gular Grace, That neither Seeking, Defiring, nor fo much as Thinking, They are brought to the Truth of Faith, and to the most ardent Love, and thence to the fure Hope of Eternal Life. And then, to them the Treasure comes, as if it were by Chance. But not as to the Lord, who in his Eternal Providence, Pre-ordain'd 'em to fuch Grace, and to future Glory. Others he Prevents indeed by his Grace: But does not prefently fhew 'em the Treafure Only Inspires them with a Defire to find the Truth, and makes 'em here the most careful Dealers; ftill Directing, and Helping 'em, till they find the Pearl.

Take, for Example of the one and the other, S. Paul,and S. Auguftine. S.Paul did not feek the true Treafure, which is Chrift, the Lord, But Perfecuted him, as an Impoftor; and Chriftians, as Impos'd upon. And when he was upon the Career, A&t. 9. 1. Breathing out Threatnings and Slaughter, against the Difciples of the Lord, Chrift appeared to him; and at the fame time that he Blinded the Eyes of his Body, Illuminated thofe of his Mind, with fuch a Convincing Light, that of a Perfecuter, he was prefently made a Preacher. And tho' this came upon him by a happy Chance ; In God it was determined Providence. So he owns it,Gal. 1. 13, 15, 16. Ye have heard of my Converfation in times paft in the Jews ReK4 ligion;

ligien; How that beyond measure, I Perfecu ted the Church of Ged, and wasted it. But when it pleafed God, who Separated me from my mother's Womb, and Called me by his Grace, to Reveal bis Sen in me, That I might Preach bim among the Heatben; Immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood. From the Womb then, he was fet apart, by Divine Providence, to Preach the Gospel of Chrift; Though he did not Seek the Pearl, nor the Treasure in the Field. But by a kind Occurrence, the Treasure Open'd it self to him, and made him Love it, with fo Fervent a Love, That he fpared no Pains, Fear'd no Oppofition; But expos'd himfelf to all Perils; and reckon'd all Advantages of the World, but Dung, that he might win Christ, Phil. 3. 8. Neither counted be bis Life dear to himself; fo that be might finish his Courfe with Foy, and the Ministry, which be bad received of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Act. 20. 24.

On the other hand, S. Aug. From his Youth, began to burn with Defire of finding the Precious Pearl, i. e. True Wisdom, and Eternal Blifs. But when he fell in with the Sect of the Manichees, He long Labour'd hard, both with Himfelf, in Seeking, and with others, in Difputing ; That he might Difcover the Evangelical Truth. And when he could fee nothing in that wild Herefy, but, fabulous Stories,

and

and grofs Abfurdities; Now he even defpair'd of finding out what was Right, af ter fo many Years spent in vain Difquifitions.. So fays he, in his Confeffions, I was plunged in a Deep Sea, and diftrufted ever to be better Satisfy d. But it pleafed God,that at laft he fhould find the precious Pearl. And then, without delay, Selling all, and breaking out of the Toils of thofe Lufts where he had been catch'd, and fcorning. the Profits and Honours, after which he had Panted, He Devoted himself wholly and perpetually to the Service of God and his Church.

Therefore, might the Lord, in his former Parable, compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a Treafure, found without Labour, Accidentally; and in the Latter, to a Pearl obtained by the Merchant, with much Solicitude and Pains.

What remains now, but that the Chriftian Soul (for a while) laying afide all. Incumbrances of other Matters, feriously bethink it felf in the Prefence of God, What a Business this is; How Neceflary, and as yet, alfo Eafy: But how Difficult, or rather Impoffible it will be found, if the prefent Markets be Lost. For certain The Children of this World would never let flip fuch an Opportunity, for fecuring the richest Pearl: Which for Millions of Gold,would not after be had. If while the K S

Fair

air

Fair Lafts, they could make it their Own, for a Hundred Pieces of Silver: They'd take up fo much Money, though at the higheft Ufury. And fhall the Children of Light be fo fhort in their Conduct, as not to make fure of that Pearl, which would fet 'em up, for the most Rich and Bleffed for ever? When they are neither put to Borrow upon Ufury; nor to run here and there feeking for what's to be given in Exchange: But it will be to full Content, If they do but willingly Give what they have; Though their Strength be fo Low, That they cannot reach above Two Mites.

Therefore, O Lord God, fhine with thy Light into our Hearts; That we may know the Inestimable worth of thy Pearl; and how Low is the Price that thou doft ask. Add this to thy Mercies, Lord, That the precious Pearl may not be offer'd to us in vain. And thou that haft forbid us to Cast Pearls before Swine, Mat. 7. 8. O grant, by thy Grace, That though we have fometime been fo like the Swine, as not to know the Worth of thy Pearl, but to prefer Acorns and Husks before it; Yet now Enlightned and better Taught of God, We may fo well Understand our felves, and thy Pearl, as moft earnestly to Defire it, and gladly part with all to Secure it.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

Of the Diurnal Peny.

THE Third Parable follows

con

cerning the Peny, promis'd by the Houfholder to them that Labour'd in his Vineyard. Mat. 20. 1. And at first hearing, this may feem very much to Depreciate and Difparage the Reward of Eternal Life, to Compare that with fo fmall a Stipend, which before was valued at the rate of a vaft Treasure, and a Pearl of the greatest Price. But fuch an Extenuation is here made, only that the Reward may feem better to Correfpond with the Work. For the Similitude might found Extravagant, If a mighty Treafure, a Precious Pearl, a Scepter, a royal Diadem fhould be paid to them, that work'd but one Day, or piece of a Day, in the Vineyard.

.

But then, Let us not think fo Diminu tively and bafely, as only of the Peny in ordinary. For 'tis no fuch matter here meant: But a Heavenly Piece, that will abundantly Suffice, for Food and Rayment, and all that may ftand us in ftead, and for ever do us Good. Such a Piece as is given by the Lord of the Vineyard, who calls it a Kingdom: And that, not

without