Meditations the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Sheweth, That troubles of Conscience are God's preparative to a Sinner's Conversion: And the Reasons hereof. How God sometimes varies his Method: And to what end. What degree of sorrow requisite: With the Application of the whole; from the last Clause of the fourteenth Verse, And he began to be in want.
I HAVE done with the two former Doctrines from the fourteenth Verse. I come to the third from the last Clause, viz. Doct. 3 That God brings a sinner into Soul or Conscience straits in order to his Conversion. The Prodigal's Case tells us this; There arose a mighty famine in that Land, that far Countrey, and he began to be in want. This fell out before his return to his Father. The spiritual meaning and signification whereof is, That troubles of Conscience or Soul straits, are God's preparative to a sinner's returning to him. Mark 3.They are the sick that need the Physician. There is indeed sorrow and trouble for sin after Conversion, 2 Cor. 7.which is called godly sorrow; and this sorrow for sin is grace, for it is sorrow for sin, as sin is an unkindness to God: But this I am not speaking to now. There is a sorrow for sin before Conversion, and in order to it, which is not grace, but a preparation to it.
Indeed this sorrow for sin, and trouble of Conscience in the sinners apprehension of wrath, may be dangerous, and an hinderance to grace, if not rightly ballas'd; It may bring to despair, as it did Cain, and Saul, and Judas: But rightly improved, it is a happy preparative to a natural man's return to God, as we see in this Prodigal. I say it is a happy preparative: because, though this trouble of Conscience begin in self-love, which God doth allow a sinner; yet he knoweth it will end in love to Jesus Christ; Luke 75.as that womans, called foreign, a noted sinner, when she knew that much was forgiven her, she loved much.
This conviction of sin and pain of Conscience, through feeling or fear of Divine wrath, driveth a sinner to cast about for ease, and a better state than now he is in.
Quest. But how is a man prepared for Conversion by his sense of sin and misery?
Answ. 1. This removes the barrs to a man's Conversion; scil. his ignorance, wilfulness, security, pride, self-flattery and presumption: These vanish away, when the true sense of sin and misery come into to the Soul. When the Earthquake had set open the Prison doors, and put the Goaler into a trembling in his body and soul, Acts 16.he then cries out to those men he had used so severely, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
But yet if Christ carry not on this work farther by giving in converting grace, it will be but a false Conception, or a miscarrying Womb. For the Law in its humbling and terrifying work gives not grace, but helps in fitting the heart to receive it. These sorrows of Conscience by the work of the Law level the hills and strong holds of pride and presumption that hinder grace. John must prepare the way of the Lord.
There are two things required in a sinners Conversion; the removal of impediments, and the influence of grace into the heart. The one is the work of the Law, i. e. conviction of sin and labourings in the Conscience; and the other is Christ and his Gospel. If a room have light, there must be openings of the shuts, and shining of light of the Sun. If the shuts be not withdrawn, the Sun cannot shine into the room, nor the light come in; and if the Sun be not up, there can come no light, though the shuts be open. So impediments to Conversion must be removed by conviction of sin, and then God shines into the heart with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.2 Cor. 4.6.
2. Sense of sin, and straits of Conscience for it, make the sinner feel a need of Christ, as the Disciples did when the winds and storms were ready to sink the Ship or Vessel; Lord save us, we perish. Matth. 8.24.Thus when storms arise in the Conscience of a sinner, now if the work be not hindered, it comes to this, Acts 2.37.Men and brethren what shall we do? and Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Acts 16.30.And now Christ is likely to be received on his own terms, i. e. with his Yoke and Cross: For no sorrows or sufferings for Christ are so bitter, as sorrow and sufferings in Conscience for sin before a man come unto Christ.
Quest. But doth God need this preparation-work in the conversion of sinners? Can he not give grace without thus shattering the Consciences of poor sinners?
Answ. The Question is not so properly what God can do, as what he will do in the case. This hath been God's path that he hath usually trodden in the work of Conversion, in the Conversion of adulti, such as have the use of Reason. Christ Jesus gave not grace to stocks or stones (though God is able to raise up Children to Abraham of stones;) Matth. 3.9.but Jesus gave grace to men and women prepared to it by the ministry of John the Baptist, who preached first Repentance for sin, Matth. 3.2.and then Faith in Christ. He can, and doubtless doth give grace to Children, as to those he took up in his arms and blessed: Mark 10.But he gives grace in another way to such; the same grace, but in a different way.
And this also must be yielded, That every sinners Conscience is not wounded alike in order to Conversion. The Smith makes not every Nail with his great Hammer; nor doth God smite every man's Conscience with the like terrour of the Law, that he brings to grace. 2 Chro. 33.12.Manasseh was greatly humbled; and who knoweth how greatly? But if the Lord deal more favourably with some others, why should any man complain that his bones are set with a little pain? The Physician knoweth best how to use his Patient. God has pity on many a poor soul under the sense of sin, and drops of his wrath, lest Satan should get an advantage; 2 Cor. 2.8, 11which was the reason why St. Paul willed the Corinthians to carry it gently towards the repenting and grieving incestuous person.
O then bless God, if in thy Conversion he hath abated thee any thing of those terrible and most severe shakings of Conscience, that some other sinners have had in theirs.
It's true, that there are amazing Convulsions of Conscience in some men, who never reach Conversion, or saving Humiliation for sin; Gen. 4.13. 1 Kings 21.as in Cain and in Ahab: Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself? So in Judas, Matth. 27.
And there is in some a silent sorrowing for sin, which though it make no great noise in the Conscience, yet it kindly melts the heart, and makes a man lothe both his sins and himself, and fall into dear love with his Saviour. This was the Case of that woman in Luke 7. And for ought we read, most that the Lord Jesus himself called, he called in this way. He converted many Publicans and Sinners with a still voice: The bruised reed he did not break, Mark 12.20.nor quench the smoaking flax. He opened many sinners hearts without any terrifying-alarms of Conscience, as he did Lydia's.Acts 16.14.
God can humble a sinner as well by the sense of mercy and free grace, as by the sense of his wrath. This is certain, that the Lord doth change his way in the Conversion of sinners: He hath, as St. Jude saith, compassion on some, putting a difference; Jude 22, 23.and others he pulls out of the fire. A yielding block needs not so great and hard a wedge, as a hard knotty piece of wood doth.
And God lets some endure the greater pangs and throws in their Conversion, that they may be the better Midwives to those that may need them in the like condition. God useth the same matter and method in every sinner's Conversion; first conviction of sin, and then conviction of righteousnes— yet he uses not the same degrees: Some men have the sight of sin and of Christ almost together.
Quest. But what is the measure or required degree of humiliation or trouble of Conscience for sin in order to conversion?
Answ. When there hath been so much as brings the sinner out of himself, and off from all other Sanctuaries to Jesus Christ; and so to Christ, as that his mind would know him as the Gospel holds him forth to sinners; and the will would choose him, and the affections incline to embrace him, and upon his own terms; then there hath been sufficient trouble of Conscience for sin in order to a sinner's Conversion. This was Mary Magdalens Case in Luke 7. for she is probably thought to be that woman, a noted sinner.
The end of the terrour of the Law is to bring men to Christ, Gal. 3.24. Indeed if trouble of Conscience drive sinners to Christ, only to prevent and save from damnation, this is not enough: For a throughly humbled sinner would have Christ, to escape the dominion, as well as the damnation of sin. He doth not divide Christ, but takes him in the whole; with his Scepter to rule in and over him and his sins, as well as with his Censer to offer Sacrifice for them. Sufficient sorrow for sin takes a man not only off of his shifts, but off of his lusts also. He is weary of sin as well as sorrow. Mark 11.28.Christ sanctifying is welcome to him, as well as Christ saving; and Christ purging, as well as Christ pardoning. A sinner is not sufficiently terrified with sin and wrath, till he come to say to Jesus Christ, as Saul did at his Conversion, Lord, Acts 9.6.what wilt thou have me to do?
Application.
1. Let every man see to it, that his sorrow for sin have been sufficient; that it hath shew'd him his lost condition; turned him from all refuges but Jesus Christ; made him willing to give as well as to take; willing that he be Christs, as Christ his. Sorrow for sin that hath not these effects, is not sufficient.
Many sinners look on sin through false Glasses: as 1. They measure sin by their own phansies, and so look upon it as a dead Serpent without a sting, or as a painted Lion, and so without fear of danger. Few men see sin with God's curse as it's sting; 1 Cor. 15.56.The strength of sin is the Law. How? As it curses the sinner; as it is Mount Ebal to the sinner.
2. Men commonly judge of sin by God's patience towards sinners, and not by God's word. Because God lets sinners alone at present, and holds his peace; and because sentence is not speedily executed against an evil work; Psal. 50.21.Eccles. 8.11.therefore the heart of man is fully set in them to do evil.
But what saith God, to undeceive such men, in the quoted Psalm? These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self: but I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thee.
God's patience should greaten sin in our eyes, and not lessen it; Rom. 2.4, 5.because sin multiplies under patience. Though God have long patience, yet there will be a day of reckoning betwixt him and the sinner: His transgression is sealed up in a bag; and God sews up his iniquity; Job 14.17.as Job's expressions are. Yea, God himself saith as much Deut. 32.34. Is not this laid up instore with me, and sealed up among my treasure? O then let men judge of sin, not by God's patience, but by his Law. Look on every sin as a debt in God's Book, that must be answered for. Christ would have us so to estimate sin, Matth. 6.12.so that all our sins must be answered for, as having brought us into debt to Gods Law and Justice; and we, or Christ for us, must pay the debt: We cannot; and Christ will not pay any sinners debt, that knows not his debt and his own inability to satisfie it. Christ shed not his blood for presuming sinners. There was no Sacrifice allowed in the Law for sins of presumption.Numb. 15.30.
Therefore it's the safest way for sinners to be Nathans to themselves, to discover their own sins to their souls, to load their prayers with confessions of them, and to give full audience to the Lectures of Conscience that will speak home to the sinner first or last. Sin lies at the door, ready to go into the Conscience when God saith Go.Gen. 4.7.
The Hebrews put sin for its punishment, as Gen. 19.15. Take thy wife and thy daughters, saith the Angel to Lot, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the City, i. e. the punishment of it. Every man's sin will find him out, if he find not out it. Be sure your sin shall find you out, Numb. 32.23. i. e. to confess it, and be humbled for it.
Jesus Christ escaped not the punishment of sin, when he undertook for their sins who came to him; and therefore let not any sinner think to escape the punishment of sin in his Conscience, who cometh not to Christ.
O spare not thine own soul in sorrow for sin, so far as thou findest it thy way to Christ. If remorse of Conscience for sin be not come, it will come: And the sinner may look upon himself within Gunshot, that is at ease, and in peace at present.
Think not that God hath forgotten those sins that thou thy self hast. Thou sinnedst so and so, and thoughtest I was like thy self; Psal. 50.21.but I will set thy sins in order before thee. A man may be questioned by men for a murder done long since; how much more will a sinner be questioned for his sins, he sinned in Adam, so many thousand years ago; and especially for those of his whole life, if he have not sued out his pardon by Christ? Remember, and forget not, Deut. 9.7.how thou provokedst God in the wilderness, from the day that thou didst depart from Aegypt. This was forty years since, yet Israel must remember this, and be humbled for it, or else there is no pardon for it. Men that live in sin, with easie thoughts of pardon, it's just with God to give them up to despair of pardon, when their Conscience comes to sense of their sins.
But yet take heed, when sense of sin and wrath does come, of settling your selves in the valley of Achor; Hos. 2.15.but see it to be a door of hope. God dislikes dispair in sinners, as much as presumption. God would have sinners magnifie his mercy, as well as his justice: He is Almighty to pardon, as well as to revenge. Your sins may be mighty, but not Almighty: But God is Almighty to pardon; Numb. 14.17.Let the power of my Lord be great, saith Moses, to pardon this peoples sin. And the humbled sinner hath this great power of God to pardon sin in promise; Isa. 55.7.Let the wicked forsake his way, and he will abundantly pardon: and may glory in it, as they did Mich. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage; because he delighteth in mercy? And so much for the third and last Doctrine from the fourteenth Verse.