[3.] A third scripture is that 2 Cor. ix. 6, ' But this I say. He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly ; and he which soweth bounti- fully shall reap bountifully.' A sparing liberality shall be attended with a sparing reward, and a bounteous liberality shall be attended with a bounteous reward. Look, as the harvest answers the measure of seed that is sown, so that he that sows but little reaps but little, and he that sows much reaps much, so saints' reaping at last will be answer- able to their sowing here. All men's charities shall at last be rewarded proportionable to the several degrees of it. He that gives a pound shall have a gi*eater reward than he that gives a penny. He that sows thousands shall reap more than he that sows hundreds. He shall have the most plentiful crop in heaven, who has sowed most seed here on earth, &c. They shall have interest upon interest in heaven, who sow much on this side heaven.
[4.] A fourth scripture is that Luke xix. 12-20. Now in this parable you have a great lord going into a far country ; but before he goes he gives ten pounds ^ to ten of his servants to trade with till his return. Now upon his return, he that had increased his pound to ten pounds was made ruler over ten cities, ver. 17 ; and he that made five of one was made ruler over five cities, ver. 19. Here he that- gained most received the greatest reward. The nobleman in this parable is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is truly and highly noble, he being co- eternal and co-equal with his Father, in respect of his deity ; he was born a king, and is now King of kings, and Lord of lords, and Prince of the kings of the earth. The far country that he is gone to is heaven, for thither he went at his ascension. Now when he shall return from heaven to judge the quick and the dead, he will then bring men to an account, to a reckoning about their improvement of all the gifts and graces that he has intrusted them with, and, according to the different improvement that men shall make of their talents, so shall be their re- ward. He that makes the greatest improvement of his pound, he shall
^ Mina, here translated a pound, is twelve ounces and a half, which pound, according to five shillings an ounce, is three pound two shillings and sixpence sterling money. Mat. ii. 2 ; Kev. xvii. 14, and i. 5.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 371
have the greatest reward, he shall be ruler over ten cities, that is, he shall be very highly honoured and exalted ; and he that makes a lesser im- provement, he shall have a lesser reward, he shall be ruler over five cities. He that makes a great improvement of a little, he shall, if I may so speak, sit at Christ's right hand ; but he that makes a lesser improvement, he must be contented to sit at Christ's left hand. God will proportion out men's reward at last answerable to their improve- ment of that treasure that he has put into their hands ; and yet this doth not infer merit of works, but a gracious disposition in God to en- courage his servants in a way of well-doing, &c.
[5.] A fifth scripture is that Dan. xii. 3, ' And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.' l The glory of heaven is here laid out in shining terms, for look how gloriously the shining of stars doth excel the shining of the firmament ; so some saints shall as far outshine others in glory, as the stars do now out- shine the firmament. Look, as the stars are a more beautiful and glorious part of the orb than the firmament is, so some saints shall have a great deal more beauty and glory upon them than others shall. And look, as there are different degrees of glory between the glory of the firmament and the glory of the stars now, so there shall be dif- ferent degrees of glory between one glorious saint and another at last. All the saints shall at last shine as the firmament, but those that by their doctrine, instruction, and conversation, turn many to righteous- ness, these shall shine as the stars, for ever and ever. Some of the highest seats in glory shall be for such ' who turn sinners from dark- ness to light, and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ,' Acts xxvi. 18. It is very observable, that as the apostles were very eminent in this work, so Christ has given it under his own hand, that they shall sit upon twelve thrones, as so many kings, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Mat. xix. 28 ; Luke xxii. 28, 29. They had done and suffered more for Christ than others, and therefore Christ will put a greater glory upon them than upon others. Though many learned men differ about the interpretation of those words, ' ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' — and therefore I dare not peremptorily conclude this or that to be the sense of them — yet this is most plain and evident in the text, that the apostles are under a promise of some peculiar and more eminent degree of honour, glory, and dignity, than others are under. Look, as their service to Christ was a peculiar and eminent service, so Christ promises them a peculiar and eminent reward. Every man of them shall have his particular throne, and every one of them shall have the honour and dignity of judg- ing— that is, of governing and ruling the twelve tribes of Israel. Look, as ambassadors and chief councillors and presidents have the highest and chiefest seats in the kingly assembly, so the apostles shall have the highest and the chiefest seats in the general assembly and church of the first-born in heaven, Heb. xii. 22, 23 ; they shall sit, as it were, on the throne, or on the bench, with Christ, so highly and greatly shall they be exalted. If we cannot hit upon the meanings of the reward
^ From this very text, your 'English annotators' conclude that there are degrees of glory in heaven, &c. [As before. — G.]
372 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.