Luke 15:11-32 And he said, A certain man had two sons:… I. Sinners regard God no farther than to gain from Him whatever they can. II. Sinners waste the blessings which they receive from His hands, and reduce themselves to absolute want. III. Afflictions are very often the first means of bringing them to a sense of their condition. IV. When they first acquire this sense they usually betake themselves to false measures for relief. V. This situation of a sinner is eminently unhappy. VI. The repentance of the gospel is the resumption of a right mind. Among the things which the sinner realizes, when he first comes to himself, are the following. 1. His own miserable condition. 2. That in the house of his heavenly Father there is an abundance of good. 3. A hope that this good may be his. I shall now proceed in the consideration of the progress of a sinner towards his final acceptance with God as it is exhibited in the text. With this design, I observe — I. True repentance is a voluntary exercise of the mind. II. True repentance is a filial temper, disposing us to regard God as our parent, and ourselves as His children. III. True repentance is followed, of course, by a confession of sin. IV. A real penitent feels that all his sins are committed against God. V. A real penitent is, of course, humble. VI. A real penitent brings nothing to God, but his want, shame, and sorrow. VII. A true penitent executes his resolutions of obedience. VIII. God is entirely disposed to receive the sincere penitent. IX. The richest provision is made for the enjoyment of the sincere penitent. X. There is a peculiar joy in heaven over the repentance of returning sinners. (T. Dwight, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said, A certain man had two sons: |
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