Of Eletlion. ~..../' And thirdly, You find in the P:rrable of the Sower in all the three Evange. BooK !V. li!ls, where thefe different works on Profeffors are fpoken of; you will find in· ~ all the three our Saviour Chrifl to indigirate that it is Riches choaks the Seed, and though he mentions other things, yet all m .nrion Riches,The decntfulnefs of Rtehes choak the Word, Matt h. 1 3· Himfelf foretold hereby,That it would prove the late of rich men ina fpecial manner. So that truly, James had rea-. Ion to fpeak to rich P.roteffors among th<m, as fuch, to warn them of this a• bovc all other forts of men, as being thole, among whom the moll of Tempo· raries ufually lay. The lt:cond rbing for the under!landing of this I Ith vtrfe, is the manife!l: Allu!ion and exact Parallel that ts between Chrifls' words in that Parable ofthe Sower, and ] .1mrs's here. This James, whether he were James the Son of Zebrder, an Apoflle, or James !irnamed the .'1uf/, the Brother of our Lord,· was one t hat followed Chrifl up and down, and heard his Sermons, and {o was well acquainted with Chrifl's Parables. 1 . Our Saviour utters his Parable of the difference of Prnfeffors under this common ftile, Htarers of the Word, as in all the Evangeli!ls; the clofe of them all is, Take ·hud howyou hear; (and to this day you call Profeffors,Hear– rrs,) Jam<S doth the like, verj. I9, 20, Hedefcribeth Profeffnrsby this Title, l-le i6 o1te that hears the Word. Thus alfo in M rllth. 7· 26. Evtry man that heareth the{e fr'.Yings of mine, anddoth them not, e!ic. And here in Jamts I . verf. 22. Be 1101 hearers 011/y, tltceiving ) "OUr OWtl.{ouls. 2. J.tmescxprefles falling away by wztheri11g ; fo you have it in ver(e I I,' The .rtmu 110Jovner ri{e11 with a 6urni11;; heat, lmt it [withrretb] the Grafs: Look the Parable, M1 tth, 1 3· 6. and·Mark 4.6. Cbrifl ufeth ju!t the fame ex-. prdllons, 3· The Parable expreffes their withtring to be caufcd by the Suns rifing and heat: When tbr Sun WM 11p, Matth. 1 3·6. they Wtrr Jcorched, mzd 6ecauft they h,td 110 rvot, the.; withtredaway. How doth .'1anzes exprefs it concern– ing thofe rich Temporaries? Says he, Thr Su11 is no fooner rifm wuh a 6urn– i11g hr,1t, 6ut 1t wzthers thr Gra{s: It is exprefi the fame in tt rms. 4· Wnat doth .J<~mes intrrpret this Sun riling, but of Temptation? So in the folio\\ ing verf. I2, Bleffed is thtman th:Jt rndt~rrthTemptatioJI ; which is his Inference brought d"wn throug't this 1 Ith verfr. The Parable in like man– ner thus expre!fes it, Wheu Trz6ut<~tio1l or Perftcutiotl flriftth for the •word, M rttth, t 3· 2r. And in L"l:e 8. •3. more expreily, A11d in ttme of temptati· ollfc•ll aw:l)': The other call it Perftcutiott and Ajjltflton, but Luke plainly ufeth ].1mrs his word TtmptatiMt. 5, ]<•mes in!lanceth in the rich, fo all the three Evangeli!ls in!lance in that above nil other, Riches choak the word, Mark. 4· Luke 8. 14. Matt b. 'l· 21.. 6. How doth 7amescxprefs the oppolite Saving Work? 1. By a good Work.· 2. By a perjefl Work, verf, I7· He had faid vaf." 4· Let Patimce havt her perjefl work : In what Language doth the Parable fpeak? They are the good Grouud ( fays he) that fir!\, having good aNd ho11e[l hearts, they do z.6rit~g forth frt~it with patie11ce; and 3· do bring forth fruit to ptr{eflio1J: For that i• one difference whereby the thornyKrou11dis diver!ified from thegoodgrotmd, They /Jringnet frtJit to ptr{efliml, Luke 8, 1 4• Oppolite!y lays _Tnnes, Let Patima have her per{efl work, and it will make youprr{efl. That which is perfect f•ith, and of the right kind, will, when tried, bring forth Pattmce; and let Patience have its perJefl work, it will make you perjefl. 7• And lafily ; Wheveas in the clofe of the Parable, Chrifl fays, Talu heed how'"'" hear : For whofiuver bath not, from htm jha/J 6e taken rven that which he {eems to h11vt; thereby meaQing thofe imperfect Gifts and Impref· !ions, and Profdlion thence ariling. New come to .Jamrs, If a11y m"" arno11g )"" .(eem to be ReltgtoH<, f.;;c. This for the fecond Head, T he Parallel of the Parable. ' IV. You
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