326 SERMON XLVII. Of the Work afiign'd to every Man, and the Seafon for doing it. JOHN 9. 4. Imull work the work of him that font me while it is day ._ The night cometh when no man can work Ï HESE words our Bleffed Saviour fpakeof himfelf, whilft he was upon Earth ; in which he tells us, that he was fent by God into the World, and had a certain Work and Imployment appointed him during his Abode in it. A great Work indeed ! to initrutt, and reform, and fave Mankind. Awork ofgreat Labour, and Pains, and Patience, not to be done in a (hod time ; and yet the time for doing it was not long, after he came into theWorld : It was a good while before he began it, and after he began it, the time ofWork- ing was not long, before the Night came and put an End to it : I maß work the works ofhim that fens me, while it is day : The night cometh when no man can work. But that which our Saviour here fpeaks of himfelf, and which properly belongs to him, and no other ; may yet be accommodated to every Man, with fome Al- lowance for the Difference and Difproportion. For tho' every Man be not fent by God into the World, after fo peculiar a manner, and upon fo particular and vaft a Defign : Yet upon a general Account, every Man is fent by God into this World, and bath a Work given him todo in it, which he is concern'd vi- goroufly to mind and to profecute with all his Might. And tho' every Man be not feat to fave the whole World, as the Son of God was, yet every Man is Cent by God into the World, to work oat hisown Salvation, and to take care of that in the firft Place, and then to promote the Salvationof others, as much as in him lies. So that every one of us may, in a very good Senfe, accomodate thefe Words cf our Saviour to himfelf: I muff work the works of him thatfent me, while it k day : The night cometh when no Man can work. I (hall therefore at this time take the Liberty to handle thefe words according to this moral Accommodation of them, and apply what our Saviour here Pays of himfelf to every Man that cometh into the World: And this I (hall do, by Ihewing there three things, Firft, That every Man bath a Work afligned him to do in this World, by him that fent him into it ; and may in fome Senfe fay, as our Bleffed Saviour did of himfelf, Imini work the works ofhim thatfens me. Secondly, That there is a certain and limited time for every Man to do this Work in. While it is day. Thirdly, that after this Seafon is expired, there will be no further Opportuni- ty of working. The night cometh when no man can work. Firfl, Every Man bath a Work afligned him todo in this World, by him that fent him into it; and may in Come fenfe fay, as our Bleffed Saviour did of him- fell ; I muff work the works of him thatfeat me. God who made Man a Reafona- ble Creature, and bath endowed him with Faculties, whereby he is capable of knowing and ferving him ; bath appointed him a Work and Service fishable to thefe Faculties And having infufed an immortal Soul into this Earthy Body, bath certainly defigned him for a State beyond this Life, in which he (hall be for ever
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