Mercy Magnified, Sermon 19
SERMON XIX.
Verſ. 20. begin.
And he aroſe and came to his Father.
VVE have conſidered the Prodigal's deliberation: In theſe words we ſee him putting it in execution: where it is to be obſerved that his practice correſponds to his purpoſe. He reſolved to leave his far Country, and return to his Fathers houſe; and ſo he did: Such alſo is the practice of every true penitent. True Repentance begins at the heart, but it ends in the life: It reſts not in thoughts and purpoſes, but proceeds to practice, Hence,
DOCT. True Repentance is practical Repentance.
In the work of Converſion, there are not only deliberate purpoſes but real acts. In order of nature, there muſt be firſt reſolving before doing; yet where true grace is, when men are reſolved, they will do. Although the will be the firſt mover, yet it is not the ſole mover, it reſts not in Elicite, but proceeds to Imperate acts. Of the nature of riſing and going, I have before ſpoken, that which we have now to enquire into, is the inſeparable connexion between grace in the heart, and grace in the life. We ſaw before the Prodigal's reſolution was gracious, and the Reaſon given was, becauſe it was the root and ſpring of practice; it was the beginning of the work in the ſuperiour faculties, which was to influence the whole man: And the ſincerity of it herein diſcovers it ſelf, becauſe, as he ſaid, ſo he did, as he reſolved, ſo he acted. It gives us a note of difference between falſe and true Repentance: Here then we may conſider. 1. The evidence of the truth of the Doctrine. 2. What is this practice of Repentance?
1. For the evidence of the truth of the Doctrine, take theſe Concluſions.
1. There may be ſome kind of deliberations and purpoſes in the heart of a ſinner that is unconverted, about repenting and returning to God. Every purpoſe is not an evidence of ſincerity. A man held under the ſting and laſhes of an awakened accuſing Conſcience, may be made to vomit up his morſels, and (in a fright) to make forced promiſes of leaving off his ſinful wayes; and upon the hearing of the Goſpel, may reſolve (as John's Generation of Vipers) te flee from the wrath to come: diſtreſſed Conſciences are often hurried to it, raſhly to throw themſelves upon ſuch reſolutions: and ſome viſible practiſe, and that violent for the while.
2. That which diſcovers the falſhood of theſe reſolutions is, that they are very ſhort-lived; they ſoon expire: many of them do not live long enough to make any viſible ſhew in practice, but die in the womb; many a ſick man in horror, promiſeth Reformation, if God will ſpare him: but he recovers not ſo faſt as his reſolutions decay and die. Others that have had a more forcible impulſe, do a little ſeemingly, but are like the ſtony ground, Mat. 13. they are often too violent to be permanent, and by this diſcover, that they are acted by external force, and not an inward principle.
3. The whole man is gone away from God by ſin, and therefore the whole muſt return by repentance, Not only the heart is defiled, but the life is polluted; not the inward man alone, but the outward too is gone away from God, and muſt return to him: now true Repentance is not a partial, but a whole turning: we ow God the whole man, Soul, Body and Spirit, 1 Theſſ. 5. 23.
4. The declarative glory of God is the great thing which all our doings ſhould aim at. In Converſion therefore, we are not only to praiſe him, but to ſhew forth his praiſe; and how is this done, but in life Repentance? God only ſees the heart, men obſerve and judge of our lives.
5. The Will, being commandreſs over the whole man, is not only to reſolve for it ſelf, but for the whole man. Purpoſing or reſolving is properly an act of the will, but it is for the whole, it being repreſentative of all, and being able to indent for all: thus the young man promiſeth for himſelf, I will ariſe, true purpoſes are an obligation laid on the whole man for the performance of them.
6. Hence, if the Will be indeed ſincere in purpoſing, practice will follow. This is unqueſtionable to him who knows what power it hath in man. You ſhall find in Scripture, that impenitence, or unconverſion is charged here, Ezek. 33. 11. Joh. 5. 40. Pſal. 81. 12. and why? but becauſe where the Will leads the whole man naturally and neceſſarily follows, at leaſt in true and real endeavours. A Believer may indeed fail in the manner of performance, when his Will is intenſe: but yet, where purpoſes have been taken, and promiſes made of Repentance, and not put forth in endeavour, but men ſit ſtill where they were, thoſe promiſes were made with a deceitful heart, Iſai. 44. 90. and this hinders thorough repentance, Pſal. 78. 37. their heart was not right: where the heart is truly given to God, ſuch an one will not ſit ſtill, but be up and doing.
2. What is the practiſe of Repentance which is requiſite?
Anſ. It is a ſpeedy, conſtant, and induſtrious endeavour in the mortifying of Sin, and quickening of Grace, by the help of Gods Holy Spirit. When the Spirit of God hath wrought the habits of Grace in the heart, he alwayes adds the bringing of them forth into act, which is their end and uſe: He that works the Will, works the Deed too, Phil. 2. 13. ſo that the Soul no ſooner is furniſhed for its work, but it ſets about it: when Chriſt raiſed any, or healed them, they roſe and walked: ſo that practical Repentance is nothing elſe but improvement of Grace.
1. The buſineſs of this Grace, or that about which it is converſant, is the mortifying of Sin, and quickening of Grace: riſing out of Sin, is a rejecting, relinquiſhing, caſting it off, which is done in mortification. Sin claims the power of a Prince in a natural man, commands him, Reigns over him, Rom. 6. 12. It muſt therefore be vanquiſhed, its dominion caſt off, by ſuch as riſe out of it: Sin ſo dwells in us, that it is no more left than it is mortified: returning to God, is an exciting of Grace, a quickening of it, it is an exerting of faith in him, and love to him, in theſe Repentance conſiſts, Rom. 6. 11.
2. That which is to be done in this buſineſs, is,
1. To be uſing all means to ſtrengthen hatred of Sin: the more we hate Sin, the more we are gone from it; he whoſe heart moſt abhors it is gotten furtheſt off from it: Hence, there is an uſing ſuch helps as may make it loathſome: which are a viewing the evil nature of it as diſcovered in the Word of God, viz. its pollution, its contrariety to God, the wrong it doth the Soul: and alſo the croſs of Chriſt, on which we ſhould crucifie the World and its Luſts, Gal. 6. 14.
2. To be by all wayes engaging our hearts to God, to love and fear him; and hence to get more and more perſwaded of his goodneſs, of the riches of Grace in Chriſt, of the great happineſs of thoſe whom he admits into favour with himſelf: the better we are acquainted with, and perſwaded of God, the more intenſe will be the actings of our Grace, Pſal. 9. 10.
3. The qualities of this act are theſe three,
1. It is a ſpeedy work: if repentance be begun in the heart, it cannot reſt there, but preſently breaks forth, Pſal. 39. 3. the young man no ſooner purpoſed, but he practiſed, his reſolutions were no ſooner ſealed, but he falls upon them; the Soul that is throughly perſwaded, ſees ſo much reaſon, and feels ſuch urgent neceſſity; Sin is made ſo bitter, and God repreſented ſo deſireable, and his preſent ſtate ſo dangerous, that he cannot be at reſt till the thing be done.
2. It is a conſtant work: the practice of Repentance is not a tranſient but a permanent act: he that begins right in the work of Repentance, holds on all his life: Paul quickens his Coloſſians to the work of Mortification after a long ſtanding in Chriſt, Col. 3. 5. there is Sin in Believers all their life, and ſo much Sin, ſo much diſtance from God; they had need then to be turning all their dayes. The true Chriſtian is in his way, travelling out of his far Countrey, and he cannot ſit ſtill till he be gotten to Heaven.
3. It is an induſtrious work: when a thing is difficult, he that is in good earneſt will take pains: it is not light skirmiſhes, but a warfare that muſt accompliſh this buſineſs: his life therefore is an agony, be attends on the word with diligence, prayes with all importunity, as one that is oppreſſed, Iſai. 38. 14. ſets a ſtrict watch over his heart and life, looks to his wayes, flies from temptations, endeavours that every ſtep of his life may be a ſtep farther from ſin, and nearer to God, and in this race he runs as faſt as he can.
4. The fruit of all is, Sin dies, and Grace grows daily; I mean in the progreſs of his Chriſtian courſe: he hates Sin more, loves God more, gets more ſtrength againſt temptation, and more agility in Gods ſervice; thus he renews his ſtrength, mounts up with wings as Eagles, runs and is not weary, walks and doth not faint, Iſa. 40. ult.
USE 1. For Information:
1. Here ſee how vain it is for men to reſt in empty and impracticable purpoſes of repenting and returning unto God, as if therefore their ſtate were good. True Repentance indeed begins at the Will, but it is as certain that if it be true, it reſts not there but proceeds farther, and the whole man will be exerciſed in it; if the heart be really turned to God, that man is right; but then his life will be changed too.
This Doctrine doth not blame men for reſolving and promiſing, but for doing no more, for ſitting ſtill and thinking they have done ſufficient: beware then of reſting here: ask your hearts on what grounds they purpoſed, & if good, why then do they not perform them? Heaven will not. be won with a few empty wiſhes, and faint promiſes; but there muſt be wreſtling, ſtriving, overcoming: the Son promiſed his Father to go and work in the Vineyard, but went not, and what did that promiſe come to? God will not be ſo mocked.
2. It plainly condemns ſuch as have relinquiſhed or abandoned their reſolutions: they promiſed Repentance, & practiſe impenitence: how many in affliction have engaged to God, to leave off their vain courſes, and no longer follow fooliſh things, they would ariſe and return to God, and if he would give opportunity they would make it appear; but after a little while they get the maſtery over their convictions, ſtill their Conſciences lick their wounds whole; now are their reſolutions buried, their promiſes forgotten, their old wayes pleaſe them again, and ſo the Dog returns to his vomit. Let ſuch conſider,
1. God takes notice of, and keeps a record by him of all thoſe purpoſes and promiſes and will one day call you to an account for them.
2. This is the way to be more hardened in Sin, and make your converſion the more hopeleſs; this is to quench the Spirit, and provoke him to ſtrive no more.
3. It will be a ſad remembrance in the bottomleſs pit, to think, how near you once were to Heaven, and yet thus thruſt your ſelves away from it.
USE 2. For Exhortation: to ſuch as are diſtreſſed under the weight of oppreſſing evil… and have taken up purpoſes, and made promiſes of ariſing and going to God; would you have the comfort of them, follow them with ſerious practiſe. For motive, conſider;
1. Elſe they will come to nothing; they will prove but the Fools Dream, and Sluggards Wiſh: God will one day ſay to you, why did you not do as you thought? why did you ſtand ſtill, or go backward?
2. Theſe reſolutions are the ſuggeſtions of the Spirit of God, calling you to your duty, and if you neglect them, you quench the Spirit, and ſo provoke him to forſake you.
3. Theſe are reſolutions not to be neglected or repented of: they are the beſt purpoſes that ever you made in your lives; they have a right object before them, and there lies a neceſſity on you, if you will ever do well to practiſe them: For 1. Something muſt be done, or elſe you periſh: there is no lying ſtill where you are, where there is nothing but Famine and miſery. 2. If you return to your old wayes and courſes, it is but to act over your old miſeries: the World will never be better than a deſolate Wilderneſs; if you go to it, you do but return to Famine and deſtruction. 3. Jeſus Chriſt, and no other, can ſave you; and he is willing to ſave you, and is grieved to ſee you halting ſo long between two Opinions, faintly reſolving, and dubiouſly promiſing: he waits to ſee you do at laſt as you have often ſaid. For Help,
1. Beware of Delays: men ſay they will, but when? Satan is politick, our hearts are deceitful, and theſe ſeek to while off the work, and make us believe it is enough to promiſe now, and practiſe at leaſure: riſe and go while your reſolutions are hot, they will elſe cool by degrees, till they have no heat nor motion in them.
2. Enter not upon debates about the buſineſs; Satan will plead, Fleſh and Blood will reaſon; you can no way more gratifie your Enemy than to enter a review, and bring the matter into queſtion and deliberation agen: thus they not only gain time, which may be an irreparable loſs, but have alſo many advantages to break off and diſanull the thoughts of your hearts.
3. Entertain not diſcouragements from going to Chriſt: Satan will ſay, your Sins are too great and many, or your time is paſt, or it is a deſperate venture, being uncertain whether you ſhall find entertainment: and many the like ſtumbling blocks he will throw in your way: But fortifie your reſolutions.
1. By conſidering your own neceſſity: that one thought is enough to ſtop the mouth of every Objection, I muſt go or die.
2. By ſeriouſly pondering the Goſpel encouragements: doth not Chriſt bid thee come? hath he not ſaid, thoſe that do come he will not caſt off? he is the fountain of living waters, hath enough to ſatisfie the hungry ſoul: mercy is above our unworthineſs, as high as the heavens above the earth; he can and will abundantly pardon, what needs more? If then thou haſt thoughts to return to God, fix theſe thoughts, and riſe, and do ſo; if thou ſit ſtill, faint, or give back, all is loſt, and thou art more miſerable than ever: but if thou riſe and return, this will evidence the truth of thy reſolutions; and thou ſhalt find all kind welcom, and ſoulſatisfying entertainment with God; which is the next thing that follows.