Mercy Magnified, Sermon 26
SERMON XXVI.
Verſ. 25.
Now his elder Son was in the field, and as he came out and drew nigh unto the houſe, he heard muſick and dancing.
Verſ. 26.
And he called one of the ſervants, and asked him what theſe things meant.
Verſ. 27.
And he ſaid unto him, thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted Calf, becauſe he hath received him ſafe and ſound.
Verſ. 28.
And he was angry.—
THe third part of the Parable hath been ſpoken to, and therein I have have given an account of the main matter intended in the this diſcourſe; viz. To make diſcovery of the wretchedneſs and unworthineſs of a ſinner, the riches of the grace of God in his Converſion, the nature alſo and quality of converting grace. I ſhall very briefly paſs over this fourth and laſt part; in which we have deſcribed the carriage of the elder ſon; by whom, we obſerved in the beginning, our Saviour aims at the ſcribes and Phariſees, whoſe murmuring at his familiarizing of himſelf with Publicans and ſinners, gave occaſion to this and the foregoing Parable: He is called the Elder, becauſe theſe men looked upon themſelves as the proper heirs and inheriters of the Promiſes; took themſelves to be the only men of merit, and thought that all favour ſhewn to Publicans was miſapplyed.
In this part of the Parable there are two parts. 1. The offence which this ſon took at his father's carriage to his younger brother, verſ. 25. to 31. 2. The Father's vindicating the righteouſneſs and equity of the carriage, verſ, 31, 32.
1. In the offenſe we may obſerve, 1. The ground of it, viz. The information given him of his brothers entertainment, partly by his ears, confuſed, verſ. 25. and partly by information upon enquiry, verſ. 26, 27. further illuſtrated by the place where he was, when all this was done, verſ. 25. 2. The offence it ſelf deſcribed, 1. Poſitively, verſ. 28. 2. In its aggravations, verſ. 28, 29, 30. where he juſtifieth himſelf againſt his father's entreaties, condemns his brother, and accuſeth his father of ingratitude, if not injuſtice. I ſhall give you ſome brief hints from theſe ſeveral paſſages.
1. We may take notice where this Elder ſon was, when all this was done, viz. in the field, about his buſineſs, following his vocation, hard at work: Hence,
DOCT. 1. Outward careful attendance upon the viſible ſervice of God, is no ſure ſign of a ſincere Christian.
The eldeſt ſon was in the field, and where could he have been better? He was getting mony, while the other was ſpending it. The Scribes & Phariſees were great ſticklers in the law and outward worſhip of God: hear how he boaſts of himſelf, Luk. 18. 11. and yet all this may be where there is no ſincerity; ſee, Mat. 5. 20. A man may do abundance and be a ſtranger to ſaving grace.
Reaſ. 1. Becauſe a man may do all this upon falſe and unſound principles, for,
1. There may be bodily ſervice where there is not the heart, Ezek. 33. 31. It is the cenſure which our Saviour paſſed upon the Phariſees of his time, applying the ſaying of the Prophet to them, Mat. 15. 7, 8. and declared it to be vain ſervice, verſ. 9. Hence that, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exerciſe profiteth little.
2. Men may do all this for outward credit and applauſe: When Religion is in faſhion, there are many that court it meerly for faſhion ſake, many love to be as the times are; Many are very Religious only in complement, to be talked of, commended, &c. This fault alſo our Saviour found in the Phariſees, and chargeth hypocriſie on them for it, Mat. 6. 1, and 5.
3. Men may do a great deal becauſe they hope to be ſaved for their doing: As there is in all men a reaching deſire after happineſs, ſo there is alſo a natural pride, they are willing to be their own ſaviours, in queſt of which men will take much pains; and when they apprehend life to be had by doing, they will do much: this alſo was another ground of, and defect in the doings of theſe Phariſees, Mat. 6. 7. Rom. 9. 31, 32.
USE, 1. Here ſee the Reaſon why ſome that have in their time been great Profeſſors, and careful, do afterwards degenerate, and grow licentious: for if all that ſo profeſs are not ſincere, do not act from a ſound principle, no wonder if they decline: If the ſeed that hath no rooting, though it grow a while, and out-grow many, do at laſt dy, wither, decay, we are not to wonder, nor ought this any way to diſcourage thoſe that are ſinners.
USE, 2. Let it counſel us, to have a care that we do not ground our confidence in this, that we do more than others: think not our ſelves better, or ſurer meerly for this: Though God will not reprove you for your ſacrifices, yet he may for your hypocriſie, and ſo you may weary him with your vain oblations, Iſa. 1. 13. Remember there is no Juſtification legal, by the work we do.
DOCT. 2. The Hypocrite is not acquainted with, nor invited to the ſolemnization of the great joy which is at the converſion of a ſinner.
Whiles this joyful entertainments is provided for and afforded to this younger ſon, his elder brother is in the field, the father doth not ſend and call him in unto it: This is not without its ſpiritual meaning; hypocrites may ſeemingly do a great deal, but ſtill they are ſtrangers to, and have no ſhare in the joy of true Believers, Prov. 14. 10.
Reaſ. Becauſe he is a meer ſtranger to that which is the cauſe of his joy, viz. converting grace; he doth not know what it is, what is the worth and excellency of it, nor what are thoſe grounds of ſpiritual joy which proceed from it: theſe are ſpiritual things, and therefore a natural man cannot receive them, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The hypocrite is truely unregenerate, and hence he moves in an inferiour orb, and can no more know what the joyes of a Believer are, than a beaſt can underſtand the nature and advantages of a life of reaſon: he is in the fleſh, but theſe are not fleſhly joyes.
USE, 1. This may ſhew us the true reaſon why hypocritical men are ſo little affected with the converſion of a ſinner to God: when the report of it comes to them, it may be they are angry and envious, however they are not ſtirred up by it to praiſe God for them, to congratulate with them their happineſs, and partake in their joyes: Alas, they were not invited, they do not ſee nor know what it is to have been dead, and be alive, to be reſtored from ſpiritual death, to be brought home to God, of a Prodigal to be made a ſon.
USE, 2. Here we alſo ſee a reaſon why unconverted men wonder when they hear the People of God ſpeak of their joyes and comforts; whereas they look upon them as ſorrowful and miſerable men, and think them mad to pleaſe themſelves with phantaſms and dreams; whereas their own blindneſs and ignorance is the cauſe of their admiration. Foelix thinks Paul is diſtracted, whereas he himſelf is diſtempered; Hence let not the People of God judge themſelves by, or think worſe of themſelves for worldly mens opinion concerning them.
USE, 3. If Hypocrites may not feaſt it with the People of God here, much leſs ſhal they do it in the Kingdom of Glory: If they may not partake with them in the feaſt of Tabernacles, much leſs in their conſummation: How miſerable a thing then is it to be a profeſſor and no more? to hew wood and draw water with the Gibeonites? to do the drudgery of the Law, but not to partake of the joyes of the Goſpel? a legal life is a life of much buſineſs, but of no comfort; there are many terrours which may oppreſs the conſcience for defaults, and much labour in ſtriving to attain an unattainable legal perfection; but no true joyes, which can only flow from the ſenſe of God's love and pardon in Jeſus Chriſt; beware than of Hypocriſie.
2. We may obſerve the ground of the offenſe, viz. The information he had of his brothers kind entertainment: this he gueſſeth at by the noiſe he heard of joy, but waits for further information, which he receives by one of the ſervants, who readily informs him of it, and fully acquaints him with the occaſion.
The action of this ſervant, is exemplary; it tells us thus much;
Obſerv. That in our relation of matters of fact, we ſhould do it with all fidelity and candor, to make the beſt of things and not the worſt; The ſervant both tells what his maſter had done, and gives a good reaſon for it, that one would think might have been convincing, however it is otherwiſe taken. It is very certain that a ſtory may be true, and yet ſo told as may be advantageous or prejudicial to him whom it concerns. Doeg, for all that we read, ſpake true of Ahimelech, but in ſuch manner as was pernicious, and carried a ly in it, and is therefore called a lying tongue, Pſal. 52. begin. Which may give us warning to beware how we repreſent matters in our relation of them: have a care therefore of a ſpirit of detraction, elſe its certain the moſt ſpotleſs actions of the moſt innocent perſons, may be laid open to the malice and ſpite of men: and the rather avoid it, becauſe it is a diſeaſe the times labour of. There is ſomething alſo commendable and imitable in the action of the eldeſt ſon; he enquires before he determines, he doth not preſently conclude, from what he hears, but ſeeks to be certified in the truth; which if it were more practiſed amongſt Chriſtians, would prevent many unjuſt cenſures which are, by over credulity, paſt upon the innocent. But I eſpecially intend to take notice of the ground it ſelf of his offenſe, whence obſerve this,
DOCT. 3. It is the guiſe and Character of an hypocrite, that he is offended and angry at the grace of God, manifested to thoſe whom he converts and takes into favour.
They cannot bear that God ſhould ſhew any love to repenting Prodigals: The elder brother is angry that his father ſhould make a feaſt for his returning ſon: The comforts and conſolations of a Penitent are his great eyeſores: The Scribs and Phariſees could not bear that Chriſt ſhould converſe with Publicans and ſinners,: Hence the more they obſerve of God's love to any, the more they hate and abhorr them. This was Cain's ſin, and for this very cauſe he murdered his innocent brother, becauſe God had more reſpect to his ſacrifice, than to Cain's: this is the ground of perſecution, and their proſecuting them with all malice, and ſtudying by all means to do them injury: they are the joyes of the People of God that theſe men cannot bear.
I ſhall give the evidence of the Doctrine in two things.
1. The natural enmity of the wicked againſt the Godly, makes them to grieve at all their proſperity which they partake in; Wicked men are of the evil one; who, next to God himſelf, hates his Children; and as there is war betwixt Chriſt and the Devil, ſo alſo there is oppoſition betwixt their ſeed: There is a ſpirit of envy in the nature of fallen man, Jam 4. 5. It hath for its objects perſons and things: The perſons whom it moſt expreſſeth it ſelf againſt are the People of God, becauſe they are not of them, Joh. 15. 19. And the things are, all their proſperity ſo far as they apprehend it: Sorrow and miſery is not envied, at that they can rejoyce, and ſay, Aha! ſo would we have it: But their proſperity, the ſingular favours of God, their comfort, their hopes, their profeſſed aſſurance; theſe they cannot bear, and hence they are ſpitefully enraged, and gnaſh their teeth, Pſal. 112. 8. 9, 10.
2. Where this ſpirit is found ruling in a profeſſor, it is a certain note of an Hypocrite. I know there is no ſin but hath its motions in a Believer, but it doth not there reign; but where it ſo doth, let a mans profeſſion be what it will, it proves it vain and diſſembling: and the reaſon is plain, becauſe it contradicts this property of a Believers grace, which is to rejoyce both in the glory of God, and in our neighbours good; both of which are herein ſo eminently manifeſted, that if there be any grace ſtirring, it will be raiſed by it: God moſt prizeth the glory of his grace, which that more appears, the more vile and unworthy the ſubject hath been: And the joy of Converſion is the realeſt and beſt joy that a ſoul can have, that of glory differs from it but in degree; and he that envyes God's Glory, and his neighbours good, he breakes the whole Law at once.
USE, 1. Here we ſee a Reaſon why the faithful People of God meet with ſo much oppoſition, in the world, not only from the profeſſed enemies of Godlineſs, but alſo from many pretenders to it; they cannot bear the proſperity of the righteous, the more God favours them, the more they envy them; alas, all are not Iſrael that are of Iſrael: There are many that profeſs God, and yet hate godlineſs; and then no wonder if they cannot endure that God ſhould bleſs the Godly: they therefore perſecute them, and do all they can to diſturb them in their quiet and tranquility: Let not theſe things amuſe us, bet let it ſatisfie us if God love us, though men hate us: if God give us joy in himſelf, peace in our conſciences, though others ſeek to trouble us, be not diſcontent, nor let us ſeek mens favour but God's; yea, let that alwayes be our prayer, Pſal. 109. 28. Though they curſe, do thou bleſs.
USE, 2. For Examination; here we have one Rule for the tryal of our ſincerity, i. e. How are we affected when we ſee and hear, that this or that poor Prodigal that was lying in ſin, and had diſhonoured God, is converted and brought home, and made partake in his grace, and rich benefits? Do we truely rejoyce with them, and bleſs God for them? or do we envy them, and grow angry that any thing ſhould be done for them? do we hate them, and the more becauſe we think God loves them? this is a dangerous note of hypocriſie: and truly if men would ſearch their own hearts, they might find too much of this ſpirit: Gods people are hated for their liberties, priviledges, their communion with God, and acquaintance with him: Men pretend other reaſons, but this is the true reaſon: But let me expoſtulate with ſuch ſpirits, as God did with Cain: If you do well, if you alſo are converted, there is enough for you, God can fill all ſouls with joy, there can be nothing wanting; if you are not converted, you have more need to mourn than envy: The fault is your own, not theirs, do as they have done, return and humble your ſelves before God, and you may fare as they do.
USE, 3. To Exhort Believers to ſhew a ſpirit contrary to the envious ſpirit of wicked men: do you therefore pray for, and by all means in your compaſs, endeavour the Converſion of Prodigals, long and travel for the regeneration of ſinners; and when you ſee it, rejoyce in it, and glorifie God for it; ſo ſhall you approve your ſelves to be the People of God, and not only ſo, but you ſhall alſo ſhare in their joy, and it ſhall be a complement of your happineſs to be fellow commoners with them, in the bleſſed things which God prepared for thoſe that love him.