Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc00/v02450

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 10KB | 169 lines

02455
 #11-16 The parable of the prodigal son shows the nature of
 repentance, and the Lord's readiness to welcome and bless all
 who return to him. It fully sets forth the riches of gospel
 grace; and it has been, and will be, while the world stands, of
 unspeakable use to poor sinners, to direct and to encourage them
 in repenting and returning to God. It is bad, and the beginning
 of worse, when men look upon God's gifts as debts due to them.
 The great folly of sinners, and that which ruins them, is, being
 content in their life-time to receive their good things. Our
 first parents ruined themselves and all their race, by a foolish
 ambition to be independent, and this is at the bottom of
 sinners' persisting in their sin. We may all discern some
 features of our own characters in that of the prodigal son. A
 sinful state is of departure and distance from God. A sinful
 state is a spending state: wilful sinners misemploy their
 thoughts and the powers of their souls, misspend their time and
 all their opportunities. A sinful state is a wanting state.
 Sinners want necessaries for their souls; they have neither food
 nor raiment for them, nor any provision for hereafter. A sinful
 state is a vile, slavish state. The business of the devil's
 servants is to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
 thereof, and that is no better than feeding swine. A sinful
 state is a state of constant discontent. The wealth of the world
 and the pleasures of the senses will not even satisfy our
 bodies; but what are they to precious souls! A sinful state is a
 state which cannot look for relief from any creature. In vain do
 we cry to the world and to the flesh; they have that which will
 poison a soul, but have nothing to give which will feed and
 nourish it. A sinful state is a state of death. A sinner is dead
 in trespasses and sins, destitute of spiritual life. A sinful
 state is a lost state. Souls that are separated from God, if his
 mercy prevent not, will soon be lost for ever. The prodigal's
 wretched state, only faintly shadows forth the awful ruin of man
 by sin. Yet how few are sensible of their own state and
 character!

02461
 #17-24 Having viewed the prodigal in his abject state of misery,
 we are next to consider his recovery from it. This begins by his
 coming to himself. That is a turning point in the sinner's
 conversion. The Lord opens his eyes, and convinces him of sin;
 then he views himself and every object, in a different light
 from what he did before. Thus the convinced sinner perceives
 that the meanest servant of God is happier than he is. To look
 unto God as a Father, and our Father, will be of great use in
 our repentance and return to him. The prodigal arose, nor
 stopped till he reached his home. Thus the repenting sinner
 resolutely quits the bondage of Satan and his lusts, and returns
 to God by prayer, notwithstanding fears and discouragements. The
 Lord meets him with unexpected tokens of his forgiving love.
 Again; the reception of the humbled sinner is like that of the
 prodigal. He is clothed in the robe of the Redeemer's
 righteousness, made partaker of the Spirit of adoption, prepared
 by peace of conscience and gospel grace to walk in the ways of
 holiness, and feasted with Divine consolations. Principles of
 grace and holiness are wrought in him, to do, as well as to
 will.

02469
 #25-32 In the latter part of this parable we have the character
 of the Pharisees, though not of them alone. It sets forth the
 kindness of the Lord, and the proud manner in which his gracious
 kindness is often received. The Jews, in general, showed the
 same spirit towards the converted Gentiles; and numbers in every
 age object to the gospel and its preachers, on the same ground.
 What must that temper be, which stirs up a man to despise and
 abhor those for whom the Saviour shed his precious blood, who
 are objects of the Father's choice, and temples of the Holy
 Ghost! This springs from pride, self-preference, and ignorance
 of a man's own heart. The mercy and grace of our God in Christ,
 shine almost as bright in his tender and gentle bearing with
 peevish saints, as his receiving prodigal sinners upon their
 repentance. It is the unspeakable happiness of all the children
 of God, who keep close to their Father's house, that they are,
 and shall be ever with him. Happy will it be for those who
 thankfully accept Christ's invitation.
02477
 * The parable of the unjust steward. (1-12) Christ reproves the
 hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees. (13-18) The rich man and
 Lazarus. (19-31)

 #1-12 Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have
 only the use of it, according to the direction of our great
 Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his lord's goods.
 And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due
 improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot
 deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may
 teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the
 opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his
 lord's debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part
 of their debt to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable
 commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that
 respect alone is it so noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of
 their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and
 perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust
 steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his
 master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the
 careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of
 light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as
 earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify
 spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards
 up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what
 evidence can he have, that he is an heir of God through Christ?
 The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be
 convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich
 in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises;
 let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, and expect our
 portion from thence.

02489
 #13-18 To this parable our Lord added a solemn warning. Ye
 cannot serve God and the world, so divided are the two
 interests. When our Lord spoke thus, the covetous Pharisees
 treated his instructions with contempt. But he warned them, that
 what they contended for as the law, was a wresting of its
 meaning: this our Lord showed in a case respecting divorce.
 There are many covetous sticklers for the forms of godliness,
 who are the bitterest enemies to its power, and try to set
 others against the truth.

02495
 #19-31 Here the spiritual things are represented, in a
 description of the different state of good and bad, in this
 world and in the other. We are not told that the rich man got
 his estate by fraud, or oppression; but Christ shows, that a man
 may have a great deal of the wealth, pomp, and pleasure of this
 world, yet perish for ever under God's wrath and curse. The sin
 of this rich man was his providing for himself only. Here is a
 godly man, and one that will hereafter be happy for ever, in the
 depth of adversity and distress. It is often the lot of some of
 the dearest of God's saints and servants to be greatly afflicted
 in this world. We are not told that the rich man did him any
 harm, but we do not find that he had any care for him. Here is
 the different condition of this godly poor man, and this wicked
 rich man, at and after death. The rich man in hell lifted up his
 eyes, being in torment. It is not probable that there are
 discourses between glorified saints and damned sinners, but this
 dialogue shows the hopeless misery and fruitless desires, to
 which condemned spirits are brought. There is a day coming, when
 those who now hate and despise the people of God, would gladly
 receive kindness from them. But the damned in hell shall not
 have the least abatement of their torment. Sinners are now
 called upon to remember; but they do not, they will not, they
 find ways to avoid it. As wicked people have good things only in
 this life, and at death are for ever separated from all good, so
 godly people have evil things only in this life, and at death
 they are for ever put from them. In this world, blessed be God,
 there is no gulf between a state of nature and grace, we may
 pass from sin to God; but if we die in our sins, there is no
 coming out. The rich man had five brethren, and would have them
 stopped in their sinful course; their coming to that place of
 torment, would make his misery the worse, who had helped to show
 them the way thither. How many would now desire to recall or to
 undo what they have written or done! Those who would make the
 rich man's praying to Abraham justify praying to saints
 departed, go far to seek for proofs, when the mistake of a
 damned sinner is all they can find for an example. And surely
 there is no encouragement to follow the example, when all his
 prayers were made in vain. A messenger from the dead could say
 no more than what is said in the Scriptures. The same strength
 of corruption that breaks through the convictions of the written
 word, would triumph over a witness from the dead. Let us seek to
 the law and to the testimony, #Isa 8:19,20|, for that is the
 sure word of prophecy, upon which we may rest, #2Pe 1:19|.
 Circumstances in every age show that no terrors, or arguments,
 can give true repentance without the special grace of God
 renewing the sinner's heart.