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 of 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, 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 have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" "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." Eccles. ix. 3. Do 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 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 sakeof 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, returns 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 them!) who dwell in the house of the Lord; feast upon his rich grace; know that their sins are pardoned, and are full of peace and joy in believing." What is the natural consequence of such a comparison? Why, an effort, an immediate effort, to mend his condition. Hope springs up in his heart; and though there was but a may-be, and mere peradventure of success, he makes the following wise resolution, ver. 18, 19: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants." He resolves to return to his father. Now, what is conversion but the sinner's return to God? This is what God calls us to in his word-"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isa. lv. 7. But with what spirit will he return? Will he feign an excuse, and go with a lie in his mouth? Will he say, “I have been very unfortunate; I have been robbed of my property; been deceived by swindlers; or had a shipwreck at sea?" Or will he plead his youth and indiscretion, and say, "Though I have done wrong, I had a good heart!" Such, my friends, are the wretched excuses of unhumbled sinners. But the prodigal now perceived the plague of his own heart; he was "poor in spirit;" he would make no excuses, but own his guilt, and confess he was unworthy to be treated as a son; he would be contented and thankful to be admitted into the kitchen or the scullery. "Make me as one of thy hired servants." Thus will it be with every true penitent; he will give glory to God by making full confession of his sin, and will sincerely admit that he is totally unworthy of the grace and mercy of God. Observe; he says, "I have sinned against heaven" -against the God of heaven; against the high authority of God, and against the wonderful goodness of God. It is a foolish and hurtful mistake of some people, when they speak of a drunkard, or some other wicked man, to say,-"He hurts none but himself." It is true sinners hurt themselves; but they also offend and provoke the God of heaven; and in true repentance, the sinner, like the prodigal, and like the Psalmist, will say, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." Before thee, said he; the prodigal had sinned against his father by throwing off his easy yoke; and let young people remember that disobedient and undutiful behaviour to their parents is a sin against God, that needs his pardoning mercy, and must be repented of. Think of this, children. ourselves Shall we pause a moment, and ask whether we find in our hearts a disposition like that of the prodigal? We have all sinned with him, but which of us repents with him? Depend upon it, we, shall not think of returning to God, till we feel the misery of departing from him. We have forsaken God, we have set up for our own guides, we have abused the gifts of God, we have been the slaves of sin, and have we not found emptiness, insufficiency, dissatisfaction, misery, and danger, in this condition? If not, may God open our eyes, and help us to discover it? If we are convinced of these things, let us make the prodigal's resolution, "I will arise;" and not only make it but execute it; for we read, ver. 19, He arose and came to his father. There are many good resolutions formed which come to nothing. It has been said that "hell is paved with good resolutions;" perhaps there is not one unhappy creature there, who did not at one time or other say, "I will arise and go to my father," but their resolutions died away. The prodigal, however, arose, and began his journey-a long journey-for you will remember that he went into "a far country." Ah! who can tell what painful fears and doubts assaulted his mind on the way? Hunger had brought him very low; and he might have said, "How can these trembling limbs carry me so many miles? I must beg my way; perhaps I may die on the road; and oh, if I live to reach the place, how can I bear the sight of the house? My father, my offended father, will refuse to see me; forbid me the house; and, after all my labour, I may be rejected, and justly too. But, however, though I may perish if I go, I must perish if I stay. I will arise, and go to my father." He goes. He continues his journey; and, at length, after many a weary step, and many a toilsome day, he catches a glimpse of the mansion: he halts; his heart beats, and a thousand fears rush into his mind, "Ah! what shall I do? What shall I say?" Just then, for so Providence ordered it, "when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him." This is the IIIrd thing we are to consider; his kind reception. God's eyes are upon all his creatures. "He looketh upon men," to see if there be any that regard, any that return; and the very first motions of the heart towards him are noticed. "He looketh upon men; and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going down into the pit, and his life shall see the light." Job xxxiii. 28. He had compassion. A parent can readily conceive what tender feelings would be excited by the sight of a long-lost child returning in this miserable plight; and by these feelings the God of mercy is pleased to express his perfect readiness to receive and forgive a repenting sinner. He ran. The prodigal, perhaps, stopped short, afraid to venture on; but the father runs; forgetting his age, and the gravity of his character, he runs to meet him, impatient to embrace him. He fell on his neck, and kissed him; though ragged, though filthy, though lately come from feeding swine. Any other than a father would have loathed; but the parent loves, and manifests his love by his affectionate embraces. What a wonderful display is this of the love of God! It is thus that God prevents us with the blessings of his goodness. It is thus that repenting sinners are welcomed by the God of mercy. Hear it O my friends, hear it for your encouragement, that our God is "ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Nehem. ix. 17. Hear his own words: Jer. xxxi. 18. "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall |