Matthew Poole and continuators on Luke 15:20

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But 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.

The way of a Sinners returning to God must be by arising▪ going to the Father, Confessing his Sins with the Aggravations of them, disclaiming any goodness, any Righteousness in himself, Humbling himself to God's Footstool, I will arise, (saith the Prodigal) and go to my Father, and 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. And he arose and came to his Father. He arose from the Sleep, and Bed of Sin, and came into his Father. We are not here told by whose Strength, or in whose Assistance he arose, and came. We must remember that our Saviour is here representing a Spiritual Notion, by an ordinary humane Action; now Men have an innate Power to Natural Motions, tho not to Spiritual Actions. We are elsewhere told. That no Man cometh to the Father, but by Christ, nor doth any Man come unto the Son, but he whom the Father draweth. Every one as he is taught of the Father, cometh unto the Son; and again, that tho we be saved by Faith, yet it is not of our selves, it is the Gift of God, and Phil. 1.29, It is given to us on the behaf of Christ to believe ▪ These are but several Expressions signifying by the tender affections, and Gracious reception of Earthly Parents of a returning Prodigal Son, the exceeding readiness of our Heavenly Father to receive Penitent Sinners; he is so far from discouraging great Sinners from taking up thoughts of returning unto him, that he cherisheth the Embryoes of such Resolutions, I said (saith the Psalmist) I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forg avest the Iniquity of my Sin, Psal. 32.5. God seeth the first good Motions, and stirrings of our Hearts, towards him, and he needs must do so▪ for he stirreth them up in us; there is no sacred Fire upon our Altar, but first cometh down from Heaven, whiles yet the Soul is far off from believing, and closing with Christ actually, and hath but some thoughts of that tendency, God looks upon it, incourageth it, meeteth it as it were half-way; and indeed if he did not, our Goodness would be but like a Morning Dew, which would quickly pass away, our first Inclinations would perish like an untimely Birth, before it hath seen the Light.

Marginal references: Acts 2.39. Eph. 2.13.17.