incourage thee to sin or to harbour unsoundness in thy repentings It s only they that truly and unfeignedly repent that find God so gracious which as he hath not promised to any man presuming to sin so they that are unsound therein neither sooner nor latter find acceptance The Prodigal in the Parable did not only see and say it was good for him to arise and go to his Father or better than to lye there and â—â—pine and perish and yet lye there still nor did he only rise up and step 〈◊〉 step or two and turn back again for so his Father had never espyed him so as to run and meet and imbrace him but he resolved and arose and went purposed it seriously and performed it really and then he presently found hearty welcome go thou and do likewise It s not bare convincements faint wishes good desires or half repentances but in the minding Gods grace a serious and thorough arising up from sin and returning to God in Christ that finds acceptance The occasion of my penning this discourse was mainly what befell a woman in our Town of Lin who sinning against much light and grace from God was by his just and severe judgement left so to sin and her sin so brought to light as brought her to a shameful death who though God would not spare her from such a death here to warn others not to sin yet seemed to have found such mercy with God as gave her much comfort at her end I thought to have inserted the Relation of her but forbear at present least I should occasion too much sorrow to if not anger also in her relations Perhaps I may publish something hereafter if I judge it convenient in the inteâ—… peruse and make good use of what I have here done and God give his blessing with it To whom committing thee and it and my self and begging thy prayers for me if thou hast any acquaintance with him I rest Thine in what I am able for thy helpfulness Jo. Horne Lin May 16. 1668. A Gracious REPROOF TO PHARASAICAL SAINTS Murmuring at God's Mercies TO PENITENT SINNERS Luke 15.31 32. But 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 a live again was lost and is found CHAP. I. The Preface paraphrasing the Parables of the lost Sheep and lost Groat with the occasion of them IT is a hard thing for men to know or think themselves righteous yea though but comparatively better than some of their Neighbours and not be proud of it and when men are proud of themselves they are very prone to disdain others whom they think not so good as themselves Yea and when they see God or his Servants preferring such upon any account or in any way of testimony thereof before nay if but equalising them with themselves they are apt to envy and fret against those persons therefore yea and to fault such Servants of God that so do and sometimes to contend against God himself For such is the nature of Pride that it lifts up it self above all and apts to be angry at and offended with what or whosoever opposeth it All which observations we may make from and find verified in the Pharisees who thinking themselves though falsly righteous disdained at sinners and murmured at Christ himself the prime servant of God yea God himself because of his gentleness and goodness towards sinners So when Matthew otherwise called Levi a Publican being himself converted made a feast for Christ and his Disciples and invited many Publicans and sinners to come and eat with him Christ not refusing their company thereat but laying hold of that occasion to become their good Physitian for curing those spiritual diseases which threatned their destruction the Pharasees were offended at him Mat. 9.10 11. Mar. 2.14.15 16. Luk. 5.27 28 29 30. And so was Simon the Pharasee because he suffered a sinful woman to come so near him as to wash and wipe and kiss his feet as he sat at Dinner with him Luk. 7.37 38 39. And the like temper we find to have been in them here in what is said of them in the two first verses of this Luk. 15. for after Christ had informed his Disciples of what they must look to part with and forgo that will be indeed his Disciples and how dangerous it is for those that have begun to follow him and therein to partake of his vertues to prove Apostates and Backsliders Chap. 14 25 34. yet it follows ver 1. of this Chapter Then resorted to him all the Publicans and Sinners to hear him As if notwithstanding all he had told them as that they who will be his Disciples must in a sense hate their dearest relations and enjoyments yea their very lives forsaking all for his sake if he call them to it and that such as forsake him after they have partook of any thing of his vertues are as salt that hath lost its favour good for nothing the vilest of men Yet then for all this ver 2. All the Publicans and Sinners drew nigh to hear him and the Pharisees and Scribes murmured saying This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them By sinners meaning such as were notoriously such such as if called Brethren as making profession of religion with us we may not afterward eat with 1 Cor. 5.11 till they repent them It seems with such Christ eat being not professedly his Disciples as yet and while they were such sinners and therein testified more civility or familiarity towards them then the Pharisees in their stricter way of Religion could well like of and therefore they murmured against him But he for vindicating his own charitable demeanor towards those Sinners spake a Parable to them yea three Parables which take up all the rest of the Chapter The first is of a man having an hundred Sheep and losing one of them which the more effectually to silence their murmuring he would have any one of them to make it his own case ver 3.4 5 6. And he spake unto them this Parable saying What man of you having an hundred sheep if he lose one of them doth not leave the ninty and nine in the Wilderness and go after that which is lost until he findes it and when he hath found it he layeth it upon his shoulders rejoycing and when he is come home he calls together his friends and neighbours sayings Rejoyce with me for I have found my Sheep that was lost His defence is very just and pregnant for what 's a Sheep to a Soul yea what 's one Sheep of an hundred to many sinful men and women perhaps almost an hundred for one and if they could not content themselves with their ninety and nine Sheep safe when but one was missing but that leaving the ninety and nine in the Wilderness where they also might meet with danger
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
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
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
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
must send some of them away because they either want love for them all or if not yet have not alwayes room for them all in their Houses and Farms or the like but it s not so with God he hath room enough in his heart for them all and room and bread and provision enough in his house for them all too and for more then all The same love that led him to beget them through the painful sufferings of his Son and the troublesome travels of his Soul and by the powerful influences of his Spirit leads him also to keep and look to them And thus they are in and by vertue of Christ who is their Head and in whom they are as Branches in the Stock or Root John 15.4 as members in the Head or in union with it by Faith and Spirit being in Christ they are in him ever with God for he is ever with him in his presence in his bosom at his right hand in his power and authority ruling and ordering all things for and over and about them and as the great High-Priest making intercession for them We were with God even all men in our first Parents in the Garden of Eden injoying intercourse with him till we in them offended and sinned and then he justly cast us out thence as unclean and nasty creatures and banished us from his presence setting a Cherubim with a flaming Sword in his hand to keep us thence yet not content to leave us so in his pitty and mercy he devised a way a new and living way by which he might without violation to his truth and justice which stood against us as in our selves become sinners admit us again into his presence and have intercourse with us To that purpose he sent his Son into the world for us and he became as a banished person from his presence for a time crying out as forsaken of his Father that so taking away the sentence of banishment by satisfying the demands of Law and Justice in his own body for all men as fallen in Adam and therefore expelled from him he might become himself the way of access the fiery flaming Sword in the hand of the Cherubim that was every way wielded against us being removed by his being made under and bearing the sentence of the fiery Law for us and by him now we may return to God again He hath suffered for us the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 To which purpose being raised again and become the mediator of God and us he calls us by him to himself and though we are so unclean in our selves that he can admit us to no immediate fellowship with himself yet in and by him Who is the way the truth the life the new and living way that makes alive and clean righteous and holy all that enter into and walk in him and so come unto God by him he being made to us of God Wisdom Righteousness Holiness and Redemption there he can speak to and commune with us from off that mercy-seat and admit us to behold him present our selves to and before him and have most intimate and intire fellowship with him and no way or where else By him as the door and gate of life opened for all though strait to the flesh because of its crossness to its corrupt wisdom will and affections and because of the many reproaches persecutions and afflictions attending it so as few finde and enter it he invites all to return to God again Commanding all men by the Gospel every where to repent Acts 17.30 and sending forth his Spirit with his calls in which he stretcheth forth his hand and power that thereby men might be inlivened quickned and strengthned to approach to God by him And through him by that one Spirit all whether Jews or Gentiles that listen to and close with him have access and come to the Father so as they are no longer strangers or forreignors but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Eph. 2.17 18 19. Prov. 1.23 24 32. and so being made the Sons of God in Christ are also ever with him 1. With him on his side to take part with him as in that sense Hezekiah saith 2 Chron. 32.7 8. There be more with us then there are with him with us is the Lord our God And our Saviour saith He that is not against me is with me and He that is not against us is with us but that is not so properly the sense here As 2. With him nigh to him A people near unto the Lord Psal 148. ult made nigh by the blood of Jesus shed for and sprinkled on them Eph. 2.13 so nigh that he is within their call when they cry and call to him he hears them The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth he will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and he will save them Psal 145.18 19. within his view and favourable sight The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears open to their cries Psal 34.14 within his favourable reach or touch so that he can as he pleases and doth as need is uphold them when they are like to fall and gives them with the right hand of his righteousness what he pleases so nigh him as they may also hear his voice see his face behold his fair beauty take hold of his arm or his strength hold them by him and lean upon him Psal 94.17 18 19. and 34.24 and 63.8 2 Chron. 13.18 and 16.8 Isa 27.4 3. With him in fellowship with him 1 John 2.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ and if we walk in the light as he is in the light then have we fellowship one with another verse 7. that is God with us to take part with us in our sorrows sufferings services c. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Isa 63.9 and we with God to take part with him in his grace strength fulness taking hold of his strength Isa 27.4 and Being filled with his fulness Ephes 3.19 yea they dwell together in one house Christ Jesus in whom all the fulness of the God-head dwelleth bodily and in whom whoso believeth and in exercise of faith eateth or feeds upon him dwells also Col. 2.9 John 6.56 eating and drinking and feasting together for Christ is the bread of God the meat or sacrifice offered to God and accepted of him with and through the vertues of whose sacrifice and sufferings he is cheared and strengthned to forgive sins to give grace and blessing and to work all his works in and for us as he also is the Vine whose juyce chears the heart of God as poured out in
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
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
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
rebuking his fellow sufferer for his reproaching Christ acknowledging the justness of their sufferings and our Saviours innocency and praying Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdom he heard this comfortable word which doubtlesse strengthened his confidence and gave him full assurance of his salvation Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Surely this was written for an incouragement even for such offenders also to hope in God by Jesus Christ and betake themselves to him for mercy in an humble acknowledgement of their offences and of his power to forgive and help them which that they also may obtain of him even to the giving them large confidence in him and full assurance of their salvation Christ's graciousness to him doubtless doth testifie that none may say what should such hainous sinners dye like Saints though yet in one sense such dye not as Saints while they glory not in nor justifie the cause of their death as those that dye for Christ and righteousness sake may and often do but in that regard take shame to themselves and acknowledge the righteousnesse of the shame and punishment ordered to them as deserved by them and submit themselves thereto And surely it would be too great an injury to the grace of God and to his love to mankind and to their welfare and too great a derogation to the vertues of the precious blood and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus to imagine that such mercy may not be shewed to them that are so great sinners both as to make them in their receit of it hearty in their repentance and chearful in their spirits under their sufferings in the hope of God's salvation Object Ah! but the suddainnesse of the conversion and speedinesse of the consolations and the coming so easily by them without more drooping and humiliation makes some question They expect such great sinners should long lye under dejection and sadness before they get a good word from God and if not so they are apt to conclude them under a delusion or but hypocrites in their profession of joy and consolation Answ Truly I would not be misunderstood to speak in behalf of any that are not truly penitent and turned in to Christ or that are daubed with untempered morter and slightly healed Yet this is evident that sometimes the grace of God makes quicker work in mens conversion and he more speedily comforts them thereupon than the wisdom of the flesh or of man judges fitting as by this Parable appears as also by the carriage of the Pharasees toward Christ often censuring him for his receiving sinners while it appears they were not satisfied of their conversion I conceive had they been first made Pharasees they would not then have been offended and judged them sinners still The woman that at Simon 's house stood behind Christ and washed his feet with her tears c. had not satisfied the Pharasee that she was a convert for then would he not have had indignation thereat nor said in his heart If this man were a Prophet he would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner Luc. 7.39 Surely Christ knew her better then he did and knew her to be a real convert though it seems she had not so publickly bewailed her self and bewailed her sin as to satisfie the Pharasee that she had left it And what appears to have been the sorrow and humiliation of the Malectour we finde nothing said thereof and yet evident tokens appear of his real conversion and he had speedy absolution For 1. He rebuked his fellow for his carriage towards Christ as if he had been turned a suddain Preacher of repentance to him Fearest thou not God seeing we are in the same condemnation 2. He confessed his sins and justified the righteousness of his death submitting himself upon that account to bear it patiently And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds 3. He confessed Christ and justified him in his sufferings and that when the whole multitude the Princes Priests and zealous Pharasees and learned Rabbies the chief builders did most of all reject him despise and deride him And when he was in his deepest sufferings But this man hath done nothing amiss 4. He in this lowest case of Christ when his own Disciples durst not own him owns and professes his faith in him that he was Lord and King and that he should have the kingdom and so that God would glorifie him through and after those his sufferings saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom And 5. In that faith he calls upon him as upon the Saviour of the world or of sinners saying Lord remember me c. as intimately professing his faith that he could forgive and save and blesse him We finde no great lamentation for his sin nor dejection under the sense of it but yet a better confession of faith we scarce finde from any of the Apostles who were now shrunk from him Yea Peter that thought to have stood it out denied him See here how suddainly and silently the grace of God may work a notable alteration as to conversion and then see the speediness of Christ in forgiving and comforting He lets him not hang long drooping to his death upon the Crosse but presently tells him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And was it not so with David he said he would confess his sin and God forgave the punishment of it He said but I have sinned and Nathan replies the Lord also hath taken away thy sin thou shalt not dye Psal 32.5 2 Sam. 12.13 So Peter had but begun to speak to the Gentiles and presently the Holy Ghost fell on them and they spake with tongues without any long humbling them first for the sins of their Gentilism or bringing them into the profession of Judaism by circumcision as it seems the Disciples of the Jews had some thought he should have done by their quarrelling with Peter for his eating with and receiving them Acts 11. Yea and Peter himself says what was I that I could withstand God! as if there might be some such leaven in him also as to have kept them longer out from comfort and made them more humbled first before he would have received them had they been at his disposing Truly I suspect it s our hypocrisies or want of thoroughness in coming off from our idols our sticking long in the place of the breaking forth of children that increases and lengthens our throws and sorrows Hos 13.13 As while David kept close his sin his bones waxed old and he roared out with daily disquiets Psal 32.1 2. the heart that comes off soon and roundly from its sin is sooner comforted So the compassionte Father here so soon as he sees his Sons resolution and finds him upon his way to him yea While he was yet a great way off presently runs to
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
may be sorry also warning all to take heed of so doing yet in regard of God's goodnesse in general to repentant sinners and in particular to this or that to whom he gives repentance and restores and comforts we may make merry and be glad Especially seeing our heavenly and gracious God and Father calls upon us so to do joyning in himself with us saying Let us eat and be merry We may by good authority do so yea it 's unmannerlinesse and peevish frowardnesse like this elder Brothers in this Parable to be fullen and sad when God says Let us eat and be merry and its meet we should make merry and be glad Shall not the Children and Servants be merry and chearful to see their Father merry and chearful and in such a rejoycing temper Surely its meet then we should make merry and be glad Again CHAP. XII The third state and the Text further improved in some further usefulness 3. IT may teach us that God is a good God not a Spirit of sadness or that delights in our melancholly dumpish tempers but is a chearful though a most holy Spirit One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy but sadnesse is not reckoned amongst them Not but that the Spirit of God leads men to be sad sometimes or rather through sadnesse to gladnesse as of old his people through a wilderness to the land of promise and in most cases sorrow is better than laughter than a vain foolish worldly frothy laughter or affliction than prosperity for us because by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Yet sadness and sorrow are occasioned by and spring from another cause viz. sin and its fruits were it not for them in our selves or others the Spirit of God would scarce ever lead us to be sad His ways are ways of pleasantnesse and all his paths are peace Prov. 3.17 He is a chearful spirit and leads to chearfulnesse and loves not sullen sowre frames and dispositions Yet we poor foolish creatures as I prove sometimes my self are apt to be either carnally lightly wantonly and vainly merry or else on the other extream to espouse to our selves a sad glumpish spirit a melancholly rugged harsh disposition or Pharasaical face For they put on sowre sad countenances as too many yet do as a piece of religion Mat. 6.16 as if God delighted in such Cynick or Stoick frames formal bodily humilities a whining voice a head hanging down like a bul-rush and such like self-tormenting carriages No no God is a chearful Spirit as having infinite joy and delight in himself and in his Son and in his works and doings and He and his Spirit call for and lead to chearfulness in his service Whence he saith Make a joyful not a doleful sad lamentable noise to the Lord all ye lands serve the Lord with gladness he saith not with sadness and come before his presence with a song Not with a complaint as thinking hardly of him or being afraid of his harshnesse and aptnesse to be displeased with us Psal 100.1.2 He loves not to have his Altar covered with tears he accepts not such offerings at our hands except in case of sorrowing after God and for our sins Mal. 2.13 He loves a chearful server of him as well as a chearful giver 2 Cor 9.7 In his presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasures at his right hand for evermore And they are to reward his followers and worshippers Psal 16.11 Thence those many exhortations to the righteous his worshippers to rejoyce Finally my Brethren rejoyce in the Lord Philip. 3.1 and rejoyce in the Lord evermore and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4 4. and in 1 Thes 5.16 Rejoyce evermore See also Psal 32.11 33.1 as checking that aptness to be sad that is in his worshippers and signifying that it displeases him and well it may for its dishonorable to him occasioning people to be offended at his service and ways as affording nothing but sadnesse and melancholly to them that walk therein And as signifying the great goodnesse of God and the good and abundant cause that God's people have of rejoycing in him For as he is the only good God and infinitely better than any other god or object of trust and worship so there is infinitely more cause of gladness in and from him than any where else Nor have any people such cause of rejoycing and confidence and boldnesse as those that are God's and belong to him considering what they have in and with him and what a portion and happinesse he is to them All other things are muddy cisterns in point of causing or affording joy and chearfulness He is the free and full and perpetually running fountain of joy delight and consolation He gives everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 2 Thes 2.16 We have not found God then so as to know him indeed till we meet with and have in him yea under and notwithstanding all occasions of heaviness that befal us joy unspeakable and full of glorying 1 Pet 1.6 7 8. None may rejoyce so as the righteous they that are in Christ Jesus and walk with him such may boldly say The Lord is our helper Come what will come We will not fear what can man do unto us Oh! seek we him and the knowledge of him till we finde it so as to have rejoycing evermore in him Though we may have manifold occasions of sadnesse both from within us and from without us yet we have cause being in him and walking with him of a perpetual and evermore rejoycing Away away then with all hypocritical Pharasaical thoughts to please God in our demure looks and sowre countenances as if therein stood our being humble before him and let us take the advise and counsel of our Lord and Father and accept his exhortation Let us eat and be merry Make merry and be glad Quest But what must we do to make merry and be glad Answ Alas what can we do to make merry and be glad it must all come from God as the ground and Author of it He must go before and it s our parts to comply with him and follow after him If he frown upon us we have no cause to make merry but to mourn before him till he call us to mirth and further then he calls us to mirth and to make merry we shall do well to be sober and attend to him But when he calls us to joy and gladnesse as here and to make merry we may in the supplies of his grace do something as to say we may and let us 1. Hearken to the voice of God and his servants calling us thereto and opening the cause thereof and the grounds for it to us Such as be his mercy towards sinners and to us and our Brethren in what he hath done for and to both us and them As the Servants say here to the elder Son inquiring the cause of their mirth Thy Brother is come and thy Father