that is 't is natural to God to be ready to acts of mercy and Mercy so pleaseth him Mic. 7.18 that he looketh out and seeketh for yea watcheth and waiteth for a fair opportunity to exalt his mercy in the gracious succour and relief of poor miserable sinners endeavouring all they can to seeek and find him Sect. 29. Our Saviour exhorting his Hearers in his Sermon on the Mount to pray for the Spirit that is the good Gifts and Graces of the Spirit our Discourse relateth unto encourageth them to believe that their Prayer shall be prevalent and effectual from the consideration now before us viz. that God is their Father that is because their Beings are originally from Him as Children are from a Father And the strength of his Argument standeth in a comparison and is drawn from the less to the greater If ye then saith he being evil that is degenerated in a great measure from that kindness and benignity which was once impressed upon your Natures for Evil here is opposed to a Liberal Disposition and a forwardness to Help and Relieve when requested know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good gifts another Evangelist saith His Spirit Luke 9.13 unto them that ask him Matt. 7.11 For as the Psalmist reasoneth in another case He that made the eye shall not he see and he that planted the ear shall not he hear Psal 94.9 So shall not God who hath only copied out his own Bowels Love and Goodness in dark Characters upon Men investing their Natures with such Principles which incline and carry them forth to acts of Kindness and Bounty shew Himself to be much more full of Kindness and Bounty and answerably bestow upon all such as diligently and faithfully serve him according to the utmost of their Capacities and Circumstances that which is best for them Sect. 30. Optimus Maximus Most Good or Bountiful and Most Great or Powerful were two Attributes which the ancient Gentiles most especially ascribed unto God and they ever gave from the dictate of Nature his Goodness or Bounty the precedency of his Greatness or Power implying That God principally looks after the manifestation and acknowledgment of That And the truth is God never acts more like himself with greater Royalty and Magnificence than when he gives ample Gifts unto Men and rewards their Services above the strict Worth and natural Value of them for hereby as in a Glass is represented a Scheme of his excellent Greatness and the design he hath to affect us with awful apprehensions of his Greatness and Excellency We say There is no service to the service of a King because such a service is not recompensed in proportion to its proper worth but in proportion to the Greatness and Munificence of the Prince which gives the Recompense As Alexander said when he gave one a greater gift than he desired or expected Non quaero quid te accipere deceat sed quid me dare He considered more what was fit for him to give than what was fit for the other to receive So 't is here when we obtain from God spiritual and special upon the faithful employment of natural and and common Abilities and Graces God gives in a way of proportion to his own unbounded Goodness and Majestick Munificence rather than in a way of suitableness to the nature and value of the thing rewarded That of God to St. Paul may be applyed to the case in hand My strength is made perfect that is declared to be perfect in weakness 2. Cor. 12.9 And elsewhere we have this treasure in earthen Vessels that the Power might be that is clearly appear to be of God and not of Vs 2 Cor. 4 7. so here God hath engaged himself to such a dispensation as we have under consideration that his Love and Goodness Care and Providence Greatness and Munificence towards us may appear and be made know to the World in greater exaltation and splendor Sect. 31. Reas 4. Because God will justifie himself most triumphantly in all the judgments and punishments which he inflicts on obstinate sinners Let God be true saith the Apostle and every man a lyar as it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art judged Rom. 3.4 The place refers to Psalm 51.4 where it is thus read That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Psal 51.4 which words are to be understood in a forensick sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle for the Hebrew word Titzdak in Kal signifieth that thou may'st appear to be just as one acquitted upon Tryal doth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth such a contention as a Party in a Law-suit maketh when Judgment ensueth And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a fort of overcoming and victory as a contending Party obtains when he carries the Cause in Judicature And the import of the words is this Suppose God should be questioned concerning his proceedings in his condemnation of impenitent and obdurate Sinners he will so manage his Cause and make such provision against all Inditements and Impleadings that he will be sure to have the better of the day and whatsoever Bills of Inditements he prefers against his Adversaries whatsoever Rebellions he chargeth upon them whatsoever Sentence he passeth against them whatsoever penalty and torments he inflicteth upon them and of what nature soever his proceedings against them be they shall be managed on such unquestionable terms and rules of Equity and Justice that they shall not be able to plead any matter of Defence Apology or Excuse for themselves Sect. 32. Now nothing will render Sinners more inexcusable in the day of Judgment for deserting and refusing the Service of God and more clearly illustrate and justifie the righteousness of that punishment thereupon inflicted on them than this consideration That God had plainly declared that he would not in any degree by any Person whatsoever be served for nought but did constantly from time to time assure them either by his Words or Works or both that their meanest Services the most imperfect and weak should be rewarded with a liberal and full hand exceedingly above the just value of them and did not his Decree promise or bountifulness of his Disposition intervene in his consideration above all reasonable expectation concerning them If men could plead that they had not an Interest of their own to account upon and carry on in their tradings with their Talents or employing their Abilities and Gifts to the purposes for which they have received them they might have some pretence for hiding and suppressing them for Rational Creatures will not think it good for them to be engaged in doing that which will do them no good when it is done but God having inseparably linked our interest to our duties and animated our hopes by our diligence we can find no matter of
THE REWARD OF DILIGENCE By LEWES SHARPE Rector of Moreton-Hampstead in the County of Devon LONDON Printed for James Collins in the Temple-passage from Essex Street MDCLXXIX TO THE HONOURABLE Sr. WILLIAM COVRTENAY OF Powderham-Castle Baronet my Noble Patron SIR IT was not from too tender indulgence to mine own Conceptions that I have given this ensuing Discourse this publick Birth and endeavoured to immortalize it by dedicating it to your Name but taking a just measure of my Obligations by your Favours I easily discerned that my grateful Acknowledgments ought to be as open and manifest as They have been notoriously free and bountiful and although by this I am so far from requiting them as I was from deserving or expecting them yet I do hereby recognize and set up for them This as my Pillar of remembrance Sir I am so conscious that my weaknesses are derived to all the issues of my studies and labours that I fear this Address will rather enhance than in any degree lessen my debts to you because what I here present is unworthy of you and might rather affect an everlasting Concealment than a short Animadversion from you and therefore I must appeal to the generous tenderness of your compassions to sanctuary me from the severity of your Judgment being confident that when you consider it as the result of Duty perform'd with Love and Thankfulness it will not only obtain your Pardon but your Acceptance too If my Present be like Jacob's to Joseph in that it is little 't is also like it in that 't is the best I have and I heartily wish it were much in a little the goodness of the Quality might compensate for the scantness of the Quantity but if the perusal of it prove to be little pleasing and profitable 't is some relief to me to foresee that it cannot be much disgustful and wearisome T is manifest from the purport of this Sermon that He in the event will be the best man who employeth and improveth his proper Trusts and Talents to the best purposes and if it contribute any assistance towards a faithful management of your great and excellent Gifts and Interests and provoke you to improve the many fair and inviting advantages you partake of to be yet more serviceable to God and his Church to your Prince and Country I shall have cause to bless God that he hath put it into my heart thus willingly to offer it to your perusal and service That your Honour your Exemplarily Virtuous and Honourable Lady the many gallant and flourishing Branches derived from you and all those other Relations which depend upon and serve you may constantly first seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and be more and more blessed especially with Spiritual and Heavenly blessings is and shall be the instant and incessant Prayer of him who is Sir Your most obliged and humbly devoted Servant LEWES SHARPE Moreton-Hampstead Nov. 20. 1674. THE REWARD OF DILIGENCE For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Matt. 25.29 SECT 1. THE particle For in the front of the Text suggests the connection thereof with the precedent Discourse which is a Parable of a Man travelling into a far Country and delivering several Talents to his Servants to trade withall with the issue thereof upon his return Whether we are to conceive the words of the Text as Christs own words upon the recitation of the Parable inferring from it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a moral for our Instruction or as the words of the Lord of the Servants mentioned in the Parable upon the Sentence he passed against the slothful to the advantage of the faithful Servant is a matter of some Doubt but of no Moment 'T is certain our Saviour us'd the same words upon various occasions and that with such a signal Emphasis that they are recorded by three of the Evangelists and more than once by two of them Matt. 13 12. Luk. 8 18. and 19 29. Mark 14 25. and 't is plain that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that hath in the Text is an allusion to the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that hath ten talents in the former Verse and the taking away from him that hath not refers to the taking away of the Talent from him that hid it and consequently that the words are our Saviours Reddition or Application of the Parable to the thing fignified by it Sect. 2. The words in their general sense are proverbial and are here translated from a civil to a mystical sense And 't is usual with God to apply himself to us Men in such a way as hath agreement with our Natures as guided and acted by innate principles of Reason Judgment and Righteousness and to observe in his dealings with us such Rules and measures as we our selves think reasonable and necessary to observe and conform unto in the transaction of common affairs amongst our selves As men which are directed by the prescripts of common prudence do not commit the highest Trusts to untryed Persons but first commit a lesser proportion of their Concerns and then a greater only in case of approved faithfulness and Diligence and on the contrary in case of Negligence and unfaithfulness in lesser matters will not intrust greater but remand former trusts so God walketh by a rule of like sympathy towards us first he bestows a meaner measure of good Gifts upon us and then a richer proportion only in case of a regular and faithful management of them and on the contrary if the gifts of a lower account be not well managed he denieth such as are of an higher and will not think us worthy of those already conferred Sect. 3. And this is the design of my Text to represent from our ordinary practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the equity of that decree and method which God hath established and ordinarily observeth in the dispensation of his Gifts to us and how unquestionably reasonable the distribution of his Rewards and Punishments is My Text being applyed to persons of contrary dispositions and deportments and of opposite states and conditions before God contains a Thesis and an Antithesis the former promissory signifying the good portion of the faithful and diligent the other minatory declaring the evil portion of the unfaithful and negligent 1. A Thesis Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance 2. An Antithesis But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath The first will be the Subject of my Discourse 1. Here is a Thesis Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance That my Discourse may be the more distinst and satisfactory I will first consider the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural sense of the words as they propound a Truth to affect our Understandings and then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rational force of them as they propound an Argument to affect our practical Judgments and are designed to sway our choices and excite our endeavours Sect. 4. First we will consider the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural sense of the words as they propound a truth to affect our Understandings And here note 1. A Subject Vnto every one that hath In which let us examine 1. The nature of the Subject simply considered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is meant by Having according to the notion and intent of the Text. A man may be said to have a thing two ways 1. Simply and absolutely In a Grammatical and Literal sense every one which hath an occupancy or propriety is said to have a thing This way of Having barely considered is not here meant For so the wicked and slothful Servant from whom the Talent was taken was said to have a Talent as well as the good and faithful Servant So the Gentiles are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have God in their knowledge Rom. 1.28 and the Jews are say'd to have the Law and the Prophets Luk. 16.29 and having eyes see not Mar. 8.18 What Aristotle affirmeth of the Man which hath the true Notices of righteousness but is disturbed with unruly and mutinous passions may be say'd of him that thus Hath only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath as if he had not We may be said to Have a thing 2. Effectively and relatively In a Moral and Theological sense They only are said to have a thing which have it upon worthy and comely terms and carry themselves suitably to what they have which is done 1. When they esteem and value what they have answerably to the worth and excellency thereof 2. When they are careful to keep and preserve what they have as a Trust they are to account for as they do not make light of what they have so neither do they prodigally waite what they have 3. When they use and employ what they have to the uses and purposes for which they have it when they receive not the grace of God that is the gifts of grace in vain as the Apostle exhorts 2. Cor. 6.1 4. When they declare and make it appear by their exemplary practice that they have what they have Our Saviour much affected to speak after the manner of the Hebrews and with them a thing is often said to be when it appeareth to be That this is the genuine notion and import of the Having in the Text is evident from the tenour of the precedent Parable for the Servants received not the Talents to be Proprietaries but Stewards of them they were delivered to them as Deposita stocks of Trust to be traded withal and increased by a publick commerse Let us examine Sect. 5. 2. The Extensiveness and universality of this Subject 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all or every one at least under the Gospel which hath without exception or limitation God is no respecter of persons but to every person in every nation which so hath it shall be given and he shall have abundance For God having constituted and declared this as the Law and way of his proceedings towards the Children of men he is under a bond of engagement to his own Wisdom Goodness Justice and Faithfulness constantly to give to every one that so Hath and will at no hand depart from the terms he hath imposed on himself respectively to our advantage Note we Sect. 6. 2dly The Attributes here affirmed and ascribed unto every one that Hath and they are two first shall be given secondly he shall have abundance 1. Shall be given This may be understood two wayes either 1. In opposition to the taking away spoken of in the Antithesis and then the meaning is He that Hath Hath what he hath to Have and to Hold it as we say in our Law the Gifts he hath shall be ensured to him upon terms of continuance and establishment This is not the whole truth here intended for a gift properly being something imparted to the advantage of the Receiver and then made the Receiver's when first given Data eo tempore quo dantur fiunt accipientis sayth the Law by giving to him that Hath I conceive is meant something which is given 2. In contradistinction to what is already received if not of a different kind yet at least of different degrees Adimplebit cumulabit quod dedit He will fill up and increase to higher measures that which he hath given saith St. Austin All Gifts which are used according to the mind and Will of God become through his blessing like the Bread with which our Saviour fed his Disciples which multiplyed in the using Mat. 14.20 and like the Widowes Oyl which increased in the spending Sect. 7. 2dly Shall have abundance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall be given in all abundance as the most learned Annotator renders it Whether this refer to a greater proportion of Gifts in the same kind or to an addition of Gifts of another kind and of greater worth and excellency than the former improved ones is a matter of doubt with some but it seems-plain to me by the purport of the Parable that a variety of more choice and excellent gifts rather than a plenty in the same kind is here meant for the expression Shall be given in all abundance refers to the advantagious sentence passed on the behalf of the good and faithful Servant declaring how just it was upon the improvement of his Five Talents that he should obtain such acceptation and success as he did that is that he should be judged meetly qualifyed to enter into his Masters joy and the wicked and slothful Servants loss should be His gaine And that which makes it most evident is this as the casting the unprofitable Servant into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of Teeth is an Emblem and representation of hellish damnation and destruction which is described divers times in the same words Mat. 8.12.22.13.24.51 and denotes the great wrath and severity of his Lord towards him so the good and faithful Servants entering into his Masters joy is a type and representation of an exaltation to a state of heavenly glory which is also sometimes described in words of Affinity with it Ps 16.11 Heb. 12.2 and denotes his Lords singular delight in him and the transcedent favours and priviledges with which he graced and honoured him So that by giving in all abundance is meant a bestowing upon the employment of what he hath the most enriching endowments such Gifts and graces which capacitate for the Highest attainments we can desire He that so Hath shall have that Life which Christ came that he might have and that he might have it more abundantly Joh. 10.10 And thus I have finished what I had to say concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or literal sense of the words Sect. 8. 2dly We will consider the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Senses all that I say and do both my Words and Works will be as a thing of naught with you the Doctrine which I preach to you unless you attend and consider it and the miracles which I work to confirm it and to convince you of the truth of it unless you observe and remember them cannot be transferred to their proper use and work any good upon you and when your rational Faculties and Senses are not thus employed they are to you as if you had them not vain and useless Matt. 13.13 Sect. 37. In this consists the great advantage the Christian part of the World hath from the Preaching of the Gospel that by it Life and Immortality is brought to Light 2 Tim. 1.10 That is to partake of a divine Life and to attain immortal Felicity and Glory is distinctly plainly and evidently discovered and manifested by it and withal it is the ministration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 3.8 That is containeth such spiritual Powers such quickening Influences from the Spirit such efficacious Arguments and perswasive Motives as are most apt to affect and incite our Spirits or rational Faculties to the exercise of their proper offices and acts for to embrace and pursue that divine Life and immortal Glory which is so clearly discovered and offered to us by it God knew that Sin had unman'd us lost us the use of our Reason where we had most use for it and therefore he contrived this means both to pardon our Sin and to recover to us our Reason and to make us men againe Yea the very graces of the Spirit are to make us more unreasonable For those inherent Graces of the Spirit which we call sanctifying and saving Graces are a rectifying of our natural rational Faculties and make such impressions on them as bring them into a due order subordinate our Understandings and Reasons to God and our Wills Appetites Affections Passions and Senses to our Understandings and Reasons and that which facilitateth or maketh them fit and ready to operate suitably to the Nature of their proper Objects for all habits whatsoever both Spiritual and Moral are nothing else almost but a facilitation of our rational Faculties and are scarce otherwise distinguished from the natural Powers in which they are than the straitness of a stick from the stick it self or the expansion and contraction of the hand from the hand it self not by a positive absolute Being and Existence of its own but as the modification or odering of a Being after such a manner is distinguished from the Being it self So that the literal Promulgation of the Gospel to us carrieth with it a peculiarity of Favour and Mercy because it is the most excellent Instrument to excite us to a regular use of our natural Faculties and the most efficacious Organ of the Spirit to derive to us a Divine and Heavenly Life Sect. 38. Reas 6. Because God hath rewarded those which have been serviceable to him only for the execution of his Will of Purpose to punish and such as have only hypocritically fulfilled his Will of Command with the highest temporal Rewards and therefore we have good ground to hope more comfortably and confidently that he will reward those more abundantly and excellently even with Spiritual and Special Gifts and Graces which with a moral Sincerity do to the utmost of their Power accomplish and fulfill his Will of Command Behold your heavenly Father saith Christ feedeth the Fowls of the Aire are ye not much better than they he cloatheth the grass of the Field and will he not much more cloath you Mat. 6.26.30 q. d. If things of lesser worth partake of his Care and Bounty things of a greater Excellency shall much more in a higher measure Which speech is reducible to that which is under our Consideration and may in my apprehension be as fitly applyed to it as to that to which it was immediately referred Sect. 39. Nebuchadrezzer King of Babylon and his Army of Caldaeans were the worst of the Heathen as the Prophet saith Ezek. 7.24 And they comparatively but bruta Instrumenta in Gods hand they did not knowingly and designedly from any Conscience of Obedience to God or aim at his Honour and Service execute his Judgments upon his Enemies but did what they did from their own impetuous Lusts to serve their own evil Purposes and Ends and yet because they were subservient to Gods Providence in executing the Punishment he had decreed against Tyrus he rewarded them very highly gave them one of the greatest and richest Kingdomes in the World Son of man Nebuchadrezzer King of Babylon caused his Army to serve a great Service against Tyrus every Head was made bald and every Shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the Service that he had served against it For when the Tyrians saw their imminent danger they transported as St. Hierome relates their choisest Goods to Carthage and other neighbouring Islands and at length deserted their City and left nothing but empty and ruinated houses and Walls to their Enemies Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will give the Land of Aegypt unto Nebuchadrezzer King of Babylon and he shall take her Multitude and take her Spoil and take her Prey and it shall be the Wages for his Army I have given him the Land of Aegypt for his labour wherewith he served against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord. Ezek. 29.18 19 20. Howbeit they meant not to fulfill Gods Will and to execute his Purpose neither did their Hearts think so they had no Apprehensions that they were working for God and serving his design but it was in their Hearts to destroy and cut off as 't is elsewhere Isa 10.5 yet because they were instrumental to execute Gods decreed Punishment and to serve his Ends upon the Tyrians they shall not lose their Labour Sect. 40. So although Cyrus King of Persia were an Heathenish Idolater yet because he performed all Gods Pleasure accomplished all that he purposed as necessary for the Redemption of his People from the Babylonish captivity he held his right hand to subdue Nations and loosed the loins of Kings before him and gave him the Treasures of Darkness and hidden Riches of secret Places Isa 44.28.45.1 2 3 4. Jehu was none of the best for he never departed from the Sins of Jeroboam from the Idolatrous Worship of the Golden Calves in Bethel and Dan and took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart yet because he pretended a Zeal for the true God in executing the Command of God to destroy Ahabs Family and the Idolatrous Worship and Priests of Baal God rewarded him largely and his Posterity too for his sake Because thou hast done well in executing that which was Right in mine Eyes that is in part that which was Right a thing good in its Kind and Nature being materially agreeable to my law and hast
are all Scripture-Phrases importing the same with Conversion and Regeneration Although the Fire burns not without Gods concurrence yet 't is not God according to a strict propriety of Speech which burns but the Fire because notwithstanding Gods concurrence the Fire acteth according to the essential properties of its Nature God concurreth with the Water as well as with the Fire and yet that burns not but cooleth aye and can quench the Fire and therefore notwithstanding Gods concurrence with things they act and move according to the intrinsecal properties of their Natures So though Conversion or Regeneration be Gods workmanship and no man quickeneth his own heart to turn it from Sin to God without Gods concurrence yet man converteth and turneth himself from Sin to God because notwithstanding Gods concurrence man acteth according to the essential Properties of his Nature knowingly judiciously voluntarily freely and is not divorced from Sin and contracted unto God without his own Knowledg Election and Consent Why should those Truths which are directive to Conversion be propounded to our Understandings and we be obliged to consider and meditate upon them and why should those motives which are exciting to Conversion be propounded to our Wills and we be obliged to comply and close with them if we had nothing to do and were not to bear a part with God in the Work Sect. 59. God which gave the Waters of the Pool Bethesda an healing Virtue Joh. 5.2 and sent an Angel at a certain time to trouble the Waters to draw forth their Sanative Vertue did not send an Angel too to drag the impotent from all quarters of the Country into the Pool but if they obtained cure thereby they must either come themselves and go in or else be brought and put in by others that is were to get into the Pool in an ordinary way of such endeavours as they were capable of using So God which hath given the Waters of the Sanctuary an healing Virtue and at certain Seasons sends his Angels to stir these Waters for your healing expects that you come to them and exercise the Powers you have to obtain healing from them or else you are never like to be the better for them For the Ministers of Religion do not cure the diseases of our Souls as a Charm or a Medicine the Diseases of our Bodies without the interposition or use of our reasonable Faculties but produce and work in us hatreds of Sin and fruits in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth by propounding efficacious arguments and motives to perswade our Reason incline our Will excite our Affections and to ingage our earnest and vigorous endeavours Be not deceived saith the Apostle God is not mocked as a man soweth so shall he reap Gal. 6.7 q. d. You may by your fair Pretenses and plausible Reasonings impose upon and deceive your selves but you cannot do so by God for he knoweth and will judge of things as they are and as the Crop which the husbandman reapeth at harvest is answerable to the Nature of the Seed sown so such as your Endeavours are shall your Successes be and you shal eat the Fruit of your own proper doings be they what they will and of none other And as the husbandman cannot reap without sowing nor sow without Labour and Industry so neither can you reap in Mercy without sowing in Righteousness partake of Gods Blessing without doing his Work nor can you do his Work without exercising your selves in painful Endeavours Sect. 60. When the Apostle beseecheth us not to receive the Grace of God in Vain 2 Cor. 6.1 and to look diligently lest any of us fail of the Grace of God Heb. 12.13 He plainly insinuates that our Study Cares and Industrie are concern'd in the good Issues and Effects of it upon us that we may by the Power of our Wills hinder and prevent the Powers of Gods Grace from prevailing to that desirable End and Issue to which God hath designed them Certainly had not the Eunuch addicted himself to reading of the Scriptures for to inquire after the mind of God concerning the things of his eternal Peace and Salvation Philip had not been sent unto him to instruct him and if Philip had not instructed him he had not understood them nor consequently believed them or ever received any advantage from them And here I shall bring to your Remembrance a passage full to our purpose in the Second part of the Homily of our Church exhorting to the knowledg of Holy Scriptures the words are these And whosoever giveth his mind to Holy Scriptures with diligent Study and burning Desire it cannot be saith St. Chrysostome that he should be left without help For either God Almighty will send him some Godly Doctor to teach him as he did to instruct the Eunuch a Noble man of Ethiope and Treasurer unto Queen Candice who having affection to read the Scripture although he understood it not yet for the desire that he had to Gods word God sent his Apostle Philip to declare unto him the true Sense of the Scripture that he read or else if we lack a learned man to instruct and teach us yet God himself from above will give Light unto our minds and teach us those things which are necessary for us and wherein we be ignorant If we read once twice and understand it not let us not cease so but still continue Reading Praying asking of others and so by still Knocking at the last the door shall be opened as Saint Augustine saith And that blessed Martyr Bishop Hooper in his Sermon glossing on that Text in St. Joh. ch 6.44 No man commeth unto me except my Father draw him saith thus Many understand these words in a wrong Sense as if God required no more in a reasonable man than a dead post and mark not the words which follow every man that heareth and learneth of the Father commeth unto me c. God draweth with his Word and Holy Ghost but mans Duty is to hear and learn that is to say to receive the Grace offered consent to the Promise and not to impugn the God that calleth Sect. 61. You have formerly heard that there was no difference betwixt the Talent employed and that hid and the seed sown in the High-way and in good Ground were of the same kind too but yet these did not produce the same Effect It was not from any natural defect in the Talent hid that it was not employed and improved nor from any imperfection of the Seed sown that it did not fructifie and increase but the fault was wholly in the owner of the Talent and in the Ground Each Parable sheweth that the different Success of the Gifts and Graces of God dispensed to Men is not to be ascribed to the different Nature Degree and Tendency of them but to the different Constitutions Dispositions and Behaviours of those that partake of them The Lord saith Athanasius soweth liberally but the fructification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉