صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

From what has been said, we may learn the nature of true grace, how it opens the heart, and shews itself in love to God and man. This may afford some comfort to those who fear they are destitute of it. Ask your hearts whether they do not long for the salvation of your fellow-men? and whether you do not with Christ, angels, and all good men, rejoice in their conversion? If so, it is a good evidence of grace. On the contrary, those selfish souls, who can be content to go to heaven alone, while they care not if all around them perish, while they make no one effort to rescue them from destruction; such persons have reason to fear; for if we love not our neighbour whom we have seen, how can we love God whom we have not seen?

Finally, let every serious hearer suffer the word of exhortation. See, in St. Paul, a pattern of holy zeal, and imitate it. Like him, let it be your heart's desire and prayer to God, that Israel may be saved. Look around you, and see, who is there to whom you may be useful. Consider by what means you may best advance the glory of the great Redeemer, by bringing souls to him. Remember that life is short, and all opportunities of usefulness will cease. Work then while it is day, for the night of death is coming, when no man can work. "Serve your generation according to the will of God," and then enter into the promised rest; where, with all the redeemed, you shall glorify the riches of free grace to all eternity.

SERMON XVIII.

THE PRODIGAL SON; OR THE PENITENT JOYFULLY RECEIVED.

Luke xv. 24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

ESUS Christ came into the world to save sinners; he

JES

therefore behaved in a kind and affable manner to all, even to some who had been very great sinners. This offended the Jews, and especially the self-righteous Pharisees. They thought that a holy prophet should have nothing to do with such bad people; not considering that he went

among them on purpose to save them from their sins. But Jesus Christ vindicates his conduct, by appealing to the custom of men in general, who always rejoice when they recover any valuable thing that was lost. In this beautiful and affecting parable we have,

I. The prodigal's sin and folly, in departing from his father, and living in a riotous manner.

II. His repentance and return.

III. His kind reception.

IV. The envy of his elder brother upon that occasion. I. We have the prodigal's sin and folly, v. 11-13. "A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me: and he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living."

The prodigal son is an emblem of a sinner. He disliked the restraint of his pious father. He wanted to be his own master; to live in a state of independence, and to be governed by his own corrupt judgment. The language of sinners is, "Let us break his bonds asunder, and cast away his cords from us;" they say unto God, “ Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” Job xxi. 15. All natural men are, like the prodigal, men of the world, and want their portion in this life, regardless of a portion in heaven: and, like him, they wish to live at a distance from God, and, as much as possible "without God in the world."

But let us stop a moment, and ask whether this is not a picture of ourselves. Has not each of us, more or less, acted the same part? Is there not in us, even in us, an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God? Is not this the reason that so many forsake the house of God, even on the Lord's day-that they dislike to hear God speak to them in his preached word-that they refuse to speak to God in their prayers-and that they despise truly religious persons, who are of the family of God! Surely

all this arises from hearts "alienated from the life of God;" this is the carnal mind," which is enmity against him.

Observe, now, how he behaves in the distant country to which he went. Probably he told his father that he would traffic with his money, and so mend his fortune; or at least, that he would travel for the improvement of his mind; but he no sooner gets this portion into his hands, and becomes his own master, than he enters upon a loose, lewd, riotous way of life, in the company of bad women and other wicked companions. Thus he wasted his substance, and abused the gifts of God; gave himself up to luxury and lasciviousness," to work all uncleanness with greediness."

See the consequence of being left to ourselves; the misery of departing from God! and O, beware of wasting his gifts! Our reason, our health, our strength, our time, our money, our influence, are all talents committed to our trust; let them be used to promote the glory of God, and the salvation of our souls, and not abused to the purpose of sin and destruction.

:

Mark now, my friends, how certainly misery follows sin. Ver. 14. When he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Here is a proof of the truth of that old proverb-" Wilful waste, makes woeful want." See how the pleasures of sense perish in the using for as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool;" a noisy blaze, succeeded by dismal darkness. Let this, as Solomon advises, "keep thee from the evil woman; from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman; for by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread. She hath cast down many wounded. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Prov. vi. 24. and vii. 26.

What was become of the prodigal's gay friends? Would none who had feasted at his table come forward to supply his wants? No: they all deserted him. Place no dependance on sinful companions. Many adore the rising sun, who turn their backs upon it when it sets. And how just it is, that he, who acts as an enemy to God, should not be able to find a friend among men.

One should have thought that now, in his adversity, he would have turned his thoughts homeward. Surely this was a proper time for serious reflection. But he was not sufficiently humbled: rather than go back to his father, he will submit to the most servile state. Ver. 15. "He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine." It is no disgrace in this country to be a servant, or to feed any sort of cattle: but you are to observe that he was a Jew, and as swine's flesh was forbidden to the Jews, there could be nothing more odious and abominable to him than the care of swine. It seems, too, that this gay youth was a poor worthless creature, and notwithstanding his education, fit for no better employment. O how are the mighty fallen, and how is the fine gentleman degraded!

But far greater is the disgrace of sinful men.

Created

at first in the image of God; honourable and happy in communion with him; see him now fallen from his high estate, become a servant of sin, yea, a slave of the devil; a companion of beasts; yea, himself, as Bishop Hall speaks, "Half a beast and half a devil!" Whatever sinners may think of themselves, their wretched business is no other than the prodigal's; they are "making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof," and that is no better than feeding greedy, dirty, noisy swine.

Disgraceful as his employment was, could he have got wholesome, though plain, food, he might have made himself content. But, to fill up the measure of his misery, we find he was almost starved to death. Having, perhaps, a hard-hearted master, and that in a time of famine, he had not a morsel of bread: he must not only feed the swine, but feed with them, and eat the same food. Ver. 16. "He would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat"—wild chesnuts, probably, or some such trash, not fit for a man to eat; but though he would have been glad of them, he could not get them, or not enough of them, to satisfy his hunger.

Here also is a picture for the sinner. Husks are food for swine, not for men; so the things of this world are no more fit to satisfy the immortal soul, than husks to feed

the body. They suit not our nature, nor satisfy our desires.

"Why seek ye that which is not bread,
Nor can your hungry souls sustain ?
On ashes, husks, and air, you feed;
Ye spend your little all in vain.”

[ocr errors]

II. Let us now proceed to a more pleasing part of the subject. "It is a long lane, they say, which has no turning," and yet, alas! thousands go on all their days in the way to eternal ruin! But here we have an instance of a sinner, reduced to the last extremity, to whom his afflictions were sanctified, beginning to repent, and return to God. Ver. 17. "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"

Eccles. ix. 3.

Do

"He came to himself"-remarkable expression! He had been beside himself; he had acted the part of a madman; and indeed "the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart." madmen mistake their own condition, and fancy themselves kings and emperors? so do poor sinners; they think themselves spiritually "rich, and increased with goods, &c. and know not that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Madmen are often desperately mischievous, and even self-murderers. So are all sinners. What madness can be equal to the eternal destruction of the soul for the sake of a few momentary pleasures? Yes, we are all far from ourselves, when we are far from God; and we never return to ourselves, till God, in mercy, return to us. Regard not then the foolish reproach of the world, who will say, when you are truly concerned for your souls, that you are mad. No; they are the madmen who live in sin; you, who are coming to God, have come to yourselves.

The prodigal compares his own wretched state with the condition of his father's meanest servants. "I am starving; they are feasting. I am miserable; they are happy." Just so, a repenting sinner plainly perceives his own miserable case, and longs to partake of their happiness, who live in the house of God, and are his devoted servants. "I perish," said he; so may every man say who lives in sin, I perish; but there are others (O that I were one of

« السابقةمتابعة »