Reflections on the Joy in Heaven over a Penitent Sinner.

HO

159

count, and condefcend to familiar Converse with Sect. 122.

thofe, whom you proudly defpife as unworthy Luke XV. your Regard.

IMPROVEMENT.

OW graceful and lovely does our Lord appear, while thus opening Luke xv. 4. his compaffionate Arms, and Heart, to thefe wretched Out-cafts, for whofe Souls no Man cared! Who can chufe but rejoice at this Jubilee, which he proclaimed among them, and at the chearful Attention which they gave to these glad Tidings of great Joy? May we, who are his Followers, never defpife the meaneft, or the worft of Men, when they feem difpofed to receive religious Inftruction; but rather exert ourselves with a diftinguished. Zeal, as knowing that the Joy of the Heavenly World in Ver. 1o.. their Recovery will be, in fome measure, proportionable to the Extremity of their former Danger.

Let us often recollect the Charity and Goodness of those perfected Spirits, Ver. 7. who look down from their own Glory with Compaffion, on Mortals wandering in the Paths of the Deftroyer, and who fing Anthems of Thankfulness and Joy, when by Divine Grace they are reclaimed from them. Let every Sinner be touched with a generous Defire, that he who has been in fo many Instances the Offence and Burthen of the Earth, may become the Joy of Heaven by his fincere Converfion. And let the Solicitude with Ver. 4,--6. which the little Poffeffions of this World are fought, when they are loft by Ver. 8, 9, any Accident, engage us more earneftly to feek what is infinitely more valuable, our own Salvation, and that of the immortal Souls of others. May we in our different Stations labour fuccessfully for their Recovery; that we may another Day share in that higher Joy, which Angels and glorified Saints fhall exprefs, when they fee them not only reduced to the Paths of Virtue and Happiness, but fixed in Abodes of eternal Glory!

SECT. CXXIII.

Our LORD farther pursues the Defign of the preceding Parables, by that of the Prodigal Son. Luke XV. 11, to the End.

W

LUKE XV. 11.

ITH the fame Defign, of vindicating him- Sect. 123.. self in converfing with Publicans and Sinners, of reproving the Envy of the Pharifees, and

of.

Luke XV..

II.

160

Sect. 123.

Luke XV. 11.

12

13

14

12 And the younger_of them faid to his Father, Father, give me the Portion of

The Parable of the Prodigal Son.
of encouraging every fincere Penitent by moving
Reprefentations of the Divine Mercy, our Lord
went on to utter another moft beautiful and affect-
ing Parable. And he faid, while this various Mul-
titude was standing round him, There was a cer-
tain Man in plentiful Circumftances, and of a very
condefcending Temper, who had two Sons, that
were now grown up to Manhood. And the
younger of them, fondly conceited of his own Ca-
pacity to manage his Affairs, and weary of the
Reftraints of his Father's House, faid one Day to
his indulgent Parent, Father, as I am now come
to Years of Difcretion, I defire that thou wouldst
give me into mine own Hands that Portion of
Goods, which according to an equitable Distribu-
tion falls to my Share. And he, unwilling to
make any invidious Diftinction in diftributing his
Effects, divided his Living between them both (a),
and gave them his chief Stock of Money, reserving

the House and Estate in his own Hands.

And not many Days after this Divifion was made, the younger Son, gathering all his Treasure together, and pretending a Defign of trafficking with it, took a Journey into a very diftant Country; and there forgetting his Relations at Home, and living with a Knot of Companions like himself, in a very riotous, debauched, and extravagant Manner, he quickly fquandered away the whole of his Subftance.

And when he had confumed all in this wretched Course, it fo happened thro' the righteous Judgment of GOD upon him, that there was an extream Famine in that Country where he fojourned; and he foon began to be in Want of the 15 very Neceffaries of Life. And finding no Shelter or Relief among thofe, who had been the Companions of his Luxury, and shared in the Spoils of his Subftance, yet unable to brook the Mortification of returning Home in fuch Circumstances,

Goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his Living.

13 And not many Days

after, the younger Son gahis Journey into a far Country, and there wafted his Subftance with riotous Liv

thered all together, and took

ing.

14 And when he had

fpent all, there arofe a mighand he began to be in Want. ty Famine in that Land;

15 And he went and joined

(a) Divided his Living between them both.] It is plain, no fignificant Senfe can be put on this Circumftance of the Parable, as referring to the Difpenfations of GOD to his Creatures. It is one of those many ornamental Circumstances, which it would be Weaknefs over-rigoroufly to accommodate to the general Design.

(b) Who

Having Spent all his Subftance, he is reduced to Want :

fent him into his Fields to feed Swine

161

Luke XV.

15.

joined himself to a Citizen ftances, he went and joined himself as a Servant Sect, 123. of that Country; and he to a Citizen of that Place; who thinking fuch a worthless Creature unfit for any better Poft, fent him into his Grounds (b) belonging to an Estate in the Country, to feed Swine. And mean and difagreeable as the Employment was (c), this unhappy Youth, who had once lived in fuch Plenty and Splendor, was forced to fubmit to it. And even then thro' the Unkindness of his 16 Master, and the Extremity of the Seafon, he was kept fo poorly, that he had not Bread; but would gladly have filled his hungry Belly with the forrieft Hufks (d), which the Swine eat: And yet there was no Man that would take fo much Pity upon him, as to give unto him one Morfel of Food; fo fparing did the Famine make them, and fo much did they despise this foolish and fcandalous Prodigal.

16 And he would fain have filled his Belly with the eat: and no Man gave unto

Hufks that the Swine did

him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many

hired Servants of my Father's have Bread enough and to fpare, and I perifh with Hunger!

And now the Infamy and Diftrefs of his pre- 17 fent Situation began to lead him into ferious Confideration; and coming to himself, he fo far recovered his Reafon, which had before been dethroned and extinguished by the mad Intoxication of fenfual Pleasure, that he faid in his own Mind, Alas, how many hired Servants in the Family of my good Father have Bread enough and to Spare, while I his Child, who have known fo many better Days, am even perishing with Famine, and am not thought worth my Food by this unkind Mafter 18 I will arife, and go to to whom I have hired myself! Whatever be 18

my

the

(b) Who -fent him into his Grounds.] That xar, in fuch a Construction, should be rendered in this Manner, the accurate Elfner has fhewn by a Variety of convincing Inftances. (Obferv. vol. i. pag. 248.)

(c) Mean and difagreeable as the Employment was.] It is true, that among the antient Greeks, the chief Swineherd was looked upon as an Officer of no inconfiderable Rank; as evidently appears from the Figure which Eumaus makes in the Odyssey: But this was an Age of greater Refinement; the unhappy Youth was obliged to tend the Swine himself; and if he be confidered as a Jew, the Averfion of that Nation for this unclean Anima), must render the Employment peculiarly odious to him; and probably this Circumftance was chofen by our Lord, to reprefent him as reduced to the most vile and Servile State that could be imagined. (d) With the forrieft Hufks.] A late Tranflation (after Brown, Saubert, Grotius, and many others,) renders xepala, Carraways, or the Fruit of the Carub-tree, which bore a mean, tho' fweetish Kind of Fruit, in long crooked Pods; which by fome is called St. John's Bread: But if the Account which Saubert himself gives of it be true, Swine would hardly have been fed with any thing but the bufky Part of this, in a Time of extream Famine. I therefore chufe to retain our Verfion; but take it, on the whole, to have been the Fruit of a Tree, fomething of a Wild Chefnut Kind. See Drufius, in loc.

VOL. II.

X

(e) Sin

18.

162

thee,

And awakened at laft to a Senfe of his Folly, he returns Home. Sect. 123. the Confequence of it, I am refolved, that I will my Father, and will fay unto fit no longer in this miferable Condition; but I him, Father, I have finned Luke XV. will immediately arife, and go to my Father, if all againft Heaven, and before my little remaining Strength can carry me fuch a Journey; and without vainly attempting an Apology, I will fay to him, Oh my dear injured Father, I humbly confefs, that I have finned against the Great Go D of Heaven (e) by a long Course of Vice and Wickednefs, and have been guilty alfo of the vileft Behaviour before thee, in abufing thy Goodness, and grieving thee by my unnatural 19 Rebellion; And in Confequence of this I am no more worthy to be called thy Son, nor can I expect the Favour of being admitted into thy Family on fuch Terms again; nevertheless, do not fuffer me to perish, but rather make me as one of thine hired Servants (f), and I will be contented for the future to labour, and to fare as they do, fo I may but live in thy Sight.

20

And accordingly be arofe at that very Inftant, and fet forward on his long Journey, paffing thro' all the Stages of it with a firm Resolution, Providence taking Care for his Subfiftence, tho he was obliged to beg his Way; and at length he came to the Neighbourhood of the Houfe, in which his Father dwelt.

But while he was yet at a confiderable Distance, bis Father, who happened to be then looking that Way, faw him, and presently knew him, disguised as he was; and his Bowels yearned over him, to fee him in fo wretched a Condition: And immediately, as if he had forgot the Dignity of his Character, and all the Injuries he had received, he ran to his Child, and fell on his Neck with an eager Embrace, and tenderly kissed him with Tears of 21 Joy. And the Son began to make his hum

ble

more

19 And am no worthy to be called thy Son: make me as one of thy hired Servants.

20 And he arofe, and came to his Father.

(e) Sinned against the Great GOD of Heaven.] This was, as Dr. Goodman obferves, (Parable of the Prodigal, pag. 207.) an Acknowledgment, that his Father's Yoke had been fo eafy, that his throwing it off had been an Act of Rebellion against GOD: And itfhewed alfo, that his Heart was touched with a Senfe, not only of the Folly, but the Guilt of his Conduct, and that the Fear of GOD began to take hold of him.

(f) Make me as one of thine hired Servants.] He mentions this, not becaufe fuch Servants fared worse than Slaves; but because he was himself an hired Servant, and therefore naturally compared his own Condition, with thofe of that Rank in his Father's Family.

(8) The

His

him, Father, I have finned against Heaven, and in thy Sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son,

22 But the Father faid to his Servants, Bring forth the beft Robe, and put it on him, and puta Ring on his Hand,

and Shoes on his Feet.

23 And bring hither the fatted Calf, and kill it; and 24 For this my Son was dead, and is alive again; he was loft, and is found. And

let us eat and be merry.

they began to be merry.

25 Now his elder Son

Father kindly receives him.

163

Luke XV.

21.

ble Acknowledgments, as he before had purpofed, Sect. 123.
and faid unto him, Oh Father, I am afhamed to
appear in thy Prefence; for fuch has been my Vile-
nefs, that I have finned against the GOD of Heaven,
and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called
and owned as thy Son, or to receive any Token of
thy favourable Regards, But before he could 22
make an End of the Speech he intended, his com-
paffionate Father turned, and faid to his Ser-
vants who were now gathered round them, Go
immediately into the House, and bring out the best
Robe that is there (g), and clothe him with it, and
put a Ring on his Hand, and Sandals on his Feet,
that my dear Child may appear like himself :
And let others of you run to the Stall, and
bring hither the fatted Calf that is there, and kill
it (h); and let us eat and be chearful. For 24
I efteem this as one of the happiest Days of my
Life, and more joyful than the Birth-day of one
of my Children; fince this my Son, that was fo
long confidered by me as dead, is restored to
Life (i); and he who was concluded to be irre-
coverably loft, is found, fo that I have renewed Hope
of Comfort in him. And they accordingly fate
down to the Banquet, and began to be chearful.

23

But in the mean time his elder Son was out 25 was in the Field: and as he in the Field; and as on his Return be approached

came

the

g) The beft Robe.] Ferrarius (de Re Veftiar. lib. iii. cap. 24.) observes, that the soan, or long Robe, was a Garment which Servants never wore; fo that his Father's ordering any fuch Garment, and especially the beft, to be brought, was declaring in the most moving Manner that can be imagined, how far he was from intending to treat him like a Servant. His mentioning the Ring, and Shoes, fpake the fame Language; as many learned Writers have obferved. See Wolfius in loc.

(b) The fatted Calf, and kill it.] Elfner would render the Word Jusale, facrifice it; truly urging, that it was cuftomary to offer a Sacrifice at the Birth, and sometimes at the unex pected Recovery of a Child. (See Elfner. Obferv. pag. 249, 250.) But no fuch Sacrifice was appointed among the Jews, nor could any have been lawfully offered but at Jerufalem, which does not appear to have been the Scene of this Parable; fo that I can fee no just Reafon for fuch a Rendering.

(i) That was dead, is restored to Life.] It is by a very common and beautiful Emblem, that vicious Perfons are reprefented as dead, both by Sacred and Profane Authors; (compare 1 Tim. v. 6. Eph. ii. 1. v. 14. and Wolfius in loc.) and the natural Death of their Children would be lefs grievous to pious Parents, than to fee them abandoned to fuch a Course, as this young Sinner took. But to fuppofe an Allufion here to that Statute, (Deut. xxi. 18,21.) which condemned a difobedient and rebellious Son to Death on the Profecution of his Parents, is here most unnatural, and utterly spoils the Tenderness and Grace of this Speech.

X 2

(k) All