and everlasting fire is theirs not they its to avenge them of their enemies the Devil and his instruments and all the evils that here did molest them and to give them infinitely more occasion and provocation for ever to admire his mercy towards them and bless him Psal 145.20 21. Luke 12.32 Mat. 25.35 36 41 46. Isa 66 2â— â—4 A marvellous full and glorious portion and such as passes understanding only there is this difference between the believers enjoyment of it now and hereafter now they have the title to it and the encouragement of the faith and hope of it and so much of it as they need and God sees good for them But hereafter they shall have all that shall be then to be had in the most full absolute and glorious sight and fruition of it Use 1. And the consideration of this with all before may serve 1. To move such to contentation with their condition for what can they want who have such a portion as God and all that are his to satisfie and save them The just shall live by faith and this is a truth to faith not to sense and in living by faith may abundantly and will administer content in every condition and Godliness with contentment is great gain The Lord is my shepheard saith David and thence infers I shall not want yea thence he had abundant experience of Gods provision for him and supplies of him and faithfulness to him in all cases and therefore concludes Surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23.1 6. as thence also or from the like consideration of Gods goodness and the blessedness of all that trust in him he exhorts and incourages others Fear ye the Lord ye holy ones for there is no want to them that fear him the Lions shall lack and be bit with hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want no good thing Psal 34.8 9 10. It s true the dispose of all is in the Fathers hand but he being wise and loving gracious and full of compassion and abundant in goodness and truth cannot nor will suffer his children at home with him to want any thing that may be good for them And it s but a childish humour from which its good that we be weaned to pet and cry and be froward for that that is not good but hurtful for us having all things that are our Fathers and he being free to afford out of it all good for us Be careful in nothing be peevish and discontent in nothing be not covetous of more then we have or of more then he thinks meet to give us into our possession and fruition but be we content with what we have for he hath said I will never leave thee no I will never forsake thee so that we may boldly say the Lord is our helper we will not fear what man can shall do unto us Heb. 13.5 6. Minding what we have in Christ and what ground of confidence that God will give us all things with Christ because he hath not spared Christ but delivered him up for us all let us through him be content with what he gives us either of outward supplies for this life or of spiritual gifts discoveries experiences comforts or the like waiting upon him to give us especially spiritual blessings and taking what he gives without envying at others or murmuring at him for what he gives them But 2. Oh the evil nature of envy frowardness pride and discontent though a man hath all things in Christ and God is faithful to give us all things with him as he sees we need and is good for us and though he gives abundantly like a Father to us yet the froward soul findes no good Prov. 17.20 Frowardness and discontent eats out the good of what we have and deprives us of the comfort of it rendring it as nothing to us and hinders us of what we might further have as being freely exposed to us as may be seen in Haman partly and in this elder Son Haman though he had Honour and Riches and Wife and Children the Favour of the King and as he thought of the Queen too yet the only want of a bow or prostration from Mordecai a slight from him marrs all the mirth from all other things What 's all this to me saith he when he had been telling his Wife and Friends of all his glory and happiness and enumerating all its several particulars so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate such a viper is envy and discontent to eat out the bowels of them that breed and nourish it And what less or better here was the case of this Elder Son this righteous person leavened with the Pharisees leaven though all his Father had was his yet all that contents not because his Father had killed for his Brother the fatted Calf and therein testified his love to him and joy for him as if all was lost that fell besides himself But what was he like to lose his share in any thing because of because of his Brothers having part therein surely no. The fatted Calf was not taken from him by being killed for his Brothers welcome there was meat enough in it for him and his Brother too yea for the Father and Sons and Servants and all to feast on and if that could have been too little yet the Son needed not fear want the Father hath enough beside to maintain and satisfie him nor was his love the less to him by being testified thus to his Brother The same feast though made by occasion of his Brother and for his entertainment is free for him also and his Father had intreated him to come in and take part of it there was neither want in his Fathers love nor in the sufficiency of the chear to have made him as merry as his Brother and the rest that were making merry within It was only his own pettish humour and discontent causelesly at his Fathers dealing that was the let that he was not as merry and as well refreshed as any of them his Father would have had him come in and welcome and to be sure his Brother would have been glad to have seen â— much love and freeness in him towards him and all the servants would have liked to have had his company with them and as for the fatted Calf it was an everlasting dish that would have given him with all the rest full satisfaction it was spiritual and living meat like to or better then that the Jews call living water that is Spring-water that while its drawn out or received in its streams is not lessened by mens taking of it but runs still perpetually and increases in its running and meets the person that likes to use it and offers it self of its own accord unto him Such is living bread and meat like the meat in the miracle the loaves and fishes that multiplied in the eating of them increased
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
A Gracious Reproof TO PHARASAICAL SAINTS Causlesly murmuring at GODS MERCIES TOWARD PENITENT SINNERS In Explication of Luc. 15.30 31. Written by JOHN HORNE sometimes Minister of Lin Allhallows Psal 119.1 2 3. Blessed are the undefil'd in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and seek him with the whole heart They also do no iniquity they walk in his ways Bat As for transgressors wo to them for destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Psal 37.38 Prov. 20.29 Is thine eye evil because mine is good Matth 20.15 London Printed for Tho. Passenger at the three Bibles on London bridge 1668. TO THE READER Reader WHither thou beest Saint or Sinner and one of them assuredly thou art thou maist through Gods blessing find something useful for thee I hope worthy thy perusall and serious consideration in this insuing Treatise If thou beest one that knowlest the grace of God in truth and thereby art sanctifyed to God and followest after holiness here is that that may perswade thee and shew thee causâ— to be holy still and to go on in denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world abiding in Christ and walking with God Both as it sets before thee the good and blessed state of those that so do and as it shews the miserable and sad state of those that do otherwise and especially of such as having tasted the graciousness of the Lord withdraw from him again and after they have begun to be good turn to do badly forsaking the way of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness Prov. 2.13 of which therefore also it doth admonish thee However strongly thou think thou standest that thou take heed of falling of which there is need enough to be admonished in this back sliding and truly and too shamefully adulterous and sinful generation Wherein they that depart from iniquity make themselves a prey and wherein men being frighted from or scoffed and derided at for nothing so much as truth and plety there is too general a temptation upon men be afraid or ashamed to be or however to confess and shew themselves to be seriously holy and religious Atheisme Prophanesâ— Popery and all manner of debauchery growing into fashion and nothing scarce looked upon as more obsolete and antick than soundness and sincerity with true zeal and fervency in the exercise and practise of the truth of Religion And yet it also admonisheth thee to beware of the leaven Pharasees which is hypocrisie of being too rash and censorious in judging those that having been prophane and evil livers or abusers of God's grace and truth return therefrom to a better mind or of judging God's and Christ's or his Servants dealings with such when by the profession of such persons he or evidently and apparently they are more gracious and ready to receive sinners than thou wouldst have them There is nothing more eminently discovered in God than love and charity to the souls of men whereof the whole Gospel and all the holy men in the Scriptures bear their testimony especially in his receiving repentant sinners And therefore nothing should be more desired by us and rejoyced in on their behalf than their conversion to him and finding his gracious acceptance God's children should be and are in some measure like to God himself who is their Father and therefore as his elect holy and beloved put on bowels of mercy kindness lowliness of mind long-suffering and above all charity which is the bond of all perfection as the Apostle exhorteth Col. 3.12.14 Nor doth any thing scarce make men liker the Devil than to endeavour to hinder or to repine at the conversion of sinners or God's mercy to them as that was one concomitant or product rather of the Pharasees zeal and religion their opposing Christ and grudging at him for his charity to sinners so I suppose it was none of the least of the ingredients of that evil frame which occasioned his stiling them the children of the Devil Joh. 8.44 Well may we be glad indeed when we find any such thing as a sincere convert in these evil days and God gracious to sinners therein When there are so many Apostates from God so few Converts to him Converts there may be some to this or that opinion or practise from some open prophanness sometimes to thriftiness and worldliness and yet even such conversions are not so frequent in these days as from thriftiness to prodagality and rudeness sometimes possibly to some opinionative profession or zealous endeavour after righteousness that is not Gods but mens own but few that when they return return to the Lord Jer. 4.1 to mind and receive and walk in the knowledg and faith of him and his great goodness to mankind in Jesus Christ our Lord and so to behold his glory as thereby to be changed into his image by the operation of his power and spirit and so to worship God in the spirit as testifying of his grace in his Son Phil. 3.3 Rejoyce in Jesus Christ have no confidence in the flesh When we see any turning to this we have cause to be glad and rejoyce for them for they turn from death to life from misery to salvation and unspeakable felicity But alas more play the Prodigals in going from Christ and God and the living in the faith and knowledge of him as the fountain of life and righteousness to live upon either their outward or inward receits from him their riches friends wit parts or their righteous frames and endeavours receits and attainments which lived upon will soon with the Prodigals patrimony be spent and leave them to losse and beggary or â— servile drudgery and desire of husks then do imitate him in returning to God and Christ to live in his house and upon him and his provision therein the grace not in us but in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.1 which is and may be matter of great lamentation Yet if thou beest a sinner walking in thy self thine own will wisdom righteousness lusts affections or appetites and so not in Christ Jesus not in the way of understanding not in the spirit but in the flesh and so in a state of sin as such there be great store both of persons in a sort zealous and of prophane here is that that may move thee to repent and to turn to God therefrom Both the evil and dangerousness of the state of sin and sinners and the acceptableness to God of true and unfeined repentance in returning to Christ and so to God in and by him is here toucht upon and it s largely evidenced that God is ready to embrace such as so do return and to give them the most sure signs and pledges of his mercy toward them as having joy in their salvation And indeed this is the main scope of the Parable herein paraphrastically explicated and of the Text opened and applyed and by
Praises of God Yea this is a thing meet to be joyed in and for 1. By God his Father himself for so he puts in himself here not only its meet that thou shouldst make merry but we I and thou too A wise Son makes a glad Father Prov. 10.1 My son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that reproacheth me Prov. 27.11 Though this Son had done foolishly in departing and running away from his Father and when he began to be an hungry in joyning himself to a Citizen of that Countrey yet he did wisely when coming to himself he repented and returned and the Father here rejoyces and hath wherewith to answer his other Son reproaching him So also in Prov. 23.15 16. My Son if thy heart be wise my heart shall rejoyce even mine yea my reins shall rejoyce when thy lips speak right things It s meet a Father be glad of his Sons welfare 2. By his Brother or Brethren it is meet we should make merry and be glad not only I but thou also with me for should not brethren love one another and be glad they may enjoy one anothers company in health and safety and therefore be glad when any of them escapes any danger and the more the greater the danger was that is escaped and then 3. By the Servants also that attend on them There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth ver 10. and I have no greater joy saith one of Gods Servants in the Gospel then to hear or see that my Children walk in the truth yea and to repent and turn from swervings too so the Apostle Paul the Servant of Christ Now I rejoyce saith he not that ye were made sorry but that ye were made sorry to repentance 2 Cor. 7.9 4. But most of all by the sinner himself made alive again and found of his Father and in his Fathers house amongst his Brethren whether in the lower rooms while here or in the upper chambers as the Thief or Malefactor that day he dyed was in Paradise O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy c. Psal 107.1 2. Quest But why is it meet to make merry and be glad for such a one upon such an occasion surely there is great and good reason for it Answ 1. Because of the goodness of the condition it self in which a repentant sinner is found or brought into Good things are matters of joy when had and enjoyed here 's nothing but good in this state good it is in it self and good to all others therefore worthy joy and mirth and gladness 1. Good in it self for 1. It is a state of life and life is good in it self and therefore matter of promise which it would not be if not good for we do not use to promise what we judge bad and if God judged life bad or it were so in it self God would not promise it He is just he shall surely live Ezek. 18.9 It s matter of prayer Oh that Ishmael might live before thee Gen. 17.18 Let Reuben live and not dye Deut. 33.6 And its matter of praises Psal 1â—9 175 Let my soul live and it shall praise thee and let thy judgements help me Yea it s a matter of Christs purchase that he came into the world to procure and give yea the principal matter I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly John 10 10. and therefore surely life is good a great good Yea skin for skin said the adversary and all that a man hath will he give for his life 'T is usually so but especially spiritual life the life of the soul in Christ and so in the favour of God is good The life which is in the path of righteousness wherein is no death Prov. 12.28 And this is the state the sinner is taken into upon repentance and coming back to God in Christ as in Ezek. 18.17 If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that that is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye and ver 22. He shall live So in Chap. 33.11 Turn and live Being brought back to God in and by Christ the only way by which any can come or be brought to God John 14.6.7 he lives in and by Christ who is the Resurrection and the life so as that whoever believes in him whatever he be or hath been though never so dead yet he shall live and living and believing in him he shall live for ever John 11.25 26. And so it s said here He is alive again Object Oh! but the repenting Malefactor upon the Cross dyed for all his repentance Answ As to his body he did and all must and that as so inflicted on him was the fruit of his sin not of his return yea as to its sentence a means of his return from his sin but that which was the fruit of his repentance was that he lived to God Being judged according to 〈◊〉 in the flesh but living according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 and so his soul lived and went that day to Paradise and lived for ever His death as it was the fruit of his sinning was matter of sadness but as it was a means to his repentance so it was to be joyed in but much more the life of his soul and eternal life promised to and to be enjoyed by both soul and body in the Resurrection the fruits or consequents of repentance are matters of unspeakable joy and gladness if a Childe fall into the fire will not the mother rejoyce to see him snatched out of it and live safely and in health again though with causing the scorched skin to peel off surely yes 2. It is a state of being found a found state a state wherein a sinner is not lost from God and his goodness to his Brethren and fellow Servants but is found in and with them known owned and approved with God and with men Angels of one minde â— God and so is with them under the gracious approving knowledge of God and under his gracious care counsel defence c. and in unity with all that are well and happy found in a large and spacious house in and under the enjoyment of or title to large Provisions richest Furniture sweetest Relations and Friends abiding and eternal safety and satisfactions Come to Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to be of them as Ephes 2.19 20. and to an innumerable company of Angels to have fellowship with them and protection by them to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven as owned of God and inrolled as heirs of heaven and its infinite glory and happiness to be with
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
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
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
Throne of God the Camp or Congregation of the Saints as attendants about them Rev. 5.11 and 7.11 bearing the souls of the just when taken hence into rest and peace as in Luke 16.22 c. 5. God hath many servants on the earth furnished with spiritual gifts for profiting the body of Christ as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers these are all theirs that obey and abide with him Let no man glory in man for all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas not you theirs but they yours 1 Cor. 3.21 Son of man saith God to Ezekiel as both the Hebrew Greek and Latine read it I have given thee to the house of Israel for a watchman c. not them to thee to use as thou pleasest and to exercise Lordship over them but thee to them Ezek. 3.17 and and so the Apostle We preach not our selves but Jesus Christ the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4.5 and he ascended up on high and gave gifts to men and he gave some Apostles some Prophets c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body Christ c. Eph. 4.8.11 12. 6. God hath the world as his the frame and fabrick of it and the Government orders dignities and fulness of it This is theirs also All things are yours the world 1 Cor. 3.21 22. The heavens and heavenly influences and Inhabitants He rides on the heavens for Israels help Deut. 33.26 27. their motions and influences the light warmth and influences of the Sun Moon and other Stars the Clouds and their shadow from the Heat the Rain c. and whatever passeth through the air animate or inanimate as also the Air it self they are all for the benefit of Gods obedient Children amongst and with more special eye to them then to other men for their nourishment maintenance refreshing chearing and sometimes for the exercise of their faith patience the Spirit of Prayer c. Psal 74.12 16 17. and 89.12 13 14 15. Deut. 33.27 28. Judges 5.20 Josh 10.11 14. Zech. 19.1 2. the earth and its fulness the Sea and all therein affords them supplies and God out of them and by them Gives meat to them that fear him and will ever be mindeful of his Covenant Psal 111.4 5. besides the manifold occasions that they afford them to admire and bless the Lord as manifestations of his Glory Power Wisdom Providence Mercy Justice Truth c. in his providential ordering of them and their several Hosts Psal 19.1 2 6. and 65.6 7 8. and 104. and 148. and manifold lessons and instructions that they teach and suggest occasionally to us Job 5.8 9 and 12.7 8. Matth. 6.26 27 29 30. Prov. 6.7 8. and 30.24 25 c. And then the orders of the world the Magistrates Kings and Governors and Authorities c. They are the Ministers of God saith the Apostle to thee for good not for mischief and harm Rom. 13.3 4. if thou doest well to protect thee that thou mayest live a peaceable and quiet life in godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 and if they do otherwise yet it s for good to thee to exercise thy faith and patience and quicken thee up to more mindefulness of the way to the heavenly inheritance and make thee cry more earnestly Arise O God judge thou the earth for thou shalt inherit all Nations Rev. 13.5 6.10 Psal 82.8 and whether they preserve thee from being broken or scower and make thee look brighter thou hast no dammage but benefit by them and so for all other things of the world Believers are the seed of Abraham and heirs and blessed with him and he was heir of the world Rom. 4.13 7. Life is Gods to give and dispose of this is the Believers too he is an heir of life and of the grace of life 1 Pet. 3 8. Spiritual life is his to enjoy and serve God and Christ in and with yea and eternal life is his inheritance nay but this life is his too and not he its as a servant to this life but it is a servant to him to afford him time and opportunity to do his Fathers work in that he may receive the fuller reward and to give him leasure to renew the spiritual things that by any means decay in him that he may come to his Grave as a shock of Corn fully ripe Job 5.26 Psal 39.13 Psal 6.4 5. and 30 9. and 115.17 18. Isa 38.19 John â— 4 Eccles 9.10 and 12.1 8. Yea Death is Gods too in his hand to dispose and it s his Saints too not they its not its Vassals and Captives but it s theirs and for their good sometimes to cut off and destroy their enemies that molest them 1 Sam. 26.10 Isa 51.7.8 15. Sometimes to take themselves from evil men and things and give them rest and peace from their troubles Isa 57.1.2 Rev. 14.13 and the more to exercise their faith in God for the performance of his promises when they see death seems to cut them off and put them out of all possibility of attainment Ezek. 37.11 12. John 11.25 16 40. Rev. 13.9 10. and to give them more experience of Gods power and glory in the Resurrection Ezek. 37.11 13. John 11.4 40. 9. Things present are theirs Whatever God doth and orders now in this present world or time his mercies theirs to incourage them to hope in him his judgements theirs to make them fear and stand in awe of him prosperity their 's to give them advantage to serve God with more chearfulness and adversity theirs to exercise their faith and patience and give them the more experience of Gods care of and faithfulness to them and the sufficiency of his Grace for them yea the very falls of others are theirs to awaken and admonish them to more watchfulness over themselves and others and to exercise charity in pittying them and seeking their recovery Yea all his wayes are mercy and truth to them that love God and keep his testimonies Psal 25.10 10. Things to come as they are Gods in his hand to produce and distribute according to his pleasure so they are theirs in and through Christ for their good both as now proposed in the word of God the everlasting rewards of righteousness to allure incourage and confirm them in the wayes of the Lord to seek and press after him and keep his wayes in the love and obedience of him Heb. 10.35 36 37 and 12.1 2 3. and the unspeakable terrors of the Lord and destruction of the wicked to stir them up to more watchfulness and care lest they should sin against him and depart from him they are but as armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left 2 Cor. 6.7 and 5.1 10 11. and the revelations and accomplishments of them in the time to come The joy glory and happiness to come is theirs to reward and satisfie them the woe and vengeance
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
and of them to the spirits of just men made perfect to be their brethren followers of their faith and to be in the hope of and to have the title and way to their enjoyments and to God the judge of all to protect bless reward and satisfie them And to Jesus the mediator of the New Testament and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things then the blood of Abel to be prepared for kept and brought to the enjoyment of the Glory of God by him and in the vertues of that his precious blood Yea coming to Christ the living stone they are made living stones too and are built up a spiritual house and an holy Priesthood c. A chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation and a peculiar people to shew forth the praises of God who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light Heb. 12.23 24. 1 Pet. 2.5 9. Can there be a better state and condition in a word it s the same condition that the person is in that keeps to God and never departs from him a state of Son-ship to God of being ever with God and having interest in and benefit by all that is his for as Blessed is the man that is undefiled in the way and walks in the Law of the Lord so also Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Psal 119.1 and 32.1 2. Blessed is he to whom the Lord will not impute sin c. Both of them are in a blessed state and what can be better then blessed wherin is a removing of all evil and an estating in all that is good either as to the way to it or end attained Such is this condition Good in it self and then it s 2. It s good to others also as 1. To God in such a sense as any thing besides himself can be good to him not as if it added to him who is infinitely perfect in himself and not to be added to by any thing but good to him as its pleasing to him as a satisfaction to his love an attainment of his desired end in all his goodness expressed and testified towards the sinner at least so far as he hath attained He would have all men saved he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that he turn and live He hath pleasure then that a wicked man turn and live Ezek 33.11 1 Tim. 2.4 That 's good then to God that 's pleasing or a pleasure and delight to him That that he is glorified in and by even his mercy and truth in Christ are herein glorified Psal 1 â—5 1. Such a person will praise him The living the living they shall celebrate or shew forth thy praises Psal 115.17 18. Isa 38.19 Yea and others will glorifie God in and for such a person as they did in Saint Paul Gal. 2.23 and his house and kingdom is hereby increased and the Kings honour is in the multitude of his Subjects Prov. 14.28 2. To Christ also upon all the same accounts It s matter of joy to him when what he labours for and in succeeds That his Plantation thrives and that any tree of his setting revives and prospers John 15.12 3. To the Holy Spirit for as God is love and Christ the Son of the Father in love and truth so the Spirit is the Spirit of Love and its a rejoycing to love when it hath what it may love and when what it loves succeeds and is well as he is grieved and vexed in his peoples ill-doing and rebelling so he is delighted in their well-doing and repenting Isa 63.10 11. Ephes 4.30 4. To the holy Angels who loving men and their good desire it and in such persons have their desire answered and the number of their blessed company in a sort increased Luke 15.10 Heb. 12.23 5. To their Brerhren whose number is added to or preserved from being in such diminished and whose spiritual desires breathings prayers and endeavours are herein answered and they may have benefit by them in mutual fellowship with them if here surviving or if not yet edification however in the beholding or here-say of the Vertues of Christ and his Sacrifice and the power of the Grace of God appearing in them in their dying 6. Yea to all other men its good either as making them fit to pitty pray for and seek the good of them and be useful to them or as affording inducement to them to repent also and seek God and hope in him and it cannot but be 7. Good to a mans self such and so happy a condition as in which is the confluence of all good to a man Now that that is good and so good surely it is meet that all that are good and love what 's good or may have good by it should rejoyce and be glad for it And so God makes this mirth here and a feast hereat for all that can and will be glad of it and we should make merry by exhorting and exciting all to gladness by all means we can upon such occasions 2. It is meet we should make merry and be glad on such an occasion because of the relation the sinner stood and stands in to us to God and his people especially This thy Brother and ver 24. This my Son Love will lead us to be glad for strangers or enemies if they come to good to what 's truly good to what 's spiritually and eternally good but how much more for a mans own near relation The Lord rejoyces in his works the works of his hands as being all as his works good and holy and just but how much more in man his choice work for whose sake he made and to whose good he ordered all the rest made in his own likeness and image and so his Son but yet how much more for and in those that were and are again Sons in his Son in his only begotten and beloved Sonâ— Those whom he begot with such desire and love as through the gift of his Son and his Son bare and brought forth with the travail of his soul poured out to Death and brought to be his Sons by the Word thereof and by his Spirit breathing therein and whom he nourisht up with the flesh and blood of his Son and vertues thereof Should not the Father rejoyce and make merry to see his Son and so dear a Son in a good condition And should not Brethren make merry and be glad at the preferment good or recovery of their Brethren Would it not be unnatural for Brethren not to rejoyce in love for one another when they do well very well and one as well as another and all well Shall the Angels not so related to us Men be glad of our good and shall not we Men for one another and especially for such as have been our whole Brethren and so are Yea and should not all the Servants be glad of the happiness of their Masters Sons with
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
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
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