be certain, and confequently order all our SERM. Behaviour with a View to it, nor ever be X. weary in well-doing.-----The Prophet Isaiah delivers himself very pertinently to the Purpofe, Say ye to the Righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the Fruit of their Doings. Wo unto the Wicked, it fhall be ill with him; for the Reward of bis Hands fhall be given him (p).----However it must not be diffembled that these Words may poffibly have been spoken with refpect to the Rewards and Punishments of this Life; yet as the earthly Canaan was typical of the heavenly, all the temporal Bleffings and Curfes written in the Law are to be fpiritually applied under the Gospel. The Promises and Threatenings are in both Cafes fuitable to the Dispensations they enforce. The Ordinances of Mofes are carnal, and fo are his Sanctions; the Inftitutions of Chrift are fpiritual, and fuch accordingly are his Motives to Obedience.--He leaves the present World under the fame general Providence as formerly; but referves the future to his fpecial Ordering and Direction, and has moft exprefsly declared, that he, the Son of Man fhall come in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels,

(p) Ifai. iii. 10, 11.

and

SERM. and ball reward every one according to his

X.

Works (q),----and that in the End of the World the Son of Man fhall fend forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all Things that offend, and them that do Iniquity; and shall caft them into a Furnace of Fire: There fhall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth. Then fhall the Righteous Shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father (r).

ST. Paul likewise speaking of the Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God, affirms, that he will render to every Man according to his Deeds: To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing, feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality; eternal Life: But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth, but obey Unrighteousness; Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguifh upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil (s).---So that be the Diftribution of Good and Evil in this Life never fo promifcuous, everlasting Happiness, we are fure, is promifed to those who persevere in well-doing, and endless Mifery is threatened to all fuch as fall back unto their own Wickedness, and perfift in Sin and Difobedience. AND

fq) St. Matth. xvi. 27. (r) St. Matth. xiii. 41, 42, 43. (s) Rom. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

SERM.

AND as a farther Encouragement to the X. Continuance of our Induftry and Labour, we fhould confider, that we fhall not only reap in due Seafon if we faint not, but shall alfo receive an Increase adequate to the exactness of our Culture, and our watchfulnefs over the growing Crop,

IF, after the Seed of the Word has been fown in our Hearts and watered with the Dew of heavenly Grace, we take Care that it fhall ftrike deep Root, in good Thoughts ;-fprout up into pious Refolutions,----branch up into virtuous Actions, and ripen into fettled Habits of Religion, a most fruitful Harvest may fafely be depended on.--It is not in the Hufbandry of the Soul as in the Hufbandry of the Ground: In the latter, the best Returns do not always follow the greatest Coft and Pains; but in the former, the most unwearied Affiduity will infallibly meet with the largest Produce; in this Senfe He that foweth plenteously fhall reap alfo plenteously; and whoever contiues ftedfaft, immoveable, always abounding in the Works of Lord, fhall find at the laft, that his Labour bath not been in vain in the Lord.

THE

SERM.
X.

THE fame Scriptures which afcertain our future Condition according to the Quality of our prefent Works, enfure to us also a Happiness answerable to the Measure of their Goodnefs: And as a Spur to our persevering Improvement we are encouraged to hope for a Reward proportioned to the Advances we make in Holinefs and Virtue, and to the Difficulties and Difcouragements we meet with in making them.---This may justly be inferred from what our Lord tells his Difciples, In my Father's House are many Manfions (t), for what can this multiplicity of Habitations in the Regions above imply, befides a Difference in the Degrees of Glory? I go to prepare a Place for you,-and, Blessed are ye when Men fhall revile you and perfecute you; and fhall fay all manner of Evil against you falfly for my Sake: Rejoyce, and be exceeding glad; for great is your Reward in Heaven (u),---i. e. Their future Joys fhall be proportioned to their prefent Sufferings. Otherwife, if they whose Lot it is to be ill treated for their firm Adherence to their Saviour and his Gofpel, fhall not receive a more excellent Recompence, and be admitted to higher Degrees

of

(*) St. John xiv. 2.

(u) St. Matth v. 11, 12,

of Glory than those who with an equal SERM. Measure of Righteousness endure no fuch X. Perfecution; the former are manifeftly in a worfe Condition with Refpect to one Part of their Being than the latter; nor can it be difcerned wherein the peculiar Bleffedness enfured to them by their Redeemer will confift.---May it not be faid of them, who have fought manfully in the Cause of Religion, and refifted even unto Blood, ftriving against Sin, and testifying against Sinners, in Cafe no diftinguished Blifs awaits them, what the Apostle fays of good Chriftians at large on Suppofition of having in this Life only Hope in Chrift, as they would be of all Men most miserable (x), fo thefe would be of all holy Men, undergoing the deepest Calamities in this World, without an adequate Requital in the next?---But we have yet more evident Proof hereof from our Bleffed Saviour's Affurances given to his Apoftles, who were conftant Attendants on his Person, and great Sufferers for his Cause, that a more eminent Share, of Glory fhould be conferred upon them, implied in the Promise of their fitting upon Twelve Thrones, and judging the Twelve Tribes of Ifrael (y). So the Prophet Daniel observed before

(x) 1 Cor. xv. 19.

) St. Luke xxii. 30.