Ver. 26, 2 7. xx^vtb. Chapter of St. MATT I É W. I 19 Drunkard, no Whoremonger : But thou art idle and negligent, fo that You and they are Brothers ; all the difference is, as between a Conlòmption and an Apo. plexy ; the one deftroyeth in an inftant, the other confumeth by degrees ; the one is like fplitting a Ship, that goes down to the bottom prefently, the other like a leaky Ship that finketh by degrees. Though you do not run into the fame excels of riot with others, yet you are idle in the Lords work ; it cometh much to the fame effe&, the Heart groweth poorer and poorer till at length it ends in final hardnefs. Nay in tome fenfe Negligence is'worfe than grofs Prophanenefs : Many from great Sinners have turned great Saints, but few from a lukewarm carelefs Profeffion have come to any thing. Therefore thefe are fpued out of Gods mouth, Rev. 3.16. There is more hope of a Sinner, than of a lukewarm carelefs perfon; for he doth not think himfelf evil, and fo is more liable to Security. God may give Grace to the one, but taketh away the Talent from the other. 3. Confider the Rewards of Diligence. This labour will turn to a good effeft. I Cor. 15. 58. Tour labour (hall not be in vain in the Lord. If there were nothing in chafe, or not fo great a Reward, we had more Exeufe, but when the Reward is fò full, and fo lure, (hall not we labour for it ? We labour and toyl, and ufe all diligence to obtain the things of this world ; and (hall we think to go to Hea- ven with our hands in our bofom, or lying upon 'a Bed of cafe ? To fee men un- der the power of,a Luft, may fhame us ; Pfal. 127..2. Men rife early and go to Bed late to gain the world ; men labour, fweat, and travel, and fpare no colt to go to Hell : The Devil gets more Servants than God with all his Promifes, Threat- flings and Mercies ; (hall they be fo diligent that have fuch bad work, worfe wa- ges, and the worft Malley ? and (hall not we beftir our (elves ? 4. The whole courfe of Nature inviteth us to Labour and Diligence, in order to our future Eftate. The Sun is unwearied in his motion, that he may go up and down, Preaching God to the world : Prov. 6. 6. Go to the Aunt thou ggard, confider her wages and be wife : There is a great deal of morality hidden in the bofom of Na- ture, if we had the skill to find it out ; What can the Aunt do ? She provideth her meat in Summer, and gathereth her food in the Harvefl : There little Creatures are not able to endure the cold of Winter, therefore work themfelves deep into the earth, but they carry their food along with them ; and fhould not we have as great a fenfe of futurity ? We cannot endure the. clay of the Lord unlefs we make provifion, Pro. to. 5. He that gatheretk in Summer is a wife Son, but he that fleepeth in Harvefl, is a Son that caufeth (name : Now is our feafon to work, that in the day of our Accounts we may not be unprovided. The Means again& Sloath are Faith, Patience and Love : Faith and Patience we have in one place, Heb. 6. 52. That ye be not hoathful, but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promifes : They inherited the Promifes, that is, the things Promifed. If we propound to our felves fuch a divine and noble end as thofe great and glorious things that are offered in the Promifes, we muff ufe the means ; they had Faith, fo mull we have ; they had Patience, and we mutt be Patient. Firft, By Faith we are not to underftand, Confidence and relyance upon Gods Promifes, a probable humane Faith and Hope will not be fufficient, but à firm adherence to Gods Word ;, whatever falleth out we are lure to have enough in the Promife : We muff have Faith, becaufe the things Promifed are invifible, rare and excellent, far above the power of the Creature to give : The Promife is a firm and immutable foundation of our Hope, we fhould rejoyce in it, as much as if the thing Promifed were in hand ; In God I will rejoyce, in the Lord 1 will praife his Word; or praife his Word 'till the thing Promifed cometh to be enjoyed ; Faith, 'tis the fubflance of things hoped for. Secondly, For Patience, Heb, ro. 36. For ye have need of Patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye right receive the Promife : And we mutt have Patt. ence, becaufe the things hoped for are to come, and at a great diftance, Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we ee not, then do we with patience wait for it : Befides, we (hall meet with many Di 'culties, Oppofitions and Tryals, all which muff be overcome ; many things muff be done, many things muff be fuffered, and we mutt make our way through the midit ofdreadV Enemies, beforewe can attain our End. Further, our Delires are vehement, an we long for enjoyment, which is yet to come, therefore we muff be patient, that we may quietly wait Gods leifure, Rom.
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