v. 7. [T1 ſay unto you, that lihewiſe there ſhall be Foy in Hoawen over ene Sinner that repenteth, mare than over Ninety and Nine juſt Perſons,which need no BR epentance. ] We have much the ſame again, w. 10. Icavirg out the comparative part, There aiſo 1t 1s : "There 3s Foy in the preſence of the Angels of God, ] We will conficer the Expreſ- fions - in both the Verſes togeth.cr. As to which there may ariſe theſe Queliions. 1. 2#, What 1s here meant by Fey in Heaven 2 The Inhabitants oft Heaven are God. the blefled Angels, and the glorified 'Saints, how can they be ſaid to rejoyce, whereas reſycing is in us the ' produtt of a Pattion, by which we Triumph iu our Union to fome good, which we before wanted. 1. Anſ, When Terms expreſſive of cur Paiſions, are applyed to perfe@t Beings, we muſt underſtand them ſo, as tiiey alune can agree to ſuch Beings, ſeparated from thoſe Excetſes, which they have in Beings more imperfett. Foy ſig- nifieth nothing but the full ſatisfation of the Will in- a good obtain- ed. Thus God 1s ſaid to rcjoyce in his People, Ja. 62. 5. 2. fu. Who are theſe Ninety Nine juſt Perſons that need n» Repentance ? (For the number, it is but an incertain number put for one certain). 2. Ar. 1. Some by ſuch as need no Repentance underſtand, ſuch as think ſo of themſelves, tho' indeed they do need it. 2. Others un- derſtand it comparatively, ſuch as if compared with others need no Repentance. 3. Others by Repentance underſtand Penance. Such ſober perſons as ſtand in no need of being called to a Publick Con- feffion, for the ſatisfation of the Church offended. I had rather un- deritand it of the glorified Saints, wheſe Society Chriſt left, when he came to work out our Redemption. For the others it had been no great matter for Chriſt to have told them, that God, and the ho- ly Saints and Angels, rejoyce more over one repenting Sinner, than over Niuety and Nine impenitent Sinners, and ſelf-righteous perſons, who continually grieve him, and whom he abhorreth. But then, 3. Yu. How can 7t be ſaid, that God, and the Angels, and Saints, more rejyce over one repenting Sinner, than over Ninety Nine glorifi- ed Saints ? Anſ. It is univerſally agreed, that Chrift ſpeaks here of God, and of the Angels, after the manger of Men, of whoſe Na- ture it is to expreſs more Pailion upon a new Objett that pleaſeth them, than upon others that they have been long pleaſed with. As a Farent rejoyceth more over one Child recovered from the Jaws of Death, than over all the reſt of his Children, Tho' nothing can be new to God, that 1s, which he did not ſee, and fore-know, yet ſomethings may be new to him in fads eſſe, as done and fulfilled ; and tho' we muſt not imagine any Mutation, or Alteration of the Di- vine Being upon any Emergency amongſt men, yet to expreſs how infinitely pleaſed Gcd is, in the Repentance and Converſion of great Sinners, he 1s ſet out, as receiving an avgmentation of fatis- fation in the effeting of it; ſuch Expreſſions as theſe condeſcended to by God for our Conſolation, muſt not be ſo flirained by us, as to occaſion any unbecoming thoughts of God, Qu. Some query how the Angels know of the Converſion of a Sinner, and from hence the Papiits 'wouid ſome of them infer, that they know our Hearts, becauſe that is ti ſear of Converſion. An. Both the Angels, and the glorified Saints :lſo may know it by Gods revealing it to them.
8 Either what woman having | ten pieces of filver, if ſhe loſe one piece, doth nor light a candle, and ſweep the houte, and feek diligently ill the find ze ? |
9 and when ſhe hath found zr, ſhe calleth her friends and her neighbours rogether, faying, Rejoyce with me,
expreſſed,
part of an for I have found the piece which I had loſt.
ounce, which
cometh to Jeven pence half-penny,
an1 equal to the Roman
penny, Mat, I8. 28,
10 Likewile I ſay unto you, There is joy in the pre- ſence of the angels of God, over one Sinner that re- penreth.
This Parable (as appeareth by the concluſion of it) 15 of the fame 1mport with the otiier, and need no further Explication. Ey both theſe Parables, our bleſſed Lord lets the Phariſees know the end he aimed at in Converſing with Publicans and Sinners, wiz. In order to their Repentance and Converfion, than which nothing could be more grateful, and well-pleaſing to that God who defireth not the Death of a Sinner, but rather that they ſhould turn from their wick- edact:, and live. Of tie ſame 5mport 1s alſo the following Parable, which taketh up all the remaining part of this Chapter.
11 And he faid, a certain man had two ſons:
12 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 hs living.
13 And not many days after , the younger ſon ga- thered all together, and took Ms journey into a far country , and there waſted his ſubſtance with riotous Hving, | . And when he had ſpent all, there aroſe a mighty famine in thar land ; and he began to be in want.
15 And went and joined himſelf to a citizen of that country, and he ſent him into his fields to feed ſwine.
16+ And he would fain have filled his belly with the __ thar the ſwine did eat : and no man gave unto
im.
The Scope of this excellent Parable, is apparently to magnifie the
Grace of 50d, who is willing to receive and ro treat kindly the great-
'cit Tranſgreitors, ſeriouſly repeating and turaing unto God 3 but
in it we are alio, 1. Taſtrutted in the original ſtate of Man, like that or a Child in his Fathers Houſe, happy and wanting nothing. 2. The moſt miferatie eftate of fallen Men, tuch eſpecially as run to great cxcels of Riot, 3. The true way of a Sinners returning to God. 4. The readineſs of our gracious Father to receive, and his wonderful kindnefs in the receiving and imvractivg repenting, and re- turnirig Sinners, 5s. The Envy that is ſometimes found in good Souls to others receiving (as they think) more favour from God ein they do, 6. The Gentleneſs and Mcekneſs of God in dealing with v7, notwithſtanding our Infirmitics and wiſ-becoming Paſſions.
S. LUKE,
God is again herc repreſented under the notion of a M