my Father Go no more after Idols Hosea 14.8 that afford no comfort or profit but to him whose love at first begat hope as well as at first his hands did make me And I will say to him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee A resolution to confess his sins against God and man against Christ the heavenly one against the Holy Spirit that is from Heaven and against the Word that is from Heaven too and against the Angels in Heaven whose Service and Ministry is abused in our sin And before thee that is in the sight of and so against God himself in all this and in all other his mercies abused All which confession springs from hope in God whence he challenges him for his Father though offended by him but yet addes as humbling himself before him and submitting himself to him and his Dispose Verse 19. I am no more worthy to be called thy Son as if he should say though I am by Creation and by thy former gracious Call Adoption and Regeneration thy Son yet I have forfeited that relation as to thy owning me so any longer and giving me the title and priviledges of a Son I have so defaced thy Image and likenesse in me by my sin and so disobliged thee by my disobedience Make me as one of thy hired Servants Give me but a room in thy house and let me have but their portion who serving thee for themselves only and thy reward are under thy maintenance and protection a speech in which he judges himself and submits himself to any mean condition So his Father would but take him into his house again though to be under the servitude of the Law rather then to be left still to be a drudge to Sin and Satan Thus Sinners come home by weeping cross forfeiting their priviledges honour favour and dignities by their transgressions but all this while here is only repentance resolved on the practice of it must follow the resolution And so it was Verse 20. And he arose and came to his Father there 's the practice of repentance the arising from sin and from the discouragements under the consideration of sin to return and come by Faith Hope and the desire of heart to God to seek after him and submit to him as he discovers himself to us in and by Christ And now see the mercy of God to penitent Sinners painted out in the compassions of a tender hearted Father to his Prodigal but repenting and returning Son for it follows But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Oh how quick sighted is Love and Charity of what is good fatherly love to a returning lost Childe the love of God to truly penitent Sinners While the Sinner is yet short in his Repentance and a great way off from coming up to God in conformity to what his word requires yet he being really in the way thereto seriously desirous of and endeavouring after it God sees he takes notice pittieth his misery and is ready to encourage and animate him in his Repentance The Son goes towards his Father as being between hope and fear of acceptance with him but the Father runs towards his Son as it were to hasten his endeavours or prevent them with encouragement to more assured confidence of welcome therein yea and before the Son can fall at his Fathers feet with tears of Repentance the Father falls on his neck and kisses him with kisses of his welcome the kisses of his mouth the sweet encouragements of his Word and Spirit which hinder not but quicken the Sons repentant Confession and humbling of himself to him Verse 21. And the Son said to him Father now he may call him so with more boldness as having found before-hand such renewed testimonies of his former kindeness and tender mercies I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son The sense of Gods love and mercy quickens confession of sin and self-abasement in the sight of our vileness Ezek. 16.60 61 Nothing humbles and melts so much as Gods love preventing and following us being notwithstanding our unworthiness streamed forth to us and perceived by us But before the Son can say as he pre-resolved Make me as one of thy hired Servants his Father prevents him as follows Verse 22. But notwithstanding the Son had so sinned and judged himself unworthy to be any more called his Son the Father forgiving all past and glad of his lost Sons return said unto his Servants Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet He finds his Son in a poor tattered case in a ragged condition cloathed with vile Apparel or in a manner wholly naked like a Swineheard far unlike what became his Son so sin makes us and he dislikes it and pitties it And now the Servants must apply themselves too to recruit and comfort him and such the gladness of a loving Father to have his lost Son again that forgetting all his offences and not so much as once upbraiding him instead of shutting his doors against him or calling for Rods and Staves to beat and correct him he calls for the best Robe with Ring and Shooes to adorn him which the Servants must apply to him and put upon him too as thinking nothing too good for him to be afforded him He will have him clad and waited on as his Son again to signifie as what sin continued in deprives us of so also how acceptable it is to God that his Servants and Gospel Ministers make it their business to incourage comfort and restore penitent Sinners Yea he addes further Verse 23. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry The poor sinning Childe was hungry as well as ragged ready to Famish and his Father knows his needs and will supply them with what may best shew his love and gladness for his return When he was keeping Swine Bread and Cheese would have been welcome might he have had them yea now being returned he would have been glad and accepted it might he have had ordinary fare and Servants entertainment in his hunger he mentioned only bread enough in his Fathers house but that suffices not his Fathers love to him to testifie how gladly he receives him no if there be one Robe better then another he shall have it to clad him and if one dish better then another he shall have it to feed him the fatted Calf The Righteousness of Christ is the penitent Sinners cloathing and garment the Father gives him The Vertues of Christ and his Spirit incircle his Works as a Ring his Finger The preparations of the Gospel of Peace shod his Feet and the choicest demonstrations of Love and Grace shewed forth and exhibited in
also greedily with Harlots consumed his living and yet see how unequal the Father between them he in all those years never gave him a Kid which was far less then the fatted Calf though to eat in an honest way and to make merry not with Whores and Drabs but with his friends who he being so dutiful a Son could be no such lewd Varlots but persons of good fashion and honest reputation whereas on the other side his love was such to his other Son that notwithstanding all his badness disobediences and mis-spendings of his substance he could no sooner see him coming towards him but he runs to meet him and quicken him in his pace and instead of chiding him pitties and kisses him and kills the fatted Calf too so soon as he gets him home to feast him And had not this elder Son great reason 〈…〉 his Father and refuse to joyn 〈…〉 with him and his other Son and Servants in such a merry frollick so inconsiderately made as he hath represented it to him have we not many that are ready to be of his minde what when they have said their Prayers a thousand times over been good Church-men honest livers sober persons no Thieves Drunkards Whoremongers Harlots or wicked livers but have as they think served God justly accordingly to the laudible customs of the Church and perhaps also in private Prayers and Devotions hearing Sermons praying in their Families fasting as often and making as many and as long Prayers as the Pharisees strict and zealous in their conversations abstaining from all gross and known sins yet they could never be assured of Gods owning them nor meet with such ravishments of heart as to cause them to rejoyce much in God and to be willing to dye and depart this life and lo here or there a grat Sinner a Whore a Thief a Murtherer a wanton Person being convicted of their Sins and confessing their faults and crying to God for his Mercy listning to and imbracing his Gospel so inwardly filled with and outwardly testifying their sense of Gods love and exceeding comfort and consolation therein that they can glory in God as forgiving them their Sins have hope in their Death and talk of their assurance of Gods favour as if they had been all their lives Saints must not these either be deluded persons or what what shall we say or think of God but as those in Ezek. 18.25 That his wayes are unequal or as in Mal. 2.17 That every one that is evil is good in the sight of the Lord or else where is the God of judgement or judgement of God where the equity of his doings and proceedings with men But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel and wilt be justified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art judged Psal 22.3 and 51.4 stay then and let us see what the Father hath to say to his offended and discontented Son before we justifie his plea and pronounce on his side and that is held forth in the words that I have chosen herein to treat on as followeth CHAP. III. The Text Pharaphrased Verse 31.32 And he said unto him Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy Brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found IT is a true saying of Solomon He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour comes and searches him out Prov. 18.17 For here we have an answer confutes all the Son hath said in his passion and clearly evinces the equity of the Fathers carriage between them and of his thus entertaining his Son in his return And first here we may admire the Fathers meekness and gentleness towards a froward passionate Son in that he gives him no bad nor angry language He sayes not thou proud and insolent fellow that offerest to make thy self wiser then thy Father and liftest up thy self above him to call him him to an account and draw a charge against him for his actings as if thou wert wiser and of more authority then he whereas it s thy part and place to submit thy self to him and give him honour in judging him wise and righteous in his doings No such angry speech proceeds from him but only he gently calls him Son and gives him a fair answer to his charge and an account of his doings shewing the great condescension and goodness of God to his pettish people in their spiritual Distempers He sees his Son was in a passion and he would not take the course further to heat and inflame him but seeks to calm him like a loving Father who seeing his Childes Body over-heated and in danger to fall into a Feavour endeavours some wayes its prevention being wiser then his Son he sets not himself to answer him according to his childish folly but exercises love with judgement and discretion towards him and though his Son in his anger would neither vouchsafe to call him Father nor his Brother Brother yet he in whom fury is not but Love Meekness and Charity will not therefore disown or provoke him but pacifie and rectifie him and therefore calls him Son Oh the graciousness of God as a loving Father to froward and male contented Children especially while he sees their frowardness proceeds from ignorance weakness or the strength of temptation a pattern worthy imitation Be we followers of of God as dear children and walk we in love as Christ hath loved us c. Shall we weak purblinde and sinful men be froward with and harsh to our froward brethren when through temptation and weakness envyings swellings and discontents befal them when as our great God and Father is so graciously tender milde and gentle to such yea to our selves when so distempered and discomposed towards him But see again how blinde passion is though it seems to see very much yea and to see more then others that have not their hearts thereby heated and quickned to make diligent observation of things before them It is indeed quick-sighted of what makes for its nourishment and strengthning in its cause but while it looks upon all such things as it were through Multiplying and Magnifying Glasses and sees them more and greater then they be and so represents them it is so filled with the sight of them that it over-looks and sees not other things before it that judgement charity and right reason takes notice of and the sight whereof reduces the other things seen to their due scantling and proportion For the calm judgment and charity of the wise and patient Father the representative of the most wise and merciful God sees and observes here what the Son over-lookt and what might stop the mouth of his most clamorous passion He was Eagle-eyed to see yea more than was to be seen of his own service and obedience which yet in this his passion he shewed but little of but see not
fatherly authority though that might have been sufficient to have silenced him he also condescends to shew as all the way of the Gospel is a way of condescension that there is reason and equity in what he sayes and that he might see and be silenced and brought to submission he addes For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found Passion had blinded his reason and extinguished his affection to his poor Brother so as he took no notice of any relation between them and pride so transported him that he even scorned to see or own his relation This thy Son saith he to his Father as if he could be his Fathers Son and yet not his Brother or as if a brotherly relation was nothing to challenge and excite compassion love and affection to him Oh forsooth he was so holy just and righteous above his Father it seems that he disdained to own him for or call him his Brother though his Father had owned and called him Son as if he would have intimately said What should I own such a vagabondly Rogue or riotous Rascal or Whoremasterly Spend-thrift as this for my Brother As some such riotous livers amongst us in their own eyes would be ready to say of such though they have confessed their sins and been afflicted for them Should I believe that God will give pardon and peace and assurance so easily to such miscreants But the calm unpassioned and loving Father calls him to a calm remembrance that for all that whatever he had been or done he is yet thy Brother Hath not one God made us yea and of one mold and of the same blood whether Jews or Gentiles bond or free zealous or prophane yea did not one Christ dye for us and being called and brought to him to believe in him and submit to his grace are we not all in him that do so justified and made righteous and the children of God by the faith of Jesus whose blood washes away both the greater sins of the prodigal Spend-thrifts and the lesser murmurings and spiritual distempers of the self-over-weaning Saint or more righteous liver The same good Creditor forgave Simons fifty pence and the sinful womans five hundred Luke 7.41 42. and had it not been that he had forgiven both both might have gone to and lien in the prison neither having to satisfie what was owing Nay a Debtor that owes ten thousand Talents humbling himself to his Creditor and craving forgiveness and being forgiven may walk abroad boldly and look upon his Creditors face securely and confidently when he that owes but fifty pence taking his Brother that owes him less by the throat and being uncharitable to him and being not pardoned or forgiven his less debt by the Creditor may not dare to walk abroad or shew his head for fear of an arrest or be in so good a condition as the far greater Debtor that hath received a discharge for what was owing This thy Brother This was a particle of contempt in the Soâ— toward his Brother when he said This thy Son But a particle of Commiseration and moving to compassion in the Father when he saith This thy Brother as if he would say canst thou behold him and see him here present even this thy Brother so marvellously preserved and recovered and not commiserate him nor rejoyce for him Canst thou so far lay aside all natural affection and banish all remorse or joy from thine heart concerning him This thy Brother was dead was lost as if he would have said Thy evil eye is upon thy brothers doings but my good and merciful eye is upon his sufferings thou takest notice in thy pride envy and passion of what he acted and how he hath lived and aggravatest that to the heighth he ran away spent yea devoured my living and that with Harlots was a Rogue a Whoremaster or the like but my fatherly heart bleeds to think what a case he was in what miseries he met with what sorrows he sustained in his absence went not my heart after him where he went and did not mine eyes behold him under the fig-tree when he began to want and joyned himself as a Servant or an Apprentice to a Citizen of a strange Countrey he that was free born being brought into bondage and he that might have lived as well as thou being reduced to beggery I think upon his servile state and what drudgery work he hath been put to while thou hast lived like a Prince or Gentleman and seest not poverty or want I think on his base employment his hungry belly his ragged and naked back his pining griefs and pinching sorrows even unto phrensie distracting him so grievously that he knew not what he did nor whether he went my tender bowels rowl within me to think of these his sad sufferings yea and then was he most dead when he least see his danger and maddest when he was the merriest He hath eaten the fruit of his own wayes and been filled with his own inventions Thou hast lived pleasurably to him and knowest not what were the sad effects of his sinnings hadst thou thou wouldst have had more pitty on him and compassion towards him He is my Son but he was dead thy Brother and he was dead so great his sufferings sorrows and miseries as bereft him of all life and senses he was lost no where to be found in House or Fields till his own miseries that he pull'd upon himself fell so hard upon him as to make him remember himself and return to me I and thou might call him but he was out of the hearing of our voice My servants might call and seek him but he was gone and not to be heard of Thou lost nothing by serving me but he lost all he had yea himself was lost by deserting me and going from me didst thou lose but a Sheep or Kid thou wouldst resent it and be troubled for it yea thou takest it to heart that I have killed the fatted Calf and was one such creature more to thee then thine own Brother that was dead and lost Oh the mercies of God above our mercies to one another we see and note this and that evil such a one hath done but God knows the dangers they were in the sorrows of their hearts their secret sighs and groans the throbs and sobs that they have met with as the fruits of their sins when Gods Spirit hath been removed and withdrawn or driven from them by their iniquities and rebellions against him the bangs of Conscience and bleedings of heart the fears the despairs the inward horrors and outward feelings of correction sometimes upon them in losses poverty or the like the spiritual death and lostness of their souls from the feeling of Gods presence and the comforts thereof or any aptness or desire to any spiritual action and so the danger of being lost for ever These God hath his eye upon that we see not usually nor are apt
such a plunge but alwayes in a posture of duty and obedience being puft up thereby to fall into passions and offences to see gross sinners upon an appearingly slighty repentance received to such favours as they have never had experience of the like These things seem to render valid the interpretation of the words that I have given besides the words themselves answered here by the Father to his froward Son Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine which agree unto none so properly as unto truly righteous and obedient Children And the words so looked upon though they do not suit just with the generality of the Jews or Pharisees who were Hypocrites nor may be so construed as to render them truly righteous yet by an argument from the greater to the less do more strongly reprove them after this sort If persons truly righteous and in the main dutiful and obedient have no cause to murmur at Gods great mercies towards grievous sinners if upon their repentance they be not only pardoned but also meet with such joyes and expressions of gladness in God and his Servants as themselves never had proof and experience of much less have formal Professors carnal Christians or Hypocrites that have nothing but a form of Worship and an appearance of Godliness and Devotion and that mixed too with great blindeness opposition to Christ his wayes and truth and with many other great latent evils and some open enough too sometimes much less I say have such cause to murmur at Gods mercies to penitent sinners and think themselves slighted in that their formal out-side and Pharisaical Professions are less regarded forasmuch as their formal Devotion and Religion is far short of the grosser Sinners hearty repentance and turning unto God Such sinners might say to them as the Thief upon the Cross to his fellow that mocked at Christ Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnaton in as bad a condition by thy resting in an ignorant formal out-side profession without inward life and power and therein indulging thy self in some seemingly less but as well forbidden corruptions such as their swearing by the Temple and by the Altar and thinking themselves guiltless therein when God had forbidden to swear save by his Name and by his Name too customarily rashly or falsly somewhat like mens swearing by their Faith and Troth or by the Mass or by the Name of God customarily and such other Oaths in which they hold themselves innocent Mat 23.16 17 18 19 Yea and adding to thy other sins that that makes thee equal with the chief sinners viz. opposition to Gods Wayes Truths and people even to the Name of his only Son called upon by them as Paul tells us when he had reckoned up many great sinners as ungodly unholy prophane murtherers of Fathers murtherers of Mothers Whoremongers defilers of themselves with mankinde Man-stealers c. for whom he sayes Christ Jesus came into the world to save them yet speaking of himself that had been of the straitest Sect of Religion among the Jews and abhorred and hated those grosser wayes of ungodliness yet because he had in his ignorant zeal for God and his Church and the Traditions of the Elders blasphemed Christ and his Truth and People and been a persecutor of and injurious ro them he stiles himself therefore the chief of sinners as if a greater sinner then those Thieves Whoremongers and Murtherers before spoken of by him thou I say art in as bad a condition as I poor prodigal was in before I repented and how much worse then now I am in having repented such as are so far guilty themselves as the Pharisees more generally had a spice of that persecuting spirit against Christ and his Doctrine have I say no cause to murmur against Gods goodness to repentant sinners but had need rather to repent them with them that they might obtain like mercy also as our Saviour implies that the Publicans and Harlots repentance and being thereupon admitted into Gods Kingdom and so into a state of righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 should have moved the Pharisees to repentance with them of their formal and pharisaical righteousness and other sinful evils found with them To that purpose is what is written in Matth. 21.31 32. Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you before you Pharisees formal Professors superstitiously righteous for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and the Harlots believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not that ye might believe I do not say then that all that murmur at Gods goodness to repenting Sinners are really righteous and the Sons of God No the generality of the Scribes and Pharisees were not so nor were the false Teachers and the Preachers up of Circumcision in the Primitive Churches such who were greatly offended at the Gentiles finding such mercy as to be received in in their uncircumcision in the flesh into the number of Gods Saints and holy ones The Apostle gives them other Characters when he sayes Beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of the concision Phil. 3.2 and sayes of such That their end was destruction ver 19. and that they were false Apostles deceitful workers messengers and Ministers of Sathan and the like 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. But I say such as cleave to God their Father and depart not from him in faith or life that are ever with him and have interest in all he hath these are truly righteous persons through Christ in the main though they also may possibly be sometimes leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees their corrupt principles or wayes if they take not heed thereof as is implyed Matth. 16.6 they may have froward sullen peevish and envious fits befal them yea and besides our Saviour for better winning in the Pharisees and taking off their prejudices might and I think did sometime speak to them upon supposal of their being what they judged themselves to be truly righteous as in Matth. 9.13 I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance CHAP. V. A three-fold state of men considered in the Text The first The state of righteous Walkers in three Branches the first Branch opened and applyed THE words then being thus explicated and cleared as to the two Sons therein mentioned let us go forward and I observe in them a threefold state or way of men here spoken to which I shall desire a little briefly to consider as God shall assist therein 1. The good state of truly righteous and obedient persons walking in the fear and obedience of the Lord and that is set forth in the first Branch of the reply of the Father to his elder Son ver 31. Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine 2. The sad and deplorable state of persons
he was a rich creature and in honour with him But man being in honour did not consider so as to resist the temptation of the wicked one but being drawn by him into rebellion against his Maker because he forbad him the tasting of one Tree planted in the pleasurable Garden into which he put him he forfeited all that God bestowed upon him yea both mental and bodily endowments of excellency nay his very life and being and all the whole Creation given him and deserved to have been thrust back into his own nothing again or rather with the Serpent into Hell and destruction far worse then nothing Poor man But oh the riches of the mercy of the Lord that was not well pleased to see his creature man so poor but devised a way how to set him up and inrich him again and to that purpose sent forth his rich Son the Lord in heaven the maker and heir of all things and by making him one with the nature of man made him in the poverty of man that by laying down his infinite riches for man as a price of his redemption yea his rich and precious life as man he might redeem man and inrich him again and so it is said Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ one with his Father complying with and yielding to him in that design that he being rich became poor for your sakes that ye through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8 9. But how 1. He that made himself or became poor in man made man even the manhood in himself the man Christ Jesus infinitely rich in God by so great a price as so impoverished him having satisfied Justice fulfilled Truth paid the Debt of Man overcame and got the better of what impoverished him having wrought himself out of it as it were and being raised again he was taken up to the Throne of God and accounted of God his Father as he is also judged to be by Men and Angels worthy to receive and be filled with the unsearchable riches of God So in Rev. 5.11 12. The Angels about the Throne with the Beasts and Elders pronounce Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Yea God and all his fulness is given wholly to him All the fulness of the God-head dwells bodily in him The Father is in him and he in the Father his God his Father the Spirit is upon him his Spirit the Spirit of Christ The Angels of God minister to him and attend upon him his Angels and the Angels of his might Heaven is his Throne yea the heaven and heaven of heavens is the Lords and the earth is his too and all the fulness thereof the world and all that dwell therein yea all power in heaven and upon the earth is given to him Mat. 28.19 The Father hath loved the Son and given him all things John 3.35 So that here we may say in the first place now Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him and the Son of man that thou makest such account of him and so the Apostle applies it Heb. 2.6 7 8. And so here in the first place as in the root and foundation all that God hath is mans and man is ever with him the Son of God 2. Through him God makes known himself to other men for he is the light of the world the true light enlightening every one coming thereinto and as God hath done all that he hath done to him in abasing and glorifying him for mans sake and ovt of love and pitty to man and desire of his good Oh the riches of his love and mercy to fallen man God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son and herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins John 3.16 1 John 4.10 So he hath in him thus inriched and glorified having by his death and sufferings ransomed man from death and destruction into his dispose wonderfully provided for man even prepared all this infinite fulness in his Son as God-man as an infinite treasury for the inriching of man for the Grace the remission of Sins the redemption from Thrall the fulness of Spirit and all spiritual blessings in him and possession given him it is for us men and for our Salvation and inriching but so to be enjoyed as only in and with him to whom therefore God calls and draws men both by the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering leading men to repentance Rom. 2.4 5. and by the unsearchable riches of Christ as preached in the Gospel to men inviting and alluring them to him that they might be saved by him and inriched with him Ephes 3.8 with Rom. 1 16. 1 Cor. 1.23 2 Cor. 8 9. and they that hereby are begotten to receive him and knowing his name trust in him as they in and through him receive the priviledge of Sons so being made in him the sons of God they also by vertue of him and in him become the heirs of God both as their Father and as their Inheritance joynt heirs with Christ sayes Rom. 8.16 17. for as the Father hath loved the Son so he again loves his Disciples that believe in and follow him and makes and owns them as his Friends and Brethren And as God gave him all things that were and are his so he again gives all his things and they are all things to his brethren All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22. and so the beggars are lifted out of the dust again and the needy from the dunghil and set upon the throne with Princes not the Princes of this world who perish but which is far more excellent with the Princes of his people whose Kingdom shall endure for ever James 2.5 Psal 113.7 8. praised be the Lord though oftentimes they be in appearance as Princes disguised in Beggars habit and state as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2. Cor. 6.10 going on foot while servants even to Sin and Satan ride on horseback Eccles 10.7 This indeed is a mystery that the world sees not because they have not faith and therefore not understanding of it they slight it but the holy Spirit of Truth asserts it All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours But how theirs 1. Not as to actual possession fruition and enjoyment of all in their own persons and comprehensions for the Kingdom is not yet received by them only prepared for and promised to them that love him but in that respect He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son sayes Revel 21.6 7. See 1 Corinthians 2.9 But 2. In Christ their Head they possess all things He possesses all things for them and
not of his spirit that they may adde sin to sin Isa 30.1 2 15. When God calls to return to him they have no breath desire sense of motion after the things in him But we will ride upon horses say they and flee upon the swift and as in Hos 5.13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound then went Ephraim down to Assyria and sends to King Jareb c. No motion towards God but from him and therein 6. As from a dead body there issues forth filth and stinch blood and matter sometimes that is loathsome and abominable and makes it unfit to be amongst the living so is it with dead souls devoid of the life of God as Psal 14.1 2 3. The fool or fallen man fallen from God and Christ saith in his heart there is no God there 's his voidness of spiritual life sense or motion or faith towards him as also in that Rom. 3. â—2 There is none that understandeth none that seeketh after God but then beside it follows Corrupt are they and have done abominable works there is none that doth good no not one they are all become filthy or as in the Margin stinking loathsome And as in Rom. 3.13 Their threat is an open Sepulchre nothing breaths out thence but putrifaction and filth and stench things abomâ—nable to God and unacceptable to God and good men When the Doctrine of God and the Spirit of God and Christ are gone once and the savour of his Grace lost though there may be yet too a form of Prayers Fasting and outward formalities and observances yet then they are all dead works Heb. 9.14 as a menstruous cloth a filthy thing The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 and 21.27 Isa 1.11 13 14. and unpleasing to men unsavory to those that are spiritually men indued with sense reason and understanding nay often gross prophaneness and debauchery issues from them 7. And then as dead bodies they are separated from the living from the living God and his living Houshold and Family God cannot endure to look towards them with any delight or likement of them or have them in his sight or presence they are condemned of him loathed and detested as to their dead estate by him cut off from him and and his justifying and approving Grace and then objects of his anger or displeasure as any evil or vain Spirit may bring them before him or make them come as dead carkasses possessed with evil spirits into his sight 2. And so if they be not through some miraculous mercy revived they be dead as to body not only in that they must as all others come to a natural death in the appointed time but often are also exposed to in danger of and sometimes taken away by judicial deaths as either in some judgement or testimony of wrath from God as Pharaoh when drowned in the Red Sea Saul conquered by the Philistines and slaying himself and many of the Rebellious Israelites destroyed in the Wilderness or else as sometimes by some judicial deaths from men as Zedekiah and Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire Jer. 29.22 The two Malefactors that were put to death with Christ God sometimes permitting and in anger against his people for their voluntary goings from him giving them up so far to their own hearts lusts as Psal 81.11 12. as to suffer them to fall into notorious sins such as bring not only shame but exemplary punishments by death also or however persisting they dye in their sins as to their bodies also yea and if by these things mercy be not extended so as to turn them to God and pull them out of spiritual death there follows at length 3. Eternal death of body and soul wholly cast out and separated from God and from his presence into everlasting misery and torments both in souls and bodies for ever in which is both a perfect loss and deprival of all good things both bodily and spiritual and also a perfect and eternal subjection to all misery and mischief pain sorrow and unspeakable torment upon soul and body for ever a sad and doleful portion of the workers of iniquity and of those that having been quickned up to a spiritual life let it slip again and depart from it by going away from the Doctrine of Christ and so from Christ and the Holy Spirit and so finally persist but this last was through mercy here prevented This is one expression of the sad estate of the sad estate of such persons The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 The other is Branch 2. He was lost The word say some Criticks here translated Lost is at the best of a harsh signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the best to dye yea to dye by some miserable way to perish as in this parable I perish with hunger ver 17. and so the expression of coming to himself implyes that he was extinct for a time fainted and dyed away through hunger but that the mercy of God revived him he had quite perished which is worse then simply dead perisht as we properly say of those that dye of hunger and cold and are lost for want of help or looking to he being gone away from them that used to look to him or with reference to the other Parables where whatever the Criticks say the same word is used of the sheep and groat lost â—o as not forthcomâ—ng or found and so being a loose Son he was not only a loser but quite lost himself too Such the fruit of mens sinning and wandring from God Let us view it in some particulars 1. He was a loser though that 's not all he lost his Father and his Fathers house his portion and patrimony his enjoyments he was wont to have and his brother yet had all that entertainment food rayment harbour shelter lodging attendance respect and honour which he had in his Fathers house formerly these and all things of that nature were wholly lost and gone from him and from his enjoyment and interest and is this nothing for sinners to lose both livelihood and life yea such a livelihood and such a life as God in Christ is and gives such safety satisfaction content rest and refreshing hope and rejoycing as his Word and Spirit and Christ in and by both and God in and by all give to the abiding soul to lose a most sweet secure satisfying and abiding livelihood and life it cannot be expressed to lose a Kingdom with all its contents But 2. He was lost himself he was gone quite out of all these things and out of the way to them again as a sheep lost out of its pastures He was not to be found either in his Fathers house or Fields under none of his promises under no engagement of his shelter or protection in no way of his or of his servants and peoples walkings He was gone and so are sinners out of all Gods paths and so
from all Gods promises of protection mercy or blessing and so lay open to any danger that might befal him only meer undeserved yea uningaged mercy in God and Christ prevented his being actually torn in pieces and devoured for ever but as he was sound in none of Gods paths so he had no engagement from God that he could challenge to keep him from destruction even from dropping into Hell and everlasting damnation The servants of God might seek for him in the house of God amongst his Saints and Holy Ones but not finde him they might seek him in any of the wayes of the righteous and not finde him nay nor God nor his abiding Brethren could finde him there though they never so diligently seek for him 3. He was lost no endeavour or dispensation of God met with him for a time to work upon his heart and conscience and so in that sense to finde him out He was dead and deaf to all means used for a great while these many years saith the elder Son toward him neither those gifts and enjoyments which he had received from his Father and which were riotously mis-spent by him found him so as to work upon his heart and make him remember his Father from whom he had them Jesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxed fat thou art grown thick then he forsook God c. Of the Rock that begot thee thou art unmindeful and hast forgotten God that formed thee Deut. 32.15 18. And she remembred not that I gave her her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which she prepared for Baal saith God to back-slidden Israel Hos 2.8 Nor did the Famine brought upon the Land and the emptiness proved in all enjoyments and the defect of them the want he was reduced to the pains and afflictions he met with work upon him to remember his Father but he thinks of other wayes to get a livelihood rather then of returning to him again This people returns not to him him that smites them neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts Isa 9.13 And God did this and that evil to Israel yet they returned not to him saith Amos 4.6 7 8. they have stricken me but I was not sick they have beaten me but I felt it not sayes the besotted Sinner Prov. 23. â—5 4. He was lost so as he knew not which way to get back again nay he had not a thought to return he wandered after satisfaction indeed but knew not the way to it nor could attain it but was like those in Psal 107.4 5. That wandered in the Wilderness and found no way hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them they had not a City of habitation Such his estate till mercy saved him 5. He was lost he was miserably perisht through many foul sins and filthy transgressions and lewd courses and by many sad convincements convictions checks and bangs of conscience and as it were Devils and evil Spirits renting and tearing out his bowels wringing him with inward pains and sense of hellish miseries perplexities fears horrors despairs quite brought down as it were into the pit of destruction Manifold sorrows or great plagues as the vulgar reads it shall be to the wicked Psal 32.11 Yea they shall multiply sorrows to themselves that hasten from God after another their drink offerings of blood will not Christ offer nor take up their names into his lips Will not mediate nor intercede for any acceptance of any of their services in which thus bent they seek deliverance from their horrors and terrible perplexities no not any of the works of righteousness of their own with which perhaps they would establish their hearts before God they being but as things thrown to Dogs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Swine as these husks in the spirits account Phil. 3.8 9. Oh the misery of departing from God All they that forsake thee shall perish Psal 73.27 and thou destroyest all them that go a whoring from thee 7. He was lost perisht without God without hope in God and Christ had no hope to uphold him nothing of his former gifts part portion would now relieve him it was all spent and gone he had consumed that with riotous living and nothing this Citizen to whom he had bound or joyned himself affords him could give him any comfort but despair and destruction seize upon him and swallowed him up as it were so that he might say as in Ezek. 37.11 As for us our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Or as those Lam. 4.17 As for us our eyes as yet failed for our vain help c or as David The sorrows of death compassed me about the pangs of hell caught hold upon me I found woe and sorrow Psal 116.3 4. 7. He might be and sinners oft are lost and perisht as to this life by falling into some notorious evils fall under the law or into some loathsome and foul disease bringing him into death here in a perishing way for this world and all the mercy he might have had and enjoyed therein had he kept Gods wayes and not departed from them for so sometimes the word perishing or lost is meant of perishing or being lost men here cast and condemned at law sentenced to dye or utterly cut off from the land of the living and this is the way sometimes between the Bridge and the Water to finde mercy So the Disciples cried out to Christ Matth. 8.25 Master save us we perish that is we are lost as to our lives here 8. And unless he had perished thus perhaps he had perished worse even eternally from the presence of God and from the glory of his power so as to be lost and perisht for ever with the Devil and damned spirits in unutterable unbearable endless remediless miseries and destruction for sinners turned aside from God are in the way to this and this unless mercy prevent will be their issue Such is the portion of all that forget God and the Hypocrites hope shall perish See Heb. 2.3 and 10.29 30 c. Use And is not this a sad portion and who would turn from such a portion as the former to such a portion as this latter who but mad men would run from God to the Devil from all to nothing or from all that 's good to nothing but what is unspeakably bad and sad from Heaven and Happiness to Hell and Destruction what is there in the pleasure of sin or in the profit of it that can countervail either the pleasure or Profit of the former portion lost or the pain and misery of this portion incurred Oh what 's an inch of pleasure to an immeasurable pain a minute of sweetness to an endless bitterness yea if it were but a months or years but how much more to many years gall and wormwood a superficial appearance of delight to a real deep heart-sinking torment and distress how vain is the pretence of sin that we shall step but a
and to that purpose of haunting walking or being yoaked up with them for they will prove snares to our souls and draw us away from God by their conversations Psal 1.1 Prov. 1.10 11. and 9.6 7. and 13.20 and 22.24 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. 5. Of slothfulness in the way of God for that will cast into a deep sleep and lead to weariness and fainting Prov. 19.15 Be not slothful but follow their steps who through faith and patience have inherited the promises Heb. 6.12 6. Of giving way to our affections and passions Be sober be vigilant for our adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour c. 1 Pet. 5.8 Mortifie we our Members that are upon the earth fornication uncleanness evil concupiscence inordinate affections and covetousness which is Idolatry put off also these things anger wrath malice blasphemy lying c. Col. 3.5 8. I might adde more as not to dally with temptations nor conceal but disclose them seasonably to some faithful friends c. But I forbear in reading and minding the Scriptures and calling upon God we may get such understanding as to discern and hate every false way Psal 119.104 Use 3. Think upon our wayes and bring them to the light of Gods truth and where we finde we have gone awry Turn we our feet to Gods testimonies searching and trying our wayes and turning to the Lord Psal 119.59 Lam. 3.40 Yea where we have turned out from God make haste to return and keep his Commandements again Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gracious and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 not continuing in sin to back-slide to a perpetual back-sliding refusing to return and holding fast deceit till there be no remedy but destruction not despairing of finding mercy and forgiveness with him upon returning to him for with him there is mercy and with him plenteousness of redemption in seeking to him that wounds for sin he will heal us yea he will revive and quicken us and the third day we shall live in his sight Hos 6.1 but that leads us to and springs from the third Branch viz. CHAP. IX The third state of Penitent Sinners in two Branches of it opened THE joyful and good estate of sinners that return to God after they have wandered from him and that 's signified in these expressions It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy Brother was dead and is alive again was lost but is found in which are three expressions considerable as implying the goodness and joyfulness of such a state viz. 1. In that it is said He is alive again 2. In that it s said He is found 3. In that it s said It was meet that we should make merry and be glad Branch 1. First The converted repenting and returned sinner is alive again he is come to himself again ver 17. How comes that about 1. Not from himself he had no power while alive to keep himself of and by himself being with-drawn from his Father from dying None can keep alive his own Soul Psal 22.29 How much less when dead can any quicken himself again But 2. It was from and by the good Shepheard seeking him and restoring his soul Psal 23.3 Though sinners by departing from Christ in his Word and Spirit and so from God lose their life and dye Yet Christ from whom they depart loses not the life that 's in him for them in him yet is life as the root of mankinde or for mankinde to be enlivened by or as the fountain and spring of life and though the branch be dead yet this root can infuse life to it again and though the pipe being cut be dry yet the Fountain being a living Fountain can fetch in the pipe again and infuse living waters again into it Christ lives though the sinner dye and while he is not as a tree twice dead pluck't up by the roots and withered yea as a branch cut off from the stock withered gathered and cast into the fire and burnt such is the nature and excellency of this stock above all other stocks and of this root above all other roots that it can gather it into unity with himself again and infuse new life into it God is able to ingraft the cut off Branches in again Rom. 11.23 Yea some compared to trees twice dead may be pull'd out of the fire Jude 12,23 with Zech. 3.2 That is while a man is not wholly given up of God and rejected while the day of Grace is not wholly past and expired Christ hath life in himself for men and so as he can extend it to men to quicken them again and bring them back to himself and to the life in him for the Spirit is still upon him and is the Spirit of Life and the word is still in his mouth a living word and he can yet call to the dead and make them hear and hearing to live John 5.25 Adam when he was fallen and we in him he could not recover us again for he was but a living soul at first and being dead our root in him was dead and so we also irrecoverably lost and gone in him But this second Adam is not so he being dead for us raised himself again and he lives yet and hath the power or keyes of Hell and Death and can therefore revive us though dead therefore writing to the Angel of the Church of Sardis of whom he sayes That he had a name to live but yet was dead he saith Thus saith he that hath the seven Spirits and the seven Stars Having the seven Spirits of God though he that he speaks to be dead yet his speaking to him can put life into him and therefore he rationally enough bids him be watchful and strengthen the thing that be ready to dye and remember how thou hast heard and received and hold fast c Rev. 3.1 2 3. If he say Lazarus come forth though he was dead he lives because he is the Resurrection and the life and his giving forth this life by his Spirit in his word again brings in the nature and operations of life into the dead sinner though as rubbing and chafing men in a swoon often helps to revive them so here we may conceive Gods ordering the Prodigal to be so pinched with poverty might conduce to the receiving him See the like intimated Hos 5.15 with 6.1 but in the life infused was 1. An inward spiritual sense minde and remembrance of things that in the state of death were forgotten and not thought of or apprehended as we finde this dead Prodigal reviving calls to remembrance what he thought not on before at least with any livingness as that he had a Father and a Fathers House in which were many hired Servants and bread enough for them all and to spare and that he perisht there
expectations in all his wayes which is that he sayes in Hos 2.6 That he would hedge up the sinners way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not finde her paths and she shall follow after her lovers but shall not overtake them and shall seek them but shall not finde them then shall or will she say I will go and return to my first Husband c. Just as this Prodigal meeting with a Famine in one place and pined with hunger none giving him husks in the other place was that way found or brought to himself to say How many servants in my Fathers house have bread enough c. And I will arise and go to my Father c. And the way in which God usually doth this is exprest in the same place of Hosea namely by taking away his gifts or which is the same suffering them to be spent till they come to nothing and then discovering her lewdness in the sight of her lovers and pressing her so with his judgments that none deliver her out of his hand as the Prodigal was made so poor and vile that no man regarded him to give him husks with the Swine and so destroying all her former gifts and rewards from her lovers take away all her mirth and all that might support her c. 3. By presenting and bringing to the sinners minde in this sad lost condition himself in his goodness and grace in Christ drawing the soul out from its holes and caves its fields and bruitish swinish company into the wilderness a solitary mournful repenting state and there he is said properly to finde her as it is said Hos 13.5 I did know thee in the wilderness in the land of great drought which is in Deut. 32.10 He found him in a desert forsaken land in the waste howling Wilderness c. And in Jer. 2.24 The wilde Asse in the wilderness that snuffs up the winde at her pleasure and none can turn her away in her occasion with whom all that seek her will not weary themselves any longer yet in her moneth sayes he they shall finde her that is in the time of trouble when her pains come upon her and God is brought to her minde then she will say Arise and save us as ver 27. And indeed when this is hearty and earnest as here then he may be said to be found and in the next step to it for he is properly found 4. In Gods seeing or taking notice of him in his thinking on and returning to him for that 's it in which a thing is properly found when that that could not be espyed or seen any where before falls suddenly into the sight and is seen and discerned Now his eye is more properly set upon the creature when he mindes regards and notes it so as to observe it by way of gracious respect to it as in Isa 57.18 I have seen his wayes and I will heal him and so he is said to hear them then too Jer. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I was returned I repented c. Then God sees and hears the sinner when he begins to bemoan himself and repent and look towards God and then Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will sure have mercy upon him saith the Lord. And then a repenting sinner being thus found is and may be said to be a person found 1. In the way to God thinking of him in Christ desiring after him hoping that he may finde help and mercy with him resolving to return to him and putting such resolutions of repentance into practice humbling himself in the belief of his goodness and hope of mercy as is seen And herein 2. In the eye respect and gracious observance of the Lord having respect to him as Isa 66.2 To that man will I look that is poor and trembleth at my word He respecteth the lowly but the prond he knows afar off Psal 138.6 such as think they can live without him 3. In the heart or compassions of the Lord there he is found He saw him and had compassion upon him to pitty his misery hear his bemoanings help his infirmities I will sure have mercy upon him as before in Jer. 31.20 4. In the arms of the Lord who meets him speedily falls upon his neck and kisses or embraces him Now he is found indeed when he hath him in his arms in the inclosures of his grace gracious power and protection and promises 5. In his dear Son In whom he saw and thought upon his Fathers goodness and through whom he received life and motion towards him resolutions and actual performances of faith and repentance towards him and came to him but now is instated into him and declaredly accepted in him the beloved Made in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.30 Ephes 1.6 found in him Phil. 3.8 9. and then he is more fully and formally found when in and through him accepted So was Cornelius before an actual positive and explicite knowledge of him and enwrapping him about as it were with an explicite discovery of him and giving in the justification forgiveness of sins life and peace in him as explicitly believed on by him his prayers and tears were accepted before through him and upon his account but then he was more properly found in him when he was so invested with the knowledge of him and righteousness in and by him in the actual receit of remission of sins and the Holy Ghost in his Name believed on and so the Prodigal here in the best robe put upon him and then 6. In his Fathers house received in by his Father set amongst his Children and having there liberty and room again to go in and out amongst them Now he is found indeed of God and his people too And thus a repenting returned sinner of a lost perisht man is found again yea found now safe because in his Fathers love acceptance approbation in Christ and in his Fathers house and tuition and sound because now healed of all hurts before-got by his Fathers compassion and goodness extended to him Whereupon follows CHAP. X. The third Branch opened and the whole applyed THAT his condition now is such as its meet to be rejoyced for and in It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy Brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found To be rejoyced for by making merry each other as it were and by being glad in inward heart and outward demonstration in entertaining him with a Feast and with Musick the voice of Thanksgiving and Melody and with Dancing Exulting leaping or orderly moving our selves in shewing our gladness and setting forth the
whom they injoy their happiness and livelihood and about whom and whose good the Master appoints them their choise imployment It was meet we should make merry and be glad for it is my Son and thy Brother what though he hath been a bad husband he is not so now What though a spend thrift an evil liver then indeed we had cause of sadness but now he that was so is reclaimed and he is still my Son thy Brother That a Second 3. It is meet c. Because of the sad estate he hath been in and from which he is raised again and brought to this condition He was a Son a Brother of whom there was great fears and for whom we had great grief and exercise he hath been long away and far from us there was little hope that we should ever see him again he hath been in great poverty necessity and straits he hath been pinched with hunger dryed up with thirst naked and destitute of clothing and harbour ready to famish and perish with want and this in a strange Country where all were set to ruin him none to help him It s a thousand to one but he had perisht and been lost for ever and yet from this strange and sad case he is at length returned safe again and should we not make merry for the good of such a relation that hath been in such perils of death and drowning or of perishing by the most cruel and lingring death that of Famine It 's true he is not come into a better condition in it self than those that abide and walk with God but he is come to it out of a worse than ever they were in and therefore hath reason hereafter to be more wary to keep home and may walk more thankfully and dutifully because under the sense and mindfulness of the greater mercy to him And as we had more abundant cause of grief and fear for him so we have now answerably more abundant cause to make merry and be glad for him as we are most glad of the safety of ours after the greatest danger of utter loosing them That 's a Third 4. It was meet that we should make merry c. If we consider whence this hath happened to him that he is come safe home again It 's the Lords own work and a work of more abundant grace marvellous and miraculous power and mercy to convert a sinner after he hath been with God and departs from him again And as God rejoyces in his works generally Psal 104.31 so especially in those that are works of his mercy because mercy pleaseth and delights him Mich. 7.18 and yet more in those in which his mercy is most glorified by him And surely as all the works of God are wonderful and glorious and its meet we should have pleasure in them so especially those in which he is most brightly discovered and his glory that is all matter of gladness is most of all displayed And such is his mercy in converting and calling back from death and giving pardon and life to a rebellious offender and therefore it 's meet that all flesh should bless his holy name in this and such works as these especially and that all his people who have thereby more abundant occasion of beholding and cause of admiring his goodness and whose hearts may thence receive most incouragement to obey and serve him have cause to rejoyce in him and in his doings herein It was meet that we should make merry and be glad 5. It was meet in respect of its tendency and fruit which is the glorifying of God and drawing in other sinners to repentance that they also may be saved the most acceptable thing to God 1 Tim. 2.3 David being pardoned for and healed of his great sins of Adultery and Murther delivered from blood-guiltiness Would teach trangressors the way so as sinners should be converted to him his tongue should sing aloud of and greatly commend Gods righteousness though he could thenceforth less speak of his own His lips being again opened should shew forth Gods praises Psal 51.13 14 15. As the turning away of good men from God by sin doth mightily dishonour God and stumble and hurt others so the returning of backsliders to God tends much to the glorifying him and doing good to others by their examples before them and confessions and praises of God to them strengthening those that are in God's way and recalling others that stray from it yea and incouraging them to Repentance That 's a fifth Reason Use And this consideration also in its several Branches may be of divers usefulness to us as 1. It magnifies and tends to provoke us to magnifie the greatness of the grace and mercy of God to Mankind that hath prepared and made a way in and by his Son Jesus Christ that rebellious sinners and back-sliders from him might be brought back again to him and be received of him There is with the Lord plenteousness of redemption so as he can and will redeem Israel from all his iniquities He can forgive and revive such as none else can or will Such as being put away for Whoredome have joyned themselves to others that might not be received again by the Law yet he can receive and forgive such and declares himself ready to it also through Jesus Christ Jer. 3.1 2.8.12 13. All things that could not be atoned or from which men might not be justified by the Law of Moses all that believe in Jesus Christ are justified from by him Act. 13.38 39. And he can call and revive and quicken the most dead souls through the seven Spirits of God that are in him Revel 3.1 And so it leads us 2. To magnifie and commend the exceeding preciousness of the blood of Christ and the fountain opened therein For the house of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13.1 The house of David we know was guilty of blood and the City Jerusalem a bloody idolatrous City compared to a woman to be judged for breaking Wedlock and for shedding Innocent Blood Adultery and Murther Ezek. 16.38 and yet this fountain in Christ's most pretious blood will extend to and is vertuous for the washing them God hates the bloody and deceitful man David was guilty of both and yet in the multitude of God's mercies he durst go into God's house and appear before him Psal 5.6 7. And praying to God to wash him from those sins saith That if he would purge him with Isop and wash him he should be whiter than the snow Psal 51.7 8. And the like is promised upon their repentance to the Princes and People of Jerusalem and Judah though compared to the Princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrah for badness Isa 1.10 16 17. Such is the vertue of the blood of Christ that in coming to it and bathing in it in turning to God and believing in his Son it can make a City that is an harlot and full
at God's dealings sometimes in such cases as if God could not be so gracious to such offenders as if it stood not with his holiness and especially if they be soon comforted and pretend to great peace and joy in their death having done and committed some hainous offences as Adultery Murther Felony c. They are apt to suspect they are but deluded persons and Satan that inticed and deceived them to commit such sins hath again deceived them to make them think God is merciful to them and forgives and accepts them To whom I would say It 's possible for Satan to delude souls after that manner as to make them presume of mercy without serious and hearty repentance of their sins as Agag who said Surely the bitterness of Death was past with him when he was gâ—â—ing to his execution 1 Sam. 15.32 and I wish many do not so delude themselves I am afraid it is so But yet it 's not good to either abridge the mercies of God towards nor the merits of Christ for the souls of greatest sinners so as to despair that such may be converted heartily and received again certainly and sometimes suddainly or to judge their repentance and consolations when there is no manifest appearing ground for so doing much less when there are appearing evidences of the contrary That God may both convert and forgive upon conversion greatest offenders many things may evince as the Parable also implies as 1. It is but suitable to God's oath who hath sworn that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he turn and live Ezek. 33 11. as we noted before and to his calling the worst of sinners the simple scorners and fools that hate knowledge Prov. 1.22 23. And those that are compared to the Princes of Sodom and the people of Gomorrha Isa 1.10 15 16. c. promsing forgiveness to such upon their repentance yea and back sliders that have come toward him and gone back again promising to heal their back slidings Jer. 3.12 14 22. Hos 14.4 2. It is suitable to the end of Christ's coming who came into the world to save sinners even chief of sinners even such as are Murtherers of Fathers Murtherers of Mothers Menkillers Whoremongers Defilers of themselves with Mankind Man stealers Lyers Perjured persons yea and those that by the Apostle are counted nothing inferior to but rather greater than these zealous Pharasees that set up their own righteousness against God's in Christ and out of false zeal persecute Christ in his truth and members for upon that account he afterward after mention of such notorious offenders stiles himself the chief of sinners though a Pharasee and one of the strictest sect for Religion among the Jews and far from those gross fleshly abominations 1 Tim. 1.9 10 13 14 15 16. indeed nothing but the blood of Christ and the grace of God in him will make such sinners or any sinners else to be Saints or cleanse them from their fins that will as appears in 1 Cor. 6 9 10 11. where such horrid offenders that had been such are said to be washed to be justified to be sanctified which what is it but to be made Saints in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of God no sorrows tears or humiliations of ours can do it without purging with hysop Psal 51.7 that is with the blood and by the spirit of Christ and that will 3. Otherwise we must exclude from heaven those that the Scripture enrols among the Saints if we think God cannot convert and forgive great sinners or never doth What was David but a great sinner being guilty of acting adultery and murther and yet I hope he was a Saint Indeed he found many ready to say of him there was no help for him in God when God began to call him to account for his sin as appears Psal 3.1 2. the title whereof is a Psalm of David when he fled from Absolon his Son but yet he found it otherwise so as to rejoyce and glory in God vers 3. Thou art my shield my glory and the lifter up of my head Though Absolon's rising up against him was a punishment for his sin and a remembrance of it yet God was so therein with him having repented to shew the reality of his repentance and truth of God's acceptance of him that he was helped to carry that punishment of his sin with much magnanimity God lifted up his head when many thought as some Pharasaical Saints are apt yet to think of great sinners especially if brought to shameful sufferings for their sins as he then was surely he must be lamentably distressed and dejected in his spirit and hang down his head He lay him down and slept in the midst of his troubles for God sustained him and he would not be afraid of ten thousand of people that had set themselves against him round about ver 5.6 See what a saint-like spirit yea even under their sufferings for their sins God sometimes endues great sinners with upon their repentance and surely we may not say they were deluded and therefore neither may we conclude that others are so if having been great and notorious offenders they upon turning to God find him comforting them yea and filling them with expressions of confidence of his favour towards them and of their salvation For indeed 4. Christ therefore suffered like a sinner and malefactour that sinners yea such sinners as deserve and have shame and punishment here even the Crosse or Gallows for their just reward might through him be called and brought to repentance and dye like Saints and be Saints in their dying that is have hope and joy in him and in his salvation and this was evidenced in the Crosse and at the death of Christ For Christ himself though the Son of God and the most just person that ever was in the world yet he dyed like a Sinner Malefactour Thief or Murtherer not onely in that he suffered such a death as such offenders used to be put to by men the death of the Crosse but also in his dying as to the manner of it in respect of grief sorrow agonies that did accompany it yet not without evidences of his righteousness and hope in God his Father For did not he sweat through the violence of his agonies as it were great drops of blood trickling down to the ground And did he not cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me As bearing upon himself the punishment of such capital offences though upon our account not his own that such as are guilty of such offences and deserve such sorrows agonies and rejections of God might through him have hope and comfort in God in their dyings though of violent deaths by legal punishments as was seen in the Malefactor that suffering with him dyed like a Saint We finde no such matter testified of him no agonies nor exclamations as his sins deserved but on the contrary