Riches or Abundance of Gold and Silver in which now-a-days we esteem Riches chiefly to consist they are really no better than Heaps of Earth of different Colours impress'd with different Stamps and made of different Sizes and to which Men have given a different Value and Esteem according to their different Colour Size and Impression and which in themselves are good for little but to be look'd on and which he that would live must part with when he has them in Exchange for other Things that are necessary for his Subsistence Now what can be more vile and base than for so Noble and Excellent a Creature as Man so far to degrade himself as to employ his greatest Love and Admiration and Desire upon a Piece of Earth which was originally made for him to tread upon and produce Things for his Food and Pleasure To make that his Master nay his God which was made to be his Servant For a Rational Soul to doat upon a sensless Clod to neglect the Contemplation of the Excellencies of his infinitely perfect Maker and admire one of the lowest of his Creatures to desire a Piece of Earth with the greatest Application and have no Value for the Immortal Glories of Heaven to place his Happiness in what is so very much inferiour to him and upon that which is indeed his Happiness to bestow no Thoughts what can be more vile and abject than this what more unbecoming the Dignity of the Rational Nature and of a Creature that has such glorious Hopes Where is the Reason of a Man that lays out all his Endeavours to acquire a Trifle and in the mean time disregards that which is his chief good and where is the Religion of a Christian that has been redeem'd not by Corruptible Things such as Silver and Gold but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without Blemish and without Spot where is his Religion that notwithstanding this makes Silver and Gold the chief Object of his Affections and treads under foot the Son of God and counts the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy or common Thing and does despight to the Spirit of Grace and loves and admires Mammon more than his Saviour What more vile and brutish than this what more stupidly ungrateful This is to come down to a Level with the Beasts that perish nay 't is to sink much lower for They act according to their Natural Instincts and choose as they are directed by their Great Creator and serve him obediently in that Rank of Being in which he has plac'd them But that Man much more that Christian that makes perishing Riches the main Object of his Desires and Endeavours acts directly contrary to the Reason that God has given him degenerates many degrees below the Dignity of his Nature disobeys the Orders of his Creator slights the Heavenly Counsel of his Saviour despises the Glories and Felicities of the Kingdom of Heaven and of a Man and a Christian makes himself a vile Muckworm delighted in nothing Noble and Excellent but groveling upon the Earth as if that were the Centre of his Happiness And what can more vilifie and degrade a Reasonable Soul made after the Image of God than such base Affections as these 'T is certainly a most vile Degeneracy and renders a Man the most contemptible Creature in the Universe both to God and Angels and all wise and good Men. And thus much may suffice to expose the Folly and Vileness of an immoderate Desire of Riches as in them placing the Happiness of Life I shall now shew The ill Consequences that attend it which besides that great Perplexity of Mind they cause mention'd before are chiefly these two 1 It mightily hinders a Man's Progress in Religion which is the one Thing necessary 2. It exposes a Man more than any thing to the Danger of Apostacy or falling from the Truth First An immoderate Love of Riches does mightily hinder a Man's Progress in Religion which is the one Thing necessary We may remember our Lord in his Interpretation of a Parable before discours'd of Matt. 13.22 says that the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches like Thorns that spring up with Seed choke the Word of God and render it unfruitful and in another Parable of a great Supper made at the Marriage of a King's Son Matt. 22. Luk. 14.18 by which as was discours'd upon that Parable is represented the glad Tidings and Invitations of the Gospel he tells us That that which detain'd Men from it was likewise the Cares of the World and the Love of Riches they had Ground to look after and Oxen to prove and therefore they could not come to the Wedding Supper And accordingly says our Saviour in as express Words as can be Matt. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters ye cannot serve God and Mammon Now the Reason of this is twofold For first Nothing so much distracts a Man's Thoughts as an eager Desire and Pursuit of Wealth for Riches are so difficult to be acquir'd as has been said and so very slippery when gain'd that as to get them will exercise all a Man's Contrivance employ all his Thoughts and Attention and consume his whole Time so to keep them when once gotten will to a Man that knows the Hardship of getting them and how soon they are lost again engage him in constant Care and Solicitude to watch his Idol lest he be depriv'd of it and so his Mind becomes distracted with continual Apprehensions of Danger and at leisure for no other Thoughts than how to secure his Riches And this those that are acquainted with Men much wedded to the World may soon perceive by their careful anxious Looks and distrustful Timorous Discourse Now the immoderate Love of Riches thus engrossing a Man's Soul and the great Business of Religion or making Provision for Another World and laying up a Treasure of good Works in Heaven being a Thing that likewise requires Time and Diligence and a close Application of all our Faculties to the Performance of it and it being impossible for a Man to attend closely to two Things at once and the Love of this World and of the next being not only different but contrary the one to the other How can it be but that he that eagerly loves Riches and has his Soul prepossess'd with a strong Desire of them and all his Faculties before engag'd in their Pursuit must move very slowly in the Way of Religion if he moves at all nay indeed rather move backward than forward and the more he loves the World grow colder still in his Affections to God Another Reason of this is Because an Immoderate Love of Money is a kind of Fascination and Enchantment it casts a Mist before a Man's Understanding and makes him less sensible and apprehensive of the great Obligation to a Religious Life and so dulls and stupifies the Soul that it becomes very little moved with the Sermons of
about Spiritual Humility because it has been taught by some that pretend to the most extraordinary Religion that we ought to entertain none but vile and abject Thoughts of our selves to be conscious of nothing that is good in us but to call our selves the vilest of Sinners and the worst of Men according to St. Paul's Example who calls himself the chief of Sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 But since it cannot be true for a sincerely pious sober and chaste Man for Instance to call himself the most prophane the most intemperate and debauch'd Wretch living for he must needs be sensible that is not so therefore a more discreet Way of Humiliation and Confession of our Faults should be introduc'd in its Room for nothing that is untrue can be pleasing and acceptable unto God And as no Man ought to think of himself more highly than he ought to think so neither should he untruly vilifie and miscall himself but think and speak soberly according as God has given to him the Measure of Faith 'T is the same St. Paul's Advice Rom. 12.3 whose Example is urg'd for so extremely debasing a Man's self in his own Esteem and therefore when he said of himself That he was the chief of Sinners it must look back to his former Wickedness in persecuting the Church of Christ and could not be true as to his present Condition when he spoke it for he was then a chosen Vessel and not inferior to any of the Apostles And whatever good Man will use that Expression after him its Signification must be restrain'd either with Reference to past Wickednesses or some particular Vice which too easily besets him and cannot be true in its largest Sense of any sincerely good Man And 't is a strange kind of Humiliation that is made up of the Confession of Faults which a Man never knew himself to be guilty of which yet is much in Vogue with some sort of People but does indeed look too Stage-like to be thought real by any discerning Man Poverty of Spirit therefore does not consist in a Man's making himself worse than he is and truly there is no neâ—â— he should do so every Man living having enough of real Vileness to humble him before God and in overlooking every thing that is commendable in him and the Pharisee in the Parable might very innocently have thank'd God that he was not as other Men Fornicators Unjust Adulterers or even as a Publican had there not been something much worse than this mix'd with his Thanksgiving And it was this He was proud of his living more circumspectly than other Men he arrogated much of the Praise to himself and despis'd one who by reason his Profession he thought was a more loose and careless Liver and never reflected upon his Failures and Imperfections but was wholly taken up with admiring himself and vaunting of his Vertue and did not return as he ought to have done all the Glory to God So that 't is not all thinking well of ones Conversation and Virtuous Living that is Spiritual Pride but only when we think better of it than we should do and forget our Sins and Imperfections or arrogantly ascribe the Praise to our selves not remembring who made us to differ and neglecting to return the Glory to him and are so exalted in our own Conceits as to despise and contemn others because their Religion is not with Shew and Ostentation Spiritual Humility then as 't is oppos'd to this Spiritual Pride consists in two things First In not overvaluing our spiritual Excellencies nor our selves by reason of them but returning all the Praise and Glory to God who is the Author of every good and perfect Gift 'T is to remember that he made us to differ and that we have nothing not so much as a good Thought but what we receive from him in whose Divine Aid is all our Sufficiency 'T is to reflect upon the Imperfections and Defects of even our best Actions and how much Need there is of God's Mercy and favourable Judgment after we have done all that we can in his Service 'T is to remember likewise that with such great Assistances from above as we have receiv'd we might have been much better than we are and have practis'd more Graces of Christianity and that in higher Degrees of Perfection And when there arises any inward Complacency in our Breasts from a Vertuous Action or we meet with any commendation from others 't is then immediately to give God the Glory and transfer all the Praise to him and suffer no vain Tumours to remain upon our Minds nor look down with Scorn upon others that have less Esteem and Reputation in the World But rather to humble our selves before God at the Thoughts of the Pollutions that are still upon our Souls and reflect how great a Debt of Gratitude lies upon us to our great Benefactor who has given us unworthy as we are such great Measures of his Grace and resolve to make him a due return of a daily increasing Praise and Obedience and Love Secondly Spiritual Humility consists in a due Apprehension of the Vileness of our Sins and the great Aggravations of them and as we must not overvalue our Vertues nor our selves by Reason of them so neither should we undervalue our Vices i. e. endeavour to palliate and excuse them and give them more favourable Names than they deserve such as unavoidable Frailties pitiable Infirmities the Effects of Surprize and the like Nor think our selves to be less abominable in the Sight of God for our Commission of them than indeed we are There is no Manliving how good soever but is still a Sinner and not only Imperfections and Frailties may be laid to his Charge but God knows too often Sins of a deeper Dye as David and Peter we know fell into the very worst of Wickednesses though the one otherwise a Man after God's own Heart and the other an Apostle of our Lord and Holy Martyr for his Truth Now Spiritual Humility will give a Man a due Sense of his Spiritual Vileness and represen this Sin whatever it be as indeed the greatest Evil a Violation of the highest Authority and of a most Holy and Just and Good Law and the very heighth of Ingratitude too as being a Resisting the Will of our greatest Friend and Benefactor And 't will shew him the Aggravations of his Guilt as being contracted against sufficient Light and Knowledge and when he had sufficient Aid likewise from Abve to enable him to resist the Temptations to it if he would These and the like Considerations which a Man truly humble in Spirit will call to mind will humble him still more and render him as vile in his own Eyes as he thinks he is in God's and make him prostrate himself before the Throne of the Divine Majesty with Shame and Sorrow and Confusion of Face confessing his Guilt condemning himself for it and humbly imploring Forgiveness of his offended God and
finally wanting in a sufficient Degree to such as sincerely embrace it and co-operate with it And as our Lord expresses it in another Parable Mark 4.26 which for its near Resemblance to this and the next I think it needless Particularly to discourse of The Kingdom of God or of Grace is as if a Man should cast Seed into the Ground and should sleep and rise Night and Day and the Seed should spring up and grow he knoweth not how from the Blade to the Ear and to the full Corn in the Ear and when the Fruit is ripe he putteth in the Sickle because the Harvest is come That is tho' good Men's Progress in Religion often-times be not so quick and hasty as they may and wish yet though almost insensibly it may daily grow and increase and at last the perfect Fruits of Righteousness be visible in their Conversations Therefore let not a slow Improvement discourage any Man that is sincerely desirous of making still higher Advances but let him hold fast what he already hath do his best Endeavour still to grow in Grace and the Fruits of the Spirit and then with Patience wait upon God for a more plentiful Increase In the last place this Increase of the Word must be proportionable to the Quantity of the Seed that is sown and to the Strength and Powers of the Soil in which it is sown that is it must be according to every Man's Ability and the Opportunities he hath had of Improvement in some Thirty in some Sixty and in some an Hundred-Fold When a Husbandman sowes his Seed if he sowes in great Plenty and upon good Ground we know he expects to reap in a proportionable Abundance and when he sowes more sparingly and the Soil be not capable of so great an Increase his Expectations are accordingly And so it is in Religion from such as are of pregnant Parts and Abilities able to entertain and consider and make the best Use of the Word of God that is sown in their Hearts and likewise enjoy the great Blessing of excellent Instruction and have the whole of Christianity set before them in a true Light all the Duties and Rewards and Punishments of it so that there is all that can be done in order to an abundant Increase from such Men as these God will expect much Fruit even the Increase of an Hundred-Fold they must abound in every good Word and Work and the Word of God dwelling so richly in them Line upon Line Precept upon Precept Treasures of Instruction heap'd one upon another a scanty penurious Increase will not be accepted much less a total and intire Barrenness excus'd For so St. Paul Heb. 6.7 8. The Earth that drinketh in the Rain that cometh upon it and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God but that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and nigh unto Cursing whose End is to be burn'd And our Lord in very plain and express Terms says the same Luk. 12.48 Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more But because all Men are not of Abilities alike nor have the same Opportunities of Instruction and Improvement where there is any Defect either in the sowing of the Seed or in the Capacity of the Soil God will proportionably abate in his Expectations of Increase But though he will not expect the same Degree of Increase from every Man yet he will expect some if not an Hundred-Fold yet Sixty or if not Sixty yet at least Thirty And if this be true in what a miserable Condition are Myriads of the Hearers of the Word who receive the Seed in great Plenty and Abundance and are able likewise to bring forth a considerable Increase and yet are as unfruitful as if their Souls had lain always fallow and were never cultivated and impregnated by the Means of Spiritual Instruction Let such be entreated by the Love of God and their own immortal Souls to look about them and shake off that stupid Numness and Insensibility that so fatally besets them and bethink themselves how sad their Condition will be when at the great Harvest the End of the World when God will gather the ripe Fruits and dispose them in his heavenly Garner when at that great Day our Lord shall expect Fruit from the Seed that he hath sown upon their Hearts and shall find nothing but Briars and Thorns Wickedness and Impurity Let them bethink themselves what a sad Condition they will be in when their Unfruitfulness shall be punish'd with everlasting Burnings and the Number and Sharpness of the Torments of Hell increas'd upon them because when they knew their Lord's Will they did not prepare themselves to do according to it Let them consider that though God bears long with them and frequently importunes them to a more serious Reflection upon their Ways that they would turn their Feet unto his Testimonies and be no longer unprofitable Hearers but Doers of his Word yet it will not be always so there will be an End of this Day of Grace and Forbearance and how soon God alone can tell and perhaps this Discourse may be the last Invitation to a new Life which some that hear it may ever have or at least the last that shall be attended with that Divine Grace and Assistance which alone can make it fruitful Wherefore now while it is call'd to day harden not your Hearts lest God should swear in his Wrath that you shall never enter into his Rest Consider what our Lord says upon this Account in this of Mat. 13.12 Whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more Abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath The plain Meaning of which is this He that hath made good Use of the Grace he hath already receiv'd and the Instructions he hath already heard shall receive abundantly more Grace far greater Assistances and much larger and more frequent Showers of the divine Blessing than ever formerly he did Christ will come in to him and sup with him and he with him as 't is express'd Rev. 3.20 that is will freely communicate to him of his divine Favours and Refreshments and there shall be mutual Festivity and Joy between them his Saviour will take him into the nearest Relation to himself for he hath told us that whosoever shall do the Will of his Father which is in Heaven the same is his Brother and Sister and Mother that is as tenderly regarded by him as those dearest Relatives And how must that Soul thrive and flourish which is thus plentifully water'd with Showers above and enrich'd with Streams issuing from the Fountain of Goodness But on the contrary How intolerable will be his Misery that neglects and disregards these Sermons of the Gospel and is not a Doer of the Word but a careless Hearer only deceiving sadly
or Christian Religion does 1. create the nearest Relation between Christ and Believers it makes us Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones and as was before quoted from St. Paul Ephes 5.30 i. e. it makes us as near to him as the Members are to the Head the Flesh and Bones to the Body or as our Church expresses it it makes us one with Christ and Christ with us 't is so near a Relation that nothing can sufficiently express it but what expresses an Union It creates likewise 2. the dearest Relation for thus our Lord John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him and Vers 23. We will come unto him and make our Abode with him and Chap. 15.14 Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you And Rev. 3.20 Behold says our Lord I stand at the Door and knock if any Man hear my Voice and open the Door i. e. by Faith and Obedience I will come in unto him and sup with him and he with me he will shew the greatest Expressions of Dearness and Affection to him And as the Gospel makes the nearest and dearest Relation between Christ and Believers so that Relation is 3. inseparable i. e. unless we willfully divorce our selves from him by Apostacy or Disobedience Thus a little before his Ascension he tells his Apostles and in them all faithful Believers that observe whatsoever he hath commanded that he will be with them always even to the End of the World And because he was to ascend to his Father and their Father to his God and their God therefore says he I will not leave you comfortless but will pray to the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 14.16 and in the 2. and 3. Verses of that Chapter I go to prepare a Place for you and if I go and prepare a Place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And John 10.27 28. My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand And St. Paul with great Assurance asks this Question Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ and after enumerating what in the Esteem of the World was most likely to do it he concludes Vers the last that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And he is likewise in a spiritual Manner always with us in the Reception of those Mysteries which he instituted in Remembrance of him The Gospel then effecting so near so dear and so inseparable a Relation between Christ and Believers that nothing can so fitly resemble it as the State of Marriage we may from hence collect in the next place what Privileges the Gospel intitles Believers to by reason of this their so intimate Relation to Christ As first it intitles to the peculiar Love and Tenderness of Christ such a Love as will incline him to promote the Happiness of Believers and to pity and compassionate their Infirmities Failures and Imperfections for Love covereth a Multitude of Faults Thus the Apostle Col. 3.19 Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them be not extreme to observe every little Defect and Failing in them but consider 'em as the weaker Vessel and bear with their Infirmities And accordingly the Author to the Hebrews says of our Lord he is not one that cannot be touch'd with a Sense of our Infirmities but knows and pities them having been in all Points tempted as we are though without Sin Heb. 4.15 And as for his Tenderness and Care of our Happiness 't is miraculously evident in that he gave himself for us sacrific'd his very Life for our reconciliation to his offended Father that he might sanctifie and cleanse us and present us to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that we should be holy and without Blemish as the Apostle expresses it in the before cited Eph. 5.26 c. And he does continually nourish and cherish us by the Communications of his Grace in the blessed Sacrament that spiritual Body of his which whoso eateth of shall live for ever and by the Comforts and Assistances of his holy Spirit And to lye thus in the Bosome of the Son of God to have such great Degrees of his Love and Tenderness to us express'd in such amazing Instances to be thus pitied and commiserated and our Failures excus'd and past by by him that is to be our Judge and our Happiness in all Respects so carefully endeavoured by him who is the Fountain of it This is such a Privilege as can never be enough valu'd and is infinitely above the Reach of any Comparison Another Privilege the Gospel intitles Believers to upon their so near Relation to Christ is Christ's Protection of them from Dangers and Defence against Assaults of Enemies For as in Marriage the Husband is the Shield and Guardian of his Wife so Christ is the Protector and Defender of the faithful he covers them from the Rage and Malice of unreasonable Men and arms them against the Attacks of the Spirits of Darkness by the Supplies and Aids of his blessed Spirit who helps our Infirmities and strengthens us mightily in the inner Man so that the Gates of Hell all the infernal Powers shall not be able to prevail against us And accordingly says St. Paul I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me Phil. 4.13 Rom. 8.37 In all these things Tribulation Distress Persecution Famine Nakedness Perilor Sword in all these things we are more than Conquerers By what means Why through Christ that loveth us And our Lord says expresly in the forecited John 10.27 my Sheep that hear my Voice shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand And if the Almighty Son of God be for us and takes us into his own Protection and shields and guards us as a Husband does the Wise of his Bosome who then can be against us We shall be hid under his Wings and safe under his Feathers his Faithfulness and Truth shall be our Shield and Buckler And to dwell thus under the Defence of the most High and abide under the Shadow of the Allmighty is no doubt an inestimable Privilege Again as the Husband confers Honour upon his Wife intitles her to have a Share in that Honour that is due to him so Believers by their intimate Union with Christ are advanc'd to the highest Step of Honour that Mortals can arrive at For what more honourable than to be in so near a Relation to the most glorious Son of God! Accordingly the
Perfection He who is Light it self and in whom is no Darkness at all will hide nothing of his Glory from the Eyes of their pure and prepar'd Minds but communicate the Knowledge of his most Excellent Nature to the utmost Capacity of their Beatified Souls and make 'em full of Divine Gladness with the Joy of his Countenance Their Apprehensions shall be clear'd and brightned their Faculties act upon this best of Objects vigorously and without any Hindrance or Distraction and every View of the Divine Beauty shall discover new Graces and Perfections for God is an Immense and Fathomless Ocean of Beauty as Plato excellently expresses it and their Capacities by every such View shall be enlarg'd and made still more and more capacious for the Reception of a following greater Manifestation And so their Love and Admiration of this Divine Being always increasing and their Enjoyment of him compleat and sull to the utmost of their Capacity their Joy and Happiness will be like that of God himself because springing from the same Fountain Unspeakable and Eternal And since the Reward of a Pious Industry will be such an Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory methinks we should take off our Affections from these lower Goods and doat no longer upon these vain and worthless Trifles nor throw away our Love upon that which satisfieth not and spend our Labour for that which is not Bread but make it our great Endeavour to be rich towards God and by improving the Talents he hath given us lay up a Treasure in Heaven 1 Cor. 2.9 Remembring That Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither can it enter into the Heart of Man to conceive the things which God hath prepar'd for them that love him And certainly that Diligence is well bestowed which shall be rewarded with a Crown of Glory Eternal in the Heavens But with the Unprofitable and Slothful Servant it is not so neither in this World nor in the next In this World the Lashes of a guilty Conscience will be unto him a Continual Torment the Sense of his having carelesly neglected his Duty and not performing according to his Ability the Just Commands of his great Lord but being an Unfaithful Steward of the Grace of God bestowed upon him and that he is far from being able to give in a good Account when his Lord shall come expecting the Improvement of his Talent This will fill his Breast with unspeakable Trouble and Perplexity and imbitter all his Worldly Enjoyments with the Mixture of Anxious Fear and Dread of a severe After-Reckoning and the terrifying Expectation of his sad Fate that will ensue will be to him even like a Hell upon Earth and cruciate his Soul with unspeakable Pangs and Agonies And which is much worse still the Grace that has so long lain unimprov'd shall at length be taken from him and the Man as desperate and irreclaimable be given over and as 't were seal'd up to Remediless Misery And in the next World at that great Day when he shall be actually call'd to give Account of his Works the Dire Sentence of Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels shall strike him through with Horror and Confusion and he shall be driven into Outer Darkness where he shall Eternally bewail his Miserable Condition and gnash his Teeth in bitter Remorse for bringing himself to that Place of Torment by slothfully neglecting the Improvement of that Divine Grace with which he might if he would have work'd out his Salvation Crying out to Eternal Ages in utter Despair and most tormenting Agonies of Soul O that I had consider'd in that my Day the things that did belong unto my Peace but now they are for ever hid from mine Eyes And now for a Conclusion of this Discourse Here is in this Parable we see on the one Hand all the Encouragement in the World to Diligence and Industry and a Lively Improving Piety such as more and more Abundance of Grace with all the Blessed Attendants of it in this World and a full Enjoyment of God himself in Heaven And on the other side here is what if duly consider'd will make any Man afraid of Spiritual Sloth and Idleness and not dare to neglect the Improvement of his Talent for if he does he shall be depriv'd of God's Grace here and doom'd to Eternal Misery at the Day of Judgment Wherefore let us seriously consider what has been now commented upon this Parable and beg of God so to bless it to our Good that we may be inclin'd by it to make a due Improvement of the Talents he has committed to our Management to his Honour and Glory and our own Eternal Salvation The PRAYER MOST Glorious God the Fountain of Perfection whom I humbly acknowledge to be the Giver of every good and perfect Gift I beseech thee assist me with thy Grace that according to thy Just Expectation I may make a suitable Improvement of the Talents I have receiv'd from thy Bounty to thy Glory and the Publick Good And may my Industry be excited by this great Consideration That thou wilt certainly call me to give an Account of my Improvement and very speedily perhaps and wilt proportionably reward or punish me in the Eternal World I thankfully own most merciful Father that thou hast given me sufficient Grace wherewith to arrive at the End of my Hopes and art not at all wanting to me in this unspeakable Gift O may I not be wanting to my self and neglect and bury this Precious Talent but with Diligence and Carefulness endeavour to work out my Salvation with it in Fear and Trembling Remembring what Confusion I shall be in how utterly without Plea or Excuse when for my Wicked Slothfulness thou shalt consign me to outer Darkness since thou didst enable me to perform all thou expectedst from me And may the unspeakably Happy Condition of the Diligent encourage me to an Active Persevering Piety and always to abound in the Work of thee my Lord since I know my Labour shall not be in vain but be rewarded with still larger Additions of thy Grace in this World and with the Participation in great Degrees of thy Glory in the next O God assist me more and more with this thy Heavenly Grace and may I always gratefully acknowledge from whom I have receiv'd it and return thee all the Praise of what I shall do well by thy Assistance and always fear lest by my Negligence I forfeit it That so faithfully improving the Talent thou hast here committed to my Trust I may at the great Day of Retribution hear these Blessed Words Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Which grant O Gracious God for the Sake of Jesus thy Beloved Amen PARABLE IX Of the Covetous Rich Fool. Luke xii 16 17 18 19 20 21. And Jesus spake a Parable unto them saying The Ground of a certain Rich Man brought forth plentifully And
p. 91. l. 17. r. to p. 111. l. 10. r. eternally p. 119. l. 1. dele the. p. 129. l. 17. r. have p. 133. l. 15. r. affected ib antip r. their p. 141. l. 3. r. then p. 142. l. 7. dele us 144. l. 20. r. if 162. l. 7. r. own p. 171. l. 8. dele and. p. 185. l. 20. dele and. p. 186. l. 23. r. us as 202. l. 10. r. slighted p. 223. l. 3. r. were p. 227. l. 13. r. his 228. l. 28. r. breaking p. 234. l. 12. r. struck so p 239. l. 6. r. behaviour p. 241. l. 16. dele such ib. l. 17. r. which 245. l. 17. r. that p. 252. l. 12 r. Mankind p. 257. l. 29. r. general 266. l. 12. r. Relief p. 284. l. 14. r. of p. 289. l. 23. r. from p. 328. l. 13. r. Indignus ibid. l. 15. r. Charae p. 329. l. 6. r. accordingly p. 332. l. 3. r. sleep p. 333. l. 6. r. unspeakably p. 335. l. 12. r. we p. 342. l. 28. r. Dewes p. 355. l. 29. dele Publick p. 361. l. 25. r. your p. 374. l. 18 19. for they r. he p. 378. l 10. r. she p. 380. l. 10. r. those ibid. l. 29. r. Passions p. 382. dele Crysippi porticus grex ibid. r. prava p. 392. l. 4. for Saviour r. Father 404. l. 3. r. in the Favour 405. l. 27. r. makes p. 415. l. 27. r. could not p. 416. l. 26. r. irreconcileable p. 430. l. 2. r. numbed p. 441. l. 25 r. encourager p. 457. l. 23. r. Favour p. 470. l. 25. r. bitter p. 475 l. 29. r. depreciate PARABLE I. Of the Sower that went forth to sow his Seed Matth. xiii 3 4 5 6 7 8. Behold a Sower went forth to sow And when he sowed some Seeds fell by the Way-side and the Fouls came and devoured them up Some fell upon sttony Places where they had not much Earth and forthwith they sprung up because they had no Deepness of Earth And when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had not Root they withered away And some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprung up and choaked them But other fell into good Ground and brought forth Fruit some an Hundred-Fold some Sixty-Fold some Thirty-Fold THIS Parable is very fitly placed first as giving Account of the Causes of Mens Fruitfulness or Unfruitfulness in Christianity and consequently shews what is to be avoided and directs to what is to be done in order to Men's being better'd by the Sermons of the Gospel Which is a thing first of all to be taken notice of by such as would be Christians endeed Our Lord's Interpretation of this Parable Matth. 13.19 Mark 4.14 Luk. 8.11 from a Collation of the Three Evangelists that record it is this The Seed is the Word of God or the Word of the Kingdom that is the Gospel the Religion that Christ Jesus came to teach the World When any one heareth this Word and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one or Satan immediately and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart lest he should believe and be sav'd this is he who receiv'd Seed by the Way-side But he that receiv'd the Seed into rocky or Stony Places is he that heareth the Word and presently with Joy receiveth it yet hath not Root in himself and so endures or believes but for a while for when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word he is soon offended or discouraged and falls away in Time of Temptation He also that receiv'd Seed among the Thorns is he that heareth the Word and goeth forth and the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches and the Lusts and Pleasures of this Life entring in choak the Word and it becometh Unfruitful or at best bringeth no Fruit to Perfection But He that received Seed into the good Ground is he that having heard the Word Understandeth or considereth it and receiveth and keepeth it in an honest and good Heart and bringeth forth Fruit with Patience according to his Ability whether Thirty Sixty or an Hundred-Fold From the Parable thus interpreted by its Divine Author it appears as was said that the Design of it is to shew what are the Causes of Men's improving or not improving under the preaching of the Gospel that so we may know what to avoid and what to embrace and endeavour after in order to our being fruitful under those Means of Instruction we enjoy We shall now consider each Part of this Parable with its Interpretation The First is Behold a Sower went forth to sow And when he sowed some Seeds fell by the Wayes-side and were trodden down and the Fowls of the Air came and devour'd them up The Interpretation is that the Seed which is sown is the Word of God and when any one heareth this Word and understandeth it not then cometh the Devil or the wicked one immediately and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart lest he should believe and be saved This is he that receiv'd Seed by the Way-side or this is that Seed which fell by the Way-side The Word of God is compared to Seed because of its fructifying growing and encreasing Nature because it hath in it an Active Principle and will when sown unless kill'd and made unfruitful by Accidental Injuries spring up into excellent Fruits and in great Abundance to the Glory of God and the nourishing strengthening nav the immortalizing of Men for of this Divine Seed consists that Heavenly Bread which whoso eateth of shall live for ever 'T is this Seed that bringeth forth those Graces of Christianity which keep up the Divine Life in the Soul 't is this that makes it grow in Grace and in the Knowledg and Love of the best and noblest of Objects our Lord Jesus 't is this that is its Preparation for Heaven and an Earnest of that Immortal and Glorious Inheritance For wheresoever that Seed is sown Rom. 6.22 and springs up and brings forth Fruit unto Holiness the End most certainly will be Everlasting Life And this Word of God is not only for these Reasons compared to Seed but to Seed sown 'T is not only potentially fruitful but the Powers of it are now call'd forth into Act 't is actually sown the Gospel is preach'd and made known to the World its excellent Precepts are openly declar'd and planted in Men's Hearts by the Proposal of infinite Rewards and Punishments to such as do or do not obey and practise them And this Seed thus sown is water'd with the Dews of Heaven with the Distillations of the Divine Grace and Blessing which are in sufficient Plenty afforded to every Man so that God the great Husbandman is not wanting in any thing that is necessary to the Flourishing and Encrease of that Seed which he hath thus committed to their Hearts And therefore he expects and 't is but reasonable he should to see it grow and bring forth Fruit where'ere 't
more and more to soften their Hearts and make them pliable to the Impressions of the Word of Life that it may sink deep into their Souls and be fix'd there beyond the Danger of yeilding to every Temptation and withering when Adversity shall come They must not boggle at any thing that appears to be their Duty but be diligent and industrious in ridding their Minds of their former Evil Habits and Inclinations and inure themselves to the Obedience of Christ not pretending Hardship or Impossibility when He commands not endeavouring to lessen the Obligation of any of his Precepts or shifting it from themselves nor expecting Heaven upon easier Terms But knowing their Lord's Will endeavour to do it in Sincerity upon such Obedience only through the Merits of Christ hoping for the Promises And this Course like good Tillage and Manuring of our Ground will soon mollify the Heart and make it not only superficially but intirely Plyable to the Word of God receptive of its Impressions to the very Bottom so that it shall dwell in us richly and bring forth Fruit not only in Times of Security and Peace but even then when Tribulation shall arise because of the Word and take still deeper Root and bring forth greater Abundance notwithstanding all the Storms and Scorchings of Persecution or even a fiery Tryal Thirdly in order to the Fruitfulness of the Word we must be very careful that it be not like Seed that falleth among Thorns lest the Thorns spring up and choak it so that it yield no Fruit. That is that after the hearing of the Word we go not forth and suffer the Cares of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches and the Lusts and Pleasures of this Life to enter in and choak the Word and it become utterly unfruitful or at least bring no Fruit to Perfection 'T is by a lamentable Experience too true that the Love of this World very much hinders our Provision for the next and 't is as true that this is the greatest Folly and Madness in Nature because the World to come is upon all Accounts so infinitely to be preferr'd before the present that there cannot be the least Competition between them For how can a World of Cares and Vexations of Misery and Affliction of all Sorts of Hazards and Uncertainties of Sickness Pain and Death as this is compare with a World of eternal unmix'd and uninterrupted Happiness as is the other And therefore one would think Men should be so wise and so much their own Friends as to bestow their greatest Endeavours in Pursuit of their main Interest and not on the contrary such egregious Fools as for the Gain of an empty Bubble to forfeit an happy Eternity So far as is consistent with the Care of the Soul 't is very allowable to mind the Affairs of this Life Nay 't is a Duty of our Holy Religion for every man to be industrious in his Calling and to enjoy with Thanksgiving the Portion that God hath given him here below But to invert God's Order and place that First in our Esteem which should be Last when he says seek ye First the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and then all needful things of this World shall be added unto you to run quite counter and First provide for Abundance here and then and that but very coldly God knows think a little of the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness this is such a preposterous Course as can never end in any thing but Shame and Confusion If it be true that the Gain of even the whole World would be a very unprofitable Exchange when compared with the Loss of the Soul and if it be true that the Loss of the Soul will follow upon the Unfruitfulness of the Word of God for Faith alone will not save but must bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit And finally if it be true that a too great Love and eager Prosecution of the things of this World will choak the Word of God and make it unfruitful as our Lord in this Part of the Parable affirms it will If all this be true I see not how it can be avoided but that such as have a Desire that the Word of God should be fruitful in their Souls in order to the eternal Salvation of them must love the World less and their Souls more must be careful in the First place to grow in Grace and be rich towards God and clear their Minds of these worldly Thorns and Briars lest the Divine Life be stifled and that Seed choak'd which alone can fructify to a happy Immortality We must use this World yet so as not to abuse it but certainly he abuses it and all the Blessings that God affords him in it who so immoderately Doats upon it as to prefer it before the Service of his great Benefactor and spends most of his Thoughts and Endeavours about the encreasing Wealth and the Enjoyment of these sublunary Pleasures and can spare but very little if any of his Time and Pains to prepare himself for the Enjoyment of God in Glory And yet as plain as this is Men are generally so little affected with it as not only to neglect Religion as much as ever and love the World still more and more but even to plead the Cares of the World as an Excuse for their Coolness in Religion and the Unfruitfulness of the Word of God in their Souls We would be oftner at the Sacrament and more constant in at the Prayers of the Church and in reading and meditating upon the Holy Scriptures but that the Cares of the World and the Hurry of Business takes up most of our Time and Thoughts But for God's Sake let such consider is that an Excuse which is it self as great a Fault as any Will God accept such an Excuse at the Day of Judgment Has he not plainly forewarn'd us of the Danger of too much worldly Mindedness Has not St. John said plainly 1 Joh. 2.15 love not the World nor the things of the World for whoso loveth the World the Love of the Father is not in him And our Lord as plainly ye cannot serve God and Mammon How strange a Plea then is it for the Neglect of Religion to say we are deeply engag'd in the Persuit of this World 's Good If we believe we have Souls to be saved methinks we should take care of them in the First place and as for this World a moderate Industry such as does by no means intrench upon Religion is all that can be justifyed And what our Lord said to the Scribes and Pharisees about their taking care of lesser Matters and neglecting the weighty things of the Law should be our Rule in providing for our Families and providing for our Souls These things ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone He that provides not for his own House according to the Measures of Necessity and Moderation is worse than an Infidel
deceiving his own Soul From him shall be taken away even that which he hath he shall be deprived of it to inrich his industrious Brother and add to his Abundance What Grace he had before shall be withdrawn and he naked and defenseless left to the Fury of his Spiritual Enemies the Dews of Heaven shall no longer drop upon his barren Soul but parch'd and sapless it shall be reserv'd to eternal Burnings Consider this all ye that forget God and are unfruitful under all his Care and fatherly Nurture and Admonition lest at length he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you And remember the Words of Solomon Prov. 29.1 He that being often reprov'd still hardeneth his Neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without Remedy And thus have I done with the first of our Saviours Parables in which is set before us a Blessing and a Curse a Blessing if when the good Seed is sown and we have heard the Word we receive it into honest and good Hearts and according to our several Abilities bring forth Fruit to Perfection that is obey and Practise it with Constancy and Perseverance And a Curse if we remain still barren and unfruitful not Doers of the Word but Hearers only deceiving our selves into eternal Perdition It becomes us all therefore to take heed how we hear and not be like the High-way-side suffering our Thoughts to wander from the Instructions we have heard and leaving the good Seed unregarded to the Mercy of the great Enemy of Souls and exposing our Minds as a common Tract to vain and wicked Fancies and Imaginations and diabolical Suggestions nor like the stony Ground impenetrable to any deep and lasting Impressions of the Word of Life nor like that over-run with Thorns and Briars and noxious Weeds such as are the Cares and deceitful Riches and Pleasures of this Life which will choak the Word and render it unfruitful But that we treasure up this Divine Word in our Memories ponder and consider it and set our Love and Affections upon it So shall it grow and prosper and bring forth Fruit in some Thirty in some Sixty in some an Hundred-Fold to the Honour and Glory of God and the eternal Salvation of our immortal Souls Which God of his infinite Mercy grant for Jesus Christ his Sake Now 2 Cor. 9.10 He that ministreth Seed to the Sower both give us this Heavenly Bread for our Food and multiply the Seed that is sown and encrease the Fruits of our Righteousness that being inrich'd in every good thing to all Bountifulness there may be given through us Thanksgiving unto God Amen Amen The PRAYER I. MOST Holy Jesus thou blessed Author of the best Religion who hast in great Plenty sown among us the Seed of a happy Immortality even thy holy Word and watered it with the Dew of thy heavenly Grace and art wanting in nothing on thy Part to cause it to flourish and bring forth abundantly the Fruits of Righteousness I thy unworthy Servant unfeignedly bless this thy infinite Goodness and tender Care for the Children of Men but must with Shame confess that hitherto thy Care has been in too great Measure defeated by my Inconsiderateness and Obstinacy my Soul still remains barren as the High-way-side impenetrable to the Sermons of the Gospel or at best flitting and unconstant in religious Purposes which have been short-liv'd as the Grass that grows upon the Top of the Rocks or else choak'd with the Briars of worldly Cares and Distractions with covetous and sensual Desires Thus have I courted Death in the Error of my Life But now being awaken'd by thy Mercy and become sensible of the Danger I am in and the sad Consequence if my Barrenness continues I humbly beg and earnestly at the Throne of Grace that Thou from whom is all our Sufficiency wouldst aid me with thy blessed Spirit and help my Infirmities and strengthen me mightily in the inner Man that thy Word may ever hereafter take so deep a Rooting in my Soul as to produce the genuine Fruits of Christianity II. I am sadly sensible O Lord that the Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Do thou therefore who art the Searcher of our Spirits purge my Soul of all lurking Hypocrisy and Pride and Self-conceit and every thing that will hinder the Growth and Increase of this heavenly Seed and make me apt to receive and cherish it by creating in me an honest and good Heart and renewing a sincere and right Spirit within me Grant that I may so seriously attend to and consider the great Truths thy Goodness hath revealed to us in the Gospel as intirely to assent to them and heartily endeavour to conform my Practice to my Belief and may I always heedfully preserve those divine Instructions and moving Arguments to a persevering Piety which I have learned from thy Word lest the infernal Bird of Prey deprive me of the good Seed and in its room plant devillish Affections And O that Patience and Hope and an humble Dependance upon thee for Direction and Defence may be my Support in this my Pilgrimage That so chearfully running the Race that is set before me and thankfully acknowledging the early Influences of thy blessed Spirit in my tender Years and waiting for the later Distillations of thy Grace which will bring my Fruit to Perfection and always endeavouring o proportion my Increase to the Means and Opportunities of it thy Goodness hath vouchsafed me I may at last escape the Intolerable Punishment of Unfruitfulness and having my Fruit unto Holiness the End may be everlasting Life through thy Merits and Mercies O blessed Saviour Jesus Amen PARABLE II. Of the Tares Matth. xiii 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. Another Parable put Jesus forth unto them saying The Kingdom of Heaven is likned unto a Man that sowed good Seed in his Field But while Men slept his Enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way But when the Blade was sprung up and brought forth Fruit then appeared the Tares also So the Servants of the Housholder came and said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good Seed in thy Field From whence then hath it Tares He said unto them an Enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up But he said nay lest while ye gather up the Tares ye root up also the Wheat with them Let both grow together until the Harvest and in the time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them in Bundles to burn them But gather the Wheat into my Barn THE Interpretation of this Parable is thus set down Vers 37. of this Chapter He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seeds are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the wicked one the Enemy that sowed them
will unhallow and make ineffecutal one Duty of Christianity I can't see why it should not do the like to all the rest And if a Separation were admitted upon such Accounts as as these there would be no such thing as an external Communion of Saints because such is the State of the Gospel in this World that the bad will be intermix'd with the Good as Tares are in a Field of Wheat And as to the Practice of particular Ministers I charitably hope none do admit of notorious Offenders to the Communion without receiving satisfactory Marks of their Repentance or at least by previous Discourse or writing When they know of their Intention to communicate let 'em know the great Danger of receiving unworthily and urge them to an immediate sincere Repentance or else forbid 'em at their Peril to approach the holy Table And if after all this they will come we are to suppose in Charity that they have repented except we are sure to the contrary And if a Minister sees one at the Table whose Life has in many Instances to his Knowledg been very faulty unless the Crimes have been very great and very notorious to reject such an one I think with Submission would be arrogant and uncharitable and might exasperate the Man to so high a Degree as to make him throw off all Regard to Religion for the future and in such a Case the Exhortation appointed to be read at the Time of celebrating those Holy Mysteries should one would think be Warning sufficient for such an one if unrepentant to withdraw and if he stays Charity would incline one to believe that he was penitent And if a Person kneeling by who perhaps knows much more of the Man's Course of Life than the Minister shall be offended at his communicating one that receives so unworthily and speak hard things of him and abstain from that blessed Ordinance upon this Account for the future as prophan'd by such mix'd Company at it this is highly unreasonable uncharitable and unnatural 'T is unreasonable with Relation to their hard Thoughts and Censures of the Minister because Charity obliges him to think well of such as present themselves at the holy Table unless there be great and undeniable Evidence of their obstinate and continu'd Wickedness and in such a Case I dare say no pious Minister would prostitute those holy Symbols to such Swine And where there is not such Evidence Ministers can search Mens Hearts no more than other Men and therefore must hope the best and judge according to the outward Appearance and should they communicate some that receive unworthily by this Means as 't is to be fear'd they too often do why should they be blam'd for that which 't is impossible for 'em to help and aspers'd and all further Communion with them deserted for suffering that ignorantly which God though the Searcher of all Hearts permits in his Church without any open Discrimination namely the bad to join in all holy Offices with the good And this Practice is as uncharitable as 't is unreasonable because 't is judging and condemning those as Reprobates obstinate unrepenting Sinners whose Hearts we cannot see and who though formerly egregiously wicked yet now through the mighty Efficacy of God's converting Grace may for ought we know to the contrary be better than our selves And 't is an unnatural Practice too because 't is the depriving our selves of the Comforts that attend the Reception of that holy Sacrament and those of Vnion and brotherly Love meerly upon a groundless Nicety Let us all rather learn not to judge others before the Time but leave every Man to stand or fall by the unerring Judgment of our great Master at the last Day lest by judging others we condemn our selves who do the same things and it may be worse And instead of abstaining from the Sacrament because some come and are admitted to it whom we think and it may be not without Reason are not so well prepar'd as they should be endeavour to make our selves still more and more fit for so holy an Ordinance by a dayly Amendment of Life and then our Fleece like that of Gideon shall be moistned tho' other Men's be dry The Apostles were never the less dear to our Saviour for Judas his being amongst 'em but the more so rather and though through the Wickedness that was in his Heart Satan enter'd into him after he had receiv'd the Sop our Lord gave him at the Celebration of the Passover and in all Probability did partake of what he consecrated in Memory of his succeeding Death and Sufferings yet the rest receiv'd miraculous Assistances of the holy Ghost and were faithful to the Death and for certain have receiv'd the Crown of Life And I hope this will satissy for the future such as upon this Account have abstain'd from the blessed Sacrament and censur'd the Ministers of our Church and though without all Reason our Church it self And as what has been said upon this Matter has been no impertinent Digression so I hope it may be a beneficial one Let us now proceed to the second thing this Parable informs us of namely The Time when God's and our great Enemy the Devil sowes his Tares among the Wheat and that is while Men sleep For so the Parable while Men slept the Enemy came and sow'd Tares among the Wheat and went his Way Then is the Time of his injecting his wicked Insinuations into Men's Hearts whereby to make 'em become like empty Tares Christians in Name and Appearance only but devoid of the substantial Graces and Vertues of that holy Profession By Men's sleeping is here meant a careless Inadvertency and Neglect of the things of Religion a stupid Security in a thoughtless Way of Life And this is a Metaphor which the sacred Writers have often made use of to this Purpose and 't is so expressive of what they would represent by it that 't will be worth our while briefly to consider wherein the Likeness of such thoughtless Inadvertency in religious Matters to sleep does consist It is like it in the first Place in its Cause For as Toil and Labour and any thing that brings Weariness and consumes the Spirits disposes the Body to Sleep and makes it desire Rest and Ease that it may have a Recruit so this moral Drowsiness or Hebetude of the Soul generally begins to creep upon Men when they find difficulty in Religion a little striving soon puts 'em out of Heart their Hands fall their Knees grow feeble their Soul faints within 'em all Hope of Victory is then laid aside and they sit them down as Men quite spent and then steals that deep Sleep upon them which too often ends in Death Thus we often see Men set very briskly upon the Practice of Religion at First and seem wondrously pleas'd with their new Choice and admire at their Stupidity that they did not sooner discover the transcendent Beauties of Holiness and are resolv'd
the World And which is the wisest Man he that ruins his Soul for the Gain of even the whole World or he that counts all these sublunary things as Dung in Comparison with Religion and is ready to part with all that this Earth can afford him for the Joys of a good Conscience here and the Glories of Heaven hereafter He that prefers the World in his Choice deprives himself of the greatest Comfort of this present Life and parts with the certain Reversion of eternal Happiness in Heaven for Pleasures that don't deserve that Name they are so empty and unsatisfying he brings most exquisite and everlasting Misery upon his whole self Soul and Body for a very short liv'd imperfect Gratification of his brutal Part only and purchases the Torments of the other World by making himself unhappy in this In a Word therefore as much as to be like God in Holiness and Happiness is to be preferr'd before being like the Devil in Sin and Misery as much as Satisfaction is better than Disappointment Peace and Quietness and Content than Vexation and continual Disturbance and Perplexity of Mind a confirm'd Health and long Life than the Diseases and hasty Death that follows Debauchery and the comfortable Expectation of being for ever happy with Saints and Angels and the blessed God in the Coelestial Paradise than the confounding Dread of the Judgment of the great Day As much as Immortality is more to be prized than a Life of a Span long and the Enjoyment of the chief Good than the Pleasures of a Swine of so much gerater Value is Religion than all that this World can afford and indeed the only desirable Treasure and a Pearl of inestimable Price And now if what has been hitherto discours'd be true the Application is easy If Religion be of all things the most precious let us make it more and more our Endeavour to inrich our Souls with this Treasure to adorn our rational Nature with this Pearl of great Price and with the Merchant in the Parable think nothing too much to part with that we may purchase that Heavenly Wisdom which will make us wise to Salvation For sound Wisdom as the wise King expresses it Prov. 3.18 is a Tree of Life to those that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her She shall give to thine Head an Oranment of Grace Prov. 4.9 and a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee But he that would have this Wisdom and find this Pearl must not only wish and desire but with the Merchant in the Parable diligently seek it seek and ye shall find says our Lord Pro. 2.4 5. and Solomon assures us That if we seek Wisdom as Silver and search for her as for hid Treasure then shall we understand the Fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God Religion is not acquired without Diligence for though it be the Gift of God yet the Soul must be prepared to receive it all evil Habits must be broke and rooted up and pious Dispositions planted in their Room and the Temper of the Mind changed by Repentance and all the Powers of the whole Man become pliable to the Motions of the Spirit of Holiness before the divine Likeness can be formed in the Soul And though 't is the Grace of God that enables us to go thus far for without it we can do nothing yet our own Concurrence and Co-operation with his Grace is necessary to bring the blessed Work of Regeneration to Perfection An obstinate Resistance of preventing Grace will grieve and quench that Life-giving Spirit and such a Soul shall know no more of Religion than that it was invited to it but rejected the Offer and might have been happy in the Enjoyment of so great a Treasure but it would not But when a Soul with Joy embraces the Motions of the holy Spirit to a new Life and makes it her great Endeavour to remove all Obstacles out of the Way that they may make a due Impression and hungers and thirsts after new Degrees of Righteousness This Soul shall be fill'd with the Treasures of the divine Grace and the Power of Godliness will be visible in all Manner of holy Conversation But this can't be perform'd without a watchful persevering Diligence there is so much Opposition from within and without to this great Business that like Nehemiah's Labourers Neh. 5.17 we must work with our Swords in our Hands and fight and strive that we may carry on the Building of a living Temple for our God and make our Souls Houses of Prayer adorn'd with religious Affections and sit to receive him that hates Iniquity He that is thus diligent shall grow rich towards God and daily increase in the Knowledge and Love of him 'till Mortality shall be swallow'd up of Life and then all the Labours of Religion shall for ever be at an End and nothing remain for the happy Soul to do but to enjoy to all Eternity the glorious Rewards of it Let us all therefore be stedfast unmoveable and always abound in this Work of the Lord for as much as we know our Labour shall not be in vain and to our diligent Pursuit of this inestimable Treasure of Religion let us add frequent and earnest Prayer to God who is the only Giver of every good and perfect Gift that he would send down Wisdom from his holy Heaven that being present she may labour with us that we may know what is pleasing in his Sight and set our selves to do it with all Alacrity running with Diligence and Patience the Race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endur'd the Cross despising the Shame Heb. 12.1 2. and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God remembring that we also shall reap in due Season if we faint not And if we part with all the vile Affections for the Sake of Religion in this World and are ready in Preparation of Mind to suffer any worldly Loss even to that of Life it self for the Sake of Jesus and his Truth we shall find such a Recompence of Reward in the Kingdom of Heaven as will abundantly compensate all our Sufferings here for our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory Happy is the Exchange of all that this World can afford for a Jewel of so great Price as Religion and for such inexhaustible Treasures of Bliss as are reserved to Reward it in the Presence of God What is our greatest Interest therefore let us before all things persue and where our Treasure is there let our Hearts be also The PRAYER I. O Mercifull Jesu Who hast prepared for us a Treasure in Heaven and taught us the Way to attain it and warn'd us of the Emptiness of this World 's Good that we may not be
divine Love and Philanthropy upon the Souls of his Creatures to see 'em love and compassionate one another according to his glorious Example we are infinitely obliged to imitate his Pity and Forgiveness towards us in passing by the Offences of our Fellow-Servants Further those to whom God has forgiven so vast a Debt as that which miserable Sinners ow'd to the divine Justice are questionless bound and that with the strictest Ties to love him infinitely again but now St. John says plainly 1 Joh. 4.20 21. that he that loves God must love his Brother also and if a Man say I love God and yet hateth his Brother he is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him For as he says Chap. 3.17 He that shutteth up his Bowels of Compassion from his Brother how dwelleth the Love of God in him And therefore as much as we are bound to love our good God who has forgiven us our numberless Iniquities so much are we bound to manifest that our Love to him by being pitiful and gentle to our brethren that have injur'd us and ready to forgive them For so says our Lord shall ye be my Disciples and so shall ye be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven And doubtless that wicked Servant in the Parable had not so due an Apprehension of his Lord 's great Compassion to him nor so grateful a Sense of it as he ought to have had who could immediately forget the miserable Condition he was so lately in himself and how much he dreaded lest his Lord should rigidly exact his great Debt of him and how importunately he begg'd that he would have Patience with him and yet use so much Cruelty to his Fellow-Servant for a Debt very inconsiderable He could not but know that such Barbarity would be very contrary to the compassionate Temper of his Lord and therefore was bound in Gratitude if upon no other Account to imitate his Lord's Example and not immediately act what would be so displeasing to him And so it is in our Case God is Love and has wondrously manifested his Love in forgiving us miserable Sinners and therefore we are bound in Gratitude and because 't will be pleasing to him were that all to imitate that his Charity and mutually to love and forgive one another But when besides we have our Saviour's express Command for it Mat. 5.44 and Luk. 6.37 and that not until seven times only but until seventy times seven as in the Verse before this Parable As much as Men are obliged obliged to obey the Commands of God their Saviour so strong is their Obligation to forgive Injuries with Respect to God Secondly Our Obligation is very great to imitate God's compassionate Example with respect to our selves For 't is the best Way to secure Quiet and Peace and Happiness and as much as every Man is bound to provide for his own Quiet and the Peace and Happiness of Society and of his own Soul too in the other World so much is every Man bound not to be malicious and revengeful but of a Temper ready to forgive For however sweet Revenge may seem to be to malicious Spirits in the Execution it must needs make the Mind very uneasie before 't is executed and bring great Calamities along with it afterward and is the most base devillish Temper in the World and makes a Man a Fiend incarnate Whereas an Aptness to forgive is a Godlike Disposition for God is Love the Spring of Kindness and Compassion of Mercy and Forgiveness and as his Happiness is the Result of the Excellencies and Perfections of his Nature so those who resemble him in the most glorious of those Perfections must needs likewise enjoy a great Share of Tranquillity and inward Bliss But if God be the great Exemplar of Forgiveness how groundless is the usual Objection against this excellent Vertue of Christianity that it betrays a mean servile Spirit and is a thing much below a Gentleman Can any Man of common Sense think it a Disgrace to be like God and that in his most glorious Perfection too If God be the Fountain of Honour we must allow it to be rather the most noble generous Action in the World It is the best Way likewise of ending Strifes and overcoming our Adversaries by rendring Good for Evil. It eases the Mind of those great Disquietudes that constantly attend Desires of Revenge it prevents all the Mischiefs that follow it such as fresh Injuries from the Party we revenge our selves upon if we leave him his Life and the Stroke of Justice if we persue him to the Death But besides these evil Consequences of Revenge and many others which Forgiveness prevents there is more true Pleasure and Sweetness in the Act of Forgiveness and Reconciliation as was hinted above than in that of Revenge For however the Devil may hurry Men on in an eager Persuit of Revenge and flatter 'em with the Hopes of great Satisfaction when 't is perfected yet there is a secret Horrour and Aversion to it from within which as 't were pulls back the Hand when going to strike or what other way soever it be expressed endeavours to hinder it and makes the Heart recoil and repent of the Undertaking and execute it with trembling and misgivings of Soul and immediately after come dire Forebodings of the Venge ance of him to whom Vengeance belongeth and a Kind of Hell upon Earth But Forgiveness is attended with Applauses of Conscience and the Approbation of Reason and Chearfulness of Spirit There is an inward Pleasure and Satisfaction of Mind quite throughout the Action and when 't is compleated no Man can express the silent Joy that runs through the whole Soul and it seems a Foretaste of the Joys of the Blessed in Heaven Even that Part of Forgiveness which seems most of all impracticable and contrary to Flesh and Blood that of suing to a Man to be reconciled that has done the Injury and still continues to be one's Enemy this does of all yeild the greatest Pleasure to the Soul And that not only because 't is the nearest Resemblance to the Mercy of God who sent his Son to mediate between him and us and by his Death to reconcile us to himself when 't was we miserable Wretches that had offended and were then in actual Rebellion against him but from the Nature of the thing it self For 't is a kind of surprizing a Man into Charity before he is aware When Men do Injuries they generally stand upon their Defence and expect to receive Injuries again but when a Man finds instead of this Acts of Friendship and Good will and Readiness to forgive and Peace and Quietness offer'd so freely and upon such easie Terms without the Shame and natural Regret in seeking it and asking Pardon and making Satisfaction and the like How pleas'd must the Man needs be to find a Friend when he fear'd and expected an Enemy Few Men love Strife for Strife's Sake and
alone could save them and took no Care of good Works How came you in hither How came you into this Society of Christians not having on the Wedding Garment What will they be able to say in their Excuse Will they not be like him in the Parable confounded and ashamed and utterly speechless What will they have to plead in Bar of that dire Sentence which will then be past upon them bind them Hand and Foot and take them away c. certainly nothing but with inexpressible Horror and Despair and Self-Condemnation must submit to their sad Punishment From all this there is in the last Place this general Observation drawn that many are call'd but few chosen The plain Meaning of which I suppose to be this That though the Gospel is preach'd to Myriads of People and all that hear of it are invited alike to embrace it and 't is God's good Pleasure that all should be sav'd and come to the Knowledg of the Truth Yet the most will make a very ill Use of their Liberty of Choice and many utterly reject this Invitation and more though they do embrace it yet become never the better for it by not leading their Lives agreeably to their holy Profession And by this means among the many that are call'd there will be but few that will approve themselves to God as elect or choice and right good Christians and but few consequently that will enter into the eternal Joy of their Lord according to what our Lord said in another Place strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it Wherefore to conclude this Parable As we have all of us been call'd and invited to a sincere Faith in and intire Obedience to the holy Jesus and do make open Profession of such Faith and Shew of such Obedience it concerns us as much as our Souls are worth and as we would avoid that outer Darkness where is eternal weeping and gnashing of Teeth to take all possible Care that our Faith be so sincere and lively as to produce good Works such as may make our Calling and Election sure Not to rest contented with the Form of Godliness or outward Profession of Christianity but to endeavour after the Power of it and lead our Lives according to our Belief to imitate our Lord's most blessed Example and obey all his holy Precepts and submit to the Disposals of his Providence chearfully and bear unspotted Love and Fidelity to him through the whole Course of our Lives And by this means shall we be reckon'd among his choice Jewels elect and precious and be receiv'd into the nearest and dearest and even an inseparable Relation to him and when this Life 's at an End be conducted by his Angels into his glorious Presence there to share in his Happiness to eternal Ages The PRAYER MOST blessed God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in infinite Mercy and amazing Condescension hast invited me miserable Creature though poor and maim'd halt and blind and destitute of every thing that may recommend me to thee except it be my Wretchedness to the most intimate Union with thy glorious Son and as the Bride of that divine Bridegroom to enjoy his Love and be blessed with his tenderest Regard his Protection and Desence and to partake of his Honour and Glory and Happiness How can I enough praise and magnifie this thy wondrous Goodness And with what Transports of Joy should I embrace so inestimable a Favour But I alas stupid as I am and bewitch'd with the Cares and Business and Gain and Pleasures of this World have hitherto stood in the Way of my own Happiness and disregarded this gracious Offer and preferr'd every thing before this spiritual Marriage with the Son of God or at best have deferr'd it still till another Time provoking thereby most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me and deserving to be for ever excluded thy blessed Presence as infinitely unworthy But now O Lord I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for so ungratefully sliting such infinite Mercy The Remembrance of this Vileness is grievous unto me the Burden of it is intollerable and with the utmost Earnestness of a troubled Spirit I beg thy heavenly Aid that now without the least Delay I may chearfully embrace the blessed Invitations of the Gospel and love and honour the Messengers which bring me those glad Tidings and since my Maker is my Husband be always mindful of my Duty to him and bear him unspotted Fidelity and Love be his intirely and for ever submit without Reserve to his heavenly Government reverence his Authority and glorifie him with my Body and my Spirit which are his And grant O merciful God I humbly intreat thee that the Spirit of Infidelity may never possess my Soul lest I totally reject this blessed Invitation or having embrac'd it and enter'd into so near a Relation to my Saviour again divorce my self from him by entertaining strange and forbidden Loves And since I am so highly honour'd by the Son of God O may I always be careful to preserve the Dignity of so high a Calling and not debase my self by low sunk brutish Actions but as befits the spiritual Spouse of Christ be cloath'd with the wedding Garment of sincere Purity and Holiness that so I may never be separated from my dearest Lord but ever enjoy the unconceivable Happiness of his heavenly Kingdom Which grant O merciful Father for the Sake of that blessed Jesus Amen Amen PARABLE VI. Of the Ten Virgins Matth. xxv 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto Ten Virgins which took their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And five of them were wise and five were foolish They that were foolish took their Lamps and took no Oil with them But the wise took Oil in their Vessels with their Lamps While the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept And at Midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him Then all those Virgins arose and trimmed their Lamps And the foolish said unto the wise Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out But the wise answer'd saying not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the Door was shut Afterwards came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us But he answer'd and said verily I say unto you I know you not Watch therefore for ye know neither the Day nor the Hour wherein the Son of Man cometh THough the first Intention of this Parable as may be probably collected from the foregoing Chapter which is a Description of the sad State that was e'er long to overtake Jerusalem for the Jews
necessary Advice even to the best Man living be watchful and strengthen the things that remain which are ready to die for I have not found thy Works perfect before God And what our Lord says Rev. 16.15 deserves to be seriously consider'd Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his Shame By a Cry being made at Midnight behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye forth to meet him is very lively and movingly represented how unexpectedly the Day of Judgment shall surprize the drouzy World and how suddain for any thing we can tell to the contrary the Time of our Death may be which is to us the Forerunner of it Midnight is a Time of great Silence and destin'd to Rest and a Forgetfulness of the Toils and Troubles of the Day and then suddain Outcries and Alarums are doubly scaring and affrighting and seize with an inexpressible Confusion Horror and Consternation And thus when Men are in the Midst of their Wickedness that spiritual Night employ'd in Deeds of Darkness given up to Ease and Luxury and forgetful of the great Business of working out their Salvation then shall that Time of Sorrows steal upon them as a Thief in the Night the terrifying Cry shall be made behold the great Judge of the World cometh go ye forth to meet him For when they shall say Peace and Safety says the Apostle Then suddain Destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a Woman with Child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 Then shall the Kings of the Earth and the great Men and the rich Men those that were thought happy upon Earth instead of going out to meet this Judg hide themselves in Dens in Rocks and Mountains and say to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the Face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb for the great Day of his Wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.15 16 17. And no wonder if a guilty Wretch dreads to go meet his angry Judg and all on the suddain with all his Stains and Pollutions about him appear before his Tribunal who hateth Iniquity and into whose Presence no unclean thing can enter And who is a consuming Fire to those who by their obstinate Impieties have provoked him to become their Enemy And since all this is so a Man of any Thought and that has any Apprehension of the sad Condition of being thus surpriz'd and hurried into the other World by so quick and unforeseen a Summons which no Man is sure shall not be his Case since many have been call'd away with little or no Warning that have no more expected than we do now a Man of any Thought and Apprehension of things will surely be mov'd by such Considerations to shake off that fatal Drouziness which too easily besets him and by a constant Attendance to his Duty and Preparation for his Departure hence be ready chearfully to obey his great Master's Call whether at Even or at Midnight or at the Cockcrowing or in the Morning lest coming suddainly he find him sleeping By the wise Virgins arising and trimming their Lamps when that Midnight Cry was made is represented the more than ordinary Care that even good Persons ought to take when by Age or the Violence of any Distemper the Time of their Departure hence seems to be near approaching to enliven their Piety and by putting a Recruit of Oyl into their Lamps acquiring new Degrees of Sanctity and warming their Souls with greater Ardors of Devotion and holy Love prepare to go chearfully to meet their Lord. Then is the Time when every sincere Christian should endeavour to adorn his Soul with all the Graces of the holy Religion he professes to improve every remaining Minute of his Time to this best of Purposes to redeem the many Hours formerly mispent in Vanity and Folly and by frequent Contemplation of the infinite Glory Sanctity and Bliss of that heavenly World to which he then so sensibly draws near inflame his Defires of being at the End of his wearisom Journey to it and fit himself for the spiritual unspotted Enjoyments of that happy Place by having as little Commerce as is possible with this World below and have his Conversation in Heaven which will so quickly be the Place of his everlasting Abode By the foolish Virgins saying to the wise give us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out is represented the Want of Preparation among the careless and inconsiderate for this so great and suddain Change and their mighty Consternation upon it and the vain and insignificant Courses they will take in their Surprize to make up if possible their own Defects by borrowing of others that have Souls better furnish'd with Piety than theirs And by the wise answering not so lest there be not enough for us and you and bidding them go rather and buy for themselves is shewn that 't is utterly groundless to expect at that great Day of Retribution when every Man shall be rewarded according to his own Works to fare the better for the Sanctity of others and that every Man has enough to do to work out his own Salvation and must keep his Lamp alive with his own Oyl must nourish his Soul with his own Vertue for there was never nor ever shall be any meer Man so holy and excellent but must return this same Answer as the wise Virgins did to such as should beg them to bestow some of their Vertues or Merits upon them not so lest there be not enough for our selves and you And if this be true what will become of the Popish Doctrin of Works of Supererrogation If the best Man in the World has but Vertue enough to secure his own Condition and that through infinite Mercy too and upon Account of the all-sufficient Merits of Christ where is there any left for him to bestow upon others But this is one of those doctrins that bring much Mony into their Coffers and therefore right or wrong they 'l be sure to maintain it By the Bridegroom's coming while those foolish Virgins went about so unlikely an Employment as then immediately to furnish their Lamps with Oyl which before were unregarded and suffer'd to go out and the Door before they were provided being shut is represented the Invalidity generally speaking of a Death-Bed Repentance that 't is too late to begin to be good when the Bridegrom comes and those that would enter with him into the Marriage Chamber must be ready and prepar'd by a previous Course of holy Living and that for some considerable Time This Hurry of the foolish Virgins at that Time to get Oyl for their Lamps was only the Effect of the Terrors of that Midnight Call had it not been for that they would have drouz'd on still in their thoughtless Way of living and in all Probability had it prov'd a false Alarm they
he is 1 Joh 3.2 and St. Paul by seeing him face to face and knowing him even as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 And since the Misery of the Wicked in Hell consists in an eternal Banishment from his Divine Presence for so the Sentence runs that shall be pass'd upon them at the Day of Judgment Depart from me ye Cursed c. Upon these Accounts it seems to them most agreeable to Truth that All the Just being admitted to the Beatifick Vision of God should be equally Happy and All the Wicked being for ever exil'd to him should be equally Miserable But this Argument in my Apprehension is so far from destroying the Doctrine of the Degrees of Happiness and Misery in Heaven and Hell that I think 't is rather the best Supporter of it For since 't is very true that the Happiness of Heaven consists in the Beatifick Vision of God and the Misery of Hell in an eternal Banishment from him and since 't is as true that some good Men in this Life approach nearer to him and see more of his Excellencies and bear a greater Resemblance to him than others and so become capable of a more intimate Vision of him in Heaven and some bad Men on the contrary wander to a greater distance from him here and become more unlike him by their great Impieties than other Sinners do and so become more incapable of that pure and holy Vision than others that are less wicked Since this is so methinks it should be most agreeable to Truth that those that were the Holiest Men here should be the Happiest Saints in Heaven as bearing a nearer Resemblance to the Divine Nature and consequently capable of a more close and intimate Vision of him and that those who by their great Impiety beyond other Men were most estranged from God here should be banish'd farthest from him in the Regions of Despair and Darkness as being the most hateful to him because the most unlike nay contrary to him and the most uncapable of seeing and enjoying him and consequently feel the most exquisite Pangs of Horror and Despair the hottest Boilings of Rage and Impatience and most bitter Remorse of Soul for bringing this most miserable Condition upon themselves when once they might with much Ease and Pleasure have avoided it and been for ever happy in the Vision and Enjoyment of God Indeed as to plain Proof from Scripture of the Degrees of Misery in Hell I must confess I cannot recollect any and would by no means strain God's Word beyond its due Extent but as to Degrees of Glory and Happiness in Heaven I think there are several Places of Scripture that plainly enough establish that Doctrine of which I shall mention but one and that because 't is part of a Parable exactly the same in the concealed sense of it with that I am now discoursing upon only something differently related by S. Luke 'T is in the 19th Chapter the 15th and 4 following Verses where we find when the King came to take Account of his Servants Improvement of what he left in their Hands to trade with in his Absence he exactly proportion'd every Man's Recompense to the Increase he made of what was committed to his Charge to him that had gain'd Ten Pounds with the Pound his Lord left with him was given Authority over as many Cities and so to him that had gain'd Five proportionably Authority over Five Which I think can mean no less than this that where there is different Degrees of Mens Improvement of Grace in this World there shall be as different Degrees awarded of Glory and Happiness in Heaven and there being great Difference between the Degrees of Christians Improvement here there will be as great Difference in the Degrees of their Happiness hereafter And though every Saint in Heaven shall have as clear and intimate Vision and Enjoyment of God as he is capable of and partake in an agreeable Measure of the Happiness that will flow from such Vision and Enjoyment and be as Happy as 't is possible for him to be yet the Capacity of every Saint will not be equal Some Souls will be more enlarg'd than others and able to receive more Rays of the Divine Glory and so though every of those Vessels of Honor shall be full yet all will not hold alike and one Star there will differ from another Star in Glory 'T is true indeed that the Mind of every good Man shall then be clarified and refined purg'd from the Dross and Soil contracted during its Residence in the Flesh and rendred more agile and expedite in the Exercise of its several Faculties and its Knowledge and Love of God vastly improved But that Souls of less Improvement here shall immediately upon their Departure from the Body receive extraordinary new Additions to equalize them to those of higher Attainments is hard to imagine and would mightily discourage the generous Endeavours of Heroick Piety and Exemplary Religion But when every Man shall in that glorious Kingdom above be rewarded according to the Degrees of his Piety and a great Love to God and zealous Prosecution of the Interest of Religion and an eminent Sanctity shall be crown'd with a more than ordinary Glory and Felicity in Heaven 't will mightily encourage a holy Soul to forget with St. Paul the things that are behind and press on to what is still before always aiming at still greater Degrees of Perfection till Mortality shall be swallow'd up of Life The Improvement of this Speculation to Practice is this That since the Degrees of Glory and Happiness in Heaven shall be answerable to the Degrees of Mens Holiness and Improvement of their Talents upon Earth we would run with Diligence the Race that is set before us and gird up the Loins of our Mind and set our selves to the Performance of every thing that is well-pleasing in the sight of God with Cheerfulness and not pretend Difficulty when the Reward is so exceeding great and shall be proportion'd to the Degrees of our Vertue For can we be too happy Can we be too like God Can our Crown be too glorious and resplendent Away then with that mean-spirited Religion which thus lessens and confines our Happiness let us unfold our Hands and pluck them out of our Bosoms and encourage our selves in a vigorous Pursuit of an excellent Piety forasmuch as we know that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Fifthly In the next Place I am to shew that 't is abominably false and impious with the Unprofitable Servant in the Parable to charge God with being unreasonably rigid and severe in taking so strict an Account of Mens Improvement of his Divine Grace and Assistances and expecting to find a good Use made of what he committed to their Trust That God is often charg'd with such unreasonable Severity by Men that care not to perform their Duty is too true to be question'd and such as love to indulge their vile
Affections and cannot afford to take any pains to be Religious are frequently heard to say They serve God as well as they can and they can do no more and that such a Religion as we urge Men to is much too hard for Flesh and Blood 'T is a Law fitter for Angels than Men and tho they wish they could observe and do it and can't but consent to the Excellency of it in the Inner Man yet they find a Law in their Members warring against the Law of their Minds and bringing them into Captivity to the Law of Sin and so the good that they would they do not and the evil that they would not that they do And they take up with this as a sufficient Excuse and because God is infinitely merciful and good they think he will accept the Plea of the great Hardship of his Commands and their Inability to perform them instead of Obedience to them But as the Lord in the Parable said to his slothful Unprofitable Servant Out of their own Mouths will I judge those wretched Persons that thus mock and abuse God and deceive their own Souls into Ruin For if God be infinitely good and merciful then certainly he will not expect any Thing from Men beyond their Ability nor command their Service and Obedience any farther than they are able to pay it And consequently what this merciful and good God commands by All Men to be done without any Exception or Dispensation and threatens Eternal Misery to such as shall dare wilfully to disobey him this Every Man no question is able to perform through the Divine Grace and Assistance which as I have before prov'd is in sufficient measure given to every Man And to deny this is in effect to charge God with the greatest Cruelty Oppression and Injustice that is possible For what less is the giving Men such Commands as they are not able to perform and withal threatning and actually inflicting unconceivable Torments for such are those of Hell upon all that shall be found disobedient to the impracticable Law This would be indeed to require Brick without Straw as the Egyptian Task-masters did and then to lay on Stripes for a Failure in the Work nay 't would be infinitely worse because the Punishment for Irreligion and not improving our Talents is infinitely greater and shall be inflicted to all Eternity Since therefore God knows whereof we are made and remembers that we are but Dust and can tell how difficult his Commands will be to us and how proportionable our Ability is to keep and do them better than we our selves for 't is he that hath made us and gave us our natural Powers and Faculties and the Superadditions of Grace and Aid from Above since he is infinitely good and will not overload his Creatures nor exact impossible Tasks or such as are extremely difficult and but one degree below impossible since he is likewise infinitely just and will not damn Myriads of poor Wretches to all Eternity for not making an impossible Improvement of their Talents and expects only that they should give a reasonable Account according to what they have received from him From all this it will follow Not that therefore a Man shall be excus'd for pleading Inability but that every Man is Able through the never deficient Grace of that good God to such as heedfully attend to it to keep his holy just and good Commands and make Improvement suitable to the Talents he hath receiv'd and if for all this he perish his Blood will be upon his own Head Wherefore let no Man for the future be so Impious as to charge God with expecting impossible Services from his Creatures or think to palliate his Irreligion by crying out of the extreme Hardship of living like a Christian but let every Man set heartily and sincerely about his Duty and he will find that God's Grace will be sufficient for him to his daily Improvement and that the Ways of Religion are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace I come now to the last Thing to be consider'd in this Parable which is That the Condition of the diligent Improvers of their Talents will be unspeakably happy but the Condition of the Unprofitable beyond Expression miserable and that both in this World and in the next First The Condition of the diligent Improvers of their Talent will be unspeakably happy both in this World and that above In this World a quiet and serene Conscience will be to them a continual Feast the Sense of having perform'd their Duty according to their Ability of having been good Stewards of the Grace of God bestow'd upon them and that they can give a sincere Account though not a perfect one to their great Master when he shall come to look into their Behaviour in their Stewardship this will fill their Breasts with unspeakable Satisfaction their Soul will be calm and their Thoughts at Rest in Conscience of their Fidelity their Life not imbitter'd with anxious Fear and Dread of a sad After Reckoning but like that of a faithful Servant who is in his Master's Favour steady and easie and moving cheerfully in the Circle of his Duty and in joyful Expectation of the Reward of his Diligence when his great Lord shall advance him from the State of a Servant to that of a Friend and Bosom Favourite nay of a Coheir with himself of the Joys and Felicities of the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven And besides this Serenity and Satisfaction of Mind and comfortable Prospect of so glorious a Recompense of Reward which are Blessings of the first Magnitude and to which nothing in this World is comparable the improving Christian shall have more Talents given him more Grace shower'd down upon his Soul what the Slothful have forfeited shall be conferr'd upon him and he shall abound still more and more in every good Word and Work And what Condition can approach nearer to the state of Heavenly Glory than that of a holy Soul thus plentifully stor'd with the divine Grace And if Grace and Glory differ only in degree and the One be but the Completion and Perfection of the other a Soul so filled with Grace as the improving Soul will be must needs live a Heaven upon Earth and have frequent Antepasts of Glory And in that other World when the Glory shall be reveal'd that is prepared for them that love and serve our Lord Jesus in Sincerity then will their Happiness be as ineffable as endless It is express'd in this Parable by entring into the Joy of our Lord that is partaking of his Glories and Felicities in the Presence of the Immortal God They shall be conducted after having given a good Account of their Stewardship by the Blessed Angels into the Presence of the great King of Heaven where they shall see him face to face and with wondring Eyes and enravish'd Hearts behold his Glory gaze upon his Splendors and nearly view his Beauty who is the Fountain of
the Gospel What else should be the Reason of that strange Unconcernedness in the Worldly-minded though press'd never so home with the Necessity of minding Religion more and the World less of endeavouring before all Things to be rich towards God and to give of their Abundance to the Relief of the Poor and not to trust in uncertain Riches and the like They give us the Hearing perhaps and that 's All and go on still in their own Course as earnestly as ever and if they offer any thing in their Defence 't is so strangely weak that a Man can't but admire at it Sometimes we shall hear them say they don't know what Streights they may be reduc'd to yet before they dye and therefore they think it but Prudence to provide for the worst forgetting all the while that our Lord expresly forbids all such anxious Solicitude for the Morrow and commands an humble Trust in the Providence of God who never forsakes those that are moderately industrious and depend upon him for a Blessing and never reflecting upon the miserable Streight they will be in at the Day of Judgment if destitute of good Works and not able to give a sincere Account of their Stewardship Sometimes these Men will quote Scripture and tell us the Apostle says He that provides not for his own House is worse than an Infidel forgetting in the mean time the Words of the same Apostle in another Place that the Love of Money is the root of all Evil and those of our Saviour immediately before this Parable Take heed beware of Covetousness for a mans Life consisteth not in the Abundance of the Things which he possesseth And in Matt. 6.32 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these Things shall be added unto you for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things 1 Cor. 6.10 Eph. 5.5 and that the Covetous are in the number of those that shall never see the Kingdom of Heaven Of all Vices that we reprove and warn Men against Covetousness and Worldly-mindedness we find to be most stubborn and irreclaimable and 't is very seldom indeed that we can stop a Man that is in a hot pursuit of Wealth so strangely bewitching is this Love of Money and more than ordinary destructive of a true Sense of Religion in the Soul And accordingly says our Lord How hard is it for a rich man one that makes a God of Riches and confides and trusts in them to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 't is easier for a Camel to pass through the Eye of a Needle 'T is next door to an Impossibility and nothing but the Almighty Power of God changing his Heart can make him capable of that Happiness And St. Paul agreeably Not many rich not many mighty are call'd and the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of those that believe not And the Pythagoreans by the meer Light of Nature were sensible of this and taught their Scholars a Separation from the Affairs of the World if they would Philosophize well and find out pure Truth and the Secrets of Wisdom Wherefore we see it highly concerns us to take no such Thought for the Morrow but endeavour to lay up a Treasure in Heaven because Where our Treasure is there will our Hearts be also Another very sad Consequence of an Immoderate Love of Riches is that it exposes a Man more than any Thing besides to Apostacy or falling from the Truth St. Paul 1 Tim. 6.9 says They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and more expresly in the next Verse The Love of Money is the root of all Evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the Faith and the Event has often prov'd this true and the Hopes of gaining and the Fear of losing Riches has prevail'd with Thousands to turn Apostates to the Truth For the sake of a little Money 't was that Judas betray'd his Master and Saviour and to tempt with Money is a way of proceedure so very successful an Engine so almost irresistable that 't is made use of by all sorts that would gain Proselites to a Party and the great Tempter with much Confidence after his other Stratagems fail'd him made Offer of Riches to our Lord Himself as his best Reserve when he would perswade him to Fall down and Worship him And so unreasonable a Love have Worldly-minded Men for Wealth as to be and do any Thing at the Frowns or Promises of him who has Power to give or take away Riches This has been the Experience of all former Ages and too much of our own too and will still be so till Men grow so wise as to know how to be content with Food and Raiment and believe our Lord's Words that a mans Life consisteth not in the Abundance of the Things which he possesseth and that Godliness with Contentment is the greatest gain And therefore as much as it concerns Men to be constant in the Profession of the Truth of God that is as much as their Salvation is worth so much it concerns them to take heed and beware of Covetousness For 't is very true in more Senses than one that it is Idolatry Colos 3.5 Having thus shewn the great Folly and Vileness of an Immoderate Desire of Riches and of expecting the Happiness even of this Life from Abundance of Wealth and mention'd two very ill Consequences of this Covetousness I proceed now to the Third Thing I intended to do which is to Answer the Rich Fool 's Question that he proposed to himself upon the great Increase he had What shall I do because I have no room where to lay my fruits And shew how many good Ways there are of Disposing of Abundance Of all the Ways of bestowing what was more than his Barns would hold by which I suppose is express'd his having more than was needful to his own comfortable Subsistance Covetousness would let this Rich Man think of none but of Building New Barns wherein to lay up his Abundance and then to take his Ease and eat and drink and be merry He looked no farther than Himself and the more God's Blessings increas'd upon him the more he purpos'd to live in Luxury and Excess and Epicurize away that which God gave him to a quite different and much better Purpose Quod superat non est melius quo insumere possis Cur eget indignis quisquam te divite quare Templa Ruunt Antiqua Deum cur improbe chara Non aliquid Patriae tanto emetiris Acervo Horat. Serm. Lib. II. Sat. 2. For every Man whom God has blessed with Abundance is God's Steward of that Abundance and must bestow it according to the Will of his great Lord for so St. Peter in his first Epistle chap. 4. ver 10. As every man has receiv'd the Gift even so minister one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God Now the
rise and give him because he is his Friend yet because of his Importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth And the Application of this Parable is Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be open'd unto you And the Reason why our Lord applies the first Parable to God's certainly avenging his Elect which cry Day and Night to him though he bear long with them I suppose to be with Dr. Hammond the great Discouragements his Disciples were then under by reason of the Malice of the Jews which made it necessary for him to keep up their Spirits by assuring them that God's not immediately hearkening to their Prayers by manifestly appearing in their Cause to protect them and punish their Enemies was no Argument that he wholly disregarded them but that if they persisted in their grateful Importunity he would at length answer their Desires For if Importunity be so prevalent even with Wicked Men how much more will it be so with the God of Mercy and Compassion 'T is plain then the chief Design of these Parables though differently worded and apply'd is to enforce the Necessity of frequent and earnest Prayer and therefore without any farther minute Explication of them they being so plain that they neither need nor will bear it I shall address my self to discourse upon what is couch'd under them and endeavour to evince the Necessity of Praying frequently and with Earnestness and Importunity That Prayer or a Liberty of making our Requests known unto God is a Privilege and Happiness inestimable no one that considers the Nature of God and the Nature of Man can question The latter a poor dependent Creature helpless and weak short-sighted and ignorant full of Wants and Necessities obnoxious to innumerable evil Accidents of unruly Passions and Affections the Hate and Envy of the Spirits of Darkness strongly prone to what is Evil and averse to what is Good the former a Being of infinite Fullness and Perfection infinitely wise and powerful and good the Maker of the Universe whose is the whole Creation and to whom every Thing that is obeys Now that this indigent helpless Creature should have such a Patron to make his Wants known to a Patron so inexhaustibly full so wise so able and so willing to direct and guide him to support and comfort him to protect and defend to relieve and succour him to have Freedom of Address to such a Patron as this is without all doubt a Privilege and Favour that no Man can sufficiently esteem And yet so unaccountably stupid and thoughtless are Men for the Generality What is more neglected nay despis'd than this invaluable Privilege As if they were full and had need of Nothing or were self-sufficient and could be their own Helpers when indeed they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked In pity to this our doubly Forlorn Condition our Blessed Saviour the God of Compassions that if possible we might receive the full Benefit of so great a Favour and Divine Condescention has made this Privilege become our Duty and bound it upon us by the Commands of his Holy Institution encourag'd our Practice of it by his own Example and by Himself and his Apostles left such Directions for the more effectual Performance of it that every Man for the Future might be without Excuse if he either Pray'd not at all or to no purpose Among which Directions the Importunity recommended in this Parable and in that other before-mention'd so near of Kin to it is greatly to be regarded as that which will certainly if other Requisites are not wanting for there are others bring down a Blessing But because there are other Things requir'd both by our Lord and his Apostles in order to our Praying successfully besides Importunity I think it will not be amiss if I discourse more largely of this great and concerning Duty of Prayer than I could do if I strictly confin'd my self to the Bounds of this Parable and endeavour these three Things First To prove that Prayer is not only an inestimable Privilege but the Duty of every Christian Secondly To shew how far the Obligation to this Duty does extend And Thirdly What are the necessary Requisites that this Duty may be perform'd successfully First Prayer is not only the Privilege but the Duty of every Christian Watch and pray Mat 26.41 that ye enter not into Temptation was Our Lord's Charge to Peter and the two Sons of Zebedee in the Garden of his Agony and not to them only but to all others that are in their Circumstances i. e. in great Danger of being tempted and weak and unable of Themselves to make Resistance and that God knows we all of us are and therefore to all of us is this Command directed Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be open'd unto you says the same Blessed Jesus immediately after one of the Parables before mention'd as if he had said God will be gracious and relieve your Necessities but 't is upon Condition you will lay your Wants before him and implore his Help according to that of S. James chap. 4. ver 2. Ye have not because ye ask not In the Sixth of Matthew our Lord has set us a Pattern of Prayer and commanded us to use it When ye pray say Our Father c. And he spake the Parable we are now discoursing on to this very purpose That men ought always to pray and not to faint and he himself was our Example too in this Matter and continued whole Nights in Prayer unto God and his Example in Things within our reach as assiduous Prayer is we are upon innumerable Accounts obliged to follow And as our Lord so his Apostles bind this upon us as our Duty Phil. 4.6 Col. 4.2 Eph. 6.18 1 Tim. 2.8 1 Thes 5.17 Thus S. Paul bids us in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving to let our Requests be made known unto God and to continue in Prayer and watch in the same with all Perseverance and to Pray every where and without ceasing The Duty we see is sufficiently bound upon us by our Holy Religion 'T is plain and express and must as carefully be observ'd as any other Command so sollicitous is our good God for our Happiness as by all Means to bring us to the Practice of what will be so highly beneficial to us And where the Love of a Thing upon Account of its own Excellency and Serviceableness to our Selves will not attract our numbred senseless Souls there to goad and prick us on and even force us to it by Threats of Punishment if we refuse Good God! That Men should need haling to Felicity And that God should be so desirous of it as thus to take all Measures to bring us to it O the unaccountable Stupidity of Man and the unsearchable Riches of the Goodness of God! And what a
dare to play the Hypocrite in his Devotion and have other little sinister By-Ends such as the Praise of Men that his Vanity may be tickled by being esteem'd more Righteous and Heavenly-minded than his Neighbours and that under the Covert of more Religion than ordinary he may the more securely bring to pass some wicked under-hand Design That there have been such sort of Devotionists as these is evident from what we find recorded of the Pharisees Men to all Appearance extraordinary Religious Fasting and Praying frequently and long and very Exemplary in other Instances of Piety when after all our Lord who knew their Hearts has told us they did it to be seen and to have Praise of Men and under Pretence of long Prayers to insinuate into Wealthy Widows Esteem that at length they might have an Opportunity to devour their Houses How many of this sort there is now-a-days God and their own Consciences know best but this is certain that wherever the Guilt lies 't is a great Abomination to him who is Truth it self and infinitely hates a Lye especially in Matters of Religion where his Honour is so nearly concern'd Wherefore let those who find themselves prick'd by what is now said take care that their Religion be more pure and sincere for the Future lest our Lord's Woes to the Pharisees fall upon their Heads and they be doom'd to the Portion of Hypocrites where is Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Thirdly The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies Just and Upright without Fraud and Cheating Arts and Oppression and he that would be heard when he prays must cleanse his Hands from these must do as he would be done to and provide things honest in the Sight of all Men and despise the Gain of Oppression as Isaiah phrases it Chap. 33. Vers 15. For God is Just as well as Holy and hates the sly Windings of Deceit and Fraud He is about our Path and spieth out all our Ways and will be a swift Witness against those that oppress instead of turning a gracious Ear to their Petitions 1 Thes 4.6 Wherefore let no Man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any Matter for God is the Avenger of all such but take care that his Hands be not defil'd with unjust Gain lest it make them uncapable of receiving a Blessing Thus much for the first Requisite to our praying effectually the lifting up Holy Hands A second is That this be done without Wrath that there be a Freedom from Strife and Revenge and a Readiness to Reconciliation and Forgiveness For as for a hot angry Disposition nothing more unfits a Man for Devotion than that it makes the Mind continually in a Storm breaks the Order and Connexion of Thoughts puts the whole Soul into a Hurry and makes it like a Troubled Sea that cannot rest And therefore no wonder if it cast up Mire and Dirt Desires impure and displeasing to God rather than the sweet smelling Savour of an acceptable Sacrifice As our Religion in general so Prayer in particular is a reasonable Service and requires as great Freedom of Thought and recollected Presence of Mind as any thing whatever The Object of Prayer is a Being of infinite Sanctity and transcendent Majesty and this should move us to approach him with the most awful and sedate Temper of Mind and that which is pray'd for is or ought to be of the greatest Value and which it most of all concerns us to have bestow'd upon us and therefore it concerns us to have our Reason and Thoughts at Command lest our Petition should be rejected for our ill Management of it Now nothing more discomposes the Mind and deprives it of the Use of Reason than the Passion of Anger It puts the Spirits into such a violent and unnatural Motion as makes all the Powers of the Soul for a Time unserviceable Things are apprehended in strange Confusion and Disorder and remembred with much Imperfection and foolish and ridiculous Choices are made by the Will and all the Affections consequently out of Course Just as is the Condition of Mad Men only the Fit is sooner over And is this a fitting Temper of Mind to approach the Throne of the great God in and prefer Petitions for the greatest Blessings Let a Man after he has been brawling with his Neighbours consider if he were to go immediately to beg a Boon of his Prince whether he should not then do it with great Disadvantage how apt he should then be to commit Indecencies and to omit Matters of chief Concern in his Request and the like and then let him say what he thinks of addressing to the great King of Heaven in such an ill Disguise of Soul And whether he does not believe that he might speed much better if his Mind were calmer and more it self Now the Returns of Prayer being so frequent and angry Mens Brawlings and Quarellings so frequent it must needs often be that such Men unless they omit praying which is still worse must pray to God with Minds greatly discompos'd and and unfit for the Performance of so Holy a Duty at least with any Success As for a Revengeful Temper of Mind that is a thing so contrary to him whose Definition is Love and who has so freely forgiven us so infinite a Debt that no Desires breath'd from such a Soul but must needs stink in his Nostrils and be utterly rejected by him His Divine Son the only Mediator between him and us who presents the Prayers of the Faithful and intercedes for their Acceptance will be so far from appearing in an implacable revengeful Man's Behalf that he has declar'd in a Parable before discours'd of Mat. 18.23 he will deal with such with the utmost Severity God will accept nothing at our Hands without Charity and a Gift though brought to the Altar must not be offer'd there till he that is at Variance with his Brother be reconcil'd to him he must leave his Gift before the Altar and go his Way and first be reconcil'd to his Brother and then come and offer his Gift Mat. 5.23 24. A third Requisite to our praying successfully is that our Prayers be without doubting or as 't is express'd Heb. 22. In full Assurance of Faith According to what our Lord said upon Occasion of the Barren Fig-Tree's being dry'd up from the Roots at his Word which when St. Peter and the rest of the Disciples wondred at Mark 11 2◠Jesus answer'd and said unto them have Faith in God for verily I say unto you whosoever shall say unto this Mountain be thou remov'd and cast into the Sea shall not doubt in his Heart but believe that those things he saith shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith Therefore I say unto you what things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them And elsewhere Mark 9.23 All things are possible to him that believeth To which agrees