been the boasted Prerogative of their Race for fo many Generations, and kept up at the Expence of a Law very rigorous and burthenfome. All this in Fact appears from Holy Writ. So that there is fcarce any Circumftance in the Parable, to which their Condition and Behaviour did not fuit: and it must be confeffed, that no Interpretation comes fo ftrictly and literally home to it, as This. But then we may be allowed, from the Occafion of this Parable, fet down at large in the Chapter last before, to apply it to particular Chriftians too, in fome, or in almost all, of the following Refpects. The Apostles left all and followed Chrift; The Primitive Chriftians gave in their Names to his Doctrine, and continued ftedfaft in it, at the certain Peril of their Liberties, their Friendships, their Fortunes, nay their Lives. And yet, in any after Ages of Chriftianity, They who live and die, though quietly and peaceably, in the fincere Profeffion of this Religion, are promised the Kingdom of Heaven, as a Reward for their Faith and Obedience. So again, Some have the Happiness of a pious Education, and carry on their early Virtue, through the feveral Stages of Life. Others, who either wanted that Advantage, or have neglected to improve it, run into the fame Excefs of Riot with the unthinking part of the World. And yet if Thefe, though late, fee their Follies, and Effectually forfake them, and become new Men; the Promife of God ftandeth fure, That at Ezek. xviii. 26. what time foever the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness he hath committed, and doth that which is lawful and right, be fhall fave his Soul alive. Thus, once more, Some are continued to a good old Age, and by variety of Trials, and a long course of Obedience, bring Glory to God. Others Hearts are good, and equally difpofed to do fo; but, being taken Capell. in loc. taken short, and fnatched out of the World betimes, they are denied Opportunities for it. And Both fhall come to Heaven. The mention of which cafe, if it feem foreign to the Matter in hand, defire it may be remembred, that as the Aphorifm ( Many that are first, &c.) is thought to have been proverbial among the Jews; So have they Another exprefly to this purpose, That He, who lives well, and is cut off in the midft of his Days, (continues but half the Time fet out for the Age of Man) fhall be equally rewarded with Him, who lives feventy Years, or the utmost Term allotted for Man's Life. Against these Cafes it may be objected, That fome Paffages in the Parable, particularly that of the murmuring Labourers, cannot agree with our expounding it of the Rewards, and therefore we must restrain it to the Knowledge, and firft Admiffion to the Privileges, of the Gofpel. To this it may fuffice to reply, That, to juftify the Application of a Parable, it fuffices, that the main defign be kept close to: That many Paffages are inferted for Ornament and Illuftration only: That This, in particular, may mean a Reward fo furprisingly great, as among Men would provoke the Envy of others: And, that the Connexion between this and the Nineteenth Chapter feems to import fome other meaning, befides that of bringing the Gentile Converts upon the fame level with the Jewish. These things I fhall have occafion hereafter more fully to explain. Gospel for St. Having thus done with propounding the feveral Cafes, to which the Scripture before us may be accommodated; it only remains, that I raise from it fuch useful Observations, as may anfwer the Design of our excellent Church, in recommending it to our Thoughts at this time And And, First, We are, upon this Occafion more efpecially, obliged to take notice of the Kindness of this Houfholder, in calling thefe Labourers. And that, not once only, but again and again; entertaining all that came, and very bountifully rewarding all he entertained, though the Time fome of them were employed, had been but very short. All this does our heavenly Houfholder too. He appoints and calls us to our Duty, he frequently repeats that Call, and does not caft us off at our firft Refufal. Nay, he does more than any Mafter upon Earth can do; for he prepares our Hearts to hearken to his Calls, he ftrengthens and affifts us in the Duty we are called to. He rewards us according to our good Difpofitions, and graciously confiders what Opportunities we had, and what ufe we would have made of more, if we had had more. It is by Him, that we begin, go on, and perfevere as we ought. And, when he calls us to receive our Wages, he pays us for the Work, which without Him, we could never have done. A Work, which cannot deferve, but yet which is a neceffary Condition of, our Reward. And herein are manifefted the Freedom of his Grace, and the Greatnefs of his Bounty; Not in bringing Men to Heaven without good Works, but in doing it for fuch Works, as himself impowers them to discharge. Secondly, We fhall do well to obferve, how the Command here runs, Go ye into the Vineyard, that is, to labour there. And, as in a Vineyard there is great variety of Employment, fo is it here likewife. Now a Man then, and then only, labours as he ought; when he diligently and confcientiously discharges the Duties of his own Station. When he confiders the Post, and the feveral Relations, Providence hath placed him in; and, whether He be Magistrate or Private Subject, Priest or Parishioner, Parent or Child, Master or Servant, Rich or Poor, Trader or Labouring-Man, ftudies ftudies the Part belonging to him, takes care to anfwer all just Expectations from his Character, and honeftly follows his particular Business and Calling. This then is truly and properly to work in God's Vineyard, to do our Duty, to Him, and to our Neighbour. The State of a Chriftian confequently is not a State of Idlenefs and Eafe. This State is that Vineyard, which we are already entred into. We were fo at our Baptifm, and it is too late to think of retracting, unless we refolve to give up all our Hopes, and are content to forfeit all our Pretenfions to our Wages. If therefore we have been careless, and have lost Time, this must be made up, by doubling our Diligence. And it is probable, this was the Motive, that induced the Houfholder, to make his latter Labourers equal in Pay; that they had plied their Bufinefs harder, and made themselves equal in difpatch, with those who were hired early. This, it is evident, was the Cafe of the Gentiles, who came up to the Jews in every Inftance of Faith and Obedience. This was St. Paul's, who, though called the last of them, yet laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles. And it is often the Cafe of Late Penitents, whofe fenfe of their former Miscarriages and Neglects is apt to inflame their Zeal, and to put them upon making Reparation, by more exalted Acts of Piety and Virtue. And This is moft agreeable to that Character, fo frequently given of our great Mafter, that he rewards every man according to his work. Thirdly, The Inftance of the Murmuring Labourers fhould teach us Humility and Charity. Not to be puffed up with a vain Opinion of our own Deferts, not to undervalue thofe of our Brethren: To receive our Recompence thankfully, as the Full that does, as More indeed than ftrictly can, belong to us: And to rejoice in the Happiness of Others, as no diminution, but an increase rather, to our own. And therefore we we should be fo far from prefuming to grudge, or call our Master to account for, his Liberality to our Fellow-labourers; that it fhould be rather matter of the highest Satisfaction, to fee those recovered out of the Snare of the Devil, who used to be taken captive by him at his Will. For it is the Effect of God's Mercy, that We our felves were admitted to so profitable an Agreement, how early foever we came in. And when our felves have what we covenanted for; As it is no wrong, fo neither ought it to provoke our Indignation, that Others are bountifully dealt with. For, even fuppofing Them to receive over-measure, this hurts not, and therefore fhould not grieve, any, who receive their full measure. 4. Fourthly, Let us be fure to make a right ufe of the Encouragement given here, to these Labourers at the Eleventh hour. Which must be done, not by rendring it an Argument for Prefumption, to footh us up in Impenitence or Sloth; as if God were bound to receive us, at what Time, and upon what Terms, we please. This is extremely to pervert the Text; which tells us indeed, That Call was the laft: But it does not tell us, That they, who refused his former Calls, were called again and again. If this be done, 'tis Grace and Favour, not Juftice and Debt. But We, who live under the Miniftry of the Gospel, have his Calls daily founding in our Ears; and, if we continue obftinately deaf, cannot be fure, that our laft Call is not already over. The true Benefit then arifing from hence, is, to all fuch, as have had the Unhappiness to lie long in Sin and Ignorance; That God will accept and reward them, though they come late into the Vineyard, provided they then apply themselves heartily to their Mafter's Bufinefs, and work faithfully, to the uttermoft of their power. He makes gracious Allowances for Hindrances and Infirmities; but then he expects, that We fhould 2 be |