The Parable of the Prodigal, Part 8
Luke 15. 21, 22, 23.
21. And the Son ſaid unto him, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven, and in thy ſight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son.
22. But the Father ſaid to his ſervants, Bring forth the beſt Robe, and put it on him, and put a Ring on his hand, and Shoes on his feet.
23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry.
Theſe words contain in them. 1. The real acting of a penitential intention: The matter whereof, in his humble and ſad confeſſion, I have inſiſted on already, when I touched on v. 18, 19. Now I ſhall obſerve a little more from the circumſtance and manner of it. 2. The ſtrange alteration of his condition: The heart of man never alters from ſin to its prejudice; the beſt courſes ever draw after them, the beſt comforts. While he was a prodigal, he had neither bread to eat, nor Rags to cloath him, nor houſe to lodg him, much leſs Jewels to adorn him, and feaſts to entertain him: But now he becomes a penitent, here is a Father to admit him into a houſe, to put the beſt Robe on his back, and the Ring on his finger, and Shoes on his feet, and likewiſe to provide meat, even the choiceſt for his belly. Before I touch on theſe, diſtinctly and particularly, there are ſome Propoſitions, which I will briefly touch on, v. g.
Doct. That, no not the kindeſt expreſſions of mercy do ſilence a The kindeſt expreſſions of mercy, do not hinder an humble confeſſion of ſin.truly penitential heart, from an humble confeſſion of ſin; Kindeſt mercies draw out humbleſt confeſſions: The Father pities, meets, embraces, kiſſeth this penitential Prodigal. What doth he? riſe up and ſlight all that hath been evil? Oh no! mercy melts him down, and he confeſſeth with tears, Father I have ſinned, &c. q. d. What is this, that thou ſhouldſt ſo eaſily, ſo freely, ſo m…rcifully behold ſo ſinful, ſo unworthy a wretch as I have been? As David, when God declared unto him the intentions of his further mercies, for him and his poſterity: He ſate before the Lord, and ſaid, Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my houſe that thou haſt brought me hitherto? So is it with the true penitent, upon the Declaration of pardoning and accepting mercy. Now, O Lord God, who am I? I, who have done ſo wickedly, yet to be remembred ſo graciouſly? The ſame you find in Paul, who, though he received a teſtimony of his pardon and acceptance, by a meſſenger graciouſly diſpatched from Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, Acts 9. 17. Yet he doth moſt frequently, and humbly acknowledg and confeſs the kinds and greatneſs of his former tranſgreſſions.
There is (for the time) a twofold Confeſſion. 1. Antecedent, There is a twofold Confeſſion. Antecedent. Conſequent.which is that humbling way, which God deſigns for the aſſecution of mercy. See Prov. 28. 13. & 1 Jo. 1. 9. To make us indite, and condemn our ſelves, that he may acquit and pardon us. 2. Conſequent; which is that judging, and ſelf-condemning way, after mercy is obtained: The ſight of mercy breeds four notable effects in a true penitent; 1. Much Admiration, (Oh, that God ſhould look on me!) 2. Much Deteſtation, (Oh, that God ſhould ever pardon me!) 3. More contrition, (Oh, that I ſhould ſin againſt ſuch a God;) 4. More Confeſſion, (I have ſinned, and done very fooliſhly to ſin againſt a God much in mercy.)
2. This conſequent confeſſion, which followes the expreſſions or Conſequent confeſſion hath theſe qualities. It is an ac-… knowledgment of ſin, with more compunction.teſtimonies of pardoning mercy hath theſe qualities. 1. It is an acknowledging of ſin, with more compunction of ſpirit: Sight of pardon doth not only open our lips, but our eyes, and fetcheth forth not only words but tears; the heart doth break out, when mercy breaks forth: The heart never confeſſeth ſin with more filial grief, then when it apprehends ſin, much ſin diſcharged with a paternal love: the wind breaks the clouds, but the Sun melts them moſt into ſhowers, ſo &c. 2. It is an acknowledging of ſin, with more indignation: The grea…er mercy makes a penitent With more indignation.to be the ſharper Judg; the more God is now pleaſed with him, the more is he diſpleaſed with himſelf, for ſinning againſt him. When God remembred his Covenant, Ezek. 16. 60. then did the penitential Iſraelites remember their wayes with ſhame. v. 61. And when he made it known to them, that he was pacifyed towards them, then were they confounded, and never opened their mouths more, v. 63. 3. It is an acknowledging of ſin with more With more aggravation.aggravation: Servile confeſſions are uſually more deceitful and partial; as Adam did acknowledg his ſin, but puts it on Eve; no co…feſſions are ſo free and full, as ſuch which ariſe from the apprehenſion of mercies. David got his pardon for a great tranſgreſſion; but then ho… exact is he in the diſtinct accuſation of himſelf, and humble acknowledgment of his ſin, in all the articles and circumſtances of it? Pſal. 51. 4. It is an acknowledgment of ſin, with more deteſtation. Evidence of pardon produceth two With more deteſtation.effects: One is, more ardent affection of love to God; Another is (which neceſſarily followes) a deeper hatred of ſin, which oppoſed ſo gracious a goodneſs. All that good which God mentions in the Covenant, Ezek. 36. 25. to the end of v. 30. produced a better remembrance of former evils, and alſo a deeper loathing of themſelves for their iniquities, v. 31. As Job upon Gods appearing to him, and conferring with him, now abhors himſelf in duſt and aſhes: So the penitent upon the manifeſtation of divine favour, doth more acknowledg his vileneſs, judg his follies, and abhor his iniquities; it is ever true, that the greateſt mercies ſet the heart at greateſt diſtance with ſin.
But now it is demanded; Why ſhould the expreſſions of mercy elicite confeſſion of ſin, if it be pardoned? why any more confeſſion? Reaſons though hereof be many. 1. Piety in man is Reaſons of it. Piety in man is not oppoſite, but ſubordin…te to pity in God.not oppoſite, but only ſubordinate to Pity in God. Divine love doth not deſtroy, but increaſe duty: Aſſurance followes the habits, and alwayes advances the acts of grace: As it is our duty to ſeek our pardon by confeſſion, ſo alſo to carry away the ſame with continued confeſſions; confeſſion of ſin is not a tranſient, but a conſtant duty; As the Mathematicians ſpeak of a Line, That it is not punctum, but fluxus punctorum; ſo I ſay of any duty, It is not one indiviſible act only, but an act repeated: to believe is a duty, in which one act only is not enough, for I muſt ſtill keep my eye upon Chriſt. So to confeſs ſin, is a duty not done altogether, becauſe once done; but ſtill to be done, becauſe a duty to be done: though God be pleaſed to forget, yet it is our duty to remember. But ſecondly, By confeſſion of ſin, after remiſſion and teſtimony, Mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy.mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy: What a man may ſpeak in ſtraights is one thing, what in free circumſtances, when extra aleam, is another. Many a man cryes out for mercy, who perhaps ſcarce will give mercy all the glory afterward. But when we are pardoned, and yet confeſs ſin, we do really profeſs, That it was not Worthineſs in us, but only Goodneſs in God, that pardoned. No man can more fully give the glory of his pardon to ſole mercy, then he who doth confeſs his ſins after mercy: What is this confeſſion of ſin, but as if the perſon ſhould ſay, O Lord, to me, indeed, nothing did belong but ſhame and confuſion; for I, for my part, have thus and thus ſinned againſt thee, and deſerved thy wrath, but it was meer mercy that ſaved and pardoned me? 3. The more pardoning mercy God ſhews, The more humility is thereby wrought in the heart; The more pardoning mercy, the more Humilityfor who can behold much pardon, but withal muſt know, it was much ſin that hath that much pardon? He hath greater cauſe of ſhame, becauſe all this while a God of ſuch mercy hath been offended: So that here is more cauſe for the heart to abaſe it ſelf and to confeſs its own vileneſs. 4. Upon New, and more grounds of confeſſion do ariſegracious remiſſion, more, and new grounds of Confeſſion do ariſe: Before I am pardoned, I confeſs my ſins, becauſe God requires confeſſion, and alſo becauſe he doth upon a right confeſſion promiſe Remiſſion. When I am pardoned, more reaſons of Confeſſion are upon mercy, namely, mercy granted, and mercy ſealed. O then! have I not more cauſe to confeſs my ſinful vileneſs, having taſted of moſt unſpeakable goodneſs in the pardon of it?
Doth the penitent perſon humbly confeſs his ſins after the Ʋſe Upon ſenſe of pardon let us do ſo.pardon of them? Why, let us (if any of us think that we are pardoned) do ſo too: Tis a truth, that of all things we are moſt willing to forget our ſins; we have much adoe to keep our thoughts on them in a penitential way (its death almoſt to ſome men to think on their ſins thus) and in caſe if by a little duty we have got the leaſt hope of pardon, we ordinarily put thoſe ſins off from any future ſolemn Confeſſions. This I conceive ariſeth from two cauſes; the one is the ſenſible influence which ſin (often to be thought on) imprints on the conſcience. After conſiderations of ſin, we have uſually moſt bitterneſs and trouble, which we willingly would not feel. Another is an ignorance of the power and uſe of pardoning mercy; which as it brings Reſt, Peace, ſo moſt hearty grief and confeſſion: I will ſay to Such as fa…l in after confeſſion. It is ſuſpicious whether ever they had any Pardon at all. Or whether they ever truly repanted or no.men preſuming on pardon, and yet failing in an after confeſſion of their ſins, 1. It is ſuſpicious whether ever they had any pardon at all, or real aſſurance thereof; foraſmuch as they fail in this after effect of confeſſion, which is alwayes the more increaſed by the greater evidence of divine mercy. 2. It is ſuſpicious whether they ever truly repented or no; for as much as true repentance doth incline us to go over and perfect all the acts and branches of Repentance, whereof confeſſion, in a right manner performed, is not the leaſt.
But for our parts, if any of us upon a penitential courſe have been ſo far bleſſed as to ſee the face of God with peace, and have found any teſtimony of his pardoning mercy, let us never ceaſe to bleſs that mercy, and with mournful and ſelf-judging hearts to iterate and continue our confeſſion of the ſins for which we have found mercy.
Motives hereunto are theſe, 1. We ſhall hereby the better prolong Mo…ives to it. We ſhall hereby the better increaſe our aſſurance of mercy.and increaſe our aſſurance of divine mercy: I conjecture that you ſhall in your experience find this truth, viz. That aſſurance lives longeſt in a believing Eye, an humble Spirit, and in a Soul accuſtomed to the ſtrict exerciſe of Repentance: the way to get aſſurance of pardon, is ever the beſt way to preſerve and inlarge Our Conſcience will hereby acquit us for the ſincerity of our Confeſſion.it. 2. Hereby our Conſciences ſhall moſt acquit us for the ſincerity of our confeſſion: Antecedent acts do not alwayes yield unto us that ſolid ground as ſubſequent acts: As about our outward mercies, after prayers do more denominate the celeſtial frame then former prayers, becauſe thoſe may be depending on ſelf-love and neceſſity, but the other ſprings out of ſpiritual love and piety, and reſpects to divine glory. So is it in the buſineſs of confeſſion of ſin; to confeſs under the beams of mercy is a better temper then to confeſs under the ſtrokes of Juſtice; it argues a more holy Ingenuity to acknowledg and bewail our vileneſs, being diſcharged of wrath and puniſhment, then only to exclaim either upon the Rack, or upon hopes to be taken off.
3. Hereby the frame of the heart is kept more tender againſt ſin, The frame of the heart is hereby kept more tender againſt ſin.as Ezra 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandments? Continued ſenſe of ſin produceth four ſingular effects, and with much addition too; Moſt cordial Thankfulneſs, Moſt tender Fearfulneſs, Moſt diligent Fruitfulneſs, Moſt careful Tenderneſs. The daily judger of his former ſins by a penitential confeſſion, he is the man who abounds moſt with the thankful Lip, the watchful Heart, the fruitful Hand and tender Conſcience. Two things make us hardned and careleſs; Forgetfulneſs of Mercies from God, and of Sins againſt God. But no more of this Aſſertion.
There is another implicit Obſervation from the carriage of the Father to this penitential Prodigal upon his Confeſſion. It is this, As there is nothing in the Sons thoughts and expreſſions but his Sins, ſo there is nothing in the Fathers Intentions and expreſſions but Kindneſs. The Son he thinks of his ſins, intends to leave his ſins, and to confeſs them, and ſo he doth; The Father he thinks of mercies and compaſſions, intends to accept and pardon him; and when he comes, he doth not ſpeak a word of his ſins, but every expreſſion is mercy, and peace, and kindneſs; Fetch the beſt Robe, put on the Ring, &c. Whence I conjecture this Propoſition is obſervable;
That God takes no notice of our ſins upon our true Repentance, Doct. 2. God takes no notice of our ſins upon Repentance, but expreſſeth himſelf wholly in love and kindneſs. God takes no notice of former ſins. There is, Notitia Intuitiva. Notitia Charitativa.but wholly expreſſeth himſelf in love and kindneſs. There are two Branches of this Aſſertion; 1. One, that God takes no notice of former ſins upon our true Repentance. There is a threefold notice of ſin in reſpect of God; 1. Notitia Intuitiva; which is his all obſerving eye of Omniſcience, from which nothing can be hid; but every Creature, and operation of the Creature, whether open or ſecret, is viſible and manifeſt unto God: that diſtinction of known and unknown, ſecret and open, hath no place in God, to whoſe eye all things are naked. In this reſpect the former ſins of a penitent fall within Gods notice; for the goodneſs of Divine Mercy doth not blind-fold the eye of Divine Omniſcience. 2. Notitia Charitativa; which is a notice of ſins, as a kind Creditor takes notice of Debts owing unto him, and ſet down in his book, his eye is on them, and his Pen alſo to croſs and daſh them out. And in this reſpect alſo God takes notice of former ſins, namely, ſo as out of rich love, and gracious favour to croſs and forgive them: unleſs we will fondly imagine that God forgives ſins by hap-chance, at an adventure, never ſeeing and conſidering what he doth. 3. Notitia Vindictiva; which is a Judiciary notice, as a Judge takes notice Notitia Vindictiva.of the evil facts of a Malefactor to Condemn him, or to trouble and vex him. In this reſpect, upon true Repentance, God takes no notice of former ſins, (.i.) either to condemn the penitent perſon for them, or, to upbraid him and diſhearten him by caſting them into his diſh, or hitting of him in the teeth, as we ſpeak Proverbially. Hence thoſe phraſes in the Scripture upon ſuppoſition of Repentance, Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their ſin no more. Not that Repentance makes God forgetful (for he is no: capable of ſuch a defect as Oblivion) but that when men ceaſe to ſin, God will ceaſe to argue and ſpeak with them after a Judicial manner for their ſins. So Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his ſins that he hath committed; ver. 22. All his tranſgreſſions which he hath committed, they ſhall not be mentioned unto him; he means, in any harſh, judicial, and cutting way. More ſuch phraſes there are, as, that he will cover our ſins, caſt them into the depths of the ſea, and caſt them behind his back; and though they be ſought for, yet they ſhall not be found.
The ſecond Branch is, that he expreſſeth himſelf wholly in He expreſſeth himſelf wholly in love and kindneſs.love and kindneſs; the which is moſt evident in Jer. 31. 19. when Ephraim repented and confeſſed his ſin, all the expreſſions now from God are full of tender Love, Is Ephraim my dear ſon? is he a pleaſant child? I do earneſtly▪ remember him ſtill, (Ephraim thinks that I have forgotten him, that I regard him not, but there is no ſuch matter;) my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have mercy on him. Hoſ. 14. 2, 3. Iſrael is repenting, and confeſſing, and praying, and how doth God anſwer him? See v. 4. I will heal their back-ſlidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. Ver. 5. I will be as the dew unto Iſrael.
Yet here we muſt diſtinguiſh, 1. Twixt Gods expreſſions, which Diſtinguiſh Twix… Gods expreſſions. And the Penitents Apprehenſions.are alwayes very gracious, gentle, cloſing up, comforting and reviving of the penitent. And the penitents apprehenſions, which by reaſon of ſeveral principles in him, are ſometimes miſplaced and miſtaken: God is juſt, and he is a ſinner; he is a penitent ſinner, and God is merciful: Now whiles the penitent apprehends his Sins only, and not his Repentance; or Gods Juſtice only, and not his Mercy, that tender graciouſneſs and loving kindneſs, is not ſo acquitted by him in his apprehenſions. Not that God is not really tender to him, but that he, through miſtake and error, apprehends it not ſo.
2. Again, you muſt diſtinguiſh Gods tender love and kindneſs as it is conſiderable, in Divine promiſe, and in Humane ſenſe and Diſtinguiſh of Gods love▪ as it is conſiderable … Div…ne Pro…es and Humane ſenſe▪feeling: You can no ſooner repent, but God is wholly in termes of tender love, if you will behold his behaviour towards you in his Promiſes: In them indeed you have the Idea, as it were, of his mind and affection; they are the right glaſſe to behold the face of his mercifulneſs in; through which, if you look, you ſhall not find any one harſh word, or look, or intention towards a penitent, but all his thoughts in them are thoughts of peace, and all his words in them are lips of peace. Though the Samamaritan poured both Oile and Vinegar into the wound, yet God, through his promiſes, pours out only the Oile of gladneſs. But if you conſult with his ſenſe and feeling (which is out of the roade of Faith) then indeed this gracious tenderneſs is not ſo evident, but we are apt, through incredulous haſtineſs, and ungrounded miſ-judgings, to exclaime with Zion, But my God hath forgotten me; or with David, He hides away his face from me: or with Job, (it was in the fits of impatience) He writes bitter things againſt me.
3. Thirdly, You muſt diſtinguiſh of the penitent behaving himſelf, Diſtinguiſh of the behaviour, as a Penitent, or as a Delinquent.either, ad modum penitentis, as a penitent, ad modum peccantis, as a delinquent. Let him repent and keep on in the wayes of repentance, he ſhall meet with nothing from God but ſweetneſs of love and mercy; every ſtep of righteouſneſs is a path of peace and joy; but if he ſtep aſide, if he goes to a by-Lane, he may quickly loſe the ſight of the City; if the arm or foot ſlip out of joynt, then indeed there is ache and pain, inſtead of eaſe and quiet; ſo, if a penitent perſon do what is ſinful, he muſt not think that God will appear in that amiableneſs; for as God will frown on no man which is in a good way, ſo will he ſmile Diſtinguiſh of Gods expreſſions of himſelf, and Satans repreſentations of him.on no man, if found in an evil path.
4. Laſtly, You muſt diſtinguiſh of Gods expreſſion of himſelf, and either Satans or our own unbelieving hearts repreſentations of God: Before we repent our own hearts and Satan repreſent God all in mercy to us, and when we do repent, ſo far as our hearts are ſinful, they are ſtill guileful, and conjoyn with Satan to repreſent God unto us all in Juſtice and terror. But a natural and proper repreſentation is one thing, and a preternatural and corrupt repreſentation is another thing. How the diſpoſitions and actions of men may preſent me in their due and real Entity to a man, is one thing; and how the cunning lies, and artificial devices of an envious enemy may report me, this is another thing. This then is the ſenſe of the aſſertion, That when any perſon doth truly repent, God will not only not upbraid, and object unto him his ſins, but will graciouſly paſs them over; and for his part, the penitent behaving himſelf like a penitent, and judging of him aright, according to his nature and promiſes, ſhall find all in love, graciouſneſs, and kindneſs to him and for him.
Reaſons whereof are theſe; 1. Ʋpon true repentance ſin is Reaſons of it. Upon true Repentance ſin is pardoned.pardoned: Repent, ſaith S. Peter, that your ſins may be blotted out, Acts 3. And he that forſakes his ſin ſhall find mercy, Prov. 28. And Iſa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forſake his way, and I will abundantly pardon: Whence I infer, If ſin be pardoned, then there is no voice from heaven to be heard but that of Love and kindneſs. Indeed while we continue in ſin, like Adam, we hear the voice of God and are afraid; for then it is the voice of his wrath and threatnings: but ſin being pardoned, wrath is removed, God is reconciled, and his voice now is only the ſweet voice of the Goſp…l; not the thunders of Sinai, but the glad tydings of Sion: Therefore, 2. God hath ſaid, That he will not God will not break the bruiſed Reed.break the bruiſed reed, and takes it ill from any to add afflictions to the afflicted. Now there is no expreſſion more obſerved by a penitent then Gods. Gods expreſſions are bruiſing or raiſing; all is for comfort or diſcomfort, as it comes from God; the leaſt harſhneſs from him would ſet back the penitent into an overwhelming multitude of terrors, fears, and diſtractions, and diſcouragements; the which the Lord likes not, having made the ſoul …it for his mercies. 3. Comfort is the proper expreſſion for the penitent: As threatnings are the moſt proper for an impenitent perſon, Comfort is the proper expreſſion for the Penitent.ſo comfort for a penitent. It were a dangerous miſtake to give a Vomit when a Cordial is proper; binding up is proper for the broken in heart, and comfort for mourners, and reviving for the contrite. Gracio…s expreſſions from God, are the very thing which the penitent needs, his ſpirit cannot elſe live and uphold it ſelf. There are two things under which the ſpirit of man cannot well bear up and ſuſtain it ſelf; One is, near and ſtrong afflictions without Divine ſtrength; Another is, the quick ſenſe of ſin without the gracious ſight of mercies. As they are needful, ſo are they ſeaſonable, for as much as 1. Satan is moſt ready to fall f…ul upon the Soul, upon its Repentance, with ſtrongeſt accuſations, falſeſt ſuggeſtions and oppreſſions, to overwhelm it with deſpair, as on him in the Corinthians. 2. The Heart at ſuch a time is moſt apt to fear the worſt, to ſuſpect its own ſoundneſs and Gods kindneſs. 3. Nothing would ſettle and quiet the Spirit of the penitent perſon more then Gods gracious expreſſions: This is light in darkneſs, life in death, the only Reſtorative to a ſenſible ſinner, and a languiſhing ſoul. Therefore,
The firſt Uſe of this Point, ſhall be to imitate God in this Ʋſe Imitate God in this kindneſs and goodneſs▪kindneſs of expreſſion, and goodneſs of oblivion: When we ſee perſons truly penitential for former ſins, as we muſt not call Evil, Good, ſo neither muſt we call Good, Evil; if God will not mention former ſins to a penitent, how dare we to do it? It is an uſual way of a ſly and malicious perſon in his detractations; Yea, he is ſo and ſo now indeed, but what was he heretofore? And thus he digs up thoſe old rotten corruptions with his malicious tongue, which the penitent hath long buryed with many tears, and God hath covered with much mercy. It is an argument that thou art of a beaſtly nature, who art ſtill in the wounds and not on the ſound parts. Speak againſt ſin, and condemn it as well in thy ſelf as in others, with all …it zeal, but ſpare at leaſt the converted and penitent ſinner: Never open a wound which God hath healed, nor ſhamefully blaze the ſin which God hath mercifully pardoned. 2. You ſee the way to have your ſins covered and You ſee the way to have our ſins covered and hid.hid: Men upon ſinful commiſſions deviſe many ſhifts, and colours, and arts to keep their ſins cloſe and hid, as if the Sun could be muffled, or the Fire ſti…led, or the Wound not cured, would not break out; No, truly repent of ſins, and that is the beſt way for to get ſins concealed as well as pardoned. Now the Lord will not mention them; but if we continue impenitent, the Lord will ſet our ſins in order, they ſhall break out to our ſhame as they have broken out to his diſhonour.