131 SERMONS upon the S E R M. XVII. to the Ant, thou Sluggard. Now, as all Men muff labour, fo chiefly a Chriftian. The Scripture cotnpareth our Life to a Journey ; which is a confiant Motion, till it be ac- compltihed to Threfhing, which is the painfulleft Part of Husbandry yea, to a Warfare, when the Enemy is at Hail, ready to fight. We are alwayes to Watch and Pray : If our Enemy did not alarum us, yet our Mailer will call us to an Ac- count for what we have done. And confider the danger of Negligence. It befalleth to the Idle and Negligent, as thofe that came after the Camp in the Wildernefs. Amaleck fmote the Weak, and the Feeble in the Rear : Yea, God himfelf will be angry with us. , The idle and floathful Servant 4 calf into utter Darknefs ; the Foolifh Virgin are flit out. If God, by his Prophets, curfeth them whom he imployeth to execute his Judgments ; Cur - fed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently what will become of them that are negligent in working out their own Salvation ? Horfes grow relly if they be not ufed, and impatient of a Burden : So all goes to wrack in the Soul, if we are idle. We fhould profit, when we look on the Field of the Sluggard, Nov. 23. 30, 3i, 3.4. So will my Soul be, if I let it alone. Oh then, (hake off your Sloath ; be not alwayes refolving, never beginning the Heavenly Courfe. Nothing can be gotten, nothing kept, nothing to be enjoyed, without Indufiry. The Saints in Hea- . . ven are not idle; but are alwayes lauding, and praifing, and glorifying of God for evermore. SERMON XVII. MATT H. XXV. V. 30. And cali ye the unprofitable Servant into utter Darknef ; there (hall be weeping, and gnafhing of Teeth. v. N thefe words is the pofitive Part of the Sentence ; the Mailer doth not only take away the Talent, but condenmeth him to Eternal Torments. In them take notice, r . Of the Reafon of the Punifhment ; and then, , z. The Punifhment it felt. r The Rea on of the Punifhment is reprefented in the Notion and Charafter by which the Party fentenced is expreffed, The unpro- fitable Servant. The word vnprofrtable is fometimes ufed in a larger, and fometimes in a firifter Senfe : In a larger Senfe 'tis tiled for him that deferveth no Reward ; fo 'tis faid, Luk. i 7. ro. We are unprofitable Servants. Sometimes more ftribtly and pro- perly, for the Idle, and the Negligent i for them that do not their Duty, and make no Improvement of their Gifts : So 'tis taken here, and in many other Places ; boad,a si, Café ye the unprofitable Servant (a.) The Punifbment its felfis reprefented by two Notions : Firff 'Tis difmal ; Café him into utter Darknefs. Secondly, 'Tis doleful ; There (hall be weeping, andgnafhing of Teeth. t. D ural ; Fo ,o 0c5143- t 2. 'Tis Doleful; .x, tsar á ,v aveeds ó ßprrtxis nti v. Sometimes Hell is expreffed by one of thefe Notions, as Matt 53. 42. He will call the Tares into a Furnace of Fire ; there !hail be weeping, and gnafhing of Teeth : So Math. 24. 51. He !hall cut him afunder, and appoint him his Portion with Hypocrites ; where
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