Secondly, Chrysostom's counsel on the text should be eyed and followed. Saith he, ' We should not strain every particular of a parable, but only consider the scope of Christ in the propounding of it, and accordingly apply it.' We look not on every particular colour in a well-drawn picture, but on the whole piece ; so when we come to view a parable, it is enough that we cast our eye principally upon the general intention and scope of it. He that is very exact and curious to view and observe every particular circumstance about parables, may easily draw blood instead of milk out of the breasts of parables. Parables are like to the roll which Ezekiel saw in a vision spread before him, which was written within and without ; without the his- tory was written, and within the mystery was written, Ezek. ii. 10.1 Now though the outside, the history, of a parable be like the golden pot, yet the inside, the mystery, of a parable is like the manna that was hid therein, and it is the manna, the manna, that we must seek after. Look, as it is their wisdom who deal in curious rich stuffs that are wrought on both sides to cast a special eye upon the flowers that are on the inside of those stuffs, so it is our wisdom to cast a special eye upon the inside of parables, upon the mystical reference that par- ables have, than to lie poring upon the outside of parables. Now the scope of this parable is not to prove that there is an equality of glory in heaven, but to reprove the Jews, who, being called into the Lord's vineyard betimes in the morning, repined and murmured that the Gentiles, who were called in at the latter end of the day, who were called in some thousand years after them, that they should through the riches of grace have an equal share with them in the reward, and stand upon as good and as noble terms with God as themselves, who had so long bore the heat of the day. God, to shew that his gifts, his grace, and his rewards are free, will give his pennies as well to those who have laboured but a little as to those who have laboured much ; and this is no prejudice at all to his truth and justice, that his grace is free. But,
Thirdly and lastly, That by the penny we cannot, nor we may not, understand everlasting happiness and blessedness, but some other re- ward that hypocrites may attain to as weU as sincere-hearted Chris- tians ; and the reason is obvious : for he that was sent away for his envious grumbling and grunting, was sent away also with his penny, 'take thy penny and be packing.' 2 By the penny some pious inter- preters do understand some competent gift or other, whatever it were, which might be well managed and improved to advantage. The vine- yard is the church, and every one that is called to labour in the vine- yard is called to labour in the use and improvement of ordinances. Now every one that is laborious in the use of ordinances shall be sure to get something ; no man shall kindle a fire on God's altar for nought. And yet it many times comes to pass that those who have been called and converted long before others, do yet make no greater, nor no bet- ter earnings 3 on it than those do that have been called and converted long after them. He that is called at the first hour sometimes gets
* Jerome in cap. ii. Ezek.
' Some by the penny do understand worldly honour, and the estimation and approba- tion of men. ^ Spelled here and a little onward ' yearnings.'— G.
384 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
no more than he that is called at the eleventh hour. It is in the trade of Christianity as it is in other trades. Now )'ou know that many men who have been set up in this or that trade ten, nay twenty, years before others, yet they many times make no more earnings, no more advantage of their trade, than they that have set up but the other day, as we say. Why so many that have been called long to the trade of Christianity before others, yet they make no more earnings, no more advantage of that trade, than those that have been called to it but yes- terday, as I may speak. His gifts, his gain, his earnings that is called in at the eleventh hour of the day, is many times equal to his that was called in at the first hour of the day. Yea, I have formerly proved that sometimes many that are called later than others, do yet in gifts and grace excel those that were called long before them. Now these ob- jections being answered, that truth stands firm, like mount Zion, viz., that the more holiness you have here, the more happiness you shall have hereafter ; the more grace you have here on earth, the more glory you shall have when you come to heaven.
And so I come to the second thing proposed, namely, to acquaint you with some means, helps, and directions that may enable you to make a progress in holiness, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. And,
[1.] First, If ever you would perfect holiness, if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness than any yet you have attained to, then labour to he more and more sensible of your spiritual wants and deficiencies of grace and holiness. Ah Christians ! you must be often in casting up your accounts, and in looking over the defects of your holiness. He that hath most holiness, yet wants much more than what he hath attained to. Witness the prevalency of his corruptions, witness his easy falling before temptation, witness his aptness to faint in the day of affliction, witness his staggering in the day of opposition, witness his shifts in the day of persecution, and witness his actual un- preparedness and unfitness for the day of his dissolution. The more any Christian sees himself defective in holiness, the more he will labour after holiness: Ps. cxix. 59, 60, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies : I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.' The Hebrew word, ZVn, that is here used for thinking, signifies to think on a man's ways accurately, advisedly, seri- ously, studiously, curiously. This holy man of God thought exactly and curiously on all his purposes and practices, on all his doings and sayings, on all his words and works, and finding too many of them to be short of the rule, yea, to be against the rule, he turns his feet to God's testimonies ; .having found out his errors, upon a diligent search, a strict scrutiny, he turns over a new leaf, and frames his course more exactly by rule. 0 Christians ! you must look as well to your spirit- ual wants as to your spiritual enjoyments ; you must look as well to your layings out as to your layings up ; you must look as well forward to what you should be as backward to what you are. Certainly that Christian will never be eminent in holiness that hath many eyes to be- hold a little holiness, and never an eye to see his further want of holi- ness. He that is more affected with that holiness he hath than he is afflicted about those great measures of holiness that he needs, will
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 385