SERM. GOD, who gives us reasoning Faculties, exVIII. pects we should employ them in Matters of this Nature, as well as in others. Here then the Sower of common Grain differs something from the Sower of the Word: When the Husbandman sows his Seed in the Ground; it lies upon him still to cultivate and manure it: The Care of the Ground, as well as of the Seed, is incumbent upon him: And he must be as diligent in the Culture of the one, as in the Choice of the other. But, in the Seed of the Word, as the Ground that receives it, is able to act and do something of itself; whatever it can do, lies upon the Ground, and not the Sower, to perform. Hence it comes to pass, that with Relation to the Gospel, whereever the Sower has cast in his Grain, his Bufiness as a Sower is there at an End. The covering up and cherishing diligently what is received, must be the Business of every Man particularly for himself. But secondly, They (faith our blessed Lord) who receive the Seed into good Ground, are they who bring forth the Fruits of it with Patience; contrary to those who receive it into Rocks and fłony Ground; e. who receive it only with fudden Expression of Joy for a While; but in Time of Temptation fall away. VIII. This again is designed to instruct us, that to SERM. render the Word successful with us, we must not be contented with only hearing, and considering, and affenting to the Truth and Reasonableness of what is delivered and preached; but we must also with Patience and Perseverance apply ourselves to the Practice of what is taught, notwithstanding any Hardships, Difficulties or Discouragements to which it may expose us; that we must obey the Exhortations and Instructions that are given, not only where we can do it without putting any Curb upon our Interest or Defires; but also where it calls us to Acts of Mortification, Self-denial and Restraint, and even though it should lay us open to Affliction or Perfecution for its Sake. But lastly, To receive the Word with Success, we must keep it in an honest and good Heart, in Opposition to those who receive it among Thorns, and of whom it is observed that the Cares of the World, and the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Pleasures of Life choke the Word, so that they bring no Fruit to Perfection. To cure which unhappy Difpofition within us, we must be careful to receive the Word impartially, and with a full Resolution to give it an entire Power and Command VIII. SERM.mand over our Affections, Interest and Paffions; to hear it with a Disposition ready and free to submit to the whole of whatever it teaches; to close with any Duty it recommends or makes known, though ever so difgustful, though ever so contrary to our Inclinations and Defires, to quit our Pleasure and our Profit whenever we understand they are not innocent, or consistent with the Duties we are taught; and sooner to sacrifice all the Delights and Advantages which this World can afford us, than to miss one ready, regular Step, which the Gospel directs us to take towards the next. This is the Temper which the honest and good Heart in the Parable means: And he that receives and cherishes the Word in such a Heart and Temper as this, need not doubt of bringing forth it's Fruit in Time to Perfection: Which is the proper Subject of the IV. FOURTH Head of my Discourse, under which I am to shew what Profit or Advantage attends the Word when received and cherished as the Parable describes. Other (says the Text) fell on good Ground, and sprang up, and bare Fruit an hundred fold. And indeed wheresoever the Seed is good, and the Ground VIII. Ground good; what should hinder its being SERM. fruitful? And if the Ground be prepared as ✓ it ought to be; we never in this Cafe, ought to doubt of the Goodness of the Seed. For the Seed of the Word is of that Nature and Efficacy, as to force its Way, where there are no Lets or Impediments to hinder it. Where the Mind is in a fit Disposition to receive it, where it diligently attends, serioufly applies, and carefully retains; there we may affuredly expect to fee the Fruits of it soon springing up to our View. For how is it poffible that such reasonable Precepts, such glorious Promises, such exceeding Rewards, as the Word of God, in every Book, in every Page, from the Beginning to the End, continnually fets forth; should fail of enflaming the Hearts of Men with eager Defires to believe and obtain? And if these Defires be not again too soon allayed by the Sluggishness of our Nature, the Prevalency of our Paffions, or a worldly Solicitude; what Fruits of Sobriety, Righteoufness and Godliness; in a word, what Fruits of universal Holiness can they poffibly miss of exciting in us here; and in Consequence thereof what Fruits of Happiness and Glory muft they infallibly obtain and secure to us hereafter ? VOL. I. U And SERM. And thus having gone through the Heads of my Difcourse, I shall now endeavour to close up the whole, with a short Application in the V. FIFTH and last Place and so conclude. And what our Saviour faid to the People at the End of the Parable; the fame, my Brethren, let me, I beseech you, say to you at the End of this Discourse and Illustration upon it. He that hath Ears to hear, let him bear. For the Parable is full as applicable to you, as it was to the Jews to whom our Saviour spake it. For every Preacher, in an inferior Degree, is a Sower of the Word; though every Sower is not, as he was, Master of the Field. And we are ready to own that there is no Comparison between the Master and the Servant; but that whilst both the Doctrine and Example of the one was perfect and entire, the Errors and Infirmities of the other are infinite. But yet had our Lord foreseen that any Failings or Mistakes of the Preacher would be any real or natural Cause of the Inefficacy of the Word; or that Instructions given from polluted Lips might endanger the Salvation of those that heard it; he would not furely have failed to give a Hint of it in the Parable. Depend |