Mercy Magnified, Sermon 21
SERMON XXI.
THus much for the ſeaſon; now let us conſider the manner of the Fathers carriage to his Son, according as it is deſcribed: 1. By the cauſe of it. 2. By the effect, or carriage it ſelf. 1. The cauſe of it, he ſaw and had compaſſion. 2. The effect; He ran, &c.
1. To begin with the cauſe; his ſeeing his Son, and having compaſſion on him, do not decipher two acts, but only one. God chuſeth miſerable man to be a ſubject of his mercy, and makes his miſery an occaſion of diſcovering it; but mans miſery is not the impulſive cauſe, but Gods mercy: the meaning of the expreſſion is, that he looked upon him with a compaſſionate eye, when lying in his miſery, and his own pity moved him to do as he did. Divine Attributes, the declarative glory whereof God deſigns in the World, have a ſubject in which they are pleaſed to diſcover themſelves: but this ſubject doth not move them, but they incline themſelves to the ſubject. The word [Had compaſſion] comes from a root that ſignifies bowels, and the Engliſh of it is, his bowels did earn; and the bowels being the ſeat of the affections, eſpecially of pity, Hence the word is uſed to expreſs great and active pitty. Thence,
DOCT. The compaſſion of God is the only moving cauſe prompting him to ſhew favour to a poor periſhing ſinner.
In the former Doctrine, we heard that Grace prevents; here we ſee what grace it is that firſt moves, viz. The fathers compaſſion, when once this begins to ſet it ſelf on work, he can ſit ſtill no longer, but riſeth, runs, &c. Here conſider, 1. What the compaſſion is. 2. The evidence and reaſon of the Doctrine.
1. What is the compaſſion of God which leads him to ſhew favour to a ſinner?
Anſw. Compaſſion, when it is attributed to men, or reaſonable creatures, is a compound affection, made up of love and grief, and admits of this deſcription: It is an affection ſtirring up the ſoul to be grieved, at the diſcovery of ſome miſerable object, and moving of him to endeavour its ſuccour or relief. Affections are the feet of the ſoul, and prime mover of the will of man; hence they are moved with reaſon either true or apprehended, and lead unto actions ſuitable to that motion: now though God be in himſelf foreign, not capable of being moved with any outward object; and unchangeable in his will; and hence never more propenſe to any thing at one time, than at another, but performes all things according to the everlaſting counſel of his will which is unalterable: Yet, ſpeaking of himſelf after the manner of man, he aſſumes affections, as love, hatred, joy, compaſſion, &c. And that becauſe in operibus ad extra, or in the works of providence there are ſuch manifeſt fruits, as are wont in men to proceed from ſuch affections: ſo that we may ſee ſomething reſembling this deſcription, in the preſent caſe; obſerve then.
1. The object of compaſſion is a miſerable thing: A creature brought into diſtreſs, groaning under his miſery, and ſtanding in need of his ſuccour: Such an one is the ſinner: he is one famiſhing, and ready to dy; he is the forlorn creature, a miſerable wretch, going without hope to the pit; an helpleſs creature, whom no created being can relieve and rid of his miſery, he is both poor and periſhing, as we before heard.
2. The affections which go into compaſſion are two,
1. Grief; whereby the mind is moved and troubled at the creatures miſery: the ſight of it oppreſſeth the heart, when he ſees it; he cannot tell how to bear the ſight of it; hence alſo often proceed ſighs and tears of pity over the object. Thus God alſo (ſpeaking in our dialect) ſeeing poor Sinners in their miſery, expreſſeth himſelf like one whoſe heart is ready to burſt, Hoſ. 11. 8. How ſhall I give thee up? how ſhall I deliver thee? my heart is turned; my repentings are kindled. And after like manner, Jer. 31. 20. in this grief alſo we are wont to be troubled at our ſelves if we have done any thing to bring the creature into ſuch a miſerable condition, and hence we relent, and repent; and ſo God alſo ſpeaks of himſelf, in the forecited, Hoſ. 10. 8.
2. Love; for without love there can be no compaſſion: hatred is inexorable; it rejoyceth and triumpheth in the miſery of its enemy; and the more miſerable it ſees him, the more it can rejoyce in it: but compaſſion argues good will: hence God uſeth ſuch expreſſions concerning Ephraim, Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleaſant Child? &c.
3. The natural operation of this affection in us, is to ſtir us up to do what we can for the ſuccour of the perſon thus in miſery. If we do indeed throughly pity the condition of one that is in ſorrow, we cannot ſit ſtill: this affection will hale men to action, they will certainly afford the beſt help they can: thus God by vertue of this compaſſion of his, ſuccours, ſaves, delivers the Sinner, frees him from miſery, reſtoreth him to a better ſtate, this affection ſets him on work, Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him; I will ſurely have mercy upon him.
2. In the clearing up of the Doctrine, conſider 1. That God is a God of compaſſion. 2. That this is the moving cauſe of all the mercy which he ſhews to a Sinner.
1 That God is a God of Compaſſion appears:
1. Becauſe it belongs to his Attributes, Exod. 34. 6, 7. merciful and gracious, forgiving iniquity, and tranſgreſſion and ſin. Hence his People aſcribe this title to him, Pſal. 86. 15. But thou oh Lord art a God full of compaſſion.
2. Becauſe his works declare him to be ſo: his works of providence towards his viſible Covenant people evince it, Pſal. 78. 37. But he being full of compaſſion forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not. His works of ſpecial favour towards his Elect, in pardoning their Sins, and accepting of them to be his Children, do more notably confirm it.
2. That this is the moving cauſe of al… the mercy which he ſhews to a ſinner, will appear.
1. From the nature of God: He is the firſt mover to his own actions, and cannot poſſibly be moved by any thing out of himſelf: Hence man's pity and God's, differ in reſpect of the the moving cauſe: Man hath ſuch an affection habitually, but it lyes ſtill till an object excite it; but God is otherwiſe, it moves it ſelf: That which moves in us, hath the reſpect of a cauſe, and that which is a cauſe is in nature before the effect, but the good will of God to man, whence all his compaſſion flowes, was from Eternity, Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlaſting love, therefore in loving kindneſs have I called thee.
2. God renders this is a reaſon of all his mercy towards his Creatures: When he ſpeaks of pitying and relieving them, he reduceth it to our good-wil, and mercyful nature, Jer. 3. 12, 13. Hoſ. 11. 9. Rom. 9. 15. Pſal. 78. 38.
3. Becauſe there is nothing in the Creature can be rendred as a ſufficient moving cauſe of his compaſſion towards it.
1. Not the Creatures miſery in it ſelf, For,
1. The ſinners miſery is not a fortuitous thing, or befalling an innocent perſon, but it is the juſt penalty of his ſin, inflicted by God himſelf, and that according to the equity of an holy and juſt Law, Lam. 3. 39. A man for the puniſhment of his ſin.
2. Then muſt God be equally moved to compaſſion to all ſinners, who are alike miſerable, and alike need ſuccour; and then why are not all ſaved? That compaſſion which ſaves one, could as well ſave another, but there are but ſome ſharers in this ſaving compaſſion, others ſuffer his rigour, Rom. 11. 7. The Elect obtained it, the reſt were blinded.
2. Not their legal convictions, and tenors, and confeſſions and ſoftly walkings &c, i. e. No preparatory work: For, 1. The Son was for all them a great way off, when his Father pittied him. 2. There are that Call, and God will not hear, that ſeek him early, and ſhall not find him, Prov. 1: 28:
3. Not legal Repentance and Reformation, turning from many ſinful practiſes, and doing many things: For theſe are nothing but ſin: Eſau repented and wept, but it profited him not, Heb. 12: 17: Herod's reformation engaged not God to him. In ſumm, God's compaſſion is according to his will, and that is abſolutely free, nor to be regenerated by the creature, Rom: 9: 16, with 18:
4. Becauſe God's deſign in the Salvation of a ſinner is the manifeſtation of his Grace; which grace diſcovers it ſelf in ſhewing him compaſſion. Now this grace of God hath deſcribed its ſubjects from eternity; and therein diſtinguiſhing Grace is made to appear, when it falls upon a ſubject that hath nothing in it to engage him, nor could of it ſelf do any thing in the leaſt to move him.
USE 1. Here we ſee how far the name and term of merit is a ſtranger from Goſpel language; and what care we ought to take that we do not entertain any thoughts of it. God is no debter to his creatures except voluntarily: as it was free to him to make them, ſo alſo to aſſign them their end and uſe: and it is certain that he deſigned or appointed no creature to any uſe, but withal compleatly furniſhed it for that end; and if, through its own default, that be loſt, it can claim no reſtitution at Gods hands: hence let no man think that his miſery ſhould be a ſufficient ground to engage Gods mercy to him; no nor his acknowledgment of his ſin and miſery neither: for if we ſtand at the tribunal of Juſtice (unto which merit is properly reckoned) it doth not deſerve pardon for a delinquent to fall down at the Judges feet, confeſs his fault, and beg that it may be paſt by, and not imputed to him: if the Law condemns him, and he ſtands guilty before the Bar, it is only a free pardon that can acquit him. Now though an humane Judge may be moved by the ſubmiſs and lamentable expreſſions of a juſtly condemned perſon; yet God is capable of no ſuch impreſſions; but if he intends a ſoul good, he puts this very frame into him, and then accepts him in this way, though not for this carriage: but in all this there is not any room or occaſion to ſpeak of merit.
USE 2. Learn hence alſo not to be diſcouraged from going to God in the ſenſe of your own miſery: Though you are altogether unworthy, and have nothing of your own to plead with him, which deſerves to impetrate his mercy, yet you ſee here that his own compaſſion leads him to be merciful, and that the object which it hath choſen to expreſs it ſelf unto, is miſerable ſinners, ſuch as are every way miſerable; helpleſs and hopeleſs creatures: And if thou knoweſt, findeſt, and feeleſt thy ſelf to be ſuch an one, there is no reaſon to be diſcouraged; thou art one of ſuch whom God hath choſen to expreſs his compaſſion upon; and he who knows thy condition, if he will, can have mercy on thee: Such as are helpleſs, he is ready to help, Iſa. 63. 5.
USE, 3. It may be a ground of wonderful encouragement to poor ſinners to go to God, and to wait upon him for mercy: to conſider that God is a God of compaſſion, and that this compaſſion is the originial of all the good which the creature receives.
1. To conſider that he is a God of compaſſion: We have heard, ſay they, That the Kings of Iſrael are merciful Kings. He is a God that delights to exalt and magnifie himſelf by thoſe titles of Merciful, Gracious, Compaſſionate, &c. His bowels ſtir towards, and he pitties dying ſinners, and therefore he comes to their Graves and bids them live. The commendation of a pitiful and a compasſionate nature in a prince, wilbring in rebels apace, to come and throw themſelves upon his mercy, & ſue for a pardon; who if they knew him to be pityleſs and inexorable, would run utmoſt adventures, as thoſe that know they can but dy, and can hope for no better by ſubmiſſion.
2. To conſider that this compaſſion is the root and ſpring of the mercy he ſhews: Hence we may ſilence all upriſing of heart, and diſcouraging temptations, and be animated to break through all. I can do nothing; but if I could, it would but obſcure his compaſſion. Be encouraged, Satan preſents God in arms againſt us, & tells us we muſt appeaſe him with ſacrifices of obedience, but God accepts of no ſacrifice but that of Chriſt; he looks that his mercy alone ſhould be ſought unto; learn then to make heaven ring with thy cries; ask mercy, put God in mind of theſe Attributes, which he hath commended himſelf in, to the Children of men, Exod. 34. 6, 7. put that into every prayer to encourage thy hope, Pſal. 86. 5. Thou art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. And Dan. 9. 9. To thee Lord our God belong mercies, and forgiveneſs.
USE, 4. For Exhortation to Believers: This truth tells you what is the work you have to do all your lives; viz. To adore, admire and magnifie God's compasſion, thoſe wonderful bowels of mercy that have appeared in your delivery out of all that miſery, into which Sin had caſt you: This is the great ſubject which ſhould take up the thoughts and words of the Saints, Grace, Grace; it ſhould be the voice with which the Temple ſhould reſound. Think therefore often with yourſelves, where you once were, what was your former condition, who it was that transformed you, when it was that he looked upon, and had regard to you; what miſerable ſinners you were, and how near to the pit of eternal deſtruction. Follow this compasſion up to the beginnings of its actings towards you; think not that it only met you as you were returning, but call to mind, that it came to your dungeon and lifted you out thence; that it followed you into your far Country and fetcht you from among the ſwine, or elſe you had ſtill been there, and periſhed for ever.