Lastly, Consider the distinction Christ will make at the last day between persons of the same vicinity, family, religion : the one is taken, the other left.
Now, to excite you to get grace into your own hearts, consider —
1. None is more near to you than yourselves. God hath made you guardians of your own souls. We read, Eph. v. 20, that ' no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it.' Oh ! that we could say so in this case, that no man ever hated his own soul ! It is no less monstrous and unnatural not to take care of our souls, than not to take care of our bodies. The soul is the man, the nobler and better part, that should be first cared for ; therefore, if you love yourselves, you should look after your personal interest in Christ.
2. Your happiness is left merely as on your own consent. God offereth his grace to you as well as to others: Isa. lv. 1, ' Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters and drink ;' Rev. xx. 22, ' Who- soever will,' &c. If you refuse it, you wrong your own souls, Prov. viii. 36, forsake your own mercies, Jonah ii. 8. And if you miss of Christ, and be shut out of heaven, it is by your own default. You have none to blame but yourselves, if you do not enter into covenant with God, and so qualify yourselves for the great blessings and favours thereof.
Veil 9.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 387
3. Consider how much others Have done for you in a way of means, though they can do nothing in a way of merit. You have received as much benefit by others as can rationally be expected ; 3rou were born of Christian parents, by them dedicated to God, and trained up in his fear ; and now, after all this, when you come to stand upon your own bottom, you wrest yourselves out of the arms of grace : your obstinate refusing seriously and heartily to enter into personal covenant with God will exclude you out of heaven ; you are not moved by the ex- amples of the word, and self-denying Christians. If you never try to bring your heart to consent to the Lord's terms, you will find your oil to seek when you should use it, at the bridegroom's coming.
Secondly, I now come to the reason alleged, ' Lest there be not enough for us and you.'
Doct. 2. They that have most grace have none to spare.
1. With respect to our great hopes, all our endeavours are little enough for heaven ; we cannot be at more cost and pains than our blessed hope is worth : Phil. ii. 12, ' Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.' Work, because it is for salvation : 2 Thes. ii. 12, ' Walk worthy of God, who hath called us to his kingdom and glory/ That is the worthiness of condecency ; walk suitable to your high and holy calling, walk as those that expect such a kingdom and glory, walk as those that are contented with a little here, Heb. xiii. 5. A little here should serve our turn, but in heavenly things it is otherwise ; there should be a holy covetousness, and an insatiableness of desiring more, and a suitableness in our walking to that state of life which we expect. But alas ! it is otherwise with most, for the comforts of this life, which are but as a vapour, they are insatiable as the grave ; but in grace, every little, yea, a bare nothing, is thought sufficient. Surely these men have not a true sense of God's punishments and rewards, nor what preparation is necessary for that heavenly happiness they expect.
2. With respect to our great temptations, not a jot of grace can be spared. We are told that ' the righteous are scarcely saved,' 1 Peter iv. 18. There are so many trials by the way, and our folly and weak- ness is so great, that it is no easy matter to get safe to heaven. If we have strength to carry us through our present condition, yet we know not what we may meet with before our service be over ; a day may come when all the grace we have may be thought little enough, and too little for the trials we may be put upon. Little grace is as no grace when a temptation cometh : Luke viii. 25, ' Where is your faith ?' But Mark iv. 4, ' How is it that ye have no faith ?' and Mat. viii. 26, it is said, 'Why are ye fearful? 0 ye of little faith !' Little faith in some cases is as if they had no faith : faith in the habit they had, but they could not put it into act, in that sudden and great trial : Eph. vi. 10, ' Be ye strong in the Lord, and the power of his might.'
3. With respect to our comfort, a large measure of grace is neces- sary. We are bidden to give all diligence, that we may enter abun- dantly, 2 Peter i. 11. Not only make a hard shift to get to heaven, but to get thither with full sails of comfort ; now this will never be, unless we have much grace, and that kept in lively action ; for other-