Mercy Magnified, Sermon 27
SERMON XXVII.
Verſ. 28.
And he was angry and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
Verſ. 29.
And he anſwering ſaid to his father, Lo thoſe many years I do ſerve thee, neither at any time tranſgreſſed I thy commandment, & yet thou never gaveſt me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.
Verſ. 30.
But as ſoon as this thy ſon was come, which had devoured thy living with harlots, thou haſt killed for him the fatted calf.
IT follows now to conſider the offence it ſelf, and that which we have here principally to take notice of, is the plea which his ſon uſeth to juſtifie his anger. In particular we may obſerve. 1. Wherein he diſcovered his anger, he would not go in. 2: His fathers meekneſs and condeſcendency to him, he went out and entreated him. 3. His reſolute refuſal, grounded upon a pretended plea of juſt offence, where he chargeth his father for a double partiality; 1. In neglecting of him; and not rewarding of his faithful ſervice, wherein he accuſeth him of great unkindneſs, verſ. 29. 2. In ſhewing ſuch extraordinary favour to his younger brother, who deſerved ill at his hands; hence, 1. He reviſeth his former wicked carriage. 2. Adds his fathers kind entertainment to it, to make it look odious, verſ. 30. as if his father had by this approved of his prodigality; he therefore takes no notice of his repentance and return. Hence,
DOCT. 1. It is the Hypocrites own fault that he doth not partake with the People of God in their joyes.
The father did not ſhut the elder ſon out, but he would not come in; yea, though his father entreated him he ſtill refuſed.
Object. But he was not invited, how then ſhould he come?
Anſ. But if he had had an ingenious and brotherly ſpirit, he might have come when he heard of it: The word tacitly inſinuate that the ſervant did entreat him, but he would not hear him. But to give a cloſer deciſion of the caſe; unregenerate men are not, and yet they are invited: There is not the inward, ſpiritual, powerful invitation which compels them, and by particular application of grace draws them: But there is a general, doctrinal, conditional invitation preſented to all where the Goſpel comes, in which God by his Servants ſpeaks ſeriouſly, pleads earneſtly, expoſtulates induſtriouſly, waits patiently, as one that is willing and deſirous that they ſhould come in; this is the invitation which they reject: and of ſuch it is that our Saviour uſeth thoſe expreſſions, Joh. 3. 29. Men chuſe darkneſs. Chap. 5. 20. Ye will not come unto me. Rom. 10. 2. All day long have I ſtretched forth my hand, unto a diſobedient and gainſaying People.
Reaſ. Becauſe they refuſe to come up to the terms upon which they are invited. God bids all come, but he tells them how he expects they ſhould come; but theſe terms are hard, and they cannot bear them: Men will not leave their farms and merchandize, they will not part with their darling luſts, they will not ſuffer loſs of their own righteouſneſs; the company doth not pleaſe them, the Saints ere the People they hate: The eldeſt ſon its like would have come in, if his father would have turned his brother out of the doors: Men, inſtead of embracing the Goſpel, pick quarrels with it, they will not come at all unleſs they may come in their own ſtrength, bring their righteouſneſs with them, &c. Rom. 10. 3.
USE, Hence how inexcuſable will wicked men be, and without any Apology, when they ſhall be condemned to everlaſting ſeparation from the Saints and their joy? Time was when they might if they would, but they would not; they ſcorned the communion of the Saints here, and ſhall be juſtly denied it for ever: Then ſhall they remember the time when they were ſtriven with, pleaded withal, earneſtly entreated to be reconciled to God, but they ſcornfully refuſed, or pleaded impotency, and becauſe they could not come of themſelves, they would not let Chriſt help them, but kept off by unbelief: And if men thus deſpiſe the feaſt of the Goſpel, and will not part with their luſts, vanities, carnal confidences, that they may feaſt it with Chriſt and his People, can they charge unjuſt dealing, or undue ſeverity upon the maſter of the feaſt, if he ſwear againſt them that they ſhall never taſt of his Supper? Is not the law of retaliation juſt? Prov. 1. 2. &c. Beware then how you deſpiſe, or envy, or find fault with the diſpenſations of the Goſpel unto a wilful excluſion of your ſelves; it will be bitterneſs in the latter end.
DOCT. 2. It is the diſpoſition of falſe and hypocritical Profeſſors to be finding fault with God's diſpenſations of providence.
The fathers dealings ſeem very irregular and unrighteous to his eldeſt ſon: This was the frame of that ſelf-cheating people, Iſa. 58. 2. They think God doth them wrong: thus it was with Cain, he counted himſelf injured, becauſe his brother was accepted before him; yea, it was too common a thing among the Jews to ſay, God's wayes are not equal, Ezek. 18. 25.—29: &c.
Reaſ. 1. Negatively; not becauſe God doth any wrong, for he who is the judge of the whole earth cannot but do that which is right, though he often acts ſoveraignly, yet he never acts injuriouſly: he will plead his cauſe and vindicate it one day, to the ſilencing of all thoſe who now ſeek to impute injuſtice to him.
Poſitively: The ground of it is,
Reaſ. 2. Becauſe Hypocrites judge of things only by outward appearance, and that cannot be righteous Judgement: the cauſes of Gods providence are many times obſcure, but never irregular: He that looks upon the outward face of things may be amazed, but he that beholds that an al wiſe hand of God doth all, will ſuſpend, his Judgement, and wait till the time when all things ſhall be made clear.
2. Becauſe of their ignorance of the ways of God: they are above them, and they cannot ſee into them: Ignorance and a good opinion of themſelves, meeting together, is the reaſon of all the miſ-judging of carnal men: Through ſelf conceit they argue thus, that becauſe they cannot ſee the reaſon, therefore there is none; as if we were bound to confeſs that the ſun ſhineth not, becauſe a blind man ſees it not: Wiſdom is too high for a fool, therefore he condemneth it of folly.
USE, 2. It may teach us that if we would eſcape the juſt cenſure of being hypocrites, we labour to have reverend thoughts of all God's wayes: Though you cannot alwayes diſcern the depth of them, yet be not raſh in cenſuring then: condemn not the things you know not, but rather admire them; and when you cannot give a reaſon of this or that providence, remember you are men, and then you need not to wonder at it: When many parts of Divine wiſdom are too high for you, and with the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 72. you are pained within you, with ſearching into them, then ſatisfie your ſelves in this, that it is God that ſits at helm, and he is good, and cannot do ought but good.
DOCT. 3. Legaliſts look upon their own works to be meritorious, and think God unjust if he do not reward them eminently.
The Son is angry that his faithful ſervice is not rewarded ſo much as with a kid: The Jews thought their faſtings ill laid out, Iſa. 58. begin. If they do not proſper, and all things go as their hearts can wiſh, legal ſpirited men think themſelves abuſed.
Reaſ. Becauſe ſuch as rely upon their own works and doings, though they may have taken up an Evangelical profeſſion, and have gotten the name of Chriſt in their mouths as a word of courſe; yet they were never truly broken off from themſelves; they never ſaw the emptineſs of their own righteouſneſs, nor underſtood what unprofitable ſervants they are, when they have done all: There is a root of pride remaining in all unconverted men, they are not humbled as they ought to be: As long as a man thinks his doings to be of ſo much worth, he will conſequently count himſelf injured, if they be not rewarded according to his expectation.
USE, 1. Here we ſee the very root and and ground of all our repinings, and murmurings at the providences of God which do befall us; it proceeds from a legal ſpirit: It is becauſe we ſet up our counters for gold, and rate our poor ſorry doings beyond their deſert: and particularly many grumble and complain that they have no fatted calf; i. e. feaſting and joy, though they labour hard, and live conſcientiouſly, yet they ſpend all their time in the dark, have not the proviſion and entertainment which others have. It is true, a Believer may walk in darkneſs, and want light; but to envy others theirs, and to find fault with God that they themſelves enjoy it not, and though they have waited long for it, yet it comes not, hath too much of a legal ſpirit in it.
USE, 2. It may teach us, that if we would juſtifie God in all his dealings to our ſelves and to others, we muſt learn to deſpiſe, and ſee the emptineſs, and nothingneſs of all our own performances: They that had laboured all day, are angry that loyterers, and idle perſons, that came in but at the eleventh hour, had their penny too as well as they; they judged their work worth ſomething: Whereas an humble ſoul that counts his own righteouſneſs rags, and polluted, that acknowledgeth free grace to preſide …n all the diſpenſations of Divine favours; he will adore that grace which appears to others, and patiently wait on God for the like favour, not repining that it comes not yet, but counting and confeſſing it an high favour if ever it comes.
DOCT. 4. A man may live a long while in Christs viſible family, and alſo in a careful outward attendance to duty, and yet never be made to partake in his ſpecial love and favour.
Never be feaſted with his ſpecial ſpiritual grace, never have a kid killed for him to feaſt it with his friends: The hypocrite never taſts one crumb of the Childrens bread,
Reaſ. 1. From their incapacity; they are not in a ſtate and condition to be feaſted: joys and feaſts are for the living, and not for the dead; whereas theſe men are not alive: they are painted ſepulchres, but full of dead mens bones, they are really dead, though ſeemingly alive.
Reaſ. 2. Becauſe the diſpenſation of God's ſpecial love and favour are not Legal, but Evangelical diſpenſations. God doth nothing for any of Adam's ſinful progeny for the ſake of their righteouſneſs, but only of his free grace as long therefore as men boaſt of their doings they may do all their lives long, and God n… whit regard ſo as to accept of them: the proud Phariſee is not juſtified.
USE, 1. To teach us that when man hath done his utmoſt, ſtill grace is free, and not owing to him: The father had not been unkind, much leſs injurious to his ſon, though he ſerved him, and he killed no kid for him: God ows not converſion, nor the benefits that come by it to our endeavours.
USE, 2. Hence wonder not if many Profeſſors in the viſible Church are lifeleſs, and ſapleſs, hold no ſpiritual communion with Jeſus Chriſt: It is not to be wondred at, if we conſider how great difference and diſtance there is between being a ſon in the viſible family, and a ſon received into ſpecial grace, and favour with his father.
USE, 3. It may alſo teach us to beware that we rely not upon our ſelves and our duties, but to renounce all, and fly to the Grace of God in Chriſt, that is the only way to come by, and be partakers in ſpecial and ſoul refreſhing grace.
DOCT. 5. Wicked men delight in aſperſing the People of God with their former, follies.
How eloquent is the elder ſon in rehearſing the wickedneſs of his brother? but not a word of his repentance. They love to remember what the Saints were, not what they are; if in their youth they have been vain, profuſe, prodigal, this ſhall never be forgotten; but their reformation, deep ſorrow, and ſincere repentance ſhall never be taken notice of; they are like Scaribees that live upon dung hils, and ſuck nothing but corruption, like flyes that live upon ſores: And this they do,
1. In enmity againſt the grace of God: The eldeſt ſon doth it to caſt a blemiſh upon his fathers kindneſs, as if he therefore favoured ſuch wickedneſs: When one objected againſt Beza, ſome wanton youthful Poems, he ſaid, Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Dei.
2. To juſtifie themſelves, they hope by this means to gain the better reputation, they that have no real goodneſs of their own, think to ſhine by compariſon: I am not as this Publican.
USE, To teach thoſe that are the People of God to avoid this frame of ſpirit: Conſider not what the People of God were, but what they are; if they have been Prodigals, yet if now they are Converts, acknowledge the grace of God, and magnifie it: If God hath blotted his ſins out of his book of remembrance, do not you record them: Remember, if you your ſelves have not been ſuch in your outward converſation, you had as bad hearts, and it was only reſtraining grace that did prevert you, elſe your like natures had appeared in as bad actions: Be ſure conſider alwayes that it is the grace of God by which you are what you are; be not envious at them, but labour to ſtrengthen your faith by their example: Think how glorious a God you ſerve, that is able to paſs by and pardon ſuch ſins; truſt him the more, love him the better, rely on him with the greater confidence.
DOCT. 6. God's converting grace many times meets the profane Prodigal in his Career and turns him, when it paſſeth by the moral and legal Profeſſor.
God finds the Prodigal in his far Country; his eldeſt brother is at home, and yet paſt by. In our Saviours time there were more Publicans converted than Scribes and Phariſees; afterwards the Heathen Gentiles came flocking in upon the preaching of the Goſpel by the Apoſtles, whiles the Jews obſtinately refuſed it: So true is that of our Saviour, Luk. 13. 28, 29, 30. Mat. 21. 31, 32. The Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdome of God before you, &c.
Reaſ. 1. From the deep intereſt of ſelf in a legal Profeſſor: The profane perſons ſins are almoſt convincible; whereas the other thinks his righteouſneſs to be of great worth, and is not eaſily perſwaded of the unprofitableneſs of it, Rom. 9. 31, 32.
Reaſ. From the wiſdom of God, to make his free grace thus the more manifeſt, The more profuſe any have been, the more viſible and obſervable is that grace which is made to appear to be in them: The Phyſitian gets no credit by adminiſtring to one that thinks himſelf well already; the more deſperate the diſeaſe is apprehended, the more eminent is the cure acknowledged to be, Luk. 5. 31.
USE, 1. To awaken carnal Profeſſors; you may eaſily be cheated: Why are you no more concerned with the awakening means which you enjoy? you think your ſelves to be whole and ſound, and theſe warnings are for the vain and profane; beware! you may be loſt, when thoſe whom you deſpiſe may be ſaved.
USE, 2. To adviſe us not to deſpair of, but to pray for the worſt ſinners: God both knows how to magnifie his mercy upon them, and not only ſo, but is often pleaſed to ſingle out theſe to make illuſtrious monuments of his ſaving grace, deſpair not then of them, but pray hard for them, that they may be converted, and believe.
USE, 3. To encourage any that have been grievous ſinners againſt God; deſpair not, ſuch are often choſen to be the ſubjects of grace, and if God hath awakened and humbled you, hope in his mercy; he knows how to get him a name in your Salvation.