The Parable of the Prodigal, Part 11

The Parable of the Prodigal · Part 11

p. 233For this my ſon was dead, and is alive again; he was loſt, and is found: And they began to be merry,

Theſe words ſeem to be an Abridgement of the whole Parable of the Prodigal Child. And they comprehend in them, 1. His natural, ſinfull, or unconverted condition; [This my ſon was dead, and was loſt.] A natural man is a dead man, and a loſt man; either of theſe expreſſes a ſad miſery, but both of them conclude him compleatly miſerable. 2. His ſupernatural, changed, or converted condition; [and is alive again, and is found.] No man lives, till he be a converted man. Fuit (ſaid Seneca) non vixit; & ab eo tempore cenſemur, ex quo in Chriſto renaſcimur, ſaith Hierome. 3. The joy, comfort, and delight of that altered condition; [And they began to be merry.] Joy is a drop diſtilled from Grace; the condition is then comfortable, when it is godly. I begin with the firſt part, and there with the loſt eſtate of the Prodigal; where obſerve,

p. 234That every ſinfull or unconverted man is a loſt man. [This my ſon was loſt.] There are two ſorts of ſinners in Scripture, Doct. 1. Every ſinfull unconverted man is a loſt man.who are ſtiled loſt. 1. Finally impenitent: Theſe are irrecoverably loſt; loſt, and never found. Thus Judas was loſt; None of them is loſt, but the ſon of perdition, Joh. 17. 1. And of ſuch the Apoſtle ſpeaks, If our Goſpel be hid, 'tis hid to them that are loſt. 2 Cor. 4. 3. 2. Temporary wanderers; who quantum ad ſtatum preſentem are loſt, but quoad decretum de futuro ſhall be found: To theſe that ſaying ſeems to refer, in Luk. 19. 10. The Son of Man is come to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt. Again, One may be ſaid to be loſt, 1. who is ſtept out of the way: Every ſinning is a ſtraying, and every ſtraying is a kind of loſtneſs; thus even a converted man is many times loſt. I have gone aſtray (ſaith David, Pſal. 119. 170.) like a loſt ſheep. 2. Who is not as yet come into the way: Thus the unconverted man is loſt. Pſal. 58. 3. The wicked are eſtranged from the womb; they go aſtray as ſoon as they be born. And Pſal. 14. 3. They are gone aſide. And Rom. 9. 12. They are all gone out of the way.

Now an unconverted man may be called a loſt man, in eight And may be ſo called in eight reſpects. He hath loſt his God.reſpects. Becauſe, 1. He hath loſt his God: Every man (at the firſt) had God to be his God; but man ſinned, and by ſin every man loſt God: We never loſe our ſelves, but when we loſe our God; and we never loſe our God, but by ſinning. There was one once, who loſt his Kingdome for a draught of Water; and Lyſimachus.we, in Adam, loſt our God for rhe taſte of an Apple. This is a great loſs, to loſe our God. A Child may loſe his Father, and yet live; the Mariner may loſe his Anchor, and yet ſail: But if the World doth loſe the Sun, it loſeth all; But if Man loſeth his God, he loſeth him who is better than All. There are four great loſſes in that one loſs of God: There is a loſs, 1. of the Image of God, that Royal Crown is gone; 2. of the Favour of God, that friendly look is gone; 3. of the Society of God, that ſweet fruition is gone; 4. of the Happineſs of God, that onelyonly life is gone: A Juſt God remains ſtill, and a Mighty God remains ſtill; but the Gracious God is loſt, but the Bleſſed God is loſt.

2. He hath loſt his Paradiſe: Paradiſe was the garden of Loſt his Paradiſe,bleſſings, and of all delights; and ſome conjecture, that all happineſs p. 235conſiſts in delight; but the impenitent, wandring, unconverted ſinner, is …ar from bleſſing or comfort. The child of diſobedience is only an heir of the curſe; Write that man childleſs, ſaid God of Coniah; ſo may it be ſaid of an unconverted ſinner, Write that man comfortleſs. Or as Jeremiah ſaid of Paſhur, Thou ſhalt be called Magor-miſſabib, terrour round about; the ſame may be affirmed of this ſinner, He is exiled from all comfort and bleſſing, there is no peace unto him, no bleſſing; he cannot juſtly expect one crop of mercy, not one good day all his days; the womb is a priſon, the world a ſea, ſin a grave, life a wilderneſs, death an hell, to a wicked man.

3. He hath loſt his ſoul: And what is left when my ſoul is loſt? There are divers kinds of loſſes; ſome Loſſes are Gain Loſt his ſoul.to us, (ſuch was Pauls loſs, Phil. 3.) Some Loſſes are a Pain to us, a little diminution, an excire onelyonly of this or that comfort; ſome loſe Sin, and get Chriſt; ſome loſe Earth, and get Heaven; but no loſs like the loſs of the Soul: Now every unconverted man hath loſt this Jewel, this Soul of his: He hath loſt his Soul, 1. To Satan, who hath the dominion and uſe of it, he rules, and he works mightily in it, and over it; a wicked mans ſoul is the Devils ſlave, he takes it captive at his pleaſure: 2. To a condemning and revenging God; The ſoul that ſins ſhall die; the Leaſe is forfeited; ſin forfeits the ſoul into the hands of a condemning God, and there it is ſtayed for ever, unleſs a price be paid by the bloud of Chriſt to ranſome and recover it.

4. He hath loſt his Excellencies: His Glory is departed. Sinfull Loſt his Excellencies.man doth not know what is become of created man; yea, he hath loſt theſe ſo long, that he knows not whether ever he had any of them, or no; whether he ever had ſuch an eye or Lamp of exquiſite knowledge, whether he ever had ſuch a veſture of righteouſneſs, whether he ever had ſuch a ſtock of ability and ſufficiency for Obedience. As he once could not find Rome in Rome, nor they know Jezabel to have been Jezabel; juſt ſo is it with a poor ſinner. He once was a child of Light, a ſon of Obedience, he was created holy and righteous: But what is become of all his created ſtock? But man dieth, and man giveth up the ghoſt, and where is he? Job 14. 10. So here, man hath ſinned, and man hath loſt all his excellencies, and where is he? Adam, where art thou? ſaid God: A ſad queſtion, Where art thou? An hour p. 236ſince, Adam was Adam; but upon his ſinning, Adam, where is Adam? Where is righteous Adam? Where is Adam, who had power to believe, to love, to obey all my will? Where is he? and where is all this? All is loſt.

5. He hath loſt his way, his way home: Every ſinfull man is Loſt his way.a wandring Meteor, a very Planet on earth; he is gone from the fold, as a ſilly ſheep; he is gone from his Fathers houſe, as a ſilly Child; he is gone out of the right path, like a ſilly Traveller in the Wilderneſs. Sin puts us into a Maze, into a Labyrinth; we go from one ſin to another ſin, out of one by-path into another by-path; and the further we go in ſinfull paths, the more ſtill we go out of the way: But the right path which leads back to our God, O the ſinner hath not an eye to ſee it; and when he hath light to ſee it, yet he hath not an heart to turn unto it, nor feet to walk in it. Rom. 3. 12. They are all gone out of the way; v. 17. The way of peace they have not known. Pſal. 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts, and they have not known my ways. The loſt ſinner hath an erring mind, and an erring heart, and erring affections. There is but one way to come back to God, which is by Chriſt, (I am the way, &c.) but the loſt ſinner knows not Chriſt, nor the way unto Chriſt.

6. He hath loſt his Ability: He who once had power to fall, Loſt his ability.being fallen, hath now no power to riſe any more; a ſelf-deliverance is as impoſſible as a ſelf-creation: It muſt be light which finds that which is loſt, but ſinfull man is darkneſs; it muſt be ſtrength which raiſeth up one who is fallen, but loſt man is leſs than weakneſs. He who loſeth himſelf by ſin, muſt come back again by grace; but the natural man hath no grace, no not a deſire of it, no not a thought of it, no nothing of all of it. What Sin caſts down, Faith muſt ſet up; but the unconverted man doth not, nay, cannot believe; of himſelf he cannot: As all our powers were at firſt in Adams hands, ſo all our powers now are in Chriſts hands.

7. The ſinner is alſo loſt in reſpect of his Title and Plea, and Loſt in reſpect of his liberty.in reſpect of his Liberty and Freedome, ſo that now every ſinner is a very ſlave and bondman. Obj. But how comes man to be How man comes to be loſt.a loſt man? I anſwer, Man came to be a loſt ſinner, Firſt, By Temptation: The Devil loſt his own happineſs, and by his cunning ſeducements, Man loſt his happineſs too. Four things he p. 237By temptation.uſed for this: 1. He raiſed a ſuſpition and jealouſie in our hearts of God; 2. Then a diſlike of our preſent condition; 3. Then an affectation of an higher condition; 4. A falſe perſwaſion of Gods threatning. Secondly, By his own will. And there were (beſides our original Liberty ad utrumlibet) four principal ſins which By his own will.brought us into our Loſtneſs: 1. Pride, 2. Ʋnbelief, 3. Preſumption, 4. Diſcontentment.

Object. But how may a man know that he is as yet in a loſt condition? How a man may know that he is loſt.Sol. This may be reſolved by theſe Queries: 1. Where is thy Home? 2. What is thy way? 3. When didſt thou return? 1. Every loſt man is a man afar off. In longum abiit, he is gone Every loſt man is afar off.far from home, from his Father: When the Prodigal was loſt, where was he then? The Text ſaith, That he was gone into a far Countrey. When the Epheſians were loſt, where were they? Afar off, Epheſ. 2. 17. When the Iſraelites were loſt, where were they? They are gone away far from me, Jer. 2. 5. A natural man is far from God, (take me right,) you can never find God and a wicked man together; his nature is far from God, and his thoughts are far from God, and his affections are far from God: O, he cannot endure the preſence of God, he cannot endure Holineſs, he cannot endure holy Ordinances, nor holy Services, nor holy Admonitions, nor holy Reproofs, nor any holy Communion; the further he is from theſe, the better doth he think his condition to be. A man is never at home till he hath a God, and till he ſtands in Gods preſence, and till he hath communion with his God: But the natural man, &c. 2. Every loſt man is in a falſe way, in Every loſt man is in a falſe way.a by-way; his ways are ſinfull ways: The loſt man, he is out of the common and known Road; he is in the Woods, in the Ditches, in the Deſerts, in the Fields, and he goes from one ſtrange place to another ſtrange place. O man! whileſt thou walkeſt after thy ſins, whileſt thou runneſt from ſin to ſin, whiles thy way and courſe of Life is in the fulfilling and following of thy Luſts, aſſuredly thou art a loſt man. 3. Didſt thou ever yet return to He is loſt who doth not return.God? If not, then as yet thou art in a loſt condition. O conſider this, conſider it ſeriouſly, When didſt thou return? How didſt thou return? Wherein didſt thou return back unto thy God? Is not he loſt, who is ſtill loſing of himſelf? who ſtill goes on in his Wilderneſs? And this thou doeſt; where thou waſt twenty years ago, there thou art ſtill.

p. 238That a loſt ſinner may be found. [This my ſon was loſt, and is found] In Scripture there is a two-fold finding. 1. We are Doct. 2. A loſt ſinner may be found.ſaid to find God: Seek the Lord, while he may be found, Iſa. 55. 6. I found him whom my ſoul loveth, Cant. 3. 4. 2. God is ſaid to find us. Now God finds a ſinner two ways: 1. Judicially, and in wrath, ad evertendum; 2. Graciouſly, and in mercy, ad convertendum. Here three Queſtions offer themſelves to be diſcuſſed.

Queſt. 1. Who is it that finds a loſt ſinner? Sol. The Anſwer Who finds the loſt ſinner? God onelyonly.is eaſie; It is God onelyonly. I will ſeek that which was loſt, Ezek. 34. 16. It was he who found Abraham in Caldea amongſt the Idolaters, and David among the ſheep-folds, and Manaſſes among the thorns and buſhes, and Paul in the way to Damaſcus, and Matthew at the receit of Cuſtome, and the Iſraelites in their bloud, and Mary Magdalene in her uncleanneſs. The ſinner cannot find himſelf; he can loſe himſelf, but he cannot find himſelf; he can wander, but he cannot return of himſelf: Avertere a De…, man can do that; but convertere ad Deum, man cannot do this. Man loves to wander; but to come back, man hath neither will nor power. No man can …ind a loſt ſinner. He may find a loſt ſinner, by way of diſcovery, but he cannot find him by way of recovery; I may diſcover, but not recover; 2. Bewail, but not prevail; 3. give Counſel, but not give Grace: I may ſee one running from God, but I cannot bring him back to God; I may ſee him wandring to Hell, but I cannot ſet his heart to turn back to Heaven; and I may bewail a loſt ſinner, yet I cannot prevail upon a loſt ſinner; and I can give him counſel to come home, but I cannot give him grace to come home: It is God, God onelyonly, who can find a loſt ſinner. Quis ovem perdicam requirere debeat, nonne qui perdidit, quis perdidit? nonne qui habuit? Quis habuit, nonne qui …ecit. So Tertullian appoſitely, He onelyonly that made man, he onelyonly it is who can find the ſinner.

Queſt. 2. How God finds a loſt ſinner? Sol. There are How God …inds a loſt ſinner?ſeven Acts of God, which are converſant about the finding of a loſt ſinner. 1. He is moved with compaſſion towards him; the He is moved with compaſſion towards him.Lord pities ſuch a ſinner: Alas, ſaith God, this poor, ignorant, fooliſh man, is gone from me, the fountain of his life; lo, how his luſts deceive him, how Satan rules him, how he wanders up and down in vanity; he is quite out of the way of his happineſs; p. 239he is running towards hell, but perceives it not; he is undoing and deſtroying his immortal ſoul, but obſerves it not; he knows not whether he goes; he is undone for ever, if I ſtay him not, if I turn him not. 2. He intends good to this particular loſt ſinner. I will ſurely have mercy on him. I have ſeen his ways, He intends good to this loſt ſinner.and will heal him. I know the thoughts that I think towards him, thoughts of good, and not of evil. I will glorifie all my mercy and goodneſs in this very ſinner; I will not ſuffer him to run on thus, I will look after him, I will bring him home to my ſelf, and ſave him. 3. He ſends out after him; one ſervant, and another He ſends out after him.ſervant; one Miniſter, and another Miniſter: Go, ſaith God, to ſuch a Pariſh, and to ſuch a Family, and preach, and make enquiry, Is there not ſuch a miſerable ſinner here? is there not ſuch a loſt man there? one that is gone from his Fathers houſe? one that hath ſpent all in riotous living? Is there never a man here, who hath departed from God, lived without God, run all his life in ſinfull, looſe, baſe courſes of diſobedience, and would now be glad of mercy? This is the general ſeeking of a loſt ſinner. 4. He makes a privy ſearch after him; for (perhaps) He makes a privy ſearch after him.the general Hue and Cry will not find the ſinner, and therefore the Lord makes a privy ſearch: As to find out Achan, there was Tribe ſearched by Tribe, and Family by Family, and Perſon by Perſon; and thus doth the Lord in finding of a loſt ſinner; He comes more diſtinctly, and his Word or Afflictions draw after this ſinner more perſonally; they light at his door, (upon his perſon) and knock, and enquire, Art not thou the man? doth not the loſt ſinner abide here? Art not thou he who haſt lived ignorantly, or pro…anely, and gone aſtray from thy God? 5. He He lights on h…m at length▪lights on him at length: And then the Lord lights on a loſt ſinner, when he actuates and quickens Conſcience in him, which now can be ſilent no longer, but cries out, Lord, here he is; Here is the Swearer, Drunkard, Whoremonger, Sabbath-breaker, &c. And now out comes the loſt ſinner, with a trembling heart, and a guilt-ſmiting ſpirit, Lord, who is it that you look for? do you look after a ſinner, a loſt ſinner? I am the man you look for: Oh I have ſinned, I have wandred, I have been loſt all my Oh I have ſinned, I have wandred, I have been loſt all my days; What ſhall I ſay unto thee, O thou preſerver of men? or what ſhall I do? Oh! if thou takeſt not pity on me, if thou ſheweſt not mercy unto me, I periſh, I die, I am loſt for ever. p. 2406. He deals with this ſinner to return and come back unto him. Hoſ. 14. 1. O Iſrael, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou He deals with him to return.haſt fallen by thine iniquity. And there are four ways which the Lord uſeth to prevail upon a loſt ſinner, to turn back unto him: Four ways.1. By Expoſtulation: What have I been unto thee, or what have I done unto thee, or what iniquity haſt thou found in me, By Expoſtulation.that thou haſt all this while departed from me? Was not I the God that formed thee? the Father that brought thee forth? the Maſter that fed thee, and took care of thee? Was there not goodneſs, and kindneſs, and fulneſs enough in me? why haſt thou dealt thus unkindly with me? 2. By Conviction of his By Conviction.wandring condition, with the baſeneſs and miſerableneſs thereof. Theſe are thy ways, and theſe have been thy doings, and what profit haſt thou by thoſe things whereof thou art or mayeſt be now aſhamed? Why! what haſt thou got by all thy ſinfull wandrings? See how naked thou art of all ſpiritual good, how ſhamefull thy courſe hath been: Is the Wilderneſs a place for a Child? How poor and undone thou art! Thou haſt ſpent all; and if thou continueſt in thy ſinfull ways, thou wilt certainly periſh with hunger: Sin hath been thy loſs; and if thou return not, it w…ll certainly be thy ruine. Return, O loſt Sinner, return, return, why wilt thou die and periſh for ever? 3. By By Propoſitions of Mercy.Propoſitions of Mercy: As S. John ran after that young loſt man of Jeruſalem, crying unto him, Return, my ſon, return; Chriſt will yet accept of thee, Chriſt will yet ſhew thee mercy. So doth the Lord God, when he would bring back a loſt ſinner; Return, ſaith he, and live, return and live. Ezek. 18. 32. Though thou haſt forgot the Duty of a Child, yet I have not put off the Affection of a Father: I am that Father, in whoſe houſe there is bread enough, and to ſpare; Do but come back unto me, and all ſhall be well: Canſt thou live without Bread? canſt thou live without my Mercy? Mercy ſhall be thine, if thou wilt return from thy loſt and ſinfull courſes. 4. By directing him into the way of coming back: As 1. With mournfull confeſſion of his ſins. By directing him into the way of Returning.Hoſ. 14. 2. Take with you words, and return unto the Lord; ſay unto him, Take away iniquity, and receive us graciouſly. 2. With penitential reformation. Iſa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for p. 241he will abundantly pardon. 3. With believing application: Thou muſt go, ſaith God, to my Son; for he is the way and the life, and he came to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt. Seventhly: By laying hold upon him by his Almighty Grace, and putting into him a returning heart.Now, notwithſtanding all this, the loſt ſinner is not perfectly found, and therefore the Lord doth one thing more; he doth with this loſt ſinner, as the ſhepherd did with the loſt ſheep, who took him on his ſhoulders, and brought him home: So the Lord lays hold on this poor loſt ſoul, by his Almighty Spirit of Grace, and puts into him a returning heart, an other heart, and makes him willing and glad to leave his ſinfull wayes, and to return to himſelf, and to implore his reconciled favour and acceptance in Jeſus Chriſt: Which being done, now is the loſt ſinner found indeed; for then, and then onelyonly is a loſt ſinner found, when he, in truth, turns back to God, and enjoys him as his reconciled God in Chriſt. Jer. 3. 22. Return, ye back-ſliding children: Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.

Queſt. 3. Why doth God thus look after and find a loſt ſinner? Why God doth thus find a loſt ſinner?Sol. The Reaſons may be theſe. 1. Although the ſinner be not worth the looking after, yet the ſoul of a ſinner is worth the looking after. The ſinner is the Devils creature, but the ſoul is T…e ſoul is worth the looking after.Gods creature, (The ſoul that I have made, ſaith God, Iſa. 57. 16.) The loſt ſheep was worth the looking after, and ſo was the loſt groat; ſurely then a loſt ſoul is worth the looking after, which is, at leaſt, of as much value as a loſt Groat. Chriſt (ſaith Theophylact on Matth. 18.) was the man who left the Ninety nine ſheep, and lookt after one loſt ſheep; he left the the ſociety of Angels in Heaven, to find one loſt Soul on Earth. O, the Soul of Man is a precious, a valuable Subſtance, made only by God, and fit only to match and converſe with God. 2. As God knows God knows the loſs of a ſoul.the worth of a ſoul, ſo God knows the loſs of a Soul: O Sirs! we make little account of loſing ſouls; but verily no loſs like the loſs of a ſoul: As Chriſt ſpake of the fall of that houſe, The fall thereof was great, that's true of the loſs of a ſoul, the loſs thereof is very great. A man, in the event, loſeth nothing, though he loſeth all the world, if his ſoul be not loſt: But if the ſoul be loſt, all is loſt, all is loſt to an eternity; and therefore the Lord, out of unſpeakable pity, looks after a loſt ſinner. Chriſt hath …aid down a price for ſouls.3. Jeſus Chriſt hath laid down a price for ſome ſouls, and Jeſus p. 242Chriſt ſhall ſee of the travel of his ſoul, he ſhall have his purchaſe to the full value. 4. God will have ſome to magnifie the God will have ſome to magnifie the riches of his Grace.riches of his glorious Grace, and Love, and Kindneſs, and Mercy, yea, and to enjoy eternal Glory with himſelf; therefore he will find ſome loſt ſinners: For no ſinner but a found ſinner, can either glorifie God, or be glorified with him.

The firſt Uſe ſhall be for Examination of our ſelves, Whether Ʋſe 1. Examination. Whether our loſt ſouls be found?our loſt ſouls be found thus of God, or no? I will propound unto you, 1. Some Arguments or Motives to put you upon this Trial. 2. Then the Trials or Characters of a perſon whom God in mercy hath found.

The Arguments which may move us to a ſerious Trial, whether Motives to a ſerious Trial.we be found perſons, or no, are theſe: 1. Every man is loſt, but every man is not found: All are loſt, but few are found; Every man is loſt, but every man is not found.the way of ſin is general, but the way of mercy is ſpecial: Mat. 7. 13. Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to deſtruction, and many there be that go in thereat. v. 14. But ſtrait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and …ew there be that …ind it. You read of a general complaint, They are all gone out of the way; but you read not of a general acclamation, They are all returned into the way. Take the way of finding a loſt ſinner, and bringing him home to God, either 1. by Repentance: Why! the number of ſinners is exceeding large, but the number of repenting ſinners is very ſcant. As he ſaid once of an Army, Here are many Men, but few Souldiers; ſo may it be ſaid in this caſe: Sinners are like the Sands in the ſea, very numerous; but Penitent Sinners are like Pear…s in theſea, very rare and precious. 2. By Faith: All are ſinners, but few, very few are …rue believers: Hiſtorical Faith, though it be a common faith, yet it is not very common; Who hath believed our report? They are the …eweſt part of the world, who do credere Chriſtum, believe that there is a Chriſt; but how few, even of theſe, do credere in Chriſtum, believe in Chriſt? And Men are never found, till Faith be found in them.

2. It is a very bad, and a very ſad condition, not to be found It is a very ſad condition, not to be found.out of, but to be found ſtill in a loſt condition: If it were no more but this, That ſuch a perſon cannot find himſelf under the claſp or compaſs of any ſaving mercy, this were heavy: To be in a D…ſert, and not to know that ever he ſhall come alive out of it; p. 243to be in the Ocean, and not to know that ever he ſhall come ſafe to Land; to be in a ſinfull condition, and not to know whe…her ever Divine Mercy will pull him out of this condition: Yet this is the caſe of a loſt ſinner; he cannot tell whether ever Divine Mercy will look after him, or no; perhaps it will, perhaps it will not.

But beſides this, let's conſider what may find that loſt ſinner, whom Divine Mercy hath not yet effectually and graciouſly found. 1. All external miſeries may ſuddenly …ind him. Adam All external miſeries may ſuddenly find him.run away from God, and what did he find? and Jonah, and what did he find? All loſſes may ſpeedily befal a loſt perſon; Safety is at home, and Dangers abroad: In how many dangers is the loſt ſheep upon the mountains? In how many perils is the loſt man in the wilderneſs? they may become an eaſie prey to all devouring beaſts, and are oft times forced to eat up themſelves to preſerve themſelves. A loſt, impenitent, unconverted ſinner, is ſure of no mercy; and he is naked, and expoſed to all miſery. In the fulneſs of his ſufficiency (ſaith Zophar, Job 20. 22.) he ſhall be in ſtreights, every hand of the wicked ſhall come upon him, v. 23. When he is about to fill his belly, God ſhall caſt the fury of his wrath upon him, and ſhall rain it upon him while he is eating. 2. A guilty and amazing Conſcience may quickly find him; that inward Hell, as one ſpeaks: The A guilty Conſcience may quickly find him.gliſtring Sword cometh out of his Gall, terrours are upon him, Job 20. 25. When Judas had loſt himſelf, how quickly did he find a guilty Conſcience? It is an heavy thing, to be found out by that which, as Bernard ſpeaks, is Bailiff, and Jailor, and Witneſs, and Jury, and Sheriffs, and Judge, and Executioner too. Every man that finds me will kill me, ſaid Cain, Gen 4. 3. And Death may find thee; to which thou wilt ſay, as Ahab to the Prophet, Haſt thou found me, O mine enemy? And Death may find thee.Death may return the Prophets anſwer unto thee, Yea, I have found thee, becauſe thou haſt ſold thy ſe…f to work evil in the ſight of the Lord, 1 Kin. 21. 20. 4. And Gods condemning Gods condemning Judgements will find thee.Judgment will find thee. If thou, O loſt ſinner, be not now found to thy converſion, God will one day find thee to thy ſubverſion; if Mercy finds thee not to come back to God, Juſtice ſhall find thee to caſt thee quite away from God.

p. 2443. It is an unſpeakable joy, if thou canſt find that God hath in mercy …ound thy l…ſt ſoul. O there are many precious mercies It is unſpeakable joy, if God have found thy loſt ſoul. Here is, Reſcuing mercy. Pardoning mercy. Reconciled communion with God.which a found ſoul doth and may find. 1. Reſcuing mercy: He is delivered from Sin and Satan. Is it not a mercy to be freed of a Diſeaſe, of a Priſon? O what then to be delivered from Sin, from Satan! 2. Pardoning mercy. That of the Prophet is certainly verified of thee, in Jer. 50. …0. In thoſe days, and in that time, ſaith the Lord, the iniquity of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſins of Judah, and they ſhall not be found: for I will pardon them, &c. 3. Reconciled communion with thy God: Thou who waſt found in Jail before, mayeſt now be found in thy Fathers houſe; thou who waſt a Vagabond before, art now a Son; God hath accepted of thee, thou haſt found favour in his eyes, and mayeſt find free acceſs unto his preſence▪ Thy ſoul ſhall be found in glory.4. Nay, If God hath found thee in mercy, it will not be long ere that ſoul of thine ſhall be found in Glory.

4. Many men do reckon upon it, that they are found, when yet Many men think themſelves found, who yet are loſt.they remain in a loſt condition. There are three things which diſcover the miſtake of men in this kind. 1. Though they ſay, that they have found out their ſinfull condition, yet ſtill they remain in their ſinfull condition. 2. Though they ſay, that they have found out the true way of life, yet they cannot be found walking in that way of life. 3. Though they ſay that God hath found them, yet you cannot find them to fear this God, nor to love this God, nor to honour and exalt this God; all the marks of Loſtneſs are upon them, ignorance, blindneſs, ſuperſtition, profaneneſs, vile wayes, &c.

But will ſome ſay, How may one know, that God hath found (in How may one know that God hath found his loſt ſoul.converting mercy) his loſt ſoul? This leads me to the ſecond thing, which comprehends the Trials or Characters of a loſt ſoul truly found: And there are Nine infallible Evidences of a loſt perſon graciouſly found.Trials of it.

1. When a loſt ſinner is found by God, he doth then …ind himſelf to He finds himſelf to be utterly loſt.be utterly loſt. Ʋnclean, unclean, ſaid the Leper. Undone, undone, God be mercifull to me a ſinner, ſaid the Publican. In me there dwels no good, I am the greateſt of ſinners, ſaid Paul. God finds us by making us to find our ſelves. There is a vaſt difference twixt 1. A vulgar confeſſion, I am a ſinner, all men are ſinners; 2. An experimental conviction, I am the loſt ſinner, theſe ſins, theſe my p. 245ſins have undone me; I am undone and loſt for ſuch a ſin, and for ſuch a ſin; I periſh, I periſh, if I get not out of this condition; my God is loſt, and my ſoul will be loſt; I am gone from God, I am out of the way of life; if I ſtay here, I die: I periſh for hunger, ſaid the found Prodigal. Thou lookeſt on thy ſelf and ſtate, but how? as ſinfull! well; but doeſt thou look on that thy ſinfull eſtate, as a periſhing, as thy periſhing condition? as a condition, not a day, not an hour, not a moment more to be ſtayed in? Doeſt thou look on it as on the Leak in the Ship, as a ſinking Leak, as a ſplitting Rock, as a ſoul-deſtroying, murthering, ruining condition? The Lord never finds any man, but he finds him and brings him back, ſo as he ſhall acknowledge who hath found him, (even a God,) and what hath found him, (even his mercy;) and this will never be acknowledged, until God makes us firſt to ſee how utterly loſt we were; that the found ſinner may ſay, 'Twas mercy that pitied me, 'twas mercy that looked after me, 'twas mercy that lighted on me, 'twas mercy which dealt with me, wooed me, overcame me, brought me back, ſaved me; meer mercy; for I was utterly loſt, I had periſhed, if mercy had not recovered me, &c.

2. When God finds a loſt ſinner, that ſinner finds himſelf without He finds himſelf without ſtrength to return.all ſtrength to come back to God. Though you find your ſelves to have loſt your God, yet if you can find ſtrength of your own to bring you back unto your God, aſſuredly your loſt ſouls are not found: For (to ſpeak punctually) no man finds himſelf loſt, who as yet can find any thing in himſelf to ſet up himſelf; if I yet poſſeſs ſtrength, I am not yet loſt: But a truly and experimentally loſt ſoul, feels in it ſelf not onelyonly a loſs of God, but alſo of power to come forth, to come back to God; Rom. 5. Without ſtrength. It knows not, by its own light, one foot of the way; and when it is made known, alas, it finds no power to ſtir; nay, if I might have mercy and heaven upon the freeſt terms, but for coming home, I am not able to do it. O how a found loſt ſoul complains! It complains as much of an impotent heart, as of a wandring heart: I cannot come, I cannot turn this wandring heart into the right way; come back to my God I ſhould, but come I cannot; go to Chriſt I ſhould, but go I cannot; if Chriſt doth not come to me, I ſhall never be able to come to him; if he doth not ſeek me, I ſhall never ſeek him; i… he finds not me with ſtrength, I ſhall never find him with comfort and ſafety.

p. 2463. If God hath indeed found thee, Thou wilt, above all He will above all thi…gs deſire to be found in Chriſt.things, deſire to be found in Chriſt. The found ſoul preſently finds a need of Chriſt, Paul, as ſoon as mercy found him, would by no means be found in himſelf, but by all means be found in Chriſt; That I may be found in him, ſaith Paul, Phil. 3. 9. There was a Nobleman (one Elyearius) who was ſuppoſed to be loſt, and his Lady ſent up and down to find him; One at length meets with him, and tels him how ſollicitous his Wife was to find him out; O (anſwered he) commend me to my Wife, and tell her, That if ſhe deſires to find me, ſhe muſt look for me in the heart of Jeſus Chriſt, for there onelyonly am I to be found. And verily, there is no poor ſoul, whom God is finding and bringing home to himſelf, on whom he hath imprinted a true ſenſe of his loſtneſs, but preſently the ſoul cries out, What ſhall I do? what ſhall I do to be ſaved? O that I might have Chriſt! and O that I might be found in Jeſus Chriſt! Remember two things: 1. That the Lord will bring back to himſelf no ſoul, but by Jeſus Chriſt: Chriſt is the ſinners way to the Father; he is the door by which you are admitted: If ever the Lord caſts an eye on thee, or take thee by the hand, it is for his Chriſt's ſake. 2. A loſt ſoul, which is found, finds an abſolute need of Jeſus Chriſt: Nothing out of Chriſt can make peace, can juſtifie, can reconcile, can ſet us ſtraight, can make us accepted. Had I all other things, and had not Chriſt, I were ſtill a loſt perſon: Had I the righteouſneſs of Angels, yet if I had not Chriſt, I were loſt; could I mourn, could I repent, could I pray, could I live holily, could I walk exactly, yet I am loſt; I am ſtill loſt, until I get into Chriſt. I count all things but loſs, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt my Lord. God will look on me as my Judge, he will look on me as his enemy, he will not own me as a Father, as a reconciled Father, but in Chriſt.

4. If thy loſt ſoul be truly found, then Jeſus Chriſt may be Jeſus Chriſt may be found in that loſt ſoul.found in that loſt ſoul of thine. They report of Ignatius, that the Letters of Jeſus were found written in his heart: This I dare affirm, That the Picture of Chriſt, the Graces of Chriſt, the Life of Chriſt, is to be found in every found man. Paul, Lydia, the Jailor, Chriſt was ſought by them, and found in them. It cannot be, that a ſinner ſhould be found, if Chriſt be not to be found in him. Why! if thou be a Chriſtleſs man, who doubts p. 247it, but that thou art a loſt man? Now do not deceive thy ſoul; thou canſt ſay, that Chriſt once was to be found in the Temple, and▪ Chriſt once was to be found on the Croſs, and Chriſt is ſtill to be found at the right hand of his Father; but is there not one place more where thou canſt find him? haſt thou not a heart? Is Chriſt to be found there, I ſay, there, in thy heart? I find him in thy Ear when thou heareſt, and I find him in thy mouth when thou ſpeakeſt, and thou findeſt him in thy mind when thou thinkeſt; but ſtill I ask, Doſt thou find him in thy heart? which loves, which fears, which joys, which delights, which embraceth? O, is Chriſt in thy heart! what? a found man, and nothing of Chriſt to be found in thee! I know not, perhaps wilt thou reply. Why this is ſtrange, that Chriſt ſhould be in thee, and thou never know it! Chriſt dwels in the broken heart, in the believing heart; Chriſt lives in him, who onelyonly lives upon Chriſt. Chriſt was a crucified Chriſt, doth he cru…ifie thy heart? He was a holy Chriſt, doth he purifie thy heart? He was an humble Chriſt, doth he abaſe thy heart? He was a tender Chriſt, doth he mollifie thy heart? He was a ſatisfying Chriſt, doth he pacifie thy heart? He was an obedient Chriſt, doth he command, doth he lead, doth he rule thy heart? He did for thee, canſt thou do for him? He died for thee, canſt thou ſuffer for him? He loved thee, canſt thou delight in him?

5. If the Lord hath graciouſly found thy loſt ſoul, and indeed Then thou wilt find ſufficiency in thy Fathers houſe.brought it home unto himſelf, Then thou wilt …ind ſufficiency, an enough at leaſt, in thy Fathers houſe. There is enough in God, to allure and draw a ſinner home, to keep a ſinner at home that he needs not wander abroad, mercy and pleaſures for evermore: This the Prodigal diſcover'd afar off, even in the birth of his finding; There is bread enough, and to ſpare. God ſeems a poor thing, a mean thing, an inſufficient thing to a loſt man; and therefore he wanders up and down, and ſerves his luſts, and begs from the Creatures to make him out ſome delight, ſome pleaſure, ſome profit, ſome ſubſiſtence, ſome contentment: But God is a rich thing, a Fulneſs; He alone is enough; One God is enough for my one ſoul, if my ſoul indeed be found of him: O, he hath Mercy enough for me to ſave me, Love enough for me to delight me, Pleaſure enough for me to comfort me, Dignity enough for me to advance me, Help enough for me to p. 248preſerve me; Happineſs enough for me, to ſave me. If I want Grace, he is the God of Grace; if I want Peace, he is the God of Peace; if I want Mercies, he is the Father of Mercies; if I want for Earth, the Earth is the Lords; if I would have Heaven, he is the God of my Salvation. Now, friend, what ſay you? hath God found your loſt ſoul? and what hath your ſoul found in your God? What canſt thou ſay of this God, of his Mercy, Love, Entertainment, Communion? With thee the fatherleſs findeth mercy; Thy favour is better than life; It is good for me to draw near unto God; canſt thou ſay thus? is there bread enough for thee in thy Fathers houſe? If ſo, why doeſt thou yet run away? run abroad to Sin for delight, to the Creature for ſatisfaction?

6. If God hath graciouſly found thee, and brought thee out of Thou wilt be afraid to loſe thy ſelf again.thy loſt and wandring condition, Thou wilt be afraid to loſe thy ſelf again, to wander again, to go aſtray again from thy God who hath found thee. There are ſix things which the found and recovered perſon doth apprehend: 1. The great iniquity in his formerly loſt and wandring courſe of life. 2. His great vanity all that while, to forſake his own mercies, to ſow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. What profit had ye in thoſe things whereof ye are now aſhamed? Rom. 6. 3. The great kindneſs and love which God hath manifeſted towards his loſt ſoul, in bringing him back to himſelf, and now to own him as a Father doth a Son▪ 4. The great ingratitude, to diſpleaſe that mercy which was pleaſed to find him. 5. The madneſs of folly, to return to an experimental miſery, and to forfeit ſweet mercy, which he hath liberally taſted ſince he was found. 6. The great hazard, whether mercy will ever look after him any more, who hath ſo preſumptuouſly abuſed mercy received. O no; the found ſinner hath found ſuch freeneſs, fulneſs, ſweetneſs of entertainment; ſuch rich mercy, ſuch free love, ſuch wonderfull kindneſs, that as Peter in another caſe, (it is good for us to be here;) or as the returning Church, (it is beſt being with my firſt Husband;) or as Paul about his being with Chriſt, ſo he about continuing and complying with his God, It is beſt of all. And therefore he cries out againſt all temptations, Shall I return to folly, when God hath ſpoken peace? ſhall I ſin again, ſince Gad hath given me ſuch a deliverance as p. 249this? O no, O no; Canaan is better then Egypt, Paradiſe is better then a wilderneſs, a Fathers Houſe is better then to ſerve Swine, plenty is better then famine; Now God ſmiles on me, and ſhall I raiſe his frowns? Now conſcience ſpeaks peace, ſhall I turn this oyle into a Sword? O let me never unjoynt the Bones which mercy at length hath ſet; O let me never darken the Sun, which ſhines ſo comfortably; O let me never feed on husks, who may ſtill feed on bread; O let me never run from a Pallace to a Priſon: It was Gods mercy, and my happineſs to be reſcued out of a loſt condition; let it never be my ſin and curſe, to throw my ſelf out of Heaven, to caſt my ſelf out of Paradiſe again, for a ſins ſake which formerly loſt me, to depart from mercy, which hath graciouſly found me.

7. If a found perſon doth ſtray, he cannot be quiet until he be If he do ſtray he is not quiet till he come back again.found, and come back again to his God. I ſal. 119. 176. I have gone aſtray like a loſt ſheep, ſeek thy ſervant: There is this difference twixt the ſtrayings of the Godly, and of the wicked; when a wicked man ſtrayes he is then at home, (ſin is his home, and ſinful paths are the paths in which he loves to wander; the mire and dirt are the delightful home of the Swine) and therefore he delights to be abroad, and cares not to come back again: But a Godly man, if he ſtrayes, if he ſins, he is now from home, he ſeeth ſome ſteps of loſtneſs in every ſtep of ſinfulneſs, his heart is apt preſently to ſmite him for it; Alas! what have I done? whether am I going? ſhall I go again from my Fathers Houſe? what ayled me thus to ſtep aſide? I cannot reſt thus, I will home again what ever comes of it. And back he comes with an aſhamed heart, as Ephraim did; and with a mourning heart, as Peter did; and with a ſelf-judging heart, as David did: O my God, O my Father, I, even I have ſinned, ſinned again; yet for Chriſts ſake, accept of me again. Me thinks it is with him, juſt as it is with a poor Child, whom evil company hath ſeduced from home; his heart akes, and he ſlips from them, and under a Buſh he ſits, and there bethinks himſelf, and ſighs, and weeps as if his heart would break; after which he riſeth, and home he comes, and ſteals to the door, and liſtens, and knocks ſoftly; and the Servants comes forth, and, ſay they, where have you been all this while? O, your Father wonders at you! and hath been much troubled that you have dealt p. 250thus with him: Now the child takes on, and is cut to the heart; and will not my Father be pacifyed? I know that I have oftended him, and dealt unkindly with him: Never had a Child ſo good a Father; I pray you, ſpeak for me, and tell him, I am without. Let him come in, ſaith his Father: In he comes, and falls down, and with floods of tears acknowledges his ſtrayings, and humbly intreats his Father to paſs by this wandring, and to own him again, and to look on him as he was wont to do: O Sir, (ſaith he) I cannot live without your favour, nor will I live out of your houſe. Even thus is it with a found Child of God, if he happens to ſtray and ſin, his heart ſmites him, and his heart akes; (O ſaith he) what have I done to deal thus with my good God and Father, I am aſhamed and grieved; To one Miniſter he goes, and perhaps to another; Do you think that the Lord will be merciful to me again? Yea, to God he goes, and confeſſeth all, and beſeecheth him to deal with him like a Father: Lord, (ſaith he) it hath been a woful and bitter time to me, I cannot ſtand it out; I come in unto thee, ſin is my burthen, and thy diſpleaſure is my burthen: I beſeech thee to pardon the treſpaſs of thy ſervant, and be reconciled unto me, and own me with thy favour and mercy once again.

8. He who is truly found by Gods Grace and Mercy, doth deſire He endeavours so find others.and endeavour to find others, or that others may alſo be found; J…. 1. 43, 45. Chriſt finds Philip, and Philip finds Nathaniel: There is no good man who would pertake of Grace and Heaven alone; and there is no wicked man who would enjoy ſin and hell alone: Wicked men are like thoſe that are drowning, who catch hold on others; and every good man is like a Candle, which being lighted holds out light to others; or like a ſtick of fire, which being kindled, would kindle more ſticks: Good Lord, the ſame Mercy, the ſame Grace, the ſame Chriſt, the ſame reconciled God, and Father for my poor Child too, and for my poor Husband too, and for my poor Parents too: O Lord, pity them too, they are loſt, and they know not the miſery of a loſt condition, nay, the happineſs of a found condition: Good Lord, open their eyes, and bring them home to thy ſelf in Chriſt. And to his friends he goes; O continue not in this condition, you are loſt, I was ſo; Return to God, you know not the ſweetneſs of his mercy, of his love. p. 2519. If God hath found thee indeed, Then thou mayſt be found in Gods wayes: The wayes or courſe of life which a man leads, He will be found in Gods wayes.plainly diſcovers whether he be found or loſt; a man that is ſtill loſt, he continues in wayes which are looſe and loſt, which will bring him to everlaſting perdition and loſs: A man that is found by Grace, is now, in ſuch wayes as brings Glory to him which finds, and alſo brings him to Glory who is found; What! talk of being found by Gods mercy, and yet wallowing in thy luſts, ſtill running on in thy ſinful baſe wayes! what! brought back to God, and ſtill running away from God! Aſſuredly, the found man is to be found in new wayes, in the paths of righteouſneſs and holineſs; he is a ſhamed of his old wayes, and forſakes them: Paul is not perſecuting now, but humbling himſelf for it, and praying, and preaching, and living to Chriſt.

The next Uſe ſhall be of Exhortation unto a twofold Duty. Ʋſe 2. Exhortation.1. To find out your loſt condition. 2. To get out of a loſt condition. 1. Labour to find out your loſt condition: Be convinced, To …ind out our loſt condition. Conſider. The extream pride and ſelfconceltedneſs of every ſi…ner. We ſhall never ſe…k to God, till we find our ſelves loſt.that naturally you are loſt men. There are two Reaſons which may move you to this. 1. The extream pride and ſelf-conceitedneſs; the ſelf-conceit, and ſelf-deceit in every ſinner; there is no ſinner thinks himſelf ſo ſafe and well as the loſt ſinner: I have need of nothing (ſaid Laodicea.) I was alive once (ſaid Paul,) We were never in bondage (ſaid the Jews.) 2. You will never ſeek unto the Lord to bring you out of a loſt condition, until you …ind your ſelves loſt: Who ſeeks his bread but the hungry? or asks the way, who thinks himſelf in the way? or comes home, who is not gone abroad?

Obj. But you will ſay, how may a man be convinced that his condition is loſt? Sol. I anſwer, there are ſeven ſpecial convictions of it. 1. The fall of mankind in Adam: Our nature …even Convictions of our loſt condition.was like a ſtock depoſited in his hand, what he had, we had; what he kept, we kept; when he fell, we fell; and what he loſt, we alſo loſt; his condition was not perſonal, but natural; not particular, but Univerſal: Oh, that Ship is ſplit, that Tree is fallen, that Stock is ſpent. 2. The Obſervation of our wayes and pathes: do but eye them, and judg of them: As when God opened the eyes of the Syrians, they ſaw themſelves to be in the midſt of Samaria; ſo if God ever open thine eyes, thou wilt ſee and confeſs that all thy wayes are but wandrings, and all p. 252the time of thy life hath been loſt in iniquity, and vanity. 3. The ſtudy of the Law: Ah! When wilt thou read thy ſelf in it! thou wilt find thy ſelf many a thouſand mile from home, and to have been a long, very long wanderer, a loſt and undone perſon. Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment came, ſin revived, and I dyed. 4. A conſcience inlightned and quickned: There is no one faculty in man, which can diſcover his preſent condition to him, ſo certainly and ſo clearly as Conſcience; Men ſpeak, fancy ſpeaks, corrupted judgment, and reaſon ſpeak, yea, but what doth conſcience ſpeak, in private, on a ſick bed, in an imm…ent judgment? 5. The judgment of Godly and experienced Chriſtians, who have known experimentally a loſt condition, and a found condition. 6. The un-inclination of his ſpirit to all Communion with God: Nay, the very averſneſs of it thereto. 7. The abſolute inexperience of his ſoul, in the family of God, never yet knowing what ſuch a fathers houſe doth me…n.

Secondly, When you have found out your loſt condition, then S…ve to get out of this loſt Condition.ſtrive to get out of it: O, do not continue in it, either through preſumption, that you can quickly come home, or through deſpair, that God now will never look after you, nor regard you; But pray the Lord in mercy to turn thy heart, to give thee an heart to come back unto him. Obj. But I have wandered ſo long, that I ſhall never be accepted, nor welcomed, although I ſhould come back. Sol. Say not ſo: But conſider well of theſe enſuing particulars. 1. The Lord ſaith, That he hath been found of them that ſought him not; and will he not then be found of them that return and ſeek him? Si peccanti, quid penitenti, ſi erranti quid qu…renti? If he looks after thee then, will he not look on thee now? 2. There was never awandering loſt Soul, that ever returned back to his Fathers Houſe, but the door hath been opened to him, and he hath found mercy; the Prodigal here, Manaſſes, Paul &c. 3. If thou haſt a heart to turn home, it is a certain ſign that God intends thee mercy; he hath put returning thoughts in thee, becauſe he hath already contrived thoughts of mercy towards thee. We love him, becauſe he loved us firſt; we turn to him, becauſe he firſt turned to us. 4. The Lord God hath ſent Jeſus Chriſt from Heaven, to look after, and to find, and to ſave that which was loſt: Now, though thou canſt not expect to find p. 253the door opened for thine own ſake; yet thou ſhalt ſee the door open, and the Armes of Mercy open to thee, for Chriſts ſake. 5. How many meſſengers and ſervants hath God, and doth God ſtill ſend after, which cry earneſtly unto thee, Come back, return and live? Thus the Goſpel cries, thus Conſcience cries, thus all thy mercies cry, thus all thy afflictions cry: If God be yet ſeeking after thee, thou mayſt yet be found; and if thou wilt ſeek, and wait a while, thy poor loſt ſoul ſhall alſo be found. 6. God hath chalked out the wayes and ſteps of returning home to him. 7. God hath found men in their blood, and hath ſaid unto them, Live. Ezek. 6.