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THE RAPPINESS OF SEPARATE
SPIRITS.
DISC.
II.
the
way
of
merit, for
it
is
our Lord
Jesus
Christ
alone,
who has
purchased
all
those
unknown
blessings,
yet
he
will
distribute them according
to
the different charac-
ters and
degrees
of
holiness which bis saints possessed
on
earth
;
and those
larger
degrees
of
holiness were also
the
free gift
of God our
Saviour.
I
have
Often
represented
it
to
my own
thoughts under-
this comparison.
Here
is
a race appointed
;
here are
a
thousand
different
prizes,
purchased
by
some
prince to
be
bestowed on the
racers
:
And
the prince himself gives
them food
and
wine,
according
to
what proportion
he
pleases, to
strengthen and animate
them for the race
Each
has a
particular
stage
appointed
for
him
;
some
of
shorter, and
some
of
longer distance.
When
every
racer
comes to
his own
goal, he receives a prize
in most
exact
proportion
to his
speed,
diligence,
and length
of
race:
And the grace and
the
justice of
the prince shine glo-
riously
in such
a
distribution.
Not
the foremost
of
the
racers
can
pretend
to
have
merited the
prize
`
for
the
prizes
were all paid for
by
the
prince himself; and
it
was he
that
appointed
the
race,
and
gave them
spirit
and
strength to
run;
and
yet
there
is
a
most equitable pro-
portion
observed
in
the reward,
according
to
the 'labours
of
the race. Now this similitude represents the
matter
so
agreeably
to
the apostle's
way
of
speaking,
when he
compares
the christian
s
life
to
a
race;
I
Cor.
ix. 24,
kc.
Gal.
v. 7.
Philip.
iii.
14. 2
Tim.
iv.
7.
Heb.
xii.
1.
that
I
think it
may be called
almost
a
scriptural description
of
the present subject.
The
reason
of
man and the
light
of
nature, entirely
concur
with
scripture
in
this
point.
The
glory
of hea-
ven
is
prepared
for those
who
are prepared
for
it
in a
state
ofgrace;
Rom.
ix.
23.
It
is
Grid
who
makes each
of
us
"
meet for our
own
inheritance
among the
saints
inlight;"
C'ch
i.
12.
and then
he
bestows on
us
that
in-
heritance.
As
grace
fits
the
soul for
glory, so
a larger
degree
of
grace advances
and
widens the
capacity
of
the
soul,
and
prepares
it
to receive
a larger degree
s
f
glory.
The
work
of
grace
is
but the means, the reward
of
glöry
is
the
end
:
Now the
wisdom
of
God
always tits
and adjusts
the means
in
a
due
proportion
to
answer the end
he
de-
signs,
and
the same wisdom' ever
makes the end answer-