without good Reafon, when it Represents no Lefs than Chrift himself; who is the Treafure, and the precious Pearl. For on the Peny there's the Image of the Prince, with his Infeription, and the Round Figure. And Chrift is the Image of the Invisible God. Col. 1. 15. One that has no Beginning of Days, nor End of Life. But his Being is for ever the fame: and his Duration that Circle of Eternity, which is ftill Revolving into it felf: And abundantly more than any Money, does he truly Arfwer all things. For he is Lord of All. Att. 10. 36 The true God, and Eternal Life. Fab 5.20. And if He himself

be the Peny here given to the Labourers, Then nothing Greater, Nothing So Great can ever be Given.

But to whom is that Given ; which after they have it, They'll never Want any Thing elfe? To whom but the Labourers? Not to the Loiterers, that stand Idle in the Market-Place: Not to fuch as fpent their Time in Sauntring or Prating, in Carding and Dicing, in Cocking and Drinking, In Sporting and Fooling: Such as know not what to do with themselves and their Time; And fo, from doing of Nothing, they fall to do warfe. O how can fuch Truants and Triflers ever expect the gracious Call, to Reft from their Labours? And for what

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that they have done, to be cheer'd up, with Well done good and Faithful Servants? Seeing our Lord has affur'd us, That he will give to every one according to his Works. i. e. in fome Proportion, to the Services that they have done: and thereafter as they have Reftirr'd and acquitted themfelves; So fhall they find Welcome, and degrees of Glory accordingly. For tho' the fame Peny be given to every Labourer, Yet we are not from thence to Infer, That the Rewards in the Kingdom of Heaven will be all Alike. God and Christ, and the fame Eternal Life, (it's true,) fhall be Communicated to all that Enter there. But as the fame Sun is more clearly beheld by the Eagle, than by other Birds: And as the fame Fire more Warms them that are Near it, than the more Remote from it So is it here, in Eternal Life among the Bleffed that fee God and Chrift, One fhall more clearly See, and more highly and fweetly Rejoyce, than another: According to the different Capacities and Qualifications of the several Recipients.

But that the Reward is the due Price of the Work, and no more than the Labourers have Deferv'd; That the Saints do fo Win it, and Wear it and that Heaven is no more than their juft Pay, Owing to their Merits; is a Do

arine too Arrogant, to be found in the 'holy Scriptures: which teach us better Manners, and more Humility, than fo to Vaunt and Glory. The Word Merit, fo rife at Rome, is never found in all the Bible: Nor Defert, but once; and that not for pious Men's Reward, but the 'Wicked's Punishment. Pfal. 28. 4. Render ' to 'em their Defert. And how doleful will be that Rendring? Yea, Wo to the Beft man upon Earth, that Receives 'from the Lord but just what he Deferves. Therefore, what we read of any being Worthy, is to be understood only, That thro' God's Grace, they are made Fit and Meet, Qualify'd and Prepar'd, to Enter into his Holy Place: Adorn'd, as a Bride for her Husband; thro' the Comlinefs that he puts upon 'em. Ezek. 16. 14.

And what fome of the Fathers speak of Meriting; They mean no more than Obtaining. Not Deferving Heaven, for their Work's fake; But getting in there, 'For Christ, their Lord's fake. Or if ever it be used in a farther Senfe, by any others, It may, and must be Reckon'd among their Errors. Whenas the ' whole Stream of holy Scriptures carries the Reward for Grace; and not for Works: And tells us all along, That we are Saved by Grace; and that not of

our felves: But God's Gift. Eph. 2. 8. The Gift of God is Eternal Life, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Rom. 6. laft v. The < Pharifaic fort, who are too High to Receive it as a Gratuity, are never like to get Up, by fo Exalting themselves: But ftill the further from the Kingdom of Heaven; into which our Lord that gives it, tells us, None fhall Enter, unlefs he Receive it as a little Child. Mar. Io. 15. And after the beft of all our 'Labours, bids us fay, We are Unprofitable Servants. Luk. 17. 10. And when, 'Tis of his mere Mercy, that we are not Confumed; Of what rich Grace then, that ever we are Saved? And what intole'rable Pride, that any should ever Think, it's no more than they have Deferved? But it's no News, for fome of the Worft, to put themselves on with the First? • When God's Servants are taught to call themselves Unprofitable; and to say, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us; But to thy Name give Glory. And fo, the very Bleffed above are reprefented, Cafting their Crowns before the Throne of the moft High, and afcribing to him only all the Glory. Rev. 4. 10, II. But they are ⚫ under another Tutor, that Allume to Themfelves; and clap the Crown upon their own Heads.

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'That Round-about Way, which this 'Champion and his Fellow-Soldiers fetch, to prove the Merit of Good Works, Be'cause of the Grace of God, thro' which they are wrought, and the Worthiness of Chrift, with whom the Workers are Conjoin'd, and the Virtue of Love, which 'the Holy Ghoft infufes into their Hearts; 'Tis but Darkening of a plain Matter, • and ill Fumbling thofe things together, that are well and Needful, if diftinguish'd afunder: i. e. Our Working out our own Salvation: And God's Working in us, to "Will and to Do of his good Pleafure. For to follow the Work of our Salvation, is doubtless our Duty. But God's Working in us, makes us much more Engaged C to Him and does not, cannot make us, C at all to Deferve of Him.

Never could they go more unluckily to Establish their Doctrine of Merit,than 'from fuch a Parable as this, that utterly

Ruins it. Where the Lord lets his grum'bling Labourers know, That he will Diftribute his Rewards after his own Pleafure Giving to them that had 'Wrought Longer and Harder, no more than to the other, that came in Later; 'whofe Services were Leffer. I fay, Giving rather than Paying: Not what they had Earned, But what he had, Promifed. For he is not a Debtor to his

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