consequence of a great part at least of the ensuing discourse to commend to thee the great goodness of God as to those that walk with him in his ways to which he invites thee in calling thee to repentance so also to those that turn at his reproofs into his ways in his readiness to forgive sins past through his forbearance and to testifie his gladness for their escape from the dangers of destruction they were in while sinning in his giving them the comforts of his grace in Christ and taking them under his most safe and satisfying protection and blessing Surely as its better to be feasting and making merry at home with a rich liberal and loving Father than to be abroad among strangers nay enemies in a strange Country keeping swine in the cold fields and ready there to perish with hunger So and far more better is it to be in God's fear and in the faith of Jesus walking in the ways of righteousness and enjoying the comforts of the Holy Ghost in the assured perswasions of God's favour towards us and of eternal life and happiness than to be the drudges and sworn vassels of sin and Satan grapling with the stings of an accusing Conscience and fears of God's most dreadful and everlasting wrath and vengeance and hurried on in the ways of sin thereto by evil spirits who rejoyce so much in nothing as in bringing men unto everlasting destruction The assured hope of attaining which good things and escaping which evil things is in this Parable and discourse set clearly before thee as to the good ground thereof to be proved in an hearty turning to God in Christ by thee And verily the certainty of speeding well in any course is a marvailous great spur to the undertaking it hope of profit and pleasure upon uncertain grounds usually draw men to great adventures here much more do certain Behold here certain grounds of hoping for and expecting the greatest profits and pleasures that are possible proposed to thee to move thee to repentance Even a certainty grounded upon God's word who cannot lye and Christ's accustomed grace to repentant sinners who being the Son of God neither can nor will deceive us Oh then mind and be moved by them to serious and speedy repentance thy time is short thy life uncertain if thou dye in thy sins all hope of mercy is for ever gone lay hold therefore of the present opportunity while it is afforded thee lay hold on eternal life enter the strait gate set upon the holy race and so run therein as thou mayst obtain Men will divers together run in an earthly race for an earthly prize of any great value though they know before hand that but one of them shall obtain it but in this heavenly race is a heavenly prize exceeding all earthly values and all that run for it aright are sure to obtain it no ones getting it shall hinder another that runs with him Yea as in the Parable of the labourers in the Vineyard Matth. 20. they that set out a great deal later than others may yet be at the race end as soon and obtain it as fully and certainly as they that set out before them So that thou mayst run at a certainty and fight not as one that beats the Air but to good purpose if thou wilt but yet be perswaded to set upon this heavenly race and holy combate against sin and Sathan Let the greatness of the gain then proposed of the pleasures promised of the satisfaction assured and the greatness of the certainty of attaining them in a serious turning to God in Christ to seek after and endeavour for them draw thee into a stedfast resolution of quitting thy ways of sin and falshood and embracing and walking on the ways of righteousness and salvation And do it betimes and without delay least thou defer too long and the Devil and Sin draw thee on by little and little till they bring thee inevitably into Perdition But peradventure Satan will suggest unto thee to hinder thee of the good both of these my advices and of the whole following Treatise such thoughts as some men harbour in their hearts yea and some fear not to utter with their tongues reasoning to this purpose All men are under one or other of these two absolute Decrees either of Election unto life or of Reprobation to destruction and therefore I must needs be under one of them also If I be Elect as I hope I am then to what purpose is all your cost and labour for its impossible for me to miscarry what ever I do and however I live at present my sins cannot frustrate God's decree and purpose nor may you or any body else lay any sin to my charge For who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifies and if he justifie me in my present state what need is there for me to repent that I may be justified or who shall condemn me seeing Christ's death is for me and shall secure me from all my sins past present and to come so as they cannot harm me and whereas no unclean thing may inherit God's kingdome that cannot hurt me for if I be elected I shall and must at one time or other be so effectually called as against all my resistances and notwithstanding all my present sinnings I shall obey and so be washed and sanctified and shall against all fallings or possibility of falling persevere in grace to the injoyment of the inheritance And why then may I not take the pleasure of my sins while I may seeing they shall neither prejudice my conversion nor my salvation and if it be not so with me but I am a reprebate then I cannot be saved though I should endeavour to follow your advise and to repent For then Christ dyed not for me nor hath procured for me at least any effectual and saving grace some common gifts and graces indeed I may attain some illuminations good desires and half repentances which can never translate me from under this sad Decree but only will serve to aggravate my future wo while I shall sin against the greater light and knowledge And had I not better take my course then and continue as I am than put my self upon bootless labour to no purpose rising a little higher to fall the heavilier and sink the deeper into misery Needful it is to endeavour the removal of these reasonings out of thy mind which retained will render all good advise to thee wholly ineffectual and so Answ 1. Fabrit Lac. Com. ex oper Luth. clas 2. p 93 94. I might say with Luther Istae voces sunt sceleratae si praedestinatus sum sive bene sive malè egero salvabor c. those are wicked sayings If I be praedestinate live I how I will I shall be saved they tend to harden thy heart in thy sin while it is called to day whereas the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will
departing and wandring from God in the wayes of sin and that is impliedly contained in the latter expressions of the latter part of his reply viz. in these words Thy Brother was dead was lost 3. The comfortable estate of such wanderers returned to God by repentance and that is signified in the whole latter part of the said reply verse 32. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy Brother was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found Of these in order The first state And first for the good estate of the obeyers and walkers with God it is signified in a three-fold expression viz. 1. In the compellation Son They are the Sons of God 2. In the first Branch of the assertion to him Thou art ever with me They are ever with God And 3. In the latter Branch of it and all that I have is thine They have interest in all that is Gods A happy portion and such as one would think if minded might content any one and preserve them from envying at either the portion of the world or the portion of or Gods dealing with any of their Brethren View we it in each of these Branches in order 1 Branch First They that abide with God and depart not from him but walk righteously before him they are the Sons of God 1. Men might be called the Sons of God by virtue of their Creation in which they received their being of and from God much more then a childe his being from his Parents and so as we noted before it s said The Son of Adam which was the Son of God Luke 3.38 and by the Poet recited and approved by the Apostle Paul Acts 17.28 29. For we are also his off-spring from which the Apostle infers forasmuch then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to think that the God-head is like to Gold c. For indeed God made man in his own Image and Likeness and therefore also man resembling God in some respects as the Son the Father might there-from be called and accounted his Son But that image and likeness especially as to any holiness purity innocency right knowledge yea or any right of dominion over the creatures liberty of will or the like was wholly lost in our departing from him and sinning against him we being there-through filled with the poison of sin the spawn and likeness of the Devil the old Serpent and inslaved by and to him children of wrath and heirs of destruction though the relation of creatures abode still yet the likeness of children was wholly lost But 2. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son thereinto to be the Saviour of the world and to that purpose made him of a woman and under the Law that he might bear our sins in his own body on the Tree and by giving himself a ransome and sacrifice to Justice for all men as the Lamb of God take away the sin of the world by bearing and satisfying for it in himself and destroying by his death him that had the power over death even the Devil and his works Heb. 2.14 1 John 3.8 might free us or buy us from under his acquired jurisdiction and tyranny over us and from the wrath and destruction due to us into his own Dispose Lordship and Jurisdiction to be ruled over and disposed of by him John â— 16 17. 1 John 4.14 Gal. 4.4 5. 1 Pet. 2.24 1 Tim. 2.6 John 1.29 Rom. 14.9 For to this end he both died rose and revived that he might be Lord of both quick and dead Now in this that he became man he took the man-hood into unity of person with himself so as in him Man is become the Son of God the only begotten Son of God even the man Christ Jesus as he was also mightily declared to be by the Spirit of Holiness in the Resurrection of the dead as it is said Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Rom. 1.3 4. Acts 13.33 and in that he in that nature hath suffered for us the just for the unjust and is become the propitiation for our sins even for the sins of the whole world and hath received into himself the immeasurable fulness of the Holy Spirit so as he may communicate to us thereof and Baptize us therewith he hath opened a way for us lost men to recover our nighness and likeness to God again that we receiving remission of sins through his Blood might be also adopted and taken into the account of his Sons being begotten by him through the revelation of his Son to us and of the grace in and by him to believe on his Son and approach to hope in and worship him in and by his Son Yea and 3. Because that man-hood which he purposed to cloath his Son with that body he prepared for him he chose and took it of the seed of Abraham Isaack and Jacob therefore to their seed also he of his Grace and Favour gave the adoption of Sons as it is said of the Jews They are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption the glory c. Rom. 9.4 when he is speaking of Israel after the flesh and such as for whom he could have wished himself accursed and had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart through the consideration of that state of unbelief they then lay in wherefore also of Israel it is said Israel is my Son my first-born and I say unto thee let my Son my first-born go Exod. 4.22 His Son both because Christ his Son in respect of the flesh he was to take was in them or some of them and in respect of the knowledge of Christ they the rest also were called to or also the Covenant the substance of which was Christ as it is said I have given him for a Covenant of the people Isa 42.6 and 49.6 and 55.3 I will make an everlasting Covenant with you the sure mercies of David Which the Apostle interprets to be Christ risen again Acts. 13.34 into which after a sort they were initiated and grafted by Circumcision a seal of the righteousness of the faith that Abraham had being yet uncircumcised as the Apostle saith Rom. 4.11 even the righteousness by the faith of Christ through whom and with respect to whom they were taken into Gods house and accounted and called his Sons and Children yea and there abiding in subjection to his instructions they continued so but many of them not understanding and walking in the Faith of Abraham of the righteousness whereof Circumcision was the Seal but resting short or wandring out of it yea and opposing of it they became so far from being the Sons of God that they were by our Saviour and John the Baptist John 8.44 rightly stiled Serpents a generation of Vipers yea the seed or children of the Devil Mat. 3.8 and 23.33 4. Yea whereas God gave to that people a holy and righteous Law to convince
is great in power rich in glory in mercy in wisdom in love and goodness able to do all things good to all and his tender mercies over all his works bountiful to Servants that are but hirelings and serve him only for their own interests and rewards and may not abide in the house for ever being not made Sons How many hired Servants saith the Prodigal are in my Fathers house that have bread enough and to spare Luke 15.17 Yea good to his enemies loving them and doing good to all making his Sun to shine and rain to fall on the good and on the bad the unthankful and evil giving whole Lordships yea and Kingdoms of this world in his great bounty to them also that regard him not bâ—t hate him careful of the very inferiour creatures feeding the Ravens caring for the Fowls of Heaven even the little Sparrows five of which are sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgot before him Yea he giveth food to all flesh for his mercy endureth for ever If David counted it so great an honor and priviledge to be Son in Law to Saul an earthly and mortal King whose breath was in his nostrils and his power of narrow compass in comparison of Gods as well as his goodness Oh what may not a soul promise it self of felicity and happiness in being the Son the adopted and genuine Son of a King so great so full so good so free so liberal to and careful of all even of the worst men and creatures as God is what cannot what will not such a Father do for his Children especially such Children too as obey and abide with him Yea what may they not upon that consideration incourage themselves to look for and expect from him having also such an elder Brother with him as is infinitely perfect and dear to him to plead for them and take away the defects and sailings of their obedience towards him shall he be good to strangers provide for inferiour creatures give large crumbs and offals to dogs and birds and beasts and will he not give what is convenient to his children surely yes Shall he give good things to his enemies and neglect his children surely no. Surely he hath far better things for them then for any others not so near to him nor in such relation with him It is our Saviours argument Consider the fowls of the air for they sowe not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Mark the Emphasis Your Father and therefore loves you Your heavenly Father who in that he is heavenly is above all and hath all power and all creatures subject to him and in that he is heavenly is holy and pure from earthly affections as covetousness and other passions which our earthly Fathers are bemudded with He is your Father your heavenly Father yet he feeds them that are of no compare with him to you and to whom he owns no such relation shall he feed them and neglect you what earthly Father will do so to feed his chickens and forget or famish his children much less can or will your heavenly Father Matth. 6.26 and the like in Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and not one of them shall â—all to the ground without your Father as â—f he would say doth he that is so early related and dearly affected to you who stiles himself your Father and owns you as his Children take such care of so inconsiderable a creature as a sparrow two whereof are sold for a farthing and who are so infinitely below him that he stiles not himself in such a relation to them and can he neglect you who are his Children whom he hath so valued as to give a price greater then heaven and earth even his own Son for you Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value namely with him then many sparrows This then is a relation estating in such a condition as affords exceeding ground of highest confidence and greatest expectation in and through Christ in whom he makes and takes us for his Children of greatest advantages and fullest happiness and in the mean while of all that he that is so great and good can do for us and sees good and meet to be done Behold then what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us who are in Christ Jesus that we should be called the Sons of God Surely it s well worthy of our beholding for there is in it to be seen heighth and strength of love and affection and matter of marvellous consolation and in beholding this we may 2. Behold also how infinitely we are ingaged to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ to love and live to them to honour and glorifie them for what love was that that led the Father to give his only begotten Son to be the Son of Man and thereby exposed to all the miseries of man yea all that man by his sin had deserved as its just reward to be sustained and born by him that he might open the way from destruction to such an high priviledge as Son-ship to God by him and make him the root of it for and to us through what he hath done to him in the body he prepared and gave him could it be less then infinite love in him that moved him to design such exaltation of so base and vile creatures as we by the so great abasement of one so high and glorious as he and oh what love was that in Christ Jesus what grace what pitty what mercy and kindeness not to shrink back from the state of service to make us sons yea from the state of sin and death For he that knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and died for all that through him we might attain such dignity and glory as cannot be valued by us how should it engage our hearts and affections to him and make us ready with all diligence to obey and live to him that to such and so glorious an end died for us and rose again For he was made under the Law for such as were under the Law as in a sense all were Rom. 3.19 that we being redeemed from the Law might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. 2. Herein also we may see and be instructed into the way whereby sinners may be made the Sons of God even they that are not so but are the children of wrath For as Christ hath by his sufferings opened and made the way for it so he thereby as raised from the dead and taken up to glory in the nature of man and owned as the Son of God and glorified is become the root of Son-ship unto us as is said and therefore the way for us to be made the Sons of God is to receive and close with him the Son of God as God is commending him and setting him forth to us by
not of his spirit that they may adde sin to sin Isa 30.1 2 15. When God calls to return to him they have no breath desire sense of motion after the things in him But we will ride upon horses say they and flee upon the swift and as in Hos 5.13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound then went Ephraim down to Assyria and sends to King Jareb c. No motion towards God but from him and therein 6. As from a dead body there issues forth filth and stinch blood and matter sometimes that is loathsome and abominable and makes it unfit to be amongst the living so is it with dead souls devoid of the life of God as Psal 14.1 2 3. The fool or fallen man fallen from God and Christ saith in his heart there is no God there 's his voidness of spiritual life sense or motion or faith towards him as also in that Rom. 3. â—2 There is none that understandeth none that seeketh after God but then beside it follows Corrupt are they and have done abominable works there is none that doth good no not one they are all become filthy or as in the Margin stinking loathsome And as in Rom. 3.13 Their threat is an open Sepulchre nothing breaths out thence but putrifaction and filth and stench things abomâ—nable to God and unacceptable to God and good men When the Doctrine of God and the Spirit of God and Christ are gone once and the savour of his Grace lost though there may be yet too a form of Prayers Fasting and outward formalities and observances yet then they are all dead works Heb. 9.14 as a menstruous cloth a filthy thing The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 and 21.27 Isa 1.11 13 14. and unpleasing to men unsavory to those that are spiritually men indued with sense reason and understanding nay often gross prophaneness and debauchery issues from them 7. And then as dead bodies they are separated from the living from the living God and his living Houshold and Family God cannot endure to look towards them with any delight or likement of them or have them in his sight or presence they are condemned of him loathed and detested as to their dead estate by him cut off from him and and his justifying and approving Grace and then objects of his anger or displeasure as any evil or vain Spirit may bring them before him or make them come as dead carkasses possessed with evil spirits into his sight 2. And so if they be not through some miraculous mercy revived they be dead as to body not only in that they must as all others come to a natural death in the appointed time but often are also exposed to in danger of and sometimes taken away by judicial deaths as either in some judgement or testimony of wrath from God as Pharaoh when drowned in the Red Sea Saul conquered by the Philistines and slaying himself and many of the Rebellious Israelites destroyed in the Wilderness or else as sometimes by some judicial deaths from men as Zedekiah and Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire Jer. 29.22 The two Malefactors that were put to death with Christ God sometimes permitting and in anger against his people for their voluntary goings from him giving them up so far to their own hearts lusts as Psal 81.11 12. as to suffer them to fall into notorious sins such as bring not only shame but exemplary punishments by death also or however persisting they dye in their sins as to their bodies also yea and if by these things mercy be not extended so as to turn them to God and pull them out of spiritual death there follows at length 3. Eternal death of body and soul wholly cast out and separated from God and from his presence into everlasting misery and torments both in souls and bodies for ever in which is both a perfect loss and deprival of all good things both bodily and spiritual and also a perfect and eternal subjection to all misery and mischief pain sorrow and unspeakable torment upon soul and body for ever a sad and doleful portion of the workers of iniquity and of those that having been quickned up to a spiritual life let it slip again and depart from it by going away from the Doctrine of Christ and so from Christ and the Holy Spirit and so finally persist but this last was through mercy here prevented This is one expression of the sad estate of the sad estate of such persons The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 The other is Branch 2. He was lost The word say some Criticks here translated Lost is at the best of a harsh signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the best to dye yea to dye by some miserable way to perish as in this parable I perish with hunger ver 17. and so the expression of coming to himself implyes that he was extinct for a time fainted and dyed away through hunger but that the mercy of God revived him he had quite perished which is worse then simply dead perisht as we properly say of those that dye of hunger and cold and are lost for want of help or looking to he being gone away from them that used to look to him or with reference to the other Parables where whatever the Criticks say the same word is used of the sheep and groat lost â—o as not forthcomâ—ng or found and so being a loose Son he was not only a loser but quite lost himself too Such the fruit of mens sinning and wandring from God Let us view it in some particulars 1. He was a loser though that 's not all he lost his Father and his Fathers house his portion and patrimony his enjoyments he was wont to have and his brother yet had all that entertainment food rayment harbour shelter lodging attendance respect and honour which he had in his Fathers house formerly these and all things of that nature were wholly lost and gone from him and from his enjoyment and interest and is this nothing for sinners to lose both livelihood and life yea such a livelihood and such a life as God in Christ is and gives such safety satisfaction content rest and refreshing hope and rejoycing as his Word and Spirit and Christ in and by both and God in and by all give to the abiding soul to lose a most sweet secure satisfying and abiding livelihood and life it cannot be expressed to lose a Kingdom with all its contents But 2. He was lost himself he was gone quite out of all these things and out of the way to them again as a sheep lost out of its pastures He was not to be found either in his Fathers house or Fields under none of his promises under no engagement of his shelter or protection in no way of his or of his servants and peoples walkings He was gone and so are sinners out of all Gods paths and so
rebuking his fellow sufferer for his reproaching Christ acknowledging the justness of their sufferings and our Saviours innocency and praying Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdom he heard this comfortable word which doubtlesse strengthened his confidence and gave him full assurance of his salvation Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Surely this was written for an incouragement even for such offenders also to hope in God by Jesus Christ and betake themselves to him for mercy in an humble acknowledgement of their offences and of his power to forgive and help them which that they also may obtain of him even to the giving them large confidence in him and full assurance of their salvation Christ's graciousness to him doubtless doth testifie that none may say what should such hainous sinners dye like Saints though yet in one sense such dye not as Saints while they glory not in nor justifie the cause of their death as those that dye for Christ and righteousness sake may and often do but in that regard take shame to themselves and acknowledge the righteousnesse of the shame and punishment ordered to them as deserved by them and submit themselves thereto And surely it would be too great an injury to the grace of God and to his love to mankind and to their welfare and too great a derogation to the vertues of the precious blood and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus to imagine that such mercy may not be shewed to them that are so great sinners both as to make them in their receit of it hearty in their repentance and chearful in their spirits under their sufferings in the hope of God's salvation Object Ah! but the suddainnesse of the conversion and speedinesse of the consolations and the coming so easily by them without more drooping and humiliation makes some question They expect such great sinners should long lye under dejection and sadness before they get a good word from God and if not so they are apt to conclude them under a delusion or but hypocrites in their profession of joy and consolation Answ Truly I would not be misunderstood to speak in behalf of any that are not truly penitent and turned in to Christ or that are daubed with untempered morter and slightly healed Yet this is evident that sometimes the grace of God makes quicker work in mens conversion and he more speedily comforts them thereupon than the wisdom of the flesh or of man judges fitting as by this Parable appears as also by the carriage of the Pharasees toward Christ often censuring him for his receiving sinners while it appears they were not satisfied of their conversion I conceive had they been first made Pharasees they would not then have been offended and judged them sinners still The woman that at Simon 's house stood behind Christ and washed his feet with her tears c. had not satisfied the Pharasee that she was a convert for then would he not have had indignation thereat nor said in his heart If this man were a Prophet he would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner Luc. 7.39 Surely Christ knew her better then he did and knew her to be a real convert though it seems she had not so publickly bewailed her self and bewailed her sin as to satisfie the Pharasee that she had left it And what appears to have been the sorrow and humiliation of the Malectour we finde nothing said thereof and yet evident tokens appear of his real conversion and he had speedy absolution For 1. He rebuked his fellow for his carriage towards Christ as if he had been turned a suddain Preacher of repentance to him Fearest thou not God seeing we are in the same condemnation 2. He confessed his sins and justified the righteousness of his death submitting himself upon that account to bear it patiently And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds 3. He confessed Christ and justified him in his sufferings and that when the whole multitude the Princes Priests and zealous Pharasees and learned Rabbies the chief builders did most of all reject him despise and deride him And when he was in his deepest sufferings But this man hath done nothing amiss 4. He in this lowest case of Christ when his own Disciples durst not own him owns and professes his faith in him that he was Lord and King and that he should have the kingdom and so that God would glorifie him through and after those his sufferings saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom And 5. In that faith he calls upon him as upon the Saviour of the world or of sinners saying Lord remember me c. as intimately professing his faith that he could forgive and save and blesse him We finde no great lamentation for his sin nor dejection under the sense of it but yet a better confession of faith we scarce finde from any of the Apostles who were now shrunk from him Yea Peter that thought to have stood it out denied him See here how suddainly and silently the grace of God may work a notable alteration as to conversion and then see the speediness of Christ in forgiving and comforting He lets him not hang long drooping to his death upon the Crosse but presently tells him This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And was it not so with David he said he would confess his sin and God forgave the punishment of it He said but I have sinned and Nathan replies the Lord also hath taken away thy sin thou shalt not dye Psal 32.5 2 Sam. 12.13 So Peter had but begun to speak to the Gentiles and presently the Holy Ghost fell on them and they spake with tongues without any long humbling them first for the sins of their Gentilism or bringing them into the profession of Judaism by circumcision as it seems the Disciples of the Jews had some thought he should have done by their quarrelling with Peter for his eating with and receiving them Acts 11. Yea and Peter himself says what was I that I could withstand God! as if there might be some such leaven in him also as to have kept them longer out from comfort and made them more humbled first before he would have received them had they been at his disposing Truly I suspect it s our hypocrisies or want of thoroughness in coming off from our idols our sticking long in the place of the breaking forth of children that increases and lengthens our throws and sorrows Hos 13.13 As while David kept close his sin his bones waxed old and he roared out with daily disquiets Psal 32.1 2. the heart that comes off soon and roundly from its sin is sooner comforted So the compassionte Father here so soon as he sees his Sons resolution and finds him upon his way to him yea While he was yet a great way off presently runs to
and Servants at a greater distance this belonged to Israel alone Psal 147.19 20. and 148.14 yet in this he bound not his own hands but that in case these his adopted children or houshould servants rebelled against him and would neither by mercies and lenity nor by his threatnings and punishments be reclaimed he might harden and give them up yea and cut them off and destroy them as any of the other Nations about them and call in others into their places as he pleased Even as Solomon suppose chose himsef houshold-servants who had great priviledges so as to be pronounced happy in them because they might stand before him and bear his wisdome so as his remote subjects could not though he was good and just to them also yet he was at liberty for all that choise to cast off or put to death any of those his servants as well as others in case they lifting up themselves in pride should rebel against him and might have taken out of his remoter subjects whom he had pleased the dispose of honours being not of any of the servants however forward or obedient but of himself the Lord though to such as were ready to obey he would be ready to give good honours and rewards as he saw fitting So was the case here as the proposals of his choice honours by him of whom the dispose is even him that shews mercy and not of any that wills or runs for them upon condition of their obedience to be continued to them and his threatningt of destruction otherwise and to call in and honor those that were not a people into their place evince see Exod. 19.5 6. Deut. 7.10 11 12. and 8.19 20. and 28.1 13 43 44. and 32 21. with Rom. 10.19 though yet out of love to their Fathers he ingaged that he would not utterly cast away all their seed but reserve a remnant always with whom he would take pains as it were further and use means still to reclaim them to obedience and being made obedient receive them into favour again see for this Jer. 30 11. and 46.28 Zech. 13.8 9. with Rom. 11.28 and in all this he exercised and still exerciseth such power over men as a Potter over his clay framing them in his providential government one to honour and another to dishonour executing wrath also on one when fitted to destruction and shewing mercy and long-suffering to another and so having mercy on whom he will have mercy and hardâ—ning in their sins and rebellions whom he will and so he hath had mercy now on us Gentiles and framed us to honour even the honour fore-given to Israel as to many things in it having called us into their place and hath shewed severity to them giving them up to hardness and blindness and framing them to dishonour because of their unbelief and stumbling at Christ Rom. 9.30 31 32 33. and 11 20. though yet he hath not so rejected them but that the Apostle still prayed for them and endeavoured even for such as had stumbled that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 and 11.14 telling us they have not stumbled that they might fall â—nd that God is able to graft them in again â—â—d will if they continue not in unbelief nor hath he so honoured us but that if we continue not in his goodness we also shall be broken off Chap. 11.11 23 24 That 's the substance of those two too much mistaken Chapters of Rom. 9. and 11. and what I have here said of them agrees with the other Scriptures 3. Now in all this God still reserves the dignity of giving eternal life to Jesus Christ only to which he hath chosen in him from before the foundations of the world all that are or come to be and abide in him through the prevailing force of his grace with them chusing culling and bringing them out of the world into him or daining framing and disposing their hearts to eternal life and so to believe on him for it whither they be of the Jews or Gentiles the honoured or dishonoured vessels 2 Tim. 2.21 as it is said Know ye that God hath set apart for himself that is to be holy and blameless before him in love so as all the chosen into the former priviledges of the visible Church are not the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 typified in Isaac Gal. 4.23 28 31. Eph. 1.4 rejecting all that refuse and disobey Christ whither Jews or Gentiles whither they be workers for life according to any law of works and rejoycers in their fleshly priviledges of whom Ishmael was a type Gal. 4.22 23 24 25. or prophane abusers of the goodness and grace of God typified in Esau Heb. 12.16 17. and therefore it behoves thee and all men to come to Christ and to his grace wherein the Election is For 4 As salvation comes of the Jews by Gods Election and hath in it blessing for all the families of the earth so from that even from Christ who is Gods salvation to the ends of the earth Isa 49 6. none in Scripture language are called Reprobate till through their willful resistances against the light truth and grace of God extended to them through Christ all means used towards them becoming ineffectual God gives them up and leaves striving with them as Psal 81.10 11 12 13. Jer. 6.8 8 29 30. Rom. 1.21 24 28. 1 Thes 2.10 11 12. for Christ that blessed seed and Gods salvation hath dyed and therein given himself a ransome for all and tasted death by the grace of God for every one and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 2 Cor. 5.14 15 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2.9 1 Joh. 2.2 And God himself who cannot lye hath sworn as he lives that he hath no pleasure none neither secret nor revealed in the death of the wicked by his still sinning but rather that he should turn and live and therefore calls such even the worst of sinners the simple scorners fools that hate knowledge and such as disobeying these his calls to the end shall perish and he will laugh at the destruction of saying Turn ye at my reproofs behold I will pour out my spirit to you and make known my words Isa 55.7 Exek 33.11 Proc. 1.22 23 24 25. Thence doth Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles tell us that God wills that all be saved and come to the knowledge or acknowledgment of the truth which in a measure therefore at all times he was making known to and in the heathens so as they of them also that rebelled were without excuse Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. with 2.22 14 15 he being one God both of Jews and Gentiles and having constituted one Mediator of God and Men indefinitely the man Jesus Christ even him who hath given himself a ransome for all a testimony in due or in their proper seasons whence those frequent calls of all Nations all the earth to make a joyful noise to God serve him with gladness enter his Courts
Praises of God Yea this is a thing meet to be joyed in and for 1. By God his Father himself for so he puts in himself here not only its meet that thou shouldst make merry but we I and thou too A wise Son makes a glad Father Prov. 10.1 My son be wise and make my heart glad that I may answer him that reproacheth me Prov. 27.11 Though this Son had done foolishly in departing and running away from his Father and when he began to be an hungry in joyning himself to a Citizen of that Countrey yet he did wisely when coming to himself he repented and returned and the Father here rejoyces and hath wherewith to answer his other Son reproaching him So also in Prov. 23.15 16. My Son if thy heart be wise my heart shall rejoyce even mine yea my reins shall rejoyce when thy lips speak right things It s meet a Father be glad of his Sons welfare 2. By his Brother or Brethren it is meet we should make merry and be glad not only I but thou also with me for should not brethren love one another and be glad they may enjoy one anothers company in health and safety and therefore be glad when any of them escapes any danger and the more the greater the danger was that is escaped and then 3. By the Servants also that attend on them There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth ver 10. and I have no greater joy saith one of Gods Servants in the Gospel then to hear or see that my Children walk in the truth yea and to repent and turn from swervings too so the Apostle Paul the Servant of Christ Now I rejoyce saith he not that ye were made sorry but that ye were made sorry to repentance 2 Cor. 7.9 4. But most of all by the sinner himself made alive again and found of his Father and in his Fathers house amongst his Brethren whether in the lower rooms while here or in the upper chambers as the Thief or Malefactor that day he dyed was in Paradise O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy c. Psal 107.1 2. Quest But why is it meet to make merry and be glad for such a one upon such an occasion surely there is great and good reason for it Answ 1. Because of the goodness of the condition it self in which a repentant sinner is found or brought into Good things are matters of joy when had and enjoyed here 's nothing but good in this state good it is in it self and good to all others therefore worthy joy and mirth and gladness 1. Good in it self for 1. It is a state of life and life is good in it self and therefore matter of promise which it would not be if not good for we do not use to promise what we judge bad and if God judged life bad or it were so in it self God would not promise it He is just he shall surely live Ezek. 18.9 It s matter of prayer Oh that Ishmael might live before thee Gen. 17.18 Let Reuben live and not dye Deut. 33.6 And its matter of praises Psal 1â—9 175 Let my soul live and it shall praise thee and let thy judgements help me Yea it s a matter of Christs purchase that he came into the world to procure and give yea the principal matter I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly John 10 10. and therefore surely life is good a great good Yea skin for skin said the adversary and all that a man hath will he give for his life 'T is usually so but especially spiritual life the life of the soul in Christ and so in the favour of God is good The life which is in the path of righteousness wherein is no death Prov. 12.28 And this is the state the sinner is taken into upon repentance and coming back to God in Christ as in Ezek. 18.17 If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that that is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye and ver 22. He shall live So in Chap. 33.11 Turn and live Being brought back to God in and by Christ the only way by which any can come or be brought to God John 14.6.7 he lives in and by Christ who is the Resurrection and the life so as that whoever believes in him whatever he be or hath been though never so dead yet he shall live and living and believing in him he shall live for ever John 11.25 26. And so it s said here He is alive again Object Oh! but the repenting Malefactor upon the Cross dyed for all his repentance Answ As to his body he did and all must and that as so inflicted on him was the fruit of his sin not of his return yea as to its sentence a means of his return from his sin but that which was the fruit of his repentance was that he lived to God Being judged according to 〈◊〉 in the flesh but living according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 and so his soul lived and went that day to Paradise and lived for ever His death as it was the fruit of his sinning was matter of sadness but as it was a means to his repentance so it was to be joyed in but much more the life of his soul and eternal life promised to and to be enjoyed by both soul and body in the Resurrection the fruits or consequents of repentance are matters of unspeakable joy and gladness if a Childe fall into the fire will not the mother rejoyce to see him snatched out of it and live safely and in health again though with causing the scorched skin to peel off surely yes 2. It is a state of being found a found state a state wherein a sinner is not lost from God and his goodness to his Brethren and fellow Servants but is found in and with them known owned and approved with God and with men Angels of one minde â— God and so is with them under the gracious approving knowledge of God and under his gracious care counsel defence c. and in unity with all that are well and happy found in a large and spacious house in and under the enjoyment of or title to large Provisions richest Furniture sweetest Relations and Friends abiding and eternal safety and satisfactions Come to Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem to be of them as Ephes 2.19 20. and to an innumerable company of Angels to have fellowship with them and protection by them to the General Assembly and Church of the first-born whose names are written in heaven as owned of God and inrolled as heirs of heaven and its infinite glory and happiness to be with
and wicked men take delight in making others sin and then make a sport and jest of it being savage Heathens under the denomination of Christians But even believers in Christ and seekers of him are too careless of their brethrens souls while they matter not if for their meat or drink or some foolish custome or will or pleasure their brother for whom Christ dyed do perish 1 Cor. 8.11 Rom. 14.25 How far is any unlike therein to Christ who thought it not too much to lay down his precious life to save us and we will scarce lay down a toy or trifle our will or pleasure a fashion or fancy to save our brethren and bring them from misery to endless happiness but it is meet when God reclaims by any means or shews mercy to any sinners especially to Prodigals and notorious offenders yea though he give them some more signal testimony of his favour to them upon their returning then he hath perhaps to our selves at any time which was the thing stomacked in the Parable to make merry and be glad for it and if so then 2. Let us be exhorted to such a demeanour and carriage in such cases God is sometimes affording such instances of his great mercy and goodness that we might take notice of him and give him the glory of it and set forth his praises He sometimes suffers such as profess his truth and have some right understanding also of it and affection to it to fall into temptations and thereby into great sins and sufferings and yet shews his mercy on them to their salvation by bringing them into sufferings for their sins he sometimes awakens them as the Prodigal here so effectually to repentance that they remember and turn to him and finde mercy with him though indeed there be too few such penitents to be found more there are that imitate this Prodigal in wandring from God and spending his gifts and their receits in riotous courses and sinful conversations then imitate him in converting returning unto God again which is a matter worthy lamentation surely the severity of God may be seen in part therein that he gives up so many that wander from him to their hardness and impenitency so as to persist to Death and perish therein Though God also hath a good and gracious end therein to others for therein he is admonishing us to beware of presumption and presumptuous sinning that seeing he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy in giving them repentance in such cases and whom he will he hardens for their presumptions we may stand in awe and take heed of abusing his goodness to any in such a way as to say Let us do evil that good may come thereof sin that grace may more abound God hath given repentance to some that have fallen fowly and shewed them mercy in receiving them again therefore I will be hold also to give way to my corruptions and take the pleasures of sin for a while I hope God will be merciful also to me and recover and receive me again and I shall not perish therein Surely the seeing many so turn away as not to return but back slide by a perpetual backsliding holding fast deceit and refusing to return as Jer. 8.45 might keep us from adventuring on so desperate a resolution Thus the Apostle teacheth us to improve a like consideration in Rom. 11.22 23. Be not high minded but fear for if God spared not the natural Branches that were hardned blinded and broken off for their unbelief ve 7.20 take heed least he also spare not thee Behold then the goodness and the severity of God on them that fell severity but on thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou also shalt be broken off See the like use also made of the like severity towards the Fathers that finned in the wilderness and perished there through God's displeasure 1 Cor. 10.1 2.10.11 they were our admonitions to provoke such as think they stand to take heed least they fall not presuming that though they throw themselves voluntarily into sin yet they shall rise or be raised up again because they are God's people and he hath loved and loves them and being once loved they must needs be always loved as some misread and abuse that saying in Joh. 13.1 contrary to Isa 63 9 10 11. Hos 9.15 and so that however they fin they cannot perish A perilous temptation that hath caused many to stumbleâ—â— and fall to their destruction Surely our Lord Jesus who was the Son of God in the most proper sense and the most sure of his love and favour even in the manhood yet would not listen to such a voice of the Tempter to cast himself from the pinacle of the Temple presuming it was impossible for him to be hurt because the promises belonged to him of which this was one that God would give his Angels charge over him to bear him up in their hands that he should not at any time dash his foot against a stone But knowing that God's promises are annexed to his ways and that his keeping them was it that should be attended with his being kept in them he repelled the temptation with having diligent respect to God's Commandement bidding man Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 6 6 7. in which he hath set us a good example that we might follow his steps and sure he is a presumptuous fool that durst venture to go where his Leader being wiser and stronger than he would not venture before him But yet when the goodness of God is so exercised and put forth in his mercy to any as to give repentance and restore them again from their falls and bruises as God is able to graffe in again what is broken off and raise up what is fallen even of those that are distinguished from and opposed to the Election that hath obtained Rom. 11.7 14 23. let us be glad and rejoyce therein both for their good in charity to them and that God is affording such a motive and incouragement to others that have sinned and are bruised thereby and lye pining away in their sins to rise again in repenting In such cases its meet that we should make merry and be glad as is here said and not with the Pharasees or Pharasaical Saints murmur at God's mercy and goodness towards them whither it be that he give them repentance and restore them to us here to â—ive with us and testifie their repentance by a better and more heavenly conversation afterwards as David Peter Manasses Mary Magdalene and others did or that he awaken them to repentance by bringing upon them some signal shame and punishment to death as befell the Malefactor upon the Crosse crucified with Christ And as God is sometime pleased to shew his goodness to others brought to like shame and death for the like or as bad or worse offences I know some foolish or Pharasaical ones are apt to strange