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SECT.
III.
THE HAPPINESS
OF
SEPÁRATE
SPIRITS.
403
sent
the
final
rewards
of
the
saints
at
the
day
of judg-
ment
;
but
to shew
that
the
nation
of
the
Jews,
who
had
been called to
be
the people
of
God
above
a
thousand
years before,
and had
borne the
burden and heat of the
day,
that
is,
the
toil
and bondage
of
many
ceremonies,
should
have
no
preference
in
the esteem
of
God
above
the
gentiles
who
were called
at
the
last
hour, or
at
the
end
of
the Jewish dispensation
;
for
it
is
said,
ver.
16.
"
the
last
shall
be
first,
and the first last,
that
is,
the
gentiles, who
Waited
long ere the gospel
was
preached
to
them,
shall be
the
first in receiving
it;
and the
Jews
to whom
it
was
first
offered,
from
an inward scorn
and pride
shall
reject
it,
or
receive
it
but
slowly
:
And
Christ
adds this
con-
firmation
of
it,
for many be called,
but
few chosen,
that
is,
though
multitudes
of
Jews
were called
to
believe
in
Christ,
yet
few
accepted
the call.
There
is
another
rea-
son
why
this
parable
cannot
refer
to
the
final
rewards
of
heaven
;
because ver.
11.
it
is
said,
"
some
of
them
mur-
mured against
the good-man
of
the house."
Now
there
shall
be no envy
against their
fellow
-
saints,
nor murmur-
ing
against God
in
the heavenly state.
But
the
Jews,
and
even the
Jewish
converts to christianity,
were ready
often to
murmur
that
the gospel should
be
preached to
the gentile
world,
and
that
the
heathens should
be
brought
into
privileges
equal
to themselves.
Thus it
sufficiently
appears
from
the
frequent declara-
tions
of
scripture,
as well as
from the
reason
and
equity
of
things,
that
the rewards
of
the
future
world shall be
greatly distinguished
according
to the different degrees
of
holiness
and
service
for God,
even
though every
spirit
there
shall
be
perfect; nor
is
there
any
just
and reason-
able
objection against it.
Is
it
certain then
that
heaven
has
various
degrees
of
happiness
in
it,
and
shall
my
spirit rest contented
with
the
meanest place there,
and
the least
and
lowest
mea-
sure
?
Hast
thou
no
sacred ambition
in thee,
O
my
soul,
to
sit down with
Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob
?
Or dost
thou
not
aspire,
at
least,
to the middle
ranks
of
glorified
saints, though
perhaps thou
mayest
despair
of
those
most
exalted
stations
which
are prepared
for the spirits
of chief
renown,
for
Abraham and Moses
of
ancient
time,
and
for
the
martyrs and the apostles
of
the Lamb? Wilt thou
not
stir up
all the
vigour
,of
nature
and
grace within
thee,
213,2