faken, nor his feed begging bread. How! his fon Solomon faw a different scene in his days; then there were juft men unto whom it happened according to the work of the wicked. Again, there were wicked men to whom it happened according to the work of the righteous. In the days of our Saviour and his Apoftles, there were fome righteous in Ifrael who begged their bread by the way-fide, and at the doors of the temple. Among these we find some, who had faith enough in the Son of God to be made whole of their infirmities: an evidence, I think, that they were not in a worse condition than others, because they were worse men. The truth is, that this paffage in the Pfalms relates not to our present purpose; it defcribes a general case of providence over good men in providing them the neceffaries of life, whilft they endeavour to ferve God, but of a juft reward for them in this world it says nothing: The feed of the righteous, fays the Pfalmift, fhall not beg their bread. Take it literally, and make the most of it, it will bear no resemblance to a juft reward for their goodness: for, if the righteous and the wicked were to be diftinguished in this life by temporal profperity and adverfity, we might expect to hear of much better promises to the good than this, That their feed fhould not beg their bread; we might expect to hear of crowns and fceptres to be given them: but of this we hear nothing. As to the providential care of God over the righteous in fupplying their natural wants, our Saviour has given us great reafon to expect it: Seek ye firft, lays he, the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs, and all these things fhall be added unto you. Upon whose authority likewise St. Paul tells us, that godlinefs has the promife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Nay, farther, there is great reason to think, that God often bleffes the honeft endeavours of the virtuous in this world; but then there is no appearance that the rules of justice are at all concerned in fuch difpenfations; for the righteous often fuffer, nay, under the Gospel they are called to fuffer; for which reafon the invitation to us is, To take up our cross, and follow Chrift. But, to come to the point of rewards and punishments, the parable of the tares in the thirteenth of St. Matthew is decifive. The meaning of which parable our Saviour has expounded: it represents to us the state of the world, in which the good and bad flourish together; and though men cease not to call upon God for a distinction to be made between them, yet he, who feeth not as man fees, has otherwife determined. In this world he permits them to flourish and live together; but the time is coming, that great harvest of the world is approaching, when a full diftinction fhall be made; when the wicked shall be caft into a furnace of fire, and the righteous shine forth as the fun in the kingdom of their Father. Thus, you see, reason, experience, and scripture, all confenting to teach us not to look for the reward of our labour in this world, but to wait with patience God's appointed time, when the great Judge of the world will do righteously, and recompenfe to every man the things which he has done. Let us look back then to the text, and take from thence the proper exhortation arifing from this con clufion; Since we plainly fee that this world is no place of rewards and punishments, let us not be so foolish as to look for our reward here, and be difcouraged if we receive it not. If we raise in ourfelves fuch idle expectations, and imagine that to be good is a certain way to be rich, great, or profperous, we lay a foundation for great disappointments, and shall be in danger of growing fick of our work, when our hopes forfake us. But if we look to the appointed time of reward, and give ourselves up contentedly to the providence of God in this world, and to that lot, be it what it will, which he has provided for us, our hopes will never fail; we shall be fteadfast and unmoveable, knowing that our labour, however difficult here, fhall not be in vain in the Lord: for in due feafon we shall reap, if we faint not. DISCOURSE XL. PART I. MATTHEW xiii. 29. But he faid, Nay; left while ye gather up the tares, ye root up alfo the wheat with them. Το To underftand the text we must look back as far as the twenty-fourth verfe of this chapter, where our Saviour puts forth a parable, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a man who fowed good feed in his field; but while men flept, his enemy came and fowed tares among the wheat. When they both sprung up and appeared in the field, the fervants, under a furprise at the disappointment, report it to their mafter; Sir, didft not thou fow good feed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He faid unto them, An enemy hath done this. The fervants reply, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? In answer to which follow the words of the text, But he faid, Nay; left while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Take away the dress of parable, and what our Saviour here delivers amounts to this; there will al VOL. II, |