394 HAPPINESS OF SEPARATE SPIRITS. build wood, hap, and stable upon it, evil inferences, and corrupt practices, or trifles, fruitless controversies, idle speculations, and vain ceremonies, his works shall be burnt, and he shall suffer loss, shall obtain a far less recompence of his labour : Yet, since he hits laid Christ for the foundation, and has taught and practised the fundamental doctrines and duties of christianity, though mingled withmuch follyand weakness, he himself shall be saved; yet in sohazardous a manner as a man that is saved by fire, who loses all his goods, and just escapes with his life. When you hear St. Paul or St. John, speaking of the last judgment, they give hints of the same distinction of rewards ; 2 Cor. v. 10. " For we must all appearbefore the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive'the thingsdone inhis body, according to that hebath done, whether it be good or bad." Eph. vi. 8. " Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive ofthe Lord, whether he be bond or free ;" Rev. xxii. 12. " And behold, I comequickly ; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as hiswork shall be." Though the highest and holiest saint in heavencan claim nothing thereby the way of merit, for it isour Lord Jesus Christ alone, whohas pur- chased all those unknown blessings, yet he Will distribute them according to the differentcharacters anddegrees of holinesswhich his saints possessedon earth; and those larger degrees of holi- ness werealso the freegift 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 dif- ferent prizes, purchased by some prince to be bestowed on the racers : And the prince himself gives them food and wine, ac- cording 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 gaol, he receives a prize in most exact proportion to his speed, diligence, and length of race : And the graceand the justice of the prince shine gloriously in such a distribution. Not the foremost of the racers can pretend to have merited theprize; 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 life toá race; 1 Cora xi. 44, &c. Gal. v. 7. Philip iii. 14. 2 'rim. iv. 7. Heb. xii. 1. that I think it may be called almost a seriptu-, rah description of the present subject. The reason of man and the light of nature, entirely concur withscripture in this point. The glory of heaven is prepared for those who are prepared for it in a state of grace; Rom. ix.
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