er. 2 8, 2 9. xxvth Chapter of St. MATTHEW. á 2 7 Fir/l, That diligence is the means, and Gods Bleffing is the carafe of all 'increafe,\ and both muff be regarded, or elfe we profit nothing ; we cannot expe& Gods Bleffing, while we fit idle ; and 'tit a wrong to Grace to truft meetly to ,endea- vours,' or without looking up to God. 'Tis laid in Pro. io. 4.. He becometh poor. that dealeth with alack hand; but the diligent hand maketh rich : That is, that's the Means ; for Verfe 22. 'tis Paid, The Bleffing of the Lord maketh rich : That' is, the Bleffing of the Lord upon the ufe of Means. God bath ordered it fo in his Pro - vidence, that diligence fhould be alwayes fruitful and_ profitable,. both in a .way. of Nature and Grace : That the Joy of the Harveft fhould recompenfc the Pains and Patience of the diligent Husbandman ; and that the Field of the Sluggard Mould be overgrown with Thorns. Iron by handling. weareth brighter and bright- er, but by Itanding frill, or being let alone, it contra ð tuft, by which 'cis dar- kened and eaten out Take away Ufe and Exercife, and Wifdom turneth into Fol, 1y, and Learning into Ignorance, Health into Sicicnéfs, Riches into Poverty : Strength of Body and Mind are both gotten by Life ; -he that ufeth his Talent with fidelity and fedulity, (hall increafe in it, but fuch as are idle and negligent fhall grow .worfe and worfe ; God Both plentifully recompenefe the diligence and fidelity of his Servants, he that maketh ufe of any degree of Grace and Knowledge;: fb dl have more given him ; by exercifing what he bath, he Both frill increafe it : Where- as on the contrary, remits acts weaken habits, as well as contrary alts ; this is ä 'common truth, evident by daily Experience, but then Gods BleÍfing mull not be excluded : God would have us 'labour, rather to keep us doing, than that he need- eth our help. He that made the world without us, can preferve it without us, as he that planted the Garden of Eden could have preferved it without mans drel: ling, yet we read that when he had furnifhed the Garden of Eden with all delights, God took the man and put him into it, to drefs it and to keep it, Gen. 2. 15. that is, to ufe Husbandry about it, that by (owing, fetting, pruning and watering, he Might preferve thofe Fruits wherewith God had furnrlhed that pleafant Garden;. and to beftow his pains upon that whereof he was to receive the benefit and, that by bufying himfelf about the Creatures, he might the better obferve God in his various works in and by them: And indeed nothing was fuch a means to .convince him of his dependance upon God, as this labour ofdrefling and keeping the Garden which God put him into ;. for he could produce no new Plant, but Only manure and cherifh thofe which God had planted there already, and all his keeping and planting was nothing without Dews, and Showers, and Influence from Heaven, and the .continual interpofing of Gods Providence : And trill in eve- ry Calling he that is fedulous in it, feeth more need of Gods. concurrence, than thofe that are idle ; for thole that have done their utmoft, by experience find, that the fuccefs of all their endeavours dependeth upon His Power and Goodnefs, or the effe& followeth not. I am fore it holdeth good in the work of Grace, none are fo pra&ically convinced of the neceffity of Divine Affiltance, as they that do their utmoft ; for they fee plainly all will not do if God with -hold hisBleffrng, and their often difappointments when they lead upon their own ftrength, teacheth them this leffon, that all is of God. Secondly, That this Increafe muft be underftood of the fain Talent, nor in ado- ther kind : It holdeth not, that he that ufeth the Talent in one kind, (hail thrive in another, for what a man foweth that (hall he reap : No, the meaning is, the thing ufed is (till increafed : 'Tis not intended, that by imploying his Talent iii Riches he fhould increafe in Learning, that by improving. his Learning he fhould grow in ftrength and beauty of Body ; no, it holdeth good in eodeso genere, in th:, fame kind : Ufe common helps well, and you increafe as far as common helps will carry you ; ufe Moral Vertue well, and you increafe in moral i'ertue ufe that meafure of faxing Grace you have well, and you (hall have a grioat mealure given you by God ; fet a -work thy Knowledge, Faith, Zeal and Love, and all there graces will increafe in you ; Wait on the Lord, and be of good courage, and he (hallJtrengthen thy heart, 'Pfal.46. 14. ánd Pfal..3r. 24. and lfa. 58. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleafire an mÿ holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable ; and fiale honour him, not do- ing thine own aayes, nor finding thine tan pleafure, nor fpeakrng thine s en asr],, then fbali thou delight thy felf in the Lord, and I will caafe thee to ride coon the high pla- ces of the Earth, dud feed thee with the heritage of yacob tlw Iatli_rs, for tL: or
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=