Mercy Magnified, Sermon 6
SERMON VI.
Verſ. 14.
And when he had ſpent all, there aroſe a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
IN the younger Son's departure from his Father, there were two things propoſed as obſervable. 1. His folly. 2. His miſery. Hitherto we have been conſidering the former of theſe, the words read bring us to the latter. hence
It follows to conſider of the miſery which enſued upon this folly: As it is deſcribed, verſ. …4, 15, 16. The ſpiritual entendment of this part of the Parable, is to ſhew us to what miſerable exigencies God brings a ſinner, and what diſtreſſing difficulties he reduceth him unto in order to his recovery and return to the true way of bleſſedneſs: As alſo to diſcover the miſerable ſhifts that poor ſinners will make to re…reſs their miſery, before they will think of ſeeking the grace of God: theſe things will more fully appear in the proſecution.
This miſery of the Prodigal is deſcribed by three things. 1. By the leading cauſe or occaſions of it, with an awful effect: verſ. 14. …. The ſordid courſe which he took for the re…ieving of himſelf in his diſtreſſed condition, verſ. 15. 3. The utter failing of all relief and ſupply, even the pooreſt of all, verſ. 16. of theſe in order.
1. The leading cauſes or occaſions of it, &c. verſ. 14. 1. The cauſes or occaſions here mentioned are two. 1. The firſt is from himſelf, or his former prodigality, when he had ſpent all. 2. The other is from the place which he was then in, there aroſe a mighty famine in that land. 2. The effect of this noted in the verſ. is, the diſtreſs which he was now brought to, He began to be in want. His miſery began from himſelf, his own riot had waſted his ſubſtance, and now all was gone. It was a ſad alteration which befel this poor young man, a few dayes ago he was ſwaggering and ſpending with th… beſt, his Coffers full, and he ſcattered it by handfuls, but now nothing remains, all is gone and that not by ſome unfore-ſeen inevitable providence (there had then been ſome room to have pittied and excuſed him) but by his own improvidence; he had lived to be his own Executor, He had ſpent all. The Word in the Text ſignifies to conſume a thing, not in a way of prudent and frugal expenſe, but in fooliſh prodigality. That poor man is the blameable cauſe of his own miſery; though it be a plain concluſion from the words, yet, having hinted at it before, I paſs it over here. The main thing I would now take notice of in the words is, that his own ſtock failed him, all his portion came to nothing. Hence.
DOCT. All that which natural or unregenerate men place their confidence in, will fail, and leave them ſhort of Salvation.
Let men have never ſo much of Gods common favours, without ſaving grace all will come to nothing in the end: Man may make a flouriſhing ſhew with theſe things for a while but they will not laſt: There are things which the Scripture tells us periſh with the uſing; ſuch are all the common gifts of God. For clearing this truth, obſerve.
1. That is properly ſaid to be ſpent which is laid out unprofitably. What men lay out for advantage, is not ſpent but improved; but that which brings in nothing again, is not only expended but miſpended: The Scripture expreſſeth it by labouring for the Eaſt-Wind, by laying out mony, for that which is not bread, by labouring in vain, &c. For a man to give his Gold or Silver, in exchange for Cockles, Pearls for Pebbles, Subſtance for Shadows, this is that which is deſervedly accounted ſpending.
2. Nothing is profitably laid out, but what is expended for Salvation: This is the only ſaving purchaſe that any of the Children of men can trade for: A part in Chriſt is the only Riches, a Crown of Glory is the only honour, a place in the Paradice of God is the only pleaſure which is worthy a Man's laying out of coſt and care for; and other purchaſes are empty, and will be found loſs, Eccl. 1. 3. What profit hath a man of all the labour which he hath taken under the Sun?
3. Though all mankind are (in ſome ſenſe) trading for Salvation or Happineſs, yet the greateſt number are there trading for it where it is not to be found; they are ſeeking the living among the dead; they are ſeeking heaven in hell, happineſs among an heap of miſeries: One man's wealth is his God, anothers pleaſures are his felicity, another climbs the Pinacles of honour to ſeek for the ſeat of happineſs: Nature leads men no higher than ſomething under the Sun, and therefore ſuch as ſee no higher muſt of neceſſity ſpend their time, their wit, their eſtate, their all.
4. The beſt improvement that nature can make of Gods common favours, cannot bring them to find and enjoy bleſſedneſs: Let men uſe them never ſo frugally, and prudently, according to the meaſures which they take of prudence, and frugallity, yet they will fall ſhort. Nature could never by its own ſtrength arrive at ſaving grace, nor by the outward help of all the common bleſſings of God: A man may have health, ſtrength, underſtanding, ordinances, many advantages, but let him make his beſt of them, all will fall ſhort: It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, Rom. 9. 16: theſe all are either but nature which is in a man, or but external things which he enjoyeth, and man cannot climb up to Heaven on the rounds of ſuch a Ladder.
5. Hence when the natural man hath done his utmoſt, and taken the greateſt pains in laying out his time, ſtrength and eſtate, he loſeth his ſoul: Nay, it is very certain, that though a man be never ſo proud and confident in thoſe many bleſſings God which he hath conferred upon him, yet ſooner or later, he ſhall have a through and ſenſible conviction of his poverty; that he hath nothing which is ſaving, that he hath waſted and miſſimproved that which he had to unprofitable miſpenſe Job. 27. 8.
USE, 1. Here we ſee what a poor Portion unregenerate men have, and therefore what little cauſe have they of pride, or the people of God of envy. God gives his enemies a great deal, but alas, what is it? Poor periſhing ſtuff, ſpending, waſting ſubſtance, not indeed worthy of that name: Think of this you that are proud of your wits, your wealth, your honour, your priviledges; what it is that you pride your ſelves in? or what will you do when all is ſpent? and ſuch is the miſerable exit of all that you are boaſting your ſelves of: you now flouriſh and ſpread your ſelves, ere it be long all will be gone, and no where to be found, Pſal. 37. 37, 38. There are thouſands of caſualties to which the object of your truſt is daily expoſed, you are ſure of nothing; nay, there needs no more but your ſelves and your own folly to ſpend it: You may for a while carry before you a breadth in the world, and bleſs your ſelves in what you have, but it will not be long ere your mouths ſhall put upon you the name and title of fools, Prov. 5. 11, 12, 13. Your wit will not direct you to happineſs, your wealth will not purchaſe you honour and glory; if not before, yet certainly in a dying hour they will all leave you, and then your naked ſoul paſſeth into eternity with nothing to live upon for ever: But if God intend your ſouls good, you ſhall, before that time, have your eyes opened to ſee that all this is nothing: your dependence upon theſe things ſhall be broken, and your hopes vaniſh: Lift not then up the born on high, nor ſpeak with a ſtiff neck. And you that are the Saints of God, be not envious; go with the Pſalmiſt into the Temple, ſee their end, and then ſhall you find all that, which your miſtake hath called happineſs and proſperity, to be nothing better than painted miſery; yea, woful infelicity. Little reaſon hath that man to make his brags, of the love of God, that hath no better an argument to ground his title upon. It had been well for ſome men if their Portion in this world had been leſs, ſome hopes there would then have been, that they would have been perſwaded to have ſought a durable portion in another.
USE, 2. Let it teach us all not to content our ſelves with any thing but ſaving Grace. Be not ſatisfied with no more but a Portion of outward favours; it is a great miſery to think we have enough when we have nothing elſe: Let us not be well pleaſed to ſit down with things that will not laſt or hold out: Remember thou art an everlaſting creature, and muſt endure for ever, and what good can a periſhing portion do thee for eternity? Think with your ſelves, what will all theſe things avail me, which will not laſt out thoſe infinite ages in which I muſt have a being, and without a Portion, muſt needs be miſerable? It is our Saviours advice to think of this when we are about laying up our treaſures, Mat. 6. 20, 21. All Gods common gifts and favours are lyable to the moth and ruſt and thief; the preſent enjoyment of theſe things is ſo far from being an happineſs, that it will be an aggravating circumſtance of our miſery when they are gone, that once we had them, when we ſhal have nothing left of all, but the ſorrowful remembrance: Learn therefore Luther's reſolute prayer, Lord, I will not be put off with theſe things. Remember the worlds wiſe men with their wiſdom go to hell, wicked men will ere long be ſtript naked; let this put you upon it, to ſeek for your ſelves a Portion which endureth for ever.
USE, 3. For encouragement and comfort to the People of God; I mean ſuch as have gotten a part in ſaving Grace, you may want, or be ſcanted in all outward bleſſings, you may have but a little of worldly wiſdom, a little Eſtate here, little favour among men, but be not diſcouraged with theſe things; have you ſaving Grace? you have the better Portion, and therefore better, becauſe it ſhall never be taken away; this is durable riches; the hypocrites ſhall periſh, but yours ſhall endure: All the wit, good nature, moral righteouſneſs, ſpecious profeſſion, vain hopes and confidences of ungodly men ſhal all periſh; they live now jovially upon them, but all will ſhortly be ſpent, and then where are they? or what ſhal they do? but your Grace, though little, ſhal not waſt but increaſe, your hope, though languid, ſhal endure; ſaving Grace ſhal never go to decay; you ſhal live by your faith here in this world in deſpite of all adverſity and temptations, and this faith ſhal never leave you, till having accompanied you in death, and waited upon you to eternity, it hath brought you to the poſſeſion of the Kingdom of Glory. That man is a rich man indeed, that hath believed in Chriſt; he is rich in poſſeſſion, he ſhal never want; and he is infinitely rich in reverſion, for Jehovah is his portion, and all the glories of Heaven are his heritage: bleſs God then for his grace; if wicked men owe God thanks for a ſpending portion, how much more do you owe him of gratitude for that which endures unto eternal life?
2. The other cauſe of his miſery, was from the place that he was in; there aroſe a mighty famine in that land. Here are three circumſtances, obſervable which made his miſery exceeding great. 1. The time when the famine came, it was in conjuction with his poverty, when he had ſpent all. 2. The meaſure of the famine; a mighty famine. The word ſignifies ſtrong, powerful, prevailing: It was far greater than ordinary. 3. The place where it was, in that land: which was in a far Country, where he was a ſtranger, at a great diſtance from his Father and Friends. Hence,
DOCT. The World then moſt of all deceives and fails, when men have the moſt need of help.
If the young man had now had a good Eſtate in his hands, as he ſometimes had, he would not have been ſo pincht with the famine: Rich men uſually rub through, it is the poor that are moſt oppreſt in times of ſcarcity: or if the famine had been more moderate, he might with more eaſe have ſcrambled for ſome ſupply, but when all fails, who ſhould relieve him? or if he had been among his friends and rich kindred, they would have ſo far pittied him, as not to have ſuffered him to ſtarve: but he is poor, and in a far Country, and a famine raging, and now what ſhal become of him?
The famine deciphers to us the deficiency or of ſpiritual ſupplyes, or of Soul-food: Whereas it is ſaid, that then it aroſe, vve muſt take notice that things are many times deſcribed according to appearance, and not reality: This ſpiritual famine was there before, but the young man, as long as he had ſomething of his own, minded it not, but now when all was ſpent he began to feel it: The ſubſtance of this Allegory is, that a diſtreſſed ſinner ſhal find that the world hath no relief for his ſoul; if a man feel anguiſh and miſery coming upon him and go to the world for help, he ſhal find nothing there but want and diſtreſs; all the world cannot eaſe an oppreſſed ſoul. For further Explication, Conſider.
1. The natural man, ſtanding at a great diſtance from God hath no other hope or help to take to in his diſtreſs but the world: This far Country is the place which this ſinner dwels in, and therefore here he muſt look for his ſuccour; he hath by his own grievous folly, put himſelf under the neceſſity, either to find relief from the world, or elſe to periſh; i. e. he knows no other way.
2. Nay, he hath choſen and preferred the friendſhip and preſumed fidelity of the world, rather than to have his dependance upon God, he went himſelf into this far Country; he was not driven to it by neceſſity, but went to it by choice, it was the place of his deſires; he had rather truſt in the uncertain world than a living God; this is a thing ſo natural to fallen man, that Paul is fain to give a ſtrict charge againſt it, 1 Tim. 6. 17.
3. Hence in all his ſtraits and wants he goes to the world, and ſeeks his redreſs there, with hopes to find ſupply: This is deſcribed by mens wandring from mountain to hill: The ſinner concludes that if it be not here to be found, it is no where; he knows of no other content or ſoul-ſatisfaction, but what ariſeth out of the duſt, and is to be gotten by the worlds favour.
4. There is an hour of diſtreſs which the riotous ſinner ſhal bring upon himſelf: It is certain that he ſhal find himſelf at a loſs and undone; conſcience will ſooner or later ſpeak, and tell him that he hath waſted all; hope will in a while fail, carnal confidence will ſhrink up to nothing, and his ſoul be filled with perplexing ſorrows.
5. Now the world in which he truſted will without doubt leave him at a loſs: The Magazene from whence he hoped to fetch his livelihood, will be found empty, the Ciſtern will appear to be broken, and have no water in it; he ſhal be far from finding it able to direct him to true & ſolid comfort, or ſo much as point him to that which can indeed give him life. If a ſinner be periſhing, he muſt needs periſh for all that the world can do to ſave him; here is not one mo…ſel of the Bread of Life to keep a ſoul from Perdition; if he could gain it all, that would not ſave his ſoul, Mat. 16. 26. If he ask for bread, it gives him a ſtone, if a fiſh, a ſcorpion; he may wander from ſea to ſea, ſeeking the bread of life, and find none: Hence the wiſeman, in anſwer to the great queſtion, where good is to be found, or where a man may fill himſelf with ſubſtance, and find content, returns it in the Negative, reſpecting the world and all that is in it, and that becauſe it is empty, vain, and vexatious, in the proof whereof he ſpends a whole Book, viz. that of Eccleſiaſtes. If a man wants eternal life, he may ask every creature for it, but all anſwer no, it is not in me: he that doth for the preſent rely here, and hopes it ſhal be well with him, doth but feed upon aſhes, and cheriſh him ſelf up with falſe expectations. As man cannot find his life in himſelf, ſo neither ſhal he mend himſelf in the world; he goes but from one want to another, from a famine within doors to a famine abroad; if he goes to the world he dyes, and if he reſts in himſelf he dyes; he doth but riſe to fall, he doth but go abroad to meet with that death which was coming home to him.
USE, 1. To teach us the certain neceſſity of the perdition of all thoſe ſouls that have nothing elſe to truſt to in their need, but this world and the vanities of it. What fools are the ſons and daughters of men, that lay out their time, and thoughts, and care to get into the worlds favour, and ſecure to themſelves a refuge here? What will you do when the day of diſtreſs comes upon you? Men think they ſhal inherit ſubſtance, but they purchaſe nothing but famine. The world ſeems full to a carnal mind, he thinks it affords all that heart can wiſh, if he can have this to friend, he fears no want: but the ſoul ſhal to its coſt find that it is empty, void, and waſt. The ſoul of man muſt have ſomething to live upon, or elſe it is undone, this is the great want, and for this want the creature hath no ſupply; whiles it feeds the body the ſoul ſtarves: It is not it ſelf ſoul-food, it cannot be the happineſs of any man, neither can it be the price of the purchaſe of it; earths Mony will not paſs in heavens Exchange; riches profit not in the day of wrath, Prov. 11. 4. What is it then that the Children of Men are doing, whiles they digg deep, and labour hard to build up a fabrick for themſelves with ſuch materials, with which they cannot ward themſelves from wrath, buy themſelves out of the hands of death, nor brible the flames of hell? he that hath laid in nothing elſe to live upon to all eternity but this vaniſhing world, muſt needs famiſh: an… therefore,
USE, 2. Let it be a loud and awakenin… Call to all unregenerate ſinners, if you woul… not ſuffer the utmoſt diſtreſs of the moſt pinc… ing famine, to get away from the world Make haſt out of your natural ſtate, live n… longer in this far Country; your diſtance fro… God is your miſery, return to him and yo… ſhal be happy: You that live jocund and pleſant, you that think all is well, and ſhal be … though you add iniquity to ſin, be perſwade… to take this warning: As much pomp an… ſplendor as you now live in, as ſatisfied as yo… are at preſent, ere it be long a famine will com… a mighty famine, and what will you do then▪ Oh, fly from it before you come to the utmo… diſtreſs: Did Abraham go to Egypt, the Shummite to the Philiſtins, being warned of a temporal famine? Do not you then deſpiſe th… warning, to come out of Egypt and Philiſti… to eſcape a ſpiritual famine: Be aſſured, it will be a ſore and diſtreſſing thing to feel wrath and miſery ſiezing upon you, and have nothing but a vain world to go to; miſerable comforters ſhal you find all theſe things to be▪ they will not afford you one dram of conſolation, nor give one morſel of quiet to your ſouls▪ you may cry and roar in your diſtreſs, but there will be none to help you; God whom you have forſaken, it may be will not, and to be ſure the world in which you have truſted cannot: It will be a complicate miſery to be a bankrupt, and in a far Country, and there to be ſiezed with a mighty famine; now you are called to avoid this: All you want is with God, for though the world be empty, he is full; that can ſupply no ſpiritual neceſſity, he can ſatisfie all; there you muſt needs periſh, here you may be ſaved and ſatisfied: There is bread in Egypt when all other countries have none, but look one upon another, and pine and dy: There is no want with God, there is nothing elſe but want every where elſe: Do but open your eyes, the Lord open them for you; the famine is upon you now though you diſcern it not; ſee and be affected with and fly from it: and let this be your encouragement, that though you have provoked God by going from him, and abuſed his goodneſs, yet, as there is with him enough and to ſpare, ſo upon your penitent return you need not doubt or fear, but to find relief and welcome with him, as will alſo appear in the ſequel of the Parable: Only do you know your miſery, and fly to God in time to get a redreſs of it; ſo ſhal you find in him, all that which is in vain and to no purpoſe you have been ſeeking in an howling wilderneſs, in a famiſhing world.