Ver.19; 2 0, &C. xxvth Chapter of St. MATTHEW. í 0 7 'tis not what part we have aged, fo much as bow we have aced it ; whether glori-.. fled God in the work which be bath given us to do, Joh. 17.4. If thou haft doubled thy. Talents, though but two, . Chrift will welcome thee into. the joy of thy Lord 'Tis not who hath undergone the greateft bodily labour in Religion; or pafs'd the feverel't Sufferings, or. gone through the eminenteft Offices, and Employments, but who hath moft honoured God in his place, got molt holinefs in his Heart, been moft humble and contented with his Condition. . -USE z. Is for the Encouragement of poor weak Chrifrians, who have the Ef, fencials of Godlinefi, tho' they be weak, and have not attained, to the Eminency of many others :. There fhould not be difmayed ; there are perfons of all fizes, and feveral degrees in Heaven, and they are all poffeffed with the fame common hap - pinefs ; z Pet. I. 2. Ta them that have obtained like precious faith with us' . Mean Be- lievers in fome fenfe have like precious faith with an Apoftle, as to the great ends of the Covenant ; the fame Jewel : coinpieltitur c'r Puerulus, comple[titur is Gigos ; one holds with a ftrong, the other with a trembling land ; the. Jewel is of the fine value : The fame Sacrifice for fin, we all depend upon the . infinite mercies of the fame God ; the fame Phifician of Souls hath us in cure, who hath cured all others the fame Captain that hath faved others who are more eminent, is conduaing us to Salvation, and is preparing us for the fame Eftate which they hope to en -. joy. They have no greater, nor better High -prieft and Mediatour with God, than we have, they are going to the fame place that we are, and we that they are ; only they have gotten the hart a great way before us : But whileft we frrive to overtake them, and make as much hafte as we can, though we bewail our im- perfefrions, yet we Mould not lofe the comfort of our fincerity. Do`_r. II. Though the efential Happinefs of the Saints be the fame; yet there are de- grees in Glory. Luk. 19. i6, 17, 18, r9. We read there of having authority over ten Cities, .and five Cities More is required of the firft Servant, and more is given him ; and more is required of the, firft Servant than the fecond ; as we expeEr an Horfe -man fhould come fooner than a Foot -man. But more particularly to prove that there are degrees of Glory : Fief, From Scripture. 2 Cor. s?. 6. He that foweth fpsringly fhall reap fparingly ; and he that foweth bountifully, Aall reap bountifully. As there is a difference in the kind of the Crop, according to the kind of the feed, Gal. 6. 6;; fo according to the degree; fome do well, others do better ; fò fome fare well, others fare better, are more bountifully rewarded : For God will deal more liberally with them who (hall accordingly with greater fidelity acquit themfèlves i well - doing. There is a Proportion obferved. Again, the common happinefs Of the Saints, is, To ¡bine as the Stars, Mat. r j. and Dan. 12. ;. yet the Apoftle telleth us', that one fiar diffireth from another in glory ; fo 'hall- it be in the refierrettion from the dead, 1 Cor. is. 41. namely, that their Glory fhall be according to their inequality in Zeal, Service, an Fanhfulnefs to God.. Another place (hall be that, 1 Cor. ;. 8. Every man [hall receive his own reward, according to his own. labour ; that is, according to the degree ; for he fpeaketh there of degrees of ferviceablenefs in the Church. Every man hath a labour of his own, that is, luck a meafure and degree of fer- vice appropriately his ; and fo by confequence, hath his own reward, fomewhat which doth exaaly anfwer his labour. Some have thought no : That the Saints in Heaven, their Reward is exaaly equal : It's true, all (hall have enough, but fome more than others : So Eph. 6: 8. Whatfoever good thing any man dash, the fame (hall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free ; that is, fhall be punfivallv' and particularly confidered by God for it ; he (hall receive the fame, not for kind, but quantity and proportion : They (hall have in their Reward a particular and appropriate confideration ; a Bondman a Bondman Reward, a Freeman a Freemans Reward; every degree of goodnefs (hail be confidered by God : fo there feemeth to be a diftinEri- on between a Prophets Reward, and a righteous mans Reward, and a Difciples Re- ward, Mat. ro. 41, 42. Add that concerning Z bedee'f Children, Mat. 26. 21, 22. fhe cometh to Chrifr, and prayeth, that her twg.s Sons might fit one at his right hand and the other at his left; in. his Kingdom. Chirift doth not deny but that fomething there is which may be fignified by his right hand and his left, yea rather affetta it ; for he faith, It (hall be given to thofe for whom it is prepared of my Father. There P 2 are
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